Controversial radio personality Don Imus, who laid the groundwork for provocative shock jocks including Howard Stern and others, has died, according to a statement released by his family. He was 79.
Reports say Imus died Friday morning at Baylor Scott and White Medical Center in College Station, Texas. He was hospitalized on Christmas Eve, family members said.
The cause of his death has not yet been reported.
Imus was the host of the “Imus in the Morning” show for nearly 50 years.
He announced his retirement last year, and his last day on air was March 29, 2018.
Imus was briefly syndicated in Atlanta on 106.7 a decade ago and was also heard in the early days of WQXI/790 the Zone back in the 1990s.
Often seen wearing an oversized cowboy hat, Imus announced his retirement in January 2018, telling his fans “Turn out the lights ... the party's over.”
Imus was fired from CBS Radio in 2007 after he used a racial slur to characterize the Rutgers University women's basketball team.
In the days after the remark, Imus issued a public apology.
“I want to take a moment to apologize for an insensitive and ill-conceived remark we made the other morning regarding the Rutgers women's basketball team, which lost to Tennessee in the NCAA championship game on Tuesday,” he said. “It was completely inappropriate, and we can understand why people were offended. Our characterization was thoughtless and stupid, and we are sorry.”
Imus also appeared on Al Sharpton's syndicated radio talk show in hopes of tamping down the controversy.
Imus is survived by his wife of 25 years, Deirdre, sons Wyatt and Lt. Zachary Don Cates, and daughters Nadine, Ashley, Elizabeth and Toni.
