Thursday
Jan022020
In Memorium: Don Imus 1940-2019
Thursday, January 2, 2020 
Imus broadcast his first program from New York City back in 1971. His life journey has by some accounts been arduous, by other accounts a freak parade, and by still others as a matter for a RICO investigation. It began out in the great American West, California and Arizona, and eventually would make its way on across the country to Ohio and New York.
Imus was born in Riverside, California. Ranching was the family business and he was actually raised on a big cattle spread called the Willows near Kingman, Arizona. Don recalls that period of his childhood fondly and his familiar cowboy persona is completely legitimate. His irascibility appears to be equally legitimate, influenced by more than a few hard knocks along the way. If he revels in the agony of others, as he jokes, it may just be because he’s had a little of that himself. His parents divorced when Don was fifteen, he changed schools frequently, got arrested after a school yard fight, won election in secondary school as class president and was impeached, and, at seventeen, was pushed by his mother to join the marine corps as the best strategy to keep him out of jail. While it all added up to what Imus himself has described as a fairly horrible adolescence, it also disproves a theory that he actually had no parents and instead spawned spontaneously in dust clots behind the Laundromat dryers where one day he would seek shelter. When did all of these events unfold? It doesn’t really matter. And why annoy Don by asking?
Despite the occasional rough patch, Imus did spend a full twelve years in public school and emerged with no formal education…a product of automatic social promotion not even casually tied to merit. He graduated with no honors and no skills, a rare stroke of luck because a broadcasting career required neither. Difficulty continued to dog Imus after his school days: his undistinguished, infraction blotched stretch in the marines, onerous labor in a Superior, Arizona copper mine and a Grand Canyon uranium mine where an accident left him with both legs broken. There was work as a freight brakeman on the Southern Pacific railroad and a back injury suffered in an engine derailment and at one point the indignities of homelessness, hitching, being flat broke. Better, and worse days were to come. This quintessential American and often challenging personal passage materially defined Imus, instilling him with humility, a deep respect for our country and its workers, and a disturbing need to get even. He emerged from the experience with attributes that contributed enormously to the broadcasting distinction he would realize: an intrinsic, conspicuous authenticity, and a unique ability to connect with real people who work hard, serve their country, and care passionately about what really matters in the world.
Once Imus began broadcasting, fame and acclaim came quickly. He was showered with the laurels of radio celebrity including inductions into both the National Association of Broadcasters and radio halls of fame. He was the recipient of four Marconi awards, broadcasting’s equivalent of Hollywood’s Oscars. It got to the point that he would throw this or that slab of walnut with crystal crap glued to it against the wall of his office as a convenient means of intimidating horrified underlings. He was featured on television programs from NBC’s “Today” show to CBS’ “60 Minutes.” He was a guest of Charlie Rose, David Letterman, and of special note, Larry King, in shameless, mutual ass-kissing marathons that challenged the audience's gag reflex.
Don and Deirdre continue to run the Imus Ranch Foundation donating to other worthy causes helping children with cancer, autism and all the environmental health problems with our children. Don has raised hundred of millions of dollars for the Tomorrows Children’s Fund, CJ foundation for SIDS, Hackensack University Medical Center and America’s Veterans.
Reader Comments (562)
I heard Imus when he first began here in NY when I commuted to college at St. John’s University and listened to him all the way until the end. He was unique: rude & crude yet simultaneously compassionate. And he was the best interviewer I have ever heard. Last, he was also humble enough to know what he didn’t know. I miss him in the mornings.
I, too, miss The•I•Man.......I miss Charles just as much, and, Bernie&Lou......best radio📻team ever............quick witted, intuitively intelligent, and, as abrasive as the most coarse grade of sandpaper.........missed as much today, as the final show................ps: there aren't enough YouTube videos to cure the withdrawal~appreciative of those that did share/post them, tho.......
Comic genius. Period.
I loved to watch Imus in the morning.
He was a true American that cared so much for America, the American workers and children.
Don, RIP . you did your job here on earth and you did it well. ! Thanks. A fan, RGS
The only thing that I can lend to the ongoing arguement is that so many men and women, if not all, who amassed fortune and fame certainly broke a few eggs along the way. Imus himself would tell you that he was a "vicious bastard" back in the 70's and 80's. None of that matters, what does matter is that for millions and millions of people, he improved every day of their lives through his entertainment, education, and sheer hilarity of him being him and sharing his gift with the rest of us who have no such talent.
He will always be one of my favorite people to have ever walked the Earth, I don't need to have known him, and I heartily embrace the moniker of "fanboy" that one person uses as a term of derision. You don't need to know someone to have them make your life better. I didn't know Ronald Reagan, Pope John Paul II, Jerry Garcia, Tom Petty, or even Eddie Van Halen and they all made enormous positive contributions to my life. Thank you Iman from the bottom of my heart for everything you've done for so many of us. For those broken eggs, well, yea.
God Bless!
Dear Mr. Imus,
Without you on the radio in the mornings, the stress of my job at the time would have been overwhelming.
You always made me laugh and that had a calming effect even I will never fully know.
I miss you, respect you, and love you forever. Rest in peace, my friend.
Which doesn't belong and why? Still echos in my mind.
Thinking about Mr. Imus this past week. There is not a time that I turn on the radio in the morning that I don't miss the program that I listened to from the first day he came on WNBC. I laughed daily and enjoyed the guests and his questioning. He got better as he got older and his base grew. I remember the day he talked to Paul Newman and then I seem to recall that was how the ranch started. My wife got me a Blue buffalo shirt that I never did get to wear because I was too damn fat but I still kept it for that day when I could wear it. And that salsa was still the best I ever had. There were times that I did switch to local news but that never was for very long.
Thanks for opening up my music portfolio boss. I miss heaving you turn me on to different artists.
Thanks for keeping the webpage up.
CW
I grew up listening to Imus. He was fearless with his comedy. He was gracious to his fans lining up for miles to get an autograph. He is still missed to this day. No one else has even come close to filling that void...
It is so refreshing to see that the Imus Memorial Page is now being monitored. Imus was a talent like no other in the history of AM radio. Sure, there were noteworthy disc jockeys from the ‘50s, ‘60s and ‘70s, but none of them had the sheer dominance of the medium that the I-Man developed over the course of his amazing career.
Harry Harrison, ‘Cousin’ Bruce Morrow, Dan Ingram, Scott Muni, and Jim Kerr were outstanding DJs. Imus was at an entirely different level.
“I don’t care if the rains or freezes,
‘ong as I have my Plastic Jesus
riding’ on the dashboard of my car.
I can go a hundred miles an hour,
‘long as I’ve got the Almighty Power
glued up there by my pair of fuzzy dice.”
Say “Hallelujah. Say Amen!”
Thank you for the Right Reverend Doctor Billy Saul Hargus memory, Can I get a Halleluiah? Can I get an Amen?
How about the hilarious skit, TRES HUEVOS. A manly man, a man of the 3 eggs.....TRES HUEVOS! Sound of a whip cracking, a horse whinnying, and a gun firing. Then me almost driving off the road heading down 95 to Stamford, CT. Imus is the only person on Earth that could make a hilarious skit out of the fact that he had 3 nuts. Check out this amazing episode with Charles losing his mind.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TxefPeKn_Rs
I got some of my biggest laughs when Imus would have the great Bud Collins on the show whenever the Grand Slam tennis tournaments were being played. Some of the best interviews with Collins happened during the US Open. Imus would try his hardest to get Collins to respond to his questions regarding the personal companionships of some of the players on the tour. Collins never took the bait.
Though Imus was friendly with some in the McEnroe family, you knew deep down he was a Connors fan. He also was a fan of Borg. It was pretty clear Imus had no use for Ivan Lendl. Tennis in the ‘70s & ‘80s, particularly the Challenge Matches, rocked.
OH my gosh Joseph you just gave me a great memory. He did this thing before the US open where he's going to interview Martina Navratilova.
"And now appearing on the Imus in the morning program, Left Handed Lesbian, Martina Navratilova, good morning Martina".
Martina Responds: "HEY, EAT ME!"
And then they had to cut to a break as everyone in the studio was hysterically laughing. Damn that man was a treasure.
Joseph Benevides and Marc McDonough…finally a breath of fresh air and good laughs with these memories…Imus was a real hoot! I haven’t been able to watch the clips because it’s still too sad for me, but I did watch the one you posted Marc, so thank you !
Great point Kitty. It always smells fresh after a good cleansing.
One of the best sources for laughs from the “Imus in the Morning” shows are the clips that can be found on YouTube. It’s a great way to reflect on why the I-Man had no peer. Turn the sadness into laughter! Carlin and Imus had great on air chemistry. Two masters of their trades.
Thanks, Joseph…you are so right about Imus and Carlin…I loved when Imus took a hammer and smashed Loretta Lynn’s plate she gave him because he thought it was mass produced…and then she called in to say it was one of a kind…who knows if she was kidding, but the expression on his face…priceless!
This is what we’re all talking about! Still great after 23 years.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j4Ji-KIeFvQ
Joseph Benebides, great clip of Carlin on Imus…thanks for that! Btw, back in 1970-71, I lived in NYC and dated a bartender who was also a minister. He knew I was a fan of Imus, so he took me to the Bitter End (I think that’s it), where Imus was doing his standup. My date brought with him one of his “collars” and during a break in the show, motioned Imus to our table near the “stage”…whereupon, he presented Imus with the collar…Imus of course joined us for a cocktail…he then wore it during the second set for his Reverend BSH routine…Don Imus couldn’t have been nicer and that moment in time has been etched in my memory.
This will give you a flavor of what real people, who had real relationships with Imus thought about him. Not fanboys, or disgruntled former employees but the people that knew him best on a day to day basis for 10-50 years.
https://wabcradio.com/2019/12/30/remembering-the-i-man/
👍👍😀🤣😀🤣😀🤣👍👍
#Imusisgreat
And so this evening it’s time to celebrate! The core crew of the Imus in the Morning Show helped bring the laughs over the years. The great Rob Bartlett brought his own crew to the show for decades. Check out some of Rob’s outstanding contributions to the best morning show in the history of AM radio.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zyg4gSfHNHU
Dear Imus:
It’s hard to believe how fast the time has gone! It’s almost three years your death. I’m so sorry you’re not around any longer, especially because this past week was the 50th anniversary -- December 2, 1971 – of the day you first went on the air at WNBC Radio66 in New York City. (There was a long article in Life magazine, too. Bet you’ll never forget that!) I can’t believe no one mentioned it in the press; at least I didn’t see any mention. I get all the updates posted for this memorial page, too, so I’m surprised everyone peeled away when it came to commemorating your actual milestones.
Christmas is almost here -- another anniversary -- of your death on December 27, 2019. Rest in peace, I-Man! The aircheck of your first New York City show is on the Internet. Thanks to those who posted it.
Well, onward and upward, Don. As they used to say in Hollywood (and Leslie Gore and the Everly Brothers, too), “Don’t call me; I’ll call you.” See ‘ya ‘round that campfire in the sky, cowboy. I’ll keep you posted if anything comes down the pike that you should know about. Funny, but it’s always the people you least suspect who will do the most for you, after all.
Remembering you and missing you two years later. We go back to the early 1970’s when I would call up the show and be live on WNBC for 101 Ways to get into show business. I would do a Lloyd Bridges imitation by blowing a straw into a cup of water… I used to tape parts of the show before I left for school… Will never forget how happy I was when each Summer break would arrive in June and I would be able to listen to the ENTIRE show from 6-10AM…
Thank You so much all I learned in so many ways…
God Bless your soul………
I wouldn’t let this day go by without posting here. The past two years have flown by, haven’t they? Of course, I feel cheated that you’re gone, Imus. A lot of people say they do, but I really do, and you know why. Funny, but I’m wondering what happened to all those nutty fans who couldn’t stop posting here a while back. I know what you would say -- “They must have locked up the prison library.” Well, if there’s life after death, I know you’ll come back and make more trouble. In the meantime, I’ll do my best in your absence. Once the New Year's holiday is over -- look out! Rest in peace, Imus, because it may not last long. I'll keep you posted, Cowboy.
Yesterday marked the second anniversary of the IMan’s transfer to that Big Radio Station in the Heavens. God’s Other Son has been spending these past two years spinning stacks of wax for all those Heavenly Hosts. Instead of reading commercials, Imus is reading the liner notes off of those records. I bet every other song is from his country music collection. He’s hangin’ out between breaks with all those real life souls who inspired so many of the characters highlighted over the years by Larry and Rob. I sure do miss those outstanding interviews. There’s a reason the IMan was selected as one of Time Magazine’s 25 Most Influential People in America. Continue to Rest In Peace!