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)
Iman:
Dunno If God allows folks to see things like this but Happy Birthday Cowboy.
If you're doing time in Purgatory, hopefully it's the one in Maine.
Rhode Island has one but I doubt your old pal Buddy Cianci is there.
I'm wondering what you'd be saying about all this craziness with Donnie Trump.
I remembered when you BANNED him from the show FOREVER. Great move on your part.
You saw thru his bullshit.
Say HEY to Fred.
Wow -- no one is really monitoring this website, or all those spam post entries would simply be removed in total. How old is this technology that it can't be done?
How come Don's family doesn't update this horrible memorial? It looks like it was designed 50 years ago.
How come no one ever hears from his family?
Does anyone know where Imus' archives or memorabilia went? What museum? Library? Anyone know?
By the way, even the web designer made a typo in the copyright notice listed below. It reads "c. 2018 Don Imusr" ... that "r" negates the name Imus. Copyright law is a "use it or lose it" proposition. Everything needs to be perfect. Spell his name incorrectly and that's it!
Yikes! How sloppy is this system? Has no one paid the bills or monitored this thing?
Hey there.. in response to Cowboy Cadoc's Mother.. I wish I knew... Infact I'd take this site over and make it a great memorial page again if someone would let me.. I have Dons wife Deirdre on Facebook and have tried reaching out but she has never responded back to me there only on her page once when I posted my imus coffee cups I still have..... I sure do miss Don...
Rest in peace, Don Imus~~July 23, 1940 – December 27, 2019. My mornings just aren't as much fun without you, Fred, and Bernie. God bless you and keep you.
Thinking of the Imus family today. Hope you all are doing well. You all as well as Imus are thought of often and are missed.
Time sneaks up, doesn't it? Another year passes, and yet, I never heard anything about a memorial (I guess that shipped sailed), or where your archive is going, or went, or any plans for anything you might have left behind, like your recordings, master tapes, press, etc. Well, Cowboy, how quickly the heirs forget, even though you certainly left them enough money to take care of it all. I'll keep looking for the remnants, pal. Wish you had been a lot less stubborn and a lot more practical, but then again, the ending to this story would have been mighty different. See you on the other side -- maybe.
April 2024 and I still occasionally replay pieces of the Imus in the morning show to hear that unique, funny, interesting, show that will never be duplicated. There will never be another one like it or another one like JD Imus.
Thanks for that !
Can’t think of Kinky Friedman without thinking of you. RIP to another cowboy. The world is moving on … and I wish it would slow down. Can’t imagine why your family never held a memorial for you or anything; but I knew a few years ago that something was wrong, because when it came to you, something was always wrong. Here's Kinky's obit from the Times. They mentioned you. RIP.
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/06/27/arts/music/kinky-friedman-dead.html
This comment section is pretty dead. Just like Don.
Wow James:
So where's YOUR exciting and relevent post to this site?
Like Larry P said, I too, go for the occasinal Iman fix.
His insight on life was usually spot on.
I'm sure he'd have a LOT to say about what's going on today.
Here's something to liven up the page. https://youtu.be/dvXdw3tQBso?si=CDtr3Au0HA0R-nmy
Happy birthday, Cowboy. Wish you were still alive ...