Don Imus facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Don Imus
|
|
|---|---|
Imus, c. mid-1980s
|
|
| Born |
John Donald Imus Jr.
July 23, 1940 Riverside, California, U.S.
|
| Died | December 27, 2019 (aged 79) College Station, Texas, U.S.
|
| Occupation | Radio and television talk show host, writer, humorist |
| Years active | 1964–2018 |
| Spouse(s) |
Harriet Showalter
(m. 1969; div. 1979)Deirdre Coleman
(m. 1994) |
| Children | 6 |
| Awards | NAB Broadcasting Hall of Fame, 4 NAB Marconi Radio Awards |
John Donald Imus Jr. (born July 23, 1940 – died December 27, 2019), known simply as Imus, was a famous American radio and television host. He was also a recording artist and author. His popular radio show, Imus in the Morning, was broadcast on many radio stations and digital platforms across the United States until 2018.
Imus started his radio career in 1968 in Palmdale, California. By 1971, he was hosting the morning show at WNBC in New York City. After a short time away, he returned to WNBC in 1979 and stayed until 1988. His show then moved to WFAN. In 1993, Imus in the Morning began to be broadcast nationally, reaching even more listeners.
Don Imus was known for his unique and sometimes controversial style on the radio. In January 2018, his company stopped paying him due to financial issues. His last show aired on March 29, 2018. He passed away the next year from lung disease.
Contents
Early Life and First Jobs
Imus was born in Riverside, California. His parents, John Donald Imus Sr. and Frances E. Imus, owned a large ranch in Kingman, Arizona. He had a younger brother named Fred Imus. Don Imus did not enjoy school and described his teenage years as difficult. His parents divorced when he was 15.
In 1957, Imus left high school and joined the United States Marine Corps. He served in an artillery unit and later in the Drum and Bugle Corps. After leaving the Marines, he tried different jobs. He worked as a brakeman on a railroad and in a uranium mine in Arizona. He had an accident in the mine that broke both of his legs.
Starting a Radio Career
In 1966, Don Imus decided to try radio. He enrolled in a broadcasting school in Hollywood and got his broadcasting license. He also worked as a singer-songwriter for a short time.
His first radio job was at KUTY in Palmdale, California, starting on June 2, 1968. He quickly became very popular. While there, he created a funny character called Billy Sol Hargis, who was a radio preacher. Imus was so successful that he won a Billboard Award for Air Personality of the Year.
After KUTY, Imus worked at KJOY in Stockton, California, but he was fired because of some controversial things he said on air. He then moved to KXOA in Sacramento, California, and later to WGAR in Cleveland. At WGAR, he continued to be very popular, topping the listener ratings in his age group. Billboard magazine named him the number one radio personality in 1971.
His show, Imus in the Morning, was known for being funny and sometimes making fun of things. He often made prank calls. One famous prank call was to a McDonald's restaurant where he pretended to be a military official and ordered 4,000 hamburgers for troops. This call led to a rule that radio hosts must identify themselves when making calls on the air. Imus also faced legal issues because of some of his jokes.
Moving to New York City
On December 2, 1971, Don Imus began hosting his morning show at WNBC in New York City. This was a big step in his career. He also performed stand-up comedy shows and released three albums with funny radio segments and songs.
During this time, Imus faced some personal challenges and took a break from WNBC in 1977. He worked at WHK in Cleveland for a year. He also hosted a late-night TV talk show called IMUS, plus... in New York.
Imus returned to WNBC on September 3, 1979. He signed a new contract in 1981 for a large salary. He also wrote his first book, God's Other Son, which became a best-seller. By 1981, Imus was one of the most listened-to radio hosts in the U.S. He created other memorable characters for his show, like "Geraldo Santana Banana." He also worked as a video jockey for the launch of VH-1 in 1985.
National Success and Helping Others
On October 7, 1988, WNBC radio station was sold, and its signal was taken over by WFAN, an all-sports station. Don Imus and his team were the only ones kept on staff, and his show became WFAN's morning program.
In 1989, Imus was inducted into the National Radio Hall of Fame. In June 1993, Imus in the Morning began to be broadcast nationally, reaching even more listeners across the country. In 1996, the show also started being shown on MSNBC television.
Imus used his platform to help others. He raised over $60 million for the Center for the Intrepid, a special facility in Texas that helps soldiers who were injured in the Iraq War. He also brought attention to the living conditions at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center, visiting wounded veterans there to cheer them up. His reporting led to changes and resignations in the Army leadership.
Later Career and Retirement
On December 3, 2007, Imus's show moved to WABC radio. In 2018, the company that owned WABC told Imus they would stop paying him due to financial difficulties. His final radio show aired on March 29, 2018.
Business Ventures
Don Imus also had some business interests. He was a part-owner of Autobody Express stores with his brother, Fred. These stores were located in Santa Fe and inside the Mohegan Sun casino. However, the company closed in 2003.
Imus also owned a small coffee and pastry shop at the Mohegan Sun casino. Later, the Autobody Express business became Imus Ranch Foods, which sold chips and salsa online and in stores. This food line was stopped in 2014.
Awards and Recognition
Don Imus received many honors for his work in radio:
- He won four NAB Marconi Radio Awards, which are like big awards in radio. He won three times for Major Market Personality of the Year (1990, 1992, 1997) and once for Network Syndicated Personality (1994).
- He was inducted into the National Radio Hall of Fame in 1989.
Personal Life
Family
Don Imus was married twice. His first wife was Harriet Showalter, and they had two daughters together, Ashley and Elizabeth. He also adopted Harriet's two daughters from a previous marriage, Nadine and Toni. They divorced in 1979.
In 1994, Imus married Deirdre Coleman. They had a son named Frederick Wyatt in 1998. Imus also adopted a sixth child, Zach, later on. Don and Deirdre were married until his death in 2019.
At the time of his death, Imus lived on a ranch in Brenham, Texas. He had moved there full-time in 2015.
Don Imus was also known for his private charity work. He helped raise millions of dollars for wounded veterans and for children with cancer. He also supported siblings of children who died from sudden infant death syndrome. These children spent summers at his ranch in New Mexico.
Imus Ranch
In 1999, Don and Deirdre Imus started the Imus Ranch. It was a working cattle ranch in Ribera, New Mexico, that helped children with cancer. The ranch offered a summer program for these children. The program ended in 2014 after Imus was injured in a fall from a horse.
The ranch was put up for sale in 2014 and eventually sold in April 2018 for $12.5 million.
Health and Passing
In 2000, Imus was seriously injured after falling from a horse at his ranch. These injuries caused him to have ongoing breathing problems.
In March 2009, he was diagnosed with prostate cancer. Don Imus passed away on December 27, 2019, at the age of 79, due to complications from lung disease.
Discography
- Albums
- 1200 Hamburgers to Go (1972)
- One Sacred Chicken to Go (1973)
- This Honky's Nuts (1974)
- The Imus Ranch Record (2008)
- The Imus Ranch Record II (2010)
- Singles
- I'm A Hot Rodder/The Boogala (1964)
- From Adam's Rib To Women's Lib/The Ballad Of Rick (1971)
- 1200 Hamburgers To Go/Reverend Billy Sol Hargis (1972)
- Son of Checkers (The Watergate Case)/Oh Billy Sol Please Heal Us All (1973)
- Play That Country Juke Box (1975)
- Everybody Needs Milk (Just Give Me A Bottle Of Wine) (1975)
- The Presidential Debate (1976)
Books
- God's Other Son (1981)
- Two Guys Four Corners: Great Photographs, Great Times, and a Million Laughs (1997)
