Gregg Hughes facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Gregg Hughes
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Hughes in 2007
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| Born | May 23, 1963 New York City, U.S.
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| Other names | Opie |
| Alma mater | State University of New York at Geneseo |
| Spouse(s) |
Lynsi Smigo
(m. 2008) |
| Children | 2 |
| Career | |
| Previous show(s) | Opie and Anthony (1995–2014) Opie with Jim Norton (2014–2016) The Opie Radio Show (2016–2017) |
Gregg Hughes (born May 23, 1963), known as Opie, is an American radio host and podcast creator. He is famous for co-hosting the Opie and Anthony radio show from 1995 to 2014 with Anthony Cumia. Comedian Jim Norton also joined the show in 2001.
After Cumia left SiriusXM in 2014, Hughes and Norton continued as co-hosts of Opie with Jim Norton. In October 2016, Hughes started his own show, The Opie Radio Show. This show ended in July 2017 when he was fired for inappropriate conduct. In May 2018, Hughes launched his podcast, The Opie Radio Podcast.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Gregg Hughes grew up in Centerport, New York, on Long Island. He was given the nickname "Opie" because he looked like Opie Taylor from The Andy Griffith Show.
In 1981, Hughes finished high school at Harborfields High School. He loved basketball, the New York Islanders hockey team, skiing, and movies. He always wanted to work in radio. He studied communications at the State University of New York at Geneseo. While in college, Hughes worked at the university's radio station.
Radio Career Highlights
Starting in Radio
After college, Hughes began his radio career in Rochester, New York, at WCMF. He then moved to Buffalo, New York, to work at WUFX. There, he had more freedom to develop his unique radio style.
His next job was at WBAB on Long Island. He hosted The Nighttime Attitude, a rock music show. In 1994, he held a song contest. One of the participants was Anthony Cumia, who sang with his band. Cumia later joined Hughes to form a radio team in early 1995.
The Opie and Anthony Show
Hughes and Cumia started their show, Opie and Anthony, in Boston in March 1995. They moved to New York City in 1998, working at WNEW-FM. By 2000, their show was very popular in New York. In 2001, they signed a deal to broadcast their show on 22 stations across the country.
In October 2004, Opie and Anthony began broadcasting exclusively on XM Satellite Radio. In 2006, they also started airing on nine CBS Radio stations for the first three hours of their show. The show continued on Sirius XM until July 2014.
Opie with Jim Norton
In July 2014, Anthony Cumia left SiriusXM. Hughes and Norton continued the show as Opie with Jim Norton. They discussed the changes and how the channel was renamed. In October 2014, Hughes and Norton signed a new contract. The channel was then rebranded as Opie Radio.
The Opie Radio Show
On October 3, 2016, Hughes announced his new weekday afternoon show. The Opie Radio Show launched the next day on the Opie Radio channel. The final broadcast of this show was on June 29, 2017.
Podcast Ventures
In March 2018, Hughes announced he had signed a contract with Westwood One. He planned to create a podcast and a traditional radio show. The podcast, The Opie Radio Podcast, started in May 2018. In June 2019, Hughes announced that his partnership with Westwood One had ended, but he would continue the podcast on his own.
Other Projects
XFL Gameday
In February 2001, Hughes and Cumia hosted XFL Gameday. This was a pre-game show for Vince McMahon's football league, the XFL. It aired on Saturday nights on some NBC stations. The show featured sports analysis and comedy.
Demented World Album
In November 1997, the duo released a CD called Demented World. It was a collection of funny segments from their show that aired on WAAF.
Traveling Virus Comedy Tour
The Traveling Virus was a comedy tour featuring Hughes, Cumia, and other comedians. They performed shows in different cities in 2006, 2007, and 2008.
Search and Destroy Pilot
In March 2008, Hughes and Cumia filmed a pilot for a show called Search & Destroy. It was for Comedy Central and featured comedians doing tasks around New York City. However, Comedy Central did not pick up the show.
Personal Life
Gregg Hughes started dating Lynsi Smigo in 2004. They met at an event in Philadelphia. They got engaged in September 2007 and married on November 22, 2008. They have two children and live in New York City.
