Controversial Radio Host Don Imus Died At Age 79

Don Imus, the controversial American radio host, has died at the age of 79. The family released a statement saying, “Deirdre, his wife of 25 years, and his son Wyatt, 21, were at his side, and his son Lt. Zachary Don Cates is returning from military service overseas.”

He had the show Imus in the Morning, which aired from 1968 until 2018, as well as working for WABC radio from 2007-2018.

He came under fire in 2007 after referring to the Rutgers University women’s basketball team as “rough girls,” while making other derogatory remarks. His morning show was cancelled from CBS after this incident.

He is most known for his oversized cowboy hat and the bombastic, deeply offensive statements he would often make on his radio shows.

But his on-air persona differed greatly from his philanthropic one outside the station. He raised more than $40 million for groups including the CJ Foundation for Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. He would often use his shows as an outlet for donations.

A pediatric medical center also bears his name at the Hackensack University Medical Center in New Jersey.

His legacy holds a spot on Time Magazine’s 25 Most Influential People in America and he was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame.

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Despite all of the controversy, Imus did have a heart. It was his mouth that tended to get him into trouble.

While riding home in a limousine one night, Imus said, “I talk to millions of people every day. I just like it when they can’t talk back.”