Don Imus
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John Donald Imus, Jr. (born July 23, 1940) is a controversial American radio talk show host. Imus is best known for his sarcasm and the harsh language he directs towards his guests. Despite this (or because of it), his daily Imus in the Morning radio show is widely popular.
The show is currently broadcast on New York's WFAN and is syndicated nationwide by Westwood One. Part of it is also simulcast daily by cable television network MSNBC.
Originally considered a shock jock, Imus has turned his show more towards politics and news and has gained public influence as a result. The show's many guests include prominent politicians such as U.S. Sen. John S. McCain III (R-Ariz.) and U.S. Rep. Harold Ford (D-Tenn.), as well as reporters and columnists from Newsweek, NBC, MSNBC, and other media outlets. The show also has a regular cast of members who supply news, comedy, and act as foils to Imus.
As of 2005, Imus in the Morning is carried by about 90 radio stations across the US. [1] (http://wfan.com/imusinstantreplay/) It is the ninth most listened to radio talk show in the United States [2] (http://www.talkers.com/talkaud.html), and has about 3.5 million combined radio and television listeners a week. Because Imus' listeners tend to be more affluent and less politically partisan than those of other radio talk shows, Imus in the Morning can command high advertising rates. [3] (http://www.businessweek.com/the_thread/brandnewday/archives/2005/04/imus_audience_s.html)
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Early life
Don Imus was born in Riverside, California. His father was an alcoholic and his family moved around the American Southwest a lot. Imus escaped family tensions as a child by reading books and listening to Wolfman Jack on the radio. In high school he was impeached as class president for behaving like a dictator. His parents finally separated.
Imus served in the Marine Corps from 1957-1959, then had a series of unsuccessful jobs as a miner, railway brakeman, and aspiring musician.
Radio: comedy and music bits
Imus then found his calling. He started as a radio disc jockey in 1968. At KXOA in Sacramento, California, his pranks, such as calling up a restaurant and ordering 1,200 hamburgers to go, made his show immensely popular and raised ratings. He recorded a comedy album, One Sacred Chicken to Go in 1970.
After a stint at WGAR-AM in Cleveland, Ohio, Imus moved to New York City in 1971 where he gained a reputation as a loose cannon who often favored crude humor. In 1977 WNBC-AM Radio fired all of its on-air talent, including Imus. As a result, Imus would work again in Cleveland. However, Imus was reinstated two years later as WNBC's morning drive time host. During this period, Imus also worked with fellow shock jock Howard Stern.
During this time Imus was most known for a satiric character he voiced, Billy Sol Hargus, a radio evangelist who was a cross between infamous real-life radio and television preacher Billy James Hargis and infamous real-life Texas fertilizer swindler Billie Sol Estes. Imus published the novel God's Other Son in 1981 that further described Billy Sol Hargus' adventures. The novel was later republished in 1994 and overall spent considerable time on the New York Times bestseller list.
In addition to radio, WNEW-TV Channel 5 in New York gave Imus a late-night program which only lasted one season. Imus was also the inaugural video jockey for the launch of the VH-1 cable network in 1985.
In 1988 WNBC-AM was sold to Emmis Broadcasting; as a result, WNBC-AM permanently signed off the air and Emmis's WFAN-AM was moved from its 1050 AM spot to WNBC's former spot, 660 AM. "Imus in the Morning" remained at 660 AM among WFAN's sports programs. Throughout this period, Imus's music and comedy bits were staples of the program.
1988: A big change, news and talk
After a highly self-publicized battle with cocaine and alcohol, in 1988 Imus reshaped his show into a forum for political issues, charitable causes, and news-based parodies; the Billy Sol Hargus routines were phased out. The radio show became nationally syndicated in 1993, and began simulcasting on MSNBC in 1996.
In the 1990s Imus and his wife Deirdre founded the Imus Ranch, a charitable organization which operates a working ranch in New Mexico for children and their siblings with cancer or SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome).
Imus has four daughters from a previous marriage and a son (Frederick Wyatt) from his current marriage. As a result of his wife Deidre being a vegetarian, both Imus and his son have become vegetarians. Between Memorial Day and Labor Day each year, the Imus family goes to the New Mexico ranch, during which Imus broadcasts from a studio on the ranch, while the rest of his cast broadcasts from New York. In 2000 Imus suffered serious lung and other injuries after a fall from a horse at his ranch, and broadcast several shows from a hospital.
Imus does not hesitate to broadcast parody songs and voices which comment on national and local New York events. When Imus has a guest of some fame, Imus usually asks obvious questions, which forces the guest to impart fundamental information. This apparently is the major part of Imus' education.
During the 1990s Imus in the Morning gained a reputation as a useful, non-traditional platform for politicians to express their views and gain exposure. Imus was featured as one of Time magazine's "25 most influential people in America" and was on the cover of Newsweek.
Former U.S. Sen. Al D'Amato (R-N.Y.) was one of the first officeholders to ingratiate himself with "The I-man". Imus was a Bill Clinton supportor, but managed to offend the White House with off-color remarks in front of the Clintons during a 1996 Radio and Television Correspondents Association dinner speech. In 2000, Imus was a George W. Bush supporter; however, after the Iraq War, Imus became more critical of Bush and supported John Kerry in 2004.
Imus generally selects country and western songs as bumper music, often playing them at substantial length, and has heavily promoted artists he likes such as Delbert McClinton, The Dixie Chicks, and The Flatlanders. He wears a signature cowboy hat during his broadcasts; during his interview on Larry King Live, Imus and Deirdre both wore Western clothing and cowboy hats.
Cast members
Featured cast members of the Imus in the Morning include:
- Charles McCord [4] (http://wfan.com/bios/local_bio_mccordcharles_html), his newsman, often playing a sycophant
- Bernard McGuirk [5] (http://wfan.com/bios/local_bio_mcguirkbernard_html), his producer, often playing an antagonist
- Larry Kenney [6] (http://wfan.com/bios/local_bio_kennylarry_html), various character voices (Richard Nixon, George Patton, Andy Rooney, ...)
- Rob Bartlett [7] (http://www.robshow.com/), more character voices (Bill Clinton, Rush Limbaugh, Mike Tyson, ...)
- Chris Carlin [8] (http://wfan.com/bios/local_bio_024154925/), sports reports
- Tracy Burgess [9] (http://wfan.com/bios/local_bio_051113826.html), "scum reports" of gossip and entertainment news
Part of the appeal of his cable show is the overt display of office politics: cast members are frequently the butt of Imus' sarcasm, largely because of their outspoken points of view, while McCord works very hard at being neutral and thus staying out of Imus' line of fire.
Previous sports reporters have included Sid Rosenberg (fired in May 2005 for comments made regarding Kylie Minogue's battle against breast cancer), Warner Wolf, Patrick McEnroe, and Mike Breen (valued for his deadpan delivery of false sports news). Previous "scum reporters" have included Janice Dean and Christy Musumeci, who departed for FOX News Channel and MSNBC respectively.
Business interests
Don Imus is also a part owner of the Autobody Express with his brother, Fred Imus (who is a frequent caller to the radio show, commenting on NASCAR races, the NFL and related cultural matters). The Autobody Express stores were located in Albuquerque, New Mexico and inside the Mohegan Sun Native American Casino in Uncasville, Connecticut. In 2003 the company failed and both stores closed.
Imus still owns a small coffee/pastry store also located in the Mohegan Sun casino. The Autobody Express became Imus Ranch Foods, which offers its signature chips and salsa via online sales and in Northeastern U.S. stores. The proceeds from Imus Ranch Foods help fund the work of the Imus Ranch.
Very much like his former co-worker and fellow broadcaster Howard Stern, Don Imus is licensed to carry a concealed handgun for his protection. This license was issued by the New York City Police Department.
Books
- Imus, Donald. God's Other Son. Simon & Schuster, 1994. ISBN 0684801663. (Originally published in 1981.)
- Imus, Donald, and Imus, Fred. Two Guys Four Corners: Great Photographs, Great Times, and a Million Laughs. Villard, 1997. ISBN 0679453075.
- Imus, Deidre. The Imus Ranch: Cooking for Kids and Cowboys. Rodale Press, 2004. ISBN 0875969194.
- Reed, Jim. Everything Imus: All You Ever Wanted to Know About Don Imus. Birch Lane Press, 1999. ISBN 1559725044.
- Tracy, Kathleen. Imus: America's Cowboy. Carroll & Graf, 1999. ISBN 0786706082.
External links
- MSNBC apologize for Imus remarks (http://www.cair-net.org/asp/article.asp?id=1338&page=NR)
- Don Imus' Internet Movie Database Credits (http://imdb.com/name/nm0408320/)
- Imus in the Morning (WFAN Radio) (http://www.wfan.com/imusinstantreplay/)
- Imus in the Morning (MSNBC) (http://www.msnbc.com/imus)
- The Imus Ranch Official Website (http://www.imusranch.org/)
- Imus in the Morning September 11, 2001 Broadcast (http://mxmonline.tripod.com/)