James Everett Bohannon was an American broadcaster who worked in both television and radio. He is best known for hosting the nationally syndicated late night radio talk show The Jim Bohannon Show on the Westwood One Network. Born: January 7, 1944, Lebanon, MO. Died: November 12, 2022. – Wikipedia.

He died 2 days ago and this morning was the first I heard about it. He hosted an early morning radio show that depending on the market would air sometime between say 11 pm and 5 am in the morning. He would cover a wide range of topics. Wikipedia’s description of him is unusual in that most of the bio’s list him as “conservative talk show host”. Kind of. In a Republican Senator kind of way (Ted Cruz, Tom Cotton). I knew of him because I’m an insomniac and a radio guy. The same way I know Bruce Williams, Larry King (from his radio days) and Art Bell. Listening to the radio, especially back then when you couldn’t just look them up on the computer, your mind involuntarily makes up a picture of what you think they look like. I had Jim pegged as a Gary Owens look alike (the announcer from Laugh-In). Nope, and when you think about it, ‘Bohannon’ makes more sense to be the redheaded Irishman. The time I was probably the furthest off was with radio preacher Dr. J. Vernon McGee.

I knew something was up a few months ago when he returned after a long medical absence (esophageal cancer) and was getting calls wishing him well from old Army buddies and that. Turns out his last broadcast was October 14. I had no idea he went back as far as Vietnam, but since he was 78 that makes sense. His website says it best about what he covered: “a spectrum of topics ranging from current events and politics to entertainment and pop culture“. He often had endless patience with callers. Only 1% – 2% of radio listeners ever call in, so if you do call in you’re not a rookie. So you know damn well radio time is precious (16 minutes on air is a radio half hour). And they will call up and the prelude to their actual question is often no kidding a minute and a half. It’s like how do you not get that listeners want to hear the guest and other callers, not you for 5 minutes? That type of obtuseness drives me up a wall.

Like a lot of radio professionals he could cut through the crap when he wanted to. But from my limited knowledge he never “pulled the trigger”. He never fully got behind “the disruptor”, Trump. He knew the Federal Reserve was wrong, but he thought reform was the answer not completely abolishing it. He knew an open border wasn’t right, but he never would have gone for an ‘Operation Wetback’ (1954). People such as him have always confused me. They get past the run-of-the-mill Republican thing, but they never get to the point where they understand tinkering around the edges isn’t going to do it, the entire system needs to be flushed. I think part of it was his generation. Born in ’44 he is “pre-boomer”. He was becoming a young man in the Eisenhower and Kennedy administrations. He knew America when she worked. He I believe always had faith that things could be turned around.

Yep, life is strange. And ironic. I’m 15 years younger and don’t have terminal cancer, but I know life is too short. Which is why I no longer play the piddly ass political game. They’ve never done anything of note and they never will. They’re spinning their wheels in the sand. They’re wasting time. I just don’t understand “half-measure”. I’ve seen it my whole life with co-workers and friends and such. They never get up “Bircher Hill“. They get to the base of it but never see the last climb. They are all generally smarter and better educated than I am but they just never get there.

[10:30 pm update: I heard the first half of tonight’s show with substitute Rich Valdés. It was a nice tribute to Jim. A longtime caller really nailed it. He said Jim was “fair and square” down the line. That he didn’t go into a show with a topic or guest with his mind already made up. He gave everybody a shot. I can’t remember all his words but the gist of it was a humanity Jim had that I wasn’t able to convey earlier. Which is why I did the post because I liked the guy and could tell he was a decent person. Rich has been named the replacement.]

Laugh-In announcer Gary Owens