Bill Austin – Former KEZ Personality – Dies of Bladder Cancer at Age 55
June 2, 2010 by Robert Alberts
Filed under Featured, Hot News
A former longtime radio host of the popular “Beth & Bill” morning show at KESZ-FM (99.9), Bill Austin, died today at 55 after a battle with bladder cancer.
Austin retired from the station in February after nearly 20 years on the air. His jovial personality first came to the Valley’s attention when he handled the weather for Channel 12 (KPNX), a job he had for nine years before leaving in 1994. For four years, he juggled both the weather and radio jobs.
pic: azcentral.com
Beth McDonald, who performed more than 4,000 shows with Austin, said she lost a dear friend. She was by his side during his last few days. Austin had entered a hospital a couple weeks ago but recently had entered hospice.
Jeff England, president and market manager for Clear Channel Radio and Digital/Phoenix, the parent company of KEZ said, “Bill was one of those rare individuals who touched hundreds of thousands of people every day for many, many years, and always left everyone smiling. It is a sad day, as we will all miss our friend and colleague, Bill Austin.”
He started in radio as a teenager in Roswell, N.M., where he grew up as an adopted son. He shot newscasts in his living room with an old Super 8 camera. At 15, he landed a part-time job at a local radio station. Only a year later, he had a weekend air shift, eventually moving up to weather and sports.
“In five or six years, I got to do just about everything . . . color on football, radio talk, live parade telecasts,” he said in a 1995 Republic interview. “I’d help with the billing, put together program schedule logs. At 21, I was buying billboards and newspaper ads, doing commercials and voice work – Mr. Wheeler-Dealer. But I learned how the machine works.”
By 1978, he was at an Austin, Texas, television station. After that, it was on to Green Bay, Wis. He went back to Austin for a while and then on to Los Angeles. In 1985, he got a call about a job at Channel 12. Phoenix seemed like a good fit.
In 1990, when the chance to work with McDonald came up, he was happy to add it to his schedule.
A tribute to Austin, featuring memorable moments from his time with McDonald, will air from 6 to 10 a.m. Friday on 99.9 KESZ.
McDonald said Austin had a gregarious personality and loved making people laugh but he led a very private life. He has no survivors but did have a small circle of friends. He was twice divorced and had no children.
Read more: http://www.azcentral.com/ent/celeb/articles/2010/06/02/20100602bill-austin-dies-radio-beth-KEZ.html
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Mr Austin no longer suffers. He will be missed dearly.
My heart goes out to Beth, I cannot imagin her pain right now.
GOD BLESS
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