Jim Pruett of Rock 101 KLOL's Stevens and Pruett has died
I am told by close friends Stevens died in his sleep this morning at 6am.
His long time radio partner, Jim Pruett, is obviously in shock right now.
"I miss him," Pruett told the mikemcguff.com blog. "It's sad, it's a great loss."
Brian Shannon, who was known as Steven and Pruett's sidekick Eddie "The Boner" Sanchez, said Stevens was incredibly talented.
"He had one of the biggest hearts and kindest hearts," Shannon told me. "He helped launch many careers, more than he was given credit for."
Lanny Griffith, the show's traffic reporter, said he never knew anyone so serious about a joke.
"He carefully crafted each line of the set-up, and massaged the approach to the punch line like a pilot coming in for a landing with only one wheel down," Griffith told the mikemcguff.com blog. "His comedy timing was masterfull. No one could work a line like Mark Steves. I loved him and worshipped him. He was the stuff of radio legends. The whole KLOL family has been on the phone crying unabashedly. We have missed him for too long now."
"Mark Stevens was an extremely influential and innovative radio personality," former Rock 101 KLOL general manager Pat Fant said. "He was literally the driving force behind the inimitable Stevens and Pruett brand. There have been many who've tried to copy their style, but no one really ever came close and Mark was one of principle reasons why. He will be missed and radio has died yet another death as a result of this loss."
Laurie Kendrick was the Stevens and Pruett news anchor and says he will be greatly missed.
"Mark Stevens was my mentor, my radio father figure, my friend and one of the most influential people I've ever known," Kendrick said. "I owe a great deal to Mark. He was generous and selfless about giving unknowns a chance and so many of us who were on the Stevens and Pruett Show. I owe a great deal to Mark Stevens as does every former member of the show. We've lost a giant in the industry."
As I have blogged before, I am in the middle of producing a documentary on Rock 101 KLOL. Channel 13 is now reporting that Stevens was battling Alzheimer's. I found this out in the course of shooting interviews for the documentary over the last few months, but did not obviously talk about this on the blog or publicly.
No cause of death is available at this time. Funeral arrangements are pending.
UPDATE SEPTEMBER 02, 2016
Jim Pruett of Rock 101 KLOL's Stevens and Pruett has died
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