What happened to Jim Scott? Legendary Cincinnati radio host dies aged 81

Jim Scott, the popular Cincinnati radio personality, passed away on Friday, June 28, 2024, at the age of 81. He was suffering from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), according to his wife, Donna.

The radio host announced his retirement on April 3, 2015, and spent half a century as the voice of Cincinnati's WLW radio station. On June 29, Scott's wife wrote a post on his Facebook account, remembering him, that read,

"Last night, our sweet Jim crossed over and is in the loving, welcoming embrace of his mom and dad, mine, his sister and so many friends. He has a new birthday. The grace with which he met and endured the indignities of ALS was astounding and inspiring. So very Jim. With his graciousness and thoughtfulness and gratitude, he continued to spark joy in everyone he met."

Several media outlets and organizations such as the Salvation Army and the National Association of Broadcasters paid tribute to the star for his service and dedication to his community.

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Jim Scott, radio host, passes away at 81 from ALS

Jim Scott began his career as a radio host in 1960 while he was still a high school senior in Binghamton. He officially debuted on March 23, 1968, on the channel WSAI-AM 1360, where he worked mornings from 6-9 a.m.

Jim Scott shared the news that he was diagnosed with ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease in August 2023. The urge to get medical attention came when the broadcasting personality noticed his body becoming weaker in the spots he had polio in when he was a child. He was 12 years old, and lived in Binghamton, New York, at the time.

Both ALS and polio have similar conditions, however, ALS is a fatal disease. Jim's wife talked about how he handled his ALS with grace and dignity in her Facebook post. She shared,

"The grace with which he met and endured the indignities of ALS was astounding and inspiring. So very Jim. With his graciousness and thoughtfulness and gratitude, he continued to spark joy in everyone he met."

The late radio host's wife also talked about his time on Cincinnati radio. She continued the post by saying,

"For nearly 50 years on Cincinnati radio, he felt like a friend to millions of listeners who awoke to his voice -- and he was that friend. Jim was the real deal, and I loved standing back and watching him meet people, talk with them, and making others feel good about themselves. Jim's core motto and belief was, 'Everyone deserves recognition,' and he lived it every day."

Jim Scott spent 46 years working as a morning host for WLW, WSAI-AM, and more. Lincoln Ware, a radio and TV host, and Jim’s good friend wrote about him after hearing about his passing,

"He just loved to give back. Any organization that had an event, he would be there. He would talk about it on the radio. He was just part of the community."

Donna Hartman also revealed that the family will not be holding a traditional funeral, instead would be holding "a true celebration of life". They have not shared an official date yet.

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Jim Scott is survived by his wife and their three sons, Scott Boland, Jim Boland, and Casey Boland.