Richard "Uncle Ricky" Irwin, Disc Jockey, Program Director and founder of REELRADIO

[michael hagerty]

Richard "Uncle Ricky" Irwin, Disc Jockey, Program Director and founder of REELRADIO

Richard Irwin, disc jockey, Program Director (KAFY, Bakersfield, KROY, Sacramento) and founder of the online radio aircheck museum REELRADIO, passed away Wednesday (6/6) in Sacramento. He had shut REELRADIO down last month prior to anticipated surgery to fix a spinal injury that occurred in an accident two years ago. A series of healthcare snafus delayed the surgery and it never happened. Irwin had hoped his health and mobility would improve to the point where he could bring REELRADIO back. He was 67.

 

[CTListener]

Richard Irwin, disc jockey, Program Director (KAFY, Bakersfield, KROY, Sacramento) and founder of the online radio aircheck museum REELRADIO, passed away Wednesday (6/6) in Sacramento. He had shut REELRADIO down last month prior to anticipated surgery to fix a spinal injury that occurred in an accident two years ago. A series of healthcare snafus delayed the surgery and it never happened. Irwin had hoped his health and mobility would improve to the point where he could bring REELRADIO back. He was 67.

I spent hours on ReelRadio before it went pay and eventually shut down, listening to the unscoped hours of Top 40's past. The good times came to an end all too quickly, but it was fun while it lasted. Thanks, Uncle Ricky, and rest in peace.

 

[gr8oldies]

Very sad news. Reelradio was one of the first sites I found on the internet. I don't think it was appreciated nearly enough. One can't minimize the fact that essentially, a museum of our child and teenage-hood has gone away, very likely forever

 

[radioman148]

ReelRadio was a wonderful site and it was all because of Mr Irwin. Very said. RIP Uncle Ricky.

 

[Mr Tony]

R.I.P.

 

[rinsokid]

Uncle Ricky was a good guy, he worked at WFEC Harrisburg, PA for a couple of years...I was a 15 year paying member of ReelRadio, and I'm sure going to miss him...RIP Uncle Ricky.

 

[joebtsflk1]

Sad, sad news. I may not be remembering my facts right, but his former ReelRadio.com may have been one of the first sites on the nascent internet of the 90s to stream audio. There will be, no doubt, articles this next week in some of the radio trades noting his passing.

 

[KWahlers]

Hi Group. So as of July 28, 2018, Reelradio.com is back on line. Barry Brown, the System Administrator is acting as executive director. We are currently working on stabilizing the site financially and technically. It's operating essentially the way it did for the last year when Richard stopped updating it. My hope is that we will at some point be able to produce new content. . . . not sure that we have the financial or technical resources to do it. We will need help from the community to do this - Reelradio is a 501(c)(3) so anything that is contributed must be devoted to the non-profit purpose of Reelradio, Inc. - which in a nutshell is to document the history of Top 40 radio and make it available to the public. So please come visit us at www.reelradio.com - best way to contact us is to go on our facebook page (I am assuming that Richard is probably rolling over in his grave on that one - he was a twitter person) and send messages or comments. If you have suggestions, want to make contributions or volunteer - well, there is a lot of work to do - I am passionate about making the site the best that it can be, at least without Richard doing the work, and having it be a place where we can relive a bit of the past and learn from it.