May 8, 2004

How ironic, Russ Cassidy, who for more than 30 years was a disc jockey and program director at the WCMS AM and FM country music stations, died on the same day the sound of old WCMS faded from the airwaves.

Cassidy, 53, a Peninsula native, passed away May 1, of what his family said were natural causes.  On that day, WCMS (1050 AM) switched from classic country to Fox Sports Radio, ending the WCMS connection to country music that began almost 50 years ago on July 1, 1954.

The country sound was purged from WCMS-FM (100.5) late last year with its conversion to rock station WXMM.  Last Saturday, classic country as WCMS listeners have known it for half a century disappeared from AM.

*This article was shared with us by Raymond Webb, KHS '68 on May 14, 2014.