Exactly one year after he died, friends and fans of longtime morning radio host Jim Scott will gather in the Mount St. Joseph University theater on June 28 to celebrate his 46-year Cincinnati radio career and support for numerous nonprofits.
Scott died at 81 from complications from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig's disease. He was diagnosed with ALS in spring 2021.
The 6 p.m. program of stories, photos, videos, audio recordings and musical benefits the University of Cincinnati Gardner Neurological Institute's Clinic Endowment Fund to provide hands-on assistance to ALS patients.
Hosting the evening will be retired sportscaster Dennis Janson, who started his career at WSAI-AM and met Scott his first day in town; Mo Egger, an afternoon WCKY-AM sports talk host who started his career producing Scott’s WLW-AM morning show; and Brian Combs, the longtime morning news anchor with Scott.
Musical entertainment will be provided by:
- Former Bob Braun Show singer Nancy James
- Tony-nominated actress Pamela Myers
- Singer-songwriter Sara Winsted
- Irish tenor Sean Kelley
- Vocalist Lady “Angel of the Blues” Joya
- The Elder High School Glee Club
Music director Greg Dastillung will play keyboards with drummer George Bruce, bass player Jan Diehl and guitarist Geoff Pittman.
Scott, one of the most popular radio personalities in Cincinnati history, came here in 1968 to do mornings at WSAI-AM. He was heard on YES95, WINK94.1 and WLW-AM. Scott’s show was No. 1 in the Cincinnati morning radio ratings every decade from the 1970s until his retirement in April 2015. He was also named the top Cincinnati radio personality in a list I compiled for the Enquirer in 2013.
Scott was not just the cheerful, optimistic voice that woke up Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky residents for nearly five decades. Outside the studio he enthusiastically supported the Salvation Army, public radio and television, the March of Dimes, Hoxworth Blood Center and other charities, and helped promote his favorite event, the Findlay Market Opening Day Parade.
Scott used his radio airwaves for years to recognize everyday people he met throughout the community. Scott once told me: “It sounds a bit hokey, but my passion is to make people feel good and to recognize them.”
“For nearly 50 years, he was a true friend to listeners across Cincinnati,” says his wife, Donna Hartman. “To know Jim was to feel seen, valued, and uplifted. His core belief was simple yet profound: 'Everyone deserves recognition,' and he lived that every day. This celebration of life is exactly what Jim would have wanted, a joyful gathering that reflects the kindness and love he gave to all of us."
After retiring, Scott enrolled at Mount St. Joseph to complete the degree he started in the early 1960s in Binghamton, N.Y. One of his 2017 classmates, Maria Bruce, contacted Hartman last July and offered to help organize the musical celebration of life.
Tickets are available for $50 or $35, plus fees. Doors open at 5 p.m.
From the release: "Sponsors for the evening include Kroger and Grippo Potato Chips, with additional community support from donors and raffle basket sponsors like Elder High School."
