Remembering Bob Kingsley
• Our industry is deeply saddened to learn that legendary Country radio personality Bob Kingsley died on Thursday, Oct. 17 at his home in Weatherford, TX at the age of 80. It was just last week when Kingsley announced he was stepping away from hosting Bob Kingsley’s Country Top 40 to battle bladder cancer.
Kingsley’s radio career began in in 1959 when he was serving in the Air Force — he worked at an Armed Forces Radio Service station in Keflavik, Iceland. He later worked at Country KGBS/Los Angeles and in 1970 programmed crosstown KLAC after it flipped to Country. In 1974, Kingsley was named producer of the fledgling syndicated American Country Countdown, which was launched by Casey Kasem and partner Don Bustany. Four years later, Kingsley succeeded the show’s original host, Don Bowman, and the rest is radio history — Kingsley hosted American Country Countdown until 2005, and in 2006, Kingsley launched Bob Kingsley’s Country Top 40, which he hosted until his passing.
Kingsley was inducted into the Country Radio Hall of Fame in 1998 and the National Radio Hall of Fame in 2016. Kingsley was also the inaugural recipient of the Living Legend Award, later named for him, in 2014.
A celebration of Bob Kingsley’s life will be held at the CMA Theater in the Country Music Hall of Fame on Nov. 14 at 1pm. In lieu of flowers, the Kingsley family requests that donations in Bob’s name be made to the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum or the Grand Ole Opry Trust Fund. [Special thanks to Lon Helton]
