Remembering Russ Martin
• The friends, fans and colleagues of Russ Martin, popular longtime afternoon talent on iHeartMedia Active Rock KEGL (97.1 The Eagle)/Dallas are mourning his untimely passing over the weekend. According to The Dallas Morning News, police were dispatched to Martin’s home in Frisco, TX about 12:30am Saturday after a friend of Martin’s who had come to check on him found him unresponsive. Martin, 60, was pronounced dead at the scene. The cause of death had not been determined, but police said foul play was not suspected. Anyone with information about the case is asked to call Frisco police at 972-292-6010.
A posting on the Eagle website reads, “It’s with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of 97.1 The Eagle’s Russ Martin. He will be dearly missed & we send our deepest condolences to his family & friends during this difficult time.”
The Eagle interrupted regular programming at 1pm Saturday so Martin’s colleagues could express their feelings and share their emotions over Martin’s passing. “Our friend is gone,” co-host Dan O’Malley said. “We’re all still processing this.” An emotional Clo Raborn, another member of Martin’s cast said he had hardly slept since learning of Martin’s death. “I wish there was something we could say to make it better,” Raborn told listeners.
Martin’s co-hosts said that although he had faced some personal struggles, Martin had worked hard to help the community through his Russ Martin Show Listeners Foundation, which supports the families of Dallas-Fort Worth police and firefighters killed in the line of duty. The guys announced that the Eagle would plan a proper tribute to their fallen colleague in the coming days. They wrapped up an hour of programming by offering a toast to him.
