Remembering Cougar Michaels

We were saddened to learn of the passing of radio vet Cougar Michaels, who died on Wednesday, Feb. 8. Michaels, whose real name was Shay Michael Whiteker, was on his way to a new radio job — mornings at Legend Communications’ Country KZMQ/Cody, WY, where he was slated to start Feb. 20. We are told that Michaels had stopped over in Gillette, WY on Tuesday night — and apparently suffered a massive heart attack overnight in his hotel room.

RAMP spoke with JJ Jeffreys, Operations Manager of Big Horn Radio Network and Legend Communications, who had been in constant communication with Michaels during his drive from Gettysburg, PA to Wyoming. As Jeffreys related to RAMP, “The last time we spoke, he was really fired up and anxious to get going.”

Michaels most recently worked as Production Director/weekends at Forever Media Country WGTY/York, PA — it was his second tour of duty there. Other stops include iHeartMedia Country WFRE/Frederick, MD, Alpha Media Country WFLS/Fredericksburg, VA and Steckline Communications’ Country KGYN-AM/Guymon, OK. Joe Redmond, OM of Bullseye Marketing Research, Inc., told RAMP, “Shay was one of my best friends. We met in 1994 when he was MD/afternoons at WGTY and I was new in town at Marco Promotions. We later got to work together at Imprint Records — he was a regional and I was national. After that closed, he went back to radio… That was his love!”

Michaels, who was 55, leaves behind his mother and a brother in Lexington, KY and his fiancée, Stacy, in Gettysburg, PA.