JJ Hemingway

Mike Barer brought to my attention the fact that JJ Hemingway had died unexpectedly yesterday. I was just going through the Facebook posts of condolences and saw this picture. A man has to have a hobby, and bowling seemed to be one of J.J.’s. Through his radio connections and in his private life, J.J. Hemingway had connected to many and made many lasting friendships. This picture probably says more than an obit might say here or on Facebook.

Had a chat with J.J. years ago. He loved the radio biz.

As I told Mike Barer, “This dying thing has got to stop!”

J. J. Hemingway started off at an AM daytimer.
“Throughout high school I hung out around oldies KQIN 800 (Now KGNW, 820). Eventually they put me on the weekend schedule.”
(Actually J.J. had pretty much made his career choice at age three while crawling under the consoles as his father Jack Hemingway worked shifts at KIXI, KING, KISW, KAYO and KFKF).
“After high school I worked at beautiful music KBBX (later, KEZX), then went ‘cross-country,’ working in Augusta, Savannah, Winston-Salem-Greensboro, Greenville-Spartanburg, then Dallas, Colorado Springs, Spokane (first time), Great Falls, Columbus and since 1998, back in Spokane. I have done mornings, afternoon drive, production and even put a couple of new stations on the air. I love AC, Hot AC and Classic Hits. It’s the music that I know and love the most.”
Hemingway started Cascade Broadcast Services, a production house, in 1998 and did 10 years at ‘lite-rock Kiss (KISC-FM, Spokane) In 2007 he voicetracked KJR overnights. In 2012 he became morning personality and program director of KACL, Bismark, ND. (Yes, KACL, the fictional radio station of “Frasier.”) Hemingway is single and has a son and daughter. Update— April 10, 2015: iHeartMedia has flipped Sports “Fox Sports 1280” KZFS/99.3 K257FX Spokane, WA to Christian AC “Up 99.3“. JJ Hemingway, who spent 15 years at sister AC “Kiss 98.1” KISC rejoins the company to host mornings. (Stredicke) — Hemingway later went on to host evenings at KEEH, Spokane’s SHINE 104.9, a Christian music station. J.J. Hemingway died, unexpectedly, on Monday, June 18, 2019. Hemingway was 65.