R.I.P. Fred Imus
Fred Imus was found dead in his trailer this weekend after failing to show up to do his SiriusXM show, Fred’s Trailer Park Bash. The weekend show had become a favorite of mine over the last few years – they played good music, told terrible jokes and gave each other a hard time. Fred’s co-hosts on the show were Don Collier and Missy (a/k/a Nicole Cox). Here’s a pic of the crew, with Fred on the right hand side (photo by Michael Stoklos www.stoklosphotos.com):
Fred co-wrote the #1 Country hit, “I Don’t Want To Have To Marry You” back in 1976. He was an author of two books and an owner of a business called Autobody Express for a time.
I suppose I first heard Fred’s voice as a guest on his brother Don’s radio show, which he produced at one point. For the last 5 years, Fred was the loveable grouch on his own show, Fred’s Trailer Park Bash. It seemed as if Fred was always unlucky in love, and he shared just about every detail of his love life on the show. As he would try to explain himself, Missy and Don would hand out advice and/or abuse. The premise worked, and after carrying on a while they’d play Gillian Welch or Steve Earle or Waylon Jennings, then come back for another round.
Fred had a lot of experience playing country music on the radio. He was a DJ in Cleveland, Cheyenne and El Paso over the years.
Fred Imus served in the Army and was a brakeman for the Southern Pacific Railroad earlier in his life. He was born in 1942.
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