It was impossible not to like Doug Banks. That’s what endeared him to legions of fans and admirers over more than three decades as a top-rated and nationally syndicated radio personality and popular television host in Chicago.
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| Image by @RevJJackson (Rev Jesse Jackson Sr) |
Banks died Monday at his home in Florida from complications related to diabetes and kidney failure, according to Marv Dyson, a longtime friend and former president and general manager of WGCI FM 107.5 and WVAZ FM 102.7. Banks was 57.
“He was one of the nicest guys I’ve ever known,” Dyson said. “The money and the fame never changed him one iota. And he had that special gift of making every listener feel like he was only taking to them. On the air and off the air, he was always just a normal guy.”
Calvin Douglas Banks, Jr was born in Philadelphia and raised in Detroit, according to his bio on his website and his station website. He started his radio career at his high school radio station and later worked at stations in Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Oakland and eventually Chicago.
For 16 years, until 1997, he hosted a nationally syndicated radio show, appealing especially to a urban, black audience. Along with sidekick DeDe McGuire, his show became one of the top-rated syndicated urban programs in the country, with his signature Adult Conversations and Dear Doug letters from listeners.
His show and musical menu have been compared to Tom Joyner's and Steve Harvey's shows.
In 2008, he launched a new afternoon show on V103, and in 2010, moved the show to American Urban Networks and renamed it The Doug Banks Show.
He also made a guest appearance on the sitcom My Wife and Kids
His admirers took to Twitter to mourn.
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