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Country Radio Personality Bob Kingsley Dies At 80

Legendary country radio personality Bob Kingsley passed away Thursday (Oct. 17) in Weatherford, Texas following a battle with bladder cancer,…

Lauren Jo Black

| Posted on

October 17, 2019

9:29 am

Bob Kingsley; Photo by Terry Wyatt/Getty Images for ACM

Legendary country radio personality Bob Kingsley passed away Thursday (Oct. 17) in Weatherford, Texas following a battle with bladder cancer, Country Aircheck reports. He was 80 years old.

Kingsley was a member of the Country Radio Hall of Fame, the National Radio Hall of Fame and a multi-CMA and ACM award winner. The longtime host of Bob Kingsley’s Country Top 40 began his radio career in Iceland while serving in the Air Force. After appearing on Armed Forces Radio, Kingsley made stops at various radio stations around the U.S., including Country KGBS/Los Angeles and KLAC/Los Angeles.

In the mid-1970s, he landed a role as the producer of the nationally syndicated American Country Countdown. In 1978, he took over as host of that show, where he remained until 2005. The following year, he launched Bob Kingsley’s Country Top 40, where he took on hosting duties until his passing.

A celebration of life will be held at the CMA Theater in the Country Music Hall of Fame Nov. 14 at 1 pm. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations in Kingsley’s name to the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum or the Grand Ole Opry Trust Fund.

Written by

Lauren Jo Black

Lauren Jo Black, a University of Central Florida graduate, has immersed herself in the world of country music for over 15 years. In 2008, she co-founded CountryMusicIsLove, eventually selling it to a major record label in 2015. Following the rebranding of the website to Sounds Like Nashville, Black served as Editor-in-Chief for two and a half years. Currently, she assumes the role of Editor-in-Chief at Country Now and oversees Country Now’s content and digital footprint. Her extensive experience also encompasses her previous role as a Country Music Expert Writer for Answers.com and her work being featured on Forbes.com. She’s been spotlighted among Country Aircheck’s Women of Influence and received the 2012 Rising Star Award from the University of Central Florida. Black also spent time in front of the camera as host of Country Now Live, which brought live music directly to fans in 2021 when the majority of concerts were halted due to the pandemic. During this time, she hosted 24 weeks of live concerts via Country Now Live on Twitch with special guests such as Lady A, Dierks Bentley, Jordan Davis, Brett Young, and Jon Pardi. Over the course of her career, she has had the privilege of conducting interviews with some of the industry’s most prominent stars, including Reba McEntire, Blake Shelton, Luke Combs, Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan, Miranda Lambert, Lainey Wilson, and many others. Lauren Jo Black is a longtime member of the Country Music Association and the Academy of Country Music.