john lanigan

Born in Ogallala, Nebraska, John Lanigan was still in high school when he made his radio debut as the host of Spins and Needles on local station KOGA. From there, he made his way to KEYR/Scottsbluff, where he began tointersperse jokes with the records he played.

In the early 1960s, Lanigan made his way to Colorado, first at KTLN/Denver and later at KIMN/Denver, where he worked the overnight shift while also broadcasting during the day at KVOR/Colorado Springs. After stintsin Albuquerque and Dallas, Lanigan moved to WGAR/Cleveland in 1970, where he was hired to replace local legend Don Imus. Within a year, the show’s ratings had nearly doubled, thanks in part to Lanigan’s “fairly blue”interjections between songs.

In 1983, Lanigan moved to WMGG/Tampa; however, by 1985, he had returned to WMJI/Cleveland, working mornings alongside newscaster John Webster. Comedian Jimmy Malone appeared on the show as a guest in1989 and eventually became a permanent part of the show. The Lanigan and Malone Show has been heard on WMJI for more than 20 years, offering a combination of music, jokes, and interviews.

John Lanigan was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 2013.