Jim began his broadcasting career in the Detroit area as a deejay but was soon named Sports Director of WBRB-AM where his assignments took him into the broadcast booth covering baseball, football, basketball, and racing. During this time, he also became the television play-by-play announcer for the NBA’s Detroit Pistons.

 

He did play-by-play for the Detroit Tigers spring training games, held a spot at the anchors’ desk of two Detroit TV stations, and worked with ESPN, ESPN2, Speed Network, and the Outdoor Living Network. He was an announcer for  Unlimited Hydroplane and Offshore Powerboat racing, and SCCA Trans Am auto racing, as well as “Wide World of Sports” special events for CBS and ABC. 

 

But there’s more to the man than sports. He played nine different musical instruments and has appeared on TV and in nightclubs with his group, the Four Scores, along side stars like Sammy Davis, Jr., Sarah Vaughan, and Vic Damone.

 

Jim joined WONN in 2005 to take over the morning show. In 2016, he took a medical leave of absence and was in and out of the hospital quite a bit with multiple issues before finally being able to return to his apartment where he passed away on the morning of June 16, 2017 at the age of 82.