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'''Bruce Dale Sommers,''' known by his nickname, '''"The Truckin' Bozo,"''' is an [[United States|American]] [[radio personality]], best known for his long-running [[country music]] show geared toward [[truck driver]]s. Sommers is credited with being the first truck show host who discontinued playing music on his nightly show and commenced focusing all his energies on truck news, news and talk from his listeners.{{Citation needed|date=July 2009}} Sommers made an attempt to retire from radio in 2004, but [[XM Radio]] was successful in getting him to do an afternoon truck show, which now airs on [[Sirius Radio]] and XM from 4-7 PM Eastern time. |
'''Bruce Dale Sommers,''' known by his nickname, '''"The Truckin' Bozo,"''' is an [[United States|American]] [[radio personality]], best known for his long-running [[country music]] show geared toward [[truck driver]]s. Sommers is credited with being the first truck show host who discontinued playing music on his nightly show and commenced focusing all his energies on truck news, news and talk from his listeners.{{Citation needed|date=July 2009}} Sommers made an attempt to retire from radio in 2004, but [[XM Radio]] was successful in getting him to do an afternoon truck show, which now airs on [[Sirius Radio]] and XM from 4-7 PM Eastern time. |
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Sommers is now 66 years old and celebrated his 50th anniversary in broadcasting on Nov 27,2009. He underwent colon resectioning in the summer of 2009 and according to his wife, "we |
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thought he wasn't going to make it" but this wasn't Sommers first close encounter with death. |
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Sommers will not discuss his surgery and one of his friends said that he had cancer of the colon, thus the reason for the surgery. He was in the hospital for 6 weeks and went back on the air one week following his surgery. Sommers has (according to his own words) signed onto |
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SiriusXM for another year and he says he'll stay on the air as long as they will have him. When asked about his numerous close calls with death he says on the radio, 'I hope I die in my sleep when my time comes, but if I don't go that way, I hope I die while on the air, doing what I love to do.....What a way to go. Bill Mack(formerly of WBAP) and now on SiriusXM also |
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has tried to get Sommers to write a book about his life but Sommers refuses. Sommers is on the Roll Call of the USMC, although he never served active duty. According to American Legion records he served in Vietnam, Grenada and Panama. This cannot be verified due to the fact that his records have been classified and are on a "need to know basis at the Pentagon." Sommers website can be seen by going to "http://www.thebozo.com". |
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==Catching a robber== |
==Catching a robber== |
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"The Bozo" made national headlines when he helped to catch a robber at a [[convenience store]] in [[Camilla, Georgia]]. Sommers was talking live on the air with regular caller Linda Driskill, known as "Mississippi Lady" to listeners, when he heard Driskill admonish someone not to come behind her counter. She then hung up the phone. Sommers was concerned for her safety, so he called the Camilla police (who knew Driskill from Sommers' show). The police responded to Driskill's store and quickly apprehended the robber.<ref>{{cite news|first=John|last=Kiesewetter|publisher=[[The Cincinnati Enquirer]]|title=WLW turns 80|url=http://www.enquirer.com/editions/2002/03/17/tem_wlw_700_turns_80.html|date=2002-03-17|accessdate=2007-02-20}}</ref> |
"The Bozo" made national headlines when he helped to catch a robber at a [[convenience store]] in [[Camilla, Georgia]]. Sommers was talking live on the air with regular caller Linda Driskill, known as "Mississippi Lady" to listeners, when he heard Driskill admonish someone not to come behind her counter. She then hung up the phone. Sommers was concerned for her safety, so he called the Camilla police (who knew Driskill from Sommers' show). The police responded to Driskill's store and quickly apprehended the robber.<ref>{{cite news|first=John|last=Kiesewetter|publisher=[[The Cincinnati Enquirer]]|title=WLW turns 80|url=http://www.enquirer.com/editions/2002/03/17/tem_wlw_700_turns_80.html|date=2002-03-17|accessdate=2007-02-20}}</ref> |
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Revision as of 06:38, 13 November 2009
Bruce Dale Sommers, known by his nickname, "The Truckin' Bozo," is an American radio personality, best known for his long-running country music show geared toward truck drivers. Sommers is credited with being the first truck show host who discontinued playing music on his nightly show and commenced focusing all his energies on truck news, news and talk from his listeners.[citation needed] Sommers made an attempt to retire from radio in 2004, but XM Radio was successful in getting him to do an afternoon truck show, which now airs on Sirius Radio and XM from 4-7 PM Eastern time. Sommers is now 66 years old and celebrated his 50th anniversary in broadcasting on Nov 27,2009. He underwent colon resectioning in the summer of 2009 and according to his wife, "we thought he wasn't going to make it" but this wasn't Sommers first close encounter with death. Sommers will not discuss his surgery and one of his friends said that he had cancer of the colon, thus the reason for the surgery. He was in the hospital for 6 weeks and went back on the air one week following his surgery. Sommers has (according to his own words) signed onto SiriusXM for another year and he says he'll stay on the air as long as they will have him. When asked about his numerous close calls with death he says on the radio, 'I hope I die in my sleep when my time comes, but if I don't go that way, I hope I die while on the air, doing what I love to do.....What a way to go. Bill Mack(formerly of WBAP) and now on SiriusXM also has tried to get Sommers to write a book about his life but Sommers refuses. Sommers is on the Roll Call of the USMC, although he never served active duty. According to American Legion records he served in Vietnam, Grenada and Panama. This cannot be verified due to the fact that his records have been classified and are on a "need to know basis at the Pentagon." Sommers website can be seen by going to "http://www.thebozo.com".
Catching a robber
"The Bozo" made national headlines when he helped to catch a robber at a convenience store in Camilla, Georgia. Sommers was talking live on the air with regular caller Linda Driskill, known as "Mississippi Lady" to listeners, when he heard Driskill admonish someone not to come behind her counter. She then hung up the phone. Sommers was concerned for her safety, so he called the Camilla police (who knew Driskill from Sommers' show). The police responded to Driskill's store and quickly apprehended the robber.[1]
Health problems
Sommers suffers from severe Addisons Disease, for which there is no cure and is treated by ever-increasing doses of steroids that help to keep the disease under control. Sommers is considered by those who are close to him to be a virtual recluse and is rarely seen out of his Florida or Cincinnati, Ohio homes. He says, "I can't afford to get around someone who may have a bad cold or flu and then wind up catching what they have, I can see it on my tombstone, "'The Bozo went outside to play and died from a bad cold.'"[citation needed]
Family
Sommers oldest son, Steve, took over the WLW-AM slot when Dale left the station in 2004. Another son has been working in Dayton, Ohio for 20 years and another son is general manager of an auto dealership in Cincinnati. Sommers youngest son Sean Compton grew up listening to his dad and went to work in radio with him. Compton now is Programming head for the Tribune Company television group based in Chicago, IL.
See also
- America's Trucking Network, the program Sommers founded and is now hosted by his son Steve
References
- ^ Kiesewetter, John (2002-03-17). "WLW turns 80". The Cincinnati Enquirer. Retrieved 2007-02-20.
- Johnston, John (April 22, 2004). "Truckin' Bozo's buggin' out for good". The Cincinnati Enquirer. Gannett Co. Inc. Retrieved 2009-01-25.
- Bird, Rick (October 11, 2004). "Sommers now trucking on XM". The Cincinnati Enquirer. Gannett Co. Inc. Retrieved 2009-01-25.