ROCKFORD, IL — One nation, one people. Peace.
That’s how Rockford radio personality Steve Shannon has signed off his morning show on 97ZOK for decades. He could do so for the last time after 31 years March 24.
The radio station posted a message on Facebook March 20 telling listeners to tune in to Shannon’s final two shows from 6 to 10 a.m. March 23 and 24. A Madison, Wisconsin native, Shannon is a radio DJ who fell in love with music as a refuge at an early age, he told Pablo Korona for a 2022 “Our City, Our Story.”
“Everybody goes through some sort of storm, man,” Shannon told Korona. “We are all in some sort of season that we wish we weren’t. There’s a grace to how we should be with people. You can effect change in a whole bunch of ways and the way I try to effect it is, if you are listening to me in the morning, the first thing you’re going to feel is a sense of community and a sense of joy.”
Shannon posted a message on Facebook saying that his leaving the show was not a retirement. He did not say what his plans are for after leaving the show.
The Steve Shannon Show served as the backdrop for area residents’ morning routine as they got ready for the day for years. The announcement sparked an outpouring of responses from the public with some sharing their memories of his show and others wishing him luck.
Jeff Kolkey writes about government, economic development and other issues for the Rockford Register Star. He can be reached via email at jkolkey@rrstar.com and on X @jeffkolkey.
This article originally appeared on Rockford Register Star: Steve Shannon to sign off 97ZOK after 31 years
Reporting by Jeff Kolkey, Rockford Register Star / Rockford Register Star
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