INDIANAPOLIS — Back in the 1980s and 1990s, in the pre-podcast cell phone days, radio was king, and in Indy there was a man who reigned supreme. On air, Bob Kevoian was the raspy-voiced character making comedic quips that would sometimes make listeners blush. Off air, he had a heart of gold.
For more than three decades, Kevoian was a fixture in the city, gaining fame as the more laid back cohort to his on-air partner Tom Griswold’s Type A personality on “The Bob & Tom Show,” He died Friday after a 3-year battle with cancer, the show announced. Kevoian was 75.
“It is with profound sadness that we announce the loss of Bob Kevoian, beloved co-founder and longtime host of The Bob & Tom Show, who passed away peacefully Friday afternoon at his home, surrounded by family and friends,” the show posted to Facebook. “Details regarding memorial services will be shared at a later time.”
Kevoian founded the morning radio show, which dubs itself a blend of comedy, talk, news and sports (with a nod to some off color topics) with Griswold on March 7, 1983. In 1995, its popularity earned national syndication and today it is heard in more than 100 cities and on WFBQ-FM (94.7) in Indy.
Kevoian announced his retirement from the show in 2015 as he was inducted into the National Radio Hall of Fame.
In 2023, he made his cancer fight public, revealing the first episode of a new podcast: “The Bob & Cancer Show.” The series, co-hosted by his wife, Becky Kevoian, and friend and “Bob & Tom” mainstay Whit Grayson, explored Kevoian’s journey from diagnosis through treatment.
Through the years, everyone knew “Bob” from the radio show, but few knew of his incredible generosity, says Mark Patrick, a longtime television sports anchor in Indy who appeared as different characters in comedy skits on “Bob & Tom.” “There were more than a few fundraiser auctions that I would emcee. And there would inevitably be an awkward moment when a highly-valued item wasn’t getting close to its true target bid.”
Without fail, Kevoian would jump in with an offer beyond expectation. Once, at an Indiana Children’s WISH Fund Gala, he made a bid when he was already the high bid.
“I said, ‘Bob, you’re bidding against yourself.’ And then he won the crowd and the night,” Patrick says, when Kevoian responded: “Well, somebody’s got to do it.”
In the heyday of radio’s reign, with Kevoian on the air, he became a household name in Indy.
“Bob. One name. One very common name. Yet, there’s only one that anyone in Indiana immediately thinks of. What a legacy,” Patrick said. “Bob Kevoian lived his life exactly like he wanted to. His own man. He fought a courageous battle against cancer the last few years. And he did it, as he always did things, with humor, friend engagement and love for his family.”
Social media was flooded with memories of Kevoian Friday night.
This story will be updated
Follow IndyStar sports reporter Dana Benbow on X: @DanaBenbow. Reach her via email: dbenbow@indystar.com.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indy radio legend Bob Kevoian of ‘The Bob & Tom Show’ dies
Reporting by Dana Hunsinger Benbow, Indianapolis Star / Indianapolis Star
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
