Legendary DJ 'Cousin Brucie' Morrow leaving SiriusXM, says he's 'not retiring'
Radio Hall of Famer Bruce "Cousin Brucie" Morrow says he will take August off to spend time with his wife and that he expects to be back broadcasting at some point. Credit: Slaven Vlasic / Getty Images for SiriusXM
Legendary radio personality Bruce "Cousin Brucie" Morrow, who became synonymous with rock and roll during his 13 years at WABC/770 AM in the 1960s and '70s before moving on to other stations, says he is leaving his current gig at SiriusXM.
On his show Wednesday, the Radio Hall of Famer said his final SiriusXM show would be Saturday. Morrow, who is in his 80s, has hosted classic-rock shows on the satellite-radio provider since 2005, most recently "Cruisin' with Cousin Brucie" on Wednesdays from 5 to 9 p.m. and "Cousin Brucie's Saturday Rock and Roll Party" on Saturdays from 8 p.m. to midnight, plus occasional specials such as "Ultimate Palisades with Cousin Brucie." A best-of show runs Sunday nights.
He indicated on Wednesday that he did not consider this a retirement and that he expected to be broadcasting again at some point, adding that he and his wife Jodie were taking August off and for listeners to watch his Facebook page for announcements.
Morrow elaborated on that in a message on Facebook posted late Thursday: "Cousins, I know that this is a very trying time for all of us. I have been reading your Posts on the Bulletin Boards. Thank you, Thank you for your sensitivity and your good wishes. Let me assure you once again — I Am Not Retiring. After Jodie and I take some time to relax — I promise you that we will be together again on the Radio. By the way, Jodie and I are both in good health and we are looking forward to this next adventure. Coming Soon !!!"
A SiriusXM spokesman said in a statement, "After broadcasting on SiriusXM since 2005, Cousin Brucie has chosen to step away from the mic. After many amazing years broadcasting on SiriusXM, and a celebrated career of more than 60 years in radio, we wish Brucie the best in any future endeavor."
"He's one of the greats, there's no question about it," Allan Sniffen, who runs the New York Radio Message Board and the website musicradio77.com, devoted to WABC-AM's music years, told Newsday. "He was phenomenally successful in his younger years, primary on WABC from 1961 to 1974, when the baby boomers came of age and everybody listened to the same few stations," added Sniffen, 62, a Stony Brook University graduate who now lives in Westchester County. As a nighttime DJ during that stint, Morrow worked "when teens were listening, and he was really good in his ability to relate to the boomers. He became a sensation with that group and they have remained loyal to him ever since."
Born in Brooklyn, he was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 1988 and the Long Island Music Hall of Fame in 2018, among other honors. After leaving WABC, Morrow also did DJ stints at WNBC/660 AM and WCBS/101.1 FM before moving to satellite radio.
