The legendary Boston radio personality David Brudnoy passed away today at the age of 64, after suffering from cancer, HIV, and other ailments for a period of several years.
Both a Minneapolis native and a Brandeis graduate, Brudnoy was on the air in Boston for more than 30 years, and had once appeared indestructible- he nearly died of AIDS in 1994, but survived, lived ten more years, and it wasn't the AIDS that killed him.
While he had the solid liberal credentials of being a longtime Boston resident, a Brandeis grad, gay, Jewish, and HIV-positive, Brudnoy's politics were always firmly conservative, though he left the Republican party to become a Libertarian a few years ago, and also broke the mold in another way: unlike the dozens of bloviating right-wing talk shows nationwide, the host was always known as a gentleman to political friends and foes alike.
I met David Brudnoy one time- in 1998 or '99, when I was writing for the college paper, I went with Joe to a screening of some Hollywood blockbuster, I think it was "Enemy of the State." The theater was overbooked and we couldn't get seats, and I asked one guy if the seat next to his was taken. "Yes, it is!," he replied curtly- and as we left the theater, Joe nudged me and loudly whispered, "that's David Brudnoy!" Brudnoy had long written film reviews in a local paper and discussed film on his show, and Joe had been a big fan (watch his blog for his version of the story).
Brudnoy's station, WBZ, has a tribute up.
Posted by Stephen Silver at December 10, 2004 02:27 AMBrudnoy was a prof at BU, which is where I was a journalism student. But I never had him. I was a print major, not broadcast.
Posted by: C at December 10, 2004 12:29 PMThis is a great tribute, Steve. Thanks.
Posted by: red at December 10, 2004 03:13 PMWHO???
You give a tribute to this guy???