Radio lost one of its most recognizable voices this week as longtime Los Angeles personality Uncle Joe Benson died Tuesday, at 76, following a battle with Parkinson’s disease and related complications.
A message posted to the Uncle Joe’s Garage Facebook page confirmed the news, noting that Benson passed away peacefully while dealing with Parkinson’s disease, Parkinson’s dementia and injuries sustained in a fall. The announcement quickly drew an outpouring of tributes from listeners, colleagues and fellow broadcasters who grew up with, worked beside, or competed against the deep-voiced host whose delivery became synonymous with rock radio in Southern California.
Veteran disc jockey Rita Wilde, who shared the airwaves with Benson at both KLOS-FM and KSWD-FM, called him “a radio legend silenced,” to the Orange County Register, adding that she would remember him with love and respect after decades of friendship and professional partnership.
Benson’s radio journey began in 1968 in Dubuque, Iowa, launching a career that would stretch nearly 40 years and traverse some of the Midwest’s most prominent rock stations before he made his mark in Los Angeles. During the 1970s, he worked at outlets including WQFM, WRKR, WZMF and WZUU in Milwaukee, along with a morning stint at WWWM in Cleveland, building a reputation for authenticity and a connection with listeners that transcended playlist trends and ownership changes.
In 1980, Benson arrived in Los Angeles and joined KLOS-FM, where he would spend roughly three decades across multiple stints and become one of the defining voices of the station’s rock identity. Beyond his regular shifts, he hosted specialty programs such as “The 7th Day” and “Local Licks,” platforms that showcased emerging artists and underscored his commitment to the local music scene at a time when consolidation increasingly narrowed the focus of many commercial outlets.
Benson later brought his familiar tone to mornings at KCBS-FM, branded as Arrow 93.1, from 1997 through 2005, and eventually joined KSWD-FM, known as 100.3 The Sound, where he remained until the station signed off in 2017.
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