![]() ![]() He listened to Bennington every day and for the last 6 ears, he found himself a fan of a radio show. And when it was announced that Gail Bennington would take his place as Ron Bennington’s radio co-host he couldn’t have been prouder, or more supportive. Months after Fez’s retirement, people were still swearing it was just a long con. That was the brilliance of the show- you never could tell and even if you think you knew, you probably didn’t. This strange dichotomy continued right up until the final moment of the show when Fez suddenly announced his retirement on April Fools Day 2015, leaving even close friends of the show unsure whether the retirement was real or a gimmick. That extended through personal matters, like Fez’s sexuality, which was a show bit, until he officially came out as gay in 2012. Sometimes real life became a bit, and at other times the bit morphed into real life. The Ron and Fez Show was legendary for delivering wrestling like shoots and works leaving listeners guessing what was real and what was a bit. In many ways, Ron and Fez was more real and more human than any other show on the radio.īut the show wasn’t about reality- far from it. People have written on twitter and Instagram today, expressing how much humanity those shows had, not only hearing Fez try to come to grips with his problems, but also through listening to those around him grapple with how to react. The ridiculous conundrum of having so many fears, and being brave is something only Fez could pull off. He would share his frailties and fears in a way that can only be described as fearless. And the thing was, he kept showing up to work. Those years that Fez struggled with health and wellness issues were as groundbreaking and important to the fans as prior incarnations of the show. ![]() He dealt with anxiety, depression and health issues, including his first heart attack in 2005. In later years before he retired, Fez struggled. They were everybody’s buddies and we all loved and love them. and New York City and all over the continent from 1998 until Fez retired in 2015. After the Ron and Ron Show came to an end, Whatley and Bennington formed the Ron and Fez Show, and not only did that show have multiple lives on different platforms, but each era was incredibly different from the last beginning in Florida, and finding time in Washington D.C. Fez was beloved on the Ron and Ron Show, playing an over the top flamboyant gay character, during a time and in a place that didn’t always warm up to gay characters so easily- but Fez won everyone over. His career started on the Ron and Ron show in Tampa as a friend of the show after Ron Bennington met him at his comedy club. There were so many eras to Fez’s life on the microphone and each one was important and touched so many lives. ![]() Family, friends, fans and strangers all got to laugh, or be confused, or try to figure him out. There was nothing he wouldn’t do to make someone laugh or to entertain even at his own expense. It was a gift of five months to his friends, family and fans who would be so thrilled to hear him pop up on the Bennington Show to address some slight, or celebrate a milestone- his 57th birthday- or talk about the near death experience.įez joked that he had a bad heart but the reality was, he had so much heart and gave it all away for the entire time I’ve known him and many years before. Whatley had suffered another nearly life ending massive heart attack in March- in fact he flatlined- only to be brought back to life. Fez was put on a ventilator for several days and fought to come back to us but the stress on his heart was just too much. He suffered a major heart attack after undergoing a minor surgical procedure. Now, six years later, its impossible to believe I’m saying goodbye to Fez again, this time forever.įez passed away early Saturday morning, August 14th, at the age of 57. In April 2015 it was incredibly difficult saying goodbye to the on air personality of Fez Whatley when he announced that due to health issues, he was retiring from radio. ![]()
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