Kevin Matthews Biography
Kevin Menear (born March 12, 1956), known professionally as Kevin Matthews, is a Midwest United States radio personality, best known for his 12-year association with WLUP “The Loop” and its one-time sister-station, WMVP “AM 1000.” Matthews became popular for his off-kilter take on various topics. He’s known for doing voices, including that of his irascible sidekick, sportscaster Jim Shorts.
One of his bits was encouraging his listeners to yell out “Free Bird!” at various concerts, whether it was the Chicago Symphony Orchestra or Barry Manilow. One incidence of this was a heckler shouting “Free Bird!” as well as the names of Matthews and Shorts at a Bill Hicks show, prompting Hicks’ “Hitler had the right idea” rant.
Kevin Matthews Age
Kevin Menear, known professionally as Kevin Matthews, is a Midwest United States radio personality, best known for his 12-year association with WLUP “The Loop” and its one-time sister-station, WMVP “AM 1000.” He was born on March 12, 1956. He is 63 years old as of 2019
Kevin Matthews Radio
During the summer of 1986, KWK-FM brought Matthews to St. Louis from WLAV in Grand Rapids, Michigan, but he was fired the next year. During his time in St. Louis he began calling into the Steve Dahl & Garry Meier show on The Loop in Chicago, often doing an impersonation of then-President Ronald Reagan in impromptu comedy bits with Dahl and Meier.
He was hired by The Loop in March 1987 as the weekday overnight and Sunday host. A month later, AM 1000 started simulcasting The Loop, including Matthews’ show. Soon thereafter, Matthews’ show began broadcasting exclusively from the AM dial between Jonathon Brandmeier in the morning and Steve & Garry in the afternoon.
During this era, Matthews made occasional comedy-concert appearances in the Chicago area. He also promoted a line of clothing featuring himself and his characters. His fans were referred to as “Kev-Heads”.
In September 1993, just five months after renewing his contract to continue middays on AM 1000, Matthews moved back to The Loop as morning man when it switched from album rock to talk, and AM 1000 flipped to an all-sports format.
Early in 1995, Matthews was heard on WGRD-FM in Grand Rapids, Michigan; WYMG in Springfield, Illinois; and WQFM in Milwaukee.
In September 1996, he returned to AM 1000 as midday host after its failed first attempt at sports-talk. In October 1997, he shifted from middays to afternoons, going up against former colleague Steve Dahl at WCKG.
Eleven months later, Matthews ended his 11-year association with AM 1000 and its former sister-station, WLUP-FM, and almost immediately signed on to do mornings at WXCD (now WLS-FM). He lasted there until August 22, 2001, when he was let go when the station’s format changed from alternative music to 80’s music.
After 7 months, Matthews joined WCKG in April 2002 as the midday host. Matthews remained at WCKG until March 2005 when talks regarding contract renewal broke down and his contract expired.
Matthews spent the summer of 2005 doing weekly thirty-minute internet broadcasts. On September 8, 2005, it was announced that he would be returning to Grand Rapids and WLAV as morning show host and would also be serving as Director of Program Development for Citadel Broadcasting.
However, after 5 years, the stationed announced, on November 17, 2011, that Matthews was being let go as part of the shakeout resulting from Cumulus Media’s takeover of Citadel Broadcasting. He was removed and replaced by veteran rock jocks Tony Gates and Michelle McKormick on Friday, November 18.
Darrin Arriens, Director of Operations for Cumulus Media declined to comment and Marcus Bradman, Director of Events and Promotions for Cumulus in Grand Rapids and Muskegon, directed comments to Cumulus’ corporate headquarters in Atlanta. In a Facebook post, Matthews wrote, “I love you Kevheads so very much, thanks for the love back. What a wonderful group of human beings you are. We sure have had some laughs.”
On December 2, 2011, Matthews joined The Steve Dahl Network, a subscription-based podcast network owned and operated by veteran radio and media personality Steve Dahl. He provides a one-hour-long podcast per week: Kevin Matthew’s Show on Fridays.
Each podcast features a sampling of his wide array of characters and often includes music from upcoming artists and bands, clips from his radio archives, movie and music reviews as well as phone interviews with famous entertainment or sports personalities and other people he has met during his 30+ years as a radio/entertainment personality.
In November 2013, Tom Manely, Vice President of (Creative) Content at WGN Radio, announced that Tribune Broadcasting had formed a creative alliance with Matthews and have him serve as the imaging voice and overall spirit of WGN.FM, the online content portal associated with WGN (AM).
According to Manely, “We really want to give Kevin a fun platform for all of his characters — hopefully, to do things he’s never been able to do before, and he’d done some pretty cool, crazy stuff.” Matthews continues to work out of his home studio, known as ‘Broken Mary Studios’, where he records his podcasts.
Kevin Matthews Image
Kevin Matthews Photo
Kevin Matthews Television and film
In the early ’90s, Matthews appeared as a contestant in a special edition of the television show Win, Lose or Draw in which all the contestants were Chicago radio and television personalities. In 1994, Matthews appeared as a surfer in an episode of Baywatch entitled “I Spike”.
That same year, Matthews, as Jim Shorts began hosting a show on the Chicago’s SportsChannel America affiliate, called The Jim Shorts Cavalcade of Sports (For You). The show was a send-up of sports clip shows, in which Jim had to recreate the plays with video games because—as he claimed—he couldn’t get the rights to the footage.
The show also featured notable guests, such as Johnny Kerr, but Matthews didn’t appear on this show during its run from 1994 to 1996. The same year this show launched, Matthews made a cameo appearance in the movie Blink during the scene on the train.
Kevin Matthews Wife, Personal life
Matthews and his wife, Debra Parker-Menear m. 1983, live in Michigan. He has two children (son Trevor and daughter Teage) and two grandchildren (Trynn and Rhett, daughter and son of Teague).
Matthews announced on December 8, 2008, that he had been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis.
Kevin Matthews Net worth
The radio voice of Kevin Matthews has been heard over airways across the country for nearly 25 years. Kev, as he prefers to be called, began his radio career in 1978 at WSRX student radio at Grand Valley State University in Grand Rapids, Mich.
After graduating from GVSU, Kevin worked his way up through the Grand Rapids radio market until he …For 10.04.2019 – We have next information about Kevin Matthews earnings, net worth: $679,029 Dollars*
Kevin Matthews, former WLAV radio personality, enjoying a new career as a podcaster (video)
GRAND RAPIDS – Kevin Matthews couldn’t be happier.
The Grand Rapids radio icon, fired in November from WLAV-FM, soon traded broadcasting for podcasting.
Today, “Kevheads” are listening in Europe and among the U.S. armed forces stationed in the Middle East.
“That’s what’s great about the world wide web. It really is worldwide,” he said.
Matthews, 55, isn’t even sure how many.
“We have a lot,” he guessed. A longtime broadcaster for 97 LAV-FM, Matthews was ousted in Cumulus Media’s takeover of Citadel Broadcasting.
“I’m in the entertainment business, and when you remove ‘entertainment,’ it’s all business. It’s really sad,” Matthews said, in his first interview since he was fired.
Just two weeks after he was sacked, Matthews joined his former colleague Steve Dahl on The Steve DahlCast.
Matthews said the first two months has been fun as well as liberating.
“I have no FCC, no stupid program directors. I don’t have to play the same songs over and over,” he said. “I can do a show on an iPhone, anywhere in the world.”
Dahl, of Chicago, inaugurated the Steve DahlCast in September 2009 after 30 years in traditional radio in the Windy City, where listeners grew up listening to his parodies and his characters, including Ben Gay, the sports reporter, and Tyrone, the traffic reporter.
Matthews, 55, a Detroit-area native who got his start at WLAV-FM in the early 1980s, later left for St. Louis but was recruited nine months later by Dahl to come to Chicago for a run lasting more than 22 years.“Some stations had people fly into Chicago and write down everything and try to duplicate it,” Matthews recalled.
In September 2006, Matthews returned to West Michigan to be the morning man on WLAV-FM (96.9) as well as director of development until he was dropped in November in the wake of Cumulus Media’s buyout of Citadel Broadcasting stations across the country.
“Kevheads” sounded off over the abrupt departure of one of West Michigan’s best-known radio personalities.
Matthews today is uploading two podcasts a week, Monday and Friday, which they are archived for subscribers.
“If you love Jim Shorts, he’s never sounded better,” Matthews said about his sports reporter alter ego.
With the election year ahead, listeners also can expect visits from Bill Clinton and the ghost of Ron Reagan on Matthews’ show.
Though fans throughout the world are listening, Matthews said he has no plans to actually leave Grand Rapids. His upcoming plans include hosting a jazz festival for St. Mary’s Health Care, and he’s working on a wine auction for Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital.
“I love it here,” he said. “I really do, My ties are here.”
Kevin Matthews Podcast
Kevin Matthews’ is joined by his old pal Jim Shorts for unique theatre of the mind through his wit and self-effacing humor every Friday. Classic Kevhead favorites from the Ghosts of Ronald Reagan, Harry, and other dead celebs join Kevin during each Podcast.
The radio voice of Kevin Matthews has been heard on airways in the Midwest for over 25 years from Western Michigan to St. Louis. At WLUP-AM he joined legendary broadcasters like Steve and Garry, Jonathan Brandmeir, Buzz Kilmann, Bruce Wolf and Bob Stroud. He continues to share his world, real and imaginary.
Kevin Matthews Archives
Kevin Matthews helped transform Chicago radio into the mega-power scene that it was through the late ’80s and into the mid-’90s. Of course, Chicago radio (all radio) is now a vast wasteland of nothingness.
That’s why Kevin has joined The Steve Dahl Podcast Network. You can hear Kevin’s Monday Podcast Express and an even longer and more insane Friday Kevin Matthews Show every week.
Kevin lives in Grand Rapids these days, as does Jim Shorts. Kevin is a grandfather now. Jim should be castrated (he has three balls!).
Kevin Matthews broken mary
Thousands Process with Broken Statue: ‘The Message of the Broken Mary is We’re All Broken. Everyone.’
Thousands march behind ‘Broken Mary’ statue as longtime radio host brings the message of unity, healing to Chicago
Hoisted on the shoulders of those sworn to protect and serve others, a once-shattered statue of the Virgin Mary made its way through the streets of Chicago and into the heart of downtown.
Behind her, the flames held by thousands of people flickered, and the soft yet unified voices carried through the breeze.
Friday’s event, titled “There is Hope for the Broken,” was inspired by Kevin Matthews, a longtime Chicago radio host who had a spiritual awakening after he stumbled across a broken Virgin Mary statue sitting next to a dumpster outside a flower shop.
Before the candlelight procession began, Matthews gave his testimony at St. John Cantius Catholic Church in Chicago’s Goose Island neighborhood about how he found “Broken Mary.” The pews overflowed with people. Thousands sat. Hundreds stood.
Matthews had just lost his job and had recently been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. While driving home one day, he had an urge to pick up some flowers for his wife.
As he walked into a flower shop in Grand Rapids, Mich., Matthews spotted a blue dumpster. And to his dismay, lying on the ground next to the dumpster was a statue of the Virgin Mary.
The statue was covered in trash. Her body was split in half and her tiny hands chipped.
Matthews took the broken statue home and put it back together. But the cracks and fractured hands remain. He believes the defects of the statue, which he calls Broken Mary, are symbolic of a flawed people, a people in constant need of healing.
“The message of Broken Mary is we’re all broken,” Matthews said. “Everyone. We’re not perfect, we’re flawed. But we’re loved.”Now, eight years after finding the statue, Matthews is bringing Broken Mary and a message of unity and healing to Chicago.
Outside, after Matthews’ testimony, a large procession was escorted by Chicago police officers as participants walked roughly 1.5 miles east along Chicago Avenue to Water Tower Place.
The crowd walked slowly and moved in silence. They only spoke to recite prayers.
As the daylight faded, their candle flames intensified. As they walked closer to downtown and the city noise grew louder, their prayers remained steady.
The message was simple: Everyone is broken and in need of healing, according to organizers.
Emergency responders and service members, including Chicago police, Illinois State Police, Chicago firefighters, and National Guard members were in attendance. Although he grew up Catholic, Matthews returned to a more active practice of his faith after finding Broken Mary.
Those who know him said he has become more loving and selfless.
“It has changed him for sure,” said the Rev. Joshua Caswell, event coordinator, and associate pastor St. John Cantius Catholic Church. “He’s more humble, more grateful and more joyful.”
Matthews has traveled across the country with Broken Mary, visiting prisons, drug rehabilitation centers, hospitals, and hospices.
“She’s gone from a dumpster to being carried on men’s shoulders Friday on a bed of roses with a crown,” Matthews said. “We all can aspire to that hope. We’re not garbage. We’re God’s children.”
The city’s crime makes it evident that too many people have a “lack of respect for life,” said the Rev. Daniel Brandt, director of Chicago Police Chaplains Ministry, citing’s the city’s violent Memorial Day weekend, during which at least 43 people were shot and seven people were killed.
“This walk can bring a lot of comfort and peace to a lot of broken people,” Brandt said. “The city needs a renewed respect for life.”
But Friday’s walk wasn’t only about the city’s violence, Caswell said.
“It’s not just our city that’s broken, but each of us individually that’s broken,” he said. “It’s about personal healing for each one of us.”
Catholics bless Chicago’s “broken” streets with an unusual statue
Thousands offer prayers to “Our Lady of the Broken” in a city wracked by gun violence
In a city that’s nearly broken by gun violence, thousands of people turned out Friday night for a procession through Chicago streets, offering up prayers to “Our Lady of the Broken.”
The event’s centerpiece was a damaged statue of Mary that Chicago radio personality Kevin Matthews found next to a dumpster and holds up as an example of the value of human life, even when it is most “broken.”
Friday evening’s procession, which began after Matthews gave a talk at St. John Cantius church, walked about a mile and a half along Chicago Avenue. It came days after the Memorial Day weekend when at least 43 people were shot and seven people were killed.
Matthews developed the concept of Our Lady of the Broken when he found a badly damaged statue of Mary in Grand Rapids, Michigan, about eight years ago. He had just lost his job and had also been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis.
The statue was covered in trash. Its body was split in half, and the praying hands were chipped. Matthews took it home and put it back together. The crack in the middle is still clearly visible, and the hands remain broken. For Matthews, it’s a symbol: people are in constant need of healing.
“The message of Broken Mary is we’re all broken,” he said. “We’re flawed. But we’re loved.”
Matthews has traveled across the country with Broken Mary, visiting prisons, drug rehabilitation centers, hospitals, and hospices, according to the Chicago Tribune.
“She’s gone from a dumpster to being carried on men’s shoulders Friday on a bed of roses with a crown,” he said. “We all can aspire to that hope. We’re not garbage. We’re God’s children.”
The experience of caring for the statue has changed Matthews, Fr. Joshua Caswell, event coordinator and associate pastor St. John Cantius, attested. “He’s more humble, more grateful and more joyful,” the priest said.
Fr. Daniel Brandt, director of Chicago Police Chaplains Ministry, said that the procession “can bring a lot of comfort and peace to a lot of broken people. The city needs a renewed respect for life.”
But the event, titled “There is Hope for the Broken,” was not just about Chicago, but “each of us,” said Fr. Caswell. “It’s about personal healing for each one of us.”