Longtime Chicago Radio Personality Doug Banks Dies At 57

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Beloved radio personality Doug Banks — host of The Doug Banks Morning Show, the top-rated syndicated urban radio program in America — has died.

He was 57 years old.

The cause of the longtime host’s death has not been confirmed, although it is known Banks battled diabetes and kidney problems for some time.

The Philadelphia-born personality started his career in Detroit and Los Angeles before breaking big at Chicago’s V103.

From the Chicago Tribune:

Banks was honored in 2005 at the 12th Annual Living Legends Foundation Gala in New York City for his contributions as a trailblazer in the radio entertainment community. In January 2006, he launched the Doug Banks Literacy & Scholarship Initiative.

In 2008, Banks launched a new afternoon show on V103 that featured Dear Doug letters and his famous Adult Conversation. His co-host was Dee Dee Renee.

According to Banks’ V103 biography, he began his career at his high school’s radio station where he was noticed and given a late-night weekend spot on the radio station in town. Once he graduated, Banks landed a position at KDAY in Los Angeles. From there, Banks secured his own morning show in Las Vegas, San Francisco and eventually in Chicago.

Friends, fans, celebrities, and colleagues took to Twitter to remember Banks:

BREAKING NEWS: I am stunned to hear of the death of Doug Banks. I heard he was not doing well and had failing kidneys. This is just so hard.

— rolandsmartin (@rolandsmartin) April 11, 2016

Fam, #DougBanks was a huge supporter of mine. He often had me on his show to talk about the news happening in our community. Man, 57!

— rolandsmartin (@rolandsmartin) April 11, 2016

Fam, #DougBanks, 57, suffered from diabetes for years. Now it has taken his life. Reminds me of comedian Patrice O’Neal. He was 41.

— rolandsmartin (@rolandsmartin) April 11, 2016

A legendary radio voice silenced. Thoughts and prayers to Doug Banks’ family and friends. https://t.co/DibaS4Amcx

— John Digles (@JohnDigles) April 11, 2016

Sad to hear about Doug Banks. He was a HUGE supporter of my music and got #NobodySupposedToBeHere in heavy rotation right away at WGCI.

— Deborah Cox (@Deborah_Cox) April 11, 2016

Our thoughts and prayers are with his family during this difficult time.

SOURCE: Chicago Tribune | PHOTO CREDIT: Twitter, Getty, Facebook