Fred Imus
Encyclopedia
Frederic Moore Imus was an American radio
talk show
host and the younger brother of radio talk show host Don Imus
. He hosted Trailer Park Bash, a weekly country music program launched on May 6, 2006, on Saturdays from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. ET
on Sirius XM Radio's Outlaw Country channel. His sidekick was former western
actor
Don Collier
. Imus broadcast his show from his trailer
in Tucson, Arizona
. He frequently appeared as a regular guest on his brother's Imus in the Morning
.
and served in the United States Army
's 101st Airborne Division. Imus also restored cars, especially 1957 Chevrolets and worked as a brakeman for Southern Pacific. In 1963, before Don went into radio, he and Fred wrote and recorded a song called I'm A Hot Rodder (And All That Jazz) for the Challenge label under the name Jay Jay Imus and Freddy Ford.
While with Southern Pacific R.R., he met fellow brakeman Phil Sweet, and in 1976 the two wrote the No. 1 country hit for Jim Ed Brown
and Helen Cornelius
, I Don't Want to Have to Marry You
, which was also voted "Song of the Year" by Music City News in 1977. Imus has been an on-air host at country music stations in Cleveland, Ohio
, Cheyenne, Wyoming
and El Paso, Texas
, among others.
Because of his love of classic cars, Fred opened his own auto body shop in El Paso, Texas
and with the idea from his brother Don Imus
, he also sold a few shirts and hats out of his body shop with a simple mention from Don on his radio show. The store was called the Autobody Express, co-owned by Don and Fred. The Autobody Express was later moved to Santa Fe, New Mexico
. Later, they had a store inside the Mohegan Sun
Native American Casino in Uncasville, Connecticut
. The company failed in 2003 and both stores closed.
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
talk show
Talk show
A talk show or chat show is a television program or radio program where one person discuss various topics put forth by a talk show host....
host and the younger brother of radio talk show host Don Imus
Don Imus
John Donald "Don" Imus, Jr. is an American radio host, humorist, philanthropist and writer. His nationally-syndicated talk show, Imus in the Morning, is broadcast throughout the United States by Citadel Media and relayed on television by the Fox Business Network.-Personal life:Imus was born in...
. He hosted Trailer Park Bash, a weekly country music program launched on May 6, 2006, on Saturdays from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. ET
North American Eastern Time Zone
The Eastern Time Zone of the United States and Canada is a time zone that falls mostly along the east coast of North America. Its UTC time offset is −5 hrs during standard time and −4 hrs during daylight saving time...
on Sirius XM Radio's Outlaw Country channel. His sidekick was former western
Western (genre)
The Western is a genre of various visual arts, such as film, television, radio, literature, painting and others. Westerns are devoted to telling stories set primarily in the latter half of the 19th century in the American Old West, hence the name. Some Westerns are set as early as the Battle of...
actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
Don Collier
Don Collier
Donald Collier is an American radio personality and a former actor, particularly known for his role in television westerns during the 1960s. He played U.S. Marshal Will Foreman in the 1960-1962 NBC series Outlaws, with Barton MacLane , Jock Gaynor , and Bruce Yarnell...
. Imus broadcast his show from his trailer
Travel trailer
A travel trailer or caravan is towed behind a road vehicle to provide a place to sleep which is more comfortable and protected than a tent . It provides the means for people to have their own home on a journey or a vacation, without relying on a motel or hotel, and enables them to stay in places...
in Tucson, Arizona
Tucson, Arizona
Tucson is a city in and the county seat of Pima County, Arizona, United States. The city is located 118 miles southeast of Phoenix and 60 miles north of the U.S.-Mexico border. The 2010 United States Census puts the city's population at 520,116 with a metropolitan area population at 1,020,200...
. He frequently appeared as a regular guest on his brother's Imus in the Morning
Imus in the Morning
Imus in the Morning is an American radio show hosted by Don Imus on Cumulus Media Networks , and simulcast for television on Fox Business Network....
.
Career
He attended Kent State UniversityKent State University
Kent State University is a public research university located in Kent, Ohio, United States. The university has eight campuses around the northeast Ohio region with the main campus in Kent being the largest...
and served in the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
's 101st Airborne Division. Imus also restored cars, especially 1957 Chevrolets and worked as a brakeman for Southern Pacific. In 1963, before Don went into radio, he and Fred wrote and recorded a song called I'm A Hot Rodder (And All That Jazz) for the Challenge label under the name Jay Jay Imus and Freddy Ford.
While with Southern Pacific R.R., he met fellow brakeman Phil Sweet, and in 1976 the two wrote the No. 1 country hit for Jim Ed Brown
Jim Ed Brown
Jim Ed Brown is an American country music singer who achieved fame in the 1950s with his two sisters as a member of The Browns. He later had a successful solo career from 1965 to 1974, followed by a string of major duet hits with Helen Cornelius through 1981...
and Helen Cornelius
Helen Cornelius
Helen Cornelius is an American country singer-songwriter and actress, best remembered for a series of hit duets with Jim Ed Brown, many of which reached the U.S...
, I Don't Want to Have to Marry You
I Don't Want to Have to Marry You
" I Don't Want to Have to Marry You is a 1976 single by the duo of Jim Ed Brown and Helen Cornelius. "I Don't Want to Have to Marry You" would be the most successful single for both Jim Ed Brown and Helen Cornelius as both a duo and as solo artists...
, which was also voted "Song of the Year" by Music City News in 1977. Imus has been an on-air host at country music stations in Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
, Cheyenne, Wyoming
Cheyenne, Wyoming
Cheyenne is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Wyoming and the county seat of Laramie County. It is the principal city of the Cheyenne, Wyoming, Metropolitan Statistical Area which encompasses all of Laramie County. The population is 59,466 at the 2010 census. Cheyenne is the...
and El Paso, Texas
El Paso, Texas
El Paso, is a city in and the county seat of El Paso County, Texas, United States, and lies in far West Texas. In the 2010 census, the city had a population of 649,121. It is the sixth largest city in Texas and the 19th largest city in the United States...
, among others.
Because of his love of classic cars, Fred opened his own auto body shop in El Paso, Texas
El Paso, Texas
El Paso, is a city in and the county seat of El Paso County, Texas, United States, and lies in far West Texas. In the 2010 census, the city had a population of 649,121. It is the sixth largest city in Texas and the 19th largest city in the United States...
and with the idea from his brother Don Imus
Don Imus
John Donald "Don" Imus, Jr. is an American radio host, humorist, philanthropist and writer. His nationally-syndicated talk show, Imus in the Morning, is broadcast throughout the United States by Citadel Media and relayed on television by the Fox Business Network.-Personal life:Imus was born in...
, he also sold a few shirts and hats out of his body shop with a simple mention from Don on his radio show. The store was called the Autobody Express, co-owned by Don and Fred. The Autobody Express was later moved to Santa Fe, New Mexico
Santa Fe, New Mexico
Santa Fe is the capital of the U.S. state of New Mexico. It is the fourth-largest city in the state and is the seat of . Santa Fe had a population of 67,947 in the 2010 census...
. Later, they had a store inside the Mohegan Sun
Mohegan Sun
Mohegan Sun, located in Uncasville, Connecticut, is the second largest casino in the United States with of gaming space. It is located on along the banks of the Thames River. It is at the heart of the scenic foothills of southeastern Connecticut, where 60 percent of the state's tourism is...
Native American Casino in Uncasville, Connecticut
Montville, Connecticut
Montville is a town in New London County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 18,546 at the 2000 census and 19,571 at the 2010 census....
. The company failed in 2003 and both stores closed.
Death
Fred Imus was found dead at his home in Tucson, Arizona, August 6, 2011. He died in his sleep peacefully, according to Matthew Hiltzik, a spokesman for Don Imus.Books
- Don Imus and Fred Imus, Two Guys Four Corners: Great Photographs, Great Times, and a Million Laughs. Villard, 1997. (ISBN 0-679-45307-5).
- Fred Imus and Mike Lupica, The Fred Book. Doubleday, 1998. (ISBN 0-385-47652-3).