TOLEDO, Ohio — Gary Shores, long-time radio host at WTOD and WKKO-FM “K100” passed away on Sunday evening according to multiple reports on social media.
Shores was part of the popular daytime and morning show “Shores and Steele”. He was also the station's programming director for many years.
He and Harvey Steele teamed up in 1994 and spent nearly 24 years on the air together becoming part of many Toledo area residents lives.
“Everybody says they were just like two guys sitting at the end of the bar having a conversation,” said Gary’s friend and fellow K100 radio personality Cliff Smithers.
“Shores and Steele” was the number-one show in the area for 20 years, even receiving recognition by the Country Music Association.
In addition to their on-air popularity, both Shores and Steele were known for their generosity in the community, never shying away from promoting a worthy cause.
"Every time Gary and Harvey went out to a medical benefit or someone who needed some funeral expenses or something, they’d drop quite a considerable amount of money into the donation jar," said friend and fellow K100 radio personality Craig Snyder. "I had a lot of family members come up to me afterwards saying 'they don’t want you to know but, this is what they gave us' and I’m like 'yeah I know'."
Steele left the airwaves in December 2017 and passed away about a week later from ongoing health problems at the age of 60.
Gary Shores went off the air less than two years later in May of 2019 due to ongoing health issues.
In 2019, Shores announced his departure on Facebook citing a lung disease, Pulmonary Fibrosis as well as kidney cancer.
Tributes to Shores from former friends and co-workers began showing up on social media through the evening on Sunday.
Kara Steele, daughter of Harvey Steele released this statement on the passing of Gary Shores:
I am heartbroken about the loss of a truly good man and radio legend, Gary Shores.
Gary and my dad, Harvey J. Steele, made radio magic on K-100 for more than 20 years. While they were honored to receive a Country Music Association Award in just their second year on air together, their biggest honor was earning the trust of the “greatest listeners in the world” and cramming as much community service into their days as possible. It’s no secret that they used their platform for good.
I cannot say enough about how much Gary’s support has meant to me over the years - especially after my dad died. In a strange way, Gary was like a second father to me, and he always joked that the adoption paperwork was in the mail.
Gar and Harv were more than an on-air duo - they were brothers with a crazy amount of similarities. I hope that tag-team with the self-proclaimed faces for radio are having a reunion of sorts right now.
While I am beyond heartbroken that the Shores & Steele era has officially come to an end, the mark they left on our community will never be forgotten.
Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur, who was a guest on the Shores and Steele show multiple times, also made a statement on Shore's passing on Sunday night:
“Northwest Ohio has lost a true legend tonight with the passing of K-100 radio’s Gary Shores. For decades, Gary got us off to work or through the end of the night shift by lifting us up. He so loved our community.
It was always a joy to see Gary at the station or to catch up with him at community events while he was airing remotely. He was the consummate professional who cherished his role behind the microphone and respected his listeners. Tonight we are grateful to him for giving so much to us.
I hope his family and friends can find comfort knowing he will be reunited with his loving wife Joanie.”
In a statement, the executive director of the Country Radio Broadcasters, RJ Curtis, lauded Shores' dedication to his craft and community:
"Gary was one of those unique radio personalities and programmers who spent decades at the same station in the same market, and it’s something we may not see as much moving forward.
K100 was a leader in the Toledo market, but also on a national level, due to its consistent success, and, importantly, longtime stability at two critical positions in a radio station: The PD, and morning personality. Gary did both at a high level, from the station launch and through many decades of incredible accomplishments.
A a result, Gary and K100 had the respect and esteem of the entire country music industry and yet I never detected any hint of ego or self-importance. On a personal note, when I spent a short time in record promotion with Arista Nashville, Gary was one of the PDs I called on and often visited.
He was always kind, friendly, and accommodating. Whenever we went to lunch, it was obvious how universally well-loved he was in his community - no matter what restaurant we walked into, the staff all knew Gary and treated him like the mayor.
I know he’ll be missed by so many in the community he served; the greater country music community shares this loss and sends condolences to his family and friends."
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