MYNORTHWEST NEWS

Legendary radio icon Pat O’Day facing brain surgery

Jun 27, 2012, 7:56 AM | Updated: Jun 28, 2012, 6:06 pm

Northwest radio icon Pat O'Day faces brain surgery on Thursday. (Image courtesy Facebook)

(Image courtesy Facebook)

“Never underestimate Pat O’Day,” is the message from the
Northwest radio legend’s family as he was scheduled to head into brain
surgery on Thursday.

Reports say O’Day’s surgery is now scheduled for Friday.

O’Day’s family feared the worst on Monday when he lost
memory and use of his fingers. He took a ferry from his
San Juan island home to the emergency room in Anacortes.

Doctors discovered a benign tumor was pressing the right
frontal lobe of his brain against the skull.

Medication has already improved 77-year-old O’Day’s
condition, and surgeons believe the tumor is easily
removable.

What hasn’t Pat O’day done in his life? In the 1950’s and
60’s, the man born as Paul Berg ruled Seattle’s radio
airwaves. The KJR afternoon disc jockey once got a 42
share of listeners. Later he ran that station and owned
KYYX.

O’Day promoted popular teen dances at the Spanish Castle
Ballroom, booking acts like the Wailers and Jimi Hendrix.
He tells remarkable behind-the-scenes stories about
concerts with Tony Orlando, Wayne Newton, Jerry Lee Lewis,
and the Beach Boys.

O’Day entertains hundreds-of-thousands of hydroplane fans
with his passionate play-by-play at Seafair. It was my
privilege to share the microphone with him the last three
years he called those thunderboat races on radio.

Nowadays, O’Day owns the John L. Scott Real Estate
franchise on San Juan Island.

He’s also raised thousands of dollars for community
charities and organizations through his annual celebrity
golf tournament.

MyNorthwest News

Image: Brightly colored eggs are set on a table on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington,...

Ted Buehner

Expect good Easter weekend weather for egg hunts, chilly evening Mariners games

Both Saturday and Sunday of Easter weekend will feature temperatures warming to around 60 degrees across much of Western Washington.

7 hours ago

Taylor Swift performs onstage during the Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour at Lumen Field on July 22, 20...

Micki Gamez, KIRO Newsradio and Bill Kaczaraba, MyNorthwest

Seattle tourism dollars break records following All-Star Week, Taylor Swift

It was a record-setting year for dollars flowing into Seattle from tourists.

8 hours ago

Image: A bridge in Carnation....

Julia Dallas

Carnation frustrated with Seattle again after 8th false emergency alarm induces widespread panic

Carnation citizens have faced a series of panic-inducing alarms after SPU's system for the Tolt Dam falsely sounded eight times.

9 hours ago

Grocery store shopper...

Bill Kaczaraba

Ways to deal with Seattle grocery store sticker shock

Seattle grocery store sticker shock continues to play havoc on locals, but there are ways to counter high prices.

10 hours ago

belltown hellcat social media...

Frank Sumrall

Infamous ‘Belltown Hellcat’ social media influencer charged with reckless driving

The social media influencer has been accused of driving 107 miles per hour through Belltown in a Dodge Hellcat.

11 hours ago

KIRO Newsradio gracie awards...

MyNorthwest Staff

KIRO Newsradio anchors receive Gracie Awards for outstanding work

Heather Bosch and Lisa Brooks, anchors at KIRO Newsradio, have been honored by the Alliance for Women in Media with prestigious Gracie Awards.

14 hours ago

Legendary radio icon Pat O’Day facing brain surgery