Jess Cain

{{Short description|American radio personality (1926–2008)}} '''Jess Daniel Dennis Cain II''' (June 17, 1926 – February 14, 2008) was an American radio personality.

== Career == For 34 years, from 1957 to 1991, Cain was the morning drivetime personality on WHDH/850 in Boston.{{Citation needed|date=December 2022}} Cain also was a professional actor and appeared in theater and musical theater productions, and appeared in early television on the Sergeant Bilko - a.k.a. ''The Phil Silvers Show''.{{Citation needed|date=December 2022}} A native of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, he was a graduate of Northeast Catholic High School in Philadelphia and the University of Notre Dame.{{Citation needed|date=December 2022}}

Cain's song about Carl Yastrzemski — which he adapted from an old ragtime tune called "Shoutin' Liza Trombone" — appeared on "The Impossible Dream," a WHDH-produced album commemorating the 1967 Boston Red Sox season and later as part of the soundtrack of the 2005 movie ''Fever Pitch''.{{Citation needed|date=December 2022}}

He was a World War II veteran, serving under Audie Murphy at the Battle of the Bulge and earning the Silver Star.{{Citation needed|date=December 2022}}

In 1970, Cain criticized Johnny Cash's anti-war song "What is Truth?". He called the song "junk" and "Trash".<ref>{{cite news |id={{ProQuest|366928048}} |title=NAMES & FACES IN THE NEWS |work=Boston Globe |date=2 April 1970 |page=2 }}</ref>

Cain died from prostate cancer in his Beacon Hill home at the age of 81.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.boston.com/news/local/breaking_news/2008/02/radio_legend_je.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080726045534/http://www.boston.com/news/local/breaking_news/2008/02/radio_legend_je.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=July 26, 2008 |title=Radio legend Jess Cain is dead at 81 |first=Bryan |last=Marquard |publisher=The Boston Globe |date=2008-02-14}}</ref> He was inducted into the National Radio Hall of Fame in November 2008.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.patriotledger.com/homepage/x2124111009 |title=Radio pioneer Jess Cain gets Hall of Fame honors - Quincy, MA - The Patriot Ledger |access-date=2008-04-17 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080420193544/http://www.patriotledger.com/homepage/x2124111009 |archive-date=2008-04-20 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== * {{YouTube|pwSTLpEVWOE|Instrumental performance of "Shoutin' Liza Trombone"}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cain, Jess}} Category:1926 births Category:2008 deaths Category:American radio DJs Category:United States Army personnel of World War II Category:Culture of Boston Category:Radio personalities from Philadelphia Category:Radio personalities from Boston Category:Recipients of the Silver Star Category:University of Notre Dame alumni Category:20th-century American musicians Category:People from Beacon Hill, Boston Category:United States Army soldiers