Radio Personality Don Imus Passes Away At 79

Renowned radio host Don Imus has passed away Friday morning at the age of 79.

He was taken at the Baylor Scott and White Medical Center in College Station, Texas on Christmas Eve. His family has yet to announce his cause of death but the veteran radio host was diagnosed with stage 2 prostate cancer back in 2009.

Imus is best remembered for his successful daily radio morning show called "Imus in the Morning," which spanned for decades. He made his hosting debut in 1968 and was best known for his controversial opinions. He was considered a close rival to Howard Stern, according to CNN, which is a testament to his body of work. He was also included by TIME in its list of 25 most influential Americans in 2001 and was, eventually, elected to the National Broadcasting Hall of Fame.

However, his reputation took a hit when he made a racist comment about the Rutgers University women's basketball team back in April 2007. Players on the team were offended by his remarks and it resulted in civil right groups to criticize the radio jock. It sparked such a huge backlash that caused his show to be canceled by CBS Radio. He, later, made a public apology.

Imus retired his radio show in 2018 but that did not stop him from voicing his unequivocal opinions off-air, his family said. He is survived by his wife, Deirdre, and six children. The family announced they will host a small and private funeral.