…to the limit, one more time.
Posted by Lassiter in Uncategorized at 12:10 pm | 
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This “blog”, from it’s inception, was intended to have a beginning, a central point, and an ending. The first to elements were relatively easy – the last is incredibly hard.
From the outset, I have thought about how I would bring this to a close. It was intended to chronicle the inevitable – to document it as far as I could, or as far as I cared to. Frankly, it has proven to be more difficult than I once thought it would be - mostly because there has been a wider swing in my emotions than I had expected.
Therefore, I think it best to say the few remaining things yet unsaid, while I still can – before another wave of fear and depression overtakes me/
We, you and I, have always had a peculiar relationship. That is my fault. I am hard to have a relationship with – I can be distant and aloof. But I want you to know in no uncertain terms that I am fully aware that it was you who made my dreams come true. It was your loyalty that made it possible. To say that I am grateful is hopelessly inadequate – but I am.
You must also know how deeply touched I am that you still remember – how touched and honored I am that you held on to tapes of my work. It fills me with pride and true humility. Thank you – it makes life out here in the pasture easier to take.
And you must also know how much it means to me that you went to the time and trouble to look me up – and stop by the “blog” to check in. Just knowing that you never forgot has been more than a comfort.
But all relationships – without exception – run their course, come to a conclusion, and so it must be with ours. The time has come for you to go your way, and for me to go mine. I am faced with both a certainty that cannot be denied, and an uncertainty that consumes me. I choose to make the remainder of the journey in privacy – with just me and the Muffin.
I write these words with tears in my eyes. The tears flow for so many reasons, as I am sure you can understand.. And now I come to the place I knew was coming from the start – the ending. The temptation to draw it out is strong, but the reality is that it’s simply time to go.
I have truly enjoyed our time together - your friendship and loyalty have meant so very much to me – please try to understand…
.
And with that, I will say – be good, and take care…
The 21st 2006f May, 2006 at 12:19 pm
I totally understand, Bob. We all will be thinking of you and will hold on to the hope of hearing from you again somewhere down the road.
Still hoping that things will get better, and when they do-hoping that you’ll let us know.
Thanks again for your insight. Take Care, Dan
The 21st 2006f May, 2006 at 12:43 pm
Thanks for helping me out with the Virgin Islands time-line I asked you about some time ago - I wanted to truely thank you for that. We understand your decision, but will miss you none the less. It is hard to say goodbye. It was hard to way goodbye when you left wplp, when you left wfla for Chicago, when you left wfla in 1999. We will make sure that your work is preserved for all on the aircheck site, and I hope the best for you and Mary.
Take care!
The 21st 2006f May, 2006 at 12:45 pm
No cliche’s… no sappy, long-winded paragraphs. Simply this:
Peace to you and yours, Bob. Thank you.
The 21st 2006f May, 2006 at 12:50 pm
Bob
I have read virtually every day, in the same way I listened everyday. I have been truly blessed in “hearing” your voice again. I respect your decision to spend the time with the one who truly makes life better.
You will always be the talk host I compare all others to. I know you are more than just some guy on the radio, but know, at least in my mind,there is no one better. It is an exceptional thing to be the best at 1 thing. Take pride in that. I take pride that I listend to you faithfully.
You are already missed
Eric Gibson
The 21st 2006f May, 2006 at 12:55 pm
Thanks Robert, For everything. You’re in my thoughts & Well! You’re in my thoughts. Do the mad-dog if you want to be cool & you Sir, Are.
The 21st 2006f May, 2006 at 12:58 pm
Dear Bob,
I have been dreading this day for a long time, but I also knew that it was inevitable, however, sooner than expected. I want you to know that even though I have never had the opportunity to talk with you, you have touched my life in a special way and I will never forget you. I will cherish the tapes and articles I’ve been fortunate enough to acquire and pass them on to others that never had the chance to hear your words. I thank you for sharing everything that you have in this blog. I’ll miss reading your entries everyday, but I understand how this too must eventually had to come to an end. God bless you and Mary. My prayers are with you both.
Keith
The 21st 2006f May, 2006 at 1:00 pm
tears in my eyes too, Bob.
Donna
The 21st 2006f May, 2006 at 1:08 pm
We jousted, you generally slipped and slided and got the best of me but I didn’t care, was always a pleasure to see you pop in from time to time. I took the approach of Bill Parcells who is fond of saying he doesn’t treat everyone the same but he treats everyone fairly. You knew all of that in our dealings. And also know that just about everything you wrote at ET put a smile on my face.
The 21st 2006f May, 2006 at 1:14 pm
Dear Bob - we first “met” shortly after I moved to Florida when you were on WFLA. I listened to you every night when I did my aerobic walking around the block for 45 minutes. It was exciting to listen to you and how you got the “old farts” stirred up. Of course, no matter how much they complained, they somehow managed to keep tuning in each night. Like you said many times….you are an entertainer. But you sure got people thinking. I missed you when you left the area, but I will remember you always. You’re not leaving us, you’re simply taking a different road. See you there. Love Betty and Bill (old grandparents in Florida)
The 21st 2006f May, 2006 at 1:30 pm
I said it before, Bob, and I promise you, I mean it. You are my hero. I’m indebted to you for the entertainment, for making me think, for making me laugh. You’re someone I want to be like.
Thank you for everything. I will think about you every day and hope for only the best for you and the Muffin. Enjoy each other’s company. And, as you would say, be good.
Mike
The 21st 2006f May, 2006 at 1:43 pm
Bob,
I was one of the lucky people who got to fill in for you at WPLP when you got married to Mary. The expeience has forever linked you to my being and for that I thank you so very much.
Thank you for all your years of entertainment and thank you again so very much for sharing with us on this blog.
You Mr Lassiter. You are the Radio God (sorry Neil)
The 21st 2006f May, 2006 at 2:05 pm
Thank you.
Thank you for everything you have been willing to share, both on the radio and on this blog. Although quite painful, I have looked forward to reading it every day. You do not comprehend what you have meant to so many of us.
Thank you and the very best to you.
The 21st 2006f May, 2006 at 2:08 pm
I could tell this was coming, though I hoped it wouldn’t. Good luck through your personal and physical endeavors, and whatever you choose, I hope it goes smoothly. I do hope we get to hear from you again, but if we don’t I’ll understand that too. You have brightened my life and wish I could somehow do the same for you. Good-bye Bob, you shall be missed.
Mark
The 21st 2006f May, 2006 at 2:08 pm
There is no way to say good bye to you. As a faithful listener to your radio show I respect you know when it is time to end. I have enjoyed reading your daily thoughts on your bloglassiter.
There is only ONE Mad Dog on the radio and you are him.
Barbara Warner
The 21st 2006f May, 2006 at 2:20 pm
Dear Bob,
I’m very sad to see you go, but knew it was coming. You have been part of my life for over 20 years, and I was one of those kids in H.S. who used to tell my friends, I listen to talk radio. Most were not familiar with you, but now you know, there were some of us. I got to listen to the best, and so many pale in comparison to your talent. I listen to Imus now, but you made it much more personal, as you have here. I do wish we had more dialogue with you, but even I am responsible for acting foolish on here, a time or two, and who wants to deal with that. I’m going to end it here with you again by saying, “Love ya Bob”,,,,Gary
The 21st 2006f May, 2006 at 2:27 pm
Bob,
I always enjoyed your show on WLS…. hated to see you leave.
Enjoyed hearing you again after so many years. Thanks for the
chance to catch up.
Tears in my eyes too. You are in our thoughts here. Please
take care… I hope you condition improves.
Good Luck to you and the muffin!
Cheers,
Rich
The 21st 2006f May, 2006 at 2:28 pm
You have said many times that you are not the mad dog anymore, that you are not the man that people remember. Not that long ago, I saw Evel Knievel on T.V. There he was, the hero of my youth. Frail and on oxygen, his arthritic hands that once gripped the handle bars of his Harley Davidson, now grip a rolling walker. But throught all of it, the man remains my hero. He has my utmost respects and will ALWAYS be Evel Knievel. Bob, you are the hero of my late teens and twenties. Perhaps the greatest period in my life. The old shows? They take me right back to those days. You will always be a major part of my life, in ways I can’t ever explain. And yes…..you will ALWAYS be the Mad Dog, no matter what.
dog.
The 21st 2006f May, 2006 at 2:42 pm
Bob,
You helped me question my own worldview enough to be inspired to put together that audio montage you played to open the Saturday Night Specials in Chicago. I am certain that my experience isn’t unique. You’ve touched so many.
Your ripples will last forever.
“Just say frog,” Bob.
-Ronnie
The 21st 2006f May, 2006 at 2:44 pm
With great sadness I say goodbye. I said it once and I found you again. You turned me on to talk radio, you made me understand how important it is to vote and taught me who I should vote for. You will go on forever because I don’t think you comprehend what a difference you made in this world. Actually you turned me into a political junkie and I was much happier when I was uninformed but nonetheless I forgive you for that. Give my regards to the Muffin and
Hugs while you trudge.
The 21st 2006f May, 2006 at 2:44 pm
Bob,
Thank you for coming back –even if it was only for a while– to share a little bit of yourself with us.
You are perhaps the best story-teller I’ve ever had the pleasure of listening to… the mere fact that you could make a devout athiest sit and listen with rapt attention to your Christmas story every December is simply phenomenal.
All these years later, hardly a Christmas goes by that I don’t have at least a fleeting recollection of you and your gift to your mom.
It’s my hope of course, that you are fast-tracked and find the medical miracle you need. I’m enough of a realist to realize that might even be more than you are allowing yourself to hope for.
So with that, I’ll only offer a heavy-hearted good-bye… and a thank-you for the fond memories.
Jonathan Sabin
The 21st 2006f May, 2006 at 2:48 pm
Bob, I WILL never forget you . You are family in a strange way. I am glad to have found you for a short time but know you will always be in my thoughts and my heart. God Bless You and Muffie. I’ll always have my memory of you in your renaissance tights to lighten my sadness. Thanks for the great years of radio. Love Ya Laurel
The 21st 2006f May, 2006 at 2:58 pm
Bob,
I wasn’t in the correct areas to listen to your radio shows. However, I have truly enjoyed reading your blog each day, thanks.
I hope your new journey goes well for you and Mary.
Steve
The 21st 2006f May, 2006 at 3:02 pm
Thank you for all the years, Bob. For the thoughts and feelings you shared, for the laughter you envoked. For the way you made us all challenge what we’ve been told and taught, for the way you made us think, and for making it look easier for you to do than lighting a cigarette. Even still, with every word you say and every emotion and thought expressed, I still hear that deep, bass-ridden voice of yours that once rattled my speakers (and sometimes everything else in the room) if I had my amp turned up too high. It has never failed, even through reading your last post, and your unfortunately final farewell. I think all of us find some semblance of comfort in knowing that your tapes will always be floating around out there somewhere, for us to listen to and think about at a moment’s notice. There is nothing that can fill the void you left us with when you left FLA for the second and final time, a void that has only grown larger ever since; but now that you are leaving us forever and permanently severing all communication lines between yourself and your audience, I am left at a loss for words. Thank you for all that you’ve ever done. Thank you for all the memories. We love you
The 21st 2006f May, 2006 at 3:10 pm
Beyond saying “thank you”, words utterly fail me.
Farewell Sir. You will always be The Magnificent Lassiter to me.
Typing thru tears…..
frog
The 21st 2006f May, 2006 at 3:11 pm
I started listening to you on WPLP on a clock radio when I was in middle school and followed you, off and on, for the next decade or so. I never called in, but I just wanted to take the time now to tell you how much of an unknowing influence you were in my life. When I was younger I used to disagree with most everything you said; now that I’m past 30 I’ve gradually come round to realize you were right all along….. Every time I hear “Take it to the Limit,” no matter where I am, I always think of you fondly and I’m sure I always will. Thanks for everything, Bob. Be good.
The 21st 2006f May, 2006 at 3:18 pm
Bob,
You are quite correct when you describe this as a peculiar relationship. I’ve always had respect for you, and I wouldn’t want you to change for the world. This is very personal for you, and in my own way, it’s personal for me too. I want to thank you for doing this blog. I’ve always considered it not a cathartic exercise, but rather a gift to all of “us” out here. Given your nature, your efforts to stay connected are very appreciated. Thank you.
We’ve “known each other” for quite a few years now. I wish I had known you in person. Not as ‘a radio guy’, just you. Your individualism has been of great influence to me, and I mean that. It is both gift and curse, but through all time, it is those with that gift that make this world such an interesting place. I only wish it had lasted longer, and for that I am truly sorry. I will miss the blog, but I realize that you have to do what you have to do. The optimist in me wants to think that this isn’t goodbye, but I’m a big boy so… goodbye old friend.
-Jonathan Milam
The 21st 2006f May, 2006 at 3:30 pm
Bob,I will always remember the christmas story that was a yearly ritual for you to talk about on wfla.Every year even though I had heard it numerous times my tears would not stop.You are truly one of the best story tellers that I’ve ever heard.I was very unhappy to see you leave the air in Tampa.Always looked forward to the drive home with Lassiter.Hope everything does a 180 for you.Ito am fighting the worst enemy that I’ve encountered on my life at fifty one,I feel like ninety but thats another story.Never met you but all my love Doug
The 21st 2006f May, 2006 at 3:36 pm
The “fat kid” from Collinngswood, NJ didn’t do good. He did GREAT. Thank you, Bob. You will be a legend for all time. Thank you.
The 21st 2006f May, 2006 at 3:39 pm
Ironic that I listened to your last radio show, just yesterday. And today I read your last blog entry… Lassiter, I respect everything you’ve done with this blog, and I respect your decision to face the future in privacy. You’ll always be the “Mad Dog” to so many of us - I really hope we hear from you again, but if not, I wish you and the wonderful Muffy (She sounds like an absolutely incredible woman) the best of everything! Just remember, the river card has yet to be dealt. I’m hoping for a miracle suckout.
Royal Flushes, Friend,
Decker
The 21st 2006f May, 2006 at 3:39 pm
Bob,
You gave us all a great gift…we had to think to understand you. This made every listener and every reader of your blog, a better person. You taught us how to learn to be better citizens of our city, our state, our country, and our world.
Though we have never met, thank you for being a terrific teacher and friend.
Richard
The 21st 2006f May, 2006 at 3:42 pm
Bob, thank you for all the great times on the radio…..the Christmas story was just a small part of the meaningful content you provided to this listener. I pray that you do what, in your judgement is best for your life…..ie keep fighting…….or just let nature takes its course. Whatever you decide to do I also hope that the love of your life…..the Muffin can rest comfortably with it……..GODSPEED BOB!!………hopefully I will awaken tomorrow and know that this has been one of my bad dreams……and it isn’t really real…….sincerely……Daryl in Sarasota Fla……who fought like hell to listen to your voice in the “worst” static situations imaginable……but, it was worth it……..every word you spoke!!
The 21st 2006f May, 2006 at 4:02 pm
Bob,
So sorry your ending the blog. I really hope it was not in part due to all the losers making demands on you to start another radio show, do a webcast or worse yet have some stupid party where they can all come and gawk at you. As you stated many times, your blog was started for personal, selfish reasons. Some people just didnt seem to get that. They still selfishly want a piece of you, no matter how ill or frail you have become. Good Luck and stay strong.
The 21st 2006f May, 2006 at 4:05 pm
Bob,
I have said how much you mean to me in previous posts. About how you were my substitute father and role model growing up. About how I only met you a few times but feel like I know you deeply, or at least a part of you. About how I check in with your blog almost daily. About how much I learned from you over the years and how your Christmas show has and will continue to be a Christmas tradition every year in my home.
I am crying now too Bob, just as I did when you wrote your blog post to your “children” awhile back. I will always treasure my time with you. I will always tell stories about the “Magnificent Lassiter”. I might even steal an arguement or two of yours from your old shows when I need to really prove my point.
Just so you know, when you asked us to tell the people we love how much we love them I did so with my wife. It really meant a lot to her.
Finally, if you ever post another blog message again that is fine with me. If you ever want to come back and do it again I would love that too. I trust you will get everything you need from your wonderful wife, but if you ever want to talk to someone or need anything you can email me at jonathoh@usc.edu
Bob I will always love you and what you gave to me. Seek some fun when you can, and be good. You will be in my thoughts and I wish you and Muffy much happiness.
Goodbye
The 21st 2006f May, 2006 at 4:41 pm
Talk radio was once great in Tampa, blessed I might even say….but no more. I’m an avid TV watcher, but when you were on I listened to you instead. When I travelled on the bus I would bring my walkman and you became my travelling companion wherever I went. I once called you on when you were on WSUN and you hung up on me, which I probably deserved, but it was an honor to talk with you nevertheless. I recorded hundreds of your shows and will miss you greatly.
Joel
The 21st 2006f May, 2006 at 4:42 pm
It’s not the least bit easy to write this. Your elevation of sarcasm to an art form leads me to make assurances that my message is totally devoid of same.
It was most amusing to listen to you effortlessly emasculate the callers that called who seemed to have only a aim of besting you in debate. Of course, you weren’t always right but you always won.
Here’s wishing you as much comfort as possible, and more than that,
PEACE. I will continue, for a while checking for the blog before I check my E-mail until I give up or get results.
Sadley, Ernie
The 21st 2006f May, 2006 at 5:06 pm
Thank you for thinking about us and leaving us these words. I’m one of the “kids” who grew up listening to you. I missed hearing you when you left radio … and I want you to kow that you’re leaving behind something real in all of us who have grown to love you over the years and we’ll miss you here as well. You are one of those who truly will not be forgotten.
Thank you, thank you, thank you.
I wish you peace.
- Denise
The 21st 2006f May, 2006 at 5:08 pm
The wheel is turning and you can’t slow down,
G C
You can’t let go and you can’t hold on,
G C
You can’t go back and you can’t stand still,
F Bb C
If the thunder don’t get you then the lightning will.
F Bb C
Won’t you try just a little bit harder,
F Bb C
Couldn’t you try just a little bit more?
F Bb C
Won’t you try just a little bit harder,
F Bb C
Couldn’t you try just a little bit more?
G C
Round, round robin run around,
G D
Got to get back to where you belong,
G
Little bit harder, just a little bit more,
D G
Little bit further than you gone before.
The wheel is turning and you can’t slow down,
You can’t let go and you can’t hold on,
You can’t go back and you can’t stand still,
If the thunder don’t get you then the lightning will.
F Bb Bb F Bb Bb F Bb Bb C
C F
Small wheel turn by the fire and rod,
C F
Big wheel turnin’ by the grace of God,
C F
Every time that wheel turn ’round,
C F
Bound to cover just a little more ground.
C
Bound to cover just a little more ground.
C F
The wheel is turning and you can’t slow down,
C F
You can’t let go and you can’t hold on,
C F
You can’t go back and you can’t stand still,
F Bb C
If the thunder don’t get you then the lightning will.
Won’t you try just a little bit harder,
Couldn’t you try just a little bit more?
Won’t you try just a little bit harder,
Couldn’t you try just a little bit more?
The 21st 2006f May, 2006 at 5:13 pm
i just wanted to say thanks for your blog on trading.(cheese)you sure busted some chops.i never had the opportunity to listen to you on radio,but from the comments posted i can definately say,i feel the same.
may you and the muffin ride off into the sunset knowing that their are many listeners/traders rooting for you.
may the allmighty shower his blessings onto you and the muffin.
The 21st 2006f May, 2006 at 5:21 pm
Goodbye Bob.
I love you. I’ll miss you. You’ve given me so much that I wish I could give in return.
Never forget what you meant to so many of us. We never will.
Goodbye…
frog
The 21st 2006f May, 2006 at 5:27 pm
Robert, The way I learned of you blog was a caller was talking to Big Dog on 610 and was talking about you. It really was good to hear you again after all these yrs. One show you did I will alsway remember was when what,s his name had the accident and you had to stay over. You felt awfull bad later. Bob enjoy the rest with Muff and was great to hear you again.
The 21st 2006f May, 2006 at 5:35 pm
Bob,
First of all, my friend Mellie loved you when you were on FLA. This will be closed by the time she knew it was opened. So because she won’t get a chance to say how much you meant to you, I’ll do it for her. She’s a great woman and the fact that you’re beloved by her speaks well of you.
Your journey, and your willingness to share it, has been a true gift. Normally, I ask peoples’ permission before I pray for them. I can’t do that with you, so I am praying that you find or keep peace.
You and I would agree on almost nothing. You would probably find me unworthy of respect or attention. But you’ve made me think. I haven’t changed my stances on everything, but I’ve thought.
Thanks for that. And peace to you and yours.
The 21st 2006f May, 2006 at 5:41 pm
Bob…so much we have to say in so little space and time…which is the way life is. Like so many, I just wanted to say thank you for the years of entertainment that you extracted from callers for those of us that never called…the ones who “got it” While I only knew your work from WSUN on, I tried to make a point of having the radio on to listen to that voice and enjoy the fun….from this funseeker, many thanks and hopes of peace for you and your Muffy for the rest of the trip.
Dave White
The 21st 2006f May, 2006 at 5:47 pm
s’ok?….s”ok…will have to be for all of us. I will miss you; thank you for the memories.
p.s. Now as to that Kidney … talk to your primary NOW about getting on a diet with asodophillis (sp) and brewers yeast…you will need to gear up to defend yourself against yeast infections which will normally come with the antibiotics that go with just about everything they do or will do. We want the operation AND the outcome to be a success if you do choose the kidney - hope they get one to you fast if you do. Meanwhile, you should be on that defense diet even before this so talk it over with the docs –it’s important and sometimes they don’t tell you the obvious stuff; a fungal infection can kill you as well as anything especially after an organ transplant.
Well, now I hope you wean us off this relationship instead of doing it too quickly. We will want to run in and check now and then. However, that said and hoped for, do what you are most comfortable with; but remember nothing wrong with making changes as you go. Mostly I think and probably: we will all cheat and come in and check on you anyway. I’m kind of proud of you for letting us in and also proud for us for sharing in this era of your life. May sound kind of weird but I guess a lot of us will be thinking of you if and when we get mecially critical. Personally I plan to live forever; so far so good.
p.s. I was in the hospital a few weeks ago - IV etc - and some doc murmured about my “losing a foot”…..poop, I’m home and I brought my foot with me.
XXOO
Love, Maggie
The 21st 2006f May, 2006 at 6:10 pm
You have given us so much over the years.
You made my life easier to deal with through some tough times.
And you can’t buy that! No…..not even on Ebay.
Words fall pitifully short of the mark right now.
Thank You is not enough, but it is from the heart.
Be Good
Bruce
The 21st 2006f May, 2006 at 6:26 pm
Bob, I listened to you in Florida, from 1994 to 1997. I could write so much, but I will keep it simple. You helped me to think and challenge others, but mostly challenge myself. You made me laugh out loud. You reminded me about the childhood magic of Christmas, and how one shouldn’t grow out of it. I have a few of your Christmas shows on CD. I will give a few out as gifts to close friends and family this Christmas.
Four words Bob….Radio Hall Of Fame.
Thank You.
The 21st 2006f May, 2006 at 6:42 pm
Goodbye Bob. May the last part of the journey be as painless as possible. But for the grace of God, and a few more years, there go I. Have no regrets, for you have done more, touched more lives, and affected more thoughts than most men could do with ten lifetimes.
Farewell, Mr Quaduffski.
The 21st 2006f May, 2006 at 7:04 pm
Bob, You filled many hours of my life with entertainment, thought, anger, joy, laughter, and sadness. With a heartfelt goodbye I say thank you for all you have given to us, your listeners, I only wish we could have shared as much with you.
May your journey be as easy and painless as possible.
Scottie
The 21st 2006f May, 2006 at 7:16 pm
Bob,
I’m a very recent arrival to your work and it’s so strange because I felt like I’ve known you for a long, long time. I don’t really know what to say, except that I will attempt to put what I think you were trying to tell all of us through your words into action in my life. I will strive for intellectual honesty…
The 21st 2006f May, 2006 at 7:18 pm
Bob,
I’m just yet another anonymous (to you, anyway) voice in the crowd that says, “Thanks for what you gave me” and to wish you and the Muffin all the peace and comfort possible in the time ahead. Yet one more anonymous voice also saying “thanks” for the chance to express all this to you. When your time comes, you will live on in many of us, just as we will live on in the lives of those WE touched when our times come. I’m honored to have been part of the ride for you, and to take you with me into my future and the future of those who, tho they never heard of you, will also be touched by you….
The 21st 2006f May, 2006 at 7:39 pm
Thanks for the memories Bob Lassiter. Radio just is not the same without you. I have not heard your distinct voice in many years, yet when I read this blog of yours, I read it “in your voice”. That my friend, is amazing to me. Your written words now, are as compelling (if not more so) to me as your spoked words were so many years ago when so many of us reading this now would listen to you. I wish you & the Muffin God Speed.
Although I already know your answer, almost instinctively, I would still ask that you have the Muffin keep this place alive, and chime in on her own from time to time.
Don’t hate me for this, but God rest your soul. Fear not my freind. he loves you unconditionally.
The 21st 2006f May, 2006 at 7:40 pm
Bob, even though I only briefly saw you in person at those WFLA or WSUN appearances that you were sooo fond of doing I feel like we were freinds. You told us before that one of your greatest gifts was to be able to share your private life with us. There will never be another Lassiter. I was just happy to stumble onto your blog and boblassiterairchecks; and happy that I had the final show to share with you. You are and will always be talk radio in Tampa Bay. Good bye, my freind; or as one of your callers once put it: “that’s it? we’re done; well, have a good night then.”
The 21st 2006f May, 2006 at 7:48 pm
Godspeed my friend…………..
The 21st 2006f May, 2006 at 7:59 pm
Ignore death up to the last moment; then, when it can’t be ignored any longer, have yourself squirted full of morphia and shuffle off in a coma. Thoroughly sensible, humane and scientific, eh?
Aldous Huxley (1894-1963), British author. Bruno Rontini, in Time Must Have a Stop, ch. 26 (1944). In his 1936 novel Eyeless in Gaza, ch. 31, Huxley wrote, “Death . . . the only thing we haven’t succeeded in completely vulgarizing.”.
The 21st 2006f May, 2006 at 8:37 pm
Mr. Lassiter,
Your last days may or may not be as near as you think they are…
only our creator knows the answer to that. But know this - even after you are gone, your voice…. the voice of reasoning… will live on in our hearts and minds for many years to come.
No one can take that from us or deny us the momories of laughter, common sense and brut honesty that you have provided to countless thousands over the years.
They say that the two true meaning of life are to find true love and true happiness….You have found both… and for that you should be very proud.
You have no doubt left your mark on society….a mark that will live on for generations. What else can one ask for? You’ve truly done it all !!
Godspeed Bob, Godspeed.
Nick- Bristol, CT
The 21st 2006f May, 2006 at 8:41 pm
I wish I could say I am a long-time listener, but, unfortunately I only discovered you when your career was near its end. I’m 31 years old, so I was in middle school and high school during your glory years. I never took much notice of talk radio in those years. This is typical for me… whenever I discover something I like, it is already near or past its end.
Much like you, particularly in the last few years, I tend to yearn to live in the past. In the late 90’s I spent a lot of time with my maternal grandfather. He was the last surviving grandparent I had at that point, and was the one I had most been able to relate to. I had an appreciation for old stuff… old values… just like he did. His mind wasn’t what it once had been, but remained fairly with it to the end. Anyway, the time I spent with him was in large part grasping at the past… visiting him as a child, going to long-gone restaurants and feeding the ducks at local ponds with him and my late step-grandmother, listening to old music, watching Laurel & Hardy movies on that new-fangled VCR, running the model trains (after my natural grandmother died, before I was born, he occupied himself with model trains, filling the front bedroom with a wonderful double-decked train layout).
In 1999, my grandfather passed away. I wound up purchasing his home… the home in which I had visited him for so many years… the home in which my mother grew up. In more ways than one it was a dream come true… From a practical standpoint I had been admiring the home when I visited during his final years as a very suitable home for me, a single person… small and relatively easy to manage. However, I must admit, as is obvious by now, purchasing the home was one last, large grasp at holding onto the past… buying the old family homestead. While I’ve made a few improvements it remains very much as my grandfather left it.
When I purchased the home, I was living in an apartment. On my days off I was in the house making the few improvements I felt necessary to make it livable… painting the walls, having the old rotten carpet replaced. While working on the paint job, I turned on one of my grandpa’s radios he left behind, twisted the knob and landed on 970 kHz. I heard this magnificent booming voice. I immediatly appreciated the quality of the voice, but soon found myself feeling a connection with the message behind the voice. Here was another person who at this point was, while still spirited, rather tired and pining for the the past. I particularly remember a description of shopping in a retail store in some time long past (likely a store in Collingswood, NJ or vicinity) and comparing it to the modern shopping experience…. exemplifying the current lack of common courtesy in day-to-day life.
It was, of course, the Magnificent Lassiter, a name I’d heard but never knew. I anxiously tuned in whenever I could from that point on. I never got to hear the fabled Christmas Story firsthand, though I did hear a last “Halloween” story. Unfortunately a terribly short time after that discovery I tuned into a show where the hypothetical question was asked, “If this was the very last time you ever spoke to me, what would you say?” I listened to that program with a sense of dread, as many others did, thinking it maybe was the very last show. It was a great relief to tune in the next day and hear the familiar voice give the time of day and then say, “yeah, it’s me”. At first I hoped the previous day’s subject matter was just another of your strategic ploys to bring out a reaction in your listeners, but then I heard the genuine anger in your voice as you described what was happening (or not happening). I heard you state what you expected to be the timeframe of your tenure, and hoped to at least hear an entertaining diary of this melodrama over the next several weeks, and have an advance warning of when I would hear the last of the Magnificent Lassiter, savoring every moment that was left. Imagine my (and many, many others) dismay when the very next day we heard the voice of Mark Larsen, performing promised fill-in duty much sooner than anticipated, reading the text of the announcement of your dismissal, right down to the font used on the missive (MS-ComicSans - HaHa!). Then tuning in the next day to see if it was really just a big joke… only to hear Harris asking Jeffy what the heck was that ZZ Top song he chose for the bumper and bumbling with the dump button.
After this I hunted the web for anything I could get regarding Lassiter, past or present. I looked for airchecks, to catch up on what I had missed. I once found a couple very brief clips from WLS, somehow failed to save them, and was unable to find them again later. I watched the Radio-Info board (and its substitutes during downtime) for any sign of your return to the airwaves, wherever it may be. I saw a very brief note you left in a thread about you saying that, yeah, sometimes you missed us too. Later I saw another painfully brief message, where you stated that, due to complications of diabetes, your return was an impossibility.
Finally, a little over a year ago, Mike Serio posted the belated notice of David Fowler’s death (a clearly engaging personality I never had the privilage of listening to). Then, with your permission, he posted your reply. It was a very eloquent reply… classic Lassiter… and I saved it, thinking it perhaps represented the very last words of Lassiter I would ever witness. I was elated to see a few days later Mike Serio “throwing the switch” on bloglassiter.blogspot.com. Since then, I’ve followed through the several abortions and reincarnations of this blog (and also discovered and enjoyed reading “Tampa’s” trading diary on EliteTrader which was particularly entertaining knowing something of the personality behind it… you even gave the traders a brief version of the Christmas Story!)
Then came boblassiterairchecks.com. In the years between your departure from the airwaves to the creation of this blog, I had searched the web in the hopes of finding whatever archives I could find to catch up on a bit of what I had missed in the long career of the great radio host I discovered so late. Here was another dream-come-true for me! The fact that so much of your legacy has been preserved and that a website has been created to showcase it should be a great source of pride to you… what you did really mattered… a lot… to a lot of people.
Anyway, while I wish the subject matter had been more to your advantage, I really appreciate your sharing with us over the past year. I’m really glad to have had the opportunity to hear a year’s worth of commentary from a fellow recluse and past-dweller… someone I thought I might not hear from again. It’s like a 1-year bonus! You remain a hero to many, including me.
I write this heartfelt note from the front bedroom of my grandfather’s home… the “train room”. I sincerely hope this isn’t the end, but to everything there comes an end, and if this is it, then, thank you so much for sharing, and the very best of wishes.
–John
The 21st 2006f May, 2006 at 8:41 pm
Bob…..
What can be added to what so many others have already said ???
I will continue to pray for you…(Wether you like or not, it is my way of dealing with your declining health.)
Thank you for the good times and bad…Thank you for making me pay more attention to my own health issues, especially my diabetes…
May PEACE be yours,whatever you find it to be…
And strength for both you and Mary for whatever the future brings…
Walt - Bradenton
The 21st 2006f May, 2006 at 8:42 pm
Bob, thank you. I never even lived in a market you worked in, but thanks to friends with tape recorders, I had the unequalled pleasure of hearing many, many shows. Wish things weren’t so unpleasant for you. Only good things….
The 21st 2006f May, 2006 at 8:52 pm
I am appreciative of your making me think - think hard and differently - and causing me to analyze issues and assumptions.
May your days be all that you wish them to be.
The 21st 2006f May, 2006 at 9:12 pm
Time it was and what a time it was it was.
A time of innocence
A time of confidences.
Long ago it must be, I have a photograph.
Preserve your memories,
They’re all thats left you.
…..Be Good
The 21st 2006f May, 2006 at 9:52 pm
It’s been a pleasure Mr. Lassiter. I listened to you every night when you were on WLS. Don and Roma, Stacy Taylor, Rush, then you. What a line up! I always looked forward to hearing your theme song; Da DumDaDum, Dada Da
DumDaDum… I wish I knew who the artist was who did that song as I will always associate it with you. Farewell fun seeker…
The 21st 2006f May, 2006 at 10:08 pm
Bob,
You made a difference. Your work really mattered. You are an artist.
Your work is alive and well and will be for a very long time.
Who would have thought young, political actors would be listening to your monologues in NYC in 2006?
What a privilege to know you may read these words. Peace be with you and with those you love.
- Jason Bennett
(one of the kids)
The 21st 2006f May, 2006 at 10:25 pm
Bob:
Fornortners everywhere will never be the same.
Best of luck to you and Mary.
Peace be with you.
Thank you for sharing everything you truly “shared”, both then and now.
Warm Regards and best wishes,
Harris
The 21st 2006f May, 2006 at 10:27 pm
what can i say but as the eagles once sang, “i wish you peace”. i discovered you in the mid 80’s and followed you thru the different years and changes. i want to thank you for turning me on to Neil Rogers. you guys were like a 1-2 punch on baseball team.
i finally got the hell out of tampa 77 days ago after 30 years. being 48 years old i spent my entire adult life there and watched that place change for the worse not the better. i relocated to tybee island ga just outside of savannah and love the remote and quiet lifestyle. i looked forward to reading your blog everyday and listening to the airchecks. i have several tapes i made of you which i have not yet submitted.
i really just want to wish you and mary peace, respect and it would be wonderful if somehow someway things could turn around for you.
do indeed take care and be good
bill
The 21st 2006f May, 2006 at 10:30 pm
p.s.2 Muff, thank you.
The 21st 2006f May, 2006 at 10:38 pm
Bob,
Another one of your kids checking in. I had only heard talk radio when I was in some old farts car as a kid. Then at the age of 19 the first space shuttle went down. Thirsting for news i found WPLP that morning. I was able to listen all day at work and then into the evening. I was hooked. I give you guys all the credit for my losing touch with new music. I am stuck with pre 1986 music memories because all I have listened to since was talk radio.
Well, I have been reading you entries for months now and I realized that I read this the same way I listened all those years,anonomously. I want you to now that you always felt like a friend i could count on. You were always there when I tuned you in. When the time slots would get shuffled it would take wekks for me to adjust. At least you made my pizza delivery job bearable when you had evenings.
Damnit, I am almost 40 now and all gorwn up, married 15 years to a great women, have a five year old son,and a business. You have made an indelable mark on me, and the way i think. Thank You. So 20 years later I am a first time, long time. For the last 30 seconds of this entry…………
OPEN PHONES, NO CALL SCREENING
Bob, We all love you and will miss you greatly.
Take care, Steve
The 21st 2006f May, 2006 at 10:57 pm
Thanks for all the great radio Bob. You are one of a kind. I won’t forget you.
The 21st 2006f May, 2006 at 11:17 pm
Many thanks for sharing your time and thoughts with all of us … and I’m hoping you’ll hear some good news soon re: kidney store. Sending hugs to you through cyberspace XOXOXOX … always your fan (from the Windy City) - Marcia
P.S. Sorry for sniping @ Cedric last time, I didn’t grasp his humor (my bad!)
The 22nd 2006f May, 2006 at 1:02 am
Bob
I only found this about six weeks ago. I went back to the beginning and I have been very impressed with what you have shared, the courage nad strength you have shown amazes me. I have read faithfully since I found you. Fully understand you not wanting any comments. I just wish I could have been able to enjoy your radio programs live. That is my loss, I will truly miss your blog and I really understand your need to not continue but a big THANKS from me for your sharing.
Santa Claus
The 22nd 2006f May, 2006 at 3:38 am
Bob, thanks for prying open my mind with a wisdom well beyond what i could have achieved on my own. Thanks for making me laugh and cry and examine my own BS. I love you as the best friend i never met. You have inspired me to question everything and to try to live by the answers i have found. I was so happy when i found this blog a few days ago. I am even happier now that you may know how much you have taught me about life, love and human nature. Thanks for the christmas shows, the rants and the chili recipe. Above all thanks for being you!
The 22nd 2006f May, 2006 at 4:13 am
Damn it Bobby,
You are my friend, I enjoy listening to you. Your blog is a part of my daily routine, I won’t stop, I don’t want to… We’re not supposed to say goodbye, it’s too much like an ending. The hero has the girl, he’s supposed to live happily ever after. That’s why we check in daily, we want to hear how the interviews go. All of your friends have their fingers crossed. We want you to have your health, to be happy. Some of us have enough follow through to not only offer you a part of our body but love you enough to do it. I respect you and your decisions, that doesn’t mean I have to like it. Please let us know how things are going, you don’t have to entertain us, just let us know, we care. This blog is not about us, it’s about you, something for you to vent. You’ve spent years entertaining all of us. You retired years ago from the entertainment business. You don’t have to do that anymore. You started this blog for you, not me. Don’t lose sight of that. Keep a daily blog, at least for Mary, I know you don’t and would never want her to hurt, your friendship and love is what she’ll always cherish. Do it, Print it, let her have it forever, you don’t have to share it with us.
Thanks for everything,
Paul Flagg
The 22nd 2006f May, 2006 at 4:37 am
Tears now, too. I will miss you as I have for the pas t20 years. But I am happy that you were able to speak to me for awhile at least. God speed for you and Mary - you will be greatly missed by many, many, many. xoxoxoxo Jean
The 22nd 2006f May, 2006 at 5:56 am
Well this is a hell of a way to start my vacation…..but I understand. I didn’t start listening until the SUN days and have been listening to the airchecks to catch up. A rhetorial question if you please….how the hell did Lionel get a local show let alone a national show?!?! he’s horrible!!!
I won’t say goodbye Mr. Lassiter, but I will say frog.
p.s. I want all my damn balls and frisbess back that went into your yard!!!!
The 22nd 2006f May, 2006 at 6:00 am
Bob,
The 22nd 2006f May, 2006 at 6:06 am
Bob,
I started listeneing to you when you and neal rodgers turned wynf into a talk show simulcast in Miami. From that moment on I was hooked. I heard every christmas show since then and your way with words were untouchable. Yuo knew how to get the point across and put people in there place. I feel most sorry for Mary, she knew like none of us did and this will be hardest for her. I wish there was a way to get all your shows on a dvd. They would sell out, at least in Tampa. God rest you old friend, and if you find it in you, come back and visit even one more time. I may not have been your personal friend, but through our radio conversations, I feel we were. I don’t think there ever can be a replacement, there was just you, the mad dog, the magcificent, The Lassiter. God Bless you and Mary.
The 22nd 2006f May, 2006 at 7:31 am
Hello!
This message is from one of your children.
You were the first radio talk guy I listened to, and to this day I still say of others I hear, “He’s ok, but he’s not Bob.” My husband and I are from the Tampa area, born and raised, and now live in Tallahassee. He thinks I’m a bit off, and I probably am, but I still remember the sound of your voice. A radio guy … or rather a radio personality. Someone I don’t really know, and yet carry with me in many ways. That you have to go now saddens me, because reading your words was a way of having you in my life again. However, I understand because my mother is going through something similar to you right now … and I understand priorities and simply living life more than I ever have.
I wish you and your wife the best … whatever that may be in this uncertain world. And I want you to know that one of your children has you in her thoughts often. And if it is odd that I think of someone I’ve never met, so be it. You made an impression on my life that is dear to me and long lasting.
Love to you,
Melanie Wink
PS … you have a 2 year old grandson now!
The 22nd 2006f May, 2006 at 7:50 am
Bob
It is sad and hard to say goodbye. I hope that you have an easy time as the end draws near. I will miss you more than you can ever know.
Jim Culpepper
The 22nd 2006f May, 2006 at 8:06 am
. . . mr. lassiter, . . your sadness is met with our sorrow, . . stephen
The 22nd 2006f May, 2006 at 8:09 am
In these 20+ years we have only spoken twice, but I have never stopped listening. 6 years ago my doctors told me that htere was nothing they could do for me, that I was going to die soon. Oh Pitty-poo, pitty-poo, they were wrong. I hope you prove them wrong also. I see in me, a lot of what you got me thinking about and my 13 year old daughter continues the chain. In my small cedar box I still hold onto my Bob Lassiter Fan Club card. I will remember you and toast your life Bob.
Peace and Love,
Lee B.
The 22nd 2006f May, 2006 at 8:22 am
Thank you for all the memories. I will cherish them. Best of luck in whatever you decide to do with your life and tell Muffy you love her every day.
Cheers!!
Becky K.
The 22nd 2006f May, 2006 at 8:24 am
“We all knew it would come to this one day - and today is the day” - 08/28/87
Thanks for still being there, in one way or another, for the past 20 years. I realized long ago that you don’t stay around for too long, so we have to enjoy you while you are around. Only now we can’t hold on to that glimmer of hope that you will return. But we have had the chance to let you know how we truely feel, and that is very comforting. I have to agree with a previous post that “take it to the limit” will always remind me of you. We love you Bob. Be good.
The 22nd 2006f May, 2006 at 8:25 am
God Bless you and your wife.
The 22nd 2006f May, 2006 at 8:32 am
I don’t have anything of earthshattering importance to say. Just wanted to add my voice to the swelling chorus of well wishers. While I can’t honestly say that you have affected my life or outlook as profoundly as you seem to have done for others, I enjoyed your show for what it was: entertainment that usually made me laugh and occasionally made me think. Not a bad legacy, all in all.
I know you face some dark, difficult days ahead. But as long as you have a loyal, loving wife by your side, you will have all you need to get by. My best wishes to both of you.
The 22nd 2006f May, 2006 at 8:32 am
Loved you in Chicago, LOve you now,
The 22nd 2006f May, 2006 at 8:35 am
I dreaded this day. If I may, I would like to thank you for the opportunity to listen to you over the years. Your show always gave me something to take home. It might have been funny ( your diddies) sad or downright inspiring(Christmas Stories). I remember listening to you, Ron B. and Fez one afternoon and thought that was some of the funniest stuff I ever heard. I cant say enough. Thanks Bob, You are deeply missed…
Be good
The 22nd 2006f May, 2006 at 8:40 am
Most importantly, take care of yourselves the best you can, smile, hang on to whatever joy there is. You have someone very special that loves you and it doesn’t get any better than that. We are all very frail creatures whether we realize it before we have to or not. You have always made it apparent how much Mary and you mean to each other.
I’m a chicagoland listener and you’ve made an impact on my life forever. I was just out of high school, remodeling houses, paying my way through college. I listened every day at work. It was some of the best years of my life. I was dating the first woman I truly loved, and ended up married to. Sadly, she died young, at 26yrs old and I don’t think I will ever truly recover. Sorry about all this, it’s just part of the time in my life when I really was happy, and your show was a part of my life at that time. There’s never been anything similar in my opinion, that I’ve heard. It was so nice to be able to follow your blog, thanks for letting us all in on everything.
Seems there’s a lot of peoples lives you’ve affected in a good way. That brash style, that could be such a deep thinker, and yet tender as putty sometimes. You were the best there ever was at what you did on the radio.
Thanks for everything
I’ll really miss the blog, you & your thoughts
Mark
It’s really sad to think I’ll no longer have a chance to talk to you. It would just be nice to send you guys good wishes once in a while. Anyway, you two will be in my thoughts forever, as another perfect relationship that people can have, if they choose. Though I suppose nothing is “perfect”
The 22nd 2006f May, 2006 at 9:00 am
I wouldn’t have been where I am without having heard your show as a teenager. Sometimes at my work, I have been known to try to get a word in edge wise with a series of “sirs”, and when some hangs up on me, I’ve been known to use the occasional “pity poo.”
God speed to you, sir.
The 22nd 2006f May, 2006 at 9:01 am
First I’d like to say thank you for living in Tampa and paying your fair share of Raymond James Stadium. I live about an hour north of you, so my taxes didn’t go up for the stadium…. and I’m a Buccaneer season ticket holder. I know your favorite team (the Buccaneers) play the lowly Dolphins in the preseason, if you and Muffy would like to go, you can have a pair for free, to any that or any other game. I’ll make sure you have room for your four wheeler. Send me an email, the tickets will be on your doorstep soon after I get them….. Love you, Bobby
The 22nd 2006f May, 2006 at 9:22 am
Dear Bob,
I found you at WFLA and you were the talk-show host of hosts… really entertaining and made me think. Hell, I sorted through religion with your help. And just that is huge. (from an alterboy in my youth to present, I now consider my self to be a diest). To this day with talk radio… I still try to think, but nothing happens. Bob, I love you like family and shared little fantasies back then of sitting around a fire, having a coctail or 2 with you and the Muffin while looking through a telescope in the backyard discussing some this or that topic and squealing with delight as I shared many similar interests with you and only imagined you reciprocated the interests with me… wondering what you’d think about different stuff. I still have a fantasy that I indulge sometimes when I’m out at the end of Davis Island having a drink as the sun sets and it is that I have picked you up on my motorcycle and we drive off to Davis Island, wind blowing in our faces as the moon rises over the bay and then Muffy meets us by the water where I have you rest easy in a chair and we all face west looking over the sailboats in the bay and the skyline, wondering about a few things, but mostly comfortably quiet. After a just a little while I help pack up a few things and leave Muffy and you together to enjoy yourselves and I take great delight that you are at peace with the moment as I bid you farewell. I’m sure I will sometimes think of you as I go on to other locations and wonder if Mr. Bob Lassiter would be sharing another moment, another time with me again, where ever I find a place of solitude. In some way, you’ll be with us all Bob. Thanks for the thoughts you helped us all cultivate. Somehow you’ll always be a true friend to me. My thoughts are with you and Muffy…
John
The 22nd 2006f May, 2006 at 9:26 am
FROG
The 22nd 2006f May, 2006 at 9:56 am
Bob,
Thank you for everything.
Mark
The 22nd 2006f May, 2006 at 11:09 am
So it has come to this…
The single most thing I have respected you for is that you stick to your convictions. You may not have the things to say that the people around you want to hear, but they are your opinions, and you never backed off without a fight.
I wish you and Muffin peace!
The 22nd 2006f May, 2006 at 11:19 am
Bob
My heart goes out to your wife and friends their sense of loss can only be imagined. Most of your fans commenting here could be my friends we have shared many deep feelings together listening to you, reading the comments prove it.
The comments here are representative of thousands of loyal loving listeners who have not discovered this Blog. The people posting here validate that we can love a stranger who shares their life with us. You entertained by sharing your strengths and vulnerabilities and ended up making your audience hate or love you but they could not ignore you.
Thank you for sharing so much of yourself with I keep hoping that you might change your mind and post again something inside me says that this is part of letting go, saying goodbye to another part of your life a audience who loved for you for what you shared about yourself to entertain us.
We will all be searching the net for any mention of your condition.
Goodbye Bob
David Hubbard
Sarasota Fl
The 22nd 2006f May, 2006 at 11:28 am
I am starting to panic that I’m going to run out of time to post something–anything–before you revoke the privilege. So let me just say, Bob, after sampling talk radio across the country, that you really had it all: brains, that voice, and a presence that made you undisputedly the best talk show host EVER. But apart from that, you are the undisputed king of observing human behavior. You devoted whole shows to our pettiness, our fickleness–while you devoted whole shows to our good traits too. Your Christmas show, for example, was quintessential Lassiter: it showcased the absolute agony and ecstasy of the human condition, and ultimately it was a monumental tribute to your mother as well. So thank you for that, for holding up an honest mirror up so that we could see, warts and all–through ironically the medium of radio–ourselves as we really are.
The fat kid from Collingswood, New Jersey will always be special in our hearts. We love him. We love you. Most of us wish we could leave a legacy as powerful as you did, one that affects–and keeps affecting–all of us in very positive ways.
The 22nd 2006f May, 2006 at 11:37 am
Every year around Christmas when you tell me about your experiences and your family via my CD player, not only do you take me back there with your great gift of storytelling, but you also make me think of my own past and my own family. For this I’m grateful. Boy, that does seem hopelessly inadequate. But for that and the years at WLS and for this incredibly personal blog, thank you. I’m sure I’m not alone when I say I’ll be checking back in just to make sure the Mad Dog hasn’t changed his mind. JP
The 22nd 2006f May, 2006 at 11:38 am
The last 6 months has been a treat. I like everyone else on this blog will still daily look for words of wisdom from the “Maddog”. “THANK YOU” for the years of entertainment. FROG
The 22nd 2006f May, 2006 at 11:40 am
Bob,
I am one who never got to hear your shows, until I heard snippets on the internet. I heard about you from Neil Rodgers in the 1990s. I found out that he had diabetes, then that I had diabetes, then that you had it, and that you had a blog. Your information has inspired me to do better. You have given us more in your life than we deserved. But, it is something that we needed. Thank you.
T. M.
The 22nd 2006f May, 2006 at 12:05 pm
While everyman is capable- not many leave a mark as you have. From WPLP thru now I always enjoyed your work. For a while I actually would schedule my workday around your 3pm WFLA show. Couldn’t miss it. Your insightfullness was only matched by your humor. You had the whole package Bob and this blog shows you still do. I never cared about TV and radio shows coming and going. But not so with you. I don’t know why that is.
You sir, have left quite an impression on many people. Be proud of yourself. Enjoy your wife. Enjoy the time you have left- it may be more then you think. Tell the people you love you love them. My father, who passed away recently said. “My time here has run it’s course. I am interested to see what’s on the other side. And I actually feel pretty good about it.” I look forward to listen again Bob-on the other side. Frog
The 22nd 2006f May, 2006 at 12:21 pm
Thanks for the trip.
The 22nd 2006f May, 2006 at 12:22 pm
I humbly kneel before you - oh magnificent one. And you will always be the mighty Lassiter. You taught us all so much and for that; sharing yourself with us, is the greatest gift one can give to another. I’m not going to say goodbye, only see you later my dear friend.
The 22nd 2006f May, 2006 at 12:52 pm
Bob,
Since you are no longer going to be here, and this is probably my last post, I have to admit something. I was the Valrico Bob impersonator. Can you imagine what it was like for a 20 something year old to make the maddog laugh at your own material? What’s a matter with these kids, they must all be on drrruuuuugggggssss. I’ll never forget the calls or you, saying I did a great job at it, and how you couldn’t do that in a million years. I guess it was just a little talent that I had, and I’m happy to this day, that you, along with Sharon, enjoyed it. God, I’m going to miss you soooo much my friend. Again, much love to you, and I’m tearing up myself.
Your friend, Gary
The 22nd 2006f May, 2006 at 12:57 pm
Thanks for all the laughter, tears and sentimental journeys. Thanks for bearing your soul when necessary and saying what needed to be said, in a way nobody else could. It amazes me that you (a man I never met in person) could have so much influence in my life, and all you were trying to do was keep us listening till the next commecial. Peace to you and Muffy my freind, you are already missed.
The 22nd 2006f May, 2006 at 12:59 pm
Tears also.
I started listening in the 80s when my twin sons were babies. They are now 21 year old college students. I’ve enjoyed having the Mad Dog in my life.
Bob will live on in history, to be sure. The fan club on Yahoo! I started will go on. Memories, & MP3s will be shared. New members are still joining, 3 in the last 7 days, 121 since Nov 2005.
Peace & Frog.
Dave A.
The 22nd 2006f May, 2006 at 1:17 pm
I consider myself blessed to have “met” you. It was a pleasure, my good, close personal friend.
Love,
Subbie
PS. You’re still a cunt.
The 22nd 2006f May, 2006 at 1:31 pm
I feel like we have been through so much together, it is hard to believe that we have to part ways now. Who could forget Lassiter’s Lincoln, the heated desputes with Freedy Mertz, Richard Shanks, Wheeler, Suck Harder, etc. Who could forget the day you went to the St Pete Shuffle Board courts, the day you and Neil did Clearwater mall, the day Uncle Dickie died, Lassiter in you Livingroom, the Lassiter group, Battle of the talkshow hosts, anything goes Fridays. So many great times over the past 20 years. Thanks mad dog. Thanks for so many, many memories and good times. We love you…….
The 22nd 2006f May, 2006 at 1:33 pm
Thanks for letting us share a part of your Magnificient journey. Your many contributions to life will extend well beyond death. Farewell, thanks and may your “lottery” become a reality for you and Muffy.
The 22nd 2006f May, 2006 at 2:13 pm
Bob,
Peace be with you on your journey. Know that your time here made a difference to many.
The 22nd 2006f May, 2006 at 2:20 pm
Bob,
I stumbled on talk radio at the time you and David Fowler were at PLP. I just wanted to say thank you to you, the late great David Fowler and Neil Rogers for helping to shape my formative years. I don’t know how to describe the way your shows helped make me the person I am now but they had a key role in shaping my personality and my view on life. Thank you sir.
The 22nd 2006f May, 2006 at 2:20 pm
Bob, Mad Dog, radio God,
I wish all the others in thanking you, for your magnificent voice on the airwaves, and the intensly personal thoughts you’ve shared both on air and on this blog. From listening to your Christmas special every year via CD, to listening to other talk hosts and wondering “why can’t they be as good at the Mad Dog?” You’ll always be the one I put right up there as the best on the air(and this is coming from someone who rarely agreed with your point of view!). I wish you and your lovely Muffy all the happiness you can have.
tim
The 22nd 2006f May, 2006 at 2:25 pm
Take care man. Hang tough and hope you have a comfortable journey.
The 22nd 2006f May, 2006 at 2:44 pm
Bob,
Everyone has said some great things here, and I agree. I’ll miss you. I don’t know you personally and you don’t know me, but like everyone else, you’re a part of my life. You talked to me over the radio and I listened. You made me think and told me about you and your life. How many people can really do that? I tried Tasty Cakes because of you! I heard on the radio as a “real” human being the day Dick Norman died. And I heard you last show and the hurt in your voice. That’s real stuff. And I’ve been glued to this blog. I hope that these comments from us and writing this blog has given you some comfort. It has given me something…appreciation for good man. Thanks Mad Dog
Andy
The 22nd 2006f May, 2006 at 4:26 pm
Bob,
Where do I start? I’ll probably type and re-type my thoughts a few times as my memories of listening to you come back in waves.
I came upon you by accident shortly after you left WPLP. A co-worker told me I should listen to this ranting, booming voice on the radio…he’s hilarious! And Bob, you were hilarious! However, something happened along the way. Aside from the laughs, this kid just out of college learned about religion, politics and how we should treasure our memories and keep them close to our hearts (even the heart-breaking ones). You taught me to question things I may not have previously. You taught me it was ok to have a differing viewpoint from someone as long as I had the facts and could make my points in an intelligent manner.
You touched us, not only by your voice, but with what I feel is your greatest gift of all: the ability to involve us in your stories. To see what you saw, to feel what you felt, to relate to the happiness or sadness in your tales. I still enjoy listening to your Christmas show. Memories of my childhood Christmases come back to me (some joyous, some bittersweet) as I am about to be swept under by the season.
We learned about Muffy, not only your wife, but your soul-mate and best friend. I hoped that one day I could be as blessed with a wife as you are. It took some time, but today I am as blessed as you.
I was mad as hell the day you left for Chicago and giddy as a kid at Christmas when I found out you were coming back to Tampa! I listened everyday I could. I went to the “Battle of the Talk Show Hosts” (I still have the picture you signed for me, “Scott, Best wishes you sub-human pig”)! I was with you the day Uncle Dickie died and felt your pain as you recounted the rant from the day before. Imagine my excitement on finding your blog, only to find that diabetes has been taking it’s toll on you. I have come to the blog almost everyday not only to check on you, but to support you. You see Bob, since reading your blog, my soul-mate has been diagnosed with diabetes. The information you have provided here has steeled me for the lifelong battle ahead.
So now is the time for us to say goodbye. I’ll probably still come by the blog to see if you’ve changed your mind and only reluctantly stop after a while. Thank you for the laughs, the tears and the thought provoking monologues. Thank you for touching more people in more ways than you can possibly imagine. Sounds like the dream came true for that kid from Collingswood.
All my best to Muffy and you…Be Good.
The 22nd 2006f May, 2006 at 6:17 pm
Damnit Bob..
May your travels be sweet and I hope to hear you on the flip side. You have been the radio god on side one and side two has to be fantastic.
You will always make me smile and I my prayers are with Mary and You!
The 22nd 2006f May, 2006 at 6:23 pm
Collingswood New Jersey never knew what it had. Nor did those wage slave fools at WLS, WSUN and WFLA. Maybe we didn’t even know what we had until you were gone from the radio waves. How did you get to be such an important part of so many of our lives? Well, I suppose the answer to that is slightly different for each individual.
For my part, I heard you say things that I either didn’t dare say, or had no idea that anyone else thought besides me. You also taught me to look at many things from a slightly different slant than I had thought of before. I can’t tell you how many times you made my jaw drop over the years.
And then there were the Christmas shows. I’m a Jew. Santa Claus plays no role in my life. But just hearing you talk about your family and the celebrations, and especially your mom made me understand so much. You also made me do one thing I hadn’t done while my own mother was dying. I was the perfect stoic throughout. Even through her funeral and after, I never shed a tear. Two months later I heard your Christmas show while driving my car. I had to pull over as I was crying like a baby and could no longer see the road.
We all owe you such a debt. You hosted one hell of a party for us over the years. Are we selfish for wanting the party to go on forever? Of course we are. But don’t judge us too harshly. We wouldn’t want it to go on forever if you weren’t such a great host…such a magnificent speaker….such a fine human being.
I’ve read your blog every day since I discovered it, along with others’ comments when allowed, and one thing stands out. So many state that they hear your voice when reading your words. Wow, I thought it was just me. I hesitatate to write this next part for fear of sounding a bit looney, but just maybe some others had a similar thought. When I read your last post an image came to mind. An image of you and your Muffin walking hand in hand toward some shady, peaceful bower to take the rest of your journey together in peace without undue distraction. It’s an image that comforts me and, perhaps, will lend comfort to others as we say farewell. Farewell to a good “friend” we never knew in person, but shared so much with us.
Peace and comfort to you Bob. You’ve earned it more than most in this sad little world of ours. Mary, thank you for sharing Bob with us for so long. Peace be with you as well.
With a lump in my throat roughly the size of Montana, I have nothing left to say but….
Frog
The 22nd 2006f May, 2006 at 6:34 pm
Bob,
I think that the hardest part of saying goodbye so soon, is not knowing how your final journey will end. But I whole heartedly understand why you want it to be, and that it MUST be, a very private thing.
As difficult as it has been to tell us how we have touched your life, I find myself having trouble doing the same. I am greatful though that we have been able to convey to you how much you have meant to us. When you were on the air, you controlled the conversations. Sure, we were able to call and make a quick jab here or there and get some smart-assed comment on the airwaves, but ultimately you made the show go where you wanted. It’s ironic that this blog has been our opportunity to tell you some real sapping stuff like this, things you would’ve never allowed on your show.
Bob, I will think of you often and will listen still, since I am one of the listeners that have saved tapes of your shows. I have converted some of them to .mp3 and plan to upload them so they will live forever in cyberspace.
One of the shows I listen to often is one where you said, “Eveything that you will ever say or do in this world lives forever.” I cannot think of a more perfect statement to end our time together.
Goodbye, old friend……..
The 22nd 2006f May, 2006 at 6:42 pm
I am truly saddened by this post, but I understand. Bob, your blog has brought me much closer to the man I heard on the Radio. In saying goodbye to the blog, I truly hope at some point in the near future I will also be able to say welcome back. I am one of the “kids” that listened to you and called in from time to time. You truly made me think, and question the world around me, as well as laugh. I would also like to thank you for helping me through one of the bleakest times in my life, a bad breakup with my fiance in the month of December 1996. That Christmas show gave me hope for the future and helped me understand that life is a journey of ups and downs, and that at some point I would look back and realize the lessons learned and not the pain. My thoughts will be with you both, please know you have earned the love and respect of all of us.
Thank you,
Sebastian
The 22nd 2006f May, 2006 at 8:12 pm
Bob, When I read your words I can hear your voice. The sound of the Zippo. Inhaling of your cigarette. As a child of yours I knew going into this that the end would come sooner than I wanted. The memories the sound of your voice bring back make me smile and cry at the same time. I understand how the depression works. At times in my life I have felt as though my life was a bottomless pit. Some days I would feel as though I had hit the bottom and life must get better. The next day I would realize that wasn’t the bottom just a shelf in the pit I was caught on and the fall would begin again. The only thing that kept me sane through these times was my dear friend that told me that crazy people do not know they are crazy. Then I met my husband and I realized life was not a bottomless pit there are ups and downs. You were an UP! I feel for my husband the way you speak of your Mary. I will spend the rest of my life being as good to him as she has been to you. With tears in my eyes I will not say good bye but Be Good!
The 22nd 2006f May, 2006 at 8:13 pm
Friend- F-R-I-E-N-D (I before E except after C)
The 22nd 2006f May, 2006 at 8:16 pm
After all these years, I still get chill bumps and teary eyed when I hear the first chords of “to the limit, one more time,” for there was a time, Bob, in 1989, when life hit bottom, and you were my best friend. I would never have imposed myself on you, but you were always there: intelligent beyond belief, able to articulate complex concepts like few others I’d ever known, funny and entertaining–all the things I needed in a friend at the time. I used you every day. A very one-sided friendship. Thank you.
Your willingness to boldly express unpopular truth in the face of nearly unanimous opposition, sometimes potentially violent, inspired me to write several columns for the St. Pete Times. One of the first was a bitter satire about Rush Limbaugh, in which I dubbed his mindless followers “ditto heads.” Limbaugh embraced the term immediately and it soon became ingrained in the American lexicon. What irony.
Bob, you were the best there ever was. Thank you.
The 22nd 2006f May, 2006 at 8:18 pm
Bob,
Noone has asked a question yet. I think they finally get it. Too late of course, but they get it.
The 22nd 2006f May, 2006 at 9:16 pm
You often wonder in this crazy radio business what sort of impact you have. Bob, you don’t have to wonder. All the foregoing should prove to even skeptical you that the effort was, and is, worthwhile. I’ll never forget the afternoons in the swamp..drowning kittens…the automatic talk show host..and the not-so-good times..the death of Dick Norman….
You are loved, and respected by many. And you have the love of The Muffin…one of the best people I’ve had the pleasure to meet. Ginger and I wish you the very best…take it to the limit…..one more time.
Don
The 22nd 2006f May, 2006 at 9:22 pm
I know…I’ve already posted, and I know I do this every time, but there’s something else I’ve been meaning to say.
On your last blog, Bobby, you had the “Best of Reader Mail” page. And there was only one piece of reader mail on it: mine.
The reason I hounded you to change it from “(unsigned)” was because having my writing as your ONLY “best of” mail was one of the greatest honors I’ve ever received. I would look at it and say, “Wow. I impressed the Mad Dog.”
I’ll never forget that, Bobby. And I’ll never forget you. Farewell, my friend. Thank you for everything.
The 22nd 2006f May, 2006 at 9:25 pm
I grew up in a different country and didn’t know anything about your radio history; I discovered you from the ‘Airstream’ and ‘Rocky’ airchecks that WFMU distributed on their ‘Radio Archival Oddities’ compilation. Maybe that’s how a lot of people heard of you, who knows. Anyway I always really liked those, and the other day I dug them out for a bunch of the youngsters and that inspired me to look you up on the net, and so I found your blog just in time for a comment - quite a coincidence I suppose. Perhaps this makes me a Johnny-come-lately of sorts, but I didn’t want to miss the opportunity to say g’day and thanks for a small fragment of my life experience which would be slightly poorer without it. It makes me lament that there aren’t more of you to offset the vicious, venal ideologues that we’re confronted with on the airwaves today. Keep on fighting the good fight. Cheers, man, and good luck.
The 22nd 2006f May, 2006 at 9:46 pm
Bob,
I have listen for years but never got through, Listened in Chicago & then in Tampa, Your shows made me laugh so hard, then you would piss me off, then make me ponder and you were always entertaining & thought provoking. Yea you made us think!!! Thank you…
I always thought you went to the islands and escaped to be a day trader under a plam tree on a beach. Then some guy “….on a car phone” called an FLA show a month ago and mentioned Your blog. It has taught me that I also procastinate and think tommarrow never comes but it does. So I’m going to make some changes. I wish you peace and thank you from those that never got in or just listened- there were a lot of us.
What ever happens you will have left a very distinguished mark on us all and the media. Those that listened will always know “Lassiter was here”
Peace Bob
We all wish you well
The 22nd 2006f May, 2006 at 10:00 pm
Bob,
I could say how I will Miss you, how I have had many enjoyable hours listening to you, how I will now have to fill a void left, how I will really never find another talk show host like you to listen to any time I feel like it.
But that’s what I would only have to say if I did’nt learn to stop and think and really consider others situations and hardships.
Guess where I learned that?
I will always try to pass my wisdom( yeah I know) on to those who will listen and think of you
Johnny
The 22nd 2006f May, 2006 at 10:02 pm
Hello my friend, ever since I was a young kid starting about 30 yrs. ago I loved listening to the radio as much as anything. Baseball games from far away cities, hockey, music, and of course talk radio. and of course listening in to see what was going on in other cities that night (still do it too). Wls was pop music about 25 or more yrs. ago. I love radio; it still has alot to offer. But yes the good old days; wynf, wdiz, local talk in MOST cities. A bit repugnant to here so much republican talk now, but there are other choices too. Keep taking good care of the cats, there the best, dogs are TOO noisy and dumb. Heather and I lost two cats recently, but we still have young Darby. Thanks to Tedd Webb for telling us about your blog. But thanks mostly to you for giving us some of your tlme. You are grateful to neil for helping you so I want to thank you for all of the great radio moments and entertainment. Its been a pleasure Bob and thank you.
The 22nd 2006f May, 2006 at 10:23 pm
THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING BOB.
Take care
D.Conway
The 23rd 2006f May, 2006 at 12:15 am
At least we DO get the chance to say goodbye. I’ll see ya on the other side of ….
The 23rd 2006f May, 2006 at 1:07 am
Have a Voka & Kulua
Wha’ll the hell’
The 23rd 2006f May, 2006 at 1:31 am
Bob,
I’ve been with you since 1986 when I discovered that WPLP had another show besides Tim Coles! Thank you for sharing this part of your life with us. And know that your legacy will live on forever thanks to the many who have preserved your work. You’ve expressed our fears, dreams, happiness, and our sadness in every broadcast and continued to do so with every blog. Thank you for giving us a chance to say goodbye. As for everything else you have given us, we can’t thank you enough.
-Rich
The 23rd 2006f May, 2006 at 4:56 am
Thank you for sharing experiences that each of us will probably endure in time. The sharing makes a difference to us; in the way we relate to the people we love, in the way we look at everything that is here. Reading what memories have burned into your brain helps me to savor events, people and things that I might otherwise have dismissed, at the time, as insignificant.
As for the radio stuff, I don’t really care; there is no permanence to radio, it is said now and then off into the ozone. Fun while it lasts, but having worked in it, it’s not intended to be permanent and certainly doesn’t define you or me. Unfortunately, working in the industry does define too many in the business, but to hell with them.
The 23rd 2006f May, 2006 at 5:38 am
Bob,
Your work will live on with recordings, but also with minds that you helped make a little more kinder and a little more thoughtful.
Tom in Sarasota
The 23rd 2006f May, 2006 at 8:28 am
How can I not respond to the above?
Give me a day or two to find the words to express my feelings.
The 17th 2006f August, 2006 at 12:21 pm
Get your Credit cards here.
Get your Credit cards here.
The 15th 2009f May, 2009 at 12:41 am
[…] No, he’s not dead. Not yet. But the running theme of Lassiter’s blog has always been about the rapid approach of the end of his life and the thoughts and reflections inherent in being aware during the process. In his last blog entry (May 21), Lassiter says: “I am faced with both a certainty that cannot be denied, and an uncertainty that consumes me. I choose to make the remainder of the journey in privacy…” […]