R.I.P.: Longtime Cleveland Personality John Webster

John Webster, who became a beloved figure during his decades of work in Cleveland, has died, WTAM 1100 AM announced Tuesday afternoon.

John Webster

He was 74-years-of-age.

According to his stepson, Hurricane Irma is partially to blame for Webster's death: Jason Fox told WTAM Webster had been resting in his Central Florida home following hip surgery. When the hurricane hit, Webster lost power for a week, apparently causing his health to deteriorate.

"I think, just like all these people they were finding in these nursing homes without electricity and without air conditioning, it really puts a strain on the elderly," Fox said. "I think that was the final straw for John."

Webster is perhaps best known for his time at WMJI Magic 105.7, forming a popular morning show trio with John Lanigan and Jimmy Malone. He later joined Bill Wills and the late Casey Coleman at WTAM, where his "Webster's World" segment became a local hit.

For decades, Webster’s distinctive deep voice was part of Cleveland radio news.  Webster began his broadcasting career in his hometown of Pekin, Ill.  After stints in Chicago, St. Louis, Detroit, and New York, Webster came to Cleveland to develop an all-news format for WERE radio and later joined WMJI as News Director.

His longtime on-air partner, John Lanigan, said their partnership was almost happenstance.  "He was in Chicago for quite a while, and when he was in Chicago he was really very successful, he was really well known and had a great news voice.  Then he came to Cleveland and he was working with another team before I came in, but they moved them out and kept John.  So I said to John 'let's make it Lanigan and Webster,' so we made it Lanigan and Webster." 

In 1998 he became the co-host of the “Wills, Webster and Coleman” morning show on WTAM 1100, which featured a well-remembered segment called “Webster’s World.”  Webster was known as a consummate journalist who always tried to present a fair story that incorporated background with breaking developments.