Atlanta Radio: Fundraiser Planned For Steve McCoy, Former AM Host

Steve McCoy

Steve McCoy, a hugely popular Atlanta radio deejay in the 1980s into the 2000s, is suffering from Parkinson’s disease and friends are holding a fundraiser for him to help with with financial issues related to caring for him.

McCoy, 69, has been battling Parkinson’s for more than 15 years and it has taken a toll on both his personal well being and his savings, according to Rodney Ho at ajc.com.

Vikki Locke, his longtime co-host when he worked at Star 94 from 1990 to 2007, is helping to organize Stand-Up for Steve McCoy Against Parkinson’s, a fundraiser set for Sunday, Aug. 27, at the Punchline Comedy Club in Buckhead. Tickets are available at $75 at Punchline.com.

Parkinson’s, which causes unintended or uncontrollable movements and progressively gets worse over time, has stripped McCoy of his ability to speak in that dulcet radio voice his fans knew and loved.

“His voice has been stolen,” Locke told Richard Eldredge on his EldredgeATL blog. “Hard to believe, this radio legend can no longer tell me corny jokes and I really miss that.”

This past Sunday, Atlanta journalist and family friend Jaye Watson started a GoFundMe page for McCoy with a goal to raise an additional $50,000. McCoy’s wife Linda Terrana agreed to the page as long as half the money went to a non-profit organization that provides financial support for caregiving.

“Steve’s nights are filled with violent tremors and sweating,” Watson wrote. “He has lost his famous radio voice and at best can whisper on some days. His hospital bed is set up so that he can look out his window and see the trees.”