J. R. Gach
Encyclopedia
Jay Robert "J.R." Gach (born April 2, 1952) is a controversial talk radio
host and shock jock
from Schenectady, New York
.
Gach was born in 1952 to Joseph Harry Gach (1917–2007), a retired army
colonel, and Dorothy Louise Shive (1921–2004). He got his start at a couple of stations in Chester, Pennsylvania
as "Jay Roberts" in the late 1960s.
In 1989 through 1992, Gach worked for "Kajun 103" in Baton Rouge Louisiana, as a morning show host. In a dramatic foreshadowing of his radio career to follow, Gach spectacularly flamed out in Baton Rouge.
In this early era of talk radio, Gach also attempted a mid-day show on 1300 WIBR in Port Allen, Louisiana. Apparently due to his excessive weight, Gach was often at a loss trying to talk for extended periods on WIBR without use of his cart-based sound effects.
From the summer of 1992 through 1995, Gach worked as a talk radio host on WGR
("J.R. on 'GR") and later WWKB
in Buffalo, New York
. He famously quipped on the air that he liked the Buffalo area and wanted to stay there so much that, if necessary, he would "drive a bus" in order to earn enough money to stay in the area. However, this promise would be broken as he then went to New Orleans, LA and WWL. After WWL he hosted a show from 1998 to 2002 on WGY in Schenectady, NY, the region that he would call home for the next several years. During this time, he briefly held (for a few weeks in February 2001) the late-night host's position at one of America's top news/talk stations, WLW
in Cincinnati, Ohio
, from which he was fired for referring to Japanese people as "yellow monkeys." As his behavior became increasingly erratic starting in 2001, Gach mysteriously disappeared from the airwaves in August 2002; two months later, his then-wife (Suzie Gach, a radio veteran with whom J.R. would often co-host his shows) announced that he had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder
and had attempted suicide
.
After undergoing heavy doses of antidepressants, Gach would later resurface on WRCZ/WBOE "The Bone" (now WYKV) in Albany as that station's afternoon and later morning host; paired with Shawn "Pi" Bolts, he continued to unapologetically make many controversial racial comments and jokes including the harassment of one individual, referring to a restaurant in which she was working as a "genetic mutant restaurant" during a February 15, 2006 broadcast. Said individual sued Galaxy Communications
, then owners of WRCZ/WBOE, and the lawsuit was settled for $1,000,000 in December 2007. Gach had been released by WBOE in August 2006.
Gach is also credited as being the first person to voice a radio commercial with a profanity, describing Sinus Buster
cayenne nasal spray as "the best shit
that ever was" for a commercial on Sirius Satellite Radio
. The radio spot was conceived by Wayne Perry, inventor of Sinus Buster and infamous entrepreneur
known for his guerrilla marketing tactics.
For most of 2007, Gach hosted his own talk show on Internet radio, paid for by sponsors. It included local advertisements, announcements by nationally-recognized voiceover personality Jim Cutler (also known as the voice of ESPN Radio
and many other stations), and weather forecasts for the Albany/Schenectady area, even though the show was based (by Gach's own admission) from a home studio in Florida. Like his previous shows, Gach prominently featured his significant other, although Suzie had long since divorced him and this time, he was with his girlfriend Erica. The show was completely uncensored and frequently used language and euphemisms that would not be allowed on traditional radio. The show aired live on weekdays from 2 PM to 4 PM Eastern Time and looped the rest of the time.
In December 2007, Gach's father and aunt both died. Gach decided to pull his show and his Web site offline, at first listing a tribute to his parents and his late aunt, and later only a black screen, with the words "Stay Tuned..." in the center of the screen in yellow lettering. By the end of 2007, the "jrshowonline.com" and "jrgach.com" domains had been taken offline or allowed to expire.
Gach's most recent work is as a commercial voice-over artist in Southern California.
Gach is an avowed libertarian
, supported the campaign of the late Harry Browne
in 1996 and most recently supported Ron Paul for President
.
JR's old sidekick Pi has since started his own live internet show completely devoid of any advertising called "The Five Dollar Freak Show" and can be heard on Sunday afternoons on the station's Web site, FiveDollarFreakShow.com.
Talk radio
Talk radio is a radio format containing discussion about topical issues. Most shows are regularly hosted by a single individual, and often feature interviews with a number of different guests. Talk radio typically includes an element of listener participation, usually by broadcasting live...
host and shock jock
Shock jock
Shock jock is a slang term used to describe a type of any radio broadcaster who attracts attention using humor that a significant portion of the listening audience may find offensive. The term is usually used pejoratively to describe provocative or irreverent broadcasters whose mannerisms,...
from Schenectady, New York
Schenectady, New York
Schenectady is a city in Schenectady County, New York, United States, of which it is the county seat. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 66,135...
.
Gach was born in 1952 to Joseph Harry Gach (1917–2007), a retired army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
colonel, and Dorothy Louise Shive (1921–2004). He got his start at a couple of stations in Chester, Pennsylvania
Chester, Pennsylvania
Chester is a city in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States, with a population of 33,972 at the 2010 census. Chester is situated on the Delaware River, between the cities of Philadelphia and Wilmington, Delaware.- History :...
as "Jay Roberts" in the late 1960s.
In 1989 through 1992, Gach worked for "Kajun 103" in Baton Rouge Louisiana, as a morning show host. In a dramatic foreshadowing of his radio career to follow, Gach spectacularly flamed out in Baton Rouge.
In this early era of talk radio, Gach also attempted a mid-day show on 1300 WIBR in Port Allen, Louisiana. Apparently due to his excessive weight, Gach was often at a loss trying to talk for extended periods on WIBR without use of his cart-based sound effects.
From the summer of 1992 through 1995, Gach worked as a talk radio host on WGR
WGR
WGR, or WGR Sports Radio 550, is an all sports radio station in Buffalo, New York that broadcasts on 550 AM. It is the flagship station of the Buffalo Sabres and the Buffalo Bandits, and is currently the only full-time sports talk station in the city of Buffalo. Its studios are located in Amherst,...
("J.R. on 'GR") and later WWKB
WWKB
WWKB is an AM radio station in Buffalo, New York that operates on a frequency of 1520 kHz. It is owned and operated by Entercom Communications. The station carries a progressive talk radio format. Declaring itself as A New Voice, A New Choice, The Voice of the New Majority; WWKB carries a number...
in Buffalo, New York
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
. He famously quipped on the air that he liked the Buffalo area and wanted to stay there so much that, if necessary, he would "drive a bus" in order to earn enough money to stay in the area. However, this promise would be broken as he then went to New Orleans, LA and WWL. After WWL he hosted a show from 1998 to 2002 on WGY in Schenectady, NY, the region that he would call home for the next several years. During this time, he briefly held (for a few weeks in February 2001) the late-night host's position at one of America's top news/talk stations, WLW
WLW
WLW is a clear channel talk radio station located in Cincinnati, Ohio, run by Clear Channel Communications. The station broadcasts locally on 700 kHz AM...
in Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
, from which he was fired for referring to Japanese people as "yellow monkeys." As his behavior became increasingly erratic starting in 2001, Gach mysteriously disappeared from the airwaves in August 2002; two months later, his then-wife (Suzie Gach, a radio veteran with whom J.R. would often co-host his shows) announced that he had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder
Bipolar disorder
Bipolar disorder or bipolar affective disorder, historically known as manic–depressive disorder, is a psychiatric diagnosis that describes a category of mood disorders defined by the presence of one or more episodes of abnormally elevated energy levels, cognition, and mood with or without one or...
and had attempted suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
.
After undergoing heavy doses of antidepressants, Gach would later resurface on WRCZ/WBOE "The Bone" (now WYKV) in Albany as that station's afternoon and later morning host; paired with Shawn "Pi" Bolts, he continued to unapologetically make many controversial racial comments and jokes including the harassment of one individual, referring to a restaurant in which she was working as a "genetic mutant restaurant" during a February 15, 2006 broadcast. Said individual sued Galaxy Communications
Galaxy Communications
Galaxy Communications is a radio broadcasting company with radio stations entirely in the Central New York area.In 1989, the first Galaxy station, WKLL was launched by the current CEO, Ed Levine, and his business partner, Bob Raide. In the 1990s, Galaxy launched additional stations in Syracuse and...
, then owners of WRCZ/WBOE, and the lawsuit was settled for $1,000,000 in December 2007. Gach had been released by WBOE in August 2006.
Gach is also credited as being the first person to voice a radio commercial with a profanity, describing Sinus Buster
Sinus Buster
Sinus Buster is a brand of nasal spray that is available over-the-counter in the United States. It is used to ease nasal congestion, sinus pressure, and sinus headache...
cayenne nasal spray as "the best shit
Shit
Shit is usually considered vulgar and profane in Modern English. As a noun it refers to fecal matter and as a verb it means to defecate or defecate in; in the plural it means diarrhea...
that ever was" for a commercial on Sirius Satellite Radio
Sirius Satellite Radio
Sirius Satellite Radio is a satellite radio service operating in North America, owned by Sirius XM Radio.Headquartered in New York City, with smaller studios in Los Angeles and Memphis, Sirius was officially launched on July 1, 2002 and currently provides 69 streams of music and 65 streams of...
. The radio spot was conceived by Wayne Perry, inventor of Sinus Buster and infamous entrepreneur
Entrepreneur
An entrepreneur is an owner or manager of a business enterprise who makes money through risk and initiative.The term was originally a loanword from French and was first defined by the Irish-French economist Richard Cantillon. Entrepreneur in English is a term applied to a person who is willing to...
known for his guerrilla marketing tactics.
For most of 2007, Gach hosted his own talk show on Internet radio, paid for by sponsors. It included local advertisements, announcements by nationally-recognized voiceover personality Jim Cutler (also known as the voice of ESPN Radio
ESPN Radio
ESPN Radio is an American sports radio network. It was launched on January 1, 1992 under the original banner of "SportsRadio ESPN." ESPN Radio is located at ESPN headquarters in Bristol, Connecticut...
and many other stations), and weather forecasts for the Albany/Schenectady area, even though the show was based (by Gach's own admission) from a home studio in Florida. Like his previous shows, Gach prominently featured his significant other, although Suzie had long since divorced him and this time, he was with his girlfriend Erica. The show was completely uncensored and frequently used language and euphemisms that would not be allowed on traditional radio. The show aired live on weekdays from 2 PM to 4 PM Eastern Time and looped the rest of the time.
In December 2007, Gach's father and aunt both died. Gach decided to pull his show and his Web site offline, at first listing a tribute to his parents and his late aunt, and later only a black screen, with the words "Stay Tuned..." in the center of the screen in yellow lettering. By the end of 2007, the "jrshowonline.com" and "jrgach.com" domains had been taken offline or allowed to expire.
Gach's most recent work is as a commercial voice-over artist in Southern California.
Gach is an avowed libertarian
Libertarianism
Libertarianism, in the strictest sense, is the political philosophy that holds individual liberty as the basic moral principle of society. In the broadest sense, it is any political philosophy which approximates this view...
, supported the campaign of the late Harry Browne
Harry Browne
Harry Browne was an American libertarian writer, politician, and free-market investment analyst. He ran for President of the United States as the nominee of the Libertarian Party in 1996 and 2000....
in 1996 and most recently supported Ron Paul for President
Ron Paul presidential campaign, 2008
Ron Paul was a Republican Party primary candidate in the 2008 United States presidential election.Initial opinion polls during the first three quarters of 2007 showed Ron Paul consistently receiving support from 3% or less of those polled...
.
JR's old sidekick Pi has since started his own live internet show completely devoid of any advertising called "The Five Dollar Freak Show" and can be heard on Sunday afternoons on the station's Web site, FiveDollarFreakShow.com.