Pictured is the late Radio (James Kennedy; right) at Special Olympics in 2018. Also pictured is Ross Cannon (left) who is the son of Mike. Radio passed away in December of 2019.
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The football movie called “Radio” is one of my favorites of all time.
I can still remember when the movie came out in 2003. Then a year later, I’m covering The Masters (in 2004) and I got to meet the real Radio (James Kennedy – not actor Cuba Gooding Jr.) and the real Coach Harold Jones (not actor Ed Harris) on the golf course in Augusta, Georgia.
It was quite an honor.
Last week, Mike Cannon spoke at the lunch for the Easley Rotary Club about how he lived just a mile away from the real Radio in Anderson. The face of Cannon lit up when he talked about Radio and I knew he had a couple stories to tell.
Cannon had a comical story about Radio attending The Masters in Augusta, Georgia.
“When you go to The Masters, you can get those Pimento (Cheese) Sandwiches and regular sandwiches,” said Cannon, a 1965 graduate of Seneca High School. “But this particular year (at The Masters), Radio wanted his fried chicken. He said I want fried chicken. So, they were able to get fried chicken from somewhere brought it back in for Radio. He was walking around The Masters eating his chicken and people were like where did you get that? All we can find is our little Pimento Cheese Sandwiches.”
Cannon went on to say, “That’s how people treated Radio everywhere he went. People just loved him. He was so innocent and you had to love him.”
Reach Jeff Holt at 864-855-0355.