Atlanta radio host Steve McCoy says has been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.
Steve McCoy and his grandchildren, Lucy and Jack.
The longtime broadcaster, who spent years keeping Atlanta commuters company with his friend and colleague Vikki Locke on Star 94 – with whom was inducted into the Georgia Radio Hall of Fame in 2009 – had more recently been helming the morning show at News Radio 106.7 with Cheryl White.
McCoy was suspended and then let go from 106.7 this week after revealing he aired an old interview with presidential candidate Donald Trump and presented it as if it had just happened.
Steve had planned to share his medical news with listeners before he was suspended, Vikki told the AJC on Thursday night.
“Steve McCoy enjoys a good fight,” she said. “Since our first meeting back in the 80’s I knew one thing for certain. Steve loves radio. It’s his passion. His life. He wants to win at all costs. Now he is in the battle of his life. He is fighting Parkinson’s disease. Other than his wife, he’s been hiding this from family and friends since 2006 when he was diagnosed.”
Steve McCoy and his longtime colleague and friend, Vikki Lock. AJC file photo/Jennifer Brett
The two have remained close friends since their time on air sunsetted, and Vikki was key in spurring him to seek answers when early signs of the disease became apparent.
“Many noticed the tremor in his right hand,” she said. “He blamed it on too much caffeine. I came out and asked point blank, ‘What’s wrong, do you have Parkinson’s? You need to be tested.'”
His initial response: “If I have it, I don’t want to know.”
Steve and his wife, Linda, are avid supporters of Cure Childhood Cancer and play an active role in their grandchildren’s lives. He has apologized for airing the vintage Trump interview as if it just happened.
“He’s not a journalist but made a mistake by editing an old interview of Donald Trump and playing it back on 106.7 this week and claiming it was current. Dumb move, yes,” Locke said. “This all happened at the same time he decided to tell his children and best friends the truth about his illness. In my opinion, it was a bad decision. But looking at the big picture, it’s the least of his worries, or Donald Trump’s.”
My mother-in-law died a year ago of complications from Parkinson's Disease (PD), and I saw her entire battle. It's a horrible, irreversible, slowly degenerative disease.
A few things everyone should keep in mind:
--PD is nearly imperceptible in its early stages. My mother-in-law hid it from her friends for a long time. Steve could have, too.
--PD is a neurological disease. It's in the brain. It should not be a big surprise that in its middle and later stages, it most certainly can impact behavior and judgment.
--Similarly, the drugs that manage PD often have side effects. My mother-in-law had side effects that included manic behavior and elevated levels of risk-taking.
Now I don't know Steve personally, and I have no idea if he even has PD. But if he does, then this fact pattern is entirely consistent with someone suffering from PD or related drug side effects.
Amazing no one is willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. People are so cynical.
I think you are right on the mark and appreciate your comments
This is not the first time he does something like that, but this time it got people's attention. I remember several years ago, when I used to listen to Steve and Vicky every morning, I realized they were airing an old interview with Ashton Kutcher as if it was new. I remembered very well the original interview when he was dating Brittany Murphy and they were promoting their movie "Just Married". For some reason I perfectly recalled a joke about Murphy being in the same hotel room and a toothbrush story. Couple of years later they aired the same interview referring now to Demi Moore. I wondered if they thought we listeners were stupid! I imagine now how many times they did the same thing.
The First Rule Of Media Spin: If you don't like what people are saying about you, change the conversation.
It is an attempt to change what people are saying.
What a joke. The radio host (simple job) lies (stupid), people confirm he is a clown and they leak this story about his illness. Compete joke. What a clown.
I wonder if he would have told Cumulus about his condition, if they would have showed some compassion in his direction? Naaaaah... I already know the answer to that. Cumulus is just like No Heart Radio. Cold and corporate. Randy McDaniels, TLC.
@Randy, The Lazy Comic\
Just because you're sick doesn't give you license to deceive people.
LORD HAVE MERCY ! "The Kimmer's" wish has come true ! He's always bad-mouthing Steve McCoy and his success! Hope they don't have that Brett Barney or that CAT that reads the Sports (and sounds like YOGI BEAR) take his place. LORD JESUS ! This is a SAD DAY in the ATL. Big Momma Bev hasn't been this upset since Amanda Davis' last DUI ! LOL ! WHOOOWEEEE !
So she noticed the tremors back in 2006 but his family and friends never questioned him about it? Parkinson's is not something you can hide from people. He's either got incredibly stupid family and friends or he doesn't have Parkinson's
Sorry, but I never listened to him on the radio, and really dont care.
Yet you read the story, and then commented...kinda redundant
So Parkinson's can cause lying? If that is true, we need to have Obama, Jackson, Sharpton and Farrakhan/Rev. Wright tested as well as Hillary Clinton. Bs seems to have run rampant.
@Kickass We all should be sick with Parkinson.
@Kickass Jesus, you're a dumbass.
Didn't Vikki once use the announcement of some sort of "disease" as a reason to step down ahead of their contract non-renewal at Star 94? And then, later on she was miraculously cured? Something tells me that this crew is using that same playbook here - distract from the negative news that their time is over by appealing for sympathy from the public while they courageously fight health problems.
Rodney and Jennifer, you should dig into this further.
@escapeplan Being dumb is not a disease.
I surely will not miss him. I always thought he was annoying at the most. Who wants to hear about his dog and what he did the night before and all the silly chit chat between him and White. I listen to this station for the weather forecast on my way to work. Talk about CHEATING and PLAGIARISM. This is criminal. Wonder if Monica Pearson will hound him down for an interview.
I'll make Vickie Locke's day.
How has Steve aged thirty years in the photo used and Vickie has not aged a day.
Good luck Steve in keeping your job.
Disappointed in you but still have fond memories of you and V.
@FalconsDetective Vickie looks old and fat as well.
Steve and Vikki were before my time here in Atlanta so I had no clue who Steve was when he appeared on 106.7. I like him but he's clearly lost a step off his ballgame from the old days when listening to old clips of him. Him and Cheryl White are mildly entertaining but annoying a lot of the time. Cheryl White talks as if all her listeners are 2nd graders and Steve just needs more edge. I'm really surprised he would stoop so low as to edit an old interview and present it as current. On a news station to boot. Major error in judgement. He's way out of touch pulling something like that. All you have is your credibility when you're a newscaster and Steve just lost his in a big way.