A group of players retaliate the following day by tying Radio's hands and feet, locking him in the gear shed, and throwing footballs at the door to scare him. Oncequiet and overlooked, he became one of Anderson's most famous residents. And we are better people for having known him.". He would stand on the sidelines at football practices and games, and T.L. Radio - James Robert Kennedy - Reel Faces at ChasingtheFrog These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. ", and say "We gonna win tonight!". But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. In the film, Kennedy was played by Cuba Gooding Jr., and Jones was played by Ed Harris. There might be no better description of the man with the big, always-ready smile. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. Woodard gained attention in Hollywood when she was nominated for an Academy Award for her performance in Cross Creek. HE IS TLM. Sarah Drew - Mary Helen Jones. IF YOUD LIKE TO CONTRIBUTE YOU CAN MAIL A CHECK TO RADIO CARE OF COMMERCIAL BANK PO BOX 1. bio for Coach Harold Jones agency, manager, speaker fees, speaking agency entertainment booking agency, speaker's fee, how to book, booking agencies for lectures, speaking event, celebrity appearances for hire, who is agent, manager, publicist, who represents, speakers bureau management who represents Coach Harold Jones. He became a fixture at football practices, standing passively and watching, until one day when he began to mimic the coaches signals and tried his hand at yelling out commands. The 2023 Met Gala theme explained, Met Gala 2023 looks: See photos of the show-stopping red carpet arrivals, Mother stung over 75 times by bees but her "quick thinking" saves kids. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". That same evening, Jones reveals to Mary Helen that his attachment to Radio and need to assist him stems from a childhood incident in which Jones, as a child making a living off delivering newspapers, did not help a mentally disabled boy his own age crying behind barbed wire. Kennedy died on Dec. 15, 2019, of complications related to diabetes and kidney issues, Jones said. Great Jones Cookware Review: Is It Worth Buying? HES LIKE FAMILY TO ME. [citation needed] ReelSports provided the football and basketball coordination for the film. "The community, they just love Radio," Coach Jonestold WSPAin 2016, during Kennedy's 70th birthday celebration. He taught us all. Sexton has been acting in TV and movies since 1998 and has been working non-stop since. Box 127Honea Path, SC 29654The story of Radios friendship with Jones was the subject of the film Radio in 2003. While coaches came and went, Kennedy was a constant. "She would always say she loved us kids so much that she'd love to buy a big house so we could all move back in. She worked for 22 years at the Patrick B. Harris Psychiatric Hospital and was well-known in town for stepping in to raise her brothers-in-law. Harold George Belafonte Jr. was born March 1, 1927 in New York city to poor Caribbean immigrants. Radio often pauses to observe the local high school football team in their training sessions, led by Coach Harold Jones. Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. He and Jones used to ring Salvation Army bells for Christmas, and Kennedy raised money regularly outside of Sam's Club. He said Radio was treated for pancreatitis, along with ongoing diabetes and kidney issues.Radio was inducted into the T.L. Hanna High School on December 20 and the following day at Civic Center of Anderson, according to the funeral home. Kennedy was a fixture at TL. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. He became very popular with the students and became an unofficial 11th-grade student at the school in 1965. Hanna football coach Harold Jones befriended Radio. Jones said the film changed his life and Kennedy's for the better. Not much later, director Michael Tollin helped bring the story to life in the movie "Radio" starring Ed Harris as Coach Jones and Cuba Gooding Jr. as Radio. 'Radio never met a stranger. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. General Recommendations for Communicating with All Persons with Disabilities: Talk to persons with disabilities in the same way and with a normal tone of voice (not shouting) as you would talk to anyone else. HELL ALWAYS BE TIL. "He just has so much love to give. Radio died in December at the age of 73. intellectual disability It showed just a small bit of Kennedy's personality, saidJosh Allen, Kennedy's great-nephew. "At that time, he was a teenager, with a transistor radio seemingly attached to his ear, who could barely speak and had never learned to read or write," wrote former T.L. >> JAMES "RADIO" KENNEDY PASSED AWAY SUNDAY MORNING AFTER AN ONGOING BATTLE WITH PANCREA-TITUS AND OTHER HEALTH ISSUES. The movie "Radio," starring Cuba Gooding Jr. in the title role, told the story of how Kennedy was eventually accepted and ultimately celebrated. She was nominated for Academy Awards in both films and would continue to work steadily over the years. "Fun facts" about Radio listed on Anderson School District Five's website in an article written by former Hanna principal Sheila Hilton: More: Radio, Coach Jones ring bell for Salvation Army in Anderson, Friends celebrate 71st birthday with Radio. "He was nicknamed Radio by the coaches and players. Upon meeting Radio on the streets another day, Coach Jones asks Radio to visit and help at training. "So many people loved him," said Kennedy's niece and caregiver, Jackie Kennedy. He has been associated with the T.L. He could barely speak and never learned how to read or write, according to WSPA. "Hilton added: "It was destiny that he arrived on that football field some fifty years ago. Radio does have an older brother named Walter, and a younger brother, George. 'He always will be T.L. Hanna': Coach Jones remembers James - WYFF The story of Radio's friendship with Jones was the subject of the film "Radio" in 2003. Most fans know her as Dr. April Kepner on Grey's Anatomy, and she was on the show from 2009-2018. "Click here to read the full article Hilton wrote about Radio.In 1964, former T.L. One coach, Harold Jones, took him under his wing, and their relationship served as the inspiration behind the 2003 film, "Radio." Kennedy began carrying a transistor radio to listen to sports and it became his nickname. His message of acceptancehas reached around the world, said Harold Jones, who was the football coach at T.L. Gooding was already an established actor in Hollywood, winning an Academy Award for his performance in Jerry Maguire in 1996. His successors have taken good care of Radio and considered him an integral part of the team. The coaches embraced him, and as coaches came and went, someone would always take over in caring for him. "Radio touched so many people," Jones said. Kennedy was a sports fan with few peers. Radio died in December at the age of 73. For decades, Kennedy was an unofficial11th-grader at Hanna, where hekept vigilsince 1965 and never considered himself on the brink of departure from the school he loved like the 12th-graders were. In a meeting with the townspeople, Jones speaks of Radio being a blessing for the community by showing how people should treat one another, and announces his resignation as head coach so that he may spend more time with his family. "He just showed up at practice, but he wouldn't come close, and we couldn't understand a word he said. Who is coach Harold Jones in chasing thefrog? Moriah Baptist Church in Starr. And I say, 'yes.'. "She'd just help you get through life," he said. HE TAUGHT US ALL I MEAN WE DIDNT TEACH HIM ONE THING AND YOU KNOW RADIO HES JUST AND YOU BILL I TELL YOU WE HAD THAT WEBSITE, YOU KNOW, AND WE GOT TWO EMAILS FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD. Mary "Pat" Kennedy became part of the story published by Sports Illustrated in. The 2003 movie was based on astory that originated in the Independent Mail in 1993, and it was expanded for a Sports Illustrated story three years later. I believe it really helped. Hanna High School legend James "Radio" Kennedy has passed away, according to his niece and caregiver Jackie Kennedy. Click here to read the full article Hilton wrote about Radio. Hanna coach Harold Jones. [5] Cuba Gooding Jr. earned a Golden Raspberry Award nomination for Worst Actor for his performance in the film but also an NAACP Image Award for Best Actor in a Motion Picture. Woman who raised Radio Kennedy dies Radio begins assisting Coach Jones on the football team, and inspires the team before each game as a mascot-type figure. HANNA AS THEY REMEMBER HIS IMPACT ON CAMPUS. But when he would come in, hed say Why are you tired? Coach Harold Jones is a retired South Carolina high school football coach best known for embracing a developmentally challenged African American boy named James Robert "Radio" Kennedy back in 1964. It's very sad for us," former T.L. She helped care for her aunt, who was blind, when she was just a child. Copyright 2023 PopCulture.com. Radio was inducted into the T.L. He was invited to attend practices for the Carolina Panthers and made a bond with Clemson University's football team, but his true love was Hanna and the students there,said Allen and Jackie Kennedy, the niece who cared for Radio since 2011. Harold Jones noticed that he would sort of mimick the coaches and players on the sidelines. "He was just a. The two spent much of their time together for half a century. 'Radio' Cast: Where Are They Now? - Sports Jones and Radio were friends for over 50 years until Radio passed away at 73 on 15 December 2019. Then as Kennedy grew up and married, she went on to raise her four children and she cared for her mother-in-law and two of her brother-in-laws, James Robert "Radio" Kennedy and George Allen "Cool Rock" Kennedy. If you would like to contribute, you can mail a check to: The story of Radio's friendship with Jones was the subject of the film "Radio" in 2003. Hanna': Coach Jones remembers James 'Radio' Kennedy, A POPULAR PRESENCE AT TL HANNA THE KEY FIXTURE ON THIS SIDE LINE SINCE THE MID-1960S WHEN HE SHOWED UP WITH A RADIO TRANSISTOR. "How someone like Radio at that time he was challenged, and he touched a lot of people's lives. Hanna legend Radio died, and his grave still does not have a marker. Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. Hearst Television participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites. In Anderson is where Kennedy's heart, and his big beaming smile, will remain. Hanna legend Radio died, and his grave still does not have a marker. I FEEL LUCKY TO HAVE HAD HIM IN MY LIFE. We didn't teach him a thing. Jones reflected recently with the Independent Mail on what kind of legacy Kennedy has left. He taught us all. Hanna football coach, played by Ed Harris, was inspired by a 1996 Sports Illustrated article, Someone to Lean On , by Gary Smith. Hanna High Principal Sheila Hilton wrote a few years ago, At that time, he was a teenager, with a transistor radio seemingly attached to his ear, who could barely speak and had never learned to read or write. "We all loved him. They will hear stories from those who knew her as people stop by to visit at the Unity Mortuary in Anderson from 11 a.m. Thursday until 12:30 p.m. Friday. "As far as I'm concerned, he's probably the most-known person in South Carolina," Jones said. Kennedy first showed up on the field as a teenager in the 1960s. The latest breaking updates, delivered straight to your email inbox. ", Hilton added: "It was destiny that he arrived on that football field some fifty years ago. The 18-year-old James Robert Kennedy, nicknamed Radio because of his obsession with radios, had a developmental handicap and wasn't able to read or write. HERES THE RENDERING AND THEY ARE ASKING FOR THE COMMUNITYS HELP TO PAY FOR IT. He kept coming back," said former T.L. At that point, he could have been labeled a distraction and sent away. Former T.L. "It showed that people with special needs are just like you and I. "Radio" movie death: James Robert Kennedy, T.L. Hanna football fan at [3] The film holds a score of 38 out of 100 on Metacritic. All rights reserved. Hanna football became his life's legacy. It's been a year since James "Radio" Kennedy diedafter inspiring thousands of people in Andersonand millions more who saw the Hollywood movie based on his life. Harry Belafonte, activist and entertainer with a 'rebel heart,' dies at On Monday, Mary Kennedy died at the age of 63 at the home of Andrea Wideman, her daughter. Following the holidays, Radio begins taking classes in the high school to complete his formal education. When you thought of Radio, you thought of Hanna, and when you thought of Hanna, you thought of Radio, Burdette said. Coach Jones frees Radio and punishes the wrongdoers by making them run extra wind sprints after practice. >> A LOCAL LEGEND IMMORTALIZED IN A HOLLYWOOD MOVIE BUT ALSO IN THE HEARTS OF THOSE CLOSEST TO HIM. Radio is a film released in 2003 that tells the story of a man named James "Radio" Kennedy, who has an intellectual disability.
