June 30, 1942:

Radio Daily reports that KMYR AM Denver’s Jim Hawthorne, host of “Three Ring Circus” (he also hosted an afternoon teen show called “Meet the Boys in the Band”) had resigned to join Fox West Coast Theaters.

KMYR had been his first job in radio and the move to California would catapult him into a successful career in radio, TV, recordings and even the movies. He was on KXLA, KPFK, KFWB, KNX and other Los Angeles radio and TV stations. He “retired” to Hawaii, where he teamed with KIMN legend Pogo Pogue on the “Checkers and Pogo Show” as the first of three “Checkers.”

He returned to Colorado in 1970 to help his ailing mother. He joined KOA in 1974, as “creative guy” and was the Saturday overnight host. He became promotion manager then program director for KOA and sister station KOAQ (Q-103) and served briefly as General Manager of both stations during an ownership change. He retired from KOA in 1985. He also wrote and hosted a daily show “Noonday” on KOA TV.

The Victor, Colorado native was inducted into the Broadcast Pioneers of Colorado Hall of Fame in 2001. Months before his death at 89 in November 2007, he had joked “I plan to semi-retire at 90. I might take it easy at 100.”