LISTEN: MIX 108 Celebrates The Life And Career Of Jeanne Ryan With On-Air Tribute Show

On Thursday, December 14, we got some heartbreaking news. Long-time Twin Ports radio personality and my good friend Jeanne Ryan had passed away at the age of 59. Jeanne had been in the Duluth area for over 20 years, starting in radio for a different station before becoming a figure on MIX 108 for many years.

In the wake of the news of Jeanne's passing, we wanted to celebrate the life and legacy of our friend and long-time colleague by sharing stories and memories from over the years, including audio from old bits and videos she had done as well as from friends, listeners, and coworkers.

Through the course of this two-hour tribute show, we were joined by her first radio cohost Laura Wylde, another on-air partner KJ, her former MIX 108 Morning Show cohost Laura, and Ian. Also joining us were her friends Dan Hanger, Jeanne's sister MaryNell, her friend Kate Wagner, her friends and former coworkers Bill Jones and Jeff Anderson, as well as our midday personality Lauren and our market president Mary Niemeyer.

Dan Hanger snapped and shared a photo of just some of the many folks that were part of today's show.

During the course of the tribute, we shared a number of stories, but also played some music Jeanne loved. I had a couple of people reach out during the show to ask if we could provide a playlist of the songs we played. Being we can't include it in the podcast recording below, I also included a list of the songs further down the page for anyone who wants to see the songs that were played.

During the show, we made a number of mentions of videos we made with Jeanne over the years. One of them that we mentioned was Jeanne's audition tape for 'The Voice.

There was also a point in the show where we played "Rapper's Delight" with Jeanne making some comments about the song. Jeanne loved music, especially "old school" R&B and hip-hop. One of her favorites was "Rapper's Delight", and I caught her on video showing her love for the song.

Bill Jones shared a story about Jeanne's love for Peeps. Her love for that seasonal candy inspired a number of bits over the years, including a giveaway we did back in 2017 where Jeanne played "Peeps Karaoke" live on the air. We shared a bit of that audio during the show today, but here's the full video.

We also made mention of the trip Jeanne and I made to the farm and a time Jeanne got to go fishing. Below is the first of the three videos Jeanne and I made, and here are the links to the second one and third one.

As we mentioned during the tribute show, Jeanne was always a good sport, willing to try new things and always doing so with her infectious, iconic laugh.

Jeanne was not only a fun coworker, but a kind and genuine human who left an impression on everyone she met. Here's to you, Jeanne. You will truly be missed. Here's today's tribute show:

I also mentioned that playlist of songs we played during the show, all favorites of hers. Here's that list:

• Lizzo – About Damn Time
• Eurythmics – Here Comes The Rain Again
• Alice Deejay – Better Off Alone
• La Bouche – Be My Lover
• Prince – When Doves Cry
• Michael Jackson – Billie Jean
• Sugarhill Gang – Rapper’s Delight
• Lady Gaga – Poker Face (Peeps Karaoke story)
• Ice Cube – Today Was A Good Day
• Montell Jordan – This Is How We Do It

Jeanne's family did share that there is a GoFundMe to help with her final expenses. Here is the link if you'd like to contribute. Do be aware, however, that there are a few scammers out there trying to take advantage of this. A fake Facebook page and a few other online links have popped up claiming to be for Jeanne or about Jeanne. Please be cautious if you see other links being shared around.