Bill Austin KEZ Cancer Death

Former, popular Phoenix radio personality Bill Austin has died.
KNXV-TV ABC Channel 15 first reported Austin’s death Wednesday morning. Austin, 55, was morning radio host of the Beth & Bill show on KEZ-AM 99.9 FM in Phoenix. He retired from that gig in February. Austin and McDonald hosted the show together from 1990 until this February.

After nearly 20 years behind the KEZ 99.9 microphone with his cohort Beth McDonald, Austin wrapped his last show on Feb. 25, much to the surprise of listeners.
The popular morning duo spent a good part of that time in the 3TV studios when 3TV and KEZ were owned by the same parent company.

His partner, Beth McDonald, was with Austin at the time of his death.
“Bill was not just my radio partner,” McDonald said. “He was the brother I never had. A couple of days before he passed, while at the hospital, he told me, ‘I sure miss doing that little radio show.’”
On Monday morning, in true Bill fashion, he signed off at exactly 10 a.m., as was his time to sign off on the radio.

No funeral arrangements have been announced yet.

McDonald said Austin had a gregarious personality and loved making people laugh but he led a very private life. He has no survivors but did have a small circle of friends. He was twice divorced and had no children.

She also said Bill Austin was at peace with death and still ever ready with humor. “Even yesterday, he looked over at me and did his Johnny Carson expression,” she said.