Jeff Kaye

Born

1936-12-12

Died

2012-11-16

Birthplace

Binghamton, New York, USA

Biography

Jefferson "Jeff" Kaye built a legendary broadcasting career spanning five decades, establishing himself as one of the most distinctive voices in sports media through his work at NFL Films and earning recognition as a masterful radio producer, writer, and on-air personality. Born as Martin Jeff Krimski on December 12, 1936, in Baltimore, Maryland, Kaye served in the United States Air Force during the Korean War, stationed in Morocco, where he met his wife Suzanne in 1958. After his military service, he launched his radio career in Providence, Rhode Island, in the late 1950s, transforming from "Jeff Krimm" to "JK the DJ" on stations WHIM and WRIB. By 1961, WBZ executives in Boston recruited Kaye as part of the Westinghouse Broadcasting station's transition from middle-of-the-road programming to an aggressive Top 40 format. He hosted drive-time programs from 1961 to 1965 while also presenting a Sunday night folk music show that revived live folk radio performances, including presentations at the Newport Folk Festival where Bob Dylan's legendary electric guitar performance occurred. Moving to Buffalo in the mid-1960s, Kaye became the program director at WKBW Radio, leading the station during its glory days as "one of America's two great radio stations." In 1977, he assumed the most hallowed position in Buffalo radio as the morning drive host at WBEN, becoming only the third person to hold that chair, succeeding the legendary Clint Buehlman. Kaye assumed NFL Films narration duties in 1985 following John Facenda's death in 1984, a transition described as "like being the coach who followed Lombardi in Green Bay." Kaye narrated hundreds of NFL Films productions over more than twenty years, sharing primary duties with Harry Kalas while voicing team highlights, Road to the Super Bowl specials, and countless compilations that defined how generations experienced football. Kaye's broadcasting strengths established him as an irreplaceable talent: a deep, resonant baritone voice; triple-threat mastery as a producer, writer, and on-air talent; and a profound understanding of football exceeding even Facenda's knowledge. Kaye also served as the voice of Philadelphia's WPVI-TV Action News for three decades, narrated the Chicago Bulls' first championship documentary "Learning to Fly," produced the DePauw University football history "A Tradition of Excellence," and won four Emmy Awards for broadcasting excellence. Inducted into the Buffalo Broadcasters Hall of Fame in 2002, Kaye continued narrating NFL Films productions until his death from throat cancer on November 16, 2012, at age 75 in Binghamton, New York. He was survived by his wife Suzanne, four children, and seven grandchildren. Longtime NFL Films producer and sportswriter Ray Didinger remembered him as having "the quality of a natural storyteller" whose voice "was always a pleasure to listen to," while colleagues noted his uncanny ability to deliver scripts in one take, making good writing sound great through sheer vocal artistry and deep football knowledge.