R. J. Adams

R. J. Adams, also known as Bob Shannon (September 20, 1942 – January 26, 2015), was a Canadian-American film and television actor, acting coach, screen writer, film producer, documentary producer and radio personality. Beginnings Adams was born in St. Catharines, Ontario, where he spent his early childhood, until his family headed across the border to Niagara Falls, New York. Known to his friends as Bob Adams, the aspiring actor/radio DJ spent just a couple of years attending Bishop Duffy High School before dropping out and moving to New York City at the age of 17 to study acting. Upon his arrival on the west coast, he landed a job as a page at NBC Burbank which led to a radio job in Phoenix and ultimately a twenty-five-year career in broadcasting as Bob Shannon. His on-air career included radio stations in markets such as Buffalo, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, St. Louis, Seattle, Minneapolis/St. Paul, San Diego and Los Angeles. It was while working at KFI (AM) in the mid-1970s that Adams turned his attention back to film acting. Radio career Adams began his 30-year radio career as Bob Shannon at KXIV Phoenix, Arizona until going full-time, thanks to the efforts of play-by-play announcer Al McCoy, who got him his first full-time on-air job at KBLU Yuma, Arizona. From there it was on to KUTY Palmdale, California before making the leap to KDWB St. Paul, Minnesota by the end of the year. It wasn't until Shannon arrived in Phoenix that he garnered his first major success at KRUX by rapidly climbing to number one in the market by beating all competitors by twenty plus points, utilizing a variety of crazy characters and outlandish antics such as the invasion of his show by the television rock group, The Monkees. The episode aired as the finale of the group's first season. Following his departure from Phoenix, Shannon held air shifts at WKBW Buffalo, New York and WKYC Cleveland, Ohio until landing the coveted early evening slot at KXOK St. Louis, Missouri where he again rose to the number one show in the market, beating his nearest rival by over twenty ratings points.