Chronicle: National Radio Hall of Famer and Country Top 40 host Bob Kingsley passed away today (10/17) in Weatherford, TX following a battle with bladder cancer. He was 80. Kingsley's radio career began with the Armed Forces Radio Service station in Keflavik, Iceland in 1959 while serving in the Air Force. His early career stops included Country KGBS/Los Angeles and KLAC/Los Angeles, programming the latter following its flip into Country in 1970. Four years later, Kingsley became the producer of nationally syndicated American Country Countdown started one year earlier by Casey Kasem and Don Bustany. In 1978, Kingsley succeeded the show's original host, Don Bowman, where he remained until 2005. In 2006, Kingsley launched Bob Kingsley's Country Top 40, which he hosted until his passing. Throughout his career, Kingsley garnered numerous industry accolades, twice being named CMA's National Broadcast Personality of the Year; winning ACM's Major Market On-Air Personality of the Year twice, National Broadcast Personality of the Year once, and being honored with the Mae Boren Axton Service Award; and earning Billboard's Network/Syndicated Program of the Year 16 times. The CRB/Country Aircheck Awards named Kingsley National Air Personality of the Year four times and the CRB Presidents Award was bestowed upon him in 2012. He was inducted into the Country Radio Hall of Fame in 1998 and became the format's fifth representative in the National Radio Hall of Fame upon his induction in 2016. Kingsley was also the inaugural recipient of the Living Legend Award, later named for him, in 2014.

Kingsley's many charitable endeavors included work with Disabled American Veterans, the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Wounded Warrior Project, Careity Foundation and the Palliative Unit of Cook Children's Hospital in Fort Worth, among others. He served as Master of Ceremonies at the National Veterans Day Ceremonies at Arlington National Cemetery twice and was the recipient of the Wounded Warrior Project's Tony Snow Award for the significant difference he has made in the lives of injured servicemen and women.

A celebration of life will be held at the CMA Theater in the Country Music Hall of Fame Nov. 14 at 1pm. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations in Kingsley’s name to the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum or the Grand Ole Opry Trust Fund.