Big Joe Henry

Joe Henry is an American radio personality and philanthropist who is a member of the New Jersey Hall of Fame.

Radio career

Since 1997, Henry has hosted weekend music shows on WKXW New Jersey 101.5, where he mostly plays hit songs from the 1970s and 1980s.

Prior to that, Henry was a disc jockey at WWZY Oldies 107.1 in central New Jersey.

Henry is known for his prodigious weight. He is also known for his deep voice; one media story about him referred to "the rotund broadcast veteran with the robust baritone". a Sunday-evenings event at Jenkinson's in Point Pleasant Beach, New Jersey during the summer. Age-grouped contestants are judged by applause until the finals at the end of the summer, when a judging panel is used.

At times Henry's radio show is broadcast live from remote sites, such as a Classic Car Show & Oldies Day at Monmouth Park Racetrack in 2017.

On WFGR in Grand Rapids, Michigan owned by Townsquare Media which also owns New Jersey 101.5, in late 2013, a local midday disc jockey was cut from the staff and replaced with a company voice-tracked personality “Big Joe Henry” based in New Jersey.

Charitable work Henry is known for his frequent work for charities, Beneficiaries of Henry's work have included the March of Dimes and the Special Olympics,

A wintertime fundraising event is Big Joe Henry's Holiday Extravaganza for Jersey Kids, which benefits several different children's charities. It is run by The Rock and Roll Music Fund, New Jersey musician Bobby Bandiera has said, "Big Joe Henry is a legend on and off the radio."

Although New Jersey 101.5's weekday news and talk format often features hosts displaying conservative or right-wing populist views, the Big Joe Henry weekend music shows are thoroughly non-political. The teachers clarified that they did not believe Henry himself was opposed to public education or the arts.

Other activities

In 2008, Big Joe Henry's Big Jersey Cookbook: The Ultimate Taste of New Jersey was published. In addition to having his own recipes as well as those from his family and friends, it also had ones selected from submissions by his radio listeners, The cookbook sold out its print run.

Besides charitable activities, Henry has also hosted events such as the Miss New Jersey Teen pageant. Subsequent iterations of The Big Joe Henry Variety Show were public events held in Seaside Heights, New Jersey.

Henry has a cameo appearance in 2020 film This Is the Year.

In 2007, Henry was given the Regional Award for Communication Excellence from Monmouth University.

The readers of the Asbury Park Press voted Henry the best radio personality/show in Monmouth County in 2022.

In 2026, Henry was named to the New Jersey Hall of Fame in the Arts & Letters category. The news was given to Henry on-air by Governor Mikie Sherrill, who said to Henry, "You are exactly what New Jersey is all about. Sometimes we get a bad rap for some reason, but we are so community-focused, we care about each other." The induction ceremony is scheduled for September 24, 2026.

Publications