Dale Sommers

Bruce Dale Sommers (November 26, 1943 – August 24, 2012), known by his nickname "The Truckin' Bozo", was an American radio personality, best known for his long-running country music show geared toward truck drivers. Sommers hosted the overnight show from Cincinnati, Ohio-based clear-channel station WLW from 1984 to 2004, and it was carried by a small network of similarly high-powered stations across the United States. Sommers discontinued playing music on his nightly show, focusing on general and truck news, and talk from his listeners. Sommers announced his retirement from radio in 2004, but XM Satellite Radio was successful in getting him to do an afternoon truck show, which aired on Sirius Satellite Radio and XM from 4 PM to 7 PM Eastern time. Sommers retired from XM/Sirius on June 21, 2012, only to return for the last time on July 16, 2012.

Biography

History Born Glen Council

Comments on Mexicans Sommers has raised some controversy among Mexican truckers for his apparent negative comments on the radio regarding cross-border trucking. He was often heard supporting bans on Mexican trucks in the United States.

Family and health Sommers was married to Sharon Cox Sommers for 35 years. Sharon ran a travel agency until May 2004 and retired from the travel business. She died August 10, 2016, at her home in Mason, Ohio. Dale and Sharon spent approximately nine months a year in Florida and the summer months in Cincinnati. Sommers had a studio in his Florida home and also in his Cincinnati home so he could continue working from both locations.

One of his sons is the media executive Sean Compton. another son, Steve Sommers, took over his father's overnight time slot on WLW; that show continued until iHeartMedia fired him in 2020 in a combination of financially related layoffs and disputes over the show's content.

In later years, Sommers was diagnosed with Addison's disease and insulin-dependent diabetes, which factored into his retirement from terrestrial radio. Despite his health difficulties, he maintained his satellite radio show until shortly before his death.

Death On the morning of August 24, 2012, Sommers died in a hospice facility near his home in Hernando, Florida at the age of 68.