Biography.guide
Home › People › Radio personality › Jess Cain
Portrait of Jess Cain

Jess Cain

1926 – 2008

American DJ

Don't just read it — keep itBiographies to ownE-book · Audio · Video From $7 →

About Jess Cain

Lived 1926 – 2008 (aged 81). Jess Cain was an American radio personality, disc jockey and stage actor.

Jess Daniel Dennis Cain II (June 17, 1926 – February 14, 2008) was an American radio personality.

Career For 34 years, from 1957 to 1991, Cain was the morning drivetime personality on WHDH/850 in Boston. Cain also was a professional actor and appeared in theater and musical theater productions, and appeared in early television on the Sergeant Bilko - a.k.a. The Phil Silvers Show. A native of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, he was a graduate of Northeast Catholic High School in Philadelphia and the University of Notre Dame.

Cain's song about Carl Yastrzemski — which he adapted from an old ragtime tune called "Shoutin' Liza Trombone" — appeared on "The Impossible Dream," a WHDH-produced album commemorating the 1967 Boston Red Sox season and later as part of the soundtrack of the 2005 movie Fever Pitch.

He was a World War II veteran, serving under Audie Murphy at the Battle of the Bulge and earning the Silver Star.

In 1970, Cain criticized Johnny Cash's anti-war song "What is Truth?". He called the song "junk" and "Trash".

Cain died from prostate cancer in his Beacon Hill home at the age of 81. He was inducted into the National Radio Hall of Fame in November 2008.

Biography shop

Don’t just read it —
keep it.

Full-length biographies made to live with: read them, listen on the way to work, watch them tonight.

  • E-book
  • Audio
  • Video
Browse the shop — from $7

Instant download · yours to keep · every purchase keeps this site free

Important facts

Birth century
Nationality
Education
University of Notre Dame
Awards
Silver Star
Also known as
Jess Daniel Dennis Cain II

People in Jess Cain's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Jess Cain's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Jess Cain?

American DJ

When was Jess Cain born?

Jess Cain was born on 17 June 1926.

When did Jess Cain die?

Jess Cain died on 14 February 2008.

What was Jess Cain's occupation?

Jess Cain was a radio personality, disc jockey and stage actor.

What nationality was Jess Cain?

Jess Cain was American.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Jess Cain

· Wikidata: Q11866409

· DBpedia: Jess Cain

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Jess Cain. https://biography.guide/jess-cain/

MLA: "Jess Cain." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/jess-cain/.

Chicago: "Jess Cain." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/jess-cain/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

Page generated 2026-09-27 05:07 UTC