Run That By Me Again?

Country Radio Seminar (CRS) 2017 turned out to be a hell of a run for Tim Closson, whose week went something like this: On Wednesday (2/22), he was one of nine inductees revealed for the 2017 Country Radio Hall of Fame (CRHOF) class; Thursday morning (2/23), when Garth Brooks began his hour-long session to a packed CRS ballroom, who did he namecheck as someone critically important to his career success? Tim Closson. And, as part of the Westwood One affiliate relations team, Closson was busy meeting existing clients and working to build new ones.

Oh, and one more thing on his plate…Closson is currently battling cancer.

Yep, that’s a full week’s run, alright, and this weekend – tomorrow (3/4), in fact – he’ll be running again. This time, literally, at the Myrtle Beach Half Marathon, a benefit for the American Cancer Society (ACS). It’s kind of crazy to think about, really. A guy with bladder cancer feeling well enough to run a half-marathon. “My prognosis is still very good,” says Closson. “I still feel great. I wouldn’t know I have cancer if I didn’t have to go for a procedure every three to four months and feel miserable for six weeks afterward.” By the way, quick plug here: if you’re interested in donating for Closson’s run tomorrow, you still have time to pledge an amount-per-mile here.

Today’s ‘Ville is about Tim, and yet, while we talked, he insisted it really wasn’t. “It’s about every one of us; every person either knows someone who has it, has it themselves, knows someone who has beaten it and kicked cancer’s ass, or knows someone who has lost the battle. It’s becoming a more prevalent, ugly disease.” And Closson is so right. Off the top of my head, and limited to our format alone, these names automatically came to mind when he said that: Mark McKay, John “JT” Thomas, Mark Grantin, Mandy McCormack – thankfully all of whom are still with us and part of our business. And most of us remember Warner Music Nashville promo rep Lindsay Walleman, who isn’t. She passed away in 2013 at just 28 years old following a short but courageous battle with cancer.

Let me back up for moment. Some of you may not be familiar with Closson’s radio career, which is hard for me to fathom, because Tim had a long, successful, and high-profile run in radio. But, he was out of the business entirely for 10 years until returning in 2014 when he joined Westwood One. After cutting his teeth in small market radio – at WAXX/Eau Claire, WI and KHAK/Cedar Rapids, IA, where he helped each win a CMA Station of the Year award – Closson successfully programmed WUBE/Cincinnati for 15 years. During his time there (1990-2004), the station was a consistent ratings winner. As a result, Closson was awarded corporate VP/Programming stripes for Chancellor, and then AM/FM, with programming oversight for the company’s multiple large market Country stations.

Besides their Hall of Fame radio careers, Closson and fellow 2017 CRHOF inductee Linda Lee – also announced last week – have a cancer battle in common. Lee announced her fight with stage four lung cancer last Fall; Closson, while not hiding his illness, has kept it mostly quiet since a bladder cancer diagnosis last Spring.

“It’s not a fun disease,” Closson says, with authority and experience.

He’s sharing his fight now, because in addition to maintaining a positive attitude and surrounding oneself with friends, loved ones, and other patients, by telling his story, says Closson, “You may help someone else discover early detection, and that saves lives. That’s really one of the reasons why I’ve gone ahead and opened up about it.”

Closson was always healthy and fit, something I can personally vouch for, because at every CRS or other industry events dating back to the late 80s, he and I would run into each other in the hotel gym each morning. He started running back then, completing a handful of marathons and half marathons. Then, last May, he recalls, “I came back from a run and had to go to the restroom, and it was blood. And a lot of it. We thought it was kidney stones, but I didn’t have the pain with it.” A battery of tests ensued, says Closson. “Blood tests, procedures, an ultrasound to check all my internal organs… Nothing came out of that. Then, they sent me to a urologist, who scheduled a CT scan back-to-back with a cystoscopy.” And that revealed his cancer, says Closson. “You’re never quite prepared. But it revealed the tumor. They hauled me off and said, ‘it’s cancer, and we’re going in to get it.’ That was the first Friday in May, but the signs had started much earlier than that.” Closson thought back to CRS 2016, when he didn’t feel 100% and even had several dizzy spells during the week. The good news? “I had early detection,” says Closson. “The other good news is, if you’re going to have cancer, bladder cancer is one of the very best ones to have. It’s treatable. It’s similar to when Scott Hamilton said testicular is one of the best you can have.”

Closson is referring to CRS opening day keynote speaker Scott Hamilton, the Olympic figure skater and cancer survivor. “Obviously, I found Scott very compelling,” says Closson. “I was brought to tears during his session, because it hit pretty close to home, no question. His message at the end was to remain strong, and to fight on and stay positive. I talked to him afterwards and said, ‘I am absolutely doing all of that. In fact I am doing the Myrtle Beach Half Marathon. Your words rang true with me.’ He told me, ‘Tim that is fantastic! Cancer hates exercise!’ That was one of the best statements I ever heard. It sort of validated what I’m doing even more.”

There are many among us – including yours truly – who are relatively healthy, but could never – would never – consider running a half marathon under the best of conditions. So, imagine that training protocol side-by-side with a medical one. “It makes things a little bit more interesting,” Closson says. “I have to be very careful with how I go about it. The doctor thought I was crazy for running a half marathon, because your organs can take a little bit of a beating when you’re pounding the ground, so to speak, but it also helps me stay mentally focused on a positive result.”

After his diagnosis and first treatment, Closson did see positive results. “I asked my doctor, ‘What should I do now?’ They said, ‘Go about your life the way you normally have.’ So, I did last summer. But, it was a wake-up call when I had the next procedure, and they found more. I went to school on it; I studied about it. [It] doesn’t like exercise, so I took mine to another level. I adopted a very cancer-friendly, Mediterranean diet – lean meats, fruits and vegetables. Funny enough, the weight fell off of me. It’s a real abrupt adjustment. It also gives you a new perspective on a lot of different things. It’s just life now. My deal is every three to four months of having the regular procedure. Once I’m clean for a year, then it’s every six months, then once it’s clean for a year, every year. If there’s a hiccup, it resets to every three to four months. It’s the new norm.”

As for the Hall of Fame news, for someone trying to keep a positive attitude in a challenging time, according to Closson, “From a personal standpoint of where I’m at in my life and not knowing really what the future holds, it was absolutely thrilling and very uplifting. The timing, frankly, couldn’t have been better in that respect.” And, as far as thinking of his radio career? “It was very unexpected, especially since I had stepped away from the business for ten years. It made it very humbling. Just like, wow. To think that I could have had that kind of an impact on the industry; to join the people that are in that honored club just made me step back and go, ‘Wow. Unbelievable.’”

And, someone else crossed his mind too: “Quite honestly, Linda Lee. What a day for she and I to be selected in the same class. She is part of why I do this, and please say that. She doesn’t know it, but she is. I don’t really know her, but I know of her, and I know she’s a terrific individual. So, I’m running this weekend for her, everyone that’s battling it, and anybody who has been affected by it.”

Here’s hoping Tim Closson’s good run continues on many different levels.