JJ Gerard

JJ Gerard

Photo: 100.5 WYMG


Afternoons with JJ Gerard!

How it all started (radio)

My radio career started in the Spring of 1985 at the University of Iowa campus station, KRUI – where I did news one afternoon a week

How it’s going

All these years later & I’m still having fun on the radio.  I’ve been doing mornings in Springfield since December 1st, 2015

My favorite local hobby

Sitting on the tailgate of my truck, having a cup of coffee on the Lake Springfield shore on an early Spring or Fall morning.

My favorite local event

The Glenwood High School show choir invitational “The EVENT.” My kids were part of the Glenwood Show Choir TITAN FEVER.  -AND- I enjoy the plays at the Legacy Theater.

My family

Married to Karen for 20+ years, with 2 kids – Nate is in college at the Univ of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, & Katie is studying at LLCC. We have 2 dogs – Fozzie & Sully – & several brightly-colored fish.

Where I came from

I was born & raised in Dubuque, Iowa (travel to the upper left corner of Illinois, cross the Mississippi River & you’ll be in Dubuque) Since I finished college at Iowa I have lived & been on the radio in Cedar Rapids, Cincinnati, and Milwaukee before I moved to Springfield.

My claim to fame

I have been in 2 Hollywood movies: The Sylvester Stallone movie F.I.S.T. – it’s about the trucker’s union in the 1940’s, and Take This Job & Shove It -yes, based on the Johnny Paycheck song. Both were filmed in my hometown when I was a teenager (the local casting director is a good friend of my parents – so…)  I got to see myself on the big screen in each of them.  BTW: that same casting director is the reason the Field of Dreams is in Eastern Iowa, also.

Recent Headlines

2 hours ago in Entertainment

Kevin Hart and Jason Kelce are among the celebrity caddies at Augusta National’s Par 3 Contest

Comedian Kevin Hart captured the mood of the Par 3 Contest at Augusta National when he showed up as Bryson DeChambeau's caddie — and sounded ready to take over the rest of the operation if need be.

3 hours ago in Entertainment, Trending

‘Ketamine Queen’ gets 15 years in prison for selling Matthew Perry the drugs that killed him

A federal judge on Wednesday handed down a sentence of 15 years in prison to a woman who pleaded guilty to selling "Friends" star Matthew Perry the ketamine that killed him in 2023.

7 hours ago in Business, Entertainment, Food Scene, History, IL State News, Lifestyle, Local, National

Route 66, a quintessential American road trip heavy on kitsch and history, turns 100

There were places to grab and go, but also to sit down and relish a slice of home. The Cozy Dog Drive In — famous for its breaded hot dogs on a stick — has fit both bills since 1949. Inside the dining room in Springfield, Illinois, travelers tell tales of life on the highway.