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Former Seattle Sportscaster Wayne Cody Dies

June 7, 2002

By KOMO Staff & News Services




RENTON - Wayne Cody, who delighted in calling himself "Mound of Sound" in 21 years as one of the city's best-known sports broadcasters, died Friday of a heart attack at age 66.

A son of Cody said he died at Valley Medical Center, where he had been under treatment for a heart attack since May 31.

On his retirement in 1996, Cody told The Seattle Times he had done about 43,000 broadcasts but was especially grateful to KIRO Television for making him an on-the-air celebrity.

"Seattle took a fat guy - and I was weighing 325 when I went on TV here - with a beard, and put him on TV," he said. "I've always thanked Seattle for doing that."

The son of vaudeville performers, Cody began his radio career about 40 years ago in Scottsbluff, Neb. He enjoyed telling the story of how, while doing the play-by-play at a football game, his lips touched the touched the microphone and immediately froze to the metal.

He worked at KIRO Radio for 21 years, including the 14 years in which he became a citywide celebrity at KIRO-TV from about 1978 to 1992.

One of his stunts was to bring a horse into the TV studio for a report on racing results. Another time he did a broadcast while appearing in a hot tub.

In one promotion, his picture appeared on billboards around the city with the words, "Watch Wayne disappear" as he tried to lose 75 pounds.

He also was credited with helping to get the city's live comedy scene rolling when he started a standup nightclub in town.

I wonder how many people around the Seattle area even remember him.

Ever eat at his restaraunt?