The Illustrious Career of Jeff Spurgeon

The latest stories from www.wqxr.org · Aug 31, 2026

Jeff Spurgeon retires on Friday, September 4th, 2026, after an illustrious fifty-year career in radio and thirty years as a host on WQXR. He didn't start out in the big city though. Jeff grew up on a farm in western Nebraska. As a teenager, he was doing announcements in church when someone in the congregation, who had started a local radio station, suggested Jeff come out and audition. This sparked his broadcasting career. His beginning was delayed briefly by a slight lateral lisp that had to be addressed through rigorous speech therapy sessions. The experience made Jeff acutely aware of his…