Rebecca Pratt, the former New Orleans radio personality known for her outspoken radio style and deep connection with her audience, has died at the age of 55.
According to a police record and WWL-AM. The cause and manner of death have not been determined.
Pratt, a transgender woman formerly known as John Osterlind, or on-air nickname Ozone, was one of the out-of-town hosts hired by conservative talk radio station WRNO-FM as part of a 2008 shakeup.
Drawing on previous stints in Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island, Pratt brought “a sense of style” to New Orleans’ relatively staid airwaves, said WRNO’s morning host at the time, Michael Castner. Rock spirit”. A regular feature is “Why Isn’t Today a Bad Day,” a comedic summary of that date in history.
Kastner said Pratt was admired by fellow hosts for his “non-stop” wit. Radio colleagues didn’t escape the joke, either: Kastner said Pratt “has an inappropriate nickname for pretty much everyone.”
“Not Pretending”
Her words sometimes get her into trouble. In Boston, a talk show station fired her after she made offensive comments about Palestinians. She said in a talk about the suicide bombing that the Palestinians “must leave,” the station said.
On the radio, Pratt would sometimes break what Kastner called the first rule of radio by drinking with his audience. But while Pratt is not a New Orleans native, her easy-going relationship with the public made it work, said Jim Fisher, a former program director at WRNO.
“There’s a lot of fake people out there,” said James Parker, another former colleague. He added that Pratt “isn’t putting on an act, and I think people can see that.”
transition
Pratt runs on WRNO end of 2015Her next stop is rock radio station WKBU-FM, the return of former label WAAF-FM in Boston.
Kastner said Pratt was no longer live at the time of her death, about a year before she told friends about her gender transition.Pratt talking about her transformation Made an Internet radio appearance with Parker in May.
“I know she wants everyone to know the truth,” Parker said.