Radio Talk Show Host Howie Carr Has Medical Episode, Collapses During Live Broadcast

BOSTON, MA — Howie Carr, a Boston-based talk radio host, columnist, and author, was hospitalized Monday after collapsing on the air live during his afternoon drivetime show.

Carr, who said he was not feeling well at the beginning of his show, due to a medical procedure, was interviewing Gerry Manning, the owner of Capt. Parker’s Pub, an advertiser to his show. The pair were speaking about Capt. Parker’s chowder before the host was scheduled to give away $50 gift certificates to the restaurant for half-price.

While commending Manning’s chowder, Carr began to mumble and then drifted off, slumping onto his mic. Manning, who appeared shocked, continued to speak for about 30 seconds before staffers came in to remove him from his chair and cut the live feed on Rumble.

WRKO played commercials and bumpers through the rest of the hour.

Toby Leary, the owner of Cape Gun Works, who is a frequent guest, was scheduled to fill in for Carr during the 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. hours but jumped in early after the 4 p.m. news update.

Just before 5 p.m., Grace Curley, another host on Carr’s network, came on the air to brief listeners saying Carr caught a virus from his grandson and has been checked into the hospital.

Carr, who is in his early 70s, has been a journalist for nearly five decades, with most of the last 40-plus years, mainly for the Boston Herald and WRKO 680 AM but also WHDH-TV and NewsMax TV. He was inducted into the National Radio Hall of Fame, the highest honor bestowed on broadcasters, in 2008. Carr formed his own radio network about nine years ago.

Carr has written several books, including “The Brothers Bulger,” “Hitman: The Untold Story of Johnny Martorano: Whitey Bulger's Enforcer and the Most Feared Gangster in the Underworld,” “Rifleman: The Untold Story of Stevie Flemmi,” “Ratman: The Trial and Conviction of Whitey Bulger,” and two books about the Kennedy family (“Babylon” 1 and 2), “Hard Knocks,” “Killers,” and “What Really Happened: How Donald J. Trump Saved America From Hillary Clinton.”

The Howie Carr Show is heard on 19 stations around New England.

Patch.com will update this post when more information becomes available.

Have you got a news tip? Please send it to tony.schinella@patch.com. View videos on Tony Schinella's YouTube.com channel or Rumble.com channel.