JAY CONROY Rock Hard Fundraiser

That grin.

That lopsided smirk that was two parts sunny and one part mischievous. If you walked into a room to find Jay Conroy, you would be instantly affected by his energy.

You’d find yourself grinning right back at him – even if you had never met him.

That’s just the kind of person he was. If Jay was involved… you just knew you were in for a good time.

 

This GoFundMe is being organized by Jay’s colleagues at CNN, who miss him dearly and want to help his family to grieve.

 

When you saw Jay, he would always greet you with a story. Chances were it was about one of his four children – Corin, Carly, Tyler, and Colton – as they were the absolute lights of his life, OR it was a wild (and potentially bawdy) tale from one of his rock and roll exploits.

Either way, you were going to end up laughing. He was an honest conversationalist with no room for judgement, and his sense of humor was unmatched.

In essence, Jay was blessed with an innate talent for putting people at ease.

He effortlessly created a relaxed and comfortable atmosphere in any situation.

His charm and informal demeanor served him well in both of his chosen professions.

 

As a Floor Director at CNN for decades, Jay made it a priority to ensure that the news anchors always felt safe and secure.

He wanted them to concentrate on their jobs and not sweat the small stuff. They knew that he had everything under control.

He had their backs which instantly won their trust. He was admired and respected him immensely by his team.

Jay’s intense passion for all things rock and roll led him to his passion project – “Rock Hard With Jay Conroy.”

Just as he did in the tv studio, Jay maintained that the same warm and friendly environment in the radio booth.

His rockstar guests always felt at ease, enabling them to talk candidly with him during interviews, as well as off the screen.

It speaks volumes that he formed enduring, lifelong friendships with almost everyone who came onto his show.

They knew that he deeply cared about them and their music.

 

Jay’s main musical obsession was, of course, Aerosmith. Since 1976, he attended hundreds of their concerts and had met the band personally. He became friends with so many people from (The Blue Army) fellow Aerosmith fans that was like a second family to him. He was determined to keep Rock Music alive for the next generation!

He also has enough Aerosmith t-shirts to go a full year (maybe two) without wearing the same one twice.

It was his standard uniform.

 

Despite his obsession for the classics, Jay was also a tireless champion of new music.

He featured many up-and-coming bands on his radio program.

He inspired such love and loyalty in his guests. Jay constantly emphasized the influence that music had on his life, while he was making an impact on all of us.

 

Jay’s unexpected and tragic passing has left his beloved children with a plethora of legal and service expenses, and they need help during this darkest of times.

If you knew Jay in any respect – as a friend, a colleague, or a fan – this is the opportunity to give back to Jay and his family for the joy that he’s provided to this universe.

 

Please consider a donation to help his loved ones offset the significant costs that they’re now facing.

Thank you all from the bottoms of our hearts.

 

Heaven just got a lot louder. Rock on, Jay! You are loved and missed by all who knew you.

There really is no better measure of a life than that.