A conservative talk radio host from Tennessee who had been a vaccine skeptic until he was hospitalised from COVID-19 has died. He was 61, reported news agency PTI.
Nashville radio station SuperTalk 99.7 WTN confirmed Phil Valentineâs death in a tweet August 21.
Valentine had been a skeptic of coronavirus vaccines. But after he tested positive for COVID-19, and prior to his hospitalisation, he told his listeners to consider, âIf I get this COVID thing, do I have a chance of dying from it?â If so, he advised them to get vaccinated. He said he chose not to get vaccinated because he thought he probably wouldnât die.
After Valentine was moved into a critical care unit, Mark Valentine said his brother regretted that âhe wasnât a more vocal advocate of the vaccination.â âI know if he were able to tell you this, he would tell you, âGo get vaccinated. Quit worrying about the politics. Quit worrying about all the conspiracy theories,â Mark Valentine told The Tennessean on July 25.
âHe regrets not being more adamant about getting the vaccine. Look at the dadgum data,â Mark Valentine said.
Phil Valentine had been a radio personality since he was 20 and became a popular conservative host by railing against a state income tax proposed by Republican then-Gov. Don Sundquist, The Tennessean reported.
The program grew into a nationally syndicated show that aired for 12 years on as many as 100 stations, according to the newspaper. At the end of the run, Valentine signed a three-year deal in 2019 that kept him on 99.7 WTN.
âPhil Valentine was a visionary for the conservative movement, and he made an enormous impact on the lives of many Tennesseans,â U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn tweeted. âMy deepest condolences and prayers are with Philâs wife, Susan, and his family. May they be comforted and surrounded by love during this difficult time.â (with inputs from PTI)