Alan Colmes, Liberal Jewish Voice on Fox, Dies At 66
Alan Colmes, a host and commentator who had been a mainstay of Fox News since its inception, died Thursday after a brief illness. He was 66.
Colmes was the liberal co-host counterpart to conservative Sean Hannity on the long-running “Hannity and Colmes” program.
“I’m truly heartbroken at the loss of a dear friend,” Hannity said in a statement. He called Colmes “one of life’s most decent, kind and wonderful people you’d ever want to meet.”
A New York native and the son of Jews, Colmes got his start in the industry as a standup comic after graduating from Hofstra University in 1971. He moved into talk radio in 1984 when he landed a plum drive-time slot on New York’s WABC radio.
On “Hannity and Colmes,” which came to dominate the 9 p.m. slot among cable news outlets, Colmes was known for his reasoned approach and ample use of humor to express his liberal-leaning views on social and cultural issues. He was well loved by Fox News insiders, even those who were far to the right of his political perspective.
“Despite major political differences, we forged a deep friendship,” Hannity said. “Alan, in the midst of great sickness and illness, showed the single greatest amount of courage I’ve ever seen.”—Reuters
I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning journalism this Passover.
In this age of misinformation, our work is needed like never before. We report on the news that matters most to American Jews, driven by truth, not ideology.
At a time when newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall. That means for the first time in our 126-year history, Forward journalism is free to everyone, everywhere. With an ongoing war, rising antisemitism, and a flood of disinformation that may affect the upcoming election, we believe that free and open access to Jewish journalism is imperative.
Readers like you make it all possible. Right now, we’re in the middle of our Passover Pledge Drive and we still need 300 people to step up and make a gift to sustain our trustworthy, independent journalism.
Make a gift of any size and become a Forward member today. You’ll support our mission to tell the American Jewish story fully and fairly.
— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO
Join our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
Only 300 more gifts needed by April 30
