Bill Grigsby | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | February 13, 1922 Wellsville, Kansas, U.S. |
| Died | February 26, 2011(2011-02-26) (aged 89) Parkville, Missouri, U.S. |
| Education | University of Kansas |
| Occupation | Sportscaster |
| Spouse | Frances (Married 62 years) |
| Children | Three sons, two daughters. |
William W. Grigsby (February 13, 1922 – February 26, 2011)[1] was an Americansportscaster. Grigsby was best known for his work with theKansas City Chiefs. He was honored as a member of theMissouri Sports Hall of Fame.
Bill Grigsby was born inWellsville, Kansas, in 1922, the youngest of three sons of Harry Ludwell Grigsby and Elanore Amelia Grigsby. His father was a geologist, frequently unemployed during the Great Depression so the family moved toLawrence, Kansas, when Bill was in third grade.[2] After graduating from theUniversity of Kansas, Grigsby served three years in theUnited States Army Air Forces (USAAF) during World War II as acryptographer.[3] He married wife Frances in 1949 and they would have five children: three sons and two daughters.
In 1983, Grigsby co-foundedSnake Saturday, an annual parade inNorth Kansas City, with Mickey Finn.[4]
Following his discharge from the USAAF Grigsby took a job with theJoplin Globe newspaper inJoplin, Missouri, advancing from copy boy to sports reporter. It was while in Joplin he began his first foray into broadcasting, serving as play-by-play voice of theJoplin Miners minor-league baseball team.
In 1957 Grigsby returned to his alma mater to broadcastKansas Jayhawks football and basketball games. While at KU, Grigsby broadcast the first nationally-televisedNCAA Final Four game as Kansas lost toNorth Carolina in triple overtime.[5] Bill Grigsby began his long association with the Kansas City sports scene in 1959 when he was hired as part of theKansas City Athletics broadcasting team. TheKansas City Chiefs hired Grigsby in 1963 and he would remain a fixture of game broadcasts until his retirement in 2009. His trademark, no matter the weather, "It's a bea-youuu-tiful day for Chiefs football" endeared him to generations of Chiefs fans.
Other work included broadcast and management duties with theKansas City Scouts of theNHL, local commercial voiceovers, and even a brief stint as a wrestling promoter.[6] Grigsby published the first of two books,Grigs! A beauuutiful Life in 2004, followed byDon't Spit in the Wastebasket, a collection of sports memories, in 2005. Grigsby also contributed a weekly general sports column up to the time of his death for "The Parkville Luminary" newspaper.
Grigsby suffered a heart attack in October 2003 which caused him to miss several broadcasts.[2] It was also during that decade he was diagnosed with prostate cancer. When the Chiefs honored Grigsby with a special ceremony in September 2010, Grigsby was seen in a wheelchair. Bill Grigsby died of prostate cancer on February 26, 2011, at the age of 89.