Kenny Kott, a longtime producer at Detroit's 97.1 The Ticket and on-air contributor to The Valenti Show with Rico, died Saturday night at age 32.
Host Mike Valenti delivered the news on the air Monday. "We're heartbroken," Valenti said. "Genuinely, I struggle to find the words for this. He's a part of our dysfunctional family. That's what this is."
Kott had suffered a medical event in early June and spent several weeks hospitalized before his condition worsened over the weekend. His family has not disclosed the specific cause of death and has asked for privacy.
A graduate of Utica Eisenhower High School, Kott joined 97.1 The Ticket and was promoted to board operator in December 2017 before becoming a fixture of the popular afternoon drive-time show, known for his encyclopedic knowledge of the NHL and his devotion to the Detroit Red Wings.
Valenti recalled pushing him over the years to figure out what he wanted from his career. "He would say, 'No, I just always wanted to be part of a radio show.' And I'd say, 'OK, well, you did that, and you're part of the best one.'"
Co-producer David "Hatchetman" Hull, who worked alongside Kott for six years, said he had leaned on Kott during a personal loss of his own.
"He would let me know that things are going to be OK. Even when I wasn't having the best of days, he would let me know, 'It's alright, we're a team.'" Kott got married last summer. No funeral arrangements have been announced.