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Jim Nettleton dies

"Diamond Jim," who was 69, was diagnosed with cancer just three weeks ago.

The family of Philly radio icon "Diamond Jim" Nettleton announced his passing Sunday morning.

He was diagnosed with cancer just three weeks ago; he was 69.

He had been doing Internet marketing, and when I spoke to him in the spring, he spoke of his voice work with a revived WIBG at the Jersey Shore, now transmitting on 1020 AM.

Nettleton, who had a marvelous set of pipes, was one of the "Boss Jocks" on the old WFIL, which in the late 1960s and early 1970s unseated "Wibbage" as the dominant top-40 station in Philly.

He told me how he remembered "the thrill of the competition and professionalism. . . . We had a pitched battle on the field, but off the air we'd shake hands and have a drink."

He also worked on WABC, WCAU-FM (now WOGL), WUSL (in its "U.S. 1" easy-listening days), WPEN, and WOGL.

Here's more.