CLEVELAND — Legendary Cleveland singer-songwriter and radio personality Michael Stanleydied Friday at the age of 72, following a months-long fight with lung cancer.
On March 3, 2021, Stanley's family issued a statement on his behalf to let fans know why hadn’t been appearing in his usual 3-7 p.m. slot on 98.5 WNCX. Stanley’s last day on the air was on Feb. 19.
"Michael battled lung cancer for seven months with the same strength and dignity he carried throughout his life. He will always be remembered as a loving father, brother, husband, a loyal friend, and the leader of one of Cleveland's most successful rock bands," 98.5 WNCX said.
Prior to his passing, Stanley penned a farewell letter to his friends, family and fans. 98.5 WNCX shared his last message on their Facebook page.
"Hey gang...Well, if you're reading this then I am off to catch up with that big club tour in the sky. But before the bus pulls out I wanted to thank all of you for being a part of my musical journey, both on the stage, on record, and behind the microphone here at WNCX," he wrote.
You can read the full letter below:
Stanley, a Cleveland native, recorded several memorable hits, such as "My Town” and “He Can’t Love You,” over the course of several decades. In all, Stanley recorded more than 18 albums and gave hundreds of concert performances.
In the 1970s and 80s, Stanley toured with some of the biggest names in music, such as Foreigner, The Eagles, Bruce Springsteen, and The Doobie Brothers. He also worked with Joe Walsh, Todd Rundgren and David Sanborn.
In addition to music, Stanley was the recipient of a dozen regional Emmy Awards for his work on television with Fox 8. He’s been a fixture on WNCX for years.
The corner of Euclid Avenue and Huron Road was renamed Michael Stanley Way in his honor.
A private service will be held by his family, and Stanley will be laid to rest at Lake View Cemetery. Instead of flowers, contributions can be made to the Cleveland APL and the Cleveland Food Bank in his memory.
RELATED: Family of Michael Stanley says 'serious' health issues are the reason for his on-air absence
Download the News 5 Cleveland app now for more stories from us, plus alerts on major news, the latest weather forecast, traffic information and much more. Download now on your Apple device here, and your Android device here.
You can also catch News 5 Cleveland on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, YouTube TV, DIRECTV NOW, Hulu Live and more. We're also on Amazon Alexa devices. Learn more about our streaming options here.
