Rocky Rhodes Signs Off After 35 Years at 98.5 KRZ

RADIO ONLINE | Thursday, May 1, 2025 | 10:18pm CT

Rocky Rhodes

After more than four decades in radio -- 35 of them in northeastern Pennsylvania -- Veteran radio personality Rocky Rhodes has signed off for the final time at Audacy CHR WKRZ-FM (98.5 KRZ), closing a career that spanned coastlines, co-hosts, and countless early mornings.

Thursday morning's show might have sounded like a typical broadcast of "Rocky and Lissa in the Morning," complete with news, weather, and banter, but the steady flow of calls, texts, and visitors told a different story. It was Rhodes' final shift before retirement - a bittersweet moment for the longtime voice of morning radio in Wilkes-Barre.

"I've been doing this since 1980, and most of those 45 years have been getting up at 3 o'clock in the morning," said Rhodes. "So it's quite a grind."

Raised in New Jersey, Rhodes got his start on the East Coast before stops in Maine and South Carolina. He came to KRZ in 1989 with his then co-host and wife Sue Barre. Though he briefly left the region in 1998, he returned and became a morning fixture, partnering with Lissa Krahnke in 2012 after Sue retired from the airwaves.

Rhodes recalled the early days of turntables and cueing up records, a far cry from today's digital operations. "It was cool to see that transformation and to be able to adapt," he said. "Because, you know, obviously, if you don't adapt, you're gonna get left behind."

Listeners and colleagues reminisced alongside him as he shared some of his most memorable on-air moments - from marrying a couple onstage during a Meat Loaf concert to enduring a 24-hour NSYNC marathon. "Getting involved in the community and giving back has been a big part of my 35 years," he said.

His wife Sue joined him in the studio Thursday, rekindling their on-air chemistry, while Lissa fought back tears. "I'm going to miss my friend," she said. Still, the mood was celebratory - especially after fans arrived bearing homemade wine, prompting a heartfelt toast between Rocky, Sue, and Lissa.

As for the next chapter, Rocky plans to embrace his newfound freedom. "Vacations. We have a secret vacation planned for Friday," he said. "A lot of kayaking, biking, gardening. Not having to worry about getting up at 3 o'clock anymore."

Before signing off, he had a simple message for his loyal audience: "I can't thank them enough for being here for 35 years - every morning. I can't get over it."