J. P. McCarthy - Hobbies and Interests

Hobbies and Interests

McCarthy had plenty of interests, and he would easily discuss them at great length on his morning show, and generate a little criticism in the process. One of McCarthy's passions was golf. He played it frequently as an adult and was an authority on the game and its rules. He belonged to multiple private country clubs, and for a time served as president of the Bloomfield Hills Country Club. He had PGA golfers on his show and broadcast his show from many golf tournaments. One annual event that was dear to him was the annual fundraiser of the Detroit Police Athletic League, where he persuaded professional golfers to participate in pro-ams.

Another McCarthy interest was sailing. He owned several private boats over the course of his life and would frequently chart courses on the Great Lakes. He even broadcast his show in 1987 from Fremantle, Australia, when American skipper Dennis Conner reclaimed the America's Cup from Australia.

McCarthy would also broadcast his show live from the Tokyo Motor Show, Geneva Motor Show, and the Paris Auto Show, chatting with automotive luminaries and reporting on obscure European and Asian makes. He also hosted the televised charity preview at the Detroit Auto Show. Another annual show people looked forward to was on the Friday before the Michigan – Ohio State football game, when J. P. would bring in Ron Kramer, Millie Schembechler (Bo was busy...), a few members of the Michigan marching band and other Wolverine luminaries for a pep rally to send the Maize 'n Blue off to, back then, usually victory.

McCarthy was proud of his Irish-American heritage. One highlight of each year was McCarthy's annual St. Patrick's Day broadcast, where he would invite local celebrities and politicians to drop by. The event began in the lobby of WJR at the Fisher Building and blossomed, until one thousand invitees showed up at the Fox Theatre in 1995. The broadcast is still a major event on WJR.