James Joseph Smith

In the early morning hours of Saturday, February 21st 2026, James Joseph Smith, otherwise known to his listeners as Jim Edwards, Diesel, Dr. Jimmy Hoppa, and Big Buddha, signed off the air for the last time and left the building. He was 65 years old.

He was the first born child to JoAnne “Jo” (Keeton) and James “Jim” Edward Smith on July 17th, 1960, in Lima. He now rejoins them at the kitchen table where they spent so much time solving the world's problems and where the coffee was always on.

He was a proud graduate of Lima Senior High School, Class of 1978. He attended Lima Technical College and Ohio State Beauty Academy. While attending Lima Technical, he decided to start pursuing a passion from his youth, playing records. He landed a part-time job as a DJ at DISCO 1996 in 1978, then at the Ramada Inn nightclub at the end of the 70's into the dawn of the 1980's.

An avid reader, he was always nose deep in a book. He managed a successful bookstore in Downtown Lima as a senior in high school and into 1980, but fate was about to intervene. One day he walked into the Readmore in the Eastgate plaza and met a new employee named Kimberly Johnson. They struck up a conversation. One thing led to another and they were engaged. Shortly after they said "I Do", they found they were expecting their first child. He, Joseph (Joe) Smith, was born on September 29th, 1982. Joe would later follow his father into the broadcasting business and become known to his listeners and followers as Dr. Jay Thomas. But, we're not there yet!

After an unfortunate miscarriage of a baby sister for Joe, they would go on to have two more boys, Justin and Josh. In the latter part of 1986, Jim and Kim decided to go their separate ways. After being away from his love for music and entertainment for the previous few years, he decided to take another shot. In the fall of 1988, he landed an Assistant Manager position at Musicland in the American Mall where he remained until the Spring of 1992. In that time, he developed working relationships with a number of local musicians such as Exploit, Raspberry Jam, The Affair, BMW, Dao, Lovestreet, and many others. Those relationships would continue to flourish into the summer of 1992 when he landed a position as one of the head bartenders and DJ's at the Metropole inside of the Holiday Inn, now the Howard Johnson. He later became the direct talent liaison for bands looking to get booked at the venue.

In August 1992, he was given an opportunity that changed his life. He was hired by 'Famous Amos' to be a DJ on the air at WLSR/Mix 104.9. He developed the on-air personality 'Big Jim Edwards', an homage to a DJ from CKLW, a popular AM station in the late 1960's through the 1970's. While at WLSR, he would be an instrumental part of helping to bring a then-unknown from WCSM in Celina to the Lima radio airwaves who, upon his arrival, needed a name change. That person became JB, formerly of 92 ZOO who now hosts the morning show on T102.

In July of 1994, he made the decision to jump to WBUK/107.5 FM-The Big Buck, an oldies station. While working at the Big Buck radio station when it was his youngest niece’s birthday, he would dedicate “Puff the Magic Dragon” to her. This is for my niece, it is her favorite, Happy Birthday. During this time he befriended longtime radio personality, Spark Simon. When Spark left WBUK in 1996 and went to Forever Broadcasting, he pulled Jim away from 'The Buck' shortly after and had him become a part-time member of the air staff of the highest rated station in Lima, 92 ZOO. However, there were 'bigger plans' for Jim!

In the early Spring of 1997, Jim became the program director for a brand-new station called, '93X'. It was the first of its kind in Lima to be a rock station that played current Top-40 Rock and Roll. He instantly developed working relationships with a number of different record labels throughout the United States. One of which was a struggling start-up label named 'Wind-Up Records' with a new act trying to get airplay beyond the college circuit. Every programmer that heard the band said they were 'too preachy'. They were a four-man outfit named 'Creed'. He told the label to send their CD to him. The next week, he was playing the first single from their debut album on the air. Shortly after, the label sent a full box of CD's to give away due to the overwhelming demand. It was later revealed Jim was the first 'commercial radio programmer' to actively play Creed on the air in the State of Ohio.

In the Summer of the same year, he began working with the A&R rep in the territory from Capitol Records. After a couple months of successful marketing initiatives, he asked if the label was interested in taking on new acts. Always looking for 'the next big thing', Capitol heard him out. He told them about a band called, 'The Indoorfins'. They asked for a copy of their CD, and within a week's time 'The House That Nat Built' was listening to homegrown Lima rock and roll. Jim had successfully got Capitol Records to listen to The Indoorfins!

In the Fall of the same year, there was a band that started making 'noise' in the local bars and clubs. Their name was, 'Candi's Dirty Secret'. Jim decided to not only play their CD, he decided to throw a 'listening party' live on the air. In the evening the event took place, traffic ending up being shut down on Cable Road due to everyone wanting to get inside the radio station. This led to law enforcement making a visit and forcing Jim to make an announcement on the air, "please do not block traffic if you plan on attending". The album went on to quietly move over 50,000 units as an unsigned, independent band.

In the early Spring of 1998, Jim began setting up a live appearance by Mike Tramp from White Lion who was going to come in and play live on the air. However, this would not come to pass. Three weeks before it was to take place, the corporate office announced the station would be flipping format to Country and become, 'Froggy 93'. However, the company decided to keep him on and make him the program director. He would stay with Froggy until the beginning of 2000 when he was asked to take over the morning show at WUZZ 104, a classic rock station. He became known as 'The Big Buddha'. He stayed with the station until October of that year.

Upon his exit, he landed at Clear Channel Radio, the home of T102 and 1150-WIMA. Within a year, there was talk of putting a new rock station on the air. Jim was asked to be a part of the launch. He developed the air personality, 'Diesel', and set out to showcase local bands. Along with Bongboy Joe Makley, they pioneered the long-running program, 'Live and Local'. They showcased music from the likes of Supercharger Exstacy, to a young Will Freed.

As the tides of the business began to shift, management chose to move in a different direction, leaving Jim without a station to call 'home'. He would bounce around the next couple years, but would ultimately retire from the business in the early 2010's. In retirement, he continued his work promoting local bands and venues. He always enjoyed rock and country, but his true love was blues, in turn becoming a huge advocate for the genre in schools with the non-profit 'Greater Allen County Blues Society', a group he later became treasurer of.

Jim considered himself a pizza connoisseur. When he found out his oldest great nephew was making homemade pizza, he had to have one. While at Springview manor he had one and bragged to all the staff how great it was.

Through various health issues in the last 12-18 months of his life, he never stopped working. He was always looking ahead to the next show or event, even up to the morning of February 21st when he hung up his headphones for the last time.

He leaves behind three children, multiple grandchildren, and a huge love for three cats named Nikki, Sammy, and Teddy, who have now been reunited with their 'daddy'. His oldest son, Joseph (Joe) followed his father's lead into the business and became an award-winning radio host and promoter many times over, even being nominated for multiple national awards. Joe also blessed his father with a beautiful step-granddaughter named Leia who now dearly misses her 'Grandpa Jim'. Jim's two younger children, Justin and Josh (Ashley), chose to live a much more private life and also blessed Jim with grandchildren: Jayden, Gentry, Emory, and Deacon. He is also survived by a sister, Joy (John) Fletcher; nieces, Jenessa (Jason) Peters and Jacinda (Jordan) Fried; and great-nephews, Jonathan and Jedediah; and great-niece, Juniper.

Jim was a devoted brother, dad, grandpa and friend you could always turn to no matter the circumstances.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to the Greater Allen County Blues Society or Deb’s Dogs.

A 'Celebration of Life' for Jim will be held Saturday, April 11, 2026 at Sugar Street Bar & Grill at 1 p.m. It will be announced soon on 104.9 The Eagle, on the Facebook page for the local Lima podcast, 'The JT Show', at facebook.com/jtshowpodcast, the funeral home social media page, and more outlets to be announced soon.