Well-known Boise DJ dies at 69

Lewiston native Dave “Big Jack” Armstrong, who became one of the best known radio disc jockeys in the Boise area during a 48-year career, died this past weekend. He was 69.

Armstrong’s death was reported by KTVB, a TV station in Boise.

Armstrong grew up in Lewiston, graduated from Lewiston High School in 1972 and got his start in radio at KLER-AM in Orofino. But he spent most of his career, 37 years, in the Boise area where he worked at a variety of stations and made an impression as a DJ who was willing to challenge convention.

“I did shock radio when no one else was doing shock radio. I may have taken it too far at times,” Armstrong said in an interview with the Tribune in April 2023. “The other (radio) guys in town were saying you shouldn’t be doing this or that, but I had the most listeners. I was No. 1 for seven years.

“We pushed (the envelope),” Armstrong said, “and then we mailed it.”

Armstrong was honored by the Idaho State Broadcasters Association last spring. He retired from radio about three years ago.

Dave Arthur, a former co-worker and friend of Armstrong, told KTVB that the radio man cared for the Boise community and helped out with a number of causes.

“People would be awestruck when they first met Jack,” Arthur told KTVB. “Because here’s the guy they listened to on the radio every day, the wacky guy. And then you meet him in person, and he’s just a sweet guy. I would always say that he was big in stature, but his heart was even bigger.”