William Feingold

1949 - 2020

William Feingold

"Bulldog" Bill Feingold, Coachella Valley radio talkshow host, civic watchdog, and beloved friend to thousands of listeners, died March 6, 2020 of complications from cancer.

Bill was born September 15, 1949, in Great Neck, New York. Bill grew up in the Long Island town of Hewlett, and spent a year at the University of Miami in Florida before finishing his studies in History and Economics at Hofstra University in New York.

After college, Bill followed his boyhood ambition of moving to Manhattan and being a successful Wall Street stockbroker. In 1987 he transferred to Los Angeles, fulfilling another lifelong dream to live in California. Two years later he retired from the stressful life of a stockbroker.

Bill and his partner Rodger spent several happy years managing the famous Burton Plaza at Beverly Hills apartments - later the source of many funny radio stories. At the same time Bill tried a short-lived stint as a standup comedian, he volunteered in the AIDS unit at Cedars Sinai hospital.

In 1999, Bill left the too-fast-paced life of LA and moved full time to Palm Springs, presumably to retire from work for good. He immediately threw himself into community service, including an unsuccessful run for Palm Springs City Council in 2003. In the meantime, he served multiple terms on the Palm Springs Human Rights Commission, including as it's chair.

In 2007, Bill appeared for the Human Rights Commission on a KNEWS radio talkshow. That day, the program director asked him if he would like to fill-in as a local weekend talk show host. That gig paired him with his longtime radio co-host Kevin Holmes, and turned into a nightly 3-hour local comedy talkshow. Bill and Kevin's success eventually landed them in morning drive, where they've ruled the Valley's airwaves ever since. In October of 2019, Bill was awarded a star on the Palm Springs Walk of Stars as a Civic Pioneer for his many efforts promoting community charities and causes.

Bill often wished his "second act" on the radio had been his first and only. He loved his and Kevin's show and - more than anything - he loved talking to listeners.

Bill is survived by his family of listeners, and scores of close friends here and elsewhere. He is also survived by his former partner and long-time best friend Rodger Evans, sister Ellen Feingold Math, nephew Rob Math, and numerous relatives around the country.

A public celebration of Bill's life, and a reception following, will be held at 1 PM Sunday, March 15 at Temple Isaiah in Palm Springs. Hawaiian shirts encouraged. In lieu of flowers, donations in Bill's memory can be made to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital or Greyhound Adoption Center in El Cajon.