Joseph Priestley "J.P." McCarthy II (March 22, 1933 – August 16, 1995) was a radio personality best known for his over 30 years of work as the morning man and interviewer on station WJR in Detroit, Michigan.

While at WTAC he frequently auditioned for WJR, a leading radio station in Detroit, with a 50,000-watt clear-channel signal that could be heard in much of the Eastern United States and Canada.

When Marty McNealy, the host of WJR's Morning Music Hall, left for WKMH in 1958, McCarthy was chosen to replace him.

[citation needed] McCarthy divorced upon his return to Detroit and soon after met Judy Buttorf, who worked at General Motors headquarters, which at the time were across the street from the Fisher Building where the WJR studios are located.

One morning during the 1992 presidential election, he interviewed President George H. W. Bush and candidates Bill Clinton and Ross Perot all within one hour.

Eventually, the music component of the show would be phased out so McCarthy would have more time to concentrate on the news of the day or any topic that would interest him.

He interviewed Tiger managers Billy Martin, Ralph Houk and Sparky Anderson on his shows daily during the baseball season.

McCarthy occasionally had dialogue with a series of characters created by his friend Robert "Fat Bob" Taylor.

[citation needed] McCarthy thrived on call-ins, which were rarely screened, with features like "The Answer Man", where he answered callers' questions in a comical voice, "Winners and Losers Of The Day", where callers would nominate local newsmakers for the winner or loser of the day, and "What's Bothering You?

[citation needed] 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 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.

Blood tests showed that McCarthy had a lack of platelets, and he was diagnosed with myelodysplastic syndrome, a condition that frequently develops into leukemia.

McCarthy continued to host his show for a short time, but he became more absent, until he left the air completely at the end of July.

In August, McCarthy flew to New York City where he was supposed to meet with doctors at the Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, but his illness had become so severe that he was admitted.

Two days after McCarthy's death, most radio stations in Detroit and Windsor, Ontario observed a simultaneous one minute of silence as a tribute to the local legend.