James Kennedy, subject of the movie ‘Radio,’ passes away

James “Radio” Kennedy, who was portrayed by Cuba Gooding Jr. in the 2003 film “Radio,” has passed away.

He was 73.

His niece Jackie Kennedy told

he had been hospitalized on Saturday and died early Sunday morning.

“Radio” first showed up at T.L. Hanna’s football field in the 1960s. The players and coaches nicknamed him “Radio” because he could hardly be separated from his transistor radio.

During that time, he developed a close friendship with then-head coach Harold Jones