The Ben & Patty Show story is equal parts magic and mystery. The magic happened the first morning they worked together, and the mystery _ well, it's really all a mystery. Somehow an Iowa farm boy and a girl from Montana ended up in the right place at the wrong time (for someone else), and a strange and wonderful partnership was born.
Both Ben and Patty had other radio lives before they ended up in the same orbit. Ben's radio career began at KKIN in Aitkin, Minnesota, and Patty's at QFM in Yankton, South Dakota. Their paths first crossed at KPAT in Sioux Falls, where Patty was working mornings and Ben was a friendly weekend guy working one of multiple jobs to support his young family at the time. Ben soon moved to the high- profile KTWB Killer B's morning show, and Patty had the challenge of working with a number of other gentlemen she prefers not to mention.
Anyone in radio can almost always count on change. Formats andownership morph at the drop of a mic, and when Patty's job evaporated after a decade, she found a home, thanks to Don Jacobs, at a new country station, KIKN, working afternoons. Ben was the morning guy with a different partner. In January 1994, Ben's partner got the flu, and Patty filled in.
According to Patty, it was “absolute magic.” Like finding that final piece of a puzzle, they go together like peanut butter and jelly, monkeys and bananas, Netflix and your couch. Three days later the Ben & Patty Show was born. Two years later they moved to Mix 97.3, where they remain.
Both members of this team have deep roots in theater, which is probably why they're so dramatic, and why improv is sort of second nature to them.
Now in their 26th year together, Ben, once described as “famously funny” and Patty, famously smart and grouch,y according to Ben,are truly family. Not only do they spend every weekday together, but they often can be found emceeing charitable events close to their hearts. Other free time is spent with a close circle of friends laughing until it hurts, eating casseroles, and playing inappropriate board games. It really is a good life!
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