Mark Howard, Longtime Nashville Sportscaster, Dead at 65
Mark Howard, a longtime sportscaster and radio personality from Nashville, died on Sunday, his wife Debra said, per the Nashville Tennessean. He was 65 years old. The cause of death was not announced but Howard, whose real name is Howard Mark Levinson, died at his home.
Howard transitioned to sports reporting after hosting a political talk show in the early 2000s. He was the co-host of Wake Up Zone on The Zone 104.5 FM with Kevin Ingram and former Tennessee Titans tight end Frank Wycheck. In 2020, Howard left the show, saying "It's been a great run. The [Wake Up Zone] show ran for 16 years with me and Kevin. They were some of the best years of my life. I've got nothing really but good things to say about my experiences there."
All day tomorrow we will honor, share stories and pay tribute to the late Mark Howard.
— 104-5 The Zone (@1045TheZone) July 24, 2022
If you would like to share some of your favorite Mark Howard moments with us, our hosts and special guests, give us a call tomorrow at 615-737-1045. pic.twitter.com/i9XDXsPTmw
"Tough news," Ingram wrote on Twitter. "Had a lot of fun working with Mark for a lot of years. Still talked to him on a regular basis, will miss our chats about baseball and everything else. A good friend who was always encouraging and supportive toward my career. Condolences to his family."
Terry McCormick of TitanInsider.com also paid tribute to Howard. "I lost a friend today, as long-time sportscaster Mark Howard died on Sunday at his Bellevue home," McCormick wrote. "I first knew of Mark at Channel 5 after he got here in the 1980s, and I was working as a high school writer/desk help guy at The Tennessean. Years later, when the Titans got to town, I got to know him a lot better, and we became good friends, bonding over our mutual fandom of the Yankees and a love of sports history."
The Zone 104.5 FM also released a statement. "We are extremely saddened to share the news that former long-time Wake Up Zone host Mark Howard has passed away. Mark was a very talented sports broadcaster, a good friend to many of us and will always be a big part of our history. Sending our thoughts and prayers to his family." Along with being on 104.5 FM, Howard cover the Titans as he was the host of the team's postgame show. He also was a co-host of pregame and postgame shows for the Nashville Predators.