ANDERSON, S.C. -- James "Radio" Kennedy has passed away at the age of 73.

Kennedy inspired the 2003 movie Radio starring Cuba Gooding Jr. It focused on his story as a mentally disabled man who became a beloved icon to a South Carolina high school football team. Coach Harold Jones took him under his wing in the mid-60's and the entire community embraced him.

In 2016, “Radio” was inducted into the T.L. Hanna High School athletic hall of fame and the 2017-2018 yearbook was dedicated to him.

 Former principal Sheila Hilton wrote an aricle for the school website describing his impact on the school and in the community.

"Generations of Hanna students and faculty had an opportunity to know Radio. Everyone has a story to tell, some of them priceless — his eating a cooler full of sandwiches that had been made for the team and stored safely on the bus; his pass-kick-and-throw half-time shows; his permanent status as a junior, with no threat of graduation; and his astounding ability to name the mascot of any team in the state," she said. 

Even as his health declined, “Radio" signed autographs from his hospital bed for those who paid him a visit.