Kenny Kott, a longtime producer for 97.1 The Ticket in Detroit and a beloved member of The Valenti Show with Rico, has passed away at the age of 32 due to liver complications.
The news sent shockwaves through the Detroit sports radio community, with colleagues, friends, and fans pouring out tributes across social media in the hours and days that followed.
97.1 The Ticket confirmed the news in a statement, calling Kott a valued and cherished member of their team. “We’re heartbroken,” the station shared, reflecting the deep loss felt by everyone who worked alongside him.
Kott had spent years building a career in Detroit radio, earning a reputation not just as a skilled producer but as someone whose warmth and humor made every room a better place to be in.
Danny Leach, a fellow radio personality who worked with Kott over the years, described him as a beautiful human being filled with passion and a genuine love for life.
Leach said he loved working with Kenny every chance he got and extended his heartfelt condolences to Kott’s family and close friends. That sentiment was echoed by countless others who knew him, both inside and outside the station.
A Life That Left Its Mark on Everyone Around Him
Among the most moving tributes came from Aaron Zaremski, a close friend who described the grief of losing Kott as one of only a handful of deaths in his life that would fundamentally change how he lives going forward.
Zaremski recalled late-night texts, random phone calls, Tigers and Wings games, road trips to visit mutual friends, and a collection of inside jokes that only the two of them fully understood.
He remembered the moment at a friend’s wedding when Kott needed help tying his tie, shooting him a look that communicated everything without a single word being spoken.
Zaremski wrote that he had always been proud of the career Kott built, proud to call him a friend, and proud to play the role of a big brother when the moment called for it. He said he thought he would have Kott in his life for far longer than the decade they shared.
Dale Westrick, Kott’s uncle, also shared his grief publicly. Westrick had already endured the loss of his last remaining uncle and his mother-in-law in the weeks before Kenny’s passing, making the news of his nephew’s death all the more devastating.
He described Kott as being just 11 days older than his own son and wrote that the experience had taught him to cherish loved ones more deeply and live with greater intention.
Kenny Kott was 32 years old. He leaves behind a community of colleagues, friends, and listeners who say his kindness, laughter, and passion for what he did made a lasting impression on everyone who crossed his path.
For those who worked with him at 97.1 The Ticket, the studio will carry his absence in a way that words can only partially capture.
Condolences continue to pour in from across the Detroit sports media world. He will be deeply missed.
