Radio shock jock Don Imus, one of the early pioneers of his genre, died Friday less than two years after retiring, according to a family statement given to NBC New York.

He was 79.

The controversial morning personality’s last day on the radio was March 29 of last year. He announced Jan. 22 that he was retiring, telling fans: “Turn out the lights … the party’s over.”

The grizzled radio man was best known for his outsize cowboy hat and penchant for making controversial, often offensive, statements.

He was fired from his gig on CBS radio in 2007 for calling the Rutgers University women’s basketball team by a racist slur.

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