We’ve been regularly keeping you apprised about Nashville Tennessee radio talk show host Phil Valentine and his battle with COVID-19.

We are very sad to report that Valentine passed away this past Saturday, August 21, 2021.

Valentine died from complications due to the novel coronavirus, radio station SuperTalk 99.7 WTN announced in a Twitter post.

As we have made clear from our first report, Valentine was never fully against the COVID-19 vaccinatIon. However, according to his brother Mark Valentine, he wishes he would have been more pro-vaccine. Valentine was also publicly against face mask mandates.

We have spent the entire COVID-19 pandemic urging our listeners and readers to take this disease seriously, please get with your doctor and determine if getting vaccinated is right in your particular situation.

While there’s no guarantee, it’s very likely that Valentine would still be alive if he had been vaccinated.

"We are saddened to report that our host and friend Phil Valentine has passed away," the station posted. "Please keep the Valentine family in your thoughts and prayers" (from Super Talk 99.7 WTN).

Valentine, 61, had been hospitalized for more than a month while battling COVID-19. His family in late July revealed that he was in "very serious" condition and suffering from "covid pneumonia" along with other side effects. He was placed on a ventilator days later. It had been his hope that it would enable his body to rest and heal.

Phil Valentine’s brother Mark has been very open about his condition since contracting COVID-19.

Valentine had previously expressed disagreement with face mask mandates and the COVID-19 vaccine, writing in a blog post last December that he wasn't an anti-vaxxer but following logic in not getting vaccinated.

“I’m not an anti-vaxxer,” he wrote. “I’m just using common sense. What are my odds of getting Covid? They’re pretty low. What are my odds of dying from Covid if I do get it? Probably way less than 1 percent. I’m doing what everyone should do and that’s my own personal health risk assessment. If you have underlying health issues, you probably need to get the vaccine. If you’re not at high risk of dying from Covid then you’re probably safer not getting it.”

Valentine was diagnosed with COVID-19 on July 11. Days later he was admitted to the hospital. His brother, Mark Valentine, during an appearance on WWTN-FM in Nashville, said his brother was regretful that he wasn't a more vocal advocate for getting vaccinated.

“For those listening, I know if he were able to tell you this, he would tell you, ‘Go get vaccinated. Quit worrying about the politics. Quit worrying about all the conspiracy theories,’” he said.

Mark Valentine insisted that while his brother had not been anti-vax, “he got this one wrong.”

With the more contagious Delta variant, it’s even more important that you explore all of your options to protect yourself, your family, friends, colleagues, etc.

Israel has just completed a study that has yielded that a 3rd shot (booster) is providing lower infection rates, while also providing significantly improved protection from a serious illness. For those over 60 years old, the protection against infection following 10 days after a third dose was four times higher than after two doses. Further, the third shot for over 60-year-olds offered 5 to 6 times greater protection with regard to preventing serious illness and hospitalization, according to the Israeli study.

Finally, as early as today, the FDA may give Pfizer full approval for its COVID-19 vaccine. This will make this vaccine no longer “experimental.”

Hopefully, it will inspire some of the previously unwilling to take the vaccine. There is an unknown percentage of the American people that have been holding out from taking the vaccine while it is experimental in nature.

Cumulus Nashville Market Manager Allison Warren said, “Phil Valentine was a charismatic broadcaster who entertained millions and enriched countless lives throughout his career. A beloved friend and mentor to many, his contributions to our city and his passion for his listeners cannot be overstated. We know he will be missed.”

“We send our heartfelt condolences and prayers to Phil’s family and wish them peace during this difficult time. If you aren’t yet vaccinated, we fervently hope that you will honor Phil’s memory by taking to heart the urgent plea he made in the last weeks of his life and ‘PLEASE GO GET VACCINATED!’”

SOURCES: SuperTalk 99.7 WTN, Nashville Tennessean & Twitter.

Cold Cases: Unsolved Murders and Missing People in South Jersey

The most heinous New Jersey murders that shook our communities

Favorites From Barefoot Country Music Fest in Wildwood

Great music and fun at the Wildwood Beach!

More From WPG Talk Radio 95.5 FM