Fred H. Hardy III, known informally as Fred Hardy, Jr., died at his home in Dallas, Texas on January 1, 2002. He was 58 years old.

Fred was born on December 27, 1943 in Montgomery, Alabama and began his broadcasting career by working on-air and in programming at several radio and TV stations in Alabama and Florida including WVOJ Jacksonville. But radio station ID jingles were always his passion, and in 1970 he became the Southeast sales rep for the legendary PAMS Productions. In 1976 he joined the sales staff at JAM Creative Productions, and in 1986 he was named Vice President, Sales. During his career he helped thousands of clients in the U.S., Canada, Central America and South America to create musical jingles and commercials to promote their stations and products.

Jonathan Wolfert (co-founder and president of JAM) said, "This is obviously quite a shock. Fred joined us when our company was less than 2 years old and he remained a devoted member of the JAM family for over 25 years. That kind of loyalty and dedication is very rare. Fred played a major part in building up our business and reputation, and he will always have my gratitude. He truly loved the jingle and radio business, and the people in it, which is why he was an icon in the industry for over 30 years. We'll miss him very much."

Fred Hardy is survived by his sister, brother-in-law and two nieces. A memorial service was held on January 5, 2002 in Montgomery.