Jim Ridley, an MTSU graduate and editor of the Nashville Scene, died today at St. Thomas Midtown Hospital in Nashville. He was 50 years old.
Ridley, who graduated from MTSU in 1989 with a journalism degree, collapsed in the Scene office on March 28 after experiencing a cardiac event and never regained consciousness. The Scene announced the news on its blog.
A Murfreesboro native, Ridley began writing film and book reviews for local newspapers before graduating high school. His interest in writing reviews led to a freelance film reviewing job for the Nashville Scene, which later turned into a full-time position. According to the Scene, Ridley worked at the alt-weekly for two decades before being named the editor in 2009.
MTSU’s College of Media and Entertainment (formerly College of Mass Communication) recognized Ridley at its annual awards ceremony last April. Ridley was among three prominent alumni added to the college’s “Wall of Fame.”
Read the Scene’s full obituary, here.
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