Sid Collins

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Sid Collins (born Sidney Cahn) (July 17, 1922 – May 2, 1977) was an American broadcaster best known as the radio voice of the Indianapolis 500 on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Radio Network from 1952-1976.

Born into Jewish family, who owned a convenience store in Indianapolis, Indiana, Cahn changed his professional name to Collins for fear of anti-semitism and discrimination in his chosen field of broadcasting.

In April of 1977, Collins visited the Mayo Clinic where he was diagnosed with ALS. On May 2, 1977, at the age of 54, Collins committed suicide by hanging himself in a closet with a necktie. Collins had confided with friend and successor Paul Page that he was planning on taking his own life, after hearing of his terminal diagnosis.