Longtime Detroit radio host Mike Clark has died at 63

Detroit radio legend Mike Clark of "The Drew and Mike Show" fame has died. 

His longtime co-host and friend Drew Lane confirmed his death to The Detroit News on Tuesday, saying Clark, 63, died in his sleep Monday night. 

"He had some medical issues the past couple years, but I'm still very surprised because we were texting yesterday and he was in typically good humor," Lane said. 

Clark and Lane's "Drew and Mike" show on Detroit rock station WRIF (101.1-FM) was the top talk-radio program in the market for many years. When it ended five years ago, the jokes and observations about pop culture, sports and music soon returned in the form of an independent podcast hosted by Lane and sometimes featured Clark. 

"I can't believe I'm not going to hear his laugh anymore," Lane said. "He had an incredible, incredible laugh. And he was very self-deprecating. The biggest laugh was always when he shared something from his own life like when he drove out of his garage with the garage door down." 

Lane said just that just one instance has brought him "a decade of laughs" and it's silly things like that that he will miss the most about Clark.

Lane said Clark, who loved to fly airplanes, was married to wife Trish for more than 40 years and he added, "I don't think they were apart for more than a couple days. He loved her dearly."

The "Drew and Mike" show left WRIF in 2013 after more than 20 years on the air. After the show ended, Lane said Clark still enjoyed being in touch with fans on social media.

"I don't think he ever got over the popularity of the show; he just enjoyed it so much." 

mbaetens@detroitnews.com

Twitter: @melodybaetens