Former radio personality Kevin Matthews has story of hope and inspiration in "Broken Mary" documentary

Back in the 1990s, Kevin Matthews ruled the Chicago radio airwaves with his shock jock talk show.

Starting in 1987 at the old WLUP 97.9 FM and AM 1000, and later switching to WXCD CD94.7 (now WLS-FM) and then the former WCKG-FM 105.9 until 2005, Matthews amassed an army of fans known as KevHeads as a bad boy of radio.

But as noted by the Catholic News Agency, Matthews' health took a turn in 2008 when he was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. His career led him on a different path — most with a documentary called "Broken Mary: The Kevin Matthews Story."

The title references a broken statue of the Virgin Mary that Matthews found several years ago, and now carries with him. He found it at a time in his life when everything was going wrong.

"At one point, everything just fell apart — health, radio was changed throughout… it was just out of a job, and I was going to give my wife flowers — and there's no such thing as a coincidence in a life — and I look up, there's a flower shop," Matthews said. "I get out of my car, and I look over to my left, and I can see a dumpster, and on the ground is a large statue of the Virgin Mary."

Matthews noted that he was born Roman Catholic, but was a non-religious "zombie Catholic" when he discovered that statue. But when it came to his faith, everything changed on the spot.

"I walk over, and I see the statue, and the voice of Christ said: 'Will you deny me? Will you deny my mother?'" Matthews said.

The discovery has led to what Matthews calls "a total miracle" — with two books, and the "Broken Mary" documentary that will be in theaters for one night only on Tuesday.

"Obviously, you can tell just watching news — we're all broken, but we're loved by God," said Matthews, "and that's the message."

Matthews said he has witnessed several miracles since he rescued the statue.

"This statue is a concrete statue. It was made in Mary factory somewhere," said Matthews. "But where this statue is, it's been blessed. Where this Mary is, there's Christ. There's God — and I have watched miracle after miracle."

Matthews said women who had been suffering from breast cancer went into remission after he met them through the statue, and a man who needed a liver transplant saw his liver heal from the inside out. He credited these and other incidents as miracles from God.

"The pope will, I know, bless this statue — and she will be called Our Lady of the Broken, because again, we're all broken, and we're loved by God," Matthews said. "When I found this, I was broken, I was garbage, I was being thrown out. How many people feel that way today? 'I'm not worth anything. Nobody loves me.' God does."

As a radio personality, Matthews was known for his off-kilter humor and for voicing characters such as his "sidekick" and sportscaster Jim Shorts — and he didn't hold back with edgy remarks.

In a 1998 article for Streetwise, Ed Janik wrote, "Kevin's show has the property of being an auditory syrup of ipecac: listening to Kev's show causes his fans to vomit."

But Matthews noted that even amidst all that, he was sometimes called to service for others in his role as a radio personality.

"I was with Jonathon Brandmeier. He's a good little Catholic and whatnot, and there was a time when, yes, we were the Rolling Stones of radio. We could do anything. We ruled this town," Matthews said. "But I remember a nun calling me on my program, and she needed diapers, and the woman that she was caring for was addicted to cocaine. They were pregnant. Their babies were addicted to cocaine. 'Can you help me?' And I asked my audience, 'I don't want just a box of diapers. I want pallets of diapers.'"

Matthews also said he believes God has had a plan for him all his life, leading him right where is today as "Mary's roadie." He reiterated that his "Broken Mary" documentary is a message of hope for all who view it.

"It's mercy. That's what I love," he said. "No matter what you've done, you are loved."

"Broken Mary: The Kevin Matthews Story," again, is in Chicago areas theaters only on the night of Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2025. More information is available at the website for the film.