Good night, Austin, Texas, wherever you are!

As the clock ticks toward midnight in the heart of Texas, a familiar voice echoes across Austin’s airwaves, blending with the hum of cicadas and the distant strum of live music drifting from Sixth Street. For over three decades, that voice—warm, gravelly, and infectiously cheerful—has been a companion to night owls, shift workers, and insomniacs alike. "Good night, Austin, Texas, wherever you are!" The phrase, delivered nightly by 68-year-old radio host Jimmy "The Night Owl" Patterson, has become a beloved sign-off for listeners of KAUS 98.9, a station as woven into the city’s identity as barbecue, bat bridges, and breakfast tacos. But this week, the iconic farewell carried a bittersweet note: after 33 years, Patterson is hanging up his headphones, marking the end of an era for Austin’s late-night radio culture.

Patterson’s show, Nightlight with the Night Owl, has been a haven for eclectic tunes and candid conversations since 1991. From his tiny booth on South Congress Avenue, he’s played everything from Willie Nelson deep cuts to up-and-coming local bands, interspersed with call-in segments where listeners share stories of love, loss, and quirks unique to the city. "Austin’s always been a place where weird meets wonderful," Patterson remarked during his penultimate broadcast, his tone tinged with nostalgia. "I’ve heard it all—from UFO sightings over Lady Bird Lake to couples who met at Gruene Hall and called in on their 50th anniversary. This city never sleeps, but it sure knows how to dream."

The announcement of his retirement sparked an outpouring of tributes. Social media flooded with #ThanksNightOwl posts, while local businesses hung handmade posters reading "Keep Austin Owly." At a surprise farewell party at the Continental Club, longtime listener Marisol Reyes tearfully told reporters, "Jimmy felt like family. When my husband passed, I’d stay up listening to his show just to feel less alone. He’s the soul of Austin." Fellow radio host and friend Lois Martinez added, "He didn’t just play music—he built a community."

Yet Patterson’s departure raises questions about the future of local radio in an age of podcasts and algorithms. KAUS plans to continue the late-night slot with a younger DJ, but many fear the personal touch that defined Patterson’s show may fade. "The magic was in his spontaneity," said music historian David Fowler. "He’d take a request for a Selena song, then pivot to a 20-minute chat about Austin’s punk scene in the ’80s. You can’t automate that."

For now, Austinites are savoring the final nights of the Night Owl’s reign. On his last broadcast, the studio phone lines lit up with generations of fans—parents who’d rocked newborns to sleep to his voice, artists he’d championed, even Mayor Kirk Watson calling in to declare July 14 "Jimmy Patterson Day." As the final hour approached, Patterson played his signature closer, Townes Van Zandt’s "No Place to Fall," before uttering the words one last time: "Good night, Austin, Texas, wherever you are!" The silence that followed felt heavier than a Hill Country thunderstorm—a reminder that some voices leave echoes long after they’re gone.