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Jon Niccum began working as a full-time journalist in 1993.

He is an entertainment writer for the Kansas City Star. He teaches film and journalism at the University of Kansas.

Niccum has won several dozen national awards for his entertainment writing, including multiple honors from the Suburban Newspapers of America, American Association of Sunday and Feature Editors, National Federation of Press Women, Kansas Press Association and was a finalist for a National Music Journalism Award. He is the former Entertainment Editor at the Lawrence Journal-World daily newspaper and former Music/Film Editor at The Pitch, Kansas City's leading alternative weekly.

Additionally, he has written the official record label bios and/or liner notes for many artists, including Evanescence, Jeff Beck, Leon Redbone, Trip Shakespeare and Joe Satriani.

Prior to his career in journalism, he was a professional guitarist and bassist, performing hundreds of shows with bands such as The Budinskis, Easterday, Groovehead and Bobby & the Chuxx.