Ron Chapman's radio career began in 1953the day he graduated from high schoolwhen he became a disc jockey at station WHAV/Haverhill, MA. In 2007, he returned to broadcasting part-time as a substitute for radio legend Paul Harvey. The obituary was featured in Dallas Morning News on May 16, 2021. Then it became Jane Fonda for a while. It was a 45-minute show. Barnum. Michael Selden, a DJ at KVIL from 1974 to 1979, has gone full circle with Chapman emotionally, from admiration to loathing and back again. He must know where everything is at all times. Of course, back in those days, I was also given to partaking in the pleasures of cannabis and had a couple of joints with me for the ride. He was born in Pittsburg, in East Texas and was raised in East Dallas -- in the area that is now District 5 -- where he graduated from Thomas Jefferson High School. Stevens and Pruett. We are very grateful for the care and compassion he. One time, I finally asked him, You seem to like my dancing, but why dont you ever ask me to be one of the dancers? And he said, Well, to be honest, youre too sexy for our show. ", At that age, Fairchild said with a laugh, I didnt really know what he was talking about.. He ended up following Chapman at KLUV in 2005. I have the same type of personality, just not as much discipline. When it comes to his precious radio station, the man is as fiercely protective of his listeners and his formal as a mother sow is of her litter. This was 1991. If Chapman knows just what to say on the air, he also knows what not to blurt out: no jokes that have females as the butt. For nearly thirteen years, with a few scattered intermissions. I once wrote Ron Chapman meant more to Dallas radio than electricity. But off-mike, in what employees call his little Come to Jesus talks, that mouth can get hot enough to melt pig iron. I now think about retiring. According to industry analysts, fellow media, and KVIL employees, former and current, Chapman is a man of planned spontaneity, of freeze-dried warmth. Please enter valid email address to continue. After I left, there were several attempts to be 'the new KVIL,' but KVIL left such an impressive mark on Dallas that they were neverable to shake this old image of its old people there, me being among them.". History of Radio in Dallas - Fort Worth, Texas - FM - DFWRETROPLEX.COM CBS Radio has rebranded 103.7 on Your FM Dial as the Amp, a moniker also bestowed upon energy drinksand vitamins that promise "alean, ripped physique." of course. Chapman's booming voice is now a shadow of its former self, the result of a stroke suffered just before Christmas in 2012. Dallas Radio Icon Ron Chapman Dies at 85 | News Talk WBAP-AM Other than that, Im real comfortable.. Ron.. When Ron met Nance twenty years ago at a charity telethon, he was immediately struck by her good looks, he says, recalling that he trotted out a bunch of glib compliments before saying, By the way, Im Ron Chapman. Her reply: Oh. So I had just had my jacket cleaned. Chapman had done the Charley and Harrigan show on KLIF during the Sixties (Chapman went by Irving Harrigan then) and had hosted Sumpn Else, a low-budget local version of American Bandstand on Channel 8. In terms of logistics and creativity, hes a towering genius. In a 1985 issue ofBillboard, the music industry's trade publication, a radio consultant called it "dominant" -- "the best-run radio station in Dallas" among a pile of worthy contenders, including K104. RIP to a #NTX legend," wrote Dallas County judge Clay Jenkins, in a tweet on April 26. On the mike, butter wouldnt melt in his mouth. Dallas Radio Legend Ron Chapman Recovering From A Stroke - Blogger Why Ron Chapman Was An All-Time Great - Radio Ink (To Everything There Is a Season) by the Byrds. I swear to you. But Im serious when I tell you that I learned a great deal from it. [2] Each ratings point represents a percentage of the audience market share and is said to be worth about $1.3 million in advertising revenues yearly. Tragedy Info - Ron Chapman Obituary - Death: Ron Chapman | Facebook Anybody can read, goddammit! No spam, ever. I'm saddened to tell you that legendary Dallas DJ Ron Chapman has passed away at 85. And yet, as he prepares to send his message radiating into those hundreds of thousands of receptive minds, he is more aware of them than perhaps anyone has ever been in the history of this city. Oh, Lord. "In my own little world, the end of KVIL was something unthinkable," he said. Meet Jody Dean: A man for this season: Lost job leads to a better life KVIL was always my mom's station, hogging up most of the pre-sets in the '76 Cordoba and later the '79 LeBaron station wagon; it was either Ron Chapman or a Helen Reddy 8-track. Do you understand this? The call letters have been tossed in the dustbin; they no longer serve a purpose. He did not see the humor in it. But the youngsters came to understand their poverty., I liked applause early on, said Chapman, who took on Ron as his radio first name in 1965. We did that to our audience constantly. With that warning, we move through room after room of airy, fresh pastels, past furniture that looks as if it never gets touched, with the exception of Rons well-worn leather chair. "Well, they had to do something," the National Radio Hall of Famer said. And she looks so good by the time she gets to the office, she had to be up by 5:30. Ron Chapman Radio Hall Of Fame Chapman was inducted into the National Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame in 2010 and into the Radio Hall of Fame in 2012. Ron Chapman Obituary - Death: Ron Chapman Obituary Kvil | Ron Chapman Cause Of Death Ron Chapman Obituary: In the loving memory of Ron Chapman, we are saddened to inform you that Ron Chapman, a. Many of us grew up listening to him on #KVIL. He spent more than three decades at KVIL, toiling as a morning deejay, music director and program director, transforming the adult contemporary format into a major success on the FM band. What followed was story after story about Chapman, who started as a DJ in 1953, and his more infamous bits. Name another program director or air person of any type anywhere in the country who would come in at 11 oclock and cut a promo thats going to run overnight. "And that means something," Mike Rhyner said Thursday morning. The Zoo crew used to regard KVIL's mushy adult-contemporary playlist as a punchline. Exact sum is $73000000. Im paying you to write! But KVIL, four letters that decorated 100,000 Dallasites' car bumpers during one notable 1982 promotion,shouldn't be allowed to vanish without a proper eulogy. Even Ron Chapman was not at all shocked to hear of its demise when I called him Wednesday afternoon to tell him his beloved KVIL was now, um, the Amp. Who is KVIL Dallas Radio Personality Ron Chapman? Cause Of Death The guy would give you the shirt off his back. The longtime host of KVIL died in April 2021 at the age of 85. Bud Buschardt worked as the unit manager on Away We Go and Sumpn Else, two television shows that Chapman did for WFAA Channel 8 in the mid-60s. It was, after all, the city's top radio station for years, throughout the 1970s and '80s and even into the '90s, when it was finally capsized by country radio. And Ron says, When youre doing your broadcast, I want you to think that these people here are your audience. He is very perfectionist about his personal things. BUD BUSCHARDT, HE'S SUMP'N ELSE! - Memories of Dallas by Memories Inc . He is single-minded, living and breathing and eating KVIL to the detriment of everything else in his life. 750 North St.Paul St. Ron Chapman Obituary Kvil Death | Obituary | Ron Chapman Dead | Died | Has Passed Away | Funeral Plans - We are immensely sad . But the thing about it is, ten minutes later, its like it never happened.. Menu. Last time I dialed in for any length was the first day of September2000, whenRon Chapman signed off after a 31-year stint as The Voice of KVIL and, by extension,Dallas radio. His talent rose above us all. Honestly, I thought everyone knew that hed started out in radio with a program called Tips for Teenagers.. Yes, my dear, the world is still a warm and safe and funny place to be, and you are on top of it with us, you know everything we do, which is a lot, and life keeps getting better. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. An announcement in this newspaper heralded his arrival, along with the promise that KVIL would play music that was "always in good taste, but contemporary in all ways" -- a rather unwieldy slogan. RIP Ron Chapman. Would Stevie Wonder object if we took it out? Though Chapman is generally regarded, on the civic circuit, as something of a First Citizen, he has not been above exporting that inflammatory temper outside the station walls. We had a contest to name the honey bear. So Chapman is now going to teach Brad and me how we should broadcast a football game to appeal to his target audience women. DALLAS (CBSDFW) - The Texas Radio Hall of Fame shared the news of the passing of Dallas radio icon Ron Chapman. This duality is a big part of Ron Chapmans magic. Everywhere 1 go, the broadcasters are asking me how to do that. Enjoy unlimited access to all of our incredible journalism, in print and digital. Ron Chapman Death - Obituary, - InsideEko.com News Media | And now, it is no longer.". I love the guy. While many have attempted to imitate his formula, nobodyat least locallyis likely to remotely approach his mastery of it. Im absolutely realistic in believing that nobody remembers you, Chapman says. Gratefully I accepted, and drove off in his North Dallas wheels while they towed my Fort Worth bomb away. There is no way that Vince Lombardi could coach football in todays world. WATCH: Steve Eberhart reminisces about late radio legend Ron Chapman - KLTV He was huge in Dallas for decades doing mornings at KVILclick link to learn more. Dfwretroplex.com - Suzie Humphreys and News 8 Etc His career launched in 1953, the day after he graduated from high school. Not all of Chapmans career was limited to radio. He had this real, real long tongue, and it could get into the bottle. No sexism, period. For all time, at the moment, 2023 year, Ron Chapman earned $73 Million. . 750 North St.Paul St. After 45 years in radio, Ron Chapman retired from his morning show on June 24, 2005. In 1959, a 23-year-old up-and-coming disc jockey from Haverhill, Mass., took on the role of morning co-host for a . what happened to archie in monarch of the glen; funeral poem our father kept a garden. One of his greatest talents is picking people, knowing where they fit, where they go.They gave me a little yellow van, and I drove it myself. Hes now a program director for ABC Dallas radio and an adjunct professor of TV production at the University of North Texas.We did Sumpn Else at NorthPark. Into the breach jumped Ron, who offered to loan me his brand-new Cadillac Seville. Says Chapman, Electronically, we dont do much, but we are very conscious of highs. Robert Wilonsky on Twitter: "I once wrote Ron Chapman meant more to Go ahead and ask me whatever you want. And you were supposed to live up to them. Ron Chapman on the State of Radio and Why He'll Never Make a Comeback - Click to. And brother, let me tell you something: It was a different age., In 1989, The Dallas Morning News devoted a High Profile cover story to Chapman, noting that peers described him variously as a genius, tyrant and hero. That was, perhaps, the last Most Meaningful Moment on local radio. KVIL - Wikipedia My wife made me admit it publicly: yeah. Dallas Radio Icon Ron Chapman Dies at 85 | KLIF-AM Now, its someone I found out of Kim Dawson headshots. Imagine working in a situation for five or six years where your first question every day had to be, What kind of moods he in today?, Tony Garrett got a dose of it too, though he took it philosophically. Suzie was initially an airborne reporter, but was later given her trademark "KVIL-o-Van" (bearing the vanity plate, "SOOZIE.") Her efforts were honored in 2004 as an inductee to the Texas Radio Hall of Fame. You had left "Sump'n Else" and you're still at WFAA directing the church remotes. Ron Chapman was born on January 25, 1936 in Newton, Massachusetts, USA. He knew exactly what he was going to do and started work reprogramming KVIL in their big studio. Chapman was on his way to becoming, twenty years later, a small industry unto himself. His family received condolences from thousands . Ron Chapman - My Little Story He loved kids and teenagers and music and all that was happening in the 60s, which was a lot. And it suddenly became a craze. You know, because Id just paid to have the jacket cleaned. He's now a news anchor for CBS Channel 11 and will replace Chapman on KLUV's morning show. And its not just the lower-downs, but the higher-ups who have their hands full of Chapman ego. So he comes to me, and I open the mic. @theoldgreywolf once told me, "Chapman was the pioneer, the seer." "I was always on the quest of doing something new and dramatic and different and surprising," Ron said in 2010. . DALLAS Updated at 9:41 p.m. with more quotes from colleagues. Chapman was a giant in radio in Texas, and was inducted as a member of the Radio Hall of Fame in 2012. A little egotistical, perhaps. Warm and fuzzy was the game plan from the very beginning. Everyones going to do a 50-mile hike. Ronald Chapman Obituary (2021) - Jordan, NY - Syracuse Post Standard Or, according to Alex Burton, until his recent firing the voice of KRLD, Hes a right-brained man who manages to sound left-brained.. He was one of the greatest radio people to ever sit behind the mic. But Ive wondered ever since., Herb Kelleher has known Chapman for years. He was always very, very kind. He doesnt want to look for cuff links., And as for keeping up with the competition, well, Chapman has a television parked in front of his toilet. He said, Well, its something. We never worked in the studio together, for 20 years. I'm saddened to tell you that legendary Dallas DJ Ron Chapman has passed away at 85. Ron didnt say a word. He likes to say he lost two-thirds of his voice then, but every so often you can hear peeks and hints of that booming voice that used to wake up Dallas every weekday morning. By KLTV Digital Media Staff. And thats the way Ron was. 1 radio show . The Right Hand of God is Dallas. Chapman liked to say he was a poor kid who grew up behind a grocery store, which his father owned in his native Haverhill, Mass. Ronald Edward Chapman. According tohia bio posted at the Radio HOF website, Ron Chapman's radio career began in 1953the day he graduated from high schoolwhen he became a disc jockey at station WHAV/Haverhill, MA. Jack Woods partnered with Chapman in the early 60s on Gordon McLendons KLIF. First published on April 26, 2021 / 11:54 AM. They were buying Ron Chapmanat something like a half million dollars a pound. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones defers comment on revival of sexual harassment lawsuit, Q and A: How MLBs streaming, TV options will impact Rangers fans ability to watch team. Broadcasting great Ron Chapman, who introduced himself to Dallas radio in 1959 under the pseudonym of Irving Harrigan on AM pioneer KLIF, and who elevated his legend after more than 30 years at KVIL-FM and another five at KLUV-FM, died Monday of natural causes. He then did afternoon drive at KVIL-FM for several years until he was fired by Ron Chapman. Ron Chapman joined KVIL-FM/Dallas-Fort Worth in 1969 as morning disc jockey, music director, and program director, and stayed there for 31 years. Following his tenure at KLIF, Chapman joined the staff of KVIL-FM, Dallas-Fort Worth, in 1969. The things that attracted Marilyn to me in the first place were the things that drove her crazythe drive, the ambition, the living in the eye of the tiger eventually drove her crazy. But when the chairwoman greeted Chapman in the ballroom, she says, he lit into her. If he thought you had an iota of talent, and you wound up on that station, then the expectations for you were enormous. Ralph Chapman passed away on May 4, 2021 in Dallas, Texas. In 2000, Chapman moved to KLUV/Dallas, an "oldies" station where he stayed until announcing his retirement from radio in 2005. Incidentally, the quarterback is the guy behind the center. He is a walking contradiction, a Type A masquerading as a Type B. By Casey Carr. CBS News Texas: Free 24/7 News; . As The News noted in a story: When the terrified producer charged into his room to say the ghost had just hugged her, Chapman had only a one-sentence response: Did you get it on the air?. The Amp is now playing a handful of pop-radio hits, by the likes of Bruno Mars and Taylor Swift and DJ Snake, over and over and over, ad infinitum. #1. If someone leaves KVIL and wants, a year later, to work for Y-95, and theyve just been in the Dallas Observer calling me a, uh, you -fill- in-the-blanks, well, they know better than to call me for references.. But the most telling aspect of Ron Chapmans house may be his shower. First it was six to nine. Trusted friend and colleague Jody Dean does not disagree, comparing Chapman to 1960s coaching legend Vince Lombardi, who led the Green Bay Packers to multiple championships as an unyielding taskmaster. Ironically, Chapman so dominates the KVIL lineup that the DJs around him seem unremittingly unmemorable. Ron in makeup for his role in an episode of Police Story. Rons face superimposed on the body of Michael Jackson. April 26, 2021 - TOP INFO GUIDE According to Littauer, Chapmans massive energy manifested itself during his youth in a series of class-clown pranks. He is proceeded in death by his father, Fay Chapman. "How sad that all of those KVIL things are now part of history. This is a first, he admits. And he says, This is your audience. Ill never forget it. Also, his people say that his expectations for others are not nearly as high as those he imposes on himself. The station is branded as "Alt 103.7" and airs an alternative rock radio format. After working for two years with the Voice of the United Nations Command in Korea , Chapman moved to Connecticut and station WHNC/New Haven. Chapman had a . Catch up on the day's news you need to know. It would be rude not to let Ron Chapman give it a proper send-off. Nobodys going to build monuments or hold big memorial services. And we walked around the corner and stopped. We said, Okay, thats it! Born October 11, 1942 in Ashland, KY, he was the son of the late Otis Guy and . Michael Granberry was born and grew up in Dallas. Its a tribute to Chapman that the call letters of what is, after all, just a radio station, have entered the argot of the trade. But stories of Chapmans sentimentality and generosity are almost as abundant as the tales of his colossal ego. RON CHAPMAN ANDERSON - Ronald Ray Chapman, 67, of Anderson, died Wednesday, October 28, 2009 at Rainey Hospice House. (A whole lot better, wife Nance is quick to observe, than the other way around.) Outside the floor-to-ceiling windows, a man-made creek meanders past a resistance pool and a hot tub on its way to the pump. No spam, ever. Robert Wilonsky, Special Contributor. Ron Chapman Death - Obituary, Funeral, Cause Of Death Just heard radio legend Ron Chapman has died. In Memory Of KVIL's Peggy Sears - CBS Texas - CBS News All great relationships are built on trust . Early on. And the 01 Man on KVIL is still saying, aint this great? 'And with honor I return' - The Northwest Florida Daily News Tuesday afternoon obituary update | Recent News | herald-dispatch.com As she perfected her skills, the dean of Dallas radio, Ron Chapman, hired her at KVIL-AM/FM as News Director alongside his other show members: Suzy Humphries, Len Mailoux, Andy McCollum, and Larry . In the service, Chapman was the Fifties equivalent of Robin Williams, doing a sort of Good Morning, Korea. On the troop ship the first night out, his sister recalls, it came time for the sergeant to hand out assignments. The Left Hand of God is Fort Worth. I can tell you that little secret and know the competition will pick up on it, and theyll work on it. Chapman invited him to come watch the show at some point. Between his junior and senior years, he interned at The Washington Post during "the Watergate summer" of 1973. About all they had were some call letters, and not very good ones at that. That was the power of Ron Chapman. Radio Hall of Famer Ron Chapman Dies at 85 - People Newspapers The country was going to get in shape. Ron Chapman Obituary KVIL - - InsideEko.com News Media | Facebook Baby, it's cold outside. DALLAS - Three-time Texas Radio Hall-of-Famer and Dallas radio legend Ron Chapman died on Monday. Warmth, a man who seems to genuinely feel that his biggest contribution to the world is sending his listeners off to work happy and chipper, so that each in her own little way can help make a kinder, gentler Dallas. 1 radio show in Dallas for a dozen years. She said, How do you expect me to do a good job after all Ive been through? I said, Thats it, weve been talking too long. I never brought it up with him, either. They thought we were going 50 miles. But his desire was for you to get the best out of yourself. But hes been trying to play Creative Tension to the point that it became creative chaos. That was the power of Ron Chapman. Six years later, he moved to Texas to begin what eventually became a Radio Hall of Fame career in DFW. "Dusty Attics", Episode 23: Ron Chapman - Jody Dean Remembering Ron Chapman Vocal Majority - Pure Harmony But there is more to the message than merely commercialized feminism. We were in the groove together. He was the Dean of Dallas/Fort Worth Radio spending 31 years hosting the morning show at KVIL, most of those in the number one position. This time, the gala planners were prepared; the system had been checked and rechecked by technicians. . His family asks for time to process this loss, and thanks you for your kindness, understanding and prayers., There will not be a service, but, the Hall of Fame noted, a public gathering of friends and colleagues is being planned.. 1 forever. But its going to be hard to groom someone to replace him when he hogs the limelight and wants all the glory for himself.. Passing by the cage, he would surreptitiously slip the mouthpiece through the wire into the neck of the tuba and blow. I tell them, you cant do that. In the meantime, you play every night like it was opening night, kick ass, and prove me wrong. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. Nance (pronounced Nancy), Chapmans wife of three years, is the centerpiece of the home tour. ', Chapman isnt surprised to hear that many former associates want deep cover before discussing his character and work style. Chapman first hit the Dallas airwaves in 1959 on the Mighty KLIF. (The money was later distributed to local charities.) Chapmans cohorts speak of having to walk a very fine line; remaining clever and at least half-witty without ever being more clever than Ron. Ron Chapman's legendary $20 announcement from March, 1988. I grew up listening to his voice, though as many different characters, in Arlington. This is a secret, but we take a lot of the staff to the big derrick at Six Flags and put them on top. So Charlie and Harrigan came on and said, Were going to do our hike. Dallas-Fort Worth radio legend Ron Chapman has died, officials with his former station KLUV-FM confirmed. Updated: Apr. I used to do the 11 to 2 a.m. shift, during college. Chapman said. It wont work for you.. Chapman died Monday at the age of 85, the Texas Radio Hall of Fame announced on its Facebook page. "It's a shame it's gone, but KVIL had a great history," he said. We used a two-way radio. There was dead air for, like, 10 seconds. Everyone I knew went to college. He did not. KVIL - Wikiwand The station would cycle through many owners, all of whom readily admittedthey were really buying Chapman-- "a warm and fuzzy tyrant," D called him in 1989, which he took as compliment. One infamous incident occurred during last years gala for the National Craniofacial Foundation. Chapman moved to KVIL a decade later, after the station briefly flirted with Top 40 in an attempt to topple the mighty KLIF. The money was donated to charity. Ron Chapman made money by Directors niche. Homepage; Contact US; About US; Ron Chapman Net Worth, Age, Height, Weight. He also hosted a televised series from Northpark Center in the 1960's for a three-year stint. But Chapmans vaunted ego and his famed temper have only enhanced his hold on the Dallas radio market. Next to it is a portable telephone, complementing cellular phones in his and Nances cars. He remained at KVIL-FM for 32 years, serving as program . And I was going to run faster, work harder, get street-smarter. He is the chairman of Southwest Airlines. Last year, that power was demonstrated when Chapman asked listeners to trust him and send in $20 each for no specified purpose. Done in slick, black marble, it is an oversized rectangle, big enough for Ron to pace in. To pace in. Its mascot was an incontinent kinkajou. The organization said no service will be held for Chapman, but a public gathering of friends and colleagues is planned. When he started hosting SumpN Else, I was a kid, and we loved to dance, and I would go over there to dance. Its on the far back burner, but I think about it. It was Chapman who convinced owners to ditch their paltry AM signal and go with its powerful 100,000-watt signal. Im rough to work for. Ron Chapman Was a Warm and Fuzzy Tyrant. KVIL is a commercial radio station dual-licensed to Highland Park and Dallas, Texas. Its a small industry. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. Hey, says Chapman, most people like living here. So why should you go on the air and tell people who love living here that the town is a piece of crap?
