Thousands showed up. In 1968, Chapman joined a team that purchased KVIL-FM, a station known for pioneering the Adult Contemporary (AC) format. Chapman said. When the drawer becomes filled with bills and change, he bundles it up and sends it to the man. Since Chapman is not only essential to ratings but is a key figure in all promotions, contests, personnel matters, etc., he is a general managers worst nightmare. That was, perhaps, the last Most Meaningful Moment on local radio. He's now a news anchor for CBS Channel 11 and will replace Chapman on KLUV's morning show. There are a lot of stations right now that will say, after they read this, Oooooh, so thats what theyre doing. They still dont know it., Even the KVIL signal is altered to be pleasing to a womans naturally more sensitive ears. Says Chapman, Electronically, we dont do much, but we are very conscious of highs. Long before the KLUV World Tour, our travel program began as the KVIL World Tour, pioneered by my parents and Dallas Radio legend Ron Chapman. Talk about a cush gig. 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. Consultants studied and copied KVIL, launching dozens of lite-rock imitations across the country. He claims more listeners than any DJ in Texas. 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. Dallas, Texas 75201. The longtime host of KVIL died in April 2021 at the age of 85. He was 85. It would be rude not to let Ron Chapman give it a proper send-off. I hand it to Ron, and the little guy hops on Rons shoulder, and when the lights come up, you know, animals react. He killed the competition. He was always very warm and sweet with me and very welcoming, as he was to all the kids. We play some stuff that cooks pretty good, but there are a lot of songs we wont play at all. I knew I was fired. Says Littauer, Only Ron could spend two weeks on a ship, do nothing, and then get a commendation for it.. Hes now a news anchor for CBS Channel 11 and will replace Chapman on KLUVs morning show. the magic morning man takes a deep breath, raises his index finger before his eyes, and does what Ron Chapman does best: KAY he breathes, low and confiding, in a voice that mirrors the softest, kindest, deepest, afterglow moments of romantic love. January 20, 2023 by Jacob Pococontons. One infamous incident occurred during last years gala for the National Craniofacial Foundation. Were keeping you on the payroll through October. If shed said, I f-ed up, Im on the team, shed be here still. Beneath that rasp, he's still very much the manwho once broadcast while skydiving and whoin April 1988 asked listeners to send $20 without explaining why and wound up collecting $240,000 he dispensed to charity. A ratings war is brewing between two oldies stations, and a controversial gadget might decide who wins. Chapman, fifty-three, fell over laughing. Into the breach jumped Ron, who offered to loan me his brand-new Cadillac Seville. (Her cohort, Ron Chapman, who clocked more than 45 successful years on local radio and television [including WFAA-TV,] died in 2021.) Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Brings new meaning to the phrase Sunday Funday. She loved going to NorthPark to dance with other teenagers during the daily weekday broadcast of SumpN Else. 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. Nobodys going to build monuments or hold big memorial services. Ron Chapman began his radio career the DAY he graduated high school, hitting the airwaves in his hometown of Haverhill, Massachusetts. Dale Hansen broadcasted Cowboys games on KVIL. That was the power of Ron Chapman. Tags. "In my own little world, the end of KVIL was something unthinkable," he said. A 1989 profile in D magazine described him as The Emperor in his tower, whose duality is a big part of Ron Chapmans magic. He is, the writer opined, an amalgamation of Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader.. Ron preparing to parachute out of an airplane and broadcast all the way to the ground. He was one of the greatest radio people to ever sit behind the mic. And it suddenly became a craze. And no decision is really final until Chapman signs off on it. Two things worth noting: back then, no one had any fear about writing "$20" on an envelope - and we never gave our street address. During his 31 years at KVIL, Chapman became famous for his upbeat humor and his participation in outrageous stunts and giveaways. It was an itty-bitty bear. It almost looked like a squirrel. Chapman retired from KVIL in 2000 and moved to KLUV, where he worked until 2005 before retiring again. Ive always tried to make my sportscast understandable to the non-sports fan. It was a woman who had a pink sweater wrapped around her neck. Copyright 2023, D Magazine Partners, Inc. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. So if anyone were to remember me. Next to it is a portable telephone, complementing cellular phones in his and Nances cars. The center is the guy who is bending over with the football.. He will later say that its almost like having an extra lobe in his brain. Turns out that a few years back, during a race around the world for a promotion, Chapman arrived late at the airportno ticket, no cash, no passport. When he started hosting SumpN Else, I was a kid, and we loved to dance, and I would go over there to dance. Not only is he 110 percent fireproof and the goose that laid the golden egg, but he is shadow management, and he must be catered to and appeased. Ron Chapman and Mitch Carr Photo credit Courtesy Mitch Carr. Ron was a longtime morning host at our sister station KVIL 103.7, where he worked with KRLD's Mitch Carr. Walton and Johnson. Catch up on the day's news you need to know. Chapman thought that was funny. Our thoughts and hearts are with his frien - 2 years ago. I can give you failure after failure of people whove come on the air in this market and tried to do that. And it was Chapman who ran every single nutty promo in the station's stories history, among them a scavenger hunt that involved hidden tape recorders, secret messages and, eventually, a Braniff International Airways ticket to Hawaii. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. Info. 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. KVIL wasso named for its original HQ in the Highland Park Village, after Charles Meeks acquired a broadcast license from the feds to open up shop in 1958. He did not see the humor in it. So we hit the air, and Ron got it. Then by the following Tuesday, youre just gone. 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.". The following obituaries have been provided by local funeral homes. 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. Jody Dean was Chapmans producer at KVIL from 1987 to 1994. KVIL TIDBITS: Ron Chapman's radio show was simulcast live with video on KXAS-TV as a 30-minute daily program (mid-1970s.). Jun 16, 2005. He is proceeded in death by his father, Fay Chapman. You people dont listen to me, and you are going to lose $100,000 on this auction! When she replied that the auction had never made anywhere near that much, he snapped, Thats why!. Chapman had already carved out a legend as one-half of Charlie & Harrigan on KLIF. Even in a social setting, conversation revolves around radio and the show and the things that are, for other people, rather peripheral., Chapman says he has always had to be aggressive because back in the early days, the ratings were so low that they didnt even show up on Arbitron. The Radio Hall of Famer died at the age of 85 by leading an exemplary life being the pioneer of radio hosting in the country. Following his tenure at KLIF, Chapman joined the staff of KVIL-FM, Dallas-Fort Worth, in 1969. PART OF AUDACY NEWS. Selden went full circle in his personal life too, abusing drugs and alcohol until he wound up doing some time in what he calls the Home for the Occasionally Coherent, the state hospital at Rusk. There was some serious speculation for a while in Haverhill about the Ghost Tuba Player. 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. And some who have shown too much personality, critics charge, get the ax. But when the chairwoman greeted Chapman in the ballroom, she says, he lit into her. Im talking to a thirty-year-old female. The piece coincided with Chapman's 20th anniversary at KVIL, where, The News noted, "His hyper, happy-talk 'Ron Chapman and the Morning Group' has been the almost-constant No. Jason Kidd hopes Mavs star stays patient in preseason play, Spring training cuts are incoming, but these Rangers prospects have impressed in camp. But you could hear this blow-dryer. We just hit. You realize we dont play the same things for a thirty-five-year-old female that youd play on the Zoo. Robert Wilonsky, former city columnist for The Dallas Morning News, is communications director for Heritage Auctions and a frequent contributor to these pages. Chapman invited him to come watch the show at some point. 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 Chapmanor a Helen Reddy 8-track. The longtime host of KVIL died in April 2021 at the age of 85. A man in the hotel found his passport and rushed it to the airport. I dont believe that any one person can be in that much control and yet allow for the station to be the living, breathing organization it has to be in order to survive. No sexism, period. April 26, 2021 / 11:54 AM The money was donated to charity. Do you understand this? I would hope it would be as someone who elevated the art.. And, you know, Im an easy-going guy. Born October 11, 1942 in Ashland, KY, he was the son of the late Otis Guy and . And one night in March 1981, KVIL radio legend Ron Chapman walked into Billy Bob's. "And I walked up to Chapman and I said, 'I'm going to come work for you,' " Dean said. 1 radio show . Early on. Nobody. In 1969, Chapman joined the staff of KVIL-FM/Dallas-Fort . In 2007, he returned to broadcasting part-time as a substitute for radio legend Paul Harvey. Both of which I left, unconsumed, somewhere in Rons car. Chapman moved to KVIL a decade later, after the station briefly flirted with Top 40 in an attempt to topple the mighty KLIF. I would carpool my son to school, pick up kids. . And Ron has a brand-new sweater. 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. No spam, ever. Ron Chapman was born on 25 January 1936 in Newton, Massachusetts, USA. Thats power. In honor of his life, we reproduce this 1989 profile of Chapman. And thats a problem KVIL itself will have to face one of these days. And even then they didnt get it. But Chapman says that the first time Haley went on the air after the deal was struck, She was dreadful. But its going to be hard to groom someone to replace him when he hogs the limelight and wants all the glory for himself.. He always brought light to every room entered. According to industry analysts, fellow media, and KVIL employees, former and current, Chapman is a man of planned spontaneity, of freeze-dried warmth. Ive done this in many ways in my sportscast. Some 12,000 did, and KVIL donated $240,000 to charity. I figure we have her ears, and were the only ones shell let talk to her for the first hour of the day. No one would do that.. Ron Chapman Death - Obituary, Funeral, Cause Of Death Just heard radio legend Ron Chapman has died. But telling Brad after 20-plus years how to broadcastDont be talking about blitzes and the nickel defense. And Chapman was being pretty emphatic about it. Be sure to wear a hat. Chapman was on his way to becoming, twenty years later, a small industry unto himself. Between his junior and senior years, he interned at The Washington Post during "the Watergate summer" of 1973. So he and a couple of radio buds ( Hugh Lampman and Jack Schell) got some backers and found a little building on Mockingbird across from the Dallas Country Club, where they launched a station called KVIL. Ron Chapman set out to claim it. RIP Ron Chapman. On April 13 in Las Vegas, Ron Chapman will be inducted into the National Association of Broadcasters' Radio Hall of Fame -- a momentous occasion that comes exactly one month after the Citadel . For all time, at the moment, 2023 year, Ron Chapman earned $73 Million. Garrett remembers eavesdropping with Chapman on conversations at the local coffee shop or the grocery store, trying to get a feel for what people were talking about. Trust me, Chapman didnt laugh at all. My wife made me admit it publicly: yeah. But it was impossible to replicate a station that made a growing big city feel like a small town. His older sister, Florence Littauer, now a motivational speaker, used her seniority to motivate Ralph, teaching him tongue twisters and then persuading him to repeat them for amazed visitors at the store-for a small fee. "Dallas radio legend Ron Chapman dies at 85. Chapman had a . Go ahead and ask me whatever you want. So we all lined up, and we said, Okay, hoooo! And we started to walk. Ron Chapman's radio career began in 1953the day he graduated from high schoolwhen he became a disc jockey at station WHAV/Haverhill, MA. He must know where everything is at all times. 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. Chapman knows that he is inextricably linked to KVIL. Ron Chapman's radio career began in 1953the day he graduated from high schoolwhen he became a disc jockey at station WHAV/Haverhill, MA. Jun 03, 2004 07:18pm. And we stayed in touch over the years. Though nobodyrepeat, nobodywants to take on Ron Chapman in public (even his roast at the Dallas Press Club last year was a three-hour valentine), friends and foes alike admit to a powerful fear of the man. Chapman's family says there will be no service, but a public gathering of friends and . Chapman knows how to be reassuring to women who are fighting an uphill battle day after day. He died Monday at age 85. Like a handful of other stations in town, at least until they all change formats again. He also had a stint on television with the local ABC affiliate, WFAA-TV, where he was featured in the mid-60s on the "Sump'N Else" show. The Emperor is in his tower, conjuring, working on the exact wording and inflection of the incantation that will once again secure his seemingly unending supremacy. The Zoo crew used to regard KVIL's mushy adult-contemporary playlist as a punchline. Or, according to Alex Burton, until his recent firing the voice of KRLD, Hes a right-brained man who manages to sound left-brained.. And I think he said, This would be a good time to go to commercial.. We used a two-way radio. Nevertheless, she also has to be in between her late '70s and early '80s. "In so many ways around here, Chapman was the pioneer, the seer," Rhyner said. So settle down with one of these throws. But KVIL saw a huge, underserved demographic: women listeners between the ages of twenty-five and forty-four account for some 22 percent of the Dallas/Fort Worth radio market. Even after he retired, he would call and ask for help, and I was always happy to do it. In 2007, he returned to broadcasting part-time as a "permanent substitute" for legendary broadcaster Paul Harvey. We decided we would keep Fort Worth, and treat her like the lady that she is. He was huge in Dallas for decades doing mornings at KVILclick link to learn more. He knew you dont talk down to your audience, you speak up to them, and thats when Ron enjoyed his greatest success., Dean added that Chapman helped transform radio in the city into a shining example of what the media can do and should be. In 1969, Chapman joined the staff of KVIL-FM/Dallas-Fort Worth as morning disc jockey, music director, and program director, bringing the "adult contemporary" format to FM radio. Nothing to embarrass a woman who is even remotely prudish. He directed his in more positive directions, into the station and into work.. However, Ron Chapman's cause of death remains yet to be known but it is suspected that he died of natural causes. Chapman targeted that audience for several reasons, and he lists them the way he says almost everything, with unflappable confidence: a) they are the purse strings; b) there are a lot of them; c) they tend to be very faithful and build an allegiance; and d) they were underserved in this market, and nobody was paying them any respect. About 20 years ago, Id barely started working at KVIL and was the overnight deejaythe lowest life form in radio, with an equivalent lifestyle. Chapman joined KVIL in 1969 where he would remain a fixture for 32 years. blackpool north pier fishing permit; bradley cooper parents; best prepaid debit card to avoid garnishment Selden, now an aide at a substance abuse clinic in Tyler, believes that Chapman has accomplished what it took him much longer to do: harness a runaway ego and put it to good use. 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. On it was a headshot of some fierce new arrival on the Dallas radio scene, the latest young gun bent on a showdown with Chapman at the WBOK Corral. Longtime North Texas disc jockey Ron Chapman, who spent more than four decades on the air in Dallas-Fort Worth, died Monday. When the show aired its final broadcast, Chapman played as its swan song Turn! I used to do the 11 to 2 a.m. shift, during college. That was his job to make that station great. Now, its someone I found out of Kim Dawson headshots. The people who dont understand the program., A recent case in point, says Chapman, was the popular evening jock Lynn Haley, who was dismissed in early August. We became great friends, Fairchild said. Ron Chapman Obituary Kvil Death | Obituary | Ron Chapman Dead | Died | Has Passed Away | Funeral Plans - We are immensely sad . Shes divorced, and may have a kid at home that shes sole support for. Michael Granberry, Arts Writer. Please enter valid email address to continue. RON CHAPMAN ANDERSON - Ronald Ray Chapman, 67, of Anderson, died Wednesday, October 28, 2009 at Rainey Hospice House. But stories of Chapmans sentimentality and generosity are almost as abundant as the tales of his colossal ego. . His family is asking for time right now to process the loss and thanks the community for . Ron has never been much for physical labor, says Littauer, so he stood there nodding and saying, Mm-hmmm and very good, very good, while the sergeant gave jobs to the rest of the men. But, of course, its demise was inevitable, yet another casualty of shifting tastes and platforms; it's sign-off came just two months after Clear Channel dulled The Edge by making it, too, a dull shade of Maroon 5. In the meantime, you play every night like it was opening night, kick ass, and prove me wrong. And you were supposed to live up to them. After working for two years with the Voice of the United Nations Command in Korea , Chapman moved to Connecticut and station WHNC/New Haven. Ronald Edward Chapman. In one infamous stunt, notes his Hall of Fame bio, Chapman told his listeners to each send $20 to the station; within three days, the station had received $200,000. Some estimates put the final amount even higher. Ron in makeup for his role in an episode of Police Story. Rons face superimposed on the body of Michael Jackson. I now think about retiring. 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. Remembering Ron Chapman. He is single-minded, living and breathing and eating KVIL to the detriment of everything else in his life. ", China sets this year's economic growth target at 'around 5%', 20 cars of Norfolk Southern cargo train derail in Ohio, China expands defense budget 7.2%, marking slight increase, Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway and husband are divorcing, Teen hikers rescued after days stuck in California snowstorm, Trump pitches a sequel, but shies away from attacking rivals, Indonesia fuel depot fire kills 19; 3 still missing, How one storm system wreaked havoc from coast to coast, Before Oscars, Everything Everywhere sweeps Spirit Awards, Californians await key decisions from reparations task force. Chapman first hit the Dallas airwaves in 1959 on the Mighty KLIF. Ron Chapman had this offer from KVIL. Thats just the wrapper. Charlie Brown), playing records and providing character voices as stars of the popular Charlie and Harrigan Show. Then the man loaned him enough money to buy a ticket. 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. Part of Audacy. You know, because Id just paid to have the jacket cleaned. FACE FOR RADIO: Chapman hosted a popular TV show. Anybody can read, goddammit! And one morning, I was going to go do a speech for the Dallas Board of Realtors at 9 oclock. By Casey Carr. Ron Chapman's legendary $20 announcement from March, 1988. 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." RIP to a #NTX legend," wrote Dallas County judge Clay Jenkins, in a tweet on April 26. And this is, like, in the 80s. Many years later, both of their first marriages ended (Chapman divorced in 1982) and Ron and Nance began seeing each other, but again, just as friends. Honestly, I thought everyone knew that hed started out in radio with a program called Tips for Teenagers.. We could go New Age. A little egotistical, perhaps. Chapmans on-air name was Irving Harrigan. Legendary Dallas DJ Ron . From 1965 to 1968, Chapman hosted a television dance show for teens called "Sump'N Else." In 1969, he moved to KVIL, where he spent 32 years. In 1969, Chapman joined the staff of KVIL-FM/Dallas-Fort Worth as morning disc jockey, music director, and program director, bringing the .