But would he be really pissed if we never played it at all?. Suite 2100 WATCH: Steve Eberhart reminisces about late radio legend Ron Chapman - KLTV And Ron has a brand-new sweater. I now think about retiring. And I want you to know that Leonard jerked the plug out from the wall. A lot of people on this board are so young that they have never heard of Michael Selden. The man who sat at the top of the hill, a legend in broadcasting. There are no excuses in Ron Chapmans world except You screwed up. Ron Chapman Death - Obituary, Funeral, Cause Of Death Just heard radio legend Ron Chapman has died. I hear it., I said, Yes. I told her so. In honor of his life, we reproduce this 1989 profile of Chapman. But it was impossible to replicate a station that made a growing big city feel like a small town. In 1959, as "Irving Harrigan" he joined the staff KLIF/Dallas, where he teamed up with Jack Woods (a.k.a. Ron Chapman made Vocal Majority . Chapmans on-air name was Irving Harrigan. "Dallas radio legend Ron Chapman dies at 85. I just never mellowed out. Chapman admits. Ralph Frederick "Ron" Chapman (1936-2021) - Find a Grave He claims more listeners than any DJ in Texas. Ron Chapman, DFW radio legend, dies at age 85 - Blogger Chapman remembers all the other long-gone-and-forgotten ones who came gunning for him: the Mobys in the Morning, the Stevenses and Pruetts. 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. I would hope it would be as someone who elevated the art.. Who is available? He's now a news anchor for CBS Channel 11 and will replace Chapman on KLUV's morning show. He did not see the humor in it. 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. The call letters have been tossed in the dustbin; they no longer serve a purpose. Chapman was 85 years old. Weve become Kleenex. Tags. anyway? And Ron said, Why, I am in charge of the talent show, of which there wasnt one at the time. "But a well-respected punchline," Rhyner said. He was huge in Dallas for decades doing mornings at KVILclick link to learn more. Robert Wilonsky, former city columnist for The Dallas Morning News, is communications director for Heritage Auctions and a frequent contributor to these pages. No one would do that.. But the most telling aspect of Ron Chapmans house may be his shower. Honestly, I thought everyone knew that hed started out in radio with a program called Tips for Teenagers.. RALPH CHAPMAN OBITUARY. Before SumpN Else finished its run, Fairchild had already scored her first movie credit, appearing as Faye Dunaways double in the Oscar-winning film, Bonnie and Clyde. RONALD E. CHAPMAN Ron passed away on Saturday, May 23, 2020, at the Scarborough Extendicare long-term care home, from pneumonia at the age of 90. People just trusted him, Dean said Monday. Ralph Chapman Obituary (1936 - 2021) - Dallas, TX - Dallas Morning News I swear to you. Dallas, Texas 75201. 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. He said, Thats the second time youve used that item and its the last! Chapman himself acknowledges his mortality, but only in the vaguest way, putting retirement plans out there some years down the road. More than one KVILite also remarked that they wouldnt have had jobs at all if Chapman hadnt heard that they were down on their luck and called to offer them gigs. Legendary radio host Ron Chapman has passed away. I cannot say I will miss KVIL, mostly because I haven't listened to it in years -- couldn't tell you its format since, oh, 1985? He also hosted a televised series from Northpark Center in the 1960's for a three-year stint. The Zoo crew used to regard KVIL's mushy adult-contemporary playlist as a punchline. Whatever it took.. I used to do the 11 to 2 a.m. shift, during college. 1 radio show . And Ron says, When youre doing your broadcast, I want you to think that these people here are your audience. Ron Chapman, a Dallas - Fort Worth radio legend, has died at the age of 85, according to CBS 11 KTVT in DFW. Catch up on the day's news you need to know. We play some stuff that cooks pretty good, but there are a lot of songs we wont play at all. Nance (pronounced Nancy), Chapmans wife of three years, is the centerpiece of the home tour. But what me and Tom Murphy did was put together a morning show for teens, Murphy and Harrigan. The rest, as they say, is history. This system is awful. In order for us to match the standard, the three of us guys on the floor crew went out and bought blazers. 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. The man had to be on the air at 5:30 in the morning. . And the little guy loved Coca-Cola. He was so popular in Dallas in the 70s, 80s and 90s that his station, KVIL, sold for more than the Dallas Cowboys. I dodged flying reels of tape more than once., Later, Dean said, Im sure Ron regretted a great deal of it. Right away, you know two things about her: she has no time to waste, and you dont mess with her. No spam, ever. 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. He will later say that its almost like having an extra lobe in his brain. The program, based on "American Bandstand . Then ten to midnight. 1 forever. But I got my bucketful of him a long time ago. Thanks a lot, everybody! They were pissed off, and they loved it. 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. And its not just the lower-downs, but the higher-ups who have their hands full of Chapman ego. I hand it to Ron, and the little guy hops on Rons shoulder, and when the lights come up, you know, animals react. To this day I still get the shakes whenever I hear Chicago's "If You Leave Me Now," Gerry Rafferty's "Right Down the Line"and anything by Anne Murray or Barry Manilow. 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. Ron Chapman Death - Obituary, Funeral, Cause Of Death Just heard radio legend Ron Chapman has died. Robert Wilonsky on Twitter: "I once wrote Ron Chapman meant more to Ron Chapman: Final Morning on KLUV - Rainbow Connection Tribute (with "It's a shame it's gone, but KVIL had a great history," he said. RIP Ron pic.twitter.com . He then did afternoon drive at KVIL-FM for several years until he was fired by Ron Chapman. 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. Chapman had served as emcee for a couple of years in a row and had complained both times about the sound system. . Chapman and his morning cohortsSuzy Humphries, Jody Dean, Michael Rey, et al.are saying, in effect. The station is branded as "Alt 103.7" and airs an alternative rock radio format. He was 85. Like the time when, in charge of locking away the band instruments in a wire cage, Ralph kept the mouthpiece of the tuba in his pocket. After 45 years in radio, Ron Chapman retired from his morning show on June 24, 2005. The Texas Radio Hall of Fame shared the news of the passing of Dallas radio icon Ron Chapman. KVIL (103.7 FM, Alt 103.7) is a commercial radio station dual-licensed to Highland Park and Dallas, Texas.It is owned by Audacy, Inc. and it serves the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex in North Texas.The station's studios are located along North Central Expressway in Uptown Dallas. It was the only way we could get a feel for the publics impressions on what we were doing. Ron Chapman announced his retirement on 98.7 KLUV at age 69 saying he was retiring from the morning program and going on vacation with his wife Nancy. Nance prayed for her. "Three time radio Hall of Famer and Dallas radio ICON Ron Chapman has passed," the organization said. For two weeks, while everyone else painted and scraped, he sat in a deck chair and interviewed people to see what their talent was., After Chapman had been in Korea for about a month, he got a parchment scroll commending him for lifting the morale of the troops. According to the Texas Radio Hall of Fame, no public service is happening, but there will be a public gathering of friends and colleagues which is being planned at this time. Dallas Radio Icon Ron Chapman Dies at 85 - NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth The obituary was featured in Dallas Morning News on May 16, 2021. Ron Chapman has passed away. When he started hosting SumpN Else, I was a kid, and we loved to dance, and I would go over there to dance. Each year, I am more and more aware of the power we have in that room, Chapman confides. But Ive wondered ever since., Herb Kelleher has known Chapman for years. He was 85. Ron Chapman: Final Sign-Off and Song on 98.7 KLUV - YouTube Selden was the Afternoon Drive DJ at 1190 KLIF at the time when 75% of the teenagers in Dallas were listening. Michael Granberry, Arts Writer. You treat her with respect. So settle down with one of these throws. Ronald Chapman July 23, 2021 Ronald Monroe Chapman, 77, of Jordan, died peacefully in his sleep at 2:32 am on July 23, 2021 while at home surrounded by his loving family. Nance Chapman Wiki: Ron Chapman Wife, Age, Job - Stars Offline He moved to Dallas in 1959 a year before the Dallas Cowboys became a team and was known for a decade as Irving Harrigan, who shared a microphone with Charlie Brown. His co-hosts real name was Jack Woods, and together the two became a radio juggernaut at KLIF, known then as The Mighty 1190. Their rise coincided with the Top 40 dynamism of the Beatles, the Beach Boys and the Rolling Stones. TYLER, Texas (KLTV) - Longtime radio personality Ron Chapman has died at the age of 85. The magic is about to happen, the same magic thats been running nonstop for twenty years. 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. While Ron was 85 years old at the time of his death, Nance Chapman's age remains a mystery. He also hosted a televised series from Northpark Center in the 1960's for a three-year stint. 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.. From 1965 to 1968, he became Dallas rarefied answer to Dick Clark and American Bandstand, as host of the wildly popular Sumpn Else, a teen dance show carried live from NorthPark Center on WFAA-TV (Channel 8). A computerized Young Chang Grand Piano is playing Gershwin via floppy disk over near the bar. BUD BUSCHARDT, HE'S SUMP'N ELSE! - Memories of Dallas by Memories Inc 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. Hes right. But Chapmans vaunted ego and his famed temper have only enhanced his hold on the Dallas radio market. 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. 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. At the end of this, the sergeant looked at Ron and said, What is your job. Chapman, who was inducted to the Radio Hall of Fame three times, started his career in 1953the day he graduated from high school, according to his bio on the organization's website. According to Tony Garrett. The center is the guy who is bending over with the football.. 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. 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 . While many have attempted to imitate his formula, nobodyat least locallyis likely to remotely approach his mastery of it. He was an actor, known for Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders (1979). During his 31 years at KVIL, Chapman became famous for his upbeat humor and his participation in outrageous stunts and giveaways. And I did everything. If he thought you had an iota of talent, and you wound up on that station, then the expectations for you were enormous. And I was going to run faster, work harder, get street-smarter. Both of which I left, unconsumed, somewhere in Rons car. CBS Radio's local market manager Brian Purdy, in announcing the format change, made just a brief nod to the station's past by insisting 103.7 is "not your mother's radio station any more," which hit a little close to home. We just knew where the other one was headed. The store was open from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. As writer Diane Reischel put it in The News story: The store was the childrens living room, the customers their audience., His sister, Florence Littauer, said her baby brother was so clever and funny that people would pay me for him to speak. As The News noted, The parents his mother was a violinist challenged the children to think creatively. Mess with Ron and I might become an ape in heat and jump all over you. Among the passengers on a March 4 flight out of Hanoi 45 years ago Sunday at the end of the Vietnam War were three Air Force officers who would eventually settle in Northwest Florida. Wednesday's announcement just made it official, finally. 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. Catch up on the day's news you need to know. Michael Selden airchecks | RadioDiscussions 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 a . Remembering Ron Chapman. So, Chapman can afford to surprise his wife with a 4.9-carat diamond, keep houses in town and country, and fly to Madrid on a whim., Born in January 1936, Ralph Frederick Chapman was the youngest of three children raised in the back rooms of his dads store during the Depression. Passing by the cage, he would surreptitiously slip the mouthpiece through the wire into the neck of the tuba and blow. But off-mike, in what employees call his little Come to Jesus talks, that mouth can get hot enough to melt pig iron. Ralph Chapman passed away on May 4, 2021 in Dallas, Texas. 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. Theyll still be talking about that twenty years from now. He spent 19 years at the Los Angeles Times before returning to Dallas. Walton and Johnson. Would Stevie Wonder object if we took it out? But the precise age, her birthday, and zodiac remain unknown. CHAPMAN, Ralph Frederick (Ron) Born January 25, 1936, in Newton, MA, Chapman has been heard on the airwaves in the Dallas/Fort Worth area since the 1950s. First published on April 26, 2021 / 11:54 AM. Obituaries Search for Ron Chapman - Dignity Memorial Former Dallas Morning News columnist Robert Wilonsky contributed to this report. We can't say goodbye to KVIL until its legendary voice Ron Chapman Following his tenure at KLIF, Chapman joined the staff of KVIL-FM, Dallas-Fort Worth, in 1969. Chapman had already carved out a legend as one-half of Charlie & Harrigan on KLIF. Ron was a legend already in the 60s in Dallas, Fairchild said Monday from her home in Los Angeles. It wont work for you.. And no decision is really final until Chapman signs off on it. At the haunted house, Chapman took along a producer and equipped her with a microphone. Ron Chapman began his radio career the DAY he graduated high school, hitting the airwaves in his hometown of Haverhill, Massachusetts. His family is asking for time right now to process the loss and thanks the community for . And thats a problem KVIL itself will have to face one of these days. How would he like to be remembered? Ron Chapman Radio Hall Of Fame "KVIL was so big, so all-encompassing that you never thought it would go away.". We are very grateful for the care and compassion he. At one point, Chapman broadcast live while skydiving from a plane . The other bold stroke by the founders of KVIL was its attitude toward Dallass sister city, Fort Worth. Ive had two scoops of everything, Chapman likes to say. And guess what? 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. Weve become Coke. But suppose, suddenly, a rogue meteorite comes falling out of the sky and mashes him into a puddle at the corner of Mockingbird and Central? That was his job to make that station great. And the guy was the typical model. But it doesnt mean that I wont stick my heel in your throat. KVIL - Wikiwand 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. 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. "And when he left, that was it.". The late Ron Chapman, who died April 26, 2021 at the age of 85, as seen in 2014. Death: Ron Chapman Obituary Kvil - Tradegy Info The following obituaries have been provided by local funeral homes. 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. Barack O-blame-a. "This has something to do with age. One former employee, who asked not to be named, speaks for many when she says, Hes the most unfeeling, cold-hearted son of a bitch I ever met., And this woman counts herself among his admirers because of his genius at making KVIL a raging success. Part of Audacy. Nothing to embarrass a woman who is even remotely prudish. All great relationships are built on trust . It would dance on kids shoulders. 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. 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. So I had just had my jacket cleaned. In my mind, Chapman continues, I used to picture Mary Tyler Moore. Dallas radio legend Ron Chapman passes away at the age of 85 - Audacy I wouldnt even park near one. He wants to control that station twenty-four hours a day, hotlining jocks in the middle of the night for mispronouncing some street name, says Tom Tradup, now general manager of a Chicago station and, until last July, the general manager at KRLD. Dean later called it a dream come true. He is very perfectionist about his personal things. dallas talk radio hosts - quickglobalexpress.com Even after he retired, he would call and ask for help, and I was always happy to do it. Ron Chapman and Mitch Carr Photo credit Courtesy Mitch Carr. Jan 3, 2017. Talk about a cush gig. Posted Mon, Apr 26, 2021 at 8:33 pm CT. Dallasites are grieving the death today of deejay Ron Chapman, a man whose voice was a constant companion throughout the Metroplex for more than five . 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. Maybe for forty-eight hours, max. They filmed it. The station's studios are located along North Central Expressway in Uptown Dallas. And now. Hollywood actress Morgan Fairchild first met the radio maestro when she was a student at Lake Highlands High School. Hes like the man who juggles chain saws while singing Verdi. But his desire was for you to get the best out of yourself. Like a handful of other stations in town, at least until they all change formats again. Robert Wilonsky, Special Contributor. His family received condolences from thousands . They thought we were going 50 miles. Longtime North Texas disc jockey Ron Chapman, who spent more than four decades on the air in Dallas-Fort Worth, died Monday. 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. Chapman was involved at the time with a woman in New York, an aspiring actress. Ron Chapman had this offer from KVIL. Dallas Radio Icon Ron Chapman Dies at 85 | KLIF-AM Ron Chapman was born on 25 January 1936 in Newton, Massachusetts, USA. 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. We just hit. That was the power of Ron Chapman. Did Ron Chapman have a wife? KVIL radio personality's life explored (Her cohort, Ron Chapman, who clocked more than 45 successful years on local radio and television [including WFAA-TV,] died in 2021.) Chapman said. A Passing: Ron Chapman - My Sweet Charity Id never been in a Cadillac Seville. We tell them, Heres the concept. A year later, he suffered a stroke. 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The hand goes higher above his head: VEE higher now, almost pleading as it keens with the anticipation of all the wonderful, warm, cuddly, sensual things to come. Dfwretroplex.com - Suzie Humphreys and News 8 Etc 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. Enjoy unlimited access to all of our incredible journalism, in print and digital. 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. Then the man loaned him enough money to buy a ticket. Ron Chapman's radio career began in 1953the day he graduated from high schoolwhen he became a disc jockey at station WHAV/Haverhill, MA. Chapman's booming voice is now a shadow of its former self, the result of a stroke suffered just before Christmas in 2012. Now, its someone I found out of Kim Dawson headshots. Ive always tried to make my sportscast understandable to the non-sports fan. Legendary Dallas DJ Ron Chapman dies at 85 - Fort Worth Star-Telegram Do you understand this? The Right Hand of God is Dallas. 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. By now, everyone knows the story about how, in 1988, Chapman asked his KVIL listeners to send in $20 each, without ever saying why, and took in $240,000. FOX 4. We put them on constantly.. You understand that? Boom! Ron Chapman - Biography - IMDb Ron didnt say a word. In the late 1990's Chapman joined KLUV-FM, an Oldies format that saw high ratings upon his arrival. CBS News Texas: Free 24/7 News; . The slightly bugged eyes turn flat, focused inward. . I love doing the morning show but my bones are beginning to tell me that hitting the ground running at 4:10 every morning is not going to be supported forever by whatever frame that I carry around with me and happy to have served me around for a lot of years but it looks as tho I really need to be taking care of it instead of it taking care of me. I'm saddened to tell you that legendary Dallas DJ Ron Chapman has passed away at 85. He had this real, real long tongue, and it could get into the bottle. We never worked in the studio together, for 20 years. Dallas Radio Icon Ron Chapman Dies at 85 | News Talk WBAP-AM What followed was story after story about Chapman, who started as a DJ in 1953, and his more infamous bits. The next step from there would have been the street. In 2007, he returned to broadcasting part-time as a "permanent substitute" for legendary broadcaster Paul Harvey. Trust me, Chapman didnt laugh at all. In fact, the jingle was the fastest 45 in the West. It was based on Rons experience with Top 40 radio. Remembering Ron Chapman Vocal Majority - Pure Harmony 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. The money was donated to charity. But the thing about it is, ten minutes later, its like it never happened.. In 1968, Chapman joined KVIL-FM, a station known for pioneering the Adult Contemporary (AC) format. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Also, his people say that his expectations for others are not nearly as high as those he imposes on himself.