And, you know, Im an easy-going guy. 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. CBS News Texas: Free 24/7 News; . 2023 Audacy, Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. 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." I havent done it all alone, but in this company, Ive been the thread that has taken the spirit of it through twenty years, and I think Ive done it rather well. At the end of this, the sergeant looked at Ron and said, What is your job. The country was going to get in shape. He never said anything to me about it. Industry critics say that while Chapman is full-tilt today, he is not really doing much to prepare his station for Life After Ron. 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. Chapmans radio station has been number one in Dallas. 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. "How sad that all of those KVIL things are now part of history. . No spam, ever. Early on. DALLAS (CBSDFW) - The Texas Radio Hall of Fame shared the news of the passing of Dallas radio icon Ron Chapman. His wife says the best way to get him frantic is to put him in a car without a phone. A man in the hotel found his passport and rushed it to the airport. This is the story of how a chance encounter lead to a close friendship that would span four decades, and a revolutionary radio travel program that is in it's 46th year. He became widely known, according to his bio page on the Radio Hall of Fame website, for his humor, outrageous stunts and giveaways. And for his astronomically high ratings. There is no way that Vince Lombardi could coach football in todays world. This is a secret, but we take a lot of the staff to the big derrick at Six Flags and put them on top. "Ron Chapman is a dazzlingly . 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. Youd be walking down the hall, and nothing would stop him from putting you down in a very loud voice in front of anybody. By Emily Jimenez, NewsRadio 1080 KRLD. Chapman hired fellow broadcasting legend Jody Dean to work a late-night shift at KVIL in 1982. And that means dont do anything to KVIL. Chapman knows his audience, and he knows what they buycomfort. But I got my bucketful of him a long time ago. From Haverhill, Mass (also Ed McMahon's first rad - 2 years ago. But off-mike, in what employees call his little Come to Jesus talks, that mouth can get hot enough to melt pig iron. And now. 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. 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. Wednesday's announcement just made it official, finally. In those days KVIL was so big the Postal . And because he spanned KLIF and "Sump'n Else" to KVIL -- he WAS the history of Dallas radio . But later, using his real surname, Chapman became an even bigger personality. You realize we dont play the same things for a thirty-five-year-old female that youd play on the Zoo. Thats what we started doing. Jan 3, 2017. "It's a shame it's gone, but KVIL had a great history," he said. 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 . He remained at KVIL-FM for 32 years, serving as program . Longtime North Texas disc jockey Ron Chapman, who spent more than four decades on the air in Dallas-Fort Worth, died Monday. #1. Enjoy unlimited access to all of our incredible journalism, in print and digital. They thought we were going 50 miles. It was a woman who had a pink sweater wrapped around her neck. Ron, how come my offer to buy KVIL never worked out? Fifteen years later, this newspaper called it "the800-pound gorilla of Dallas radio," describing Chapman as "not only one of the top DJs in Dallas, but one of the most respected and feared in the country.". Ron was a longtime morning host at our sister station KVIL 103.7, where he worked with KRLD's Mitch Carr. You know, because Id just paid to have the jacket cleaned. We were in the groove together. Or we could go KVIL.. Often, he would ask me to help out with his charities. 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. He likes certain things in certain places. There is no excuse for making a mistake. January 20, 2023 by Jacob Pococontons. who served as KVILs newsman for a couple of years during the early Seventies, Chapman is obsessed with his work. ', Chapman isnt surprised to hear that many former associates want deep cover before discussing his character and work style. Everybody bring your water. While many have attempted to imitate his formula, nobodyat least locallyis likely to remotely approach his mastery of it. Ron was a legend already in the 60s in Dallas, Fairchild said Monday from her home in Los Angeles. Chapman died Monday at the age of 85, the Texas Radio Hall of Fame announced on its Facebook page. Skip to content. @RGreggHart : A giant of Dallas-Fort Worth radio, Ron Chapman, has died at 85. It was just ambition. By Casey Carr. Its a small industry. In 1969, he teamed up with local radio men Hugh Lampman and Jack Shell at the newly born KVIL. Many of us grew up listening to him on #KVIL. Theyll still be telling that story when Chapmans grandkids have carpool duty. He was always very, very kind. But his desire was for you to get the best out of yourself. And this was totally not intended. Ron Chapman Death - Obituary, Funeral, Cause Of Death Just heard radio legend Ron Chapman has died. Copyright 2023, D Magazine Partners, Inc. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. Ronald V. Chapman, age 80, passed away Tuesday, October 11, 2022 at Mount Carmel East Hospital in Columbus. 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. After 45 years in radio, Ron Chapman retired from his morning show on June 24, 2005. 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. This was 1991. @garycogill : RT @HawkeyeOnAir: I'm saddened to tell you that legendary Dallas DJ Ron Chapman has passed away at 85. On the stairwell is a wall full of pictures: Ron in the midst of a million one-dollar bills. But the precise age, her birthday, and zodiac remain unknown. Hes the sports anchor on ABC Channel 8. Brings new meaning to the phrase Sunday Funday. Talk about a cush gig. We could go AOR. Hell suddenly realize he needs to talk to everybody he knows.. Ron would fairly often show up while I was on the air to go in a studio and record a promo that might run overnight, only to plug something that was going to be on his show. Done in slick, black marble, it is an oversized rectangle, big enough for Ron to pace in. To pace in. The Texas Radio Hall of Fame says "his family asks for time to process this loss, and thanks you for your kindness, understanding and prayers. Shes now a motivational speaker and lives in Fredericksburg, Texas.From the first moment we ever opened our mouths, we clicked. It wont work for you.. And some who have shown too much personality, critics charge, get the ax. The other bold stroke by the founders of KVIL was its attitude toward Dallass sister city, Fort Worth. Trust me, Chapman didnt laugh at all. Maybe for forty-eight hours, max. He is the chairman of Southwest Airlines. Ron was a longtime morning host at our sister station KVIL 103.7, where he worked with KRLD's Mitch Carr. RIP Ron pic.twitter.com . 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. I know something the others havent figured out.. 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. We did that to our audience constantly. Next to the picture, the new kid on the block had penned, Dont buy a house here. 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.. Ron Chapman Obituary: In the loving memory of Ron Chapman, we are saddened to inform you that Ron Chapman, a beloved and loyal friend, has passed away. Ive done this in many ways in my sportscast. Wowwwwww, Chapman warmly asserts, and Okaaaaaaay and Alllllllright and Well suuure. Especially this woman right here., And Brad says, Well, how about if we start the play and say, The quarterback comes up to the line of scrimmage. He was just a wonderful, wonderful guy., And yet, on a professional level, Chapmans reputation carried with it a darker side. In the meantime, you play every night like it was opening night, kick ass, and prove me wrong. By KLTV Digital Media Staff. You tend to say things like the mayor when you mean Dallas and the mayor of Fort Worth when youre talking about them. In 1959, as "Irving Harrigan" he joined the staff KLIF/Dallas, where he teamed up with Jack Woods (a.k.a. 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. So I had just had my jacket cleaned. Fort Worth was the butt of all the jokes by DJs sitting in Dallas talking about people over in Fort Worth. A year later, he suffered a stroke. KVIL-FM, born in Highland Park on August 25, 1961,died, officially, on Jan. 18, 2017. 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. Rhyner, co-founder and sage of the sports-talking Ticket, spent the '70s and '80s just down the FM dial from KVIL at KZEW, where the jocks playedhard(ish) rock while Chapman and his band spun cotton candy. According to industry analysts, fellow media, and KVIL employees, former and current, Chapman is a man of planned spontaneity, of freeze-dried warmth. After working for two years with the Voice of the United Nations Command in Korea , Chapman moved to Connecticut and station WHNC/New Haven. When New York-based Infinity Broadcasting bought KVIL a couple of years ago, they paid more than $80 million, the highest amount ever paid for a stand-alone radio station in the U.S. Nance likens her life with Ron to living with P.T. What followed was story after story about Chapman, who started as a DJ in 1953, and his more infamous bits. Robert Wilonsky, former city columnist for The Dallas Morning News, is communications director for Heritage Auctions and a frequent contributor to these pages. I figure we have her ears, and were the only ones shell let talk to her for the first hour of the day. He will later say that its almost like having an extra lobe in his brain. Ron Chapman Obituary KVIL - Death : DFW Radio Legend Died: Funeral - KVIL and DFW Radio legend, Ron Chapman died aged 85, on April, 26th, 2021, with loved ones left in total devastation. When he started hosting SumpN Else, I was a kid, and we loved to dance, and I would go over there to dance. However, Mylife.com suggested that Nance Chapman was born on 25 February 1941 which made her 80 years old as of . Chapman returned to the states in 1959, took a radio job in New Haven, Connecticut, and then, when a co-worker landed a job with KLIF in Dallas, Chapman went alongat $175 a week, more than double his Connecticut salary. First it was six to nine. Ron.. RIP Ron Chapman. And we stayed in touch over the years. 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. List Of Coronavirus Testing Sites In Texas, Legendary radio host Ron Chapman has passed away, Featured Image Photo Credit: Courtesy Mitch Carr, Bankman-Fried might use flip phone under stricter bail plan, Woman accused of killing ill husband released from jail, Alaska's arduous Iditarod kicks off with ceremonial start, Snow blankets Northeast as cleanup begins from deadly storm, Civilians flee embattled town as Ukrainian pullout looms. 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. 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. A secretary, yeah, sure, absolutely, but she wont be for long. 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. 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. 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. 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. We became great friends, Fairchild said. And he admits that, in part, it is the reason his first marriage ended after nineteen years. Dallas-Fort Worth radio legend Ron Chapman has died, officials with his former station KLUV-FM confirmed. RON CHAPMAN ANDERSON - Ronald Ray Chapman, 67, of Anderson, died Wednesday, October 28, 2009 at Rainey Hospice House. Chapman maintains that the station turns down huge amounts of revenue from advertisers who are dying to get at his listeners: Massengill, Preparation H, etc. So if anyone were to remember me. A lot of people on this board are so young that they have never heard of Michael Selden. The guy would give you the shirt off his back. To the multitudes who wake up with him every weekday, hes Mr. Dallas, Texas 75201. Here and there, she reveals a snippet about her husband. Updated: Apr. Chapman first hit the Dallas airwaves in 1959 on the Mighty KLIF. He was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 2012. Because of my vast admiration and liking for this protean man, I was shocked beyond dismay when he publicly stated that inviting me to roast him was the worst mistake hed ever made. 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. However, Ron Chapman's cause of death remains yet to be known but it is suspected that he died of natural causes. He knew exactly what he was going to do and started work reprogramming KVIL in their big studio. I noticed that they would feature me dancing a lot on the show. Ron Chapman had this offer from KVIL. In honor of his life, we reproduce this 1989 profile of Chapman. The feature says Chapman and his wife, Nance, had met at a charity telethon in the late sixties and spent decades as platonic friends before both parties . For example, co-workers wondered about his habit of dumping all his foreign currency into a drawer when he returns from trips. Im talking to a thirty-year-old female. Chapmans on-air name was Irving Harrigan. "And when he left, that was it.". Ron Chapman Was a Warm and Fuzzy Tyrant. Chapman moved to KVIL a decade later, after the station briefly flirted with Top 40 in an attempt to topple the mighty KLIF. 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. 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. Warm and fuzzy was the game plan from the very beginning. Blonde, voluptuous, impeccably well-mannered, and gracious, she smiles through a mouthful of sharp teeth. I prayed for her to have a lot of success, and I prayed that she get a wonderful starring part-and stay in New York forever.. He is a walking contradiction, a Type A masquerading as a Type B. The station is branded as "Alt 103.7" and airs an alternative rock radio format. Anybody can read, goddammit! blackpool north pier fishing permit; bradley cooper parents; best prepaid debit card to avoid garnishment Chapman thought that was funny. He always has some grand scheme bubbling up to the surface, she says, and hes always looking for some way to convince the rest of us that its a good idea. "In so many ways around here, Chapman was the pioneer, the seer," Rhyner said. 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. TYLER, Texas (KLTV) - Longtime radio personality Ron Chapman has died at the age of 85. Chapman realized that if he won Fort Worth, he could almost double the stations numbers. Read our daily updates at 12:30, 2:30 and 4:30 p.m., and our complete obituaries in The Herald-Dispatch on Wednesday and Menu. But for the first 20 minutes of the show, Id been loading this little guy up with Coca-Cola. The magic is about to happen, the same magic thats been running nonstop for twenty years. 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. But it was impossible to replicate a station that made a growing big city feel like a small town. Nobody. Chapman joined the staff of KVIL-FM/Dallas-Fort Worth as morning . He died Monday at age 85. And you were supposed to live up to them. At one point, Chapman broadcast live while skydiving from a plane. 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. Exact sum is $73000000. So youre that egotistical S.O.B., They became fast, but platonic, friends. Said a Dallas radio newsman with nearly twenty years in the market, When I left KVIL, my blood pressure dropped by forty points. And one morning, I was going to go do a speech for the Dallas Board of Realtors at 9 oclock. He spent 19 years at the Los Angeles Times before returning to Dallas. 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 who sat at the top of the hill, a legend in broadcasting. Hes now an announcer and does several shows for ABC radio. The radio industry took to social media to reflect on Chapman's life and career. Born plain old Ralph Chapman in Haverhill, Massachusetts, Ron began performing at the ripe age of three. 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.". Not all of Chapmans career was limited to radio. Dallas most important news stories of the week, delivered to your inbox each Sunday. 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. A unique soul with a great personality has an amazing sense of humour, diligent and caring. 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. In 1969, Chapman joined the staff of KVIL-FM/Dallas-Fort Worth as morning disc jockey, music director, and program director, bringing the . When Ron Chapman, Morning Host of KVIL in Dallas, Texas, asked his listeners back in 1998 to send $20 to the station, they did to the tune of $240,000. Ron Chapman was born on January 25, 1936 in Newton, Massachusetts, USA. Chapman joined KVIL in 1969 where he would remain a fixture for 32 years. And we walked around the corner and stopped. I swear to you. He also hosted a televised series from Northpark Center in the 1960's for a three-year stint. A lot of people couldnt handle it, Dean said of Chapmans style. This month, after 45 years on the Dallas airwaves, Ron Chapman signs off. That's a very sad commentary on the times. Here are a few other stories about Chapmans career, told by those who knew and worked with the legend. ", 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. Thats reflective of some pretty strong public service. Chapman says. Chapman is not just guessing at what his audience wants to hear He is downright methodical about it. And every morning he was there for us, standing at his mic, drinking Dr Pepper, talking to the city. In 1968, Chapman joined a team that purchased KVIL-FM, a station known for pioneering the Adult Contemporary (AC) format. Chapman's family says there will be no service, but a public gathering of friends and . I once wrote Ron Chapman meant more to Dallas radio than electricity. Some 12,000 did, and KVIL donated $240,000 to charity. Other than that, Im real comfortable.. 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. Gratefully I accepted, and drove off in his North Dallas wheels while they towed my Fort Worth bomb away. He served with the Army in South Korea from 1957 to 1959, producing a radio show for Voice of the United Nations Command. We play some stuff that cooks pretty good, but there are a lot of songs we wont play at all. And I did everything. Enjoy unlimited access to all of our incredible journalism, in print and digital. Stevens and Pruett. In 2007, he returned to broadcasting part-time as a "permanent substitute" for legendary broadcaster Paul Harvey. Its on the far back burner, but I think about it. The next step from there would have been the street. And thats a problem KVIL itself will have to face one of these days. No sexism, period. He said, Thats the second time youve used that item and its the last! Ron Chapman began his radio career the DAY he graduated high school, hitting the airwaves in his hometown of Haverhill, Massachusetts. The center is the guy who is bending over with the football.. Put on your walking shoes. "His family asks for time to . I can make her feel good about the day, or I can make her feel crappy about the day, and of course, the choice is to make her feel good. He always brought light to every room entered. Homepage; Contact US; About US; Ron Chapman Net Worth, Age, Height, Weight. 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. And Ron has a brand-new sweater. He was an actor, known for Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders (1979). First published on April 26, 2021 / 11:54 AM. But if anyone were to remember me, I would hope it would be as someone who took radio disc jockeying and maybe gave it a little respect. Anyway, I was holding this animal on my shoulder, on my freshly cleaned jacket, and it got a little excited. Woods was Charlie Brown. Michael Granberry, Arts Writer. 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. Remembering Ron Chapman. Bring walking sticks. Chapman, fifty-three, fell over laughing. 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. Weve become Kleenex. The kids had to wear coats and ties on the show. I tell people this story, and they think its one of those urban legends. Robert Bird Brown Obituary - Dead | Robert Bird Brown Cause of Death April 26, 2021 Son of Mercy 0. Theyll still be talking about that twenty years from now. They were gonna change owners and he knew the new owner. He must know where everything is at all times. Ron Chapman Death - Obituary, Funeral, Cause Of Death Just heard radio legend Ron Chapman has died.