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. Enjoy unlimited access to all of our incredible journalism, in print and digital. On the stairwell is a wall full of pictures: Ron in the midst of a million one-dollar bills. Chapmans on-air name was Irving Harrigan. "His family asks for time to . 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. Jody Dean was Chapman's producer at KVIL from 1987 to 1994. But she was the problem., Chapman, who says he agonizes over every firing and tries to help the departed financially, told Haley to find another gig by the end of the year, while challenging her to do better: I told her. The money was donated to charity. A secretary, yeah, sure, absolutely, but she wont be for long. DALLAS (CBSDFW) - The Texas Radio Hall of Fame shared the news of the passing of Dallas radio icon Ron Chapman. 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. Now, its someone I found out of Kim Dawson headshots. In 2007, he returned to broadcasting part-time as a substitute for radio legend Paul Harvey. Jan 3, 2017. And one morning, I was going to go do a speech for the Dallas Board of Realtors at 9 oclock. We said, Okay, thats it! Chapman, fifty-three, fell over laughing. When we first went to KVIL to do the Cowboys games, Ron brings Brad Sham and me into his office and starts giving us this big speech on how we should broadcast a football game. . Or we could go KVIL.. Mess with Ron and I might become an ape in heat and jump all over you. Ron Chapmans the only one that talks to her that first hour, and in that hour, 1 can mold her frame of mind. 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. Ron was a longtime morning host at our sister station KVIL 103.7, where he worked with KRLD's Mitch Carr. Chapmans radio station has been number one in Dallas. The kids had to wear coats and ties on the show. Ron Chapman made money by Directors niche. I hand it to Ron, and the little guy hops on Rons shoulder, and when the lights come up, you know, animals react. 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. So Charlie and Harrigan came on and said, Were going to do our hike. 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. I was driving an older beat-up Nissan, and my alternator went out one night while on the way to work. 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. No spam, ever. Charlie Brown), playing records and providing character voices as stars of the popular Charlie and Harrigan Show. Then by the following Tuesday, youre just gone. His family is asking for time right now to process the loss and thanks the community for . Ironically, Chapman so dominates the KVIL lineup that the DJs around him seem unremittingly unmemorable. Anyway, I was holding this animal on my shoulder, on my freshly cleaned jacket, and it got a little excited. Following his tenure at KLIF, Chapman joined the staff of KVIL-FM, Dallas-Fort Worth, in 1969. I can give you failure after failure of people whove come on the air in this market and tried to do that. It is owned by Audacy, Inc. and it serves the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex in North Texas. In 1968, Chapman joined KVIL-FM, a station known for pioneering the Adult Contemporary (AC) format. The center is the guy who is bending over with the football.. 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. Part of Audacy. In those days KVIL was so big the Postal . Ron Chapman was born on 25 January 1936 in Newton, Massachusetts, USA. . 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 . Be sure to wear a hat. 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.. Its a small industry. He was an actor, known for Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders (1979). He was an actor, known for Dallas Cowboys . Often, he would ask me to help out with his charities. Ralph Chapman passed away on May 4, 2021 in Dallas, Texas. I froze. This is a first, he admits. Chapman was on his way to becoming, twenty years later, a small industry unto himself. It was the only way we could get a feel for the publics impressions on what we were doing. CBS News Texas: Free 24/7 News; . Last year, that power was demonstrated when Chapman asked listeners to trust him and send in $20 each for no specified purpose. At the haunted house, Chapman took along a producer and equipped her with a microphone. It was an itty-bitty bear. This system is awful. He was so popular in Dallas in the 70s, 80s and 90s that his station, KVIL, sold for more than the Dallas Cowboys. 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. Woods was Charlie Brown. Steve Eberhart was a deejay at KVIL. 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. Robert Bird Brown Obituary - Dead | Robert Bird Brown Cause of Death April 26, 2021 Son of Mercy 0. The magic is about to happen, the same magic thats been running nonstop for twenty years. This month, after 45 years on the Dallas airwaves, Ron Chapman signs off. He said, Thats the second time youve used that item and its the last! Trust me, Chapman didnt laugh at all. (The money was later distributed to local charities.) So I went by my hairdressers, who lived in Oak Cliff. Chapman thought that was funny. And you were supposed to live up to them. While Ron was 85 years old at the time of his death, Nance Chapman's age remains a mystery. In order for us to match the standard, the three of us guys on the floor crew went out and bought blazers. "It was what it was when it was. You treat her with respect. Dick Clark is an old friend of Chapmans. ", 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 liked to say he was a poor kid who grew up behind a grocery store, which his father owned in his native Haverhill, Mass. His hard-scrabble experience inspired him to say, Ill show them. And his broadcasting career accomplished exactly that he showed them. The station's studios are located along North Central Expressway in Uptown Dallas. 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. Thats reflective of some pretty strong public service. Chapman says. 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? At the end of this, the sergeant looked at Ron and said, What is your job. That was the power of Ron Chapman. We play some stuff that cooks pretty good, but there are a lot of songs we wont play at all. The longtime host of KVIL died in April 2021 at the age of 85. 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 is an obsessive-compulsive perfectionist, Selden says. Oh, Lord. 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. 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. However, Mylife.com suggested that Nance Chapman was born on 25 February 1941 which made her 80 years old as of . We were in the groove together. 2023 Audacy, Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Said a Dallas radio newsman with nearly twenty years in the market, When I left KVIL, my blood pressure dropped by forty points. That's a very sad commentary on the times. According to industry analysts, fellow media, and KVIL employees, former and current, Chapman is a man of planned spontaneity, of freeze-dried warmth. Chapman retired from KVIL in 2000 and moved to KLUV, where he worked until 2005 before retiring again. The station is branded as "Alt 103.7" and airs an alternative rock radio format. Selden was the Afternoon Drive DJ at 1190 KLIF at the time when 75% of the teenagers in Dallas were listening. He is the chairman of Southwest Airlines. He had spent his last few years on 98.7 KLUV in Dallas/Forth Worth. He served with the Army in South Korea from 1957 to 1959, producing a radio show for Voice of the United Nations Command. Jody Dean was Chapmans producer at KVIL from 1987 to 1994. Says Littauer, Only Ron could spend two weeks on a ship, do nothing, and then get a commendation for it.. It was our mascot for the show. The Emperor is in his tower . But its going to be hard to groom someone to replace him when he hogs the limelight and wants all the glory for himself.. And because I drove the yellow van, I could go wherever I wanted to go. Enjoy unlimited access to all of our incredible journalism, in print and digital. 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. But back then, you prayed for Vince Lombardi. April 26, 2021. April 26, 2021 / 11:54 AM 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. Talk about a cush gig. Chapman says he and Nancy were in excellent health at that point but age was a factor for him wanting to retire. Baby, it's cold outside. Chapman said. "How sad that all of those KVIL things are now part of history. 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. He was one of the greatest radio people to ever sit behind the mic. But I got my bucketful of him a long time ago. We had several meetings in which we hoped to gain her attention about things we didnt feel were happening correctly on the nighttime show. He said, Well, its something. And Id walk a mile for an impression., Part of the magic of KVIL is that it is positive and upbeat, even when its poking fun at the news, the politicians, or the Cowboys. what happened to archie in monarch of the glen; funeral poem our father kept a garden. Im rough to work for. And Ron says, When youre doing your broadcast, I want you to think that these people here are your audience. I never brought it up with him, either. 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. 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. Next to the picture, the new kid on the block had penned, Dont buy a house here. Also, his people say that his expectations for others are not nearly as high as those he imposes on himself. His career launched in 1953, the day after he graduated from high school. Robert Wilonsky, former city columnist for The Dallas Morning News, is communications director for Heritage Auctions and a frequent contributor to these pages. 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. KVIL TIDBITS: Ron Chapman's radio show was simulcast live with video on KXAS-TV as a 30-minute daily program (mid-1970s.). And then they put me on from midnight to six. Early on. Ive done this in many ways in my sportscast. During his 31 years at KVIL, Chapman became famous for his upbeat humor and his participation in outrageous stunts and giveaways. He remained at KVIL-FM for 32 years, serving as program . Tags. They had no bathtub, no phone, no family car. 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 ended up following Chapman at KLUV in 2005. It was your classic, stereotypical young yuppie couple from Highland Park. Exact sum is $73000000. 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. The call letters have been tossed in the dustbin; they no longer serve a purpose. Paul: Okay, so let's go back to Bud's career. No spam, ever. I love the guy. He is very perfectionist about his personal things. / CBS Texas. He is, he admits, a control freak. We dont do that here. Turn! And Ron has a brand-new sweater. "They should have changed the call letters the day he left," said Jody Dean, who joined KVIL in 1982 and served as Chapman's producer before replacing him on the morning show. pic.twitter.com/XuaDWmWvEm. The obituary was featured in Dallas Morning News on May 16, 2021. And thats a problem KVIL itself will have to face one of these days. Gratefully I accepted, and drove off in his North Dallas wheels while they towed my Fort Worth bomb away. We just hit. If he thought you had an iota of talent, and you wound up on that station, then the expectations for you were enormous. But it was impossible to replicate a station that made a growing big city feel like a small town. Im absolutely realistic in believing that nobody remembers you, Chapman says. 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. Wowwwwww, Chapman warmly asserts, and Okaaaaaaay and Alllllllright and Well suuure. The maddest he ever got at me were those times that I delivered less than the best. He is an amalgamation of Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader, a warm, fuzzy presence who intrudes benignly into the consciousness of hundreds of thousands of women every morning. We decided we would keep Fort Worth, and treat her like the lady that she is. Thats just the wrapper. 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. Its a trap: if you are situated in Dallas, you look at things from the Dallas perspective, even unconsciously. 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. Go ahead and ask me whatever you want. First it was six to nine. Theyre over. Here are a few other stories about Chapmans career, told by those who knew and worked with the legend. "Ron Chapman is a dazzlingly . RON CHAPMAN ANDERSON - Ronald Ray Chapman, 67, of Anderson, died Wednesday, October 28, 2009 at Rainey Hospice House. Ronald Edward Chapman. Chapman joined the staff of KVIL-FM/Dallas-Fort Worth as morning . anyway? And Ron said, Why, I am in charge of the talent show, of which there wasnt one at the time. It was Chapman who convinced owners to ditch their paltry AM signal and go with its powerful 100,000-watt signal. 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. In 1989, KVIL reigned supreme for three consecutive quarters, reaching 10.5 ratings points in the July Arbitrons, 3.1 points ahead of runner-up KSCS. . We had this little kinkajou honey bear. 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. Chapman's family says there will be no service, but a public gathering of friends and . We could go New Age. So one of our sponsors was Coca-Cola. Other than that, Im real comfortable.. For a while, Chapmans career in Dallas was on the stairsteps to oblivion, he recalls. In 1959, a 23-year-old up-and-coming disc jockey from Haverhill, Mass., took on the role of morning co-host for a . Thirty-two of them at the same station. About all they had were some call letters, and not very good ones at that. He is a walking contradiction, a Type A masquerading as a Type B. 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. In terms of logistics and creativity, hes a towering genius. 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.. In the meantime, you play every night like it was opening night, kick ass, and prove me wrong. Dale Hansen broadcasted Cowboys games on KVIL. I just never mellowed out. Chapman admits. They were gonna change owners and he knew the new owner. Nance likens her life with Ron to living with P.T. KVIL tried to take on powerhouse KLIF-AM in the late 1960s; on 4/17/1967, they changed to a Top 40, "solid rock sound" format (formerly a talk/music format,) and renamed all of their jocks "Dave" to emphasize their 'David . 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.. After working for two years with the Voice of the United Nations Command in Korea , Chapman moved to Connecticut and station WHNC/New Haven. Its on the far back burner, but I think about it. 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. Net Worth Inspector Menu. We never worked in the studio together, for 20 years. Ronald V. Chapman, age 80, passed away Tuesday, October 11, 2022 at Mount Carmel East Hospital in Columbus. We put them on constantly.. 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. I swear to you. And some who have shown too much personality, critics charge, get the ax. Chapman was 85 years old. After 45 years in radio, Ron Chapman retired from his morning show on June 24, 2005. @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. . Ron Chapman's radio career began in 1953the day he graduated from high schoolwhen he became a disc jockey at station WHAV/Haverhill, MA. Fort Worth was the butt of all the jokes by DJs sitting in Dallas talking about people over in Fort Worth. Ron Chapman has passed away. Dean later called it a dream come true. 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. His wife says the best way to get him frantic is to put him in a car without a phone. There was some serious speculation for a while in Haverhill about the Ghost Tuba Player. Knowing Ron over the years has been an adventure. It was a 45-minute show. We are very grateful for the care and compassion he. Done in slick, black marble, it is an oversized rectangle, big enough for Ron to pace in. To pace in. 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.. But his desire was for you to get the best out of yourself. When the show aired its final broadcast, Chapman played as its swan song Turn! Ron was a longtime morning host at our sister station KVIL 103.7, where he worked with KRLD's Mitch Carr. For all time, at the moment, 2023 year, Ron Chapman earned $73 Million. 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. HE IS AN EAST TEXAN: Judge Ron Chapman is a native Texan, an experienced public servant and a dedicated member of his community. 750 North St.Paul St. In honor of his life, we reproduce this 1989 profile of Chapman. So Chapman is now going to teach Brad and me how we should broadcast a football game to appeal to his target audience women. 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. Longtime North Texas disc jockey Ron Chapman, who spent more than four decades on the air in Dallas-Fort Worth, died Monday. . 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. 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). 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. To the multitudes who wake up with him every weekday, hes Mr. Remembering Ron Chapman. who served as KVILs newsman for a couple of years during the early Seventies, Chapman is obsessed with his work. 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. And because he spanned KLIF and "Sump'n Else" to KVIL -- he WAS the history of Dallas radio . Ron was a legend already in the 60s in Dallas, Fairchild said Monday from her home in Los Angeles. Chapman was involved at the time with a woman in New York, an aspiring actress. One infamous incident occurred during last years gala for the National Craniofacial Foundation. We just knew where the other one was headed. What followed was story after story about Chapman, who started as a DJ in 1953, and his more infamous bits. 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. #1. 26, 2021 at 1:34 PM PDT. 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.