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. We dont do that here. 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. The Texas Radio Hall of Fame shared the news of the passing of Dallas radio icon Ron Chapman. Passing by the cage, he would surreptitiously slip the mouthpiece through the wire into the neck of the tuba and blow. He said, Well, its something. And she looks so good by the time she gets to the office, she had to be up by 5:30. (The money was later distributed to local charities.) Fort Worth was the butt of all the jokes by DJs sitting in Dallas talking about people over in Fort Worth. This is a first, he admits. And then they put me on from midnight to six. Nobodys going to build monuments or hold big memorial services. "But it's a different world in radio, isn't it?" While Ron was 85 years old at the time of his death, Nance Chapman's age remains a mystery. 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.. I noticed that they would feature me dancing a lot on the show. Ron was a longtime morning host at our sister station KVIL 103.7, where he worked with KRLD's Mitch Carr. Ron Chapman received an obituary from the KVIL community. And its not just the lower-downs, but the higher-ups who have their hands full of Chapman ego. Turn! 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. Chapman remembers all the other long-gone-and-forgotten ones who came gunning for him: the Mobys in the Morning, the Stevenses and Pruetts. A ratings war is brewing between two oldies stations, and a controversial gadget might decide who wins. Paul: Okay, so let's go back to Bud's career. 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. And one morning, I was going to go do a speech for the Dallas Board of Realtors at 9 oclock. 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. The man had to be on the air at 5:30 in the morning. They filmed it. 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.. Broadcast Hall of Famer Ron Chapman, Who Began at WHAV in 1953, Dies at 85 And this is, like, in the 80s. And we stayed in touch over the years. @garycogill : RT @HawkeyeOnAir: I'm saddened to tell you that legendary Dallas DJ Ron Chapman has passed away at 85. We could go New Age. 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. Walton and Johnson. I used to do the 11 to 2 a.m. shift, during college. 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. It gives him this ability to do separate things simultaneouslyto be charming and light and breezy and set up the next little joke-and yet never lose clear, cold-blooded sight of the target audience. Ron Chapman's radio career began in 1953the day he graduated from high schoolwhen he became a disc jockey at station WHAV/Haverhill, MA. Ron Chapman Radio Hall Of Fame Stevens and Pruett. To Chapman, a working divorced mother with two kids was the woman of his dreams. April 26, 2021 - TOP INFO GUIDE The program, based on "American Bandstand . RIP to a #NTX legend," wrote Dallas County judge Clay Jenkins, in a tweet on April 26. He was huge in Dallas for decades doing mornings at KVILclick link to learn more. Chapman's family says there will be no service, but a public gathering of friends and . Photos: Chapman Today: Dan Sellers; Chapman on TV: Courtesy of ABC Radio Networks. Charlie Brown), playing records and providing character voices as stars of the popular Charlie and Harrigan Show. Its mascot was an incontinent kinkajou. of course. He always brought light to every room entered. Chapman knows that he is inextricably linked to KVIL. By KLTV Digital Media Staff. Ron Chapman has passed away. Yeah, he would. And we ran an electric cord out to the van, and while Im on the air with Ron, Im having my hair done. And I do have a good memory. And he admits that, in part, it is the reason his first marriage ended after nineteen years. On the mike, butter wouldnt melt in his mouth. We just hit. The other bold stroke by the founders of KVIL was its attitude toward Dallass sister city, Fort Worth. A man in the hotel found his passport and rushed it to the airport. And I did everything. Tags. The obituary was featured in Dallas Morning News on May 16, 2021. "And that means something," Mike Rhyner said Thursday morning. KVIL is a commercial radio station dual-licensed to Highland Park and Dallas, Texas. We had to beg them to stop sending checks. The Zoo crew used to regard KVIL's mushy adult-contemporary playlist as a punchline. But the youngsters came to understand their poverty., I liked applause early on, said Chapman, who took on Ron as his radio first name in 1965. "KVIL was so big, so all-encompassing that you never thought it would go away.". Menu. Steve Eberhart was a deejay at KVIL. Ron Chapman, former radio host at KVIL, KLUV, dies at 85 - WFAA what happened to archie in monarch of the glen; funeral poem our father kept a garden. And he says, This is your audience. Ill never forget it. His rages and abuse must be swallowed whole. It was also an opportunity, and that night Rons car found itself parked outside every cool bar and nightclub on Greenville Avenue. Nevertheless, she also has to be in between her late '70s and early '80s. We never worked in the studio together, for 20 years. I just never mellowed out. Chapman admits. (To Everything There Is a Season) by the Byrds. Chapman was on his way to becoming, twenty years later, a small industry unto himself. HE IS AN EAST TEXAN: Judge Ron Chapman is a native Texan, an experienced public servant and a dedicated member of his community. We put them on constantly.. He was an actor, known for Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders (1979). He is single-minded, living and breathing and eating KVIL to the detriment of everything else in his life. Suite 2100 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. So I went by my hairdressers, who lived in Oak Cliff. Jan 3, 2017. According to Tony Garrett. But it was impossible to replicate a station that made a growing big city feel like a small town. 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. The money was donated to charity. It almost looked like a squirrel. For a while, Chapmans career in Dallas was on the stairsteps to oblivion, he recalls. Chapman, fifty-three, fell over laughing. Remembering Ron Chapman Vocal Majority - Pure Harmony [2] 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. 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. I swear to you. FACE FOR RADIO: Chapman hosted a popular TV show. Dfwretroplex.com - Suzie Humphreys and News 8 Etc The station's studios are located along North Central Expressway in Uptown Dallas. He graduated from Samuell High School in Pleasant Grove in 1970 and from Southern Methodist University in 1974. There will never be another run like his. "His family asks for time to . DALLAS - Three-time Texas Radio Hall-of-Famer and Dallas radio legend Ron Chapman died on Monday. We can't say goodbye to KVIL until its legendary voice Ron Chapman Chapman knows how to be reassuring to women who are fighting an uphill battle day after day. 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. But theyll never work hard enough.. Anybody can read, goddammit! Radio Hall of Famer Ron Chapman Dies at 85 - People Newspapers . The station is branded as "Alt 103.7" and airs an alternative rock radio format. Most of the radio folk we talked to have a love-hate relationship with the man. 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. No sexism, period. A lot of people on this board are so young that they have never heard of Michael Selden. He is a walking contradiction, a Type A masquerading as a Type B. In the late 1990's Chapman joined KLUV-FM, an Oldies format that saw high ratings upon his arrival. They had no bathtub, no phone, no family car. . But, quite frankly, we werent real excited about learning it at the time.. 2023 Audacy, Inc. All rights reserved. Other than that, Im real comfortable.. Ive done this in many ways in my sportscast. Weve become Coke. 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. Put on your walking shoes. 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." Ive always tried to make my sportscast understandable to the non-sports fan. And so, Ive always wanted to be YA-HA! Give me a spotlight and let me go., On Monday, the Texas Radio Hall of Fame paid tribute to Chapman by noting on Facebook: Three time radio Hall of Famer and Dallas radio ICON Ron Chapman has passed. However, Mylife.com suggested that Nance Chapman was born on 25 February 1941 which made her 80 years old as of . Nance (pronounced Nancy), Chapmans wife of three years, is the centerpiece of the home tour. Chapman was inducted into the National Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame in 2010 and into the Radio Hall of Fame in 2012. He was just a wonderful, wonderful guy., And yet, on a professional level, Chapmans reputation carried with it a darker side. During his 31 years at KVIL, Chapman became famous for his upbeat humor and his participation in outrageous stunts and giveaways. Dallas-Fort Worth radio legend Ron Chapman has died, officials with his former station KLUV-FM confirmed. I was driving an older beat-up Nissan, and my alternator went out one night while on the way to work. The guy would give you the shirt off his back. He was 85. "Three time radio Hall of Famer and Dallas radio ICON Ron Chapman has passed," the organization 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. Dean later called it a dream come true. I dodged flying reels of tape more than once., Later, Dean said, Im sure Ron regretted a great deal of it. Suzie Humphreys was Chapmans on-air sidekick on KVIL from 1975 to 1995. The call letters have been tossed in the dustbin; they no longer serve a purpose. But the most telling aspect of Ron Chapmans house may be his shower. Nance prayed for her. Ron Chapman Was a Warm and Fuzzy Tyrant - D Magazine Ron Chapman began his radio career the DAY he graduated high school, hitting the airwaves in his hometown of Haverhill, Massachusetts. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones defers comment on revival of sexual harassment lawsuit, Q and A: How MLBs streaming, TV options will impact Rangers fans ability to watch team. The winning name was Chief Rain in the Pants.. That was the power of Ron Chapman. We just knew where the other one was headed. Many of us grew up listening to him on #KVIL. Ron Chapman back in Radio Wowwwwww, Chapman warmly asserts, and Okaaaaaaay and Alllllllright and Well suuure. Im absolutely realistic in believing that nobody remembers you, Chapman says. 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. He was the Dean of Dallas/Fort Worth Radio spending 31 years hosting the morning show at KVIL, most of those in the number one position. In honor of his life, we reproduce this 1989 profile of Chapman. Ron Chapman - My Little Story First published on April 26, 2021 / 11:54 AM. But her memories of her tenure at the station are not pleasant. 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 . He likes certain things in certain places. dallas talk radio hosts - quickglobalexpress.com Im sitting there, and Im cracking up. 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. Barnum. Ronald Vernon Chapman Obituary - The Columbus Dispatch Mess with Ron and I might become an ape in heat and jump all over you. It is owned by Audacy, Inc. and it serves the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex in North Texas. Nance Chapman Wiki: Ron Chapman Wife, Age, Job - Stars Offline Ron actually holds up a picture that hed cut out of a JCPenney catalog. 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. Its a trap: if you are situated in Dallas, you look at things from the Dallas perspective, even unconsciously. KVIL TIDBITS: Ron Chapman's radio show was simulcast live with video on KXAS-TV as a 30-minute daily program (mid-1970s.). He is very perfectionist about his personal things. I know something the others havent figured out.. I grew up listening to his voice, though as many different characters, in Arlington. 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. 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. 2021 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. He is the chairman of Southwest Airlines. But later, using his real surname, Chapman became an even bigger personality. Gratefully I accepted, and drove off in his North Dallas wheels while they towed my Fort Worth bomb away. 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. Chapman has seen twenty years worth of six-month wonders come and then go. Ron Chapman had this offer from KVIL. Chapman says he and Nancy were in excellent health at that point but age was a factor for him wanting to retire. Legendary radio host Ron Chapman has passed away. He served with the Army in South Korea from 1957 to 1959, producing a radio show for Voice of the United Nations Command. 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. So settle down with one of these throws. Enjoy unlimited access to all of our incredible journalism, in print and digital. anyway? And Ron said, Why, I am in charge of the talent show, of which there wasnt one at the time. He is best known as the morning drive anchor of radio station KVIL, on the 103.7 frequency. Michael Selden airchecks | RadioDiscussions At the haunted house, Chapman took along a producer and equipped her with a microphone. He must know where everything is at all times. But its going to be hard to groom someone to replace him when he hogs the limelight and wants all the glory for himself.. Also, his people say that his expectations for others are not nearly as high as those he imposes on himself. Both of which I left, unconsumed, somewhere in Rons car. Barack O-blame-a. Theyll still be talking about that twenty years from now. Ron Chapman - IMDb He was so popular in Dallas in the 70s, 80s and 90s that his station, KVIL, sold for more than the Dallas Cowboys.