Garrett remembers Chapmans blowing up at him for reading the same filler story at several news slots. Steve Eberhart was a deejay at KVIL. 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. 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. He died Monday at age 85. Next to it is a portable telephone, complementing cellular phones in his and Nances cars. RON CHAPMAN ANDERSON - Ronald Ray Chapman, 67, of Anderson, died Wednesday, October 28, 2009 at Rainey Hospice House. Dallas, Texas 75201. We tell them, Heres the concept. After I left, there were several attempts to be 'the new KVIL,' but KVIL left such an impressive mark on Dallas that they were neverable to shake this old image of its old people there, me being among them.". The 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 . 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. Fort Worth was the butt of all the jokes by DJs sitting in Dallas talking about people over in Fort Worth. He loved kids and teenagers and music and all that was happening in the 60s, which was a lot. Then it became Jane Fonda for a while. 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. 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. Robert Wilonsky, Special Contributor. 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. He knew you dont talk down to your audience, you speak up to them, and thats when Ron enjoyed his greatest success., Dean added that Chapman helped transform radio in the city into a shining example of what the media can do and should be. In the late 1990's Chapman joined KLUV-FM, an Oldies format that saw high ratings upon his arrival. 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. Knowing Ron over the years has been an adventure. (A whole lot better, wife Nance is quick to observe, than the other way around.) Outside the floor-to-ceiling windows, a man-made creek meanders past a resistance pool and a hot tub on its way to the pump. 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. Its what youd get if God had money, Nance says. It was your classic, stereotypical young yuppie couple from Highland Park. While Ron was 85 years old at the time of his death, Nance Chapman's age remains a mystery. Chapman knows his audience, and he knows what they buycomfort. From Haverhill, Mass (also Ed McMahon's first rad - 2 years ago. You know, because Id just paid to have the jacket cleaned. Also, his people say that his expectations for others are not nearly as high as those he imposes on himself. One time, I finally asked him, You seem to like my dancing, but why dont you ever ask me to be one of the dancers? And he said, Well, to be honest, youre too sexy for our show. ", At that age, Fairchild said with a laugh, I didnt really know what he was talking about.. 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. I would carpool my son to school, pick up kids. Ron Chapman's radio career began in 1953the day he graduated from high schoolwhen he became a disc jockey at station WHAV/Haverhill, MA. Thats power. Ron was one of those guys who made this a better place to live.. 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 . Anyway, I was holding this animal on my shoulder, on my freshly cleaned jacket, and it got a little excited. But the precise age, her birthday, and zodiac remain unknown. Next to the picture, the new kid on the block had penned, Dont buy a house here. 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. The center is the guy who is bending over with the football.. No spam, ever. Hes now retired and owns a winery called Orangewoods near San Diego.In, Im going to say 62 or 63, Jack Kennedy, I think, did a 50-mile hike. Trusted friend and colleague Jody Dean does not disagree, comparing Chapman to 1960s coaching legend Vince Lombardi, who led the Green Bay Packers to multiple championships as an unyielding taskmaster. Nothing to embarrass a woman who is even remotely prudish. But, quite frankly, we werent real excited about learning it at the time.. 2023 Audacy, Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Were keeping you on the payroll through October. If shed said, I f-ed up, Im on the team, shed be here still. KVIL-FM, born in Highland Park on August 25, 1961,died, officially, on Jan. 18, 2017. Six years later, he moved to Texas to begin what eventually became a Radio Hall of Fame career in DFW. Here are a few other stories about Chapmans career, told by those who knew and worked with the legend. Chapman himself acknowledges his mortality, but only in the vaguest way, putting retirement plans out there some years down the road. 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. We had a contest to name the honey bear. 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. Copyright 2023, D Magazine Partners, Inc. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. He always brought light to every room entered. Ron.. 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. Its a trap: if you are situated in Dallas, you look at things from the Dallas perspective, even unconsciously. 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. Bring walking sticks. For nearly thirteen years, with a few scattered intermissions. Jody Dean was Chapman's producer at KVIL from 1987 to 1994. First published on April 26, 2021 / 11:54 AM. 750 North St.Paul St. Born October 11, 1942 in Ashland, KY, he was the son of the late Otis Guy and . So youre that egotistical S.O.B., They became fast, but platonic, friends. 2023 Audacy, Inc. All rights reserved. You realize we dont play the same things for a thirty-five-year-old female that youd play on the Zoo. 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. But Chapman says that the first time Haley went on the air after the deal was struck, She was dreadful. Brings new meaning to the phrase Sunday Funday. I now think about retiring. We never worked in the studio together, for 20 years. The kids had to wear coats and ties on the show. Ron Chapman was born on January 25, 1936 in Newton, Massachusetts, USA. However, Mylife.com suggested that Nance Chapman was born on 25 February 1941 which made her 80 years old as of . But Im serious when I tell you that I learned a great deal from it. He was No. He is best known as the morning drive anchor of radio station KVIL, on the 103.7 frequency. In fact, the jingle was the fastest 45 in the West. It was based on Rons experience with Top 40 radio. 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. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. Updated: Apr. In terms of logistics and creativity, hes a towering genius. Ron was a legend already in the 60s in Dallas, Fairchild said Monday from her home in Los Angeles. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Chapman was inducted into the National Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame in 2010 and into the Radio Hall of Fame in 2012. 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. There is no way that Vince Lombardi could coach football in todays world. Okay, so were in a commercial break. He then did afternoon drive at KVIL-FM for several years until he was fired by Ron Chapman. So why should you go on the air and tell people who love living here that the town is a piece of crap? Talk about a cush gig. Our thoughts and hearts are with his frien - 2 years ago. In those days KVIL was so big the Postal . One infamous incident occurred during last years gala for the National Craniofacial Foundation. He was so popular in Dallas in the 70s, 80s and 90s that his station, KVIL, sold for more than the Dallas Cowboys. No spam, ever. He is very perfectionist about his personal things. He likes certain things in certain places. It was also an opportunity, and that night Rons car found itself parked outside every cool bar and nightclub on Greenville Avenue. TYLER, Texas (KLTV) - Longtime radio personality Ron Chapman has died at the age of 85. And this was totally not intended. I wouldnt even park near one. Ron in makeup for his role in an episode of Police Story. Rons face superimposed on the body of Michael Jackson. He spent more than three decades at KVIL, toiling as a morning deejay, music director and program director, transforming the adult contemporary format into a major success on the FM band. The radio industry took to social media to reflect on Chapman's life and career. . He is best known as the morning drive anchor of radio station KVIL, on the 103.7 frequency. And I want you to know that Leonard jerked the plug out from the wall. For all time, at the moment, 2023 year, Ron Chapman earned $73 Million. Didnt think about it until after I handed the keys back to him. Not all of Chapmans career was limited to radio. Robert Wilonsky, former city columnist for The Dallas Morning News, is communications director for Heritage Auctions and a frequent contributor to these pages. 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. Between his junior and senior years, he interned at The Washington Post during "the Watergate summer" of 1973. 750 North St.Paul St. 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. Ron Chapman and Mitch Carr Photo credit Courtesy Mitch Carr. I froze. 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. 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 spent 19 years at the Los Angeles Times before returning to Dallas. 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. At one point, Chapman broadcast live while skydiving from a plane. Then ten to midnight. On the mike, butter wouldnt melt in his mouth. One of his greatest talents is picking people, knowing where they fit, where they go.They gave me a little yellow van, and I drove it myself. Exact sum is $73000000. They thought we were going 50 miles. Skip to content. "But a well-respected punchline," Rhyner said. With that warning, we move through room after room of airy, fresh pastels, past furniture that looks as if it never gets touched, with the exception of Rons well-worn leather chair. And yet, he would never ask me to be one of the [featured] dancers. 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. Catch up on the day's news you need to know. Consultants studied and copied KVIL, launching dozens of lite-rock imitations across the country. 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. I can give you failure after failure of people whove come on the air in this market and tried to do that. And because I drove the yellow van, I could go wherever I wanted to go. He was an actor, known for Dallas Cowboys . 10/11/1929 - 05/23/2020 . 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. He also hosted a televised series from Northpark Center in the 1960's for a three-year stint. And we are going to walk all the way from the Sheraton Hotel to the so-and-so life building. They were on the same block, but nobody caught it. 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. . 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. The following obituaries have been provided by local funeral homes. Chapman died Monday at the age of 85, the Texas Radio Hall of Fame announced on its Facebook page. At one point, Chapman broadcast live while skydiving from a plane . It was just ambition. And no decision is really final until Chapman signs off on it. Chapman is not just guessing at what his audience wants to hear He is downright methodical about it. what happened to archie in monarch of the glen; funeral poem our father kept a garden. 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. We said, Okay, thats it! The people who dont understand the program., A recent case in point, says Chapman, was the popular evening jock Lynn Haley, who was dismissed in early August. And Ill tell you who finds it difficult to work for me. Ive done this in many ways in my sportscast. So we hit the air, and Ron got it. We could go AOR. He was 85. 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. "But it's a different world in radio, isn't it?" When the show aired its final broadcast, Chapman played as its swan song Turn! DALLAS Updated at 9:41 p.m. with more quotes from colleagues. It would be rude not to let Ron Chapman give it a proper send-off. Nance likens her life with Ron to living with P.T. RALPH CHAPMAN OBITUARY. 1 forever. Theres gotta be some point at which hes willing to pass the torch. No one would do that.. Often, he would ask me to help out with his charities. I was off the wall, and he loved it. He was 85. Chapman is an obsessive-compulsive perfectionist, Selden says. No dice. He was just a wonderful, wonderful guy., And yet, on a professional level, Chapmans reputation carried with it a darker side. Chapman invited him to come watch the show at some point. The man who sat at the top of the hill, a legend in broadcasting. 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. Oh, Lord. 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. I swear to you. You tend to say things like the mayor when you mean Dallas and the mayor of Fort Worth when youre talking about them.