Wednesday, January 2, 2013

Dallas Radio Legend Ron Chapman Recovering From A Stroke

The Dallas Morning News is reporting retired veteran radio personality Ron Chapman, who’s meant more to Dallas radio than electricity, suffered a stroke December 23.

But the longtime voice of the old top-of-the-pops KLIF and then KVIL will have you know: “This is not the worst thing that has ever happened to me. It’s a setback to my retirement — whenever that was. But I didn’t have to cancel very much.” Always a kidder — even when plugged into hospital machines going beep-beep-beep.

Chapman, who was inducted into the National Association of Broadcasters’ Radio Hall of Fame in 2010, has been in the hospital since the night before Christmas Eve and expects to remain there for at least two more weeks. After that, he says, “The rehab will continue for several months.”

He was at home, he says, when his wife Nance immediately noticed something was wrong.

“I began speaking in a foreign tongue,” says Chapman. “My wife was very alert to stroke signs, and the moment she heard my speech change she was on the phone with 911. When Nance called the ambulance, they were there in three minutes.

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According tohia bio posted at the Radio HOF website, Ron Chapman’s radio career began in 1953—the day he graduated from high school—when he became a disc jockey at station WHAV/Haverhill, MA.

After working for two years with the Voice of the United Nations Command in Korea, Chapman moved to Connecticut and station WHNC/New Haven.

In 1959, as “Irving Harrigan” he joined the staff KLIF/Dallas, where he teamed up with Jack Woods (a.k.a. Charlie Brown), playing records and providing character voices as stars of the popular Charlie and Harrigan Show.

In 1969, Chapman joined the staff of KVIL-FM/Dallas-Fort Worth as morning disc jockey, music director, and program director, bringing the “adult contemporary” format to FM radio. During his 31 years at KVIL, Chapman became famous for his upbeat humor and his participation in outrageous stunts and giveaways. At one point, Chapman broadcast live while skydiving from a plane. In one infamous stunt, Chapman told his listeners to each send $20 to the station; within three days, the station had received $200,000. (The money was donated to charity.)

In 2000, Chapman moved to KLUV/Dallas, an “oldies” station where he stayed until announcing his retirement from radio in 2005.

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