Mark Stevens of 'Stevens & Pruett' Dies

Mark Stevens, who with on-air partner Jim Pruett created what a colleague described as "radio magic" for Houston and Dallas-Fort Worth listeners for more than a quarter-century, died Tuesday from complications of Alzheimer's disease. He was 76, reports chron.com.

Stevens spent 40 years in radio but enjoyed his greatest success in partnership with Pruett, first as Hudson and Harrigan at KILT (610 AM) beginning in 1974 and later under their own names at KULF-AM, KEGL-FM in Dallas-Fort Worth and KLOL (101.1 FM) in Houston.

At every stop along the way, he displayed the sense of humor and razor-sharp wit that remained with him throughout his struggle with Alzheimer's, said his wife, Melissa Stevens.

Stevens left KLOL in February 2000, but Melissa Stevens said Houston listeners never forgot his voice.

"He would be in a grocery store and would say something, and people would say, 'Wait a minute, I know your voice,'" she said. "We have such good memories."

A member of the Texas Radio Hall of Fame, Stevens' radio career began in 1961 at KFJZ in Fort Worth. He also owned a clothing store and night clubs in Dallas-Fort Worth before he came in 1974 to Houston, where he began his partnership with Pruett.

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