D/FW Radio: Industry Mourns The Passing Of Ron Chapman

Ron Chapman (Fort Worth Star-Telegram archive photo)

Ron Chapman, a Radio Hall of Famer and a Dallas disc jockey legend who one time broadcast live while skydiving from a plane, died early Monday. 

He was 85, The fort Worth Star-Telegram reports.

Chapman’s cause of death was not revealed by his family, who asked for time to process the loss and thanked the community for their “kindness, understanding and prayers.”

There will be no service for Mr. Chapman, however a “public gathering for friends and colleagues” is being planned.

He began his radio career in 1953 when he became a disc jockey at station WHAV/Haverhill, Massachusetts, according to the Radio Hall of Fame. He worked two years with the Voice of the United Nations Command in Korea and then he moved to Connecticut and station WHNC/New Haven.

In 1959, Mr. Chapman came to Texas as “Irving Harrigan” and joined the staff at KLIF 1190 AM in 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.

Chapman joined the staff of KVIL-FM/Dallas-Fort Worth in 1969 as morning disc jockey, music director and program director, bringing the “adult contemporary” format to FM radio, and stayed there for 31 years.

He was known for his upbeat humor and his participation in outrageous stunts and giveaways. One time, Mr. Chapman told his listeners to each send $20 to the station; within three days, the station received more than $200,000 which was donated to charity.

I'm saddened to tell you that legendary Dallas DJ Ron Chapman has passed away at 85. He was so popular in Dallas in the 70s, 80s and 90s that his station, KVIL, sold for more than the Dallas Cowboys. That was the power of Ron Chapman. RIP Ron pic.twitter.com/KZlTJNJAPI

— Hawkeye (@HawkeyeOnAir) April 26, 2021

"Who will buy
This wonderful morning?
Such a sky
You never did see!" - Lionel Bart (Oliver!) pic.twitter.com/osrYRbG5dQ

— Jody Dean (@DFWJodyDean) April 26, 2021

Suzie Humphreys, Mr. Chapman’s on-air sidekick on KVIL from 1975 to 1995, said the two were a perfect match in a 2005 DMagazine interview.

“From the first moment we ever opened our mouths, we clicked,“ Humphreys said. “We just knew where the other one was headed. We were in the groove together. We just hit. 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. And I did everything. I would carpool my son to school, pick up kids. I was off the wall, and he loved it. We used a two-way radio. We never worked in the studio together, for 20 years.”

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

The last song was “Turn, Turn, Turn” by the Byrds in June 2005.

In 2007, he returned to broadcasting part-time as a “permanent substitute” for legendary broadcaster Paul Harvey.

He was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 2012.