“Kidd Kraddick in the Morning” affiliates and listeners heard co-hosts Kellie Rasberry, Big Al Mack, J-Si Chavez and Jenna Owens and others talk about the huge loss that radio, the KiddNation and communities across the country have felt from the loss of Kidd—and his legacy. Dallas-based Kidd Kraddick was heard from CCME’s flagship KISS-FM (KHKS-FM Dallas). He died suddenly 7/27, working a charity golf event to raise money for his Kidd’s Kids charity for terminally ill children.
The Jefferson Parish, Louisiana coroner’s office lists “cardiac disease” as his cause of death, the New Orleans Times-Picayune reported Monday. A golf pro at the charity event said that Kraddick did not feel well and took only a few swings before leaving the event. Kraddick had an enlarged heart, which indicated high blood pressure, and three diseased vessels, according to Dr. Granville Morse. One of his arteries had an 80% blockage. The toxicology report is expected within seven days.
His show was syndicated by Kraddick’s company, YEA Networks. He was also seen on Fox Stations’ nationally-syndicated “Dish Nation” TV show weeknights.
On 7/29, Gavin DeGraw kicked off a live tribute and played an acoustic version of “Chariot.”
Rasberry said the team is “beyond devastated” and that his death was a shock and dismissed rumors that anyone was hiding info about his health: “Everybody has questions, and we don’t have any answers.” She said he spent the night before shooting craps and making videos on the streets of New Orleans, then fell ill before the golf tournament the next morning.
Chavez said Kraddick was as a father figure to him and fought off tears remembering his last words to him: “I’m so proud of you.”
The show continued with memories and callers and memorable clips from past shows.
Rasberry told listeners that they’d let everyone know what was next as soon as they could but that they were going to take the rest of the week off. “Best of Kidd” will be airing the rest of this week.
Here’s a list of Kidd affiliates:
KACZ / Manhattan, Kansas
KAFX / Nacogdoches, Texas
KBBQ-FM / Fort Smith, Arkansas
KCRS / Odessa, Texas
KENR / Missoula, Montana
KFBZ / Wichita, Kansas
KGFX-FM / Pierre, South Dakota
KHDK / Burlington, Iowa
KHKS / Dallas, Texas
KIIK / Fairfield, Iowa
KISN / Bozeman, Montana
KKCT / Bismarck, North Dakota
KKMX / Roseburg, Oregon
KKPN / Corpus Christi, Texas
KKSW / Lawrence, Kansas
KLJZ / Yuma, Arizona
KLQQ / Sheridan, Wyoming
KMCK / Fayetteville, Arkansas
KMDX / San Angelo, Texas
KMJI / Texarkana, Texas
KMMX / Lubbock, Texas
KMRX / El Dorado, Arkansas
KNIN / Wichita Falls, Texas
KOGM / Opelousas, Louisiana
KOOC / Killeen, Texas
KOQL / Columbia, Missouri
KCDD / Abilene, Texas
KPLV / Las Vegas, Nevada
KQDJ / Jamestown, North Dakota
KQIZ / Amarillo, Texas
KQLQ / Monroe, Louisiana
KREZ / Cape Girardeau, Missouri
KSKZ / Copeland, Kansas
KSYN / Joplin, Missouri
KTDR / Del Rio, Texas
KTIJ / Hobart, Oklahoma
KTSR / Lake Charles, Louisiana
KTTH / Seattle, Washington
KTYL / Tyler, Texas
KUJ / Tri-Cities, Washington
KXFC / Ada, Oklahoma
KXIX / Bend, Oregon
KXXM / San Antonio, Texas
KZLK / Rapid City, South Dakota
KZPT / Tucson, Arizona
KZTQ / Reno, Nevada
WAEV / Savannah, Georgia
WBEI / Tuscaloosa, Alabama
KPTE / Durango, Colorado
WBHT / Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania
WBJZ / Oshkosh, Wisconsin
WCBH / Terre Haute, Indiana
WDKS / Evansville, Indiana
WEZB / New Orleans, Louisiana
WFMF / Baton Rouge, Louisiana
WHAJ / Bluefield, West Virginia
WHCY / Blairstown, New Jersey
WHHD / Augusta, Georgia
WHTF / Tallahassee, Florida
WIOL / Columbus, Georgia
WKIB / Cape Girardeau, Missouri
WKZB / Meridian, Mississippi
WLHT / Grand Rapids, Michigan
WLTO / Lexington, Kentucky
WMGB / Macon, Georgia
WMHX / Madison, Wisconsin
WNSL / Laurel, Mississippi
WNUQ / Albany, Georgia
WPFM / Panama City, Florida
WPTY/Long Island, New York
WREZ / Paducah, Kentucky
WWKT / Florence, South Carolina
WWKZ / Tupelo, Mississippi
WWXM / Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
WXYK / Biloxi, Mississippi
WYSS / Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan
WZLB / Fort Walton Beach, Florida
WZLK / Pikeville, Kentucky
WZOO / Ashtabula, Ohio
WQGA / Jacksonville, Florida
RBR-TVBR observation: The loss is huge. No one can truly speculate what will become of the show after next week, but we think it should continue with the current team. Whether affiliates will keep the show or not in the future depends on the listeners and affiliates themselves. No one can really replace Kidd, but there may be a way to keep the show relevant with his memory. We’re pretty sure that his legacy alone is enough to keep “Kidd Kraddick in the Morning” viable for months to come. Eventually YEA Networks staff will sit down and plan for the future—if there is to be one—but not today.