Kidd Kraddick

David Peter Cradick[2] (August 22, 1959 – July 27, 2013) was an American radio host and television personality, known as Kidd Kraddick. His nationally syndicated morning radio show, The Kidd Kraddick Morning Show, is based in Irving, Texas, and aired throughout the United States, syndicated by Kraddick's company, YEA Networks.[3][4] He was also seen on the nationally syndicated Dish Nation television show weeknights around the United States.[3]

Kidd Kraddick
Born
David Peter Cradick[1]

(1959-08-22)August 22, 1959
Napoleon, Ohio, U.S.
DiedJuly 27, 2013(2013-07-27) (aged 53)
Gretna, Louisiana, U.S.
Career
ShowKidd Kraddick in the Morning
Station(s)KHKS (home station) or Syndicated: 70+ affiliates
Time slotWeekdays, 6-9 a.m. Central
CountryUnited States
Websitekiddnation.com

Early life

Kraddick was born in Napoleon, Ohio[1] and grew up in Dunedin, Florida.[5] His first radio position was in Tampa.[1] He later worked in Fresno, California (KYNO-FM), Miami, Florida, Salt Lake City (KAYK & KLRZ), and Los Angeles (KHTZ),[1] where he also worked comedy clubs as an emcee.[6]

Radio personality

Kraddick received the nickname "Kidd" from a radio producer and used the name on-air from 1978 until his death. He won the Billboard Magazine “Air Personality of the Year” Award three times, received the 1992 and 1997 AWRO "Air Personality of the Year," the Marconi Award for "Radio Personality of the Year", won the first annual 1999 WB Radio Music Award as the "Best Radio Personality in the Country", and also the 2001 "Radio and Records CHR/Pop Personality/Show of the Year."[7][8]

Dallas

He moved to Dallas in 1984[6] and took over the night shift on the newly formatted rock-leaned top-40 station KEGL (The Eagle) and established a following.[6] In 1990, Kraddick was named to the Ten Outstanding Young Americans list by the United States Junior Chamber. KEGL changed formats from Top 40 pop/rock to Modern Rock in 1992 and Kraddick was released from his contract. After eight months off the air, he was hired to a morning position at Top 40 KHKS-106.1 "Kiss-FM" in Dallas-Fort Worth.[6] He won a 1998 Marconi Award for Major Market Radio Personality of the Year while he was with KHKS [9] and the next year he won Air Personality of the Year at the Radio Music Awards.[10] He began to syndicate the show in 2001 and moved the production to an independent studio in Las Colinas.[6] He became a member of the Texas Radio Hall of Fame.[8] In 2016, Kraddick was posthumously inducted into the National Radio Hall of Fame.[11]

The logo for Kidd Kraddick in the Morning.

Kidd Kraddick in the Morning
Main article: The Kidd Kraddick Morning Show

In 1992, "Kidd Kraddick in the Morning" was born as a local radio program in Dallas, Texas. The show broadcasts from 5-10 a.m. Central on weekday mornings and is nationally syndicated in more than 70 markets and the American Forces Radio Network through YEA Networks.[4] Kraddick voiced a number of characters, making extensive use of voice altering technology in improvising characters as they came up during show discussions. One of the most popular was Kraddick improvising the voice of co-host, "J-Si" wife/high school sweetheart, Kinsey. He has voiced other characters such as "Must Be Nice Guy", and other characters that added flair to the show. Since his passing in 2013, the show airs as an ensemble program, posthumously under the name "The Kidd Kraddick Morning Show" (with his name being kept in the show's new title despite his death), featuring the remaining cast members, Kellie Rasberry, Alaric "Big Al" Mack, José "J-Si" Chavez and Jenna Owens.

Other

In the early 1990s, Kraddick launched two radio oriented businesses. A monthly publication for morning personalities called "The Morning Mouth" and a show prep "sharing service" for air personalities called "BitBoard".[12] Kraddick subsequently sold both entities; BitBoard is now operated by Clear Channel Communications[13] and The Morning Mouth is owned and operated by Talentmasters in Atlanta, Georgia.[14]

In 1991, he founded a charity organization named Kidd's Kids, with the mission to "provide hope and happiness by creating beautiful memories for families of children with life-altering or life-threatening conditions." What initially began as a bus ride to Sea World in San Antonio expanded into a family trip to Walt Disney World in Orlando for over a thousand children.[15]

Personal life

Kraddick attended the University of Miami for a semester, but dropped out to study broadcasting.[16] Kraddick was Catholic. He and his wife, Carol, were separated in 2007 and divorced in April 2008. They had one daughter, Caroline.[17] He had planned on remarrying in the near future to Lissi Mullen to whom he was engaged the week before his death. They had been together over a year.

In 2009, Kraddick was diagnosed with lymphoma, which he kept hidden from his coworkers and family.[18]

Death

Kraddick died on July 27, 2013, while attending an annual fundraiser for his charity, Kidd's Kids, at Timberlane Country Club in Gretna, Louisiana. Jefferson Parish Deputy Coroner Granville Morse said heart disease was “evident” and that drug use and foul play were not suspected, according to his findings after a routine autopsy. Morse said Kraddick had an enlarged heart. He also had three diseased vessels and one of his arteries had an 80 percent blockage. In early August 2013, the Jefferson Parish Coroner's Office concluded Kraddick's cause of death was arteriosclerotic and hypertensive cardiovascular disease.[8][19][20][21][22]

References
  1. Musselman, Ron (April 29, 2007). "Popular syndicated radio host has local roots". Toledo Blade. Toledo, Ohio: Block Communications. Retrieved December 23, 2012.
  2. "David "Kidd" Kraddick, Texas-based radio and TV personality, dies at 53". CBS News. July 28, 2013. Retrieved July 28, 2013.
  3. Duren, Rand (July 16, 2012). "DJ Kidd Kraddick and his team join new entertainment strip 'Dish Nation'". The Dallas Morning News. Dallas, Texas: A. H. Belo. Archived from the original on November 3, 2012. Retrieved July 28, 2013.
  4. "David 'Kidd' Kraddick, Radio and TV Personality, Dies at 53". The New York Times. New York City: The New York Times Company. July 28, 2013. Retrieved July 28, 2013.
  5. "Where We Grew Up". Kidd Kraddick in the Morning. AudioBoo. January 2013. Retrieved July 28, 2013.
  6. Philpot, Robert (November 1, 2011). "The Kidd stays in the picture". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Fort Worth, Texas: The McClatchy Company. Archived from the original on July 30, 2013. Retrieved December 23, 2012.
  7. Davis, G. Gervase, III (December 31, 2002). "Decision: David Cradick d/b/a Kidd Kraddick v. Overseas Concepts International". National Arbitration Forum. Archived from the original on November 9, 2013. Retrieved July 29, 2013.
  8. Philpot, Robert (July 28, 2013). "Kidd Kraddick dies in New Orleans at 53". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Fort Worth, Texas: The McClatchy Company. Retrieved July 28, 2013.
  9. "1998 Marconi Radio Award Winners". National Association of Broadcasters. Retrieved July 28, 2013.
  10. Weatherford, Mike (October 29, 1999). "New awards show offers accessible stars". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Las Vegas, Nevada: Stephens Media. Retrieved December 23, 2012.
  11. "Kidd Kraddick". www.radiohof.org.
  12. Jarvis, Jan (August 17, 1997). "King of drive time Zany-but-sincere DJ has loyal following". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Fort Worth, Texas: The McClatchy Company. p. M1. Retrieved April 27, 2008.
  13. "Terms of Use Agreement". BitBoard Show Prep Networks. Retrieved April 27, 2008.
  14. "The Morning Mouth". TalentMasters. Retrieved July 28, 2013.
  15. https://www.kiddskids.org/about/
  16. Repko, Melissa (July 28, 2013). "David 'Kidd' Kraddick died from cardiac disease, La. coroner says". The Dallas Morning News, Inc. Dallas, Texas. Retrieved April 11, 2019.
  17. "Carol Kraddick is Radio Host David Kidd Kraddick's ex wife". Daily Entertainment News. July 28, 2013. Retrieved July 28, 2013.
  18. Thompson, Jamie (January 2014). "Kidd Kraddick's Big Secret". D Magazine. Dallas, Texas: D Magazine Partners, Inc. Retrieved April 11, 2019.
  19. "Dallas radio host Kidd Kraddick dies suddenly at 53". The Dallas Morning News. Dallas, Texas: A.H. Belo. July 27, 2013. Retrieved July 28, 2013.
  20. "Radio personality Kidd Kraddick dies in New Orleans". Dallas, Texas: WFAA-TV. July 27, 2013. Archived from the original on July 28, 2013. Retrieved July 28, 2013.
  21. "Syndicated radio host Kidd Kraddick dies". CNN. July 28, 2013. Retrieved July 28, 2013.
  22. "Veteran Dallas DJ Kidd Kraddick dies at 53". Dallas, Texas: KDFW-TV. July 28, 2013. Retrieved July 29, 2013.
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