R.I.P. Kidd Kraddick

This morning while I was trolling on Facebook to see what I missed from the night before...I fell asleep early for a Saturday night...one of Facebook friends who happens to be a real friend posted that Kidd Craddick had died on Saturday.  Stunned isn't strong enough of a word to describe how I feel.

I remember when Kidd came to the DFW market.  It was in the early '80s and he was KEGL which was known as the The Eagle.  He was always entertaining and made me laugh.  At some point he left KEGL and after a hiatus he was picked up in 1992 by 106.1 Kiss-FM.

I moved to Houston in 1992 but continued to travel back and forth the DFW area and always listened to his morning show.  He continued to make me laugh.  I was thrilled when Mix 96.5 in Houston picked up his syndicated show a couple of years ago.  I stopped listening to Roula & Ryan on KRBE 104.1.  I guess there weren't many of us in Houston who listened to him because they ended up dropping his show.

 

One of the things that I will always remember about him is his devotion to Kidd's Kids.  He really made a difference in the lives of so many kids.  When he talked about it on the show, you could tell he was very passionate about this cause.

I also will remember him making the holidays brighter for many families.  His phone conversations with the recipients of the holiday cheer would put a lump in my throat and almost bring me to tears.

I admire people who use their celebrity to make a difference in the world and Kidd is one of those people.  Yes, his show could be a bit crass at times but the bigger picture is that he made a difference in the world.

Below is a photo that I picked up from the Twitter feed from WFAA.  It is believed to be the last photo of Kidd.  And guess what he was doing?  He was in New Orleans at a charity golf tournament raising money for Kidd's Kids.

Rest In Peace Kidd and thank you for making a difference in the lives of so many people.