RIP Kidd Kraddick

DAVID "KIDD" KRADDICK, beloved Dallas TV and radio personality, died on Saturday in New Orleans; he was 53. A coroner's report gave heart disease as the cause of death. His passing occurred during a charity golf event for Kidd's Kids, which benefits terminally ill children. The Ohio-born, Florida-bred Kraddick worked at stations in Tampa, Miami, Fresno and L.A. (where he was also a comedy-club emcee) before relocating to Texas. He started in Dallas on KEGL in 1984, but when he switched to mornings in 1992 on KHKS, he quickly became a broadcast star; a 2001 syndication deal brought him to more than 100 cities, and over the years he earned a brace of honors, including a Marconi Award. Kraddick's death has elicited online tributes from a huge range of admirers, including fellow broadcasters, Dallas business owners, tycoon Mark Cuban and Joe Jonas of the Jonas Brothers. "He died doing what he loved," reads a statement from KHKS owner Clear Channel, "and his final day was spent selflessly focused on those special children that meant the world to him," the statement read. "Kidd devoted his life to making people smile every morning, and for 21 years, his foundation has been dedicated to bringing joy to thousands of chronically and terminally ill children." (7/29a)