• E-mail
• Print
• Comment
• Font Size
• Digg
• del.icio.us
• Discuss article

Donald Cary &Quot;Don&Quot; Keyes: Influential Part of Radio Scene for 50 Years

Posted on: Thursday, 26 January 2006, 15:00 CST

By Joe Simnacher, The Dallas Morning News

Jan. 26--Donald Cary "Don" Keyes, a member of the Texas Radio Hall of Fame, was the program director for Dallas radio legend Gordon McLendon during the heyday of Top 40 radio.

Mr. Keyes, 74, who had numerous health problems, died Monday at Medical City Dallas Hospital.

A public memorial for Mr. Keyes will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at St. Barnabas Episcopal Church in Garland.

"I bet that there's not a person in the Texas Radio Hall of Fame -- or maybe the Broadcasting Hall of Fame -- who has not been influenced somehow by Don Keyes," said Brian McLendon, son of Gordon McLendon.

"Dad didn't do it alone," Mr. McLendon said. "All of those years that KLIF was getting 50 percent, 60 percent, sometimes 65 percent of the ratings among all the radio stations in Dallas, Don Keyes was absolutely instrumental. He was at the core of it all."

Mr. Keyes recruited and helped develop many announcers who became household names in radio.

"Don Keyes was so good at stirring the imagination of people ... and making radio fun to listen to," Mr. McLendon said. "He doesn't get nearly as much credit as he should."

Mr. Keyes was active in radio for more than 50 years, working on the air, in programming and as an owner of radio stations in Florida and Ohio. His most recent job was to provide the voiceover for Dallas Morning News commercials recorded last fall, his family said.

Share your thoughts with Mr. Keyes' family Sign our Guestbook | View our Guestbook

"It was just his life; he loved radio," said his wife, Betty Keyes of Garland. "He was instrumental in doing the Top 40 format in Dallas."

Born in Newark, N.J., Mr. Keyes grew up in Acton, Mass. He moved to Dallas with his family when he was a junior in high school.

He graduated from Woodrow Wilson High School in 1949 and served in the Air Force during the Korean War.

He began his radio career while stationed in Wichita Falls. He attended Southern Methodist University and started working for Mr. McLendon as a disc jockey at KLIF-AM in 1957. He was programming director until 1966.

He oversaw all programming operations for the McLendon stations including KLIF in Dallas; KILT in Houston; KTSA in San Antonio; KEEL in Shreveport, La.; WYSL in Buffalo, N.Y.; KABL in San Francisco; WYNR in Chicago; XTRA in Los Angeles; WAKY in Louisville, Ky.; and KADS in Los Angeles. Mr. McLendon had seven AM stations and seven FM stations, which was the limit at the time, his son said.

Mr. Keyes hired many announcers who would become household names to McLendon-station listeners. Ron Chapman was making $82.50 a week working the 7 p.m. to midnight shift in New Haven, Conn., when Mr. Keyes offered him a job in Texas.

Mr. Keyes was a longtime member of St. Barnabas Episcopal Church.

An Eagle Scout, he remained active in scouting. In July 2004, he led a program to respectfully retire worn American flags as chairman of Boy Scouts Venture Crew No. 330 at his church.

His first wife, Sally Henry Keyes, died in 1996.

In addition to his wife, Mr. Keyes is survived by a son, Brian Keyes of Winter Park, Fla.; a daughter, Kathleen Keyes Pool of Longview; stepdaughters, Dana Jones and Laura Janes, both of Rowlett; and two grandchildren.

Memorials may be made to St. Barnabas Episcopal Church, 1200 N. Shiloh Road, Garland, Texas 75042.

E-mail jsimnacher@dallasnews.com

-----

Copyright (c) 2006, The Dallas Morning News

Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News.

For information on republishing this content, contact us at (800) 661-2511 (U.S.), (213) 237-4914 (worldwide), fax (213) 237-6515, or e-mail reprints@krtinfo.com.

Source: The Dallas Morning News

More News in this Category