KSCS announced Sunday that longtime Dallas radio personality Terry Dorsey died suddenly at his retirement home in Illinois. He was 66 years old.
"Terry had not been feeling well these past few days, and it was rather sudden," wrote Mark "Hawkeye" Louis, who had co-hosted the popular morning show with Dorsey since 1988. "My heart is broken over the loss."
John Morris, Dorsey's producer at KSCS for the past four years, said he got word of Dorsey's death late Sunday morning through the station's program director, and he was stunned by the news.
"Our GM sent out an e-mail saying it was natural causes, but we're really not sure what it was," Morris said."Everyone was completely blindsided by this," he added.
"Everybody's in a state of shock. Nobody was expecting this."
According to Dorsey's official biography, he was one of the few people who had won radio awards from the Country Music Association, the Academy of Country Music and Billboard magazine. He was a member of the Country Music On-Air Personality Hall of Fame and the Texas Radio Hall of Fame. He retired in December, ending a 33-year run on the North Texas airwaves.
"I'm just tired," he told WFAA's Good Morning Texas in December. "I'm tired all the time; you just can't catch up."
Dorsey survived a 1993 heart attack and a 1999 surgery for prostate cancer.
He told GMT that his career started in Frankfort, Kentucky, after six months of training at a broadcasting school in New York City.
"I did 3 until 5 in the afternoon, and I came back and did 7 'til midnight," he recalled. "In-between, I had to monitor this talk show that we had. And if nobody was calling, I had to disguise my voice and call in and ask a question to the guy who had the talk show."
An avid golfer, Dorsey said one of the highlights of his life was a hole-in-one.
"That's my big one. That's the big one right there, a hole-in-one," he said.
The KSCS Facebook page was immediately filled with tributes from listeners who were shocked to learn of Dorsey's passing.
"I grew up listening to him, and was so sad when he retired," wrote Kim Holley Smith. "Thank you for all the laughs, Terry Dorsey!"
"Feel like I've lost a family member," Paula Dixon added. "Hugs and prayers to his family and to you, Hawkeye, and the rest of the station."
In his tweet, Hawkeye said Monday's program would be devoted to Dorsey. Listeners will be invited to share their memories.
The Fort Worth Star-Telegram contributed to this story
