CLOSE
Chuck Dauphin (Photo: File)
Many people in Music City are remembering Chuck Dauphin today for his decades of work promoting country musicians after the Dickson multi-media personality died Wednesday.
Dauphin, 45, passed from health complications related to diabetes and MRSA. His right foot was amputated about a year ago and friends throughout Middle Tennessee rallied to help Dauphin who lived and worked much of his life in Dickson but had recently moved to work in Hickman County — all while keeping a presence in the Nashville country music scene.
Last year, Dauphin said in an interview with The Dickson Herald: “It’s moments like these that make you realize how many friends you have. I am truly blessed. Everyone has been so great to me.”
Though long known for his radio work, including several years at Downtown Dickson-based WDKN, Dauphin had in the last eight years begun writing prolifically about country music for Billboard as well as stories about local musicians, sports, businesses and personalities for The Herald. He was recognized for all those efforts in 2014 when he received a 2014 CMA Media Achievement Award.
Chuck Dauphin interviews Kellie Pickler. Dauphin won a CMA media achievement award.
(Photo:
Submitted
)
Dauphin covered Dickson County High School sports as well as local middle school sports for both the radio stations and newspaper for years.
“We are so proud of Chuck,” Dauphin’s father, Charles F. Dauphin, Jr. said in a statement. “He accomplished so much and was loved by so many. Our deepest thanks to everyone who showed their love to Chuck. We know he felt your prayers and support.”
Dauphin continued to fight, seeking story ideas and assignments in recent months even as he was stationary in a health facility bed.
In a Facebook post last month, Dauphin wrote that he had been in a healthcare facility of some type most of the time since May last year. Dauphin also wrote:
Chuck Dauphin of Billboard interviews Nashville star Connie Britton in Brentwood in August in 2014.
(Photo by Rick Diamond/Getty Images for Four Points By Sheraton) (Photo: Rick Diamond, Getty Images for Four Points By)
“I was depressed and tired…but moving into the new place has made me hungry again..Maybe I have something to live for…I was also depressed about my career which seemed to have slowed down a bit during my illness…but I want to make it back…I want to live…Don’t get me wrong…there are still a lot of challenges…..and maybe home health can help with some of them…but I hope to make it back healthwise and career wise. I ask for your prayers during this time…it’s going to be the toughest thing I have ever done, but I think I can, I think I can…”
Dauphin started working at WDKN as a radio broadcaster in 1991 during his junior year at Dickson County High School. He worked there for 18 years and was known by many in Dickson County by his on-air personality, “Crazy Chucky.”
His radio career also included his most recent job at WNKX in Centerville and Nashville’s WSM-AM.
In this 2002 photo, Crazy” Chuck Dauphin, programming director at WDKN, introduces a country song on the air.
Herald file photo (Photo: Chris Pennington, Copyright 2002;No Tennessean)
In a 2014 interview, Dauphin talked about how he developed his love of radio and country music.
“I would scan down through the AM band at night, and find stations such as WBAP/Dallas, WWL/New Orleans, and WLW/Cincinnati. I used to think it was so neat that at 12:30 a.m., you could hear (deejays) talking 500 miles away,” Dauphin said.
Survivors include his father Charles F. Dauphin, Jr.; his stepmother, Marcia Dauphin; stepson Zach Heath and stepdaughter Isabella Heath.
Funeral arrangements are being handled by Taylor Funeral Home in Dickson.
Dauphin: Amputation won’t slow country music love, coverage
Dickson radio’s Donnie Craig hosts last Friendly Neighbor show
Read or Share this story: https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/local/dickson/2019/09/19/dicksons-longtime-country-music-media-personality-chuck-dauphin-dies/2372195001/
