Veteran Music Journalist, Radio Host Dauphin Dead at 45

RADIO ONLINE | Wednesday, September 18, 2019 | 9:55pm CT

Chuck Dauphin

CMA Award-winning journalist and veteran radio host Chuck Dauphin has died at Nashville's Alive Hospice following a series of complications from diabetes. He was 45. From 2011 until his death, he was a principle country music contributor at Billboard. Dauphin rarely turned down the opportunity to interview a new act, and he always championed the Classic Country greats, who were the official soundtrack of his life. He was among the first music journalists to champion some of today's most famous entertainers; his words on artists including Ashley McBryde, Brandy Clark, Brantley Gilbert, Carly Pearce, Cody Johnson, Luke Bryan, Luke Combs and Midland helped make them stars.

"We are so proud of Chuck," said Dauphin's father, Charles F. Dauphin, Jr. "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."

Growing up in Tennessee, country music was always in the ether for Dauphin. His mother, the late Frankie Paulette Dauphin, doted on her son and raised him on the music from her vast record collection. His father took him to Nashville's CMA Fest annually and would regularly carpool him to town to shop for music at The Great Escape and Tower Records.

Dauphin's childhood dream of becoming a professional radio host was realized in 1991 during his junior year in high school when he earned his first job in the music business at WDKN in Dickson, TN. He worked there for 18 years, rose to Program Director and was known to everyone in Dickson County by his air name "Crazy Chucky." He enjoyed a flourishing radio career with stops at WNKX in Centerville, TN, WSM-AM/Nashville and he often appeared as a guest on SiriusXM's Country channels.

"His interviews got down to what was important to that person," journalist and longtime friend Deborah Evans-Price said. "Whether he was covering sports or country music, he had the innate ability to celebrate the person and their craft. He knew how to pull out the best in every interview to the point where readers always felt like they knew the subject intimately from his writing."

Memorial service and funeral information will be announced later this week via www.taylorsince1909.com or www.burnschurchofchrist.org. In lieu of flowers, his family asks that donations in Dauphin's name be made to Music Health Alliance, MusiCares, Alive Hospice, The Opry Trust Fund and/or Nashville Humane Association.