Condolences: Denis Prior
• We’ve lost too many talented people this year… and here’s yet another one: RAMP has learned of the passing of veteran air talent and comedy writer Denis Prior. We understand he had been dealing with a number of health issues of late, including a severe back injury, according to his recent string of Facebook posts.
Prior is probably best known for his eight-year run in afternoon drive at KMXV (Mix 93.3) until 2000. Over the course of his career Prior also did mornings on KSRZ/Omaha and WSM-FM/Nashville and afternoons on Regent AC WLHT (Lite Rock 95.7)/Grand Rapids until 2009. Earlier career stops include KICT (T95) &KEYN/Wichita and KJCK/Junction City, KS. A particular point of pride for Prior was his lengthy run as a writer for Late Show With David Letterman. More recently Prior had been doing freelance voiceover work.
Jon Zellner, now Pres. of Programming Operations for iHeartMedia programmed Mix 93.3/Kansas City from 1996-2004, presiding over a killer staff that included Danny Czekalinski & Karen Barber in mornings, Kelly Urich in middays, Denis in afternoons and Jacqui Lucky at night — a crew that helped propel Mix from 14th to 1st in one year.
Zellner shared his thoughts about Prior, telling RAMP, “Denis was an outstanding talent and an extremely creative comedy writer who also wrote material for David Letterman and Jay Leno. It was the delivery of his dry sense of humor on the air that made him unique. On my first day on the job at Mix 93.3, I remember talking to a friend and holding the phone up to the speaker when Denis came on and saying, ‘… and THIS is my afternoon guy!’ I was so proud. One of the best jocks in our business and gone much too soon.” Czekalinski said, “We had an AMAZING staff back then and it was an honor to work with a talent like Denis.” Prior is survived by his daughter, Kady, who posted her own heartfelt tribute to her Dad on Facebook.
