Joe Ford, a 2003 inductee into the Texas Radio Hall of Fame and Houston on-air/voice-over legend, has passed away, according to the hall of fame.
- Houston radio DJs of the 1960s talk about era
"Joe was an icon, a great guy and a mentor to many," Texas Radio Hall of Fame director emeritus Josh Holstead, who goes by 'Rowdy Yates' on his nationally syndicated show, told mikemcguff.com. "As the city of Houston grew up and out, so did Joe. From his days at KNUZ, KFMK, and KLDE. Joe had an in-demand voice and presentation as a voice talent."
His radio journey began at 1230 KNUZ, where he spent more than 15 years as both program director and DJ.
"Joe was more than a voice, he was a smooth operator on the air if there ever was one," 101 KLOL founder Pat Fant told mikemcguff.com. "He was my program director at KNUZ 1230am in the late sixties. If not for Joe, I would have never had the opportunity to pursue the new rock and get it on the air during the summer of '69, a pivotal time for everyone. Joe is the RADIO manager responsible for giving me the on-air name Crown Prince. That's what I was called as I turned a Top 40 station into a progressive rocker every night at 10pm. From there, it turned into KLOL."
Ford later joined KILT, working alongside another Houston radio great, Bill Young, before a brief stop at top-rated country station KIKK. His career then took him to KRBE for mornings, followed by Houston’s first oldies station, KFMK, and eventually Oldies 94.5 KLDE, where he reigned as a top-rated host from 1995 to 2001.
"I worked with Joe, back in the early 90’s, when he did middays on Oldies 94.5," Chad Stevens-Roch told me. "He was one of the nicest, and smoothest guys on and off the air. He sure will be missed."
Throughout his three-decade radio career, Ford earned numerous honors — including Billboard Magazine’s recognition as one of America’s Top 5 DJs — and was twice voted Houston’s favorite air personality. His talents extended beyond radio: he hosted his own TV show on WB 39, portrayed “Granpaw Orville” on Channel 11’s Late, Late Show, and even shared the screen with Sally Field and Tommy Lee Jones in the film Backroads as “Max the Trucker.”
What began as a favor to clients turned into a new venture when Ford founded Joe Ford Voiceworks in his later years.
Responding to demand for around-the-clock access, he built a state-of-the-art recording facility designed for those “need-it-yesterday” projects. His studio features premium microphones, including the EV27ND, Sennheiser 416, Shure SM7B, KSM44SL, and Neumann TLM103, supported by dual DigiDesign-equipped setups for voice recordings.
As a producer, writer, announcer, and narrator, Ford, who attended the University of Houston, specialized in fast-turnaround voice work for radio and television commercials, narrations, and movie trailers.
"Even if you never listened to his radio show, Houstonian's will remember his voice for decades on the Strickland Chevrolet commercials on radio and TV too," added Holstead. "In all my years, I never recall anyone saying a bad thing about the guy. What I admired most was his devotion to his family. And while I know he will be missed, I take great comfort knowing that he is no longer suffering, and he is reunited with his wife."
