A Friend

I lost a friend Tuesday. He died as a result of a fire that engulfed his mobile home. You know how bad those fires can be. He didn’t have a chance.
I’ve not seen him in thirty years. I’ve not spoken to him in that time, either. But I’ve thought about him…a lot…over the years and have followed his career in broadcasting. Those of you in Kansas who are reading this would immediately recognize his voice, if not his name or face.
Sheldon Craig Workman (Kevin Craig was his DJ or personality name) was the voice of the Dillons Food Stores for many years until this week, and has done other commercials (in Wichita, the “carganza” commercials and many others) that have run nationwide over the past thirty or so years. He also did intros for newscasts for KSN and other stations. That was his business. He marketed and sold his voice for commercials and voice-overs.
His voice was more than smooth...more than inviting...more than deep. His voice could (almost) melt butter. He had "the touch". He had "the range." He had "the golden vocal cords". He had what 99 percent of all other radio and TV personalities wish they had..."the voice". His was the standard by which others were measured...nationwide.
I first heard of Kevin when he was a DJ on the old 98FM KFH in the late 60’s in Wichita. They played rock, and I was into it. He was one of four young men that the station hired to develop younger listeners and a following. The only other one I remember now was Robert St. John, which undoubtedly was a personality name.
I moved to Hays when I finished tech school and got a job at KAYS Radio and TV. Kevin Craig came several months later as a DJ and personality. It was a dream come true for this farm boy-turning-man who was still finding himself and his way in life. KC (Kevin Craig) was larger-than-life!! And he was coming to Hays, America!! We quickly developed a friendship, and spent time together. We rode motorcycles, talked, listened to Chicago (one of his favorite groups) and generally had fun during the time we had together.
His grandparents lived in McCracken, not far from Hays, and we went to visit them a time or two…once on motorcycles. He was not at all in person like his on-air persona. He was quiet, unassuming, intelligent, and somewhat shy. He was lonely, just as I was, and to my surprise was very, very human. I cherish those memories.
Kevin was someone I’ve always counted on my short list of friends, even though we haven’t spoken for all these years. He was a groomsman at Pat and my wedding. His recent photos look just like those of years ago. I’m not sure he aged any at all.
I would like to think he would have remembered me and we would have enjoyed meeting again. In fact, when we moved to Wichita, I thought about looking him up (finally), knowing that he lived east of Mulvane. I could have tried to look him up before now, but something always kept me from making that call or driving out that way. That something was that Kevin continued to be a larger-than-life person in my mind, even as he was when he was a DJ on KFH-FM and I was an 18 year old teenager awed by the savvy and coolness of the DJs on the radio. I didn’t think then that I would ever get to know the great KC, and couldn’t believe it (and still can’t) to have been able to spend time with him in Hays.
Even as I contemplated looking him up a week or so ago, I thought that he might not really want to see me or care. But that wasn’t the real Kevin Craig, and deep down, I knew that. He did care. Deeply. And he would have wanted me to come see him. And we would have done some reminiscing and gotten caught up on what’s happened in our lives. And the void that is now in my soul wouldn’t be quite as large, open, and bleeding.
There’s a lesson here. You’ve heard it before. Don’t wait. It may become too late. Look up that friend. Tell someone you care. Send that letter. Write that email. Make that phone call. You just never know….