Tri-Cities community mourns death of broadcasting’s ‘gentle soul’
Ed Dailey — the affable and revered Tri-Cities broadcaster, whose buttery baritone graced the airwaves for several years as the host of KORD-FM’s “Legends of Country” — died Wednesday after a long battle with lymphoma.
He was 65.
His death comes less than a month after his family lost their Benton City home in a fire. Dailey, who was terminally ill and on hospice care, was pulled from his burning home by family.
A country music concert has been organized 5 p.m. Saturday to benefit the family. The Daileys are also still seeking donations as they recover from the loss. Checks can be mailed to P.O Box 3804, Pasco, WA, 99302.
Dailey worked 26 years with KORD before retiring, leaving show business because of his diagnosis.
He also worked for many years as a full-time radio broadcasting instructor at the Tri-Tech Skills Center in Kennewick, and sang and did ministry work with Waymaker Ministries.
Born in Modesto, Calif., in 1956, the son of a Grand Ole Opry fill-in singer, Dailey was quickly brought into the world of radio and entertainment at age 12, possibly the youngest radio DJ at that time.
He was a mentor, a friend, a father and an irreplaceable Tri-Cities figure on both the airwaves and in the community.
Many community members responded to news of his death this week in social media posts and on the news.
Pete Christensen and KORD staff eulogized Dailey in an online piece published Wednesday.
“I wish everyone had someone like Ed Dailey in their lives. When I met Ed, I thought I owned the world. I was an arrogant, hotshot kid who thought he was going to be the best radio DJ in the world. Not only was Ed a terrific teacher, but he was the mentor and father figure that I needed,” Christensen wrote.
Tri-Tech also responded to Dailey’s death in a Thursday post to Facebook. In addition to his role as a broadcasting mentor, staff there remember him as a “gentle soul.”
“We have missed his presence for the past year, but like the stone dropped in a pond, his inspiration and spirit will live on in his family and students, whom he pushed to do great things,” the post read.
The Benton Franklin Fair & Rodeo also gave their remembrance in a Facebook post.
He was a fair grand marshal in 2003, and was chosen by the fair board that year due to his tireless effort in hosting “hundreds of music events” and fundraisers for charities.
“Ed was instrumental in many facets of the fair for decades, helping run stages, mentoring students to assist behind the scenes, and supporting the event on the radio. He was always willing to lend a helping hand and did so much for so many community groups and fundraisers,” the post read.
Arrangements will be made at Mueller’s Tri-Cities Funeral Home.
This story was originally published April 21, 2022 at 12:02 PM.
