Rick Dees | |
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Dees on March 7, 2009
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Born |
Rigdon Osmond Dees III March 14, 1950 Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. |
Nationality | American |
Other names | Rigdon Osmond Dees III Rick Dees III |
Education |
Grimsley High School University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill |
Occupation | Radio personality, comedic performer |
Spouse(s) |
Carolyn R Craft (m. 1973–77) Julie McWhirter (m. 1977) |
Children | Kevin Dees |
Website | http://www.rick.com |
Rigdon Osmond Dees III (born March 14, 1950, Jacksonville, Florida), best known as Rick Dees, is an American entertainer, radio personality, comedian, actor, and voice artist, best known for his internationally syndicated radio show The Rick Dees Weekly Top 40 Countdown and for the 1976 novelty song "Disco Duck".
Dees is a People's Choice Award recipient, a Grammy-nominated performing artist, and Broadcast Hall of Fame inductee. He wrote two songs that appear in the film Saturday Night Fever, plus performed the title song for the film Meatballs. He co-founded the E. W. Scripps television network, Fine Living Network, and has hosted Rick Dees in the Morning at 102.7 KIIS FM and Hot 92.3 in Los Angeles. Today he continues his own syndicated daily radio show, Daily Dees.
Dees was born Rigdon Osmond Dees III in Jacksonville, Florida on March 14, 1950. He was raised in Greensboro, North Carolina. Dees graduated from Greensboro's Grimsley High School and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a bachelor's degree in motion pictures, TV, and radio.
Dees began his radio career at a Greensboro radio station called WGBG while still in high school. He worked for various radio stations throughout the southeastern United States, including WXYC in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, WSGN in Birmingham, Alabama, and WKIX in Raleigh, North Carolina.