RIP Kidd

Kidd Kraddick memorial in Dallas pays tribute to radio icon

Thousands of mourners packed AT&T Plaza at American Airlines Center on Thursday to pay tribute to radio icon David "Kidd" Kraddick, who died unexpectedly July 27 while in New Orleans.

The memorial included an appearance by the Jonas Brothers, a performance by Ben Folds and a commemoration by his daughter Caroline, who delivered a touching rendition of "Somewhere Over The Rainbow."

Stars from around the country shared their reminiscences and gratitude via video, including members of Good Charlotte, Hanson, Blue October and Forever the Sickest Kids. Phil McGraw said that Kidd taught him how to play golf and recalled the times they'd play in Las Colinas, when they'd stop to sit and talk.

The remaining crew of Kidd Kraddick in The Morning, Kellie Raspberry, J-Si, Big Al and Jenna appeared on stage, where they proclaimed to cheers from the crowd that the show would go on. "We learned from the master, after all," they said.

Folds came on stage to play a few songs including "Still Fighting." Before sitting down at the piano, he did what many in the crowd were doing: pulled out his camera and snapped a photo of the assembled audience.

Starting around 7 pm, the big screens at AT&T Plaza played a simulcast from A Concert For Kidd's Kids at the House of Blues in Dallas, featuring the Jonas Brothers and Jason Derulo, among others.

"Being from Dallas, Kidd meant so much to us," the Jonas Brothers said. "This is more a celebration of his life."

Ben Folds performed at the Kidd Kraddick memorial.

Kidd Kraddick memorial, Victory Plaza, Ben Folds

Photo by Teresa Gubbins

Ben Folds performed at the Kidd Kraddick memorial.

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This Week's Hot Headlines

Round of restaurant closures leads Dallas' most-read stories this week

Photo courtesy of On the Border

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Editor's note: Recent and impending restaurant closures, along with department stores downsizing, lead the top Dallas news of the week. But there is also an exciting update for fans of supermarket chain H-E-B, which finally has plans for a store in Dallas proper. Read our most popular stories of the week below, then find our guide to Martin Luther King Jr. Day events around DFW here.

1. Some surprising names in this list of Dallas restaurant closures. The end of one year and beginning of another often provokes soul-searching and some closing of doors. That's definitely the case in the Dallas restaurant world, with a rash of closings that have taken place in recent weeks. These six restaurants have either just closed or are about to.

2. Macy's and Kohl's to shutter these Dallas-Fort Worth stores in 2025. A major department store name is contracting its presence in Dallas-Fort Worth: Macy's is planning on closing five of its locations throughout DFW by the end of April in 2025. Macy's is not alone: Clothing retailer Kohl's will also be shuttering 27 underperforming stores by April 2025, including its North Dallas location.

Macy's Macy's and Kohl's are shuttering stores in early 2025. Courtesy photo

3. Dallas Fire Rescue deploys firefighting posse to Los Angeles. On January 11, Dallas sent a firefighting posse to Los Angeles, where multiple ongoing fires have burned tens of thousands of acres near the border of Los Angeles and Ventura counties since January 7.

4. Supermarket chain H-E-B acquires site for its first store in Dallas. Dallas is finally in line to get an H-E-B. According to a release, the Texas supermarket chain has purchased property in Dallas: a 10-acre site at the southeast corner of Hillcrest Road and LBJ Freeway.

5. New Dallas coffee shop opens with good coffee — and great hair. A new coffee shop with some serious styling has opened near downtown Dallas: Called Common Good, it's located at 1619 N. Hall St., right off Ross Avenue, in what was previously a retail outlet for Rakkasan Tea Company, who left the space in mid-2024.