Monday morning was emotional for the cast of Kidd Kraddick in the Morning, as they returned to the airwaves without their namesake.
Kellie Rasberry, Big Al Mac, J-Si Chavez and Jenna Owens switched on the mics at KHKS-FM (KISS FM) Monday morning for only the second time without Kraddick.
Kraddick died while attending a golf tournament in Louisiana that benefited his children's charity, Kidd's Kids. Preliminary autopsy results from the Jefferson Parish Coroner's Office said Kraddick died of cardiac disease. On the Monday following his death, the cast hit the airwaves to memorialize the host, but had been largely silent publicly since -- until Monday morning when they returned to the show for good.
"I don't know if I'm still kind of shocked by what's happened," said Kellie Rasberry. "I don't know if I haven't had time to process it. But I also know a lot of people have been praying for us, and I truly believe those prayers have carried me thru this week."
Rasberry has been a part of the Kidd Kraddick in the Morning team for close to 20 years along with Big Al Mac. J-Si Chavez and Jenna Owens -- who have been added to the show over the years.
"Until something like this happens you don't realize how much of a family it's become," said Rasberry.
The show will go on with the rest of the team.
“We're gonna go on, going to be funny,” says co-host Big Al Mack, “And we're going to do our show as usual, well as the ‘new usual’, We’re going to make a new usual.”
Keeping his promise, Big Al Mack stripped off his shirt and compared his body to Nick Jonas. “Some things don’t change, even if a lot has changed,” says Jenna Owens.
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Jenna Owens coined the word, “re-grief-ting.” She joked about the previously-owned things people have been giving her to help her cope: a worn black dress, already given gift cards. “Like they already owned it. It’s not something that they bought. They’re like, ‘You want them?’ So, I took it. I mean I can read off my regreifted list,” says Owens during the show.
“Getting back in there is a feeling of life, even though there's a life missing in the room. I think we're energized being around each other and trying to be funny,” Owens says.
Rasberry said Kraddick won't be far from their hearts.
"The thread of Kidd is going to be in everything we do, we'll refer to him constantly it's not like he didn't exist, it's still Kidd Kraddick in morning show," said Rasberry.
"It's almost like treating it like he's running late, he's just running late to the break we'll do this break without him, he'll be back after the break, that's how it'll feel because it's almost not real," said Rasberry. “We need to get back into that familiar routine and this is what we've known for so many years. Being in the studio without Kidd Kraddick, we still feel like Kidd Kraddick.”
Plans are still in the works for Kraddick’s public memorial.
