Morning radio in North Texas is missing one of its legendary voices, and it may be gone for some time.
WBAP 820 co-host Hal Jay has been off the air for a week after collapsing at home.
Jay is in the hospital - and awaiting a heart transplant.
"I asked the doctor 'How sick am I?' And he said, 'You're real, real sick.' He goes, 'Your heart's done,'" Jay told his coworkers and listeners from his hospital bed at Baylor University Medical Center.
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The Hall of Fame radio personality shared the news during Monday's broadcast.
Here's a portion of what he said sprinkled with typical Hal Jay humor that's endured him to audiences for decades.
"They asked me if I'm allergic to anything before I started this, 'I said, yes, hospital bills," he joked with sounds of laughter from colleagues Ernie Brown, Monty Cook and Steve Lamb. "'Hal, you said your doctor told you, your heart was done. So, what comes next for you?,' asked Brown. "Next is the transplant, getting on the heart transplant list and that's gonna happen, I believe. I'm pretty sure it is."
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Jay, 69, talked about the professionalism of the team caring for him and the multiple tests required to ensure he's a candidate for the surgery.
"The psychological testing you go through is second to none; like nothing I've ever done," he said. "One of the questions one of the doctors asked is, 'How do you feel? How do you feel about somebody dying so you can live?' I thought, boy, what a question! I would never want somebody to die so I could live. And I said, 'If there's a 14-year-old or 20-year-old who needs the heart more than I do give it to 'em.'"
Jay said he's looking forward to the procedure.
"Your whole life is gonna change but it's gonna change for the better. I'll be able to function," he said. "I know two or three people who've had transplants, and they live life to the fullest every day. They drive and do everything which I can't do anymore."
Jay has been with WBAP 820 for 42 years, and his laugh has been called the most recognizable laugh on air.
The station's social media pages are flooded with listeners sending prayers and well wishes for him, his wife Ann and their family.
