Ed Chandler Wofford, 74, of Granite Shoals passed away Oct. 28, 2024

Texas Radio Hall of Fame and San Antonio Radio Hall of Fame member Ed “Eddie” Chandler Wofford, 74, died in his Granite Shoals home on Monday, Oct. 28, after a two-year battle with cancer. 

Known as Ed Chandler on the airwaves, the Hall of Famer was the creative force behind the chart-topping duet “Good Hearted Woman,” sung by Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson. Chandler mixed separate recordings of the song by each artist. RCA officials liked the mix so much that they convinced Jennings and Nelson to record it together. It is still in frequent rotation on country stations all across the nation.

That kind of creativity, mixed with his voice and personality, made him stand out in the world of radio.

“Ed was such a professional, and he had such a distinct voice,” said KBEY Operations Manager Ben Shields, who worked with Chandler from 2013-2021 when Ed was the morning show host and operations manager at KBEY 103.9 FM Radio Picayune in Marble Falls. “He was a creative mind, and he was always thinking of fun, unique ideas of what to do on air, whether it was for his morning show, a contest, or a station promotion.” 

Chandler was inducted into the Texas Radio Hall of Fame in 2017. This past August, he was inducted into the San Antonio Radio Hall of Fame. His wife, Mona, accepted the award and spoke on his behalf. 

“In the speech, I talked about how his dad always told him to find a job he enjoyed that wasn’t work,” Mona said. “Radio was that for him. That was him right there.”

Chandler included the same sentiment in his 2017 acceptance speech into the Texas Radio Hall of Fame. He was working at KBEY at the time.

“A group of students was in the radio station recently and asked me what I liked best about my job, and I said it’s not a job—that’s what I like best,” he said. “This is something I’ve always enjoyed doing. I’ve never had a day when I got up at 3:30 to do a morning show and regretted the job that I had. I’ve loved it.”

Chandler was 17 years old when he landed his first radio broadcaster job, and he did it without a lick of experience. He was chasing a dream he had since he was 10, so he wasn’t going to let a little thing like no resume stop him. During a job interview at a Bonham station in East Texas, he was asked to name previous stations where he had worked. 

“I told him there was a Shell station and a Texaco station,” he said in an interview with a DailyTrib.com reporter who was writing about the 2017 nomination.

His quick wit landed him a weekend show. He stayed in East Texas for a few years before enrolling at East Texas State University while still keeping his voice on the air. After graduation, he headed for Los Angeles, where his career took off.

He was a radio broadcaster at several country and Top 40 stations before climbing the ladder to programming for Transtar Radio Networks, the first to provide 24-hour music programming countrywide. (It’s now owned by Westwood One.) At one point, he was in charge of programming for 200 stations.

He worked 16 years in California before fatherhood helped him realize he wanted to raise his kids in Texas. After returning to his home state in 1986, he worked at KBLT in Houston, KASE 101 in Austin, and KBUC radio in San Antonio, to name a few. His last big market job was in Houston, where, after a few years, he decided to head to the Texas Hill Country. He became Operations Manager for the Radio Ranch group in Kerrville before moving to Granite Shoals and signing on to KBEY.

Even after receiving his cancer diagnosis, Chandler continued working part-time in radio. He recorded a syndicated program from his home for SuiteRadio, which provides “hit shows with outstanding radio personalities and music across multiple genres,” according to its webpage. 

Since word of his death was announced, his Facebook page has been filled with remembrances from co-workers over his 50-year career, including David Manzi, who recently retired from a long career in radio in San Diego, where he met Ed. Manzi first heard Chandler on KSON, still a dominant country music force. 

“If Ed had no other talent than his voice, that would make him an instant superstar in radio,” Manzi told DailyTrib.com. “But he also had the personality, charm, and sensibility that makes him so great on the air.” 

A personal friend summed up what so many others are voicing, by addressing him directly on his Facebook page. 

“My heart goes out to Mona, your family, and the radio airwaves,” said Tracee Evans of Atascocita. “Heaven got a lot more fun with your arrival.” 

Chandler loved music, guitars, and anything Beatles, but mostly loved spending time with family and friends. He loved his children, stepchildren, grandchildren, nieces, and nephews.

“Ed proved blood doesn’t always make a father,” Mona said.

Chandler is survived by his wife Mona, his son Jade (wife Candace), his son Shannon Wofford, stepsons Ray Gonzalez (wife Erica) and Steven Gonzalez (wife Desiree), eight grandchildren, and a great-grandchild.

He was preceded in death by his son Jesse, parents Edith and Haskell Wofford, and siblings LaDain Wofford and Melba Richardson.

A Celebration of Life is planned for Sunday, Nov. 10, from 1-3:30 p.m. at Shade Tree Saloon Pavilion, 13530 U.S. 281 North in Spring Branch, Texas.