Bill Edward Young

BILL YOUNG, passed away on May 31, 2014, after a lifelong battle with Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency. Bill led a very productive and active life despite the disease. He was a radio and television legend who charged headlong into every project with an energy and passion that was unmatched.

Bill was born in Honey Grove, Texas, on November 29, 1939, and is survived by his loving wife of 42 years, Sharon; two sons, Eric E. Young and his wife Sarah, and William Scott Young; two granddaughters, Taylor Sueann Young and Haley Fay Young, and their mother, Stacy Young; one sister, Judy Pippin; two nephews, Randy and Ron Pippin; one niece, Jennifer Augustus; and two godsons, Stephen and Curtis Harwood. Bill was predeceased by his mother and father, Maurine and William Young; and his brother-in-law, Bob Pippin.

Bill Young began his career while in Hudson High School near Lufkin, Texas, starting at KRBA and, after a week of being on the air, was recruited to work nights at the “big” station in Lufkin, KTRE-AM/TV. Planning on entering the ministry, Bill attended Baylor and worked as the evening DJ at WACO in Waco. It was there that he eventually became the station’s Program Director and discovered a real passion for “creative production.” Bill left Texas briefly for a stint as morning personality at Star Station’s KOIL in Omaha. He returned to program KDOK in Tyler, building the small daytimer into a nationally recognized “school” for such personalities as Steve Lundy, Jimmy Rabbit, Randy Robins, and others. In early 1966, he was hired as the head of programming at Gordon McLendon’s KILT-AM & FM in Houston, where he served for 15 years. Bill was a true visionary and created the Hudson and Harrigan team while he was at KILT.

In a radio career that spanned almost three decades, Bill worked at only five radio stations, building an illustrious career that included his selection as "National Program Director of the Year" in the Gavin Poll and recognition on five different occasions as one of the industry's top major-market programmers by Billboard Magazine. In 2002, Bill became an original inductee into the Texas Radio Hall of Fame.

Bill founded Bill Young Productions in 1981, which grew to become one of the leading radio, television and print production/post production services in the nation...producing over 50,000 completed commercials a year. A Bill Young Productions commercial airs somewhere in the world every 22 seconds and his legendary voice was heard nationwide.

Bill's early radio training under such media pioneers as Gordon McLendon taught him the art of the "theater of the mind." It was this "visuality" that allowed an easy transition into film and television programming. He is highly regarded as a Director of over 100 music videos, having created projects for George Strait, Clay Walker, Clint Black, Billy Dean, and many others. He directed projects with both “non-professional” talent and such renowned actors as Elliot Gould, Janine Turner, Michael Crawford, and Mariette Hartley. Bill directed commercials for Chevy Trucks, Wrangler, Exxon, Randalls/Tom Thumb Supermarkets, GMC, Buick, Six Flags Theme Parks, and numerous Broadway shows including Saturday Night Fever and West Side Story. Bill was the Associate Producer of Jekyll & Hyde on Broadway. He also headed the team that handled advertising for Randalls/Tom Thumb Supermarkets. He directed the first concert ever filmed in HD when he shot the George Strait Festival at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. He was the voice of KTRK News in Houston, introducing the news team of Dave Ward, Bob Allen, and Marvin Zindler every night for over a decade. Nationally, rock fans are sure to remember him from his introductions of ABC’s “In-Concert,” the weekly best of concert television show.

Bill thrived on new challenges. He co-produced “Mary Lou’s Flip Flop Shop”, a children’s television series starring Olympian Mary Lou Retton that aired nationally on PBS. In 1996, Bill sold the majority of his company to a group that included key employees. He remained very active in many of his company’s projects, and enjoyed being a consultant to various organizations. Bill loved to quail hunt on his family’s South Texas ranch, and he enjoyed running dogs, and trained field champion Brittany Spaniels. Bill also was an avid fisherman. He loved to fish any fresh water he found and knew East Matagorda Bay like the back of his hand. Bill wrote and published his memoir, “Dead Air: The Rise and Demise of Music Radio,” in 2011. He also served on the “Go Texan” board of the Texas Department of Agriculture and was a Texas A&M certified Master Gardener.

A Memorial Service for Bill will be held at Second Baptist Church, in Houston, at 6400 Woodway, on Saturday, the 7th of June, at 11 AM. In lieu of flowers, the family requests contributions be made to the Alpha-1 Foundation at www.alpha-1foundation.org, or to the charity of your choice.