Funeral services will be held Saturday for former KMUW gospel announcer Dennis Shaw, who died last week from an illness. For more than two decades, Shaw hosted the program Gospel Express.
He coined the phrase “Dennis Shaw from Wichita” and "The Man with the Tan on Radio Land.” Shaw gained an extensive following as host of his show heard Sunday mornings from the summer of 1972 to the mid-'90s. He was a devoted volunteer host who aired choir and quartet music and community announcements.
Promoter Dwight Rolfe says Shaw loved encouraging listeners through inspirational sounds.
“I remember him telling a story about how he kept somebody from committing suicide,” says Rolfe. “He would play something and he told me later on they would call him and say, 'Hey, I listened to your program last week. You kept me from doing this or you kept me from doing that.' So, you know, he blessed a lot of people. He touched a lot of lives.”
Shaw’s dedication to the gospel music genre extended into the community. He brought the Grammy Award-winning Mississippi Mass Choir, the Jacksonville Southernaires and the Williams Brothers to Wichita. He was a member of the Gospel Announcers Guild, an auxiliary of the Gospel Music Workshop of America.
Visitation will take place Friday at 6:00 P.M. at Greater New Testament Baptist Church, 1833 N. Hydraulic. Funeral services will be held Saturday at 10:00 A.M. at Tabernacle Bible Church, 1817 N. Volutsia.
