In Memory: Dominick “Guy” Chappie
December 2, 2013Dominick “Guy” Chappie passed away last Friday, November 29 at the age of 102. Chappie made contributions to local radio after showing up at Duquesne University in 1949 at nearly 40 years of age. He was going back to school on the GI Bill, but he soon became WDUQ’s (90.5) first paid announcer. He was born in 1911 in Braddock to Italian Immigrants whose last name was Chiapetta. They “Americanized their name to “Chappie”. Chappie’s father worked at the Edgar Thompson Works of US Steel. Guy was led to work at the Homestead Works in 1936 after travelling to other areas to try and create a life for himself. In 1941, he enlisted in the Army for World War II. Afterward he returned to North Carolina where a radio station discovered Chappie’s baritone voice and put him on the air. Soon after, he returned to Pittsburgh to attend Duquesne. Following his years at WDUQ, he went to stations in Johnstown, Altoona, Washington, and eventually WHJB (620 Greensburg).
Chappie never married, but leaves behind a family of nieces and nephews.
(PG)
Please note that back in the early days of WDUQ that the station was at 91.5 MHz with 3kw power. The station did not begin broadcasting at 90.5 until sometime in the late 1970s.
Thank you. I am well aware of that, however most probably won’t remember that. It actually started on 89.3 in 1949 and moved to 91.5 where it was until 1969.
I was a student at D.U. and announcer at WDUQ from Sept.1967 to June 1971. WDUQ did not move to the 90.5 spot on the dial until well after I graduated. It was not until the late ’70s that they began broadcasting from the “Everglades Tower” on Mt. Washington with 25 kw.
With all due respect, Bill, the switch couldn’t have been too much longer after you graduated if, in fact, it was after. WYEP signed on 91.5 in 1974. When they moved the transmitter to Hazelwood (the current site) in 1982, that’s when YEP moved to 91.3.