Gordon Paulsen, 64, long-time KCCK air personality, died April 9th after a courageous battle with cancer..
Gordon was a Cedar Rapids native, who began working at KCCK in 1979 while taking classes at the University of Iowa. He soon joined the station full-time and spent his entire career at the station before retiring in 2017.
Gordon held down the late afternoon shift for more than twenty-five years, a consistent tenure rarely achieved in the changeable media environment. During that time, he met and interviewed hundreds of jazz stars. His favorite story was the time he offered the great Dizzy Gillespie a ride to an area hotel, following a performance with the Cedar Rapids Symphony (now Orchestra Iowa).
Gordon told that story, as well as others from his long KCCK tenure in an interview with the Cedar Rapids Gazette in July 2017. Read it at thegazette.com.
Gordon will be remembered for his silky, rich voice, encyclopedic knowledge of jazz and blues, and the warm friendship he extended to all of his listeners and fans.
Gordon’s KCCK family and the family of listeners who tuned in each day for companionship and fine music will miss him greatly.
A memorial fund has been established in Gordon’s name to support Jazz Under The Stars, an event that he helped establish. Donate at kcck.org/gordon.