El Paso radio icon 'Magic' Mike Ramsey dies at age 68 in sleep

El Paso has lost another radio icon.

“Magic” Mike Ramsey, who worked for rock station KLAQ from the late 1970s to 2003, died in his sleep Sunday. He was 68.

Ramsey, who had been sick recently, was a private man in a public business, his brother Ross Ramsey said.

“He had written his own obit and it was one line: ‘A lucky boy who lived a MAGIC life,’” Ross Ramsey said. “He wanted to keep it short. All his life, he was pretty private and wanted to keep it that way.”

Ramsey worked his way up from part-time disc jockey to serving as KLAQ’s program director from 1997-2003, said Brad Dubow, the market president for Townsquare Media which owns KLAQ and two other radio stations in El Paso.

“Magic Mike could do it all,” Dubow said. “When the big rock acts came through town, he would host them either at the station or at his house. He was friendly, outgoing and definitely loved listening to and participating with bands and musicians.

“He helped us with some of our biggest promotions like our Street Festival and Balloon Festival,” Dubow said.

For decades, Ramsey connected El Paso listeners to new and classic rock music during an era when radio DJs wielded considerable influence. He also helped cultivate younger generations of DJs, often seeking out a fresh voice for a turn behind the mic.

"When I was 16 years old, my mom said someone wanted me on the phone," Angel Gonzalez, a DJ on KISS-FM, said in a blog post on KLAQ's website. "When I said hello, it was that unmistakable voice. Magic Mike wanted to know if I wanted to be on the KLAQ Lone Star Show. One of the greatest calls of my life! Scott Ronson told me Magic Mike would send him a bottle of Jack, every Christmas."

KLAQ employees and listeners are now mourning the loss of two beloved DJs. On Dec. 10, “Big” Al Jones, a pioneering morning show host and disc jockey who had worked for KLAQ, also died in his sleep.

More: El Paso radio legend 'Big' Al Jones dies at age 59 in sleep

Dubow said Ramsey's and Jones’ deaths in the past month have hit the station hard.

“You never know what life will give you, and you need to live life the best you can,” he said. “The passing of so many people in the rock world and at the station makes you think about life. We certainly miss them.”

After leaving KLAQ in 2003, Ramsey designed homes and was involved in other small business ventures, his brother said.

Ramsey is survived by his wife, Jacque, and stepson, Michael Woolfre. No public services are planned.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in Ramsey's name can be made to the El Paso Children’s Hospital Foundation (elpasochildrensfoundation.org) or the American Heart Association.

David Burge may be reached at 546-6126; dburge@elpasotimes.com; @dburge1962 on Twitter.