Rocks Off just got word via ABC13.com that former Houston radio personality Mark Stevens, half of KLOL's popular Stevens & Pruett morning-show team from the 1980s until 2000, has passed away. Houston blogger Mike McGuff says close friends told him Stevens died in his sleep early this morning; Channel 13 notes he had been suffering from Alzheimer's for some time.

Except for John Lander's "Morning Zoo" on 93Q back when 93Q was Top 40 (back when Top 40 was The Cars, Bruce Springsteen and Prince), "Radio Gods" Stevens & Pruett were Rocks Off's first exposure to Houston morning radio. We were usually in the car on the way to school long enough for Lanny Griffith to do a "Traffic and Bondage" report and S&P to work in a plug for their animal-rescue ranch around some sort of bawdy phone prank or send that guy Locke on one of his ridiculous, humiliating errands.

Former Stevens & Pruett colleague Laurie Kendrick has a very nice retrospective of the duo on her blog here.

Stevens & Pruett were also one of KILT's "Hudson & Harrigan" duos in the 1970s and came to KLOL in 1986 from Dallas album-rock station the Eagle (KEGL).

"It's a sad day for Houston radio fans and Mother's Family (the KLOL Family)," former KLOL Music Director David Sadof told Rocks Off via email this afternoon. The duo is credited with helping pioneer the "shock jock" radio format, as in the popular recurring "Uncle Waldo" bit below:

Got a favorite Stevens & Pruett bit? Leave it in the comments.