Texas Rangers voice Eric Nadel long kept secret. ‘I thought I would lose my job’
It’s May 16, and Eric Nadel is celebrating his birthday the way he always does: with a basket of french fries at his favorite Dallas burger joint.
On May 29, the Hall of Fame Texas Rangers broadcaster, 74, will celebrate with a bit more flair at the 13th annual Eric Nadel Birthday Benefit, a concert at the historic Longhorn Ballroom in Dallas featuring co-headliners Shinyribs and the Secret Sisters. But more on that later.
For now, on his actual birthday, Nadel is happy with his fries, lounging in a booth and telling stories, mostly about music, which is Nadel’s primary passion — even more than sports at this stage, though sometimes the two intertwine.
For instance, there’s one story about the time Nadel nearly persuaded Nolan Ryan to accompany him to a Grateful Dead show in Chicago, before the clean-cut hurler had second thoughts about joining the hippie throng under a cloud of smoke.
Nadel laughs easily at that memory and others, and why shouldn’t he? The guy has it all: The dream job. The voice. More friends than he can count. A happy home life.
Which makes what he says next seem so inexplicable.
‘There’s nothing wrong in your life, but you just don’t feel good’
Going back to his first birthday benefit in 2012 (the event was paused in 2020 for COVID), Nadel has given the proceeds from the yearly concert to local organizations focused on mental well-being and suicide prevention. Since 2021, the recipient has been the Grant Halliburton Foundation, a Dallas nonprofit that provides mental health resources and support for youth and young adults.
When he was a kid, Nadel’s mom worked as a volunteer with adolescents struggling with mental health issues. Later in life, Nadel watched his sister battle through a period of depression.
In 2023, Nadel himself became the face of the issue here locally when he stepped away from his radio duties for much of the baseball season while dealing with anxiety, depression and insomnia.
He’d dealt with something similar 20 years earlier, but he “powered through it” at the time.
“I thought I would lose my job, there was such a stigma around it,” Nadel told Mike Rhyner while recording the “Your Dark Companion” podcast on his birthday.
By 2023, Nadel felt the culture had evolved to the point where it could handle his honesty about what he was experiencing.
“There’s nothing wrong in your life, but you just don’t feel good,” Nadel said, describing his bouts of depression when the burger booth conversation turned from music and baseball to heavier topics. It was a sobering reminder that success, adoration and domestic comforts don’t inoculate you against mental illness. It’s like any other illness, and it can strike anyone at any time.
Nadel said he recognizes when a dark period is approaching because he loses interest in music. Two years ago, it only got worse from there. Nadel sought treatment, but the medication left his head foggy, dulling the sharpness needed to keep listeners engaged during a long ballgame, which is why he stayed away from the broadcast booth for a few months, even though it pained him to do so. Fortunately, he said, he made it back in time for the playoff push en route to the Rangers’ first World Series title.
It took no small amount of courage to announce to the world that he was hurting. Anxiety and depression are things people like to avoid talking about. When told that his speaking out likely helped others find the courage to do the same, Nadel nodded solemnly.
“I hope so,” he said.
The birthday benefit
Speaking out made a profound impact, but it was hardly the only way Nadel has impacted others who are in pain. Each of the last two years, his birthday concert has raised upwards of $100,000 for the Grant Halliburton Foundation. Part of that comes from ticket sales, but the lion’s share comes from sponsorship and auction proceeds.
This year, there is a live auction that will take place at the Longhorn Ballroom on May 29 and a silent auction open now to all, even if you can’t make the concert.
Auction items range from Rangers suite packages and memorabilia to dinners with local icons like long-time Channel 8 sportscaster Dale Hansen, Dallas Cowboys broadcaster Brad Sham and personalities from the Ticket radio station. You can even bid on a priceless opportunity to join Nadel in the stands for a Rangers game.
Doors at the Longhorn Ballroom open at 6:30 p.m. on May 29 for the birthday benefit, with downbeat at 7:30. If you’re not familiar with the Secret Sisters, the folk-country-blues sibling duo from Alabama, Nadel describes them as great musicians and “really funny, kind of like the Smothers Brothers.”
Shinyribs, an eclectic Austin act, has a legendary reputation as one of Texas’ premier good-time bands. Nadel said he’s excited to see them fill the Longhorn Ballroom with their sound and energy.
“There’s a stripped-down version of Shinyribs, then there’s the big, full band, where they’re doing the conga line down the aisle. We want the conga line,” joked Nadel.
The aforementioned Mike Rhyner will be there with Michael “Grubes” Gruber and the Your Dark Companion crew doing purple carpet interviews — purple symbolizing mental health awareness.
General admission tickets to the show range from $38.70 (standing) to $51.60 (seated). Premium seats go for $71.03, and tables for four guests cost $124. All prices include taxes and fees and can be purchased on Prekindle.
The Longhorn Ballroom is located at 216 Corinth St. in Dallas. For tickets and details on the live and silent auctions, go to granthalliburton.org/ericnadel. You can view auction items and support the event through a sponsorship by clicking the image at the top of the page.