wdia radio personalities

Listen live. When I was a rookie, he gave me advice and always a good laugh. [10], Many music legends got their start by working at WDIA, including B.B. We offer our deepest condolences to his family, friends and loyal listeners during this extremely difficult time. Together the three transformed WDIA into the South's first African-American-oriented radio station, soon to be known throughout the region as the "Mother Station of the Negroes.". Im more willing to say things to get your attention in a positive manner. 14. Broadcasting & media production company Photos See all Videos See all 0:38 WDIA said in a press release at the time: "The station's program director and on-air personality Bobby O'Jay is the man behind all the success as being the city's top-rated morning drive . O'Jay was the program host of the "Fun Morning Show" on IHeartMedia's WDIA. After a series of local owners it was bought by media giant Clear Channel Communication in 1997. So, he was no novice when he came here to us.. He suffered a fatal massive heart attack. They talk back to you, OJay said. [13] In addition, he contributed to the redevelopment of Beale Street and Soulsville, USA. Having launched his start in 1972 in Milwaukee, O'Jay went from there to. [3], WDIA is known for its community efforts throughout the years. In the 1970s and 1980s, the owners of WDIA also owned KDIA, a similarly formatted station in the San Francisco Bay Area. It sort of reminded you of (the legendary) Nat Williams.. Condolences to his family, colleagues and all who loved him. Tuesday morning, iHeart Radio confirmed the death of O'Jay at age 68. ICONIC DJ Bobby O'Jay has died while at work at a Memphis radio station. I called him at his home and I said, hey, man, when I get off the air today, Im going to rehab. He said, for what? I said I got a drug problem. I think the reason why Bobby thrived and was successful with it because he found his niche and he worked it, said Bell. Community Efforts Click here to report a spelling or grammar error. Vintage Radio Steampunk Women Alice And Wonderland Quotes Techno Old Radios Record Players The Dj H Harm Koenders Radio Disc Jockey's 1950's-1970's Dj Music Listening To Music Vinyl Junkies Radio Personality Professional Audio Thanks For The Memories British English American English J Joe Defazio Radio Disc Jockey's 1950's-1970's Rhythm And Blues Klicken Sie auf Einstellungen verwalten um weitere Informationen zu erhalten und Ihre Einstellungen zu verwalten. The Heart & Soul of Memphis! I started opening the phone lines on my show in the morning for people to respond to things, all kinds of things, about kids and relationships and politics, and all the things going on in the world that affect our lives. I know for many Memphians, including my wife, the day was not complete unless they tuned in to hear what Bobby had to say. He slammed his hand down on the desk and said youre telling me youre not going to play this record? I said Im not going to play it. He said youre fired. Just like that.. Music (Memphis: Hopkins-Oates & Associates, 2008); Louis Cantor, Im very sorry to learn about the passing of Bobby OJay. Vote Now For Your Favorite Artists! He was known as a pioneer of Black radio. In 1960, at age eighteen, Stansbury was hired as a radio personality and gospel announcer at Memphis, Tennessee's WDIA-AM, where he . Email us atexclusive@the-sun.comor call212 416 4552. OJay was also a National Radio Hall of Fame nominee. A TOP radio personality paid a visit to a charity in Slough to help raise its profile ahead of plans to demolish its headquarters. I was listening to WDIA radio when they only stayed on the air until 12:AM Rufus Thomas signed off at Midnight. Many shared how his sudden death had touched them, like losing a family member. Im very sorry to learn about the passing of Bobby OJay. He was on the air, he engaged with his callers, talked to his listeners. O'Jay was considered to be the King of Memphis radio. Win Tickets to New Edition at FedEx Forum! His cause of death is currently unknown. "The Sun", "Sun", "Sun Online" are registered trademarks or trade names of News Group Newspapers Limited. I know for many Memphians, including my wife, the day was not complete unless they tuned in to hear what Bobby had to say. I wanted us to be able to talk to our listeners every day about what was going on every day.. Among other notable personalities were Maurice "Hot Rod" Hulbert, Theo "Bless My Bones" Wade, and Ford Nelson, who continued as of 2013 as an active gospel DJ on WDIA. Bev Johnson. He was one of the hosts for All Blues Saturday. Billboard is a part of Penske Media Corporation. Discover Tuesday's shows for 1070 WDIA in Memphis, TN. Remembering Bobby O'Jay. [7] Its powerful signal reached the Mississippi Deltas dense African-American population and was heard from the Missouri Bootheel to the Gulf Coast. . WDIA's parent company iHeartRadio announced. And I got a phone call, he remembered. He had a daily 15-minute show, promoting first a patent medicine called Pep-Ti-Kon, and later Lucky Strike cigarettes, the first major advertiser for the station. Moreover, the station owners established several other successful rhythm-and-blues outlets, including KDIA in Oakland, California. 2023 Vibe Media, LLC. A former high-school history teacher and journalist, Williams brought his own . G.P. 679215 Registered office: 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF. [6] In June 1954 WDIA was licensed to increase its power from 250 to 50,000 watts, which meant moving to 1070kHz. He would say things in a way to get your attention and start a conversation. WDIA went on the air June 7, 1947,[2] from studios on Union Avenue. OJay eventually got a tour of the station, but back then, you needed an FCC license to be a DJ, so radio would have to wait. Influencing every black radio station to follow, WDIA assigned itself the moniker the Mother Station of Negroes. It earned the nickname the Goodwill Station as well because it broadcast public service bulletins announcing employment opportunities, missing children, social service agency information, and the like at the behest of its listening audience. 3-3:30pm. Men I hired this guy and within two months, this man had taken my job. "The radio station helps me, it's therapeutic," Lee said. Last year, he was inducted into the Tennessee Radio Hall of Fame after being honored by the Living Legends Foundation in 2000 and iHeartMedia Memphis in 2018. 2 . Listen to the radio in the background. He graduated from Booker T. Washington High School, where he was editor of the yearbook. Johnson said his presence was deeply missed by those who stayed. Bobbyology is my thought pattern. I always enjoyed being with Bobby on his show or otherwise. Blues legend B.B. As WDIAs program director, OJay made moves that turned the industry on its head. It featured shows by Beale Street legends such as Nat D. Williams, Rufus Thomas, B.B. One hot day in Batesville, Mississippi, when OJay was picking cotton, his cousin visited and OJay knew he wanted to follow his cousins path. His son, WDIA-AM 1070 radio personality Kylan Hunt, 54, died two years ago from natural causes. WDIA-AM/Memphis taps veteran air personality Stan Bell for the new "The Stan Bell Morning Show," weekdays from 6-10am, effective immediately. Your donation is fully tax-deductible. That range included about 10% of the black population of the United States which in turn garnered substantial advertising revenues. Martha Jean The Queen Steinberg (September 9, 1930 January 29, 2000) was an influential African-American radio broadcaster and later was also the pastor of her own church. In 1972 Chuck Scruggs became its first black general manager and vice president, serving for 12 years. [1] It featured black radio personalities; its success in building an audience attracted radio advertisers suddenly aware of a "new" market among black listeners. Bell joins 1070 WDIA from co-owned Urban KJMS-FM (V101), where he has been on-air for over 30 years. Broadcasting Blues, Gospel, emerging R&B and various talk programs, WDIA became known as a direct appeal to advertisers who wished to reach the African American demographic. 29 Apr. WDIA is a radio station based in Memphis, Tennessee. Ahead of his induction in Tennessee, he shared with local outlet Fox13 Memphis, Ive never had this job and that job. . America's first black radio station, playing classic R&B. The station started the WDIA Goodwill Fund to help and empower black communities. So, that day, OJay walked into the St. Joseph Rehab Center. MEMPHIS, Tenn Legendary Memphis radio icon Bobby O'Jay has passed away. These days, he eats vegan and looks back with appreciation, hoping to further WDIAs image as a goodwill station. King would later attribute his success as a musician to the recognition he received from his early career airtime on WDIA. Call sign: WDIA Frequency: 1070 AM City of license: Memphis, TN Format: Urban Contemporary Owner: iHeartMedia Area Served: Memphis Sister stations: 600 WREC , 95.7 Hallelujah FM , The Mighty 990 , K97.1 , V101 , 101.9 KISS FM , ROCK 103 Memphis "Cannonball" Cantor, one of the few white announcers on WDIA, tells how this decision resulted not only in business success, but mirrored America's nascent awareness of African American culture and social issues. In 1963 she . Web. About 10 years ago, WDIA followed the declining trend of urban formats across the nation. The best way to connect to the community, you talk to them. WDIA Format: Soul Air Personalities 6:30 am--A.C. Williams 10 am--Robert Thomas 2 pm--Lee Armstrong 6 pm--Herb Kneeland 10 pm--Dave Smith 3 am--Theo Wade WLOK Format: Soul Air Personalities 6 am--Nat Washington 10 am--Gerald Floyd 2 pm--Roger W. Cavanass 6 pm--Clifton Halmon 10 pm--Alvin Moore 1 am--James Jack WHER Format: MOR, some talk Atlanta Radio Personalities Among National Black Radio Hall Of Fame Inductees. Then he fired me, OJay laughed. MEMPHIS, Tenn. Memphis radio WDIA DJ Bobby O'Jay died at age 68 Tuesday morning. Its a process.. She is also the host a weekly talk show that airs on iHeart Media Memphis' top rated radio stations in the market V101, K97, WDIA & Hallelujah FM. Nat was a history teacher and the first black radio DJ at WDIA in Memphis. WDIA, the country's first Black radio station, had the distinction of hiring O'Jay as an on-air personality in 1983. "We have raised over $900,000 over the years," A.C. Williams says. What are you doing? That kind of thing, said Stan Bell. She was raised in Ann Arbor, Michigan and attended public schools. 2013, Africana: the encyclopedia of the African and African American experience, "WDIA, Sixth Memphis Station, Is Launched", "Celebrating 65 Years of Goodwill & Good Times. It took me about a year or so to get a job on the radio, OJay recalled. Stan Bell, one of the citys most beloved on-air personalities and popular, local DJ also posted on Facebook: We have lost a gentle giant in the radio industry. All Rights Reserved. 5 Star Stories: Bobby OJay, king of Memphis radio, Woman accused of driving into home, killing former pro basketball player Galen Young granted diversion, Justin Bieber cancels remainder of world tour after Ramsay Hunt syndrome diagnosis, 1 dead after multi-vehicle crash on I-240, traffic heavily congested, First Alert Meteorologist Brittney Bryant's Thursday Morning Weather 3/2, Bane leads Grizzlies to victory against Rockets, Baptist Memorial speaks out on gun violence, 1 dead after crash near Shelby Drive, MPD reports. K97 FM 9am. WDIA was the first radio station in the country programmed entirely for the black community. Born in Batesville, Mississippi in 1953, OJay was inducted into the Tennessee Radio Hall of Fame in 2021. WDIA was the first radio station in the country programmed entirely for the black community. Many grieved in 2017 with the devastating loss of Sharon after 30 years of marriage to O'Jay. A massive lay-off sweep ended the careers of a number of radio personnel and on-air personalities. WDIA midday personality Bev Johnson confirmed to local CBS . He began his teaching profession at Northside High, (his alma mater), where he taught English and Applied Economics. A cause of . On air personality Bev Johnson of WDIA, AM 1070 in Memphis, Tennessee. WHAL Sat.. Stormy Taylor The Legendary Fred Hollywood Moore. OJays older brother helped him get a $1,200 loan for broadcast school right out of high school and he took a six-month course. [3] WDIA is known for its community efforts throughout the years. He was known as the 'King of Memphis radio', Bobby OJay dead at 68: WDIA host and King of Memphis radio dies before his morning show as fans pay tribute, Pedestrian who killed cyclist in clash over riding on pavement is JAILED after victim, 77, fell into path of car, Model 'paid thousands to smuggle 5m criminal cash into Dubai by hiding money in her holiday luggage', Dad 'fatally shot daughter, 7, in head & gunned down headteacher mum' who died of 'shock' from wounds in double killing, Rolf Harris sued over 'fresh sex attack after molesting vulnerable 10-year-old girl at school holiday camp', UK weather: Exact date snow and hail will hit Britain as chilly winds from the north blow in -1C temperatures, Frogmore eviction shows King Charles has drawn a line with Harry - now he must do two more things with the spoilt brat, Im a prison officer & worked with some of Britains feared men but I made a BIG mistake on my first month on the wing, Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO). He was inspired by his cousin, Victory in Christ Christian Church senior pastor, Melvin Jones, who was a radio and record executive in OJays early days. Listen to the best radio station in Memphis, Tennessee, no matter where you are. Radio proved to be a rocky road. 1,679 talking about this. We want to hear from you! 20072023 Blackpast.org. In 1996 Clear Channel Communications bought WDIA. Im very sorry to learn about the passing of Bobby OJay. Listen To Podcasts That Examine The Passion, Perseverance, And Power Of Black Culture! He broke a lot of records. Click here to sign up for our newsletter! MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WMC) - He's the king of Memphis radio, the one and only Bobby O'Jay. [6] WDIA soon became the number-2 station in Memphis. May 3, 2022 WDIA. Description: 1070 WDIA is the heart & soul of Memphis playing Memphis' top R&B music. Radio talk show host Beverly Elaine Johnson was born on May 10, 1953 in Memphis, Tennessee to William Van and Julia Danner Johnson. 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