Please include the headline. One of the best to don headsets and bless the mic in the control room. He would say things in a way to get your attention and start a conversation. Fred was a very caring family man and loved his daughter and wife dearly.. Ernest Brazzell gave crop advice, and Robert Thomas became a DJ named Honeyboy after he won a citywide amateur competition. A.C. Williams, a former WDIA disc jockey, helped create the Goodwill Fund in 1954. Regional As seen in: WDIA-AM (Memphis, TN), POWER Magazine Educator, Radio Personality, Husband, Father Is this you? The Legendary Fred Hollywood Moore. WDIA is the first radio station in America that was programmed entirely by African Americans for African Americans. Johnson received her B.A. He cared about the artists records he played. Dyana Williams is one of the earliest and most influential female air personalities in Black radio. WDIA-AM/Memphis taps veteran air personality Stan Bell for the new "The Stan Bell Morning Show," weekdays from 6-10am, effective immediately. Active since 1947, it soon became the first radio station in America that was programmed entirely for African Americans. G.P. 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.. WDIA's afternoon radio talent playing the best music in the world and keeping you up to date with the latest local and community information. racine horlick high school football Cuidados de Gnero. I wanted us to be able to talk to our listeners every day about what was going on every day.. Win Your Trip to Our 2023 iHeartRadio Music Awards! Competing against him in radio taught me programming; trying to get a record played at his station taught me the real meaning of perseverance, tenacity and how to be a record exec. Description: 1070 WDIA is the heart & soul of Memphis playing Memphis' top R&B music. "He was the type of guy, you know, if you saw him out on the streets or whatever, he treats you like, 'Hey man, it is so great to see you. By age 17, OJay remembered walking the halls of his high school, using his radio voice.. 1070 WDIA is a radio station based in Memphis, Tennessee providing Urban Oldies/Classic Soul music. In 1972 Chuck Scruggs became its first black general manager and vice president, serving for 12 years. The station started the WDIA Goodwill Fund to help and empower black communities. 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. Former WDIA radio personality Mr. Fred Hollywood Moore transitioned Saturday morning. Its owners, John Pepper and Dick Ferguson, established the station and located it at 2074 Union Avenue. Gospel radio show host and academic administrator Markhum "Mark" L. Stansbury, Sr. was born on April 5, 1942 in Memphis, Tennessee to Willie and Eliza Markham Stansbury. May God Bless his family, his spirit, and his legacy.. Many grieved in 2017 with the devastating loss of Sharon after 30 years of marriage to O'Jay. 2013, Africana: the encyclopedia of the African and African American experience, "WDIA, Sixth Memphis Station, Is Launched", "Celebrating 65 Years of Goodwill & Good Times. King and Bobby Blue Bland. Suite 4100 901-535-9342 Website: http://mywdia.iheart.com Stations 1070 WDIA The Heart & Soul of Memphis TOMORROW: 7am Bobby O'Jay 11am Bev Johnson 4pm Earle Augustus Shows Bev Johnson Memphis, TN The station's management had been mostly white. . We offer our deepest condolences to his family, friends and loyal listeners during this extremely difficult time. Ahead of his induction in Tennessee, he shared with local outlet Fox13 Memphis, Ive never had this job and that job. 1,679 talking about this. 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 All they did was just pray for me. Im very sorry to learn about the passing of Bobby OJay. King joined WDIA in early 1949. ", Another added: "Rest In Peace to legendary Memphis DJ, Bobby OJay. . The original frequency was 730kHz. Listen online or on your phone with our free app! Great to meet you. After a series of local owners it was bought by media giant Clear Channel Communication in 1997. O'Jay was considered to be the King of Memphis radio. WDIA Memphis mainstay Bobby OJay passed away of unknown causes on Tuesday (May 3). Black radio personalities such as Jack "The Rapper" Gibson of WERD and Tall Paul White of WEDR in Birmingham, drew praise from Martin Luther King and other prominent Black leaders for their contributions to American Civil Rights efforts. A radio personality is a person who hosts a radio talk show and interacts with the audience via telephone or email. WDIA was the first radio station in the country programmed entirely for the black community. From Billboard Music Awards to the Tennessee Radio Hall of Fame where he will join fellow WDIA alums Bev Johnson, Rufus Thomas, and Nat D. Williams, OJays awards are plenty. Listen To Podcasts That Examine The Passion, Perseverance, And Power Of Black Culture! 2023 Billboard Media, LLC. Download Our Free iHeartRadio App! [citation needed]. Bobby was a trailblazer in the industry as well as a legacy in the community for multiple decades. Today, WDIAs major playlist offers very little in the way of the Beale Street Blues and Gospel that established the stations early reputation, but spans the 1960s music to the present day, with significant air time devoted to the classic Soul sounds of the 1970s, and an occasional offering from its early on-air contributors B.B. So, he moved back to Houston to return to radio there. It featured black radio personalities and its black listeners constituted a new market for radio advertisers. WDIA Memphis mainstay Bobby O'Jay passed away of unknown causes on Tuesday (May 3). He began his teaching profession at Northside High, (his alma mater), where he taught English and Applied Economics. Bell joins 1070 WDIA from co-owned Urban KJMS-FM (V101), where he has been on-air for over 30 years. As one of Memphis most celebrated radio personalities, OJay will be inducted into the Tennessee Radio Hall of Fame July 31 in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. WDIA's parent company iHeartRadio announced. The 68-year-old radio personality passed away on Tuesday morning before the start of his 9am show, according to WREG. iHeartRadio Ultimate Contest, Sweatfest Punta Cana with Keith Sweat. The 68-year-old radio personality passed away on Tuesday morning before the start of his 9am show, according to WREG. Over time, the fund provided transportation to school for disabled black children, financed college scholarships, established boy clubs, covered the costs of regional Little League teams and helped provide low-cost supplemental housing. Having launched his start in 1972 in Milwaukee, O'Jay went from there to. It sort of reminded you of (the legendary) Nat Williams.. 1070 WDIA is the heart & soul of Memphis! Tuesday morning, iHeart Radio confirmed the death of O'Jay at age 68. oldies. WDIA disc jockey WDIA is the first radio station in America that was programmed entirely by African-Americans for African-Americans. 2023 Vibe Media, LLC. 2 Be Kind and Courteous We're all in this together to create a welcoming environment. Twitter: @WDIA Language: English Contact: 2650 Thousand Oaks Blvd. Want to know what everyone in the music business is talking about. He was known as a pioneer of Black radio. Fred was real smooth on the air, and he had that infectious laugh. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA Enterprise and the Google, Angela Bassett Says Potential Oscar Win Would Be A Childhood Dream ComeTrue, Kelly Rowland To Judge Audibles Breakthrough, The First Audio-Only SingingContest, De La Souls Trugoy The Doves First Posthumous Release Is A GorillazCollab. Listen online at myWDIA.com/listen Durch Klicken auf Alle akzeptieren erklren Sie sich damit einverstanden, dass Yahoo und unsere Partner Ihre personenbezogenen Daten verarbeiten und Technologien wie Cookies nutzen, um personalisierte Anzeigen und Inhalte zu zeigen, zur Messung von Anzeigen und Inhalten, um mehr ber die Zielgruppe zu erfahren sowie fr die Entwicklung von Produkten. A segue to an on-air gig in Montgomery, Alabama, was followed by a return to Milwaukee prior to landing at WDIA, where he also served as program director, During the course of his estimable tenure at the station, OJay interviewed a whos who in Black music and culture, including Whitney Houston, Muhammad Ali and Temptations members David Ruffin and Eddie Kendricks. I have eight brothers and sisters. This service is provided on News Group Newspapers' Limited's Standard Terms and Conditions in accordance with our Privacy & Cookie Policy. He was a kind and good man with a super smooth voice and infectious laugh. Pharos Books, 1992). Its owners, John Pepper and Dick Ferguson, established the station and located it at 2074 Union Avenue. Not only did the station feature black radio personalities, but it also brought awareness to a relatively new market of listeners. [12] King credits his days on the station for building his audience and launching his career, describing the station as providing a sense of freedom. Vote Now For Your Favorite Artists! MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WMC) - He was known as the King of Memphis Radio, a legend, and icon in the industry. 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. VIBE sends our deepest condolences to the OJay family and those affected by this tragic loss. WDIA midday personality Bev Johnson confirmed to local CBS . The Black Effect Podcast Network Is Making History Again This April! 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. He had a brief on-air stint in Montgomery, Alabama, but returned to Milwaukee prior to landing the hosting gig at WDIA in 1983. The station did not do well until Ferguson learned about "targeted programming" and realized there was one audience in Memphis no other radio station served. King would later attribute his success as a musician to the recognition he received from his early career airtime on WDIA. Klicken Sie auf Einstellungen verwalten um weitere Informationen zu erhalten und Ihre Einstellungen zu verwalten. About 10 years ago, WDIA followed the declining trend of urban formats across the nation. WDIA was the first radio station in the country programmed entirely for the black community. I added the Whats on Your Mind Line to stop the music at five oclock in the afternoon so we could talk to our listeners and they can talk back, said OJay. Listen live. Im more willing to say things to get your attention in a positive manner. As program director, he hired radio broadcast veterans Bev Johnson and Mike Evans, who still sit behind the mic. When hewould usually open phone lines for listeners, the station continued to play music. When WDIA first went on air June 7, 1947, it was owned by John Pepper and Dick Ferguson, both . Rufus Thomas maintained his program until his passing in 2001. degree in English literature from Rust College in Holly Springs, Mississippi, and her M.S. Tennessee State Rep Antonio Parkinsonsaid: "This is not only a loss for us as a city in Memphis, but a loss to all of us in the black community nationally, those of us in black music and radio and those of us who saw him as a mentor. He was one of the hosts for All Blues Saturday. The Museum of Broadcast Communications announces the selection of 10 new Legends inductees into the Radio Hall of Fame for 2022, "recognizing the talents and efforts of air personalities, programmers and operators who contributed with greatness to the radio industry and have since passed away." O'Jay often shared his life on-air with his late wife, Sharon. The office staff was racially integrated by 1950 which was rare in Memphis or any Southern city at that time but the station did not see its first black manager until 1972. Mathews has been quick to tell his listeners to check out the Arbitron ratings on radio on line.It is very clear that since WPLX as been on the air, that WDIA ratings has been on a decline. [6] WDIA soon became the number-2 station in Memphis. He says his large family never pried, they just prayed and so did he. So, he was no novice when he came here to us.. Im very sorry to learn about the passing of Bobby OJay. pic.twitter.com/DoZ0sl9QNg, Mayor Jim Strickland (@MayorMemphis) May 3, 2022, Get weekly rundowns straight to your inbox, A daily briefing on what matters in the music industry. Rodriguez . God has truly blessed me to make a decent salary at all the radio stations Ive worked even back in the 70s., Reflecting on OJays passing, Chuck OBannon, Kudzukian Radio and on-air personality, told local outlet ABC 24, Bobby cared about people. I know his legacy will continue through WDIA., Im very sorry to learn about the passing of Bobby OJay. WDIA 1070 Memphis - Bobby O'Jay - December 19 2019Bobby O'Jay was one of the most iconic voices in Memphis Broadcasting. He suffered a fatal massive heart attack. May God Bless his family, his spirit, and his legacy., Black Developers Housing Summit headed to Memphis to educate & empower, Ken Moody makes move from city government to the U of, For the childrens sake, let us not allow our history to, City Council edges forward with measures for police reform and oversight, A selection of books with African-American History Month in mind, Ekpe Abioto brings solid message with Dont Touch A Gun, WLOK Black Film Festival salutes Black History Month with Poitier-directed A, PREVIEW: Thank you Katori Hall for TINA The Tina Turner, Talking Black AF (And Fearless) takes root at town hall, Angela Davis reaction to a big reveal was the most priceless. Johnnie Walker, founder/CEO of the National Association of Black Female Executives in Music and Entertainment, Inc. (NABFEME), knew OJay during her career ascension from radio station PD to senior vp, promotion at Def Jam Recordings. 3 Final arrangements were pending at press time Wednesday (Jan. 13). AKWAABAWelcome Home! 5/5 based on 1 review. And the name kind of stuck from that time. Fans of the radio legend, known as the "King of Memphis radio," took to Twitter to mourn him and celebrate his life. WHAL Sat.. Stormy Taylor And I got a phone call, he remembered. They just prayed for me and June 28, 1985, I just went to work one morning after being out all night and called the general manager of the radio station. Longtime WDIA Memphis personality Bobby O'Jay passes away. Thaddeus Mathews says that he is the reason that WDIA has fallen to the 12th best station in Memphis, TN. Music (Memphis: Hopkins-Oates & Associates, 2008); Louis Cantor, Listen to the best radio station in Memphis, Tennessee, no matter where you are. Talking to TV outlet Fox 13/Memphis prior to his induction, OJay said of his 49-year career, Ive never had this job and that job. It featured black radio personalities; its success in building an audience attracted radio advertisers suddenly aware of a "new" market . Initially programmed to appeal to the white demographic with classical, country-western, and various other musical genres, WDIA failed to distinguish itself, and in a last attempt to stave off failure, began to play Blues records. At the time, most stations had one talk show per week. In February 1983, he joined WDIA in Memphis, America's first Black radio station. As a journalist, you can create a free Muck Rack account to customize your profile, list your contact preferences, and upload a portfolio of your best work. Men When I returned to Memphis as the citys music commissioner, the acknowledgment and respect he showed me were priceless. ICONIC DJ Bobby O'Jay has died while at work at a Memphis radio station. 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