Forego a bottle of soda and donate its cost to us for the information you just learned, and feel good about helping to make it available to everyone. They didnt get in my business and things like that. Im very sorry to learn about the passing of Bobby OJay. Stan is also a Shelby County Schools Careers and Technology instructor. Even though there have been some ups and downs, its been more fun than anything.. Ive always had just the radio job. WHAL Sat.. Stormy Taylor 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. He was a kind and good man with a super smooth voice and infectious laugh. He was green so he hired an experienced executive who needed a job. King and Rufus Thomas got their start by working at WDIA. Share. Johnson said his presence was deeply missed by those who stayed. His voice and opinions will truly be missed.. I wanted us to be able to talk to our listeners every day about what was going on every day.. Fred later became program director at that station in 1977. One of the iconic voices of Memphis broadcasting, Bobby O'Jay, has died. He was on the air, he engaged with his callers, talked to his listeners. News-Talk 1380 WAOK - Atlanta News & Talk Radio - WAOK-AM News How you can send well wishes to former President Carter News Atlanta mourns death of civic leader and businessman Thomas Dortch News Why it's important to know who your teen is dating News Services held for Bunnie Jackson-Ransom Atlanta's 1st Black First Lady The best way to connect to the community, you talk to them. Longtime radio personality Stan Bell talks new role at WDIA By Jasmine McCraven, Daily Memphian Updated: September 24, 2022 5:31 PM CT | Published: . I always enjoyed being with Bobby on his show or otherwise. Community Efforts The History of WDIA", Radio Center: A Landmark of American Music, "Sites in Tennessee, Kentucky added to Civil Rights Trail", "Wealth of Talent for Starlight Revue, July 1", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=WDIA&oldid=1132504634, This page was last edited on 9 January 2023, at 05:10. Throughout this period, it continued (and continues) to offer content for African Americans by African Americans. Rodriguez . 679215 Registered office: 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF. The 68-year-old radio personality passed away on Tuesday morning before the start of his 9am show, according to WREG. Blues legend B.B. One of the iconic voices of Memphis broadcasting, Bobby O'Jay, has died. 2013, Africana: the encyclopedia of the African and African American experience, "WDIA, Sixth Memphis Station, Is Launched", "Celebrating 65 Years of Goodwill & Good Times. Listeners heard about all the significant moments in the couple's life. One of the stations most well-known personalities, Bev Johnson, told The New Tri-State Defender that Moore was kind of laid back and real smooth., She continued, I came to WDIA in 1983, 38 years ago, and Fred came a later that same year, I believe it was, said Johnson. He worked at radio station WTLC in Indianapolis, said Johnson. Email us atexclusive@the-sun.comor call212 416 4552. Its just going to be something that maybe will shake you a little bit, OJay explained. 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 It wasn't black owned, but it appealed to a black . A.C. Williams, a former disc jockey for the station, helped create the Goodwill Fund in 1954, and the station's identification announcement became, Youre Listening to 50,000 Watts of Goodwill, W-D-I-A Memphis.. Nat was a history teacher and the first black radio DJ at WDIA in Memphis. 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.". It leaves a legacy behind, you know, for my family, you know, and of course for me and it also adds to the legacy of the radio station because now it will be four of us, he said. Main features: Easy to use. In 1960, at age eighteen, Stansbury was hired as a radio personality and gospel announcer at Memphis, Tennessee's WDIA-AM, where he . Vote Now For Your Favorite Artists! If you post anything unrelated to WDIA it will be deleted. Dyana Williams is one of the earliest and most influential female air personalities in Black radio. Fred was real smooth on the air, and he had that infectious laugh. Press Center, This site is best experienced in portrait orientation. Radio Station and Created the Sound that Changed America (New York: When WDIA went on the air in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1948, its white owners, Bert Ferguson and John R. Pepper, were anything but blues aficionados; however, deejay Nat D. Williams was. Active since 1947, it soon became the first radio station in America that was programmed entirely for African Americans. 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." Notable U.S.radio disc jockeys of the period include Alan Freed, Wolfman Jack, Casey Kasem,[25]and their Britishcounterparts such as the BBC's Brian Matthewand Alan Freeman, Radio London'sJohn Peel, Radio Caroline's Tony Blackburn, and Radio Luxembourg's Jimmy Savile. "Bobby O'Jay's impact on our industry is undeniable," said iHeartMedia Memphis Senior Vice President of Programming Sue Purnell. Download the "WDIA 1070 Radio Station" radio app to enjoy the best programming in town - FREE! The Tennessee Radio Hall of Famer was 68. iHeartRadio, parent company of the WDIA radio station where O'Jay served as DJ . All Rights Reserved. It reads in part: MY GOD PLEASE HAVE MERCY! Bobby OJay, radio personality on Memphis WDIAthe countrys first Black radio stationhas died at the age of 68. In the 1970s and 1980s, the owners of WDIA also owned KDIA, a similarly formatted station in the San Francisco Bay Area. Thaddeus Mathews says that he is the reason that WDIA has fallen to the 12th best station in Memphis, TN. Heres a guy who came from the cotton fields in Mississippi. He loved God and people. From Library Journal: In the late 1940s, Memphis radio station WDIA became the first to target its programming to a largely ignored black audience. A small donation would help us keep this available to all. Search. When O'Jay would open. MEMPHIS, Tenn Legendary Memphis radio icon Bobby O'Jay has passed away. The station went on the air on June 7, 1947, from studios on Union Avenue in downtown Memphis. 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. Not only did the station feature black radio personalities, but it also brought awareness to a relatively new market of listeners. MEMPHIS, Tenn. Memphis radio WDIA DJ Bobby O'Jay died at age 68 Tuesday morning. All Rights Reserved. WDIA personalities included: Martha Jean "The Queen" Steinberg, aka "Princess Premium Stuff" Ernest Brazzell, the giver of crop advice Robert Thomas, aka Robert "Honeyboy" Thomas Maurice "Hot Rod" Hulbert Theo "Bless My Bones" Wade Ford Nelson, who, until 2013, acted as a gospel D.J. He was 68. As program director, he hired two other on-air personalities, who are still working: Bev Johnson and Mike Evans. We just listened to him this morning, you know, and he sounded like the picture of health. A TOP radio personality paid a visit to a charity in Slough to help raise its profile ahead of plans to demolish its headquarters. Ive always had just the radio job. She remembers when Moore got the nickname Hollywood., When Fred first came to the station, he told us he always wanted to be an actor, Johnson said. He says his large family never pried, they just prayed and so did he. . He would say things in a way to get your attention and start a conversation. 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. WDIA was the first radio station in the country programmed entirely for the black community. Many shared how his sudden death had touched them, like losing a family member. The station relocated in 1985, but the WDIA neon marquee remains above the original entrance at 112 Union Avenue near the Main Street intersection in downtown Memphis. He was 68. My wife Melyne and I offer condolences to his family, to his radio family at iHeart and his loyal fans. 2023 Vibe Media, LLC. The station went on the air on June 7, 1947, from studios on Union Avenue in downtown Memphis. Colleagues and family friends took to social media as news spread that former WDIA radio personality Fred "Hollywood" Moore died Saturday (Jan. 9) morning. BlackPast.org is a 501(c)(3) non-profit and our EIN is 26-1625373. "I always enjoyed being with Bobby on his show or otherwise.. Radio Personality iHeartMedia Oct 2018 - Jun 20223 years 9 months United States Morning On-Air Talent: Mike Evans and the Memphis Morning Show on V101. Do you find this information helpful? K97 FM 9am. Twin Cities: AM Personality Tom Barnard ReUps At KQRS; Portland OR Radio: Lar Larson Renews Deal With KXL; Richmond Radio: iHM Names A-J OM/Regional PM . 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 AKWAABAWelcome Home! He said, man, you sound just like him. He said can you come by the radio station?. Twitter: @WDIA Language: English Contact: 2650 Thousand Oaks Blvd. He cared about the artists records he played. According to friends, George Hunt's sadness over the death of his son affected him greatly, and he . All Rights Reserved. WDIA went on the air June 7, 1947,[2] from studios on Union Avenue. Setlist: The Very Best of Kurt Carr & The Kurt Carr Singers. Fred had a very good voice, said Stansbury. r'n'b. soul. One of the stations most well-known personalities, Bev Johnson, told, that Moore was kind of laid back and real smooth., We have lost a gentle giant in the radio industry. WDIA (1070 AM) is a radio station based in Memphis, Tennessee. WDIA was inducted in 2013. The WDIA Goodwill Fund is dedicated to helping and empowering . [5] This was one of the first radio programs in the United States to appeal to black listeners. . 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. Fans of the radio legend, known as the "King of Memphis radio," took to Twitter to mourn him and celebrate his life. When WDIA first went on air June 7, 1947, it was owned by John Pepper and Dick Ferguson, both . His son, WDIA-AM 1070 radio personality Kylan Hunt, 54, died two years ago from natural causes. One of the station's most well-known personalities, Bev Johnson, told The New Tri-State Defender that Moore was "kind of laid back and real smooth." Im more willing to say things to get your attention in a positive manner. One of the DJs said to me, let me hear it. So, I went through my little, you know, mimicking. About 10 years ago, WDIA followed the declining trend of urban formats across the nation. . Regional As seen in: WDIA-AM (Memphis, TN), POWER Magazine Educator, Radio Personality, Husband, Father Is this you? In addition to providing specialized programming, through the years the station led and supported projects to benefit the community. By Dr. Sybil C. Mitchell, TSDMemphis.com Tuesday morning, just before 9 a.m. when the phone lines are open, WDIA Program Director Bobby O'Jay fell unconscious during his show. WDIA radio station, which is based in Memphis, Tennessee, has been active since 1947 and has an amazing history. 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. By age 17, OJay remembered walking the halls of his high school, using his radio voice.. God has truly blessed me to make a decent salary at all the radio stations Ive worked even back in the 70s., Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland said in a tweet, Im very sorry to learn about the passing of Bobby OJay. Radio WDIA is a radio station based in Memphis, Tennessee. What are you doing? That kind of thing, said Stan Bell. 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. So, he moved back to Houston to return to radio there. [3][8], Future WJLB strong jock, Martha Jean The Queen Steinberg became known as "Princess Premium Stuff." Memphians continue to remember WDIA radio host Bobby OJay, who died Tuesday morning. Healthy debates are natural, but kindness is required. (Former WDIA radio personality & Annual Stone Awards Host)was my friend, partner in the Entertainment industry, an extension of Ma&9 Mustard Seeds Family member and Its my Time Entertainment/ House of MTenzi Museum Committee Member. [10], Many music legends got their start by working at WDIA, including B.B. I like to hear all kinds of opinions from all kinds of people.. Web. Bobby O'Jay, radio personality on Memphis' WDIAthe country's first Black radio stationhas died at the age of 68. 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