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 . It sort of reminded you of (the legendary) Nat Williams.. Radio proved to be a rocky road. Ive always had just the radio job. G.P. He loved God and people. Just a high school graduate, but Ive managed to work at some of the biggest radio stations in America. The station's management had been mostly white. Williams continued on the air . View our online Press Pack. We offer our deepest condolences to his family, friends and loyal listeners during this extremely difficult time. [13] In addition, he contributed to the redevelopment of Beale Street and Soulsville, USA. Bobby O'Jay became a popular host and was a mainstay until his death on May 3, 2022. Television and radio personality Colin . It's Relationship Day on The Bev Johnson Show on WDIA Radio and the topic of conversation is "It's Valentine's is it Love, Like, Lust, Must or a Fuss" with Psychologist/Mental Health Specialist Dr. Dorothy Jeffries. It featured black radio personalities; its success in building an audience attracted radio advertisers suddenly aware of a "new" market . 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 Though the on-air talent was black, as were the artists whose music they played, ownership remained white. 1070 WDIA is a radio station based in Memphis, Tennessee providing Urban Oldies/Classic Soul music. 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. Not only did the station feature black radio personalities, but it also brought awareness to a relatively new market of listeners. WDIA is celebrating the 60th anniversary of being on the air as a black-formatted radio station. Memphis mayor Jim Strickland also reacted to O'Jay's death on Twitter. The stations influence and popularity reached the Mississippi Deltas dense African-American population, and WDIAs broadcasts were heard from Missouri to the Gulf Coast, reaching 10 percent of the African-American population in the United States. Download Our Free iHeartRadio App! Bobby was a trailblazer in the industry as well as a legacy in the community for multiple decades. Press Center, This site is best experienced in portrait orientation. One hot day in Batesville, Mississippi, when OJay was picking cotton, his cousin visited and OJay knew he wanted to follow his cousins path. America's first black radio station, playing classic R&B. Nat D. Williams show ended in 1972 following a stroke. He currently teaches Broadcasting @ Wooddale High. She remembers her longtime friend as a visionary, teacher and game changer. His son, WDIA-AM 1070 radio personality Kylan Hunt, 54, died two years ago from natural causes. Fred later became program director at that station in 1977. The Black Effect Podcast Network Is Making History Again This April! 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. Im not willing to say just anything. OJay was also a National Radio Hall of Fame nominee. She is mother of two children and grandmother of one. Fans of the radio legend, known as the "King of Memphis radio," took to Twitter to mourn him and celebrate his life. Not only did the station feature black radio personalities, but it also brought awareness to a relatively new market of listeners. WDIA M-F 6am-10am & Sun. [11] Elvis Presley was greatly influenced by the station. Its been fun more than anything, said OJay. Former WDIA radio personality Mr. Fred Hollywood Moore transitioned Saturday morning. Later the fund expanded to include college scholarships, establish boy clubs, provide 125 Little League Teams to Memphis and neighboring communities, and help provide low cost supplemental housing (Wilson). We just listened to him this morning, you know, and he sounded like the picture of health. The WDIA Goodwill Fund is dedicated to helping and empowering . Bobbyology is my thought pattern. I always enjoyed being with Bobby on his show or otherwise. Were doing as well as can be expected, O'Jay's niece Wanda Thomas told WREG. [9] Originally, the fund provided transportation to school for disabled black children. 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. On Wednesday, WDIA took phone calls from Memphians who grew up listening to and talking to O'Jay on his morning radio show. He was 68. [I] stayed the 30 days, havent touched drugs and alcohol since, he said. OJay was open about his own struggles, including his struggle with drugs in the 1980s. The trailblazers voice and personality have helped make up the fabric of the Bluff City for decades as part of the historic legacy of the Mid-Souths first African American radio station, WDIA. He landed some roles in stage plays in the city. Healthy debates are natural, but kindness is required. The 68-year-old radio personality passed away on Tuesday morning before the start of his 9am show, according to WREG. [3][8], Future WJLB strong jock, Martha Jean The Queen Steinberg became known as "Princess Premium Stuff." It featured black radio personalities and its black listeners constituted a new market for radio advertisers. Listen to the radio in the background. Then he fired me, OJay laughed. In WDIA: Black Music Mother Station. [4], Nat D. Williams, a syndicated columnist and high-school teacher, started Tan Town Jubilee on October 25, 1948. I always enjoyed being with Bobby on his show or otherwise. Listen To Podcasts That Examine The Passion, Perseverance, And Power Of Black Culture! Wdia Profile and History . The 12-year-old would turn the radio dial and listen to what DJs both talked about and sounded like for years. Tuesday morning, iHeart Radio confirmed the death of O'Jay at age 68. Radio personalities are very popular and the success of a radio channel is largely dependent upon the popularity of the radio personality who host its programs. Selco Builders Warehouse, which has a branch on Farnham Road in Slough, was revealed as the Builders' Merchant of the Year at the Builders' Merchants Awards. Listen online or on your phone with our free app! He has become one of Memphis' most energetic & beloved radio personalities for twenty-nine years now! Win Tickets to New Edition at FedEx Forum! About 10 years ago, WDIA followed the declining trend of urban formats across the nation. King and Rufus Thomas. 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. A cause of death has not been released by authorities. M-F 6am-3pm & Sun. . Klicken Sie auf Einstellungen verwalten um weitere Informationen zu erhalten und Ihre Einstellungen zu verwalten. The station had a strong influence on music, hiring musicians early in their careers, and playing their music to an audience that reached through the Mississippi Delta to the Gulf Coast. 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. God bless his family, friends and coworkers.". And they even said to me, were going to even give you a company car to drive and this was February of 1983, and the rest is history, said OJay. Send us a tip using our anonymous form. In February 1983, he joined WDIA in Memphis, America's first Black radio station. The station started the WDIA Goodwill Fund to help and empower black communities. 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. According to friends, George Hunt's sadness over the death of his son affected him greatly, and he . Half of the listeners who could hear WDIA's signal were African-American, and WDIA hired the first black disk jockey in the South. Music News Colleagues and family friends took to social media as news spread that former WDIA radio personality Fred "Hollywood" Moore died Saturday (Jan. 9) morning. [14], "Celebrating 65 Years of Goodwill & Good Times." Its owners, John Pepper and Dick Ferguson, established the station and located it at 2074 Union Avenue. He says his large family never pried, they just prayed and so did he. AKWAABAWelcome Home! Click here to sign up for our newsletter! I hired this guy and within two months, this man had taken my job. Search. Watch Bobby OJay reflect on his early days at WDIA below. Your donation is fully tax-deductible. What are you doing? That kind of thing, said Stan Bell. Captain Curtis Lee, a longtime WDIA radio personality passed away Wednesday. 1070 WDIA is the heart & soul of Memphis! He was such an important part of WDIA and the City of Memphis, words cannot express how truly missed he will be.. Kwanzaa and the celebration of Imani faith! "Bobby O'Jay's impact on our industry is undeniable," said iHeartMedia Memphis Senior Vice President of Programming Sue Purnell. Stan is also a Shelby County Schools Careers and Technology instructor. Memphians continue to remember WDIA radio host Bobby OJay, who died Tuesday morning. 1070 WDIA - WDIA is a broadcast radio station in Memphis, Tennessee, United States, providing Top 40 and Oldies R&B and Soul music. 1070 WDIA The Heart & Soul of Memphis Local News Tennessee Attraction Among The 17 Top Amusement Parks In America Feb 28, 2023 Sista Strut 2023! So, he moved back to Houston to return to radio there. WDIA was the first radio station in the country programmed entirely for the black community. 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. Regional As seen in: WDIA-AM (Memphis, TN), POWER Magazine Educator, Radio Personality, Husband, Father Is this you? He was a kind and good man with a super smooth voice and infectious laugh. 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. The Heart & Soul of Memphis! A.C. Williams, a former WDIA disc jockey, helped create the Goodwill Fund in 1954. Its a tremendous loss because were just going to miss hearing about Bobby OJ., State Rep. Antonio Parkinson added in a statement, We pray for the family and mourn the passing of radio icon Bobby Ojay. 69 talking about this. [11], Williams ended his show in 1972 following a stroke. Main features: Easy to use. 1,679 talking about this. Bobby O'Jay, radio personality on Memphis' WDIAthe country's first Black radio stationhas died at the age of 68. Fired within three months of taking his first gig in Birmingham, that Milwaukee station he called during high school hired him and he quickly became program director. RADIO ICON Bobby O'Jay dead at 68: WDIA host and 'King of Memphis radio' dies before his morning show as fans pay tribute. WDIA midday personality Bev Johnson confirmed to local CBS . Get weekly rundowns straight to your inbox, Get our latest stories in the feed of your favorite networks. degree in educational media technology from Jackson State University. A radio personality is a person who hosts a radio talk show and interacts with the audience via telephone or email. Atlanta Radio Personalities Among National Black Radio Hall Of Fame Inductees. And I got a phone call, he remembered. WDIA moved its home to Radio Center, the former home of WMPS, in 1985, then to a suburban office park in 2004. 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.". This site is protected by reCAPTCHA Enterprise and the Google, WDIA's Bobby O'Jay during The Recording Academy HONORS 2005 at Memphis Cook Convention Center in Memphis, Tennessee, United States. WDIA-AM/Memphis taps veteran air personality Stan Bell for the new "The Stan Bell Morning Show," weekdays from 6-10am, effective immediately. . 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.. Before joining WDIA the countrys first Black radio station as an air personality in 1983, OJay launched his radio career in 1972 in Milwaukee. 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