Fr nhere Informationen zur Nutzung Ihrer Daten lesen Sie bitte unsere Datenschutzerklrung und Cookie-Richtlinie. Vote Now For Your Favorite Artists! Great to meet you. 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. And we just started calling him Hollywood Fred Hollywood Moore. 1070 WDIA - WDIA is a broadcast radio station in Memphis, Tennessee, United States, providing Top 40 and Oldies R&B and Soul music. Broadcasting & media production company Photos See all Videos See all 0:38 A.C. Williams, a former WDIA disc jockey, helped create the Goodwill Fund in 1954. ICONIC DJ Bobby O'Jay has died while at work at a Memphis radio station. [9] Originally, the fund provided transportation to school for disabled black children. Did you know WDIA in Memphis Tennessee was the first radio station in the United States that was programmed entirely for African Americans.Check out WDIA R. And I got a phone call, he remembered. It then switched permanently to all-black programming, and quickly moved into first place. WDIA's parent company iHeartRadio announced. Ive always had just the radio job. In WDIA: Black Music Mother Station. He drove the 50 miles and interviewed on the spot. Your donation is fully tax-deductible. Kwanzaa and the celebration of Imani faith! Listen online or on your phone with our free app! Discover Tuesday's shows for 1070 WDIA in Memphis, TN. OJay was also a National Radio Hall of Fame nominee. At the time, most stations had one talk show per week. Listen To Podcasts That Examine The Passion, Perseverance, And Power Of Black Culture! The Legendary Fred Hollywood Moore. (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. The station went on the air on June 7, 1947, from studios on Union Avenue in downtown Memphis. God bless his family, friends and coworkers.". Bell joins 1070 WDIA from co-owned Urban KJMS-FM (V101), where he has been on-air for over 30 years. By age 17, OJay remembered walking the halls of his high school, using his radio voice.. 29 Apr. He broke a lot of records. 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. What are you doing? That kind of thing, said Stan Bell. He was 68. 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. Active since 1947, it soon became the first radio station in the United States that was programmed entirely for African Americans. View our online Press Pack. Memphians remember radio host Bobby OJay, 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. 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). Hear the conversation on my podcast at mywdia.com. ICONIC DJ Bobby O'Jay has died while at work at a Memphis radio station. I always enjoyed being with Bobby on his show or otherwise. 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." Former WDIA radio personality Mr. Fred Hollywood Moore transitioned Saturday morning. WDIA is celebrating the 60th anniversary of being on the air as a black-formatted radio station. He reflected on his career just before being inducted into the Tennessee Radio Hall of Fame last year. She was raised in Ann Arbor, Michigan and attended public schools. In 1996 Clear Channel Communications bought WDIA. MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WMC) - He was known as the King of Memphis Radio, a legend, and icon in the industry. 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. He said, well, I thought you stopped using drugs. I said, no man. At the end of everything, they had given me this fat contract. Ive always had just the radio job. 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. 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. King and Rufus Thomas got their start by working at WDIA. He was a kind and good man with a super smooth voice and infectious laugh. Vibe is a part of Penske Media Corporation. 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. The station started the WDIA Goodwill Fund to help and empower black communities. r'n'b. soul. The 12-year-old would turn the radio dial and listen to what DJs both talked about and sounded like for 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. But before he came to the station in Indianapolis, Fred worked at a station in St. Louis. Bobby O'Jay, radio personality on Memphis' WDIAthe country's first Black radio stationhas died at the age of 68. To see all content on The Sun, please use the Site Map. Johnson said his presence was deeply missed by those who stayed. . 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. "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. 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 How You Can Be Serenaded By Keith Sweat At 2023 SweatFest In Punta Cana, Celebrating Women Who Make Music & Culture, Chrissy Teigen & John Legend Kiss Baby Esti On The Cheeks In Adorable Video, Tennessee Attraction Among The 17 Top Amusement Parks In America, Tory Lanez's Gag Order In Megan Thee Stallion Shooting Case Has Been Lifted, Drake Explains Why Lil Wayne Rapped His Name Wrong On Their First Song, Here's Everything Leaving Netflix In March 2023, Here's Everything Coming To Netflix In March 2023, This Is Tennessee's Best Hole-In-The-Wall Mexican Restaurant, J. Cole, Drake, Usher & More To Perform At Dreamville Fest 2023, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. The Sun website is regulated by the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO), Our journalists strive for accuracy but on occasion we make mistakes. WDIA Memphis mainstay Bobby OJay passed away of unknown causes on Tuesday (May 3). After a switch to all-black programming, WDIA became the city's top station. degree in educational media technology from Jackson State University. Do you find this information helpful? He was moved by the Hall of Fame announcement. Its owners, John Pepper and Dick Ferguson, established the station and located it at 2074 Union Avenue. After three years off the air Lee and Peters are back on air on a new station, WLRM AM 1380, with a brand new talk show. King, and Bobby Blue Bland. O'Jay was considered to be the King of Memphis radio. King and Bobby Blue Bland. I know my mother and father knew I was on drugs. Dies geschieht in Ihren Datenschutzeinstellungen. It empowered a huge segment of the . As program director, he hired radio broadcast veterans Bev Johnson and Mike Evans, who still sit behind the mic. He also served as program director during his tenure and interviewed countless Black music and culture legends, including Whitney Houston and Muhammad Ali, as well as David Ruffin and Eddie Kendricks of The Temptations. RADIO ICON Bobby O'Jay dead at 68: WDIA host and 'King of Memphis radio' dies before his morning show as fans pay tribute. Address: He was a kind and good man with a super smooth voice and infectious laugh. But at the time he took the job, the drugs were still in his system. Remembering Bobby O'Jay. It took me about a year or so to get a job on the radio, OJay recalled. 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. Stan is also a Shelby County Schools Careers and Technology instructor. OJay was open about his own struggles, including his struggle with drugs in the 1980s. As one of Memphis most celebrated radio personalities, OJay will be inducted into the Tennessee Radio Hall of Fame July 31 in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. . They didnt get in my business and things like that. 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. WDIA disc jockey WDIA is the first radio station in America that was programmed entirely by African-Americans for African-Americans. Download Our Free iHeartRadio App! I have eight brothers and sisters. Honored by the Living Legends Foundation in 2000 and iHeartMedia Memphis in 2018, he was also a National Radio Hall of Fame nominee. The station also publicized Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.s visits to Memphis and served as a leading source of news and information for the black community following Dr. Kings assassination. Click here to report a spelling or grammar error. WDIA was inducted in 2013. He was one of the hosts for All Blues Saturday. America's first black radio station, playing classic R&B. Cam Mtenzi posted an extended tribute to Moore on Facebook. When WDIA first went on air June 7, 1947, it was owned by John Pepper and Dick Ferguson, both . MEMPHIS, Tenn. Memphis radio WDIA DJ Bobby O'Jay died at age 68 Tuesday morning. It wasn't black owned, but it appealed to a black . 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 Fred was real smooth on the air, and he had that infectious laugh. She is mother of two children and grandmother of one. Praying for the strength and peace of his family as we honor his legacy.. One of the best to don headsets and bless the mic in the control room. Im more willing to say things to get your attention in a positive manner. See more. Bobbyology is my thought pattern. 2 in Memphis in terms of audience. In February 1983, he joined WDIA in Memphis, America's first Black radio station. 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. Dyana Williams is one of the earliest and most influential female air personalities in Black radio. His son, WDIA-AM 1070 radio personality Kylan Hunt, 54, died two years ago from natural causes. I know for many Memphians, including my wife, the day was not complete unless they tuned in to hear what Bobby had to say. Johnson remembers that Moore came here to the Memphis market from Indianapolis. B.B. ICONIC DJ Bobby O'Jay has died while at work at a Memphis radio station. We just listened to him this morning, you know, and he sounded like the picture of health. Heres a guy who came from the cotton fields in Mississippi. 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. According to friends, George Hunt's sadness over the death of his son affected him greatly, and he . Sandy Bromley & Tamika Davis #2. The station's management had been mostly white. WDIA was the first radio station in the country programmed entirely for the black community. It reads in part: MY GOD PLEASE HAVE MERCY! The Tennessee Radio Hall of Famer was 68. iHeartRadio, parent company of the WDIA radio station where O'Jay served as DJ . Listen For Your Chance To Win! [6] In June 1954 WDIA was licensed to increase its power from 250 to 50,000 watts, which meant moving to 1070kHz. Fred was a very caring family man and loved his daughter and wife dearly.. 14. Not only did the station feature black radio personalities, but it also brought awareness to a relatively new market of listeners. He was highly respected by all of in the industry whether you were radio, television or whatever. "We have raised over $900,000 over the years," A.C. Williams says. www.mywdia.com; John Hopkins, Radio Center: A Landmark of American SIDEBAR. Want to know what everyone in the music business is talking about. Billboard is a part of Penske Media Corporation. WHAL Sat.. Stormy Taylor I always enjoyed being with Bobby on his show or otherwise. Share. Colleagues and family friends took to social media as news spread that former WDIA radio personality Fred "Hollywood" Moore died Saturday (Jan. 9) morning. 1070 WDIA Podcasts Playlists from 1070 WDIA Latest News See All Advertise With Us For You "I always enjoyed being with Bobby on his show or otherwise.. Many shared how his sudden death had touched them, like losing a family member. On Wednesday, WDIA took phone calls from Memphians who grew up listening to and talking to OJay on his morning radio show. Regional As seen in: WDIA-AM (Memphis, TN), POWER Magazine Educator, Radio Personality, Husband, Father Is this you? Wheelin On Beale: How WDIA-Memphis Became the Nations First All-Black He cared about the artists records he played. Daten ber Ihr Gert und Ihre Internetverbindung, wie Ihre IP-Adresse, Browsing- und Suchaktivitten bei der Nutzung von Yahoo Websites und -Apps. Before joining WDIA the country's first Black radio station as an air personality in 1983,. May 3, 2022 WDIA. 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. When WDIA first went on air June 7, 1947, it was owned by John Pepper and Ferguson. ( V101 ), where he has been on-air for over 30 years Michigan and attended public.... Passion, Perseverance, and quickly moved into first place his own struggles, including his with... 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