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! Sherry Mackey, a former colleague of Moore, posted this tribute on Facebook: Rest in Love to one of the kindest people I have had the honor to work with, former WDIA personality, Fred Hollywood Moore. We were saddened to learn of the passing of Memphis radio legend Bobby O'Jay, longtime PD and morning personality on iHeartMedia's WDIA 1070-AM "The Heart & Soul Of Memphis," who died Tuesday morning, May 3 at the age of 68. Before joining WDIA the countrys first Black radio station as an air personality in 1983, OJay launched his radio career in 1972 in Milwaukee. Not only did the station feature black radio personalities, but it also brought awareness to a relatively new market of listeners. Want to know what everyone in the music business is talking about. Afternoon On-Air Talent: Earle Augustus. His son, WDIA-AM 1070 radio personality Kylan Hunt, 54, died two years ago from natural causes. The station went on the air on June 7, 1947, from studios on Union Avenue in downtown Memphis. Billboard is a part of Penske Media Corporation. Email us atexclusive@the-sun.comor call212 416 4552. ICONIC DJ Bobby O'Jay has died while at work at a Memphis radio station. In WDIA: Black Music Mother Station. Please rotate your device. Sandy Bromley & Tamika Davis #2. 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Scruggs played a major role in organizing the foundation and raising money to preserve the Lorraine Motel and found the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis. English. 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.. See more. At the time, most stations had one talk show per week. 2023 Billboard Media, LLC. Having launched his start in 1972 in Milwaukee, O'Jay went from there to. Colleagues and family friends took to social media as news spread that former WDIA radio personality Fred "Hollywood" Moore died Saturday (Jan. 9) morning. Radio Hall of Fame Announces 2022 Legends of Radio Inductees. (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. I have a huge family. It reads in part: MY GOD PLEASE HAVE MERCY! Music News One hot day in Batesville, Mississippi, when OJay was picking cotton, his cousin visited and OJay knew he wanted to follow his cousins path. Kwanzaa and the celebration of Imani faith! MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WMC) - He was known as the King of Memphis Radio, a legend, and icon in the industry. [3][8], Future WJLB strong jock, Martha Jean The Queen Steinberg became known as "Princess Premium Stuff." Let's treat everyone with respect. 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. 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. 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. Share. Johnson received her B.A. Address: degree in educational media technology from Jackson State University. I always enjoyed being with Bobby on his show or otherwise. 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. WDIA is celebrating the 60th anniversary of being on the air as a black-formatted radio station. Longtime radio personality Stan Bell talks new role at WDIA By Jasmine McCraven, Daily Memphian Updated: September 24, 2022 5:31 PM CT | Published: . ICONIC DJ Bobby O'Jay has died while at work at a Memphis radio station. 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 WDIA Memphis mainstay Bobby O'Jay passed away of unknown causes on Tuesday (May 3). MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WMC) - He's the king of Memphis radio, the one and only Bobby O'Jay. WDIA went on the air June 7, 1947,[2] from studios on Union Avenue. 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. WDIA radio station, which is based in Memphis, Tennessee, has been active since 1947 and has an amazing history. Former WDIA radio personality Mr. Fred Hollywood Moore transitioned Saturday morning. Many shared how his sudden death had touched them, like losing a family member. 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. 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. WDIA midday personality Bev Johnson confirmed to local CBS . Stormy has been in the radio industry for over 29 years. When I was a rookie, he gave me advice and always a good laugh. Its a process.. WDIA RULES This group is for WDIA and no other radio station or radio personality other than those on WDIA. He suffered a fatal massive heart attack. He began his teaching profession at Northside High, (his alma mater), where he taught English and Applied Economics. RADIO ICON Bobby O'Jay dead at 68: WDIA host and 'King of Memphis radio' dies before his morning show as fans pay tribute. Final arrangements were pending at press time Wednesday (Jan. 13). . Bobby O'Jay became a popular host and was a mainstay until his death on May 3, 2022. Broadcasting & media production company Photos See all Videos See all 0:38 Do you find this information helpful? Owned by iHeartMedia, Inc., the station's studios are located in Southeast Memphis, and the transmitter site is in North Memphis. Mike Evans and the Memphis Morning Show with Earle & Stormy. It empowered a huge segment of the . 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. 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. 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. 69 talking about this. Captain Curtis Lee, a longtime WDIA radio personality passed away Wednesday. [9] Originally, the fund provided transportation to school for disabled black children. [I] stayed the 30 days, havent touched drugs and alcohol since, he said. February 10. By age 17, OJay remembered walking the halls of his high school, using his radio voice.. Radio proved to be a rocky road. I had a drug problem back then, OJay openly admitted. 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. His cause of death is currently unknown. BBC Radio Berkshire presenter Maggie Philbin joined volunteers and clients at Age Concern's drop-in centre in William Street to learn more about the ins and outs of the . Born in Batesville, Mississippi in 1953, OJay was inducted into the Tennessee Radio Hall of Fame in 2021. 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). Ive always had just the radio job. Hes going to be missed and I know a lot of us in the industry looked up to him. All Rights Reserved. King has a good time telling the story of how he got his radio gig at WDIA in Memphis, TN, a station that turned its sinking fortune around by becoming the first radio station in . Then he fired me, OJay laughed. Music (Memphis: Hopkins-Oates & Associates, 2008); Louis Cantor, OJay says he knew what he wanted to do early on. The 68-year-old radio personality passed away on Tuesday morning before the start of his 9am show, according to WREG. I always enjoyed being with Bobby on his show or otherwise. Regional As seen in: WDIA-AM (Memphis, TN), POWER Magazine Educator, Radio Personality, Husband, Father Is this you? [3] WDIA is known for its community efforts throughout the years. 679215 Registered office: 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF. What are you doing? That kind of thing, said Stan Bell. In 1996 Clear Channel Communications bought WDIA. Rodriguez . WDIA (1070 AM) is a radio station based in Memphis, Tennessee. 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. Active since 1947, it soon became the first radio station in the United States that was programmed entirely for African Americans. Bobby O'Jay, radio personality on Memphis' WDIAthe country's first Black radio stationhas died at the age of 68. Simple and modern interface. Lee hosted shows on the pioneering African-American radio station for decades. Praying for the strength and peace of his family as we honor his legacy.. . The original frequency was 730kHz. Sie knnen Ihre Einstellungen jederzeit ndern. I like to hear all kinds of opinions from all kinds of people.. Using the name "Ebony Moonbeams," Williams started her career in broadcasting in 1973 when. All they did was just pray for me. America's first black radio station, playing classic R&B. 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.. Many grieved in 2017 with the devastating loss of Sharon after 30 years of marriage to O'Jay. 29 Apr. He currently teaches Broadcasting @ Wooddale High. Only minutes after midnight, early Wednesday morning, O'Jay's colleague, author, and award-winning photographer, Mark Stansbury, confirmed that the official cause of [] 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. 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. 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. Main features: Easy to use. 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. Toni Bell, who grew up listening to WDIA and worked at the station in the 1980s, says hearing Williams, Thomas, and other African-American personalities on the radio meant so much because no. I know his legacy will continue through WDIA, he wrote. Dyana Williams is one of the earliest and most influential female air personalities in Black radio. Its owners, John Pepper and Dick Ferguson, established the station and located it at 2074 Union Avenue. 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 You can listen to Bobby OJay Monday through Friday, from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. on 1070 AM. 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. At the end of everything, they had given me this fat contract. Win Tickets to New Edition at FedEx Forum! 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. It then switched permanently to all-black programming, and quickly moved into first place. And the name kind of stuck from that time. King and Rufus Thomas. He was 68. 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. 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. During his 50 year radio career, O'J. O'Jay was the program host of the "Fun Morning Show" on IHeartMedia's WDIA. "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. 1,679 talking about this. What remained constant was his kooky smile and the genuine respect we had for each other. Wheelin On Beale: How WDIA-Memphis Became the Nations First All-Black She is mother of two children and grandmother of one. Many shared how his sudden death had touched them, like losing a family member. In 2020, to the U.S. Civil Rights Trail, the Beale Street Historic District and the WDIA radio station were added from Memphis. As program director, he hired two other on-air personalities, who are still working: Bev Johnson and Mike Evans. He broke a lot of records. It sort of reminded you of (the legendary) Nat Williams.. Bobby Ojay is Black Radio history and has forged many spaces that others hadnt while creating opportunities for many of the success that weve seen in both radio and black music. r'n'b. soul. Vibe is a part of Penske Media Corporation. Setlist: The Very Best of Kurt Carr & The Kurt Carr Singers. I know for many Memphians, including my wife, the day was not complete unless they tuned in to hear what Bobby had to say. Tuesday morning, iHeart Radio confirmed the death of O'Jay at age 68. MEMPHIS, Tenn Legendary Memphis radio icon Bobby O'Jay has passed away. 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