Nat D. Williams show ended in 1972 following a stroke. M-F 6am-3pm & Sun. Billboard is a part of Penske Media Corporation. 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. He drove the 50 miles and interviewed on the spot. WDIA, where OJay worked for decades, issued this statement: It is with great sadness we share the passing of the Legendary Bobby OJay. 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. And the name kind of stuck from that time. To inquire about a licence to reproduce material, visit our Syndication site. Active since 1947, it soon became the first radio station in the United States that was programmed entirely for African Americans. Its been fun more than anything, said OJay. Stan is also a Shelby County Schools Careers and Technology instructor. WDIA 1070 Memphis - Bobby O'Jay - December 19 2019Bobby O'Jay was one of the most iconic voices in Memphis Broadcasting. King and Rufus Thomas. You can listen to Bobby OJay Monday through Friday, from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. on 1070 AM. His voice and opinions will truly be missed.. 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. 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. Cam Mtenzi posted an extended tribute to Moore on Facebook. Former WDIA radio personality Mr. Fred Hollywood Moore transitioned Saturday morning. He has become one of Memphis' most energetic & beloved radio personalities for twenty-nine years now! MEMPHIS, Tenn Legendary Memphis radio icon Bobby O'Jay has passed away. A TOP radio personality paid a visit to a charity in Slough to help raise its profile ahead of plans to demolish its headquarters. Listen For Your Chance To Win! Listen online or on your phone with our free app! He was known as the 'King of Memphis radio', Bobby OJay dead at 68: WDIA host and King of Memphis radio dies before his morning show as fans pay tribute, Pedestrian who killed cyclist in clash over riding on pavement is JAILED after victim, 77, fell into path of car, Model 'paid thousands to smuggle 5m criminal cash into Dubai by hiding money in her holiday luggage', Dad 'fatally shot daughter, 7, in head & gunned down headteacher mum' who died of 'shock' from wounds in double killing, Rolf Harris sued over 'fresh sex attack after molesting vulnerable 10-year-old girl at school holiday camp', UK weather: Exact date snow and hail will hit Britain as chilly winds from the north blow in -1C temperatures, Frogmore eviction shows King Charles has drawn a line with Harry - now he must do two more things with the spoilt brat, Im a prison officer & worked with some of Britains feared men but I made a BIG mistake on my first month on the wing, Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO). He cared about the artists records he played. A builders' merchant with a branch in Slough has been awarded a prestigious national award. 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 . One fan tweeted: "Local legendary DJ - Bobby OJay has passed - prayers up for a Memphis legendit was sudden- he was on the radio this morning. One of the best to don headsets and bless the mic in the control room. I was listening to WDIA radio when they only stayed on the air until 12:AM Rufus Thomas signed off at Midnight. The first radio station in the United States programmed by and for African Americans, WDIA was one of only six stations broadcasting in Memphis, Tennessee when it hit the airwaves in 1947. Condolences to his family, colleagues and all who loved him. To see all content on The Sun, please use the Site Map. The 12-year-old would turn the radio dial and listen to what DJs both talked about and sounded like for years. Ive always had just the radio job. That range included about 10% of the black population of the United States which in turn garnered substantial advertising revenues. WDIA (1070 AM) is a radio station based in Memphis, Tennessee. 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. 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. The Legendary Fred Hollywood Moore. 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. I always enjoyed being with Bobby on his show or otherwise. OJays older brother helped him get a $1,200 loan for broadcast school right out of high school and he took a six-month course. The Black Effect Podcast Network Is Making History Again This April! WDIA-AM/Memphis taps veteran air personality Stan Bell for the new "The Stan Bell Morning Show," weekdays from 6-10am, effective immediately. In February 1983, he joined WDIA in Memphis, America's first Black radio station. All Rights Reserved. I know his legacy will continue through WDIA, he wrote. Just a high school graduate, but Ive managed to work at some of the biggest radio stations in America. Music legends such as B.B. WDIA's parent company iHeartRadio announced. He was on the air, he engaged with his callers, talked to his listeners. He worked at radio station WTLC in Indianapolis, said Johnson. He broke a lot of records. His cause of death is currently unknown. Though the on-air talent was black, as were the artists whose music they played, ownership remained white. 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. Dies geschieht in Ihren Datenschutzeinstellungen. Its owners, John Pepper and Dick Ferguson, established the station and located it at 2074 Union Avenue. Updated: 5:25 PM CDT May 3, 2022. Fred Hollywood Moore was the leading Actor in MA&9s 1998/ 99/2000 stage play Have Eyes see not; Have Ears hear not: Story of a family witness signs of the timeMy Prayers & condolences to Mrs. Judy Moore & the Moore Family. Fred was real smooth on the air, and he had that infectious laugh. O'Jay was considered to be the King of Memphis radio. Mike Evans and the Memphis Morning Show with Earle & Stormy. Bell joins 1070 WDIA from co-owned Urban KJMS-FM (V101), where he has been on-air for over 30 years. pic.twitter.com/DoZ0sl9QNg, Mayor Jim Strickland (@MayorMemphis) May 3, 2022. As one of Memphis most celebrated radio personalities, OJay will be inducted into the Tennessee Radio Hall of Fame July 31 in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. May 3, 2022 WDIA. Web. A small donation would help us keep this available to all. Colleagues and family friends took to social media as news spread that former WDIA radio personality Fred Hollywood Moore died Saturday (Jan. 9) morning. After a switch to all-black programming, WDIA became the city's top station. He was moved by the Hall of Fame announcement. 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. In 1996 Clear Channel Communications bought WDIA. Send us a tip using our anonymous form. [1] It featured black radio personalities; its success in building an audience attracted radio advertisers suddenly aware of a "new" market among black listeners. 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. 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.. I know for many Memphians, including my wife, the day was not complete unless they tuned in to hear what Bobby had to say. . And I got a phone call, he remembered. All Rights Reserved. ICONIC DJ Bobby O'Jay has died while at work at a Memphis radio station. Many grieved in 2017 with the devastating loss of Sharon after 30 years of marriage to O'Jay. He had a brief on-air stint in Montgomery, Alabama, but returned to Milwaukee prior to landing the hosting gig at WDIA in 1983. Your donation is fully tax-deductible. So, he moved back to Houston to return to radio there. The owners, John Pepper and Bert Ferguson, were both white, and the format was a mix of country and western and light pop,[3] as well as "homemaker shows", network shows and block programming that included soap operas and classical music. It featured black radio personalities and its black listeners constituted a new market for radio advertisers. So, even though I was showing up for work every day, they just felt like, you know, we cant have that kind of guy on our radio station, he said. I know my mother and father knew I was on drugs. Radio proved to be a rocky road. Rodriguez . We offer our deepest condolences to his family, friends and loyal listeners during this extremely difficult time. The WDIA Goodwill Fund is dedicated to helping and empowering . 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. 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. A cause of . 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. . The Tennessee Radio Hall of Famer and WDIA DJ and program director was 68. Music (Memphis: Hopkins-Oates & Associates, 2008); Louis Cantor, [7] Its powerful signal reached the Mississippi Deltas dense African-American population and was heard from the Missouri Bootheel to the Gulf Coast. I have a huge family. 1070 WDIA | iHeart 1070 WDIA The Heart & Soul of Memphis Follow Connect Contests and Promotions Sista Strut 2023! r'n'b. soul. He can be heard Monday through Friday on WDIA from 6 to 10 a.m. and on V101 from 3 to 7 p.m. (Patrick Lantrip/The Daily Memphian) He says his large family never pried, they just prayed and so did he. For other inquiries, Contact Us. [I] stayed the 30 days, havent touched drugs and alcohol since, he said. Remembering Bobby O'Jay. 1070 WDIA is an Urban Contemporary radio station serving Memphis. America's first black radio station, playing classic R&B. Watch Bobby OJay reflect on his early days at WDIA below. If you post anything unrelated to WDIA it will be deleted. Im not willing to say just anything. Many shared how his sudden death had touched them, like losing a family member. [3] WDIA is known for its community efforts throughout the years. Ive always had just the radio job. 2 Be Kind and Courteous We're all in this together to create a welcoming environment. WDIA is a radio station based in Memphis, Tennessee. Former WDIA radio personality Mr. Fred Hollywood Moore transitioned Saturday morning. Bobby OJay, radio personality on Memphis WDIAthe countrys first Black radio stationhas died at the age of 68. The station went on the air on June 7, 1947, from studios on Union Avenue in downtown Memphis. 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. The Youth & Family Resource Center is the topic of conversaton on The Bev Johnson Show on WDIA Radio with Executive Director Tamika Davis and Sandy Bromley, Deputy Director of the Division of Community Services. Atlanta Radio Personalities Among National Black Radio Hall Of Fame Inductees. 14. It wasn't black owned, but it appealed to a black . Want to know what everyone in the music business is talking about. Nobody said a word to me. Johnson received her B.A. 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. Many music legends got their start by working at WDIA, including B.B. Instant playback and premium quality. OJay eventually got a tour of the station, but back then, you needed an FCC license to be a DJ, so radio would have to wait. Captain Curtis Lee, a longtime WDIA radio personality passed away Wednesday. 3-3:30pm. After Milwaukee, OJay crisscrossed the nation with DJ stints in multiple cities, from Houston to Dallas to Chicago, but as his popularity rose, so did temptations. , havent touched drugs and alcohol since, he said on June 7, 1947, 6... This together to create a welcoming environment Bobby on his show or otherwise entirely for African.. 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