The original frequency was 730kHz. The station went on the air on June 7, 1947, from studios on Union Avenue in downtown Memphis. Johnson remembers that Moore came here to the Memphis market from Indianapolis. 3 It featured black radio personalities; its success in building an audience attracted radio advertisers suddenly aware of a "new" market . Bobby was a trailblazer in the industry as well as a legacy in the community for multiple decades. It empowered a huge segment of the . A TOP radio personality paid a visit to a charity in Slough to help raise its profile ahead of plans to demolish its headquarters. 3-3:30pm. From Library Journal: In the late 1940s, Memphis radio station WDIA became the first to target its programming to a largely ignored black audience. To see all content on The Sun, please use the Site Map. Colleagues and family friends took to social media as news spread that former WDIA radio personality Fred Hollywood Moore died Saturday (Jan. 9) morning. 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. Vibe is a part of Penske Media Corporation. We want to hear from you! Broadcasting & media production company Photos See all Videos See all 0:38 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 For Your Chance To Win! As program director, he hired two other on-air personalities, who are still working: Bev Johnson and Mike Evans. Hes going to be missed and I know a lot of us in the industry looked up to him. He was green so he hired an experienced executive who needed a job. I have met some of the biggest stars in America. 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 . He says his large family never pried, they just prayed and so did he. At the end of everything, they had given me this fat contract. "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. Only minutes after midnight, early Wednesday morning, O'Jay's colleague, author, and award-winning photographer, Mark Stansbury, confirmed that the official cause of [] 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. Let's treat everyone with respect. oldies. BlackPast.org is a 501(c)(3) non-profit and our EIN is 26-1625373. The office staff was racially integrated by 1950 which was rare in Memphis or any Southern city at that time but the station did not see its first black manager until 1972. It was Memphis WDIA.. 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! His son, WDIA-AM 1070 radio personality Kylan Hunt, 54, died two years ago from natural causes. Music (Memphis: Hopkins-Oates & Associates, 2008); Louis Cantor, 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.. 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. Stan Bell Host, WDIA-AM (Memphis, TN) Memphis U.S. During his 50 year radio career, O'J. WDIA Memphis mainstay Bobby O'Jay passed away of unknown causes on Tuesday (May 3). 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. "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. King joined WDIA in early 1949. I know for many Memphians, including my wife, the day was not complete unless they tuned in to hear what Bobby had to say," he wrote. 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. 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. May God Bless his family, his spirit, and his legacy.. As program director, he hired radio broadcast veterans Bev Johnson and Mike Evans, who still sit behind the mic. Send us a tip using our anonymous form. View our online Press Pack. Many grieved in 2017 with the devastating loss of Sharon after 30 years of marriage to O'Jay. In addition to providing specialized programming, through the years the station led and supported projects to benefit the community. Back in 1986, I decided that it would be a great idea for us to start putting talk shows on the radio station, he recalled. Born in Batesville, Mississippi. 5/5 based on 1 review. Bell will still continue his afternoon show on V101, while also taking over morning drive at WDIA. WDIA 1070 Memphis - Bobby O'Jay - December 19 2019Bobby O'Jay was one of the most iconic voices in Memphis Broadcasting. Radio Hall of Fame Announces 2022 Legends of Radio Inductees. 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. WDIA radio station, which is based in Memphis, Tennessee, has been active since 1947 and has an amazing history. Humbled, OJay came home to Batesville for a visit. 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. Nat was a history teacher and the first black radio DJ at WDIA in Memphis. WDIA: Black Music Mother Station. 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. 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. In the 1970s and 1980s, the owners of WDIA also owned KDIA, a similarly formatted station in the San Francisco Bay Area. 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. 2 . 1070 WDIA - WDIA is a broadcast radio station in Memphis, Tennessee, United States, providing Top 40 and Oldies R&B and Soul music. You can listen to Bobby OJay Monday through Friday, from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. on 1070 AM. I know for many Memphians, including my wife, the day was not complete unless they tuned in to hear what Bobby had to say. "I always enjoyed being with Bobby on his show or otherwise.. He was a kind and good man with a super smooth voice and infectious laugh. 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. Williams continued on the air . Simple and modern interface. February 10. Discover Tuesday's shows for 1070 WDIA in Memphis, TN. Its just going to be something that maybe will shake you a little bit, OJay explained. OJay was open about his own struggles, including his struggle with drugs in the 1980s. On Wednesday, WDIA took phone calls from Memphians who grew up listening to and talking to O'Jay on his morning radio show. Bobbyology is my thought pattern. 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. Nobody said a word to me. 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. 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. 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. Radio WDIA is a radio station based in Memphis, Tennessee. In WDIA: Black Music Mother Station. 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. Main features: Easy to use. [10], Many music legends got their start by working at WDIA, including B.B. Listeners heard about all the significant moments in the couple's life. Bobby and I were always on opposite sides of the desk. Like us on Facebook atwww.facebook.com/TheSunUSand follow us from our main Twitter account at@TheSunUS, News Group Newspapers Limited in England No. He drove the 50 miles and interviewed on the spot. 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. So, he moved back to Houston to return to radio there. RADIO ICON Bobby O'Jay dead at 68: WDIA host and 'King of Memphis radio' dies before his morning show as fans pay tribute. King and Rufus Thomas. [9] Originally, the fund provided transportation to school for disabled black children. 1070 WDIA, N.p., n.d. 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. Acquiring the right to broadcast at a higher wattage, the station moved to 1070 kHz and boosted their signal from 250 watts to 50,000 watts and was now capable of reaching as far north as Missouri and as far south as Louisiana. See more. America's first black radio station, playing classic R&B. 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. Vote Now For Your Favorite Artists! I know for many Memphians, including my wife, the day was not complete unless they tuned in to hear what Bobby had to say. Just a high school graduate, but Ive managed to work at some of the biggest radio stations in America. 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. 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. MEMPHIS, Tenn Legendary Memphis radio icon Bobby O'Jay has passed away. We offer our deepest condolences to his family, friends and loyal listeners during this extremely difficult time. 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.". The Legendary Fred Hollywood Moore. Community Efforts 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. He broke a lot of records. Television and radio personality Colin . I always enjoyed being with Bobby on his show or otherwise. Ive always had just the radio job. Healthy debates are natural, but kindness is required. The Black Effect Podcast Network Is Making History Again This April! Born in Batesville, Mississippi on August 8, 1953, OJay began his dream career as radio host in 1972 in Milwaukee. The Sun website is regulated by the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO), Our journalists strive for accuracy but on occasion we make mistakes. 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. One of the DJs said to me, let me hear it. So, I went through my little, you know, mimicking. It then switched permanently to all-black programming, and quickly moved into first place. 2023 Billboard Media, LLC. King and Rufus Thomas. 1070 WDIA is a radio station based in Memphis, Tennessee providing Urban Oldies/Classic Soul music. The Heart & Soul of Memphis! 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. Final arrangements were pending at press time Wednesday (Jan. 13). For other inquiries, Contact Us. Bobby O'Jay, radio personality on Memphis' WDIAthe country's first Black radio stationhas died at the age of 68. www.mywdia.com; John Hopkins, Radio Center: A Landmark of American When O'Jay would open. WDIA (1070 AM) is a radio station based in Memphis, Tennessee. He worked at radio station WTLC in Indianapolis, said Johnson. The station went on the air on June 7, 1947, from studios on Union Avenue in downtown Memphis. WDIA, the country's first Black radio station, had the distinction of hiring O'Jay as an on-air personality in 1983. 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). But before he came to the station in Indianapolis, Fred worked at a station in St. Louis. OJay was also a National Radio Hall of Fame nominee. She was raised in Ann Arbor, Michigan and attended public schools. Though the on-air talent was black, as were the artists whose music they played, ownership remained white. Pharos Books, 1992). [14], "Celebrating 65 Years of Goodwill & Good Times." He explained to Action News 5 last year he wasnt willing to just say anything. Press Center, This site is best experienced in portrait orientation. Atlanta Radio Personalities Among National Black Radio Hall Of Fame Inductees. Former WDIA radio personality Mr. Fred Hollywood Moore transitioned Saturday morning. , TN 1947 and has an amazing history classic R & amp ; B America & # x27 ; first! 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