His voice and opinions will truly be missed.. One of the iconic voices of Memphis broadcasting, Bobby O'Jay, has died. When hewould usually open phone lines for listeners, the station continued to play music. He was on the air, he engaged with his callers, talked to his listeners. Please rotate your device. Many grieved in 2017 with the devastating loss of Sharon after 30 years of marriage to O'Jay. [1] It featured black radio personalities; its success in building an audience attracted radio advertisers suddenly aware of a "new" market among black listeners. 112 Union Ave, Memphis, TN 38103, USA, New Destination Application It reads in part: MY GOD PLEASE HAVE MERCY! Mark as Played. Bobby O'Jay became a popular host and was a mainstay until his death on May 3, 2022. Address: It wasn't black owned, but it appealed to a black . 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. For other inquiries, Contact Us. Moore was in that number. A TOP radio personality paid a visit to a charity in Slough to help raise its profile ahead of plans to demolish its headquarters. King and Bobby Blue Bland. (Photo by Rick Diamond/WireImage), Visit Billboard Pro for music business news, Stax Records Icon Al Bell and More Reflect on 50thAnniversary of Wattstax, Chuck D Talks PBS & BBC Music Premiere of Fight the Power: How Hip Hop Changed theWorld, Lil Kim and Friends to Headline Apollo for Harlem Festival of CultureConcert. News-Talk 1380 WAOK - Atlanta News & Talk Radio - WAOK-AM News How you can send well wishes to former President Carter News Atlanta mourns death of civic leader and businessman Thomas Dortch News Why it's important to know who your teen is dating News Services held for Bunnie Jackson-Ransom Atlanta's 1st Black First Lady Many shared how his sudden death had touched them, like losing a family member. 679215 Registered office: 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF. Praying for the strength and peace of his family as we honor his legacy.. . [4], Nat D. Williams, a syndicated columnist and high-school teacher, started Tan Town Jubilee on October 25, 1948. 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 . 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. At the time, most stations had one talk show per week. Listen To Podcasts That Examine The Passion, Perseverance, And Power Of Black Culture! Having launched his start in 1972 in Milwaukee, O'Jay went from there to. 3 Fred later became program director at that station in 1977. On Wednesday, WDIA took phone calls from Memphians who grew up listening to and talking to OJay on his morning radio show. 29 Apr. Tuesday morning, iHeart Radio confirmed the death of O'Jay at age 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. iHeartRadio Ultimate Contest, Sweatfest Punta Cana with Keith Sweat. It took me about a year or so to get a job on the radio, OJay recalled. Im more willing to say things to get your attention in a positive manner. I hired this guy and within two months, this man had taken my job. oldies. WDIA midday personality Bev Johnson confirmed to local CBS . (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. Television and radio personality Colin . [12] King credits his days on the station for building his audience and launching his career, describing the station as providing a sense of freedom. Dies geschieht in Ihren Datenschutzeinstellungen. From Library Journal: In the late 1940s, Memphis radio station WDIA became the first to target its programming to a largely ignored black audience. 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. Email us atexclusive@the-sun.comor call212 416 4552. Rating: 4.0 Reviews: 1. They didnt get in my business and things like that. Mike Evans and the Memphis Morning Show with Earle & Stormy. 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. Get weekly rundowns straight to your inbox, Get our latest stories in the feed of your favorite networks. Listen to the radio in the background. I know his legacy will continue through WDIA, he wrote. Only minutes after midnight, early Wednesday morning, O'Jay's colleague, author, and award-winning photographer, Mark Stansbury, confirmed that the official cause of [] King and Rufus Thomas. In 1963 she . Wdia Profile and History . I know for many Memphians, including my wife, the day was not complete unless they tuned in to hear what Bobby had to say. OJay says he knew what he wanted to do early on. Press Center, This site is best experienced in portrait orientation. WDIA disc jockey WDIA is the first radio station in America that was programmed entirely by African-Americans for African-Americans. Im very sorry to learn about the passing of Bobby OJay. 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. Hes going to be missed and I know a lot of us in the industry looked up to him. Atlanta Radio Personalities Among National Black Radio Hall Of Fame Inductees. This service is provided on News Group Newspapers' Limited's Standard Terms and Conditions in accordance with our Privacy & Cookie Policy. If you post anything unrelated to WDIA it will be deleted. A.C. Williams, a former WDIA disc jockey, helped create the Goodwill Fund in 1954. When I returned to Memphis as the citys music commissioner, the acknowledgment and respect he showed me were priceless. During his 50 year radio career, O'J. He has become one of Memphis' most energetic & beloved radio personalities for twenty-nine years now! Its owners, John Pepper and Dick Ferguson, established the station and located it at 2074 Union Avenue. She is also the host a weekly talk show that airs on iHeart Media Memphis' top rated radio stations in the market V101, K97, WDIA & Hallelujah FM. 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. One of the best to don headsets and bless the mic in the control room. 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. Forego a bottle of soda and donate its cost to us for the information you just learned, and feel good about helping to make it available to everyone. Send us a tip using our anonymous form. In 1960, at age eighteen, Stansbury was hired as a radio personality and gospel announcer at Memphis, Tennessee's WDIA-AM, where he . When I was a rookie, he gave me advice and always a good laugh. 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. Click here to report a spelling or grammar error. 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Listen For Your Chance To Win! 1070 WDIA Podcasts Playlists from 1070 WDIA Latest News See All Advertise With Us For You Broadcasting & media production company Photos See all Videos See all 0:38 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. 2 Be Kind and Courteous We're all in this together to create a welcoming environment. But before he came to the station in Indianapolis, Fred worked at a station in St. Louis. Im very sorry to learn about the passing of Bobby OJay. 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. r'n'b. soul. 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. 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. It was Memphis WDIA.. He landed some roles in stage plays in the city. Active since 1947, it soon became the first radio station in the United States that was programmed entirely for African Americans. Cam Mtenzi posted an extended tribute to Moore on Facebook. Win Your Trip to Our 2023 iHeartRadio Music Awards! WDIA is the first radio station in America that was programmed entirely by African Americans for African Americans. 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