Today, the Living Legends Foundation celebrates Detroit, paying tribute to the Black radio stations that helped define & elevate the culture.
Not only did Detroit give birth to Motown & Ford Motor Company, it also stands as home to a thriving Black media landscape. Black-owned WGPR (107.5 FM) traces its roots to WGPR-TV, with call letters meaning “Where God’s Presence Radiates.” Both outlets were owned by the International Free and Accepted Modern Masons, founded by William Banks. Rosetta Hines was a rare Black female engineer at the time and went on to become the program director of the jazz station WJZZ. In 2011, Radio One assumed control of WGPR-FM, relaunching the station as Hot 107.5 & continuing its legacy as a powerful voice in Detroit’s urban radio scene.
WCHB was founded in 1956 by Black physician Dr. Wendell Cox. Today, the station broadcasts an Urban Gospel format, but for generations it has been a D-Town favorite. Its storied airwaves once carried the voices of Donnie Brooks, Martha Jean “The Queen,” Bill Williams, LeBaron Taylor, Bill “Butterball” Crane, Rockin’ Robbie D (The Master), Paul Childs, & Claude Young. Living Legends Foundation co-founder Jerry Boulding also left his mark as a programmer there.
WJLB (97.9 FM), now owned by iHeartRadio, first signed on in 1941 as Michigan’s second FM station. Originally featuring a “beautiful music” format, the station shifted to Urban Contemporary in 1980, becoming known as “Stereo 98” with the slogan “WJLB FM 98 — Detroit’s Strongest Songs.” After more than three decades as FM 98, the station rebranded as 97.9 WJLB in 2017. Today, it carries the nationally syndicated Breakfast Club, while its legacy includes the beloved Mason and Company morning show, which aired from 1986 to 2001.
WJLB also served as a launching pad for broadcast legends. Donnie Simpson began his career there at just 15 years old. Al Perkins, affectionately known as “The Perker,” & the incomparable Martha Jean “The Queen” Steinberg were instrumental in shaping the station’s sound and success.
Together, these stations form a living archive of Detroit’s Black radio legacy — amplifying voices, nurturing talent & carrying the city’s rhythm from neighborhood streets to national airwaves.
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