Today, the Living Legends Foundation celebrates Tennessee, paying tribute to the Black radio stations that helped define & elevate the culture.
During an era when on-air talent could become stars, WDIA in Memphis helped shape the course of Black music & broadcasting history. The station introduced the world to singing & dance sensation Rufus Thomas & famously hired a young B.B. King as an on-air host before his recording career took flight.
Launched in 1948, WDIA was Black-operated & white-owned by Sonderling Broadcast Group. Its programming centered on R&B, gospel & public service. Educator & journalist Nat D. Williams became its first Black announcer with Tan Town Jamboree. Morning host A.C. “Moohah” Williams later joined the lineup, forming the “Teen Town Singers” chorus, which provided young people with leadership opportunities, social development & music appreciation. Beyond the airwaves, the station also played a pivotal role during Dr. King & the SCLC’s support of sanitation workers & in preserving the Lorraine Hotel as the National Civil Rights Museum.
PDs at WDIA included Chuck Smith, Mike Frisby, and Sam Weaver. Beloved air personalities over the years featured Maurice “Hot Rod” Hulbert, Bobby O’Jay, Theo “Bless My Bones” Wade, Robert “Honeyboy” Thomas, The Deadly Doctor Bobby Brown, Bill Bailey & Martha Jean “The Queen.”
WLOK became the second station to serve a Black audience in Memphis, though it did not become Black-owned until Art Gilliam purchased it in 1977. Notable program directors included Al Perkins, Donnie Brooks & Melvin Jones, while standout on-air talent featured Moon Man, Al Bell, Bobby O’Jay & Bob Jones.
In Nashville, WVOL filled a similar role as the city’s primary Black-formatted outlet. With programming rooted in gospel, R&B & community talk, WVOL became a vital platform where Black artists, ministers & organizers could be heard. Known as “The Mighty 147,” the station launched & nurtured influential voices, including Oprah Winfrey, who began her career there as a newsreader while in high school, along with gospel DJ Morgan Babb & host Noble Blackwell.
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