Today, the Living Legends Foundation celebrates Virginia, paying tribute to the Black radio stations that helped define & elevate the culture.
In Norfolk and the greater Hampton Roads market, WOWI stands as a dominant force. Known today as 103 JAMZ—“Norfolk’s #1 for Hip Hop and R&B”—the station became a historic milestone in 1974 when Metro Communications/Willis Broadcasting, led by Bishop L.E. Willis, acquired WOWI along with WWOC, creating the first Black-owned radio stations in Hampton Roads.
After its 1989 sale to U.S. Radio Group, owner Ragan Henry sharpened WOWI’s competitive edge, tightening the playlist with more rap and dance music as hip-hop surged nationwide. In 1996, the station was sold to iHeartMedia, where it continues to thrive with a mix of hip-hop and R&B, nationally syndicated programs such as The Breakfast Club and Way Up with Angela Yee, and strong local talent including DJ Fountz and DJ DC. Over the years, programmers like Steve Crumbley, William “Kool DJ Law” Lewis, and Michael “DJ Fountz” Fournier helped refine its sound, while personalities such as The Boodah Brothers, Morris Baxter, KJ Holiday, and
DJ Heart Attack energized the airwaves.
Before WOWI’s rise, WRAP 1350 was already a cornerstone. Serving the region from 1952 to 1989, WRAP was one of the nation’s earliest stations dedicated full-time to African American audiences, reaching listeners across Norfolk, Portsmouth, Newport News, Hampton, and Virginia Beach.
Owned by Rollins Broadcasting—founded by John W. Rollins and O. Wayne Rollins—the station aired on 1050 AM, later 850 AM, and ultimately 1350 AM.
WRAP’s air personalities became local legends: Robert “Bob” King, Milton “Milt” Nixon, Jackson “Big Daddy Jack” Holmes, Frankie “The WRAP Soul Ranger” Stewart, and Oliver Allen. By the 1980s, DJs such as Chester Benton, Jay Dee Jackson, Maurice Ward, William “Bill” Boykins, Alvin Reaves, Calvin “Shakespeare” Perkins, and Leola Dyson carried the torch. H.J. Ellison made history as the station’s first drive-time host devoted specifically to the emerging hip-hop genre, signaling the culture’s next wave.
The station also endured struggle. In December 1978, five Black WRAP DJs were abruptly fired after requesting raises from white management. One of them, Randy Williams, managed to deliver an on-air statement of solidarity before being removed from the studio. In 1979, “The WRAP Fired Five” organized a rally and community boycott, protesting not only the
dismissals but broader management insensitivity to Black listeners.
Ownership changes in the mid-1980s reshaped the station’s future. After Clinton Cablevision acquired 850 AM and shifted WRAP to 1350 AM, which was then owned by Ragan Henry and the call letters ultimately disappeared in 1989 following a sale to Three Chiefs Broadcasting. The new
management quickly dismissed much of the staff and transitioned to a gospel format, closing a defining chapter in Hampton Roads radio history.
In Newport News, WHIH served as another influential voice during the civil rights era, programming soul, R&B, and gospel for the Black community. Under program directors Paris Eley, Scotty Andrews, and Chester Benton, and with popular personalities such as Calvin “Shakespeare” Perkins, John
“Johnnie Q” Askew, Bobby J “BJ The DJ,” and Frank Halison II “Hot Dogg,” WHIH reinforced radio’s power as both soundtrack and social connector.
Richmond’s story is equally rich. WVNZ began in 1959 as WENZ on 1450AM in Highland Springs, serving local audiences through the 1960s and mid-1980s before becoming WCLM with a heavily community-oriented, brokered format. Popular DJs Kirby Carmichael and James “Chocolate Chip” Johnston helped define its personality.
Trailblazer Mikki Spencer broke barriers as the first African American woman program director at WKIE-AM, one of Central Virginia’s pioneering AM rap stations. She played a critical role in introducing hip-hop to Richmond-area listeners during the station’s daytime-only broadcasts, later
serving more than three decades at VMFA before becoming a Virginia Lottery draw show host.
Earlier still, WANT—operating on 990 AM in the 1950s—proudly reflected its call letters: “With All Negro Talent.” Featuring DJs such as Kirby Carmichael, Jerry Carter, “Tiger Tom” Anderson and Charles “ Chocolate Chip” Miles, WANT helped lay the foundation for Richmond’s Black radio identity with R&B, gospel, and community programming. Max Robinson, who became national TV news anchor, spent his early career at WANT. Kirby Carmichael hosted a weekly skating event for 25 years, attracting 50,000 skaters annually.
In Petersburg, WPLZ made history in 1981 when it became “Magic 99FM,” the first urban-formatted FM station in Central Virginia. That legacy lives on today through the WKJM/WKJS “Kiss FM” urban AC combo serving theRichmond–Petersburg market.
At Hampton University, WHOV—branded “Smooth 88.1 WHOV” (“Hampton’s Own Voice”)—continues to serve Hampton Roads with jazz, gospel, R&B, and urban contemporary programming while training the next generation of broadcasters. Under Station Manager Hardy Jay Lang, the station operates from the Scripps Howard School of Journalism and Communications, blending education with community service.
In the Virginia Beach–Norfolk–Hampton Roads corridor, WMYK—better known as K-94—once pulsed at the center of the region’s contemporary music scene. Though initially licensed to Elizabeth City, North Carolina, the FM powerhouse made its mark across coastal Virginia. In 1984, the station flipped to an urban contemporary/CHR hybrid as “K-94 The Rhythm of the City,” later rebranding as “Power 94.” Under program directors Daisy Davis, Kevin Brown, and Thomas Lytle, the station sharpened its sound
and street credibility. By June 1991, however, K-94 ended its urban contemporary era, closing an influential chapter in Hampton Roads radio
history.
Further west in South Hill, another milestone unfolded. On June 1, 1971, Calvin King, known as Mister K, made local history when he became the first Black DJ to go on the air at WSHV / WJWS. Today it’s known as “Classic R&B from the 80s, 90s and more”.
In Richmond, WCDX (92.7 FM), branded as “105.7 & 92.7 KISS FM,” continues the urban radio tradition. Owned by Urban One, WCDX serves the Richmond market with a hip-hop and R&B format, operating alongside WKJS (105.7 FM) as part of the company’s urban adult contemporary network. Together, the stations represent the modern evolution of Virginia’s
Black radio legacy—bridging generations of listeners while sustaining the culture’s soundtrack.
If you have memories of these or other Virginia stations, share them in the comments and help keep the legacy alive.
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