0 San Francisco's Last Top 40 Disc Jockey Don Sainte-Johnn

• Review
• by Kingsley H. Smith
• 11/09/2026

My first exposure to the voice of Don Sainte-Johnn was in 1972. I was a college junior, actively involved at NYU's student radio station as a DJ. My student broadcaster inquisitiveness constantly drove me to seek out and listen to different radio personalities from outside of my home town territory of New York City. There was no YouTube, but the desire to discover and learn about different styles could only be quenched by aggressively pursuing collectable audio signatures called radio airchecks. My Sherlock Holmes mission was to uncover these mostly voice only segments recorded in real time at radio stations (or off the air on tape recorders) in different cities. When the curtain was pulled back revealing the soul of these relatable human announcing microphone masters, they delivered the goods. Here's is one I obtained during the year of Curtis Mayfield's Superfly. This broadcaster's voice stood out. It was Don Sainte-Johnn. I had never heard of him, but he was Black, he wasn't a shuck and jive talker, and he was in another big city, one I would not visit until more than 20 years later. Your browser does not support the audio element. Listen to Don Sainte-Johnn on WGRT, Chicago.    San Francisco's Last Top 40 Disc Jockey (Another One Bites the Dust), is a memoir by Don Sainte-Johnn, who would eventually become inducted into both the Bay Area Radio Hall of Fame and The National Black Radio Hall of Fame. The road to the hall of fame is long, with many a winding turn. Sainte-Johnn is somewhat of a radio renaissance man, sporting a vast, diverse array of character building, work and creative experiences. Beginnings Don Sainte-Johnn was an only child who grew up in Perdue Hill, Alabama. He talks fondly about his Grandpa, Grandma, mother, and other influential family members. He passes through a series of homes the family occupies during his younger years. Sainte-Johnn skipped a grade in elementary school. He was a strong academic learner. Reading his story you are struck by the narrative that flows off the pages in the true style of a journalist. Don acknowledges early during his years of maturity that he has a specific goal to be a Top 40 radio personality. What has to be discovered is the path to success. After high school graduation, he leaves cotton picking, tobacco harvesting, a string of odd jobs, and his penchant for creative diversions to seek his broadcasting destiny in California. One thing that follows Don to the golden state is his regional southern accent. Once upon a time, young broadcasters were trained to lose all regional accents if they wanted to work in the big cities or at a major network. Sainte-Johnn, a good young student and eventual lifelong learner, shares how he discovered a vinyl record Living Language Better Speech training course in a pawn shop that he used to improve his enunciation and diction. An early Sainte-Johnn California decision was to attend Los Angeles City College and major in broadcasting and telecasting. Prior to LACC, he had enrolled in a broadcasting school (Don Martin), but decided LACC was a better move. Don Laments that many of his LACC white classmates "landed weekend on-air jobs in small towns just outside the Los Angeles" metro area. He didn't want to pursue the so called first job opportunities for African Americans in small towns along the East Coast and in the South. Sainte-John was committed to finding opportunity in California! San Diego comes through Rock 95, "XEGM, Rosarito, Baja California, Mexico," the official station identification in Spanish, would be Don's first full-time experience. He credits his college radio preparation in getting this position. Don's program, and the other radio shows, would be prerecorded one day in advance for playback. The recordings were then transported to Tijuana, Mexico for broadcast. Despite growth as a music scheduler and program director, long XEGM hours and slim paychecks would take its toll on Sainte-Johnn. He states "after a very short while, I said goodbye to Rock 95." He also said goodbye to the name he used there, "Lord Wylbers!" Yuma, Arizona How the Yuma opportunity almost happened, did not happen, and ultimately happened is a fascinating chapter in San Francisco's Last Top 40 Disc Jockey. Our hero, Don Sainte-Johnn, used his birth name, Wilbur "Wil Johnson" at this station. It was the only time he used his real name on the air. There is a cultural schism that defines Don's KYUM Yuma days. He says that "Yuma was a surreal experience, marked by near-total isolation." Fortunately, when you are good, things happen for you. Sainte-Johnn got featured in the Sunday section of the local newspaper. He says that station management never acknowledged the article. In chapter 3, California Love, you can read the full explanation about the genesis of Wil's broadcasting name "Don Sainte-Johnn." Upon departure from KYUM, the ambivalence of his acceptance at the station by staff when he was first hired is noted. St. Louis, MO Sainte-Johnn was always improving his skill set. Fresh out of engineering school with a Federal Communications Commission issued First Class Radio Operator Permit, he received two job offers, WAYS in Charlotte, and KWK in St. Louis. Accepting the St. Louis station offer was career defining. Don was rapidly promoted from nighttime personality to morning drive guy and chief announcer. Away from the mic, husband credentials would soon follow. Don travelled thirty-one hours and nineteen hundred miles from St. Louis back to Southern California to marry the love of his life, Brenda. There is the undercurrent of family stability throughout the entire Sainte-Johnn story. You won't find this in most radio memoirs. In both John Records Landecker's eBook Records Truly Is My Middle Name, and Hal Jackson's hardcover The House That Jack Built, both radio performers talk about being married four times, a casualty of careers in the public eye and ear. Don Sainte-Johnn credits KWK as a chance to redefine his emerging career. He met the big name movers and shakers who were the elite broadcasting executives of the day and shared conversations with them. St. Louis was clearly a coming of age transition into the big time. In many of his radio job pursuits or interactions, several themes keep reappearing. Discrimination is one. Housing is another. Questioning the timbre of Black identity through one's broadcast voice is a third issue. Sometimes, announcers can't win over this subjective appraisal. The issue reared its ugly head when Chicago radio legend E. Rodney Jones' voice was accused by ownership of sounding too Black at WYNR, before he jumped over to WVON. When Sainte-Johnn felt he had hit a ceiling in St. Louis, overtures to Washington, DC were rejected by a Black station who thought his voice was better suited for Top 40 radio, but not for their Black radio station.  All of us, me included, who have worked in general market radio have faced this "too white or too Black" criticism. Sometimes it is subtle. Sometimes it is right in your face. Even when hosting a syndicated radio program after arriving in Chicago, one station in Birmingham, Alabama needed to see Don's photo to confirm he was Black! Chicagoland We arrive at what you heard in the beginning of this review. Don Sainte-Johnn embraces Chicago, and WGRT/WJPC. He was hired away from St. Louis by Jerry Boulding, a Black radio programming legend, to the Windy City. Sainte-Johnn did well in Chicago, and was an attraction other stations inside and outside of the market paid attention to. There are interesting anecdotes in the bigger cities of Don's employment including Chicago about the popular culture citizens he would meet, the broadcasting characters he would deal with, and life's idiosyncrasies. Jury duty was one of them. Golden Gate Days Much of San Francisco's Last Top 40 Disc Jockey is spent documenting the post 1975 Don Sainte-Johnn relocation to San Francisco where he became a fixture at KFRC. Twenty years at this facility is only a part of his Southern California story. Don was also on 93.3/KYA, 98.9/KSOL and K101. You won't be disappointed in the attention to details. The stories, the awards, the elements of history, crazy radio promotions, the move to voice tracking, and whacky consultants all take center stage. This memoir is as authentic as you might want it to be. The tone of the stories take the high road. None get nasty with vindictive jabs. Don Sainte-Johnn was and is a real role model we can all respect. He has left a lasting mark on the golden age of radio. Previous Post

0 A Major Rank for Governor

• Songs
• by Kingsley H. Smith
• 11/05/2026

When I was ten years old, I remember my older cousins introducing me to some special new music that I would just love to repeatedly hear. This attractive and magnetic soulful sound captured the special sauce coming out of the windy city of Chicago. Not the Muddy Waters blues of the 1950s, but the stylized R&B capturing fresh fans of a new 1960s generation. You had Major Lance, the Five Stairsteps, The Dells, and later The Chi-Lites. Lance was the one who first caught my attention. He was born in Chicago in 1942. He passed from heart failure in 1994 at age 52. Major Lance was incarcerated for 3 years in the late 1970s for selling cocaine. When the former Mayor of Atlanta, Georgia dropped a hint several years ago that she had music props in her gene pool, it took me awhile to connect all of the dots! Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um was Major Lance's biggest hit. #1 on the 1964 R&B Charts. His 2nd biggest hit was 1963's "The Monkey Time," peaking at #2 on the national R&B charts. Lance recorded most of his musical output on the Okeh label. Two songs were recorded on Curtis Mayfield's Curtom label: "Stay Away From Me (I Love You Too Much)" Curtom 1953 "Must Be Love Coming Down" Curtom 1956  With the 2026 election in Georgia of the USA's first African American female governor, many more will learn that Major Lance is the father of Keisha Lance Bottoms. History is full of amazing stories. Its the ones that are real that fascinate us the most. Discover more about Major Lance in the interview following his performance. Previous Post | Next Post

0 My Phillly Music Radio Stations

• Video
• by Kingsley H. Smith
• 10/21/2026

Today, in any major USA city, you would be hard pressed to find 4 popular FM music stations, owned by 4 different companies, as was the case in the 1980s. Now, the largest corporate players have taken control of most of these media facilities to compete for listeners and dollars. What do all 4 of these Philadelphia FM radio stations below have in common? Besides great music, they share my contribution to connecting wonderful tunes to the soul of great listeners. Connecting On-Air Walk with me through four years on the air in Philadelphia at a different FM music station each year. It’s a snapshot of a music era you should enjoy. Experience 1983, 1984, 1985 and 1986. The stations are presented in order of employment (WIFI-92, WSNI 104.5, WZGO 106, and WUSL Power 99 FM). These airchecks come from my personal library of audio history and do not duplicate previously released airchecks at PowerhouseRadio.com. Previous Post | Next Post

0 Picture Sleeve Music Memories from Donna Summer

• Photo
• by Kingsley H. Smith
• 09/29/2026

More new additions are coming to PictureSleevePop.com, including these 3 that are now posted. What is so wonderful about Donna Summer's State of Independence sleeve? The complete lyrics of the song are printed on the flip side. Touching the paper is real. The tactile feel is not quite the same in today's mostly digital experience! State of Independence is a marvelous production by Quincy Jones. Donna slams this 1982 tune out of the park. Her rendering of the song is strong. On video, I would have loved less lip synching and more live Donna. She powers the song emotionally with her voice, but the official video, although good, needed a better production style. I suppose we have to give a pass to some older techniques used in many early 1980s videos.   The song State of Independence was not the biggest hit, but it had superstar muscle. The all-star choir included James Ingram, Michael Jackson, Kenny Loggins, Lionel Richie, Dionne Warwick, and Stevie Wonder. Chart wise, the song peaked at #31 in 1982 on the national R&B survey, and was on the charts for 5 weeks. In pop land, State of Independence wowed Summer fans for 10 charted weeks. Its highest position was #41 pop. Enjoy all of the spectacular R&B, Rock, Pop and Xmas picture sleeves at our PictureSleevePop.com. Now, capture the universal message of Donna Summer in this official video. You can also find my review of her book Donna Summer Ordinary Girl in our music book section (Archive). Previous Post | Next Post

0 Did Radio Always Love Dolly Parton?

• Songs
• by Kingsley H. Smith
• 08/27/2026

Do you pay extra attention when the star-making-machinery music marketers rinse and repeat using their linguistic persuasion to hammer consumers with an assortment of hype phrases or language to sell music? Looking through my CD's, I found Lionel Richie "The Definitive Collection," "The Ultimate Isley Brothers,"  "The Essential Jacksons," and "The Essential Dolly Parton." 20 songs on Definitive Lionel Richie 17 songs on Ultimate Isley Brothers 14 songs on Essential Jacksons 37 songs on Essential Dolly Parton The Music You be the judge. Quantity speaks volumes. In fairness, The Essential Dolly Parton is a two disc set. I had the opportunity to play Dolly Parton's crossover hits on just a couple of non-country, general market stations during my long AM & FM career. The diminutive hit maker moved the needle from capturing the hearts of country music purists to a crossover favorite saluting the every man and woman who worked 9 to 5. All great lyrics, especially the ones sung by the country artists, have to be believable, must be authentic and have emotional impact. Dolly's voice and delivery had all of those qualities. The Essential Dolly Parton is the only slice of her music history that I have from this Locust Ridge, Tennessee native. Lucky me, to have this lone double CD in my collection.  Dolly on the Radio Dolly Parton, 1946–2026, worked for success in music, in Hollywood, and in life. Her father was functionally illiterate. He could not read or write. This element of her life gave her motivation to donate tons of books for the benefit of children learning to read in communities all over the planet. How popular was this worldwide singing sensation and actor? When the news broke of Dolly's passing, the Beyoncé version of Dolly's song "Jolene" began spiking on iTunes according to radio business researcher Sean Ross. His timely RadioInsight article about Parton was updated from "The Artist Who Fit Everywhere...But Radio" (before her death), to "Now, The Artist Who Fit Everywhere" detailing country and non-country stations breaking music formats to play her songs in tribute. Ross's point is that thanks to research and testing at many country stations, Parton's magic touch began to slip away from their playlists as the years rolled on. However, the ultimate tribute happened on Thursday, August 27, 2026 at 9 am Central, 8 am Eastern when a bevy of Tennessee radio stations all played Parton's "I Will Always Love You" simultaneously across the state. What are her songs? Take a look. You'll find all of her hits. NBC TV evening network news covered Dolly Parton's passing the day her death was announced in a show opening 14 minute segment. They never do that for a popular culture personality. The next night, they did another short feature about Dolly at the end of the program. You may be of an age that you didn't know much about this "Jolene" prodigy. There was massive coverage of her passing. She succumbed from cancer. As many more of these legacy artists hit their eighties, let's enjoy those who are still with us to the fullest extent. Why Dolly was loved in Africa As suggested earlier, there was a universal love for Dolly Parton by her admirers, even in Africa. Listen to her influence there, and discover Nelson Mandela's favorite Dolly Parton track.  Bonus When I was only 19 years old, I sampled quite a bit of radio from around the USA to decide if there was a future in the industry for me as an on-air announcer. In 2021, I put together an audio feature about early 1970's Midwestern USA radio from reel-to-reel recordings and from cassettes I managed to get a hold of. One guy I really liked that I had on tape was Don Sainte-Johnn, who was on WGRT, Chicago. I just found out about a memoir Sainte-Johnn published in December, 2025: San Francisco's Last Top 40 Disc Jockey (Another One Bites the Dust). I've received the paperback version of his book and hope to read and review it this fall. To hear him in the Midwestern USA feature, find Airchecks at the bottom of this page. Scroll down on the Airchecks page until you find the Midwestern USA 1972 section. He's in it. Enjoy! Previous Post | Next Post

0 Angelique Kidjo

• Video
• by Kingsley H. Smith
• 08/20/2026

From Benin to the USA, it's been a long journey for one of Africa's most successful worldwide music artists. Her country, Benin is west of and next to Nigeria. You can discover more about this lady in my Angélique Kidjo OYO post from 2010 that features her cover video of "Gimme Shelter" with Joss Stone. The CD Black Ivory Soul was released in 2002. Cred on the street Congratulations to this five-time Grammy award winner, Angélique. She has made August, 2026 history as the first African musician to get a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Here's the story. She talks about the honor in this video. If you like funky music, you'll enjoy "Batonga." The full version of the song has what we radio folks like to call a cold ending, but although this version fades out at the end, it still cooks! Her newest 2026 release, "Hope," features Pharrell Williams, Ayra Starr, Nile Rodgers, Quavo, Davido, Florent Pagny, Dadju, Fally Ipupa, Charlie Wilson, IZA, PJ Morton, Diamond Platnumz, The Cavemen, plus Soweto's Gospel Choir.   Previous Post | Next Post

0 5 All-Stars of Hip Hop

• Flashback
• by Kingsley H. Smith
• 07/24/2026

Most generations are defined by the music they loved in high school, or by the tracks they soaked in as young adults. There is about a 10 year span before popular culture music tastes turn over into something new, or throwback into something vintage. What's your favorite music decade? Here are 5 All-Stars of Hip Hop who made names for themselves in the early years of the genre. All of the original 12 inch cover sleeves are on an easel in my "music vault." Let's continue with this photo I took of Biz Markie (1964-2021), in late August, 2012, at The Showboat Hotel (then a casino) in Atlantic City, NJ. He was spinning jams at a Legends of Hip Hop after-party. Marcel Hall, his birth name, was from Harlem, New York. He's in the movie The Meteor Man. Here's his number one R&B chart song from December, 1989. Big Daddy Kane, born Antonio Hardy, in Brooklyn, New York had 7 R&B titles on the R&B charts between 1989 - 1993. "Smooth Operator," at #11, just missed the top 10. You may also be a fan of "All of Me" featuring Barry White, and "Very Special" supported by Spinderella, Laree Williams and  Karen Anderson. Ice-T was in the house of music charts as a soloist by the end of the 1980s. Some may know him only from the movie New Jack City, or from Law & Order: Special Victims Unit on television. In 1988, his "I'm Your Pusher" used a sample of Curtis Mayfield's original song to peak during a 7 week chart run at #13. Eazy-E (1964–1995), born Eric Wright in Compton, California passed away as a young man due to AIDS. He found success with the group N.W.A. and with The West Coast Rap All-Stars. He had 3 songs in the R&B charts between 1993 - 1995. "Real Muthaphuckkin G's" with Gansta Dresta and BG. Knoc Out "Foe That Love Of $" along with Bone Thugs N Harmony "Just Tah Let U Know" These three titles charted at number 31, 33, and 30. Slick "Ricky Walters" Rick was born in South Wimbledon, London, England in 1965. He had 5 R&B chart titles between 1989 - 1997. "If I'm Not Your Lover" (Al B. Sure! featuring Slick Rick) was his biggest hit at #2 for one week.  We salute these pioneers! Don't miss my 2023 review of Ode To Hip Hop 50 Albums That Define 50 Years of Trailblazing Music. Book Fair Activities If you are in the Philadelphia, PA area, check out the Indie Author Book Fair in West Philadelphia on Saturday, August 8, 2026. The location is near the Philadelphia Zoo, Mann Center, Fairmount Park, The Please Touch Museum, and Boathouse Row. Look for me and catch me there with other authors and community folks! Previous Post | Next Post

0 George Benson Greets Another Centennial Celebration

• Songs
• by Kingsley H. Smith
• 06/26/2026

In 1976, the year of the USA's bicentennial, guitarist - vocalist George Benson released his album  "Breezin'." "Breezin'," a liltingly smooth flowing instrumental track, might be called "yacht rock" by today's standards. Thankfully, I don't create nonsensical popular culture music genre names about softer mellow grooves. I happened to be in New York City for the USA 200th anniversary (1976). Those vintage tall ships in the Hudson River between the coastlines of New York and New Jersey left a lasting, powerful impression. This is one of the many pictures I shot. The view is from a high-rise in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, looking west toward the Hudson River. 1976 bicentennial photo by Kingsley H. Smith The break out song from "Breezin'" was the vocal "This Masquerade." 50 years later, for the 250th anniversary of the U-S Declaration of Independence, 83 year old George Benson is still with us to celebrate the 2026 Semiquincentennial. "This Masquerade," written by Leon Russell, was a #3 R&B hit, and a #10 pop chart smash for Benson. George made his name as a sideman playing guitar with a ton of group/band leaders. Al Young, writing the liner notes on Breezin', explains that Benson started playing guitar at 8. By 19, he joined organist Jack McDuff's group. The great artists start early, and last a long time, excelling in their craft. Here is a 1989 album re-released by Benson's record company in 2024 with Canada's composer, conductor, musical arranger and trumpet player Robert Farnon (with his orchestra). If you visit GeorgeBenson.com, you will see almost every album in the official discography he has dropped into the market going back to his record with Brother Jack McDuff in 1964! The second record next to Breezin' above is a special 12 inch promotional pressing of George Gershwin's "Summertime" by Benson on CTI Records released in 1982. Benson recorded lots of material on CTI before breaking out big for Warner Brothers. Hear a version of "Summertime" performed Philly style by MFSB. Once Benson became extremely popular, CTI pushed their back catalogue of mostly George Benson instrumental tracks. One CTI vocal that didn't connect for the guitarist was "Supership," an up-tempo danceable track with lots of ocean liner horn sound effects. It was released as a single only, but was included in an early to mid 1970s album Fire Into Music that also included songs from Esther Phillips, Deodato, Freddie Hubbard, Hubert Laws, Bob James, Stanley Turrentine, Hank Crawford, and Grover Washington Jr. Discover George Benson's official YouTube channel featuring audio and visual treats. When thinking about the 250th USA Declaration of Independence 2026 celebration, I wanted to write about an artist that was successfully poppin' during the 200th anniversary in 1976, witnessed before my own young eyes all those years ago.  Lots of false information has been recently circulating about George Benson, so it was easy to select him for this spotlight based on the real facts about his career. George Benson, back cover of Breezin' Previous Post | Next Post

0 Remembering Peabo Bryson and Dexter Wansel

• Flashback
• by Kingsley H. Smith
• 06/04/2026

We lost Robert Peabo Bryson in June, 2026. He was 75. His singing style was romantic, delivered with a gleam of charismatic emotion. Peabo's songs lit up the R&B radio air waves, muscling through with some crossover acceptance via his pop collaborations. Bryson may not have had as many hits as some, but this crooner's 37 R&B chart songs speak for themselves. Two Peabo songs reached #1 on the R&B charts: "Show & Tell" in May, 1989, and "Can You Stop The Rain" in June, 1991. The Bryson time frame spans 1976 into the 1990s. He was prolific with many collaborations. These seven songs all charted R&B as referenced by Billboard: "Do It With Feeling" - Michael Zager's Moon Band featuring Peabo Bryson, 1976 "What You Won't Do For Love" - Natalie Cole and Peabo Bryson, 1980 "Make The World Stand Still" - Roberta Flack and Peabo Bryson, 1980 "Lovers After All" - Melissa Manchester and Peabo Bryson, 1981 "Without You" - Peabo Bryson & Regina Belle, 1988 "A Whole New World (Aladdin's Theme)" - Peabo Bryson and Regina Belle, 1993 "By The Time This Night Is Over" - Kenny G with Peabo Bryson, 1993 I always laugh that "A Whole New World (Aladdin's Theme) only reached #21 on Black radio in 1993. Some stations didn't want to play it. Their great loss. This magnificent song reached #1 on the pop charts that year for one week. Peabo's only #2 R&B chart song, (that didn't reach #1), is featured in the audio below. Of the two songs, which one do you think it is? Peabo solo Listen to a couple of samples of "If Ever You're In My Arms Again" and "I'm So Into You." I hope hearing these tracks brings back great memories for you! Your browser does not support the audio element. We used this Very Best of Peabo Bryson CD, provided to us as a promotion, during our Live365 days. It was a prize for multiple contest winners. See the Peabo Bryson Contest in our archive. The trivia answer is 1978's "I'm So Into You." I forgot how good Peabo Bryson was. My personal tastes gravitate toward the funkier uptempo groups so I listen to that stuff the most. However, what a pleasure it has been to revisit Mr. Bryson in this remembrance. Mr. Dexter Wansel I was also sad to hear of the passing of Philadelphia composer, keyboard guy, producer, and arranger Dexter Wansel. Dexter was also 75. He and Peabo Bryson passed within days of each other. Wansel was active in music from the 1960s, but he didn't record a breakthrough album until 1976. "Life On Mars" featured Wansel's adventurous keyboards, synthesizer and spirited lead vocals. The Philadelphia native dropped "Life On Mars" on Philadelphia International records (PIR), the home of the O'Jays and Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes. Dexter had one PIR song on the R&B Billboard charts, "The Sweetest Pain." It reached #40 in 1980. The 14 inch x 23 inch poster in the photo below is from the only concert I dared to produce and bankroll with my business partner Cleo Rowe. We only broke even, but we learned a lot! The CD burned below the poster features 12 of my favorite Dexter Wansel tracks from his first two PIR albums shown above. Dexter Wansel the composer did many soundtracks, including Shaft (2019) the movie, and for the television series, She’s Gotta Have It (2019 – based on the film by Spike Lee). Dexter also gets credit for contributing to the soundtrack for the video game Grand Theft Auto V. I’ll often see his name for music in the credit roll of other movies not mentioned here. As a solo artist during his mid-career, Dexter featured a mix of jazzy progressive sounds peppered with spirited R&B. He worked with and featured many of the Philadelphia music scene heavyweights who would co-write songs or sing vocals with him. Jean Carn, Bunny Sigler and drummer Idris Muhammed are just a few featured on his records. Dexter also made solid contributions to many of the other Philadelphia International artists on their recordings. Listen to Dexter Wansel's music. "You Can Be What You Wanna Be" is from Life on Mars. "Holdin' On" is from What The World Is Coming To (Jean Carn on background vocals).  Your browser does not support the audio element. It was a pleasure to work with Dexter Wansel, primarily through his agent, and to present this concert to Southern New Jersey. This ad appeared in local Atlantic City media:     After Atlantic City, Cleo went on to great radio success in Chicago, Illinois, Jackson, Mississippi, Miami, Florida, and New York City. Here is one of her publicity photos from WPLJ NYC, at one time WABC AM's sister FM station in the Big Apple.     June is Black Music Month. You'll want to read more about me and Cleo inside of my award winning paperback, eBook and audiobook Powerhouse Radio: Rough Roads, Radiance and Rebirth; My True AM - FM - Satellite - And Audio Streaming Survival Story. The link goes to Amazon. Readers rate the book a 4.7 out of 5. Also available at Audible, BookBaby, and other outlets. Previous Post | Next Post

0 WWRL NYC Super 16 Surveys, Number One Songs, DJs and Michael bonus

• Video
• by Kingsley H. Smith
• 05/01/2026

WWRL in New York City. Soul 16, The Big 16, Black Action Radio, Super 16. This legendary AM radio station was branded using several names in its long history serving the Black community. If you read my book Powerhouse Radio, you know I was born in Manhattan and grew up in the borough of Queens, New York. Yup, I listened to Super 16 as a preteen and teen. My video features a large assortment of the WWRL music surveys that I collected through the years. The number one song of each week is featured, as well as some of the on-air DJs pictured in several of the playlist surveys.  And Michael This bonus section is not specifically connected to the WWRL experience, but my opinion about the record breaking first weekend of the biopic Michael needs to be considered. Jaafar Jackson, Michael's nephew, is outstanding as the King of Pop. Nia Long as Catherine Jackson, and Colman Domingo as Joseph Jackson both offer strong performances. My honest assessment of this flick is 7.5 out of 10, but because Jaafar amazes, I'll give Michael an 8, which is a strong B. Musically, the placement and mixes of the songs really entertain throughout the 2 hour plus biopic. Executive music producer Harvey Mason Jr. captures electric excitement in the scenes with the mix of hot and mellow tracks. He learned a lot from his dad, Harvey Mason Sr., who I interviewed back in the day. Storylines Michael's silver screen story is great, but I think at least five storylines are missing. Where's Janet? If you've read my review and watched my video of Janet Jackson's book True You, you know that these siblings had a special relationship that should have been a part of this movie. The first Jackson 5 album was called "Diana Ross Presents The Jackson 5." This was a slick Motown marketing move in 1969 to get attention for the J5. That angle deserved some, if not a brief detail in Michael. Mr. Jackson was married twice. His personal relationships are overlooked in the movie. More of the Twenty-First Century Michael Jackson story demands inclusion. Much is missing in Michael after the Victory Tour ends. Tabloid rumors are ignored. More could have been expanded about Michael's experience with pain relievers and the tragic consequences of his medication use. Michael Jackson's interest in a renaissance 2009 tour to coincide with This Is It rehearsals is missing in action. Closing Michael Thoughts What the professional critics say about Michael makes no difference to the King of Pop's global community of fans. They will support this movie with massive ticket sales to see their hero's story. In a contemporary context, Michael the artist, is bigger than Elvis, the icon. Will there be a sequel that tells the rest of the story? Only time will tell. Previous Post | Next Post