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

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

0 Powerhouse Radio Blog 20 Year Milestone

• Video
• by Kingsley H. Smith
• 04/14/2026

Time flies when you're having fun! Here's a special gift for you. I combined 9 of our videos from 2008 to 2019 to celebrate 20 years (2006 - 2026) of this blog at PowerhouseRadio.com. We didn't start tagging our videos until 2008. Tagging a post as a video is not so important anymore. It's expected that a lot of stories will have videos. Trivia fact. Post number one was about Patti LaBelle and Smokey Robinson on April 14, 2006. I resisted the temptation to do any re-editing or add sophisticated dynamic voice captions, (the ones that move while you are speaking). This milestone compilation adds one simple caption and transition to the Michael Jackson segment. The original Funkadelic - Parliament piece didn't have music, so for this anniversary mix I added track segments from the Funkadelic albums Maggot Brain, "Can You Get To That," and from Uncle Jam Wants You," (not just) Knee Deep."  You can tell that some of the earlier videos were done with very simple effects and were recorded in smaller original resolution sizes. Those have been enlarged to fit into the newer 1920x1080 HD resolution in this 8-1/2 minute video. Enjoy the history! 3 Honorable 20th Anniversary Must Hear Mentions 50 Years of Motown Love Train: The Sound of Philadelphia 10 Radio DJs Who Dropped Hot Wax Like Rock Stars   Previous Post | Next Post

0 How To Build A Successful Media Career

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

Chris Bournea is an author, film director and journalist. I was honored at his request to speak with him about my multiple decade journey through the oral and written media landscape.Here is my shorter 18 minute version of our conversation. Directors Cut The full 40 minute Culture Beats podcast is also on YouTube. How To Build A Journalism Career with Kingsley H. Smith. Previous Post | Next Post

0 Billy Preston: That's The way God Planned It Documentary

• Review
• by Kingsley H. Smith
• 03/17/2026

Before diving into the That's The Way God Planned It movie documentary, check out both my 2006 Billy Preston obituary, and the Billy Preston health update posted 5 weeks before he passed that year. Billy Preston, (1946-2006), a Houston, Texas native, grew up in Los Angeles, California. He played keyboards with almost everybody. Many of those folks are mentioned in the obit referenced above. The 5 Preston albums seen below are from my personal collection. The Music Preston had 4 top ten R&B chart hits: "Outa-Space" - #1, 1972 "Space Race" - # 1, 1973 "Will It Go Round In Circles" - #10, 1973 "Nothing From Nothing" - #8, 1974 His Pop Chart Success: "Outa-Space" - #2, 1972 "Will It Go Round In Circles" - #1, 1973 "Space Race" - #4, 1973 "Nothing From Nothing" - #1, 1974 "With You I'm Born Again" - #4, 1980. Billy Preston with Syreeta Sample Billy Preston in 30 seconds. Your browser does not support the audio element. In the 1970s, Black radio played his music. Not so much later on. Overall, he had ten hits on the Billboard R&B charts. Both "Outa-Space" and "Space Race" are instrumental tracks. These tracks did crossover to pop airplay. You hardly hear this genre featured as full length pieces anymore on contemporary music radio. Billy Preston was a master of the organ and keyboards. This album, "Everyone Likes Some Kind of Music," was released in 1973 and features "Space Race." Mr. Preston could sing! He had a gritty, gospel influenced vocal delivery capturing funky intonations you'd expect from a soul man of song.    "Strutin'," a #11 R&B song in 1975, was released from the 1974 album "The Kids & Me," that also featured the magnificent Billy Preston authored ballad "You Are So Beautiful," and the energetic "Nothing From Nothing."   "It's My Pleasure" from 1975 includes guest artists Stevie Wonder and Syreeta Wright This is the one foot x two foot poster included in "It's My Pleasure:"    "Billy Preston" featuring "Girl" was released in 1976.  "Billy Preston: The Best." 1982 and 1988 CD releases.  The Documentary It's the evening of March 16, 2026. I'm in the audience at the packed Barnes Foundation auditorium in Philadelphia for the Preston story screening. After the documentary is shown, we learn from the film's producer, Jeanne Elfant Festa, 2nd from the left, that Jeffrey Lurie, owner of the NFL's Philadelphia Eagles helped finance this independent production through one of his companies. As of this writing, the movie is in 40 USA theaters, with the hope of a streaming deal in the future for more visibility on possible platforms. Left to right on the stage, journalist Dyana Williams, who is a co-founder of Black Music Month, the film's producer Jeanne Elfant Festa, the director of the documentary Paris Barclay, and moderator Philadelphia WURD Radio's Wake Up With WURD morning host Solomon Jones. How Good Is That's The Way God Planned It? My take: remarkably outstanding. The audience: emotionally moved. I don't like to reveal too much about movies when reviewing them. You should be surprised when you experience the film for yourself. This Billy Preston story starts with church roots, builds on a prodigy's legacy, grabs us with Beatles lore, shakes our soul with R&B and rock collaborations, and reveals how this musical genius navigated through life being the best at his craft. I thought I knew a lot about the Preston arc in music, but I learned so much more that I never knew. The film footage of his life in this one hour, 45 minute movie is incredible. Released in 2024, That's The Way God Planned It has won multiple best director awards for Mr. Paris Barclay. He's the 2024 best director winner from the Oak Park Black Film Festival, and the 2025 best director Filmfest DC winner (an Audience Award). Through the documentary, Billy Preston's personal life is under the microscope in detail. How much does his family, friends, fans and fellow musicians really know about him? This aspect of his private life is confronted. Those who knew him talk truthfully. Billy Preston himself narrates his own observations during parts of the story. You will not be disappointed in That's The Way God Planned It. Seek it out and watch it. A special thanks to Paris Barclay, who flew in from California for the evening so he could share his insights about directing this story featuring the famous icon of music, Billy Preston. The documentary was presented at The Barnes Foundation in Philly by WURD Radio as a Black History Month special, rescheduled into March due to a February snow storm. Previous Post | Next Post

0 Prince, Hendrix and James: 4 Books, 2 Magnets and 2 lapel pins

• Flashback
• by Kingsley H. Smith
• 02/10/2026

February's Black History Month is a perfect time to touch the memory of some musical icons. Prince, Rick James and Jimi Hendrix are in the spotlight. The red model is wearing Rick James and Prince lapel pins. Here are two of my favorite Hendrix books: Midnight Lightning: Jimi Hendrix and The Black Experience and 2) Becoming Jimi Hendrix: From Southern Crossroads To Psychedelic London, The Untold Story of a Musical Genius. 4 books, 2 magnets and 2 lapel pins Prince's The Beautiful Ones features his story in his words through private photos, lyric sheets, scrapbooks, and parts of the memoir he was writing before his death. Rick James is from The Motown Album. First edition was 1990, with a foreword by Berry Gordy, a history by Ben Fong-Torres, an essay by Elvis Mitchell, and the discography by Dave Marsh. Note that this book covers the entire Motown universe of performers. It's a masterpiece of photos and research with anecdotes about the history of the artists. I was lucky to receive The Motown Album as a gift. This is the original hardcover book enclosed in its first edition gold foil wrap. Prince, Jimi Hendrix and Rick James are criticized in some circles for their artistic independence as Black creators.   Good literature provides a deep dive below the superficial surface of what we just see or hear in music. That's what the pages of these manuscripts offer. A book, an audio story, a podcast, a video, a live performance or an interview are great vehicles to promote understanding. These communication tools can pull back veils that may prevent the light of an artist from shining through. Bad Bunny The hate thrown at Bad Bunny, after his 2026 Super Bowl performance by some national tabloid readers in their comments about the show is a disturbing negative sign of the times. Many of these people didn't even watch the intermission. I thought Bad Bunny was great. I don't speak Spanish. I'm eager to learn more about him beyond just his ability to capture millions of fans with his zeal, energy, and music. Previous Post | Next Post