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R&B DJs in the 1950s

B

bpatrick

Back before rock 'n' roll, rhythm and blues
was big with teenagers, and many cities had
a nightly R&B show. Alan Freed's Cleveland
show, which started in 1951, might be the most
famous, but there were others who did the same
sort of thing either in prime time or late night.

On my March 16, 1953, listing of Atlanta schedules,
I mention Zenas "Daddy" Sears, perhaps the dean of
R&B DJs in the South. Around this time, "John R."
(John Richbourg) was big in Nashville, and George
"Hound Dog" Lorenz kept 'em hopping in Buffalo.
Here in North Carolina, in Greensboro, was a black
guy who called himself Jam A Ditty (I mention that
he was black because that was a rarity in the early
'50s).

Does anyone know of any other R&B DJs from the period
roughly 1951-55?
 
> Does anyone know of any other R&B DJs from the period
> roughly 1951-55?
>

Wasn't BB King an R&B DJ at this time?

This brings up a great point. It was this early R&B that led to the rock'n'roll revolution in both radio and pop culture in general, yet this radio never gets the due it deserves from communities like ours. If anyone knows of tribute web sites to this type of radio and music, I'd be interested in seeing them.
 
One of the most famous jocks of this type was Dewey Phillips in Memphis. You'll find a 1953 aircheck of Dewey on reelradio.com.
 
> One of the most famous jocks of this type was Dewey Phillips
> in Memphis. You'll find a 1953 aircheck of Dewey on
> reelradio.com.
>
Wasn't he the first to play Elvis Presley's records on radio?
It was in July 1954, I believe, and the songs were That's All
Right Mama and Blue Moon Of Kentucky, both recorded at Sun Records
(Dewey was no relation to Sam Phillips). Dewey Phillips' show,
I believe, was called Red Hot And Blue and aired on WHBQ.
 
> > Does anyone know of any other R&B DJs from the period
> > roughly 1951-55?
> >
>
> Wasn't BB King an R&B DJ at this time?
>
> This brings up a great point. It was this early R&B that
> led to the rock'n'roll revolution in both radio and pop
> culture in general, yet this radio never gets the due it
> deserves from communities like ours. If anyone knows of
> tribute web sites to this type of radio and music, I'd be
> interested in seeing them.
>
I might add that Nashville's WLAC was probably THE premier
R&B station in the South. Not only did it have John Richbourg,
it also had Gene Nobles, another legendary R&B DJ. Nobles
was sponsored by Randy's Record Shop in Gallatin, TN;
it was said to have an exhaustive record stock.

Given what passed for mainstream music in the early '50s it
must have been a real thrill to turn to these late-night R&B
shows.

More about WLAC at www.geocities.com/~jimlowe/wlac/wlacdex.html.
 
> Wasn't BB King an R&B DJ at this time?

Indeed he was...on WDIA. His real name is Riley King. The "BB" came from his "handle"...The Beale Street BLUES BOY.

<P ID="signature">______________
Jay Braswell - Moderator
Atlanta/North Florida/South Carolina/Georgia Boards</P>
 
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