Born to be a DJ

I was in Bald Knob, AR earlier this year attending the funeral of a family member.   During my time there I met an uncle of Bobby “Q”  and as usual, after the service,  friends and family members (mainly the men) sat around and reminisced about others who had passed on.  Bobby’s name came up many times in the conversation.   I think this because he was so well respected it would be hard not to think of, or talk about him.

Bobby’s uncle shared with us how he remembered Bobby as a little boy.   He said when Bobby was about four years old he loved to sit around and listen to old Blues records over and over again on an old phonograph that only played 78 records.  Bobby loved to flip over the record, or lift up the needle arm just to watch the record on the turntable start and stop.  His favorite song that he loved to hear and play has the lyric “Moe and Joe had a candy store, telling fortune behind the door”--- Run Joe.

Bobby’s passion and love for radio broadcasting, his talent and ability behind the mike was best understood and discovered in the training of the young DJs who had never experience radio broadcasting.

Black History: Looking Back--Looking Forward

February is our time to celebrate our people and focus on our history.  We should always thank and honor Dr. Carter G. Woodson for setting a specific time in the year to reflect on all the great contributions African Americans made and continue to make in this free and great nation in which we now live.

Looking back, we traveled through trials and tribulations and yet in spite of every obstacle placed in our path, none of them stopped our moving forward to achieve each and every goal that we set for ourselves. I like you am very proud of our parents and the bloodlines of our ancestors, male and female, for their determination to insure that future generations of young Black men and women would have a path to follow, shoes to wear, and a sense of pride and dignity about themselves as a people.

We now realize that one month out of each year cannot possibly be enough time to recognize African American achievements; so much has been lost or forgotten down through the years of passing time. It is our job, this generation, to teach whenever and wherever possible to our children this wonderful and exciting history of a great and noble people starting with the African American family. By the Grace and love of God we have come, this far. 

Thank-you Jesus.

Thanksgiving 1969

Thanksgiving 1969 and all is well.  Since October WWWS (W-3 Soul) is broadcasting live from our studio in downtown Saginaw, Michigan.

We are now receiving calls, visits from the business community as well as the listening audience. Some however still in disbelief.  There was now a Black owned, Black operated FM radio station with Black Jocks programming Black music.

We were all thankful and blessed we had accomplished the goal started over a year earlier (1968) that had been set before us. The owners (Clark family) and entire staff celebrate.

Eddie Donald White aka "Bobby Q. Day"

 

Bobby was born in Bald Knob, Arkansas; he attended White County Training School (WCTS) grades 1-12.  He graduated in 1957 and was valedictorian of his class. Upon graduation he enlisted into the USAF.  After serving two and one half years he was honorably discharged. Bobby returned  to Arkansas and  became an active member of the Arkansas Chapter of the NAACP and participated in the 1960’s Civil Rights movement in the state of Arkansas.

Bobby left Arkansas and after a brief stop in Cleveland, Ohio, he graduated from The Career Academy of Broadcasting in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.  He was asked to stay on as an instructor.  His reply was sorry but no,  “I want to do live broadcasting."   So began his leap into broadcasting and a long and great career.

Bobby's first radio job was WAMM-AM in Flint Michigan.  In 1969 he became the station manager/program director of WWWS (W-3 Soul) 107.1 FM in Saginaw, Michigan.

Bobby Q. Day passed in July 20011 shortly after we completed documenting the history W-3 Soul.

October 1969

It was October 1969 forty-four years ago.  I’m not sure of the exact date, however I am sure it was a Saturday morning in Saginaw, Michigan, the weather that October day  was unusually warm and the day was sunny and bright.

Sometime between 1PM and 1:30 PM, as we prepared to travel home for the weekend, (home being Flint and Detroit),  we discovered the telegram that stated  that the FCC (Federal Communications Commission) had granted license (to the Clark Family) with the permission to begin broadcasting at  107.1 FM  as WWWS. We were “W-3 Soul” and we were on the air!

So, on this Saturday afternoon in October 1969 we officially began broadcasting Blues, R&B, Soul, Jazz and Gospel throughout Saginaw, Flint and Bay City, Michigan.   We were bringing to this market new, mostly unheard  Black artists such as Sly and the Family Stone, Donny Hathaway, The O’ Jays, Albert King, O.V. Wright, The Delfonics and many others.

From now on listeners could stay on top of the latest music produced by the Stax label out of Memphis, Gamble & Huff (Philly Sound) Chicago studios (Curtis Mayfield) and studios out of New York, etc.

“W-3 Soul” would now be the avenue for Black business to promote and advertise through live radio twenty-four a day and seven days a week.

Vida Blue And The Summer of 1969

That summer was unusually hot. Returning back to Michigan from Arkansas we couldn’t tell much difference in the humidity, but that was okay because now the station has air conditioning on the upper level so day to day work is much more pleasant.

I’m getting out into the community and meeting with Black business owners. We invited them to the station so that could see what is about to take place --- a Black owned and operated FM radio station programming R&B, Soul, Jazz, and Gospel music for Saginaw, Flint and the surrounding area.

Also, by this time Choker Campbell’s Tri-City recording company produced one of its first recordings--- a song about Vida Blue, the great left handed pitcher for the Oakland “A” baseball team.

The Saginaw and Flint communities were excited about the new radio station and Choker Campbell’s recording studio.

 Detroit was getting competition and the Black community was proud.
  

History of FM radio: Detroit's first Black owned radio station.

During the 1970s FM radio experienced a golden age of integrity programming, with disc jockeys playing what they wanted, including album cuts not designated as “singles” and lengthy progressive
rock tracks.

"Institutional racism and a shortage of capital, however, continued to discourage Black entrepreneurs from investing in radio broadcasting. African Americans would not make substantial inroads into radio ownership and management until the 1970s. Black radio emphasized news, public affairs, and music after World War II".

source:  

"First exclusively Black radio show goes on the air--and others follow"

May 26, 1960 station WCHD simulcast the R&B format of WCHB. This was Detroit's first black owned radio station.  October 1969 WWWS/W3-Soul became the second Black owned and operated FM station in Michigan.