Randy O’Jay Brooks, a staple in Black St. Louis radio, passed away on Tuesday, April 22. He was 61.
Reared in the Pruitt-Igoe housing projects, Brooks figured out his life’s path early. He wanted to be a radio man.
St. Louis radio legend Bernie Hayes remembered a 15-year-old Randy O’Jay, as he would later be known, hanging around the station when Hayes was a personality at KATZ.
He was always there doing whatever he could to prove himself useful. He left such an impression that Doug Eason, who was one of the bosses at KATZ at the time, hired the teen on to assist him and everyone else. It was the beginning of a career that stretched nearly 45 years.
“He worked his way into our community,” Hayes said. “He was just a part of the [radio] family,” Hayes said. “Every place you would be, Randy would be there.”
Eddie O’Jay was an overnight personality for KATZ when Brooks started. He would let Brooks sleep there when he was between homes. Brooks paid tribute to O’Jay with his radio persona Randy O’Jay, but in St. Louis, he would become more famous than Eddie, because of the bond he built with a regional black radio icon. Early on, he carried crates of records for legendary radio personality Dr. Jockenstein. The two eventually became close friends.
“They were pretty much inseparable twins until Dr. Jockenstein passed away in 2007,” O’Jay said.
He had that effect on people.
Maurice Falls met Brooks while in college – when Gary Star recruited him and his dance crew, The Rockers, to be a promotional street team of sorts for KATZ. His connection with Brooks was instant.
At the time of his death, more than 40 years after they met, Falls considered Brooks to be one of his best friends.
“We were just together on his birthday – which is March 6,” Falls said. “I called Randy a “four-o-clocker – meaning that if there was somebody I needed to call at 4 a.m. to pick me up for whatever reason, I knew Randy was on that list. I’m going to miss him. There was just nobody like him.”
From his days at KATZ, to Majic 108 and most recently Mix 99.5 FM, Brooks was a staple in the black radio community – a reliable one-man support system.
“Randy O’Jay was a radio man – a radio legend.” Falls said. “He knew how to do it all – run the boards… everything. That’s why as soon as Lou Thimes Jr. started his radio station [Mix 99.5 FM] he brought Randy O’Jay in.”
He could also lighten any mood.
“He was the sweetest man ever,” Tammie Holland said, remembering the days they spent as coworkers on Majic 108 FM. “I never heard him say one bad thing about anyone, not even when we were all mad at the ‘establishment.’” I’m going to miss the twinkle in his eyes, all the funny
things he’d say and that little whistle in his voice.”
Hayes remembered Brooks’ optimism as well.
“He was always smiling – and managed to find something positive, no matter what the situation was,” Hayes said. “He was a positive force, the person that whenever he was around, he made you feel good.”
Brooks taught Falls a powerful lesson about positivity early on in his career in radio promotions. Falls was all about the rivalry – making instant enemies of those who worked for competing stations.
“For me it was all out war – I was tripping,” Falls said. “But Randy told me, ‘Maurice, we are radio family. As soon as you leave that radio station, you never know whether you might be asking that person for a job at the next radio station. Always remember that we are a family and we’re all we’ve got here’”
They also accompanied a record promoter by the name of Ralph Little in introducing markets to music and the stars who made it.
“Every summer I would come home from college and it would be me, Randy O’Jay and Nate Perkins,” Falls said. “Eddie LeVert loved Randy. Teddy Pendergrass loved Randy. Albert King loved him. We could go anywhere, and everybody loved Randy.”
Falls transitioned into production and stage management for major urban shows – which he still does today. And Brooks stayed with his radio family.
“All the good things that people say about Randy O’Jay will never be enough,” Hayes said. “He was a piece of everybody’s heart and soul.”
Services are pending.
