Soul Radio hosts a showcase

From the 1940s until today, African-American radio personalities established, advanced, engineered and urbanized Soul Radio and played a central and essential part in the shaping of the history of St. Louis.

Although sometimes overlooked, St. Louis black radio personalities gave a voice and identity to a people and a part of the community that had been isolated and invisible. Black radio survived Jim Crow, segregation and played a significant function during the fight for civil and human rights.

The personalities, both male and female, produced a forum for educators, politicians, entertainers and civil libertarians. It was and is a precious resource that must be remembered and maintained.

Black radio, like the black press, has played a central role in informing the community with the latest news and information about the struggle of the African-American community. It empowered the citizens and black political officials.

Without Soul Radio there would not be a Motown Records, Stax Records. Atlantic Records or Chess Records. You would not have heard The Temptations, Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder, James Brown and the others that black radio personalities presented to you.

The St. Louis Black Radio Hall of Fame will be honoring the creators and innovators of soul radio and soul music with a concert on August 15 at the newly renovated and modernized Sun Theater at Grand Blvd. and Grandel Square.

See and hear, live on stage, Otis Clay, Ruby Andrews, Uvee Hayes, The Caesars and The James Family.

Roland Johnson will offer a musical salute to Wilson Pickett, Solomon Burke and Otis Redding, while Jerome Lane will perform a musical tribute to The Temptations and the Impressions.

On stage will be members of The Sharpees, The Montclair’s, Mel Harden of Mel and Tim, and we will honor the contributions of BB King, Oliver Sain and Luther Ingram.    

Black radio that had been relatively unnoticed, and black music that had been considered crude, has ultimately found recognition and acknowledgement as an ethical, articulate and informative communication form.

The St. Louis Black Radio Hall of Fame is proud of the achievements of these creators. We hope that you will support the efforts of the organization and the artists.

Please watch the Bernie Hayes TV program Saturday night at 10 p.m. and Sunday evenings at 5:30 p.m. on KNLC-TV Ch. 24.I can be reached by fax at (314) 837-3369 or e-mail at: berhay@swbell.net.