James Brown, Doug Banks, Bobby O’Jay among 2022 Radio Hall of Fame inductees
Brown, Banks and O'Jay are among 10 honorees of the "Legends of Radio" award, givien to departed radio contributors.
James Brown is headed to the Radio Hall of Fame.
The late Godfather of Soul is being posthumously honored as one of the 10 Legends of Radio inductees into the hall this year. He will receive the honor along with departed radio DJs Doug Banks and Bobby O’Jay, according to Billboard.
The annual honor celebrates “the talents and efforts of air personalities, programmers and operators who contributed with greatness to the radio industry and have since passed away.”
“We are proud to honor these legendary figures who made an indelible impact on the radio industry,” said Radio Hall of Fame co-chair Dennis Green in a statement. “Their legacy lives on as Radio Hall of Fame inductees of this year’s Legends class.”
Brown dominated radio during his life as one of the most prolific artists in American music history, but he also was a well-known radio station owner. The three-time Grammy Award-winner bought a Knoxville, Tennessee radio station in the 1960s and changed its name to WJBE (named for James Brown Enterprises). Brown died in 2006 at age 73.
Banks is also being honored for his contributions as a DJ. The longtime on-air personality is best known for his morning show on Chicago’s WGCI starting in 1986. He stood out among his competition, according to The Washington Post.
In 1994, Banks received a lucrative deal to host a nationally syndicated show from Dallas. He remained on the air until his death in 2016 because of complications from diabetes. He was 57.
O’Jay was a fixture on Tennessee radio for decades. The DJ has been on-air in Memphis since 1974, according to the Memphis Commercial Appeal. He joined WDIA, the nation’s first radio station specifically targeting Black audiences. O’Jay was with WDIA for over four decades as both a DJ and program director until he died in May at age 68. In fact, he was on the air the day of his death.
Other recipients of the Legends of Radio honors are Bob Coburn, Chick Hearn, Bernice Judis, Sid Mark, Pervis Spann, James Thompson and Rosalie Trombley.
Chicago’s Radisson Blu Acqua Hotel will host the Radio Hall of Fame induction ceremony on Nov. 1.
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