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Al Isaac, Oral History
A flashback to the 1950's New York City days of Jocko Henderson, Birmingham born and raised Al Isaac had a special connection with his RnB and Blues listening audience at WATV 900 AM in Birmingham. His laugh, his character voices they were clearly a…
Andrew Dawkins, 1994 Oral History
Rev. Andrew “Sugar Daddy” Dawkins (b. Feb 24, 1930, d. Dec 9, 2014), radio announcer with two seminal radio stations, the first at WBCO AM 1450 in Bessemer in 1950 and the second at WEUP AM 1600, Huntsville, the latter Alabama’s first Black owner…
Andrew Dawkins, 2012 Oral History
Rev. Andrew Dawkins (b. Feb 24, 1930, d. Dec 9, 2014), RnB announcer beginning his career early in 1950 at WBCO 1450 AM in Bessemer. BCO stood for Bessemer Cut-off. The station went all black staff in late 1951 and it was remarked locally that BCO…
Arnold Dwight “Gatemouth” Moore, Oral History
Arnold Dwight “Gatemouth” Moore - (b. Nov 8, 1913, d. May 19, 2004) one of the most daring of the radio announcers of the 1950’s, Moore was a blues singer in the 1930’s and 40’s and a gospel singer, minister and radio announcer in the 50’s, in…
Arnold Dwight "Gatemouth" Moore, Oral History
Arnold Dwight “Gatemouth” Moore - (b. Nov 8, 1913, d. May 19, 2004). Starting his career on the air at WIBW in Topeka, Kansas, his home town, in the 1930's, Moore was a major blues singer in the 1930’s and 40's and a prolific recording artist and…
Ben Franklin, Oral History (part 01)
Ben Franklin (b. March 12, 1919, Lees Vernon Parish, LA; d. May 10, 1998, Calera, AL) was a radio electronics engineer and eventually a station owner (WBYE in Calera) with a 60 year history in the field. He turned the transmitter of WJLD AM 1400 on…
Ben Franklin, Oral History (part 02)
Engineer Ben Franklin (Ben) continues in this 1993 interview recounting his stories of early Birmingham radio.
Ben Franklin, Oral History (part 03)
Engineer Ben Franklin (Ben) continues in this November 4th, 1993 interview recounting his stories of early Birmingham radio.
Ben Franklin, Oral History (part 04)
Engineer Ben Franklin continues in this November 4th, 1993 interview recounting his stories of early Birmingham radio.
Ben Franklin, Oral History (part 05)
Another interview with Ben Franklin (b. Mar 12, 1919, d. May 10, 1998) on his radio career