You can catch these warm sounds tonight
Please note: This article is published as an archive copy from Philadelphia City Paper. My City Paper is not affiliated with Philadelphia City Paper. Philadelphia City Paper was an alternative weekly newspaper in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The last edition was published on October 8, 2015.
Need something to look forward to on this wintry day when fat snowflakes are dropping from the sky and sidewalks are icing over? Then set aside some time tonight for a new audio documentary on the glory days of music on Philly black radio.
Need something to look forward to on this wintry day when fat snowflakes are dropping from the sky and sidewalks are icing over? Then set aside some time tonight for a new audio documentary on the glory days of music on Philly black radio.
WXPN (88.5) plans to broadcast "Going Black: The Legacy of Philly Soul Radio," from 8 to 10 p.m. tonight. Produced under the auspices of the Mighty Writers program, it captures the trials and triumphs of local black radio from 1950 to 1979.
You can expect to hear a ton of music made famous by Philadelphia International Records. Kenny Gamble narrates the piece, which includes conversations with DJs, record company execs, musicians, journalists and academics. Also included are some archival audio of pioneering DJs like Jocko Henderson and Georgie Woods.
"The music really brings it to life," says Maggie Leyman, development director for Mighty Writers. "And the personalities are just as much fun."
The audio documentary was inspired by a conversation among teenagers in the Mighty Writers program, who said they knew a lot about national black figures, but weren't aware of the historic role these local influencers played. An arts challenge grant from the Knight Foundation and other funding helped make this audio doc possible.
