Victor Powell, © Powell Photography, Inc. Courtesy of Clear Channel Radio Chicago, © Rodney Wright MUSIC / AUTOBIOGRAPHY / AFRICAN AMERICAN $24.95 (CAN $27.95) Born in 1928, Herb hen Herb Kent was a Kent is an urban straight-A college student radio pioneer. He W in the 1940s, his white first went on the air professor told him, “You have the best in 1944 and has voice in class, but you’ll never make it The been playing music in radio because you’re a Negro.” This “Herb Kent paved the road of success that I’m on today.” continuously ever since, longer than any did not deter the poor kid from the —TOM JOYNER, radio host, Tom Joyner Morning Show other dejay. The first African American C COOOOLLGGEENNTT Chicago housing projects who had inducted into the Museum of Broadcast- “Very good read from a legendary radio giant.” decided on a radio career at age five. ing Radio Hall of Fame, he hosts two —OTIS WILLIAMS, The Temptations It was just one more obstacle to face highly rated weekly radio shows and head-on and overcome. “This fine gentleman is loved by everyone, and was born to be the Greatest Jock teaches broadcasting at Chicago State Known as the Cool Gent, the King ever, and that’s what he is. . . . [W]e love him.” University. of the Dusties, and the Mayor of —THE MIGHTY DELLS (Marvin Junior, Verne Allison, Bronzeville, Herb Kent is one of radio’s Chuck Barksdale, Michael McGill, Johnnie Carter) David Smallwood is a most illustrious and legendary stars. journalist and the “Herb Kent is one of the great deejays of all time, and one of the great human This fascinating autobiography details coauthor of Black beings of all time, and I am glad I happened to be on earth at this time to meet both the high and low points of Herb’s him and have him as a friend.” Enough/White Enough: THE NINE LIVES OF RADIO LEGEND life while providing a vivid picture of The Obama Dilemma —GENE CHANDLER, “Duke of Earl” black music, culture, and personalities and Profiles of Great “Herb Kent is more than a radio legend. He’s an American icon, and anyone who from the 1950s to today. Herb had a African Americans. He is a founding has ever heard him on-air knows why. . . . Mr. Kent’s charm and wit have earned Herb Kent typical rock-and-roll lifestyle—drugs, member and former editor of N’Digo, a the respect of millions of devoted fans and listeners and have inspired . . . African alcohol, all-night partying, and member of the National Association of American broadcasters. . . . As far as I’m concerned, the Cool Gent’s story is long women—eventually hitting rock bot- overdue.” Black Journalists, and a former reporter —ROD R. BLAGOJEVICH, Governor of Illinois tom, where he finally faced his personal and editor for the Chicago Sun-Times demons. At least nine times Herb came and Jet Magazine. “The Cool Gent . . . sets the standard for radio air personalities in Chicago and close to death, but through it all, he around the world. . . . This book will give readers a tremendous opportunity to maintained his debonair, classy persona experience the life, both personal and professional, of Herb Kent, one of the Mayor Richard M. Daley has been the greatest entertainers that ever lived. Sit back, relax, and enjoy!” and his uncanny knack for picking mayor of Chicago since 1989. timeless tunes. And he didn’t save only —EARL JONES, President and Market Manager, Clear himself; along the way, he blazed new Channel Radio Chicago trails for all African Americans and $24.95 (CAN $27.95) remains a role model for today’s top Jacket design: Scott Rattray ISBN 978-1-55652-7745-62 4 9 5 deejays. Front cover photographs: Herb Kent Private Collection Front cover images: iStock.com HERB KENT AND Back cover photographs: left, courtesy of Hustling Oscar, center and right, Herb Kent Private Colection DAVID SMALLWOOD 9 78 1 5 5 6 5 2 7 7 4 6 Printed in the United States of America Foreword by Mayor Richard M. Daley The KENT AND SMALLWOOD COOLGENT Victor Powell, © Powell Photography, Inc. Courtesy of Clear Channel Radio Chicago, © Rodney Wright MUSIC / AUTOBIOGRAPHY / AFRICAN AMERICAN $24.95 (CAN $27.95) Born in 1928, Herb hen Herb Kent was a Kent is an urban straight-A college student radio pioneer. He W in the 1940s, his white first went on the air professor told him, “You have the best in 1944 and has voice in class, but you’ll never make it The been playing music in radio because you’re a Negro.” This “Herb Kent paved the road of success that I’m on today.” continuously ever since, longer than any did not deter the poor kid from the —TOM JOYNER, radio host, Tom Joyner Morning Show other dejay. The first African American C COOOOLLGGEENNTT Chicago housing projects who had inducted into the Museum of Broadcast- “Very good read from a legendary radio giant.” decided on a radio career at age five. ing Radio Hall of Fame, he hosts two —OTIS WILLIAMS, The Temptations It was just one more obstacle to face highly rated weekly radio shows and head-on and overcome. “This fine gentleman is loved by everyone, and was born to be the Greatest Jock teaches broadcasting at Chicago State Known as the Cool Gent, the King ever, and that’s what he is. . . . [W]e love him.” University. of the Dusties, and the Mayor of —THE MIGHTY DELLS (Marvin Junior, Verne Allison, Bronzeville, Herb Kent is one of radio’s Chuck Barksdale, Michael McGill, Johnnie Carter) David Smallwood is a most illustrious and legendary stars. journalist and the “Herb Kent is one of the great deejays of all time, and one of the great human This fascinating autobiography details coauthor of Black beings of all time, and I am glad I happened to be on earth at this time to meet both the high and low points of Herb’s him and have him as a friend.” Enough/White Enough: THE NINE LIVES OF RADIO LEGEND life while providing a vivid picture of The Obama Dilemma —GENE CHANDLER, “Duke of Earl” black music, culture, and personalities and Profiles of Great “Herb Kent is more than a radio legend. He’s an American icon, and anyone who from the 1950s to today. Herb had a African Americans. He is a founding has ever heard him on-air knows why. . . . Mr. Kent’s charm and wit have earned Herb Kent typical rock-and-roll lifestyle—drugs, member and former editor of N’Digo, a the respect of millions of devoted fans and listeners and have inspired . . . African alcohol, all-night partying, and member of the National Association of American broadcasters. . . . As far as I’m concerned, the Cool Gent’s story is long women—eventually hitting rock bot- overdue.” Black Journalists, and a former reporter —ROD R. BLAGOJEVICH, Governor of Illinois tom, where he finally faced his personal and editor for the Chicago Sun-Times demons. At least nine times Herb came and Jet Magazine. “The Cool Gent . . . sets the standard for radio air personalities in Chicago and close to death, but through it all, he around the world. . . . This book will give readers a tremendous opportunity to maintained his debonair, classy persona experience the life, both personal and professional, of Herb Kent, one of the Mayor Richard M. Daley has been the greatest entertainers that ever lived. Sit back, relax, and enjoy!” and his uncanny knack for picking mayor of Chicago since 1989. timeless tunes. And he didn’t save only —EARL JONES, President and Market Manager, Clear himself; along the way, he blazed new Channel Radio Chicago trails for all African Americans and $24.95 (CAN $27.95) remains a role model for today’s top Jacket design: Scott Rattray ISBN 978-1-55652-7745-62 4 9 5 deejays. Front cover photographs: Herb Kent Private Collection Front cover images: iStock.com HERB KENT AND Back cover photographs: left, courtesy of Hustling Oscar, center and right, Herb Kent Private Colection DAVID SMALLWOOD 9 78 1 5 5 6 5 2 7 7 4 6 Printed in the United States of America Foreword by Mayor Richard M. Daley The KENT AND SMALLWOOD COOLGENT The COOLGENT THE NINE LIVES OF RADIO LEGEND Herb Kent HERB KENT AND DAVID SMALLWOOD Foreword by Mayor Richard M. Daley (i-xvi, 1-302) whole book.inddi i 11/7/08 2:11:35 PM Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Kent, Herb. The cool gent : the nine lives of radio legend Herb Kent / Herb Kent and David Smallwood ; foreword by Mayor Richard M. Daley. p. cm. Includes index. ISBN 978-1-55652-774-6 (hardcover) 1. Kent, Herb. 2. African-American disc jockeys—Biography. I. Smallwood, David. II. Title. ML429.K47A3 2009 791.44’3—dc22 [B] 2008022412 Cover design: Scott Rattray Cover photographs: microphone: iStock.com; photos courtesy of Herb Kent Interior design: Pamela Juárez Copyright © 2009 by Herb Kent Foreword © 2009 by Richard M. Daley All rights reserved Published by Lawrence Hill Books An imprint of Chicago Review Press, Incorporated 814 North Franklin Street Chicago, Illinois 60610 ISBN: 978-1-55652-774-6 Printed in the United States of America 5 4 3 2 1 (i-xvi, 1-302) whole book.inddi i 11/7/08 2:11:37 PM To my mother, Katherine Kent. God bless you, mom. —Herb (i-xvi, 1-302) whole book.inddi i 11/7/08 2:11:37 PM (i-xvi, 1-302) whole book.inddiv iv 11/7/08 2:11:37 PM Contents Foreword ix Acknowledgments xi Preface: Please Allow Me to Introduce Myself xiii 1 1928 1 My Peeps 2 Falling in Love with Radio as a Kid 11 From Dreams of Monsters to Radio Dreams 17 Wars: What Are They Good For? 24 You Want Me to Do What?: My First Encounters with Racism 30 2 Developing an On-Air Style 41 Yes, Sir, or Yowsuh?: Early Black Radio and the Commercials of Yesteryear 42 Getting My Act Together in the 1950s 51 When Doo-Wop Was King 58 How I Jack Them Jams Like a Big Dog 62 Shock Jocks, Freedom of Speech, and the N-Word 69 (i-xvi, 1-302) whole book.inddv v 11/7/08 2:11:37 PM 3 The Black Giant 79 WVON: The World’s Greatest Radio Station 80 Thank Goodness for Pig Ears 89 All About the Promotions 93 Meeting the Jacksons at the Airport 98 Partying at the Time Square 101 Kickin’ It at the Kappa Karnival 106 The Big Bike Rides 111 Staying Awake for Black Power 114 4 Theater of the Mind on Radio 119 Ivy Leaguers Versus Those Evil Gousters 120 Grunchions, the Gym Shoe Creeper, and a New Teenage Language 124 The Wahoo Man 127 The Electric Craaazzzy People! 133 5 Tales from the Cool School 137 Jeez, the Experiences a Deejay Can Have 138 Grand Ballrooms and a Whodunit 149 My Friend, Smokey Robinson 155 Visiting “the Godfather” James Brown in Jail 162 Swimming with Mean Sharks: The Business Side of the Music Game 170 6 About Fame and Celebrity 183 The Price of Fame 184 Gangsters, Molls, and Friends 191 Sex: What’s Love Got to Do with It? And, Well, Love 198 (i-xvi, 1-302) whole book.inddvi vi 11/7/08 2:11:37 PM 7 Hitting Rock Bottom 207 Jailhouse Rock 208 The Two Dead Girls 211 Drinking and Drugging, Big-Time 214 My Sixth Life 223 The Great Deejay Massacre at WVON 227 One Lonely Night 231 8 Redemption 237 Burning a Car, Saving a Life 238 Climbing Back and Punking Out 242 The Intervention: Damn, They Caught Me! 245 My Private Dance with the Big C 251 9 Back to the Future 259 Twenty Years with My V103 Radio Home 260 Star of TV and Movies 264 From the Hall of Fame to the Mayor of Bronzeville 270 10 Looking Back on a Long Road 277 Sweet Soul Music You Must Have on a Desert Island 278 Joy Inside My Tears: Appreciations and Regrets 284 Index 289 (i-xvi, 1-302) whole book.inddvi vi 11/7/08 2:11:37 PM