The In Black America theme music, an instrumental by Kyle Turner.
From the University of Texas
at Austin, KUT Radio, This
is In Black America.
Would you like to?
This month was established June
7th, 1979,
and declared so at the urging
of the Black Music Association,
which is no longer in existence.
But then President Jimmy Carter
had been asked by Clarence Evans,
the Godfather and numerous
other people to host an event for
the members of the Black music
community. And it was a performance.
That day was a picnic style event
at the White House.
I had the honor that day
of sitting with Kenny Gamble
and President and Mrs.
Carter and their daughter Amy.
So that was really exciting.
It was my first visit to the White
House. But that day
we asked President
Carter to acknowledge the
African-American music industry,
to recognize that Black music not
only was a tremendous cultural
lightning rod, but also
an economic engine that
is exported all over the
world.
Dyana Williams, radio and television
personality, music industry,
professional journalist, celebrity
coach, member of the Board of
Directors, National Museum of
African American Music and
co originator and co-founder
of Black Music Month.
This past June, we celebrate the
41st anniversary of the
American Music Appreciation Month,
first introduced on June seven
of 1979 by President
Jimmy Carter.
When it was Black Music Month,
President Barack Obama renamed
a national observance as
African-American Music Appreciation
Month.
Created to recognize and celebrate
the influence of African-Americans
have had on the music industry
is produced to honor the many
artists, writers, song and albums
that have inspired music lovers
and shaped American pop culture.
Had it not been for Williams effort,
this celebration would not have
happened.
I'm John L. Hanson Jr. and
welcome to another edition of In
Black America on this week's
program, Black Music Month and
the National Museum of African
American Music with Dyana Williams
In Black America.
One of the people who've been at the
forefront of documenting and sharing
Black folk contributions in
America.
You've got to see what our wonderful
curators have done are
doing in Nashville with the museum.
I did a hard hat visit.
Let me tell you a little story.
After a board meeting, I went
with Henry Hicks, the CEO
of our museum, to a
hard hat visit, and I
cannot tell you the level of pride
that I felt walking through this
still under construction facility.
But seeing the vision, knowing
the vision from our countless hours
of board meetings and conversations
and fundraising events,
I cannot wait to take my
86 year young mama
in the fall to Nashville
to walk her through our
history.
Our museum will document
our contributions culturally in
America, starting in the 1600s
right to this day.
Dyana Williams is a mover
and shaker.
She has been a constant force in
the entertainment industry for over
four decades.
The Harlem, New York native began
her career at WHUR FM
Howard University's campus.
She later returned home to W
Beale Film after
making history as the first
African-American woman to join an
on-air team in Rock radio.
At WRQX FM where
she then landed her first on
camera position as an entertainment
reporter on Parade and magazine,
which aired on Washington, DC.
CBS affiliate WUSA.
In 1980, Williams made Philadelphia
how she accepted
an on air position w DHS
AFM.
Williams has been a news and
entertainment reporter for Black
Entertainment Television and
a music consultant for VH
one's The Soul of VH
one.
Along with her ex-husband Killing
Gamble and broadcaster Ed Wright,
she helped establish June
as Black Music Month.
Recently In Black America spoke
with Dyana Williams.
Born in Queens, raised in
the Bronx and Harlem
in Puerto Rico.
I am passionate about Black culture,
specifically Black music.
I'm a mother.
I have three grown children,
very grown.
I spoke to them last night and we
were laughing because I'm like,
Y'all are old and grown.
And I'm also a man of a five
year old young man
who is smart and very
opinionated and keeps his mama
on her toes.
I think that kind of concisely,
you know, I'm a broadcaster,
I'm a Black music activist
and I love God and
a life that summarizes
me perfectly.
Speaking of activism,
I'm assuming that you were in
Philadelphia during the 1980s.
I was actually moved to
Philadelphia in 1980.
I started coming here in
the seventies.
However, 1980
is when I moved to Philly full time
and was on the radio at a heritage
station, which is still
pretty major in the community.
WP 105.3
But I moved here because I had
fallen in love with Kenny Gamble,
who is my co partner and
the creator of June Black
Music Month.
So yes, and after we broke
up in the nineties,
I remained in Philadelphia
with him.
We raised our children together, so.
But my mother tells me, John, that I
was conceived in Philadelphia
when my father was stationed
at the Navy Yard.
So I've got deep Philly roots.
Having lived in Philadelphia
doing some of his infamous
times. What are your thoughts about
the current events happening today?
I'm thrilled to see young people
and our allies peacefully
protesting.
It is our First Amendment right
to articulate our discontent
with the level of ongoing,
consistent, sustained
racism, police brutality
and many more ills.
Ironically, it's happening
during the coronavirus
pandemic going on worldwide.
But I admire the courageousness
of everyone who was fighting the
good fight to bring
some equity and parity
to our existence
in this in this world,
specifically in America.
How did you get to the point that we
need to celebrate Black Music
Month in June?
Well, June Black Music Month was
established June 7th,
1979, and declared
so at the urging of the Black
Music Association, which is no
longer in existence.
But then President Jimmy Carter
had been asked by Clarence Avant,
the Godfather, and numerous
other people to host an event for
the members of the Black music
community.
And that was the performance.
That day was a picnic style event
of both the White House.
I had the honor that day
of sitting with Kenny Gamble
and President and
Mrs. Carter and
their daughter Amy.
So that was really exciting.
It was my first visit to the White
House, but that day
we asked President
Carter to acknowledge the
African-American music industry,
to recognize that Black music not
only was a tremendous
cultural lightning rod,
but also an economic
engine that is exported
all over the world.
So this was the original idea
of Kenny Gamble.
And really he started thinking about
this period of time, concentrated
period of time, where we could
celebrate the outstanding
contributions of people past,
present and the generations to come.
So this is our
41st anniversary.
Somewhere in the country there is
some kind of Black Music Month
event going on all the digital
platforms services from
Tidal to Apple
to Spotify to Black
Music Month campaigns,
as well as most of
the major record companies,
independents and
major corporations have also
started chiming in and recognizing
that Black music is
America's indigenous music,
and it belongs to all of us.
John, Even though it is created
by Black people and I'm talking
about all genres hip hop, jazz,
R&B, soul, gospel,
spiritual, all of that rock
emanated from Black folk
in America.
Talk to us about some of the artists
that came out of Philadelphia
International Records.
Mm hmm.
Well, Kenny Gamble, his partners
Leon Huff and Thom Bell,
remarkable men who did not go
to the Wharton School of Business.
But what they did was built a
multi-million dollar record company
and have given us music that is
indeed the soundtrack to many of
our lives.
They signed artists such as
Phyllis Hyman, Patti LaBelle,
The O'Jays, Harold Melvin
and the Blue Note, Teddy
Pendergrass, who came out of Harold
Melvin and the Blue Note Gene
Kahn.
Oh, that's the one.
Zell, who also I should
mention, John, was the
head of the orchestra for mother,
father, sister, brother.
And let us be at the White
House that day. There was also a
performance.
Billy Eckstine, Chuck Berry,
one of the architects of rock and
roll, Sara Powell,
Andre Crouch and
Evelyn Champagne.
King performed that day
under the direction of Dexter
Wenzel, who was also a.
Artist, Philadelphia International
Records.
Let's see. People's choice.
Oh, my goodness. So many artists.
I feel like I'm leaving some out.
But it was a major roster,
long forgotten world.
But yeah, there were a lot of major
artists on the roster
and Gamble and Huff and Tom Bell
did a lot of the soundtrack
to America.
You know, you had Motown in the
Sixties, but then in the seventies,
Kenny Gamble, Leon Huff and Tom Bell
just dominated the top of the
record charts and Black airwaves
and other airwaves throughout the
seventies and eighties, and
they still get airplay.
So, yeah. Philadelphia
International.
Records. If you're just joining us,
I'm John L. Hanson Jr.
And you're listening to In Black
America from Country Radio
and speaking with Dyana Williams
radio and television personality,
celebrity coach, member of the board
of directors, National Museum of
African American Music.
And we're also talking about
Black Music Month.
Dyana, talk to us about what was
going on in Memphis in your 2002
when they were talking about putting
the African American
Music Museum together?
Well, I would tell you, John, I was
not a part of those discussions
in 2002.
But I do know that a group of people
who were committed to I think
initially the museum started off
as a Black history museum for
Nashville, but a group
of people very passionate and
committed about culture and
Black culture in particular
started the process of fundraising.
And at some point, the direction
changed to become music.
Nashville is, you know, John is
Music City and known primarily
for country music, although there
is a long legacy of gospel
as well as soul
music, R&B out of
Nashville as well.
And so, in fact, I would say the
first Black
music ambassadors from
the United States to travel to
Europe and elsewhere were
the fifth Jubilee Singers.
And that was we're talking back in
the 1800s, a long time ago.
So Nashville has a rich music
history as it pertains to
Black music.
So at some point, the direction
change and the decision was made
to make the museum
related to Black music in all
genres.
And since that time, we have
raised $60 million.
We still have a few more money into
raised, and we're going to be
constantly raising money for
this endeavor. But we are
very excited because we are very
close to the opening of the doors
of our museum.
And I've been on the board for a few
years now, and prior to that I was
on the advisory board of the museum.
So I'm also the co-chair of the
Music Industry Relations
Collective.
It's a group of people from Gail
Mitchell, who is a senior
Black editor at Billboard magazine,
to Robyn Lyon, who
is the founder and CEO
of Baller Alert, which has millions
of followers.
So I have an aggregation of music
industry super
stars who are also supporting
our efforts in Nashville to
get the word out to the community
about this 56,000
square foot facility.
John, you've got to come.
Please accept my personal invitation
now, because you, as
one of the people who've been at the
forefront of documenting and sharing
Black folks contributions in
America, you've got to see
what our wonderful curators
have done are doing in
Nashville with the museum.
I did a hard hat visit.
Let me tell you a little story.
After a board meeting, I went
with Henry Hicks, who's the CEO
of our museum to a
hard hat visit.
And I cannot tell you the level of
pride that I felt
walking through this still under
construction facility.
But seeing the vision, knowing
the vision from our countless hours
of board meetings and conversations
and fundraising events,
I cannot wait to take my
86 year young mama
in the fall to
Nashville to walk her through
our history.
Our museum will document
our contribution culturally in
America, starting in the 1600s
right to this day.
So all genres
of Black music will be represented.
So and subgenres as
well.
So, John, I know you love our
culture and our history.
You will feel a tremendous
sense of pride to come to the
National Museum of African American
Music in Nashville, and if
people want more information, they
can go to Black Music
Museum Board.
To learn more about our movement
and we invite you to join
as well.
We have memberships starting at $25,
and it's a small price to pay
for the amount of information
and. As you know, John, knowledge
is power. So people will come out of
that museum with a
tremendous amount of power
and information.
I was looking at the layout in
person.
I heard that I was looking at the
layout of the museum.
There's a pathway
that actually takes you through
the different genres.
Wade in the Water Cross
Rogue's Gallery, A Love Supreme
Gallery.
One Nation Under the Groove and
the Message Gallery.
Who came up with the concept.
I guess that's the question I want
to ask. When you are having those
discussions, well.
We have a great curatorial team,
which is some dynamic people who
have submitted
their.
First of all, we have Dr.
Portia Mosby, who formerly
was at InDyana University and
created this tremendous repository
of Black research and music.
So she is an ethnomusicologist
and one of the foremost on planet
Earth. So we have an aggregation
of brilliant minds, knowledgeable
people. Dr. John Fleming,
who when you ask,
who are the people who are
orchestrating those galleries?
I've got to give direction and
I've got to give credit to those
individuals because they are
some of the people who have
participated in creating
these tremendous galleries that you
just mentioned.
But if people go to the Black
Museum, like Music
Museum Board,
they can learn more about our
movement and see our galleries
and some of our collections because
we have an incredible
collection of artifacts,
some that have been donated.
Our curators have literally combed
the ends of the earth
to get items that will be on
display in our galleries.
You just mentioned.
When did you realize you had this
gift for broadcasting?
You know, I wanted to be a jazz
musician of flowers.
When I was 16, 17,
I studied with the legendary
musician Jimmy Keith out of
Philadelphia. I studied in Harlem,
where I grew up as a teenager,
and then I met Hubert Laws.
And when I heard him play, I was
like, There's no way in the world
I'm ever going to be able to play
like that because I had an
appreciation for the music.
I just didn't have the talent.
So I went to City College in
Harlem when I graduated out of high
school and went in as a music
major, that's where I discovered I
was honey.
Terrible, because when it came to
jazz, it was my jazz improvization
class that made it crystal clear
to me that I needed to find another
career.
So one day I was invited to
the radio station.
I didn't even know we had a radio
station, KCRW.
It was a carrier current station,
meaning that the signal only went in
the immediate campus area.
But my campus was on 138th
Street in Compton, in the
heart of Harlem, West Harlem.
And so
that was significant for me later,
because I did
fall in love when I first walked
into the radio station with the
turntables, the microphone.
I bet, Jon, you probably had a
similar experience as a radio
personality.
And I knew I was home.
Yeah, I knew that was for me because
I could incorporate my love of
music, my knowledge of music,
especially American classical music,
which is what Nina Simone referred
to as jazz that white people
call jazz.
But I got my own show.
I started booking artists
to come and perform like Gary Bartz,
Uber, Bauhaus, tons of people.
But radio then become became
my path.
And that was in 1960.
I graduated from high school in
1971.
I started this radio show in 1972.
And then one day I was invited to do
a public access show
for a new cable outlet called
Teleprompter.
And I did.
I started doing TV as well.
And this was all while I was in high
school.
But my first job was offered to me
by Bob Michael Terry.
You may have seen in the movie, Talk
to me.
He offered me a job at 96.3,
which you are, which is the original
quiet storm station.
And that format founded by my best
friend, Cathy.
So long answer to your short
question, but that's how I got into
radio and television, and
I've been doing it ever since.
Talk to us about TV one
unsung.
TV, one unsung.
I've had the pleasure of
participating in this broadcast.
In fact, was 28
when it first started.
And I also have colleagues
that produced the episode on Teddy
Pendergrass that season.
We want an image
of Ward.
So I was very proud to be part of
that group of producers
who brought that meaningful,
substantive television
programing to audiences around the
world.
So Unsung is one of my favorite.
When when I get the call from Mark
Roland, who is I call him the father
of Black of
Unsung series, when
he calls me and says, okay, we're
doing so-and-so and we're doing
so-and-so.
Most of those artists, John, my
friends, the people that I was
involved with because I've been on
the radio for so long,
I have played most of the artists
that we showcase on Unsung.
So I love the affiliation because
it is directly
linked up with my mission
as a Black music activist.
So love sharing
documentary form is also
something that I favor and.
And an honor to be a voice
on unsung all of
these many years.
Tell me about your relationship with
Cathy Hughes.
How much time do you have, Don?
Cathy Hughes is I met
Cathy, who's in 1973,
and she is I have I have
a great group, an inner circle
group of friends, male and female.
But Cathy is the queen bee and
everybody knows it.
She is my best friend.
She is.
In fact, she I've given her
power over my estate and
anything that has to do with my
finances.
Well, of course, she has her own
money, but she is a broadcast
dynamo and we have
supported each other and nurtured
each other with each other's biggest
fans.
But we have worked together on and
off since 1973.
I have great admiration for
her, her vitality
as an American broadcaster and
entrepreneur.
I don't think she gets enough credit
for what she has done, who
she is as a company that's 40
years young.
Let me keep that 40 years.
But not many Black businesses
and certainly not generational
businesses that have been
in existence as long as urban
one. Cathy had a vision.
I remember when she expressed
her desire to own a radio station
and now some 50 something radio
stations later, syndicated
broadcast TV network,
interactive one that houses
many of our online portal.
I'm proud of her.
I'm proud to have
a friend who is one of the
strongest, most committed Black
people I've ever encountered in my
life. And again, we're cut
from the same cloth, which probably
explains our friendship.
I just absolutely adore her.
That's my baby girl.
But let me just tell you this, John.
Every Sunday we do
a Zoom call with one of our other
girlfriends named Yuko Broyard.
We call it the Queen's Counsel, and
we cover the waterfront and talk
about politics.
Our children, our men.
Everything. Everything.
We confide your secrets.
We laugh, we gossip.
We do everything.
And I love Cathy for that,
too.
She's just.
She's a staple in my life.
And one of the strongest
inspirations other than my parents
and my grandparents.
And everybody should have a chance
to meet her before they leave the
planet.
She's remarkable.
What if And I love my allowance.
I love it.
However, the person's coach thinks.
Yes, I helped develop
media strategies for high profile
people.
The majority of my clients,
past and present, are in the
music industry.
However, I've worked with actresses,
actors, directors, athletes.
I worked with Roy Jones, junior
heavyweight boxer.
I worked with Allen Iverson
some years ago, of course, one of
the greatest ballplayers of all
time.
So my roster
of artists, my company and the
field influence entertainment
people can visit influence
entertainment dot com to learn
more about the company and the
artists that I have worked with.
But what I do, John, is I help these
artists develop their strategies
for what they want to share with
the media. As you well know,
the basic tenets of journalism are
who, what, where, when, why and how.
And you would be surprised that even
high profile people can't always
articulate.
That's when I get the phone calls.
I also have done crisis with
someone who many people
know T.I.
for. I worked with T.I.
for eight years during his tenure
at Atlantic Records, and as you
know, he was in and out of jail for
gun charges.
And so I worked and
did crisis with his publicist,
Sidney Marcus, and from Atlantic
Records.
So, yeah, I've worked with Rihanna.
Mary, Mary, I just a plethora
of artists. Faith Evans.
I coached most of Puffy's artists
with him when he had Bad Boy.
I started his label.
So it's helping artists
navigate the currents of their
public persona.
It's probably the simplest way
to explain it to you.
So, yes, I work with a lot of
talent.
I am glad you you went
with that last sentence.
Our artists today understanding
there's two words in show
and business.
There's the show, but there's also
the business. And they have a better
understanding of what the industry
is really about.
You say, do they understand now?
Many of them don't come to me,
for instance, with my young hip hop
artist, because I work with a lot of
hip hop artists as well
of this generation.
I've worked with Meek Mill, PNB
Rock. The list is long.
Trina Little can many, many
hip hop artists, but I give them a
book called The Big Payback, written
by Dan CHARNAS.
It's about the history of the
rap hip hop gang.
So I'm really big on educating
my clients.
I tell them that you must know what
happened before and to understand
why and where you.
Why now?
And to have some kind of inkling
of what the future will look like.
So I'm real big on I browbeat
my clients into learning
and I tell them, as I mentioned
earlier, knowledge is power.
And the more knowledge and
information you have that cannot
be taken away from you, it makes you
a more powerful individual.
And I also talk to them about they
are their brand and they are
entrepreneurs.
Some of them never consider the fact
that they are entrepreneurs or that
they themselves represent their
brand.
That's part of what I do as a
celebrity coach and strategist.
So, yes, I am big on education
for all my clients.
Before we end this interview,
Deanna, talk to me about
your mom and grandmother.
Oh, that is beautiful.
My grandmothers, my mother,
Professor Nancy Newman
is a retired college professor.
Ten years, many years.
She taught at NYU Hunter
College, the University of Puerto
Rico. However, she retired from
Jersey City State University.
Public Health Nursing was my
mother's lane.
She also was part of the team
that did the hip hop laws that
many of us find when we go to the
doctor.
So I'm very proud.
She was born in San Juan, Puerto
Rico. She is stunningly beautiful
at 86.
She is without a doubt the
most vibrant person I know.
And I love her. And she is she is my
closest confidant, my mama,
my world, my grandmothers,
beautiful women, my mother's mother,
Puerto Rican as well.
She was an honorable homemaker
who taught me Spanish.
I learned Spanish before I learned
English.
And she was a strong, strong
matriarch from my family
and my father's mother as well.
From Culpeper, Virginia.
On television personality, music
industry, professional journalist,
celebrity coach.
Member of the Board of Directors,
National Museum of African American
Music and co originator
and co-founder of Black Music
Month.
If you have questions, comments or
suggestions that she future In Black
America programs, email
us at In Black America at kut.org.
Also, let us know what radio station
you heard us over.
Don't forget to subscribe to our
podcast and to follow
us on Facebook.
You can hear previous programs
online at kut.org.
The views and opinions expressed on
this program are not necessarily
those of the station or
of the University of Texas at
Austin.
Until we have the opportunity again
for a technical producer.
David Alvarez I'm
John L. Hanson Jr. Thank
you for joining us today.
Please join us again next week.
CD copies of this program
are available and may be purchased
by writing to In Black America
CDs, KUT Radio,
300 West Dean
Keeton St, Austin, Texas
78712.
This
has been a production of KUT Radio.