May 14, 2025
From Radio Waves to Photo Frames: A Tribute to the Godfather of Black Radio
It was the early 1980s. On any given Sunday, over the loud horns and hustling New Yorkers, you would hear Hal Jackson hosting the top-rated “Sunday Classics” on 107.5 WBLS, playing records by everyone from Prince to Michael Jackson, and Whitney Houston at a time when Black artists weren’t played on the radio as much. Each week, whenever Hal gave away CDs or concert tickets on air, his wife of then-15 years, Debi B, would be on phone duty, writing down winners’ names on a sheet of paper and handing it to Hal to announce. One day, he asked her to make the announcement.
By Lynise Olivacce
