National Disc Jockey Day! - Ep20 - Show Notes

Today’s featured holiday is,. National Disc Jockey Day..

Having been a musician in a rock band and a Disc Jockey for a teen club when I was in high school, I’ve always loved music and the showmanship that goes with it. Like a delicious dinner, the total music experience is enriched by a well done presentation.

The idea that someone could play records on radio goes back to 1909 when a 16-year old Stockton, California engineering student named Ray Newby assured his place in radio history. He was the first person to broadcast records on the air waves. His records of choice were mainly by opera singer Enrico Caruso. According to Ray, they were loud and those early transmitters needed plenty of sound to broadcast a listenable signal.

Radio stations across the U.S. soon followed Ray’s lead by broadcasting records along with their standard live shows.

In the early ‘50s, the pioneer Cleveland, Ohio D.J. Allan Freed discovered Rhythm and Blues and fell in love with that of music. As R&B became more diverse, he named the new genre “Rock ’n Roll”. Freed is considered the father of Rock ’N Roll. He was hugely popular until he was caught up in the Payola scandal that broke in early 1960. As an acknowledgement to Freed’s pioneering vision, National Disc Jockey Day is celebrated on January 20, the day of Freed’s death in 1965.

A few DJs found their way to television. The legendary show American Bandstand debuted on October 7, 1952. The show originated in Philadelphia, but by the time Dick Clark took over hosting the show in 1956, it was syndicated to major TV markets across the U.S. The final show aired on October 7, 1989, an amazing 37-year run.

The late 1950s and early ‘60s saw the rise of the rock and roll “boss jocks”. These hard charging boss jocks had outsized personalities and they ruled the local rock ‘n roll airwaves. As the era of the muscle cars and hard rock gave way to folk music and then the Beatles, radio stations sought out disc jockeys with a softer, gentler voices.

The 1970s saw the rise of disco. Disc jockeys no longer had to command the stage and impress the audience. People came to clubs to dance. Disc jockeys with the technical skills to create dance music mixes started to shine.

Late in the ‘70s and through the ‘80s and beyond, hip hop and rap became major musical and cultural influences. Groups like Run DMC included a DJ as part of the musical act.

On August 1, 1981 MTV was born as music videos became the next “big thing”. MTV had what were in effect DJs as part of their programming, but the music videos such as Michael Jackson’s 1982 mega hit record and video, “Thriller”, were the main attractions.

Today, many DJs have their entire musical collection on a computer. Personality still matters, but so too do the technical skills of modern DJs.

Twenty-five years after Ray first broadcast those early Caruso records, famous newsman Walter Winchell coined the term, “Disc Jockey”, a name that lives on through this very day. That name now applies to entertainers who play recorded music over the air, in dance clubs, as part of weddings and countless other celebrations and events.

DJs certainly deserve this special day. The next time you’re at an event where a DJ is setting the mood and entertaining the guests, show him or her some love by saying, “thank you”. They work hard and every DJ appreciates being recognized and thanked.

Why not tune into a radio station that plays your favorite genre of music and pay special attention to the skill and personality of the DJ who makes your listening experience magic? To post about your favorite DJ and music genre on social media, use #NationalDiscJockeyDay.

Tune in tomorrow to learn all about… National Hugging Day!

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This is your host, Stephen Carter, reminding you, this day is special, and so are you. Why not celebrate Have fun, smile, and tune into a radio station that plays music you love.