The Cool Gent: The Nine Lives of Radio Legend Herb Kent

341 Pages·2009·2.9 MB·English

by  Herb Kent, David Smallwood

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