The talk radio industry has lost a special talent. On Thursday evening, the first day of Black History month, SiriusXM’s Urban View informed listeners that ‘The Black Eagle’ Joe Madison had passed away at the age of 74. The same statement was posted on JoeMadison.com informing fans that the beloved talk show host had peacefully passed on.
Madison announced in December that he was taking a leave of absence to battle prostate cancer. He previously battled the disease in 2009 and informed his audience that it returned earlier this year.
‘The Black Eagle’ as he was affectionally referred to began his radio career in Detroit in 1980 at WXYZ. His career then took him to WWDB in Philadelphia, WWRC and WOL in Washington, DC, eventually earning syndication on the Radio One Talk Network and its XM satellite channel which later merged with Sirius to become SiriusXM in 2008. Madison celebrated 15 years with the satellite radio company in 2023.
Madison accomplished many feats along the way including setting the Guinness World Record for the longest on-air broadcast, 52 hours, which he conducted February 25-27, 2015. During that broadcast, Madison raised over $250,000 for the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture.
But that wasn’t his only record setting feat. Five months later, ‘The Black Eagle’ would make history again, hosting his program live from Cuba, becoming the first American radio host to do so in over 50 years.
A fierce believer in social justice, Madison used his show as a platform to seek action on critical issues. He would travel to Haiti in 2010 following a massive earthquake, and assisted relief workers in the Gulf States after Hurricane Katrina. Joe also led 90 straight days of demonstrations and peaceful arrests in front of the Sudanese Embassy in Washington, DC to raise awareness of genocide in Sudan, and went on a 73-day hunger strike in 2021 to encourage passage of voting rights bills.
Madison was recognized in 2019 with induction into the Radio Hall of Fame. He spent over a decade on the TALKERS Heavy Hundred, often placing in the Top 10. Barrett News Media sends prayers and condolences to the Madison family, the SiriusXM staff, and all who were close to him.
Upon learning of his passing, news media professionals nationwide took to social media to offer their condolences and remember the legendary host. Below are a number of examples of what the industry is feeling.
