I don’t want to ruffle any fathers with the title of this week’s article, but since I write about urban radio, the title is the title. I say this because, knowing people in multiple formats, I can say from personal experience that it’s similar in country, rock, gospel, and Top 40.
Last week, I attended the Living Legends Foundation Gala in Atlanta. While Atlanta serves as a great backdrop for almost any industry event, it was the perfect setting for this one. You could check all the boxes — seeing people you haven’t seen in a long time, laughing with some about those you’re glad didn’t attend, remembering the ones no longer with us, reminiscing about the events that have since shuttered, and, most importantly, being thankful for the chance to still reconnect with old friends.
This business will teach you that the term friends can be used loosely. The music and radio industries aren’t alone in that — how many of your 5,000 Facebook “friends” are truly friends? That said, our business has a way of revealing who really matters. When you return to your personal silo, there are those who fade from memory and those you think of fondly, even when you’re not reminiscing about your time in the industry.
I won’t list too many names, but I’ll mention a few who meet that standard for quite a few people.
I often find myself thinking of Mark Boyd — those who know, know. It was Butterball who taught me that this business can’t be about one record, because there are always more records after that one. Mark was one of those guys you could talk to for hours and realize afterward that a record never came up.
Another person who brings a smile to my face every time is Wes “Party” Johnson.
I loved talking with Wes. Just hearing his name brings back great memories. And there are many others — A.D. Washington, Joey Bonner, Alan Lott, Sunny Joe White, Hank Spann, Jack Wellman, Buddy D, James Cochran, and many, many others — some no longer with us and others still carrying the torch. I won’t name everyone because I’d hate to forget anyone who deserves mention.
These are the people I laughed with, debated with, talked family with, and enjoyed breaking bread with. These were — and are — true friends. Not Facebook friends. Not “industry friends.” Just friends.
But events like last week’s Living Legends Foundation Gala are about more than friendship. They’re about mutual respect among colleagues. There were no project pitches or agenda-driven conversations — just reflections on lessons learned from peers, understanding of decisions made in the moment, and shared appreciation for the love of radio and records.
There were plenty of smiles — not all “glad to see you” smiles — but plenty of genuine hugs and mutual recognition. Beyond honoring the award recipients, the night was about honoring the journey — those who came up through the ranks with you, on both sides, united by a deep love and passion for this business.
If you missed this year’s gala, don’t miss the next one. You’ll be glad you didn’t.
I’d love to hear your thoughts and the names of people no longer with us you considered true friends in this business. Email me at ken@kenjohnsonmedia.com or reach out on LinkedIn.
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Ken Johnson is an Urban/Hip-Hop columnist for Barrett Media. Born and raised in Washington DC, his career experiences include serving as VP of Urban formats for Cumulus Media, holding the Director of Urban Programming post at ABC Radio Networks, and programming stations in Birmingham, Boston, Philadelphia, and New York City. He has also managed affiliate relations for the Nick Cannon show, and worked as the Executive Producer of The Hughley Truth Podcast hosted by comedian DL Hughley. Ken currently runs Mean Ole Lion Media, a content creation company and podcast network. He can be reached by email at ken@kenjohnsonmedia.com.
