Blues Boy King, B.B. King, helped rocket WDIA into the trend setting station it is known for in history. Joining the on-air talent after walking to their front door, knocking, and auditioning immediately was B.B. King. B.B. King started his iconic work on WDIA while it was African-American-run on-air with his own slot, the first time he had his own show. Commonly referred to as the biggest blues star, he started with advertising Pepticon with his popularity soaring from then on. Playing his own music on the station his long career in music began, making several hits; in 1984 he was inducted into the Blues Foundation Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in ‘87. Beginning with WDIA, King grew to a national figure but attributed his success to starting on WDIA, with the station that made a change.
WDIA was not always a big success, it had been close to failing. Even though it was only the sixth station in Memphis, they played the same music as everyone else (country, western, light pop, and classical music). But when a high school teacher came to save the struggling station, it became an enormous success. His name was Nat D. Williams, Williams started on a program called “Tan Town Jamboree,” the program was geared towards African Americans in the area (40% of the population). The program became very popular because WDIA became the first station to give African Americans their own music to relate to, they even went door to door to give out pamphlets asking for opinions on how to improve the program! Williams later became WDIA’s first full time disk jockey and brought the blues to the radio, followed by A.C. “Moohah” Williams, and others. Bert Ferguson, one of the co-owners of WDIA, recruited many of the disk jockeys. As the station soared to number one, many new talent joined including, Martha Jean “The Queen” Steinberg, Robert Thomas, B.B. King, Maurice "Hot Rod" Hulbert, Theo "Bless My Bones" Wade, Wade Ernest Brazzell, Willa Monroe, Reverend Dwight “Gatemouth” Moore, and Herb Kneeland (the disk jockey on the air when Dr. King was assassinated). The disk jockeys were the Atlas that carried the world of WDIA.
Aside from its contributions and controversial movements, WDIA was a business. Advertising was what payed the bills, the companies paying the station to market their products, with the station getting to see a little of the profits directed from their advertising. Time magazine stated that the reason WDIA’s profits were so high in 1957 was due to them tapping into the African American market. Purposefully trying to sell to African Americans was a rare sight in the time, but WDIA was first to advertise to the impressionable, young market that made 40% of the population in Memphis. Companies advertising on WDIA also reaped great profits, after buying advertisement at WDIA a used-car dealer doubled the number of cars he sold per month. Tapping into selling to African Americans encouraged a larger number to buy aside from the caucasians that already purchased from the company. WDIA Radio Station helped the companies around it but their assistance did not stop short after the businesses.
With all of the talent flowing into WDIA in the early 1950s, they began to give more than good music to the community. The station start to help with a program called the “Goodwill” project. Through the Goodwill project, WDIA sponsored events including a spelling bee, a talent show, and makeshift movie theaters in less fortunate areas of town, for the children. They also raised money through donation by putting on skits and performers singing a variety of music including gospel, soul, R&B, and blues. But the money they earned did not go to WDIA but to problems that the community were facing like, giving food and money to families in need, starting a little league team for African American children (2000 kids got to play baseball on more than 100 different teams). They even helped soften the blow of discrimination, by buying school buses for mentally challenged and disabled African American children and created the Goodwill Home for Black Children. They also started a “Goodwill Review” which helped the community mentally, by talking about discrimination and racism, this became a tradition after a few of the houses in the community were burned down. WDIA became closer to the community through all of the charitable acts they completed and became more than just the radio to many people.
Past the segregation days, the station is now among the long list of those that have a racially mixed staff. Keeping true to their past, the station only plays songs performed by African Americans as a way to tribute all they have done in their history. Although the station may currently be in mourning with the passing of B.B. King on May 14, 2015. Surviving the Civil Rights Movement, WDIA Radio Station keeps true to the traditions that put it down in history as it continues to play music today.