From Publishers Weekly
Written by a smooth-voiced disk jockey who remains a major force in the business he helped create, this fascinating memoir encompasses six decades of black radio in America. Ably assisted by veteran writer Haskins (Rosa Parks; Spike Lee, etc.), Jackson recalls his roots in close-knit Charleston, S.C., where his loving family was highly respected. The sudden deaths of both of his parents within a period of a few months sent Jackson into a tailspin at age eight, resulting in a series of moves and a period of homelessness. Music entered his life through rambunctious church services, while his love for the airwaves began with his purchase of an old Emerson radio receiver. Determined, ambitious and focused, he wasn't stopped by biting racial slurs or other obstacles in his path. His first radio show, The Bronze Review, became a hit in 1939 with its mix of music and guests. Jackson's fans will delight in his remembrances of many show-business personalities, as he pushed ahead in a record-setting career: first African-American disc jockey, first African-American play-by-play sports announcer and first African-American founder of a black basketball league. By 1949, he had tackled the new television market with a revamped version of his radio show. Jackson shows no bitterness when he discusses his part in the first radio payola scandal, an ordeal that left him jobless and broke, facing charges that resulted in his arrest and later acquittal. The sense of exhilaration and pride in the last chapters comes from his final set of victories: becoming the first African-American to buy a radio station and staging a solid comeback that earned him induction into the Broadcast Hall of Fame and the Radio Hall of Fame. While this gracious and inspiring memoir does not reveal much about the inner man, it evokes the joy of achievements made with grit, spunk and sheer willpower. Photos.
Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
From Library Journal
Hal Jackson, who recently celebrated his 60th year in broadcast entertainment, is one of the most important people in the history of black radio. His story is a tour de force of terrific accomplishment. Jackson's chronicle shows us the many stages of his career: his early days as a pioneering young black broadcaster in Washington, DC; the payola scandal, which nearly cost him his broadcasting career; his glory days as official host at Palisades Amusement Park in New Jersey in the 1960s; the wonder years of radio station ownership; and the long-term success of his radio show Sunday Morning Classics on WBLS-FM in New York, which is still heard today. Jackson's accounts of his friendships with Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X make for fascinating reading. The book is a breezy, delightful read written in an easily accessible, conversational style. It also presents lots of historic photographs of Jackson with various entertainers and includes several vintage advertising placards from his entertainment shows. The title refers to Jackson's popular radio program, begun during the 1940s. A worthwhile addition to academic library communications collections and public libraries in the Northeast. David M. Lisa, Wayne P.L., Wayne, NJ
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.
