Here’s one of the most unique shows ever aired on AM radio. John Richbourg’s Rhythm & Blues show on WLAC was something most fans of R&B remember, although outside of the south, I’m not sure what the ratings were… or even if ratings were available for ‘clear channel’ (frequency, not the company) stations with popular shows after dark.
At the time of this recording, WLAC was not your run-of-the-mill radio station. It ran lots of network programming and middle-of-the-road fare during the day and only at NIGHT did the station turn to a format which intentionally captured a predominantly minority audience. For the benefit of those not old enough to remember John R., or Hoss Allen, their programs on WLAC literally shaped an entire generation of black entertainers and listeners, and according to wikipedia, is partly responsible for the evolution of rock and roll’s emergence out of the blues from poverty stricken areas of the South. History does not adequately acknowledge the enormous contribution to modern R&B radio that this one nightly program lent to radio. One thing is certain: WLAC was to R&B what WSM was to Country Music.
Thanks to site friend Jack Parnell for this excellent recording. It’s a slice of history of great importance, and one you’ll find nowhere else. Thanks Jack!
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it was good hearing john r once again on wlac nashville…i grew up in west tennesse and listened sometimes to john r. brought back alot of memories..
I used to listen to John R. in Lynchburg, Va. in the early 60.s, before I began my career at WJJS radio. Be sure and catch the Bravo special “AM Radio DJ’s” if you want to see John R. and Hoss-man and other jocks working in the studio!
What a small world, for sure ! I check out John R and see my “next door neighbor” Ladd Goins has been here !
Anyway, I thoroughly enjoyed listening to the John R air check. I remember when I was living in Pittsburgh back in the early 60’s and when our local AM stations went off the air (around 8:45 p.m.), I would turn the dial to WLAC and listen to John R, Big Hugh Jarrett, “the little colonel” Herman Grizzard and last but not least, Gene Nobles. Just a bunch of country boys playing music to the black audience. And how could we forget Ernie’s record shop and Randy’s record shop in Gallatin, Tenn. along with White Rose petroleum jelly.
I wish I could have ordered some of those record packages (mostly Excello labels ) that they advertised, but I was too young to have that kind of money.
First of all, hello to Ladd Goins, almost my “next door neighbor” in Lynchburg,VA. Yes, I remember John R and WLAC well. Back in Pittsburgh, Pa where I was growing up, every day after the local AM stations went off the air, I would switch to WLAC and listen to John R, Big Hugh Jarrett, Herman Grizzard (The little Colonel) and Gene Nobels spin those R&B tunes. Just a few country boys playing music for the black audience. Let’s not forget Ernies’s record shop and Randy’s record shop in Gallatin Tenn. and also the White Rose petroleum jelly commercials !
How great to find John R after so many years!! I used to listen to him as a kid at nights on a little transitor, as I’m sure many R&B starved fans did. Great site!!
Oh yeah! I had the honor to work at WLAC 1510 AM back in the early 1970’s and to read news a few times for John R., Gene Nobles, and Hoss when Don Whitehead was absent. Herman Grizzard was already retired, but I DID have the pleasure to meet him. A true southern gentleman, he was. I don’t mind telling you, that was my claim to fame just working around those great guys. They weren’t exactly “country boys” by any stretch of the imagination. They were educated men, and “Hoss” was even an economics graduate of Vanderbilt University–they just knew how to lay on the BS. One of my fondest memories was the time I introduced a poor old black man who had saved his egg money for a long time just to buy a bus ticket from North Carolina to WLAC in Nashville to meet his hero, “John R.” I’ll never forget the expression on his face when he discovered that John Richbourg was a white man.
I’ll always love WLAC and the good times I had there. Yes, WSM deserves its place in the sun for helping to establish Country Music, there’s no doubt about it, but let’s also give WLAC some credit for nurturing R & B, the grandfather of Rock and Roll. And to think, they were both 50 kw’s and located in Nashville!
Bill Massey
retired
John R was perhaps the most influential DJ I ever heard. A great radio personality, and a fine and generous man.
John Lentz
Attorney
I just found this link. Hello I have co-written a screenplay titled WLAC Nashville with Chera Federle and we are still looking for folks who were at the station, Bill Massey, I would love to chat with you. More info at http://www.wlac-nashville.com
JOHN R was the best the world had to offer when it came down to laying the tracks. God gave him a distinquish and unique voice! These days and time most radio personalities sound alike and have the same radio format!
When listen to (WLAC) back in the days, it was like a mystical and magical cloud had desented upon the land and you did’nt need no artificial high to party! Just me and my girl with (John R) blasting through the car speaks set the wheels in motions!
Hey John R! What you going to do, when this train needs an engineer such as you. I can hear him say; ‘’step on board I am your man whose in control to take you to another land.” Yes for many of years John R was the engineer and conductor of WLAC and like me and million others we took a ride through the tunnel of soul with John R.
Larry E. Sumpter
I replaced John R. in 1973 and would like get involved in your screenplay. We went rock and soul from 1973 to 1980…then news/talk.
Spider Harrison (909) 987-8429
How great to hear John R. again!! WLAC was the only station I could get down in South Georgia at night in the mid 60s. Is there a better intro line in all of radio history than ‘this is John R. way down South in Dixie?’.
It’s great to the aircheck of John R. I listened to him
when I was a teenager in south Mississippi. I hope that
you can add more of John R and also some of “The Hossman”.
Thanks for the memories.
I listened to John R at the lake in Augusta Ga. as a teenager in the early 60’s. Man what great memories and what a great DJ. He was at many parties we had playing the music. Great to hear him again.
I grew up on WLAC. It’s fun to go back and listen.
Thanks
Thank you for offering this great piece of Radio memorabilia to the ears of the youngsters! (not that I am one mself!) But doing that time warp and jumping back instantly to the early 70’s help remind us how great the current music of the days was! JUst fabulous.
The only downside is the fact that it makes us sad to find out how the word quality (applied to music) has been totally barred from today’s vocabulary. How awful and painful it is if you plug in a current station after listening to this aural caviar!
Thanks again!
you made my day with this site. have,nt heard john r in 45 years, thanks for the memories.
I grew up in West Carroll Parish, Pioneer La.
During the day, WOKJ from Jackson Miss was the station to listen to. But at night, WLAC with John R was the place to be. He and the Hoss Man kept it funky.
Thanks for rekindeling the memories.
Have been in heaven for the last hour taking a trip down memory lane! Thank you so much! I lived just up the road from Nashville in Glasgow, KY. Little ol’ white girl me was dedicated to listening to John R. after I got my homework finished during high school. Moved on to college at Western in BG, KY. WLAC was the only place to get pure soul. The music would just send you to another world. I have Ella Washington’s first album that John R. produced in 1969. “I Want To Walk Through This Life With You” still sends me to that other world! I quit listening to WLAC when they went pop in ‘73, an end of an era… so sad, but to listen to John R.’s aircheck that you posted brought back such wonderful memories. Thanks for giving me the opportunity to relive my teenage & early adult years!!!!!!!!
By the way, to date this aircheck, John R. refers to new song by Little Charles & The Sidewinders “You’re A Blessing”. This came out in 1971.
Great to hear John R. once again. I use to listen to him back in the mid sixties at Shaw Air Force Base in Sumpter South Carolina. Always wondered about what happened to him and the station after I left there in 1969. The station brought a lot of joy and feelings of being home to many lonely Airmen. Thank you for “taking me back” to those good times and memories.
How great is this! I have wanted my daughter to hear what I used to listen to when I was young for a long time.
WLAC was hard to get in Northern Indiana. You had to wait until the local stations went off the air, late at night Then I twisted and turned that dial just so and put the radio up by my pillow.
The next day at school all the “cool cats” and “little fillys” talked about the songs that we heard only on WLAC.
I would love to have a CD of John R. and some of the others on WLAC. Is such a thing available? If not it should be.
Thanks for the ride back in time.
Hi, I replaced the legendary John R. in August 1973 at WLAC. Both John Richbourg and Hoss Allen knew me and the torch was past on. They wanted someone who could continue the John R. tradition and move into the new generation of Rock n Soul. It was successful than by 1975 WLAC went all Rock’Roll with Kent Burkhardt as consultant. Billboard Magazine bought WLAC around 1977 stay with the rock format. Put R&B back on around 11pm and Hoss Allen return playing sponsored Gospel programming until 5am. I also hosted the first Billboard Soul Countdown in 1978. Billboard sold the station to Wood Sudbrink and by 1980 the station went News Talk which is the format today and owned by Clear Channel.
I’ll have my WLAC aircheck up in a few days on
http://www.spidorecords.com
Thank you
Man, I love this site. It bring back so many memories from my childhood growing up outside of Tallulah, Louisiana and listening to WLAC and John R after the local stations signed off. Thanks.
Sounds GREAT ONE OF MY HEROES. MANY times ON THE AIR at various STATIONS I would I would THROW IN A LINE LIKE “I wonder what’s going on WAY DOWN SOUTH IN DIXIE” just to get audeience reaction SURE AS HELL I’D START GETTING CALLS FROM PEOPLE SAYING “YOU’RE A FAN OF JOHN R’S AREN’T YOU?” Thanks SO MUCH for posting this. THEMOJOMAN(.)COM
Sid – Check out my aircheck of Randy Robins on WQXI in Atlanta from 1969 and you will notice who his “radio hero” was too….
Every night when we went to bed in the early sixties in Greenville, Florida (hometown of Ray Charles) my daddy did two things: he put on the bathroom light, and he left his a m radio on wide open. I’ll never forget John R talking about Ernie’s Record Mart and playing his music. I don’t know if my daddy liked the music, he was white and a country /western lover, or if it was the strongest station, but I consider it a wonderful part of my past as I look back over 55 years. Thanks for keeping John R alive.
I grew up listening to John R. and all the crew at WLAC. As a matter of fact it led to me becoming a dj at another 50,000 watt giant in Greenville SC, WHYZ 1070. I would love to get some of the air checks of John, Hoss, and the gang.
Wow, What a treat to hear John R and the music again. It’s been so long. I feel privileged to have been a member his vast audience. I grew up in Perrysburg in north western Ohio. After dark when I was supposed to be sleeping I’d turn on the Zenith transistor and listen in awe of the music I couldn’t hear anywhere else and the voice that brought it to me. If weather conditions were that I couldn’t get WLAC then it was WLS in Chicago or WBZ in Boston. John R and WLAC were the go to though, the music was so much more real.
Thanks to AirCheck for bring it all back.
This sounds so very WONDERFUL !! Can remember playing my tiny transistor under the covers !! Best Music and programs ever !!!
I have this on a CD but its not this clear. I first heard John R, in the Army at Fort Eustis in Newport News Virginia in 1963. When I got out I went home to Lancaster County Pa. I think I was the biggest John R. fan of all time. I would listen sometimes till 5 AM when I had to get up at 6AM. I have most of the recurds. Lots of Sir Lattimore Brown, Roscoe Shelton, Roscoe Robinson Joe Simon The Queen of Sou8l Miss Ella Washington and many,many more.
In the late 50’s St. Petersburg,Florida, I first heard WLAC/John R when the teenagers listened to late night R&B. This is way cool…brings back pleasant memories…Thanks very much !!!
I really enjoyed listening to John R. when I was a small child in the 60’s up until high school in the 70’s. Bring on more for fans to hear. This was very good stuff.
By the way I listened from Due West,South Carolina. My children enjoyed the airchexx,bring on more.
Boy, it is sure great to hear John R once again.
A real treasure for sure. I used to listen to
WLAC, John R, Hoss Allen, and the others where
I lived in South Georgia. After going in the
military and assigned overseas in Scotland, I
was able to frequently hear WLAC and bring
memories of home. Thanks for making this bit
of youthful memories available to an old man(67).
Ray Colbert,
El Paso, Tx
Man, I grew up in Rockingham, N.C. listening to John R. and Hoss Allen. I did not know these dudes were white until I was grown. I remember the ads for Queen Bergamot hair grease and those little baby chicks they used to sell. Of course, when you went to sleep listening to John R. playing the blues, you’d wake up to gospel music, since the station changed around 6 a.m.
Hi. Wanted to let you WLAC fans know I have a very cool piece of memorabilia from the station up on ebay right now.. It’s a little giveaway thread spool in a silver container which has embossed, “Everybody’s Friend Life and Casualty Insurance Co. of Tennessee | WLAC The Thrift Station”
I thought John R voice was gone for good, it bring back so much memory for me. I think about my grandmother back then who pass on in 1967. please add some more of John R. I thought for years that he was black. WLAC was the only radio station that play black music. I can say one thing John R stil got soul
Late at night in 1960 + a little, I found on the car radio a very unusual sound.
John R from
Nassshvillle Tennessee
What a treat to find it again.
Have mercy! Words cannot describe the feeling that came across when John R. did his thing. He just oozed soul no matter what he did on air whether doing commercials or presenting that great music. It would be tough to find another voice that offered such an immediate soulful tone. Of course, that voice coupled with the blues and deep soul sounds that he played created an environment like no other and touched this listener in Kalamazoo, MI. I’m still buying blues such as Jimmy Dawkins and soul such as Otis Clay, but sadly John R. is no longer around to play it for us on WLAC. But those who heard him in those dark hours will never forget.
I received a transistor radio for Christmas in 1963. During the daytime I listened to WQOK(1440) in Greenville, SC, but at night I used to surf the dial to hear distant stations. John R was one of the DJs I enjoyed hearing. About 10 years later I bought one of the John R/WLAC albums on Excello. This one featured the original “Little Darlin’ ” by my friend Maurice Williams and his group The Gladiolas. I liked to play his version on my oldies show on WCAR Campus radio at UNC in Chapel Hill.
Brant “The Hitman” Hart
“WAYVO” 1150/1410
Charlotte/Rock Hill/ Concord (NC/SC)
Good old John R and WLAC. Living in Holland, Lyerly,Summerville, and Rome,Ga. That was the only good music you could get in these area back in the day.Crused a lot of late nite listening to John R way down south in Nashville Tenn.
I can get the popup to come up, but I can’t get it to play. What am I doing wrong?
Signed, desperate for a John R. fix
Hey – I grew up in Northwestern Ohio – and that is far from Nashville – but at night when many of the local, small town Ohio stations went off the air WLAC came in – not totally clear – but well enough to be heard. And, yes, on an OLD tube radio, it worked a lot better, wired to bedsprings.
Used to listen to John R – he was on earliest – I don’t think I was even an official teenager yet, about 11 or 12 maybe. My friends were listening to it also; it was so DIFFERENT from anything we knew. The funniest thing is – I don’t think we realized this was black music – there were few blacks in this small town where I grew up – and my friends and I certainly didn’t know the artists they favored or what their tastes were. We simply knew this music was GOOD – and also it addressed subjects which were supposedly taboo for kids our age – irresistable!
Nevertheless this surely formed the basis for my friends and I going “ape” over the beginnings of rock – I STILL listen to rock and tell people, it grew up with me, not I with it.
Also reading bios of people like Bob Dylan, Janis Joplin, Elvis Presley, Jim Morrison and so on – most of them listened to a similar clear channel station that played what was then called “race music” – and we see what effects that had.
I was born in 1948 in southeastern Oklahoma (my dad was a jazz musician) and I used to listen to the John R. show late at night on my transistor radio after my parents assumed I was fast asleep. I will never forgot his usual lines like, “John R., coming to you from studio 10, brought to you by Royal Crown Hair dressing; just a touch means so much!”
I live in Dallas now with my three children and I tell them all the time about those late nights as a child alone in my room with this guy John R. on WLAC in Nashville. Those vivd memories are an important and cherished part of who I became as an adult (which is a successfully oil painter who exhibits all over the U.S. and a jazz and blues connoisseur forever).
Hey….not all of the listeners were “black”….as Wikipedia might have said! I was just a poor, white country boy from West Virginia and was one of the biggest WLAC and John R fans in the whole USA!
I remember listening for names like Ella Washington and Joe Simon and so many great singers….BUT with the DJs on WLAC, it was GREAT just to hear them talk….Even when they were selling things, it was like music to hear them speak.
Wouldn’t it be great if they could do re-runs on the radio of those shows from the past?
I’ve always heard it said that God gave us memories so we could have roses in the snow, but
it sure would be great to tune in to WLAC now and hear those old programs.
THANKS TO EVERYONE AT THE STATION!
generation of black entertainers and listeners, and according to wikipedia, is partly responsible for the evolution of rock and roll’s emergence out of the blues from poverty stricken areas of the South.
When WEAL 1510 AM, Greensboro NC(a great soul station) went off the air at sundown, WLAC could be heard. Man, late at night, all that great music played by John R, Hoss Allen, Gene Nobles and the other dj’s was absolutely the best radio had to offer. By the way, Hoss Allen did some promotional work for Reverend Isaih on a Greensboro radio station in the early ’90’s; it was great to hear the “Hossman” again. I do a blues radio show on WNAA 90.1 FM and occasionally play some clips from John R
Hey, aren’t there any other women who listened to this WLAC programming? I was WAY in northern Ohio – usual story – it would come in just BARELY when local stations went off the air. I remember John R’s show very well – not the others so much – I was not even of “teenage years” as yet and was listening to the radio after I was supposed to be in bed asleep. The town I grew up in had very few black people, and my friends and I who were listening to John R. did not even realize this was music being performed by (and mostly for) black people. I am serious – at some point, somebody realized, or it grew on us, or whatever. We just knew it was something different and electrifying. (This is a twist on all the people who thought John R. WAS black – we just thought he was “Southern”) Anyway if you can believe the biographers it is perfectly true that a lot of rock musicians who became popular in the late 60s and 70s listened early on to John R and other DJs like him—and the British musicians (such as the Stones – I could early on recognize where a lot of THEIR influence came from) who got hold of the records somehow – the ones John R (and his fellow WLACers) had played. It is pleasant to run into this website, still occasionally being commented—-
I just watched the new movie “Cadillac Records” about the history of the legendary Chess record label and it got me to thinking about WLAC and Randy’s Record Shop. I started listening to WLAC while attending Purdue University about 1959. It opened up a whole new world of music to me and I loved it all. Still do. Like someone else commented, I never gave much thought to whether John R. was black or white, I just thought of him as “Southern”. What fun this has been to listen to this broadcast! Thanks so very much to those of you responsible for making it available. Some of the double entendres about White Rose Petroleum Jelly were hilarious: “One in the glove compartment is worth two in the medicine cabinet!” My roommate and I spent much of what little money we had on beer and records from Randy’s. We also would walk about five miles fromm campus, across the Wabash River, and into Lafayette (Indiana) to a little hole in the wall shop that sold used jukebox records. They were just stacked on wood shelves, not sorted, and we would spend hours looking for a Jimmy Reed or Little Walter or Muddy Waters. Thanks for the memories.
In southeast Ga in the 50s and 60s everyone listened to John R. at night. WLAC and WCKY were about the only stations we could get at night. Many hours were spent parking or partying with John R. and the R&B music we loved. We always thought the DJs were black and it didn’t matter even though things were segregated back then. I want to thank you for your efforts to preserve this part of radio history.
I am another woman who grew up listening, like the guy who commented he listened late at night while his parents assumed he was fast asleep. When the station was coming in clearly I couldn’t make myself go to sleep. This was in a small town about 55 miles from Nashville — later, as an adult I moved to Nashville and was fortunate enough to meet and hear Earl Gaines and the recently deceased Ted Jarrett sing a song or two, two performers who often were played, and of course, Ted Jarrett produced many of the early R&B artists in Nashville. But I loved the DJs too! Listening to that station changed my life — I learned a lifelong appreciation of R&B, and then later, I loved and still love the rock steady version of reggae, which was based on this early R&B. I read somewhere — on liner notes for an early reggae recording I think — that WLAC’s signal made it all the way to Jamaica! It’s a part of Nashville history that a lot of people don’t really know about, or didn’t, until the “Night Train to Nashville” exhibit appeared at the Country Music Hall of Fame a few years ago. Great to hear WLAC again — thank you for this website!!