John R., 1510 WLAC Nashville | 1967

John R. (Richbourg) was one of four Rhythm & Blues deejays who graced the airwaves of WLAC after dark, when the station’s powerful 50,000 watt signal could be heard via skywave across 38 states and parts of the Caribbean. When we first posted John R., way back in 2004, the aircheck became one of our most popular recordings.

The quality of this tape is amazing. It was apparently transferred from the source reel right onto this cassette by our contributor, Frank Davis. Richbourg is upbeat and ever so knowledgeable about the music. There are some live commercial reads here also, as were the majority of spots aired during John R’s programs.

You want real R&B, this is it! The Real Deal! This is partly scoped, so you won’t hear all these obscure cuts, but you will get a feel for the program, and what it was like to listen to 1510 WLAC at night. This certainly was not WLS, WABC or KHJ! Those Top 40 sounds and elements were not heard on WLAC… John R. was a one man show. Arguably, one of the most popular shows among African Americans not only in Nashville, but nearly everywhere WLAC’s signal could be heard.

We hope you enjoy this true museum piece. It belongs to the ages – and the listeners, to hear once again, and remember.