I’ve always liked and respected President Jimmy Carter —and the fact that he designated June Black Music Month back in 1979 is just one of many reasons. This morning, TJMS producers have asked us to take a look at music that makes us feel better, and if you were around back in 1979 (or just […]
When you ask someone’s opinion, do you want the truth? Really? Honestly? And when you get an honest opinion that isn’t what you wanted to hear, do you believe it, dispute it or go off on the person that gave it? I’m not sure how much real honesty exists anymore. It seems that anytime there […]
We have a few mamas on the TJMS crew, and they carry a heavy load. You can imagine how much work is required when you work for the hardest working man in radio. Added to that, they’ve got husbands, kids, parents, in-laws and pets all demanding something from them. Sometimes I see that they’re pushed […]
This past Labor Day weekend, for me, was all about family. We had another successful “Tom Joyner Family Reunion” in Orlando, and much of the purpose in the party revolved around education. Whether it was a seminar on directing parents and kids on finding the right college or showing kids the danger of DWT – […]
Yesterday morning, we found out that Sen. Ted Kennedy, a champion of liberal America, died of brain cancer. He fought for civil rights, against the Viet Nam War, supported President Obama was always stood up for the poor and disenfranchised. But he also will forever be tied to a tragic event in his life that […]
Monday meant back-to-school for many of you, three little words that usually either spread joy or terror for children and their parents. Either way, it means you’re really involved in you children’s lives and are in touch with what’s going on at school. So, once you get over all the drama surrounding back-to-school shopping, you […]
Almost 15 years ago, when I was first ready to put some purpose in the party on TJMS, I brought Tavis Smiley on board because I realized he was a person who could help us get some serious messages across to our audience in the midst of all the fun we were having. It worked. […]
Saturday, I was in Chicago for the annual Bud Billiken Day Parade. Back in the 1920s, the founder of the Chicago’s premier black newspaper, the Chicago Defender, felt that black kids in Chicago needed something that would help them celebrate the importance of education — that going back to school should be as exciting as […]
I got the name Fly Jock bcecause for eight years, I flew back and forth from Dallas to Chicago to do a morning show and an afternoon show in two different cities, five days a week. That’s how I GOT the name. Here’s how I KEEP it. This week, I started when I left Friday’s […]
Yesterday, our In Studio Jam guest Ginuwine sung his now-classic hit, “In those Jeans.” J. immediately murdered it (in record time, I might add), and turned it into a song about too tight jeans. And even though he was late for work yesterday, as usual, his comedy was right on time. Today there’s a story […]
Is racism still an issue now that we’ve elected a black man as president? The incident involving Harvard professor Skip Gates’ arrest at his own home answered the question mainstream America just won’t let go of. Could Skip have handled the situation differently or better? The answer is yes, and he has admitted that too. […]
Today, June 1, kicks off Black Music Month, and we’re celebrating it on the TJMS. I know what you’re probably thinking: The TJMS is a black radio show, and you play black music every day. Yeah, we do. But that doesn’t mean that we can’t take a month to look a little closer at something […]