Herman Grizzard
Encyclopedia
Herman Grizzard was an American
radio disc jockey
who attained fame from the 1940s through the 1970s for playing rhythm and blues
and music on Nashville radio station WLAC
. Grizzard was one host of a nightly series of four programs on the station. He shared the block of programs with "John R.
" Richbourg, Bill "Hoss" Allen, and Gene Nobles
. Together they were known as the "50,000 Watt Quartet".
Grizzard began his affiliation with the historic clear-channel AM station during its early years in the 1930s. Up to the mid-1940s, he hosted a variety of different programs. By 1950, Grizzard joined the station's move to a nighttime format of R&B, soul music
, and gospel music
. The station developed the programming to sell advertising to African-American-oriented products and businesses.
For many years, Grizzard's program was sponsored by Buckley's, a local Nashville record store. It was located on Church Street near downtown and the Vanderbilt University
campus. Most of Grizzard's program was devoted to promoting the store's stock, often sold in packages of three to six 78 or 45 RPM discs. Buckley's, along with Randy's Record Shop in nearby Gallatin
(sponsor of Nobles' program), and Ernie's Record Mart (sponsor of Richbourg's show), conducted large mail-order businesses. They provided many customers the chance to buy music that, prior to the late 1950s, was not readily available to many Euro-Americans, at least not from "respectable" outlets. Buckley's inventory consisted chiefly of recordings by local artists on Nashville-based labels. Grizzard featured these songs liberally on his program. After Grizzard's death, Buckley's sponsored Bill "Hoss" Allen's program for several years. The store closed in the early 1970s.
According to Wes Smith's book, The Pied Pipers of Rock 'n' Roll: Radio Deejays of the 50s and 60s (Longstreet Press, 1989), Grizzard was also an early baseball
broadcaster. He had announced play-by-play action of minor-league teams in Nashville.
For most of his show's run, Grizzard used the Avery Parrish
tune "After Hours
" — performed by Parrish with the accompanyment of the Erskine Hawkins
Orchestra — as an opening theme.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
radio disc jockey
Disc jockey
A disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...
who attained fame from the 1940s through the 1970s for playing rhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues, often abbreviated to R&B, is a genre of popular African American music that originated in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly to urban African Americans, at a time when "urbane, rocking, jazz based music with a...
and music on Nashville radio station WLAC
WLAC
WLAC is a clear channel radio station based in Nashville, Tennessee, operating at 1510 kHz on the AM dial.-Early history:Its first broadcast took place on November 24, 1926. The call letters were chosen to contain an acronym for the first owner of the station, the Life and Casualty Insurance...
. Grizzard was one host of a nightly series of four programs on the station. He shared the block of programs with "John R.
John R.
John R. was an American radio disc jockey who attained fame in the 1950s and 1960s for playing rhythm and blues music on Nashville radio station WLAC...
" Richbourg, Bill "Hoss" Allen, and Gene Nobles
Gene Nobles
Gene Nobles was an American radio disc jockey who attained fame on Nashville radio station WLAC from the 1940s through the 1970s by playing rhythm and blues music....
. Together they were known as the "50,000 Watt Quartet".
Grizzard began his affiliation with the historic clear-channel AM station during its early years in the 1930s. Up to the mid-1940s, he hosted a variety of different programs. By 1950, Grizzard joined the station's move to a nighttime format of R&B, soul music
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
, and gospel music
Gospel music
Gospel music is music that is written to express either personal, spiritual or a communal belief regarding Christian life, as well as to give a Christian alternative to mainstream secular music....
. The station developed the programming to sell advertising to African-American-oriented products and businesses.
For many years, Grizzard's program was sponsored by Buckley's, a local Nashville record store. It was located on Church Street near downtown and the Vanderbilt University
Vanderbilt University
Vanderbilt University is a private research university located in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Founded in 1873, the university is named for shipping and rail magnate "Commodore" Cornelius Vanderbilt, who provided Vanderbilt its initial $1 million endowment despite having never been to the...
campus. Most of Grizzard's program was devoted to promoting the store's stock, often sold in packages of three to six 78 or 45 RPM discs. Buckley's, along with Randy's Record Shop in nearby Gallatin
Gallatin, Tennessee
Gallatin is a city in and the county seat of Sumner County, Tennessee, United States, along a navigable tributary of the Cumberland River. The population was 23,230 at the 2000 census. Named for U.S...
(sponsor of Nobles' program), and Ernie's Record Mart (sponsor of Richbourg's show), conducted large mail-order businesses. They provided many customers the chance to buy music that, prior to the late 1950s, was not readily available to many Euro-Americans, at least not from "respectable" outlets. Buckley's inventory consisted chiefly of recordings by local artists on Nashville-based labels. Grizzard featured these songs liberally on his program. After Grizzard's death, Buckley's sponsored Bill "Hoss" Allen's program for several years. The store closed in the early 1970s.
According to Wes Smith's book, The Pied Pipers of Rock 'n' Roll: Radio Deejays of the 50s and 60s (Longstreet Press, 1989), Grizzard was also an early baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
broadcaster. He had announced play-by-play action of minor-league teams in Nashville.
For most of his show's run, Grizzard used the Avery Parrish
Avery Parrish
Avery Parrish was an American jazz pianist and songwriter.Parrish studied at the Alabama State Teachers College, where he played in the Bama State Collegians, an ensemble led by Erskine Hawkins. He remained in Hawkins's employ until 1941 and recorded with him extensively...
tune "After Hours
After Hours (Avery Parrish song)
After Hours is a blues piano composition composed by Birmingham, Alabama pianist, Avery Parrish.The first recording of the song, in 1940 on the Bluebird label with the Erskine Hawkins Orchestra, was an instant hit, and subsequently became a jazz standard...
" — performed by Parrish with the accompanyment of the Erskine Hawkins
Erskine Hawkins
Erskine Ramsay Hawkins was an American trumpet player and big band leader from Birmingham, Alabama, dubbed "The 20th Century Gabriel". He is most remembered for composing the jazz standard "Tuxedo Junction" with saxophonist and arranger Bill Johnson...
Orchestra — as an opening theme.
External links
- WLAC Radio: The Unofficial Webpage - station history (features a rare aircheck of Grizzard and a full-length recording of "After Hours")