Source: Paras Griffin / Getty
When
Tom Joyner officially signed off from the airwaves last year, the world of morning radio was without one of its living legends. With that massive void yet to be filled by the many capable morning show hosts of today, Black Twitter gathered together to fondly remember The Fly Jock.
Joyner’s professional career in radio started in the 1970s and the story of how he earned his Fly Jock nickname proved why he also had another nickname, “The Hardest Working Man In Radio.”
For eight years, Joyner worked a morning show in Dallas on KKDA-FM, and commuted to Chicago for an afternoon show on WGCI-FM, racking up millions of frequent flier miles in the process. In 1994, Joyner was signed to the ABC Radio network and his nationally-syndicated program, The Tom Joyner Morning Show, was born.
With Joyner running point, his co-host Sybil Wilkes and former co-host J. Anthony Brown, and other rotating personalities informed and enlightened their devoted fan base. The show was a hub of progressive Black thought and promoted excellence via education and service. Along with daily news bits, comedy skits, and guest hosts, the show also heavily promoted the contributions Black people have made to the world via the Little Known Black History Facts segment.
Joyner signed off in December 2019 and passed the torch to his Omega Psi Phi brother in Rickey Smiley, who now maintains the morning show slot that his predecessor commanded for 25 years. While Smiley is as capable as they come, fans on Twitter are missing the Joyner and his signature theme song on their drives.
We’ve got those reactions from Twitter below.
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