Tennessee Historical Commission

This Tennessee Historical Commission marker for WDIA – The Goodwill Station is located outside WDIA Radio on Union Avenue in downtown Memphis, Tennessee. Here is a link to WDIA’s online broadcast.

The GPS location of this marker is: N 35° 08.587′ W 90° 03.182′

Tennessee Historical Commission marker for WDIA Radio, Union Avenue, Memphis, Tennessee
Tennessee Historical Commission marker for WDIA Radio, Union Avenue, Memphis, Tennessee

This marker reads:

“WDIA – THE GOODWILL STATION – WDIA, the Goodwill Station, was the first radio station in the nation to have an all-black format. This format made WDIA the top-rated Memphis station in the early 1950s. In 1948, Nat D. Williams became its first black ‘D-J.’ Among those who appeared on WDIA were B.B. King, Dwight More, Rufus Thomas, A.C. Williams, Willa Monroe, Martha Jean Steinberg and Maurice Hulbert. Early programs included Teen-Town Singers, Payday Today, Brown America Speaks and Hallelujah Jubilee.”

Tennessee Historical Commission marker for WDIA Radio, Union Avenue, Memphis, Tennessee
Tennessee Historical Commission marker outside WDIA Radio, Union Avenue, Memphis, Tennessee
The WDIA radio station is in this building on Union Avenue in downtown Memphis, Tennessee
The WDIA radio station is in this building on Union Avenue in downtown Memphis, Tennessee

Here are some links to more information on WDIA:

The CD cover for B.B. King’s Original Greatest Hits (shown below) shows B.B. King during his days with WDIA.

CD cover, Original Greatest Hits by B.B. King
CD cover, Original Greatest Hits by B.B. King

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