PRESS IMAGES FROM DETROIT RADIO’S PAST: ‘JLB 1967

Martha Jean the Queen

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In the early 1950s, Martha Jean, would become one of but a few female broadcasters in the country working radio “on-the-air.” She landed her first DJ stint in broadcast radio when she was hired at Memphis’ WDIA in 1954.

In 1963, Bell Broadcasting in Detroit, WCHB, hired Martha Jean from Memphis’ WDIA. After three years on the radio there, she left WCHB for Detroit’s WJLB on October 24, 1966.

Fifty years ago, during the Detroit riot in July 1967, in her personal attempt to quell the widespread civil disturbance and “calm the citizenry” — Martha Jean convinced WJLB management to cancel all scheduled programming — thus allowing her to remain on the air for an unprecedented 48 consecutive hours.

The legendary soul radio personality Martha Jean, known as “The Queen,” remained a broadcasting staple for over four decades while in the Motor City. During her decades’ reign on the radio airways here she became a formidable voice for Detroit and its inner-city core. In 1982, she purchased her own radio station, thus, becoming its sole manager thereby having divested all prior control of operations for WQBH (formerly Detroit’s WMZK).

She remained there on the air until the day she passed away, January 29, 2000.

**WDIA MARTHA JEAN** *Memphis* *circa 1950s*.

DETROIT ‘CHB-AM 1440: NEWSPAPER 1966 FLASHBACK

Sunday, October 23, 1966

A DETROIT RADIO BACK-PAGE

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DETROIT FREE PRESS: WCHB-AM ‘That Queen Of ‘Soul,’ Martha Jean’

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CAROLYN CRAWFORD: A ’64 MOTOWN STAR MEMORY

**CAROLYN CRAWFORD** (age 13) won a 1963 talent contest staged by radio station WCHB in Detroit, the prize being a contract with the city’s biggest label, Motown Records. Her debut single, which she wrote, *“Forget About Me,”* proved unsuccessful at the time (1963). But she had a minor US hit in 1964 (R&B; #39) with Smokey Robinson’s “My Smile Is Just A Frown (Turned Upside Down).” Her third release, *“When Someone’s Good To You,”* flopped in the USA, but became a cult record among British soul fans. *“I’ll Come Running,”* written by her as well, would be Carolyn Crawford’s last single she would record for the Detroit label. Crawford would depart from Motown Records sometime before the end of 1964. (Source: The Encyclopedia of Popular Music by Colin Larkin)

**DETROIT FREE PRESS** *Wednesday, July 8, 1964.* In this newspaper ad, Carolyn Crawford is denoted having been the named winner, previous year, of the WCHB Talent Contest in 1963.

DECEMBER ’67: DETROIT ‘CHB 1440 SUPER SOUL RADIO!

WCHB-AM December 4, 1967 — **WCHB-AM** *December 4, 1967 (click on chart 2x for largest view)*

Above WCHB music chart courtesy of Mrs. Patty Griggs and the George L. Griggs estate.

PRESS IMAGE FROM DETROIT RADIO’S PAST! WCHB, ’66

BILL WILLIAMS, WCHB 1968 — **WCHB BILL WILLIAMS** *1966 (press photo)*

A 1966 DETROIT WCHB RADIO NEWSPAPER FLASHBACK

Sunday, December 11, 1966

A DETROIT RADIO BACK-PAGE

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DETROIT FREE PRESS: WCHB-AM ‘Bill Williams, In Radio By Accident’

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WCHB: DETROIT SUPER ‘SOUL RADIO’ TOP 15! 10/02/67

WCHB October 2, 1967 — **WCHB** *October 2, 1967 (click image 2x for largest view)*

PRESS IMAGE FROM DETROIT RADIO’S PAST! WCHB, ’67

JAY BUTLER WCHB 1967 (press photo) — **WCHB JAY BUTLER** *1967 (Press Photo)*

THE 40 HOTTEST BILLBOARD ’65 R&B SINGLES LAST WEEK

BILLBOARD HOT 40 R&B SINGLES SPECIAL SURVEY: July 31, 1965 — **BILLBOARD HOT 40 R&B SINGLES SPECIAL SURVEY** *July 31, 1965 (click on chart 2x for largest view)*

**THE NO. 1 HOTTEST R&B SINGLE IN AMERICA ’65 * FOUR TOPS**

**THE NO. 2 HOTTEST R&B SINGLE IN AMERICA ’65 * WILSON PICKETT**

**THE NO. 3 HOTTEST R&B SINGLE IN AMERICA ’65 * SOLOMON BURKE**

**THE NO. 4 HOTTEST R&B SINGLE IN AMERICA ’65 * BILLY STEWART**

**THE NO. 5 HOTTEST R&B SINGLE IN AMERICA ’65 * BARBARA MASON**

WCHB / WJLB ‘TOP 5’ DETROIT

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The ‘Top 5’ soul records also were the most popular radio plays heard on Detroit’s two R&B stations 1440 WCHB and 1400 WJLB on the AM dial at the time, as well as other record selections off this chart, as tabulated nationally, week-ending 07/24/65.

THE 30 HOTTEST BILLBOARD ’63 R&B SINGLES LAST WEEK

BILLBOARD HOT 30 R&B SINGLES SPECIAL SURVEY: June 22, 1963 (click on image 2x for largest detailed view) — *BILLBOARD* HOT 30 R&B SINGLES SPECIAL SURVEY: *June 22, 1963*

**THE NO. 1 HOTTEST R&B SINGLE IN AMERICA ’63 * LESLEY GORE**

**THE NO. 2 HOTTEST R&B SINGLE IN AMERICA ’63 * SOLOMON BURKE**

**THE NO. 3 HOTTEST R&B SINGLE IN AMERICA ’63 * THEOLA KILGORE**

**THE NO. 4 HOTTEST R&B SINGLE IN AMERICA ’63 * SAM COOKE**

**THE NO. 5 HOTTEST R&B SINGLE IN AMERICA ’63 * BARBARA LEWIS**

DETROIT ‘TOP 5’ WCHB

The ‘Top 5’ soul records also were the most popular radio plays heard on Detroit’s R&B station on the AM dial at the time, WCHB 1440, as tabulated week-ending 06/15/63.