Joseph Deighton Gibson Jr. facts for kids

Joseph Deighton Gibson, Jr. (born May 13, 1922 – died January 30, 2000) was an American radio disc jockey (DJ) and actor. He studied at Lincoln University in Missouri from 1940 to 1942. There he earned a bachelor's degree in science. Many people see him as the founder of the "Black appeal" radio format. This format played music and talked in a way that connected with Black audiences.

His friends in radio called him “Jockey Jack.” He became famous for his yearly Black radio convention. At this event, he was known as Jack the Rapper. It was a big music showcase for Black and urban music. He is in the Nevada Broadcasters Association Hall of Fame. In 1989, he also joined the Black Radio Hall of Fame.

The Start of a Radio Career

Gibson began his radio journey with the help of Al Benson. Benson was a famous DJ in Chicago, known for his "jive-patter" style. This was a cool, rhythmic way of talking on the radio. Benson played Be-Bop jazz music at station WJJD.

Al Benson, also called the ‘Old Swingmaster,’ started in radio in 1943. He quickly became popular in Chicago. He played swing and Be-Bop jazz. His unique style was using Black "jive talk" between songs. He was the first DJ to speak with a Black southern accent. He also used a lot of "street slang." This helped him connect with Black people who had moved to northern cities. He was also the first to play popular urban blues records on air. This made his station very popular.

When Jack Gibson started working for Benson at WJJD, a new idea was born. This was the idea of "Black appeal radio." This is where 'Jockey Jack' got his start. In his early publicity photos, Gibson was shown like a jockey. He wore silk outfits and stood by a microphone and turntable. He quickly gained many fans by playing music for a Black audience.

Creating New Radio Stations

Gibson also acted in a show called Destination Freedom. This show told stories about important Black people in the Americas. In 1949, Gibson left WJJD. He went on to start a new radio station, WERD, in Atlanta, Georgia. WERD was the first radio station in America to be owned by a Black person. The first voice heard on WERD was 'Jockey Jack' himself.

He and Jesse Blayton Jr. took over a station that was losing money. They changed it from playing big-band music. Instead, WERD played the new Rhythm and Blues (R&B). R&B mixed gospel singing, swing music, and electric urban blues. This new music was selling more than jazz in the Black music market. But other Black-themed stations were not playing it much. They preferred the older big-band style.

Using "back home" street talk and R&B music became very popular with young people. This new style of talking and music was seen as cool and a bit rebellious. Along with other DJs inspired by Al Benson, a new wave of Black American culture hit the airwaves. This included rhyming, boastful talk, and playful insults called "the dozens." These styles became common on radio.

One of the first to do this was Lavada Durst. He was a former baseball announcer known as Doctor Hep Cat. He spoke in rhymes that were not offensive. His style was an early form of modern rap and hip-hop. Another rhyming DJ was Holmes (Daddy-O) Daylie. He was a bartender who did his whole show in rhyme. Daddy-O helped make "Be-Bop" jazz talk popular.

The Rise of Rhyming DJs

Doctor Hep Cat even published a book called “The Jives of Doctor Hep Cat.” It had his radio rhymes and a dictionary of "jive talk." For many years, Doctor Hep Cat was very popular in Austin, Texas. These DJs did not try to fit into the mainstream culture. They were "populists," meaning they played music and used language that Black people used every day on the street. This helped set the stage for Black appeal radio stations after World War II.

Later, Hal Jackson, a leader in Black radio, changed things. He preferred a smoother, inner-city way of speaking on the radio. His station, WWRL, gained many listeners. When his station bought WBLS, FM radio audiences learned there was more to music than just "Top 40" hits. DJs like Frankie Crocker and others became number one in their markets. Some even became the top radio stations in the country.

Gibson was part of a group of radio personalities who spoke "jive." This was the cool, hip language of the time. They offered colorful, jargon-filled, and often rhymed comments between songs. They had fun names like Tommy “Dr. Jive” Smalls and “Long Tall Lanky Larry Dean.” Gibson would go on air as ‘Jockey Jack.’ He would wear real jockey silks and play bugle calls. He would talk about ‘riding the hits,’ like a horse race.

In 1953, Gibson became a program director at WMBM and then WFEC. The next year, he returned to WERD. WERD’s studios were in the same building as the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC). This group was led by the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.. When Dr. King wanted to announce a rally, he would tap on his office ceiling. This was directly under WERD’s studio. Gibson would then lower his microphone through the studio window. Dr. King would grab the mic to announce his calls for protest.

Leading Black Radio

In 1955, Gibson started the National Association of Radio Announcers for Black DJs. In the 1960s, it changed its name to the National Association of Television and Radio Announcers (NATRA). By bringing all these Black Appeal Radio groups together, Gibson became a leader. He proudly said, "I slapped this baby's bottom and brought it to life!"

In 1963, Gibson joined Motown Records as a public relations (PR) manager. While there, he helped many famous artists. These included the Supremes, Marvin Gaye, the Jackson Five, and Stevie Wonder. As the Director of International PR, he often introduced these stars to the public on stage. In 1969, he moved to STAX records. He stayed there until 1972. In 1976, he started publishing a newsletter called "Mello Yello." It was about the radio industry.

Gibson wrote in his autobiography about the newsletter. He said, "When we went to get it copied, the man told us he could give us a good deal if we used this goldenrod paper stock, which was a sunshine-yellow. Guess he was overstocked with that color. I didn’t mind because, if nothing else, that wild color would get the newsletter noticed.”

"Jack the Rapper's Mello Yello" is the oldest and largest Black radio and music publication in America. Gibson explained, “I did a pick of the week and rated the top singles and albums. But I added something new: I decided to write my own opinion pieces about the Black music industry. If there was somebody to be told on, I was ready and willing to do it. The ending line was always the same: “Stay Black till I get back.”

The Family Affair Convention

Gibson believed he could create a yearly Black music convention. It would be like the one held by Billboard Magazine, but with a different focus. The first “Jack the Rapper Family Affair” took place in Atlanta, Georgia, in June 1977. Gibson always called Atlanta “Martin’s Town,” referring to Martin Luther King Jr. Big record companies like CBS Records helped pay for it.

The convention had workshops about radio programming and music production. There were also many parties. Minister Louis Farrakhan was one of the main speakers at this first Family Affair.

That first Family Affair was a huge success. Along with another conference in Los Angeles, the Black music industry now had two chances to connect. They could network, plan, build friendships, and socialize. By its third year, the Family Affair had grown too big for its first location. So, it moved to Peachtree Plaza in 1979 and 1980.

Gibson remembered a "wild night" with George Clinton and his Dr. Funkenstein act. Bob Marley was also there, which Gibson believed was his last appearance before he died. By 1981, the convention moved to Dunphy’s hotel. They booked the entire hotel. Since Dunphy’s had a pool, they added a pool party to the schedule. Eddie Murphy even made an appearance at the Family Affair there. After that, they moved the convention to the Marriott.

In 1985, Gibson helped to un-ban Stevie Wonder's records in South Africa. Wonder's music was banned after he accepted an award in the name of Nelson Mandela. About 230 radio stations joined Gibson's call to honor Stevie Wonder on his birthday.

In 1986, the Smithsonian Institution honored Gibson for his work promoting Black radio.

In 1987, Gibson learned that soul singer Jackie Wilson was buried in an unmarked grave. Gibson started a fundraiser to buy a headstone and tomb for Wilson and his mother. People donated small amounts, often $1. By May, they had raised about $10,000. This money was used to build a mausoleum and headstone. The inscription on it read, "And now, no more lonely teardrops."

The Jack the Rapper Family Affair was a place where important people in Black urban radio met. They listened to what record companies had to offer. Performing live at the convention could start a new artist's career. It also helped established musicians like Prince and Whitney Houston stay popular.

When Rap music became big in the 1980s and 1990s, new Rap artists came to the Family Affairs. This sometimes caused confusion because of the name 'Jack the Rapper.' It also attracted some people who caused problems. This made hotels rethink hosting Gibson's events.

Challenges and Legacy

Gibson moved the 1994 Family Affair from Atlanta to Orlando, Florida. It had grown to over 5,000 attendees. It brought about $13.8 million in business to Atlanta each year. People who wanted to meet celebrities bought tickets just to party. These crowds became too much for the venues and organizers. Gibson's daughter, Jill Gibson-Bell, remembered security issues. Young, rising artists like Sean “Puffy” Combs and others were there. Some of the rough events in Orlando were shown in the 1997 film Rhyme & Reason.

Many talented artists who started at a Family Affair became superstars. The seminars gave people in the industry a chance to share ideas. They often returned to their jobs with new concepts. But the show eventually ended. Extra security could not control the crowds. The convention was stopped because of the very acts Gibson had supported. These acts brought street culture to the "family friendly" upscale convention.

In 1996, all of Gibson's books, records, and photographs were given to the Archives of African American Music and Culture at Indiana University. That same year, Gibson was named to the Entertainment Committee for the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta.

Gibson moved to Las Vegas, Nevada, in 1990. He was inducted into the Nevada Broadcasting Hall of Fame in 1998.

Personal Life

Gibson was married to Sadye Gibson for 47 years. They had two children. Sadye died in 1990. His second wife, Elsie Harris-Gibson, lives in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Joseph Gibson died from prostate cancer on January 30, 2000. He was 79 years old and passed away in Las Vegas, Nevada.

See also

• Archives of African American Music and Culture
• African American firsts
• Imhotep Gary Byrd
• Kool DJ Red Alert
• Bob Perkins
• Jocko Henderson
• Ed Castleberry
• Yvonne Daniels
• DJ Nat D.
• Jive
• Signifying Jive talk