Magnificent Montague facts for kids

Nathaniel "Magnificent" Montague (born in New Jersey, January 11, 1928) was a famous American R&B and soul music disc jockey. He was known for playing great music on radio stations like KGFJ in Los Angeles, California and WWRL in New York City. He also had a very famous catchphrase: "Burn, baby! Burn!" This phrase became a rallying cry during the 1965 Watts riots. After some people thought his phrase accidentally encouraged the riots, Montague changed his message. He began to promote peace and urged young listeners to get an education. He created a new phrase: "Learn, baby! Learn!"

Life and Career Highlights

Nathaniel Montague moved to Palm Springs, California in the mid-1970s. He was semi-retired by then. He helped start a new radio station called KPLM. This station played easy listening music. Today, KPLM is a successful country music station. Montague was the first African-American in 40 years to get a permit to build a radio station.

Montague's Famous Catchphrase

Montague's catchphrase, "Burn, baby! Burn!", was even used in a very important computer program. This program was for the Apollo 11 mission in 1969. That mission took Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin to the Moon. The code included the words: "BURN, BABY, BURN – MASTER IGNITION ROUTINE". In 2009, Don Eyles confirmed that this code was a reference to Montague.

The catchphrase also appeared in popular music. The 1976 hit song "Disco Inferno" by the Trammps used the phrase.

His Autobiography

Montague wrote a book about his life. It is called Burn, Baby! Burn!. The University of Illinois Press published it in October 2003.

Collecting African-American History

For 50 years, Montague and his wife, Rose Thaddeus Casalan, collected many items. These items included art, historical objects, and documents related to African-American culture. This collection is known as the Montague Collection. Since February 14, 2017, it has been on display. You can see it at the Meek-Eaton Black Archives Research Center and Museum. This museum is at Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University in Tallahassee.

Personal Life

Nathaniel Montague and his wife Rose retired to Las Vegas, Nevada. He also became a follower of Judaism.