Vaughn Harper facts for kids

Vaughn Harper (born March 1, 1945 – died July 9, 2016) was an American radio announcer and DJ. He was known for his smooth voice and for hosting the "Quiet Storm" radio show.

Early Life and Basketball Career

Vaughn Harper grew up in New York City. He was a talented basketball player from a young age.

High School and College Sports

Harper played high school basketball at Boys High School in Brooklyn. He was an amazing rebounder and was named an All-American. After high school, he played college basketball for Syracuse University. His team even played in the NIT.

Professional Basketball Dreams

After college, Harper played for a short time in the CBA. This led to a try-out with the Detroit Pistons, a professional NBA team. He was chosen by the Pistons in the sixth round of the NBA draft. However, he did not join the team due to a knee injury he got during training camp.

Life in Radio

Vaughn Harper became a famous voice on the radio, especially in New York City.

Starting His Radio Journey

Harper began his radio career in 1976 at the station WBLS. He was mentored by another well-known DJ, Frankie Crocker.

The "Quiet Storm" Show

In 1983, Harper and fellow DJ Champaine created a special late-night radio show called "Quiet Storm." This show played calm, romantic music and became very popular. Listeners loved Harper's deep, smooth voice, which made the show feel peaceful and relaxing at the end of the day. The "Quiet Storm" show became a favorite in the New York area and continued for many years.

Basketball for Charity

While working at WBLS, Harper also used his basketball skills for a good cause. He played on the station's team, the WBLS-Sureshots, with Ken 'Spider' Webb. They played against local teams to raise money for charity. Their games were so popular that they filled Madison Square Garden twice!

Reaching Number One

In 1979, WBLS, with Harper and other DJs like Ken Webb, Johnny Allen, and Frankie Crocker, became the number one radio station in the Billboard Radio rankings. This was a huge achievement for the station.

Overcoming Challenges

In 1993, Harper had a stroke. He spent several years working hard to recover. During his recovery, Champaine hosted the "Quiet Storm II" show on WBLS. Harper eventually left WBLS in 1997 and later returned to radio at WWRL in 1998. He worked hard to regain his professional speaking skills. He also worked at WBGO-FM, where he felt his energy returning to his show.

Voice in Video Games

In 2008, Vaughn Harper's voice was featured in the popular video game Grand Theft Auto IV. He played himself, a DJ on one of the game's radio stations called The Vibe 98.8. Harper rejoined WBLS and continued to host his radio show until 2008.

Death

Vaughn Harper passed away on July 9, 2016, in Englewood, New Jersey. He was 71 years old.

See also

• Hal Jackson
• Yvonne Daniels
• Imhotep Gary Byrd
• Kool DJ Red Alert
• Jonathan Toubin
• WEPN-FM