Melvin Lindsey
Melvin Lindsey | |
|---|---|
| Born | July 8, 1955 |
| Died | March 26, 1992 (aged 36) |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation(s) | radio and television personality |
| Known for | "Quiet Storm" late-night music programming format |
Melvin Lindsey (July 8, 1955 – March 26, 1992) was an American radio and television personality in the Washington, D.C. area. He is widely known for originating the "Quiet Storm" late-night music programming format.
Lindsey began his broadcast career as an intern at Howard University radio station WHUR-FM.[1] In 1976, he brought the "Quiet Storm" to the station's late-night lineup, titled after a romantic hit single by tenor crooner Smokey Robinson. The show's soulfully melodic and moody musical fare made it a phenomenal success and the 'love song'-heavy format was quickly replicated at stations across the country that served an urban, African-American adult demographic. Lindsey's show also gave rise to a category of music of the same name.[2]
After a nine-year run on WHUR, Lindsey took his format to another local radio station, WKYS-FM, for five more years and later hosted Screen Scene for Black Entertainment Television (BET). He also worked for Washington, D.C. television stations WTTG-TV and WFTY-TV and for WJZ-TV in Baltimore, Maryland.
Lindsey died of AIDS in 1992 at the age of 36, but the Quiet Storm format he originated remains a popular staple in radio programming today, three decades after its inception, across the nation, especially in evening and late-night radio programs. Many artists continue to create songs targeted towards Quiet Storm stations and shows.
See also
- Quiet storm
- A Quiet Storm – the Smokey Robinson record where the song "Quiet Storm" appeared
- Vaughn Harper
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Biography portal
References
- ^ Craig Lytle. "A Quiet Storm". AllMusic. Retrieved 21 April 2016.
- ^ Castaneda, Ruben (March 27, 1992). "Quiet Storm' Radio Host Melvin Lindsey Dies at 36". Washington Post. Retrieved 26 March 2016.