John and Vermya Phillips

Black History Spotlight – Trailblazing Gospel Radio Announcers

Radio broadcasters were instrumental in spreading gospel music to the masses. In honor of Black History Month, the Sentinel features a few of the L.A. faith-based deejays and radio stations that ruled the airwaves in the middle decades of the 20th century. Rev. Clayton D. Russell – As the first Black gospel radio announcer in Los Angeles, Russell launched his broadcast on KFOX in 1938 with a 15-minute church service featuring fellow announcers Joe Adams and Forest “War” Perkins. Russell’s program was expanded to one-hour in 1941, making him the first African American to have a long-format show in the