BOBBY JAY
A New York
Emmy Award winner as host of the 1987 magazine talk show, “First
City” on WNYC-TV 31,
Bobby Jay is that rare bird - a native New Yorker. Born and
raised in New York City’s Harlem, home of the world famous
Apollo Theatre, Bobby was bitten by the show business bug at
the age of eleven. A man of many talents and careers, all related
to show business, Bobby grew up surrounded by people like “Baby
Washington,” “Ben E. King,” “Freddie Scott,” and all
the other musical talents in the area. Their playground was the
“Apollo,” “Smalls
Paradise,”
the “Baby Grand,” and “Minton’s Playhouse.” It was
on hearing “Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers,” that Bobby
made up his mind about what he really wanted to do with the rest
of his life. Bobby began singing with various groups, but it
wasn’t until he joined the “Laddins” in 1957 as the bass
singer, did his singing career really begin.
Proving that
once you have music in your blood it stays with you for life, in
1962 on leaving the Laddins for the U.S. Army, and while stationed
in Georgia in 1964, Bobby became an air personality at radio
station WTHB-AM. So began his radio career. Upon his
return to New York, Bobby worked at WNJR-AM in Newark, NJ
and WGLI-AM in Babylon, Long Island, NY, and then moved on
to the 50,000 watt powerhouse WDIA-AM in Memphis, TN. He
returned once again to New York in 1970, and went to work for the
biggest R&B station in the country at that time, “Super
Sixteen,” WWRL-AM. During his fifteen years with ‘RL, Bobby
was Program Director, Station Manager and On-Air Personality. One
of the biggest of his many achievements while there, was winning
Billboard Magazine’s “Air Personality Of The Year” award in
1977. Also while at the “Big ‘RL,” Bobby began his acting career.
Bobby has
appeared in several industrial films for AT&T and stage
productions, like “ Turkey In The House,” “Konkolene,” “Just
Once,” “A Christmas Gift For You,” and was in the original
Off-Broadway production of “Leader of The Pack,” which
later had a Broadway run at the Ambassador Theatre. As a result
of his musical theatre activities, Bobby has made appearances on
the “Today” show, “Good Morning America,” “Midday
Live,” “On The Town,” “Wonderama,” the “Joe
Franklin Show” and “Late Night with David
Letterman.” He lent his talent to Jim Jarmusch, for the Orion
Films motion picture, “Mystery Train.” Bobby has also
appeared as an actor on the “Guiding Light” on the CBS
Television Network. Never one to put his eggs in one basket,
Bobby, still acting and singing, left WWRL in 1985 to join WCBS-FM
as host of the popular “Hall of Fame” and “Top Twenty
Countdown” shows, where his ratings were consistently “Number
One.” He also hosted the very successful “Soul of The City”
and “Jukebox Saturday Night” programs during his twenty
year stint at CBS.
Today Bobby; when not in the studio producing and singing on
records, can be heard lending his voice to national commercials as
a voice-over announcer and jingle singer, for such products as:
“Hi-C,” “Mounds,” “Kit Kat Bars,” “Kentucky
Fried Chicken,” “Miller Beer,” “Chevrolet” and “Nickelodeon.” As a back-up singer for artists like
Bette Midler, Paul Shaffer, Phoebe Snow, Ben E. King, and
Marvin Sease. Narrating film documentaries for Rhino and BBQ
Productions. He is also a teacher and faculty member at the New
School University For Social Research in New York City, where he
teaches students four and five part harmony, emceeing shows around
the country, in addition to being one of the hosts/announcers at
the “Big E” fair and expo in West Springfield, MA. 2007,
also finds Bobby behind the microphone hosting “Bobby Jay’s
Great Soul Performances,” throughout Western Europe and
the United Kingdom on the new Satellite station, VIP Radio.
The highlight of everything though, is when you find him on stage
behind the mike singing bass with the group that inspired him to
get into the business, “Frankie Lymon’s ‘Legendary’
Teenagers."
Being a
member of this “Rock ‘N’ Roll Hall of Fame” group was only
a dream for Bobby Jay years ago, but today he can say “dreams
really do come true.”
