Posted by chicagomedia.org on October 27, 2009 at 13:39:53:
Kent's record
October 27, 2009 | Stella Foster | Chicago Sun-Times
CONGRATULATIONS to legendary deejay V-103 radio's Herb Kent aka "The Cool Gent" on being entered into the Guinness Book of World Records for "having the longest career by a deejay in radio History." The 8l-years-young and dapper Herb, who has been in the radio biz for 65 years spinning dusties, will celebrate this monumental career achievement and officially receive his award Dec. 5 at the South Shore Cultural Center. The evening will benefit the Real Men Cook Charities, and a Guinness representative will fly in to present the award to Kent.
Mayor Daley and Gov. Quinn will proclaim Dec. 5 as "Herb Kent Day" in the city and state and are the honorary-co-chairs for this event, which will be a roast and toast to the Great One. The mayor also wrote the foreword for Kent's best-selling autobiography, The Cool Gent: The Nine Lives of Radio Legend Herb Kent, co-authored by former Sun-Times reporter David Smallwood and now in its second printing.
Ald. Bob Fioretti will introduce a resolution in his honor at the Nov. 18 City Council meeting, and the organizers also have put in a request to the Bulls and Bears to present honorary jerseys with the No. 65 for the 6-foot, 1-inch icon, who always wanted to be a wide receiver (with his little skinny self)!
I reached out to Herb and asked him what was his response when he got the news last Thursday. "It was so unbelievable, and I have had a love affair with radio since I was 6 years old. And even then I would listen to the blues station, especially a show called 'Red Hot and Lowdown.' And I am still madly in love with radio today."
I asked the radio phenom what celeb careers he personally helped make. "The Temptations, Smokey Robinson, Fontella Bass, James Brown, Kool & the Gang, Chaka Khan, Donny Hathaway, the Impressions and Jerry Butler, just to name a few. All of these great artists I gave major exposure to through my daily radio shows and record hops."
What is still nagging at your heart to do? "I would love to do a national TV talk and variety show showcasing a lot of the R&B artists that I have promoted down through the years. I would like to also inspire the youngsters coming along to get into radio, and I am just delighted to be in the Guinness Book."
Kent's first radio job was with WBEZ in 1944 when he was a 16-year-old high school student out of Hyde Park. His career spans 11 different stations including 17 years with WVON and the last 20 with V-103, where he is still spinning in his chair.
Guess what? Before Barack Obama became president, he was twice a guest on Kent's popular "Battle of the Bands" segment on V-103 and at that time, told Herb that he would come back to the show after his campaign was over. (Well, Mr. President ... it's time to get to steppin' ... which I know you do!')
SMALLWOOD told this reporter that when he met with Herb to give him the good news, Kent said, "It is stupefying, as well as validation and vindication against my college broadcast professor, who told me when I was a straight-A student at Northwestern in the 1940s that even though I was the best student in his class, I'd never make it in radio because I am a negro."
Well, besides Kent now holding the world record, in 1995 he became the first black deejay inducted into Chicago's prestigious Museum of Broadcast Communications' Radio Hall of Fame.
P.S.: The previous Guinness record-holder is Hong Kong deejay Uncle Ray Cordeiro, who started in 1949.
If you are interested in attending the Dec. 5 celebration, the Web site is: www.realmen cook.com/Roast.html.