We hope you’ve been enjoying our in-depth interview with Jared “Jay B” Boyd. (Here are links to Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3.) We conclude with a story about the time Boyd met one of his heroes: Stax legend Booker T. Jones.
Tag: WYXR
You’ve probably seen — or heard — Jared “Jay B” Boyd somewhere. He’s the program manager for WYXR radio, but he’s also a DJ, co-host of radio’s Beale Street Caravan, and a board member of BRIDGES.
Sitting down with Boyd for the latest We Saw You interview, I asked if there was more than one Jared Boyd because “Jared Boyd” seems to be everywhere.
He responds: “I’m the only one I’ve had the pleasure of meeting.”
In part one of the four-part series, Boyd talks about his childhood growing up in Parkway Village, going to Richland Elementary School, and White Station High School. His parents, he says, “allowed me to explore my interests.”
I also learned the late Andrew Love of the Memphis Horns was his cousin — and I learned Boyd can play the viola!
See the rest of the Boyd interviews in Part 2, Part 3, and Part 4.
Stay tuned for more installments of We Saw You with Jared Boyd.
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Memphis Takes Manhattan
Looking out the window onto Broadway, Booker T. Jones seemed to be seeing New York on both that day of July 12, 2023, and the many days past when he frequented the area around Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts. “I would walk right through here,” he reminisced, speaking of his earliest trips to the city with the M.G.’s. “Our agent was on 57th. … We would stay at the Essex Hotel and walk past here on the way to Atlantic Records over on Broadway. And it made me question my age because I thought I remembered them building this Lincoln Center here, but I wouldn’t be that old,” he added with a wink and a grin. “I don’t think so.”
Truth be told, the David Rubenstein Atrium at Lincoln Center, where a packed house had gathered to hear WYXR’s own Jared “Jay B” Boyd interview Jones, had not even been built then. Jones’ memory was correct, however — the first building on the Lincoln Center campus opened in 1962, the same year that Booker T. & the M.G.’s became a household name with the hit “Green Onions.” Now, over 60 years later, Lincoln Center was hosting Booker T. Jones: A Career Retrospective to a rapt New York audience.
Yet there were more gripping things in store that day than hearing the world’s most famous organist’s stories, for the forum was a continuation of a multifaceted series of events dubbed City Soul on the Move, three days in July when Memphis held Manhattan in the palm of its hand.
It began, as so many things do, with Tom Hanks. The actor and director is passionate about his music and, it turns out, his radio. Rock ‘n’ Soul Ichiban, with DJ Debbie Daughtry on WFMU, was a longtime favorite of Hanks, and when Daughtry launched her own internet station, Boss Radio 66 on the Tune In app, he became a DJ for the station himself.
“He’s a huge fan of Booker T.,” Daughtry says of Hanks. “He said that he would love to interview him, and then it just kind of spiraled from there. But the date that we decided on was today, and Tom couldn’t be here.” Asking around for suggested interviewers during a visit to WYXR, Daughtry landed on Boyd, who’s interviewed Jones before at the Stax Museum of American Soul Music. And WYXR’s program manager rose to the occasion, his rapport with Jones only amplified by the fact that Boyd’s mother and Jones shared a piano teacher, Elmertha Cole.
Once the interview was locked in, Daughtry says, “Lincoln Center is the one that said, ‘Why don’t we get the Stax Music Academy [SMA] to come up and play?’ And my mind just exploded!”
With the interview and SMA performance as a centerpiece of Lincoln Center’s Summer for the City series, other Mempho-centric events materialized. The night before, renowned songwriter Greg Cartwright, host of WYXR’s Strange Mysterious Sounds, played a quiet but powerful acoustic set at Union Pool in Brooklyn, accompanied by longtime Reigning Sound keyboardist Dave Amels on harmonium. The stripped-down arrangements only made Cartwright’s songs more powerful, whether they were old recorded favorites like “Reptile Style” or the more subtle songs Cartwright has been writing recently. His encore solo performance of “She’s the Boss,” dedicated to the late Rachel Nagy of the Detroit Cobras, brought the house down. Meanwhile, that same night, Boyd was featured in a lively DJ set at BierWax NYC.
Shortly after Wednesday’s interview, Cartwright and Daughtry played DJ onstage in the Lincoln Center plaza as an audience gathered, several hundred strong, bursting with expatriate Memphians. When the show began, the SMA students handled themselves with a striking professionalism, especially when Jones sat down behind the organ and led the SMA Rhythm Section through some classic M.G.’s numbers. As the students played their parts with precision and passion, backing both Jones and charismatic SMA singers Pasley Thompson, Nicholas Dickerson, Rachael Walker, Khaylah Jones, and Joi Stubbs, Jones looked them over with an unmistakable wonder, the words he’d shared with Boyd earlier still echoing: “Right now I’m full of joy. I was moved by the music and the rehearsal. … They played so well. They didn’t play the music exactly like we did. They put their own twist to it. But it felt so good.”
This year’s Zine Fest has a new component — the Memphis Listening Lab/WYXR inaugural Record Swap. According to Zine Fest curator Erica Qualy, this is such a perfect pairing because the birth of zines as we know them today was started as a response to the punk music culture in the 1970s, when copiers were made available commercially. People started creating fanzines and raising awareness in a way they hadn’t been able to before.
Qualy remembers hopping on the zine scene more than a few years later. “My friend and I first found out about zines in high school while browsing at the local library. We came across the book Zine Scene: The Do It Yourself Guide to Zines by Francesca Lia Block. We were entranced.”
She says they immediately went home and started brainstorming. They pulled an all-nighter until their first zine was born. Nearly 20 years later, Qualy is curating Zine Fest 6.
“Funny how seemingly small instances in your life can be the building blocks for a future,” says Qualy, inviting the public to join the revolution. “You don’t need to wait for anyone else to publish your stack of poems, your short stories about alien invasions, your comic about the dog and cat duo that saved the world. You can do it yourself. Make a zine today.”
Zine Fest 6 will be held in the upstairs Central Atrium of Crosstown Concourse, with DIY zine-making stations and vendor booth spaces.
The record swap will take place on the bottom floor of the Central Atrium. The Memphis Listening Lab, outside vendors, and the radio station inside Crosstown Concourse, WYXR 91.7 FM, will be selling music and merchandise.
Record Swap & Zine Fest 6, Crosstown Concourse, 1350 Concourse, Saturday, Sept. 4, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., and Sunday, Sept. 5, 10 a.m.-3 p.m., free.
Chip Washington just can’t seem to stray too far from a camera or microphone.
He’s a former television news reporter and anchor with stints in Meridian, Mississippi, Jackson, Mississippi, Jackson, Tennessee, and in Memphis at Fox13 and WMCTV. In total, he spent more than 20 years in front of a camera.
He moved from in front of the camera (but not far from them) as a public information officer, a sort of liaison between government agencies and the press, for the Jackson Mississippi Police Department and the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office. Since July 2020, Washington has been the media’s point person for the Shelby County Health Department’s COVID-19 Response Team.
But the draw to broadcast called to him again back in 2019 with the opportunity to do a radio talk show on WMQM 1600 AM. Washington’s voice got a boost last year when he was invited to bring his show to the newly opened airwaves of WYXR 91.7 FM.
Since then, Real Talk With Chip Washington has been a platform of on-air conversation for a variety of guests talking about a variety of issues like police matters, COVID-19, and the Memphis airport.
We caught up with Washington to talk about his job and his show. — Toby Sells
Memphis Flyer: For many of us out there, the pandemic kind of seems to be winding down. What’s it like doing your job now?
Chip Washington: The city is, basically, over the vaccines. Although, the health department will get it back at some point. It’s still busy. Obviously, things are winding down. You see some of the bigger [vaccine points of distribution] are starting to close down. The vaccination process, while it is ongoing, it is slowing down.
It’s always a challenge to be continually and perpetually putting out the message that COVID, while it’s drastically slower, is still among us. Variants out there are still affecting our young people and that’s why it’s important for the population of those 12 to 15 years old get vaccinated.
MF: I was scrolling through archive episodes of your show and you’ve had some high-profile people on there: Pat Halloran, former president and CEO of The Orpheum Theater; Bobby O’Jay, radio veteran; Mike Rallings, former director of the Memphis Police Department; Dr. Steve Threlkeld, infectious disease expert, and many more.
CW: I’m blessed for that. You just have to call and find out if they want to come on. They have to answer the phone and they have to say, “yes.”
I hope that, after the hour is up, people can say “man, that was a really informative show. I really learned some things. That’s my focus and what inspired me to get behind the microphone.
MF: Well, just looking at the archives and, given your background in journalism, the show is bound to be informative.
CW: I wanted to make it conversational and to make it interesting. I really wanted to showcase programs or businesses that, maybe, people hadn’t heard about but they’d done very good work. I’m all about trying to be uplifting and help our people. This is a platform to allow folks to come on and talk a few minutes to. … showcase what they do.
Real Talk With Chip Washington, Mondays 6 p.m.-7 p.m. WYXR 91.7 FM.
Local artists Mia Saine and Toonky Berry have given the area outside FedExForum a major glow up in celebration of Black History Month.
Memphis Tourism
Earlier today, Memphis Tourism unveiled the “Roots of Memphis Music” public art project in a press release. Twenty-four of the round concrete bollards surrounding the Forum’s entry plaza (at the intersection of B.B. King Boulevard and Beale Street) are now emblazoned with the likenesses of both the past and present Memphis music royalty. Think major players like W.C. Handy, David Porter, and Three 6 Mafia, as well as historic locations like Stax Records and Royal Studios.
Saine is a Memphis-native illustrator and designer, whose images consist of “simplified shapes, fun colors, and chalky textures.” Quantavious Berry, known as “Tooky Berry,” developed a style he dubs Toonkifcation while a student at the Memphis College of Art, which is an amalgam of “surrealism, caricatures, and graffiti.”
Each piece of artwork includes a QR Code that will provide interested patrons with the backgrounds and context of the images depicted on the bollards. Hosted on the Memphis Tourism website, these stories are curated by the Memphis Rock ’n’ Soul Museum, Memphis Slim Collaboratory executive director Tonya Dyson, and WYXR 91.7 program director Jared “Jay B” Boyd.
Memphis Tourism
Artists Mia Saine and Toonky Berry incorporated both the past and present of Memphis musical culture into the ‘Roots of Memphis Music’ project.
“The goal of this activation launching during Black History Month was to tell a visual story of prominent figures and landmarks that are connected to the Memphis music legacy, along with the music that is coming out of our city today,” said Regena Bearden, chief marketing officer for Memphis Tourism, in the release. “Our I Love Memphis murals across the city have become a destination for visitors and locals alike. For this project, we not only wanted to create a public art space to honor people and places at the heart of the Memphis sound but also educate and inform those who engage with the art through scannable QR codes on the bollards provide a wealth of information.”
“We are excited to celebrate the history of Black music here in Memphis with our partners at Memphis Tourism,” added Anthony Macri, vice president of partnership marketing for the Memphis Grizzlies. “The outdoor plaza in front of FedExForum is a front porch for the city, and featuring these great musicians, moments and locations will add richness to the experience of millions of tourists and visitors all year long.”
The artwork will remain in the FedExForum plaza through June 2021. To learn more about the project, visit MemphisTravel.com. For more ways to celebrate Black History Month in Memphis year-round, read this itinerary.
Memphis Restaurant Association
COVID-19: Cases, Bars, and RiverArtsFest
Shelby County added 1,116 new cases of COVID-19 from Monday morning to Friday morning last week, for an average of about 280 cases each day.
Bars were ordered to close last week and restaurants were ordered to close at 10 p.m. on restrictions issued from public health officials to curb the rising cases of COVID-19 in Shelby County.
Memphis Restaurant Association
Shelby County Health Department director Dr. Alisa Haushalter said the decision came as bars and restaurants are known to have higher levels of virus transmission because wearing a mask is difficult when drinking at a bar. Ernie Mellor, president of the Memphis Restaurant Association (MRA), said the order will have a “huge impact” on the restaurant industry.
The directive also asked restaurants to collect names and phone numbers of its patrons, but Mellor said this “will be challenging for our members.” Haushalter said the information would help contact people if they’ve been exposed to the virus in a restaurant setting.
The 2020 RiverArtsFest, which was scheduled for October 24-25 in Downtown Memphis, has been canceled due to COVID-19 restrictions. The board already is planning the 15th Anniversary RiverArtsFest, scheduled for October 23-24, 2021.
Google Goes to Southaven 
Google announced last week it would build a new 60,000-square-foot call center in Southaven, Mississippi. The facility will provide human customer and operations support for Google customers and users around the world. The customer service will include answering calls, troubleshooting, and helping set up ad campaigns.
Removing the Forrest Bust
The decision to remove the bust of slave trader, Ku Klux Klan member, and disgraced Confederate general Nathan Bedford Forrest from the Tennessee State Capitol building is now in the hands of the Tennessee Historical Commission.
The Capitol Commission voted 9-2 last week to move the bust and two others from alcoves in the halls between the House and Senate chambers. The earliest the Historical Commission can take up the issue is 60 days after the Capitol Commission submits a formal request for a waiver.
Harris on National COVID Task Force
Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris was chosen last week for a national task force focused on rebuilding the economy after COVID-19. Harris was one of only five elected officials chosen for the Renewing America Task Force.
Residency Requirements
The Memphis City Council advanced a move that could require public safety officers here to live close to the city. Ahead of that vote, a coalition of Black clergy members gathered virtually to debate the issue. Many of those agreed that the city does not need more police officers and that the solution to the city’s crime problem is better worked toward by decreasing poverty.
WYXR Goes Live Soon
WYXR, a new non-commercial radio station will hit the air (and digital devices) here this fall in a partnership between Crosstown Concourse, The Daily Memphian, and the University of Memphis. The station’s radio home is at 91.7 FM and its call letters stand for “Your Crosstown Radio.” That’s where the station’s staff will produce and air its daily broadcasts. The station partners came together to reimagine the U of M’s WUMR station back in November.
For fuller versions of these stories and even more local news, visit The News Blog at memphisflyer.com.
WYXR
New radio station WYXR’s initial staff includes (from left) Shelby McCall, Robby Grant, and Jared Boyd.
WYXR, a new, non-commercial radio station will hit the air (and digital devices) here this fall in a partnership between Crosstown Concourse, The Daily Memphian, and the University of Memphis.
The station’s radio home is at 91.7 FM and its call letters stand for “Your Crosstown Radio.” That’s where the station’s staff will produce and air its daily broadcasts. The station partners came together to reimagine the U of M’s WUMR station back in November.
The station will be led by executive director Robby Grant, who spent 15 years at advertising firm Archer Malmo after first starting his own online marketing company. Grant is also a staple on the Memphis music scene, touring widely and also as a member of Mellotron Variations.
“I’ve been wanting to help make a change with Memphis radio, specifically community radio, for a long time,” Grant said in a statement. “The fact that it has organically become real is exciting.
[pullquote-1] “We are going to amplify voices in Memphis and the Mid-South. By taking a freeform approach, we want to begin finding personalities and DJs who have their own tastes and things they’ve grown up loving and sharing with people.
“A freeform station allows those DJs to turn people onto music, whether it’s the music they’ve loved their whole lives or what they’ve heard this past week.”
Jared “Jay B.” Boyd will serve as WYXR’s program director. Boyd is a DJ, reporter with The Daily Memphian, and host of NPR-syndicated radio program “Beale Street Caravan.”
“Aside from the opportunity to be hands-on in cultivating new and emerging broadcast talent in the Mid-South, I’m most gratified by this radio partnership’s potential to truly reach people in the Mid-South area by virtue of being open and welcoming in nature,” Boyd said in a statement. “When you walk into Crosstown Concourse, it won’t be hidden. The nuts and bolts of the operation will be showcased behind glass right in the lobby of the Central Atrium. By design, this community-minded radio station will not just broadcast to its audience but live and breathe alongside it.”
WYXR
Former WUMR staffer Shelby McCall, who works now with Entercom Memphis, has signed on as WYXR’s operations coordinator. The University of Memphis is also searching for an instructor for student radio. This position will facilitate student involvement with the station and also program and plan a second university-focused internet stream, on which students will broadcast news, sports, and music.
The station’s programming will be made up of volunteer contributions from regular content producers and special guests to achieve a freeform format, providing room for a rotating cast of local personalities and an educational ground for university students.
WYXR
From left: Grant, Boyd, and McCall
The WYXR studio is now being built in the space once held by The OAM network, an independent podcast company. The new space will have a redesigned control room, production room, and live audio connections from Crosstown Theater, the Green Room at Crosstown Arts, and plans to simulcast event’s from the U of M’s new, $40 million Scheidt Family Music Center.
For more information or to volunteer, go to wyxr.org. Initial programming will be posted on the site in the coming weeks.