Tommy Smalls

Tommy Smalls (August 5, 1926 – March 8, 1972),^[1][2] known as Dr. Jive, was an influential African-American radio disc jockey in New York during the early days of rock and roll.

Life and career

Born Thomas Smalls in Savannah, Georgia, he attended Savannah State College, and, after a period in the US Coast Guard, became the first black disc jockey in Savannah in 1947 on radio station WSAV.^[3] In 1952 he moved to New York, and became the original "Dr. Jive" on radio station WWRL. His weekday afternoon radio shows - with the slogan "Sit back and relax and enjoy the wax / From three-oh-five to five-three-oh, it's the Dr. Jive show" - became popular with teenagers and featured vocal groups, blues, rock and roll and Latin music. In 1955 he began to present live rhythm and blues revues from the Rockland Palace and the Apollo Theater, and in November 1955 presented an unprecedented 12 minute segment on the nationally-networked Ed Sullivan Show featuring Bo Diddley, LaVern Baker, the Five Keys, and Willis "Gator Tail" Jackson.^[4] By the end of 1955, he had purchased the Smalls Paradise club in Harlem, and in May 1956 he was elected to the unofficial post of "Mayor of Harlem", with a parade held through the town in his honor.^[5]

In the late 1950s, he married teen model Dolores De Vega, who years later in 2009, appeared on the TV Land series, "She's Got the Look." Their first child, a son, was born in October 1959.^[6] They also had three daughters.^[3]

In 1960, Smalls, along with fellow disc jockey Alan Freed, was arrested and charged in the "payola" scandal, when both were accused of taking bribes to play records on their radio shows, and his radio career ended.^[5] He later became promotions manager for Polydor Records in New York. He was also one of the founding members of the National Association of TV and Radio Announcers (NATRA).^[2][3]

He died after a long illness in New York City on March 8, 1972, aged 45.^[1][2][3]

References

1. ^ ^{a b} "Social Security Death Index for Thomas Smalls". The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.. https://www.familysearch.org/search/recordDetails/show?uri=https://api.familysearch.org/records/pal:/MM9.1.r/7KSR-XMM/p1. Retrieved 2011-07-12 
2. ^ ^{a b c} Zhito, Lee, ed (1972-03-18). "Polydor's Smalls Dies". Billboard. p. 3. http://books.google.com/books?id=jCgEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA3&dq=Tommy+Smalls&hl=en&ei=2UYdTtbYA4y4sQOlqPmTDA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=book-preview-link&resnum=8&ved=0CE4QuwUwBw#v=onepage&q=Tommy%20Smalls&f=false. Retrieved 2011-07-13. "Tommy Smalls, Polydor Inc. executive in promotion and marketing died, March 8 after a long illness." 
3. ^ ^{a b c d} Obituary in Jet magazine, 23 March 1972, p.56
4. ^ Tommy Smalls - Remembering NY's Dr. Jive, by J. C. Marion
5. ^ ^{a b} David Hinckley, Swept Away - Dr. Jive, New York Times, 1 November 2005
6. ^ Johnson, John H., ed (1959-10-22). "New York Beat". Jet. Johnson Publishing Company. p. 64. http://books.google.com/books?id=gkEDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA64&dq=Tommy+Smalls&hl=en&ei=PUsdTpbRNqnWiALxm4D5CA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=book-preview-link&resnum=2&ved=0CDYQuwUwAQ#v=onepage&q=Tommy%20Smalls&f=false. Retrieved 2011-07-13. "It's a boy for the Tommy Smalls. He's the popular New York disc jockey. She's the beautiful ex-model Dolores DeVega." 

External links

• Tommy Smalls at the Internet Movie Database

Persondata
Name	Smalls, Tommy
Alternative names
Short description	Influential disk jockey that was brought down during the payola scandals of the late 1950s.
Date of birth	August 5, 1926
Place of birth	Savannah, Georgia, USA
Date of death	March 8, 1972
Place of death	New York, New York, USA