J. J. Wright

J.J. Wright is a radio disc jockey originally from Louisville, Kentucky, but has been broadcasting in Boston, Massachusetts since 1973.cite news |work=Boston Globe |title=DJ marks 30 years on Boston Radio |date=2003-10-23 |first=Clea |last=Simon |quote=When J. J. Wright came to Boston as a DJ, he played Elton John, the Rolling Stones, and Stevie Wonder. The year was 1973, and the Louisville, Ky., native had left his hometown to join WRKO-AM, which was then a Top 40 station. After 30 years, most of them spent at "Kiss" WXKS-FM (107.9) and WROR-FM (105.7), Wright settled into the afternoon drive slot last year at WODS-FM (103.3).] Starting on WRKO (680-AM), he went to briefly to WBOS (92.9, then KISS 108 when the station first went on the air in 1979, there he stayed for nearly 20 years.cite news |work=Boston Globe |title=Westwood man's big break on the small screen |date=1998-01-05 |first=Susan |last=Bickelhaupt |coauthors=Maureen Dezell |quote=Do not adjust your dial if you hear a familiar voice on a different radio station. Yes, that's disc jockey JJ Wright, veteran jock at WXKS-FM, who's now doing fill-in shifts on WROR-FM (105.7). Wright, who has been in the Boston radio market since the early '70s, was on WRKO-AM (when it played Top 40 tunes) before joining WXKS in 1979.] After leaving KISS 108 in 1998 [cite news |work=Boston Globe |title=Ringing in the new year with new DJ voices |date=1998-01-08 |first=Susan |last=Bickelhaupt |quote=WXKS-FM (107.9) has announced a new lineup, in light of the recent departure of midday jock J.J. Wright. (The station did not renew his contract, but did waive the non-compete clause in his contract, so that Wright, who had been at WXKS for 18 years, is free to work at other Boston stations. He has been doing fill-in work at WROR-FM (105.7).] , he went to WROR (105.7) doing afternoons then shifting to nights on February 2000. [cite pressrelease |title=Veteran Boston Lineup Rocks 105.7 WROR; New Week Day Lineup Unveiled |url=http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-27440782_ITM |publisher=PR Newswire |date=2000-02-07] He is currently broadcasting the night shift (6 PM-9 PM) on Oldies 103.3 in Boston. He also does imaging for other CBS stations in the Boston market.

Career

Wright has been known, for years, as an avatar of soulful fortitude in much of New England, and his trademark molasses delivery became a standard for early hip-hop sampling in the New York Metro area, as well.His voice may be heard in samples by many seminal NY hip-hop artists and DJs, including Frankie Bones, Shep Pettibone, LL Cool J, et al.Wright's slow, cool murmur, contrasting his contemporary commercial voice-over work, is said to have been the inspiration for Cleavon Little's portrayal of the fictional DJ "Super Soul" in the 1971 car-chase classic, "Vanishing Point", a nod based, in part, on his partner from his early Louisville days, Philip Hart.In 1979, British Songwriter/DJ Malcolm Mclaren sampled (with permission) Wright's "Pity" line, in the billboard hit "Buffalo Gals".many contemporary NYC Hip-hop radio personalities credit wright with inspiring their own careers, and Darrel McDaniels (DMC, of "Run DMC") crowned Wright "The most looped (sampled) DJ in Hip-Hop history".Postmodern techno-pop DJ "Moby" (Richard Hall) credits wright as an early influence to his own DJ career, as Hall listened to Wright while growing up in suburban Darien, Connecticut. Hall samples Wright frequently in his contemporary work.

Plans to produce a biopic of Wright's gritty career were put on hold in 2008, Samuel Jackson and Jeffrey Wright were both being considered for lead casting.

Honors and awards

Wright was recognized at the 2000 Achievement in Radio Awards in Boston with the award for Best Evening Show. [cite news |work=Boston Globe |title=Big players scoop up awards |date=2000-11-09 |first=Clea |last=Simon |quote= WROR, which was named station of the year, also picked up top prizes for morning show (with Loren and Wally), evening show (with JJ Wright), and best jingle.]

References

External links

* [http://www.jjwright.com JJWright.com]