“Jolly” Jerry Boulding, also known as “The Doctor of Radio”, was a radio industry pioneer who started the country’s first urban format for satellite delivery called “Heart & Soul.” As a program director, Boulding has programmed 16 radio stations in over 6 major markets throughout the country.
A former radio personality, Boulding referred to himself as “Jolly Jerry B” while on the air at Washington D.C.’s WOL radio station. Boulding made black radio thrive during a time when white stations were the only ones to play blues and soul. He brought life and flavor to Chicago’s WVON radio station in 1977 when he hired a young 20-something-year-old disc jockey named Tom Joyner. By giving Joyner a chance, Boulding set the stage for his multi-million dollar empire, reaching millions on the radio today.
Raised in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania, Boulding started with Pittsburgh’s WILY radio station. Boulding remembered being told that he didn’t sound black. His response, “What is black supposed to sound like?”
