Telling Our Story: Edie B.

By Edie B.
Host of RSVP (rare songs, very personal)
Sunday, 10 p.m.-12 a.m.

I remember having an interest in KDHX way back in the day when the station was located on Magnolia. I went there to sub for a friend who had a show there. It was not a pleasant experience. Whatever fairytale ideas I had of someday having a jazz show at KDHX quickly vanished after that visit. 

Fast-forward a few decades; I had semi-retired from radio but time had brought back that burning desire to come back on air. My friend Bernie Hayes, well-known columnist and host of the “Bernie Hayes Show” was launching his dream project, The National Black Radio Hall of Fame, of which I am a proud board member. There was a huge festive gathering to honor the occasion. 

A person in the audience that night was Michael Bishop, host of the “Old Soul Harmony Show” on KDHX FM, now located on Washington Avenue. Mr. Bishop called me soon after that night and asked me to be his co-host. I was stunned. I didn’t know Michael, and I certainly didn’t know his show. I didn’t say yes, at first. Quite frankly, I was putting the final touches on my play “Jazz in My Soul-a Marvin Gaye Fantasy,” and I wanted to review his show and ask around about him. However; the big decision to ponder was if I wanted to try KDHX again.

I took the role of co-host with Michael on his show “The Old Soul Harmony Show” from 5-7 a.m. Sunday mornings (what was I thinking?). When I checked out Michael’s show before I came on board, the first thing I heard when I tuned in was John Coltrane’s “Dear Lord.” I thought to myself, anyone who plays Coltrane on his show, that’s worth my time. Turns out it was more than worth my time. KDHX turned out to be “radio heaven” for me.

You would think that being on the air at 5 in the morning on a public radio station would be routine and uneventful. But it was just the opposite. Before Michael’s show, there was Boogie Ray hosting his brother’s show, “Churban Radio,” a blend of old school R&B and Blues back to back. Boogie has that unique, natural flavor of ole school jocks, with the gift of rhyme and rhythm. And Boogie and Michael were thick as thieves. They had each other’s back when it came to covering each other’s shows. I love that kind of relationship between jock buddies. Love It!

Everything about working with Michael and Boogie made me want my own show at KDHX. So, with the help of Michael I was introduced to management.

Getting a volunteer slot on KDHX was not easy; paperwork, agreements, playlists, and on and on. Actually, I didn’t mind; it was nice knowing everyone was checked out. After a long wait for an on-air slot, I was finally on KDHX with my very own straight-ahead jazz show RSVP (Rare Songs, Very Personal,) named in honor of Jazz singer Nancy Wilson, Sundays 3-5 a.m. Mamma, I made it!

Soon after, a slot became available on Sundays from 10 p.m.- midnight where I currently live on KDHX. Again, I was blessed to have the honor of being teamed up with another genuinely awesome guy. Ron Edwards hosts “Nothin' But the Blues” on Sundays 8-10 p.m. He’s a veteran of KDHX, 36 years on the air, and the sweetest human being you’ll ever meet. He knows his music and loves his show and is a mentor to us all. 

But when that move was made, I could feel tension looming in the halls of KDHX; something was brewing.

I was very excited about being back doing the thing I always loved. And being at KDHX was a dream. It is the best-equipped radio station I have ever been a part of in my entire career. But I must confess, the more I tried to become more involved with the station, I wasn’t getting a warm and fuzzy welcome. So, I decided to just concentrate on the reason I was there: to create an awesome jazz show for the St. Louis jazz community. That was enough.

Then after a while, whatever was looming in the halls had finally made its way to our ears and emails. Without even wanting to get involved, you couldn’t ignore it. Fellow DJs talking about walking out, whispers about management that I had no clue about (true or not). What became clearer and clearer to me was that KDHX needed some help, and management went to work. They hired help to come in and pinpoint what was wrong so that we could fix it. We’ve participated in surveys, filled out questionnaires, and voiced our opinions and finally, we have all begun to see clearer now what the problem actually is. KDHX was meant to serve the entire public, not just a chosen few. 

I know, “change ain’t easy.” Seeing fellow DJs walk away from their shows, just at the time we needed to come together was very disturbing, and it didn’t make much sense.

When management rolled out our new agenda and I saw the bold steps being presented, I felt proud of being at this station at this time. I am proud of our management team, especially Ms. Kelly Wells and Andrea Dunn. These sisters don’t buckle. They fix things and stand in the line of fire.

What’s so beautiful about this whole thing is that all of us who love KDHX and want to fix it are still here, willing to go through the growing pains.

My roots come from a station where we had growing pains each and every day. We were a small bunch, but we were a team. No matter what, we stuck together and made a lot of noise, doing a lot of good in the neighborhood. KDHX reminds me of WESL radio back in the day. I know what it’s like to feel as if you built the station from scratch, from the bottom up. It takes a lot of love to do that, but what you don’t do is leave it and wish for its demise. If you choose to leave it, then leave it in love.

KDHX hit a stumbling block, but the stumble has become more of a strut. We want to flow and fly! You can help us by continuing to believe in this great community radio station and the great music it presents, played by DJs who love the music they play. Please help us fly by honoring us with your donations at Support.KDHX.org.