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Melvin Lindsey

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Melvin Lindsey
Lindsey In 1988
Born(1955-07-08)July 8, 1955
DiedMarch 26, 1992(1992-03-26) (aged 36)
NationalityAmerican
Occupation(s)radio and television personality
Known for"Quiet Storm" late-night music programming format

Melvin Lindsey (July 8, 1955 – March 26, 1992) was an American radio and television personality in the Washington, D.C. area. He is widely known for originating the "Quiet Storm" late-night music programming format.

Lindsey was a native of Washington, D.C. and attended Alice Deal Middle School and Woodrow Wilson High School.[1] Lindsey began his broadcast career as an intern at Howard University radio station WHUR-FM.[2] In 1976, he brought the "Quiet Storm" to the station's late-night lineup, titled after a romantic hit single by tenor crooner Smokey Robinson. The show's soulfully melodic and moody musical fare made it a phenomenal success, and the 'love song'-heavy format was quickly replicated at stations across the country that served an urban, African-American adult demographic. Lindsey's show also gave rise to a category of music of the same name.[3]

After a nine-year run on WHUR, Lindsey took his format to another local radio station, WKYS-FM, for five more years, and later he hosted Screen Scene for Black Entertainment Television (BET). He also worked for Washington, D.C. television stations WTTG-TV and WFTY-TV and for WJZ-TV in Baltimore, Maryland.

Lindsey died at the age of 36 from complications of AIDS in 1992, but the Quiet Storm format he originated gained widespread popularity. It remained popular over 4 decades after its inception across the nation, especially in evening and late-night radio programs.[4] Artists continue to compose songs to target the audiences of Quiet Storm stations and shows.[5]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Melvin Lindsey". 8 July 2017.
  2. ^ Craig Lytle. "A Quiet Storm". AllMusic. Retrieved 21 April 2016.
  3. ^ Castaneda, Ruben (March 27, 1992). "Quiet Storm' Radio Host Melvin Lindsey Dies at 36". Washington Post. Retrieved 26 March 2016.
  4. ^ Castaneda, Ruben (1992-03-27). "Washington Post Archive". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2019-01-03.
  5. ^ "The Quiet Storm". Pitchfork. 15 May 2012. Retrieved 2019-01-03.
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