Public media maker WABE, Atlanta’s choice for NPR and PBS, announced today that its veteran radio host and jazz and blues aficionado H. Johnson will be honored with a Presidential Volunteers Service Award (PVSA) at the National Black Radio Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony on October 7, 2023, in Atlanta. Johnson has been a fixture on WABE 90.1FM for more than 40 years, spinning blues records Fridays from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. and jazz tracks Saturday nights from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. He can also be heard streaming nationwide on wabe.org.
“I am honored to be recognized by the National Black Radio Hall of Fame for my work in keeping jazz and the blues alive,” said Johnson. “I am grateful for the opportunity to use my platform to promote these genres of music and to educate people about their importance.”
Johnson has been involved in radio since the late 1950s and had his first show in high school. Johnson began his radio career in the 1960s at WAOK, formerly a jazz station in Atlanta. He quickly became known for his passion for jazz and his ability to connect with listeners. In 1978, he moved to WABE 90.1, where he now hosts Blues Classics With H. Johnson and Jazz Classics With H. Johnson.
Through his radio shows, Johnson has introduced countless listeners to the joys of jazz and the blues and interviewed some of the biggest names in the music industry, including Art Blakey, Freddy Cole, Erroll Garner, and Horace Silver, just to name a few.
“H. Johnson’s work has helped to keep jazz and the blues alive on the radio airwaves,” said WABE President/CEO Jennifer Dorian. “He is a true ambassador for these genres of music, and he is a role model for aspiring broadcasters.”
The National Black Radio Hall of Fame’s PVSA is the highest honor bestowed by the AmeriCorps program, which recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions to their communities through volunteer service. Johnson is specifically being honored for giving his generous time at children’s hospitals to expose them to the works of being an on-air personality and for musical booklets he has donated to influence their musical interest. He has inspired parents to encourage their children to pursue the musical arts, and he has even allowed them to come on his show and play their instruments.
