Access Atlanta > Entertainment > Radio Talk > Archives > 2007 > November > 02 > Entry
11/2: Tom Joyner Sky Show in Atlanta w/Cameo, Sinbad
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
This is the fifth Tom Joyner Sky Show I’ve attended and they are revelation because Joyner turns the Civic Center into a huge party… at 6 a.m. in the morning. There are more than 3,500 people in this venue right now and as people cycle in and out, probably 5,000 plus end up popping by before 10 a.m. The parking lot is packed and as I arrived at 5:55 a.m., there was barely any spots left. Cameo is up on stage right now playing the group’s big crossover hit “Word Up.” Larry Blackmon, the lead singer and briefly the morning host at Kiss earlier this decade, is wearing a red hat, a shiny purple suit and a big red plastic plate over his crotch. It’s 1986 all over again as the entire crowd yelps “W-O-R-D Up!”
“There is no sleeping at the Sky Show,” Joyner pronounced. “If you’re tired, take your bad a** home!”
“If you’re out of school, this is old school, an old school party!” Joyner said.
Joyner remains hugely popular among older African Americans, pulling in 8 million listeners weekly on about 120 stations nationwide. Locally, on Kiss 104.1, he averages about 250,000 listeners a week and is the city’s third biggest morning show, behind only WSB-AM and V-103. Even the arrival of Steve Harvey last year hasn’t hurt him nearly as badly as you might think. Normally, his staff works out of different cities with Joyner helming from Dallas. But 20 times a year, they all get together on stage in different cities, also providing free entertainment. When I came by to pick up some media credentials yesterday at 5 p.m., there were already several people camping out to get the best seats this morning in the front. The front rows are dominated by women, Joyner’s primary audience.
“Some people have been up since the Stevie Wonder concert!” J. Anthony Brown cracked.
Joyner notes the water shortage. “This means you all need to shower together!” said Sybil Wilkes.
Other entertainment later this morning includes Angie Stone and comic Sinbad.
This show is no longer televised so “if you’re not supposed to be here, it’s okay,” Brown joked. The cameras are only for the room, Joyner noted.
The commercial breaks are packed with entertainment for the crowd. There’s never a break in the action for Joyner. His staff goes into the audience and holds contests to give away T-shirts and other memorabilia. He also uses this as a venue to get corporations to donate money to historically black colleges and the companies get to tote out those oversized checks for the grip-and-grin photos. This month’s beneficiary is Savannah State University.
A major sponsor of this show is Southwest Airlines, which is always amusing to me because this is one of the biggest cities in the country this airline does not serve.
Comments
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By donna duncan
November 2, 2007 1:01 PM | Link to this
HAPPY BLACKOUT DAY!
By Gwen
November 2, 2007 4:08 PM | Link to this
I just love the Joyner crew. I have never had the opportunity to view it in person, but I sat in my car today and thoroughly enjoyed it.
Keep up the good work and I didn’t spend one red cent today! Right on!
By Dee Dee
November 2, 2007 4:34 PM | Link to this
Happy Blackout day! We need more of these days where we reflect on how, where, and when we spend our money. It feels real good NOT to spend any today. Tom Joyner is a real American hero! He continually supports colleges and universities and asks for nothing in return…..no celebrity or nothing. He’s a treasure.
By Dee Dee
November 2, 2007 4:34 PM | Link to this
Happy Blackout day! We need more of these days where we reflect on how, where, and when we spend our money. It feels real good NOT to spend any today. Tom Joyner is a real American hero! He continually supports colleges and universities and asks for nothing in return…..no celebrity or nothing. He’s a treasure.
By Yea Right
November 2, 2007 5:02 PM | Link to this
Tom Joyner, Warren Ballentine, Big Al Sharpton = HATE RADIO. Hate doesn’t get you anywhere, once you learn that, relations will begin to heal!! Trust me! Happy Black out day…LOL
By Boomer
November 2, 2007 6:50 PM | Link to this
Tried to figure out what the hell Ho’s article was about until it gave me a headache. “Word up”? What does that mean in English? People partying at 6:00 A.M.? Did anyone there have a job to go to? Wonderful influence this must have been to our youth.
By elee
November 5, 2007 8:58 AM | Link to this
Boomer, don’t be a hater! Everyone does not go to work at 6 a.m. and for your information most of the attendees do have jobs. What about you?
By TG
November 5, 2007 3:59 PM | Link to this
Boomer, there is also something called taking a vacation/personal day. I love it when peolpe of color are questioned about having a job when they take time out of their schedule to attend an event such as this or to go to Jena LA to march against an injustice, but when other folks stand in line for days or weeks to get a new iPhone, or an X Box, or concert tickets, nobody wonders why they are not at their job.
By Boomer
November 5, 2007 6:59 PM | Link to this
TG…I wonder about the same thing when people stand in line for hours to buy an XBox, IPod, concert tickets, etc. I understand people taking a personal day or two for something they beleive in to attend. If they have a job and taking personal time…great. If their life is composed of protest and parties, then it concerns me as to how they are surviving. And, I don’t give a rat’s behind about the color of their skin. I fought with, and saw, “people of color” die for this country. It’s amazing, their blood was just as red as mine. So, take YOUR racist comment and ram it where the sun doesn’t shine.
By TG
November 6, 2007 8:30 AM | Link to this
That was a racist comment? Well, you sure put me in my place. Anywho, I am off to find out where the sun dosen’t shine.
By TruthHurts
November 7, 2007 3:43 PM | Link to this
Lets have a real blackout day…all of you buffoons and gangsta thugs- load up in your cadillac and leave this city. Or atleast stay south of I-20 forever….