This was posted by Rodney Ho on AJC's Radio & TV Talk blog on Thursday, December 1, 2016
Former Atlantan J. Anthony Brown is leaving the Tom Joyner Morning Show after 20 years with the popular syndicated program.
His final show was Tuesday. "I was informed not to come on the show," he said on Twitter. "People are not allowed to say goodbye... When it's done, it's done... I've seen people come and go... Pretty much none of them got a chance to say goodbye. Thank God for the Internet. It allows you to say goodbye. It was a great journey, the best fun I had in my entire life."
Reach Media, which owns Joyner's show, released this statement:
To continue the excellence in entertainment that the TJMS is known for, the show will feature top, live comedic and celebrity talent to serve as co-hosts on a rotating basis until a permanent decision is made.
Joyner, a long-time syndicated host, is heard locally on Kiss 104.1. Joyner is heard on more than 100 stations nationwide. Brown, as part of Joyner's team, would provide his comedic take on social issues and pop culture.
I texted Brown - who lives in Los Angeles - last night. He said he'll talk later today. I'll post a separate story based on that interview and link it here.
Here's Brown's message on Twitter in full (warning: he throws in a couple of curse words.)
Earlier this year, Kevin Ross of Radio Facts nabbed audio of Brown quitting the show off air but for some reason, the audio link is no longer working. The two sides reconciled at the time. (Ross speculates Brown's future on radio, which is very crowded with syndicated hosts in the urban realm.)
Brown used to live in Atlanta and performed on the first night the Punchline Comedy Club opened in 1982. I last spoke with him when the original Punchline was shutting down last year.
“I couldn’t believe it,” said Brown last year, when he heard the Punchline as he knew it was closing. “There are some places that are milestones in my life. I had such a connection to this place. It helped me get my foot in the door while I was living in Atlanta. It was the start of everything for me.”
He performed one more time at the old space before it shut down and later reopened at the Landmark Diner in November of 2015.
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