Melvin Lindsey | |
|---|---|
 Lindsey In 1988 | |
| Born | July 8, 1955 |
| Died | March 26, 1992 (aged 36) |
| Nationality | American |
| 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]
- ^ "Melvin Lindsey". 8 July 2017.
- ^ Craig Lytle. "A Quiet Storm". AllMusic. Retrieved 21 April 2016.
- ^ Castaneda, Ruben (March 27, 1992). "Quiet Storm' Radio Host Melvin Lindsey Dies at 36". Washington Post. Retrieved 26 March 2016.
- ^ Castaneda, Ruben (1992-03-27). "Washington Post Archive". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2019-01-03.
- ^ "The Quiet Storm". Pitchfork. 15 May 2012. Retrieved 2019-01-03.