R.I.P.: Urban Radio Pioneer Jerry Boulding

Jerry Boulding

Jerry Boulding, a giant of urban radio in America who left his mark on three Chicago stations, died Thursday in Westwood, Calif., after a brief illness.

He was 75, according to Chicago media blogger Robert Feder.

In a career spanning more than 40 years, Boulding programmed 16 major market stations, developed the first satellite-delivered urban format (known as “Heart and Soul”), headed a major label for a division of MCA Records and oversaw all entertainment programming for American Urban Radio Network.

In Chicago, he programmed black music powerhouse WVON in the 1970s, where he was credited with bringing an unknown 27-year-old disc jockey named Tom Joyner to Chicago in 1977. Boulding also had a role in programming WJPC and WBMX.

After growing up in Beaver Falls, Penn., Boulding got his start at WILY in Pittsburgh. By the time he joined WOL in Washington, D.C., he began using the air name “Jolly Jerry B.” His success there led to a series of programming jobs across the country and to another nickname: “The Doctor of Radio.”

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