Saturday, March 21, 2020

R.I.P.: Oliver Stokes Jr., NOLA Bounce DJ, Radio Personality

Oliver Stokes Jr.
Popular New Orleans bounce deejay and radio personality Oliver Stokes Jr., better known as Go DJ Black N Mild, was one of two coronavirus-related deaths in Louisiana on Thursday, the Orleans Parish Coroner’s Office confirmed.

He was 44, NOLA.com reports.

The Coroner’s Office on Friday said Stokes had tested positive for COVID-19 and died the previous day.

In addition to his music career, Stokes had also worked as the "in school suspension coordinator" at Arthur Ashe Charter School in Gentilly since July.

“Our school community is devastated,” said Sabrina Pence, the CEO of FirstLine Schools, the charter organization that operates Arthur Ashe.

Stokes left work on March 9 with a fever, Pence said, and did not return.

Stokes chronicled the first parts of his fight against the infection on social media. His Facebook feed shows his temperature was 102.4 degrees.

By March 11, he’d been admitted to University Medical Center. His final Facebook post consisted of four words — “pneumonia not the flu” — and an emoji wearing a medical mask.

Stokes was widely known for his life in music. Over the years, he worked at various radio stations. His “Bounce 104.5” show was reportedly one of the first radio mix shows dedicated to New Orleans bounce music.

During a multi-year exile in Houston following Hurricane Katrina, he hosted a mix show for KHOU. From 2013 to 2017, his “Rhythm and Bounce” show was featured on Saturday nights on New Orleans AM station WBOK.

For the past 25 years, he also deejayed at countless clubs, parties and other private events across the Southeast.

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