R.I.P.: Lynn Tolliver, Influential Radio, Records Personality

Lynn Tolliver

Industry vet Lynn Tolliver died Sunday afternoon after several years of medical issues. 

Tolliver put WZAK 93.1 FM in Cleveland on the map with Zappis communications in the early 80s and 90s. He left WZAK in the early 2000s.

He also had a successful track record at MCA records and ended up back in Cleveland, OH working for his own station Radio9311.com in the eve of his career. While at ZAK, he did the shows Three’s Company and Just the Two of Us.

He wrote, “I Need a Freak” and other songs and ended up winning a lawsuit against the Black Eyed Peas for Copywrite infringement. Kanye West recently sampled “Extacy” another song that Lynn Tolliver wrote.

Lynn arrived at WZAK in May of 1982 shortly after the station had adopted a black-oriented urban contemporary format. Lynn landed in Cleveland after a successful track record at MCA Records in Detroit. While at MCA, Lynn was named Billboard Magazine’s urban contemporary program director for 5 years. Known for outrageous stunts, Lynn didn’t disappoint. He had listeners come down to the station wearing underwear on their heads to win prizes and in another contest, he offered prizes for the biggest cockroach.

Lynn continued to draw attention to the station, and over the next few years, the station ratings climbed.  It finished first in the ratings in April of 1990 and the station won 3 Billboard awards in 1993.

In 2000, The CAB honored Lynn with the award for Excellence in Broadcasting as the first African-American recipient.