Voting Station

Dewey Phillips

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Radio Personality

The Resume

    (May 13, 1926-September 28, 1968)
    Born in Crump, Tennessee
    Disc jockey on WHBQ in Memphis (1949-58)
    Hosted the 'Red, Hot, and Blues Show'
    First DJ to play an Elvis Presley record on air: 'That's All Right' on July 7, 1954

Why he might be annoying:

    His high-energy on-air persona was enhanced by copious amphetamine intake.
    He and Sam Phillips (no relation) started a record label together (calling it Phillips Records, naturally), but it released only one single before Sam pulled out and founded Sun Records.
    He indirectly answered listener curiosity about whether the singer of 'That's All Right' was white or black by asking Elvis during an on-air interview which high school he attended (Memphis schools still being racially segregated in 1954).
    He jumped the gate at Graceland and got into a shouting match with Elvis (1957).

Why he might not be annoying:

    He served in the Army during World War II, seeing action in the Battle of Hurtgen Forest.
    He was a white dj playing rhythm and blues music for a mixed race audience years before Alan Freed.
    He had an uncanny ear for assessing what records would become hits.
    Sam Phillips said, 'He was a genius. And I don't call many people geniuses.'
    Elvis sent financial support to him after he was fired from WHBQ (during the station's transition to a pre-programmed Top 40 format) and continued sending money to his widow after Dewey's death.

Credit: C. Fishel


Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    In 2023, Out of 2 Votes: 0% Annoying
    In 2022, Out of 2 Votes: 0% Annoying
    In 2021, Out of 8 Votes: 50.0% Annoying