Tom Joyner Retires From The Hardest Work In Radio!

The Hardest Man in Radio is retiring in style. Tom Joyner is ending his morning radio show after 25 years.

The legendary Tom Joyner is signing off this morning. The final episode of The Tom Joyner Morning Show is today. The iconic voice of urban radio is retiring and "The Fly Jock" is hanging it up after 25 years entertaining millions of listeners. A legendary figure who set the bar high for all.

Born in Tuskegee, Alabama is the son of Frances and Hercules Joyner. Tom was a well-educated man who knew the key to an education is hard work. His parents were graduates of historically black colleges. Tom and his brother Albert were graduates of Tuskegee Institute.

Tom was hoping to make it big as a musician and he joined The Commodores. Before they blew up and launched the solo career of celebrity agitator Lionel Richie, they struggled. Tom would leave the group to pursuit a career in radio.

He began his career in college radio and began his broadcasting career in Montgomery.

WOrked at a number of radio station in South and Midwest, including station in Memphis and St. Louis, before moving to Chicago in the late 1970s.

In Chicago, he worked WVON, doing the morning show but left the station shortly after. He would join WBMX-FM. He would soon be offered two positions: one for a morning show at KKDA-FM in Dallas and one afternoon show at WGCI-FM in Chicago. Joyner said I'll take both jobs.

For eight years, he would do the morning show in Dallas for a three hours. When he was done, he would fly daily by plane to Chicago for the afternoon show. That's what earned him the name, "The Fly Jock."

He is known as "The Hardest Working Man in Radio."

It was told he held 7 million frequent flyer miles.

Tom would sign to ABC Radio (known as Westwood One) to host the nationally syndicated program The Tom Joyner Morning Show. It featured Tom and a team of comedians and commentators reporting and discussing the latest news and sports of the day as well as some of the most popular R&B hits of 1970s to 2000s.

He would have some celebrity call-ins. His show had featured talkers such as Roland Martin, Shaun King, Kevin Frazier, D.L. Hughley (of The D.L. Hughley Show), Al Sharpton and others.

Joyner also has distribution rights through his Reach Media, Inc. He also is the founder of BlackAmericaWeb.com and The Tom Joyner Foundation.

Tom and Sybil reflect on the years of being the leading morning voices of urban radio.

Tom made it a mission to keep education a top priority. He has hosted scholarships and made a promise to keep historically black schools funded.

His mission was to support the HCBUs through student scholarships, endowment, and capacity building enhancements. The Tom Joyner Foundation is known to host the annual cruises to the Caribbean with portions of the trip going directly to HCBUs.

Tom, Sybil Wilkes and J. Anthony Brown kept you laughing in the mornings. Believe me, they had the mornings on lock. J. Anthony would leave the show as Tom was preparing for retirement. He is now on The Steve Harvey Morning Show.

As he ends the show, we come to realize that Black radio is still stronger than ever. Tom paved the way for many others to come in. Without Tom, there wouldn't be a D.L. Hughley, Steve Harvey, Rickey Smiley, Doug Banks, Russ Parr, Karen Hunter, Clay Cane and Al Sharpton.

Tom confirmed that Rickey Smiley will take up the helm.

Rickey Smiley will now lead the mornings. Comedian Rickey Smiley will carry Tom Joyner's torch.

Tom has also been inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame and received the National Association of Broadcasters' Marconi Award, Billboard's "Best Urban Contemporary Air Personality" award, the NAACP Image Award and many honorary doctorates.

The Tom Joyner Morning Show had 400 station affiliates before 2017. Since he announced his retirement at present time, there's 100 affiliates.

Radio One, Inc. distributes his radio show on some of their stations.