Posted by | Ray Cornelius
Oh Snap!! My back-in-the-day TV idol, Donnie Simpson is teaming up with TV One for a new radio program and television show. According to IW, Simpson has signed a multi-year deal with the network for a radio program, “The Donnie Simpson Show” and a yet-to-be-titled television program. The partnership is in collaboration with Simpson’s production company.
“TV One is excited to be the entertainment platform providing Donnie Simpson’s return to television. As evidenced by fan reaction whenever he’s out or making appearances, Donnie is a universally adored media personality and his youthful spirit appeals to devotees of all ages, says President of TV One, Brad Siegel. “The breadth of his knowledge and depth of musical tastes make him an excellent asset for the network as we expand our programming slate and grow our brand. Knowing how much his fans have missed him, we are eager to get him on the air and look forward to announcing his first special soon.”
Simpson’s career began in radio over 40 years ago. After serving as a popular radio personality for stations in Detroit and Washington D.C., he landed a gig on BET in 1983 as the host a video music program, “Video Soul.” That show was the cornerstone of the network and really laid the foundation for other BET shows to follow like “Teen Summit” and “106 & Park.” After leaving television in 1997, Simpson went back to radio, where he stayed there until 2010.
Check out one of my favorite interviews below from “Video Soul” feat. Donnie and the late Vesta Williams:
[youtube id=”e-BYVO8BvAU” width=”600″ height=”350″]
Stay tuned…
Photo Credit: IndieWire.com
