DONNIE SIMPSON

Donnie Simpson has been called a trailblazer and a true media legend. His love for music and radio started as a young kid growing up in Detroit where his mother owned Simpson’s Record Shop, a bustling Motor City Mom & Pop, started in 1966. He decided to become a disc jockey after WJLB broadcast live one day from the shop.  

Simpson became a teen reporter for WJLB, and at just 15 years of age was given his own daily radio show.  Simpson then headed to WKYS-FM in Washington D.C. where he soon became the morning show host and program director.  In 1993 he took his talents to WPGC-FM in D.C.  

He paved his way into television history when he joined BET as host of the ultra-popular Video Soul. Bob Johnson, founder of BET, once told a reporter. “You cannot write the history of BET without putting Donnie Simpson in the forefront as the major contributor to the creative and economic success of the company.” Simpson stayed at BET for 14 years, racking up hundreds of memorable live interviews with many of the greatest recording artists of the era. Stevie Wonder, Whitney Houston, Prince, David Bowie, Smokey Robinson, Aretha Franklin, James Brown, Madonna and Mariah Carey would all sit on Donnie’s couch.

In January 2010, after 30 years as DC’s morning coffee, Donnie left radio.  In August, 2015, he returned to host the afternoon drive at Majic 102.3 in Washington D.C.

On October 4, 2015, Donnie was inducted into the R&B Music Hall of Fame. 

He was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 2020.