What A WILD, Strange Trip It’s Been

Congrats to our friend Elroy Smith, PD of Entercom’s KBLX and KRBQ (Q102.1)/San Francisco, who was prominently spotlighted in BET’s New Edition movie everyone is talking about. You may not know this, but Elroy was the first PD in the country (seen here in this vintage photo) to play New Edition’s debut single, “Candy Girl” in 1983 when he programmed the late, legendary WILD/Boston.

As Elroy recounts to RAMP, “I remember vividly getting a visit from New Edition’s producer, Maurice Starr and member Ricky Bell, who gave me a copy of ‘Candy Girl’ to play for the city of Boston. I opened up the phone lines and the listeners gave this song so much love. WILD (a daytimer at 1090) was located in Roxbury, a predominately black section of Boston, and New Edition were raised in Roxbury. This was a perfect connection to have the local radio station support a local group. Since I had just become a program director, I was naïve as to what it meant to break a new record and a new group. I never imagined playing ‘Candy Girl’ would evolve into a such a lengthy and successful career for this group. Anytime I wanted New Edition to do a show for WILD, they were there for the radio station. They became family to me and the radio station.”

Smith added, “I am so proud of [BET VP of Programming] Stephen Hill, one of my former DJs at WILD, for his vision in saluting New Edition in such a grandiose way. This story of the life of New Edition is getting a huge buzz throughout the country. Kudos to Stephen and his team at BET for doing an exceptional job, creating this movie about Boston’s own New Edition.” KBLX is running a promo honoring Elroy’s well-deserved movie immortalization and to commemorate New Edition’s star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.