Remembering Kevin Fleming
• We were deeply saddened to learn of the passing of one of our former Gavin colleagues — Kevin Fleming, major market programmer, record industry executive and journalist, who for the past 20 years served as CEO & Publisher of The Urban Buzz, died last Thursday, Sept. 21 of pancreatic cancer. He was 65 years old.
A native of Minneapolis, Fleming attended Clark College in Atlanta, obtaining a degree in Broadcast Management and Communications. Early radio stops include WAOK & WIGO/Atlanta and WWDM/Sumter, SC, and his first major market programming job came as Program Director of KGFJ/Los Angeles.
Fleming later transitioned to the label side as Regional Promotion Rep for Island Records, and rapidly promoted to Vice President of Black Music. After a brief stint at Third Stone Records, Fleming was named VP/GM of Perspective Records under the ownership of mega-producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis.
During the early ’90s, Fleming returned to radio as OM/PD of KACE & KRTO/Los Angeles while also starting his own consultancy. In 2000, he joined San Francisco-based trade publication Gavin as its Urban Editor, while maintaining his consulting business. In 2002 he founded The Urban Buzz, building it into a leading urban music and entertainment site.
In 2006, Fleming was hired by Radio One to program the company’s flagship station KKBT (The Beat)/Los Angeles and transform it into the first-class major market Urban Adult brand, KRBV (V100). Most recently, Fleming was Program Director of Pacifica Radio’s KPFK/Los Angeles.
Kevin Fleming is survived by his wife, Maria, son Dylan, parents Cynthia Tyner and Gerald Fleming, sisters Stephanie Fleming, Karen Matthews and Alycia Rivera, and a multitude of loving nieces and nephews and close family friends. Dylan Fleming posted a heartfelt tribute to his Dad at TheUrbanBuzz.com.
