Q. What was the first live band to play music on WMFD radio station, when the station first began operating? My grandfather Tomas Goff played in band and said he was in the first band to play live on WMFD back in the day! He is long gone but our family would like to know if this is indeed a act and if so we would love to hear the recording!
A. We couldn’t find the first band, but MyReporter did learn about the first music played live over Wilmington radio.
WRBT began operations in Wilmington in 1928 and its successor station is still in operation today in Durham. The call letters were changed in to WRAM in 1930 and was then sold and moved to Durham in 1930. It is currently sports radio WDNC.
WRBT occupied space in Calvary Baptist Church. Richard A. Dunlea was station manager, Ben McDonald became a well known news reader and a young David Brinkley worked as a copy writer during his high school days.
Richard Dunlea decided he wanted to add background music to the reading of the different stories. Calvary Baptist Church’s piano player and organist Doris Baker Newton, started playing background in 1928, becoming the first performer to play live music on Wilmington’s airways.
This answer may be updated if new information becomes available. And if readers have any knowledge, let us know in the Comments section below.
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Date posted: October 2, 2014
User-contributed question by:
Dianne montgomery
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