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Also naming the 6100 Block of Vine Street as “Mimi Brown Way” in honor of Mimi Brown, a well-known on-air personality and a trailblazer in the radio industry for over 40 years.
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WHEREAS, Mimi Brown’s career began not long after she left high school when she started at the recording studio and club “The Astro Disc.” She then landed a job with WYSP-FM where she played a wide variety of music selections. Shortly after, her talent was recognized by the General Manager and Vice President of WDAS-FM, and she joined their team. While there, Brown and the R&B Team captured the 7th largest market in the nation for more than 20 years; and
WHEREAS, Brown was named the first female Assistant Program Director in WDAS-FM history. Two Grammy Award winning producers, Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff, selected her to narrate the Teddy Pendergrass Album live from coast to coast. In addition, Brown hosted the Friday night rap show, “The Rap Digest,” which launched the career of Will Smith, who served as her co-host. Brown followed a new system for her radio broadcasts. She played rap during the day-time music broadcast which was unheard of at the time. She gave a spotlight to artists such as Run DMC, Queen Latifah, MC Lyte, Malika Love, and Public Enemy; and
WHEREAS, Brown has conducted numerous prolific interviews with many high-profile individuals, like Luther Vandross, Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, Patti LaBelle, Stevie Wonder, Barry White, Boyz to Men, Babyface, Public Enemy, Isaac Hayes, LL Cool J, Dionne Warwick, Chaka Khan, Heatwave, George Clinton, Natalie Cole, Rick James, Teena Marie, and Smokey Robinson; and
WHEREAS, Brown’s show “Live Saturday Night,” a DJ mix-show, went from the WDAS studio to live broadcast from the Uptown Theater. Live Saturday Night continues to be a main staple for WDAS throughout the country; and
WHEREAS, Brown’s trailblazing dedication to the radio industry deserves to be memorialized; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, That it hereby also names the 6100 Block of Vine Street as “Mimi Brown Way” in honor of Mimi Brown, a well-known on-air personality and a trailblazer in the radio industry for over 40 years.
FURTHER RESOLVED, That an Engrossed copy of this resolution be presented to Mimi Brown as a sign of the sincere admiration and respect of this legislative body.
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