On July 16, the funeral service for New York radio personality Vaughn Harper will be held at the Riverside Church in New York, 490 Riverside Drive, between W. 120th and W. 122nd Street.
The viewing is scheduled for 9 a.m. and the service will take place at 11 a.m.
Attendees will include: Sandra Ross-Harper, widow of Vaughn Harper, his children
Dionne, Brieanna, and Melanie; Rev. Dr. Al Sharpton; Grammy-winning recording artist Regina Belle; Tony Award-winner Melba Moore; songstress
Alyson Williams; WBLS radio’s Dr. Bob Lee and radio industry colleagues.
Harper passed away at the age of 70 on July 9 after a
long battle with Type 2 Diabetes. He was born March 1, 1946 at
Sydenham Hospital in Harlem to Helen
Harper and Floyd Jones.
After graduating from Boys High in Brooklyn,
he attended Syracuse University on a full scholarship. At Syracuse, He was a standout basketball player for the Orange Men and scored
1,000 points during his college basketball career.
He was drafted by the Detroit Pistons in 1968, but suffered an injury
during training camp.
Harper was recruited to the radio field and trained by legendary programmer
Frankie Crocker. For more than two decades on WBLS 107.5, millions of
listeners tuned in to his broadcasts. He
appealed to audiences with an ear for ballads, jazz, fusion, classics
and today's R&B and was often referred to as "Mr. Velvet Voice." He
was regarded by many as the epitome of a radio personality and was even credited with
creating the Smooth Jazz radio format. Moreover, he influenced
generations and was admired and respected for his professional
knowledge. He was the host of Japan's Suntory Quiet Storm, which held the number one spot in the ratings for three straight years.
Throughout
his broadcast career, his accomplishments have been
lauded in publications such as Amsterdam News, Billboard, Black Radio
Exclusive, Cashbox, New York Daily
News, New York Post, and New York Times. He was the voice of Budweiser's Black History Month commercial “Great Kings of Africa.”
Harper
was the recipient of numerous awards, including Black Radio Exclusive
and Jeep Unlimited Radio Person of the Year. He also claimed the number
four spot on the “Best Urban DJ of All
Time” list and was inducted into the Living Legends Hall of Fame.
He was the voice of Clear Channel's Urban properties, as well as the successful video game “Grand Theft Auto 4.” He was master
of ceremony for Amateur Night at the Apollo, the CEBA Awards and the
UNCF National Telethon. He also served as inflight announcer for Delta
Airline's “Our Journey of Soul”, the “Black Music Month Special” and was a co-producer of the 2004 ballad driven
album “Vaughn Harper Presents Quiet Songs.”
On
the philanthropic front, he established an annual celebrity toy drive
that provided gifts to underprivileged children in New York City during
the Christmas season.
According to family and friends, his legacy of
community involvement and giving will live on in the Vaughn Harper
Computer Room in the Harlem Dowling West Side Center for Children and
Family Services.
Source: Mercury
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