| LC control no. | no2004039962 |
|---|---|
| Descriptive conventions | rda |
| Personal name heading | Benson, Al, 1908-1978 |
| Located | Chicago (Ill.) |
| Birth date | 1908-06-30 |
| Death date | 1978-09-06 |
| Place of birth | Bronx (Miss.) |
| Place of death | Michigan |
| Affiliation | WGES (Radio station : Chicago, Ill.) WAAF (Radio station : Chicago, Ill.) Regal Theater (Chicago, Ill.) Benson Orchestra of Chicago Jackson Normal College |
| Profession or occupation | Disc jockeys |
| Found in | Fields, S. Shep Fields and his New Music [SR] p1980: jacket (Al Benson) All Music Guide WWW home page, Mar. 26, 2004 (Al Benson; b. June 30, 1908, Jackson, MS; d. Sept. 6, 1978, Berrien Springs, MI; genre: jazz) African American National Biography, accessed June 9, 2015, via Oxford African American Studies Center database: (Benson, Al; Arthur Bernard Leaner; disc jockey, impresario; born 30 June, 1908 in Bronx, Mississippi, United States; attended Jackson Normal College; after Great Depression moved to Chicago; began radio career as Reverend Arthur Leaner, Sunday morning broadcast from his storefront church in Chicago's South Side; adopted the name Al Benson and became a commercial disc jockey, WGES, WAAF, and WJJD, Chicago (1948-1967); voted as the most popular disc jockey in the city by Chicago Tribune (1948), appointed as honorary mayor of Bronzeville (1949); hosted weekly rhythm and blues concerts at Chicago's Regal Theatre; recorded tracks with Pershing Hotel (1948), then with Benson All-Star Orchestra; started three record labels: Old Swing-Master, Parrot, and Blue Lake; editorialized in favor of the civil rights movement; died 06 September, 1978 in Michigan, United States) |
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