black employee and announcer at WDIA, had a group of rotating teenage singers he called the Teen Town Singers. I can’t remember all of their names, but there was Robert “Honey Boy” Thomas; Markhum ‘Mark’ L. Stansbury Sr. who is still working for WDIA; Dorothy Herenton, the sister of former Memphis Mayor, Dr. W. W. Herenton; Rufus and his daughter, Carla Thomas; Isaac Hayes, and so many more. WDIA became known as the Goodwill Station because we raised money to help needy families through charity shows like the Goodwill and Starlight charity fundraisers. These were well-organized events. Some featured a skit and entertainers like the Soul Stirrers, Mahalia Jackson, James Cleveland and the Staple Singers. I would be remiss not to mention Nat D. Williams who was a school teacher at Booker T. Washington High School at the time. He also taught at LeMoyne College and would leave class to come to the radio station to perform his show.” As Nelson continued to reminisce, he spoke of Temple Time, meeting and interviewing Sam Cooke, and using an old-fashioned microphone to broadcast from the radio station. “My personality was just more suitable for gospel,” said Nelson whose favorite line has him now introducing himself as Alfordson Nelson, BC – Before Computers. “I loved working on Sunday’s, but sometimes I just couldn’t get that computer to act right. Bobbie O’Jay and his wife would drive all the way down to the station to help me out of my fix, but I just couldn’t grasp that new technology. When corporate took over, the whole atmosphere changed. Even my working hours were cut back.” Nelson retired on October 26, 2014, after giving WDIA 64 years of his life. He gave the Folders Coffee Company quite a bit of his life too. You would think that Nelson would be living a painless retirement at 94 years of age, but truth be told, he’s barely making ends meet on a meager monthly social security check for income. “WDIA gave me a nice retirement party,” said Nelson who still lives in his original home in Walker Homes and walked away with somewhere between two and three thousand dollars after the retirement party was over. “I was about 88-years old when I retired and the only time I dreaded going to work was when it was due to inclement weather. I spent most of my life at WDIA and I don’t regret a minute of it. I’ve interviewed a lot of people, but I’ve never been interviewed myself. I’m pretending like I’m not enjoying this, but I really am . Having been in radio all these years, my ego is really going up!” At the height of his career, back on April 22, 1953, Mr. Alfordson Nelson purchased lot number 0258 in the J.E. Walker Homes subdivision in Memphis, TN, for $7,900.00. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics consumer price index, today’s prices in 2020 are 966.28% higher than average prices since 1950. In other words, $7,900.00 in 1950 is equivalent in purchasing power to about $84,236.29 in 2020, a difference of $76,336.29 over 70 years. If Nelson’s home is assessed at $6,525.00 today, where is the $69,811.29 dollar difference? I thought and was always total that property is supposed to appreciate, not depreciate. “Walker Homes had not been annexed to the city when I moved out here,” stated Nelson on January 4, 2020. “You would get the street car as far as you could, then you’d have to get a taxi. It was kind of muddy and sandy back in those days.” Some sources of grant and loan funding for home repairs for low– and very-low income elderly, disabled, and special needs Tennesseans are available through the (1) Tennessee Housing Trust Fund (2) Weatherization Assistance Program & Shelby County Community Services Agency, 901.222.4315, 3772 S. Hickory Ridge Mall, Ste. 516; (3) the HOME Program - Application period runs through March 8, 2020. Visit “How to Apply for a HOME Grant at https://thda.org/business-partners/home; and the (4) Emergency Repair Program (ERP). Visit https://thda.org/homeowners/erp for more information and program qualifications, visit the Tennessee Housing Development Agency online at https://thda.org/ or by phone at 615.815.2200 for general program information. COPYRIGHTS Kevin Fleming, CEO/Publisher/Editor; editor@theurbanbuzz.com, (323) 788-1231 http://theurbanbuzz.com/?p=8598 Devin Steel, iHeartRadio Regional Program Manager; 1070 WDIA, mywdia.iheart.com, (901) 259-1300 https://mywdia.iheart.com/featured/bev-johnson/content/2018-06-26-happy-birthday-to-wdias-legendary-bro-ford-nelson/ Larry Coyne/The Commercial Appeal files; Mid-South Memories: Dec 31; 25 years ago: 1991 https://www.commercialappeal.com/story/news/local/mid-south-memories/2016/12/30/mid-south-memories-dec-31/95865340/ 5
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