Today we’d like to introduce you to Randy “R Dub!” Williams.
Randy, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I was just 16 when I created Sunday Night Slow Jams radio program in the summer of 1994, debuting on a small, AM radio station in Tucson, Arizona.
Born in Chicago and growing up in L.A. and Orlando, Florida, I spent my time staying up late at night listening to various “Slow Jams” type radio shows around the country. I loved the music and the overall mood of Slow Jams and at age 13 decided my dream was to host my own Slow Jam show.
At age fifteen, after moving to Tucson, Arizona with my family, I got my first chance in radio, volunteering at the local public radio station. Although I was on in the middle of the night, broadcasting out of a tiny radio station that didn’t have many listeners, I was happy to be playing my Slow Jams…and even if just one person was listening, I knew I was making a difference in their night!
By the time I was a junior in high school, I was the full-time Slow Jams show host at the local hip-hop station, where Sunday Night Slow Jams was born in 1994. As the years went by, and radio stations came and went, I managed to keep the Sunday Night Slow Jams alive, taking them with me whenever I changed stations.
In 2001, I spent a year constructing my own broadcast studio inside my home. Shortly after the facilities were completed in 2002, Sunday Night Slow Jams went national, debuting in two new markets: Tulsa, Oklahoma and Nogales, Arizona.
On my birthday, December 1st, 2005, I launched my very own 24-hour Slow Jams online radio station, so people could enjoy Slow Jams seven days a week! This is now one of the most-listened to channels on the iHeart Radio platform.
Recently, I decided to follow my dream to live (and do Slow Jams) in Brazil. After being granted a work visa to live in Brazil, I leased an apartment on the beach, packed up my stuff, and gave notice to the radio station in Tucson where I worked full-time as Program Director and Afternoon host.
But Brazil just wasn’t in the cards for me just yet, as only FOUR DAYS before departing to Brazil forever, I received an offer for the dream job at Hot 92.3 in Los Angeles. I completed a two-year contract of service as the radio station’s Program Director, which finished in March of 2009.
Today, I live and work in San Diego, California, where I can be heard weekday afternoons from 3PM to 8PM on Magic 92.5FM. My Sunday Nite Slow Jams still airs every Sunday night, in addition to a weeknight version, and can now be heard all across the country and around the world in over 140 cities and 14 countries.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Smooth road, with steady, incremental increases each year. I was featured on Shark Tank in 2013 where I appeared with singer/songwriter Brian McKnight.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Sunday Night Slow Jams – what should we know?
I offer one of the lost arts of communication: love songs and long-distance dedications. Following in the footsteps of Casey Kasem, Sunday Night Slow Jams speaks to listeners of all ages, and all geographic locations. The language is love: remembering your first kiss, the first person you held hands with; a product you can listen to with a loved one, or alone; in a full house or a solo, late night drive. Sunday Night Slow Jams helps our listeners remember special times…and create new ones, too.
We also happen to be the number one rated syndicated weekend radio show.
Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
I have to mention the 140+ radio station affiliates that make the show possible, especially my hometown station: Magic 92.5.
We’re syndicated through Benztown Branding out of Los Angeles, and Compass Media Networks sells our advertising.
Of course, none of this would be possible without our amazing clients and listeners!
Contact Info:
- Address: 6160 Cornerstone Ct E Suite 150
San Diego CA 92121 - Website: www.slowjams.com
- Phone: 1-877-209-0631
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: twitter.com/slowjams
- Facebook: instagram.com/slowjams
- Twitter: facebook.com/slowjams
Getting in touch: SDVoyager is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
