WVON’s Herb Kent: ‘King of the Dusties’ Discloses His Personal Struggles & Professional Triumphs in New Book

WVON’s Herb Kent: ‘King of the Dusties’ Discloses His Personal Struggles & Professional Triumphs in New Book

WVON’s Herb Kent: ‘King of the Dusties’ Discloses His Personal Struggles & Professional Triumphs in New Book

Radio icon Herb Kent, aka “The Cool Gent,” has survived everything from cancer to drug addiction. Now Kent, who started in the business at age 14, is sharing his story with the world in his new book, The Cool Gent: The Nine Lives of Radio Legend Herb Kent. –gavin philip godfrey


Have you found it hard to embrace all of the new technology in radio?
I love it. I was trained the right way. … By the time I was 16 I was running a control board. … I like knobs and dials, so as they went from 78s and 33s and CDs to hard drives, I was stepping right with them, brother. Wherever it goes, however it goes, I go along with it, so hey, it doesn’t throw me.

How has the job evolved for black deejays in your 60 years in the business?
Back in the day, black deejays brought their own records [to] the station. They played what they wanted to play, [and] said what they wanted to say and there was really no discipline to it. These shows were called race shows … I think white ownership didn’t care, just as long you got there, sounded black and they were able to sell it.


What do you want folks to take away from the book?
I’d like people to know that they should really find out what it is they can do and just really try to do it, have a [strong] belief in God and don’t give up. … The only reason it can’t be done is people just give up; so giving up is not an option.

In your book, you discuss your battle with addictions. How do you suggest people overcome an addiction?
You’ve got to say, ‘I don’t want to do them because … I know it’s bad.’ Once … you make up your mind through whatever reasoning that you have, then you can defeat this thing. … People say, ‘I’m waiting for the cure,’ [but] there’s no such thing as a cure for alcoholism.

Check out the exclusive one-on-one video interview with Herb Kent on www.rollingout.com/video

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