WQSV Profile:
Tony Davenport
How did you come to be involved with WQSV? And how long have you been involved?
My first involvement with WQSV was several years ago when I was a guest star on the Astral Traveling Show with Ben Leonard. I was hooked from the moment we started the show. Next thing I knew, I was a regular on the show and on the Board of Directors for WQSV.
When did you start DJing? Are there any DJs who influenced you? Or something/someone else who influenced you?
Soon after that first show, I became a Co-Pilot of the Astral Traveling Mothership alongside Ben Leonard about 7-8 years ago. I took up Djing as a part time gig during COVID as a way to take my hobby to another level as a way to earn money by starting DJ L3D Entertainment LLC. I would say my biggest DJ influence would be DJ Jazzy Jeff.
Talk about your connection to music/the role music plays in your life.
Music has always had a huge impact on my life. Hip-Hop and I were born around the same time. I tell people that Hip-Hop helped raise me in a lot of ways. Music was always playing in my house either on the radio, television, or my boom box. I would only be able to do my homework as a kid if the boom box was right beside me playing some sort of hip hop music like De La Soul, Brand Nubian, etc. My twin brother and I would run a metal coat hanger outside our bedroom window in an attempt to reach radio stations in bigger cities to hear all the newer releases. I would routinely turn on my TV to MTV and BET watching shows such as Yo! MTV Raps or Video Soul with Donnie Simpson.
Describe your show.
Our show celebrates RnB, Funk, Jazz, Hip-Hop, Soul, Go-Go, Reggae, etc. Ben and I enjoy breaking down classic albums, certain years or genres of hip-hop, and specific artists. Mostly, I DJ mix live during my show to bring more of a party atmosphere to everyone’s Tuesday night.
Who are some of your favorite musicians and why?
I love all kinds of music from Hip-Hop to Soul to RNB etc. My favorite musicians are The Roots, De La Soul, Earth, Wind and Fire, and artists from the New Jack Swing era.
What is your first memory involving music?
My first memory of music was my father bringing home a brand new Fisher Stereo Receiver with these huge speakers. Once it was all set up and ready to go, we went to the record store and he bought me the Run-DMC Raisin’ Hell, UTFO, and Doug E. Fresh All the Way to Heaven albums. It was a great day and I still have those same albums to this day,
What was the first concert you attended?
My first ever concert was Lisa Lisa with Cult Jam along with Full Force at Kings Dominion in Doswell, VA at the age of 13 years old.
How do you go about building your show?
Usually, it starts with my co-host, Ben Leonard, and I bouncing ideas off each other about a topic. Then we take some time to thoroughly research the topic to ensure we are bringing the correct information to our listeners. My wife says that we like to go almost podcast level haha, but I think it’s our way of celebrating and honoring the music as well as our listeners. If I am doing a solo show, I like to go with my gut and how I am feeling at the time.
Do you have any particular criteria when selecting music for your show?
My only criteria for selecting music for my shows is that I want it to be a party coming through the air waves. Our show airs on Tuesday nights. A lot of my listeners tell me that Tuesday nights can be overtaken with the humdrums of the week such as cooking dinner and helping kids with homework. I like to bring a little bit of a party to their lives on a Tuesday night. If I can get them dancing in the kitchen while cooking dinner and listening to the show then I did my job.
Tony Davenport is the co-host of Astral Traveling, which airs Tuesday nights from 7-9pm.
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