Lewis Kendrick, Oral History
Title
Lewis Kendrick, Oral History
Description
Lewis Kendrick (b. Dec 26, 1923,d. Apr 5, 2004) First came upon WJLD when the station went on the air in Bessemer in 1942. Lewis recounts his work experience there and about personnel at both early WJLD and WBCO, Bessemer.
Creator
Lewis Kendrick
Bob Friedman
Publisher
Birmingham Black Radio Museum
Date
July 28, 1995
Contributor
Mark Usry
Emily Bibb
Format
JPG
MP3
PDF
Language
English
Interviewer
Bob Friedman
Interviewee
Lewis Kendrick
Transcription
Transcript of audio snippet:
Bob Friedman: So where did Bob Umbach come from? and Trumon Puckett. Where, how did they?
Lewis Kendrick: Well, Trumon was a Birmingham guy and he worked somewhere. Had a regular job. And I’ve forgotten what he did really. But he would come out there and...had that hour program and then he got into promotion. In promoting groups coming into Birmingham to the auditorium for these concerts.
BF: Mhm
LK: And
BF: See he worked. He worked with Black artists didn’t he?
LK: Uh
BF: With gospel? Gospel artists?
LK: Yeah. Totally.
BF: Mhm. Trumon Puckett.
LK: Right
BF: That's remarkable
LK: And, um, which a was most unusual thing.
BF: Mhm
LK: ..back then.
BF: Mhm
LK: I mean it was borderline. Because normally Black managers and Black promoters did whatever was being done, with the Black people and.
BF: Mhm
LK: And the White did the other.
BF: Mhm
LK: And this was a… well I would say the beginning of a breakthrough on a lot of the amalgamation of the two.
BF: Yeah. True.
LK: I...
BF: Umbach?
LK: Umbach came to us from Florida.
BF: Mhm
LK: As I remember
BF: I know he went to Florida to go on radio after he left JLD also.
LK: Yeah
BF: We have some pictures of him at a Florida station.
LK: Yeah. And I. I’m almost sure he came from Florida and went back to.
BF: Do you remember any story of like Jane Russell, the movie star, coming up to find him? Did you ever hear anything about that?
LK: Uhhh, there's something. What is your name again?
BF: Bob Friedman
LK: Bob
BF: Bob
LK: Okay Bob. Yes, there's something that’s in the back of my mind. And I'll be damned if I can resurrect it
Bob Friedman: So where did Bob Umbach come from? and Trumon Puckett. Where, how did they?
Lewis Kendrick: Well, Trumon was a Birmingham guy and he worked somewhere. Had a regular job. And I’ve forgotten what he did really. But he would come out there and...had that hour program and then he got into promotion. In promoting groups coming into Birmingham to the auditorium for these concerts.
BF: Mhm
LK: And
BF: See he worked. He worked with Black artists didn’t he?
LK: Uh
BF: With gospel? Gospel artists?
LK: Yeah. Totally.
BF: Mhm. Trumon Puckett.
LK: Right
BF: That's remarkable
LK: And, um, which a was most unusual thing.
BF: Mhm
LK: ..back then.
BF: Mhm
LK: I mean it was borderline. Because normally Black managers and Black promoters did whatever was being done, with the Black people and.
BF: Mhm
LK: And the White did the other.
BF: Mhm
LK: And this was a… well I would say the beginning of a breakthrough on a lot of the amalgamation of the two.
BF: Yeah. True.
LK: I...
BF: Umbach?
LK: Umbach came to us from Florida.
BF: Mhm
LK: As I remember
BF: I know he went to Florida to go on radio after he left JLD also.
LK: Yeah
BF: We have some pictures of him at a Florida station.
LK: Yeah. And I. I’m almost sure he came from Florida and went back to.
BF: Do you remember any story of like Jane Russell, the movie star, coming up to find him? Did you ever hear anything about that?
LK: Uhhh, there's something. What is your name again?
BF: Bob Friedman
LK: Bob
BF: Bob
LK: Okay Bob. Yes, there's something that’s in the back of my mind. And I'll be damned if I can resurrect it
Duration
Full interview: 37 minutes
Audio snippet: 2 minutes
Audio snippet: 2 minutes
Files
Collection
Citation
Lewis Kendrick and Bob Friedman, “Lewis Kendrick, Oral History,” The Birmingham Black Radio Museum, accessed September 7, 2026, https://www.thebbrm.org/item/106.
We welcome your comments! Please do not include private or sensitive information as your comment will be made public. BBRM will keep your email on hand so that we can stay in touch with future plans and programs of the BBRM.