Truman Puckett

Truman Puckett

Box 2 Folder 21: "Right and moving into 1951 here; this is folder 21 and several pictures from negatives of, three pictures, of Truman Puckett. The negatives were found in the vast negative collection of Graf Studios in Bessemer in the early 1990's although I'm not sure who or how the positives were created. One of which is clear where he is sponsoring compliments of Sam Picard and Sons, credit clothiers. That’s right ladies and gentlemen you know exactly where to get your Sunday going to meeting clothes. Anyway, Truman Puckett was a legend! He was with the station from 1946 until sometime probably in the late 60s or early 70s. There was an award in his name that was given to various people. He was loved. He had a show called the Gospel Ship and we have a tape of one of those shows. Even though WJLD/WJLN was a segregated studio on Red Mountain, Puckett was one of those announcers who did his broadcast from the downstairs studio which was, I believe, where the Black jocks also broadcast. We have Truman Puckett’s voice. He was very close to Birmingham’s church community; he had his own record label: the Hallelujah Label. He recorded the Ensley Jubilees. We have an interview with his son Rod which will be found in our Oral History collection. The smaller picture and another of the posed pictures were donated in 2015 to the BBRM by Candy West of Birmingham, granddaughter of James Connolly, sales manager of WJLD through 1950's."