NPR station WCLK-FM in Atlanta announced that John “Jay” Edwards has died. Edwards was with WCLK for more than 20 years. He hosted, Jazz Tones, every Sunday afternoon from 3:00 until 6:00 p.m.
On many occasions Jay would turn his Sunday afternoon timeslot into a talk studio where he interviewed hundreds of Jazz musicians who released new music and or were about to go on tour in Atlanta or around the world. Many of those interviews are archived at WCLK.com
WCLK GM Wendy Williams said, “Jay availed himself for the cause of WCLK without hesitation. He was our friend and colleague with whom we loved to laugh, debate and just enjoy, whenever he was around.”
PD David Linton added it was an honor to work with Jay Edwards when I was asked to join WCLK as Program Director. “I was excited about the opportunity to work with someone of Jay’s stature. We hit it off immediately finding a bond with us both being from New York City. However, our love for music, especially Latin Jazz made the bond stronger. I called him the ‘Elder Statesmen of Jazz.’ He was always ready to step up for Jazz and WCLK. He made my job so much easier and I’ll miss his hearty laugh and friendship.”
