Walt Love

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Rev. Walter Shaw,[1] who goes by the on-air nickname Walt "Baby" Love, is a radio host in the United States. Having been in the business for over 35 years, Walt 'Baby' Love hosted three syndicated radio programs, Gospel Traxx, The Countdown and The Urban AC Countdown. All three featured, at Love's insistence, "clean" versions of popular songs.[1]

Biography[]

Walt was raised in the small farming community of Creighton, Pennsylvania. Once graduating from high school he enlisted in the United States Army and became a paratrooper. While on active duty in the army, he achieved the rank of Staff Sergeant E-6, was a member of the 82nd Airborne Division, and served in Northeast Thailand before being Honorably Discharged in 1967. Also, while on active duty, he landed his first job as a part-time, on-air personality at WWGO radio in Erie, Pennsylvania. It was in the metropolis of Houston, Texas where he landed his big break at KYOK radio. He went on to become the first Black on-air talent at Top 40's powerhouse KILT radio owned by Lin Broadcasting Corporation, which was the largest broadcasting organization in the state of Texas, at that time. Within four years of being in the broadcasting industry, Walt became the first Black on-air talent at RKO radio; hosting programs at CKLW radio in the Canadian province of Windsor, Ontario, and WOR-FM located in New York City. During this span of his career, he also held on-air positions at WNBC, WBLS, 99X, KHJ, KMPC, and KFI Los Angeles. For twenty-one years, Walt worked at Radio & Records newspaper as the Urban Radio and Music Editor, while simultaneously starting his syndicated radio shows. In addition, he was an Operations Manager at Chicago's WVON-AM and FM, worked at KGFJ/KKBT, and KUTE 102 FM of Los Angeles, all very popular stations.

The Countdown with Walt "Baby" Love premiered in August, 1982, receiving Billboard Magazine's Best R & B Syndicated Radio Show Award six times becoming the longest running urban syndicated radio show in history. In 2001, Walt won the Stellar Award for Best Gospel Radio Personality; in 2002 be was nominated for the Radio Hall of Fame and also won Radio Personality of the Year from the Black Broadcaster's Alliance. Also, in 2002, Gospel Traxx won Best Syndicated Urban/R&B/ Gospel Show of the Year from Billboard Magazine. In 2003, he won the Martin Luther King, Jr. Observance from the U.S. Anny, Fort Stewart, Georgia/ Hunter Air Field Base home of the 3rd Infantry Division. Walt was also a two-time winner of the Community Activist Award at Fuller Theological Seminary; voted for Outstanding Achievement for the Praise and Worship Conference, and, won the Celebrated Leader in Gospel Music Award from the Gospel Heritage Foundation.

He was ordained in the ministry at the First House of Prayer, located in Chicago, in June 1997. He was later ordained as a Deacon in the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) denomination at FAME, First African Methodist Episcopal Church of Los Angeles. In 2003, Walt earned the designation of local elder in the AME Church and today, he is an associate minister at FAME. He earned a Master of Arts degree in Theology from Fuller Theological Seminary located in Pasadena, California.[2]

In 2007 Walt "Baby" Love published his first book. In 'The Gospel According to Rev. Walt "Baby" Love' he offers reflections and inspirational thoughts drawn from his life. He shares how his religious convictions helped him survive and thrive in an industry he believed to be rife with corruption and ungodly influences. And he recounts the story of his progression of faith from a player of gospel and R&B music to an ordained minister and preacher of God's Word. Each chapter focuses on a Bible verse, reflecting on its significance to him and guiding you on how to incorporate its teachings into your own daily life. An uplifting story of faith, family, and forgiveness in the face of God's plan, The Gospel According to Rev. Walt "Baby" Love is inspirational reading at its best.(Touchstone/Simon & Schuster)

Gospel Traxx is currently syndicated within the United States by . International syndication is handled by Radio Express.[3]

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b Kithcart, David and Roderick Thomas. The Rev. Walt 'Baby' Love: Praise Him Through the Storm. The 700 Club. 8 June 2007.
  2. ^ Walt 'Baby' Love Website Bio May 2008
  3. ^ [1] and [2]

External links[]

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