Shelley Stewart, a pioneering radio personality who founded Birmingham’s o2ideas, launched a podcast Thursday drawing from archives during his more than 53-year broadcast career.
“Shelley’s Plumbline” will blend fresh commentary with clips drawn from his more than 3,000 radio shows over the years.
That career includes helping the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and other civil rights leaders disseminate key planning information about demonstrations.
Stewart eventually became the owner of radio station WATV and the advertising agency o2ideas. He’s also the author of “The Road South: A Memoir” and “Mattie C.’s Boy: The Shelley Stewart Story.”
In his podcast, Stewart plans to plumb for truths among society’s most challenging problems.
“You see, there is this side, that side, and the truth lies somewhere in the middle,” said Stewart, 88, who was honored in March as one of the inaugural lifetime achievement winners at the Business Alabama Awards.
The podcast will be a mix of social commentary and interviews with public figures.
“We have interviews with legends, such as Eddie Kendricks, Fred Shuttlesworth, Hosea Williams and Steve Harvey,” said Stewart. “Some episodes will share oldies, but goldies hits, and some will even explore comedy. We want to connect with people and keep our listeners engaged whether we are discussing tough topics or the golden age of Motown.”
“Shelley’s Plumbline” will be available every Wednesday on Spotify, Amazon Music and iHeart Radio.
