Clinton Lindsay, a giant of Caribbean radio in the United States, celebrates his 45th anniversary as a broadcaster in October. Lindsay actually made his radio debut on October 12, 1976 on WTNY.
He is currently principal of Foundation Radio Network which broadcasts on Reggae Global Radio three times a week.
Lindsay was arguably the leading name on West Indian radio in New York during the 1990’s when he helped introduce an energetic new sound from Kingston’s dancehalls to fans in the Big Apple.
“Before me, dancehall music was barely embraced by others on radio. My first public broadcast was on WHBI (later WNWK 105.9 FM) on October 7, 1982, and from there I made it my mission to give dancehall music and its components a platform,” he told the Jamaica Observer in 2018.
Originally from Spanish Town (a community on the outskirts of Kingston), Lindsay built on the foundation laid by pioneer Disc Jockeys Ken Williams and Gil Bailey in the 1970’s. He doubled as a show promoter, staging shows featuring a number of hot acts including Frankie Paul, General Trees, Sanchez, Shabba Ranks, Admiral Bailey and Chaka Demus and Pliers in New York City.
Lindsay was involved with promoting Jamaican and West Indian culture since his years as a student at the New York Institute of Technology where he was editor of Scopes, the college newspaper. Among the events he covered for that publication were Bob Marley’s six shows at the famed Apollo Theater in Harlem in October, 1978.
Since 2002, Clinton Lindsay has operated the Foundation Radio Network out of South Florida. It produces his longrunning weekly music charts covering South Florida and New York City.
Written By Howard Campbell