Herb Kent, who was a radio personality in Chicago for more than 70 years and taught at Chicago State University for more than a decade, died last month in Chicago. He was 88 years old.
Kent worked at V103 radio in Chicago for the past 27 years and conducted his final broadcast on the morning of his death.
A native of Chicago, Kent got his start in radio hosting a classical music program while he was a 16-year-old high school student. He later became a disc jockey and performed in radio dramas. He then worked for WVON, an acronym for “Voice of the Negro.”
In 2009, Kent published his autobiography The Cool Gent: The Nine Lives of Radio Legend Herb Kent (Chicago Review Press, 2009).
Cecil Lucy, interim president of Chicago State University said of Herb Kent: “His knowledge of radio broadcasting and joyful personality made a true impact in our students and alumni.”
