On this special episode of Queue Points, we sit down with legendary music executive Teddy Astin! While working at Warner Brothers Records, Mr. Astin helped shape the careers of icons like Prince, Madonna, Frankie Beverly & Maze, Sly Stone, and more. He shares his journey from Palmetto, Georgia, to becoming a driving force behind Atlanta’s rise as an international hub for music and film. We also discuss his memoir, “A Golden Past and a Platinum Future” and the importance of archiving Black music history.
Mr. Astin takes us behind the scenes of the creation of Atlanta mayor Maynard Jackson’s entertainment commission, and legendary events like Jack the Rapper. Hear incredible stories about working with artists across genres, including hip hop, R&B, jazz, and pop.
If you love music history or want to be inspired by one of the industry’s true legends, this episode is for you!
Purchase out Mr. Astin’s book A Golden Past and A Platinum Future via his website: www.toughact.net or on Amazon here: https://amzn.to/3I0jdAP (Disclaimer: Purchasing through this Amazon link may earn Queue Points a commission.)
Read the Urban Insite Black Music Month 2025 Profile on Teddy Astin: https://link.queuepoints.com/astinurbaninsite
Teddy Astin Biography
Teddy Astin started working in the Warner Brother Records (WBR) warehouse at the young age of 20. One year later, with all his hard work and dedication, he was promoted to the supervisor of the mail room. In 1977, Warner Brothers started the Black Music Division and Teddy’s talent was not overlooked and was swiftly promoted to Regional Director of Promotions for the Carolinas and later promoted to National Director of Promotion. Teddy went from the warehouse to the mail room, to the WBR Board Room, and the rest is history. He was a part of history that started a Black Music Dynasty. Come take a journey back through time and read about musical history and all the artists Teddy has worked with while promoting, marketing, mentoring & artist development for the record label in his new book, “A Golden Past and A Platinum Future.”
Chapter Markers
00:00 Intro Theme
00:16 Introduction and Welcoming Teddy Astin
02:35 Teddy Astin's Philosophy and Career Highlights
04:33 Transition
04:42 Kudos for 'Teddy Astin: A Golden Past and a Platinum Future'
05:33 The Importance of Archiving and Writing a Book
06:48 Atlanta's Rise as an Entertainment Hub
13:24 Teddy Astin's Impact on Hip Hop and Artist Relations
19:45 Meeting Sylvester at the Airport
20:32 A Night Out in Atlanta
22:12 Transition
22:18 The Magic of Jack the Rapper
26:03 Challenges and Changes in the Music Industry
30:08 Promoting with Style
31:55 Celebrating Black Music Month
36:22 Final Thoughts and Farewell
37:28 Outro Theme
Support Queue Points By Becoming An Insider: https://link.queuepoints.com/membership
Foreign.
Speaker BAudience.
Speaker BWhat can I say, man?
Speaker ALike, I know, right?
Speaker CIt's hard.
Speaker BBlack music royalty, legend, man about town.
Speaker BWe're going to get into that in a little bit as well.
Speaker BBut none other than Mr. Teddy Aston, first and foremost, thank you for joining us here on Cue Points.
Speaker BAnd let's just start off and just how are you?
Speaker CYes.
Speaker BToday.
Speaker BHow are you feeling today?
Speaker BWe just want to check in with you first before we dive into the questions and get all in your business.
Speaker BBut how are you feeling today?
Speaker AI'm doing great, Sir Daniel, and our.
Speaker AReally appreciate you.
Speaker AAnd Jay Ray invited me to your show today and I've been looking forward to speaking to you guys.
Speaker BI mean the pleasure and being on your show.
Speaker AThank you.
Speaker BWell, thank you.
Speaker BThe pleasure is all ours.
Speaker BLike I've been telling J Rate, you know, as long as we've been doing Cue Points, we, we celebrate people like you and but oftentimes we don't actually get to speak directly to game changers like you.
Speaker BSo.
Speaker BAnd it's important to us that we do that because, you know, we need to give people their flowers and just tell them face to face, you know, thank you for what you've done.
Speaker BSo I think first and foremost.
Speaker ALet.
Speaker BMe say this, Jay ray, I've met Mr. Aston a couple times in person because of radio events that, you know, I've been involved with and for if you, you and I have encountered people that work in the ind in the industry and a lot of times people can be affected and you know, can have a certain air about them, but there aren't many people like Mr. Asin is very laid back and very approachable and so I guess my first question then, Mr. Aston, is how in an industry that forces people to have to put on those ears and be like, how have you maintained just being yourself that the whole time that you've been in the recording industry and just being yourself, being that, maintaining that, that personal attribute that you have to yourself.
Speaker AWell, I've always felt that you treat people the way you want to be treated.
Speaker AYou respect people that respect you.
Speaker AIf people don't respect you, then you avoid them and you know, you're going about your business, you know, but I always felt that if you, if you're nice to people, if you respect people, you receive respect in return.
Speaker ASo I'm a person that's been very fortunate to work in the music industry, very fortunate to have worked for a record label such as Warner Brothers records for over 20 years, very fortunate to be able to work with the artists that we worked with over the years, not only working with them from the ground up.
Speaker A99% of the artists that's on the Warner Brothers record label, nobody never knew.
Speaker AWe very seldom signed established artists.
Speaker AHowever, we did sign a few established artists.
Speaker ASliced on being one after Slanted Famous, Stone broke up Frankie Beverly and Mays after his contract was up with Capitol Records and Atlantic Star when their career contract was up with A and M Records.
Speaker ABecause they saw the phenomenal job that we were doing with Warner Brothers.
Speaker AWe promoted marketing, marketed, publicized, groomed to their superstar status, starting with Prince.
Speaker AI took Prince on his very first promotional tour at 18 years old.
Speaker AMarch Day and the Times.
Speaker AVanity 6, Sheila E. Zap featuring Roger Madonna, Quincy Jones, Miles Davis, Kevin Campbell, James Zingham, Patty Austin.
Speaker AThat's just to name a few.
Speaker CWe want to definitely give you kudos for your book, everybody.
Speaker CWe'll make sure that folks listening to our show have the link so that they can go and purchase a copy of your book, A Golden Pat and the Platinum Future.
Speaker CWhat I absolutely love about this book is you do two things really well in it.
Speaker CYou capture your professional career, but you also cover you as a person, your family, your.
Speaker CThis is such an artifact, an archive for us as black music lovers, but also for your.
Speaker CFor your family.
Speaker CThis is so dope.
Speaker CAnd so we just want to give you kudos for publishing this because it's really important for us to be able to get these stories from you.
Speaker CSo thank you for this, but thank.
Speaker AYou for the compliment because when I.
Speaker AIt took me a year and a half to write the book.
Speaker AI wrote the book during COVID things were slow, didn't have a lot to do.
Speaker APeople were always telling me, teddy, you need to write a book.
Speaker AYou need to write a book.
Speaker AYou know, people like, you know how people kind of feed your ego sometimes.
Speaker AYeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker ABut once I had the time to do it, what made it easier for me is because I saved all of my photos archives.
Speaker AYes, I saved all of my photos and I had them digitized so every photo has a story.
Speaker BThank God for that because we, we all the time here we talk about why it's so important to actually have physical copies of things.
Speaker BIf you see behind me, I collect vinyl.
Speaker BGotta have.
Speaker BI love having physical copies of things.
Speaker BAnd you have done a wonderful job of archiving your journey.
Speaker BSo thank you for digitizing those photos because that people need to see.
Speaker BThey need to see you and your journey along with these magnificent artists.
Speaker BI kind of want tip away from the industry aspect and want to get more into.
Speaker BInto you, Mr. Aston, like you mentioned, being from Palmetto, Georgia, and Palmetto and then making your way up to the metro Atlanta area.
Speaker BAnd I know that in legends, when people are asking them to be retrospective about their careers and the hometowns that kind of nurtured them.
Speaker BI want to flip that because I. I know Atlanta.
Speaker BYou know, you're one of Atlanta's sons.
Speaker BI mean, you.
Speaker BYou know, from everybody from the mayor's office to the.
Speaker BTo the local DJs, J. Ray, everybody knows Teddy Aston, right?
Speaker BSo I want to flip the question, and I want to say what.
Speaker BAnd this is probably going to be real easy for you, but what can the city of Atlanta credit to Teddy Astonishment and his contributions?
Speaker BWhat can the city of Atlanta credit to Teddy Aston and not the other way around?
Speaker BI want you to say, you know, what Atlanta can thank me for, blah, blah, blah.
Speaker AWell, Atlanta could thank me for Atlanta becoming the music and film mecca of the universe.
Speaker AOkay, Boom.
Speaker AThere's.
Speaker BCome on, talk yourself.
Speaker AThere's.
Speaker BTalk yourself.
Speaker AThere's a chapter in my book.
Speaker AUnder Mayor Maynard Jackson, in the mid-90s, Mayor Mandy Jackson created the Entertainment Commission for Music and Films.
Speaker BAnd real quick, can you please explain for the rest of the audience outside of Georgia that may not know, which is crazy to me, but may not know the significance who Maynard Jackson is and the significance of him.
Speaker BHim being mayor.
Speaker BThat's very important.
Speaker AYes.
Speaker AAmanda Jackson was the first black mayor of Atlanta, Georgia, first black mayor of a major city.
Speaker AHe's responsible for.
Speaker AHe's responsible for creating more black millionaires than any other mayor in history.
Speaker ANow, 1993, Mayor Amanda Jackson created the Entertainment Commission for Film and Music.
Speaker AAnd I got a call one day.
Speaker AThey said, teddy, the mayor's on the phone.
Speaker AHe want.
Speaker AHe's forming a entertainment commission, and he would love to have you on his committee.
Speaker AI said, well, you let the mayor know that I'd be happy to be on his committee.
Speaker AShe said, well, he's right here.
Speaker AHe said, thank you, Teddy.
Speaker BBecause he.
Speaker AKnew you were going to stay here.
Speaker ABut I didn't know he was there.
Speaker AYou know, I didn't know he was on the phone at the time.
Speaker AAnd he said, teddy, I know you're a mover and a shaker in the entertainment, in the entertainment industry.
Speaker AI want you to be on my commission.
Speaker AWell, can you describe the commission?
Speaker AHe said, I'm building a entertainment commission.
Speaker AI want the best people on that commission, and you're at the top of the list.
Speaker AI want the world to know that this is going to be the mecca for film and music.
Speaker AAtlanta would be the mecca.
Speaker AI said.
Speaker AHe said, I know you go back and forth to LA a lot because Warner Brothers headquarters is in Burbank, California.
Speaker AAnd I know you go to New York a lot.
Speaker AHe said, when you go to la, when you go to New York, you let them know that Atlanta is open for business.
Speaker AI said, well, what does that mean?
Speaker AHe said, atlanta's open for business.
Speaker AYou can let them know.
Speaker AComing from me to you, to let them know that Atlanta is open for business.
Speaker AHe said, let them know we got tax incentives, we got land, we got warehouse space, we got everything they need.
Speaker AJust tell us what they want, set up their appointments.
Speaker AYou bring them in here and I'll let them out and I'll lay the groundwork out.
Speaker ALet them know.
Speaker AWhatever they need, we got it.
Speaker AEverybody that was on the commission is in that book.
Speaker AYeah.
Speaker AAnd my name is the first one on it.
Speaker AThe Mayor's Entertainment Commission.
Speaker AThat chapter in the book tells you everything that you need to know about the entertainment mecca, how it was created here in Atlanta.
Speaker AEvery film studio has an office here in Atlanta.
Speaker ATyler Perry has a 30.
Speaker AWhen they closed down a lot of the army bases, Fort McPherson here in metro Atlanta, Tyler Perry purchased 33, 333 acres.
Speaker AFort Medley.
Speaker AHe has the largest movie studio in the world.
Speaker AEvery movie company has a branch here.
Speaker AThe mayor was saying, look, they don't have to move here.
Speaker AThey can just put a branch here to get it started.
Speaker ANot only did they put branches here, they moved.
Speaker AMost of them moved here because it's a lot cheaper doing business here in Georgia than it is la.
Speaker ATrying to make a move in la, trying to make a move in New York, Canada or wherever else they got to travel.
Speaker AAtlanta is the place.
Speaker ASo we created this music and film and entertainment mecca here in Atlanta, Georgia.
Speaker AThanks to Mayor Maynard Jackson.
Speaker CMy goodness, we go from.
Speaker AAnd I was happy to contribute to that.
Speaker CThat's crazy.
Speaker ATo the success of it.
Speaker CThank you so much, Mr. Ellis, for your work.
Speaker CAnd you know, Atlanta absolutely influences everything.
Speaker CLike it's.
Speaker CEvery time I see that, it's just.
Speaker CAnd thank you so much for being part of that, being able to make that happen because you unlocked a memory.
Speaker CPersonal story for me is in the early 90s, as the music of Atlanta started to really hit the scene, that is what made me want to come to the city.
Speaker CI'm like, where is this place that is making this music?
Speaker CI want to go there.
Speaker CAnd it was.
Speaker CAnd it was Atlanta.
Speaker CSo just thank you so much, Aaron.
Speaker AJust to take it a step further.
Speaker AOkay?
Speaker ASo when the entertainment.
Speaker AWe created, the entertainment commission, all the movie companies and radio, I mean, record labels started putting branches here, the governor took it a step further.
Speaker AHe said, oh, they all done did this for Atlanta.
Speaker AI'm gonna make sure we can do it all over Georgia, Savannah, Columbus, Macon, everywhere.
Speaker BYeah.
Speaker CSo, Mr. Astin, you are also, in addition, of course, to your impact in the music industry.
Speaker CYou also are an important part of hip hop history.
Speaker CCause you talked about cold chilling, the Juice Crew, et cetera.
Speaker CBut before we get into that.
Speaker CCause I know this is Sir Daniel's bag.
Speaker CI know he's got a couple things to talk about here before we let you go.
Speaker CBut one of the things you talked about that you would do, and you mentioned so many artists that you would take out oftentimes on their first promotional tours, right?
Speaker AMm.
Speaker CRappers have a reputation, sir, for being.
Speaker CWell, I'm sure you probably have stories outside of rappers, too.
Speaker CPlenty that you could tell.
Speaker CBut rappers have a story for being kind of rambunctious, right?
Speaker CIt was, you know, new genre, young artists, et cetera.
Speaker CYou've worked across the board.
Speaker CSo was there a.
Speaker CEither a hip hop artist, actually a non hip hop artist that gave you some gray hairs, or maybe a hip hop artist who in there was tough?
Speaker CYou like?
Speaker COh, this was a tough promo tour.
Speaker AWell, you know what?
Speaker AEverybody wanted to come and work with me, okay?
Speaker ASo when they came, when Warner Brothers was sending artists to work with me, most of them are like, teddy, I heard so much about you.
Speaker AI've been looking forward to meeting you, man.
Speaker AIt's going to be a pleasure to work with you.
Speaker AI never had a problem with nobody.
Speaker ANot one single artist.
Speaker ANever.
Speaker ANow a lot of rap now artists now when we sign Ice T. Ice T had a reputation, but he was pretty hardcore.
Speaker ABut working with Ice T was one of the greatest promotional experiences I ever had.
Speaker AWow.
Speaker AIntelligent, professional, a gentleman.
Speaker AYou know, I mean, man, we had a great time working together now.
Speaker AAnd we didn't.
Speaker AHe was our first rap artist, so we didn't really know we were kind of breaking into rap, right?
Speaker ASo Warner Brothers told us, look, we signed Ice Tea.
Speaker AHe was on Sire Records.
Speaker ASire Records were distributed through Warner Brothers, and Warner Brothers said, look, we signed Ice Tea, got an album coming out, you know, and, you know, because we don't really know what to do with it or how it's going to be accepted.
Speaker ABut if God ever be out on the road and get stopped on and get stopped by the Police or somebody.
Speaker AAnd they ask who you work for, you know, what artist you know, because you.
Speaker AYou know, you tell people they want to know what.
Speaker AWhat artist you work with.
Speaker ADon't tell them you work with.
Speaker AI see.
Speaker AWhy not?
Speaker BYeah.
Speaker AHe had a record out called Cop Killer.
Speaker BKiller.
Speaker BYes.
Speaker AAnd the cop knew about that.
Speaker BYes.
Speaker ASo you didn't necessarily want to associate.
Speaker CYes.
Speaker AThat record with yourself promoting and marketing.
Speaker ABut it turned out to be a great album.
Speaker AYou know, we never released cuts like that.
Speaker AThose was always album cuts.
Speaker ABut we released the best singles and edit out any profanity or anything that we didn't feel comfortable with.
Speaker ACole Chilling came up.
Speaker AThey were so happy to be with a major record label to do all the legwork for them.
Speaker AAnd they had the manpower because they were an independent record label in New York.
Speaker AThey had great artists, but they didn't have the manpower.
Speaker ASo when they signed with Warner Brothers, man, they can promote our artists.
Speaker AThey can take them out on tour, they can market it, they can publicize it.
Speaker AWe got local, regional, national, international recognition and distribution.
Speaker AIt don't get no better than that.
Speaker ASo when Cole Chilling signed with us, you know, it was just like they were there all along.
Speaker AIt was just like any other artist being on the label.
Speaker AAnd none of those artists was ever disrespectful.
Speaker ANow, when they were in there, you know, in their zone, they do whatever they want to do.
Speaker ABut when they was around us, us promoting and marketing them, you never heard nothing bad or negative about none of these artists.
Speaker AYou know, if anything, you know, they were very entertaining.
Speaker ALike Biz Marquis, Legend, you know, Big Daddy Kane, you know, I mean, MC Shan, Marley Mar, all of them.
Speaker AYou know, Biz Mercury even put out a record called Picking Boogers.
Speaker ASo he was.
Speaker AYou know, they had a lot of personality in their music.
Speaker ASo it was never.
Speaker AYou know, we never.
Speaker AAt least I never encountered any negativity with any artist, whether it was pop, R and B, jazz, hip hop, or any format.
Speaker BYou know, Jerry, I think a lot of that attributes to the fact that they were working with Teddy Aston.
Speaker BI think, you know, when you build a reputation, people are like, oh, we need to pull it together, because this is a.
Speaker BThis is a major power broker here.
Speaker BThis.
Speaker BAnd, you know, the fact.
Speaker BI can only imagine these are young.
Speaker BThese are young, young black kids, and they're coming into an industry where a lot.
Speaker BThey don't see a lot of people that look like them.
Speaker BSo I imagine when they came across you, they were like, okay, here's somebody that looks like me.
Speaker BAnd is.
Speaker BIs treating me in almost a familiar way.
Speaker BA familiar way, like somebody, this is my uncle and he's taking care of us.
Speaker BAnd so I can only imagine what that meant to them as teenagers.
Speaker AYeah, you had to groom them, you had to grow them up, you had to groom them.
Speaker AYou know, hey, when we're going to a radio station for an interview, this is how you want to conduct yourself.
Speaker AThis is how you want to dress, this is how you want to be professional.
Speaker AI'll give you an example.
Speaker ANot just hip hop.
Speaker AOkay.
Speaker AWhen we signed Sylvester.
Speaker AOkay, okay, Tater, we want to send Sylvester to Atlanta to work with you.
Speaker AOkay?
Speaker AOkay.
Speaker AThat's when you could, you could go to the airport, go through security and meet whoever you want to meet at the gate, right?
Speaker BYes.
Speaker CSo Sylvester gets off the plane.
Speaker BAh, I can't wait to hear this.
Speaker ASylvester just off the plane.
Speaker AHe has on his long mate coat.
Speaker AYes.
Speaker CHair.
Speaker CI'm sure there was hair.
Speaker AHe had his hair and his long hair with a white streak going down the middle.
Speaker BOh, yes.
Speaker AAnd he said, I said, I saw him walk up the ground and say, hey, Sylvester, how old are you?
Speaker AI'm Teddy Ashton with Warner Brothers.
Speaker AHe said, I know who you are.
Speaker AI've been hearing about you, Teddy.
Speaker AI've been looking forward to working with you, man.
Speaker AOh, man, thank you for having me.
Speaker ASo we get in the car, we're driving downtown Atlanta.
Speaker AWe pull into the Ritz Carlton.
Speaker AYou're like, teddy, you got me at the Ritz Carlton.
Speaker AI said, you're the king, ain't you?
Speaker AHe said, you damn right on the team.
Speaker AI love it.
Speaker BI love that.
Speaker ASo I said, hey, here's your generator.
Speaker AHere's what we're doing tomorrow.
Speaker ABe ready at 9:00'.
Speaker AClock, okay, I'll pick you up.
Speaker AHe said, well, Teddy, I'm going out to some of the gay clubs tonight.
Speaker AHe said, I just want you to know who I'm going to be and understand if you don't want to go, you know.
Speaker AI said, oh, you damn right I'm going.
Speaker AI said, not only I represent you at Warner Brothers, I represent you everywhere we go in anything that we do.
Speaker BWow.
Speaker AHow is that?
Speaker AThat just kind of blew him away.
Speaker COh, my God.
Speaker AWe went to some of the gay clubs there here in Atlanta, man.
Speaker AAnd they treated us like royalty.
Speaker AYou would have thought it was a rock star.
Speaker ABeen there, man.
Speaker AThey love Sylvester.
Speaker AAnd I wouldn't have given anything to miss that kind of reception and to see how he was respected not only in his community, but throughout the World.
Speaker ABut yeah, man, we had a ball.
Speaker ANo, Sylvester.
Speaker BI don't think I. I would love to know if artists.
Speaker BIf there are any artists today that can, that can relay a story as touching as that, you know, because that, that's, that's, that's different.
Speaker BThey truly were lucky to have been working with you, Mr. Ash.
Speaker BJ. Ray was talking about, you know, rap is.
Speaker BHip hop is my bag.
Speaker BAnd, you know, hip hop history is definitely my thing.
Speaker BWhen I came here to, To Atlanta, I was 16 and I was in high school and I used to listen to the college radio.
Speaker BHad a hip hop show that came on late nights on Sundays.
Speaker AWcrk.
Speaker BNo, no.
Speaker BWras.
Speaker BGeorgia State.
Speaker AYeah.
Speaker BSo they would always be.
Speaker BThey would always talk about Jack the Rapper.
Speaker BJack the Rapper.
Speaker CThis.
Speaker BSuch and such showed up at Jack the Rapper.
Speaker BYou know, we saw Tupac.
Speaker BThere's this new kid named Tupac in, and he's, you know, he's gonna be somebody.
Speaker BI.
Speaker BIn my teenage years, I never wanted to attend something so badly more than Jack the Rapper.
Speaker BPlease.
Speaker BAnd I've.
Speaker BWe've mentioned this a lot on the show.
Speaker BPlease tell our audience what Jack the Rapper was as a convention and just give them a taste of like, how mild to wild it could have gotten up the.
Speaker BUp there.
Speaker BBecause there are some very iconic things that happen at Jack the Rapper, especially when we got into the gangster rap era.
Speaker BBut please kind of, you know, inform our audience of what Jack the Rapper was as a conventional.
Speaker BAnd why was it so important to the, to the globalization of hip hop?
Speaker AWell, I'm so happy that I was able to contribute a chapter in my book of Jack the Rapper just to kind of give you an idea of some of the artists that we brought in and promoted.
Speaker AWell, because Jack the Rapper was the best black music conference in the nation for years.
Speaker AThat's when all the record labels wanted to bring their artists in and meet radio people.
Speaker ABecause radio people came from all over the country.
Speaker AEvery record label was there.
Speaker AEvery record label usually had a suite.
Speaker AOf course.
Speaker AWarner Brothers had the biggest and the best suite.
Speaker AAnd if you ever were looking for Jack during those conferences, after everything wind down, you could always find them in the Warner Brothers suite.
Speaker ABut it was the biggest black music conference in the world.
Speaker AEvery major record label, they brought in their key artists.
Speaker AWe even had Prince perform at Jack du Rapper conference one year.
Speaker AWow.
Speaker BYeah.
Speaker AWe would bring in our artists and sponsor registration, sponsor airline and hotel for radio guests.
Speaker AAnd it would be a great.
Speaker AIt was a great weekend.
Speaker AIn fact, it was such a big weekend.
Speaker AFor black people.
Speaker ANot only in the entertainment industry, but in the healthcare industry too.
Speaker ABecause Bonner Brothers will have their conference the same weekend.
Speaker CMan, Atlanta was hopping.
Speaker AOh, man, what are you talking about?
Speaker AChocolate City.
Speaker BYou know, And Atlanta is notorious for having everything at the same time in the city.
Speaker BSo it's been happening for years, y'.
Speaker BAll.
Speaker AYears.
Speaker ASo Barner Brothers, Barner Brothers Haircare and Jack the Rapper was usually at the same time every year.
Speaker ASo.
Speaker AAnd it had a great, probably great 10 year run, but at the same time, when hip hop was entering the industry, it got a little rambunctious.
Speaker AYeah, yeah.
Speaker AAnd, and, and then a rip.
Speaker AYou know, they was asking, you know, they kept asking, well, why can't we come?
Speaker AWhy can't we come?
Speaker ASo Jack said, everybody's welcome.
Speaker AYep, everybody was welcome.
Speaker ABut everybody wasn't polite.
Speaker AEverybody was a professional.
Speaker AEverybody didn't carry themselves like they should.
Speaker AYou know, that hip hop, that, that hip hop vibe back then in the 80s, 70s and 80s, early 90s, that hip hop vibe was, you know, I mean, because you know how a lot of those hip hop artists were back then.
Speaker AWant to fight, want to argue.
Speaker BYeah.
Speaker AOne of them shots up in the air or something like that one year.
Speaker AAnd that just kind of killed that, you know, that's when they start winding down.
Speaker ARight.
Speaker AYou know, because if we're gonna, if Warner Brothers is gonna go, we're gonna go to Jack the Rapper.
Speaker AWe're gonna sponsor so many things, we can't have our artists and our guests in situations like that.
Speaker ARight.
Speaker AWe create our own vibe, you know, we do our own music, music presentations.
Speaker ABut yeah, that really, you know, kind of put a damper on the Jack the Rapper conference.
Speaker AAfter years of success when it was a black music conference with jazz and R B artists, it was the best.
Speaker ABut when they started mixing with hip hop and jazz and R and B, it just wasn't a good mix.
Speaker CI wonder if it's possible to even do that even in today's market.
Speaker CI'm trying to think.
Speaker CWell, actually, so many of the artists.
Speaker ACross over because basically one of the reasons that it was so successful because all the record label sponsored it.
Speaker AYeah, okay.
Speaker AWe sponsored other label was sponsored.
Speaker AThe breakfast, the launch, the dairies, the showcases, you know, we would sponsor probably just with Warner Brothers, we'll probably Pay registration for 50 people.
Speaker BWow.
Speaker AWe probably get rooms for 50 people.
Speaker AOur guests.
Speaker AYou know what I mean?
Speaker BYeah, yeah.
Speaker ABut man, they're not spending that kind of money these days.
Speaker BThat money ain't flowing like it used to it ain't.
Speaker AIt ain't.
Speaker BThose were the.
Speaker AAnd it ain't gonna never.
Speaker BNo, unfortunately, those really were the glory days.
Speaker AYeah, absolutely.
Speaker AAbsolutely.
Speaker CMy goodness.
Speaker CMr. Aston, this has been an absolute delight.
Speaker CSo many gems from this conversation, but we absolutely just want to encourage.
Speaker CFolks, if you can hear us, if you can see us, please go and grab Mr. Astin's book.
Speaker CIt is available online and you will not be disappointed.
Speaker CIt is an absolutely beautiful display.
Speaker CAmazing images from personal images from Mr. Astin, but also the artists that you've worked with.
Speaker CI just passed a picture of Frankie Beverly just a second ago.
Speaker CWe got Prince in here.
Speaker CWe got Donna Summers right here.
Speaker CHere.
Speaker CI know when I flip this page, I think Sylvester is Sylvester right there.
Speaker CSee, I know what's in the.
Speaker CLike, Sylvester right there.
Speaker ASo, Mr. Ashley, go back to Sylvester.
Speaker AThere was a promotion in there.
Speaker AOkay, okay, then picture next to that.
Speaker AThat's a great promotion I did with me looking like the Pope.
Speaker AI'm in the Pope house over here.
Speaker AYeah, yeah, yeah, right, okay.
Speaker AI'm.
Speaker AI'm dressed as the Pope.
Speaker CYes.
Speaker AAnd just to kind of tell you the kind of promotions that we come up with, Alcomote, Madonna's new album, Like a virgin.
Speaker AGet it?
Speaker CMr. Astin.
Speaker CMr. Astin.
Speaker CLike, I'm in.
Speaker CWhat do we need to do?
Speaker CAll right, here we are.
Speaker BSo you were the one that got.
Speaker BYou were the one that got her in trouble with the Catholic Church, okay?
Speaker BIt was.
Speaker BYou blame Teddy Aspen.
Speaker AMy local representative there.
Speaker AShe was dressed as Mother Teresa in the non outfit.
Speaker AAnd I'm just like the Pope, and I'm delivering the album to V103 and Kiss 104 and WLK.
Speaker ALike a Virgin.
Speaker ABoy, that picture made international news, man.
Speaker ASo let me tell you something else about that, okay?
Speaker AI didn't just walk in the station like that.
Speaker AWe had a limousine so long, it had eight wheels on it.
Speaker APolice escort once we arrived at the radio station, people outside just looking, just looking.
Speaker AAnd here I step out in the poop out there.
Speaker AOh, people were like, oh, my God.
Speaker ABless me, Father.
Speaker AAnd like, I cannot not you out.
Speaker BHere blessing people in these Atlanta streets.
Speaker CBlessing people.
Speaker ACan I touch your roll?
Speaker ACan I touch your roll?
Speaker AAnd I had water.
Speaker AI was sprinting.
Speaker AOne lady prayed it.
Speaker BOh, my goodness.
Speaker AThat's promotion.
Speaker CThat's promotion.
Speaker AThat's promotion, ladies and gentlemen.
Speaker BAnd that's why Teddy Aston is.
Speaker BIs the icon that he is.
Speaker BHe's the legend that he is.
Speaker BAnd like J. Ray was saying, we are so, so grateful that you took time out of your, your schedule to, to come talk to us audience and share, you know, your knowledge and your experience in this thing that we call Black music.
Speaker BAs we wrap up Black Music Month.
Speaker BAnd thank you.
Speaker BWe just found it very important to share your story and we thank you very much for doing that.
Speaker BPlease let our audience know how they can find you because you, you're very active on social media as well.
Speaker BSo please let our audience know how they can find you and your website and everything.
Speaker AOkay, well, basically now on the book, I have a website just for the book.
Speaker AThe website is WWW T O u G H A C t dot net.
Speaker APerfect.
Speaker AIt's like a tough act to follow.
Speaker AReal easy.
Speaker CYep.
Speaker AWww.toughfact.net okay, you go to the website, check out the table of contents.
Speaker AIf you see the table of contents, that's all you got to do.
Speaker ABut you'll see a lot of great reviews.
Speaker AYou'll learn more about me, Teddy Astin, and, you know, kind of walk you through the table of contents to kind of walk you through, give you an idea of how important this book is on pictures never seen before, stories never told before in life, and photos that I had digitized.
Speaker AI'm just so happy that I kept them all, kept them in pristine condition so I could write the book.
Speaker AEvery photo has a story.
Speaker AThe website for the book again is toughact.net t o u g h a c t.net now look me up on social media, mainly Facebook.
Speaker ALook on Facebook, you'll see a lot of the stories.
Speaker AIn fact, during Black Music Month, I print a lot of the.
Speaker AI take a through the chapters out of the book and print them on Facebook and other social media outlets to just to kind of give you an idea of why we celebrate Black Music Month.
Speaker AIn fact, one caveat to that is the reason that we.
Speaker AIn fact, I think this is the last post I did on Facebook.
Speaker AThe reason that we celebrate Black Music Month is because of President Jimmy Carter.
Speaker AYep.
Speaker AJimmy Carter.
Speaker AWhen I was living in D.C. working for Warner Brothers, we were all.
Speaker AThe music industry, Black music industry was invited to the White House.
Speaker AAnd man, I mean, you couldn't.
Speaker AI mean, it was, it was the White House became the Black House.
Speaker AYes, we had access to the White House and we.
Speaker AAnd you see the photo of President Carter.
Speaker AWe are on the green, on the line.
Speaker APresident Carter.
Speaker AInstead of him being at the president's table, he's sitting in the grass with his wife, his daughter and his son.
Speaker AHis son crawling around in the grass, wanting to meet everybody.
Speaker AYou know, that Just showed how approachable he was.
Speaker AWell, June is why we celebrate Black Music Month.
Speaker AAnd plus, President Carter said if it wasn't for the music industry, he never would have became President of the United States because he didn't have no money.
Speaker AWhat he did was he called Clarence Avant.
Speaker AClarence Avant was the black godfather of entertainment.
Speaker AClarence Avon called Barry Gordon, Diana Ross, Robert Streisand, and a few other artists.
Speaker AAnd that was President Carter's first million dollars.
Speaker AWow.
Speaker AThat's what started his presidential campaign.
Speaker AAnd then on down the road, artists like Willie Nelson, Otis Red, and the Allman Brothers, they all did concerts for President Carter to finance his presidential campaign as well.
Speaker ASo, my goodness, he was a pleasure.
Speaker AIt was a pleasure to meet him.
Speaker AAnd, you know, I always want to give credit to where credit can do.
Speaker AAnd President Carter is the reason we celebrate Black Music Month.
Speaker CMr. Aston, thank you so much for once again.
Speaker CYou're so welcome for taking time out.
Speaker CFor those of you that can see our faces and hear our voices, subscribe.
Speaker CMake sure that you go over to toughact.net and purchase Mr. Astin's book.
Speaker CYou will not regret it.
Speaker CThere's so many great stories in here, great photos.
Speaker CThank you.
Speaker CYou can visit Qpoints.com learn more about, watch all the episodes of our shows, Visit our magazine, Qpoints magazine.qpoints.com you can shop our store at store.qpoints.com we appreciate y'.
Speaker AAll.
Speaker CWe love y' all because we get to do this.
Speaker CSir Daniel.
Speaker CWe get to do this.
Speaker BAbsolutely.
Speaker BYes, sir.
Speaker BAnd it's like I always say, in this life, you have a choice.
Speaker BYou can either pick up the needle or you can let the record play.
Speaker BI'm DJ Sir Daniel.
Speaker CMy name is J. Ray, folks.
Speaker BAnd this has been Teddy.
Speaker AYes.
Speaker BYes, sir.
Speaker BSee, that's that Red.
Speaker BHe's a radio man.
Speaker BLow key.
Speaker BJay Ray.
Speaker BHe is a radio man.
Speaker BYes, indeed.
Speaker BWe thank you.
Speaker AThank you, guys.
Speaker AI enjoyed it.
Speaker AThank you for the invitation.
Speaker CYou're so welcome.
Speaker AAbsolutely lovely, guys.
Speaker AAnytime.
Speaker APeace, y'.
Speaker AAll.
Speaker BPeace.
Speaker ASam.
