Rita Houston

Rita Houston (September 28, 1961 – December 15, 2020) was the Program Director of Fordham University’s public radio station WFUV and the host of the show The Whole Wide World.[2]

Rita Houston
Born(1961-09-28)September 28, 1961[1]
DiedDecember 15, 2020(2020-12-15) (aged 59)
Partner(s)Laura Fedele
Career
ShowThe Whole Wide World
Station(s)WFUV
CountryUnited States of America

Houston was considered a "tastemaker" in the radio world, helping guide WFUV's musical direction for decades.[3] She was instrumental in the Required Listening series of shows showcasing new and lesser-well-known artists at The Bottom Line club in Greenwich Village; she also interviewed songwriters for the club’s In Their Own Words series.[4] She anchored National Public Radio's coverage of the Newport Folk Festival for several years and helped NPR with their best-of-the-year lists, as well as sometimes appearing on Morning Edition.[4]

Houston came to WFUV in 1994 from WXPS, where she had worked since the late 1980s, hosting the program Starlight Express.[5] She was known for showcasing new talent, such as David Gray.[5] She began as a DJ in the midday slot, and launched her own Friday night program, The Whole Wide World, in 2001.[5] On this show she continued to showcase new talent including Joan Osborne, Adele and Brandi Carlile who stated "Rita was the very first person to play my music on the radio".[5] She became program director in 2014.

Houston died of cancer in December 2020, having stepped down from her role at WFUV earlier in the month.[6]

References
  1. ": Rita Houston 1961-2020 WFUV". wfuv.org. Retrieved 17 December 2020.
  2. Manning, Kara (2020-12-15). ": Rita Houston: Apostle of Artistry". WFUV. Retrieved 2021-01-05.
  3. "Rita Houston, Curator of Eclectic Sound on New York's WFUV, Dies at 59". Variety. Retrieved 2021-01-05.
  4. Verel, Patrick (2020-12-15). "Rita Houston, WFUV Program Director and National Music Tastemaker, Dies at 59". Fordham Newsroom. Retrieved 2021-01-05.
  5. "Rita Houston, Beloved DJ & Tastemaker at New York Radio Station WFUV, Dead at 59". Billboard. Retrieved 2021-01-05.
  6. Ruiz, Matthew Ismael. "Rita Houston, New York City Radio Mainstay, Dead at 59". Pitchfork. Retrieved 2021-01-05.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.