Maurice ‘Hot Rod’ Hulbert the only Baltimore DJ to be enshrined in the National Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland. In 1951 Hod Rod was the first Black Radio Personality on an all white station here in Baltimore at WITH. He came to Baltimore from Memphis where he was on fire at the first 24 hour Black Radio station in the country 50,000 watt WDIA, legend has it B.B. King took his place. When I first came to Baltimore in the late 70’s he took me under his wing and showed me Baltimore through his eyes he was my mentor. I had only heard cookies commercials but not his on air work he told me countless stories and showed me pictures but it wasn’t until he passed in 1996 at the age of 80 that I heard tapes with my own ears and he was a master. He was the real deal radio personality, concert promoter and entertainer to read more click here
Check out his work as we remember click on Remembering Hot Rod
I was having a house built in Atlanta in the early 90’s but I still had a mortgage in Baltimore. Hot Rod bought my house on Marriottsville Road in Randallstown Maryland and paid $200,000 cash for it.
He gave shows at the Royal Theater and Carrs beach. He once landed on Carrs beach in a helicopter dressed in a space suit in front of 5000 fans and we’re talking in the 60’s. Check page 37 in Jet to read more click here Carrs beach was a beach near Annapolis Maryland that allowed blacks to hang out at that time.
