AT 8:30 P.M. ♪
♪ >> Evrod: THIS MORNING FOR BLACK
HISTORY MONTH, THE MAN WHO NEEDS
NO INTRODUCTION, HE USES HIS
VOICE FOR TV, SPORTS, AND RADIO.
BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY TO HELP
OTHERS.
OTHERS. HE HAS EVERYONE ACROSS METRO
DETROIT CHANTING THIS AT THE TOP
OF THEIR LUNGS.
>> DEE-TROIT BASKETBALL!
>> Evrod: HE HAS BEEN USING HIS
VOICE HERE FOR DECADES, AN
ICONIC ANNOUNCER.
ICONIC ANNOUNCER. >> MASON.
>> MASON. >> Evrod: DO YOU GIVE OUT YOUR
GOVERNMENT NAME?
GOVERNMENT NAME? >> NO, THE GOVERNMENT KNOWS ME
WHEN THEY WANT TO FIND ME.
>> Evrod: WEEKDAYS ON 105.9 KISS
FM, AND EVERY PISTONS GAME, A
JOB HE LANDED BY CHANCE.
>> SOMEONE FROM THE BEASLEY
MEDIA GROUP SAID, WHY DON’T YOU
LET MASON TRY IT.
I WASN’T NECESSARILY A
BASKETBALL FAN, SO I DIDN’T
KNOW.
KNOW. I USED MY IMAGINATION, SO I
DIDN’T HAVE A CLUE WHAT AN
ANNOUNCER DID, OTHER THAN MAKING
SOUNDS THAT ARE MUSCLE.
>> Evrod: AND NOW MORE THAN TEN
YEARS, HE IS THE FIRST BLACK
ANNOUNCER IN THE NBA FOR THE
DETROIT PISTONS AND THE ONLY
ALL-STAR IN THE HISTORY BOOKS OF
THE NBA.
THE NBA. EVERYWHERE HE GOES, HE IS
RECOGNIZED WHEN HE BEGINS TO
SPEAK.
SPEAK. >> THEY DO RECOGNIZE MY VOICE
AND SAY, I KNOW YOU, I KNOW YOU.
GENERATIONS.
GENERATIONS. I’M LIKE ON A THIRD GENERATION
HERE.
HERE. >> Evrod: WHAT IS MOST IMPORTANT
IS THE RESPONSIBILITY HE HAS
WHEN IT COMES TO BLACK HISTORY.
HE USES HIS VOICE FOR THOSE WHO
CAN’T.
CAN’T. >> I’M JUST A VESSEL.
I’M A VESSEL TO SOUND THE ALARM.
I’M A VESSEL TO SOUND OFF FROM
THE PAST.
THE PAST. AND I’M A VESSEL TO WARN.
I AM THAT PERSON THAT SPEAKS FOR
THOSE WHO WERE SHUNNED AWAY.
I USE MY CELEBRITY TO DO THAT.
>> Evrod: AND HE DOES IT EVERY
DAY, NOT JUST WHEN HE’S BEHIND
THE MIC.
THE MIC. >> IT’S THE 105.9 KISS FM.
>> Evrod: WHAT DOES BLACK
HISTORY MEAN TO YOU?
>> A REFLECTION ON AMERICA’S
PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE,
BECAUSE IT IS WOVEN INTO
AMERICA’S PAST, PRESENT, AND
FUTURE.
FUTURE. YOU CAN’T MAP OUT A FUTURE
UNLESS YOU CAN GO BACK THROUGH
THE PATH OF THE PAST.
>> Evrod: AND HE’S ONE OF THE
MOST HUMBLE PEOPLE YOU’LL EVER
MEET.
MEET. >> Rhonda: AND FULL OF
PERSONALITY!
PERSONALITY! [LAUGHTER]
[LAUGHTER] >> Evrod: HE HAS BROUGHT
AWARENESS TO MANY CASES DURING
HIS DECADES ON THE RADIO HERE.
HE WAS ONE OF THE FIRST RADIO
PERSONALITIES TO PLAY MY MUSIC.
>> Rhonda: AWE, VERY NICE!
HE IS LEGENDARY, SO MANY OF US
GREW UP LISTENING TO HIM ON THE
RADIO.
RADIO. AND HE’S STILL AROUND.
AND THEN HIS IMPACT IN THE NBA,
HIS VOICE, AND JUST THAT
PERSONALITY IS JUST AWESOME TO
SEE HIM CONTINUE ON WITH HIS
SUCCESSFUL CAREER.
SUCCESSFUL CAREER. DID HE ACTUALLY TALK TO YOU
ANYTHING ABOUT WHO INSPIRES HIM,
MAYBE IN RADIO OR IN BLACK
HISTORY FOR HIS CAREER.
>> Evrod: IT’S A VERY GOOD
QUESTION.
QUESTION. AND DURING OUR INTERVIEW, HE
CASUALLY TELLS ME ABOUT A MAN HE
MET AT A PARK AND HAD A
CONVERSATION WITH, BACK IN 1967.
THAT MAN HAPPENED TO BE MARTIN
LUTHER KING, JR.
CUT, STOP!
CUT, STOP! >> Rhonda: THAT JUST GAVE ME
GOOSE BUMPS.
GOOSE BUMPS. >> Evrod: AND HE SAID IT SO
CASUALLY.
CASUALLY. AND MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR., WAS
ASSASSINATED A YEAR LATER.
>> Rhonda: THAT’S A HUGE IMPACT,
IT CHANGES YOUR LIFE.
>> Evrod: I’M EXCITED ABOUT ONE
THING.
THING. STARTING MARCH 1st, ON MONDAY,
I’LL BE TEAMING UP WITH 105.9
KISS FM TO PROVIDE NEWS
HEADLINES DURING THE MORNING