Lisa E. Radio ‘Super Producer’/ On-air Radio Personality

                                  “Concierge to the Stars”

Happy Wednesday, Golden Divas & Divos!

Let me tell you, from one Golden Diva radio personality to the other, this Golden Diva here is a woman after my heart. She has been in the biz for over 30 years, and we all know being a woman in the radio business is no easy feat; however, this diva has risen to the challenge, slayed the entertainment world, and changed the game for so many women. Ladies, she is the one that you can learn from and tilt your mike out of respect for the business because this trailblazer has dropped the mike and set the radio airwaves and entertainment industry on FIYA!!!

I had the pleasure of meeting this beautiful lady who was the emcee last month at The Anthony Adams House, The second Home Black Tie Gala event. I was told by numerous people that I would love her infectious personality, and you know what? I did!

Watching her work under pressure and finishing the job was a sight at this event. But talking to her and hearing her backstory made me want to interview her for Club Fifty. She is someone that, once you meet her, you’ll never forget her. This diva wears a lot of different hats in the entertainment business and has met quite a few people along the way in her radio journey; however, what makes her unique to me is her tenacity and how she has a knack for interacting with a diverse group of people in the business and making them feel special.

So, with no further ado, I want you to meet Club Fifty’s Golden Diva for the month of June, a woman you should know. The woman behind the mike, The Radio “THE SUPER PRODUCER,” and On-Air Radio Personality, Lisa E.

Welcome to Club Fifty!

MEET LISA E.

Lisa is the Executive Producer for The Saturday Morning Wake Up Show with Jeanne Sparrow on V103 (she works directly for Jeanne, not V103) and Jeanne’s Podcast “Fearless Authenticity” on Iheart.

Lisa has been working in radio since she started as an intern at WGCI while attending Columbia College in Chicago (where she got her degree). She became Executive Producer, as well as doing entertainment, & being a sidekick on air. Lisa worked at WGCI for almost 15 years and then at Power 92 for six years and has produced for Top Radio Personalities, including Doug Banks, Tom Joyner, Crazy Howard McGee, Jeanne Sparrow, Rick Party, Sam Sylk, Steve Harvey, Davante Stone and Trey the Choklit Jock. All the shows held #1 Ratings. She also produced for The A.C. Green show on Soul 106.3.

Lisa has her entertainment company, “Lisa E. Entertainment “Concierge to the Stars,” and does Public Relations (P.R.), marketing, Media Relations, and publicity for clients as well as hosting/emceeing and doing voiceovers. She also works with many celebrities, hosting shows, events, and many charity fundraisers.

Lisa also manages R&B singer Sean Wyte. He has shared the stage with many prominent artists, including El Debarge, Keke Wyatt, Joe, Dru Hill, Avant, Tank, Mario, Howard Hewitt, and Keith Washington. He is getting radio play in the U.S. and other countries. Sean’s new album “Kisses” will be released on June 23rd, 2023.

Lisa will start her Podcast “Lisa E.’s” Spotlight in July with celebrity and community guests. Lisa will also be teaching three Zoom classes for people with radio shows, podcasts, internet shows, etc… to learn how to properly structure shows with guests, sponsors, and more.

Lisa grew up in the South Suburbs of Chicago and graduated from Hillcrest High School, where she was voted class clown and most humorous. In 2017 She was inducted into the Hillcrest Hall of Fame, and her picture is now on the wall at school.

Lisa loves animals! Dogs are her favorite; 2nd is monkeys/apes/gorillas, 3rd is elephants, and all other animals are tied. Lisa loves music-all types from R&B, hip hop, Rock, Pop, Easy listening, etc…

Lisa is a fan of many sports; her favorites are Chicago teams-the Bulls, Bears, & Cubs. She likes boxing too. She covered the NBA for over 20 years. She also was a writer for various magazines and publications. She wrote for Exposure magazine; her column was in purple, her favorite color.

Lisa likes to travel, going to movies, Broadway musicals, bowling, playing pool, swimming, going to the casino, playing cards, or other games with friends/family. She loves a good massage and getting her pedicures.

Lisa is a people person; she likes to play fun jokes on friends/family-April Fool’s Day is one of her favorite days. She likes to laugh and is known for her sense of humor.

Lisa believes there is only one race-the human race!

IN CONVERSATION WITH LISA E.

C50: Lisa, you have been in the entertainment business (specifically radio) for over 30 years.  What inspired you to pursue a career in this field?    

L.E.I always wanted to be in entertainment, and I love making people laugh and smile. Initially, I started as a theater major in college, but then I decided to take some radio classes, and I knew that was what I wanted to do. 

C50: As a radio show producer, many responsibilities come with the job; talk to us about the necessary vital skills to take on this task.

 L.E. I describe being an Executive Producer as being the backbone of the show. Every radio personality is different, so you have to cater to each show, but responsibilities include the following:

• Booking guests.
• Staying on top of credible news and entertainment.
• Coming up with topics, content, and structure of the show for the target audience/listeners.
• Making sure breaks were on time.
• Making sure all the liners and live commercials/promos were read.

I also did entertainment for some of the shows and was on-air as part of the show. 

C50: In your journey of producing radio shows for many top radios shows here in Chicago, such as WGCI, Power 92, and The A.C. Green Show at 106.3, tell us about the programs you created to keep the audience engaged with your broadcast. 

 L.E. At WGCI and Power 92, I made sure all the content, topics, games/trivia questions targeted our listeners, producing mornings had more talk breaks than producing afternoons. All the shows I produced had #1 ratings!

For The A.C. Green Show on 106.3, I worked directly for A.C. and booked all of his guests on the show. Currently, I produce for Jeanne Sparrow for “The Saturday Morning Wake Up Club” on Saturdays from 6 am-noon on V-103; I work for Jeanne directly and produce all the content for her show as well as book guests on her podcast “Fearless Authenticity.”  

C50:  What was it like working with Chicago’s finest in radio, starting with our girl Bonnie Deshong, Doug Banks, Tom Joyner, Crazy Howard McGee, and Steve Harvey?

L.E. It was amazing working with so many wonderful personalities; many of them have become close friends that I consider family. 

Bonnie DeShong was a mentor and someone I have always admired and respected. She was the first person that believed in me and let me interview her Bonnie’s eye on entertainment. 

Doug Banks was like a big brother; I could not wait to get in the studio to work with him, you never knew what to expect, but you knew there would be laughter and lots of fun. He was the absolute best, and I was so blessed to work with my favorite radio legend. I genuinely miss Doug; I was heartbroken when he passed.

Tom Joyner was the first person I started to produce for as a backup producer. I literally started at the top working with a radio legend-I was so scared; I thought that would make or break my career if I messed up. Tom was so detailed, and I learned about the proper structure and making sure everything was played on time from songs and commercials. 

I produced for Crazy Howard McGee in the afternoons, and then a few years later, I produced for him again in the morning. Howard and I had fun over the years playing jokes on each other and became great friends. We did many live broadcasts at award shows in other cities, including Disney World, a few times. Howard definitely was crazy-still is, lol! 

I produced for Steve Harvey when he started doing radio in the afternoons. I helped Steve with the structure of the show and helped him come up with topics, one that even started his top ten. We had fun; I knew Steve before he even came to WGCI, and then he went to the morning show and syndicated. 

I have to mention other top radio personalities that I produced for and are still great friends/family: Rick Party-he was the one that gave me the name “Super Producer,” Sam Sylk, Davante Stone, “The Stone Pony,” Trey the Choklit Jok, and Jeanne Sparrow who says I am her “producer for life”    

C50: Did you have any mentors with all of those Chicago legends? And how did their mentoring impact your career?

L.E. Bonnie DeShong, who I mentioned, was definitely a mentor, Doug  Banks was also a mentor and always gave me great advice during our long talks. My other mentor was Sybil Wilkes-I produced for Sybil when she had a talk show on WCGI am 1390. I was so blessed to have these radio legends take me under their wing. I have used many things I have learned and passed down to others that consider me a mentor.    

C50: Talk to us about some famous artists you have met while working at these broadcasting stations.

L.E. I have met sooooo many artists as well as other celebrities; some have turned into friends over the years. Some of the artists I was excited to meet include Patti LaBelle, L.L. Cool J., Earth Wind & Fire, Gladys Knight, Teena Marie, Sheila E., Donny Osmond, Snoop Dogg, 50 Cent, Jennifer Lopez, Mariah Carey, Pink, MC Hammer, Peobo Bryson, Black Eyed Peas, New Edition, Mary J. Blige, Faith Evans, P Diddy (Puffy) and GUY. 

This is not an artist, but when The Rock (Dwayne Johnson) came on our show, I was so excited (but was always professional), and I  couldn’t even talk on the air-Sam Sylk made a joke saying, “, Wow, this is a first, Lisa E. has nothing to say, clean up in aisle 5”. The Rock looked and smelled SOOO good! LOL! He was such a nice guy!     

C50: What are some of the benefits of working in radio? What are some of your favorite radio programs, and why?

L.E. Knowing we have a platform for people to enjoy, laugh and be part of is so important to me, especially being a credible source; listeners trust many of their favorite radio personalities. Also, knowing that we have helped many people over the years from domestic violence, not committing suicide, other abuse, etc, is priceless. I don’t have a favorite program that I listen to, but I do listen to many shows.     

C50: Tell us how things changed in the radio business from when you started in the 90s when COVID blindsided us to now in 2023.

L.E. Radio has changed over the years; Chicago was always very  personality-driven, and now, with some of the syndicated shows, it isn’t as personal; plus, companies have taken over many stations, and things are a little more “corporate.” Covid definitely had an impact, and many shows let people go. 

Many shows don’t have “producers” anymore, some of the personalities have to produce their show, or they have combined the name “producer” with the board operator/engineer, and the role is slightly different.  

C50: Lisa, you’re a woman who wears many different hats in the entertainment business (no one horse-pony here)! You started your own entertainment company: Lisa E. Entertainment’s “Concierge to the Stars?” Tell our C50 readers about the services your company provides.

L.E. My entertainment company is ” Lisa E. Entertainment, Concierge to the Stars.” I host/emcee events, voiceovers, public relations, media relations, and publicity. I do many celebrity and charity events and work with different clients from restaurant openings, book signings, meet and greets, booking celebrities, talent, etc. 

I also manage R&B singer Sean Wyte. I never wanted to manage anyone; we just fell into it. Sean has opened for many artists, including El Debarge, Joe, Avant, Dru Hill, Howard Hewitt, Keke Wyatt, Tank, Mario, and more. Some of his songs are getting radio play, and his new album “Kisses” will be released on June 23rd.  

C50: Talk to us about your next exciting adventure, your podcast, “Lisa E.’s” Spotlight. 

L.E. My podcast, “Lisa E’s Spotlight,” will start in July, and I will have celebrity guests and people in the community that I feel should have a spotlight for what they are doing. It will be a fun show, with the same energy I have had over all my years in radio.  

Bonus Question

C50: Lisa, how can someone contact your entertainment company if they are looking for your great services?

L.E. People can follow me on social media @lisaeradio or email me at lisaeradio@gmail.com. 

C50: There you have it, Divas and Divos. I told you this girl is on FIYA! Lisa E. is making moves throughout Chicagoland and abroad in the entertainment industry. Stay tuned for the next great event!!!