Sunday night, a line wrapped around the block to celebrate 40 years of Donnie Simpson on D.C.’s airwaves.
Just to give you an idea of who Donnie Simpson is, when WUSA 9 first started asking him questions, Simpson stopped and asked for our names before introducing himself. Some 20-minutes later, and he still hadn’t made his way into a Warner Theatre dressing room.
Simpson was too busy saying hello to everyone there!
"Donnie's my man. I've been listening to him since he was with Kiss,” said one man waiting in line.
"I've been watching or rather listening to Donnie since I was a little kid,” said Olympa Tisdale, who also told WUSA 9, "I have a brother who has a learning disability. And my brother loves music and I wrote a letter to Donnie Simpson when I was about 16."
You can guess who she says invited them to the station. Tisdale says her brother still talks about this trip to this day.
Sunday night was about four decades of “Dr. Green Eyes” also-known-as “The Green-Eyed Bandit” or “The Love Bug” -- that's all Donnie Simpson.
He’s a long-time DC Radio Host who's made an impact on this city in more ways than one. Simpson is also known for memorable BET interviews, popular TV sitcom appearances and his activism within D.C.’s communities. On D.C. radio, he spent close to two decades with CBS Radio’s WPGC 95.5 FM. Simpson retired in 2010. He returned in 2015 to Radio One’s Majic 102.3 and 92.7 FM.
Simpson is a D.C. staple who s actually from Detroit, Michigan.
"I accepted him the first time I set eyes on him, not looking into his eyes!” laughed DJ Dirty Rico, a popular Majic 102.3 DJ. He referred to Simpson as a friend, mentor, and brother.
So what's the secret after 40-years?
Simpson said (with his wife of also four decades by his side), “Listen to this woman!” “And he does it rather well,” Pamela Simpson said jokingly.
“… I guess what I've learned most is just this love that-uh, this love affair that we have for each other – me and D.C,” said Donnie Simpson.
As a voice for the city, Simpson left these words, “The spirit that we're going through right now, it's a lot of; it seems like a lot of energy is trying to move us backward – it’s not going to happen. Even though you may feel like it is happening right now, it is not happening. We are still moving forward; there's no question about it."
