| Summary: | Radio host Herb Kent was born on October 5, 1928 in Chicago, Illinois, and raised on Chicago's South Side. By age sixteen, Kent had already given an on-air performance on Chicago's WBEZ radio station with his theater workshop. For the next two decades, Kent hosted radio shows on several stations in Chicago. He was credited with helping to launch careers of such R&B artists as The Temptations, Minnie Ripperton, Curtis Mayfield, and Smokey Robinson. During the 1960s, Kent became a prominent civil rights activist. Kent's many recognitions included his 1995 induction into the Museum of Broadcast Communications Radio Hall of Fame. In 1996, Kent witnessed the dedication of a street on Chicago's South Side in his honor. He was also recognized with a U.S. postage stamp. The following year, Kent was named honorary mayor of Bronzeville by the citizens of the South side community. Kent passed away on October 23, 2016 at age 88.
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