Talent Alert
with
Chris Clark
DJ Debra Frazier-Smith
Chris: Tell our readers a little bit about yourself? How did you get started as a DJ? What made you want to pursue this line of work?
Debra: I’m a radio personality for KAZI FM 88.7 in Austin, Texas and a singer/bass player for The Blue Diamond Band. I have three beautiful daughters with three amazing granddaughters; two in Austin, Texas and one attending The University of Maryland. When the youngest was born in October 2016, I decided to leave California for Austin to be closer.
Soon after I moved to Austin, I was offered an opportunity by the owner of www.bluesjazzradio.com in Dallas to be a part of a show called “The After-Work Affair.” I was excited about this opportunity because it was my first shot at radio. I first learned how to pre-record voice drops then complete shows. I loved it and knew this is what I wanted to do forever.
Inspired, I became more interested in production, so I dug into my old CDs and personal digital archives and produced my first show. I named it “The Blues Vault.” I presented the idea for my show to the owner of Blues Jazz Radio, but his workload was unfortunately too full.
A friend told me about KAZI and encouraged me to talk to their station managers. I’d always listen to KAZI while traveling back and forth to work and was very impressed by the varieties of genres they played: jazz, blues, soul, reggae, R&B, gospel, and zydeco. I really enjoyed the forums and Talk Shows as well. I took a chance and sent an email to the station and production managers. KAZI opened their doors and taught me everything about radio and production. On the completion of my training, I was offered a spot on the air for The Blues Vault.
Chris: Biggest music inspiration? Why?
Debra: I have been inspired by so many artists over the years both signed and independent such as Etta James, BB King, and Jeramy Norris. Jeramy Norris helped me become a professional musician and opened doors for me.
Chris: Favorite year for music? Why?
Debra: My favorite year for music was 2016. That’s when my show The Blue Diamond was nominated for three entertainment awards: 2016 Nominated Female Blues Artist of the Year (Northern California Entertainers Music Awards), 2016 Nominated Blues Band of the Year (Northern California Entertainers Music Awards), 2016 Nominated Best Blues Band (Modesto Area Music Awards).
Chris: Name a song that never gets old for you? Why?
Debra: A song that never gets old with me now is Charlie Wilson’s “I’m Blessed” featuring Hip Hop Artist TI. I end every one of my shows with that song. Not only is it an amazing song but it allows me to show a small piece of my spiritual side.
Chris: Any track that makes you change the station? Why?
Debra: A track that makes me change the station is AC/DC’s “Running With The Devil.”