LaDonna Tittle

LaDonna Tittle
Born LaDonna Marie Tittle
(1946-03-13) March 13, 1946
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Nationality American
Education Dunbar Vocational High School
Chicago State University
Occupation
  • Radio personality
  • DJ
  • actress
  • model
Years active 1970–present
Known for Radio personality – WBMX-FM, WJPC-AM, WGCI-AM
Spouse(s)
Ronald Horton
(m. 1966; div. 1973)
Website cookingwithtittle.com

LaDonna Marie Tittle (born March 13, 1946) is an American radio personality,[1] model and actress. Tittle is best known for her radio career from the mid–1970s until the early–2000s. Tittle most notable career stints were in Chicago at several stations; WBMX-FM from 1973 to 1978, WJPC-AM alongside Tom Joyner from 1978 until 1989[2] and WGCI-FM (1992–2000). Since January 2018, Tittle has appeared as Ethel in the Showtime television series The Chi.

Biography

Early life

Tittle was born to Juanita, a record shop owner, and businessman James O. Tittle[3] in Chicago. Tittle grew up in the Robert Taylor Homes public housing project in the Bronzeville neighborhood on the south side. Tittle was the oldest of five children. Tittle attended Dunbar Vocational High School, later graduating in 1964. After high school, Tittle then studied art education and drama with a minor in journalism at Chicago State University, graduating in 1971.[4]

Career

Tittle began her career in radio at Chicago's WBEE station in 1970. In 1972, she moved to Milwaukee, where she worked as a weekend radio personality at WNOV radio for a year. Shortly after returning to Chicago in 1973, she became the midday and evening host of WBMX-FM,[5] where R&B and soul music were showcased. She started her career at the station reporting news and working overnight, eventually moving to weekday afternoons a year later. Due to her growing popularity, Tittle was sought after by Johnson Publishing Company's WJPC radio station. They offered to double her salary, an offer she accepted in 1978. She co-hosted alongside Tom Joyner and DJ Bebe D'Banana. In April 1979, Tittle was featured as JET magazine's "Beauty of the Week" while wearing bathing suit made out of radio station bumper stickers. Tittle worked at WJPC until the station was sold in December 1989. Tittle then worked at WNUA-FM, a blues and smooth-jazz radio station in Joliet, Illinois, before getting full–time work at Chicago's WGCI-FM in 1992. For the first few years, she worked between the FM and AM stations until automated overnight broadcasts came into play, which resulted in her being laid off in 2000. After a year's hiatus from the public, she launched The LaDonna Tittle TV/Radio Show on Chicago's CAN-TV in 2001.[6] The show began as a platform to chat with entertainers until she decided to shift to cooking after viewing a soul food exhibit in 2003. Tittle also starred in R. Kelly's 2005 melodrama Trapped in the Closet, as Rosie the nosy neighbor. Tittle has received many Awards and Recognitions for her public community service, mentoring, educational self-esteem activities, and Culinary contributions. Tittle is "radio-act-tive"...

Personal life

Tittle was married once to Ronald Horton, a Vietnam army volunteer from 1966 until his death in 1973. Tittle dated John E. Johnson of the Johnson hair-care product family for a short while after her husband's death. Tittle and Johnson dated until his death in 1981.

References

  1. ↑ "La Donna Tittle now in the U.S. Library of Congress". Cookin' Wit' Tittle. Retrieved 15 February 2016.
  2. ↑ Ebony Magazine - May 1980
  3. ↑ "R. Kelly's Old Lady". Chicago Reader. Retrieved 15 February 2016.
  4. ↑ "La Donna Tittle - The HistoryMakers". thehistorymakers.com. Retrieved 15 February 2016.
  5. ↑ "Jet". google.com. Retrieved 15 February 2016.
  6. ↑ "South Chicago is "Cookin' wit' Tittle"". claretianassociates.org. Retrieved 15 February 2016.
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