Tom Joyner announces retirement from Morning Show, Rickey Smiley to take his place

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Tom Joyner of the Tom Joyner Morning Show announced he is retiring at the end of 2019.

Joyner told listeners Rickey Smiley will be his successor to the morning anchor position.

"I'm happy to see the landscape of Urban AC morning radio continue to expand with Rickey, and I'm proud of the doors the Tom Joyner Morning Show opened. Twenty-five years ago, there was no template for a syndicated Urban radio show and we worked hard to prove that we could successfully produce and market a national platform that would entertain, inform and empower African-American listeners. We broke some ground, raised the bar for what audiences expected from Black radio all while partying with a purpose. Yeah, we've done a lot but there's still a lot left to be done. I'm confident that Rickey's activism along with his love for radio, the community, and HBCUs, will pick up where we left off." 

Joyner has been the host for 25 years.

Smiley has proven to be a trusted-leader on-air and in the community and captivates audiences with his authentic humor, according to Joyner.

Eva Marcille and Gary With Da Tea will also be on-air cast members that will join him on the show.

The Rickey Smiley Morning Show will air on Jan. 2, 2020, on HOT 99.5.

Cox Media Group