Patrick Ellis (radio host)
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Patrick Connery Ellis (May 30, 1943 – July 16, 2020) was an American
radio show A radio program, radio programme, or radio show is a segment of content intended for broadcast on radio. It may be a one-time production or part of a periodically recurring series. A single program in a series is called an episode. Radio networ ...
host and production director. He hosted "Gospel Spirit" for over forty years on
WHUR-FM WHUR-FM (96.3 MHz) is an urban adult contemporary radio station that is licensed to Washington D.C., and serving the Metro D.C. area. It is owned and operated by Howard University, making it one of the few commercial radio stations in the Unite ...
. Upon his death, Ellis was the longest running on air personality in Washington radio history.


Early life and education

Patrick Connery Ellis was born at
Freedman's Hospital Howard University Hospital, previously known as Freedmen's Hospital, is a major hospital located in Washington, D.C., built on the site of the previous Griffith Stadium. The hospital has served the African-American community in the area for over ...
in
Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...
on May 30, 1943. His mother, Ida Delaney Ellis, was a teacher and his father, Roy Alexander Ellis, was a government labor relations specialist. He had one brother, Roy M. Ellis. After attending public schools, Ellis attended
Westminster School (God Gives the Increase) , established = Earliest records date from the 14th century, refounded in 1560 , type = Public school Independent day and boarding school , religion = Church of England , head_label = Hea ...
in Connecticut. He was raised
Episcopalian Anglicanism is a Western Christian tradition that has developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. It is one of the l ...
. Ellis first heard
gospel music Gospel music is a traditional genre of Christian music, and a cornerstone of Christian media. The creation, performance, significance, and even the definition of gospel music varies according to culture and social context. Gospel music is com ...
as a boy, when he walked past a church and heard "drums and tambourines and people singing and shouting." Relatives took him to see Shirley Caesar and the Caravans at the
Apollo Theater The Apollo Theater is a music hall at 253 West 125th Street between Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Boulevard (Seventh Avenue) and Frederick Douglass Boulevard (Eighth Avenue) in the Harlem neighborhood of Upper Manhattan in New York City. It is a not ...
, which he cited as the turning point for his love of gospel. As a child, Ellis also listened to local DC radio how DJ Lord Fauntleroy Bandy. After graduating from Westminster, Ellis attended
Howard University Howard University (Howard) is a private, federally chartered historically black research university in Washington, D.C. It is classified among "R2: Doctoral Universities – High research activity" and accredited by the Middle States Commissi ...
for communications. In 1971, he started volunteering at
WHUR-FM WHUR-FM (96.3 MHz) is an urban adult contemporary radio station that is licensed to Washington D.C., and serving the Metro D.C. area. It is owned and operated by Howard University, making it one of the few commercial radio stations in the Unite ...
, Howard's radio station. He became a full-time staff member at the station in 1975. In 1977, he earned his bachelor's degree from Howard.


Career

In 1979, Ellis was asked by program director Jesse Fax to host a gospel show. He started hosting "Sunday Morning Gospel", a four-hour
gospel music Gospel music is a traditional genre of Christian music, and a cornerstone of Christian media. The creation, performance, significance, and even the definition of gospel music varies according to culture and social context. Gospel music is com ...
show every Sunday morning. To learn more about gospel, he visited local religious record stores and bookstores, eavesdropping on customers talking about music. He provided what he called a "spiritual transfusion during the week" for churchgoers. During the show, Ellis also shared his own personal journey with faith and shared announcements from local nonprofits and churches. He also hosted fundraisers, including fundraisers to feed the hungry,
domestic violence Domestic violence (also known as domestic abuse or family violence) is violence or other abuse that occurs in a domestic setting, such as in a marriage or cohabitation. ''Domestic violence'' is often used as a synonym for ''intimate partner ...
victims, and cancer patient care. In 1986, he became production director of
WHUR-FM WHUR-FM (96.3 MHz) is an urban adult contemporary radio station that is licensed to Washington D.C., and serving the Metro D.C. area. It is owned and operated by Howard University, making it one of the few commercial radio stations in the Unite ...
. By 1989, the radio show, now called "Gospel Spirit," averaged 64,000 listeners weekly and was regularly ranked as the most popular show at the station. That year, an anniversary party was held with
BeBe and CeCe Winans BeBe & CeCe Winans are an American gospel music brother and sister duo. BeBe and CeCe Winans are the seventh and eighth of the Winans family's ten children, most of whom have had gospel music careers. Together, they have received several awards, ...
and the Barrett Sisters performing and
Jesse Jackson Jesse Louis Jackson (né Burns; born October 8, 1941) is an American political activist, Baptist minister, and politician. He was a candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1984 and 1988 and served as a shadow U.S. senator ...
, Del. Walter Fauntroy and
Marion Barry Marion Shepilov Barry (born Marion Barry Jr.; March 6, 1936 – November 23, 2014) was an American politician who served as the second and fourth mayor of the District of Columbia from 1979 to 1991 and 1995 to 1999. A Democrat, Barry had served ...
in attendance. In 1999, Ellis was honored with a
proclamation A proclamation (Lat. ''proclamare'', to make public by announcement) is an official declaration issued by a person of authority to make certain announcements known. Proclamations are currently used within the governing framework of some nations ...
for his work by
Prince George's County, Maryland ) , demonym = Prince Georgian , ZIP codes = 20607–20774 , area codes = 240, 301 , founded date = April 23 , founded year = 1696 , named for = Prince George of Denmark , leader_title = Executive , leader_name = Angela D. Alsobroo ...
. In June 2020, Ellis finished building his at-home studio in Annapolis. He hosted his last shows of "Gospel Spirit" at his home studio before his death in July 2020. One of his favorite gospel songs was "Take Away" by
Yolanda Adams Yolanda Yvette Adams (born August 27, 1961) is an American gospel singer, actress, and host of her own nationally syndicated morning gospel show. She is one of the best-selling gospel artists of all time, having sold over 10 million album ...
and a revival piece by Luther Barnes.


Personal life and death

Ellis was married four times. He divorced his first three wives (Maxine Lindsey, Marcia Brown and Clara Patterson). He had a daughter with Maxine Lindsey, Susan Cooper, and a second daughter, Adina Ellis Cato, with Marcia Brown. In 1999, he married Angela Green and lived in
Mitchellville, Maryland Mitchellville is an upper-class majority African-American unincorporated area and census-designated place (CDP) in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States. Per the 2020 census, the population was 11,136. Geography Mitchellville is locate ...
. In June 2020, Ellis was hospitalized with
COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was COVID-19 pandemic in Hubei, identified in Wuhan, China, in December ...
amid the
COVID-19 pandemic in Maryland The COVID-19 pandemic was confirmed to have reached the U.S. state of Maryland in March 2020. The first three cases of the virus were reported in Montgomery County on March 5, 2020. , the Maryland Department of Health (MDH) reported 1,303,829 p ...
. He died from complications of the virus at an Annapolis hospital on July 16, 2020.


References


External links


"Tuning in to the sounds of joyful noise"
from ''
The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...
''
"Longtime DC radio host among Covid-19 victims"
from
CNN CNN (Cable News Network) is a multinational cable news channel headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. Founded in 1980 by American media proprietor Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld as a 24-hour cable news channel, and presently owned by ...

An interview with Patrick Ellis
by
Wayne A. I. Frederick Wayne Alix Ian Frederick (born June 17, 1971) is a Trinidadian and Tobagonian Americans, Trinidadian-American scholar, surgeon, and university administrator. He is currently serving as president of Howard University in Washington D.C. since July ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ellis, Patrick 1943 births 2020 deaths 20th-century American Episcopalians 21st-century American Episcopalians African-American radio personalities American radio DJs Gospel music Howard University alumni Howard University faculty People from Annapolis, Maryland People from Mitchellville, Maryland Radio personalities from Washington, D.C. African-American Episcopalians Deaths from the COVID-19 pandemic in Maryland 21st-century African-American people