Catherine Liggins Hughes (born Catherine Elizabeth Woods; April 22,
1947) is an American entrepreneur, radio and television personality
and business executive. Hughes founded the media company Radio One
(now known as Urban One), and when the company went public in 1999,
she became the first African-American woman to head a publicly traded
corporation. In the 1970s, Hughes created the urban radio format
called "The Quiet Storm" on Howard University's radio station WHUR
with disc jockey and fellow Howard student Melvin Lindsey.Cathy Hughes
was born to Helen Jones Woods, a trombonist with the International
Sweethearts of Rhythm at Piney Woods School, a private boarding school
in Mississippi, and William Alfred Woods, who was the first
African-American to earn an accounting degree from Creighton
University. The family lived in the Logan Fontenelle Housing Projects
while Hughes' father attended college. Hughes was far from an only
child, growing up with a household of siblings. She found her love for
music at a very young age, while repeatedly each night lying in bed
listening to Everly Brothers and the Platters. In the early life of
Cathy Hughes, things were not easy for her because her parents did not
have much money. At this young vital age she struggled to feed. In
fact, she lied about her age to get her first job at the age of 14
years of age.Hughes went to the University of Nebraska Omaha and
Creighton University taking Business Administration courses, her
father's alma mater, but was not able to complete and receive a
degree, which led to her getting a job as a sales manager at Howard
University's radio station, WHUR-FM.Before radio, in the mid-1960s,
Hughes worked for an African American newspaper called the Omaha Star.
Hughes began her career in 1969 at KOWH in Omaha, but left for
Washington, D.C. after she was offered a job as an administrative
assistant with Tony Brown at the School of Communications at Howard
University. In 1973, she became General Sales Manager of the
university's radio station, WHUR-FM, increasing station revenue from
$250,000 to $3 million in her first year. In 1975, Hughes became the
first woman vice president and general manager of a station in the
nation's capital and created the format known as the "Quiet Storm,"
which revolutionized urban radio and was aired on over 480 stations
nationwide.
1947) is an American entrepreneur, radio and television personality
and business executive. Hughes founded the media company Radio One
(now known as Urban One), and when the company went public in 1999,
she became the first African-American woman to head a publicly traded
corporation. In the 1970s, Hughes created the urban radio format
called "The Quiet Storm" on Howard University's radio station WHUR
with disc jockey and fellow Howard student Melvin Lindsey.Cathy Hughes
was born to Helen Jones Woods, a trombonist with the International
Sweethearts of Rhythm at Piney Woods School, a private boarding school
in Mississippi, and William Alfred Woods, who was the first
African-American to earn an accounting degree from Creighton
University. The family lived in the Logan Fontenelle Housing Projects
while Hughes' father attended college. Hughes was far from an only
child, growing up with a household of siblings. She found her love for
music at a very young age, while repeatedly each night lying in bed
listening to Everly Brothers and the Platters. In the early life of
Cathy Hughes, things were not easy for her because her parents did not
have much money. At this young vital age she struggled to feed. In
fact, she lied about her age to get her first job at the age of 14
years of age.Hughes went to the University of Nebraska Omaha and
Creighton University taking Business Administration courses, her
father's alma mater, but was not able to complete and receive a
degree, which led to her getting a job as a sales manager at Howard
University's radio station, WHUR-FM.Before radio, in the mid-1960s,
Hughes worked for an African American newspaper called the Omaha Star.
Hughes began her career in 1969 at KOWH in Omaha, but left for
Washington, D.C. after she was offered a job as an administrative
assistant with Tony Brown at the School of Communications at Howard
University. In 1973, she became General Sales Manager of the
university's radio station, WHUR-FM, increasing station revenue from
$250,000 to $3 million in her first year. In 1975, Hughes became the
first woman vice president and general manager of a station in the
nation's capital and created the format known as the "Quiet Storm,"
which revolutionized urban radio and was aired on over 480 stations
nationwide.
Share this
SUBSCRIBE OUR NEWSLETTER
SUBSCRIBE OUR NEWSLETTER
Join us for free and get valuable content delivered right through your inbox.