‘Chatty Hatty’ Leeper broke barriers
Plus: The news of the week — Charlotte becomes car wash capital; Inside high school 'senior assassin' craze; McCrory shares lessons of light rail; School cell-phone ban moves ahead
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Hattie Leeper: From a teenage record organizer to a radio trailblazer, she shaped Charlotte’s airwaves, mentored young artists and earned a place in the National Black Radio Hall of Fame.
Editor’s note: You see their names on street signs or parks, but who were some of the big-name people from decades ago who shaped Charlotte? They have fascinating stories, and for the next few Saturdays, we’re sharing them with you.
By John Short
Hattie “Chatty Hatty” Leeper, one of the Southeast’s first black female disc jockeys, turned an after-school job organizing records into a career that ultimately landed her in the National Black Radio Hall of Fame.
Leeper’s journey through the golden days of radio began in what is now Charlotte’s South End in the early 1940s, before in-home television sets were common. Radio airwaves were the primary source of communication and entertainment.
Leeper, now retired and living in Charlotte, was part of what is an often overlooked radio history in Charlotte. The station WBT, which began experimentally in 1920, was the first fully licensed radio station in the Southeast. Some of the biggest names in country music in the early 20th century got their start recording in Charlotte-based studios.
“Chattie Hatty” Leeper was the first black female DJ in North Carolina. In this photo, she is reporting the news on WGIV in 1963. (Photo courtesy of Charlotte Mecklenburg Library)
Leeper was born in Edgemoor, S.C., in 1930. Her family moved to Charlotte when she was young, where they settled in the Third Ward neighborhood, near the area that today is Bank of America Stadium. Her father was the head custodian at Central Piedmont Community College.
Leeper attended black schools in uptown Charlotte for her formal education, and it was while she was enrolled at Second Ward High School that she began working part-time at local radio station WGIV at age 14. WGIV, at 600 AM on the radio dial, was the first Charlotte radio station to market specifically to a black audience.
Leeper and her mother had moved from Third Ward to Brookhill Village by this time. It was only a short walk to the station at Toomey Avenue and Remount Road. Her radio career began by just pitching in around the station, finding odd jobs to complete, such as organizing records, answering phones and even bookkeeping.
Her contributions and positive work ethic drew notice, and she slowly worked her way onto the airwaves. The first time she was on the radio, she served as a fill-in for an on-air colleague who couldn’t continue his show.
“I was at the right place at the right time. The other announcer that had that time slot goofed that up, and I was there and was able to go sit in the chair and segue his music, because he could not go back on the air. He was intoxicated,” she said in an interview with UNC Charlotte in 2006.
“And I continued from then on having that show.”
Leeper got more opportunities. She expanded her on-air time to include playing music, providing news and opinion segments. She read ads for local retailers eager to reach the black communities that comprised the primary audience of WGIV. Some spots went as long as 15 minutes for a single advertiser.
After graduating from Second Ward High School at 17 in 1951, Leeper was officially hired as a DJ at WGIV, making her the first black female DJ on the airwaves in North Carolina.
She spent the next two decades on the air as a DJ. Adopting the on-air moniker of “Chatty Hatty” that fit with the rhythmic naming convention of DJs at the time, her following grew along with other prominent black radio hosts across the country.
Black radio legends such as Jack L. Cooper, the first black DJ in America, and Vernon “Dr. Daddy-O” Winslow — who popularized the style of the black DJs on the airwaves across the Southeast from WWEZ in New Orleans — set the standard for on-air radio personas. Leeper expanded the genre as a young woman on the airwaves in the 1950s.
She made it a point to bring on prominent community members for interviews. Guests could include representatives from organizations like the YMCA, Boys and Girls Club, Big Brothers, Girls Scouts and a local 4-H Club to promote their organizations and discuss upcoming events.
What started as favors for friends who were artists led Leeper to become more involved in the promotional and production aspect of the music businesses. She produced music and liner notes for some of music’s biggest acts, including Aretha Franklin and Patti Labelle.
Leeper created her own record label, AwarE, that focused on promising regional musical talent. She also wrote and produced several regional hits for the label and traveled to Chicago and New York City to do the sessions. This was at the invitation of some of the top management in the business, including the legendary Jerry Wexler, president of Atlantic Records.
She enjoyed working directly with artists and formed Chatty’s School of Communication, which was her way to mentor promising young artists, develop them and help open doors for them in the industry based on her connections.
In 1973, Leeper fully moved away from the airwaves and into the academic world. She taught communications at Charlotte institutions like Johnson C. Smith University and Gaston College. For 11 years, she served as the dean of the communication department at Gaston College.
She officially retired from academia in 1998, ending a nearly 50-year career.
In 2022, Leeper was inducted into the National Black Radio Hall of Fame, and she is also a member of the North Carolina Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame.
John Short is a freelance writer and co-host of The Charlotte Podcast who loves digging up Charlotte’s past and pondering its future. Say hey when you see him on the streetcar.
This week in Charlotte: DOGE cuts two Charlotte offices; $100K watch party draws fire; ACC lawsuit settled; Zaha sparks Charlotte FC
On Saturdays, The Ledger sifts through the local news of the week and links to the top articles — even if they appeared somewhere else. We’ll help you get caught up. That’s what Saturdays are for.
Education
School cell phone ban moves forward: (News & Observer) The N.C. Senate passed a bill 41-1 to direct schools to prohibit students from using cell phones during classes. The House is considering similar legislation.
Possible changes ahead for athletic association: (Observer) The N.C. Independent Schools Athletic Association is considering a bylaw change to limit membership to North Carolina schools, which would force out-of-state members Westminster Catawba and Rabun Gap to exit the association. The association is also exploring whether to allow N.C. charter schools to join, though no final decisions have been made on either proposal.
Politics
DOGE cuts leases on 2 Charlotte offices: (WSOC) The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) said on its website that it is terminating two small leases in Charlotte — one for the U.S. Geological Survey and another for the Environmental Protection Agency. The move would save $172,000 a year.
Criticism over $100K watch party: (WCNC) Mecklenburg County Democrats are facing criticism after spending more than $100,000 on an election night watch party, with critics questioning financial priorities and engagement with minority communities.
Local news
Two officers injured, suspect killed in shooting: Two Charlotte-Mecklenburg police officers were injured and a suspect was killed in a shootout Friday afternoon while officers attempted to serve a warrant in northeast Charlotte. (WSOC)
South End pedestrian hit by train: (WSOC) A pedestrian was struck and seriously injured by a light rail train last week near the intersection of Remount Road and South Boulevard in South End. The patient was taken to the hospital with life-threatening injuries.
N.C. to leap from 9th to 7th in population in 2030s: (Axios Raleigh) State demographers predict that North Carolina will surpass Georgia and Ohio to become the 7th-largest state by the early 2030s and will grow enough to pick up an additional congressional seat. Read the state’s report.
ICE presence at UCity apartments: (La Noticia) Officers from Immigration and Customs Enforcement visited an apartment complex off North Tryon Street in University City on Monday and fingerprinted and released at least three people.
Business
Feds drop Zelle lawsuit against BofA, Wells: (Associated Press) The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau dropped its lawsuit against Bank of America, Wells Fargo and other financial companies that had alleged they failed to guard against fraud on the payment platform Zelle.
New Duke and Novant partnership: (Business NC) Duke Health and Novant Health announced a partnership Monday to develop new healthcare facilities across North Carolina, although they didn’t announce specific projects or financial details.
Sports
ACC lawsuit settled: (Associated Press) The ACC, Clemson and Florida State have reached a settlement to resolve legal disputes, while introducing a new revenue-distribution model that rewards schools based on TV viewership and performance.
From the Ledger family of newsletters:
He captured some of Helene’s most gripping scenes: After Hurricane Helene hit Western North Carolina, photographer Rey Castillo Jr. turned his camera on the storm’s aftermath, capturing powerful images to post on Facebook and bring attention to the devastation and recovery efforts.
Plus: 3 Matthews commissioners want to rescind opposition to transit plan; New romance bookstore in Plaza Midwood; American Airlines to test free wifi
Wednesday (🔒)
Charlotte is the new car wash capital: Whistle Express, a Charlotte-based car wash company, just became the nation's largest by acquiring 380 Take 5 Car Wash locations, boosting its total to about 530.
Plus: N.C. effects of higher tariffs; Water bills could rise $70 a year; A new podcast on 'forgotten' Helene victims
Friday (🔒)
Why teenagers might be hiding in your neighbor’s bushes: Every spring, Charlotte high school seniors participate in "senior assassin," a water-gun tag game with spy-like tactics and high-stakes paranoia.
Plus: We answer a reader's question about a former school site; New podcast with the head of Mac’s Speed Shop; Check out The Ledger's 2 new newsletters; Covid flashback
Ways of Life (🔒)
Bob Welsh, a World War II veteran and longtime Charlotte resident, lived a remarkable life filled with military heroism, a photography career, deep faith and a passion for the arts. He passed away Jan. 3 at 102.
Lessons from Charlotte's first light rail line: As Charlotte contemplates expanding transit, former Mayor Pat McCrory shares how the city did it nearly 30 years ago on a recent episode of his PBS Charlotte political talk show “Unspun.”
Zaha is ‘having a go’ with Charlotte FC: Charlotte FC’s new star winger, Wilfried Zaha, helped ignite Charlotte FC's offense in the team’s 2-0 win over Atlanta United, with Zaha scoring his first MLS goal and assisting on another.
Charlotte Ballet artistic director Alejandro Cerrudo puts his stamp on the company as a choreographer with “A Realm of Existence.”
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