Petey Greene (and Other Creative People from DC History)

Last night I watched Talk to Me, the 2007 film starring Don Cheadle as famed DC radio personality Petey Greene. For those who don't know (and I didn't, before last night), Greene was an ex-convict-turned-radio-star (and, later, TV star) celebrated for his unique voice and uncanny ability to connect with DC's black community.

Nerd that I am, I couldn't help but think what an amazing blogger Greene would have been. A unique voice, community resonance - isn't this the stuff of great bloggers in 2008?

I was also impressed with his apparent disinterest in stardom beyond his initial niche. His manager, Dewey Hughes, saw his name in lights, but Petey wanted to talk to his people, on his station - period. This deep connection to local community is something today's media personalities are discovering as though it's something new, with "hyperlocal" coverage one of the latest trends newsrooms are trying to master.

I'm guilty, too, of forgetting to look to history for precedent. I often approach this blog as though the idea of a creative activity in DC is something new, when in fact, as this movie reminded me, the city has long been home to creative souls seeking outlets for expression. Many of us know about U Street's heydey as "the black Broadway," and DC as the birthplace of Go-Go music, and as a hub of the hardcore punk scene in the early 80s. But Talk to Me also showed a history of comedy in the city (Greene performed stand-up in addition to his radio show, somewhere on 14th Street). What other gems can we unearth from DC's cultural past? And what lessons we can we learn about making today's creative community flourish? As Petey would have said: "talk to me."

See also:

• Quick history: Duke Ellington's Washington
  
• A Washington City Paper interview with Greene's biographer
• The official Petey Greene website, with bio
• And, the famous "How to Eat a Watermelon" segment from Greene's TV show: