Career
He hosted The Donnie Simpson Morning Show on Washington, District of Columbia radio station WPGC-FM from March 1993 to January 29, 2010. Currently, he hosts The Donnie Simpson Show on District of Columbia-based radio station WMMJ-FM (Majic 1023 FM), which began airing on August 17, 2015. Simpson is the first urban-format radio personality to have an annual salary over $1 million without being syndicated.
He was Billboard"s "1998 Air ity of the Year".
He is also known by the nickname "Doctor Green Eyes" for his luminous light green eyes. Simpson began his career at age 15 at Urban Contemporary radio station WJLB in Detroit, Michigan, where he remained for eight years.
In 1977 he relocated to Washington, District of Columbia, where he began working at WRC-FM, known as "Disco 93.9" (now WKYS), as morning drive host and program director He remained with WKYS for 15 years through its format migration from Disco-based Rhythmic Contemporary Hits to Urban Contemporary in the 1980s.
In 1981, he was hired as back-up anchor for the George Michael Sports Machine sports show on National Broadcasting Company"s Washington television outlet, World Rally Championship-television Simpson left WPGC-FM over a dispute with the station"s owner, Columbia Broadcasting System Radio, regarding changes Columbia Broadcasting System requested to reverse falling ratings.
On his final show, Simpson received phone call farewells from Toni Braxton, LL Cool J, Wyclef Jean, John Legend, Smokey Robinson, Stevie Wonder, and other musicians. As of January 2010, Simpson hadn"t said what he"ll do next. Simpson remained with the show until its cancellation in 1997.
Between 1997 and 2000, Simpson hosted many network specials and tributes.
In October 2004, he was inducted into the Black Entertainment Television Walk of Fame. On August 17, 2015, Donnie Simpson came out of retirement and returned to the radio airwaves, this time on WMMJ (a Radio One station based in District of Columbia) to host The Donnie Simpson Show.
In 1973, Simpson married Pamela Gibson.