Career
Area. He is widely known for originating the "Quiet Storm" late-night music programming format. Lindsey began his broadcast career as an intern at Howard University radio station WHUR-FM. In 1976, he brought the "Quiet Storm" to the station"s late-night lineup, titled after a romantic hit single by tenor crooner Smokey Robinson. The show"s soulfully melodic and moody musical fare made it a phenomenal success and the "love song"-heavy format was quickly replicated at stations across the country that served an urban, African-American adult demographic.
Lindsey"s show also gave rise to a category of music of the same name.
After a nine-year run on WHUR, Lindsey took his format to another local radio station, WKYS-FM, for five more years and later hosted Screen Scene for Black Entertainment Television (Black Entertainment Television). He also worked for Washington, District of Columbia television stations WTTG-television and WFTY-television and for WJZ-television in Baltimore, Maryland.
Lindsey died of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome in 1992 at the age of 36, but the Quiet Storm format he originated remains a popular staple in radio programming today, three decades after its inception, across the nation, especially in evening and late-night radio programs. Many artists continue to create songs targeted towards Quiet Storm stations and shows.