Dr Darrius
Detroit’s radio waves are iconic with noticeable voices emitting from the speakers. The city’s own Dr Darrius has a career that spans two decades and he has no plans on stopping. From celebrity interviews to a community impact, Dr Darrius’ commitment to the city and art of radio have helped to grow his career. Now, set to launch in a more personal direction, Dr Darrius is ready to shift onto another level.
A native Detroiter, Dr Darrius has always had a knack for the media. Getting his start in high school, Darrius Summers II began broadcasting local high school sporting events. Operating under full-scale production, the soon to be media personality was able to take a behind-the-scenes look into the field early on and learn the fundamentals for a career in radio broadcasting.
“I started in radio, believe it or not, when I was 14. I attended the Communication and Media Arts High School in Detroit and I was the high school sportscaster through 90.9 WDTR. It was Detroit Public School’s educational radio station at the time and they would send us out to different high school football games with a recorder,” says Dr Darrius. “It felt like a full broadcast staff with an engineer and they took our voices back to the radio.”
Getting accustomed to the sound of his own voice was a feat the young DJ had yet to master. Using high school as a launching pad, Dr Darrius was unsure of his next move after graduation. Deciding to pursue journalism, he attended a local Detroit media institution, Specs Howard School of Media Arts.
“I actually went for television. I had just graduated high school. I didn’t know what I wanted to do,” says Dr Darrius.
As fate would have it, popular hip-hop and R&B station, FM 98 WJLB offered him the opportunity to learn radio with a hands-on internship. There, a radio veteran helped to establish the basis for what would become a twenty-year career.
“I worked with Mason in The Morning and he was the morning show guy at the time. I had won Sportscaster of the Year my second year doing the broadcast thing with WDTR and he told me to come up to the station one day,” says Dr Darrius. “It blew my mind away the way things worked behind the scenes.”
Working up the ranks of radio, he soon got an opportunity to hit the airwaves. After having to make some minor adjustments, the soon-to-be Dr Darrius made his debut.
“Then, there was a slot open. The Quiet Storm guy needed to take off for a week and they had no one to fill in,” says Dr Darrius. “Naturally, I was the sixth man on the bench and they put me in the game. I didn’t have a radio name so I went with my government name; didn’t like it. I had to change my voice to sound like this Keith Sweat-type vibe.”
This opportunity would lead to a full-time job and interviews with some of the biggest names in music, all of which helped to solidify his community appeal.
Awarded the coveted Spirit of Detroit award in 2021, Dr Darrius’ career has been rooted in Detroit and its listeners. Now, looking to take his career down a more personal path, the radio professional will use his years of expertise to bring the city a platform for change.
No stranger to the workings of radio, Dr Darrius is about to launch “The People Mover” podcast this fall, the show will serve as a space to have positive community conversation with some of the most influential names and organizations in the city.
“This is a great conversation with community leaders to further connect folks who are not able to be a part of conversations I may be able to be a part of,” says Dr Darrius.
Up-and-coming artists will be able to soon collaborate with the DJ in an effort to get more of Detroit’s talent in the mainstream. A mixtape is on the way featuring music from Detroit’s best local performers. Each new endeavor stays true to one of his joys — giving back to the city that he is from.
“For me to be in the position to see an opportunity to help others whether it’s a business growing, a community organization looking to get more kids or more activities, that just warms my heart. To see the city coming together, I don’t even look at it as being a staple, I look at it as me being a connector,” says Dr Darrius. “I get the privilege to sit in different meetings and have different opportunities to pass along information to different people who are not able to be there. [That] is where my heart is.”
“The People Mover” podcast is scheduled to launch in October.
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