(Photo By Flickr User williacw)

“Oh, oh, oh (I said oh, oh, oh) it’s…… Rickey Smiley In The Morning!”

Tom “The Fly Jock” Joyner of the Tom Joyner Morning Show, announced he is retiring at the end of 2019.

According to BlackAmericaWeb, Joyner told listeners on last week that Rickey Smiley will be his successor to the morning anchor position.

Joyner said in his statement,

“I’m happy to see the landscape of Urban AC morning radio continue to expand with Rickey, and I’m proud of the doors the Tom Joyner Morning Show opened. Twenty-five years ago, there was no template for a syndicated Urban radio show and we worked hard to prove that we could successfully produce and market a national platform that would entertain, inform and empower African-American listeners. We broke some ground, raised the bar for what audiences expected from Black radio all while partying with a purpose. Yeah, we’ve done a lot but there’s still a lot left to be done. I’m confident that Rickey’s activism along with his love for radio, the community, and HBCUs, will pick up where we left off.”

Joyner, who will turn 70 on this year, has been the host for 25 years.

Joyner also said,

“Smiley has proven to be a trusted-leader on-air and in the community and captivates audiences with his authentic humor.”

Eva Marcille and Gary “With Da Tea” Hayes, will also be on-air cast members that will join him on the show.

The Rickey Smiley Morning Show will air on Jan. 2, 2020, on HOT 99.5.