WDET celebrating the life and legacy of Judy Adams at Garden Theater this weekend

WDET will celebrate the life of one of its musical pioneers this Saturday at the Garden Theater. 

Adams, a former program director and host at WDET for more than 30 years, died in December of 2024. During her time at the station, Adams pushed the boundaries of music programming on the radio in Detroit. Her shows Morphogenisis and The Judy Adams Show were known for mixing genres and blending musical styles, curating an eclectic listening experience for her many fans. 

As the station’s program director, she encouraged the music hosts to experiment and many of the music programs on WDET that followed have adopted the “Judy Adams style.” 

Metro Producer Cary Junior II spoke with Adams’ son, Anthony Minnie, and Essential Music host Ann Delisi about Adams’ work and how her legacy will continue at WDET.

Saturday’s event will take place from 5 to 8 p.m. and feature music inspired by Adams’ radio shows, DJed by Ismael Ahmed — host of WDET’s This Island Earth.  “Sean Blackman and Friends” will also perform music honoring Adams’ love of global music and rhythms, and artist Jon Strand will share an visual art set to original music composed and performed by Adams.

WDET is also creating the Judy Adams’ Music Internship, helping foster the education and career development of students with a passion for music, education, community service and radio. 

For more information about Saturday’s event or to RSVP, visit wdet.org/events. 

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