Virgil Johnson

Who was Virgil Johnson?

Virgil Lewis Johnson was an African American deejay, formerly at radio station KDAV in Lubbock. He was the lead singer of The Velvets, a 1950s and 1960s vocal quintet from Odessa, also in West Texas. They are best remembered for their 1961 hit "Tonight", which peaked at No. 26 on the Billboard pop charts. The song refers to a young woman waiting to fall in love or perhaps for her intended to propose marriage and present her with a ring of commitment. The Velvets can be heard chanting "doo-wop" as a refrain in a song. Doo wop is considered to have originated in 1955 with The Turbans' "When You Dance". However, the Velvets were a special type of doo-wop group because their sound was highly polished, and the backing usually included stringed instruments.

KDAV calls itself the Buddy Holly Station, and Johnson during his tenure there was known as "V.J. the D.J." Prior to his retirement from KDAV, Johnson broadcast on weekdays from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. KDAV is heard through the Internet. The station plays primarily rock and roll songs from the 1950s, the 1960s, and – recently – the first half of the 1970s.