Rojene Bailey is best known as host of BluesTime in the City, a nationally syndicated radio show playing thebest in Blues and Southern Soul. It’s heard in 30 markets and as far away as Paris and Belize. He’s also known for his many years as a Multi-Emmy award winning television producer/director. He is currently retired from television as of 2002.
He was educated at Columbus College in Columbus Georgia, now Columbus State University, and got his start in television there. He finished Elkins Institute in Atlanta where he earned an engineering license. Working as an engineer and news director for ten years at WYEA-TV in Columbus Georgia, he moved to Atlanta in 1977 to give Public Television a try, where he eventually retired. Over the years, Rojene produced, directed, wrote and edited hundreds of different programs for Georgia Public Television and other organizations, including the Georgia Music Hall of Fame where he is the only producer/director to win an EMMY for the live production, The Lawmakers, Extensions of Congo Square, PrimeTime, PostScript, and many others. He has received numerous awards for his work including 18 Emmy nominations, winning 6 of the statues, and he was inducted into the NATAS Silver Circle, for lifetime achievement in November 2002. In October 2002, he officially retired from Georgia Public Broadcasting, but not from the television industry.
Rojene also has a distinguished, parallel in radio. In 1985 he hit the radio airwaves with “The New Atlanta Blues Show.” Being a Blues enthusiast and collector, what began as a one-time special for a fundraiser, evolved into the top-rated show on Saturdays in Atlanta. The “Saturday Morning Blues Show” on WCLK radio was the top-rated Arbitron show in its time slot in the Atlanta market. In 1998, Rojene decided to concentrate on golf and to relax, and left the Saturday Morning Blues Show. In less than two weeks, he was called by David Dickey, owner of KISS-104.7 FM at the time, and was asked to become the host of their blues show. Rojene accepted, and a new venture was under way. Blues on commercial radio in Atlanta. According to the Arbitron rating services, Down Home Blues with Rojene Bailey, later changed to BluesTime in the City became the top rated show in it’s time slot, 4pm – 7pm in the city. It was a top 3 program in that time slot until Rojene left the station in 2009. BluesTime In The City is now in syndication and is heard by over 750,000 people every weekend and growing. For those efforts and Love of The Blues, he was awarded the National Ruben Hughes Radio Announcer Award by the Jus Blues Music Foundation for 2022. He’s also being inducted into the Alabama Blues Hall of Fame in 2023 for his work in Blues Radio by the Alabama International Blues Society.
Recently Married to Glenada Dixon-Bailey, very calm and laid back, Rojene spends much of his time researching materials for his weekly Blues Show, volunteering in the community, traveling and playing golf. He has determined that golf, he will never master, but can only enjoy.
Southern Soul. It’s heard in 30 markets and as far away as Paris and Belize. He’s also known for his many years as a Multi-Emmy award winning television producer/director. He is currently retired from television as of 2002.