Candy Shannon

Host and Producer, The Friday Morning Brew

Candy Shannon is a veteran media professional and educator who has been a prominent voice in D.C. radio for over four decades. A native of Detroit, she began her local career in 1980 when she was recruited as the first full-time female personality at 93.9 WKYS-FM. She officially joined the WPFW family in 1998 at the invitation of then-Program Director Lou Hankins.

Throughout her distinguished career in the nation's capital, Candy has worn many hats, including narrating books for the Library of Congress, hosting a late-night video show on WUSA-Channel 9, and working in news at Voice of America and satellite radio with WorldSpace. She also served as the Host and Program Director for WDCU (Jazz 90) during its final five years of operation. Beyond her work in the booth, she is a retired educator who served as an adjunct professor and director at Howard University's Cathy Hughes School of Communications.

Today, Candy produces and hosts The Friday Morning Brew, where she celebrates the rich history and contemporary sounds of Jazz. She views the music as more than just entertainment; it is the essential soundtrack of Black life, rooted in African heritage and born out of a legacy of survival and creativity. Through her program, she aims to lift the spirits of her listeners and provide a platform that honors the stories of the musicians who keep this vital art form alive.