5 things to know about the cool Dayton DJ voted ‘best celebrity’ over Dave Chappelle

Credit: Contributed

Credit: Contributed

A reverend with crazy turntable skills bested one one of the nation’s most well-known comedians to be named Dayton’s best local celebrity.

Jim "Rev Cool" Carter, the host of WYSO's energizer bunny-like "The Around the Fringe Show" host, was named Best Dayton celebrity in Dayton.com Best of Dayton. 
He bested Dave Chappelle, yes, that Dave Chappelle, in the people's choice contest.

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Cory D. D. Miller, a Dayton.com contributor,  came in third after Chappelle.

Here are five things to know about Rev. Cool: 

He’s never been in band

In addition to his work with WYSO, Carter was a reading teacher for Dayton Public Schools for 35 years before retiring. He began promoting music shows during his college days at Wright State and was president of his own record label, “I WANNA.”

Music was always a focus for him and a big part of life for his family.

"We had four kids," he told this news organization for a previous story. "When they were growing up, they (may have awakened) to find some punk rock band sleeping on the couches. At a certain point we said 'well, we sort of have to live a more stable lifestyle'."

>> RELATED: When Rev. Cool was Daytonian of the Week

He’s a Daytonian through and through. 

Raised in East Dayton in a “typical” working class family — Rev. Cool’s dad was a Chrysler factory worker and his mom was mostly a stay-at-home mother — The Rev. spent his teen years listening to local bands.

He’s been spinning “Around the Fringe” for 36 years

Carter’s weekly radio program Around the Fringe is in its 36th year. It features punk,  Americana and world music.  It airs 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. Fridays.

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He’s an educator 

Carter was a reading teacher for Dayton Public Schools for 35 years before retiring. He began promoting music shows during his college days at Wright State and was president of his own record label, “I WANNA.”

He’s a fighter 

Carter suffered a serious stroke on his retirement day from teaching in 2011.

“The neurologist said, ‘You just had a piece of plank floating around that decided to land at that time in you brain’,”  he told us in 2015 . “He said ‘sometimes sh!% just happens.’ I go ‘that’s pretty professional there doc’.”

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He was ordained by Fury.

After trying to talk to Furry Lewis after seeing the country blues guitarist and songwriter perform in a small Memphis club in the late 1970s:

 “He says ‘buy me a drink, and I will talk to you.’ I said ‘yeah, I’ll buy you a drink.’ He (orders) not a shot of whiskey, he (orders) a glass of whiskey about this big. He says ‘now I’ll talk to you.’ We are sitting there talking, and I was like going on and on about music and he goes ‘you sound like you are a reverend.’ I say ‘I am not a reverend, I am just cool.’ He goes ‘ha, ha, ha. Reverend Cool.’ So I figure that’s as good a name as any. And that’s where it came from.”

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