Earlier this week, Rickey Smiley — comedian and radio host — delighted listeners as he took a tour around the Circle City. Stops included Kountry Kitchen, Tindley Collegiate Academy and IUPUI, where he joined an impromptu step show. The Recorder caught up with Smiley to find out what motivates him to keep going. “(I) have an opportunity to encourage people, uplift people, praise God with people and to do a lot of good. The main thing is to do a lot of good,” he said. “I had my time 16 years ago when I was hosting BET Comic View; I did movies and stuff like that. Now it’s like, you have a voice, you’re in the community and you have an opportunity to help. To use entertainment to pull people in is important. We have fun on the morning show and then the next day we’ll have on the president of the United States and remind people that they need to get out and vote. We use it for good.” The Rickey Smiley Morning Show airs each weekday morning from 6–10 a.m. on 96.3 FM. Smiley can be seen on “Dish Nation” weeknights and starring on the TV One sitcom “The Rickey Smiley Show.”
