Wanda Smith, the legendary Atlanta radio personality best known for co-hosting Frank and Wanda in the Morning, on V-103 has passed away at the age of 58. The station confirmed the news in a post on social media on Saturday night.
V-103 SVP & Market Manager, Rick Caffey, shared the following message on Instagram: “Our hearts are weighing heavier today as we grieve the loss of our beloved Wanda Smith, someone who always made us smile and who was a big part of V-103 for years. We extend our deepest prayers and condolences to her family.” The radio station added: “Tomorrow, during Sunday Morning Praise with Larry Tinsley, we will be taking time out to pay tribute to this V-103 icon. Please tune in then call in and share your stories and experiences as we pay homage one of the best to ever hit the Atlanta airwaves.”
Wanda Smith Speaks During V-103 Live Pop-Up Concert
ATLANTA, GA – MARCH 31: Radio personality Wanda Smith onstage at V-103 Live Pop Up Concert at Philips Arena on March 31, 2018 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images)
Mayor Andre Dickens also said in a statement caught by Fox 5 Atlanta: “Atlanta has lost a staple with the passing of Wanda Smith—not only in our city’s media, but our culture. We not only trusted her—we relied on her for her acumen, common sense way of speaking to her listeners…and perhaps most importantly, telling us it was okay to laugh in good times and bad. She was a voice for so many Atlantans and my thoughts and prayers are with her family, loved ones and folks like me who just loved her love for our city.”
V-103 Pays Tribute To Wanda Smith
In addition to her radio career, Smith appeared in several films including Madea Goes to Jail, Madea’s Witness Protection, and The Drone That Saved Christmas. Outside of the entertainment industry, she launched the organization, Girls Stand Together, Inc. which “empowers young girls to be amazing young women and is currently in its incubation and the greatness doesn’t stop there.” Be on the lookout for further updates on Wanda Smith on HotNewHipHop.
About The Author
Cole Blake is currently an Editor at HotNewHipHop based out of Brooklyn, New York. He began working at the site as an intern back in 2018 while studying journalism at St. John’s University. In the time since, he’s graduated with a bachelor’s degree and written extensively about a wide range of topics including pop culture, film & television, politics, video games, sports, and much more. He’s also covered music festivals such as Gov. Ball and Rolling Loud. You can find him publishing work for HNHH from Monday to Wednesday or on weekends.
On the sports front, Cole’s a passionate NBA and NFL fan with his favorite teams being the Indianapolis Colts and Los Angeles Lakers. He also roots for the Yankees whenever he finds himself at Yankee Stadium or the Red Storm when in the company of other SJU alumni.
His favorite hip-hop artists are billy woods, Earl Sweatshirt, Cam’ron, MIKE, and Mach-Hommy.
…
