(BALTIMORE – December 27, 2025) – The person taking the picture is Josh, the son of Joe Manns. Joe Manns is no longer with us physically, but his spirit stands strong – I tell ya! It was Leamon Best, a blind man, who led me to Joe. Leamon would come on our WOLB 1010 AM Tuesday morning show on Radio One Baltimore for years. He’d bring talent who’d sing.
You see, Leamon hosted these talent shows that gave many people of all ages an opportunity to perform. Little Ashley – well, she’s a grown woman now – but she was our star. A little Chaka Khan. Anyways, Leamon wanted to show his appreciation to me and invited me to an awards program at a Catholic Church in Edmondson Village – I believe, on Wildwood Parkway. Anyway, I go inside and, to my surprise, the blind man has about three long tables packed with 3-foot trophies. Dude, I am blown away! He had more and bigger trophies than I had ever seen at one time. I’m looking at mine right now.
So, that’s how I came to meet Joe Manns. Leamon sent me. Joe was responsible for that. That was Joe’s doing. You only had to meet him once to understand the kind of person Joe was. He loved golf. He loved talking about that time Woodlawn beat Dunbar in football. Lord, he couldn’t wait to tell that story if I ever mentioned Dunbar. That was Joe. Competitive, but a man with a heart of the most valuable element in the universe – unconditional love…