Philadelphia talk radio veteran Mary Mason has died.
Mason, whose real name was Beatrice Turner, started her career in 1958 as a gospel music radio host on the radio station WHAT.
Then in 1970, she began her talk program “Mornings with Mary.”
Mason became a Philadelphia radio star at a pivotal time, paving the way for women and minorities to do the same.
“Reverend Louise Williams Bishop and Mary Mason are the two African American women who really broke the barrier in Philadelphia radio for us to come behind them,” Thera Martin, Mason’s former program director, told Action News.
Martin said it was an honor to work with Mason, who she grew up listening to on the radio.
“People used to hang onto her every word, every morning, with her very popular radio show, 7 to 10 a.m. Mornings with Mary,” Martin said.
The show catapulted Mason’s career, leading her to interviews with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Muhammad Ali, and Oprah.
WATCH: Philadelphia radio host ‘Lady B’ opens up about Mary Mason’s legacy