A long-time Alabama personality and businessman is joining an elite group whose ranks include the likes of Bob Hope, James Brown, Larry King and Ryan Seacrest.

Shelley Stewart, whose decades long career includes broadcasting, public relations and philanthropy, is among the latest class of inductees into the Radio Hall of Fame.

The honor comes from the Chicago-based Museum of Broadcast Communications.

Stewart told AL.com that he was shocked to receive the accolade.

“It means that I’ve done something right somewhere along the way,” he said. “I’m really honored. Hopefully the people of Birmingham will understand that nothing is impossible.”

Stewart, who turns 91 this year, began his media career in 1949 at WEDR radio. He was 16. He also worked for Birmingham’s Parker High School newspaper. His name rose to prominence in the 1960s at WENN-AM radio where he was widely known as an on-air voice of the civil rights movement in Birmingham.

In his trademark style, Stewart demurred when talking about his own successes but instead highlighted his humble and tragic beginnings. That included losing his mother to violence at the hands of his father, while Stewart witnessed it, and then an early life of homelessness.

He said that winning the award wasn’t a bad outcome for a “homeless kid from Birmingham.”

After a stint in the military, Stewart returned to Birmingham where he became a popular radio personality known as “Shelley the Playboy” for WENN AM.

In 1967, he co-founded Steiner Advertising, now known as O2ideas. He also became co-owner of WATV AM.

Going from tragedy and poverty to success, Stewart later in life founded the Mattie C. Stewart Foundation. Named for his mother, the foundation was created to improve literacy and increase the graduation rate of high school students.

The 2025 Radio Hall of Fame includes 11 honorees. Among them are rock star Alice Cooper and veteran NPR host Scott Simon of Weekend Edition Saturday.

Radio Hall of Fame inductees will be honored at a ceremony on Oct.30, 2025, in Chicago. Stewart plans to attend.

“Our 2025 induction ceremony and celebration will be a special, standing-room-only event honoring the talents, history and contributions of 11 incredible people,” co-chairman Kraig Kitchin said in a statement. “I cannot wait to celebrate the careers and impact of these men and women who’ve made a forever positive impact on the radio industry.”

News of Stewart’s latest honor immediately generated congratulations around Birmingham.

“Huge congratulations to Birmingham’s own Playboy!” Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin posted on social media. Woodfin’s post generated hundreds of congratulatory messages for Stewart, many from people posting their own memories of him reflecting his work in the community and on the air.

Erskine “Chuck” Faush Jr. said Stewart is like family to him. Faush, himself a broadcaster and administrator at Miles College, grew up watching Stewart work alongside his father, the Rev. Erskine Faush, himself an early Black radio executive and personality.

“‘Dr. Shelley Stewart’ to some and ‘Shelley the Playboy’ to others was simply ‘Unk’ to me,” Faush told AL.com. “I grew up between him and my dad at WENN, WATV and backstage at concert halls, listening and learning how to tell a story so well that audiences were informed, entertained and inspired.

“His questions shaped not only public opinion but championed causes and settled crises.”