Samuel Davis popularly known as Sammy Davis is a radio producer and presenter at Hot 99.5 FM Owerri. Having led a life that moved him from radio and TV stations around the country, he is now in Owerri as one of the pioneer staffers of Hot 99.5 FM, where he produces and presents Nigerian Top 10 Show amongst others.

Sammy Davis talked with Chinedu Hardy Nwadike in this exclusive interview, to unveil the man he is on and off the radio, going all the way to talk about the making of the man he is today.

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Excerpts:

Sammy and radio presenting

I studied Theatre Arts, majored in Directing. I’ve always had passion for the radio and back in school days, I used to sing with a group and all these took me to where I am today.

I have been in this business for more than 14 years, working with both radio and TV stations of which Independent Television (ITV) Benin is one of them. I started with Enugu State Broadcasting Service.

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Time for other hobbies

If I have the time, I’ll definitely use all my talents, recently I feature in a song with Aifee.

24 hours is not enough for me because there’s always something to be done.

Do you miss music and directing?

I miss all of it, because they work together. You have to direct music to make it what it is supposed to be, same with every production we do.

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You and your job

My job has really affected me. All I do now is to sleep and wake up for production and my life has been in that order. If I’m not presenting on the radio, I’m producing and when I’m at home, I’m with my laptop, planning on the next thing. Everything I do is all about radio and TV. Radio is me, me I’m radio.

Do you wish to be on TV always?

I was a TV presenter for over six years at ITV Benin. I’ve been in both TV and radio. People might not know a radio presenter personally, but in most cases, people mark you by your voice and when you talk out there, someone will always turn and say “Yeah! I know this voice from the radio”

Favourite Programme

Nigerian Top 10 is my baby, the production is ‘tight’, because I produce and present it after doing a lot of research. I’ve done this programme for two different radio stations. Hot FM accepted the programme and now it’s one of the programmes that have good listenership in Hot 99.5 FM.

Nigerian Top is one of the best programmes I’ve presented.

Is O’town Top 10 feasible?

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Yeah, it’s feasible, I can fix it because I live in Owerri now and I know most of the artistes. The concept is to encourage artistes to do well so that people can vote them into the Top 10.

With this, you can’t be promoting something that is not really good. The artistes will be encouraged to spend money on their music, so as to get it to that right standard.

And I have to advise artistes not to be in a hurry to get on the radio, they should crosscheck the song, get it criticized. It has to be good because at Hot 99.5 FM, we don’t just play anything, it has to be good.

What are you waiting for on O’town Top 10?

I work with an organization which decides what is to be done. If the O’town Top 10 is born in a programme meeting and they say Sammy handle it, I’ll be okay with that.

If the programme is born in Hot 99.5 FM, I’ll be glad to put in my production and presentation experience to it.

Sammy and Owerri artistes

I don’t really do this, but I’ll have to blow my trumpet now. I’ve really done so much as one of the pioneer staffers of Hot 99.5 FM Owerri. I and Princess Chi and others for three months worked so hard to see that we get to the point the radio station is today.

The fact that people are identifying with the name Sammy Davis means I’m really doing something and getting this interview also shows I’m so relevant in the industry.

Sammy Davis in five years time

I’ll be in my own empire.

I have this big dream and in five years time, I should be on my own. Probably own a radio station or a production outfit. By then I’ll settle down fully, because this job has taken me away from my family and I miss them so much.

In five years time, I should be with my family in my own empire.

Your family

I’m happily married to a lovely woman, Mrs Joy Davis. She is a nurse, a Matron in Dublin Ireland.

I have a 12 year old son, who is aspiring to be a footballer in Manchester United Football Academy, in UK as well.

I’m right here in Nigeria, doing this job which has separated me from my family and you can now understand why I said in five years time I should be with my family in my own empire.

To O’town residents and artistes

To the residents, I’ll say a very big thank you, for accepting us and supporting Hot 99.5 FM. To the artistes, don’t give up on what you’re doing, you’ll surely get there.

 

Happily married Sammy Davis

Sammy’s wife Joy Davis and son