2023 Trailblazer Award for Exceptional Achievement
Born in Charleston, West Virginia, Pam attended a segregated elementary school in Redd’s Hill and started Sunday School in her Aunt Mabel’s church in Saint Albans, West Virginia. After high school, Pam attended Virginia State University. Her work in radio started at the Stevie Wonder owned KLJH radio station in Los Angeles, California. Her journey continued to Chicago, Illinois at WBEE Radio in Harvey, Illinois. After a decade, Pam joined V-103 FM and now works at WVON 1690 where her signature program, “Gospel with Pam Morris-Walton,” can be heard on Sundays 11-2 pm (CST).
Pam Morris-Walton is a recognized authority on Gospel music. She has recorded two Gospel albums and is recognized as an international gospel consultant. Her clients have included The Umbria Jazz Festival in Perugia, Italy; The Gospel and Soul Easter Festival in Terni, Italy; The Tree of Life Gospel Event in Durbin, South Africa; and the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. She served on the Grammy Board of Governors for the Chicago Chapter of the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences.
In 1989, Mayor Richard M. Daley asked Pam to work in the City of Chicago’s Office of Special Events, where she planned the Mayor’s Annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Interfaith Breakfast, bringing in such influential speakers as the Reverend Bernice A. King, Martin Luther King, III, Ambassador Andrew Young, Reverend Michael L. Pfleger, Bishop Horace E. Smith, M.D. Rev. Dr. Otis Moss, Jr., and Geoffrey Canada, CEO of Harlem Children’s Zone. It was Pam who first gave guidance to the Chicago Gospel Music Festival, the world’s largest, free admission Gospel event with more than 2,500 groups and nation-wide audience appeal. Pam was also instrumental in attracting corporate sponsors to underwrite the annual event.
In 2006, Pam received a Stellar Award as Announcer of the Year. In 2010, she was awarded the 2010 Who’s Who in Black Chicago Award, the Living Faith Church Lifetime Achievement Legacy Award, and the 2010 City of Chicago Appreciation Award. In 2012 she received accolades from the National Council of Negro Women in Media and N’Digo’s N’Religion Award. In 2014 she became a HistoryMaker, and in 2022 received a 2022 Lifetime Achievement Award from Lynn-Marcel Arts Academy and Larry Love University for her contribution to Gospel Music and Radio Broadcasting.
In 2009, Pam retired from the City of Chicago, but her career has continued. She currently serves on several boards including the African Festival of the Arts, the Bronzeville Children’s Museum, the Timuel Black Foundation, and Timeless Gifts of Performing Arts. Pam recently served as an Interfaith Liaison for two Illinois Gubernatorial candidates, and candidates for the United States House of Representatives. Pam is the Lead Ambassador for American Heart Association’s “Power to End Stroke Gospel Tour” and is an Ambassador for the Bernie Mac Foundation.
Pam Morris-Walton has written two books. Her second book, 57 Days: The Wait for a New Heart” records her spiritual journey of faith and love. With a commitment to her community and the Clergy, Pam continues to serve as needed, making a difference.
Rev. Frank C. Walton was born in Chicago, Illinois. He was the 4th of 8 children born to Robert and Joetta Walton who always celebrated faith and Gospel music. Frank accepted Christ at the age of 5 at the church where his uncle, J. L. Walton served as the pastor, Calvary Baptist Church in Chicago. Frank grew up surrounded by Gospel music. The famous recording artist Arthur Scales was his father’s best friend. Frank’s father and uncles were known as The Walton Brothers, a Gospel A Cappella group that performed across the country. They were the first live group featured on the renown Isabel Joseph Johnson radio program.
Growing up, Frank attended Lindblom High School and Kennedy-King College. He was also an Explorer Scout and attended school in Sweden as part of an exchange student program. Frank completed undergraduate studies in Business Management at the John F. Kennedy College in the University of Nebraska where he studied vocal music. He later completed his master’s degree in theological studies at Faith International University and Seminary in Tacoma, Washington. In addition to his certification from the Interim Ministry Network, Frank studied business operations at the University of Phoenix.
Frank’s career in radio began on the west coast where he was an announcer and hosted a program on Gospel 860 in Phoenix, Arizona. Frank is the founding president of the Seattle Area Gospel Announcers Guild and the West Coast Gospel Music Conference. He is an inductee of the Broadcasters Hall of Fame in Akron, Ohio and was the 2009 GMWA/GAG Gospel Announcer of the Year. Among his many awards are the National Jitsuo Morikawa Evangelism Award from the American Baptist Churches of America and the honor of being deemed one of the Most Distinguished Men of Illinois in 2017.
It was while he lived in Seattle that Frank accepted the call on his life. He definitely has a shepherd’s heart and has found his ministry niche to be support and leadership. He has helped several churches as they faced transition in ministry. He has served as the Interim Pastor of Christ Community Church of Wheaton, First Baptist Church of LaGrange, Community Baptist Church of Warrenville. In addition to his work with the Interim Ministerial Network, Frank works with several institutions to provide support for men across the country going through the grief process.
In his secular career, Frank held the position of National Director of Sales for Urban Ministries, Inc. Since 2002 Frank has owned First Class Financial Christian Services, providing resources to churches and non-profits with PowerChurch Software and consulting services. For nine years, Frank served as the Director of Business Operations for The Salvation Army Salvation in Tacoma, Washington. He also worked for Pacific Northwest and the Xerox Corporation. In work that merged his gift of ministry and secular talents, Frank was part of the Probation Challenge founded by the Honorable Eugene Pincham and Howard Bailey. The Probation Challenge’s aim was to provide the necessary education support for formerly incarcerated men and women to lead successful lives.
Frank Walton and Pam Morris-Walton have proven to be a powerful force in trailblazing a special place in Gospel Radio. But their commitment of faith and love is not on display for the notoriety of broadcasting. Their love of ministry, helping others, and promoting Gospel music as a way of life, has touched thousands across the United States. They serve the community in many ways. They provide weekly services including food, fellowship, prayer, and communion to seniors through nuHeart Ministries. Their influence is shown through their involvement in the Bud Billiken Gospel Fest, the Annual Black Marriage Chicago Conference, as Ambassadors for the Bernie Mac Foundation, and co-hosts of the Broadcast Minister’s Alliance with the late Archbishop Lucius Hall. In 2020, this spirited husband-wife team became joint recipients of honorary doctorate degrees from the GMOR Theological Institute of America Midwest Region. Together they have more than sixty years in radio and media markets across the country. They are authorities on Gospel Music and have been positioned by God to collectively deliver a fresh, unique, and dynamic presentation of inspirational music. Collectively, Frank and Pam have three adult sons, one adult daughter, and five grandchildren.
