It’s 1 p.m. and Dr. Michael Eric Dyson is nestled behind a microphone in a small Virginia radio studio where he is gearing up to conduct a phone interview with the legendary Theodore Walter “Sonny” Rollins.
Dyson — the famous cultural critic, controversial author, ordained Baptist preacher and Georgetown University professor — has never met Rollins before and is apparently a bit nervous about interviewing his music idol.
But the famed saxophonist is acutely aware of Dyson and his scholarly work.
“I want to say that I am a big fan of you,” Rollins, 78, tells Dyson. “I’ve watched you several times, and I’m right with you in every endeavor you make. I’m behind you all the way, and I appreciate you being out here. It makes me feel strong to hear you talking.”
Dyson, who seemingly is never short of words, holds his chest for about a minute and is speechless when he considers that the jazz great — who collaborated with the likes of Thelonious Monk, Miles Davis and John Coltrane — even knows who he is.
“Oh my God,” he says to himself during a commercial break. “Sonny Rollins is a hero of mine. That kind of comment will make you take a note in life.”
After authoring more than 17 books and holding coveted teaching jobs at some of America’s best colleges and universities, Dyson seems to be most at ease behind a microphone on The Michael Eric Dyson Show where he gets a chance to query guests and offer a bit of his own commentary across the airwaves each day.
