After Radio 1 took over from pirate Radio in the U.K.,there was a significant downturn in the amount of Black Music getting national mainstream airtime.
The one significant exception to this was The Tony Blackburn Show.
He was an unapologetic Soul fan at a time when psychedelia was de rigeur.
I am almost certain his show would have been the first place I ever heard The Chi-Lites.
That fact in itself validates his entire career as far as I am concerned.