INDIANAPOLIS — A prominent Indianapolis DJ who died earlier this year is being remembered in a big way.
Jerry Wade hosted "The Quiet Storm" on radio station WTLC. He also brought life and light to Quality Life Adult Day Services on the city's east side with Friday dance parties like no other.
The place he brought so much joy to others was dedicated to him Friday, April 19 — and is now known as the Jerry Wade Center.
"It takes a certain person to pull everybody together, and that's what Jerry Wade did, and that's what kind of man he was," Vernon Johnson III said.
At Friday's dedication, 13News reporter Emily Longnecker was the emcee.
"He took you out of your comfort zone, didn't he? And he saw more in you than sometimes you saw in yourself. That's who he was for me many times," Longnecker said.
Wade's longtime friend, Anne Searcy, has been coming to the dance parties for two years.
"It gives me energy," Searcy said. "I miss it when I'm sick and I can't get here. And I love Jerry Wade. I love him from my heart. I never met a person like Jerry Wade, and I love 'The Quiet Storm,' 'The Loverman.'"
Wade's family came from all over to celebrate the dedication, including his sister.
"I love this place, and the Lord blessed my brother with this place and then, in turn, blessed me," she said.
"He could make the lowest person feel like a king or queen. He could make you smile when you didn't have no teeth," Tony Lamont said.
And the tributes resume over the weekend. The entire community is invited to come together on Monument Circle Saturday, April 20. During the event, organizers want to create "the world's biggest 'Soul Train' line dance."
Wade died Jan. 8, 2024.