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Family photos of activist and entertainer August Moon (Photos courtesy Enjoli Moon)
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August Moon led a life that bridged the gap of community activist and entertainer, and he stood for what he believed in, as evidenced by his “Tell It Like It Is” public-access show that ran for nearly a decade. Born Alexander Randolph, Moon died on July 12, 2023, at the age of 85, leaving behind an extensive legacy from his work in music — from production to becoming an R&B pioneer — and his advocacy in the political arena.
Friends and family gathered over the weekend to memorialize Moon with a wake at Manchester's Mimms Funeral Home and a funeral service at Saint Paul’s Baptist Church South in the McGuire neighborhood in Richmond’s South Side, where he was also interred at Maury Cemetery (2700 Maury St.).
“I remember my dad’s love for Richmond,” says Moon’s daughter Enjoli. “I remember his love for music, and I remember his love for his part of town — South Side and Blackwell, known as Manchester now. And the level of advocacy that he had for the city … and how he did not mind showing up and utilizing his voice and utilizing his position to push things forward to try to make the city a little better.”
August Moon once performed as Mr. Wiggles. (File photo)
Moon started his entertainment career using several stage names, from “Mr. Wiggles” to “Dickie Diamond,” and sang, danced and eventually ventured into the production side of the music industry. He was self-taught and appeared on tours that also featured performers including Fats Domino, Chuck Berry and other rock ’n’ roll greats.
“Even as he got away from being able to be in the studio, music was still just a really consistent part of his life,” Enjoli says. “I think that naturally, as the music showed up, so did this space of advocacy. … It seemed like that came quite naturally to him, alongside showing up at a city council meeting or having different dialogues with people in the sociopolitical space.
“It never seemed like he was attempting to juggle anything. It seemed like he belonged in all those spaces, understood how all those different spaces connected seemingly seamlessly. I think that’s why he was able to be as impactful as he was, is because I think all these things — he was doing them from a very organic and genuine space from inside of him.”
The Navy veteran also added management to his extensive resume, overseeing Richmond music group The Whole Darn Family and releasing at least 18 albums under his record labels. He helmed the labels Style and Urban Beat, which included musicians like Cool Carl, American Express and M.C. Rockwale.
Moon wore many hats in his lifetime, so it’s not surprising that he had a literal affinity for them.
“He loved hats, there’s no doubt about that,” Enjoli says with a laugh. “He wore hats through all of the different phases of his life. He went through a period where he retired the hat for a moment, and that’s when you’d see his bald head quite often. … Where he got it from, I don’t know, [but] he loved his Stetson, and actually [he was wearing] it at his [funeral] service. He had a couple of Stetsons, but there’s this one particular one that he stated that he wanted to wear in his final farewell.”
Moon dubbed himself the “Mouth of the South,” a moniker further cemented by his public television show, “Tell It Like It Is,” which featured conversations with local officials, activists and political figures in Richmond and across the country. He would often recite to viewers his motto of “If you don’t stand for something, you’ll fall for anything.”
His advocacy included championing the Stop the Violence movement in the early 1990s. In 1993, during this same time period, former Gov. L. Douglas Wilder restored Moon’s voting rights. Moon spent the early ’70s in Rahway State Prison in New Jersey following a second-degree murder charge after being present at the scene where a close friend of his was shot and killed.
“I was very active as it related to trying to get people to vote,” Wilder says. “Sort of thereafter, I met [Moon], and he was aligned with other people in the community, and he was always interested in the issues as to what was going on and who was doing what. … He was always willing to learn the mechanics of what goes on and how things should take place politically. … He and I always got along, even though we didn’t always agree on exactly [the right] ways to approach things, [but] I think we came to understand each other.”
Moon’s support for the Blackwell community also earned him the nickname of “The Mayor of Hull Street.” His advocacy work inspired his daughters, Enjoli and Sesha Joi, who co-created The JXN Project in 2021, dedicated to preservation of the historic Jackson Ward neighborhood.
Moon also worked with the Richmond Crusade for Voters in support of Black voting rights. Organization President and former Richmond City Councilmember Marty Jewell looks back fondly on Moon’s time with the group.
“He’s notable for saying, ‘If I can smell it, I’m gonna tell it,’” Jewell says, laughing. “I’ll never forget that. He was the Crusade for Voters’ sergeant in arms for several years, and he took that character in that role, where he would lace his instructions to be quiet with his comedic approach to everything. … He was a character.
“He was a jolly good fellow,” Jewell adds, “and he was well-known in the city.”
That recognition spanned both the musical and political spheres. Moon assisted in boosting Richmond’s image beyond just being the capital of Virginia.
“He got people to recognize that Richmond was a place to be,” Wilder says. “We were the gateway to the South, quite frankly, and we were the gateway to the North, because Virginia is so well-situated. And we became better recognized as a place for people to come and to be a part of entertainment, and to showcase what’s taking place.”
Enjoli reflects fondly on her father’s lasting legacy.
“We deeply appreciate just the legacy and the impact that he had and the legacy that he leaves,” she says. “We appreciate him doing his absolute best and showing up as his most pure and loving self for us kids, and so we’re honored to be a part of this legacy that extends into Richmond. And we’re honored to, in our own respective ways, carry that legacy forward. But we’re also just really honored to have had him as a father.”
