By Andrew Alonzo | aalonzo@claremont-courier.com

“Good morning! Happy Wednesday! It’s the 6 a.m. hour. I’m Jeremiah Music Star and your NewHD Los Angeles weather is 80 and 70 degrees. Whether you like it or not like it, here comes Sting, ‘Fields of Gold,’ on NewHD Los Angeles!”

That’s how 19-year-old 2024 Claremont High School graduate Jeremiah Gray, known to listeners as Jeremiah Music Star, greeted his audience Wednesday on NewHD Los Angeles, a 24-hour online broadcast stream available at newhdmedia.com.

Jeremiah, a baseball and celebrity game show loving budding DJ with autism, is on the air from 6 to 10 a.m. weekdays and 7 to 11 a.m. Saturday.

He is one of many volunteer personalities with disabilities at NewHD Media. The nonprofit was founded by Zach Martin, who also heads up another nonprofit, Sophia’s Mission. Both entities strive to pave “the way for employment opportunities for Autistic individuals, those with other disabilities, and veterans in the dynamic fields of audio, radio, and media,” according to Sophia’s Mission’s website, sophiasmissionus.org.

Martin drew on his work as a radio host with New York terrestrial sports radio station WFAN when he founded NewHD Media in May 2020.

“Like everybody else during the pandemic, to keep your mind off of what was going on … and to keep busy I decided one day to roll up my sleeves and say ‘Okay, what can I do to help these kids out?’” Martin said. “The numbers of autism are on the rise and the job opportunities are not plentiful. I’m a big believer in flipping the script.”

Martin said the opportunity to work in radio gives new personalities something solid for their resumes. It also sends a strong message to society to stop labeling others, and even offers some DJs help with their disabilities.

“We’ve had people with stutters, and they no longer stutter, or very little,” Martin said. “We have blind broadcasters who figured out how to make it work.”

People daydream about being a radio personality, Martin said. “Now all of the kids that are on the air, they’re the heroes. They’re the ones that you want to be like.”

Jeremiah Grey, 19, writes and records his radio show in his home studio in Claremont ahead of his morning drive time slot on NewHD Los Angeles. Courier photo/Andrew Alonzo

Jeremiah got his start at NewHD Media two years ago. His father and NewHD Media Vice President Jeremy Gray was already a NewHD Media personality. He and Martin discussed it, and decided to take a leap of faith.

“I said ‘How about we make him a morning guy?’” Martin said.

“I gave it a shot and he was into it,” Jeremy Gray said. “I showed him how to do everything for a couple months … I wrote a script for him of what to say, then all of a sudden, he slowly started taking the controls by himself.”

“He’s our morning guy and we’ve never looked back,” Martin said. “I’m really proud of him. I think he’s grown substantially.”

Claremont residents Jeremy Gray, left, and his son Jeremiah Gray are radio personalities on NewHD Los Angeles at newhdmedia.com. Courier photo/Andrew Alonzo

When he’s not on the air, Jeremiah is studying the delivery and mannerisms of TV personalities such as Jimmy Fallon from “The Tonight Show” and “America’s Got Talent’s” Terry Crews. His father said Jeremiah also enjoys watching ABC News and doing impressions of KIIS-FM’s Ryan Seacrest, and DJs from KOST 103.5.

The budding morning DJ also blends lessons learned from his time with Claremont High School’s Theatre Department. And he tries to replicate his father’s rhythms.

“He mimics me a lot, how I do my show,” Jeremy Gray said. “I didn’t know until I started listening to him more and more.”

Jeremiah hopes to make a name for himself in broadcasting. He writes and records his shows in the evening in his home studio, then loads the files ahead of his morning segments. He’s also deepening his education at Mount San Antonio College this fall, where he’ll be working toward a film, television and electronic media degree.

“There’s no plans to stop,” Jeremy Gray said. “I actually didn’t think he could do it at first. I wanted [him] to be interested in it, but when he took to it and now it’s like … he can’t stop now. He likes to entertain.”

Listeners can hear Jeremiah Music Star’s enthusiastic cadence and eclectic music tastes — tracks from Justin Timberlake, Prince, and Tracy Chapman were recently featured on his show — on NewHD Los Angeles weekdays from 7 to 10 a.m. and from 6 to 11 a.m. on Saturday.

“I feel happy when they listen to my show,” Jeremiah said. “I feel happy doing a show.”

Jeremy Gray’s show, Strictly Business with Doctor J, is on the air from 5 to 6 a.m. Monday through Friday, just prior to Jeremiah’s.

Visit newhdmedia.com to learn how to download the free mobile smartphone app.