"Doughnut" Williams - From Detective To DJ

Napoleon “Doughnut” Williams has gone from cop to DJ.  The retired Chattanooga Police detective is on the air featuring his favorite music, “the Blues.”

Chattanooga’s first African-American detective now has his own radio program on WPTP FM at 100.1 on the dial.  “Doughnut” plays the Blues on Mondays from 4-7 p.m. 

“Doughnut”, as he prefers to be called, said he’s grown up in Chattanooga on blues music.  He hung out at the Memorial Auditorium as a teenager and got to meet several of his heroes including Blues singers B.B. King and Bobby “Blue” Bland. He calls members of the Impressions his very close friends and hopes to have them as guests on future programs.  Doughnut says, “It’s my kind of music.”   

Howard High School football Coach Fred White gave Doughnut his nickname in the tenth grade and it stuck.  Williams said Coach White was his mentor who encouraged his players to make something out of life 

Fire and Police Commissioner James “Bookie” Turner hired "Doughnut" in 1964 as a street officer.  He was named detective in 1968. He helped solve many crimes including high profile murder cases.  He retired in 1994.

After his retirement from the Chattanooga Police Department, former Chattanooga State College President Dr. Jim Catanzaro called on "Doughnut" to establish a police department for the Amincola Highway campus, a job he held for 17 years.  Dr. Catanzaro named him chief and he supervised 18 security officers. 

In 2014 Doughnut Williams received the Liberty Bell Award - an honor he treasures.  The city’s first black detective says he’s had several conversations with current Mayor Tim Kelly about crime in our city and has offered offered him a little friendly advice. 

WPTP Station owner Dr. Elenora Woods said Doughnut Williams’  blues program is a great addition to the program schedule.  Dr. Woods said "Doughnut" knows Chattanooga and his music and he will certainly entertain you. 

The late Hamilton County executive Dalton Roberts said "Doughnut" Williams was a Chattanooga success story.  He said "Doughnut" pursued his dreams and made it to the top.

Another friend, former County Auditor Bill McGriff, called "Doughnut" Williams “a legend and a good man who never meets a stranger.”  

Retired sportscaster Darrell Patterson said he knew where to find "Doughnut" Williams when the UTC Mocs basketball team was playing at home. He called him “a good friend”. 

You can find "Doughnut" Williams most every morning about 7:30 at Wallys on McCallie Avenue.  The former lawman enjoys eggs, country ham, biscuits, gravy and hot coffee.  He says he loves talking with his longtime friends and making new ones. 

"Doughnut" said, “God has been good to me, opening so many doors."

He adds, “I don’t dwell on my mistakes of the past but learn from them, I live for the future.”

 WPTP FM radio also streams on the Internet at wptp1001fm.com.