1st.
FEBRUARY
BLACK
HEROES PAST & PRESENT : AFRO-POP: 255: MLIMANI
PARK ORCHESTRA AND REMMY ONGALA
1902
Langston
Hughes,
writer/poet, born in Joplin, Mo, USA. The theme of is work was
the common man, more specifically the Negro and his pleasures, joys
and sorrows. His works include: Weary Blues, Fine Clothes to the Jew,
The Dream Keeper, Dear Lovely Death, Shakespeare in Harlem, Fields of
Wonder, One Way Ticket and Ask Your Mama. His novels were Not Without
Laughter and Tambourines to Glory. For the theatre he wrote Scottsbro
Limited and Mulatto; the later work he also staged as an opra,
the Berries. He also wrote the biographies: Famous American
Negroes and Famous Negro Music Makers. (hear BHPAP 133) (mn-ra)
1939
Joe
Sample,
member of jazz group The Crusaders born. (mn-jt)
1948
Rick
James singer/guitar
player born James Johnson in Buffalo, New York, USA (mn)
1956
Dennis
Brown,
reggae singer born. This Jamaican singer entered the music business
while still a child, working for a time with Kingston's well known,
Byron Lee and the Dragonaires, by this time he was out of his teens,
he had performed extensively around the West Indies. His first big
hit was 1979's Money In My Pocket. He recorded prolifically in the
1980's. Dies from heart failure 1/7/99 (mn)
1960
First Major sit-in to protest racial segregation, F.W. Woolworth
store Greenbro, N.C., USA. (tr-bl)
1971
Michelle
Gayle
born (singer & actor: eastenders and grange hill). (nationmaster)
1972
Franklin
Albert Rose,
right-hand bad, right-arm fast bowler for Northamptonshire born in
St. Anns Bay, Jamaica, West Indies. County debut: 1998; Test debut:
1996-7; Tests: 10; One-Day Internationals: 13; 50 wickets in one
season: 1. (cm-mn)
1991
(In February) In memory of Roland
Adams,
15, from Grenwich, south London, attacked by 12-strong gang shouting
'nigger'. Stabbed in throat. Recorded as racially motivated after
initial prevarication. Mark Thornborrow given life sentence for
murder, 7 others charged with violent disorder (later reduced to
minor public offences and given community service orders.) (mn)
1999
C.J. a.k.a. Carl Josephs looses the court case that he brought
against the West Midlands Police. The jury of eight, including two
black members, voted in favour of the police on nine counts, with
four undecided and one in CJ's favour. He receives £1000
compensation for wrongful arrest, with the police paying £600
towards his court costs. The West Midlands Police also asked CJ if
they could meet with him at a later date to talk about improving
police relations within the black community. CJ was stopped again by
police a week later. (mn-cj)
2006
Bobby
Moore
singer dies, Montgomery, Alabama, U.S.A. R & B singer Bobby Moore
has passed away at the age of 75 from kidney failure, the Montgomery
Advertiser reported. The Orleans native had Top 40 hits in the
mid-1960's with 'Searching For My Love' and 'Try My Love Again'. His
son, Bobby Moore Jr., has been playing with his father's group for 40
years and told the newspaper he would continue to keep the name Bobby
Moore alive. 'My father didn't just play R & B, he said. He
played jazz, rock, country, and I plan to carry on that legacy'. The
younger Moore said one of his father's final performances was opening
for country music's Alabama at a benefit for the victims of Hurricane
Katrina. Services were scheduled on Wednesday in Montgomery. (soulwalking)
2012
Don
Cornelius
dies. (6:00 AM PST BY TMZ STAFF) Commits Suicide! Don Cornelius
-- who famously created "Soul Train" was found dead in his
Sherman Oaks, CA home this morning ... and law enforcement sources
tell us it appears he committed suicide. We're told cops discovered
the body at around 4 AM PT. Law enforcement sources tell us ...
Cornelius died from a gunshot wound to the head and officials believe
the wound was self-inflicted. We're told Cornelius was taken to the
hospital where he was pronounced dead. "Soul Train" changed
the landscape of television when it debuted in 1971 and ran until
2006. Officials have notified Don's family. Cornelius was 75. During
Don's bitter divorce proceedings in 2009, he told an L.A. judge he
was suffering from "significant health issues" and wanted
to "finalize this divorce before I die." Cornelius was
arrested in 2008 for beating up his wife. He pled no contest to
misdemeanor domestic violence and was placed on 3 years probation.
His probation just terminated. The divorce was granted in 2010.
Sources close to Don tell us ... the TV icon was plagued with health
issues for years ... including a stroke and a condition that required
brain surgery. 8:10 AM PST -- Shawn Holley -- Don's lawyer and good
friend -- tells TMZ, "This is devastating news. Don was a kind,
funny and brilliant man. Even though his many health battles had left
him frail, he remained vibrant, courtly and always sharp as a
tack." (TMZ/BR)
2012
David
Peaston
Dies at 54. Peaston, a former schoolteacher, born in St. Louis,
won several competitions on the Showtime at the Apollo television
show, winning over the audience with a powerful rendition of “God
Bless the Child.” Peaston was diagnosed with diabetes and had
his legs amputated, forcing him to use prosthesis. (mn/br)
2nd.
FEBRUARY
BLACK
HEROES PAST & PRESENT: MUSIC OF CENTRAL/EAST AFRICA
256:
EAST AFRICAN TAARAD END
Nyahbinghi
Iladays. Battle of Adawa (Victory of Good over evil). (tr)
1892
Black
Invention: Canopy
Frame, Carter Williams. (sc)
1897
Black
Invention:
Ice Cream Mould and disher, Alfred L. Cralle. (sc)
1915
Ernest E. Just, biologist receives Spingarn Medal for his pioneering
research on fertilization and cell division. (tr-iokts)
1942
James
'Blood' Ulmer,
free-funk jazzman, born in St. Matthews, SC, USA. Although taking up
the guitar in childhood, between the ages of seven and 13 Ulmer's
primary musical activity was as a singer in a gospel group, the
Southern Sons. He later recorded with Art Blakey, Larry Young, Joe
Henderson and studied with Ornette Coleman from 1974 & '77, and
later played in Colman's sextet; Prime Time. (mn-lg)
1956 The
Coasters R&B act signed to Atlantic Records.
They would score 17 US hits before the end of 1961. (mn-jt)
1956
Aurtherine J. Lucy becomes the first black student to attend the
University of Alabama.
1961
Joseph
Emmanuel Benjamamin,
6'2", 12.7 Surrey cricketer born. County debut: 1988
(Warwickshire), 1992 (Surrey); County cap: 1993 (Surrey); Test debut:
1994; Tests: 1. (cm-mn)
1971
Chilli in
the soul group T.L.C. (Tender Loving Care) born.(mn-tx)
2007
Joe
Hunter
(a.k.a. Joseph E. Hunter) b. 19th November 1927, Jackson, Tennessee,
U.S.A. d. 2nd February 2007, Detroit, Michigan, U.S.A. Joe Hunter of
the Motown house band, the Funk Brothers, has died. He was 79 years
old. Born 1927 in Jackson, Tennessee, U.S.A. the pianist died whilst
he was trying to take some medicine. Although the cause of death was
unknown at press time, Joe was found dead in his Detroit apartment. (soulwalking)
2007
Billy
Henderson
(Detroit Spinners - b. 8th September 1939, Detroit, Michigan, U.S.A.
d. 2nd February 2007, Daytona Beach, Florida, U.S.A.) (complications
caused by diabetes)
3rd.
FEBRUARY
BLACK
HEROES PAST & PRESENT : SOUL LEGENDS STARTS:
257:
GEORGE
BENSON (B.2/3/43)
1810
Antonio
Ruiz
(El Negro Falucho), national hero of Buenos Aires, Argentina, dies
for his country.
1870 15th
amendment ratified, giving blacks the right to vote.
(tr-bl)
1935
Johnny
Guitar Watson,
singer born in Houston, Texas, USA. (Dies May 17, 1996). (mn-cl)
1939
Johnny
Bristol,
soul singer/producer born in Morgantown, North Carolina, USA. He
recorded a one hour programme for PCRL in 1992. (ref: Tape 023) (mn-br-cl)
1943
Dennis
Edwards,
soul singer/Temptation/keyboards player born today in Birmingham,
Alabama, USA. His single on International Soulsville, Johnny On The
Spot changes hands for £3,000 (see Record Collector No.145). He
also recorded a two-hour programme for PCRL in 1998. (ref Md 926/927 mn-br)
1948
Laura
Wheeler Waring,
portraitist/illustrator dies. (tr-iokts)
1976
Black
Invention: Supercharger,
Joseph Gamell receives patent for it's use in the internal
combustion engine.
1999
Gwen
Guthrie,
singer/songwriter dies from cancer, in Orange, New Jersey, she was
48. (mn-echoes)
4th.
FEBRUARY
BLACK
HEROES PAST & PRESENT 258:
BOBBY 'BLUE' BLAND
(27/1/30- )
1822
Free U.S. blacks settle in Liberia, West Africa.
1913
Rosa
Parks Mother
of Civil Rights , initiator of the Montgomery Alabama bus boycott is
born. In 1955 she refuses to give up her seat which sparks a 384 day
boycott. Dies 2005.
1944
Florence
La Rue,
soul singer with the Fifth Dimension born. (mn-jt)
1956
James Brown makes his first professional recording session, Please,
please, Please, eventually becomes his first million seller. (mn-cw)
1970
Kevin
Campbell,
13 St. 8lbs., 6'1" tall football player for Arsenal and loaned
to Leyton Orient/Leicester born, Lambeth, England. (tr)
1975
Louis
Jordan,
singer/saxophonist/bandleader dies in Los Angeles, California, USA.
He was the dean of the jump blues in the late 1940s and one of the
most popular R&B artists of the post-World War II period. Taking
a cue from jazz bandleader Cab Calloway, Jordan was much a showman as
he was a saxophone player, bandleader, and songwriter. He was blessed
with a warm sense humour and the ability to reach beyond
traditionally imposed racial barriers in pop music. (mn-rs)
2000
Doris
Kenner Jackson,
soul singer with the Shirelles, dies from breast cancer in
Sacramento, aged 58. (mn-ac)
2007
Barbara
McNair
dies, b. 4th March 1934, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.A. d. 4th February
2007, Los Angeles, California, U.S.A. The songstress, Barbara McNair
has died. She was 72. Barbara made many advances, previously
unavailable to Black People during the Sixties, in several area's of
the performing arts (soulwalking)
5th.
FEBRUARY
BLACK
HEROES PAST & PRESENT 259: JAMES
BROWN
(3/5/28- )
1884
Black Invention: Egg-Beater,
Willis Jordan. (sc)
1933
Claude
King,
soul singer born. (mn-jt)
1934
Hank
Aaron,
major league baseball home-run king, is born. (tr-iokts)
1941
Barrett
Strong singer/writer/producer
born in Westpoint, Mis, USA. He was instrumental in the success of
Motown Records, a close friend of Berry Gordy, he wrote, played piano
and sang on many of the early singles released by the company. Berry
also wrote with Jamie Bradford "Money" for him to record,
later a hit for the Beatles. In 1996 he recorded a two hour programme
for PCRL, high lighting his career thus far. (ref: MD-918). (mn-br-rt)
1950
Ann Sexton,
soul singer born in Greenville, S. Carolina, USA.(mn-cl)
1969
Bobby
Brown,
soul singer born in Roxbury, Massachusetts, USA. A former member of
New Edition, Brown emerged in the late 80's as the king of New Jack
Swing. Like many of the Genre's stars, Brown is not gifted with
either huge ability or personality, yet he has stamped his authority
on the dance scene via a series of immaculately presented
crossover singles. (mn-cl)
1972
Bob Douglas, owner and coach of the Harlem Renaissance Five football
team, elected to the Hall of Fame.
6th.
FEBRUARY
BLACK
HEROES PAST & PRESENT 260: DON
BRYANT (1942-
)
1916
Bill Doggett,
musician born. (mn-jt)
1933
Walter
E. Fauntroy,
U.S. congressman for the district of Columbia, civil rights leader,
and minister, is born in Washington, D.C., USA.(tr-iokts)
1944
Willie
Tee,
soul singer born Wilson Turbinton in New Orleans. (mn-cl)
1945
Robert Nester Marley,
reggae singer, songwriter, guitarist, percussionist, born in St.
Anns, Rhoden Hall, Jamaica.(although his mother records his birth
date as 5th April 1945, his passport says 6th April). The son
of a British service-man and a local woman. His father left the scene
before he was born. Marley released his first single Judge Not at the
age of 16 in 1961. He was a devout follower of the Rastafarian
religion and the leading light in Caribbean music, he included many
religious lyrics in his later recordings.(Dies at age of 35 from
cancer in May 1981). (mn)
1950
Natalie
Cole singer/pianist
and daughter of Nat King Cole born in L.A., USA. (mn)
1960
Jesse
Belvin,
composer/bandleader/blues balladeer, dies with his wife in car
accident, aged 26 in Little Rock, Ark., USA. He wrote 'Earth Angel'
for the Penguins one of the biggest doo-wop hits. (mn-rs)
1981
Hugo
Montenegro,
bandleader/musician dies. He scored the music for the Man From
U.N.C.L.E film soundtrack and had a No. 1 UK hit single with, 'The
Good The Bad And The Ugly' in 1968. (mn-jt)
1975
Alison
Hammond born
(uk presenter) (nationmaster)
1989
King
Tubby reggae
producer, engineer, dub innovator, shot dead outside his house in
St. Andrews, far away from the Kingston streets. Nobody was ever
caught and nobody's quite sure why it happened. Born Osbourne
Ruddock, 1941; Kingston Jamaica. Tubby invented dub, initially it was
used for specials or dub plates - custom acetates made exclusively
for sound system use. The spaces left in the mix a allowed sound
system dj's to rap on, predating US rappers by some years. (mn-lb-tr-cl)
1993
Arthur
Ashe,
tennis player, humanitarian and activist, dies. First
African-American to break into the world of international tennis; but
by the time he died of AIDS in 1993 he was equally admired for his
humanitarian work. In 1975 he defeated Jimmy Connors at Wimbledon (6-
1, 6-1, 5-7, 6-4), becoming the first African-American male to win
there. In 1981, after quadruple bypass heart surgery the previus year
had ended his tennis career he captained the US Davis Cup Team. His
books include A Hard Road To Travel, Portrait in Motion, Off The
Court, Illustrated History of African-American in Sports and
Advantage Ashe. (tr-iokts-mm-ss)
7th.
FEBRUARY
BLACK
HEROES PAST & PRESENT 261:
JERRY BUTLER (1939-
)
Independence
day - Grenada (from Great Britain)
1817
Fredrick
Douglass
born. In 1845 he published the autobiographical Narrative of the Life
of Fredrick Douglass a American Slave; its elegant prose astonished
readers who knew that he was self taught. The book received enormous
attention. (d.1895) (tr-bl)
1887
Eubie
Blake,
ragtime pianist James Herbert Blake was born in Baktimore, MD. He
learned to play ragtime piano by listening to the music played in the
gambling dens. By the time he was 16 years old he wrote his first
piano rag called "The Charlton Rag". He met Nobel Sissle
and began writing for top nightclub acts. In 1921 they landed in New
York with the first Black Broadway musical called "Shuffle
Along". James performed until he reached the age of 100. (wikipedia)
1926
Negro History Week,
originated by Carter G. Woodson, is observed for the first time. (tr-iokts)
1934
King
Curtis,
soul saxophonist born Curtis Ousley in Fort Worth, Texas, USA. First
established himself after moving to New York where he made a
series of jazz albums for Status and Prestige labels. To supplement
his income he also recorded sessions with artists including the
Coasters, Aretha Franklin, and Sam Cooke. Died 13 Aug/71. (mn)
1943
Harvey
Herskowitz of
the group The Quotations is born. (mn-jt)
1959
Guitar
Slim,
blues-man real name Eddie Jones dies. Although he died aged
thirty-two, his place in blues history is well assured. Aside from
recording The Things I Used To Do, a million-selling hit in 1954, he
was an invigorating performer and guitarist whose slashing,
volume-heavy sound contained all the essentials that rock guitarists
would later employ. (mn-rs)
1966
Chris Rock,
comedian born in Andrew, South Carolina, USA (wickpedia)
1987
Simon
Defends South African Recording.
Singer Paul Simon breaks boycott and aroused the ire of
anti-apartheid activists.
1997
Lennox Lewis wins the vacant WBC heavyweight title with a fifth round
TKO of Oliver McCall in Las Vegas. Referee Mills Lane stops the fight
55 seconds into the round because of McCall's bizarre behaviour.
Instead of throwing punches or defending himself, McCall walked
around the ring with his arms at his side, refused to return to to
his corner following the end of the third round, and also appeared to
be weeping. McCall was in drug rehab while training for the bout. (mn-round)
2006 4
U.S. Presidents At Coretta King Funeral
& Some 25,000 mourners, including President Bush and three former
U.S. presidents, attended the funeral Tuesday of Coretta Scott King
at an Atlanta-area church. People began shuttling to the site at the
New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Lithona, Ga., 15-minutes
outside Atlanta before dawn. King's daughter, Bernice, is a minister
at the suburban mega-church. The 78-year-old widow of civil rights
leader the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. died Jan. 30 at an
alternative medicine clinic in Mexico, where she had sought treatment
for ovarian cancer. U.S. President George W. Bush, first lady Laura
Bush and former presidents Bill Clinton, George H.W. Bush and Jimmy
Carter attended the emotional service. "I have two sets of
memories. I have the memories of our personal contacts which were
many and interesting when I was president and afterward," said
Clinton who was aboard Air Force One with the Bushes and Sen. Hillary
Clinton, D-N.Y. "And then of course I have the memories of her
when I was a very young man and Dr. King was living and then as she
immediately made a decision to carry on his legacy and that work
after he was killed." (mn)
8th.
FEBRUARY
BLACK
HEROES PAST & PRESENT 262: RAY
CHARLES (23/9/30-
2004)
1898
Black
Invention: Overshoe,
Alvin L. Rickman. (sc)
1928
Eddie
Burns,
guitar/harmonica player, born, Belzoni, Miss., USA. A member of the
post World War II blues scene in Detroit. He helped John Lee Hooker
shape his biting, Delta-influenced blues in the late 1940's and early
1950's with his expressive harp playing and toughened-up guitar
accompaniments. (mn-rs)
1941
Otis
Leavill,
soul singer born in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. Brought up in Chicago's
west side, Leavill came to music through his family's gospel group,
the Cobb Quartet. He later formed the short-lived Floats with a
childhood friend, Major Lance, and Barbara Tyson. Best remembered for
his hit single Love Uprising. (mn-cl)
1944
Harry S. Mc Alpin is the first African American to be accredited to
attend the White House press conferences. (tr-iokts)
1965
Joseph B. Danquah,
Ghanaian political leader, dies.
1972
Adrian
Stewart Rollins,
6'5", 16.10 Derbyshire cricketer is born in Barking, Essex.
County debut: 1993; County cap: 1995; 1000 runs in a season: 3. (cm-mn)
1992
U.K. Black Pages 100,000 copies printed and distributed around
London, first directory of it's kind in the U.K.
9th.
FEBRUARY
BLACK
HEROES PAST & PRESENT 263: THE COMMODORES
1836
James Wharton boxer from London, (born in Morocco), beat Tom Brittan
after 4 hours and 4 minute, 200 round, hand-fisted fight! (mn-pf)
1917
Arbee
Stidham blues
singer born. Hit the road at the age of 13 singing with Bessie
Smith. Saved the States label from collapse along with Earl Hooker in
1957 when he joined them. (mn-bd)
1937
Johnny
Sayles soul
singer born in Winnsboro, Texas, USA. (mn)
1943
Barbara
Lewis,
a soul singer who is also multi-instrumentalist and song
writer since the age of 9 from south Lyon, Michigan was born on this
day. She was discovered by producer Ollie McLaughlin. Her first
top 10 pop and soul hit came in 1963 with "Hello Stranger."
She followed up with "Puppy Love" in 1964, "Baby I'm
Yours" in 1065 and "Make Me Yours" also in 1965. In
the late 60's she retired from the music business. (wbls.com)
1944
Alice Walker is
born. A prominent novelist and poet, Walker was born in Eatonton,
Georgia, and attended both Spellman College and Sarah Lawrence, where
she received her A.B. in 1965. Before settling in San Francisco she
registered voters in Georgia, worked for Head Start program in
Mississippi, and worked with the Welfare Dept. in New York. Her early
poetry and fiction drew on both her family's history and her own work
and travels and already revealed her special concern for the
African-American woman's experience. The Color Purple was made into a
film staring Oprah Winfrey, Whoopi Goldburg and Danny Glover. (ss-tr-iokts)
1947
Major
Harris soul
singer with Jarmels and Delfonics, later sang solo, born on this day
in Richmond, Virginia, USA. (mn)
1951
Dennis
Dee Tee Thomas,
with soul/jazz group Kool & Gang born. (mn-jt)
1964
Arthur Ashe, Jr. becomes first black on U.S. Davis Cup Team.
1998
Kenneth
'Bam Bam' Weeks,
cricketer dies aged 86. (jah-b)
2012
Camilla
Williams
opera singer dies in Indiana (1919-2012) First black singer to secure
US opera company contract dies aged 92. The lyric soprano is
best known for being the first black woman to secure a contract with
an American opera company, in May 1946. She made her debut at the New
York City Opera as Cio-Cio-San, the doomed heroine of Puccini’s
Madam Butterfly, and performed other high-profile roles throughout
the decade, including Mimi in Puccini’s La bohème and the
title role in Verdi’s Aida. On top of her opera career, Williams
was an advocate for civil rights – she sang the national anthem
at the 1963 civil rights march in Washington before Martin Luther
King’s famous 'I Have a Dream&ldots;' speech. She left the opera
stage in 1971 and taught at Brooklyn College, Bronx College and
Queens College, and later became the first African-American professor
of voice at Indiana University. She retired in 1997. Her
husband, civil rights lawyer Charles Beavers, died in 1969. From 2002
she lived in companionship with Boris Bazala, her former accompanist,
who died last year at the age of 100. She died at her home in
Bloomington, Indiana, after suffering from cancer. (Mel Spencer-Music)
10th.
FEBRUARY
BLACK
HEROES PAST & PRESENT 264: SAM
COOKE (22/1/31-11/12/64)
1927
Leontyre
Price,
internationally famous opera singer, born in Laurel, Ms, USA.
1931
James Edward West,
modern microphone inventer (electret type) born in Prince Edward
County, Virginia . He attended Temple University and interned at Bell
Labs during his summer breaks. Upon his graduation in 1957, he joined
Bell Labs and began work in electroacoustics, physical acoustics, and
architectural acoustics. James Edward West (along with Gerhard
Sessler) patented (#3,118,022) the electret microphone in 1964 while
working at Bell Laboratories. (mn)
1934
Manu
Dibango,
saxophonist, born in Douala, Cameroon, Africa. He settled in Europe
as a teenager and was given his first saxophone as a gift from a
group of Africans he worked with. He recorded a mixture of jazz and
African music since the early '50's, but is best remembered for 'Soul
Makosa', originally released in 1973 and popular on the UK jazz funk
scene when revamped as a reissue in 1978. (mn-tt/gg-rt)
1937
Roberta Flack soul
singer/pianist born in Ashville, North Carolina, USA. She grew up in
Arlington, Virginia, where she took piano lessons from the age of
nine. Aged fifteen she studied music at Howard University where she
began experimenting with her voice and joined a vocal quartet. In
1968 she was overheard by an Atlantic executive and signed to that
label that year. Many hit records followed. (mn-rt)
1986 A
Glimmer Of Hope For Radio Pirates.
Was the headline in The Evening Telegraph. It talks about Cecil
Morris and PCRL presenters taking to the airwaves to calm the
listeners in the wake of the Handsworth Riots. Read
original news clip (mn-et)
11th.
FEBRUARY
BLACK
HEROES PAST & PRESENT 265: DON
COVEY
(3/1938- )
1889
John
Mills,
singer with The Mills Brothers born. (mn-jt)
1914
Josh
White,
folk-blues singer/guitarist, born, Greenville, S.C., USA. (Dies
September 5, 1969, Manhasset, N.Y., USA. (mn-rs)
1940
Big
Bad Smitty,
guitarist/singer, born, John Henry Smith, Vicksburg, Mississippi,
USA. (mn-rs)
1942
Otis Clay soul
singer born in Warshaw, Mississippi, USA. (mn)
1943
Little Johnny Taylor,
soul singer born in Memphis, Tennessee. (mn-cl)
1946
Ray Lake of
the soul group Real Thing born. (mn-jt)
1950
Rochelle
Fleming,
soul singer with The First Choice born. (mn-jt)
1958
Ruth Carol Taylor, first Negro airline stewardess in U.S. commercial
aviation, makes her first flight for Mohawk Airlines. (tr-bl)
1990
Nelson
Mandela released from South African prison after
being detained 27 years as a political prisoner. PCRL broadcast it
live on Kenny B's program. Many PCRL presenters gathered in the City
and phoned-in live. (tape exists)
1979 Brandy,
soul singer was born Brandy Norwood in Mc Comb, Mississippi, USA, on
this day. (mn-cl)
1981
Destany’s Child’s Kelly
Rowland born.
(mn)
1997
William Duffus taken very ill. Bill is part of the Birmingham black
help group, The Black Family Coalition and writer of the poem Wake
up Black Man - Wake Up!, he sometimes helps PCRL's Talk-Back
team. (mn)
2001 Motorist
Take Police To Court. PCRL's
C.J. has hit the headlines again today in the Sunday Mercury. He
tell’s the press that he has been stopped by the police another
10 times since his previous court episode when he took the police to
court for stopping him 34 times. He his now using the new European
Rights Act which came into force last October and is hoping for a
better result. (mn-sm)
2009
Estelle
Bennet dies.
b. Estelle Dong, 22nd July 1941, New York, New York State, U.S.A. d.
11th February 2009, Englewood, New Jersey, U.S.A. Estelle Bennett, of
the female singing group the Ronettes, has passed away. She was 67.
Estelle died at her home in Englewood, N.J. Her brother-in-law,
Jonathan Greenfield, said police found her dead in her apartment
after relatives had been unable to contact her. The details have not
yet been determined. Mr. Greenfield is the manager and husband of
Bennett's sister, Ronettes lead singer Ronnie Spector. (soulwalking)
2012
Whitney
Elizabeth Houston
dies. Born 9th August 1963, Newark, New Jersey, U.S.A., Found in the
bath at the Beverly Hilton Hotel, Beverly Hills, California, U.S.A.
The singer was 48. Whitney died in her hotel room at the Beverly
Hills Hilton Hotel in California, following an evening out. There are
no causes of death posted at this time. Her mother is the singer
Cissy Houston. Her cousins are Dionne Warwick and Dee Dee Warwick,
and her godmother is Aretha Franklin. (soulwalking)
12th.
FEBRUARY
BLACK
HEROES PAST & PRESENT 266:
SAM DEES
(1945- )
Tony
Deadly
- PCRL Radio presenter born on this day.
1896
Isaac
Burns Murphy,
greatest jockey of all time, dies. (tr-iokts)
1900
Pink
Anderson,
songster & early bluesman, born in Laurens, South Carolina, USA.
Died October 12, 1974, Spartanburg, S.C. (mn-sr)
1909
NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Coloured People),
is founded in New York. (tr-bl-mn)
1923
Baby
Face Leroy,
drummer/guitarist/singer, born, Algoma, Miss. (sr)
1935
Gene
Mc Daniels soul
singer born in Kansas City, Kansas, USA. (mn)
1963
Ed
Lover,
MTV host, from Hollis, Queens, USA, real name Ed Roberts born. Ed
Lover is an African American radio personality and former MTV VJ. He
is best known for being the co-host of MTV's hip hop music specialty
program Yo! MTV Raps with partner Doctor Dre. He had is own dance
called the Ed Lover dance that became popular in the 90's. (mn-ms)
1944
Jackie Torrence
born. (tr-bl)
1955
South Africa: 2,000 armed police and
army re-enforcements forcibly move the first 100 African families
from Sophiatown to Meadowland's 'match-box' houses. The best
musicians, educationalist's, doctors, lawyers, clergymen and
politicians came from Sophiatown (by November 1959 it had been
bulldozed to the ground).(mn-drum)
1956
Screaming Jay Hawkins records his seminal I Put A Spell On You
in New York for Okeh Records. Dies on the same day 44 years on! (mn-jt)
1964
Cutty
Ranks,
reggae DJ born, Philip Thomas in Kingston, Jamaic, West Indies. (mn-cl)
1970
Ishman Bracey,
blues singer/guitarist, dies, Jackson, Miss, USA. (mn-rs)
1995
A peace agreement ended 19 years of war in Angola, Southern Africa. (mn-tx)
2000
Screaming
Jay Hawkins,
soul singer/entertainer dies in Paris, France, from multiple organ
failure aged 70. The biographer of his book arranged for all of his
57 children to meet on the first anniversary of his death, but only 5
turned up. (Channel 4 programme shown 15/5/01.) (mn-ac)
13th.
FEBRUARY
BLACK
HEROES PAST & PRESENT 267: LAMONT
DOZIER (16/6/41-
)
1746
Absalom
Jones,
first black Protestant minister, born.
1818 Absalom
Jones,
first African American Episcopal priest to be ordained in the United
States, dies. The
Negro Church as an institution did not develop until Richard Allen
united a scattered group of Methodist churches to organize the
African Methodist Episcopal Church in 1816. Shortly after this,
Allen's associate Absolom Jones, organized the first Episcopal Church
among Negroes, and James Varick laid the foundation of the African
Methodist Episcopal Zion Church. (mn-ss)
1891
Black
Invention: Churn,
Albert C. Richardson.
1914
ASCAP, The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers,
was formed in New York City. (nfo.net))
1923
Renaissance, the first black professional basketball team, is
organised. (nfo.net)
1941
Blind
Boy Fuller
né: Fulton Allen, guitar, died in Durham, NC, USA. Age: 33 (nfo.net)
1945
King
Floyd,
soul singer born, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA. First started
performing at the age of 11, but his reputation was established by
several mid-60s recordings produced by Harold Battiste. Floyd's first
major hit came in 1970 with Groove me. Dies 6th March 2006. (mn-jt-cl)
1945
Black
Invention: Airplane
Mail Loading and Unloading Device, Gus Burton. (sc)
19--
Linda
Griner,
aka Lyn Roman born. Best remembered for 'Goodby Cruel Love' and
early Motown track written/produced by Smokey Robinson. Linda also
recorded for Dot & Brunswick in the late 60's. Linda, Mickey Nold
& Bill Randal made two programmes for PCRL in the Mid 90's. (
Ref: MD 179). Lin has her own web space at:
myspace.com/lindagriner (mn-lg)
1966
Freedom
Williams,
rapper, b. New York (Brooklyn), NY, USA. Member group: 'C+C Music
Factory' (nfo.net)
14th.
FEBRUARY
VALENTINE'S
DAY
BLACK
HEROES PAST & PRESENT 268: THE
DRIFTERS
1893
[Perry
Bradford,
composer/arranger/producer/pianist, born Montgomery, Alabama, USA.
(Died April 20, 1970, New York, NY, USA). (mn-rs)]
1943
Maceo
Parker,
tenor saxophone player born, Kinston, NC, USA. Best remembered for
his work with the JB's, James Brown's studio and touring band for a
while. (mn-cl)
1946
Gregory
Hines singer/dancer/actor
born on this day. Gregory Oliver Hines (d. August 9, 2003) was an
American actor, singer, and dancer, regarded by many as the greatest
tap dancer of his generation, and one who transcended the stage. Born
in New York City, Hines learned tap dancing as a toddler from his
older brother Maurice. When Hines was five years old, he and his
brother began dancing professionally, most notably at the Apollo
Theater, in Harlem. Hines appeared in such movies as The Cotton Club,
White Nights, Running Scared, and Tap. On television, he starred in
his own series in 1997 called The Gregory Hines Show, as well as in a
recurring role as Ben Doucette on Will & Grace. He earned Tony
Award nominations for Eubie, Comin' Uptown and Sophisticated Ladies.
Hines won a 1992 Tony for the musical Jelly's Last Jam. He also sang
a memorable duet with the late Luther Vandross titled "There's
Nothing Better Than Love" in 1986. Hines died of liver cancer at
the age of 57 in Los Angeles, California. At the time of his death,
he was engaged to bodybuilder Negrita Jayde. In 1990, Hines was with
an idol of his, Sammy Davis, as the great entertainer lay dying of
throat cancer, unable to speak. After Davis died, a choked-up Hines
told the press of how Sammy had made a gesture to him, "as if
passing a basketball... and I caught it." It is not known if
Hines was able to pass the ball on to anyone, though some people
consider Savion Glover, who studied under Hines, may be a suitable
contender. (mn-txx-wickpedia)
1961
Platters
Sue Mercury Over Lead Singer Row.
US vocal group The Platters sued Mercury Records, the label for which
they had recorded over 30 hit singles. (mn-jt)
1963
Dwayne
Wiggins soul
singer with Tony Toni Tone', born in Oakland, Califoria, USA. (mn-cl)
1965
Nana
Konadu WBA
Bantamweight World Champion Boxer born. Record: 37-3-1 (30). Best
wins: Victor Rabonales; Veerapol Sahaprom and Daorung Chuwatana. He
lives in Sunyani, Ghana. (mn-ring)
1968
Christopher Clairmonte Lewis,
6'2", 13st Leicestershire cricketer born in Georgetown, Ghana.
County debut: 1987 (liecs), 1994 (Notts), 1996 (Surrey); County cap:
1990 (Liecs), 1994 (Notts), 1996 (Surrey); Test debut: 1990; Tests:
32; One-Day Internationals: 53; 50 wickets in one season: 2. (cm-mn)
1989 A
petition of 23,800 signatures in support of PCRL legalisation
was handed to Birmingham City Council. (mn)
1997
The Daily Mail named five men as the racist killers of Stephen
Laurence. (mn-ttx)
1998
Sadam Hassain invites U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan to talks to
try to avert the out break of war with the Gulf. (mn)
2006 Lyndon
David
Hall,
UK soul singer dies. Tragically passed away at the age of just 31.
He passed away due to Hodgkins Lymphoma, which is a form of cancer
that affects children and young people in their 20's. Lynden was
discovered by the manager of U.K. soul group Loose Ends and was
signed to Cooltempo Records. It was there he recorded his debut album
'Medicine 4 My Pain'. He won the 1998 MOBO (Music of Black Origin)
for 'Best Newcomer'. In 1999, he was the first U.K. artist ever voted
'Best Male Artist' by the readers of Britain's Blues & Soul
magazine. In 2005 he released his third studio album 'In Between
Jobs' on the independent label Random Records. For the last 2 years
he had been battling this rare form of cancer. Far too young. (mn-soulwalking)
15th.
FEBRUARY
BLACK
HEROES PAST & PRESENT 269: THE
FOUR TOPS
1901
Kokomo Arnold
a.k.a. Gitfiddle Jim, blues guitarist, born in Lovejoy, Ga,; died
November 8, 1968 Chicago, Ill, USA. (mn-sr)
1941
Brian
Holland singer/writer/pianist
sang with the Satintones later became part of Motown's biggest
production team Holland/Dozier/Holland born today in Detroit, USA.(mn)
1954
Joe Turner records the original and best version of Shake, Rattle,
and Roll, which was a big hit for Bill Haley & The Comets. (mn-jt)
1961
U.S. and African nationalists protesting the slaying of Congo Premier
Patrice Lumumba disrupt U.N. sessions.
1964
Louis Armstrong's first and only No.1 'Hello Dolly' tops
American's Billboard.
1965
Nat
King Cole,
singer dies of cancer. Nathaniel Adams Coles was born in Montgomery,
USA. Highly influential jazz pianist, Cole was the first negro male
to attain mainstream acceptance as a popular singer and the first
negro to host his own TV show. Since 1955 he had amassed over 50 US
hit singles. His daughter Natalie is also a successful singer. (mn-jt)
1968
Henry Lewis is the first African American to lead a symphony
orchestra in U.S. (iokst)
1968
Little
Walter,
harmonica player, dies, Chicago, Ill., USA. Walter suffered a
rapid decline during the sixties because of alcoholism, and his
resulting decline in popularity only made his habit worse. His life
finally ended when he died from injuries sustained in a drunken
brawl. (grw-mn)
1984
Britain's First Pirate TV Station.
Was the front page headline in the West Indian World newspaper. It
tells of Music Master who runs the pirate radio station Radio Star (a
foreigner to PCRL) is now broadcasting TV pictures to the south
Birmingham area on BBC2's frequency after it closes down at midnight. View
original article (mn-wiw)
1998
Audrey Allen from Northfield wins an essay competition set by
R.A.C.E (Re-educating Africans after Colonial Education) and
reads it live on air on PCRL's 'Talk-back' programme, hosted by
Pilot. (mn)
16th.
FEBRUARY
BLACK
HEROES PAST & PRESENT 270:
ARETHA FRANKLIN (25/3/42-
)
1852
William
Scarborough (1852-1926),
U.S. lecturer/scholar/linguist born on this day. (mn)
1916
Bill Doggett,
soul singer born. (d.13 November 1996) (mn-jt) DUPLICATE
1923
Bessie Smith makes her first recording, Down Hearted Blues, sells
800,000 for Columbia Records. (tr-iokts)
1934
Ted
Taylor soul
singer born Austin Taylor in Okmulgee, Oklahoma, USA. (Dies in
October 23, 1987, Lake Charles, La., USA. (mn-rs)
1940
Leon Ware,
singer/writer/producer born in Detroit. Initially established
himself as a songwriter, early success coming his way in 1965 with
Got To Have You Back for the Isley Brothers, later for Marvin Gaye
with I Want You in 1976. He recorded a 1 hour programme for PCRL in
1996 (ref: MD-907/908). (mn-br)
1956
James Ingram,
singer, composer and multi-instrumentalist, born in Akron, Ohio,
USA. (mn-cl)
1998
Colleen Harris is the first black member of staff to be taken on as
press secretary to Prince Charles's household at £35,000 P.A.
wage. (mn)
17TH.
FEBRUARY
BLACK
HEROES PAST & PRESENT 271: MARVIN GAYE (1939-1984)
1902
Marian
Anderson,
internationally acclaimed opera singer born in Philadelphia, Pa, USA.
1922
Tommy Edwards,
singer born. His big 50's hit was It's All In The Game (mn-jt)
1933
Bobby
Lewis,
soul singer born. Big 60's hit with Tossin' and Turnin’. (mn-jt)
1938
Mary
Francis Berry,
first woman to serve as chancellor of a major research university,
is born in Nashville, Tennessee, USA. (tr-iokts)
1942
Huey
P. Newton co-founder
of the Black Panther Party born. He was killed in a drug-related
shoot-out in 1989. (mn)
1952
Bruce
Ruffin,
reggae singer born, Bernardo Constantine Balderamus, St. Catherine,
Jamaica, West Indies. Ruffin served his vocal apprenticeship in 1968
alongside Pat Kelly, Winston Riley and Junior Menns as the
Techniques. He also sang with Morvin Brooks on Travellin' Man,
credited to the same group. Biggest hit was Mad About You in 1972. (mn-cl)
1954
Lou
Ann Barton,
blues singer, born, Fort Worth, Texas, USA. (mn-rs)
1963
Michael Jeicffrey Jordan,
basket-ball superstar born. Seven-time scoring leader of The
National Basketball Association, Jordan was the most visable and
popular African-American athlete of the early 1990's. Erning more
than $60 million per year. (mn)
1970
Joe Frazier knocks out Jimmy Ellis to become heavyweight boxing
champion. (mn)
1972
Juilian
Golding,
athlete with Blackheath Club, born in London. Honours: World Bronze
1997 (4x100m); World Junior Gold 1994 (4x100m); European Junior Gold
1993 (4x100m); European U/23 Gold 1997 (200m & 4x100m). Personal
best 100m in 10.29 (1997) (mn)
1982
Thelonious
Monk,
jazz musician dies. Internationally honored for his unique musical
voice and enduring compositions - he was a key innovator of modern
jazz, and a legend among musicians. (mn-jt-ss)
2001
Khalid
Muhammad,
leader of the New Black Panthers dies aged 53. Ex-member of the
Nation Of Islam. He spoke out about Colonel Gadafi's involvement in
the Nation. He visited and spoke the UK in 1996. He organized the
Million-Youth March in 1998, he also was a strong influence on the
rap-youth. (ac-mn)
2006
Ray
Barreto
dies in Hackensack, New Jersey, U.S.A.. b. 29th April 1929, Brooklyn,
New York, U.S.A. , Percussionist and bandleader Ray Barretto
has died. He was 76. Ray worked with many artists including Gene
Ammons, Lou Donaldson, Sonny Stitt, Wes Montgomery, Kenny Burrell,
Tito Puente, Art Blake, Cannonball Adderley, Red Garland, Dizzy
Gillespie, Freddie Hubbard and Cal Tjader. He recorded, 'El Watusi'
and 'Los Cueros', although Soul folks will remember fondly his dancer
'Can You Feel It', recorded for the Atlantic imprint in 1978. The
parent album featured, Prince Phillip Mitchell and Cissy Houston,
with Prince Phillip penning 'What Part Of Heaven Do You Come From?'
for the set. Ray was, also, a music director for The Fania All-Stars. (soulwalking)
18th.
FEBRUARY
BLACK
HEROES PAST & PRESENT 272:
BERRY GORDY (28/11/29-
)
National
Independence Day in Gambia.
1931
Toni
Morrison Pulitzer
Prize-winning author, is born in Lorain, Ohio, USA. (tr-iokts)
1941
Irma
Thomas soul
singer born Irma Lee on this day in Ponchatoula, Louisiana, USA. The
song Ruler of My Heart is still found on New Orleans juke boxes
although it wasn't a commercial hit. (mn)
1935
Bobby
Taylor,
soul singer born. He discovered Michael Jackson. (mn-bt)
1952
Randy
Crawford soul
singer born Veronica Crawford in Macon, Georgia, USA. Initial
success came when she was featured on the Crusaders album Street Life
singing the title track in 1979, their biggest hit. Later success as
solo artist came only in the UK. (mn)
1965
Doctor
Dre,
rapper, born Andre Romel Young in Los Angeles, CA, now known as
Andre Brown, fromWestbury, Long Island, USA. Dre was offered football
scholarships at the University of Southern California, Syracuse and
Wagner but chose a local college instead when his father was
diagnosed with cancer. (also b. 5/12/63 ref ms) (mn-jf)
1966
Philip Anthony Jason Defreitas,
6', 13.7 Derbyshire cricketer born Scotts Head, Dominica. County
debut: 1985 (leics), 1989 (Lancs), 1994 (Derbys); Test debut:
1986-87; Tests: 44; One-day internationals: 103; 50 wickets in one
season: 11. (cm-mn)
1977
Damiel
Graeme Wilson,
right-hand bat, right-arm medium-fast bowler for Essex is born in
Paddington, London. County debut: 1996 (one-day), 1997 first class). (cm-mn)
1998
Amistad the Steven Spielberg film about slavery opens in
Jamaica where parts of the opening scene are censored due to it
being 'too graphic'. (mn)
2009
Snooks
Eaglin dies.
b. Fird Eaglin Jnr, 21st January 1936, New Orleans, Louisiana,
U.S.A. d. 18th February 2009, New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.A. Snooks
Eaglin (Fird Eaglin Jr.) (aka the human jukebox) passed away on the
18th of February 2009, following treatment for prostate cancer. Born
in New Orleans, guitarist and singer, worked with James 'Sugar
Boy' Crawford, The Flamingoes, The Wild Magnolias, James Booker,
Henry Butler, Earl King, Tommy Ridgley, Ellis Marsalis, Professor
Longhair and Smokey Johnson. (soulwalking)
19th.
FEBRUARY
BLACK
HEROES PAST & PRESENT 273: AL
GREEN (1946-
)
1919
First Pan-African Congress, held in Paris. Organised by W.E.B. Du Bois.
1940
William
Smokey Robinson,
singer/producer/writer, born. Best remembered for his 1981 U.K. No.1
hit song Being With You, on Motown Records. Robinson wrote countless
hit songs for this label. (mn)
1951
Horace Andy reggae
singer, born Horrace Kieth Hinds in Kingston, Jamaica, West Indies.
He was affectionately renamed Andy as a tribute to Bob Andy, in
respect of their mutual song writing abilities, by Coxone Dodd.
Horace, also known as Sleepy, has always been a favoured vocalist
among reggae fans and his eerie, haunting style has been imitated
endlessly by scores of lesser talents over the years.(tr-cl)
1960
Prince
Mark D.
singer with The Fat Boys born. Busting out of New York's
neighbourhood as Disco 3, the group entered the CocaCola/Tin
Pan Apple rap contest at Radio City Music Hall in 1983 and blew away
the competition, with a recording contract as a prize. (mn-jt-Amcg)
1963
Seal
soul singer born Sealhenry Samuel, Paddington, London, England. Seal
strikes an imposing figure - six-foot-plus, shaved head, odd facial
scars, swathed in black leather. His music is only slightly less
imposing. (mn-av)
20th.
FEBRUARY
BLACK
HEROES PAST & PRESENT 274: ISAAC HAYES
(1942- )
1860
George
Polgreen Bridgetower professional
violinist dies at Peckham in humble circumstances. George Polgreen
Augustus Bridgetower was the son of a West-Indian servant of the
Hungarian Prince Esterházy (Joseph Haydn's patron) and of a
Polish domestic servant. He exhibited considerable talent in his
childhood; giving successful concerts in England in 1789. In 1791 the
British Prince Regent (later George IV) took an interest in him, and
oversaw his continuing musical education. In 1803 Bridgetower went on
a concert tour to Vienna, where he performed with Ludwig van
Beethoven. Beethoven was impressed, and dedicated his great Violin
Sonata No. 9 in A major to Bridgetower, with the goodheartedly
mocking dedication Sonata per uno mulaticco lunattico. After the two
had given the piece's first public performance Beethoven and
Bridgetower quarrelled, Bridgetower having insulted a woman who
turned out to be Beethoven's friend; Beethoven broke off all
relations with Bridgetower and changed the dedication of the new
violin sonata to the violin virtuoso Rudolphe Kreutzer — the
piece is now known as the Kreutzer Sonata. Bridgetower stayed in
Austria for a period, before returning to England. There he married
and continued his musical career, teaching and performing. He
performed with the Royal Philharmonic Society orchestra.
Bridgetower's own compositions include Diatonica armonica for piano,
published in London in 1812 and Henry: A ballad, for medium voice and
piano, also published in London. A list of his compositions may be
found in Black Music Research Journal, Vol. 10, No. 2, Fall 1990, in
an article by Dominique-Rene de Lerma. (mn-pf)
1895
Frederick
Douglas,
editor of the North Star, dies in Washington, D.C. In 1847 Frederick
Douglas and Martin R. Delaney start the Nort Star, an anti-slavery
paper. In 1845 Frederick Douglas published the autobiographical
Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglas, an American Slave; its
elegant prose astonished readers who knew that Douglas was self-taught.
The book received enormous attention and, fearing that a bounty
hunter might capture him and return him to his master, Douglas sailed
for England, where he lectured widely and earned enough money to
purchase his freedom when he returned to the US in 1847. Settling in
New York, Douglas embarked on a career as an editor of the North
Star, from 1847-1851, when he changed its name to Frederick Douglas
Paper. (mn-ss)
1900
Black
Invention: airship
J.F. Pickering patents it.
1927
Sidney
Poitier,
Oscar-winning dramatic star was born of West Indian parents in
Miami, Florida, USA. He has been hailed as a breakthrough star whose
acclaimed performances, which consciously defied previous racial
stereotyping, gave a new dramatic credibility for Black actors to
mainstream film audiences in the Western world. He was born in Miami,
Florida to Bahamian parents and grew up in poverty on Cat Island in
the Bahamas. His breakout role was that of one of a classroom of
incorrigible high school students in the 1955 film Blackboard Jungle.
Remarkably, nobody seemed to notice Poitier was 27 at the time of
filming. He won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role in the
1963 film Lilies of the Field and was the first actor of African
descent to win this award. He was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II (by
right and recommendation of his Bahamian citizenship) in 1974. In
2000 he received the Life Achievement Award from the Screen Actors
Guild (SAG) and in 2002 he received the prestigious Lifetime
Achievement Award from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and
Sciences. (mn-wickpedia)
1937
Nancy
Wilson,
soul/jazz singer born in Chillicothe, Ohio, USA. First hit record
was 'Save your love for Me' with Cannonball Adderley in 1962. She put
33 albums on the chart between 1962-77. (mn-jt)
21st.
FEBRUARY
BLACK
HEROES PAST & PRESENT 275: HOLLAND/DOZIER/HOLLAND
Former
PCRL presenter 'F.X.' born today. (Premier & Fx)
1896
The first fee-paying cinema show takes place at the Polytechnic in
Regent Street in London. Exactly one-hundred years later on this same
day a screening takes place at the National Film Theatre in London
that included a short film 'The Wandering Negro Minstrels' filmed in
1896, it shows a half dozen black-face minstrels busking on a London
street. For just 45 seconds they sing, dance and play banjos,
tambourines and bones to the delight of a group of working-class men. (mn-sb)
1903
Scapper
Blackwell,
urban blues guitarist, born, Francis Blackwell, Syracuse, S.C., USA.
(Dies October 7, 1962, Indianapolis, Ind, USA.)
1933
Nina Simone singer/songwriter
born Eunice Waymon in Tyron, North Carolina, USA. Famous for her
1959 recording of I loves You Porgy, Simone took up the cause of
civil rights and expatriated herself in angry protest over the
treatment of African-Americans in the U.S. Simone wrote the songs
Young Gifted and Black and Four Women. Dies 2003. (mn-ss)
1936
Barbara
Jordan,
born. (tr-bl)
1960
Isaac
Julian,
UK film director born. A key figure in the film and video workshop
movement of the early 1980s, Isaac Julien is now a leading
international film and video artist, producing work for cinema,
television and art galleries. He was born in London's East End on 21
February 1960, one of five children of parents who migrated to
Britain from St Lucia: his mother was a nurse, his father a welder.
He attended local schools, and in his teens was involved with Four
Corners Films, the Newsreel Collective, and the London Youth Dance
Theatre. In 1983, while studying fine art and film at St Martin's
School of Art, he co-founded Sankofa, a film and video collective
dedicated to developing an independent black film culture in the
areas of production, exhibition and audience. Under the aegis of the
ACTT Workshop Declaration, Sankofa was funded by, among others, the
Greater London Council and the British Film Institute. Julien
co-directed Sankofa's highest-profile production, The Passion of
Remembrance (co-d. Martina Attille/Robert Crusz/Nadine Marsh-Edwards,
1986), a film inspired by the idea of reconstructing a black
political history which recognises the difficulty of reclaiming a
past based upon unproblematic notions of identity. At this point, he
was already stressing the importance of addressing questions of
sexuality and gender in tandem with issues of race and class; and in
his next film, Looking for Langston (1989), a meditation on the
Harlem Renaissance poet Langston Hughes, he explores black
masculinity alongside questions of pleasure and sexuality. Julien has
said that music is the only space for a discourse that simultaneously
addresses black sexuality, desire and pleasure; and the BFI-funded
feature Young Soul Rebels (1991) both explores the tensions between
politics and pleasure for his generation of British-born blacks and
celebrates that generation's contribution to an interracial youth
culture, and the centrality of soul music to that moment. In the
early 1990s, Julien worked mainly in television and music video:
productions from this period include a four-part series for US
television, The Question of Equality (1995) and a music video for
Des'ree, Feel So High (1991). More recently he has moved into gallery
and museum-based work, with installation pieces including Trussed
(1996); The Conservator's Dream (1999); Vagabondia (2000); and the
triple-screen version of The Long Road to Mazatlan (1999), which was
shortlisted for the 2001 Turner Prize. Alongside his work as a
filmmaker, he holds visiting professor and research posts at Harvard
University and Goldsmiths College, London. Running through all Isaac
Julien's work is a commitment to examining the politics of sexuality,
masculinity and blackness through the distinctive pleasures of the
moving image. Informed as it is by a complex multilayering of ideas,
his work is always aesthetically pleasing as well as intellectually
and emotionally challenging. (bfi-brit film inst)
1965
Al Haji Malik El Shabazz (Malcolm
X) shot dead in Harlem (at the age of 39), New York (best known for
his teachings of self determination for black people) He was a
longtime spokesman for the Nation of Islam. He was also founder of
the Muslim Mosque, Inc. and the Organization of Afro-American Unity.
During his life, Malcolm went from being a street-wise Boston hoodlum
to one of the most prominent black nationalist leaders in the United
States. As a militant leader, Malcolm X advocated black pride,
economic self-reliance, and identity politics. He ultimately rose to
become a world renowned African American/Pan-Africanist and human
rights activist. Malcolm X was assassinated in New York City on
February 21, 1965 on the first day of National Brotherhood Week. (wickpedia/mn)
1965
Shirley
Slaughter,
soul singer born in Philadelphia, USA. (mn)
1972
Buccaneer
reggae
DJ, real name Andrew Bradford born in Kingston Jamaica, West Indies.
In the days of slavery Jamaica was considered to be a pirates' haven,
and the notorious smuggler Henry Morgan was elevated to Governor
General in the then Capital, Port Royal. The island's dubious past
was acknowledged by the DJ known as Buccaneer, whose appearance was
enhanced with an eye-patch and bizarre hairstyle featuring a bleach
ring. (tr-rr-cl)
1999
In memory of Sheldon
Anton Bobb,
21, from Lewisham, south London, found suffering from head injuries
outside his home; died in Lewisham hospital of shock and
haemorrhaging. Racist attack not ruled our by police. (mn)
2001
Bob Marley and Sammy Davis, Jr. receive Prestigious Lifetime
Achievement awards, posthumously at the 43rd Annual Grammy Awards in
Los Angeles. (mn-voice1/2/01)
22nd.
FEBRUARY
BLACK
HEROES PAST & PRESENT 276: WHITNEY HOUSTON
(1963- )
1841
Grafton
Tyler Brown,
one of California's first African American painters, is born. (tr-iokts)
1950 Julius
"Dr. J. Erving",
USA basketball star born.
1936
Ernie
K-Doe,
soul singer born Ernest Kaydor Jr. in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA.
Died .Ernie K-Doe scored one of the biggest hits (possibly the
biggest) in the history of New Orleans R&B with
"Mother-in-Law," a humorous lament that struck a chord with
listeners of all stripes on its way to the top of both the pop and
R&B charts in 1961. The song proved to be K-Doe's only major
success, despite several more minor hits that were equally
infectious, yet he remained one of New Orleans' most inimitable
personalities. (mn-jt-cl)
1938
Bobby
Hendricks,
singer with The Drifters born. (mn-jt
1943
Loise
Lopez,
singer with Odyssey born. First formed as the Lopez Sisters (Carmen,
Lillian, and Louise) in 1968, Carmen dropped out and Tony Reynolds (a
Manilla native) joined to form Odyssey. After performances in New
York clubs, they hit it big in 1977 with the soft disco cuts
"Native New Yorker" and "Easy Come, Easy Go."
Their music had a subtle Caribbean feel, and while their U.S. hits
soon dried up, they had a few more hits in the U.K. before the group
fell apart. (mn-jt)
1963
Devon
Eugene Malcolm 6',
2", 15st Northamptonshire cricketer born in Kingston, Jamaica,
West Indies. County debut: 1984: (Derb), 1998 (Northps); County cap:
1989 (Derbys); Test debut: 1987; Tests: 40; One-Day Internationals:
10; 50 wickets in one season: 6. (cm-mn)
1976
Original Supreme Flo Dies In Poverty.
The death of Florence
Ballard,
the original lead singer of Motown's hugely successful female vocal
trio, The Supremes, was a tragedy. Since her forced departure from
the group in 1967 in her search of a solo career, Ballard had reached
rock bottom. (mn-jt)
1995
PCRL's Cee Jay appears on Here
& Now,
a BBC1 documentary programme broadcasted at 7.30 pm, investigating
the alarming statistics that people from the ethnic minorities are
five time more likely to be stopped-and-searched by the police than
"whites". (mn-cj)
1997
Isabelle Lucas dies
aged 69. Probably the most well known Black British actress. Known a
Pearl in 70's T.V. show The Fosters and later stared in Desmonds. (mn)
23rd.
FEBRUARY
BLACK
HEROES PAST & PRESENT 277:
THE IMPRESSIONS
1868
Dr. William Edward Burghardt Du Bois born
in Gt. Barrington, Mas, USA. He was an
author/historian/sociologist/philosopher/poet/leader/radical/apostle
of peace and a prophet. (dies 11:40 pm 27.9.1963). (mn)
1949
Larry Demps,
singer with the Dramatics born. (mn-cl)
1953
Big
Maceo,
blues pianist, dies, Chicago, Ill, USA. Big Maceo Merriweather
was a rising star whose time was dramatically taken from him much too
early. His legacy continues though and may be heard in the playing of
most Blues pianists today. "Worried Life Blues" also keeps
his flame alive; artists such as Eric Clapton, have made the song a
staple of their live repertoires. It as become one of those standards
that almost every band worth a lick must know, and has been forever
immortalized by The Blues Foundation as an entry within its Hall of
Fame. (mn-rs)
1991
Whitney
Neck and Neck with Madonna.
Nine U.S. No.1's in under six years for Whitney Houston. (mn-jt)
1995
Melvin
Franklin singer
and original member of soul group the Temptations dies. Born on the
12, October 1942 in Montgomery Alabama. He joined the Distants in
1959 who 3 years later would merge with the Primes to become the
Elgins, who then became the Temptations when joining Berry
Gordy's Motown label. His was regarded by many as the greatest bass
singer of all time. He remained with the Temptations until his
untimely death after serious health problems. Melvin was the heart
and soul of the Temps and has left a void that can never be filled.
Fellow Temptation member Ron Tyson said of Melvin "It's not just
the Temps that will never be the same, the world will never be the
same". (br)
1999 'No
Charges to Follow Death Of Black Remand Inmate'
Read the headline in the Guardian newspaper. No charges are to be
brought against seven prison officers. No one will give evidence in
support of Alton Manning who was murdered by one or all seven prison
officers. His family have issued a high court rit against the Home
Office and UKDS claiming damages. (mn-gaurd)
1999
Kenya G does her first programme on PCRL, playing soca music. When
she returned to the West Indies PCRL held a on air party for her. (mn)
24th.
FEBRUARY
BLACK
HEROES PAST & PRESENT 278: THE
ISLEY BROTHERS
[BILL
RANDLE - MEMBER OF MICKEY NOLD'S CONSORTIUM BORN]
1811
Daniel
A. Payne,
clergyman, historian, and first African American college president,
is born. (tr-iokts)
1933
David
Fathead Newman,
tenor/baritone/soprano saxophone player and flutist, born Dallas,
Texas, USA. In the early 50's he toured with Texan blues guitarist
T-Bone Walker and recorded the classic Reconsider Baby with Lowell
Fulson in 1954. For the next 10 years he was part of the Ray Charles
Orchestra. (mn-cl)
1966
Military Leaders oust Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana while on a peace
mission to stop the Vietnam War.
1988
Memphis
Slim,
important blues pianist, aka Peter Chapman, dies, Paris, France.
Chapman was an important blues pianist and composer whose
recordings in the 1940's helped connect the Chicago
"Bluebird" sound of the 1930's with that of the early
post-World War II period. His piano style was influenced by other
great blues pianists such as Roosevelt Sykes and Speckled Red and
included elements of boogie-woogie and traditional blues. Among
Slim's most popular songs was the classic Everyday I Have The Blues,
which was a big hit for Joe Williams and the Count Bassie Band in
1955. (mn-rs)
1999
And
The Racist Killings Go On Read
the front page headline of the Guardian newspaper. They remembered
25 other racist murders since 1991 along with Stephen Laurence that
hadn't registered so loud. 14 of these had been in the London era;
one in Birmingham and of the total 13, had been Asian men. (mn)
25th.
FEBRUARY
BLACK
HEROES PAST & PRESENT 279: GEORGE JACKSON
(1946- )
1870
Hiram Revels becomes first black U.S. Senator. He was born of
free parents in Fayetteville, North Carolina. He studied at a
number of collages and seminaries and became an ordained minister of
the African Methodist Episcopal Church in Baltimore in 1845.
1937
Andrew
Brown,
blues guitarist, born, Jackson, Miss, USA. He was an underrated and
under appreciated blues guitarist and singer whose small body of
recorded work shows flashes of brilliance, as well as inspiration
from the likes of Freddie King, Magic Sam, and Little Milton.
Although he cut a small batch of singles in the early 60's, most
notably "You Better Stop", Can't Let You Go and You Ought
to Be Ashamed for the Four Brothers Label he could not ern a living
from it, and after a heart attack/back injury he retired from his
steel mill job. (Dies December 11, 1985, Harvey, Ill, USA). (mn-rs)
1964 Muhammad
Ali defeats Sonny Liston
to win his first World Heavyweight Championship.
1973
Peter
Ndlovu,
5'8", 10.2 footballer born Buluwayo, Zimbabwe. International
Honours: Zimbabwe: 20. (bh-mn)
1978
Daniel "Chappie" James,
first African American four-star general, dies in Colorado Spings,
Colorado, USA. (tr-iokts)
1994
"Jersey"
Joe Walcott,
welterweight boxing champion dies in Ohio, USA. (tr-iokts)
1997
[William
"Hoss" Allen dies
in Nashville, Tennesse, USA] He introduced 'The Beat' show on TV] He
was a music publisher/producer/drummer/radio DJ/presenter. Born
Gallatin, Tenn, Feb 25, 1922. His radio career started at
WHIN in 1948, the WLAC in 1949. He was instramental in the
careers of James Brown and Otis Redding. WLAC transmitter was 50,000
watts and was heard from Jamaica to Asaska. (mn)
1999
The Stephen Laurence memorial plaque is vandalized for the second
year running. (mn)
1999
Cynthia Schloss,
reggae singer dies. A product of the Merritone Amateur Talent series,
Cynthia “Cyndi” Schloss burst on the music scene in 1972.
She gave us hits like: ‘Surround Me With Love’, ‘You
Look Like Love’, Love Forever’, and earned the title:
“Songbird”. In this creative tribute, Errol Dale Bean
grapples with Schloss’ sudden death, presents her as an
embodiment of love, and argues convincingly that she is worthy of
emulation. Illustrated with splendid photographs and loaded with
glowing tributes from Winston Blake, Beres Hammond, Marcia Griffith,
Pam Hall, Freddie McGregor, Norma Brown – Bell, Bunny Goodison,
Ernie Smith, Dr. Olive Lewin and The Jamaican Folk Singers, Richard
“Richie B” Burgess, Deon Mattis and many others, this book
is a collector’s item. But there is much more. There are love
bytes, nuggets for loving, specials for Cyndi, slices of friendship,
plus philosophical, poetic and plain talk about love and friendship.
So, to the fountain of love&ldots; Bean is a fellow artiste. He has
released his first album entitled 'Beyond the Rhythm' late last
year. (jah-b/reggaetimes)
26th.
FEBRUARY
BLACK
HEROES PAST & PRESENT: JAMAICAN HERO
280:
SAMUAL
SHARPE
1887
Fard
Muhammad,
founder of the Nation of Islam, is born. Wallace Fard Muhammad
(1877-1893? – after 1934) was a preacher and founder of the
black nationalist movement the Nation of Islam (NOI), establishing
its first mosque in Detroit. He preached his distinctive version of
Islam there for three years before mysteriously disappearing in 1934.
Alternative names on record are numerous: Wali Farad, Farrad
Mohammed, W.D. Fard, and F. Mohammed Ali. Within the NOI he is
generally known as Master Fard Muhammad. (wickpedia)
1926
Theodore "Georgia Deacon" Flowers becomes the first
black middleweight boxing champion of the world.
1928
Fats
Domino born
Antoine Domino, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA. A classic R&B and
rock and roll singer, songwriter and pianist. He was the best-selling
African-American singer of the 1950s and early 1960s. Domino is also
a pianist with an individualistic bluesy style showing stride and
boogie-woogie influences. His congenial personality and rich accent
have added to his appeal. He was air-lifted from his home after the
New Orleans flood/Hurracane Katrina of 2005. (mn-jt)
1966
Andrew Brimmer becomes the first African American governor of the
Federal Reserve Board. (tr-iokts)
1967
Vuyani
Bungu IBF
Junior Featherweight World Champion Boxer is born. Record: 32-2
(18). Best wins: Kennedy McKinney; Felix Camanacho and Jesus Salud.
He lives in East London, South Africa. (mn-ring)
1970
Fitzroy Simpson,
5'7", 10.7 footballer born in Bradford on Avon. International
Honours: Jamaica: 21. (cm-mn)
1971
Erykah
Badu,
soul singer born, Erica Wright, Dallas, Texas, USA.American
R&B/hip hop artist whose work crosses over into jazz. She is best
known for her singles "You Got Me," her collaboration with
The Roots, as well as her own songs "Tyrone", "Next
Lifetime", "On & On", and "Clevah." Her
lyrics are highly personal urban philosophy which throw emotional
challenges in the face of the listener. She weaves unusual musical
influences together creating a rich texture of sound. Some music
journalists have labeled her Nu soul, nouvelle-soul or neo soul,
often comparing her to Billie Holliday in lyrical delivery and
grouping her with Maxwell and D'Angelo in musical genre. Badu dropped
her "slave name" "Erica Wright" in favor of
"Badu", which she reports is Arabic for "to manifest
truth." She has performed with roots rock reggae musician and
singer Burning Spear. Badu has a son named Seven with actor and
ex-boyfriend, Andre 3000 of Outkast fame. On July 5, 2004, Badu gave
birth to a daughter, Puma, in her Dallas home; the father is
reportedly rapper The D.O.C.. Badu appeared in the films Blues
Brothers 2000, The Cider House Rules and House of D. (dd-wickpedia)
1977
Bukka
White,
traditional Delta blues man, dies. Bukka White (or Booker T.
Washington White, probably born November 12, 1909, near Houston,
Mississippi died February 26, 1977) was a delta blues guitarist and
singer. He gave his more famous cousin B.B. King his first guitar, a
Stella. Bukka himself is remembered as a player of National Steel
guitars. He first recorded for the Victor label in 1930, and nine
years later recorded for folklorist Alan Lomax. Bob Dylan covered his
song "Fixin' to Die Blues", which aided his 'rediscovery'
and propelled him onto the folk revival scene of the 1960s. (rs-wickpedia)
1983
Michael
Jackson's 'Thriller' Rewrites Record Book.
The most successful album of all time by it reached the No.1 spot in
every Weston country and received 12 Grammy nominations, winning a
total of seven. (mn-jt)
1990
Cornell
Gunter,
soul singer with The Coasters dies.The Coasters were an American doo
wop and early rock and roll group, evolving from The Robins, a Los
Angeles based doo wop group. After The Robins signed with Atlantic
Records (1955, after the chart success of "Smokey Joe's
Cafe"), the group split up. Carl Gardner (tenor) and Bobby Nunn
(bass) formed The Coasters. (mn-jt)
1998
Oprah
Winfrey wins £10 million
battle over mad cow disease claims. A jury decided not to believe the
U.S. beef industry when she vowed "never to eat another
burger" during a show about Britain's BSE problems. (mn-sun)
27th.
FEBRUARY
BLACK
HEROES PAST & PRESENT 281: GLADY'S
KNIGHT & PIPS
1844
Dominican Republic regains its independence, this time from the Haitians.
1883
Black
Invention: Hand
Stamp, William B. Purvis receives patent. (sc)
1902
Marian
Anderson,
world renowned opera singer and civil rights advocate, is born in
Philadelphia, Pa, USA. She was an African-American contralto
(same range as alto), best remembered for her performance on Easter
Sunday, 1939 on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C.
The concert, which commenced with a dignified and stirring rendition
of "America (My Country, 'Tis of Thee)", was arranged by
First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt and Secretary of the Interior Harold
Ickes after the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) banned
Marian from singing in Constitution Hall because of her race. As a
result of the furor over the DAR's refusal to allow Anderson to sing
there, thousands of DAR members, including Eleanor Roosevelt
resigned, and just four years later the DAR invited Anderson to sing
at a benefit for the American Red Cross. (tr-iokts)
1923
Dexter
Gordon,
jazz musician is born in Los Angeles, USA (d. April 25, 1990) .
Nominated for his part in Around Midnight as a alcoholic
saxophonist. One of the outstanding tenor sax's in jazz, Gordon's
early influences gave him a deeply felt appreciation of swing. His
widow Maxine donated all his things (7,000 items) to the Library Of
Congress in 1999. He is considered one of the first bebop tenor
players. From 1940 to 1980, Gordon played with such jazz greats as
Lionel Hampton, Tadd Dameron, Charles Mingus, Louis Armstrong and
Billy Eckstine. He also played with the Fletcher Henderson band in
Los Angeles for a few weeks in 1947. A famous photograph by Herman
Leonard of Gordon smoking a cigarette during a set at the Royal Roost
in New York City in 1948 is one of the more iconic images in the
history of jazz. (wickpedia)
1942
Charlayne
Hunter-Gault journalist
born. Career began in 1961 when she observed the journalists
covering a story as she and Hamilton Holmes became the first African-American
students to integrate the University of Georgia (A.B. 1963). Read:
In My Life (1992).(tr-bl-ss)
1980
Bobby
Valentino,
soul singer born Robert Wilson in Los Angeles, USA. He was raised in
Atlanta, Georgia and currently resides in Atlanta, Georgia. Valentino
first entered the music scene in 1996 with the now-defunct youth
quartet Mista. Some years after Mista disbanded, he enrolled in Clark
Atlanta University where he majored in Mass Communications,
graduating in 2004 with a Bachelor of Arts degree. He is currently
signed with Island Def Jam music imprint and is a member of Ludacris'
Disturbing Tha Peace label. His first single, 2005's "Slow
Down", from his self-titled debut album became a top 10 hit on
the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart, receiving a huge amount radio and
TV airplay. In 2005, he also joined other R&B/hip-hop acts
including Bow Wow and Omarion on the Scream 4 Tour. Valentino
released a second single from his debut album titled "Tell
Me". Rumour has it that Bobby will shortly have to change his
name, following threats of legal action from the UK violinist of the
same name, whose 25+ year career includes credits with the likes of
Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, Mike Oldfield, Nick Lowe, Billy Bragg and many,
many more. (wickpedia)
1983
Una Winifred Atwell,
pianist, dies from heart attack in Sydney, Australia. Guardian
obituary read: Miss Atwell, always more extrovert on stage than off,
had lived as a virtual recluse except for playing the organ at the
local church every Sunday, occasionally appearing at working men's
clubs and very rarely doing a concert at Sydney Opera House. Though
never a black activist, Miss Atwell made her anti-congregational
views known on a memorable tour of Australia in 1961 - when she said
she was infuriated by the exclusion of aborigines from her concerts.
She asked the management of one theatre to leave th doors open so the
aborigines could at least listen from the street. (mn-sb)
1988
Debi Thomas, figure skater, becomes the first black to win a medal at
the Winter Olympics.
1991
Godfather of soul James Brown was paroled after spending over
two years in Prison of a six year sentence imposed for
resisting arrest after a car chase across two states, carrying a gun
and persistent drug abuse. He immediately announced plans for a new
album. (mn-jt)
2006
John
La Rose veteran
political and cultural activist , 78, who died of a heart attack
. The writer and publisher, born in Trinidad in 1928 was the
founder – in 1966 – of New Beacon Bookshop in Finsbury
Park, London. New Beacon Books have provided a service to
individuals, libraries, schools and colleges and universities ever
since. His partner had taken him to Whittington Hospital in Highgate
after he had complained of chest pains. La Rose was also an
influential poet and cultural critic for over 50 years, both in the
Caribbean and in England. He had been General Secretary of the West
Indian Independence Party in Trinidad prior to immigrating to
England. During the 1960s and 1970s he co-founded the Caribbean
Artist Movement, the Caribbean Education and Community Workers
Association, the Black Parents Movement and the George Padmore
Institute. Prof. Norman Girdman paid tribute to the writer and
publisher, who he described as ‘a radical who was dedicated to
the West Indies and to West Indian regionalism’. Phyllis
Knight, who studied Caribbean Studies at the University of North
London and knew La Rose said that he had ‘lived his beliefs’
and had made a ‘tremendous contribution to the West Indies and
to its Diaspora’. She said that the New Beacon Bookshop had
‘greatly influenced and assisted students and academics
interested in the Caribbean and that the Bookshop’s Archives
were an invaluable resource’.She added: ‘Although his death
was a great loss he has left a solid legacy’. Professor Jean
Stubbs, Director of the Caribbean Studies Centre, who knew the anti-colonialist
and supporter of Caribbean unity since 1981 acknowledged that New
Beacon Bookshop had been and continued to be ‘the backbone of
Caribbean Studies’. Isaac Saney a Canada-based Trinidadian
academic and writer said that John La Rose was known in Canada to
anti-racists and to those interested in Pan-Caribbean issues, where
his activities in publishing, community activity and aspirations for
the unity of the region - were seen as a model. Dr Les Henry a
lecturer at Goldsmiths College in south London paid tribute to the
role La Rose had played over decades in the emergence of black
academics in Britain and described his death as a ‘big
loss’, but added that his ‘light was still shining on us
all’. (new nation)
28th.
FEBRUARY
PCRL
PRESENTER 'RAS TEE' BORN
BLACK
HEROES PAST & PRESENT 282: MARTHA
& VANDELLAS
1943/4 Barbara
Acklin,
soul singer/songwriter born in Chicago, USA. Her cousin, Monk Higgins
got her a job at St. Lawrence Records initially as a secretary and
she later made records. Her most popular song was Love Makes A Woman
on Brunswick records 1968. (d. Jan, 1999) (mn)
1945
General
Crook,
soul singer born in Mound Bayou, Mississippi, USA. Raised in Chicago
from 1963 he was one of the many artists of the late 60's and early
70's who, in the footsteps of James Brown, began forging the new funk
style of soul music. He recorded a nice album on for Wand Records in
1974, since then he has mainly produced music.(mn-cl)
1948
Sergeant Cornielius Adjetey becomes the first martyr for national
independence in Ghana.
1957
Ainsley
Harriot
(celeb chef) born (nationmaster)
1977
Eddie "Rochester" Anderson,
actor and comedian dies. (tr-iokts)
1984
Michael Jackson wins seven Grammy Awards. (mn-jt)
1984
[Joe Vann, of group The Duprees dies]. [Italian/US group] (mn-jt)
1995
Scientific research to commence on Dounne Alexander's 'Gramma's'
miracle cancer cure.
2004
Versle
Eugene Allison singer
dies,
GENE ALLISON
wisely shortened and simplified his name as he took up singing. He
was born in Pegram, TN on 29 August 1934, and like so many of his
contemporaries cut his musical teeth in the churches in Nashville
where he and his brother LEVERT were brought up. His vocal abilities
were such that he started performing with gospel groups like the
Fairfield Four and the Skylarks before local record man Ted Jarrett
took him to Bradley’s Barn studios to cut the uplifting and
enduring “You Can Make It If You Try” in 1957. Rather than
put it out himself, Jarrett leased this compelling side to Vee Jay
for national distribution and it went top 5 R & B. This
wasn’t Allison’s first record by any means – he’d
already had 6 R & B singles on various Jarrett concerns like
Calvert, Champion and Cherokee, it wasn’t the first disc that
Jarrett had leased to a bigger concern either – “You’re
My Baby”/ “Somebody Somewhere” had also appeared on
Decca – but it was to prove his biggest seller by far. The
similarly styled follow ups like “Have Faith” and
“Everything Will Be Alright” did make the charts however
and it’s a sign of how many copies Vee Jay were selling that an
LP named after the big hit was also released. In the 60s after he
left Vee Jay, his releases appeared on a variety of labels, and
although his gospel phrasing and timing were ideally suited to the
emerging southern soul styles he never really made it as a soul
singer. Some of these later 45s, like most of the ones he cut
reprising earlier material for Jarrett’s Ref-O-Ree are not
really worth looking out, but “Almost Sundown” from ’65
is a quite superb blues ballad, and the recut “I
Understand” is listenable. Probably the pick of his later work
is the spare, stark “If I Ever Needed Your Love” which
features a pleading, tortured vocal, his most intense performance on
wax, only accompanied by a small rhythm section. This side originally
appeared on the Ohio based S & H 205 but is more readily
available on Del Neita. A very fine deep soul record indeed. (sir shambling)
2007
Beverley Knight receives MBE honour at Buckingham Palace. The
33-year-old from Wolverhampton, who started singing in school and
church choirs, will be honoured by the Queen. She recieves this for
her charity work and help against gun crime. (mn)
29th
FEBRUARY
(Only
on a leap year, last one 2004)
next
one the year 2004
BLACK
HEROES PAST AND PRESENT 366:
No
recorded history - possibly all moved forward or back a day.
TOP