1932
Sammy Turner,
singer born Samuel Black in Patterson, New Jersey. He joined the
local church choir when he was three. On leaving school he joined US
Air Force and fought in the Korean War. Herb Lotez signed him to the
Big Top label where he recorded with the Twisters also had a US No.3
single with Lavender Blue in 1959. He was with Motown in 1964
for one year. (mn-jt-sd)
1937
Jimmy Jones, soul singer born,
Birmingham, Alabama, USA. Best known for his 1960 R&B smash
"Handy Man. In 1954, he joined his first doo wop group, the
Berliners, who soon changed their name to the Sparks of Rhythm. Jones
recorded a few sides with them in 1955, then left to form his own
group, the Savoys. Teamed with writer/producer Otis Blackwell, Jones
recorded a song he'd written back in his Sparks of Rhythm days called
"Handy Man." By early 1960, "Handy Man" had
rocketed into the Top Five on both the pop and R&B charts. Jones
followed "Handy Man" with another Top Ten hit, "Good
Timin'," later that year. That proved to be the full extent of
his major commercial success. In 2002, thanks to Jones'
continued popularity on Britain's Northern soul circuit, Castle/Sanctuary
issued a double-disc anthology titled Good Timin': The Anthology. (mn-cl-sh)
1941
William Guest,
singer with Glady's knight & The Pips is born in Atlanta,
Although the Pips never had any commercial success on their own, they
were famous for the distinctive background harmonies that they
provided for Gladys Knight for many years. From 1961's "Every
Beat of My Heart" to 1973's "Midnight Train to Georgia"
to 1988's "Love Overboard," the Pips backed Knight on one
major hit after another. Knight first started working with the Pips
in 1952, when she was only eight and formed a quintet with her
brother Merald "Bubba" Knight. (mn-jt)
1943 Jimmy
Caster, soul singer born, New York
City, New York, USA. A master of novelty/disco funk, saxophonist
Jimmy Castor started as a doo wop singer in New York. He wrote and
recorded "I Promise to Remember" for Wing With the Juniors
in 1956, a group whose roster included Al Casey, Jr., Orton Graves,
and Johnny Williams. Castor replaced Frankie Lymon in the Teenagers
in 1957 before switching to sax in 1960. The 60's he was in the Jimmy
Castor Bunch, where the novelty hits came his way. (mn-cl-rw)
1947
Anthone Chubby Tavares,
singer with Tavares is born. The group originally performed together
as the Del Rios. By the mid-60's they turned professional and changed
their name to Chubby & The Turnpikes before becoming Tavares on a
European tour. In 1973 the group signed with Capitol and worked with
producer Johnny Bristol for their debut single/album Check It Out. (mn-rt)
1948 Herb
McKenley, Jamaican-born track star,
sets a new world record for the 400-yard dash. Herbert Henry
"Herb" McKenley (born July 10, 1922) is a former Jamaican
athlete, winner of gold medal in 4x400 m relay at the 1952 Summer
Olympics. Born in Pleasant Valley, Clarendon, Jamaica, Herb McKenley
enrolled the University of Illinois, and won the NCAA championships
in 220 yd and 440 yd in 1946 and 1947. He was also the AAU champion
in 440 yd in 1945, 1947 and 1948, and was also the head of the list
of world best times in 100 m (10.3), 200 m (20.4) and 400 m (46.2) in
1947. He is the only person to have ever done this feat. Just before
the 1948 London Olympics, McKenley ran the new world in 400 m of
46.0, which he overrun a month later, clocking 45.9. But at the
Olympics itself, McKenley finished only second in 400 m, behind a
fellow teammate Arthur Wint and was fourth in 200 m. He probably lost
a gold medal in 4x400 m relay, when Wint pulled his muscle in the
final. At the 1951 Pan-American Games, McKenley was third in 100 m,
200 m and 400 m, which is quite unique feat. At the Helsinki
Olympics, McKinley was second in 100 m (the first four clocked 10.4
in a very close race) and also second in 400 m. He finally got his
Olympic gold, when he helped the Jamaican 4x400 m relay team to win
the race with a new world record of 3.03.9. After retireing from
sports, McKenley was a coach of the Jamaican national team from 1954
to 1973 and served also as a president of Jamaica Amateur Athletics
Association. (wickpedia)
950
U.S. Supreme Court outlaws segregation of dining cars in interstate
transportation. (tr-iokts)
1997
Man sues cops for 'harassment'. Read
the headline in the Voice newspaper. PCRL's Cee Jay is now very
fed-up as he is being stopped by the police once every three weeks,
he has now got over 34 'producers' going back over three years. Up
till now no charges have been made against him. Leading civil rights
barrister Peter Herbert has taken up his case. He said: "Police
have a habit of harassing members of the Black community. Carl's case
is a perfect example of this. Police harassment is a civil
wrong." If successful, he could get up to £25,000 in
damages. Cee Jay say's if he succeeds he'll give the money to
Sickle Cell research. He later failed to win his case. read
related article (mn-cj)
2008
Bo Diddley dies.
b. Otha Ellas Bates, a.k.a. Ellas McDaniel, 30th December 1928,
McComb, Mississippi, U.S.A. d. 2nd June 2008, Archer, Florida, U.S.A.
Musician Bo Diddley has died at the age of 79. He died of heart
failure in Florida, and had suffered a heart attack in August 2007,
three months after suffering a stroke which affected his ability to
speak. Bo was a member of The Hipsters and Langley Avenue Jive Cats
and was a Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Inductee, Mississippi Musicians
Hall Of Fame Inductee, Washington Area Music Association's Hall Of
Fame Inductee, Blues Hall Of Fame Inductee and North Florida Music
Association's Hall Of Fame Inductee. Bo Diddley rose to fame in 1955
and his hits included 'Who Do You Love', 'Before You Accuse Me', and
'Mona'. His own style of guitar playing, he called the 'Bo Diddley
beat' influenced rockers from Buddy Holly, to Bruce Springsteen and
U2. Born Ellas Otha Bates in Mississppi in 1928, he changed his name
to McDaniel when he was adopted by his mother's cousin. He moved with
his new family to the South Side of Chicago where he acquired his Bo
Diddley nickname at school. In his teens, he trained as a boxer while
regularly playing guitar on street corners when not in school. He
built his first rectangular guitar, that was to become his hallmark,
while still a student. Later Bo performed at regular gigs at the 708
Club during 1951. By 1955, he had signed to Leonard Chess's Checker
label. His first single, the classic 'Bo Diddley', reached number one
on the R & B charts. Bo's greatest pop successes came in 1959
when 'Say Man' hit the Top 20, and in 1962 when 'You Can't Judge a
Book by the Cover' entered the Top 50. Playing live, his group
featured Jerome Green, Otis Spann, Billy Boy Arnold, Frank Kirkland,
and, later, his half-sister 'The Duchess'. Bo Diddley toured
extensively throughout the 1960s and 70's. He played with The Clash
in 1979, introducing his sound to a new generation. In the late
1980s, he toured with Rolling Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood as The
Gunslingers and released the album 'Live at the Ritz'. In 1989, Bo
appeared with baseball star Bo Jackson in a TV commercial for sports
shoes, and in 1996, he released his first major album in two decades,
'A Man Amongst Men', with guest artists that included Ron Wood, Keith
Richards and The Shirelles. He also made some cameo appearances in
movies playing a pawnbroker in the Eddie Murphy film 'Trading Places'
and in 1998 he appeared in 'Blues Brothers 2000'. PCRL ran a 25
episode life story about Bo in the late 1990's read by Maxine Jayne. (mn-soulwalking.co.uk)
3rd.
JUNE
BLACK
HEROES PAST & PRESENT 012:
CRISPUS ATTUCKS 1723?-1770
1890
Black Invention:
Corn Harvester, H .L. Jones. (sc)
1897 Memphis
Minnie, blues singer born. The
most popular and prolific blueswoman outside the vaudeville
tradition, she earned the respect of critics, the support of
record-buying fans, and the unqualified praise of the blues artists
she worked with throughout her long career. Despite her Southern
roots and popularity, she was as much a Chicago blues artist as
anyone in her day. Big Bill Broonzy recalls her beating both him and
Tampa Red in a guitar contest and claims she was the best woman
guitarist he had ever heard. Tough enough to endure in a hard
business, she earned the respect of her peers with her solid
musicianship and recorded good blues over four decades for Columbia,
Vocalion, Bluebird, Okeh, Regal, Checker, and JOB. (d. Aug 6, 1973) (mn-rs-blp)
1904
Dr. Charles Drew,
Father of Blood Plasma Banks, born. He protested against the
practice of racial segregation in the donation of blood to blood
banks from donors of different races since it lacked scientific
foundation. Charles R. Drew was born in Washington, D.C. to Richard
and Nora Drew, and was the oldest of five children. In High School
and at Amherst College, Drew excelled in athletics. Drew was a member
of the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity. For two years after college, Drew
worked as an athletic director, football coach, and science teacher
at Morgan State University in Baltimore, Maryland. In 1928, he
entered medical school at McGill University in Montreal, Canada. Drew
continued to excel in sports while at McGill, and joined British
professor Dr. John Beattie in blood research. He continued his
research at Montreal General Hospital, while an intern and resident. (wickpedia)
1924 Jimmy
Rogers, bluesman, born James lane,
Atlanta, Ga., USA. Guitarist Jimmy Rogers was the last living
connection to the groundbreaking first Chicago band of Muddy Waters
(informally dubbed the Headhunters for their penchant of dropping by
other musicians' gigs and "cutting their heads" with a
superior onstage performance). Born James A. Lane (Rogers was his
stepdad's surname), the guitarist grew up all over: Mississippi,
Atlanta, West Memphis, Memphis, and St. Louis. Actually. Rogers
virtually retired from music for a time during the 1960s, operating a
West side clothing shop that burned down in the aftermath of Dr.
Martin Luther King's tragic assassination. He returned to the studio
in 1972 for Leon Russell's Shelter logo, cutting his first LP,
Gold-Tailed Bird (with help from the Aces and Freddie King). Rogers
died December 19, 1997. (mn-rs)
1940 Joe
Higgs,
reggae artist born in Kingston, Jamaica. Hugely influential in the
birth of ska, rock steady and reggae forms of Jamaican music, Higgs
was widely respected as a composer, arranger and performer, but
perhaps most of all as a teacher. Among those he trained were Bob
Marley, Derreck Harriot, Peter Tosh, Bob Andy, the Wailing Souls and
Bunny Wailer. It was in Higg's Trench Town yard that Bob Marley
received many years of private tutoring in vocal technique and
stagecraft from Higgs, years before he began performing with the
Wailers. Marley later admitted that "Joe Higgs was a genius,
"crediting him for his international musical success. On
Decemebr 18,1999 "The Father of Reggae Music" dies in a LA
hospital, aged 59 following several months treatment for cancer. (mn-echoes
8/1/00)
1942 Curtis
Mayfield, soul music
singer/writer/producer and motivating force behind Chicago's music
industry, born on this day in Chicago. As a songwriter and vocalist
with the Impressions, Mayfield established an early reputation as one
of soul music's most intuitive talents. In the decade between 1961
and 1971, he penned a succession of exemplary singles for his group,
including 'Gypsy Woman' (1961), 'It's Alright' (1963), 'People Get
Ready'(1965), We're A Winner' (1968) and 'Choice of
Colours' (1969), the subjects of which ranged from simple, tender
love songs to broadsides demanding social and political equality.
Years later Bob Marley lifted lines from the anthemic 'People Get
Ready' to populate his own opus, 'One Love'. Two independent record
companies, Windy C and Curtom, emphasized Mayfield's statesman-like
role within black music, while his continued support for other
artists - as composer, producer or session guitarist - enhanced a
virtually peerless reputation. In 1990 a freak accident on stage
happened when a sound rig fell on him on stage, killing his drummer
and paralysing Mayfield from the neck down. His last album was 'New
World Order' (1996). (mn-cl)
1946
Eddie Holman,
soul singer born in Norfolk, Virginia, U.S.A. Eddie Holman's 1970
number two smash "Hey There Lonely Girl," with its creamy
falsetto vocals and lush Philly soul arrangement, is one of the most
well-remembered one-shot soul hits. Actually, Holman had been
recording since the early '60s, scoring some minor hits with
"This Can't Be True" (1965) and "Am I a Loser (From
the Start)" (1966). In 1969, he hooked up with Philadelphia
producer Peter DeAngelis. His arrangements for Holman, however,
rivaled Gamble-Huff's in quality, yielding some other minor R&B
hits in 1969 and 1970 with "I Love You," "Don't Stop
Now," and "Cathy Called," as well as an album in 1970.
Most identified with his rich falsetto, Holman actually sang in a
much more traditional vocal range on much of his material, some of
which was written by himself or his wife, Sheila. He largely vanished
from sight after 1970, though he recorded for several labels in the
'70s with a fine gospel album 'United' in 1984 (mn-ru)
1951 Deniece Williams
soul singer born Denise Chandler, Gary, Ind., USA. Deniece Williams
grew up singing in a Pentecostal church, which was strict on the
congregation listening only to gospel music. During the late '60s,
she was a candy striper in a Chicago hospital. Her mother, also
a singer, was her idol. Her cousin arranged for Williams to
meet Stevie Wonder backstage at a concert. Six months later, the
gifted vocalist was flown into Detroit by Wonder for an audition.
Among the 26 who auditioned, Williams, who sang "Teach Me
Tonight," was only one of three who was hired by Wonder. The
three became known as Wonderlove. In 1977 the album Song Bird was
released. The following year the dynamic singer scored her first
number one song on both the R&B and pop charts with "Too
Much, Too Little, Too Late," which was a duet with the legendary
Johnny Mathis. Always writing from her own experience, Williams wrote
the Top Ten single "Do What You Feel" based on the ordeals
of someone else. (A believer in the song at the time, she no longer
employs those beliefs.) In 1984 Williams recorded the number one hit
"Let's Hear It for the Boy." Featured on the Footloose
soundtrack, the single was produced by music virtuoso George Duke. In
1984 the sensational singer recorded "Black Butterfly."
From a African-American perspective, Williams immediately bonded with
the song. The song would become a prelude to the uplifting gospel
material Williams would record a few years later. (mn-cl)
1957
New Jersey trio The Isley Brothers released their first single, the
doo-wop influenced The Angles Cried on the Teenage label. It was not
a hit and they were unable to place a single on the chart until they
signed with RCA in 1959. (mn-jt)
1988
Jim Brewer, Chicago street singer,
dies, Chicago, Ill, USA. Jim Brewer (October 03, 1920 - June 03,
1988), also known as "Blind Jim Brewer", though he did not
like this additive ("My mother didn’t name me
‘Blind’, she named me ‘Jim’".) Blues singer
and guitarist (real name James Brewer), born in Brookhaven,
Mississippi, moved to Chicago in the 1940s spending the latter part
of his life performing both blues and religious songs at blues and
folk festivals, on Chicago’s Maxwell Street and other
venues. (mn-rs)
1994
Cricketer Brian Lara scores 501 not out against Durham for
Warwickshire, the highest ever innings 3-6.06.94.
2006
The 100th anniversary of Josephine Baker's
birth will be marked in Europe and the United States. The singer,
dancer and entertainer was the first artist of African origin to
attain fame in Europe and the world. She wasn't just an entertainer
but also a political artist who fought for peace, and against racism
and anti-Semitism. During the historic Black march on Washington in
1963, she stood side by side with the Rev Dr Martin Luther King, Jr.
Dr Anette von Wagenheim, the Cologne-based filmmaker and journalist
who directed the TV documentary Josephine Baker: Black Diva in a
White World, writes exclusively for The African Courier on the life
and times of Josephine Baker - a woman she aptly describes as the
world's first Black superstar. (mn)
2009
Koko Taylor dies.
b. Cora Walton, 28th September 1928, Nr. Memphis, Tennessee, U.S.A.
d. 3rd June 2009, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.A. 'Queen of the Blues',
Koko Taylor has died. She was 80 years old. Koko passed away as a
result of complications, following and operation performed to correct
a gastrointestinal bleed. She had worked with The Blues Machine, B.B.
King, Johnnie Johnson, Keb' Mo', Kenny Wayne Shepher and Willie Dixon
in her career. Koko was born Cora Walton on a sharecropper’s
farm just outside Memphis, Tennessee, in 1928. She was nicknamed Koko
relating to her love of chocolate. She began singing the blues with
her five brothers and sisters, accompanying themselves on their
homemade instruments. In 1952, Koko and her husband (in later years),
the late Robert 'Pops' Taylor, traveled to Chicago, where Robert
worked in a packing company and Koko cleaned houses. By 1962, Koko
was approached by arranger/composer Willie Dixon. Koko then siggned
to Chess Records where Willie produced her several singles, two
albums and penned her 1965 hit 'Wang Dang Doodle', which would become
Taylor’s signature song. Koko then relocated to Chicago’s
Alligator Records in 1975 and released the Grammy-nominated release
'I Got What It Takes'. She also appeared in the films 'Wild At
Heart', 'Mercury Rising' and 'Blues Brothers 2000'. Koko was
honoured, for her services to the Blues genre many times. Her final
performance was on the 7th of May 2009 in Memphis at the Blues Music
Awards. It was there she received her award for Traditional Blues
Female Artist Of The Year. Koko is survived by her husband Hays
Harris, daughter Joyce Threatt, son-in-law Lee Threatt, grandchildren
Lee, Jr. and Wendy, and three great-grandchildren. (soulwalking)
4th.
JUNE
BLACK
HEROES PAST & PRESENT 013: PETER
SALEM 1750-1816
1945
Leroy Hutson
singer/songwriter/producer born in Newark, New Jersey, USA. Through
sharing a room with Donny Hathaway at Howard University in Washington
D.C., Leroy met Curtis Mayfield. He and Donny wrote 'The Ghetto'
before Leroy replaced Curtis as lead singer in the Impressions in
1970. Hudson began his solo career on Mayfield's Curtom Records label
in 1973, and through to 1980 established himself with a moderately
successful recording career, recording seven albums and charting with
some 13 singles in the USA. On most of his work, he wrote, produced,
arranged and played multiple instruments, but Hutson never made a
truly top-notch album. His most successful singles were "All
Because Of You" (1975), "Feel The Spirit" (1976),
"I Do I Do" (1976), "Where Did Love Go" (1978),
and "Right Or Wrong" (1979). When Curtom went out of
business in 1980, Hutson's career was essentially behind him and he
soon disappeared from the music world. (mn-music.us)
1962 El
Debarge, singer born. He was lead
singer of the family group Debarge, before Berry Gordy (via Motown)
signed him as a solo artiste in 1986. El DeBarge became the lead
singer of the family vocal group DeBarge from their formation in
1978. He was featured on all the group's hits between 1982 and 1985,
when he elected to pursue a solo career, leaving DeBarge the
following year. His eponymous debut album was an attractive mixture
of pop and soul, fashioned in the style of Michael Jackson, on whom
DeBarge modelled his career. He achieved a US number 1 black music
hit in 1986 with "Who's Johnny?", the theme song of the
movie Short Circuit, and re-emerged after a two-year pause in his
career with the single "Real Love" in 1989, which was soon
followed by Gemini. He was also the lead vocalist on 'Secret
Garden' for Quincy Jones in 1989. (mn-jt-rt)
1967
Bill Cosby receives Emmy Award for 'I Spy'. One of the best known,
most challenging - and highest paid - entertainers in the world,
Cosby was born in Germantown, Pennsylvania, USA.
1968
Ian Kenneth Taylor,
6'1", 12.4 footballer born in Birmingham, England. Club
Honours: AMC '93; FLC '96. Sheffield Wednesday paid
£1,000,000 for him on 12/7/96; Aston Villa paid £1,000,000
on 21/12/94. (bh-mn)
1972
Angela Davis acquitted of murder, kidnapping and criminal conspiracy charge.
An album by Larry Saunders helped to raise funds for her case 'Free
Angela'. A radical philosopher, she has contributed to increasing
political and civil rights for American citizens. Born in Birmingham,
Alabama, USA, she received her A.B. degree from Brandeis and her
Masters from the University of California at San Diego. (mn)
2007
Freddie Scott
soul singer dies. Durning his career he recorded the songs 'Hey,
Girl', 'Are You Lonely For Me?' and 'What Do I See In The Girl'.
Freddie Scott was born on the 24th April 1933, in Providence, Rhode
Island, and was a member of the groups Sally Jones & The Gospel
Keyes and The Swanee Quintet Juniors, during his lifetime. As a
teenager, although he performed with the Sally Jones group, he
pursued a career in medicine, working on his Ph.D. at Paine College
in Augusta, Georgia. Whilst studying medicine, Freddie joined the
Swanee Quintet Juniors, whose debut he sang lead vocals on their song
'Far Away Places.' Freddie abandoned his medical aspirations and
looked towards a return to the performing arts. In 1956 he signed to
Zell Sanders' J&S label releasing his debut solo single, 'Running
Home.' In late 1956 he was called up for military duty, briefly
serving in Korea. Returning to recording he joined the Bow and Arrow
label and recorded 1957's 'Tell Them for Me.' followed by 'Please
Call' and 'A Faded Memory.' Freddie completed his military service,
and recorded for the Enrica label for 1959's 'Come On, Honey.' He
then collaborated with Helen Miller to compose for Al Nevins and Don
Kirshner's Brill Building company Aldon Music. In 1961, Freddie
recorded 'Baby, You're a Long Time Dead' for the Joy label. The
following year he was approached by Aldon songwriters Gerry Goffin
and Carole King who wanted some help with their song 'Hey Girl.'
Freddie recorded the song for the Colpix Records imprint making the
Top Ten on both the pop and R&B charts. Freddie then relocated to
Columbia, and recorded 'One Heartache Too Many' in 1965, before
relocating to the Shout imprint, where he remained for two years. He
recorded for the Elephant V, ABC's Probe imprint before signing to
Vanguard in 1971. Freddie was now making much of his living writing
advertising jingles with his long time colleague Helen Miller.
Freddie also moved into acting, appearing in the films 'Stiletto' and
'No Way Out.' He maintained a live performance schedule into the
1980's, returning to music recording a version of Van Morrison's
'Brown Eyed Girl' for an Evangeline Records tribute album. In 2001 he
released 'Brand New Man', his first new material in almost a quarter
of a century. (soulwalking)
5th.
JUNE
BLACK
HEROES PAST & PRESENT 014:
OLIVER CROMWELL 1753-1853
Liberating
Day-Republic of Seychelles
1894 Black
Invention:
Cotton Chopper, George W. Murray. (sc)
1926
Floyd Butler, singer with Friends of
Distinction is born. The group based in Los Angeles were popular on
the late 60'/early 70's American soul scene with songs like Grazing
In The Grass and I Really Hope You Do. Their musical director was
Billy Osborne, bother of Jeffrey Osborne. (mn-jt-rt)
1946
Freddy Stone,
member of soul band Sly & Family Stone born. Sly & the
Family Stone harnessed all of the disparate musical and social trends
of the late '60s, creating a wild, brilliant fusion of soul, rock,
R&B, psychedelia, and funk that broke boundaries down without a
second thought. Led by Sly Stone, the Family Stone was comprised of
men and women, and blacks and whites, making the band the first fully
integrated group in rock's history. That integration shone through
the music, as well as the group's message. (mn-jt)
1950
Ronnie Dyson soul
singer born in Washington, USA. Dyson played a leading roll in
the Broadway production of 'Hair' Washington, D.C. "(If You Let
Me Make Love to You Then) Why Can't I Touch You" was both Top
Ten R&B and pop in 1970, and "I Don't Wanna Cry" was
also Top Ten R&B that same year. Dyson kept recording for
Columbia until 1978, scoring one more hit in 1976 with a very
different type of song, "The More You Do It (The More I Like It
Done to Me)," a marked departure from the vulnerable, anguished
numbers that had characterized his approach in the past. He moved to
Cotillion in the '80s, but didn't have much success there. Dyson also
was in the film Putney Swope. His final recording was "See the
Clown" in 1990. He died 10/11/90 of a heart attack. (mn-rw)
1973
Doris A. Davis of Compton, California, becomes the first African
American woman to govern a city in a major metropolitan area. (tr-iokts)
1974 Sly
Stone Plights Troth at Madison Square Garden.
Sylvester 'Sly Stone' Stewart married Kathy Sila on stage of New
York's Madison Square Garden before a performance by the group he
led, Sly and The Family Stone. At the end of October, Silva filed for
divorce, and in 1976, Stone filed for bankruptcy. (mn-jt)
6th.
JUNE
BLACK
HEROES PAST & PRESENT 015:
BENJAMIN BENNEKER 1731-1806
1930
Dillard University chartered in New Orleans, La.
1936 Levi
Stubbs, lead singer with The Four
Tops is born. The quartet's line-up has not changed since their
formation in 1954; they are therefore one of the longest lasting
line-ups in the world wide history of the entertainment business. The
Tops were founded in Detroit, initially calling themselves the Four
Aims. There break-through came when Berry Gordy signed them to Motown
in 1964. (mn-bmcd)
1939
Gary 'U.S.' Bonds,
singer born. After moving to the Norfolk, VA, area in the mid-'50s,
young Gary Anderson began plying his vocal wares, first in church,
later with a local group called the Turks. When he was not yet 21, he
was approached by local record producer Frank Guida to join his tiny
Legrand label. Guida changed Anderson's name to U.S. Bonds, hoping
the first release would get extra airplay by disc jockeys mistaking
it for a public-service announcement. The result was the classic
"New Orleans," combining rock-combo raunch with
impassioned, scorched soul-singing that set the stage for all that
would follow. Guida double- and triple-tracked Bonds' voice and the
resulting murky production gave all the hits (including "Quarter
to Three," "School Is Out," and "Dear Lady
Twist") a party-in-outer-space quality all their own. Though he
kept recording, making a couple of excellent solo albums in the early
'80s with the help of Bruce Springsteen, Bonds is best seen today
dotting the landscape of oldies shows the world over, singing the
songs that made him famous. (mn-jt-ck)
1939
Marian Wright Edelman,
first African American woman to be admitted to the Mississippi bar
and founder of the Children's Defence Fund, is born.Marian Wright
Edelman (born June 6, 1939) is the American president and founder of
the Children's Defense Fund. Her thinking was influenced by her
father, Arthur Wright, a Baptist preacher who taught that
Christianity required service in this world and by A. Philip
Randolph. A graduate of Spelman College and Yale Law School, Edelman
worked for the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, the Poor People's March on
Washington, and on a variety of other civil rights and public
interest causes before founding the Children's Defense Fund in 1973.
She was the first black woman admitted to the Mississippi Bar.
Edelman is a recipient of the Silver Buffalo Award, the highest adult
award given by the Boy Scouts of America. Edelman received a LL.D.
from Bates College in 1986. In an interview with Shelly R. Fredman on
AlterNet, Howard Zinn suggests she would make a better Democratic
Presidential Candidate than Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama. (tr-iokts-wickpedia)
1944
The D-Day invasion in Normandy, France is assisted by 320th Negro
Anti-Aircraft Barrage Balloon Battalion.
1939 Richard
'Popcorn' Wylie,
singer/pianist/producer, born, Detroit. Wlylie was a Detroit producer
who had dome some work for Motown (Funky Rubber Band), when he came
to Stax records to produce the Dramatics hits 'Whatcha See Is
Whatcha Get' and 'In The Rain', rocketing the group to
world wide aclaim. He is much loved on the Northern soul scene for
his 'Rosemary what Happened' recording. Popcorn made a
two-hour programme for PCRL at his home with Bill Randle in
1999. (mn-br)
1961
Dee C. Lee, U.K. soul singer born
Diane Sealey was a backing vocalist for the pop group Wham! in the
early 1980s, but she soon left the group to join Paul Weller's new
band, The Style Council. Diane later married Paul Weller and they
have two children, Natalie and Leah. The Style Council were never as
commercially successful as Paul Weller's earlier band The Jam had
been in the U.K. They were shunned by critics, and they never had a
number-one hit, although they did have several top-ten hits in the
U.K. Lee can be heard on the tracks "It Didn't Matter",
"Walls Come Tumbling Down", and "Shout to the
Top", all of which have accompanying videos. She also sang in
the groups Animal Nightlife and Slam Slam, and collaborated with Gang
Starr front man Guru on a single called "No Time to Play".
Lee originally released "See the Day" (subsequently covered
by Girls Aloud), a song written for Paul Weller, in 1985, which
reached number three on the U.K. singles chart. An album consisting
of rare Lee songs is now available. She has a bit part in the film
Rabbit Fever, a sex comedy. More recently appeared with D-Influence '
D-Vas' album in 2002. Other ref: say's born 1964) (mn-wickpedia)
1962
Mark Bright, football player born in
London, England. Played for Sheffield Wednesday and Crystal
Palace. (tr)
1991 [Stan
Getz, jazz saxophonist dies. One of
the all-time great tenor saxophonists, Stan Getz was known as
"The Sound" because he had one of the most beautiful tones
ever heard. Getz, whose main early influence was Lester Young, grew
to be a major influence himself and to his credit he never stopped
evolving. Getz had the opportunity to play in a variety of major
swing big bands while a teenager due to the World War II draft. He
was with Jack Teagarden (1943) when he was just 16 and this was
followed by stints with Stan Kenton (1944-1945), Jimmy Dorsey (1945),
and Benny Goodman (1945-1946); he soloed on a few records with BG.
Getz, who had his recording debut as a leader in July 1946 with four
titles, became famous during his period with Woody Herman's Second
Herd (1947-1949), soloing (along with Zoot Sims, Herbie Steward, and
Serge Chaloff) on the original version of "Four Brothers"
and having his sound well-featured on the ballad "Early
Autumn." After leaving Herman, Getz was (with the exception of
some tours with Jazz at the Philharmonic) a leader for the rest of
his life. (mn-jt-sy)]
2006
Billy Preston,
soul singer dies after his kidney failed. The exuberant keyboardist
who landed dream gigs with the Beatles and the Rolling Stones and
enjoyed his own series of hit singles, including "Outta
Space" and "Nothing From Nothing," died at 59.
Preston's longtime manager, Joyce Moore, said Preston had been in a
coma since November in a care facility and was taken to a hospital in
Scottsdale Saturday after his condition deteriorated. "He had a
very, very beautiful last few hours and a really beautiful
passing," Moore said by telephone from Germany. "He went
home good." Preston, who had battled chronic kidney failure, had
undergone a kidney transplant in 2002, but the kidney failed and he
has been on dialysis treatments ever since, Moore said earlier this
year. Known for his big smile and towering afro, Preston was a teen
prodigy on the piano and organ, and lent his gospel-tinged touch to
classics such as the Beatles' "Get Back" and the Stones'
"Can't You Hear Me Knocking?" He broke out as a solo artist
in the 1970s, winning a best instrumental Grammy in 1973 for
"Outta Space," and scoring other hits with "Will It Go
'Round In Circles," "Nothing From Nothing" and
"With You I'm Born Again," a duet with Syreeta Wright.
(mn-apress))
2007
Kim Tolliver soul singer dies from
Alzheimer's Disease in Cleevland, Ohio, USA. Born Dorothy 'Kim'
Tolliver 21st June 1937, Lebanon, Tennessee. Remebered for 'I
don't know what foot to dance on' in 1975. (soulwalking)
2010
Marvin Isley
bass player with the Isley Brothers & Jasper/Isley/Jasper dies.
Diabeties caused him to have his legs aputated in 1997 and also
his death today. (mn)
7th.
JUNE
BLACK
HEROES PAST & PRESENT 016: JEAN
DE SAPLE 1745-1818
1692
Earthquake destroys Port Royal in Jamaica. (mn-cb)
1892
Black Invention:
Clothes Dryer, George T. Sampson. (sc)
1887
Black Invention:
Relay-Instrument, Granville T. Woods. (sc)
1917 Gwendolyn
Brooks, famous poet, born in Topeka,
Ks. The first African-American to win a Pulitzer Prize, she received
her A.B. from Wilson Junior College in Chicago in 1936 and went on to
teach around the Chicago area. A prolific poet and writer, in 1950
she won the Pulitzer Prize for her verse narrative Annie Allen. In
1968 she was named poet laureate of Illinois, and in 1990 Chicago
State University establised the Gwendolyn Brooks Chair in Black
Literature and Creative writing in her honor. (mn-ss)
1943
Nikki Giovanni,
poet/activist born in Knoxville, Tenn, USA. Much of her poetry deals
with intensely personal themes; draws on jazz and blues for her
rhythms, this makes her readings impressive. (tr-iokts)
1945
Billy Butler,
soul singer with the Enchanters, born. The younger brother of Jerry
Butler, Billy Butler wasn't nearly as well known as his sibling, but
recorded some fine Chicago soul in the '60s. Recording for OKeh under
producer Carl Davis, Butler's mid-'60s singles were quite similar to
labelmates Major Lance's and (less obviously) Curtis Mayfield's as
stellar examples of the finest features of the Chicago soul sound.
Similar to Motown in its full, brassy production, the Chicago brand
was earthier, with stronger tinges of gospel, doo wop, and Latin
influences. Nor was Butler terribly similar to his brother, Jerry,
with a punchier, more up-tempo sound. With backing group the
Enchanters, Billy recorded consistently fine singles for OKeh from
1963 to 1966, scoring R&B hits with "I Can't Work No
Longer" (1965) and "Right Track" (1966). Butler left
OKeh after 1966 and recorded for a variety of labels, denting the
R&B charts with the singles "Get on the Chase" (1969)
and "Free Yourself" (1971). A songwriter of note, he
contributed material to fellow Chicago soul greats Major Lance, Gene
Chandler, and his brother, Jerry. (mn-ru)
1950 Fred
Locks, reggae singer, born Stafford
Elliott today in Kingston, Jamaica. Started recording as a member of
the Lyrics for Coxone Dodd, songs like 'A Get It, Girls Like Dirt,
and 'Hear what the old man say'. He then emersed himself in the Rasta
faith. Most popular songs: Black Star Liners, True Rasta Man and
Sing-a-long. (tr-rt)
1953
[Jonathan (Johnny) Clegg],
born June 7, 1953 in Rochdale (near Manchester), Lancashire, (UK),
is a popular musician from South Africa, who has recorded and
performed with his bands Juluka and Savuka. Sometimes called "The
White Zulu", he is an important figure in South African popular
music history, with songs that mix Zulu and English lyrics, and
African / European / Celtic music styles. (wikipedia)
1958
Prince Roger Nelson, singer is born in
Minneapolis. Few artists have created a body of work as rich and
varied as Prince. During the '80s, he emerged as one of the most
singular talents of the rock & roll era, capable of seamlessly
tying together pop, funk, folk, and rock. Not only did he release a
series of groundbreaking albums, he toured frequently, produced
albums and wrote songs for many other artists, and recorded hundreds
of songs that still lie unreleased in his vaults. With each album he
has released, Prince has shown remarkable stylistic growth and
musical diversity, Known as symbol for a while to obstruct a
recording deal, his first No.1 hit was 'The Most Beautiful Girl in
the World' in 1994. Many followed for him and for the people he
produced. (mn-ste)
2008
Bill Coday dies
aged 66 in Methodist University Hospital, Memphis. Born in Coldwater
Miss, in 1942, moved to Chicago in 1963, later discovered by Denise
LaSelle who owned the Crajon label. (mn)
8th.
JUNE
BLACK
HEROES PAST & PRESENT 017:
PRINCE HALL 1735-1807
1952
The U.S. Supreme Court bans segregation of restaurants in Washington,
D.C., USA. (tr-iokts)
1982
Leroy Satchel Paige, great basketball
pitcher, dies. Enduring, lanky, charismatic, Paige had erned more
than $30,000 a year during the 1930's, an amount that reflected his
value to his Negroe League teams, since it was more than most major
league players were paid. He was also elected to the Hall Of Fame in
1971. (mn-ss)
1966 Doris
May Pearson, singer with Five Star,
born. The UK male/female group's first success came in May, 1985 when
All Fall Down reached No.15 in the UK charts, followed by Let Me Be
The One in July reaching No.18. (also see tomorrow's page headline
from 1990) (mn-jt)
1977
Kanye West, rapper/producer born in
Atlanta, Georgia, to an award-winning photojournalist father and an
English-teaching mother, Kanye West realized his destiny at an early
age. As a child, the future "college dropout" was a gifted
visual artist who, above all, had an affinity for poetry. With these
natural talents, it was only a matter of time before Kanye's talents
crossed paths with his appreciation for hip-hop music. (wickpedia)
1997
American Census Bureau reveals the black population in US has risen
over 4 million since '90 when it was 33.9 million.(mn-voice7/7)
1997
Driver pulled up 34 times sues police.
Read the headline in the Sunday Observer newspaper. PCRL's Cee Jay
has now made the Sunday nationals. It's a story about being a squeaky
clean metro driver with not even a parking ticket to his name, but
the police find it fit to 'stopped-and-search' him over 34 times in 3
years. He says my only crime is being Black! (mn-cj)
2007
Nellie Lutcher singer dies aged
94. b. 15th October 1915, Lake Charles, Louisiana, U.S.A. d. 8th June
2007, Los Angeles, California, U.S.A. Nellie was a singer and pianist
who was popular in the late 1940's and early 1950's. She was born in
Lake Charles, Louisiana to Isaac and Suzie Lutcher. Her father was a
bass player and she learned to play piano. She was the eldest
daughter of 15 children. Her brother was the saxophonist Joe Woodman
Lutcher. Initially, Lutcher played in a big band with her
bass-playing father before moving on to join the Clarence Hart band.
She played clubs on the west coast during the late 30's / early 40's
and signed to Capitol Records in 1947 following an appearance on a
'March Of Dimes' charity show. Her first release, the R &
B-styled 'Hurry On Down', became a US Top 20 hit that same year and
was followed by 'He's A Real Gone Guy', 'The Song Is Ended' and 'Fine
Brown Frame'. The latter was a cover version of an earlier hit by
bandleader Buddy Johnson. Nellie left Capitol in 1952. She later
moved on to Decca, Epic and Liberty Records, recording a highly rated
album, 'Our New Nellie'. However, her popularity had faded, and
during the late 60's and early 70's she took a staff job with the
Hollywood Local Branch of the Musicians' Union, still occasionally
playing clubs and, also, raising her son. Nellie continued to perform
occasionally until the 1990's, enjoying a resurgance of popularity at
the Hollywood Roosevelt Cinegrill and Michael's Pub in New York. The
Bear Family record company in Germany later issued a box set
containing her entire body of work. (soulwalking)
9th.
JUNE
BLACK
HEROES PAST & PRESENT 018: PAUL
CUFF 1759-1817
1877
Meta Vaux Fuller, a leading sculptor,
is born in Philadelphia, USA.
1904
James C. Napier organizes first bank begun by blacks in Tennessee.
1929 Johnny
Ace, singer/piano player, born John
Marshall Alexander Jnr. on this day in Memphis, Tennessee, USA. He
shot himself playing Russian Roulette backstage on Christmas Eve in
1954 in Houston, becoming the first casualty of the Rock 'n' Roll
Era. His first record My song topped the US R&B charts in 1952,
the first of several hits, Pleading My Love was No.1 in 1955. Dies
25/12/54. (mn-dc)
1934
Jackie Wilson
soul singer born in Detroit, Michigan, USA. Jackie Wilson was one of
the most important agents of black pop's transition from R&B into
soul. In terms of vocal power (especially in the upper register), few
could outdo him; he was also an electrifying on-stage showman. He was
a consistent hitmaker from the mid-'50s through the early '70s,
although never a crossover superstar. His reputation isn't quite on
par with Ray Charles, James Brown, or Sam Cooke, however, because his
records did not always reflect his artistic genius. Indeed, there is
a consensus of sorts among critics that Wilson was something of an
underachiever in the studio, due to the sometimes inappropriately
pop-based material and arrangements that he used. Unknown to the
public he was also a womanizer and not that popular with his
contemporary's. In September 1975 Wilson suffers a near fatal heart
attack on stage and lies in a comma for 9 years! He nearly made a
recovery but was not helped because of the legal battles going on at
the time. Life support turned off 21/1/84. (mn)
1953 Errol
Kennedy, drummer/percussionist with
Imagination born. Imagination was a trio from the U.K. that put a
synthesized and often clubby spin on soul groups from the ‘70s.
In fact, a couple of ‘70s groups have direct ties to
Imagination; Lee John and Ashley Ingram spent time during that decade
playing supportive roles in the Delfonics and Chairmen of the Board,
prior to Imagination's formation. Along with drummer Errol Kennedy,
vocalist John and bassist Ingram formed the group in 1981. By the end
of that year, they already had their first album released and a minor
hit in the form of that album's title track, "Body Talk."
The group's second album, 1982's In the Heat of the Night, was their
most successful, spawning a trio of U.S. R&B chart hits in the
form of "Just an Illusion" (#27), "Magic and
Lights" (#52), and "Changes" (#46). The group's
success fizzled until their mid ‘90s breakup (at the time, Leee
John was the only remaining original member), though 1984's "This
Means War" was able to put a dent in the U.S. R&B chart.
John remained active in the entertainment industry, hosting U.K.
television programs and continuing his recording career as a solo
artist and collaborator. (mn-jt-ak)
1959
Mathis' Greatest Jumps to The Top.
The new album at the top of the US charts was Johnny's Greatest Hits
by Johnny Mathis, which set a record ten years later as the album
that had spent most weeks in the Billboard long player listings.
1983
Ragtime composer Scott Joplin is depicted in the U.S. Postal
Service's African American Heritage USA series of stamps. (tr-iokts)
1990
Family Hitmakers Hit Trouble. The
Sunningdale mansion owned by the Pearson family, the five children
of which were the hit group Five Star, was repossessed by bailiffs
after non-payment of the mortgage on the property. With 20 UK hit
singles to their credit including six Top 10 hits in the previous
five years, plus chart topping album, Silk & Steel (1986), many
found this plight hard to credit. (mn-jt)
2005
Hard times for Zimbabwe's new homeless.
BBC News: Some were made to knock down their own homes. The UN says
some 200, 000 Zimbabweans have been made homeless in a two-week
police operation to demolish houses and markets, which the
authorities say are illegal. The opposition says it is punishment for
areas which voted against President Robert Mugabe in elections but
the government says the operation is needed to rid Zimbabwe's cities
of criminal elements. (mn)
2007
Lewis Hamilton has claimed his first grand prix after leading from
the front in an incident-packed race in Montreal. The 22-year-old
black Briton started in pole at the Canadian grand prix and was in
control of the race from start to finish. (mn)
2011
Don Juan Mancha
dies in Detroit. He was the producer/writer behind many Northern soul
classics such as 'Dearly Beloved' by Jack Montgomery & wrote some
of Wilson Pickett early hits. Don made a 90 minute program for PCRL
in 1997. (mn-br)
10th.
JUNE
BLACK
HEROES PAST & PRESENT 019:
JAMES FORTEN 1766-1842
1854
James Augustine Healy, first African American Catholic bishop in the
US, is ordained a priest in Notre Dame Cathedral. (tr-iokts)
1902
Black Invention: G.T. Woods patents the automatic air brake.
1910 Howlin'
Wolf, blues legend, born Chester
Arthur Burnett, West Point, Miss, USA. He was born in West Point, MS,
and named after the 21st President of the United States (Chester
Arthur). His father was a farmer and Wolf took to it as well until
his 18th birthday, when a chance meeting with Delta blues legend
Charley Patton changed his life forever. Though he never came close
to learning the subtleties of Patton's complex guitar technique, two
of the major components of Wolf's style (Patton's inimitable growl of
a voice and his propensity for entertaining) were learned first hand
from the Delta blues master. (died January 10, 1976, Hines, Ill, USA. (mn-rs)
1940
Marcus Messiah Garvey, Pan-Africanise,
dies after a second stroke in Kensington, England. On June 14, 1940
the corpse is embalmed and interred n St. Mary's Roman Catholic
Cemetery, Kensal Green, London. In 1964 his body was exhumed and
taken to Jamaica for hero's honour. Buried in King George VI Memorial
Park with church and state honours. Statue marks tomb. Declared
Jamaica's First National Hero. (mn-tr)
1941
Shirley Alston, born Shirley Owens,
singer with The Shirelles. The Shirelles were the first major female
vocal group of the rock era, defining the so-called girl group sound
with their soft, sweet harmonies and yearning innocence. Their music
was a blend of pop/rock and R&B — especially doo wop and
smooth uptown soul — that appealed to listeners across the
board, before Motown ever became a crossover phenomenon with white
audiences. (mn-jt-sh)
1949
Perry Kibble,
soul singer with Taste Of Honey is born. The group's first single,
"Boogie Oogie Oogie," was inspired by an unresponsive
audience during a date at a military base; Johnson believed the crowd
was chauvinistic toward the group's two female guitar players. The
notorious bass solo intro came about when Johnson was warming up
before the recording session, unaware that she was being recorded.
The single sold more than two million copies and topped Billboard's
charts for three weeks in fall 1978. The follow-up single, the slinky
and funky "Do It Good," went to number 13 R&B and
number 79 pop, and A Taste of Honey went platinum. (mn-jt)
1962
Maxi Priest,
reggae artist born, Max Elliot in Lewisham, London, England.
Christened the "King of Lovers Rock" by his fans, British
reggae star Maxi Priest was one of the most internationally popular
reggae singers since Bob Marley. Priest's pop and modern R&B
influences didn't exactly endear him to reggae purists, but they gave
him a strong crossover appeal that paid off in the trans-Atlantic chart-topper
"Close to You." At times he strayed too far from his
reggae roots to deliver a true stylistic hybrid, but his silky-smooth
voice was ideally suited for light, romantic material, and his best
music was as sensual as it was soulful. He was the eighth of nine
children, born to parents who had emigrated from Jamaica several
years before his birth. His mother was active in the Pentecostal
church, and the family grew up singing gospel music together; Maxi
would later convert to Rastafarianism, upon which point he changed
his name to Maxi Priest. He was working as a carpenter when he was
invited to build speaker boxes for the prominent Saxon International
sound system. (mn-cl)
1967
David Robinson, human beatbox rapper
with Fat Boys is born. One of early rap's most successful acts, the
Fat Boys parlayed a combined weight of over 750 pounds into a comic
novelty act that sustained them through several albums and hit
singles. Originally known as the Disco 3, Brooklynites Mark
"Prince Markie Dee" Morales, Damon "Kool Rock-Ski"
Wimbley, and Darren "Buff the Human Beat Box" Robinson won
a talent contest at Radio City Music Hall in 1983, thanks in part to
Robinson's talent for using his mouth to improvise hip-hop rhythms
and a variety of sound effects. The trio changed their name and
recorded a series of good-time party anthems and songs humorously
exploiting their weight; their first few records were produced by
Kurtis Blow and feature fusions of hip-hop with reggae and rock. The
Fat Boys hit their commercial peak with 1987's platinum LP Crushin',
a collection of entertaining party tunes that included a hit
collaboration with the Beach Boys, "Wipeout." The group
took the opportunity to star in the comedy film Disorderlies that
year. Coming Back Hard Again essentially repeated the formula of
Crushin'; the cover this time was "The Twist (Yo' Twist),"
which featured backing from Chubby Checker. However, audience tastes
were changing, and the Fat Boys' gimmicky novelty act was quickly
becoming passé. The group tried to expand their artistic and
street credibility with the ill-advised "rap opera" On and
On, which promptly stiffed and prefaced the group's breakup. Prince
Markie Dee recorded a solo album in 1992 and went on to a successful
R&B songwriting/producing career. Robinson died of a heart attack
in December 1995. (mn-jt)
1982
Adie Harris, singer with The Shirelles
dies. The Shirelles were the first major female vocal group of the
rock era, defining the so-called girl group sound with their soft,
sweet harmonies and yearning innocence. Their music was a blend of
pop/rock and R&B — especially doo wop and smooth uptown soul
— that appealed to listeners across the board, before Motown
ever became a crossover phenomenon with white audiences. (mn-jt)
1991
David Ruffin (ex-Temptation) was buried. Aretha Franklin and Stevie
Wonder sang in the congregation and the bill for the funeral was paid
by Michael Jackson. (he had died: 1/6/91 suspiciously)
1998 Driver
wins appeal. Read the headline
in the Birmingham Evening mail. Cee Jay who had a squeaky Clean
diving licence until November 24, 1997 when he was convicted for
failing to stop and give his name and address. Had now had this
conviction squashed after a successful appeal against it. He's
squeaky clean again! (mn-cj)
2006
Kevin Phelps dies.
Many appeals were launched to help him incuding PCRL-Web site. Three
donor sessions were held to find a match for Kevin Phelps. A former
British karate champion awaiting a bone marrow transplant to treat
his myeloid leukaemia has died. Kevin Phelps, 38, a computer engineer
from Aston in Birmingham, was being treated at Sandwell General
Hospital on Saturday when he died. More than 1,000 black people came
forward in three donor sessions in the attempt to find a match for Mr
Phelps. The appeal for donors widened from Birmingham to Coventry in
March as time passed without success. Mr Phelps was diagnosed in
October 2005 and had undergone three bouts of chemotherapy in the
space of five months. Despite the large turnout for the donor
sessions, only around 15,000 registered bone marrow donors are of
African, African Caribbean or Mixed Parentage descent. Robert Spigel,
from the Anthony Nolan Bone Marrow Trust, renewed his appeal for more
members of the different communities to register as potential donors.
Mr Spigel said: "It's difficult for black and other ethnic
minority patients to find a match because of the huge variety of
tissue types. "That's why we always urge many black and ethnic
minority people aged 18-40 to come and join the Anthony Nolan Bone
Marrow Trust register - either for people like Kevin or the many
thousands of other patients who do need a bone marrow
transplant." (mn-bbc)
11th.
JUNE
Tony
Roots - PCRL presenter's birthday
BLACK
HEROES PAST & PRESENT 020:
DENMARK VESEY 1767-1822
1912 Black
Invention:
Player Piano, Joseph H. Dickinson. (sc)
1920
Hazel Dorothy Scott,
pianist/singer who put "swing in European classical music",
born in Port of Spain, Trinidad. Though she didn't call it third
stream, and it wasn't associated with the genre, Hazel Scott was
another musician who found a successful way to blend jazz and
classical influences. Scott took classical selections and improvised
on them, a practice dating back to the ragtime era. Such numbers as
"Hungarian Rhapsody, no. 2" (Liszt) backed by "Valse
in D Flat Major, op. 64 no. 1" (Chopin) were audience favorites,
even if some critics suggested they smacked of gimmickry (which
sometimes they did). Scott was also a good bebop soloist, nice ballad
interpreter, fair blues player, and underrated vocalist. Her
nightclub act was often more appealing than her albums, where the
absence of mitigating circumstances like an audience and club setting
resulted in her compositions getting more scrutiny than they could
stand. Scott studied classical piano at Juilliard from the age of
eight, while also playing jazz in clubs. She became an attraction at
downtown and uptown branches of Cafe Society in the late '30s and
early '40s. Scott had her own radio show in 1936, appeared on
Broadway in 1938, and was in five films during the '40s, among them
Rhapsody in Blue. She wrote such songs as "Love Comes
Softly" and "Nightmare Blues." Scott later had her own
television show and was married to Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. Their
highly visible, high-profile relationship degenerated under the heat
of a nationwide obsession with Powell's activities, influence, and
behavior, finally ending in divorce. Scott recorded for Decca,
Signature, Tioch, and Columbia, but made her finest jazz album for
Charles Mingus' Debut label, Relaxed Piano Moods, in 1955. Mingus and
Max Roach joined Scott on this session. It's her only date currently
available on CD.
1934 James
'Pookie' Hudson, singer with the
Spaniels is born. The Spaniels are best known for their massive 1954
hit, "Goodnight, Sweetheart, Goodnight" (number five
R&B). They were the first successful Midwestern R&B group,
coming from Gary, IN, by way of Chicago. Lead vocalist James
"Pookie" Hudson was a graceful lead singer who influenced
many who came after him, most notably Aaron Neville. They were also
one of the first (if not the first) R&B groups to perform with
the lead singer on one microphone and the rest of the group sharing
another. (mn-jt)
1947
Glenn Leonard,
singer with Temptations, is born. After Damen Harris exited in 1975
he was replaced by tenor Glenn Leonard, the group cut 1976's The
Temptations Do the Temptations, their final album for Motown. With
Louis Price taking over for Dennis Edwards, they signed to Atlantic,
and attempted to reach the disco market with the LPs Bare Back and
Hear to Tempt You. Over the years the group has had over 20 members! (mn-jt)
1947
Eric Donaldson, reggae artist Eric
Donaldson was born in Kent Village, Jamaica, and launched his music
career in 1964 when he recorded some tracks for Studio One in
Kingston, which have remained unreleased. Shortly thereafter,
Donaldson formed the vocal outfit the West Indians along with Leslie
Burke and Hector Brooks. The group hooked up with producer J.J.
Johnson, who helped guide the group to a hit in 1968, "Right on
Time," before recording for Lee Perry a year later; they changed
their name to the Killowatts shortly thereafter. But the name change
failed to ignite the group's career and they eventually split up
after such obscure releases as Slot Machine and Real Cool Operator.
Donaldson decided to continue to pursue music on his own, which led
to him submitting an original composition, "Cherry Oh Baby,"
to the Festival Song Competition in 1971. The song took the top spot
at the competition, eventually being issued as single and becoming a
local hit. The song would reach a wider audience when it was covered
by rock artists, including the Rolling Stones (on their 1976 Black
and Blue release) and UB40 (1983's Labour of Love). Donaldson
continued to issue albums. Donaldson runs the Cherry Oh Baby Go-Go
Bar in his hometown of Kent Village. (mn-cl-gp)
1960
Tony Roots
(PCRL DJ) born. "I have been a DJ since 1974 while still at
school so i guess you could call me a veterian. I have played at many
many gigs over those years you can emagine the amount. Bacically i am
an all rounder when it comes to entaining the crowd. You have to know
what tune to select and when to select a perticular tune. My
specialist field in music is Reggae Music, roots music, hence my name
Tony Roots. This name was choosen to reflect the music i wanted to be
primiliary associated with as a DJ. I have also been a musician
playing with a reggage outfit i formed along with my friends back in
the mid eaighties, the band was called "General
Information". We toured the country and did a memorable gig in
Frankfut Germany which will stay in my memory forever. Check
out for my radio shows on New Style Radio 98.7fm. Lock on at
www.newstyleradio.co.uk, Mondays 10am - 12pm (myspace.com/djtonyroots)
1968
Black Invention:
Antenna Feed for Two Coordinating Tracking Radars James E. Lewis. (sc)
1977/88 A
Good Day for the Marley's. In
1977, Exodus by Bob Marley & Wailers entered the UK album
chart, eventually becoming the group's first Top 10 LP. A decade
later, the group fronted by Ziggy Marley & the Melody Makers,
scored their first UK hit song with Tomorrow's People. Sadly Ziggy's
father was unable to see his son's triumph, as Bob had died of cancer
in 1981. (mn-jt)
1988 Nelson
Mandela Birthday Bash. Jerry
Dammers, leader of The Specials (or The Special AKA, as they were
known at various points in their career), was the prime mover behind
a concert at London's Wembley Stadium staged to celebrate the 70th
birthday of African National Congress leader Nelson Mandela, who had
been imprisoned in South Africa since 1962. (mn-jt)
2005
Jennifer Lara,
reggae singer dies aged 52 in a Kingston Public Hospital after she
suffered a brain haemorrhage. Best rememberd for 'Concider Me',
which was recorded on Delroy Wilson's 'I Don't Know Why' riddim.
(mn- echoes)
12th.
JUNE
BLACK
HEROES PAST & PRESENT 021:
DAVID WALKER 1785-1830
1930
Barbara Harris, first female bishop in Episcopal church, is born in
Philadelphia, Pa, USA. (tr-iokts)
1944 Maurice
Jackson of the soul group the
Independents born in Chicago, Illinois, USA. Among the more
interesting male/female vocal groups, the Independents made some
outstanding singles in the early '70s. Chuck Jackson, Maurice
Jackson, Helen Curry, and Eric Thomas specialized in almost
melodramatic, overwrought, but perfectly performed love songs. Their
first single for Wand, "Just as Long as You Need Me," set
the stage in 1972, reaching number eight on the R&B charts. They
topped those charts in 1973 with "Leaving Me," while
"Baby I've Been Missing You" made it to number four. They
never had any song attract much pop support, but soul fans loved the
lyrical scenarios and group interplay. Their last hit was "Let
This Be a Lesson to You" in 1974, another R&B Top Ten hit.
Jackson and Yancy went on to attain success as a
production/songwriting team, scoring hits with Ronnie Dyson and
Natalie Cole. (mn-cl-rw)
1948
Lyn Collins,
soul singer with James Brown Review is born. For the first half of
the 70's JB projected her as the female preacher. She also sang
background for him and he secured her a solo deal with the People
label (via Polydor), and wrote and produced her 1972 release 'Think
(about it).' This song was much revived on the UK rare groove scene
in the mid-80's where it was sampled and eventually re-released.
(some ref-books say 12/7/48) Dies in hospital after choking while
eating a meal 2005. (mn-jt)
1963
Medgar Evers, civil rights leader
slain in Jackson, Ms, USA. His alleged murderer, a white racist named
Byron de la Beckwith, went free after two juries in the 1960's could
not agree a decision, but Beckwith was tried again and convicted in
1994. (born 1925) (mn-tr-bl)
1964
Nelson Mandela sentenced to life imprisonment after conviction for
"sabotaging" the South African government.
1967
Thurgood Marshall is the first African American appointed to the
United States Supreme Court by President Johnson. (tr-bl)
1972
Bounty Killer,
reggae artiste, born Rodney Price, Reverton City, Jamaica, West
Indies. Bounty Killer was one of the most aggressive dancehall stars
of the '90s, a street-tough rude boy with an unrepentant flair for
gun talk. There were many other facets to his music —
condemnations of corrupt authority, collaborations with hardcore
hip-hop artists, tributes to his mother, an ongoing DJ rivalry with
Beenie Man — but his main persona was so dominant that many fans
instantly associated him with his more violent material. (mn-cl)
13th.
JUNE
BLACK
HEROES PAST & PRESENT 022:
NAT TURNER 1800-1831
1893
Black Invention: Mop patented by Thomas W. Stewart. (sc)
1937
Eleanor Nolmes Norton
born, the first woman to chair the Equal Employment Opportunity
Commission. (tr-bl)
1942
James Carr
singer born in Memphis, Tennessee, USA. One of the greatest pure
vocalists that deep Southern soul ever produced, James Carr is often
mentioned in the same breath as Otis Redding, Percy Sledge, and
Aretha Franklin in terms of the wrenching emotional power in his
delivery. Or at least he is by hardcore soul aficionados; despite
producing several classic R&B singles and some of the most
intense country-soul ever waxed, Carr never achieved the pop
crossover success that could have made him a household name, and his
material wasn't always as distinctive as that of Stax artists.
(d.7/1/01 cancer)(mn)
1957 Fly
Ty, co-producer of the first rap radio
show, co-founder of Cold Chillin' Records, worth $25 million in 1986,
from Brooklyn, USA, real name Tyrone Williams is born. (mn-ms)
1968 Deniece
Lisa Maria Pearson, singer with Five
Star is born. This family quintet from Britain featured lead vocalist
Deniece, plus Stedman, Doris, Lorraine, and Delroy Pearson. Their RCA
debut single, "All Fall Down," reached 16 on the R&B
charts, while "Let Me Be The One" started a string of Top
10 hits. It was their biggest, reaching number two; "Love Take
Over" and "Can't Wait Another Minute" were the others.
They also landed "If I Say Yes" and "Are You Man
Enough" in the Top 20. The released a comeback LP in 1994, and
continued recording into the new millennium. (mn-jt)
1972 Clyde
Mc Phatter original singer with the
Drifters dies in New York after a heart attack brought on by alcohol
abuse. For three years he was the lead singer in the seminal R&B
group, Billy Ward & His Dominoes. He left in 1953 to form the
Drifters, whose early releases were enhanced by the singer's
emotional, gospel drenched delivery. In 1954 Mc Phatter was drafted
into the US army, where he entertained fellow servicemen. Such work
prompted a solo career. (mn-jt-cl)
1980
Dr. Walter Rodney,
political leader of Guyana, killed.
2000
Ankovia and Tuggstar make their first programme on PCRL it's an
edutainment/talk format b/w 8-10 on a Tuesday night. (mn)
2005
Michael Jackson Not Guilty.
A jury in a Saint Maria court, California found Jackson not guilty
of 10 charges, that included child molestation and under-age
drinking. (mn)
2006
Freddie Gorman,
singer with The Originals, songwriter and producer: born Detroit 11
April 1939; married (one son); died Palmdale. Freddie Gorman of the
Originals - the group often described as Motown's best kept secret -
has died aged 67. He also issued several solo singles showcasing his
deep, mellow voice, and co-wrote many songs, including 'Please Mr
Postman'. (br)
14th.
JUNE
BLACK
HEROES PAST & PRESENT 023:
WILLIAM STILL 1821-1902
1927 Black
Invention:
Process of producing Paints and Stains, George Washington Carver.
During World War II he also found over 500 shades of dye to replace
aniline dies imported from Germany. He discovered a 100 products from
a sweet potato. (hear BHPAP 53)(sc-ra)
1931
Junior Walker, saxophonist/singer with
Jr. Walker & The All-Stars born Autry DeWalt II on this day (even
though Motown gave his birth date as 1942), in Blytheville, AR. (Some
accounts list his birth name as Oscar G. Mixon, which was then
changed at some point during his early childhood.) In early 1965,
they scored their first big hit with the dance tune
"Shotgun," which marked Walker's vocal debut; in fact, the
only reason he sang the song was that the vocalist he'd hired didn't
show up for the session, and he was somewhat flabbergasted by the
label's decision to leave his vocal intact. A steady stream of mostly
instrumental R&B chart hits followed, including "Do the
Boomerang," "Shake and Fingerpop," and "How Sweet
It Is (To Be Loved by You)" (Walker was, naturally, encouraged
to record instrumental versions of Motown hits). Walker toured all
his life but Unfortunately, in 1993 his activities were severely
curtailed by cancer, which claimed his life on November 23, 1995. In
the wake of his death, Billy "Stix" Nicks continued to tour
with a version of the All-Stars. (interview from 1972 in Nold
achieve) (mn-cl)
1951
Paul Yaw Boateng
born. He is a British Labour Party politician. He became the UK's
first black Cabinet minister in May 2002 when he was appointed as
Chief Secretary to the Treasury. He was Member of Parliament (MP) for
Brent South from 1987 to 2005, and is the current British High
Commissioner to South Africa. (nationmaster)
1959
Marcus Miller, Jazz/R&B bassist,
born, Brooklyn, NY., USA. Primarily a bassist, multi-instrumentalist
and producer Marcus Miller has worked on hundreds of sessions —
crossing jazz, R&B, and rock — and has released several solo
recordings since his late '70s beginnings with Bobbi Humphrey and
Lonnie Liston Smith. Despite the many hats he has worn —
improviser, interpreter, arranger, songwriter, film-music composer,
bassist, clarinetist, saxophonist — none of them have been put
on for the sake of the whim. Never one to merely get his feet wet,
Miller has been a utility player in the most extreme and prolific
sense. (mn-ed)
1962
Hugh Mundell, reggae artiste born,
Kingston, Jamaica, West Indies. With the tragic murder of Hugh
Mundell, who was shot and killed while sitting in a car with Junior
Reid, in 1983, reggae lost one of its most promising young
performers. Mundell's 1975 debut album, Africa Must Be Free By 1983,
produced by Augustus Pablo, remains a classic roots reggae recording.
In a review of the album, www.reggaeexpress.com wrote,
"(undell's) singing style and soothing voice will lull you into
tranquility if you let it." Mundell was still a teenager when he
teamed with influential producer Joe Gibbs to record a
still-unreleased single, "'Where Is Natty Dread." His first
break came when he was hired as a DJ for Augustus Pablo's Rockers
sound system. His debut single, "Africa Must Be Free," was
released in early 1975. Mundell also recorded several 12"
singles as Jah Levi. Beginning in 1979, Mundell took over the
production of his own recordings. He also produced the debut album,
Speak the Truth, by "Little" Junior Reid, on Pablo's label,
Rocker. A dub version of Africa Must Be Free By 1983 was released in
1989. (ch)
1970
Chris Dickerson, body builder, becomes the first black Mr. America.
1989
Congressman William Gray is elected Democratic whip of the House of
Representatives, the highest leadership position in Congress held
thus far by an African American. Born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, he
studied at Drew Theological Seminary. He preached in New Jersey and
in Philadelphia (1964-1978). As a Congressman from Philadelphia
(1979-1991), Gray seved as Chairman of the House Budget Committee
(1985-1989) and then as a Democratic whip (1989-1991), and then he
retired from Congress to become the president of the United Negro
College Fund. (mm-ss-tr-iokts)
1998
Jamaica's football team the Reggae Boyz play Croatia in Jamaica's
first World Cup game ever! - they lost 3-1. (mn)
15th.
JUNE
BLACK
HEROES PAST & PRESENT 024:
HARRIET TUBMAN 1826?-1913
1330
The Black Prince is born to Philippa, daughter to William of
Hainault, a Lord in part of what is now Belgium. She was the Black
wife and Queen to King Edward the III. Giving rise to African blood
in British royal ancestry. (read: King George III, John Brooke and
Black Presence in the UK). (mn-bb7)
1877
Henry O. Flipper becomes the first black to graduate from West Point.
1897 Black
Invention:
Train Alarm, Richard A. Butler. (sc)
1944
Eddie Hinton, guitarist, born Edward Craig Hinton in Jacksonville,
Florida, USA. His reputation is built mainly around his session work
with the Muscle Shoals house band, playing for Aretha Franklin,
Wilson Pickett, Otis Reading, Elvis Presley, Percy Sledge, Joe Tex
and many more between 1967-71. Dies July 28, 1985. (mn-cl)
1968 Wes
Montgomery, jazz guitarist dies. Born
March 6, 1923, John Leslie Montgomery. He was inspired as a child to
take up the guitar after hearing records by Charlie Christian. Nearly
20 years old at the time, he taught himself to play by adapting what
he heard on records to what he could accomplish himself. Developing a
quite method of playing that would not disturb his neighbours, using
the soft part of the thumb instead of a plectrum or the fingers.
(mn-cl) kid. (mn-jf)
1969
Ice Cube, angry young gangsta rapper
from South Central L.A., USA, real name O'Shea Jackson, his mother
named him O'Shea after O.J. Simpson; his brother named him Ice Cube
because he was a cool.
1988 PCRL
presents a cheque for £1500 to Birmingham Children's Hospital.
Photograph appears in local press. Pictured PCRL staff presenting
cheque to Birmingham Children Hospital. Six men and three women
standing outside a building , presenting a cheque. Notes on back of
photograph; ''Rt to left: Auntie Bubbles, Chicken George, Jacko
(behind), Crazy G, Dr. Mike Pendergrass, Lady Dee, George Franklyn,
Calypso Rose'' read
newspaper article (mn)
1997
Inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in Canastota,
New York: Tom Molineaux (1784-1821) and non-participant Don King. (mn-ring)
16th.
JUNE
BLACK
HEROES PAST & PRESENT 025:
SOJOURNER TRUTH 1797-1883
1941
Lamont Dozier soul
singer/writer/producer born in Detroit, USA. Schooled in the
blossoming vocal group scene of the late 50's, Lamont Dozier sang
alongside several Motown notables in the Romeos and the Voice Masters
during 1957-58. He befriended local songwriter and producer Berry
Gordy around this time, and was one of Gordy's first signing's when
he launched the Motown label at the end of the decade. He was
persuaded to join a production team with Brian Holland and his
brother Eddie (Holland/Dozier/Holland). There team work never seamed
to fail to achieve hits for Motown. (mn)
1942
Eddie Levert singer with the O'Jays
born on this day. Eddie Levert sang lead on classic million-selling
hits by Philly soul group the O'Jays. They were a part of the artist
roster of Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff's Philadelphia International
Records. Levert could handle both emotion-soaked ballads,
sweat-inducing dance numbers, and thought-provoking message songs
with equal aplomb. The singer also co-wrote songs for the O'Jays and
others. More recently he has had many fine solo albums. (mn)
1958
Patrick Waite, singer with reggae band
Musical Youth born. The success that was predicted for teenaged ska
and reggae band Musical Youth when their pro-marijuana single
"Pass the Dutchie" sold more than four million copies in
1982 failed to come to fruition. Within three years, the band, who
featured vocalist Dennis Seaton, keyboardist Michael Grant, and the
Waite brothers — Patrick, who played bass and Freddie Junior,
who played drums — had gone their separate ways. (mn-jt)
1964
Chris Bart Williams,
football player born in Freetown, Sierra Leone. Played for Sheffield
Wednesday and Leyton Orient. (tr)
1970
Kenneth Gibson is the first African American to be elected mayor of
an eastern city (Newark, N.J., USA) (tr-iokts)
1971
2 Pac, urban rebel rapper, from Bronx;
Baltimore; Oakland, USA, real name Tupac Amaru Shakur, born today.
The son of two Black Panther member, 2Pac became the unlikely martyr
of gangsta rap, and a tragic symbol of the toll its lifestyle exacted
on urban black America. At the outset of his career, it didn't appear
that he would emerge as one of the definitive rappers of the '90s
— he started out as a second-string rapper and dancer for
Digital Underground, joining only after they had already landed their
biggest hit. Unfortunately, the gangsta lifestyle he captured in his
music soon overtook his own life. While his celebrity was at its
peak, he publicly fought with his rival, the Notorious B.I.G., and
there were tensions brewing at Death Row. Even with such conflicts,
however, 2Pac's drive-by shooting in September 1996 came as an
unexpected shock. On September 13, six days after the shooting, 2Pac
passed away, leaving behind a legacy that was based as much on his
lifestyle as it was his music. (mn-ms)
1976 Anniversary
of Soweto student riots in South Africa.
700 school children killed and 4,000 injured. Black students in
Soweto protested against the Afrikaans Medium Decree of 1974 which
forced all black students to learn the Afrikaans language and to be
taught secondary school mathematics, social sciences, geography and
history in the language. Punt Janson, the Deputy Minister of Bantu
Education at the time, was quoted as saying: "I have not
consulted the African people on the language issue and I'm not going
to. An African might find that 'the big boss' only spoke Afrikaans or
only spoke English. It would be to his advantage to know both
languages."' The decree was resented deeply by blacks as
Afrikaans was widely viewed, in the words of Desmond Tutu, then Dean
of Johannesburg as "the language of the oppressor". The
resentment grew until April 30, 1976, when children at Orlando West
Junior School in Soweto went on strike, refusing to go to school.
Their rebellion then spread to many other schools in Soweto. The
students organised a mass rally for June 16, 1976 to hopefully make
themselves heard by the Bantu Education System. In a BBC/SABC
documentary broadcast for the first time on June 15 2006, surviving
leaders of the uprising described how they planned in secret for the
demonstration, surprising their teachers and families (and the
apartheid police) with the power and strength of the demonstration. (drum/wickpedia)
17th.
JUNE
BLACK
HEROES PAST & PRESENT 026:
FREDRICK DOUGLAS 1817-1895
1849 Thomas
Ezekiel Miller, congressman born in
USA. (tr-iokts)
1871
James Weldon Johnson,
writer of Lift Every Voice (1900), born in Jacksonville, Florida,
USA. Not only a novelist but also a poet, NAACP official and
diplomat, Johnson left a lasting impression on the cultural and
social life of the Negro in America. The poem Lift Every Voice and
Sing when set to music became an anthem during the early forties. His
strikingly dramatic poem God's Trombones (1927) may still be heard
recited from stages in high schools and colleges in the South. In
1916 he joined the NAACP and many years was it's secretary. Among his
many achievements their were: sparking the drive behind the Dyer
Anti-Lynching Bill in 1921; leading the fight against the lily-white
primary which made it iligal for Negroes to be denied participation
in southern primary elections. (hear BHPAP 131)
1775
American War of Independence began with the Battle of Bunker Hill.
(hear GNPAP Peter Salem: 013). (mn)
1991
The apartheid system in South Africa officially came to an end with
the repeal of the Population Registration Act of 1950. (mn-tx)
1998
The chief of police publicly apologises to the family of the racist
murder case victim Stephen Lawrence over their incompetence. (mn)
2005 New
Archbishop of York appointed. BBC
News: The Bishop of Birmingham, the Rt Rev John Sentamu, has become
the Church of England's first black archbishop. The Ugandan-born
cleric takes over as Archbishop of York from Dr David Hope who quit
in February to become a parish priest in Ilkley, West Yorkshire.
Bishop Sentamu said his appointment to the second-highest post in the
Church of England was "an exciting prospect". He added that
the Church needed to regain its vision and confidence and be ready to
take risks. At a news conference, Bishop Sentamu said he looked
forward to working with the Archbishop of Canterbury Dr Rowan
Williams to spread the Christian message. "It is imperative that
the Church regains her vision and confidence in mission, developing
ways that will enable the Church of England to reconnect
imaginatively with England." Asked if this meant the Church had
lost its way in recent years, he responded: "We just need to
reconnect, we just need to revitalise ourselves, we just need a fresh
vision." Dr Williams welcomed the news and praised the bishop's
efforts to combat racism. Bishop Sentamu worked on inquiries into the
1993 racist killing of Stephen Lawrence and the stabbing of Nigerian
schoolboy Damilola Taylor in 2000. (mn)
2007
Lewis Hamilton a Black British racer wins his 2nd Grand Prix in
a row in the USA. (mn)
2007
Elias Blake Jr., dies. A
leading advocate for blacks in higher education and a former
president of Atlanta's Clark College. Emerging as a national leader
on education issues, he advised both President Nixon and President
Carter on the needs of blacks in higher education. In search of
ways to motivate disadvantaged high school students, Blake in the
1960s helped create Upward Bound, the federal program aimed at
recruiting low-income and first-generation college students. He
became the program's Southeast deputy director, guiding its efforts
on 15 campuses. (mn- a-press)
18th.
JUNE
BLACK
HEROES PAST & PRESENT 027: JAMES BECKWOURTH 1797-1867
1889 Black
Invention: Child's Carriage, William
H. Richardson. (sc)
1953
Egypt becomes a republic, after forced abdication of King Farouk I.
1935
Tommy Hunt soul
singer with three UK hits between '75 -'76 and popular with Northern
Soul fans, born on this day in Pittsburgh, Pa, USA. Tommy Hunt's
recording career began at age 20, when he cut singles with his first
group, the Five Echoes, in 1953. It was five years later, however,
that he made his greatest mark on popular music, rock & roll, and
R&B, as a member of the Flamingos from 1958 thru 1961. Those
years coincided with the group's being signed to End Records, and the
release of their biggest, most identifiable hit, "I Only Have
Eyes For You" — Hunt's dramatic background singing, coupled
with the restrained piano backing , made it one of the transcendant
documents of '50s R&B. He can also be seen singing lead in a
killer jump-blues performance in the juke-box movie classic Go,
Johnny, Go, as the group (back to a five-piece) mimes to their End
recording of "Jump Children." Hunt left the Flamingos in
1962 and signed as a solo artist with Florence Greenberg's Scepter
Records in New York. Greenberg reportedly wasn't impressed with Hunt
as a singer or an individual, but Luther Dixon, the company's chief
of A&R and general music director, loved Hunt's voice, providing
him with "Human," which became a No. 5 R&B hit in late
1961. Hunt continued with the label for another three years, until
1964, cutting a complete album (I Just Don't Know What to Do with
Myself) in late 1962. In late 1963, following the departure of Dixon
from Scepter, Ed Townsend became the company's music director, and
one of his very first productions was Tommy Hunt's recording of
Townsend's "I Am a Witness," which featured Bernard Purdie
on drums and Mickey Baker on guitar, with Hunt's vocals backed up by
the Shirelles, Dee Dee Warwick, and the Sweet Inspirations. The
single was Hunt's last chart entry for the label, reaching No. 71.
Hunt left Scepter in 1964, and later moved to the Dynamo label, for
which he charted a single in 1967. He later moved to Europe, and
continues to perform in Germany and other Central European countries
in the 1990's. (mn-allmusic)
1966
Samuel Nabrit is the first African American scientist to serve on the
Atomic Energy Commission. (tr-iokts)
1997
Uncle Sam Travel Ltd. closes it's doors after 27 years of chartered
flights to Jamaica from England. (mn)
1997 Devon
Russell reggae vocalist dies at 6:45
pm on this day of cancer. Part of Devon & Lloyd who had success
with Red Bum Ball and Conquering Ruler on the Hop label. Devon
Russell's birthplace and date are as much a mystery as the gaping
holes in his recording career. The sweet swinging reggae man began
with the Tartans, a mid-'60s rock steady vocal group comprised of
Russell, Prince Lincoln Thompson, Linbergh "Preps" Lewis,
and Cedric Myton; they disbanded after their 1967 hit "Dance All
Night" (Federal Records).He soloed from then on, interrupted
only by a short stint as Cultural Roots' lead singer, with whom he
waxed Money, Sex and Violence for Runn Records. His first solo album
Bible and Gun was produced by Coxson Dodd for Sweet Music Records in
1982, the title track hit in Jamaica. House of Reggae Records treated
music fans with Darker Than Blue in 1996, a poignant tribute to
Curtis Mayfield that's destined to be Devon's most successful album.
Most of Russell's accomplishments are uncredited and undocumented. He
succumbed to a brain tumor June 18, 1997 a year after the release of
Darker Than Blue. His Tartans' bud Prince Lincoln Thompson, aka
"Soxs" ("Saxs" in Jamaica) expired the beginning
of 1999 shortly after being diagnosed with lung cancer. (mn-echos-sb/pd-tr)
2007
Richard 'Kush' Griffith died. (trumpet
player - worked with James Brown, Bootsy's Rubber Band, The Brides of
Funkenstein, Maceo And All The King's Men, Parliament, Funkadelic and
The Horny Horns) (b. 8th August 1948, Louisville, Kentucky, U.S.A.) (soulwalking)
2009 Mary
Seacole memorial announced. The design for a memorial statue
dedicated to the nurse and Crimean War heroine Mary Seacole has been
chosen. Artist Martin Jennings created the winning sculpture, which
will stand in the grounds of St Thomas' Hospital in central
London. The Jamaican-born nurse was voted the greatest Black
Briton of all time in a poll in 2004. The statue is expected to be
erected at its London location by the end of 2010 or early 2011.
The Mary Seacole Memorial Statue Appeal was set up to create a
permanent reminder of the 19th Century nurse. In 1854, she approached
the War Office asking to be sent as an army nurse to the Crimea where
there were known to be poor medical facilities for wounded soldiers.
She was refused but funded her own trip to the Crimea where she
established the British Hotel near Balaclava to provide comfortable
quarters for sick and convalescent officers. The Jamaican-born woman
was voted the greatest black Briton of all time. She also visited the
battlefield, sometimes under fire, to nurse the wounded, and became
known as "Mother Seacole". Baroness Amos, the chair
of the Mary Seacole Memorial Artist Selection Panel, said she richly
deserved to be recognised. "People in - not just the black
community, but in ethnic minority communities generally - will feel
very pleased because it's like a real recognition of the contribution
that we have made to Britain's history. "Britain's history
has been diverse for generations and we need to recognise and
understand that." Miss Seacole, who rivalled Florence
Nightingale for her feats in the Crimean War, was the daughter of a
Scottish soldier and Jamaican mother. Mr Jennings said: "She'll
be facing Big Ben and marching towards the river - a wind, as it
were, coming off the river - representing in some ways perhaps the
wind of the resistance that she had to push against constantly in
order to achieve what she wanted to achieve with her vocation.
"This is a wonderful location." (bbc)
19th.
JUNE
BLACK
HEROES PAST & PRESENT 028:
ALEXANDER CRUMMELL 1819-1898
1865
Juneteenth,
is considered the date when the last slaves in America were freed.
Although the rumors of freedom were widespread prior to this, actual
emancipation in Texas did not come until Gen. Gordon Granger rode
into Galveston and issued General Order No. 3 on June 19, almost 2
1/2 years after President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation
Proclamation. Several states, including Texas, now recognize
Juneteenth as a state holiday. (detroit free press)
1893
News of the Emancipation Proclamation reaches the South and Texas
through Gen. Gordon Granger. (tr-iokts)
1926 Oprey
Colour Blind. The first black musician appeared on Nashville's
Grand Ole Opry show when De Ford Bailey, a harmonica player, made his
debut. Forty years later, the most successful black country performer
ever, Charley Pride, achieved a similar feat. (mn-jt)
1939
Al Wilson, soul singer is born in
Meridian, Mississippi, USA. Best remembered for the soul
classic "Show and Tell," . From childhood forward he was
singing professionally, and by the age of 12 was leading his own
spiritual quartet and singing in the church choir, even performing
covers of country and western hits as circumstances dictated. While
he was in high school, Wilson and his family relocated to San
Bernadino, California, where he worked odd jobs as a mail carrier, a
janitor, and an office clerk, in addition to teaching himself to play
drums; after graduation he spent four years touring with Johnny
Harris and the Statesmen before joining the U.S. Navy and singing
with an enlisted men's chorus. After a two-year military stint,
Wilson settled in Los Angeles, touring the local nightclub circuit
before joining the R&B vocal group the Jewels; from there he
landed with the Rollers, followed by a stint with the instrumental
combo the Souls. In 1966, Wilson signed with manager Marc Gordon, who
quickly scored his client an a cappella audition for Johnny Rivers
— the "Secret Agent Man" singer not only signed Wilson
to his Soul City imprint, but also agreed to produce the sessions
that yielded the 1968 R&B smash "The Snake." The minor
hit "Do What You Gotta Do" appeared that same year, but
Wilson then largely disappeared from sight until 1973, when he issued
the platinum-selling Weighing In — the album's success was
spurred by the shimmering "Show and Tell," a Johnny Mathis
castoff that sold well over a million copies. (mn-jt)
1948 Bini
Brown born, Pan-Africanist, member of
The African Self Help Organisation, formed in 1964 better known as
104 Heathfield Road, Birmingham. Bini has been involved with helping
the youth of Handworth over many years. A strong supporter of PCRL
and other local radio over the years and through fund raising has
helped both PCRL and the Community in many ways. (tr-ct)
1953
Larry Dunn,
with soul group Earth Wind and Fire is born. Earth, Wind & Fire
were one of the most musically accomplished, critically acclaimed,
and commercially popular funk bands of the '70s. Conceived by
drummer, bandleader, songwriter, kalimba player, and occasional
vocalist Maurice White, EWF's all-encompassing musical vision used
funk as its foundation, but also incorporated jazz, smooth soul,
gospel, pop, rock & roll, psychedelia, blues, folk, African
music, and, later on, disco. (mn-jt)
1959
Mark De Barge, soul band member with
Debarge. Groomed to be the heirs to the Jackson 5 throne in the early
'80s, DeBarge mirrored the Jacksons early success with a string of
hits, but were unable to sustain their winning streak. Originally
formed in 1978 and hailing from Grand Rapids, MI, the quintet was
comprised of four brothers (Eldra, Mark, James, and Randy) and one
sister (Bunny). (mn-jt)
1960
Dennis Fuller, soul singer with The
London Boys is born. (mn-jt)
1962
Bill Russell, basketball player for Boston Celtics, named Player of
the Year.
1970
D-Nice,
street beat, friendly rhymes rapper from Harlem, Bronx, USA, real
name Derrick Jones is born. D-Nice became Boogie Down Productions' DJ
after the death of Scott LaRock (the man who discovered him), prior
to group's second album, By All Means Necessary. However, his first
production was actually "Self Destruction," the single
released by the Stop the Violence Movement; the project, put together
by KRS-One and the DJ, featured Big Daddy Kane, Doug E. Fresh, and MC
Lyte. Born Derrick Jones, D-Nice left BDP in 1990, after the
Edutainment album, to go solo. Call Me D-Nice, released in 1990 on
Jive, featured a pair of Billboard rap-chart hits in "Call Me
D-Nice" (number one) and "Crumbs off the Table"
(number 17). Unlike KRS-One, his lyrical content was rarely
politically charged, but "Glory" took a look at the black
man's role in the Civil War. The less-successful To tha Rescue
followed the next year. After that, he took on occasional production
duties for the likes of LeShaun, Nuttin' Nyce, and Hi-Five. (mn-ms)
1995
A Richmond, Va., planning commission approves plans to place a
memorial statue of tennis professional Arthur Ashe. (tr-iokts)
2006 Josephine
Baker: The First Black... ...Superstar.
Documentary about the iconic black entertainer who was a pioneer in
every sense of the word and whose impact on the cultural history of
the twentieth century was profound, broadcast on BBC2. (mn)
2006
Melvin H. Watson,
who trained civil rights leaders, dies at 98. The Rev. Melvin H.
Watson, who influenced Martin Luther King Jr. and helped train other
civil rights leaders. Watson, who lived in Atlanta, died at Crawford
Long Hospital, said Walter Earl Fluker of Atlanta, executive director
of the Leadership Center at Morehouse College and Watson's
son-in-law. As senior pastor of Liberty Baptist Church in Atlanta and
a religion professor at Morehouse College, Morehouse School of
Religion and the Interdenominational Theological Center, Watson
exerted a quiet influence for more than half a century. Many of his
students became civil rights leaders. Former students include the
Rev. Dr. Robert Michael Franklin Jr., presidential distinguished
professor at Emory University's Candler School of Theology; the Rev.
Dr. Otis Moss Jr., pastor of Olivet Institutional Baptist Church in
Cleveland, and the Rev. Dr. Calvin O. Butts III, pastor of the
Abyssian Baptist Church in New York City. "He was one of the
great teachers of his generation, and his teaching skills and
mentoring capacity was as comprehensive outside the classroom as in
the classroom," Moss said. When King was studying at Boston
University and pastoring at Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in
Montgomery, Ala., he turned to Watson for advice, Fluker said. In a
series of letters, Watson critiqued King's views of socialism and
philosophy and recommended books to read, Fluker said. "In one
letter, King is bragging about his new programs at Dexter and Watson
writes back - I paraphrase - 'the abundance of activity is a smoke
screen for effective ministry.' He counseled King to slow down and
take care of his people," Fluker said. That philosophy
characterized Watson's years at Liberty Baptist, said his daughter,
Sharon Michelle Watson Fluker of Atlanta. "His sermons were
thoughtful, reflective and solidly biblically based. He called for
the listener to be an active thinker. He asked how the Word could be
part of your life and your service to others." (ap)
20th.
JUNE
BLACK
HEROES PAST & PRESENT 029:
ROBERT SMALLS 1839-1915
1858 Charle
Waddell Chestnut, first African
American writer in U.S. to receive critical literary acclaim, is
born. (tr-iokts)
1894
Lloyd Augustus Hall is
born in Elgin, Illinois, USA. Recognised for his work
revolutionising the meat packing industry.
1901
Charlotte M. Manye of South Africa becomes the first native African
to graduate from an American university.
1936 Billy
Guy, soul singer with The Coasters is
born. The group was formed in 1955 from remnants of the Robins. Lots
of comic R&B hits in the late 50's produced by Leiber and
Stoller. The group was inducted in the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame in
1987. (mn-jt)
1949 Lionel
Richie singer with the Commodores
until he went solo in 1980, born on this day in Tuskegee, Alabama,
USA. He grew up on the Tuskegee campus where he formed a succession
of 60's R&B groups. In 1968 he became lead singer/saxophonist for
the Commodores. They became America's most popular soul group of the
70's, with Richie writing many of there classic hits. (mn)
1960
Chris Gibson, of soul band The Gibson
Brothers, is born in Martinique in the French West Indies and lived
most of his life in Paris, France. In 1976 the group signed with the
Zagora label, 7 top 100 hits followed over the next three years. (mn-jt)
1983
Walter Jackson,
soul singer dies. Crippled by polio as a child, spent much of his
life on crutches. This disability imbued his work with a greater
pathos. 'It's All Over' was his first R&B hit in 1964, a Curtis
Mayfield penned ballad. He died of a cerebral haemorrhage. (mn-bp)
1991
Little Willie Anderson, harmonica
player, dies, Chicago, Ill. He built up his style and stage presence
almost exclusively from that of his idol, Little Walter Jacobs.
Anderson eventually ended up working for him when he toured Chicago
clubs. (mn-rs) 1997 Lawrence Payton, singer and the founder
member of the Four Tops dies at 3.00 a.m. this morning aged 59 from
bone cancer. They first sang together at a party in Detroit in 1954.
Calling themselves the Four Aims they began in supper clubs with a
repertoire of jazz standards. In 1964 Berry Gordy signed them to his
Jazz Workshop label, the
label soon folded but they
had 18 Top 20 hits until they left for ABC-Dunhill in 1972. Later
success was less forth-coming. (mn-cl)
2001
John Lee Hooker, the blues legend
dies in his sleep. Born August 17, 1920 in, Clarksdale, Mississippi,
USA. He was beloved worldwide as the king of the endless boogie, a
genuine blues superstar whose droning, hypnotic one-chord grooves
were at once both ultra-primitive and timeless. But John Lee Hooker
recorded in a great many more styles than that over a career that
stretched across more than half a century. (mn-br)
2006
Claydes Charles Smith,
(A.K.A. Claydes E.X. Smith) died, born 6th September 1948, Jersey
City, New Jersey, U.S.A. died in Maplewood, New Jersey, U.S.A. After
a long illness, Charles Smith of the group Kool and the Gang. He was 57.
21st.
JUNE
BLACK
HEROES PAST & PRESENT 030:
HIRAM REVELS 1822-1901
1859 Henry
O. Tanner, renowned painter, born.
1932
O.C. Smith soul
singer born Ocie Lee Smith Mansfield, Los Angeles, USA. O.C. Smith
began as a jazz vocalist and later moved into country and R&B.
The Louisiana vocalist was hired to replace Joe Williams in Count
Basie's band in the early '60s after cutting some unsuccessful
records for Cadence and others in the '50s. He sang with Basie's band
from 1961 to 1963. Following a period where he sang country and even
had a hit with "Son of Hickory Holler's Tramp," Smith moved
into soul. His biggest hit was "Little Green Apples," which
was number two on both the pop and R&B charts in 1968. His other
big R&B single was "Daddy's Little Man," which reached
number nine in 1969. Smith stayed on Columbia until 1974, but didn't
score any more big records. He moved to Caribou in 1976 and recorded
later for Shady Brooks, Family, Motown, and Rendezvous. In 1985 he
began to balance his work in the recording studio with his new
passion for Christian ministry, but despite the fact that he founded
his own church in Los Angeles, The City of Angels Church of Religious
Science, he continued to perform and record until the time of his
death on November 23, 2001. (mn-allmusic)
1936
Clay Hammond, singer born in Roseback,
Texas, USA. Hammond may be best remembered as the author of Little
Johnny Taylor's huge soul hit, "Part Time Love." He was
also a decent Sam Cooke-style soul singer in his own right, however,
who recorded for various labels in the 1960s. His most well-known
efforts from that time are the four singles he did for Kent between
1966-69. These mixed Southern soul, gospel, and blues styles, yet
also had a somewhat lighter and poppier production aura than much
Southern soul, perhaps because they were recorded in Los Angeles. All
eight songs from these 45s, as well as eight others that were
recorded but not released in the 1960s, appear on the Ace CD Southern
Soul Brothers, which also includes ten tracks recorded for Kent
around the same time by fellow soul vocalist Z.Z. Hill. Hammond
recorded sporadic singles and albums for various labels after the
1960s, in addition to singing in the lineups of groups such as the
Drifters and the Rivingtons on the oldies circuit. (mn-cl-allmusic)
1941
Mitty Collier, soulstress born in
Birmingham, Alabama, U.SA. Winning WGES DJ Al Benson's Talent Contest
at the legendary Regal Theater for six weeks straight, she was
offered a record contract by Ralph Bass of Chess Records in 1960. Her
first charting single was an answer record to Little Johnny Taylor's
"Part Time Love," a number one R&B smash in summer
1963. Collier's "I'm Your Part Time Love" b/w "Don't
You Forget It" hit number 20 R&B in fall 1963. Her next hit
became her signature song. Inspired in part by gospel great James
Cleveland's "I Had a Talk With God Last Night" and produced
by Chess staff producer Billy Davis, "I Had a Talk With My
Man" b/w "Free Girl (In the Morning)" hit number three
R&B on Cashbox Magazine's R&B chart in fall 1964. Another hit
inspired by Cleveland ("No Cross No Crown"), "No
Faith, No Love" b/w "Together," peaked at number 29
R&B in early 1965. In 1969, Collier signed with Peachtree
Records of Atlanta, GA and released the singles "True Love Never
Comes Easy" and "You Hurt So Good" b/w "I Can't
Lose." Her other releases are the single "Let Them
Talk" and the U.K. CD Shades of Genius. In 1972, Collier left
secular music and began singing gospel music. In the '90s, she was a
minister at a church in Chicago. (mn-cl-allmusic)
1946
Brenda Holloway soul singer born in
Atascadero, Californium, USA. In 1997 Brenda visited the UK and
recorded a two hour programme for PCRL, it was an exclusive one-off
interview with Bill Randle. One of the sexiest singers on the Motown
label, Brenda Holloway was also one of its grittiest, with a strong
gospel influence more typical of Southern soul than the company's
usual polish. Best known for her ballad hit "Every Little Bit
Hurts," Holloway also recorded (and co-wrote) the original
version of "You've Made Me So Very Happy," which soon
became a hit for jazz-rockers Blood Sweat & Tears. (mn-br)
1990
Nelson Mandela Day took place in USA, with a concert staring Tracy
Chapman, Judy Collins, Ritchie Havens and others. (mn-jt)
1995
The U.S. Senate votes against the nomination of Dr. Henry W. Foster
in his bid for the post of surgeon general. (tr-iokts)
2000
DJ Chris Coxone broadcasts his first programme on PCRL it was
'Mix-up show' and went out b/w 10-12pm on a Wednesday evening. He's
now found on New Style radio. (mn)
22nd.
JUNE
BLACK
HEROES PAST & PRESENT 031:
BLANCHE BRUSE 1841-1897
1898 Black
Invention: Postmarking
& Cancelling Machine, William Barry.(sc)
1909
Katherine Dunham,
Mother of Afro-American Dance, dancer, choreographer, born in
Chicago, Illinois, USA. She founded her own dance company in the 30's
she was the dance director for the Works Progress Administration's
Chicago Theatre Project. Her first commercial success was the musical
Cabin in the Sky (1940), in which she had done all the choreography. (mn-ss)
1937
Joe Louis beats J. Braddock, he's World Heavyweight Boxing Champion.
1948
The former navel troop ship the SS Empire Windrush was the the first
of many to arrive at Tilbury docks, Essex from Jamaica. At a cost of
£28.10, bringing 492 Jamaicans to live in this country. By 1998
over 500,000 people from the Caribbean now live in Britain. (mn-ts)
1958 Ruby
Turner, is born in Montego Bay,
Jamaica. Ruby moved to England in 1967. Initially it was her thespian
talents that brought her to prominence, as she appeared in numerous
plays and musicals before joining the Crescent Theatre. However,
discouraged by the lack of opportunities in her chosen career, she
elected to concentrate on her singing. Debut single was Every Soul,
but she's best remembered for I'd Rather Go Blind (1987). (mn-cl)
1963
Little Stevie Wonder Storms US Chart at 13.
1995
Nigeria's former military ruler Gen. Olusegun Obasanjo and his chief
deputy are charged with conspiracy to overthrow Gen .Sami Abacha's
military government. (tr-iokts)
2006
Charlie Sifford a Golf legend to get
degree honour. St Andrews University
has a history honouring sports personalities. Charlie Sifford, the
American golfer who defied racism to become an inspiration for a
generation of young players, is to gain an honorary degree. Mr
Sifford will be made a Doctor of Laws at St Andrews University on
Thursday afternoon. He was the first African-American to challenge
the US Professional Golf Association's Caucasian-only clause by
joining the professional tour in 1960. The 84-year-old endured death
threats and racial slurs during his career. It is absolutely
fitting that this man, his unique character, his dignity and his gift
to golf should be honoured by St Andrews in St Andrews. Dr Brian
Lang, principal and vice-chancellor of the St Andrews University,
said Mr Sifford would be attending a graduation ceremony at Younger
Hall beginning at 1430 BST. He said: "Charlie Sifford is a
pioneer of the civil rights era whose career exemplifies courage,
determination and the will to succeed in the face of substantial
prejudice and adversity. "He changed the landscape of
sport and his story is one which should challenge and inspire us all.
"It is absolutely fitting that this man, his unique character,
his dignity and his gift to golf should be honoured by St Andrews in
St Andrews. "We are delighted that he has accepted our offer of
an honorary degree and will be with us at graduation." Charlie
Sifford is described by Tiger Woods as his "honorary
grandfather". He won the Hartford Open in 1967 and two years
later took the Los Angeles Open. He played 422 events on the PGA tour
and made 399 cuts. Although he was the top black player on tour in
the 1960s, he was never invited to play in The Masters. (mn-bbc)
23rd.
JUNE
BLACK
HEROES PAST & PRESENT 032:
ROBERT B. ELLIOTT (1842-1884)
1899
Pvt. George Wanton is cited for bravery at Tayabacoa, Cuba, in the
Spanish-American War. (tr-iokts)
1903
The Black-American show 'Dahomey' was being staged at the Shaftesbury
Theatre. The company comprised one hundred members, with Bert
Williams and George Walker in the principle parts. So successful was
this break from the minstrel convention that members of the cast were
invited to perform at a garden party held for the ninth birthday of
the King's eldest grandson Edward (later Prince of Wales). (mn-sb)
1904 Willie
Mae Ford Smith born. (tr-bl)
1940
Wilma Rudolph is born in Clarksville
Tenn, USA. She becomes the first woman to win three gold medals in a
single Olympiad (in Rome)
1944
Rosetta Hightower, singer with The
Orlons is born. A predominantly female group from Philadelphia, the
Orlons had some dance and novelty gems in the early '60s for
Cameo-Parkway. Lead vocalist Rossetta Hightower, Marlena Davis, Steve
Caldwell, and Shirley Brickley scored with "The Wah Watusi"
in 1962; it was a number five R&B and number two pop hit, while
the follow-ups, "Don't Hang Up" and "South
Street," were also Top Ten R&B and pop successes. "Not
Me" was their fourth consecutive R&B Top Ten winner in 1963,
and it peaked at number 12 pop. It was also their last, although
"Cross Fire!" reached number 19 on the pop charts. But
their other singles fizzled, and Davis and Caldwell left in 1964,
replaced by Audrey Brickley. When Hightower moved to England in 1968,
the Orlons disbanded. (mn-jt)
1948
Jamaicans Arrive to Seek Work.
Read the headline in The Times Uk, the article said: 'Of the 492
Jamaicans who arrived at Tilbury on Monday to seek work in this
country, 326 were housed last night in Clapham South deep Shelter.
The remainder had friends to whom they could go with and prospects of
work. The men had arrived at Tilbury in the ex-troopship Empire
Windrush. Among them are singers, students, pianists, boxers
and a complete dance band. Thirty or forty have already
volunteered to work as minors'. (mn-ts)
1957
Lee John, member of UK soul band
Imagination is born. Imagination was a trio from the U.K. that put a
synthesized and often clubby spin on soul groups from the ‘70s.
In fact, a couple of ‘70s groups have direct ties to
Imagination; Lee John and Ashley Ingram spent time during that decade
playing supportive roles in the Delfonics and Chairmen of the Board,
prior to Imagination's formation. Along with drummer Errol Kennedy,
vocalist John and bassist Ingram formed the group in 1981. By the end
of that year, they already had their first album released and a minor
hit in the form of that album's title track, "Body Talk."
The group's second album, 1982's In the Heat of the Night, was their
most successful, spawning a trio of U.S. R&B chart hits in the
form of "Just an Illusion" (#27), "Magic and
Lights" (#52), and "Changes" (#46). The group's
success fizzled until their mid ‘90s breakup (at the time, Leee
John was the only remaining original member), though 1984's "This
Means War" was able to put a dent in the U.S. R&B chart.
John remained active in the entertainment industry, hosting U.K.
television programs and continuing his recording career as a solo
artist and collaborator. (mn-jt)
1975
John Joseph Akar dies
in Kingston, Jamaica.
1963 Vince
Phillips IBF Junior Welterweight
World Champion Boxer is born. Record: 38-3 (27). Best wins: Kostya
Tszyu; Mickey Ward and Freddie Pendleton. He lives in Las Vegas,
Nevada, USA. (mn-ring)
1976
Patrick Vieiri,
6'4", 13.0 footballer born in Dakar, Senegal. Club Honours: PL
'98; FAC'98. International Honours: France: 9. Arsenal paid AC Milan
£3,500,000 for him on 14/8/96. (bh-mn)
1990
American producer/songwriter Maurice Starr has seven acts with whom
he had been or still was associated in the Top 100 of the US chart:
Perfect Gentlemen, Ana, New Kids On The Block, Seiko and Donnie, Bell
Biv Devo, Johnny Gil and Bobby Brown. (mn-jt)
1996
Archbishop Desmond Tutu retired after 10 years with South
African Anglican Church. Nelson Mandela attended the ceremony in Cape
Town. (mn-tx)
2006
Andrew Hawkins supposed ancestor to Sir John Hawkins, slave
trader from the 14th Century apologises for slavery to a crowd of
25,000 in a stadium in Gambia. (mn-bbc)
24th.
JUNE
BLACK
HEROES PAST & PRESENT 033:
RICHARD H. CAIN (1825-1887)
1692 Kingston
Jamaica was founded on this date in 1692.
It is the capital and chief port of Jamaica, an island nation in the
West Indies. Kingston lies on the southeast coast of Jamaica, at the
northern end of a nearly landlocked harbor. The city serves as the
cultural, commercial, and industrial heart of Jamaica. Principal
industries include food processing, oil refining, and the production
of cement and other building materials. Kingston was founded after an
earthquake destroyed the nearby city of Port Royal. Kingston replaced
Port Royal as the commercial center. In the mid-1700's, the British
rulers of Jamaica declared Kingston a free port, one of a few ports
in the British West Indies where foreign ships could trade. Kingston
became the capital in 1872. Kingston has suffered a number of natural
disasters, including hurricanes in 1880, 1951, and 1980; a fire in
1882; and an earthquake in 1907. Much of the city has been destroyed
and rebuilt several times. Today, Kingston covers an area larger than
many Caribbean islands and has both wealthy and poor communities. Its
population is 104,041 metro areas and 524,638 overall. It is the home
of Reggae music. (aareg)
1869
Mary Ellen, Mammy Pleasant, Abolitionist, officially becomes Voodoo
Queen in San Francisco.
1896
Booker T. Washington is the first African American to receive an
honouree M.A. degree from Harvard University. (tr-iokts)
1933 Apollo
Theater opens.
Located at 253 West 125th Street in central Harlem, New York City,
The Apollo Theater was the most important venue in Black show
business from the 1930s through the 1970s, when waning popularity
caused it financial problems. The theater itself began its life in
1913 as Hurtig and Seamon's Music Hall, a venue frequented by white
vaudeville acts that entertained predominantly white crowds until the
1930s. Sidney Cohen purchased the theater in 1933 and renamed it the
Apollo, replacing the vaudeville fare with black entertainment. The
Apollo's first show in 1934, Jazz a la Carte, featured Benny Carter's
big-band and helped to solidify the theater's new role as the City's
primary African-American performance venue, overshadowing the Lincoln
and Lafayette theaters. With live broadcasts that featured the Duke
Ellington and Count Basie orchestras, the Apollo became a mecca for
jazz bands in the 1930s and 1940s. By the 1950s, the Apollo Theater
was the nation's top stage for established black artists and the
Apollo's famous Amateur Night, in which unknown performers had their
talent assessed by the notoriously raucous Harlem audience, had
become a springboard for numerous careers. Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah
Vaughan, and Pearl Bailey, for example, were all early Amateur Night
winners, and later acts like the Jackson 5 and Stevie Wonder also
enjoyed their first major exposure at the Apollo. As musical styles
changed, the theater evolved with the times, booking rhythm and
blues, gospel, funk, soul and hip-hop acts, and hosting landmark
performances by artists like James Brown. During the 1970s the Apollo
steadily lost money, forcing its closure in 1977. Its declaration as
a national historic landmark in 1983 secured the building's survival,
but efforts to make it a viable performance house throughout the
1980s failed. The theatre was taken on by a nonprofit
organization in 1991, which intended to make the theatre a
significant part of Harlem's 125th street renewal. (aareg)
1942 Garland
Green, soul singer born in Dunleath,
Mississippi, USA. Green used most of his distinctive baritones,
plaintive with blues feel, to create a marvellous body of typical
Chicago-style uptown soul during the late 60's and early 70's. He
came to Chicago in 1958, and found work in the corn-starch factory
while singing at weekends in local clubs. He was discovered by Jo
Armstead in 1967, he made his mark with Girl I Need You, but it
failed to chart, fame came later with Jealous Kind of Fellow, which
went to No. 3 on the R&B chart in 1969. (mn-cl)
25th.
JUNE
BLACK
HEROES PAST & PRESENT 034:
JOHN R. LYNCH (1847-1939)
1908 Beatrice
Murphy, editor and author, born.
1935
Eddie Floyd a founder member of the
Falcons and later solo artist for Stax Records, born on this day in
Montgomery, Alabama, USA. He was on both Falcon's hits 'Your So
Fine'(1959) and 'I Found A Love'(1962). His first single for Stax
Records was 'Things Get Better'(1965), best remembered though for his
1966 hit 'Knock On Wood'. (mn)
1939 Harold
Melvin, singer with The Bluenotes
born in Philadelphia, USA. The Bluenotes began as a doo-wop group. In
1960, they enjoyed a minor hit 'My Hero', but failed to make a
breakthrough even after some excellent singles. By the end of the
decade only Melvin and Bernard Wilson still remained, but with new
members there fortune changed also the drummer, Teddy Pendergrass
started to singing. They were signed by producers Gamble and Huff
with Philadelphia International Records, the hits started coming
initially with 'You Don't Know Me By Now' (1972), followed by 'The
Love I Lost' (1973), and 'Where Are All My Friends' (1974).
Pendergrass now wanted equal billing but was refused and left the
group. A couple of hits for ABC Records followed but by the 1980's
the group had no recording contract. Melvin Died after a stroke and
long illness 27/3/97. (mn-cl)
1941
US President Franklin D. Roosevelt issues Executive Order No. 8802,
forbidding racial bias in war industries and government service.
(Roosevelt helped African-Americans fight the Depression in a variety
of fields and departments. In fact the number of Blacks employed by
the government rose from 50,000 at Roosevelt's first election in 1932
to nearly 200,000 by the end of World War II.) (tr-iokts-ss-mn)
1953
Dillinger,
reggae DJ, born Lester Bullocks, Kingston, Jamaica, West Indies. In
1971 he commenced his career as a DJ, working on the sound systems of
Prince Jackie and El Brasso where he initially imitated U-Roy, Dennis
Alcapone and Big Youth, before forging his own style. His 'Cocaine on
My Brain' was popular in Europe and the USA and the follow-up
'Marijuana on My Brian' (1979), became No.1 in Holland. (mn-cl)
1984
The Purple Rain album by Prince broke the record for quantity of
sales in a single day when a reported 1.3 million copies crossed the
counters within 24 hours. (mn-jt)
1998 Miss
Irie dee-jay and sister of singer
Tipa Irie shot in the head by robbers & lays in a coma for
several days before dying. (mn-echoes)
2006
[Arif Mardin],
Atlantic Records' Turkish born producer dies. b. 15th March 1932,
Istanbul, Turkey. Studio manager, arranger and producer Arif Mardin
has died from pancreatic cancer. He was 74. Mardin worked with Aretha
Franklin, The Rascals, Dusty Springfield, Patti Labelle, Roberta
Flack, Hall & Oates, Average White Band, Anita Baker, George
Benson, Diana Ross, Chaka Khan, and Laura Nyro. Mardin, who started
his career in 1963 at Atlantic Records, a company founded by fellow
Turks Nasuhi and Ahmet Ertegun. He retired from Atlantic in 2001 to
set up his own label at EMI, Manhattan Records, where he nutured the
likes of, newcomer on the scene, Norah Jones. Mardin produced about
60 golden and platinum albums and won countless awards, 12 of them
Grammys. Mardin studied economics at Istanbul University and at the
London School of Economics. Mardin and his wife moved to the United
States in 1956 and he graduated from Berklee in 1961, where he taught
for one year before moving to New York, which had been his home ever
since. He will be buried in his native Istanbul next week, his family
said in a statement. Arif is survived by his wife Latife, son Joe,
and daughters Julie and Nazan. (mn-soulwalking)
2006
Knight and Walker honoured by Queen.
Soul singer Beverly Knight, and veteran actor Rudolph Walker were
among those awarded gongs in the Queen’s Birthday Honours,
writes Letitiah Obiri. The honours, announced in celebration of
the Queen’s 80th birthday, rewarded contributions to the arts,
business and charity work. MOBO winner Knight was awarded an MBE for
her charity work with Christian Aid, of which she is an ambassador.
She has travelled to Third World countries many times to raise and
promote awareness of poverty. The singer, who grew up in
Wolverhampton, said: ‘I’m surprised and honoured to be
recognised in this way for what I do. ‘The best reason for
accepting this award is knowing how thrilled and proud my family, who
have given me so much love and support, will be to see me get
it.’ (new nation)
2009 Michael
Jackson had a heart attack and dies
in hospital. The singer was not breathing when paramedics arrived at
his Bel Air home at about 1230 (1900GMT), media reports say.
Unconfirmed reports on TMZ entertainment website say the 50-year-old
star has died. The paramedics performed CPR on Jackson as the
ambulance took him to the UCLA medical centre, officials say. Crowds
have begun to gather outside the facility, whose emergency centre has
been roped off by police. The star was due to begin a series of
comeback concerts with an appearance at London's O2 arena on 13 July.
He has a history of health problems and has not completed a concert
tour in 12 years. (bbc news)
26th.
JUNE
BLACK
HEROES PAST & PRESENT 035:
JEFFERSON LONG (1836-1900)
Independence
Day in the Democratic Republic of Madagascar and The Republic of Somalia
1893
Big Bill Broonzy, blues
songwriter/singer, born, Scott, Miss, USA. (died August 15, 1958,
Chicago, Ill, USA.) (mn-rs)
1940
Billy Davis Jr.,
singer with The Fifth Dimension is born.The Fifth Dimension's unique
sound lay somewhere between smooth, elegant soul and straightforward,
adult-oriented pop, often with a distinct flower-power vibe. Although
they appealed more to mainstream listeners than to a hip, hardcore
R&B audience, they had a definite ear for contemporary trends;
their selection of material helped kickstart the notable songwriting
careers of Jimmy Webb and Laura Nyro, and their biggest hit was a
medley from the hippie musical Hair, "Aquarius/Let the Sunshine
In." (mn-jt)
1943
Jean Knight, soul singer is born. Jean
Knight's only big hit was a monster — the sassy funk classic
"Mr. Big Stuff," one of the largest-selling singles ever
released by the legendary Stax label. A native of New Orleans, Knight
made her first recordings for producer Huey P. Meaux's Jet Stream and
Tribe labels during the mid- to late '60s (many of her sides were
later collected on West Side's Blue Soul Belles, Vol. 2). Her success
largely confined to the immediate area, Knight was working as a baker
when she went to Malaco Studios in Jackson, MS, for a session with
veteran producer Wardell Quezerque in 1970. The key track, a spirited
putdown of male arrogance called "Mr. Big Stuff," was
shopped to Stax Records, who passed on it at first. However, after
King Floyd's "Groove Me" (another Malaco recording) went
gold, Stax reconsidered and released "Mr. Big Stuff" in
1971. It was an enormous hit, spending five weeks at number one on
the R&B charts and falling one slot short of the same position on
the pop side. Despite a strong accompanying album of the same name
and some similarly gritty follow-up singles (which included "You
Think You're Hot Stuff" and "Carry On"), Knight
couldn't manage to duplicate the success of "Mr. Big Stuff,"
and quickly faded from the soul scene. (mn-jt)
1952
The African National Congress begins its Defence of Unjust Laws
campaign in South Africa.
1955
3,000 delegates demonstrate for equal rights, Kliptown,
Johannesburg. 1973 Marsha Hunt brought a paternity suit
against Mick Jagger. (mn-jt)
1993 Roy
Campanella, legendary catcher for
Negro leagues and the Los Angeles Dodgers, dies. An automobile
accident put "Campy" in a wheelchair, but nothing ever put
a damper on his spirit. He started his baseball career at the age of
15, The hall of Fame (1969) catcher was the natural leader of the
Brooklyn Dodgers from 1948 to 1957, taking them to five penants. He
hit a total of 242 home runs, was an All-Star eight times, and was
named Most Valuable Player three times (1951, 1953, 1955). In
retirement, he continued to personify baseball's greatness, touring
an talking to fans. (tr-iokts-ss-mn)
1998
Jamaica beats Japan 2-1 in the World Cup Football in France. (mn)
2001
Four youths are charged with the murder of Damiola Taylor in October
of 2000. (mn)
27th.
JUNE
BLACK
HEROES PAST & PRESENT: 036: JOHN
MERCER LANGSTON (1829-1897)
1858
William Wells Brown writes the first play written by a black to be published.
1872
Paul Laurence Dunbar, prominent poet
and writer is born in Drayton, Ohio, USA. Son of former slaves,
Dunbar was a precocious child who began to write poems at the age of
six. In 1893 he published his first book of poetry, Oak And Ivory. (mm-tr-iokts-ss)
1893
Crystal Bird Fauset, the first black
woman legislator, is born in Princess Anne, Maryland.
1905
Ruby Middleton Forsythe born. (tr-bl)
1935
Byron Lee, reggae artiste born in
Jamaica, West Indies. Lee along with his manager, Ronnie Nasralla,
put together the Dragonaires in 1956 and worked as a support act for
touring singers including Harry Belafonte, and their debut single
'Dumplings' in 1960 was the first release on the UK's Blue Beat
label (Dragon's Breath in JA). He did much to promote the ska-beat
sound. In 1969 Lee bought out the old WIRL set-up and established
Dynamic Sounds as the best equipped and most popular studio in the
Caribbean. He still records these days but only soca. (mn-cl)
1953 Louis
Risbrook, member of B.T. Express is
born. This funk-disco group was formed by Jeff Lane in Brooklyn
during the '70s. They started in 1972 as the King Davis House
Rockers, and later were called the Brooklyn Trucking Express. The
roster consisted of saxophonist/vocalist Bill Risbrook, percussionist
Dennis Rowe, guitarist Rick Thompson, saxophonist/flutist Carlos
Ward, keyboardist Michael Jones (Kashif), lead guitarist/vocalist
Wesley Hall, drummer Leslie Ming, bassist, organist and vocalist
Louis Risbrook, and vocalist Barbara Joyce Lomas. Their debut LP Do
it ('Til You're Satisfied) had two number-one R&B and Top Ten pop
hits in the title cut and "Express." Subsequent LPs yielded
two more R&B Top Ten singles, "Give It What You Got/Peace
Pipe" in 1975 and "Can't Stop Groovin' Now, Wanna Do It
Some More" in 1976. After 1977's "Shout It Out," which
cracked the R&B Top 20 (number 12), the group slumped with the
album Shout! They were off the charts until 1980. They made a slight
comeback that year with B.T. Express 1980, though only the single
"Give Up the Funk (Let's Dance)" made it into the Top 40
(number 24). They later recorded for Record Shack, Earthtone, and
King Davis, but couldn't duplicate their earlier success. Kashif
scored hits as a producer, performer, and composer in the '80s. (mn-jt)
1970 Anthony
Rochester, reggae artist born,
Kingston Jamaica, West Indies. His initial involvement in the music
scene was with Neville Lee's sound system. Under the guise of Fire,
he performed with Lee's until an argument ended the association;
shortly afterwards, Rochester embraced Rastafari. He then met Garnet
Silk and together they wrote the singers debut 'You're gonna need
love'. (mn-cl)
1971
New York's major rock dedicated auditorium the Fillmore East, closed. (mn-jt)
1991
U.S, Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall announces his retirement.
1997 UK
Soul singer Mark Morrison is released from prison.
He had been found guilty of 'threatening a police officer', with a
stun gun. He was locked up in May. He had a hit with The Return of
the Mack'. (mn)
2001
Last day for bids for a Malcolm X post card from 1955, bids of
between $4,500 - $5,000 are invited (£2,500-£3,000!). It
reads in full: "As Salaam Alaikum, you can tell by the territory
I've covered that Islam is speeding.. Hold fast to it. Bro. Malcolm
X" (odyssey)
2008
Nelson Mandela's 90th Birthday Celibrations at Hyde Park London.
With Wil Smith, Razorlight, Leona Lewis & Amy Winehouse as guest
performers. (mn)
2009
Fayette Pinkney
(The Three Degrees) dies. b. Fayette R. Pinkney, 10th January 1948,
Lansdale, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.A. d. 27th June 2009,
Lansdale, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.A. Fayette Pinkney, of the
group The Three Degreees has died. She was 61. She passed away from
acute respiratory failure at the Lansdale Hospital in Philadelphia.
Fayette was one of the original members of the female soul group,
who, as teenagers, were brought together by manager Richard Barrett
to form The Three Degrees. She remained with the group until 1976.
Fayette achieved a bachelor's degree in psychology from Temple
University and a master's degree from Lincoln University in 1984. She
also worked as a counselor and vocal coach, and traveled with a group
called the Intermezzo Choir Ministry. In 1994, Pinkney gave birth to
a daughter, Ayana Alexandria, who died a few days later due to sudden
infant death syndrome. Fayette Pinkney is survived by her brother,
nephew Milford Pinkney and niece Michele Pinkney. (soulwalking.co.uk)
28th.
JUNE
BLACK
HEROES PAST & PRESENT 037:
JAMES T. RAPIER (1839-1884)
CECIL
MORRIS 60th Birthday (PCRL's FOUNDER
BORN TODAY)
1770
Philadelphia Quakers open the first school for blacks.
1911
Samuel J. Battle becomes the fist black policeman in New York City.
1947
Cecil Morris - The founder of The
Peoples Community Radio Link born in Claredon, Jamaica. Moved to
England in 1962. Cecil along with Pilot are strong motivating
forces behind this radio station. "This group (PCRL) was set up
in 1980 as a pressure group to highlight the lack of input into the
broadcasting media for the black community. By 1983
negotiations in Geneva gave extended frequencies to accommodate
community radio, but PCRL was not included, so in 1985 we started
broadcasting illegally!" - Cecil. (Station closed in March 2004).
1960
Diane-Louise Jordan
(uk presenter) born. (nationmaster)
1965
Delfeayo Marsalis,
Hard Bop Trombone, b. New Orleans, LA. This younger brother of
Wynton and Branford Marsalis began his career as a record producer,
studying both the Trombone and also Studio Production at University
of Southern California's Berklee campus. He toured with Ray Charles,
Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers and Abdullah Ibrahim. In 1992, he
recorded his first album as a leader. More recently, he has played
with the Elvin Jones' Jazz Machine. He has written some outrageously
opinionated liner notes for his brothers' albums, while trying to
appear objectively indifferent. (nfo.net)
1982 Harry
Mills, singer with The Mills Brothers
dies. (mn-jt) The Mills Brothers were one of the leading close
harmony vocal groups of the 30's and 40's. They started their singing
career in a Cincinnati radio station. That was in 1930; over the
following few years, the group became steady record sellers and made
several film appearances. In 1934 their version of Tiger Rag, a 1917
Dixieland tune made them internationally famous. (mn-bmc-d)
1978
Juke Boy Bonner,
multi-instrumentalist, dies, Houston, Texas, USA. Born into
impoverished circumstances in the Lone Star State during the
Depression, Weldon Bonner took up the guitar in his teens. He caught
a break in 1947 in Houston, winning a talent contest that led to a
spot on a local radio outlet. He journeyed to Oakland in 1956,
cutting his debut single for Bob Geddins's Irma imprint ("Rock
with Me Baby"/"Well Baby") with Lafayette
"Thing" Thomas supplying the lead guitar. Goldband Records
boss Eddie Shuler was next to take a chance in 1960; Bonner recorded
for him in Lake Charles, LA, with Katie Webster on piano, but once
again, nothing happened career-wise. Troubled with illnesses from the
mid-60's he died on this day. (mn-rs)