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Stevie Wonder performing on Soul Train in 1971
Two Legends At Work
February 2015 Featured Artist: Bootsy Collins
Bootsy (born William Collins, October 26, 1951, Cincinnati) is one of the all-time great funk and R&B bassists/singers/bandleaders. He formed his first group, the Pacesetters, in 1968, featuring Phelps “Catfish” Collins (his brother; guitar), Frankie “Kash” Waddy (drums), and Philippe Wynne (later of The Spinners fame). From 1969 to 1971, the group functioned as James Brown’s backup band and was dubbed the JBs. Collins’ inspired, clever progressions and patterns were a vital part of such records as “Get Up, I Feel Like Being a Sex Machine.” The group became the House Guests after departing the JBs, until Collins joined Clinton’s Parliament/Funkadelic empire.
In 1972, Bootsy joined George Clinton’s Parliament/Funkadelic. Collins and Clinton soon established a lifelong personal and musical friendship. He launched Bootsy’s Rubber Band as a spinoff of P-Funk in 1976, the band including his brother Phelps, Waddy (drums), Joel “Razor Sharp” Johnson (keyboards), Gary “Mudbone” Cooper (vocals), and Robert “P-Nut” Johnson (vocals), along with “the Horny Horns”. (He was sometimes billed alone as Bootsy, and sometimes as William “Bootsy” Collins). He co-wrote “Tear the Roof Off the Sucker” with Clinton and Jerome Brailey and established himself so effectively that Clinton urged him to form his own band.
Bootsy’s Rubber Band emerged in 1976, a spirited ensemble that included Collins’ brother Phelps (“Catfish”), as well as fellow James Brown bandmembers Fred Wesley and Maceo Parker, Joel Johnson, Gary Cooper, Rick Gardner, and Richard Griffiths. (Collins also featured his alter egos “Bootzilla” and “Casper, the Friendly Ghost” as part of the stage act). Their debut LP, Stretchin’ Out in Bootsy’s Rubber Band, and their second release, Ahh…The Name Is Bootsy, Baby! equalled anything issued during Clinton’s peak period for idiomatic diversity, clever, bizarre humor, and outrageous lyrics. Both Ahh… and the third LP, Bootsy? Player of the Year, earned gold records and made it into the Top 20 on the pop charts. The single “Bootzilla” was his lone R&B chart topper in 1978, although “The Pinocchio Theory” also made the Top Ten.
Collins recorded as both a solo artist and with the Rubber Band in the ’80s. He also did some special projects, such as a 1984 collaboration with Jerry Harrison of Talking Heads — using the name Bonzo Goes to Washington — that produced “5 Minutes (C-C-C-Club Mix),” featuring Ronald Reagan declaring nuclear war on the Soviet Union over a skittering rhythm track.
In 1988, he returned on Columbia with the appropriately named What’s Bootsy Doin’? In 1989, Bootsy was a member of the Bootzilla Orchestra on Malcolm McLaren’s album Waltz Dancing. One year later, he became a featured guitarist and bassist with the dance music trio Deee-Lite, signed with 4th and Broadway, and also toured England with a group co-led by Parker and Wesley.
Bootsy’s New Rubber Band released Blasters of the Universe in 1994, and Fresh Outta ‘P’ University followed four years later. Numerous Collins live shows and reissues appeared as the 21st century opened, and in 2006, the bassist actually released a Christmas album, Christmas Is 4 Ever, on Shout Records. In 2011, a conceptual album, The Funk Capital of the World, landed, featuring everyone from Ice Cube to Samuel L. Jackson on the guest list.
Click here for more info on Bootsy Collins
Bootsy (born William Collins, October 26, 1951, Cincinnati) is one of the all-time great funk and R&B bassists/singers/bandleaders. He formed his first group, the Pacesetters, in 1968, featuring Phelps “Catfish” Collins (his brother; guitar), Frankie “Kash” Waddy (drums), and Philippe Wynne (later of The Spinners fame). From 1969 to 1971, the group functioned as James Brown’s backup band and was dubbed the JBs. Collins’ inspired, clever progressions and patterns were a vital part of such records as “Get Up, I Feel Like Being a Sex Machine.” The group became the House Guests after departing the JBs, until Collins joined Clinton’s Parliament/Funkadelic empire.
In 1972, Bootsy joined George Clinton’s Parliament/Funkadelic. Collins and Clinton soon established a lifelong personal and musical friendship. He launched Bootsy’s Rubber Band as a spinoff of P-Funk in 1976, the band including his brother Phelps, Waddy (drums), Joel “Razor Sharp” Johnson (keyboards), Gary “Mudbone” Cooper (vocals), and Robert “P-Nut” Johnson (vocals), along with “the Horny Horns”. (He was sometimes billed alone as Bootsy, and sometimes as William “Bootsy” Collins). He co-wrote “Tear the Roof Off the Sucker” with Clinton and Jerome Brailey and established himself so effectively that Clinton urged him to form his own band.
Bootsy’s Rubber Band emerged in 1976, a spirited ensemble that included Collins’ brother Phelps (“Catfish”), as well as fellow James Brown bandmembers Fred Wesley and Maceo Parker, Joel Johnson, Gary Cooper, Rick Gardner, and Richard Griffiths. (Collins also featured his alter egos “Bootzilla” and “Casper, the Friendly Ghost” as part of the stage act). Their debut LP, Stretchin’ Out in Bootsy’s Rubber Band, and their second release, Ahh…The Name Is Bootsy, Baby! equalled anything issued during Clinton’s peak period for idiomatic diversity, clever, bizarre humor, and outrageous lyrics. Both Ahh… and the third LP, Bootsy? Player of the Year, earned gold records and made it into the Top 20 on the pop charts. The single “Bootzilla” was his lone R&B chart topper in 1978, although “The Pinocchio Theory” also made the Top Ten.
Collins recorded as both a solo artist and with the Rubber Band in the ’80s. He also did some special projects, such as a 1984 collaboration with Jerry Harrison of Talking Heads — using the name Bonzo Goes to Washington — that produced “5 Minutes (C-C-C-Club Mix),” featuring Ronald Reagan declaring nuclear war on the Soviet Union over a skittering rhythm track.
In 1988, he returned on Columbia with the appropriately named What’s Bootsy Doin’? In 1989, Bootsy was a member of the Bootzilla Orchestra on Malcolm McLaren’s album Waltz Dancing. One year later, he became a featured guitarist and bassist with the dance music trio Deee-Lite, signed with 4th and Broadway, and also toured England with a group co-led by Parker and Wesley.
Bootsy’s New Rubber Band released Blasters of the Universe in 1994, and Fresh Outta ‘P’ University followed four years later. Numerous Collins live shows and reissues appeared as the 21st century opened, and in 2006, the bassist actually released a Christmas album, Christmas Is 4 Ever, on Shout Records. In 2011, a conceptual album, The Funk Capital of the World, landed, featuring everyone from Ice Cube to Samuel L. Jackson on the guest list.
Click here for more info on Bootsy Collins
January 2015 Featured Artist: DJ Jazzy Jeff
Jeffrey Allen Townes was born on 22nd January 1965 in West Philadelphia and developed a love of music at an early age.
Jeff was just 10 years old when he started spinning records at parties using his family’s basement as a training ground for his expert mixing.
Since 1985, DJ Jazzy Jeff has wowed us with his flawless turntable skills, innovative production and musical versatility. From the success of “DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince” with partner Will Smith, to the critical acclaim of his production company “A Touch of Jazz”, Jeff proved time and time again that he would always be a force to be reckoned with. And he continues to represent with his solo projects, collaborations, mixtapes and live shows. His love of music shines through in everything he does.
Over the course of his career, DJ Jazzy Jeff has achieved many accomplishments including a DMC Championship and multiple GRAMMY and American Music Awards and nominations. But he is a humble man who is still doing it as his 2002 hit said: “For Da Love of Da Game.”
Click here for more info on DJ Jazzy Jeff
Jeffrey Allen Townes was born on 22nd January 1965 in West Philadelphia and developed a love of music at an early age.
Jeff was just 10 years old when he started spinning records at parties using his family’s basement as a training ground for his expert mixing.
Since 1985, DJ Jazzy Jeff has wowed us with his flawless turntable skills, innovative production and musical versatility. From the success of “DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince” with partner Will Smith, to the critical acclaim of his production company “A Touch of Jazz”, Jeff proved time and time again that he would always be a force to be reckoned with. And he continues to represent with his solo projects, collaborations, mixtapes and live shows. His love of music shines through in everything he does.
Over the course of his career, DJ Jazzy Jeff has achieved many accomplishments including a DMC Championship and multiple GRAMMY and American Music Awards and nominations. But he is a humble man who is still doing it as his 2002 hit said: “For Da Love of Da Game.”
Click here for more info on DJ Jazzy Jeff
December 2014 Featured Artist: Herbie Hancock
Herbie Hancock is a true icon of modern music. Throughout his explorations, he has transcended limitations and genres while maintaining his unmistakable voice. With an illustrious career spanning five decades and 14 Grammy® Awards, including Album of the Year for River: The Joni Letters, he continues to amaze audiences across the globe.
There are few artists in the music industry who have had more influence on acoustic and electronic jazz and R&B than Herbie Hancock. As the immortal Miles Davis said in his autobiography, "Herbie was the step after Bud Powell and Thelonious Monk, and I haven't heard anybody yet who has come after him."
Born in Chicago in 1940, Herbie was a child piano prodigy who performed a Mozart piano concerto with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra at age 11. He began playing jazz in high school, initially influenced by Oscar Peterson and Bill Evans. He also developed a passion for electronics and science, and double-majored in music and electrical engineering at Grinnell College.
In 1960, Herbie was discovered by trumpeter Donald Byrd. After two years of session work with Byrd as well as Phil Woods and Oliver Nelson, he signed with Blue Note as a solo artist. His 1963 debut album, 'Takin’ Off', was an immediate success, producing the hit “Watermelon Man.”
In 1963, Miles Davis invited Herbie to join the Miles Davis Quintet. During his five years with Davis, Herbie and his colleagues Wayne Shorter (tenor sax), Ron Carter (bass), and Tony Williams (drums) recorded many classics, including 'ESP', 'Nefertiti' and 'Sorcerer'. Later on, Herbie made appearances on Davis' groundbreaking 'In a Silent Way' and 'Bitches Brew', which heralded the birth of jazz-fusion.”
Herbie's own solo career blossomed on Blue Note, with classic albums including 'Maiden Voyage', 'Empyrean Isles', and 'Speak Like a Child'. He composed the score to Michelangelo Antonioni's 1966 film 'Blow Up', which led to a successful career in feature film and television music.
After leaving Davis, Herbie put together a new band called The Headhunters and, in 1973, recorded 'Head Hunters.' With its crossover hit single "Chameleon," it became the first jazz album to go platinum.
By mid-decade, Herbie was playing for stadium-sized crowds all over the world and had no fewer than four albums in the pop charts at once. In total, Herbie had 11 albums in the pop charts during the 1970s. His ’70s output inspired and provided samples for generations of hip-hop and dance music artists.
Herbie also stayed close to his love of acoustic jazz in the ’70s, recording and performing with VSOP (reuniting him with his Miles Davis colleagues), and in duet settings with Chick Corea and Oscar Peterson.
In 1980, Herbie introduced the trumpeter Wynton Marsalis to the world as a solo artist, producing his debut album and touring with him as well. In 1983, a new pull to the alternative side led Herbie to a series of collaborations with Bill Laswell. The first, 'Future Shock', again struck platinum, and the single "Rockit" rocked the dance and R&B charts, winning a Grammy for Best R&B Instrumental. The video of the track won five MTV awards. 'Sound System', the follow-up, also received a Grammy in the R&B instrumental category.
Herbie won an Oscar in 1986 for scoring the film "'Round Midnight", in which he also appeared as an actor. Numerous television appearances over the years led to two hosting assignments in the 1980s: "Rock School" on PBS and Showtime's "Coast To Coast".
Herbie Hancock also maintains a thriving career outside the performing stage and recording studio. Recently named by the Los Angeles Philharmonic as Creative Chair For Jazz, he currently also serves as Institute Chairman of the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz, the foremost international organization devoted to the development of jazz performance and education worldwide. Hancock is also a founder of The International Committee of Artists for Peace, and was recently awarded the much esteemed “Commandeur des Arts et des Lettres” by French Prime Minister Francois Fillon.
In July of 2011 Hancock was designated an honorary UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador by UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova. Recognizing Herbie Hancock’s “dedication to the promotion of peace through dialogue, culture and the arts,” the Director-General has asked the celebrated jazz musician “to contribute to UNESCO’s efforts to promote mutual understanding among cultures, with a particular emphasis on fostering the emergence of new and creative ideas amongst youth, to find solutions to global problems, as well as ensuring equal access to the diversity of artistic expressions.” UNESCO’s Goodwill Ambassadors are an outstanding group of celebrity advocates who have generously accepted to use their talent and status to help focus the world's attention on the objectives and aims of UNESCO’s work in its fields of competence: education, culture, science and communication/information.
Now in the fifth decade of his professional life, Herbie Hancock remains where he has always been: in the forefront of world culture, technology, business and music. Though one can't track exactly where he will go next, he is sure to leave his inimitable imprint wherever he lands.
Click here for more info on Herbie Hancock
Herbie Hancock is a true icon of modern music. Throughout his explorations, he has transcended limitations and genres while maintaining his unmistakable voice. With an illustrious career spanning five decades and 14 Grammy® Awards, including Album of the Year for River: The Joni Letters, he continues to amaze audiences across the globe.
There are few artists in the music industry who have had more influence on acoustic and electronic jazz and R&B than Herbie Hancock. As the immortal Miles Davis said in his autobiography, "Herbie was the step after Bud Powell and Thelonious Monk, and I haven't heard anybody yet who has come after him."
Born in Chicago in 1940, Herbie was a child piano prodigy who performed a Mozart piano concerto with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra at age 11. He began playing jazz in high school, initially influenced by Oscar Peterson and Bill Evans. He also developed a passion for electronics and science, and double-majored in music and electrical engineering at Grinnell College.
In 1960, Herbie was discovered by trumpeter Donald Byrd. After two years of session work with Byrd as well as Phil Woods and Oliver Nelson, he signed with Blue Note as a solo artist. His 1963 debut album, 'Takin’ Off', was an immediate success, producing the hit “Watermelon Man.”
In 1963, Miles Davis invited Herbie to join the Miles Davis Quintet. During his five years with Davis, Herbie and his colleagues Wayne Shorter (tenor sax), Ron Carter (bass), and Tony Williams (drums) recorded many classics, including 'ESP', 'Nefertiti' and 'Sorcerer'. Later on, Herbie made appearances on Davis' groundbreaking 'In a Silent Way' and 'Bitches Brew', which heralded the birth of jazz-fusion.”
Herbie's own solo career blossomed on Blue Note, with classic albums including 'Maiden Voyage', 'Empyrean Isles', and 'Speak Like a Child'. He composed the score to Michelangelo Antonioni's 1966 film 'Blow Up', which led to a successful career in feature film and television music.
After leaving Davis, Herbie put together a new band called The Headhunters and, in 1973, recorded 'Head Hunters.' With its crossover hit single "Chameleon," it became the first jazz album to go platinum.
By mid-decade, Herbie was playing for stadium-sized crowds all over the world and had no fewer than four albums in the pop charts at once. In total, Herbie had 11 albums in the pop charts during the 1970s. His ’70s output inspired and provided samples for generations of hip-hop and dance music artists.
Herbie also stayed close to his love of acoustic jazz in the ’70s, recording and performing with VSOP (reuniting him with his Miles Davis colleagues), and in duet settings with Chick Corea and Oscar Peterson.
In 1980, Herbie introduced the trumpeter Wynton Marsalis to the world as a solo artist, producing his debut album and touring with him as well. In 1983, a new pull to the alternative side led Herbie to a series of collaborations with Bill Laswell. The first, 'Future Shock', again struck platinum, and the single "Rockit" rocked the dance and R&B charts, winning a Grammy for Best R&B Instrumental. The video of the track won five MTV awards. 'Sound System', the follow-up, also received a Grammy in the R&B instrumental category.
Herbie won an Oscar in 1986 for scoring the film "'Round Midnight", in which he also appeared as an actor. Numerous television appearances over the years led to two hosting assignments in the 1980s: "Rock School" on PBS and Showtime's "Coast To Coast".
Herbie Hancock also maintains a thriving career outside the performing stage and recording studio. Recently named by the Los Angeles Philharmonic as Creative Chair For Jazz, he currently also serves as Institute Chairman of the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz, the foremost international organization devoted to the development of jazz performance and education worldwide. Hancock is also a founder of The International Committee of Artists for Peace, and was recently awarded the much esteemed “Commandeur des Arts et des Lettres” by French Prime Minister Francois Fillon.
In July of 2011 Hancock was designated an honorary UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador by UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova. Recognizing Herbie Hancock’s “dedication to the promotion of peace through dialogue, culture and the arts,” the Director-General has asked the celebrated jazz musician “to contribute to UNESCO’s efforts to promote mutual understanding among cultures, with a particular emphasis on fostering the emergence of new and creative ideas amongst youth, to find solutions to global problems, as well as ensuring equal access to the diversity of artistic expressions.” UNESCO’s Goodwill Ambassadors are an outstanding group of celebrity advocates who have generously accepted to use their talent and status to help focus the world's attention on the objectives and aims of UNESCO’s work in its fields of competence: education, culture, science and communication/information.
Now in the fifth decade of his professional life, Herbie Hancock remains where he has always been: in the forefront of world culture, technology, business and music. Though one can't track exactly where he will go next, he is sure to leave his inimitable imprint wherever he lands.
Click here for more info on Herbie Hancock
November 2014 Featured Artist: Roy Ayers
Roy Edward Ayers, Jr. was born in Los Angeles, CA on September, 10 1940. He comes by his affinity with music naturally, as his mother Ruby Ayers was a schoolteacher and local piano instructor and his father Roy Sr., a sometimes-parking attendant and trombonist. As it often happens in a household filled with the love and the appreciation which for music, Roy began to demonstrate his musical aptitude by the tender age of five, by which time he was playing boogie woogie tunes on the piano. He turned to the steel guitar by the age of nice, had stints during his teens playing flute, trumpet and drums before embracing the vibes as his instrument of choice.
Perhaps Roy’s karmic destiny as a vibraphonist was by his parents’ decision to allow him attend a concert featuring the great Lionel Hampton’s Big Band. During “Hamps” customary stroll down the aisle to thank you his audience for attending, he noticed and ecstatic five-year-old boy. So impressed was "Hamp" by the child’s ebullience he walked over and presented young Roy Ayers Jr. with the gift of a lifetime- a pair of vibe mallets. During Roy’s adolescence, although his parents required that his schoolwork remain his primary focus, his mother managed to fit in piano lessons, which served to enhance his public school education. In addition to Roy’s involvement with various instruments, he also sang in the church choir. Then, at seventeen years of age his parents presented him with a set of vibes and the rest, as they say, is history.
Roy began at first study independently, then eventually discovered that Bobby Hutcherson, a rising vibraphonist, lived in his neighborhood, and subsequently he began to work under Bobby’s tutelage. Their relationships as friends and musicians blossomed, with regular meetings between the two to collaborate and practice. During this period, Roy went on to form very first group of which he was the leader, while a student of Jefferson High school. Appropriately enough, he first named the group the Jefferson Combo, later re-naming the group to the Latin Lyrics. After graduation from Jefferson High, Roy attended Los Angeles City College where he studied advanced music theory.
By 1961 Roy had become a well-rounded, full-fledged professional musician, and as is customary in nuturing African-American households, at twenty-one the keys to the door. As the adage goes, if you are blessed, when one closes another one opens. Fortunately for Roy, he had just begun to receive his musical blessings, as early in his career, he collaborated and performed with likes of Chico Hamilton, Teddy Edwards, Jack Wilson, Phineas Newborn and Gerald Wilson. Shortly thereafter, Roy made his recording debut with Curtis Amy, a highly regarded saxophonist, with whom he recorded “Way Down” and “Tippin on Through”.
Click here for more info on Roy Ayers
Roy Edward Ayers, Jr. was born in Los Angeles, CA on September, 10 1940. He comes by his affinity with music naturally, as his mother Ruby Ayers was a schoolteacher and local piano instructor and his father Roy Sr., a sometimes-parking attendant and trombonist. As it often happens in a household filled with the love and the appreciation which for music, Roy began to demonstrate his musical aptitude by the tender age of five, by which time he was playing boogie woogie tunes on the piano. He turned to the steel guitar by the age of nice, had stints during his teens playing flute, trumpet and drums before embracing the vibes as his instrument of choice.
Perhaps Roy’s karmic destiny as a vibraphonist was by his parents’ decision to allow him attend a concert featuring the great Lionel Hampton’s Big Band. During “Hamps” customary stroll down the aisle to thank you his audience for attending, he noticed and ecstatic five-year-old boy. So impressed was "Hamp" by the child’s ebullience he walked over and presented young Roy Ayers Jr. with the gift of a lifetime- a pair of vibe mallets. During Roy’s adolescence, although his parents required that his schoolwork remain his primary focus, his mother managed to fit in piano lessons, which served to enhance his public school education. In addition to Roy’s involvement with various instruments, he also sang in the church choir. Then, at seventeen years of age his parents presented him with a set of vibes and the rest, as they say, is history.
Roy began at first study independently, then eventually discovered that Bobby Hutcherson, a rising vibraphonist, lived in his neighborhood, and subsequently he began to work under Bobby’s tutelage. Their relationships as friends and musicians blossomed, with regular meetings between the two to collaborate and practice. During this period, Roy went on to form very first group of which he was the leader, while a student of Jefferson High school. Appropriately enough, he first named the group the Jefferson Combo, later re-naming the group to the Latin Lyrics. After graduation from Jefferson High, Roy attended Los Angeles City College where he studied advanced music theory.
By 1961 Roy had become a well-rounded, full-fledged professional musician, and as is customary in nuturing African-American households, at twenty-one the keys to the door. As the adage goes, if you are blessed, when one closes another one opens. Fortunately for Roy, he had just begun to receive his musical blessings, as early in his career, he collaborated and performed with likes of Chico Hamilton, Teddy Edwards, Jack Wilson, Phineas Newborn and Gerald Wilson. Shortly thereafter, Roy made his recording debut with Curtis Amy, a highly regarded saxophonist, with whom he recorded “Way Down” and “Tippin on Through”.
Click here for more info on Roy Ayers
October 2014 Featured Artist: Chaka Khan
Chaka Khan is one of the world's most gifted and celebrated musicians, with a rich musical legacy, the 10-time GRAMMY® Award-winner is looking forward to a celebration of a lifetime. A songwriter, actor, author, philanthropist, entrepreneur and activist, Chaka Khan has influenced generations of recording artists. She has the rare ability to sing in seven music genres, including R&B, pop, rock, gospel, country, world music and classical. Affectionately known around the world as Chaka, she is revered by millions of fans as well as her peers for hertimeless, classic and unmatched signature music style and ability. The late, great Miles Davis often said, "She [Chaka] sings like my horn." And the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin says, "[Chaka] is a one- of- a -kind, premier vocalist."
Throughout her legendary career, Chaka has released 22 albums and racked up ten #1 Billboard magazine charted songs, seven RIAA certified gold singles and ten RIAA certified gold and platinum albums. Chaka's recorded music has produced over 2,000 catalogue song placements. "I am honored and blessed to celebrate 40 years in music and entertainment" says Chaka. "I am so humbled by the love, support and gracious spirit of my fans worldwide and the continuous support my peers have shown over the years. Throughout my 40-year career, I have been through the fire a few times over and I'm still here as a living testament to God's love and grace. Next year, I will be celebrating 40 years in the business and 60 years on earth, which equals one hundred percent Chaka."
Early on, she caught the attention of music icon Stevie Wonder, who penned her first smash hit with Rufus, "Tell Me Something Good." The single from the group's 1974 platinum-selling album, Rags to Rufus, earned Chaka her first GRAMMY® Award. With Chaka as the group's dynamic center, Rufus became one of the most popular acts around selling out shows throughout the country and dominating the airwaves with hit after hit with songs such as "You Got the Love," which Chaka co-wrote, "Once You Get Started," "Sweet Thing," "Everlasting Love," "Do You Love What You Feel?" and "Ain't Nobody," Chaka's second GRAMMY Award-winning song with Rufus. Rufus and Chaka Khan racked up five RIAA certified gold and platinum albums during their time together.
It was inevitable that a singer with Chaka's star power would eventually venture out on her own. In 1978, Chaka blazed onto the music scene as a solo artist with the release of the smash hit "I'm Every Woman" written byAshford & Simpson. Paired with the late producer extraordinaire, Arif Mardin (Aretha Franklin, Bette Midler), her catalog grew even more impressive with hits such as "Clouds," "Papillon," and "What 'Cha Gonna Do For Me?" It was during this time that Chaka began pursuing her love of jazz. She and Arif brilliantly re-worked the classic song "Night in Tunisia" with the song's originator, Dizzy Gillespie, on trumpet. Chaka also recorded an album of jazz standards titled Echoes of an Era, which featured such luminaries as Chick Corea, Stanley Clarke and Lenny White. Her crowning achievement in jazz was the GRAMMY® Award-winning tune, "Be Bop Medley." The song's album, titled Chaka Khan, also won a GRAMMY® for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance.
However, the song that made Chaka Khan a household name and propelled her to superstardom the world over was "I Feel For You," written and first performed by Prince. This chart-topping, GRAMMY® Award-winning song also made music history. Released in 1984, it was the first R&B song to feature a rap, which was performed by Grandmaster Melle Mel. Chaka also topped the charts with "This Is My Night" and the instant classic, "Through The Fire." Now in top demand, Chaka lent her voice and producer skills to two of the biggest hits of 1986, Steve Winwood's "Higher Love" and Robert Palmer's "Addicted to Love." Both were GRAMMY®-winning songs.
In 1995, she made her musical theater debut on London's West End, where she starred in Mama I Want to Sing. In 2002 she traveled to Las Vegas, where she starred in Signed, Sealed Delivered, a critically-acclaimed musical based on the music of Stevie Wonder. Her Broadway debut came in 2008, when she took over the role of Sofia in Oprah Winfrey's musical The Color Purple.
Chaka's emotive vocals can also be heard on a number of soundtracks, including Clockers, Set It Off, To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar, Miami Vice, White Knights, Moscow on the Hudson, Disappearing Acts, Waiting to Exhale and Standing In The Shadows Of Motown, as well as Tyler Perry hits Madea's Family Reunion and Meet The Browns.
During her career, she has collaborated with a long list of artists in diverse genres. Collaborators have included Miles Davis, Quincy Jones, Dizzy Gillespie, Stevie Wonder, Prince, Steve Winwood, Mary J. Blige, George Benson, Larry Graham, the London Symphony Orchestra and countless others. Chaka has received a steady stream of accolades for both her artistry and philanthropy. In June, 2012, she was inducted into the Hollywood Bowl Hall of Fame, joining previously inducted music greats such as Frank Sinatra, Liza Minnelli, Stevie Wonder, Garth Brooks, Bonnie Raitt, George Harrison, B.B. King, Carlos Santana, Donna Summer and Kathleen Battle. In 2011, she was honored for her legendary career with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. During the same year, Chaka was honored with the United Negro College Fund's An Evening of Stars Tribute. The program, which was televised on cable networks and broadcast stations in more than 40 cities nationwide, featured tribute performances by Stevie Wonder, Fantasia, Ledisi, El Debarge, Faith Evans, Angie Stone, Ginuwine, Chaka's brother, Mark Stevens, and her daughter, Indira Khan, among others. In recent years, Chaka also received the Soul Train Legend Award (2009), the BET Lifetime Achievement Award (2006), the GRAMMY® Honors Award from the NARAS Chicago Chapter (2006) and the World Music Award Lifetime Achievement Award (2003). In 2004, Chaka received an Honorary Doctorate of Music from Berklee College of Music. Chaka's autobiography, Through the Fire, was published by Rodale Books in 2003 and is currently being adapted into a screenplay.
Despite her busy schedule, Chaka has always made time to support and uplift her community. She has a deep commitment to women and children at risk, which led her to establish the Chaka Khan Foundation in 1999. Initially, the foundation focused primarily on public awareness campaigns around the diagnosis, intervention, and available family resources and the search for a cure for autism. Her efforts were particularly aimed at communities of color and other underserved communities, where awareness about this disorder is low. Her work in this area was inspired by her nephew who has autism and who Chaka describes as "gifted and beautiful and so full of life." She later expanded the mission of the foundation to focus more broadly on women and children at risk. In July 2012, Chaka received the McDonald Corporation's 365Black Award, honoring her for her leadership of the Chaka Khan Foundation.
Chaka also is an entrepreneur. In 2004, her line of gourmet chocolates, Chakalates, was sold in 20 Neiman Marcus stores around the country. Plans are underway to re-launch her signature brand of chocolates nationally and internationally. She currently is introducing Khana Sutra, a fragrance line for men, women and the home. The line also includes candles, and room and linen sprays. With a new svelte look, a new album, and a great enthusiasm for her new and expanding activities in music, philanthropy and entrepreneurial ventures, the 10-time GRAMMY® Award-winner is looking forward to a celebration of a lifetime.
Click here for more info on Chaka Khan
Chaka Khan is one of the world's most gifted and celebrated musicians, with a rich musical legacy, the 10-time GRAMMY® Award-winner is looking forward to a celebration of a lifetime. A songwriter, actor, author, philanthropist, entrepreneur and activist, Chaka Khan has influenced generations of recording artists. She has the rare ability to sing in seven music genres, including R&B, pop, rock, gospel, country, world music and classical. Affectionately known around the world as Chaka, she is revered by millions of fans as well as her peers for hertimeless, classic and unmatched signature music style and ability. The late, great Miles Davis often said, "She [Chaka] sings like my horn." And the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin says, "[Chaka] is a one- of- a -kind, premier vocalist."
Throughout her legendary career, Chaka has released 22 albums and racked up ten #1 Billboard magazine charted songs, seven RIAA certified gold singles and ten RIAA certified gold and platinum albums. Chaka's recorded music has produced over 2,000 catalogue song placements. "I am honored and blessed to celebrate 40 years in music and entertainment" says Chaka. "I am so humbled by the love, support and gracious spirit of my fans worldwide and the continuous support my peers have shown over the years. Throughout my 40-year career, I have been through the fire a few times over and I'm still here as a living testament to God's love and grace. Next year, I will be celebrating 40 years in the business and 60 years on earth, which equals one hundred percent Chaka."
Early on, she caught the attention of music icon Stevie Wonder, who penned her first smash hit with Rufus, "Tell Me Something Good." The single from the group's 1974 platinum-selling album, Rags to Rufus, earned Chaka her first GRAMMY® Award. With Chaka as the group's dynamic center, Rufus became one of the most popular acts around selling out shows throughout the country and dominating the airwaves with hit after hit with songs such as "You Got the Love," which Chaka co-wrote, "Once You Get Started," "Sweet Thing," "Everlasting Love," "Do You Love What You Feel?" and "Ain't Nobody," Chaka's second GRAMMY Award-winning song with Rufus. Rufus and Chaka Khan racked up five RIAA certified gold and platinum albums during their time together.
It was inevitable that a singer with Chaka's star power would eventually venture out on her own. In 1978, Chaka blazed onto the music scene as a solo artist with the release of the smash hit "I'm Every Woman" written byAshford & Simpson. Paired with the late producer extraordinaire, Arif Mardin (Aretha Franklin, Bette Midler), her catalog grew even more impressive with hits such as "Clouds," "Papillon," and "What 'Cha Gonna Do For Me?" It was during this time that Chaka began pursuing her love of jazz. She and Arif brilliantly re-worked the classic song "Night in Tunisia" with the song's originator, Dizzy Gillespie, on trumpet. Chaka also recorded an album of jazz standards titled Echoes of an Era, which featured such luminaries as Chick Corea, Stanley Clarke and Lenny White. Her crowning achievement in jazz was the GRAMMY® Award-winning tune, "Be Bop Medley." The song's album, titled Chaka Khan, also won a GRAMMY® for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance.
However, the song that made Chaka Khan a household name and propelled her to superstardom the world over was "I Feel For You," written and first performed by Prince. This chart-topping, GRAMMY® Award-winning song also made music history. Released in 1984, it was the first R&B song to feature a rap, which was performed by Grandmaster Melle Mel. Chaka also topped the charts with "This Is My Night" and the instant classic, "Through The Fire." Now in top demand, Chaka lent her voice and producer skills to two of the biggest hits of 1986, Steve Winwood's "Higher Love" and Robert Palmer's "Addicted to Love." Both were GRAMMY®-winning songs.
In 1995, she made her musical theater debut on London's West End, where she starred in Mama I Want to Sing. In 2002 she traveled to Las Vegas, where she starred in Signed, Sealed Delivered, a critically-acclaimed musical based on the music of Stevie Wonder. Her Broadway debut came in 2008, when she took over the role of Sofia in Oprah Winfrey's musical The Color Purple.
Chaka's emotive vocals can also be heard on a number of soundtracks, including Clockers, Set It Off, To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar, Miami Vice, White Knights, Moscow on the Hudson, Disappearing Acts, Waiting to Exhale and Standing In The Shadows Of Motown, as well as Tyler Perry hits Madea's Family Reunion and Meet The Browns.
During her career, she has collaborated with a long list of artists in diverse genres. Collaborators have included Miles Davis, Quincy Jones, Dizzy Gillespie, Stevie Wonder, Prince, Steve Winwood, Mary J. Blige, George Benson, Larry Graham, the London Symphony Orchestra and countless others. Chaka has received a steady stream of accolades for both her artistry and philanthropy. In June, 2012, she was inducted into the Hollywood Bowl Hall of Fame, joining previously inducted music greats such as Frank Sinatra, Liza Minnelli, Stevie Wonder, Garth Brooks, Bonnie Raitt, George Harrison, B.B. King, Carlos Santana, Donna Summer and Kathleen Battle. In 2011, she was honored for her legendary career with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. During the same year, Chaka was honored with the United Negro College Fund's An Evening of Stars Tribute. The program, which was televised on cable networks and broadcast stations in more than 40 cities nationwide, featured tribute performances by Stevie Wonder, Fantasia, Ledisi, El Debarge, Faith Evans, Angie Stone, Ginuwine, Chaka's brother, Mark Stevens, and her daughter, Indira Khan, among others. In recent years, Chaka also received the Soul Train Legend Award (2009), the BET Lifetime Achievement Award (2006), the GRAMMY® Honors Award from the NARAS Chicago Chapter (2006) and the World Music Award Lifetime Achievement Award (2003). In 2004, Chaka received an Honorary Doctorate of Music from Berklee College of Music. Chaka's autobiography, Through the Fire, was published by Rodale Books in 2003 and is currently being adapted into a screenplay.
Despite her busy schedule, Chaka has always made time to support and uplift her community. She has a deep commitment to women and children at risk, which led her to establish the Chaka Khan Foundation in 1999. Initially, the foundation focused primarily on public awareness campaigns around the diagnosis, intervention, and available family resources and the search for a cure for autism. Her efforts were particularly aimed at communities of color and other underserved communities, where awareness about this disorder is low. Her work in this area was inspired by her nephew who has autism and who Chaka describes as "gifted and beautiful and so full of life." She later expanded the mission of the foundation to focus more broadly on women and children at risk. In July 2012, Chaka received the McDonald Corporation's 365Black Award, honoring her for her leadership of the Chaka Khan Foundation.
Chaka also is an entrepreneur. In 2004, her line of gourmet chocolates, Chakalates, was sold in 20 Neiman Marcus stores around the country. Plans are underway to re-launch her signature brand of chocolates nationally and internationally. She currently is introducing Khana Sutra, a fragrance line for men, women and the home. The line also includes candles, and room and linen sprays. With a new svelte look, a new album, and a great enthusiasm for her new and expanding activities in music, philanthropy and entrepreneurial ventures, the 10-time GRAMMY® Award-winner is looking forward to a celebration of a lifetime.
Click here for more info on Chaka Khan
September 2014 Featured Band: The Whispers
One of R&B music's most beloved and consistently popular vocal groups, The Whispers, began their legendary and timeless career in 1963. Twin brothers Walter and Wallace Scott joined with friends Nicholas Caldwell, Marcus Hutson, and Gordy Harmon to form a local singing group. They perfected their tight harmonies on the street corners in the Watts section of Los Angeles and in nightclubs in the in the San Francisco/Oakland Bay Area.
They began singing together as "the Eden trio" created by Nicholas Caldwell and Marcus Hutson. Later, they were renamed "The Whispers" by Lou Bedell of Dore Records. The group recorded nine singles for the Dore label between 1964 and 1967. Their fame grew in the Bay Area while performing in a series of what was known as "The Battle of the Bands" where they competed against other local acts for their fans appreciation and affection. In 1969 they released "The Time Will Come" for a small L.A. based label Soul Clock Records, and subsequently recorded their first Top 10 R&B hit, "Seems Like I Gotta Do Wrong," in 1970 when the group switched to Janus Records. By 1971 Gordy Harmon decided to leave the group and was replaced by Leaveil Degree who had previously sung with "The Friends of Distinction".
The Whispers produced a string of hits over the next two decades and emerged as the leading romantic singers of their generation, racking up one gold album after another and charting numerous R&B hits throughout the seventies and eighties. The Whispers were the first artists featured on the newly formed Soul Train label (co- owned by the TV show's creator and host Don Cornelius and entrepreneur Dick Griffey). They gained national attention with their seventies albums, "One For The Money", "Open Up Your Love", and "Headlights" producing two singles that graced Billboard's Top 20 R&B Charts: "(Let's Go) All the Way" and "(Olivia) Lost and Turned Out".
Their first platinum album "The Whispers" (1980) highlighted "A Song For Donny," a song written by Carrie Lucas in memory of Donny Hathaway, and their biggest hit "And The Beat Goes On." It was their most successful selling album (double platinum). The neoclassic "Lady," written by group member Nicholas Caldwell, is still a favorite at concerts. 1987's "Just Gets Better with Time", went platinum. It featured the R&B number 1 and US Top 10 pop entry "Rock Steady", a collaboration with Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds.
Their vocal style harkens back to a more genteel era of crooning, preferring soft pillow talk and songs that speak to heartfelt emotions. They are arguably the most celebrated R&B balladeers of their generation and still make women swoon with their silky yet forceful tenors of twins Walter and Scotty. In the 1990s, The Whispers joined the Capitol Records family releasing more favorites. Expanding their creative horizons, brothers Walter and Scotty cut "My Brothers Keeper", a critically acclaimed duet album in 1993, scoring another R&B hit with a cover of the Intruders' "I Wanna Know Your Name." "Toast to the Ladies" released in 1995 featured a collection of love songs dedicated to women all over the world. In 1997 the group moved to Interscope Records where they featured the works of Babyface once again with their album, "Songbook, Vol. 1: The Songs of Babyface".
Marcus stopped performing with the group in 1989 due to ill health, and in 2000, when he passed on, the Whispers vowed never to replace him. In the new millennium the group still performs around the world to thousands of loyal fans. The group has not made any personnel changes and still consists of Walter Scott, Wallace Scott, Nicholas Caldwell, and Leaveil Degree. They have taken Las Vegas by storm, selling out in various casinos and hotels, and they have a tremendous following on the West and East coasts, particularly in the San Francisco Bay Area, Southern California, New Jersey, New York, Philadelphia, Washington DC, St. Louis, Indiana, and Chicago.
On September 23, 2003, The Whispers' four decades of accomplishments were acknowledged when Charlie Thomas of the Drifters inducted them into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame. On June 12, 2005, The San Francisco Chapter of the Grammy Awards presented the Whispers with the prestigious Governors Award, the highest honor bestowed by an Academy Chapter. They continue to perform to sell-out crowds all over the world, and their popularity continues to grow among youth whose parents "raised" them on The Whispers' music.
They are also known for their charitable work with youth that participate in the PAL (Police Athletic League) Reading Program, and their ongoing support to domestic violence organizations and cancer agencies.
They are one of only a few "old School" groups that can boast of having over 40 years in the industry with a worldwide fan base, maintaining their vocal dominance and original members.
The Whispers waited almost a decade to produce a new CD in 2006. This independent product, the first venture of their newly formed company "Satin Tie Productions", is a masterpiece entitled "For Your Ears Only". According to Walter, "This title is a way of saying to our fans that we appreciate everybody's support that has been with us for many, many years." Nick's perspective deals with its essence. He states, "In my opinion, the CD represents the musical DNA and artistic expression of what the Whispers were and have become during their 42 years together. It was conceived to please the ears, hearts and minds of our super- supportive and loyal family of fans. It was a labor of love and I believe a body of work blessed by God.
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS: Four Decades of Pop and R & B Favorites, Seven Gold Albums, Two Platinum Albums, 12 Top Twenty Singles, 40 Charted Hits since 1970, American Music Award Nominees, Soul Train Award Nominees, Grammy Award Nominees 2003 Vocal Group Hall of Fame Inductees, 2005 Regional Grammy Governors Award, 2002 NAACP Image Award.
Click here for more info on The Whispers
One of R&B music's most beloved and consistently popular vocal groups, The Whispers, began their legendary and timeless career in 1963. Twin brothers Walter and Wallace Scott joined with friends Nicholas Caldwell, Marcus Hutson, and Gordy Harmon to form a local singing group. They perfected their tight harmonies on the street corners in the Watts section of Los Angeles and in nightclubs in the in the San Francisco/Oakland Bay Area.
They began singing together as "the Eden trio" created by Nicholas Caldwell and Marcus Hutson. Later, they were renamed "The Whispers" by Lou Bedell of Dore Records. The group recorded nine singles for the Dore label between 1964 and 1967. Their fame grew in the Bay Area while performing in a series of what was known as "The Battle of the Bands" where they competed against other local acts for their fans appreciation and affection. In 1969 they released "The Time Will Come" for a small L.A. based label Soul Clock Records, and subsequently recorded their first Top 10 R&B hit, "Seems Like I Gotta Do Wrong," in 1970 when the group switched to Janus Records. By 1971 Gordy Harmon decided to leave the group and was replaced by Leaveil Degree who had previously sung with "The Friends of Distinction".
The Whispers produced a string of hits over the next two decades and emerged as the leading romantic singers of their generation, racking up one gold album after another and charting numerous R&B hits throughout the seventies and eighties. The Whispers were the first artists featured on the newly formed Soul Train label (co- owned by the TV show's creator and host Don Cornelius and entrepreneur Dick Griffey). They gained national attention with their seventies albums, "One For The Money", "Open Up Your Love", and "Headlights" producing two singles that graced Billboard's Top 20 R&B Charts: "(Let's Go) All the Way" and "(Olivia) Lost and Turned Out".
Their first platinum album "The Whispers" (1980) highlighted "A Song For Donny," a song written by Carrie Lucas in memory of Donny Hathaway, and their biggest hit "And The Beat Goes On." It was their most successful selling album (double platinum). The neoclassic "Lady," written by group member Nicholas Caldwell, is still a favorite at concerts. 1987's "Just Gets Better with Time", went platinum. It featured the R&B number 1 and US Top 10 pop entry "Rock Steady", a collaboration with Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds.
Their vocal style harkens back to a more genteel era of crooning, preferring soft pillow talk and songs that speak to heartfelt emotions. They are arguably the most celebrated R&B balladeers of their generation and still make women swoon with their silky yet forceful tenors of twins Walter and Scotty. In the 1990s, The Whispers joined the Capitol Records family releasing more favorites. Expanding their creative horizons, brothers Walter and Scotty cut "My Brothers Keeper", a critically acclaimed duet album in 1993, scoring another R&B hit with a cover of the Intruders' "I Wanna Know Your Name." "Toast to the Ladies" released in 1995 featured a collection of love songs dedicated to women all over the world. In 1997 the group moved to Interscope Records where they featured the works of Babyface once again with their album, "Songbook, Vol. 1: The Songs of Babyface".
Marcus stopped performing with the group in 1989 due to ill health, and in 2000, when he passed on, the Whispers vowed never to replace him. In the new millennium the group still performs around the world to thousands of loyal fans. The group has not made any personnel changes and still consists of Walter Scott, Wallace Scott, Nicholas Caldwell, and Leaveil Degree. They have taken Las Vegas by storm, selling out in various casinos and hotels, and they have a tremendous following on the West and East coasts, particularly in the San Francisco Bay Area, Southern California, New Jersey, New York, Philadelphia, Washington DC, St. Louis, Indiana, and Chicago.
On September 23, 2003, The Whispers' four decades of accomplishments were acknowledged when Charlie Thomas of the Drifters inducted them into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame. On June 12, 2005, The San Francisco Chapter of the Grammy Awards presented the Whispers with the prestigious Governors Award, the highest honor bestowed by an Academy Chapter. They continue to perform to sell-out crowds all over the world, and their popularity continues to grow among youth whose parents "raised" them on The Whispers' music.
They are also known for their charitable work with youth that participate in the PAL (Police Athletic League) Reading Program, and their ongoing support to domestic violence organizations and cancer agencies.
They are one of only a few "old School" groups that can boast of having over 40 years in the industry with a worldwide fan base, maintaining their vocal dominance and original members.
The Whispers waited almost a decade to produce a new CD in 2006. This independent product, the first venture of their newly formed company "Satin Tie Productions", is a masterpiece entitled "For Your Ears Only". According to Walter, "This title is a way of saying to our fans that we appreciate everybody's support that has been with us for many, many years." Nick's perspective deals with its essence. He states, "In my opinion, the CD represents the musical DNA and artistic expression of what the Whispers were and have become during their 42 years together. It was conceived to please the ears, hearts and minds of our super- supportive and loyal family of fans. It was a labor of love and I believe a body of work blessed by God.
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS: Four Decades of Pop and R & B Favorites, Seven Gold Albums, Two Platinum Albums, 12 Top Twenty Singles, 40 Charted Hits since 1970, American Music Award Nominees, Soul Train Award Nominees, Grammy Award Nominees 2003 Vocal Group Hall of Fame Inductees, 2005 Regional Grammy Governors Award, 2002 NAACP Image Award.
Click here for more info on The Whispers
August 2014 Featured Artist: Ray Parker Jr.
While he is perhaps best known for the No. 1 smash hit “Ghostbusters”, Ray Parker Jr. has enjoyed quite a versatile career, not only as a much sought-after guitarist, but with a number of other hits to his credit, as a performer, songwriter and producer.
Born May 1, 1954, in Detroit, MI, Ray started out as a session guitarist, while still in high school, playing on sessions recorded for the legendary Holland Dozier Holland labels, Hot Wax and Invictus, whose roster included Freda Payne, Honey Cone, Chairman of the Board, 100 Proof Aged in Soul, Laura Lee, and 8th Wonder. He’d also play behind the Temptations, Stevie Wonder, the Spinners, Gladys Knight and the Pips, and other Motown luminaries when they appeared at the Twenty Grand Club. In 1972, Stevie Wonder called 18 year old Ray Parker to ask him to play behind him on a tour he was doing with the Rolling Stones. Ray thought it was a crank call and hung up the phone. Stevie Wonder called back and convinced Parker that he was the real deal by singing “Superstition” to him! During the next 2 years, Ray Parker played on Stevie Wonder’s albums, Talking Book and Innervisions.
Moving from Detroit to Los Angeles, Parker got into session work playing on sides by Leon Haywood, Barry White, arranger Gene Page, and working with Motown producer Clarence Paul on Ronnie McNeir’s 1976 Motown debut, Love’s Comin’ Down, and he appeared in the picnic scene in the Bill Cosby – Sidney Poitier comedy classic Uptown Saturday Night.
Deciding to become a recording artist, Parker got a deal with Arista Records in 1977. Not yet totally confident on his singing ability, Ray put together a band that included vocalist Arnell Carmichael, bassist/singer Jerry Knight (who later had his own solo hit with “Overnight Sensation” and as half of Ollie & Jerry and co-produced hits by the Jets), guitarist Charles Fearing, Larry Tolbert, and Darren Carmichael. However, on record, Parker played most, if not all of the instruments.
His first LP, Raydio, went gold, peaking at No. 8 R&B in the spring of 1978. The LP included the hit single ”Jack and Jill” (lead vocal by Jerry Knight), which hit No. 5 R&B and went gold; ”Is This a Love Thing”, and ”Honey I’m Rich”. The hits continued with Ray Parker, Jr. and Raydio’s gold, No. 4 Rock On. The single ”You Can’t Change That” hit No. 3 R&B and No. 9 Pop in 1979. ”Two Places at the Same Time” was No. 6 R&B in 1980, and in 1981, ”A Woman Needs Love (Just Like You Do)”, which was the first song Parker sung all the way through without trading vocals, held the No. 1 R&B spot for 2, going to No. 4 on the pop charts. ”The Other Woman” was No. 2 R&B for 4 weeks.
The ”Ghostbusters” music video is one of the funniest and star-studded videos ever made (breakdancing Bill Murray style). “Ghostbusters” held the No. 1 R&B spot for 2 weeks and was No. 1 for 3 weeks on Billboard’s pop charts in Summer 1984.
Parker also wrote and produced hits for New Edition, Randy Hall, Cheryl Lynn Deniece Williams, and Diana Ross.
Click here for more info on Ray Parker Jr.
While he is perhaps best known for the No. 1 smash hit “Ghostbusters”, Ray Parker Jr. has enjoyed quite a versatile career, not only as a much sought-after guitarist, but with a number of other hits to his credit, as a performer, songwriter and producer.
Born May 1, 1954, in Detroit, MI, Ray started out as a session guitarist, while still in high school, playing on sessions recorded for the legendary Holland Dozier Holland labels, Hot Wax and Invictus, whose roster included Freda Payne, Honey Cone, Chairman of the Board, 100 Proof Aged in Soul, Laura Lee, and 8th Wonder. He’d also play behind the Temptations, Stevie Wonder, the Spinners, Gladys Knight and the Pips, and other Motown luminaries when they appeared at the Twenty Grand Club. In 1972, Stevie Wonder called 18 year old Ray Parker to ask him to play behind him on a tour he was doing with the Rolling Stones. Ray thought it was a crank call and hung up the phone. Stevie Wonder called back and convinced Parker that he was the real deal by singing “Superstition” to him! During the next 2 years, Ray Parker played on Stevie Wonder’s albums, Talking Book and Innervisions.
Moving from Detroit to Los Angeles, Parker got into session work playing on sides by Leon Haywood, Barry White, arranger Gene Page, and working with Motown producer Clarence Paul on Ronnie McNeir’s 1976 Motown debut, Love’s Comin’ Down, and he appeared in the picnic scene in the Bill Cosby – Sidney Poitier comedy classic Uptown Saturday Night.
Deciding to become a recording artist, Parker got a deal with Arista Records in 1977. Not yet totally confident on his singing ability, Ray put together a band that included vocalist Arnell Carmichael, bassist/singer Jerry Knight (who later had his own solo hit with “Overnight Sensation” and as half of Ollie & Jerry and co-produced hits by the Jets), guitarist Charles Fearing, Larry Tolbert, and Darren Carmichael. However, on record, Parker played most, if not all of the instruments.
His first LP, Raydio, went gold, peaking at No. 8 R&B in the spring of 1978. The LP included the hit single ”Jack and Jill” (lead vocal by Jerry Knight), which hit No. 5 R&B and went gold; ”Is This a Love Thing”, and ”Honey I’m Rich”. The hits continued with Ray Parker, Jr. and Raydio’s gold, No. 4 Rock On. The single ”You Can’t Change That” hit No. 3 R&B and No. 9 Pop in 1979. ”Two Places at the Same Time” was No. 6 R&B in 1980, and in 1981, ”A Woman Needs Love (Just Like You Do)”, which was the first song Parker sung all the way through without trading vocals, held the No. 1 R&B spot for 2, going to No. 4 on the pop charts. ”The Other Woman” was No. 2 R&B for 4 weeks.
The ”Ghostbusters” music video is one of the funniest and star-studded videos ever made (breakdancing Bill Murray style). “Ghostbusters” held the No. 1 R&B spot for 2 weeks and was No. 1 for 3 weeks on Billboard’s pop charts in Summer 1984.
Parker also wrote and produced hits for New Edition, Randy Hall, Cheryl Lynn Deniece Williams, and Diana Ross.
Click here for more info on Ray Parker Jr.
July 2014 Featured Artist: Rick James
Though best known for unstoppable funk jams like "Super Freak" and "Give It to Me, Baby," his impact is evident not only in the chart stats, but in his artistic contributions as a composer and songwriter. James authored a fleet of irresistible tracks, from club bangers to sumptuous ballads, all delivered with passion and verve. Onstage he was a sequined dynamo and engaged the audience with energetic, theatrical, sexually charged performances, commanding the stage with ferocious authority. And while his own excess ultimately consumed him, hampering the final act of his career and claiming his life, Rick James is now remembered less for his feet of clay than for his grooves of gold.
Born James Johnson, Jr, in Buffalo, New York (!st February 1948), he was connected to the music world at birth as the nephew of Temptations singer Melvin Franklin. In an impulsive moment, at age 15, he joined the Navy; justifiably overwhelmed, he went AWOL and took refuge in Canada. It was there that he formed his first band, a rock-soul collective called The Mynah Birds, which at one point featured Neil Young. Changing his name to Rick James, he landed a deal for the band with Motown Records - but upon returning to the U.S. was tossed in the brig for deserting his Navy training. After his release he relocated to Detroit, and though the Mynah Birds dissolved, he maintained a relationship with Motown as a staff songwriter; he developed R&B band The Main Line in England and spent much of the '70s traversing the Atlantic as he developed various projects.
1977 saw him assemble his mighty Stone City Band and step into the spotlight as a solo artist. His debut LP, "Come and Get It," released by the Motown imprint Gordy in 1978, launched the R&B smashes "You and I" (#1) and pot paean "Mary Jane" (#3). He capitalized on the popularity of the latter tune by assembling a girl group, The Mary Jane Girls, who accompanied him as a warm-up act (as did a young firebrand named Prince) during his tours for subsequent releases "Bustin' Out of L Seven" and "Fire It Up." More R&B hits ensued, notably "Bustin' Out" (#8), "Love Gun" (#13) and "Big Time" (#17). And though his barnstorming jams built his reputation, James demonstrated a mastery of silky balladry as well, showcasing the supple end of his powerful pipes.
It was with 1981's "Street Songs" that James' vision - booty-rocking bass, bulletproof horn charts, rock-tinged guitar riffs, new-wave synthesizer blasts and strutting, lascivious vocals - could at last be fully apprehended. The platinum disc's rambunctious "Give It to Me, Baby," a dance-floor hurricane that rivalled anything in the catalogues of peers like Michael Jackson, Earth, Wind & Fire and George Clinton, became a #1 R&B and #1 Dance hit and reached the Top 40, while "Fire and Desire," featuring his young protégé, Teena Marie, proved a splendid Quiet Storm ballad and "Ghetto Life," a formative influence on the "gangsta" style that would evolve later in the decade, was instantly enshrined as an inner-city classic.
But it was the unstoppable "Super Freak" that made James a household name. The frisky funk anthem about a girl "you don't bring home to mother" shimmied up to #16 at pop, dominating the clubs and attracting a rabid mainstream audience (so much so that James played himself on the hit TV series The A-Team and performed the song in the episode). Unlike many a chart stomp, "Super Freak" never really went away - it became a pop perennial and a must for any hedonistic playlist.
Unfortunately, the hedonism that catapulted Rick James into the global limelight became his worst enemy. Success prompted him to party like a Roman emperor and to overextend himself - in addition to mounting his own lavish tours, he produced the Mary Jane Girls, worked with The Temptations and wrote and produced comedic actor Eddie Murphy's hit single, "Party All the Time." He continued to churn out plenty of his own hits during the early '80s, however, including "Cold Blooded" (#1 R&B, #17 Dance, #40 Pop), "Glow" (#1 Dance, #5 R&B), "Dance Wit' Me" (#3 R&B, #7 Dance), "Standing on the Top (Part 1)" with The Temptations (#6 R&B), "Sweet and Sexy Thing" (#4 Dance, #6 R&B), "Can't Stop" (#9 Dance, #10 R&B, #50 Pop), "Hard to Get" (#15 R&B), "U Bring the Freak Out" (#16 R&B), "Ebony Eyes" with Smokey Robinson (#22 R&B, #43 Pop) and several others. His last big hit as a solo artist was 1988's "Loosey's Rap," featuring distaff MC Roxanne Shant�, which vaulted to the top of the R&B chart.
In 1990, as rap music began to penetrate the mass market, the grandly theatrical MC Hammer scored a worldwide smash with "U Can't Touch This," a hip-hop cocktail that got its kick from a "Super Freak" sample. Rick James claimed his first and only Grammy Award as the co-author.
The rest of the decade was particularly rough for James, whose drug habit worsened precipitously; his legendarily bad behavior sparked legal difficulties and even a two-year prison stretch. He returned to the stage for a 1997 tour but suffered a stroke that sidelined him more or less for good. Even as his personal troubles captured headlines, James' work continued to shape popular music; the burgeoning hip-hop scene built countless tracks on the foundations of his songs. Among the best known artists to do so, apart from MC Hammer (who also sampled "Give It to Me, Baby" for his single "Let's Get It Started"), were Jay-Z, Jennifer Lopez, Mary J. Blige, Busta Rhymes, Dr. Dre, Coolio, Kriss Kross, EPMD, DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince (aka Will Smith), Mya, DJ Quik, Keith Murray, Busta Rhymes and Afrika Bambaataa.
James began to reclaim his reputation in the 21st century, aided by the 2002 release of the sprawling two-disc set Anthology, which at last represented the range of his work to the world. He appeared on Chappelle's Show to lampoon his high-flying superstar image in 2003, turning "I'm Rick James, bitch!" into a ubiquitous catchphrase. His own final studio work came in the form of a reunion with Teena Marie for her 2004 album. He was at work on a new album and an autobiography when, in August of 2004, he was found dead in his home of an enlarged heart.
Constantly reaching, growing and exploring new aspects of his talent were all part of the genius of Rick James. Since he burst upon the scene in the late 70's with his unique brand of Punk Funk music, he has been an inspiration to his peers and won the acclaim of audiences and critics alike. James' left us far too soon, but his legacy continues to inspire new generations of artists to get their super freak on.
Click here for more info on Rick James.
Though best known for unstoppable funk jams like "Super Freak" and "Give It to Me, Baby," his impact is evident not only in the chart stats, but in his artistic contributions as a composer and songwriter. James authored a fleet of irresistible tracks, from club bangers to sumptuous ballads, all delivered with passion and verve. Onstage he was a sequined dynamo and engaged the audience with energetic, theatrical, sexually charged performances, commanding the stage with ferocious authority. And while his own excess ultimately consumed him, hampering the final act of his career and claiming his life, Rick James is now remembered less for his feet of clay than for his grooves of gold.
Born James Johnson, Jr, in Buffalo, New York (!st February 1948), he was connected to the music world at birth as the nephew of Temptations singer Melvin Franklin. In an impulsive moment, at age 15, he joined the Navy; justifiably overwhelmed, he went AWOL and took refuge in Canada. It was there that he formed his first band, a rock-soul collective called The Mynah Birds, which at one point featured Neil Young. Changing his name to Rick James, he landed a deal for the band with Motown Records - but upon returning to the U.S. was tossed in the brig for deserting his Navy training. After his release he relocated to Detroit, and though the Mynah Birds dissolved, he maintained a relationship with Motown as a staff songwriter; he developed R&B band The Main Line in England and spent much of the '70s traversing the Atlantic as he developed various projects.
1977 saw him assemble his mighty Stone City Band and step into the spotlight as a solo artist. His debut LP, "Come and Get It," released by the Motown imprint Gordy in 1978, launched the R&B smashes "You and I" (#1) and pot paean "Mary Jane" (#3). He capitalized on the popularity of the latter tune by assembling a girl group, The Mary Jane Girls, who accompanied him as a warm-up act (as did a young firebrand named Prince) during his tours for subsequent releases "Bustin' Out of L Seven" and "Fire It Up." More R&B hits ensued, notably "Bustin' Out" (#8), "Love Gun" (#13) and "Big Time" (#17). And though his barnstorming jams built his reputation, James demonstrated a mastery of silky balladry as well, showcasing the supple end of his powerful pipes.
It was with 1981's "Street Songs" that James' vision - booty-rocking bass, bulletproof horn charts, rock-tinged guitar riffs, new-wave synthesizer blasts and strutting, lascivious vocals - could at last be fully apprehended. The platinum disc's rambunctious "Give It to Me, Baby," a dance-floor hurricane that rivalled anything in the catalogues of peers like Michael Jackson, Earth, Wind & Fire and George Clinton, became a #1 R&B and #1 Dance hit and reached the Top 40, while "Fire and Desire," featuring his young protégé, Teena Marie, proved a splendid Quiet Storm ballad and "Ghetto Life," a formative influence on the "gangsta" style that would evolve later in the decade, was instantly enshrined as an inner-city classic.
But it was the unstoppable "Super Freak" that made James a household name. The frisky funk anthem about a girl "you don't bring home to mother" shimmied up to #16 at pop, dominating the clubs and attracting a rabid mainstream audience (so much so that James played himself on the hit TV series The A-Team and performed the song in the episode). Unlike many a chart stomp, "Super Freak" never really went away - it became a pop perennial and a must for any hedonistic playlist.
Unfortunately, the hedonism that catapulted Rick James into the global limelight became his worst enemy. Success prompted him to party like a Roman emperor and to overextend himself - in addition to mounting his own lavish tours, he produced the Mary Jane Girls, worked with The Temptations and wrote and produced comedic actor Eddie Murphy's hit single, "Party All the Time." He continued to churn out plenty of his own hits during the early '80s, however, including "Cold Blooded" (#1 R&B, #17 Dance, #40 Pop), "Glow" (#1 Dance, #5 R&B), "Dance Wit' Me" (#3 R&B, #7 Dance), "Standing on the Top (Part 1)" with The Temptations (#6 R&B), "Sweet and Sexy Thing" (#4 Dance, #6 R&B), "Can't Stop" (#9 Dance, #10 R&B, #50 Pop), "Hard to Get" (#15 R&B), "U Bring the Freak Out" (#16 R&B), "Ebony Eyes" with Smokey Robinson (#22 R&B, #43 Pop) and several others. His last big hit as a solo artist was 1988's "Loosey's Rap," featuring distaff MC Roxanne Shant�, which vaulted to the top of the R&B chart.
In 1990, as rap music began to penetrate the mass market, the grandly theatrical MC Hammer scored a worldwide smash with "U Can't Touch This," a hip-hop cocktail that got its kick from a "Super Freak" sample. Rick James claimed his first and only Grammy Award as the co-author.
The rest of the decade was particularly rough for James, whose drug habit worsened precipitously; his legendarily bad behavior sparked legal difficulties and even a two-year prison stretch. He returned to the stage for a 1997 tour but suffered a stroke that sidelined him more or less for good. Even as his personal troubles captured headlines, James' work continued to shape popular music; the burgeoning hip-hop scene built countless tracks on the foundations of his songs. Among the best known artists to do so, apart from MC Hammer (who also sampled "Give It to Me, Baby" for his single "Let's Get It Started"), were Jay-Z, Jennifer Lopez, Mary J. Blige, Busta Rhymes, Dr. Dre, Coolio, Kriss Kross, EPMD, DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince (aka Will Smith), Mya, DJ Quik, Keith Murray, Busta Rhymes and Afrika Bambaataa.
James began to reclaim his reputation in the 21st century, aided by the 2002 release of the sprawling two-disc set Anthology, which at last represented the range of his work to the world. He appeared on Chappelle's Show to lampoon his high-flying superstar image in 2003, turning "I'm Rick James, bitch!" into a ubiquitous catchphrase. His own final studio work came in the form of a reunion with Teena Marie for her 2004 album. He was at work on a new album and an autobiography when, in August of 2004, he was found dead in his home of an enlarged heart.
Constantly reaching, growing and exploring new aspects of his talent were all part of the genius of Rick James. Since he burst upon the scene in the late 70's with his unique brand of Punk Funk music, he has been an inspiration to his peers and won the acclaim of audiences and critics alike. James' left us far too soon, but his legacy continues to inspire new generations of artists to get their super freak on.
Click here for more info on Rick James.
June 2014 Featured Band: Kool & The Gang
Kool & The Gang has sold over 70 million albums worldwide and influenced the music of three generations. Thanks to songs like Celebration, Cherish, Jungle Boogie, Summer Madness and Open Sesame, they’ve earned two Grammy Awards, seven American Music Awards, 25 Top Ten R&B hits, nine Top Ten Pop hits, and 31 gold and platinum albums. Kool & The Gang has performed continuously for the past 35 years, longer than any R&B group in history. Their bulletproof funk and tough, jazzy arrangements have also made them the most sampled band of all time.
In 1964 Khalis Bayyan (AKA Ronald Bell) and his brother, Robert “Kool” Bell, joined Jersey City neighborhood friends Robert “Spike” Mickens, Dennis “Dee Tee” Thomas, Ricky Westfield, George Brown, and Charles Smith to create a unique musical blend of jazz, soul and funk. At first calling themselves the Jazziacs, they went through various names – The New Dimensions, The Soul Town Band, Kool & The Flames – before settling on their moniker. Over the next several years, they solidified their musical chemistry on the rough-and-tumble East Coast music scene, supporting acts like Bill Cosby, Ritchie Havens and Richard Pryor. Their self-titled 1969 debut album introduced their signature instrumental sound and fierce horn arrangements, and spawned their first Billboard R&B charted single, Kool and the Gang.
In 1969 Kool & The Gang released their self-titled debut album. It was the introduction to a theme, music is the message, that Kool & The Gang stands by today. The instrumental album was an expression of their deep love of music. It was also an introduction to their signature sound and the fierce horn arrangements created by Khalis, Dee Tee, and Spike. Their debut album spawned their first Billboard R&B charted single Kool and the Gang and later Let The Music Take Your Mind.
In 1970, their audacious sophomore set Live At The Sex Machine peaked at #6 on Billboard’s R&B chart and yielded three hit singles: Funky Man, Who’s Gonna Take The Weight and I Want To Take You Higher. Next came The Best Of Kool & The Gang Featuring The Penguin, Kool & The Gang Live at PJ’s, Music Is The Message, and Good Times, all of which helped solidify a sound that wowed not only fans but such contemporaries as James Brown and Nina Simone.
The band’s stellar reputation grew with each album, but 1973’s gold disc Wild & Peaceful took Kool & The Gang to another level (#6 R&B, #33 Pop), spurred by the immortal party anthems Funky Stuff, Hollywood Swinging and the platinum smash Jungle Boogie. Hits like Higher Plane (#1 R&B), the classic Summer Madness (featured on the Grammy-winning movie soundtrack Rocky) and LPs Spirit of the Boogie, Love & Understanding and Open Sesame followed. The latter’s title track was featured on the top-selling movie soundtrack of all time, Saturday Night Fever, earning the group their second Grammy.
In 1979, Kool & The Gang unveiled a smooth new sound with Ladies Night. Produced by the legendary Pop/Jazz musician Eumir Deodato, it became their first platinum album. The #1 R&B title track also reached #8 at Pop. It was followed by Too Hot (#3 R&B, #5 Pop). The ’80s would see them dominate the mainstream, starting with the double platinum-selling album Celebrate (driven by the international monster hit Celebration, which spent six weeks atop the R&B chart and became a #1 Pop single). Celebration, which played as the American hostages returned from Iran, remains de rigueur at joyous occasions worldwide. The smashes Get Down On It, Take My Heart, Let’s Go Dancing, Joanna, Tonight, Misled, the #1 R&B, #2 Pop giant Cherish and the #1 R&B anthem Fresh (these last three from the multi-platinum LP Emergency) solidified the group’s international superstardom. Kool & the Gang landed global commercial endorsements, supported countless charitable causes and were the only American group to participate in Band Aid’s 1984 Do They Know It’s Christmas project for famine victims in Africa.
With the explosion of hip-hop in the ’90s, Kool & the Gang’s incredible catalog of grooves made them DJ favorites, and they were second only to R&B icon James Brown as sources of rap-music samples.
2004’s The Hits Reloaded found the band collaborating with such acolytes as Lil’ Kim, Sean Paul, Ashanti, and Blackstreet, among others. Kool & The Gang continues to perform to packed audiences of new and old fans around the world.
The band re-entered the Billboard R&B chart with 2006’s Steppin’ Into Love. In 2006, Kool & The Gang received the NARM (National Association of Recording Merchandisers) Chairman Award for lifetime achievement in record sales.
Kool & The Gang remains one of the most active touring bands, performing hundreds of shows every year. In 2012, they embarked on a U.S. national tour with legendary rock band, Van Halen, while also appearing on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, Dancing with the Stars and PBS’ 4th of July Celebration Concert, A Capitol Fourth.
Click here for more info on Kool & The Gang.
Kool & The Gang has sold over 70 million albums worldwide and influenced the music of three generations. Thanks to songs like Celebration, Cherish, Jungle Boogie, Summer Madness and Open Sesame, they’ve earned two Grammy Awards, seven American Music Awards, 25 Top Ten R&B hits, nine Top Ten Pop hits, and 31 gold and platinum albums. Kool & The Gang has performed continuously for the past 35 years, longer than any R&B group in history. Their bulletproof funk and tough, jazzy arrangements have also made them the most sampled band of all time.
In 1964 Khalis Bayyan (AKA Ronald Bell) and his brother, Robert “Kool” Bell, joined Jersey City neighborhood friends Robert “Spike” Mickens, Dennis “Dee Tee” Thomas, Ricky Westfield, George Brown, and Charles Smith to create a unique musical blend of jazz, soul and funk. At first calling themselves the Jazziacs, they went through various names – The New Dimensions, The Soul Town Band, Kool & The Flames – before settling on their moniker. Over the next several years, they solidified their musical chemistry on the rough-and-tumble East Coast music scene, supporting acts like Bill Cosby, Ritchie Havens and Richard Pryor. Their self-titled 1969 debut album introduced their signature instrumental sound and fierce horn arrangements, and spawned their first Billboard R&B charted single, Kool and the Gang.
In 1969 Kool & The Gang released their self-titled debut album. It was the introduction to a theme, music is the message, that Kool & The Gang stands by today. The instrumental album was an expression of their deep love of music. It was also an introduction to their signature sound and the fierce horn arrangements created by Khalis, Dee Tee, and Spike. Their debut album spawned their first Billboard R&B charted single Kool and the Gang and later Let The Music Take Your Mind.
In 1970, their audacious sophomore set Live At The Sex Machine peaked at #6 on Billboard’s R&B chart and yielded three hit singles: Funky Man, Who’s Gonna Take The Weight and I Want To Take You Higher. Next came The Best Of Kool & The Gang Featuring The Penguin, Kool & The Gang Live at PJ’s, Music Is The Message, and Good Times, all of which helped solidify a sound that wowed not only fans but such contemporaries as James Brown and Nina Simone.
The band’s stellar reputation grew with each album, but 1973’s gold disc Wild & Peaceful took Kool & The Gang to another level (#6 R&B, #33 Pop), spurred by the immortal party anthems Funky Stuff, Hollywood Swinging and the platinum smash Jungle Boogie. Hits like Higher Plane (#1 R&B), the classic Summer Madness (featured on the Grammy-winning movie soundtrack Rocky) and LPs Spirit of the Boogie, Love & Understanding and Open Sesame followed. The latter’s title track was featured on the top-selling movie soundtrack of all time, Saturday Night Fever, earning the group their second Grammy.
In 1979, Kool & The Gang unveiled a smooth new sound with Ladies Night. Produced by the legendary Pop/Jazz musician Eumir Deodato, it became their first platinum album. The #1 R&B title track also reached #8 at Pop. It was followed by Too Hot (#3 R&B, #5 Pop). The ’80s would see them dominate the mainstream, starting with the double platinum-selling album Celebrate (driven by the international monster hit Celebration, which spent six weeks atop the R&B chart and became a #1 Pop single). Celebration, which played as the American hostages returned from Iran, remains de rigueur at joyous occasions worldwide. The smashes Get Down On It, Take My Heart, Let’s Go Dancing, Joanna, Tonight, Misled, the #1 R&B, #2 Pop giant Cherish and the #1 R&B anthem Fresh (these last three from the multi-platinum LP Emergency) solidified the group’s international superstardom. Kool & the Gang landed global commercial endorsements, supported countless charitable causes and were the only American group to participate in Band Aid’s 1984 Do They Know It’s Christmas project for famine victims in Africa.
With the explosion of hip-hop in the ’90s, Kool & the Gang’s incredible catalog of grooves made them DJ favorites, and they were second only to R&B icon James Brown as sources of rap-music samples.
2004’s The Hits Reloaded found the band collaborating with such acolytes as Lil’ Kim, Sean Paul, Ashanti, and Blackstreet, among others. Kool & The Gang continues to perform to packed audiences of new and old fans around the world.
The band re-entered the Billboard R&B chart with 2006’s Steppin’ Into Love. In 2006, Kool & The Gang received the NARM (National Association of Recording Merchandisers) Chairman Award for lifetime achievement in record sales.
Kool & The Gang remains one of the most active touring bands, performing hundreds of shows every year. In 2012, they embarked on a U.S. national tour with legendary rock band, Van Halen, while also appearing on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, Dancing with the Stars and PBS’ 4th of July Celebration Concert, A Capitol Fourth.
Click here for more info on Kool & The Gang.
Sunday 8th December 2013: A Special Tribute To Pa Nelson Mandela
Tune in from 4pm-5pm (GMT) as we celebrate the life and legacy of a rare global inspirational icon.
May his soul rest in perfect peace.
Tune in from 4pm-5pm (GMT) as we celebrate the life and legacy of a rare global inspirational icon.
May his soul rest in perfect peace.
Sunday 20th October 2013: Fela Kuti Special
On Sunday to celebrate the life of Fela Anikulapo-Kuti we are broadcasting a 3-hour 'Fela Kuti Special' @ 3pm-6pm (UK Time).
Tune in and enjoy a special selection of the great man's masterpieces.
On Sunday to celebrate the life of Fela Anikulapo-Kuti we are broadcasting a 3-hour 'Fela Kuti Special' @ 3pm-6pm (UK Time).
Tune in and enjoy a special selection of the great man's masterpieces.