From his 1974 debut album, Sneakin’ Sally Through the Alley to his untimely death in 2003 at the age of 54, Robert Palmer was an important fixture on the rock and pop scene. As a performer, he was a pretty hard guy to pigeonhole. He … Continue reading Robert Palmer
Pictured: Aretha singing at Barack Obama’s 2009 inauguration. Her hat got about as much press as her performance. Aretha, like her father, was a die-hard Democrat and like a lot of us who were hopelessly naive, saw Obama’s inauguration as the possible beginning of a … Continue reading Aretha Franklin (final of 4) – Amazing Grace
We all require and want respect, man or woman, black or white. It’s our basic human right.” – Aretha Franklin. Otis Redding wrote and released “Respect” in the summer of 1965. It had some level of success (Top Five on Billboard’s Black Singles Chart, and crossed over … Continue reading Aretha Franklin (Part 3) – Respect
Wikipedia: The now-defunct Regal Theater in Chicago was part of the so-called “chitlin circuit,” that “provided commercial and cultural acceptance for African-American musicians, comedians, and other entertainers during the era of racial segregation in the United States (from at least the early 19th century through the 1960s.) Sometime in … Continue reading Aretha Franklin (Part 2) – The Queen of Soul
Aretha Franklin, the “Queen of Soul,” died on August 16, 2018 at the age of 76. This is her story. If you think know Aretha, you probably don’t. Read on. I think that, to make sense of Aretha – “Ree” to her friends and family … Continue reading Aretha Franklin – (Part 1) The Sacred and the Profane
“The best gig was working with Curtis Mayfield and the Impressions. He was a really good guitarist!…… I learned quite a lot in that short time. He probably influenced me more than anyone I’d ever played with up to that time, that sweet sound of his, you know.” … Continue reading Curtis Mayfield – Super Fly – (final of 2)
“He’s the last African-American Everyman,” says Questlove of his hero Bill Withers. “Jordan’s vertical jump has to be higher than everyone. Michael Jackson has to defy gravity. On the other side of the coin, we’re often viewed as primitive animals. We rarely land in the … Continue reading Bill Withers
