Today in Music History (February 20): Pebbles arrives and hits the top
February 20, 1988 – Pebbles arrives, topping the charts with “Girlfriend” She’s had careers both secular and sacred, but Perri A. Reid, better known as Pebbles, had for herself quite a career for several years as a singer, songwriter and music executive. And never was her power as a performer more evident than on this […]
Today in Music History (February 15): Ray, Goodman & Brown scale to the top with “Special Lady”
February 15, 1980 – Ray, Goodman & Brown move to #1 with “Special Lady” Part of the generation of soul music groups that arose in the late 60s and early 70s, the combination of Harry Ray, Al Goodman and Billy Brown became most notable as perhaps the greatest live performing group of that elite bunch. […]
Today in Music History (February 8): Skyy gets its revenge with a #1 song
February 8, 1990 – Skyy hits #1 with “Real Love” Virtually the definition of an “Unsung” act, Skyy lit up the soul and dance charts from the late 70s until the early 90s with a string of hits, often accompanied by surprisingly long gaps in between. The Brooklyn funk/soul group was formed by guitarist Soloman […]
Today in Music History (February 3): Bobby Caldwell releases his signature song, “What You Won’t Do For Love”
February 3, 1979 – Bobby Caldwell releases his signature song, “What You Won’t Do For Love” Bobby Caldwell was likely destined to be an entertainer. The son of Bob and R.H. Caldwell, longtime Florida-based singers and dancers who were also the hosts of an early TV variety show, Suppertime, he was raised in a world surrounded […]
Today in Music History (January 31): The Commodores surprised the world with “Nightshift”
January 31, 1985 – The Commodores release the Grammy Award winning “Nightshift” Formed by a bunch of funk-loving friends at Alabama’s Tuskegee Institute, The Commodores became one of the major crossover acts of the 70s and early 80s, with one monster hit after another. But when lead singer Lionel Richie left the group after 1982’s In the Pocket album, […]
Today In Music History (January 13): The great Teddy Pendergrass died
January 13, 2010: Teddy Pendergrass dies Today we commemorate the anniversary of the death of legendary soul singer Teddy Pendergrass, who died on January 13, 2010, from complications related to colon cancer. As the lead singer of the vocal group Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes and later as a solo artist, Teddy Pendergrass established himself […]
Today in Music History (January 15): The music world discovers Tavares
January 15, 1974 – Tavares releases debut album, Check It Out When asked to name the Soul Music supergroups of the ’70s and early ’80s, folks tend to gravitate to familiar names such as Earth, Wind and Fire, the Spinners, the Commodores and the Isley Brothers. However, five brothers from New Bedford, Massachusetts – Ralph, Tiny, Chubby, Butch and Pooch […]
Today in Music History (December 27, 1975): The Staple Singers hit #1 with “Let’s Do It Again”
December 27, 1975 – The Staple Singers top the charts with “Let’s Do It Again” Bridging the lines between soul, R&B and gospel, the family act known as The Staple Singers were one of the most iconic groups of the 1960s and 70s, with a string of hits that are still revered today, and perhaps […]
On This Day in 1970: Donny Hathaway releases iconic “This Christmas”
December 9, 1970 – Donny Hathaway releases “This Christmas“ It may be the most popular soul music Christmas song ever. Donny Hathaway’s “This Christmas” has become a radio staple and has been remade by artists over the years for a good reason: it really is a great Christmas song. And there is no one who […]
Today in Music History (November 25): The Bodyguard’s record-setting release
November 25, 1992 – “The Bodyguard” begins its record setting run Whitney Houston was already a music star, but the world wanted more. Her beauty, her voice and her presence clearly screamed that she was capable of even greater stardom, and her movie headliner debut, The Bodyguard, proved our guesses were right. Teamed with Kevin […]
