On This Day 50 years ago: Earth Wind & Fire creates an all-time classic
March 15, 1975 – Earth Wind & Fire creates an all-time classic It is difficult to look back at the 70s and early 80s Soul music scene without marveling at both the groundbreaking music and the breadth of influence of Earth, Wind & Fire. A group revolutionary in its amalgamation of soul, jazz, funk and […]
On This Day in 1971: Eddie Kendricks’ swan song with The Temptations hits #1
March 7, 1971 – The Temptations hit #1 with “Just My Imagination” It is impossible to talk about the development of soul music since the early 60s without repeatedly coming back to the Temptations. In the 60s they redefined the soul group, from the impeccable look they brought to the stage, to their focus on […]
On This Day in 1990: Bell Biv DeVoe leaves the shadow of New Edition with “Poison”
February 24, 1990 – Bell Biv DeVoe releases “Poison” As founding members of supergroup New Edition, Ricky Bell, Michael Bivins and Ronnie DeVoe had been in the spotlight for the better part of a decade – though often not as bright a spotlight as group members Bobby Brown and Ralph Tresvant. So when, during a […]
On This Day in 1988: 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 […]
On This Day in 1980: 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. […]
On This Day in 2012: The tragic death of Whitney Houston
February 11, 2012 – Whitney Houston dies tragically It’s tough to believe all this time has passed since the day Whitney Houston died, but in some ways it seems longer ago that the shocking news came. A few years earlier, we experienced the same gut punch when we heard the news about Michael Jackson, and […]
On This Day in 1990: Skyy gets its musical 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 […]
On This Day in 1979: 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 […]
On This Day in 2012: “Soul Train” leader Don Cornelius dies
February 1, 2012 – Soul Train’s Don Cornelius Dies He was a young man from Chicago with a big dream, and he changed the world. Don Cornelius was much more than a television host. He was a visionary businessman who opened the world to a celebration of “Black Joy” on television as few had seen before, […]
On This Day 40 Years Ago: 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, […]
