Happy Birthday to R&B great Angela Winbush
Happy Birthday to R&B great Angela Winbush, born on January 18, 1955. One of the most talented singers, songwriters and producers of the 80s and 90s, Angela Winbush never received either the across the board commercial success she deserved, nor sufficient credit for her pioneering work as a top tier female producer in the male […]
Mickey Stevenson
It is difficult to talk about the emergence of soul music’s greatest record label, Motown, without talking about Mickey Stevenson. Stevenson was one of the quiet architects of that imprint’s golden era—a behind-the-scenes force whose songwriting, production instincts, and executive leadership helped define the label’s crossover sound in the early 1960s. Stevenson was among the […]
The fresh singer we fell for was really A.I.
“Things are not always what they seem; the first appearance deceives many.”— Phaedrus (November 3, 2025) That quote is from the 4th Century B.C., but seems applicable today in a world where the line between reality and fiction is more difficult to discern than ever. And I had my own recent firsthand experience in the […]
Happy Birthday to singer extraordinaire, Paul Carrack
Happy Birthday to singer extraordinaire, Paul Carrack, born on April 22, 1951. For a half century, Carrack has been the voice behind literally dozens of hits for several acts, but his virtual anonymity in those roles has left him with far more accolades from his peers than from the general public, particularly in the US. […]
A birthday celebration of “Kung Fu Fighting” hitmaker Carl Douglas
He is best known for a single song, but it was a song that both capitalized on and created an international sensation. Carl Douglas was the singer behind the #1 song “Kung Fu Fighting,” and the world has never been the same since. Born Carlton George Douglas on May 10, 1942 in Kingston, Jamaica and […]
First Listen: Bey Bright returns with “I’m Sorry”
(March 20, 2025) The begging song is an R&B staple. It usually begins with the singer (usually a man) realizing that the grass is not greener on the other side after being caught on the other side. Our vocal protagonist then embarks on an effort to convince their aggrieved and possibly soon to be former […]
Tony! Toni! Tone! Co-founder D’wayne Wiggins ailing
[March 7 update: D’Wayne Wiggins has died. https://soultracks.com/tony-toni-tone-dwayne-wiggins-dies-at-age-64/] (March 6, 2025) Fans are praying for the recovery of Tony! Toni! Tone co-founder and guitarist D’Wayne Wiggins, who is ailing. After several days of speculation on social media, the Wiggins family issued the following statement: We wanted to share that D’Wayne Wiggins is experiencing medical complications. […]
First Listen: Smokey Robinson returns with a top down jam
(February 28, 2025) He is one of those legendary artists whose first name alone is iconic and evokes decades of musical memories. He’s Smokey Robinson, and for most of us there isn’t a time in our life that didn’t include him and his music. And now, at age 85, Smokey is still going strong and […]
First Listen: Charles “Wigg” Walker defies time again
Credit: David McClister
Choice Cut: Full Force’s Paul Anthony delivers a nighttime gem
If you’ve been anywhere near a radio in the past three decades, you know the music of Paul Anthony. As a member of the performance and production group Full Force, Anthony literally drove the blend of hip-hop, soul, and pop music that continues with us to this day. He’s won Grammy Awards and Gold, Platinum […]
