Thursday, March 29, 2018

Mahalia Jackson – Queen of Gospel

Image result for mahalia jacksonMahala “Halie” Jackson was born on October 26, 1911, in New Orleans, Louisiana. Jackson loved to sing, especially in church, and that is where her singing career began – at the local Mount Moriah Baptist Church.

In 1927, at the age of 16, Jackson moved to Chicago, Illinois, during the Great Migration. After her first Sunday school service, where she had given an impromptu performance of her favorite song, "Hand Me Down My Silver Trumpet, Gabriel", she was invited to join the Greater Salem Baptist Church Choir. She began touring with the Johnson Gospel Singers, one of the earliest professional gospel groups.

She refused to sing secular music, a pledge she would keep throughout her professional life although she was frequently offered money to do so. She even divorced her first husband because of his unrelenting pressure on her to sing worldly music.

"I sing God's music because it makes me feel free", Jackson once said about her choice of gospel, adding, "It gives me hope. With the blues, when you finish, you still have the blues."

In 1948, Jackson recorded the William Herbert Brewster song "Move On Up a Little Higher", a recording so popular stores could not stock enough copies to meet demand. The success of this record rocketed her to fame in the U.S., and soon after, in Europe. During this time, she toured as a concert artist, appearing more frequently in concert halls and less often in churches. Because of this change in her venues, her arrangements expanded from piano and organ to orchestral accompaniments.


In 1950, Jackson became the first gospel singer to perform at Carnegie Hall.  She started touring Europe in 1952 and was hailed by critics as the "world's greatest gospel singer." With her mainstream success, Jackson was criticized by some gospel purists who complained about her hand-clapping and foot-stomping and about her bringing jazz into the church. But that didn’t stop Jackson, she went on to have many noticeable accomplishments, such as singing for at John F. Kennedy's inaugural ball, singing at the March on Washington, and singing at the funeral of Martin Luther King Jr.


Jackson played an important role during the civil rights movement. She was contacted by Martin Luther King Jr and Ralph Abernathy about singing at a rally in Montgomery to raise funds for the bus boycott. Despite death threats, Jackson agreed to sing. There was a good turnout at the concert and they were happy with the amount of money raised. However, when they returned to the Abernathy's home, it had been bombed. Jackson said that she hoped her music could "break down some of the hate and fear that divide the white and black people in this country.” 


Jackson devoted much of her time and energy to helping others. She established the Mahalia Jackson Scholarship Foundation for young people who wanted to attend college. For her efforts in helping international understanding, she received the Silver Dove Award. Jackson was described by Harry Belafonte as "the single most powerful black woman in the United States," and anyone who can claim that title deserves recognition to me.

Tuesday, March 27, 2018

Kanye Madness

With the NCAA’s March Madness quickly making its way to its conclusion, I decided to take part in brackets that piqued my interest. Enter, Kanye Madness.




Twitter user Carrington Harrison (@cdotharrison) strategically built this Kanye Madness Bracket with care in mind, by forcing formidable Kanye hits to go head-to-head. The 64-song bracket split some of the best music into 4 regions: North West, Donda, Chicago, and Saint.


He’s already finished up Kanye Madness on his twitter page. I’m not gonna tell you who won! But you can find it here. What I can say is that my love for “The Old Kanye” seems to run DEEP. But I could also respect the juxtaposition that I saw in the earlier rounds with the song match-ups. Either song, both from different albums and different “Kanyes,” could focus on the same theme in a with a different sound.


I more so did this bracket to figure out what I would consider my favorite Kanye songs. I could listen to my Elite 8 on repeat for the rest of my life, I suppose. Print it out and do it yourself and be sure to check out @cdotharrison twitter page or use search the hashtag #KanyeMadnessBracket to see how your bracket held up against Harrison’s and others who have shared.

Happy Listening!




Monday, March 26, 2018

Selena – Queen of Tejano

Image result for selena quintanillaThe youngest child of the Quintanilla family, Selena became the lead singer in her family's band, Selena Y Los Dinos. The musical group started out playing weddings and clubs in their native Texas. Her father, Abraham, a former musician, managed and produced the group. Selena grew up speaking English, but her father taught her to sing in Spanish so she could resonate with the Latino community. Selena began recording professionally in 1982. In the 1980s, she was often criticized and was refused bookings at venues across Texas for performing Tejano music—a male-dominated music genre. However, her popularity grew after she won the Tejano Music Award for Female Vocalist of the Year in 1987, and for nine consecutive years after.

Selena released her self-titled debut album on October 17, 1989. Selena peaked at number seven on the US Billboard Regional Mexican Albums chart, becoming Selena's first recording to debut on a national music chart. The album performed better than other recordings from other contemporaneous female Tejano singers. That same year, she became Coca-Cola’s spokesperson.

In September 1990, Selena released her second studio album, Ven Conmigo. One of its singles, “Baila Esta Cumbia” became one of Selena's most successful single. It was around that time that Yolanda Saldívar asked the Quintanilla family about starting a fan club for Selena. In hopes of bringing more attention to the band, they agreed.





Against her father’s will, Selena eloped with Chris Pérez, the band’s guitarist. A month later, Selena released her breakthrough album, Entre a Mi Mundo. The recording peaked at number one on the US Billboard Regional Mexican Albums chart for eight consecutive months; it was certified 6x platinum by the RIAA. Entre a Mi Mundo became the first Tejano album by a female artist to sell over 300,000 copies. "Como la Flor" became Selena's signature recording; it helped Selena to dominate the Latin music charts and become immensely popular in Mexico.



In 1994 Selena began designing and manufacturing a line of clothing; she opened two boutiques called Selena Etc., one in Corpus Christi and the other in San Antonio. Both were equipped with in-house beauty salons. Saldívar managed both boutiques after the Quintanilla family were impressed with the way she managed the fan club. Hispanic Business magazine reported that the singer earned over five million dollars from these boutiques. She was ranked among the twentieth-wealthiest Hispanic musicians who grossed the highest income in 1993 and 1994.

Amor Prohibido became one of the best-selling Latin albums in the United States and has been certified 2x diamond by the RIAA. “Bidi Bidi Bom Bom” was one of my favorites that went number one from this album. Amor Prohibido popularized Tejano music among a younger and wider audience than at any other time in the genre's history. Billboard magazine ranked Amor Prohibido among the most essential Latin recordings of the past 50 years and included it on its list of the top 100 albums of all-time. 


It was discovered that Saldívar had embezzled more than $30,000 via forged checks from both the fan club and the boutiques. Selena's father presented Saldívar with the inconsistencies concerning the disappeared funds. He told her that if she did not provide evidence that disproved his accusations, he would involve the local police. Saldívar also began to show obsessive tendencies with Selena. So much to the point that Mr. Quintanilla Jr. forbade Saldívar from contacting Selena. It was as if Saldívar refused to stay out of Selena's life.

Saldívar delayed handing over the bank statements and financial records with many outrageous stories. And when Selena met up with her at a Days Inn to demand the financial paperwork, Saldívar shot Selena. She was pronounced dead upon arriving at the hospital.

Selena's murder had a widespread impact. Her death was front-page news in The New York Times for two days. Numerous vigils and memorials were held in her honor, and radio stations in Texas played her music non-stop. Her funeral drew 60,000 mourners, many of whom traveled from outside the United States. On April 12, 1995, two weeks after Selena's death, George W. Bush, governor of Texas at the time, declared her birthday, April 16, Selena Day in the state. He said Selena represented "the essence of south Texas culture."

Aside from music, Selena was active in her community and donated her time to civic causes. During her childhood, Selena helped organizations such as Toys for Tots. She was active in the U.S. Latino community, visiting local schools to talk to students about the importance of education. he also donated her time to civic organizations such as D.A.R.E. and planned a fund-raising concert to help AIDS patients.


Selena has been credited for helping redefine Latin music by breaking barriers in the Latin music world. She is considered "one of the most significant Mexican American singers of the end of the twentieth century" and her death was "the most devastating loss" in Tejano music history – the Tejano market died with her. But her memory and her legacy lived on through the music that she has left behind. And who knows? One day, a little girl may hear that music and decide to bring Tejano music back to life.

Saturday, March 24, 2018

Chaka Khan – Queen of Funk

Image result for chaka khanBorn Yvette Marie Stevens on March 23, 1953, Chaka Khan was born into an artistic and bohemian household in Chicago's rough South Side housing projects. Khan has described her father as a beatnik and her mother as "able to do anything." She attributed her love of music to her grandmother, who introduced her to jazz as a child. Khan became a fan of rhythm and blues music as a preteen and at eleven formed a girl group, the Crystalettes.

Although she joined the Black Panther Party in the 1960s, her true love was in her music. She left the party and dropped out of school in 1969 and began to perform around Chicago, first with a group called Lyfe and then on her own. It was while performing alone that she met the group Rufus and ended up replacing their singer Paulette McWilliams.

Rufus’s breakout hit was “Tell Me Something Good,” produced by Stevie Wonder. It peaked at number 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 and won the group it’s first Grammy. The single's success and the subsequent follow-up, "You Got the Love", which peaked at number eleven on the Billboard Hot 100, helped their second parent album, Rags to Rufus, go platinum. From 1974 to 1979, Rufus released six platinum-selling albums.

In 1978 Khan released her debut album, Chaka. It featured her disco-crossover hit, “I’m Every Woman.” The success of the single helped the album go platinum. After her first solo success, she spent a lot of time collaborating with multiple artists on multiple projects, even teaming back up with Rufus for a few albums. It was from this final stint with Rufus that we received the hit “Ain’t Nobody.” The band separated for good afterward.



In 1984, Khan released her sixth studio album, I Feel for You. The title track, the first single released, was originally written and recorded by Prince in 1979.  Khan's version featured a harmonica solo by Stevie Wonder and an intro rap by Grandmaster Melle Mel. It became a million-selling smash in the U.S. and United Kingdom and helped to relaunch Khan's career. "I Feel for You" topped not only the U.S. R&B and dance charts, but achieved great success on the U.S. pop chart and reached No. 1 in the U.K. Other singles which helped I Feel For You go platinum included "This is My Night" and the ballad "Through the Fire."


The Chaka Khan Foundation educates, inspires and empowers children in our community to achieve their full potential by giving children who are at risk, either through poverty or through health issues like autism, the ability to achieve their dreams and give back to the community.

Khan was the first R&B artist to have a crossover hit featuring a rapper, with "I Feel for You" in 1984. Khan has won ten Grammys and has sold an estimated 70 million records worldwide. On May 19, 2011, Khan was presented with a Hollywood Walk of Fame star plaque on a section of Hollywood Boulevard in Los Angeles. Chaka Khan created her separate success away from Rufus and influenced many of today’s artists such as Mary J. Blige and Erykah Badu to Kanye West. To this day, Chaka Khan remains one of the most prominent figures in funk.

Friday, March 23, 2018

Dolly Parton – The Queen of Country

Image result for dolly partonDolly Rebecca Parton was born January 19, 1946, as the fourth of twelve children born to Avie Lee Caroline and Robert Lee Parton Sr. She has described her family as being "dirt poor." They lived in a rustic, one-room cabin in Locust Ridge, just north of the Greenbrier Valley of the Great Smoky Mountains. Music played an important role in her early life. She was brought up in the Church of God and began her earliest performances there when she was six years old. She received her first real guitar when she was eight years old. At 13, she was recording on a small Louisiana label, Goldband Records, and appeared at the Grand Ole Opry, where she first met Johnny Cash.

The day after she graduated from high school in 1964, she moved to Nashville. Her initial success came as a songwriter, her songs were recorded by many other artists during this period, including Kitty Wells and Hank Williams Jr. Although her first singing musical break came as a duo with Porter Wagoner and launched a six-year streak of virtually uninterrupted top-10 singles for the pair, her first commercially successful song came from “Mule Skinner Blues.” It was used as a gimmick to attract attention because of the yodeling like quality of the song, a sound that Parton pulled off effortlessly. It was followed by her 1st number one "Joshua," and then by an array of successful solo hits and duet hits with Wagoner.



Her biggest hit of the time and my favorite Dolly song was “Jolene.” Parton’s most covered song topped the country chart in February 1974 and charted in the UK, reaching number seven, in 1976 – it was her first UK success. Parton wrote “I Will Always Love You” about her professional break from Wagoner; it went to number one on the country chart.

Parton made a transition over to pop music at the height of her country music success, she created Here You Come Again – her first million-seller. For the majority of the 1970s and into the early 1980s, many of her singles moved up on both pop and country charts simultaneously. The theme song to the 1980 feature film 9 to 5, in which she starred along with Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin, "9 to 5," not only reached number one on the country chart, but also, in February 1981, reached number one on the pop and the adult-contemporary charts, giving her a triple number-one hit.

Parton is one of the most-honored female country performers of all time. The RIAA has certified 25 of her single or album releases as either Gold Record, Platinum Record, or Multi-Platinum Record. She has had 26 songs reach No. 1 on the Billboard country charts. Parton has earned nine Grammy Awards – including her 2011 Lifetime Achievement Grammy. She is one of only six female artists, to win the Country Music Association's highest honor, Entertainer of the Year. And in 1999, Parton received country music's highest honor, an induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame.

Related imageSince the mid-1980s, Parton has supported many charitable efforts, particularly in literacy, primarily through her Dollywood Foundation. Her literacy program, Dolly Parton's Imagination Library, a part of the Dollywood Foundation, mails one book per month to each enrolled child from the time of their birth until they enter kindergarten. In 2018, Parton was honored by the Library of Congress because of the "charity sending out its 100 millionth book.

Without Dolly Parton, Whitney Houston would’ve never belted out that amazing ballad. She has used her success to give back to her community by providing scholarships for children, donating thousands to hospitals and providing technology and supplies for classrooms. She remembered her childhood of being “dirt poor” and tried to do what she could to make the world a better place. Actress, singer, songwriter, and philanthropist, Dolly Parton deserves her recognition this Women’s History Month.

Thursday, March 15, 2018

Nina Simone – The High Priestess of Soul

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Nina Simone, born as Eunice Kathleen Waymon was an American singer, songwriter, pianist, arranger, and activist in the Civil Rights Movement who employed a broad range of musical styles –including classical, jazz, blues, folk, R&B, gospel, and pop.

From a young age, Simone was musically talented. She began playing piano at the age of three and after demonstrating a real talent with the instrument, she began performing at her local church.  Able to play virtually anything by ear, she was soon studying classical music.  It was from these humble roots that Eunice developed a lifelong love of Johann Sebastian Bach, Chopin, Brahms, Beethoven, and Schubert. After being denied admission to Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, she took a job as a photographer’s assistant, an accompanist, and began teaching music to local Philadelphia students to earn cash.

Waymon performed at the Midtown Bar & Grill on the Pacific Avenue in Atlantic City to fund her private music lessons. Despite being the sixth child of a preacher, Waymon enjoyed singing secular music and changed her name to Nina Simone to disguise herself from family members, after deciding to play "the devil's music" or "cocktail piano" at the nightclub. Word spread about this new singer and pianist who was transforming popular tunes of the day into a unique synthesis of jazz, blues, and classical music; she gained a small but loyal fanbase.

At the age of twenty-four, Nina came to the attention of the record industry. After submitting a demo of songs, she had recorded during a performance, she was signed to Bethlehem Records. Nina delved into the repertoire of her setlist from the club performances prior to choose the songs doe her debut set with Bethlehem Records.

Her stay with Bethlehem Records was short, and after moving to New York City, she signed with Colpix Records. As Nina’s reputation as an engaging live performer grew, it wasn’t long before she was asked to perform at the prestigious Newport Jazz Festival. Her stay with Colpix resulted in some wonderful albums – nine in all, all which contained tracks that highlighted Simone’s element of storytelling within her music. Nina’s Colpix recordings cemented her appeal to a nightclub-based U.S. audience. Once she moved on to Phillips [Records], Simone was ready to expand her following globally and to comment on her sensitive opinions of the Civil Rights Movement.

“Her first LP for the label, 1964’s In Concert, signaled Nina’s undaunting stand for freedom and justice for all, stamping her irrevocably as a pioneer and inspirational leader in the U.S. Civil Rights Movement. Her own original “Mississippi Goddam” was banned throughout the South but such a response made no difference in Nina’s unyielding commitment to liberty; subsequent groundbreaking recordings for Philips like “Four Women” (recorded September 1965) and “Strange Fruit” continued to keep Nina in the forefront of the few performers willing to use music as a vehicle for social commentary and change. Such risks were seldom taken by artists during that time of such dramatic civil upheaval.” 

This was not the first time that Simone stood up for her civil rights. When Simone was 12 years old, she refused to perform at her recital until her parents could move back to their original seats (near the front) that they were forced to move out of. And her admission denial to the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia represented another slap in the face for social injustices. But it took the killing of Medgar Evers and the four girls in Birmingham to act as catalysts for a transformation of Nina’s activist career. From then on, a civil rights message was standard in Simone's recording repertoire, becoming a part of her live performances.

Simone's consciousness on the racial and social discourse was prompted by her friendship with black playwright Lorraine Hansberry. Nina Simone's social commentary was not limited to the Civil Rights Movement; "Four Women" exposed the Eurocentric beauty standards imposed on black women in America, as it explored the internalized dilemma of beauty that is experienced between four black women with skin-tones ranging from light to dark. Nina Simone explains in her autobiography "I Put a Spell on You," the purpose of the song was to inspire black women to define beauty and identity for themselves without the influence of societal impositions. 

Her first hit song in America, her rendition of George Gershwin's "I Loves You, Porgy," peaked at number 18 on the Billboard Hot 100. "My Baby Just Cares for Me" became her biggest success years after its original recording after it was featured in a 1986 Chanel No. 5 perfume commercial. She also had two songs that were featured in the Broadway Musical “Hair.”

Too many artists to name have been influenced by the legacy of Nina Simone, and many of her songs have been used in countless movies. Her impact on musical history is prominent and sometimes overlooked by the sheer excellence and unique modifications to her sound, but Ms. Nina Simone was one of the greatest jazz musicians to ever do it.

Sunday, March 11, 2018

Sheila E. – The Queen of Percussion

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March is Women’s History Month and, currently, it’s more important than ever to make sure we recognize women and their contributions to the world. I couldn’t think of a musician more deserving to have recognition than Sheila E. She was one of the first women that I looked to and applauded the fact that she could be better than any male counterpart. The Queen of Percussion was the best drummer and left other male drummers in her dust.

The strong and ambitious Sheila Escovedo had no choice than to have a musical talent as she was born into a musical family. Her percussionist father Pete Escovedo; musical uncles Coke Escovedo, Alejandro Escovedo, Mario Escovedo, and Javier Escovedo; and godfather Tito Puente all influenced and inspired her musical journey and she spent a great deal of time performing with them; she still performs with her father. By her early 20s, she had already played with George Duke, Lionel Richie, Marvin Gaye, Herbie Hancock, and Diana Ross. She met Prince in 1978 while performing with her father but didn’t join forces with him until the Purple Rain recording sessions, where she provided vocals to “Let’s Go Crazy” and “Erotic City.”

In June 1984, she released her debut album The Glamorous Life. The album's title-track single "The Glamorous Life" peaked at number 7 the Hot 100 and topped the dance charts for two weeks in August 1984. The video for the song would bring three MTV Award nominations for Best Female Video, Best New Artist, and Best Choreography. She also received two Grammy Award nominations for Best New Artist and Best Pop Vocal Performance Female.


Sheila toured as the opening act for Prince’s Purple Rain tour in 1984. Her second studio album Romance 1600’s second single, and one of my favorite songs, "Love Bizarre" became her signature song and peaked at number 11 on the Hot 100 and topped the dance charts. Sheila later served as Prince's drummer and musical director in his band during the tours from 1987 to 1989.

Even the legendary Ringo Starr observed Sheila’s excellence on the drums. She performed three stints as one of the member “All-Starrs" of Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band, in 2001, 2003, and 2006. Her drum "duets" with Starr are a moment of comic relief in the show, where they play the same parts, but he quickly falls behind, shrugs and smiles as she takes off on an extended percussion solo.

Her romance and pure friendship with Prince led to her adamant refusal of any replication of the late musician in any physical form, such as holograms, and during the 2016 BET Awards, Sheila and the New Power Generation led a tribute to Prince featuring a medley of his hits – the best tribute to him to date.


Sheila is not only an amazing musician, she is also committed to helping others through music. Through her initiative, Elevate Hope Foundation, Sheila provides abused and abandoned children an alternative method of therapy through music and the arts, as well as funding special services and programs that assist the needs of these children using these fundamental methods. She understands the power of providing music and the arts as life-changing tools desperately needed to help children accomplish their goals, enrich their lives and strive for greatness. “We’re going to go around the country and elevate any city that will allow us to come there and, really, just mentor the kids, helping them with music and arts, helping them fulfill their dreams and really express themselves,” she explains.

Sheila E. pours her heart and soul into every song. Sheila is passionate about two things above most: music and helping others in need. Throughout her career, she’s been fortunate enough to get to share her story and use the power of music to help those who need it most. Sheila is an inspirationalist, using her talents and resources to help those who need the healing power of music. And if that is not the mark of a woman who deserves recognition, I don’t know what would be.