Give me your music, your art, your huddled masses of words and rhythms yearning to breathe free.
When I was 6 years old, the lady who lived in the apartment above ours gave me a stack of old 45s she no longer wanted. One of my favorites from the bunch was, and still is, Marv Johnson’s “Merry Go Round.” Ever heard of him? Well, you should have, because he was the first … Read more
Guitarists love the ladies, especially those with long necks, shapely bodies, and melodic voices. First, there’s the case of blues legend B.B. King and his girl Lucille. One night in 1949 he was playing at a club in Twist, Arkansas. Two men fighting over a woman kicked over a barrel half filled with kerosene, setting … Read more
Sam Cooke, one of the greatest soul singers in history, was shot to death on this date in 1964 – at the very height of his career. Circumstances surrounding Cooke’s murder have always been sketchy. Bertha Franklin, who managed the Hacienda Motel in Los Angeles, told police that Cooke entered her motel office in a rage, … Read more
Legendary jazz singer/songwriter Billie Holiday was born Eleanora Fagan on April 7, 1915. You might remember the 1972 biopic, “Lady Sings the Blues,” which was based on Billie’s 1956 autobiography. The book was ghostwritten by William Dufty from a series of conversations with the singer in her New York apartment. According to a 2006 article … Read more
Composer and pianist Scott Joplin, The King of Ragtime, was born on November 24, 1868. Most people know his music from the 1973 movie “The Sting,” which featured his tunes as interpreted by the late pianist Marvin Hamlisch. The movie won an Academy Award for Best Original Song Score and Adaptation in 1974 – all thanks … Read more