It’s Earth Day…and Marvin’s Words Still Haunt

On this 45th Earth Day I can't think of a better tune to listen to than "Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)," a song written and performed by the great Marvin Gaye. I've always been moved by the song's haunting melody and the vivid images expressed in its lyrics. Where did all the blue skies go? Poison is the wind that…

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Happy Birthday to Sly Stone – Rock’s First Equal Opportunity Employer

Most recording artists in the 1960s were singing about lovin' your brothers and sisters regardless of the color of their skin, but few practiced that ethos better than Sly Stone, who assembled the first - and one of the few - interracial, dual-gender rock bands of the era: the iconic Sly and the Family Stone. They perfectly summed up the generation's quest for total acceptance with their number one hit, "Everyday People," a song that produced one of the most popular catchphrases to emerge from rock culture: "different strokes for different folks." When it came to funkadelic rock and soul, Sly did it first and he did it best. Here's a tribute to him on his 72nd birthday.

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