Powerhouse Radio Blog

Video
by Kingsley H. Smith
07/10/2025

Nothing lasts forever. The history behind individual accomplishment and innovation must be told, in your voice, in my voice, in our voices. It was with this vision that I wrote the paperback and eBook, and voiced the audiobook Powerhouse Radio: Rough Roads, Radiance, and Rebirth; My True AM - FM - Satellite - And Audio Streaming Survival Story. Survival Watch this 5 minute segment with me talking with Dr. Rhonda M. Lawson and Gwen Richardson of Black Authors Matter TV. I will post the entire conversation on our YouTube channel by the end of July, 2025. For my Philadelphia region and South Jersey folks, please stop by and say hi at the free Literacy Nation Book Fair in the heart of center city, Philly on Saturday, August 9, 2025 from 10 am - 3 pm. The event drops at the Pennsylvania Convention Center on the ground floor, 1101 Arch Street. Use the 12th Street entrance. I'll graciously sign a copy of my book for you. What are my Powerhouse Radio experiences? Previous Post

0 Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam - Did You Feel The Beat?

Review
by Kingsley H. Smith
07/08/2025

Six months ago, a Lifetime original movie premiered on their network. Lifetime operates under the umbrella of the A&E Networks. "Can You Feel The Beat: The Lisa Lisa Story" is now making the rounds on other streaming platforms. Who is Lisa Lisa I recently watched this "docu-drama" on Amazon Prime Video. Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam with Full Force is a late 1980s early 1990s R&B - pop hit making ensemble featuring Lisa "Lisa" Velez. The pop nod is important. Their music had strong crossover appeal despite radio airplay barriers. In the late 1980s, R&B was moving toward hip hop. The 1980s new pop sound capturing general market contemporary radio included Tears for Fears, Simple Minds, The Belle Stars, Bananarama, and other instrumentally sparse groups. Getting radio airplay is always competitive. Lisa Lisa broke through. What makes the Lisa Lisa story interesting is her leap from working class Harlem, New York obscurity to global 'top of the charts' rhythmic domination. Yes, her ensemble had three #1 R&B hit songs. Head To Toe - 1987 Lost In Emotion - 1987 Let The Beat Hit 'Em - 1991 Their music features a dance driven beat. It's not disco. It's not funk. It's not 80s techno R&B. Lisa's voice makes their sound unique. Especially her ballads. What's in Their Name When the public knows you as Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam with Full Force, there is some identity ambiguity. Cult Jam is Alex "Spanador" Moseley and Mike Hughes. Lisa Lisa and group was produced by Full Force. Got it? Some of their tracks say Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam 'featuring Full Force.' Others say 'with Full Force.' I stopped trying to figure this all out a long time ago, as I always just enjoyed their music. This is why Lisa Lisa was always the focus of group promotion. The Movie Officially billed as the fully authorized biopic, (that's bio-pick, not bi-op-ic), "Can You Feel The Beat: The Lisa Lisa Story" tells the story of her and her group's global rise to fame. This is a dramatic rendering presented as a movie, not as a straight forward documentary. All of the actors are acceptable. Jearnest Corchado as Lisa Velez is the standout. This film after all is the Lisa Lisa story. You can predict the story line of most movies that attempt to feature the arc of a successful music career. This story has all of the music business stereotypes. Evil record label owners, drug use, sex starved song producers, bad relationships, performer fights, manipulative contracts - it's all here. Lisa Lisa's story is notable because she started at 15 years old and had her first #1 hit at 18 years old. I won't reveal any spoilers here. Lisa Lisa does battle family, friends, foes, and obstacles during her rise to fame. This prodigy's exceptional magnetic voice pulled in millions of worldwide music fans. The Latina aspect of her demographic origin is a backdrop surrounding how this young lady forged ahead inside of the star making machinery that defines the music biz. I was in the dark about the full Lisa Lisa story, so I learned much more than I knew. However, some of the simplistic elements of the movie's screenplay cried out for a lot more detail and script development. "Can You Feel The Beat: The Lisa Lisa Story" features very good music in the spotlight with an excellent sound mix. Lisa Lisa is a solid role model for her time. You will appreciate this story. On a scale of one to ten, I rate "Can You Feel The Beat: The Lisa Lisa Story" a 6.5. Bonus: Here's another part of my 2025 video interview on Black Authors Matter TV. I call this 4 minute segment about my Powerhouse Radio book O-J Jive & The Big Break. Will you be in the Philadelphia or Northern New Jersey - New York City area in August or September? Stop by these book fairs. I'll be very happy to sign a copy of my award winning story, Powerhouse Radio: Rough Roads, Radiance, and Rebirth for you. Previous Post | Next Post

0 Audiobook Dance, Libraries, and Credit Bureau Freezes

Personal
by Kingsley H. Smith
07/02/2025

I recently prepared a 5 minute PowerPoint presentation for my main county library to show at their branch in a public gathering. It's been years since I've used PowerPoint. My older version saves files in the PowerPoint ppt file extension, instead of the newer pptx. What did I do? Google Drive to the rescue. The video / audio mix you'll see below, called How to Freeze and Unfreeze Credit Reports, was produced by me in Camtasia Studio. The Camtasia Studio MP4 video was uploaded to the Google Drive and inserted into Google Slides, (their free online 'PowerPoint' clone). I exported the Google Slides, saving the file using the Slides extension pptx. Now I had the PowerPoint file ready for PP. Here's the original MP4 video. The Bad Guys Why would you want to freeze and unfreeze your credit information? How about trying to impede third parties from accessing your private details and opening accounts using your info! Unfortunately, data breaches rule! According to TechCrunch, the online newspaper, 1 billion personal records were stolen in 2024. Who has been hit? United Health Care Coinbase GrubHub Hertz AT&T That's just a few. Names, dates of birth, phone numbers, email addresses, physical addresses, and social security numbers are captured and sold into the dark web by the bad guys. Sometimes, it is not the fault of the companies. Almost all of them use third party technology providers who are exploited by weak security leaks. By freezing your credit bureau report, no one can open a credit related account using your info. If you freeze and unfreeze online, the bureaus will complete your request within one hour. Do it by phone and it is somewhat more difficult. Do it by snail mail, and it takes much longer. Have a major expense coming your way that will need a new credit application? Unfreeze your account with the three bureaus for maybe a week, then freeze them again when your new buying process is completed. The American Library Association Annual Conference & Exhibition I was lucky enough to attend this year's ALA conference in Philadelphia June 26 - June 30. 30,000 were expected. 14,000 plus authors, library workers, educators, exhibitors, and book supporters showed up. Here I am in the exhibition hall pointing to my book Powerhouse Radio: Rough Roads, Radiance, and Rebirth; My True AM - FM - Satellite and Audio Streaming Survival Story that was on display during the conference. The image below is conference guest George Takei (Star Trek), talking with Meg Lemke of Publisher’s Weekly about his WWII internment experience, and his new book "It Rhymes With Takei." Bonus: Here's another short segment of my interview on Black Authors Matter TV. I call this segment Audiobook Dance. For even more background, read my expanded Audiobook Assembly Anecdotes To Learn From. Previous Post | Next Post

0 Michael Jackson - 15 Year Remembrance

Flashback
by Kingsley H. Smith
06/26/2025

It's been 15 years since I did my first video tribute to Michael Jackson in June, 2010. That was the first anniversary of his June 25, 2009 death. The King of Pop had thirteen #1 R&B charted hit songs performing as himself. "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" was his first in 1979. The Jackson 5 had six #1 R&B charted hit songs. "I Want You Back" was their first (featuring Michael on lead vocal) in 1969. The Jacksons had three #2 R&B charted hit songs, but no #1 tracks. "Enjoy Yourself" featuring Michael hit #2 in 1976. Here are three Michael Jackson flashback videos from our archive, followed by a special bonus feature of an interview I did with the Black Authors TV ladies about my Powerhouse Radio book. 2010: His Impact 2022: The Music 2009: The Movie Bonus: Kingsley H. Smith's author interview, opening segment, 3:50, about the influencer driving him to succeed. This is an inside look. The complete conversation was 20 minutes. The full version coming soon to our YouTube channel. Previous Post | Next Post

0 The House That Jack Built - Hal Jackson

Review
by Kingsley H. Smith
06/24/2025

Have you ever worked with someone, only to find out volumes of information about them after your mutual employment with that person ends? This was my situation with the radio industry pioneer, Hal Jackson. While on the Inner City Broadcasting engineering staff, (WLIB - WBLS owner), I spun Hal's records, cued his ads, and turned on his WLIB AM microphone in a cozy Harlem New York City radio station studio. After leaving WLIB - WBLS, I stayed in touch with Hal as my own career expanded. You'll see evidence of that later. A couple of years before I wrote Powerhouse Radio: Rough Roads, Radiance, and Rebirth; My True AM - FM - Satellite and Audio Streaming Survival Story, I read WLS DJ John Records Landecker's eBook Records Truly Is My Middle Name. Landecker is famous for his time broadcasting out of Chicagoland USA, using funny bits and creative skits. His audience knows him for his audio "boogie check" segments. Back to the future. Two years after writing my book, I've finally read Hal Jackson's hardcover biography. What's the connection? Landecker and Jackson have many things in common. Being married four times each is one of them. What does that tell you about what it takes to rise to the top of the radio personality food chain? The House That Jack Built Hal Jackson was lucky growing up in Charleston, South Carolina. His family had horses, maids, a cook and other affluent trappings. Mr. Jackson attests to this revelation. He states that the Jacksons were the first Black family to have an automobile in his neck of Charleston. The athletic Hal was a five-letter-guy in high school at football, baseball, basketball, track, and tennis. He was a sports guy. Education was also important to him. He excelled in school. One anecdote about his family. Hal's mother and father passed away within four months of each other when the young Jackson was eight. Before his death, father Jackson provided for Hal and four other siblings by buying each a house held in trust by an estate until the young ones each reached twenty-one. An older sister had other ideas. Hal tells the whole story. When the parents passed, Hal moves to Washington, DC to live with his sister Alice. He soaks up the culture and immerses himself in sports. Despite what his family had, Jackson was independent. He could not afford admission into Griffith Stadium, where the Washington Senators baseball team played, so Hal approached the stadium owner with an offer that was accepted. "Let me watch the games for picking up stadium trash." It was a nice deal for Hal, driving his interest in sports that he never lost. Before Hal gets his first radio gig, his love of sports found him writing for the Washington Afro-American in DC. He was also on the broadcast announcing team at Griffith Stadium for Black team games. Another plus, Hal did the announcing for the sports games at Howard University. Note, Black sports in the 1930s - 1940s weren't broadcast over the radio. Only the audiences in the stadiums heard the announcing. First on-air radio job A progressive thinker, Jackson wondered if he could play a role in breaking down segregation. Hal approached radio station WINX, at Eighth and I Streets NW DC, owned at the time by The Washington Post. No African Americans were working at the station. Hal used some clever tactics to get an audience with the station general manager. When seeing Hal, the manager called in his entire staff, in front of Hal's presence. The general manager stated "I brought you all in here because, can you imagine, this "n-word" is talking about going on this radio station. No "n-word" will ever go on this radio station." Hal said "well, we'll see about that" and walked out. How did he get in? Hal approached the sales department using a third party friend with a strategy to circumvent the general manager. With the assistance of a Black sponsor he found, Jackson purchased airtime Monday through Saturday through a White advertising agency. WINX did not know this until the agency contract was signed. Hal never used his name. WINX accepted the contract in the name of Hal's confidant. Fifteen minutes of air time on WINX was acquired six nights a week for $35 per show. Hal Jackson's 11:00 pm - 11:15 pm time slot was a huge success. Money talks. It's November, 1939. The first show of its kind, produced by Blacks for Blacks, in Washington DC. First full-time radio job During the mid 1940s, another White newspaper publisher, who wanted in on radio, aware of Hal's success, sent a lawyer to talk to him about joining a brand new station, WOOK. Jackson was the only Black announcer on the air in DC at the time. Hal did get the new suburban WOOK job. He broadcast Monday through Saturday, from the moment the station went on-air until sundown sign-off time. This was typical for "daytimer" stations, licensed by the FCC in this manner, to protect more powerful stations at night (in other states, or in Canada / Mexico) who used the same broadcast frequency. The gig paid $50 per week plus expenses. Hal did get a three-hour lunch break! He was still responsible for the music played during his break. Early in his career, Hal Jackson leap frogged between different radio stations in multiple cities employed by all of them at the same time. He named his WOOK, Silver Springs, Maryland program "The House That Jack Built." This was a theater of the mind technique used to feature specific music genres in different rooms of his imaginary "house." The psychology worked. Today, you'll find many radio talent that continue to use this approach. "Off to the living room for 'artist X' to sing..." That's how the approach was used. Community Involvement Two things stand out about radio legend Hal Jackson. He built his radio career around community involvement. He extended this relationship advocating for Black people. A phone call to WOOK by a listener let Jackson know that a patient in a local hospital wanted to listen to 'The House That Jack Built.' The patient didn't have a radio. Hal had a solution. He mentioned the problem on-air. Within a couple of weeks, 300 radios were delivered to local hospitals free of charge thanks to charitable cab companies, radio repair shops, and other generous donors. Television Early on, Jackson saw television as a promising opportunity. He was contacted by an advertising agency in 1949 asking if he wanted to take The House That Jack Built to the brand new media of television. Yes, he wanted to. The House That Jack Built debuted at Washington, DC's Howard Theater in the Spring of 1949. Jackson simultaneously keep all of his current radio gigs. History was made as Hal hosted the first television variety show out of Washington, DC featuring Black performers. Hal Jackson was a skillful hustler with honest intentions. He wanted additional add-on work as more family responsibilities and more children were added to his flock. Also in 1949, The House That Jack Built radio show debuted on WLIB AM in New York City. He stayed there for a short time, only to return to more opportunities in the Washington metro area. All over the New York City radio dial Hal Jackson was eventually lured back to the Big Apple. At one point, he was on WMCA, WABC, and WNJR in Newark, New Jersey doing daily programs on all three stations! He spun records and did interviews. He had a separate all sports program. He had a midnight jazz show from the Birdland club on WABC. This radio multitasking would not be allowed today! Hal was a guy that never stopped working. While with WABC, he discussed with ABC network executives putting Black college bowl football games on the air from Griffith Stadium in DC. This was a battle Hal would not win. An NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) official told Jackson that if any of the Black colleges went on ABC-TV, they would be thrown out of the NCAA. The NCAA had a one network rule. At the time, the NCAA had a contract with NBC. Talent Mentor Jackson takes credit for launching careers of some very talented people, including Jocko 'Doug' Henderson Sr. (and his time in New York). Henderson is best known for making his mark in Philadelphia radio. When I arrived at WLIB AM - WBLS FM in 1970, in the AM station studio, a glass division between the DJ and the engineer had just been removed. I could do my duties behind the control board, and talk with Jackson about radio, his experiences, and industry challenges. We were both in the same room. When I became program director of WUSS in Atlantic City, NJ, I sought Hal's advice, and he wrote me this letter. Did you see his reference to the International Talented Teen Pageant? Jackson's first Miss Black America pageant was held in 1969. He created the pageant because of lack of Black visibility in the Miss America contest. In 1971, a group out of Danville, Virginia sued Jackson in New York court over the naming rights. The Danville group lost, but a few years later, what morphed into the Miss Black Teenage America name was changed again to Hal Jackson's Talented Teens International. Hal says that "we didn't want to deal with discrimination suits from White teenagers." By 1982, the contest had expanded to thirty-seven states, territories, and independent nations. Payola The practice of paying on-air radio talent under the table to play certain songs receives a good deal of attention in this book. Hal relates that in 1960, the Manhattan district attorney conducted an undercover investigation into "commercial bribery" in the music business. Be aware that all on-air people in radio sign affidavits stating that they 'have not - will not' take payola. Popular Cleveland to NYC DJ transplant Alan Freed refused to sign during the investigation. Freed was quickly dropped by WABC and WNEW-TV from on-air duties. In May, 1960, Hal Jackson was visited by people from the Manhattan district attorney's office at his broadcast studio. The DA squad stated that Jackson had to report to the local police station the next day to respond to a "commercial bribery" charge. There is a happy ending to this story, but WLIB executive Harry Novick had to suspend Hal until the payola storm dissipated. Throughout Jackson's story, he tells us how he would reach out to others in his circle for guidance. Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. are two of them. In the payola charge, Jackson seeks council from Adam Clayton Powell, the charismatic civil rights leader who served 12 terms in the U.S. House of Representatives. Powell tells Hal not to lose his faith. Representative Powell also says "you'll be back, and you'll be bigger and better than ever. But you must remember that God has control of all things." Without any radio income for nine months, Jackson cleaned office buildings at night, and drove a cab. Hal eventually gets back on the radio, and moves on with his life. From Announcer, to Manager, to Owner For me, the most interesting chapter of this book is Radio Station Owner. I started at Inner City Broadcasting as an engineer uptown in Harlem where both WLIB and WBLS were located. Hal Jackson and his partners, (officially known as Inner City Broadcasting Corporation), would purchase WLIB from owner Harry Novick and company. When Jackson's group exercised an option a year later to buy WBLS (for another $1 million) from Novick, 'Stereo in Black' moved downtown to 43rd Street and Second Ave. As an engineer with lower seniority, I was reassigned downtown to work there with Vy Higginson, Lamar Renee, Frankie Crocker, G. Keith Alexander, Al Roberts and other WBLS announcers. I had always heard through the grapevine that Roberta Flack was one of the investors in the WBLS purchase, but only now can I confirm this is true thanks to Hal's details in the Radio Station Owner chapter. There are a lot of interesting details about how Hal Jackson, and others, were able to get a loan from Chemical Bank for the $1.9 million dollar purchase of WLIB. Knowing the right politicians, community leaders, and influencers of the day certainly helped. Sixty years on the air There is so much in The House That Jack Built, that I've only skimmed the surface. The book is a real, easy, conversational read. James Haskins is Hal Jackson's co-author. What is really important to glean from this historic book is that Hal Jackson was a radio pioneer who started with no blueprint or model to follow. Despite all the odds, Hal created the model, becoming ultimately successful thanks to carving out a Black radio niche in his Black community. The House That Jack Built would make a great movie! A Don't Miss Bonus: Listen to NPR's Nancy Marshall talk to Hal Jackson about The House That Jack Built at NPR.org, when Hal's book was released. The interview is from July 15, 2001. You can also listen here below (with permission from NPR). Hal Jackson, 1915 - 2012. Your browser does not support the audio element. Previous Post | Next Post

0 The Jersey Shore, Music Radio People, and Kingsley

Flashback
by Kingsley H. Smith
06/17/2025

One of the radio stations I had a strong musical influence on was WAYV FM, 95.1 in Atlantic City, New Jersey. I sailed through four years there between 1977 - 1980. Here's one of the "Rhythm of South Jersey" newsletters profiling the WAYV FM 95.1 on-air staff. Much more about the WAYV staff below. Guess what? I have lots you'll discover from my appearance on this episode of Black Authors TV. If you miss it live, there will be a video replay. My paperback, eBook, and audiobook memoir Powerhouse Radio: Rough Roads, Radiance, and Rebirth; My True AM - FM - Satellite - And Audio Streaming Survival Story, plus much more, will be in the spotlight. There's more to my story. After on-air jobs at a couple of other South Jersey stations, it was on to Philadelphia, the City of Brotherly Love! Previous Post | Next Post

0 Earth, Wind & Fire vs. The Isley Brothers

Commentary
by Kingsley H. Smith
06/13/2025

It's fun to watch or listen to music fans debate, over what turns into a competition between which artist they love the best. Philadelphia's Black talk radio station recently polled listeners via a live call-in about Earth, Wind & Fire, and The Isley Brothers. The only time I saw the Isley Brothers was with Graham Central Station at the smaller hall inside of Madison Square Garden, NYC. This was the loudest concert I ever attended. The Elements of the Universe For EWF, the first time I saw them was at the old Spectrum in Philadelphia. Some background on this show. The Canadian Illusionist Doug Henning had some success on Broadway in New York City with his magic trick performances. Earth, Wind & Fire hired Henning to create a master illusion for the group, and he delivered. EWF members took to the stage by materializing inside of Star Trek styled transporter tubes! Wow. It looked absolutely real. Amazing. No AI used. I've seen EWF three times. Camden, NJ, Philly, and Fort Lauderdale, FL. Brothers Isley Let's face it. The Isley Brothers have a longer track record with hits from the early 1960s through the late 1970s. Lead singer Ronald Isley, the only surviving member of the original trio, continues to sing, recording hits as 'The Isley Brothers featuring Ronald Isley' in the 1980s, 1990s, and the 2000 - 2010 decade. Isley, Jasper, Isley, (Ernie Isley, Marvin Isley, with brother in-law Chris Jasper) had five charted hits in the 1980s. The original Isley Brothers had hits on Motown ("This Old Heart of Mind" - Tamla) and Wand record labels early in their career. Ronald, Rudolph, and O'Kelly are the original Isley Brothers from Cincinnati, Ohio. Top Row: Marvin, Chris Jasper, Ernie Bottom Row: O'Kelly, Rudolph, Ronald The Battle It comes down to this. Lyrics in Isley Brothers songs make a deep emotional connection with their fans. They corner the market in this competition with EWF. For you big thinkers, I don't short change EWF. Many of their love songs feature soulful performances from Maurice White or Philip Bailey on vocals. You can't overlook the spiritual quality of many Earth, Wind & Fire hits. I give the stage performance edge to EWF. Verdine White, EWF bassist, has producer credits for the band Pockets, an ensemble out of Baltimore, Maryland who had a couple of R&B hits. EWF members Al McKay and Phillip Bailey also did outstanding work for Flora Purim. See my 15 Songs: Instrumentally Yours. Who had the most #1 Hits? Based on the R&B charts only, and on the original Isley Brothers personnel: 7 for the Isley Brothers - "It's Your Thing" was their first in 1969 8 for EWF - "Shining Star" was their first in 1975 The Winner? The Isley Brothers score for both their original tracks, and for all of their covers of other people's hits. Earth, Wind & Fire recorded mostly their own material. They too did just a few covers. I feel EWF received more cross-over airplay on "pop" radio. Guess who was the winner of the live radio call-in? The WURD listening audience chose Earth, Wind & Fire. That's my choice too. Facebook Live Catch me on Black Authors Matter TV, Tuesday, June 17 at 7 pm Central, 8 pm Eastern. My conversation will touch on how I succeeded in all facets of Powerhouse radio communication despite difficult obstacles. Previous Post | Next Post

0 DJ Gary Byrd Captures Sly Stone and Curtis Mayfield Lyrics

Flashback
by Kingsley H. Smith
06/10/2025

When I was a young man, I interviewed legendary New York City radio host and writer Imhotep Gary Byrd. Don't tell, but this was my very first interview (done during my sophomore year at NYU). Byrd talks about how both Sly, of Sly and The Family Stone, and Curtis Mayfield, of the Impressions, influenced his writing activism when he first arrived in New York City radio from Buffalo, New York. Originally produced for my Black History People website, here's Gary, (see the video below), after my introduction, talking about Curtis Mayfield and Sly Stone. It's 59 seconds, pulled from the 5-1/2 minute conversation. Sly Stone, RIP 1943-2025. Here's a bunch of other stuff related to the late Sly Stone that I have previously written. Don't miss the first story on this list, Sly Stone - Thank You! Review, and the last one, The Secret Life of Sly Stone. Sly Stone - Thank You! Review Sly Stone's July 4 Flag Day David Ruffin - Eddie Kendricks - Family Affair George Clinton & his Gangsters of Love John Legend Honored by Songwriters Hall of Fame Does Sly Stone know the way to San Jose? Sly Stone takes you Higher with Reissues Little Richard, Sly Stone, James Brown, Jimi Hendrix, Ray Charles, & Prince The Secret Life of Sly Stone Previous Post | Next Post

0 Angie B, Blondy and Cheryl The Pearl

Flashback
by Kingsley H. Smith
06/05/2025

Let me tell you a story that takes place in a large, vintage, Englewood, New Jersey house built in the 1930s. The community of homes surrounding the house is suburban. A short walk from the house is a vibrant downtown area. All of the featured shops and commerce you would expect are on opposite sides of it's long main street, Palisade Ave. Englewood features diverse neighborhoods. The 2025 population tags the peeps total at just under 30,000 people. Travel time by car is 15 to 20 minutes to New York City. My aunt owned this inviting three story house I reference, until she passed at 92. Before her passing when her daughter, my cousin, got married and moved out, my aunt rented several rooms in the large house. History in this Northern New Jersey neighborhood reflects a hot music scene in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Sylvia Robinson, owner of Sugarhill Records, also owned a house several blocks away (on the same street) from my aunt's home. So did the Isley Brothers. Trivia note. Jimi Hendrix lived in the basement of the Isley Brothers' Englewood home when Hendrix played with the Isley Brothers in the early 1960s. The Sequence Cheryl Cook now enters the story. Before TLC and Destiny's Child, there was the pioneering female hip hop group, The Sequence. Shown below left to right are members Cheryl Cook, Angie Stone, and Gwen 'Blondy' Chisholm. Sequence hailed from Columbia, South Carolina. Cheryl Cook was lucky to inherit my cousin's vacant room as a rental in the Englewood house on the street with all the music stars. The Room The actual room, photo taken in June, 2025 When Cuz visited her mom, my cousin would tell me great stories about Angie Stone coming over to visit Cheryl Cook at the house. I never met Angie or Cheryl, but I feel that I know them more deeply thanks to my cousin's anecdotes about them. Cheryl moved out a long time ago, but when I visit my male cousin who still lives in the house, I sleep in that same bed, in the same room that you see, with quite a lot of music history behind it! May Angie Stone, my female cousin, and her mom RIP. Let's Meet! Have you experienced a music story like this? Discover many of mine. If you are in the Northern New Jersey - New York City area on Saturday, September 6th, come by and say hello during my appearance at the Independent Authors Book Expo. I'll sign copies of my award winning book for you, Powerhouse Radio: Rough Roads, Radiance and Rebirth; My True AM - FM - Satellite and Audio Streaming Survival Story. Come on by. I'll see you there! Previous Post | Next Post

0 Bountiful Music Books Recall Memorable History

Review
by Kingsley H. Smith
05/21/2025

On October 12, 1996, "Rapper/songwriter/producer Puff Daddy (Sean "Puffy" Combs) made his R&B chart debut with "No Time," reaching #9 and #18 pop." "The record was billed "Lil' Kim featuring Puff Daddy. Combs would later form the successful Bad Boy record label and go on to have forty-two R&B hits through 2004." This clean "Diddy" factoid is just one of the over two thousands listed chronologically by calendar date from January through December and well researched in Jay Warner's outstanding On This Day In Black Music History paperback. I've used Warner's resource for years to get a deeper perspective on artist activities, events and birthdays by year. Once upon a time, paper ruled. You could be confident that the trust-worthy writers presented reliable, accurate information. As we continue the migration from paper to digital, phony author credentials, artificial intelligence, and fake facts often pollute many oceans of online resources. I present these four paper books that are a treasure trove of twentieth and twenty first century information. Who is Joel Whitburn? Mr. Joel Whitburn, (1939 - 2022), is the author and publisher of 174 music reference books. He produced 150 Billboard Top Hits music compilations. Although he is not credited, I'm sure his research contributed to the 1996 Billboard Music Guide CD-ROM for Windows that is in our archive. A CD-ROM with certain music information gets dated quickly. This CD-ROM features: Rock, Pop, R&B, Jazz, New Age, Blues, Country, Bluegrass, Rap (Hip Hop) 60,000 albums from over 4,000 artists 1,000 audio sampling clips 38,000 album reviews More than 8,000 album covers Billboard 200 charts from 1956 - 1995 900 artist photos 50 video clips Billboard and Musician articles and interviews The Favorite In recent years, seven of Joe Whitburn's books are published in the eBook format. The Whitburn paperback book I use the most is this one: The Billboard Book of Top 40 R&B and Hip-Hop Hits seen below. Every artist is listed from A to Z with all of their Billboard charted hits, weeks on the charts, birthdays, mini biographies, and other interesting facts. I recently added to our collection Joel Whitburn's Top 10 R&B Hits; A Listing By Artist of Every Top 10 Hit + 69 Annual Rankings (paperback). Puff Daddy / P. Diddy / Diddy as he is catalogued inside has 17 of his charted hits listed. Diddy is not in the top 50 of what Whitburn calls the Kings and Queens of R&B's Top 10 Hits 1942 - 2010. Ludacris is at #33 with 22 top tens. Jay-Z is at #38 with 20 top tens. Finally, there is the huge Joel Whitburn's Pop Annual 1950 - 2023 hard cover. It is 925 pages of music history magic, weighing in at just under 6 pounds. Quite a baby. Another top hat nod to Billboard. Note that the cover photos feature the main formats of commercially available chart hits (1950 - 2023). 78 rpm 7" vinyl record Cassette single CD single Digital download or streaming You can learn more about Joel Whitburn at recordresearch.com. Bonus: Below is the screenshot of the first image you see when you attempt to install the 1996 Billboard Music Guide CD-ROM digitally developed for Windows 95! It loads in Windows 11, but won't go any further than the intro screen, even if I try to use the operating system 'compatibility mode!' I used this Billboard Music Guide CD-ROM a lot between 2000 - 2009. Still curious while writing this update, I tried the CD-ROM on an old Windows 7 machine. Using just sub folders from the Billboard disk, I could play the audio clips. Unfortunately, the old file compression codec (coder - decoder) is not compatible with newer Windows systems (that you need to install/access the rest of the CD-ROM). The audio clips also played on Windows 10 and 11 machines. The CD-ROM jewel case says that there are 1,000 audio sampling clips. There are actually 1,027. All of them are 15 seconds or less. Fidelity is very good. At least in 2025, these clips 'live' in the 'MPG' format and are still playable. Check out more music artist related books featuring some of my reviews here on the Powerhouse Radio Website. Also recommended on this blog is my review of Kiana Fitzgerald's Ode To Hip-Hop: 50 Albums that define 50 Years of Trailblazing Music. Check it out. Previous Post | Next Post