Categories
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- Commentary
- by Kingsley H. Smith
- 10/24/2012
Hot irons in the fire! Fiery classic soul. Lady T., Teena Marie didn't have to take a backseat to anyone. I was lucky enough to see her perform live one time. It was in a large Philadelphia arena. The size of the crowd did not distract from the intimate punch Lady T. hammered home that night. Teena Marie, March 5, 1956 - December 26, 2010. R.I.P. Previous Post | Next Post
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0 Stephanie Mills In The House
- Photo
- by Kingsley H. Smith
- 09/19/2012
Stephanie Mills, Kingsley H. Smith (King from Powerhouse Radio), and Diane Prior. It's 1980, we are in the studio of WAYV-FM, Atlantic City, NJ. Diane, our evening dj, went on to WKTU-FM in New York City. I eventually sailed on to 4 different FM stations in Philadelphia, PA and then to Washington, DC for broadcast network executive duties. Photo by Snookie Jones. Previous Post | Next Post
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- Review
- by Kingsley H. Smith
- 08/16/2012
Whitney Houston's "Celebrate," a nice uptempo duet with Jordin Sparks of American Idol fame was recorded in early February, 2012. The latest "Sparkle" movie was released in August, 2012. The original film from 1976 starred Irene Cara. "Celebrate" is included in the soundtrack. Previous Post | Next Post
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- Biography
- by Kingsley H. Smith
- 07/11/2012
Nile Rodgers, the surviving founder of Chic, chronicles the rise of his group in "Le Freak: An Upside Down Story of Family, Disco, and Destiny." Co-founder Bernard Edwards died in Tokyo, Japan in 1996. The distinctive production style of Rodgers was responsible for hits by Diana Ross, David Bowie, Sister Sledge, Duran Duran, Grace Jones and many more. Rodgers, a composer, arranger, guitarist and producer describes his humble beginnings in New York City before the dawn of Chic. Readers of this autobiography will enjoy the special Nile anecdotes from various studio sessions. Chic was a dynamic force, driven by the unique style of Rodgers and Edwards (on bass). They don't receive enough credit for their innovation. Chic is often stereotyped in perception by attributing the blandness of the disco era to the group. Many negate Chic's best work by lumping it in with the mediocre robotic melodies of disco's heyday. For the whole story, check out "Le Freak: An Upside Down Story of Family, Disco, and Destiny." Previous Post | Next Post
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0 Whitney Houston So Emotional
- Photo
- by Kingsley H. Smith
- 06/20/2012
From Newark, New Jersey to Beverly Hills. Whitney Houston: born August 9, 1963 in Newark. Died: February 11, 2012 in Beverly Hills. Celebrate her life with this "So Emotional" wallpaper from our sister website Picture Sleeve Pop. Previous Post | Next Post
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- Biography
- by Kingsley H. Smith
- 05/21/2012
LaDonna Adrian Gaines was born on New Year's Eve, December 31, 1948. She grew up in Boston with her parents and two sisters. By the time she was 12, she was singing Diana Ross and Dionne Warwick songs. On her approach to singing as an adult, Donna says in her autobiography "to this day I will approach a song as an actress approaches a script. I do not sing; I act. When I sing, I sing with the voice of the character in the song." With this in mind, one can be somewhat forgiving when reflecting on "Love To Love You Baby," Donna's over the top exercise in heavy breathing that was a big 1975 disco smash. Donna Summer passed away on May 17, 2012. Read our review of her autobiography "Donna Summer: Ordinary Girl" Previous Post | Next Post
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- Review
- by Kingsley H. Smith
- 04/17/2012
As a solo artist Lionel Richie has always playfully stuck his toe in country music. He's been charmed by the genre recording past duets with both Alabama and Kenny Rodgers. Tuskegee is a bold experiment that was ultimately successful as it rode it's way to the top of the Billboard charts. Each song on the album is a 'glory days' Richie original. His partners on this project make up a who's who of country. Lionel brings a contemporary touch to these old songs to rejuvenate them more time. "You Are" with Blake Shelton "Say You, Say Me" with Jason Aldean "Stuck on You" with Darius Rucker "Deep River Woman" with Little Big Town "My Love" with Kenny Chesney "Dancing on the Ceiling" with Rascal Flatts "Hello" with Jennifer Nettles "Sail On" with Tim McGraw "Endless Love" with Shania Twain "Just For You" with Billy Currington "Lady" with Kenny Rodgers (new version) "Easy" with Willie Nelson "All Night Long" with Jimmy Buffet & Coral Reefer Band All of the country 'A' listers are here. The song arrangements respect the originals but discover some new territory through the fusion of two classic musical cultures that share similar emotions. I enjoyed all of these songs, especially "Endless Love" with Shania Twain. Whether it's Richie with Diana Ross, or Luther Vandross with Mariah Carey, "Endless Love" is hard to break. Honorable mention goes to "Lady" as Richie and Kenny Rodgers recreate the harmonic magic one more time to update their big hit. "Sail On" with Tim McGraw is pretty cool too! Previous Post | Next Post
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0 President Obama sings Sweet Home Chicago
- Video
- by Kingsley H. Smith
- 03/21/2012
President Obama sings "Sweet Home Chicago." Enjoy! Previous Post | Next Post
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0 Tribute to Soul Train - Don Cornelius
- News
- by Kingsley H. Smith
- 02/08/2012
Here are 6 vintage classic Soul Train video performances presented as a tribute to the late host Don Cornelius (1936 - 2012). 2022 Update: The videos originally posted by the L.A. Times have been removed. YouTube removed the account holder who posted the videos. YouTube did not remove the L.A. Times video account. Previous Post | Next Post
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- Flashback
- by Kingsley H. Smith
- 01/18/2012
Aretha Franklin and Ray Charles share a hug from back in the day. Previous Post | Next Post