By the end of 1983 work with SOLAR Records was winding down, so Benjamin concentrated instead on the links that he had built up with Motown, working with the Temptations and DeBarge in particular. In 1982 the Temptations had released their “Reunion” album, which was issued during the Reunion tour, […]
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Jackie Wilson was born in Detroit in 1934. He left school at fifteen, joined a gospel group, got into trouble with the police, started drinking and got married by the age of seventeen. Not a great start to his career in music. Fortunately, he really could sing! His first taste […]
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The roots of the fabulous body of music that was produced in New Orleans in the twentieth century can be traced back to the ensemble playing of the black funeral bands, the powerful rhythms of Mardi Gras parades, country blues from various areas in the Mississippi delta and the barrelhouse […]
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Curtom Records was co-founded by Curtis Mayfield and Eddie Thomas, the manager of The Impressions, in March 1968. The company’s name was taken from the first three (or four) letters of the founders’ first names. The name was also used for the music publishing company they established in 1960, when […]
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Curtis Mayfield Hit soundtrack album that features gold singles “Freddie Is Dead” and “Super Fly”
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Bruce Swedien has been the recording engineer extraordinaire for over four decades. He was the sound mastermind behind Michael Jackson’s signature sound. His career has impacted Jazz, Pop, Blues, R&B and Soul. Bruce was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in 1934 to Scandinavian parents. His mother was a member of the Minneapolis […]
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The Rolling Stones were strongly influenced by Chicago blues and early R&B music. The band’s name was taken from a Muddy Waters’ song because they had great respect for Muddy Waters, who played on a live performance with them before his death on 30th April 1983. When they were on […]
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Rick Hall was born on 31st January 1932 in the Southern state of Mississippi. Rick became known as the “Father of Muscle Shoals Sound” and proprietor of the Fame Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. He produced the first million selling record to come out of Muscle Shoals Studios- Arthur Alexander’s […]
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“I Never Loved A Man The Way I Love You” was the first album for Aretha Franklin to become gold-certified for over half a million copies sold in America in 1967, released on 10th March 1967. It helped to establish Aretha as a global superstar. The album also contained her […]
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Over the last fifty years these individuals have had a global impact on the music industry and have helped many African American artists achieve great levels of success internationally. These individuals are responsible for creating successful recording artists, song-writing and record production teams and legendary record labels over a 50 […]
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