Christmas Old School
Christmas Old School
RON'S WORLD MUSIC To REMEMBER
http://camron46music.blogspot.com/
Sunday, December 21, 2008
Monday, December 1, 2008
Monday, September 15, 2008
Saturday, September 13, 2008
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Friday, August 22, 2008
Saturday, August 2, 2008
Zydeco Saturday - Let The Good Times Roll
Laissez Le Bon Temps Rouler
T Broussard & the Zydeco Steppers "Tell Me Why?" Live
Zydeco Line Dance
I'm a Woman... Rosie Ledet.. Zydeco music.
ZYDECO BALLERS MARDI GRAS 2008
T Broussard & the Zydeco Steppers "Tell Me Why?" Live
Zydeco Line Dance
I'm a Woman... Rosie Ledet.. Zydeco music.
ZYDECO BALLERS MARDI GRAS 2008
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Aretha Franklin
Aretha Louise Franklin is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. She is known to her fans as "The Queen of Soul"
and is also affectionately called "Sister Ree". She is renowned for her soul recordings but is also adept at jazz, rock, blues, pop, gospel, and even opera. She is widely acclaimed for her passionate, soulful vocal style, which is aided by a massive and powerful vocal range.
Franklin is the second most honored female singer in Grammy history . She has won twenty Grammy Awards, which includes the Living Legend Grammy and the Lifetime Achievement Grammy. Aretha won eight consecutive awards between 1968 and 1975, during which time the category of Best Female R&B Vocal Performance was nicknamed "The Aretha Award".
Franklin has had a total of seventeen top ten singles on the Billboard R&B Singles Chart. Two of them became #1 hit songs on the Billboard Hot 100 as well, "Respect" in the 1960s and her 1980s duet with George Michael, "I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)".
On February 8, 2008, Franklin was honored as MusiCares "Person of the Year," two days prior to the 50th Annual Grammy Awards, where she was awarded her 20th Grammy.
Click here to read more about ARETHA FRANKLIN
Monday, May 26, 2008
Phyllis Hyman
Phyllis Hyman
Phyllis Hyman (July 6, 1949 - June 30, 1995) was an American soul singer, model and actress.
She began her career as a silky-voiced singer influenced by jazz, and gradually moved towards heavily produced urban contemporary ballads.
She is remembered as one of the premier female vocalists of her time, known for songs such as You Know How To Love Me, Can't We Fall In Love Again, Old Friend, Living All Alone and Don't Wanna Change The World. Her trademarks included chandelier earrings, dress hats and a white bugle-beaded dress. Because of her role and Tony nomination in the Broadway play Sophisticated Ladies, she is often referred to as The Sophisticated Lady.
Even though she was born in Lancaster (to an African American mother and Cuban/Italian father), Phyllis grew up in the St. Clair Village section in Pittsburgh. After leaving Pittsburgh, her music training started with a scholarship to a music school. On graduation, she performed on a national tour with the group New Direction in 1971. After the group disbanded, she joined All the People and worked with another local group, The Hondo Beat. At this time, she appeared in the film Lenny (1974). She also did a two-year stint leading a band called Phyllis Hyman and the P/H Factor. Phyllis was discovered in 1975 by internationally known pop artist and music industry veteran Sid Maurer, and former Epic Records promotion man Fred Frank, and signed to their Roadshow Records / Desert Moon imprint.
Hyman moved to New York City to work on her reputation. She did background vocals on Jon Lucien's Premonition and worked in clubs. It was during one of these performances that she was spotted by Norman Connors, who offered her a spot as a vocalist on his album, You Are My Starship (1976). Her best performance on the album is a remake of The Stylistics' Betcha By Golly Wow.
Hyman sang with Pharoah Sanders and the Fatback Band while working on her first solo album, Phyllis Hyman, released in 1977 on the Buddah label. When Arista Records bought Buddah, she was transferred to that label. Her first album for Arista, Somewhere in My Lifetime was released in 1979; the title track was produced by then-labelmate Barry Manilow. Her follow up album You Know How to Love Me made the R&B Top 20 and also performed well on the club/dance charts. Hyman's first solo Top Ten hit came in 1981 with Can't We Fall In Love Again, a duet with Michael Henderson. The song was recorded while she was performing in the Broadway musical Sophisticated Ladies, a tribute to Duke Ellington. She performed in the role for almost two years, receiving a Tony Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress in a Musical and winning a Theatre World Award for Best Newcomer. It is here that she was crowned as The Sophisticated Lady.
Problems between Hyman and her label, Arista, caused a pause in her recording career. She used the time to appear on movie soundtracks, television commercials and guest vocals, working with Chuck Mangione, Barry Manilow, The Whispers and The Four Tops. She toured often and did a college lecture tour.
In 1983, Hyman recorded the song Never Say Never Again as the title song for the James Bond movie of the same name, written by Stephen Forsyth and Jim Ryan. However, Warner Brothers informed Forsyth that Michel Legrand, who wrote the score for the film had threatened to sue them, claiming he contractually had the rights to the title song. So, the song was never released.
Free from Arista in 1985, she released the album Living All Alone, and capitalized on the torch songs Old Friend and the melancholy title track, as well as You Just Don't Know and Screaming At The Moon in 1986. Shortly after she appeared in the films School Daze and The Kill Reflex. She would also continue to lend her voice on albums for other artist and musicians like Grover Washington, Jr. and Lonnie Liston Smith, while at the same time doing international tours. Her next album, Prime of My Life, released in 1991, was the biggest of her career and included Phyllis' first number one R&B hit, Don't Wanna Change the World, along with top ten singles Living In Confusion, When You Get Right Down To It, and the hit I Found Love. Just over a year later she appeared one last time on a Norman Connors album, singing the title song Remember Who You Are, which became a minor R&B hit.
Hyman's last album, I Refuse To Be Lonely, was a journey into her personal life. Both the title track and the single I'm Truly Yours became minor R&B hits. She struggled with bipolar disorder, depression, alcoholism, weight gain and financial problems. She was also emotionally exhausted from lending her talents to AIDS benefits concerts and support groups. Adding to her sorrow, in 1993 her mother, grandmother and a close friend all died within the span of a month.
On the afternoon of June 30, 1995, Hyman committed suicide with vodka and an overdose of temazepam. She was found hours before she was scheduled to perform at the Apollo Theatre by her close beau Terrance Porter . A suicide note read, "I'm tired. I'm tired. Those of you that I love know who you are. May God bless you." It is thought that the last part of the message was for her family and fans. Phyllis Hyman was buried on what would have been her 46th birthday.
In November 1995, Hyman's posthumous I Refuse To Be Lonely, was released. Although the project had an overdrawn gestation, to combat the delay in its commercial release, Phyllis started performing the tracks, "This Too Shall Pass" and "I Refuse To Be Lonely" in concert. The delay in the album's release adversely affected Phyllis both emotionally & financially and the delay was said to be cited over "cost negotiations."
Three years after her death, a second posthumous album of previously unreleased material was released. Songs were culled from various recording sessions from the mid 1980s into the early 1990s. Forever With You (1998) contains smooth love songs, torch songs, bittersweet ballads, smooth jazz offerings and uptempo tracks, most of which showcase Phyllis' usual interpretation of heartbreak and strife. Phyllis was quoted as saying that these songs were about "relationships gone bad!" Much of the material on this album was initially intended for her Living All Alone release. It's also worth noting that the song "Funny How Love Goes" contains a posthumous "duet" featuring vocalist Damon Williams. Half of Phyllis' vocals were re-recorded with both singers alternating vocals and providing Damon Williams with exposure.
December 2003, Expansion Records, in association with The Other Artists' Entertainment (Canada), released the compilation album entitled In Between The Heartaches: The Soul Of A Diva. This album contains further previously unreleased demo recordings from the 1980s. Included are the highly anticipated McCoy Tyner tracks which remain Phyllis' most critically acclaimed recordings. Many anecdotes outlining his personal relationship with Phyllis Hyman, along with rare and insightful information about the songs is included by Michael Grimaldi, a personal and professional friend of this remarkable woman. Along with all this insightful recording information, you can also read Phyllis' own personal and candid commentary about her own "HYMANizations!
September 2007, an authorized biography was released on the late singer's life. The book entitled Strength of a Woman: the Phyllis Hyman Story, is written by Jason A. Michael in cooperation with the Estate of Phyllis Hyman.
Discography http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Meadows/2318/phyllis_disco.html
In tribute
Norman Connors remembers Phyllis Hyman
BY STEPHANIE SHEPPARD
http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Meadows/2318/phyllis_article3.html
Phyllis Hyman (July 6, 1949 - June 30, 1995) was an American soul singer, model and actress.
She began her career as a silky-voiced singer influenced by jazz, and gradually moved towards heavily produced urban contemporary ballads.
She is remembered as one of the premier female vocalists of her time, known for songs such as You Know How To Love Me, Can't We Fall In Love Again, Old Friend, Living All Alone and Don't Wanna Change The World. Her trademarks included chandelier earrings, dress hats and a white bugle-beaded dress. Because of her role and Tony nomination in the Broadway play Sophisticated Ladies, she is often referred to as The Sophisticated Lady.
Even though she was born in Lancaster (to an African American mother and Cuban/Italian father), Phyllis grew up in the St. Clair Village section in Pittsburgh. After leaving Pittsburgh, her music training started with a scholarship to a music school. On graduation, she performed on a national tour with the group New Direction in 1971. After the group disbanded, she joined All the People and worked with another local group, The Hondo Beat. At this time, she appeared in the film Lenny (1974). She also did a two-year stint leading a band called Phyllis Hyman and the P/H Factor. Phyllis was discovered in 1975 by internationally known pop artist and music industry veteran Sid Maurer, and former Epic Records promotion man Fred Frank, and signed to their Roadshow Records / Desert Moon imprint.
Hyman moved to New York City to work on her reputation. She did background vocals on Jon Lucien's Premonition and worked in clubs. It was during one of these performances that she was spotted by Norman Connors, who offered her a spot as a vocalist on his album, You Are My Starship (1976). Her best performance on the album is a remake of The Stylistics' Betcha By Golly Wow.
Hyman sang with Pharoah Sanders and the Fatback Band while working on her first solo album, Phyllis Hyman, released in 1977 on the Buddah label. When Arista Records bought Buddah, she was transferred to that label. Her first album for Arista, Somewhere in My Lifetime was released in 1979; the title track was produced by then-labelmate Barry Manilow. Her follow up album You Know How to Love Me made the R&B Top 20 and also performed well on the club/dance charts. Hyman's first solo Top Ten hit came in 1981 with Can't We Fall In Love Again, a duet with Michael Henderson. The song was recorded while she was performing in the Broadway musical Sophisticated Ladies, a tribute to Duke Ellington. She performed in the role for almost two years, receiving a Tony Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress in a Musical and winning a Theatre World Award for Best Newcomer. It is here that she was crowned as The Sophisticated Lady.
Problems between Hyman and her label, Arista, caused a pause in her recording career. She used the time to appear on movie soundtracks, television commercials and guest vocals, working with Chuck Mangione, Barry Manilow, The Whispers and The Four Tops. She toured often and did a college lecture tour.
In 1983, Hyman recorded the song Never Say Never Again as the title song for the James Bond movie of the same name, written by Stephen Forsyth and Jim Ryan. However, Warner Brothers informed Forsyth that Michel Legrand, who wrote the score for the film had threatened to sue them, claiming he contractually had the rights to the title song. So, the song was never released.
Free from Arista in 1985, she released the album Living All Alone, and capitalized on the torch songs Old Friend and the melancholy title track, as well as You Just Don't Know and Screaming At The Moon in 1986. Shortly after she appeared in the films School Daze and The Kill Reflex. She would also continue to lend her voice on albums for other artist and musicians like Grover Washington, Jr. and Lonnie Liston Smith, while at the same time doing international tours. Her next album, Prime of My Life, released in 1991, was the biggest of her career and included Phyllis' first number one R&B hit, Don't Wanna Change the World, along with top ten singles Living In Confusion, When You Get Right Down To It, and the hit I Found Love. Just over a year later she appeared one last time on a Norman Connors album, singing the title song Remember Who You Are, which became a minor R&B hit.
Hyman's last album, I Refuse To Be Lonely, was a journey into her personal life. Both the title track and the single I'm Truly Yours became minor R&B hits. She struggled with bipolar disorder, depression, alcoholism, weight gain and financial problems. She was also emotionally exhausted from lending her talents to AIDS benefits concerts and support groups. Adding to her sorrow, in 1993 her mother, grandmother and a close friend all died within the span of a month.
On the afternoon of June 30, 1995, Hyman committed suicide with vodka and an overdose of temazepam. She was found hours before she was scheduled to perform at the Apollo Theatre by her close beau Terrance Porter . A suicide note read, "I'm tired. I'm tired. Those of you that I love know who you are. May God bless you." It is thought that the last part of the message was for her family and fans. Phyllis Hyman was buried on what would have been her 46th birthday.
In November 1995, Hyman's posthumous I Refuse To Be Lonely, was released. Although the project had an overdrawn gestation, to combat the delay in its commercial release, Phyllis started performing the tracks, "This Too Shall Pass" and "I Refuse To Be Lonely" in concert. The delay in the album's release adversely affected Phyllis both emotionally & financially and the delay was said to be cited over "cost negotiations."
Three years after her death, a second posthumous album of previously unreleased material was released. Songs were culled from various recording sessions from the mid 1980s into the early 1990s. Forever With You (1998) contains smooth love songs, torch songs, bittersweet ballads, smooth jazz offerings and uptempo tracks, most of which showcase Phyllis' usual interpretation of heartbreak and strife. Phyllis was quoted as saying that these songs were about "relationships gone bad!" Much of the material on this album was initially intended for her Living All Alone release. It's also worth noting that the song "Funny How Love Goes" contains a posthumous "duet" featuring vocalist Damon Williams. Half of Phyllis' vocals were re-recorded with both singers alternating vocals and providing Damon Williams with exposure.
December 2003, Expansion Records, in association with The Other Artists' Entertainment (Canada), released the compilation album entitled In Between The Heartaches: The Soul Of A Diva. This album contains further previously unreleased demo recordings from the 1980s. Included are the highly anticipated McCoy Tyner tracks which remain Phyllis' most critically acclaimed recordings. Many anecdotes outlining his personal relationship with Phyllis Hyman, along with rare and insightful information about the songs is included by Michael Grimaldi, a personal and professional friend of this remarkable woman. Along with all this insightful recording information, you can also read Phyllis' own personal and candid commentary about her own "HYMANizations!
September 2007, an authorized biography was released on the late singer's life. The book entitled Strength of a Woman: the Phyllis Hyman Story, is written by Jason A. Michael in cooperation with the Estate of Phyllis Hyman.
Discography http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Meadows/2318/phyllis_disco.html
In tribute
Norman Connors remembers Phyllis Hyman
BY STEPHANIE SHEPPARD
http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Meadows/2318/phyllis_article3.html
Monday, May 5, 2008
Sunday, May 4, 2008
Saturday, April 26, 2008
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Will Downing battles back from rare muscle disorder
Soul balladeer Will Downing believes in the showbusiness saying the show must go on.'
And that was his attitude as he recorded his new CD, After Tonight.
He recorded most of it from a wheelchair or lying in a hospital bed.
"I needed to do this CD for my fans who have come to expect new product from me every two years as well as for me to prove to myself that I could do it," Downing told JET. "Honestly, as the illness progressed I thought that I would never sing again."
The popular singer was diagnosed in January with a rare, incurable disease known as polymyositis. Today, he is unable to walk and uses a wheelchair.
"This disease basically took away my ability to function on my own, using any of my own limbs or even the ability to walk.
"It's a muscle debilitating illness, it takes away all of your muscles from your feet to your head," he explains. "You are dependent on others to do everything for you. There was a point where I could not feed myself. My wife, Audrey, has been a real trouper throughout the whole process."
He is in physical therapy and is learning how to walk again. "Thank God I've been through the worst of what this disease has to offer. It's a very emotional disease as well. It will depress you to the worst of depth. I have been to the pity party. 'Why me?' But that's over now."
He says there were no real symptoms, that the illness appeared out of nowhere. "It just jumped on me."
He remembers feeling very weak at a Chicago concert last December at the Park West theater. "I was so tired on stage. I told the audience, 'I am just not feeling 100 percent here.'" He eventually went to the doctor when he found himself too weak to turn the steering wheel of his car. He ended up spending five months in the hospital.
The amazing thing is, Downing, who turns 44 on November 29, sounds just as vibrant as he has on his other recordings. And his new CD debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard R&B Albums chart.
Highlights on the new CD include the title track; Phyllis Hyman's No One Could Love You More, featuring Gerald Albright on sax; Bill Withers' You Just Can't Smile It Away and the gospel tune, God Is So Amazing.
"You have to do what you got to do. It was a rough recording process. The performances are extremely heartfelt. It stands up to anything I have done in the past. I am really proud of it."
He adds, "It's about perseverance, it's about surviving and giving your all at all times. That's all I did. It was a gift God gave me to sing."
Rex Rideout, co-producer of After Tonight, recalled: "I am deeply touched by the trust that Will placed in me. My job was to help make After Tonight the best possible representation of Will's artistry during this challenging space and time ... Knowing how difficult this process was becoming for him, I kept asking, 'Are you sure you can do this?' He always responded, 'Man, I got it.'"
Downing says, "God's love for me is getting me through these interesting times. I've come to deal with these circumstances but not accept them, as I know I will overcome this illness. No matter what, all things are possible to those who believe."
What Is Polymyositis?
Polymyositis (pol-e-mi-o_Sl-tis) is an uncommon, chronic disease that causes inflammation in the muscles. It affects skeletal muscles (those involved with making movement) on both sides of the body. The most noticeable characteristic is muscle weakness, especially in the muscles closest to your trunk, such as your shoulder and hip muscles. As a result it may be difficult to get out of chairs, climb stairs, brush your hair or work with your arms over your head. It can occur at any age, but it mostly affects adults in their 40s and 50s. It usually develops gradually over weeks or months, Most cases are in adults between the ages of 31 and 60. The cause is unknown. There is no cure for polymyositis, but the symptoms can be treated. Options include medication, physical therapy and exercise.
Source: MayoClinic.com and National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
By Clarence Waldron
JET MAGAZINE
And that was his attitude as he recorded his new CD, After Tonight.
He recorded most of it from a wheelchair or lying in a hospital bed.
"I needed to do this CD for my fans who have come to expect new product from me every two years as well as for me to prove to myself that I could do it," Downing told JET. "Honestly, as the illness progressed I thought that I would never sing again."
The popular singer was diagnosed in January with a rare, incurable disease known as polymyositis. Today, he is unable to walk and uses a wheelchair.
"This disease basically took away my ability to function on my own, using any of my own limbs or even the ability to walk.
"It's a muscle debilitating illness, it takes away all of your muscles from your feet to your head," he explains. "You are dependent on others to do everything for you. There was a point where I could not feed myself. My wife, Audrey, has been a real trouper throughout the whole process."
He is in physical therapy and is learning how to walk again. "Thank God I've been through the worst of what this disease has to offer. It's a very emotional disease as well. It will depress you to the worst of depth. I have been to the pity party. 'Why me?' But that's over now."
He says there were no real symptoms, that the illness appeared out of nowhere. "It just jumped on me."
He remembers feeling very weak at a Chicago concert last December at the Park West theater. "I was so tired on stage. I told the audience, 'I am just not feeling 100 percent here.'" He eventually went to the doctor when he found himself too weak to turn the steering wheel of his car. He ended up spending five months in the hospital.
The amazing thing is, Downing, who turns 44 on November 29, sounds just as vibrant as he has on his other recordings. And his new CD debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard R&B Albums chart.
Highlights on the new CD include the title track; Phyllis Hyman's No One Could Love You More, featuring Gerald Albright on sax; Bill Withers' You Just Can't Smile It Away and the gospel tune, God Is So Amazing.
"You have to do what you got to do. It was a rough recording process. The performances are extremely heartfelt. It stands up to anything I have done in the past. I am really proud of it."
He adds, "It's about perseverance, it's about surviving and giving your all at all times. That's all I did. It was a gift God gave me to sing."
Rex Rideout, co-producer of After Tonight, recalled: "I am deeply touched by the trust that Will placed in me. My job was to help make After Tonight the best possible representation of Will's artistry during this challenging space and time ... Knowing how difficult this process was becoming for him, I kept asking, 'Are you sure you can do this?' He always responded, 'Man, I got it.'"
Downing says, "God's love for me is getting me through these interesting times. I've come to deal with these circumstances but not accept them, as I know I will overcome this illness. No matter what, all things are possible to those who believe."
What Is Polymyositis?
Polymyositis (pol-e-mi-o_Sl-tis) is an uncommon, chronic disease that causes inflammation in the muscles. It affects skeletal muscles (those involved with making movement) on both sides of the body. The most noticeable characteristic is muscle weakness, especially in the muscles closest to your trunk, such as your shoulder and hip muscles. As a result it may be difficult to get out of chairs, climb stairs, brush your hair or work with your arms over your head. It can occur at any age, but it mostly affects adults in their 40s and 50s. It usually develops gradually over weeks or months, Most cases are in adults between the ages of 31 and 60. The cause is unknown. There is no cure for polymyositis, but the symptoms can be treated. Options include medication, physical therapy and exercise.
Source: MayoClinic.com and National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
By Clarence Waldron
JET MAGAZINE
Will Downing
2007 Power Awards National Honoree -- Will Downing
Will Downing
Just one note… and you instantly know “That Voice.” A voice that melts like warm chocolate syrup over his growing legion of adoring female fans, who will tell you that “no one sounds like Will Downing.” Uniquely gifted with an unmatched arsenal of velvet lows and silky falsetto highs, few can challenge the growing belief that this versatile crooner is the rightful heir to the Smooth R&B throne.
Blurring the line between jazz and classic soul in a musical era that often pushes style over substance, Will Downing has amassed a timeless body of work that has never forced his listeners to make that compromise. The consistent choice of classy style over flashy trends has fueled the success of a 12-album, two-decade career, with millions of albums sold in countries all over the world. Most of today’s performers would be fortunate to have a track record only half as long. As one of the lone surviving mature male vocalists in a youth-driven market, this Brooklyn native is at the top of his game and continues to expand his fan base with each new musical chapter.
Recognized by the Grammys and the NAACP Image Awards for his excellence on the stage and in the studio, Will Downing is becoming equally well known for his talents outside of the music industry. Unbeknownst to many of his listeners, Will is a noted and equally skilled photographer. His subjects of choice are his musical contemporaries, whom he captures live on stage or in candid moments behind the curtain.
A self-published coffee table book, Unveiled, was released in late 2005 and features Downing’s shutterbug alter ego.
Will Downing also gives back to the community through his role as a spokesperson for the American Stroke Association. Will's own grandmother suffered a stroke, and he has also been impacted by the passing of others such as Luther Vandross, Ron Isley and Coretta Scott King. An avid bowler, Will has found a way to help in the fight against stroke while enjoying this hobby. While touring, Downing often conducts a charity bowling event called “Strike Against Stroke” to raise funds for greater stroke awareness and education among African Americans, who are disproportionately affected by this devastating illness.
When he’s off the road, Will Downing retreats to his family in a quiet New Jersey township. It would appear he is poised to make a much bigger musical noise everywhere else and start to command the respect and recognition he so richly deserves.
TRIBUTE TO WILL DOWNING
WE must keep WILL DOWNING in our prayers and hope God will bring him his health and his voice back to us!
Will Downing - A Million Ways
2px orange;padding:2px' href='http://videopapa.com/song_39907_Will_Downing-A_Million_Ways.html' target='_blank'>Will DowningA Million Ways
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