Songs

Donna Summer, 1948-2012: The Queen of Disco, Who Transcended the Era

May 17, 2012

By JON PARELES Published: May 17, 2012 in the NY TIMES Donna Summer, the multimillion-selling singer and songwriter whose hits captured both the giddy hedonism of the 1970s disco era and the feisty female solidarity of the early 1980s, died on Thursday at her home in Naples, Fla. She was 63. The cause was lung [...]

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Remembering Johnny Maestro on his 73rd Birthday!

May 7, 2012

The sweet tenor of Mr. Johnny Maestro belonged to two popular groups — first The Crests of the Doo-Wop era and secondly The Brooklyn Bridge. The Crests, formed in 1956, was one of the first integrated groups in a segregated era. Maestro’s beautiful tenor lead the group’s first big hit “16 Candles.” The track went [...]

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Ska pioneer Lloyd Brevett dies

May 5, 2012

Jamaican double bassist Lloyd Brevett, whose band The Skatalites pioneered ska music and paved the way for reggae, has died at the age of 80. Published: 4 May 2012 Last updated at 05:58 ET@ BBC News Entertainment & Arts The Skatalites formed in 1964 and combined jazz, R&B and mento to create ska and take [...]

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Happy 79th Birthday Willie Nelson

April 30, 2012

As a little girl, when AM radio played all genre’s of music, I always loved hearing the song “Crazy” as sung by Patsy Cline. It would be many, many years later that I would come to know Willie Nelson as the composer of that song and others as well as a singer who’s voice I [...]

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Live at Daryl’s House Tour 2012

April 24, 2012

Daryl Hall & Sharon Jones In 2007 Daryl Hall began his monthly live concert series online, “Live From Daryl’s House,” and this year he has taken the show on the Road – literally! I started off this past weekend enjoying the “Live from Daryl”s House Tour stop at Washington DC’s Warner Theatre. I got there [...]

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Happy 73rd Birthday To Dusty Springfield!

April 16, 2012

I want to pay tribute today to the “White Queen of Soul” — Dusty Springfield on what would be her 73rd Birthday. We miss you beautiful lady, but will always have your music: it is timeless. R.I.P. Related articles How Dusty Springfield Made Adele Possible (thestreet.com) February 15 – Dusty Springfield, Sly & Family Stone [...]

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Happy 113th Birthday to Paul Robeson!

April 9, 2012

“I did a long concert tour in England and Denmark and Sweden, and I also sang for the Soviet people, one of the finest musical audiences in the world.” Paul Robeson (B. 4/9/1898 – D. 1/23/1976) (1936) Related articles Larger than life and twice as grand: Paul Robeson (anniepaul.net)

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Happy 73rd Birthday Marvin Gaye!

April 2, 2012

[Audio clip: view full post to listen] Composed by Obie Benson, Al Cleveland and Marvin Gaye, recorded in 1970 and released in 1971 — the classic track “What’s Going On” is just as relevant (if not moreso) both musically and lyrically now in 2012 as it was in the Seventies! Give it a listen with [...]

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Remembering Teddy Pendergrass on his 61st Birthday!

March 26, 2012

You Can’t Hide From Yourself (1977) #7 Dance Music Only You (1978) #22 R&B, #29 Dance Music My Latest, My Greatest Inspiration (1982) #4 R&B, #43 Pop

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Longtime Doobie Brothers drummer Hossack dies

March 13, 2012

Associated Press – 3 hrs ago (as re-printed in Yahoo News) DUBOIS, Wyoming (AP) — Longtime Doobie Brothers drummer Michael Hossack, whose work is heard on the hits “Listen To The Music” and “China Grove,” died of cancer at age 65, his manager said Tuesday. Hossack died Monday at his home in Dubois, Wyoming, manager Bruce Cohn [...]

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Happy 73rd Birthday Neil Sedaka!

March 13, 2012

Born in Brooklyn on March 13, 1939, classical pianist, singer and songwriter Neil Sedaka has graced the top of the Pop music charts in the Fifties, Sixties, Seventies and Eighties as an artist, and he has written chart topping hits for other artists as well. Sedaka is still touring in this new Millennium. You can [...]