by Larry Watson Diana Ross is the closest America will ever get to royalty. She is a sturdy Black woman who was raised by God fearing parents. Her grandfather was a Baptist Minister in the deep South. People confuse the Diana Ross “personae” which she meticulously created with the authentic Black woman who as a single mother who… Read More »
By Ricardo Burke Born and raised in Americus, Georgia, Ray Greene came under the influence of soul-R&B-funk early in life as a result of his mother’s collection of 45 records. Ray’s father, who enjoyed the unadulterated grooves of Sam Cooke and the seamless harmonies of The Soul Stirrers, was himself a vocalist, performing gospel repertoire with The Sky… Read More »
This one-hour radio special is produced by The Prince Estate to celebrate the release of the new album, “Welcome 2 America.” For the first time, a complete unreleased album is being issued from Prince’s vault. Over the next hour, we’re going to go deep on “The Story of Welcome 2 America,” a political and poignant album that Prince… Read More »
By Ricardo Burke Pianist Kevin Harris states emphatically that his family shaped who he is. Born and raised in Lexington, Kentucky, he was surrounded by lots of great teachers in his family. His mom always had Motown on the record player: Stevie Wonder, The Four Tops, Gladys Knight and the Pips. His first instrument was the trumpet, which… Read More »
By Ricardo Burke Born in Cuba in the middle of Old Havana, Camila Cortina was prepared to receive a formal music education at a young age. It is no wonder she gained admission to a highly competitive arts program by the time she was six. Her mother and father, academics who were educated in the former Soviet Union.… Read More »
By Ricardo Burke During his formative years, saxophonist/vocalist/spoken word artist Tim Hall benefited significantly from a supportive family life, high-level community music institutions, and well-established middle and high school arts programs. All of these contributed to his early decision to pursue a career as a performer. While these elements were crucial, Hall attributes much of his success to… Read More »
Tessil Collins talks with Adrian Younge of The Midnight Hour about the group and tour. September 2019
Lisa Fischer is a singer who really gets around. Her life is an endless round of planes, trains, and automobiles, rehearsals and fittings. On tour with the Rolling Stones, Sting, Chris Botti or Nine Inch Nails, her name may not be on the marquee, but she doesn’t care. She’s busy loving every minute of it. It’s easy to… Read More »
