Guitarist/songwriter/producer Ray Parker Jr. had hits as Raydio (the million-selling “Jack and Jill,” “You Can’t Change That”), Ray Parker Jr. & Raydio (“Two Places at the Same Time,” “A Woman Needs Love [Just Like You Do]“), and Ray Parker Jr. (the number one R&B and pop gold single “Ghostbusters”), and he co-wrote hit songs for Rufus and Chaka Khan (the number one “You Got the Love” from fall 1974) and Barry White (“You See the Trouble with Me” from spring 1976).
Born May 1, 1954, in Detroit, Michigan, Parker started out as a teenaged session guitarist playing on sessions recorded for Holland-Dozier-Holland’s Hot Wax and Invictus Records, whose roster listed Freda Payne, Honey Cone, Chairmen of the Board, 100 Proof Aged in Soul, Laura Lee, and 8th Wonder. He also played behind the Temptations, Stevie Wonder, the Spinners, Gladys Knight & the Pips, and other Motown acts when they appeared at the Twenty Grand Club. In 1972, Wonder called Parker to ask him to play behind him on a tour that he was doing with the Rolling Stones. Parker thought it was a crank call and hung up the phone. Wonder called back and convinced Parker that he was the real deal by singing “Superstition” to him.
Later, Parker played on Wonder’s albums Talking Book (1972) and Innervisions (1973). Moving from Detroit to Los Angeles, Parker got into session work, playing on sides by Leon Haywood, Barry White, and arranger Gene Page and working with Motown producer Clarence Paul on Ronnie McNeir’s 1976 Motown debut, Love’s Comin’ Down, and he appeared in the picnic scene in the Bill Cosby/Sidney Poitier comedy classic Uptown Saturday Night.
Deciding to become a recording artist, Parker got a deal with Arista Records in 1977. Not confident on his singing ability, he put together a band that included vocalist Arnell Carmichael, bassist/singer Jerry Knight (who later had his own solo hit with “Overnight Sensation” and as half of Ollie & Jerry, and co-produced hits by the Jets), guitarist Charles Fearing, Larry Tolbert, and Darren Carmichael. However, on record, Parker played most, if not all of the instruments — although Arnell et al. were paid a retainer so they’d be available if Raydio had a hit record and needed to tour.
His first LP, Raydio, went gold, peaking at number eight R&B in spring 1978. The LP included the number five gold R&B hit single “Jack and Jill” (lead vocal by Jerry Knight), “Is This a Love Thing,” and the charting single “Honey I’m Rich.” The hits continued with Ray Parker Jr. & Raydio’s number four gold Rock On (the single “You Can’t Change That” was number three R&B, number nine pop in the spring of 1979); the number six gold R&B Two Places at the Same Time from spring 1980 (“Two Places at the Same Time” was number six R&B in spring 1980); and the number one gold record A Woman Needs Love from 1981 (“A Woman Needs Love [Just Like You Do]” — the first song Parker sang all the way through without trading vocals — held the number one R&B spot for two weeks and went number four pop in spring 1981). Then, the Ray Parker Jr. album The Other Woman held the number one R&B, number 11 pop spot in spring 1982 (“The Other Woman” was number two R&B for four weeks).
One of Parker’s biggest hits and best-loved songs, “Ghostbusters” was initially submitted for the background score of the Dan Aykroyd/Harold Ramis/Bill Murray/Ernie Hudson comedy. Director Ivan Reitman thought that the song should be released as a single. The “Ghostbusters” music video is one of the funniest and most star-studded videos ever made (breakdancing Bill Murray style). “Ghostbusters” parked at the number one R&B spot for two weeks and the number one pop for three weeks on Billboard’s charts in summer 1984. Around this time, Huey Lewis sued Columbia Pictures and Ray Parker Jr. for copyright infringement, claiming that “Ghostbusters” was a ripoff of his recent hit, “I Want a New Drug.” Lewis received an out-of-court settlement.
Parker also wrote and produced hits for New Edition (“Mr. Telephone Man” — Parker originally recorded this with Jr. Tucker for his 1983 self-titled Geffen album), Randy Hall (“I’ve Been Watching You [Jamie's Girl],” the refreshing “Gentleman”), Cheryl Lynn (“Shake It Up Tonight” from In the Night), Deniece Williams (the 1979 ARC/Columbia LP When Love Comes Calling), Brick (the 1981 Bang LP Summer Heat), and Diana Ross (“Upfront” from her 1983 RCA LP Ross).
Parker left Arista for Geffen and then MCA before returning to Arista because of his relationship with Arista president Clive Davis.
Millie Jackson’s first taste of singing in front of an audience occurred one night at the famed nightclub Smalls Paradise. Sitting in the audience with friends, Jackson heckled the lady onstage and, when dared to do better, she stepped up to belt Ben E. King’s “Don’t Play It No More.” Jackson was hired for another gig within two weeks, but didn’t get paid. A gentleman by the name of Tony Rice took her to a venue in Hoboken, NJ, a couple of weeks later and then on to Brooklyn, NY, to perform for a nominal fee.
Born in Thompson, GA, Jackson lived with her grandmother prior to moving to Newark, NJ, to live with her father in 1958. She grew up influenced by the sounds of Otis Redding, Sam Cooke, and later, the O’Jays. Her first single to chart was 1971′s deceptively titled “A Child of God (It’s Hard to Believe),” which many thought was a gospel track. Due to its heated lyrical content, the single was canceled, but still managed to peak at number 22 on the R&B charts. In the spring of 1972, Jackson had her first R&B Top Ten single with “Ask Me What You Want.” She kept busy performing in nightclubs and enjoyed her second consecutive Top Ten single with “My Man, A Sweet Man” in August of 1972; it peaked at number seven. (Ironically, the song was not one of Jackson’s favorites.) A year later, Jackson, whose vocal texture is similar to one of her idols, Gladys Knight, had her third Top Ten single with the moderately paced “Hurts So Good,” which peaked at number three on the R&B charts and made the pop Top 40. The single bore the title of her album and was also featured on the movie soundtrack for Cleopatra Jones. Jackson produced the album with Brad Shapiro. However, she was only given credit for the album concept. In Jackson’s own words, “…that’s when they (label owners) met the real Millie Jackson.” Thereafter, she was given credit for her efforts.
In January of 1975, Jackson released the album that would introduce what would later become her trademark rap style of racy, raunchy language; her audience loved it. The album was Caught Up and the featured release was “If Loving You Is Wrong I Don’t Want to Be Right,” for which she received two Grammy nominations. Jackson openly admits that she never had singing lessons and never thought she could sing. Consequently, she began to talk (or what was commonly known at the time as rap) on her songs in a blunt, candid manner to make up for the shortcoming and had her fourth Top Ten single with country singer Merle Haggard’s “If You’re Not Back in Love by Monday” (Billboard country charts number two). Jackson’s version peaked at number five on the R&B charts. Over the next ten years, Jackson had numerous Top 100 singles for Spring Records. In 1986, she signed with Jive and released her fifth and sixth Top Ten singles in “Hot! Wild! Unrestricted! Crazy Love” and “Love Is a Dangerous Game, both respectively peaking at number nine and six on the R&B charts. In addition to her impressive music career, Jackson wrote the play Young Man, Older Woman; the play toured for four years. Her attention, though, has turned to the broadcast booth as a radio program host on the afternoon radio show in Dallas, TX. According to Billboard, Jackson is one of the top R&B acts to ever record or step onto a stage and is still giving her fans what they want as a radio host and a performer.
Freddie Jackson To urban contemporary listeners, Freddie Jackson was one of the biggest stars of the latter half of the ’80s, dominating the R&B charts seemingly at will. Jackson’s forte was sophisticated, romantic soul ballads aimed at adult audiences, but he was also capable of tackling urban contemporary dance fare and even the occasional jazz tune. Yet unlike many of his peers — Luther Vandross, Anita Baker, Peabo Bryson, etc. — Jackson never managed to cross over to the pop charts, where none of his R&B smashes even breached the Top Ten. As new trends like hip-hop altered the urban contemporary landscape, Jackson gradually faded from view during the ’90s.
Jackson was born October 2, 1956, in Harlem, and like so many soul stars, he was trained as a gospel singer from an early age, singing at the White Rock Baptist Church. There he met Paul Laurence, who would later become his producer and songwriting partner. After completing school, Jackson joined Laurence’s group LJE (Laurence-Jones Ensemble) and played the New York club scene. During the early ’80s, Jackson moved to the West Coast and sang lead with the R&B band Mystic Merlin, but soon returned to New York to work with Laurence at the Hush Productions company. He sang on demo recordings of Laurence’s compositions, and also served as a backup singer for Melba Moore after she caught his nightclub act.
In 1985, Jackson landed a record deal with Capitol and issued his debut album, Rock Me Tonight. The Laurence-penned title track stormed the R&B charts, spending a whopping six weeks at number one, and made Jackson an instant sensation on urban contemporary radio. “You Are My Lady” gave him a second straight R&B chart-topper, and also proved to be his highest-charting single on the pop side, peaking at number 13. With “He’ll Never Love You (Like I Do)” and “Love Is Just a Touch Away” also hitting the R&B Top Ten, Rock Me Tonight topped the R&B album charts and went platinum. Jackson wasted no time issuing a follow-up set; Just Like the First Time appeared in 1986 on the heels of a number one R&B duet with Melba Moore, “A Little Bit More” (from her album A Lot of Love). Another platinum-seller, Just Like the First Time continued Jackson’s incredible dominance of the R&B singles charts; “Tasty Love,” “Have You Ever Loved Somebody,” and “Jam Tonight” all hit number one, while “I Don’t Want to Lose Your Love” went to number two.
The pace of Jackson’s success slowed to less superhuman levels with the 1988 release of Don’t Let Love Slip Away, which nonetheless featured another R&B chart-topper in “Hey Lover,” plus further hits in “Nice and Slow” and “Crazy (For Me).” The title track of 1990′s Do Me Again duplicated that feat, and “Main Course” just missed, topping out at number two. Even so, Jackson’s early placings in the lower reaches of the pop Top 40 had long since disappeared, and some critics charged that his albums were growing too similar to one another. Perhaps it was a lack of distinctiveness in his material that hurt Jackson’s chances for a pop breakthrough; whatever the case, 1992′s Time for Love failed to duplicate the crossover success Luther Vandross was belatedly enjoying, despite a hit cover of the soul classic “Me and Mrs. Jones.”
Seeking a new beginning, Jackson parted ways with Capitol in late 1993, and signed with RCA. His label debut, Here It Is, appeared the following year, with diminished commercial returns — in part because his straightforwardly romantic ballad style was increasingly out of step with the sexually explicit new breed of R&B crooner. Following a Christmas album, Jackson recorded Private Party (1995) for Scotti Brothers; its biggest single, “Rub Up Against You,” reached the Top 25 of the R&B chart. From then on, Jackson recorded independent albums with a modest level of commercial success. These releases included Life After 30 (number 81 R&B, 1999), It’s Your Move (number 45 R&B, 2004), the covers set Personal Reflections (did not chart, 2005), Transitions (number 26 R&B, 2006), and For You (2010).
Full Force was one of the most underrated groups of the 80s and even into the 90s. These muscle bound harmonious cats with the juiciest curls from NYC put it down with a string of ballads and club bangers unrivaled by most. Check this full ep including some of the last footage of the late Don Cornelius.
Full Force rose to prominence in the mid-’80s, writing and producing popular R&B hits for Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam before embarking on a moderately successful solo career that ultimately led them back to production work in the late ’90s. The six-man collective — featuring Paul Anthony, Bowlegged Lou, B-Fine, Baby Gerry, Shy Shy, and Curt-t-t — originated in Brooklyn, NY, where they originally met up with Steve Salem in the late ’70s, a business-savvy individual who functioned as their manager. With a manager in place and plenty of talent between the various group members, Full Force struggled throughout the early ’80s to find a label willing to sign them. Eventually they got a break when they wrote and produced fellow Brooklyn group U.T.F.O.’s “Roxanne Roxanne,” a rap song that would attain a certain level of fame thanks to a series of answer records. In early 1985, the single peaked at number ten on Billboard’s R&B charts, proving a substantial hit for both the rap group and the production team. From there, Full Force moved onto their next major success with Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam, a dance-pop group led by a 16-year-old singer named Lisa Velez. Originally Velez had auditioned for the production team, who then went ahead and recorded “I Wonder if I Take You Home” with her, releasing the single under the moniker Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam With Full Force on an indie New York label, Personal. The song scored success initially overseas before eventually being released by Columbia in the U.S. after getting immense play in New York clubs as an import single. Almost overnight, the song topped Billboard’s dance chart and went on to peak at number six on the R&B chart by summer 1985. Thanks to the momentum surrounding the hit single, Full Force signed a deal with Columbia to release solo material. Though they scored some minor R&B hits on their own (“Temporary Love Thing,” “Unfaithful So Much,” “All in My Mind”), their biggest success continued to be as a production team for Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam (“All Cried Out,” “Head to Toe,” “Lost in Emotion”). In 1988, Full Force produced James Brown’s I’m Real, scoring a substantial hit for the struggling legend with the album’s title track, and worked with a number of late-’80s dance-pop stars: Jasmine Guy, Cheryl Pepsii Riley, and Samantha Fox, among others. Throughout the early and mid-’90s, the production team remained relatively quiet before again churning out a number of late-’90s R&B-flavored pop hits with Selena, Backstreet Boys, and LFO, among others.
We are over the moon excited about this documentary. Atlantic Starr pumped out memorable hit after hit in the early to mid 80s. From uptempo classics to straight up baby making music, this dynamic group had it all. Featuring some of the best written and performed songs in black music history, Atlantic Starr made music for the dancefloor or the bedroom. If you are not up on this, you need to be. Enjoy.
Atlantic Starr was among the top urban contemporary acts of the ’80s and fared well in the adult contemporary market as well, but their roots were ’70s soul and funk. Several members first recorded together as Newban, a funk group that released two 1977 albums, Newban and Newban 2, on the Guinness label. Atlantic Starr took shape that same year, formed in White Plains, New York by three brothers: lead singer/guitarist David Lewis, lead singer/keyboardist Wayne Lewis, and trombonist/percussionist Jonathan Lewis. The lineup was filled out by singer Sharon Bryant, trumpeter William Sudderth, saxophonist Damon Rentie (who was replaced by Koran Daniels in 1981), bassist Clifford Archer, drummer Porter Carroll, Jr., and percussionist/flutist Joseph Phillips. Influenced by the likes of Earth, Wind & Fire, Commodores, New Birth, and L.T.D., Atlantic Starr started playing around the northeastern U.S. They signed with A&M and started working with Bobby Eli, a well-respected producer/songwriter from Philadelphia. Produced by Eli in 1978, Atlantic Starr’s self-titled debut album wasn’t a mega-platinum blockbuster but did reasonably well and contained the funk hit “Stand Up” (which made it to number 16 on Billboard’s R&B singles chart). Eli went on to produce the band’s second album, Straight to the Point; while that 1979 release did OK, A&M knew that Atlantic Starr could be bigger. So in 1981, the band changed producers and enlisted James Carmichael for their third album, Radiant. It was a wise move; Radiant and its hit single “When Love Calls” established Atlantic Starr as a supergroup in the R&B market. It was on Radiant that the charismatic Bryant (who was featured on “When Love Calls”) really blossomed as a singer and her lead vocals played a major role in the band’s success. Carmichael went on to produce 1982′s Brilliance (which contained the number two R&B single “Circles”) and 1983′s Yours Forever; the latter includes “Touch a Four Leaf Clover,” another major hit featuring Bryant.
Although Bryant was never Atlantic Starr’s only lead singer — Wayne and David Lewis also provided their share of lead vocals — she was a major asset. So it came as quite a disappointment when she left Atlantic Starr in 1984 to pursue a solo career. But all was not lost. The talented Barbara Weathers was hired as a replacement and 1985′s As the Band Turns — Atlantic Starr’s first post-Bryant album and sixth album overall — found the outfit unveiling a smaller lineup that consisted of Weathers, the Lewis Brothers, and Phillips. Sudderth, Daniels, Archer, and Carroll were all gone, but despite those personnel changes, Atlantic Starr was still distinctive and recognizable. As the Band Turns, which contained the major hit “Secret Lovers,” turned out to be Atlantic Starr’s last album for A&M; in 1987, they moved to Warner Bros. and fared well with the album All in the Name of Love and the smash hit “Always.” A syrupy adult contemporary ballad, “Always” reflected the Lewis Brothers’ desire to have the type of crossover success that Whitney Houston and Lionel Ritchie had been enjoying in the ’80s; they got their wish when “Always” soared to number one on both the pop and R&B charts.
After All in the Name of Love, Weathers left the band to pursue a solo career and was replaced by Porscha Martin, who was featured on 1988′s We’re Movin’ Up. Martin was around for a few years before being replaced by Rachel Oliver (Atlantic Starr’s fourth female vocalist) in the early ’90s. Atlantic Starr’s relationship with Warner Bros. ended after 1991′s Love Crazy, and in 1994, the band recorded one album for Arista: Time. That album was a commercial disappointment and the single “I’ll Remember You” only made it to the fifties on Billboard’s R&B and pop singles charts. Time (which was David Lewis’ last album with the band) found a fifth female singer, Aisha Tanner, replacing Oliver. And when 1999′s Legacy was distributed by the small, independent Street Solid label, Atlantic Starr unveiled yet another lineup — one that consisted of two Lewis Brothers (Wayne and Jonathan) as well as Oliver (who had returned and replaced Tanner) and a new male singer named DeWayne Woods. Although Legacy received very little attention, Atlantic Starr hung in there and was still performing for die-hard fans when the 21st century arrived.
Music lovers might not know the name of soul singer Bobby Womack but without a doubt hearing any one of the major hit songs he wrote and sang would make people stand up and say, “He wrote that song?” Yes, he wrote and sang a lot of songs and has been a singer/song writer for well over 50 years.
He was born in Cleveland, Ohio to very strict parents who wanted to make sure their five sons grew up right. Bobby was his Deacon father’s favorite son and never felt the wrath of his dad even when he played his fathers guitar on the sly. When Bobby broke a string on the guitar his brothers thought he’d be in trouble but his dad said that if Bobby “could play the guitar I’ll forget about giving you a whooping.” Bobby played that guitar perfectly.
All the Womack boys had talent so their dad formed a gospel group for them called, “The Womack Brothers.” Before too long the brothers were playing with Aretha Franklin, Sam Cooke, and the great Marvin Gaye.
Sam Cooke offered the brothers a record deal but their father didn’t want his sons to take it. The boys had other ideas. They grabbed Cooke’s deal, changed their name to “The Valentinos” and became pop singers.
Their first hit was a remake of the old spiritual song, “I’m Looking for a Love.” The song zoomed to number five on the pop charts and “The Valentinos” were a hit.
Bobby was also a song writer and one of his earliest hits was, “It’s All Over Now” but it wasn’t a hit for Womack. It was covered by a group in England. The song was a huge success for “The Rolling Stones.” Bobby was angry that the Stones covered his song but Sam Cooke told him that those “white boys would make the song more popular” than Womack could. Bobby’s first check was for $30,000 and he never doubted Sam again.
In December 1964, Sam Cooke was shot and killed in a California hotel room. Bobby wanted to comfort Cooke’s widow, Barbara, but she had other plans. Four months later, 21-year-old Bobby Womack married 29-year-old Barbara Cooke and for many years he was then known as the man who married Sam Cooke’s widow. He finally became famous but it was for the wrong reason.
No one wanted anything to do with Bobby Womack after his marriage. The applause stopped and he found happiness in cocaine. He was high all the time for three years and didn’t care what anyone thought about him. As it was no one wanted to associate with him. He paid bills by becoming a sessions player.
It was with the help of Wilson Pickett that Womack’s luck changed. Pickett turned Bobby’s songs into hits again.
One of Bobby’s hits was a cover he did of “The Mama’s & The Papa’s” song, “California Dreamin’.” The song brought Womack out of the dark again.
In 1971, he and Barbara Cooke ended their marriage but that didn’t stop him from writing.
He wrote a whole slew of hits including, “That’s the Way I Feel About You,” which went to number two on the charts, “Breezin’,” which was a huge success for George Benson, and he wrote, “Across 110th Street” for the movie of the same name which is still heard in many other movies.
Tragedy found the Womack brothers in 1974 when their brother, Harry, was stabbed and killed by his girlfriend. Bobby was so upset he canceled his tour and tried to throw himself out a window. He started using more drugs to ease his pain.
While sitting in a bar in 1975, Bobby saw a young lady, Regina, and immediately proposed to her. They married and two years later had a son. When the child was four months old, the baby crawled in between the crib and the wall and suffocated. Eventually the couple had more children
Womack’s life was in shambles during the late 1970s. Three major record labels dropped him. But in 1981, he had another record deal for a small label and wrote the hit, “If You Think You’re Lonely Now.” The single was a hit on Bobby’s album, “The Poet.” Three years later he put out “The Poet 2.”
His career faltered again in the late 1980s and 1990s. The small record label he was on didn’t pay him for his albums. Bobby believed that they used him.
Bobby and Regina’s son committed suicide and Regina filed for divorce. But Bobby Womack fought on.
In 2010, he started singing with the English group, “The Gorillaz.” Even though he and Regina are no longer married he still takes care of her and Bobby has been off drugs since the 1990s.
Today, Bobby Womack is still singing. “Music is an inspirational high,” he says, “it’s better than making love.”
A veteran who paid his dues for over a decade before getting his shot at solo stardom, Bobby Womack persevered through tragedy and addiction to emerge as one of soul music’s great survivors. Able to shine in the spotlight as a singer or behind the scenes as an instrumentalist and songwriter, Womack never got his due from pop audiences, but during the late ’60s and much of the ’70s, he was a consistent hitmaker on the R&B charts, with a high standard of quality control. His records were quintessential soul, with a bag of tricks learned from the likes of Sam Cooke, Wilson Pickett, and Sly Stone, all of whom Womack worked closely with at one time or another. Yet often, they also bore the stamp of Womack’s own idiosyncratic personality, whether through a lengthy spoken philosophical monologue or a radical reinterpretation of a pop standard. An underrated guitarist, Womack helped pioneer a lean, minimalist approach similar to that of Curtis Mayfield, and was an early influence on the young Jimi Hendrix. Additionally, his songs have been recorded by numerous artists in the realms of both R&B and rock, and the best of them rank as all-time classics.
Bobby Dwayne Womack was born in Cleveland on March 4, 1944. His upbringing was strict and religious, but his father Friendly also encouraged his sons to pursue music as he had (he sang and played guitar in a gospel group). In the early ’50s, while still a child, Bobby joined his siblings Cecil, Curtis, Harry, and Friendly Jr. to form the gospel quintet the Womack Brothers. They were chosen to open a local show for the Soul Stirrers in 1953, where Bobby befriended lead singer Sam Cooke; following this break, they toured the country as an opening act for numerous gospel groups. When Cooke formed his own SAR label, he recruited the Womack Brothers with an eye towards transforming them into a crossover R&B act. Learning that his sons were moving into secular music, Friendly Womack threw them out of the house, and Cooke wired them the money to buy a car and drive out to his Los Angeles offices. The Womack Brothers made several recordings for SAR over 1960 and 1961, including a few gospel sides, but Cooke soon convinced them to record R&B and renamed them the Valentinos. In 1962, they scored a Top Ten hit on the R&B charts with “Lookin’ for a Love,” and Cooke sent them on the road behind James Brown to serve a boot-camp-style musical apprenticeship. Bobby eventually joined Cooke’s backing band as guitarist. The Valentinos’ 1964 single “It’s All Over Now,” written by Bobby, was quickly covered by the Rolling Stones with Cooke’s blessing; when it became the Stones’ first U.K. number one, Womack suddenly found himself a rich man.
Cooke’s tragic death in December 1964 left Womack greatly shaken and the Valentinos’ career in limbo. Just three months later, Womack married Cooke’s widow, Barbara Campbell, which earned him tremendous ill will in the R&B community; many viewed him as a shady opportunist looking to cash in on Cooke’s legacy, especially since Campbell was significantly older than Womack. According to Womack, he was initially motivated to look after Campbell in an unstable time, not to tarnish the memory of a beloved mentor. Regardless, Womack found himself unable to get his solo career rolling in the wake of the scandal; singles for Chess (“I Found a True Love”) and Him (“Nothing You Can Do”) were avoided like the plague despite their quality. The Valentinos cut a couple of singles for Chess in 1966, “What About Me” and “Sweeter Than the Day Before,” which also failed to make much of a splash. To make ends meet, Womack became a backing guitarist, first landing a job with Ray Charles; he went on to make a valuable connection in producer Chips Moman, and appeared often at Moman’s American Studio in Memphis, as well as nearby Muscle Shoals, AL. In the process, Womack appeared on classic recordings by the likes of Joe Tex, King Curtis, and Aretha Franklin (Lady Soul), among others. He recorded singles for Keymen and Atlantic without success, but became one of Wilson Pickett’s favorite songwriters, contributing the R&B Top Ten hits “I’m in Love” and “I’m a Midnight Mover” (plus 15 other tunes) to the singer’s repertoire.
Womack had been slated to record a solo album for Minit, but had given Pickett most of his best material, which actually wound up getting his name back in the public eye in a positive light. In 1968, he scored the first charting single of his solo career with “What Is This?” and soon hit with a string of inventively reimagined pop covers — “Fly Me to the Moon,” “California Dreamin’,” and “I Left My Heart in San Francisco,” the former two of which reached the R&B Top 20. A songwriting partnership with engineer Darryl Carter resulted in the R&B hits “It’s Gonna Rain,” “How I Miss You Baby,” and “More Than I Can Stand” over 1969-1970. A series of label absorptions bumped Womack up to United Artists in 1971, which proved to be the home of his greatest solo success; in the meantime, he contributed the ballad “Trust Me” to Janis Joplin’s masterpiece Pearl, and the J. Geils Band revived “Lookin’ for a Love” for their first hit. He also teamed up with jazz guitarist Gabor Szabo on the LP High Contrast, which debuted Womack’s composition “Breezin’” (which, of course, became a smash for George Benson six years later). Most importantly, however, Womack played guitar on Sly & the Family Stone’s There’s a Riot Goin’ On, a masterpiece of darkly psychedelic funk that would have an impact on Womack’s own sound and sense of style.
Womack issued his first UA album, Communication, in 1971, which kicked off a string of excellent releases that ran through the first half of the decade. In addition to several of Womack’s trademark pop covers, the album also contained the original ballad “That’s the Way I Feel About ‘Cha,” which climbed all the way to number two on the R&B chart and became his long-awaited breakout hit. The 1972 follow-up Understanding spawned Womack’s first chart-topper, “Woman’s Gotta Have It,” co-written with Darryl Carter and stepdaughter Linda (Womack divorced Barbara Campbell in 1970). The follow-up “Harry Hippie,” a gently ironic tribute to Womack’s brother, also hit the R&B Top Ten. Later that year, Womack scored the blaxploitation flick Across 110th Street; the title cut was later revived in the 1998 Quentin Tarantino film Jackie Brown. 1973′s The Facts of Life had an R&B number two hit in a rearrangement of the perennial “Nobody Knows You When You’re Down and Out,” and the following year’s Lookin’ for a Love Again found Womack revisiting his Valentinos hit; the re-recorded “Lookin’ for a Love” became his second number one R&B single and his only Top Ten hit on the pop charts. Follow-up single “You’re Welcome, Stop On By” made the R&B Top Five.
Womack was by this time a seasoned veteran of the rock & roll lifestyle, having befriended the likes of the Rolling Stones, the late Janis Joplin, and Sly Stone. After his brother Harry was murdered by a jealous girlfriend in 1974 (in Bobby’s own apartment), the drug usage began to take a more serious turn. Womack scored further R&B Top Ten hits with 1975′s “Check It Out” and 1976′s “Daylight,” the latter of which seemed to indicate a longing for escape from the nonstop partying that often masked serious depression. Despite Womack’s new marriage to Regina Banks, the song was a sign that things were coming to a head. Womack pushed UA into letting him do a full album of country music, something he’d always loved but which the label regarded as commercially inadvisable (especially under the title Womack reportedly wanted to use: Step Aside, Charley Pride, Give Another Nigger a Try). They eventually relented, and when BW Goes C&W met with predictably minimal response, UA palmed the increasingly difficult Womack off on Columbia. A pair of albums there failed to recapture his commercial momentum or reinvent him for the disco age, and he moved to Arista for 1979′s Roads of Life, which appeared not long after the sudden death of his infant son.
At a low point in his life, Womack took a bit of time off from music to gather himself. He appeared as a guest vocalist on Jazz Crusader Wilton Felder’s 1980 solo album Inherit the Wind, singing the hit title track, and subsequently signed with black entrepreneur Otis Smith’s independent Beverly Glen label. His label debut, 1981′s The Poet, was a critically acclaimed left-field hit, rejuvenating his career and producing a number three R&B hit with “If You Think You’re Lonely Now.” Unfortunately, money disputes soured the relationship between Womack and Smith rather quickly. The Poet II was delayed until 1984, and featured several duets with Patti LaBelle, including another number three R&B hit, “Love Has Finally Come at Last.” Beverly Glen released a final LP culled from Womack’s previous sessions, Someday We’ll All Be Free, in 1985, by which time the singer had already broken free and signed with MCA. Another hit with Wilton Felder, “(No Matter How High I Get) I’ll Still Be Looking Up to You,” appeared that year, and his label debut So Many Rivers produced a Top Five R&B hit in “I Wish He Didn’t Trust Me So Much.” 1986′s Womagic reunited Womack with Chips Moman, and he also backed the Rolling Stones on their remake of “Harlem Shuffle.” By the following year he’d christened himself The Last Soul Man, which proved to be his final recording for MCA.
In the years since, Womack has made high-profile returns to the music business only sporadically. Released in 1994, Resurrection was recorded for Ron Wood’s Slide label and featured an array of guest stars including Wood, Keith Richards, Rod Stewart, and Stevie Wonder. In 1999, he fulfilled a longstanding promise to his father (who passed away in 1981) by delivering his first-ever gospel album, Back to My Roots. In 2010 Womack released the muted and intimate live album Raw, which was recorded on Mother’s Day weekend in 1996.
We were truly saddened by the recent loss of Vesta Williams, who had one of the sweetest and most powerful voices in Black music today. We are so happy to be able to share this TVOne documentary with you all.
Biography of Vesta Williams from AllMusic.com:
R&B singer/songwriter Vesta Williams shot to success with her 1986 hit “Once Bitten, Twice Shy”; Vesta 4 U, issued two years later, launched another smash, “Congratulations.” Subsequent efforts were less successful, however, and after 1993′s Everything-N-More, she left longtime label A&M; a five-year hiatus preceded the release of Vesta‘s next LP, Relationships, and the covers set Distant Loverfollowed in 2007.
Billy Preston was a prodigy. By age 9, he’d mastered the Hammond Organ. At 10, he performed with Nat King Cole and recorded with Mahalia Jackson. At 15, Little Richard took him on a European Tour. In the late ’60s, Billy joined The Beatles on their farewell rooftop concert and was the only artist ever to share a songwriting credit with the rockers. In the early ’70s, he regularly toured with the Rolling Stones. And his greatest fame came on his own, with a slew of popular hits including ‘Nothin’ From Nothin’,’ ‘Will it Go Round in Circles,’ ‘You Are So Beautiful’ and ‘With You I’m Born Again.’
But the joy Billy shared in his music was masking a deep sadness. Burying a dark childhood secret behind drugs and alcohol, Billy deteriorated throughout the ’80s and ’90s, ultimately ending up in prison. For the first time, Billy’s closest friends and family open up about the torment that drove a musical genius to ruins and a painful, early end.
From TVOneOnline.com – In the late 1970’s, when disco, funk, and soulful ballads ruled the dance floors, few bands could match Heatwave’s range and originality. From the disco anthem “Boogie Nights” to the wedding classic “Always and Forever”, Heatwave combined driving dance rhythms with creamy melodies to create a lasting sound and legacy. Their unique approach was in part the result of a remarkably international makeup: led by brothers Johnnie Jr. Wilder and Keith Wilder, from, Dayton, Ohio, Heatwave included a keyboardist from England, a drummer who’d fled from Czechoslovakia, a bassist from Spain, and a keyboardist, Rod Temperton, who not only wrote most of their material, but eventually became the songwriter behind some of Michael Jackson’s greatest hits. With that kind of pedigree, Heatwave might have become superstars – but a series of violent and horrific tragedies, including a gunshot murder and a car accident that left Johnnie Wilder paralyzed from the neck down, doomed the band at the height of their powers.
From TVOneOnline.com – She had a record deal by the time she was 14. She was a featured vocalist with James Brown at 17. Berry Gordy signed her to Motown Records 3 years later. And in 1967 Tammi Terrell teamed up with Marvin Gaye to record a series of classic romantic hits – ‘Ain’t No Mountain High Enough’, ‘Your Precious Love’, ‘Ain’t Nothin Like The Real Thing’, and more – that remain the gold standard for romantic duets. Ironically, Tammi’s actual love life was not nearly as perfect as the romance in her songs, and included abusive relationships with both James Brown and David Ruffin. And the magic of her career ended abruptly when she collapsed on stage from a brain tumor while singing with Marvin in the fall of 1967. But she refused to give in to her fate. Tammi underwent 8 surgeries over the next three years, and even returned to recording, before she died in 1974 at the age of 24. Her life was short, but full of passion, art, and courage, that will finally be told in its fullness on ‘Unsung.”
From TVOneOnline.com – There may never be a more soulful, sexy, funky combination of voice and music like that which emanates from the “Ivory Queen of Soul,” Teena Marie. Her phenomenal range and unique tone has made her among the most recognizable voices in R&B. At the age of 17, Teena fulfilled her childhood dream of a music career when she signed with Motown Records. There, she teamed up musically – and for a time, romantically – with funk master Rick James, who produced her debut album, Wild and Peaceful. A hit song with James, Fire and Desire, along with Teena’s robust sound and powerful delivery, helped to overcome long standing racial barriers between black audiences and white singers. Teena talks about leaving Motown at the height of her career, losing her long-time friend Rick James and her fight to take control of her life.
From TVOneOnline.com – Funky, funny, and living large – literally – the Fat Boys became one of the most commercially successful groups of the 1980′s. They helped take rap from the parks of NYC to worldwide acclaim and sales. Mark Morales, (Prince Markie Dee), Damon Wimbley (Kool-Rock-Ski) and Darren Robinson (The Human Beat Box, aka Buff) parlayed a feel good brand of humor, all-you-can-eat buffets and an infectious party style into their music. Guided by manager Charles Stettler, a Swiss born hustler and novelty record maker, and produced by Kurtis Blow, they grew into international superstars, with inventive remakes of songs like “Jailhouse Rap,” “The Twist,” and “Wipeout” – the latter a hit and video they performed with the Beach Boys. They would go on to influence a new generation of rappers like Heavy D., Notorious B.I.G. and Rick Ross, showing that big could be sexy. But the pressure to stay on top would cause rifts which would split the group apart and endanger their health – and ultimately contribute to the tragic death of Buff in 1995. Finally reunited, the surviving Fat Boys recount the joys and sorrows of their career for “Unsung.”
From TVOneOnline.com – For twenty years, the Zapp band created hits that sparked fires on dance floors worldwide. Situated somewhere in the funk zone between Prince and Parliament, the Troutman brothers, Lester, Terry, Larry and Roger, crafted a sound so flavorful, yet so polished, that they pulled together audiences of fans black, brown and white. Roger’s talk box touch helped hits like Computer Love and I Wanna be Your Man soar up the charts, yet even with all of their success, the group spun out of control when Larry killed Roger and then turned the gun on himself. Ten years later, the Zapp family is back together and their sharing the untold story of the amazing yet tragic journey of their lives.
Through interviews with members of the original group, family, friends and colleagues Unsung will chronicle the rise and fall of Debarge, arguably Motown’s most successful group of the 1980s. From their deep roots in their mother’s Pentecostal church, to their signing with the fabled Motown label as Berry Gordy’s unabashed reincarnation of the Jacksons, and their subsequent descent into sibling rivalry and drug abuse that ultimately led to their break-up, we’ll re-discover this immensely talented family whose influence still resonates in the music of artists as varied as Babyface Edmonds, P. Diddy, Mary J. Blige and Ashanti.
Among the more popular family acts on the ’70s R&B circuit, Memphis’ Sylvers recorded for Pride, MGM, Capitol, Casablanca, and Geffen during their 13-year chart run. No less than nine of the ten brothers and sisters in the family — Olympia, Leon, Charmaine, James, Edmund, Ricky, Angie, Pat, Foster — performed in the group that was viewed as a Southern version of the Jackson 5. Their 1972 Pride single “Fool’s Paradise” got things going in the right direction, reaching number 14 on the R&B charts. They had three other Top Ten R&B hits in the ’70s, but their biggest song was “Boogie Fever” in 1975. It perfectly captured the disco spirit and topped both the R&B and pop charts that year. “Hot Line” was another Top Ten on both lists in 1976, and their second biggest single. They scored another Top 20 R&B single on Casablanca in 1978, “Don’t Stop, Get Off,” but the charming qualities of their earlier material seemed more calculated. They couldn’t recapture the spark during their mid-’80s period on Geffen.
From TVOneOnline.com – In the intergalactic continuum of funk, the name best known by earth people and aliens alike is the Atomic Dog and Mothership Captain himself, George Clinton. Emerging from the most distant region in the galaxy (a home he calls Dog Star 9), this interplanetary traveler chose music as his language to communicate a message of love, respect and dance-floor artistry to earthlings the world round. His extraterrestrial brew of rock, soul, Motown and doo-wop made for a potent funk brew that became the recipe for two beloved 70′s groups – Funkadelic and Parliament – both of which he helmed, and populated with musicians who would themselves become some of the brightest stars in the 70′s and 80′s, including Maceo Parker and Bootsy Collins. Clinton’s own star blazed ever more brightly through the 80′s, when hits such as ‘Loopzilla’ and ‘Atomic Dog’ shook dance floors in all quadrants of the known universe. An entire generation of rappers grew up with his music, and in turn, made his beats and grooves the DNA of Hip Hop. But bad business deals hounded Clinton from the outset, and with finances further diminished by a proclivity for mind altering chemicals, his earthly empire crumbled, leaving him all but destitute today. On this exclusive episode of ‘Unsung,’ George Clinton reveals the story of his long strange ride.
From TVOneOnline.com – The O’Jays are an amazing case study in survival, both in the music business and in life. Formed in 1958 in Cleveland, Ohio, as the Triumphs, and later re-naming themselves after popular local disc jockey Eddie O’Jay, the group has endured in one form or another for five decades, always anchored by the instantly recognizable voices of Eddie Levert and Walter Williams. Following several minor hits in the 1960s (such as ‘Lipstick Traces’) the group struck gold in the 1970s in association with the great Philadelphia Soul record label producers Gamble&Huff, with songs that mixed romantic and social messages, such as ‘Backstabbers,’ ‘For the Love of Money’ and of course, “Love Train.” . But along with their artistic achievements, the individual members of the O’Jays have struggled with challenges that included Williams’ quiet, decades-long battle with multiple sclerosis, and the untimely deaths of Eddie Levert’s sons, Sean and Gerald. Still putting on a show after a half century of performing together, the O’Jays tell the inside story of their journey on ‘Unsung.’
One of the great hit-makers of the 1980s and ‘90s, Miki Howard is a torch singer extraordinaire with a jazzy touch. Born and raised in a musical family – both parents were celebrated gospel singers– she burst onto the R&B scene with ‘Come Share My Love’ in 1986, a hit that climbed to number five on the charts. Miki went on to score a half dozen Top Five hits, including ‘Ain¹t Nuthin’ in the World’, ‘Love Under New Management,’ and ‘Ain’t Nobody Like You’, while recording old school standards as well. A romantic duet with Gerald Levert, titled ‘That’s What Love Is’ led to an intimate relationship that mirrored that song’s dizzying passions. Miki’s jazzy chops and smoldering good looks also won her a coveted role as Billie Holiday in Spike Lee’s film ‘Malcolm X’, after which she recorded a tribute album to Lady Day. (Another album of jazz standards, ‘Three Wishes’ was nominated for a Grammy in 2001). But after that her career plummeted, as Miki¹s personal life mirrored the emotional dramas of her songs– hot romances and bad relationships, and subsequent struggles to make ends meet as a single mom with three kids. Now she’s back on the scene, with a voice as strong as ever, and singing with a style that reflects her hard – won experience. “Unsung” celebrates the artistry, the trials and the triumphs of an effervescent diva with a golden touch.
From TVOneOnline.com – While his star-shaped sunglasses and outrageous outfits helped him stand-out, it was his pioneering bass lines that helped to define the sounds of both James Brown and George Clinton. Thanks to his older brother Catfish Collins, Bootsy learned to play bass while growing up in the ghetto. His love of music led him to King Records, where he forged a relationship with his ‘second father,’ James Brown. Brown’s tough love and brilliant leadership helped prepare the natural musician when he joined forces with George Clinton in Parliament/Funkadelic. Bootsy later took his larger than life persona and led the group Bootsy’s Rubber Band. Told in his own words, Bootsy candidly shares the personal problems which led him to withdraw from the scene at the height of his career and what ultimately brought him back.
The reign of Girl Power in the realm of funk began, and some say ended, with the all-female group of feminist funksters known as Klymaxx. The group of six succeeded in breaking down the boys only world of R&B in the mid ‘80s with hits like Meeting in the Ladies Room and The Men All Pause. The ladies’ success also helped launch the careers of producing superstars Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. After success with pop ballad I Miss You, it seemed these girls couldn’t be touched but the group split when the strains of success began to take its toll. From there climb to success to their fall from grace, the ladies of Klymaxx share their explosive story.
