Powerhouse Radio Newsletter
Return to the list of newslettersMusicians from New Orleans
September 7, 2005
This issue includes...
1) Musicians from New Orleans
2) Popstrology: The Art and Science of Reading the Pop Stars
3) Back to the Future: a lyric commentary
4) What History Can Do To Bad Boys: a cultural commentary
5) Music News: Fats Domino Rescued in New Orleans
6) Concert Dates: Who's on Tour?
7) Terry Johnson (formerly of The Flamingos) Talks Music
8) Your Feedback via email to King at Powerhouse Radio
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1) Musicians from New Orleans
Here's a short list of 15 musicians/groups from New Orleans who are known primarily for their success in the R&B genre:
2) Dr. John
3) Fats Domino
4) Lee Dorsey
5) Ernie K-Doe
6) King Oliver
7) Earl King
8) Jean Knight
9) Neville Brothers
10) Aaron Neville
11) Professor Longhair
(Roy Byrd)
12) Shirley & Lee
13) Huey "Piano" Smith
14) Willie Tee
15) Larry Williams
To learn more about these artists, visit allmusic.com
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More music news at Powerhouseradio.com
We've added more music news to PowerhouseRadio.com, right on the home page. You'll find about 9 daily articles on the page in the section:
B-Side Vibes and Headline Xtras...
That's in addition to the 5 articles inside of the "Music News" link at the top of the page.
Use our Google search and make us your home page.
By the way, if you have the Powerhouse Radio Toolbar, you get 10 "Music News" articles in that link, instead of only 5.
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Want to hear and vote on some artists you may not have heard? Go To:
2021 Update: link and photo sunset.
2) Popstrology: The Art and Science of Reading the Pop Stars
According to Ian Van Tuyl and Owen Grover, Popstrology is "a method for gaining self-knowledge by examining the alignment of the pop music charts on the date of your birth."
Huh?
Tuyl and Grover have written an entertaining book that speculates...
* A connection between the dominant pop star(s) on the day you were born, and the power of the pop stars to shape our mortal lives.
* A connection between which pop star and which song ruled the charts at the very moment you were born, and that you can infer insights into your personality, your career potential, and your personal relationships.
Being curious and skeptical, I picked up this 380 page book, and it's a riot!
Well written, often tongue and cheek, the text at times is very funny...
"In the thirty-three and a third years of the popstrological era, (1956 - 1989), precisely 450 unique stars achieved the pinnacle of pop music success by earning a #1 record."
"Most did it only once, and many held their position just one short week, but each and every one of them is worthy of close attention, for each of them put its distinctive stamp on tens of thousands of newborn boys and girls at least."
The authors have come up with a 5-step process to discover your individual popstrology profile.
Step 1: Look up and learn about your birth year. They are profiled in the book. An example. If you were born in 1970, that's your birth year.
Step 2: Determine your birthstar and birthsongs. For 1970, your birthstar (a person or group) is The Jackson 5.
Birthsongs:
January 25 - January 31 --- "I Want You Back" (#1 song)
April 19 - May 2 --- "ABC"
June 21 - July 4 --- "The Love You Save"
October 11 - November 14 --- "I'll Be There"
Still with me, good. Now,
Step 3: Look up and learn about your birthstar. They are all profiled in the book. Here's a portion of the Popstrology 4-1-1 on the birthstar "The Jackson 5" from the authors:
"Picture yourself in the kitchen of the Jackson house in Gary, Indiana, in early 1967. Jermaine is working on his hair upstairs while his dad barks at Jackie and Tito to stop arm-wrestling and start loading the car for tonight's gig over in Hammond.
Rebbie and La Toya are watching TV with little Randy while Marlon sits at the table, rearranging his vegetables and humming to himself quietly. Eight-year-old Michael is ignoring his dinner completely, but his mother lets it go since he's also keeping baby Janet amused by showing her his latest dance moves..."
Ok, so Tuyl and Grover paint a picture of the J5 Household as a "simmering crucible of dysfunction." They continue...
"Popstrologists will direct those born under the Jackson 5's influence to harken back to this time in their search for insight into their own crazy lives."
Step 4: Determine the popstrological constellations with which your Birthstar is aligned. All The constellations are defined and listed in the book.
The author associates the J5 with these constellations:
* Gene Pool
* Shaking Booty
* Hot Hairdo
* Launching Pad
* Underage
* Royal Court
Step 5: Look up and read about your ruling constellation: Here are the first two constellations from our J5 example described by Tuyl and Grover...
Gene Pool
"Gene pools are much more likely to exhibit behavior in friendships and romantic relationships that are directly traceable to the twisted influence of the families that raised them."
Shaking Booty
"The value of being able to make their partners feel good is not to be underestimated."
The Other Birthstars under the Shaking Booty constellation are:
MFSB
George McCrae
Carl Douglas
The Ohio Players
Average White Band (AWB)
Earth Wind & Fire
KC & The Sunshine Band
The Miracles
The Sylvers
Wild Cherry
Rose Royce
The book is laced with starcharts. Each circular starchart is divided into five similar sections with dominant tendencies for each section highlighted. The sections are:
* Massive vs. Minor
* Lasting vs. Forgotten
* Fresh vs. Familiar
* Sexy vs. Not Sexy
* Whitebread vs. Soul
Here's an excerpt from the explanation about Whitebread vs. Soul...
"Is your birthstar as popstrologically soulful as Sam Cooke or Aretha Franklin? If so, your connection and commitment to deep emotional truths is probably much greater than average."
"If, on the other hand, your Birthstar is as popstrologically whitebread as John Denver or Anne Murray, your natural tendency is to avoid or repress those truths in the interest of keeping things light."
You'll have a ton of fun doing your own Popstrology profile. Birth years 1956 (The first year of Elvis Presley) to 1989 (The year of Paula Abdul) are included.
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Review of Popstrology written by King for the Powerhouse Radio Newsletter.
Popstrology authors: Ian Van Tuyl and Owen Grover
3) Back to the Future
A lyric commentary By Cleo Rowe
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A communicator is defined in Webster's Dictionary, as one who exchanges information or opinions. With that said, it's certainly great to be one. What also is wonderful, is to be given a platform to share my thoughts. That to me is the icing on the cake. How sweet it is.
When I was growing up, I was exposed to music that contained themes and messages. The songs were positive and motivating, designed to uplift one's spirits and one's self esteem. Songs like:
* Keep Your Head To The Sky
* Shinning Star
* Keep On Pushing
* You Can Make It If You Try
* Keep On Trucking
and so many other's on that level. And guess what? You could boogie to them too. Now, I know the times have changed, and so too has the music. But what happened to the positive lyrics that our young people today are not getting a chance to hear like we did?
Don't misunderstand me, “Bust A Move” or “Get Jiggy With It,” were and still are dance grooves that make you want to get up and get it on...and me as a person in the music business, didn't think that “Rapper's Delight” would stand the test of time... and make such an impact, but it did.
I like all that too. But give me, “I'm Every Woman,” or “Ain't No Stopping Us Now” everytime, because those lyrics had substance as well as a beat.
Is it possible to bring it back to the future? How about the Usher's and the Nelley’s and Beyonce's come up with some of that positive motivating mind injections that our young people today need to hear desperately.
The feeling of hope, that they too can succeed in a world that is so full of confusion. I believe it can work, and sell too. Now that's what I'm talking about!
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Written by Cleo Rowe for the Powerhouse Radio Newsletter. Cleo has worked as an on air radio personality for WBLS, WPLJ, and several other radio stations in New York City.
She's the female voice you hear on many of our short Powerhouse Radio promos.
Thaddeus Russell has another perspective on this issue, read on...
4) What History Can Do To Bad Boys
A cultural commentary By Thaddeus Russell
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A leading African American newspaper published a series of articles assailing black musicians for holding back the race. The music "is killing some people," the paper claimed. "Some are going insane; others are losing their religion."
The artists under attack were not rappers such as 50 Cent or Ludacris but Fats Waller, Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington. "The young girls and boys who constantly take jazz every day and night are absolutely becoming bad, and some criminals," wrote New York's Amsterdam News in 1925.
There is a long but little-known history of African American leaders'denouncing black popular music as self-destructive and an impediment to integration, a history that continues in the current campaign against rap.
This is unfortunate because rap, like older forms of black popular music now considered "America's classical music," is distinctive and important because it differs from the norms of "respectable" culture.
Last month, when Lil' Kim was sentenced to prison for lying to a grand jury about a shooting, her raps were also indicted as an obstacle to black progress.
"Her music is laced with lyrics that glorify promiscuous sex and gratuitous violence," wrote DeWayne Wickham, a nationally syndicated columnist and former president of the National Association of Black Journalists. "She is a Pied Piper of the worst kind - a diva of smut."
The criticisms of Lil' Kim were launched amid an antirap movement that began in March, soon after shots were fired by the rival entourages of 50 Cent and the Game outside a New York radio station.
Al Sharpton demanded that the Federal Communications Commission ban violent rappers from radio and television, and he launched a boycott against Universal Music Group, which he accused of "peddling racist and misogynistic black stereotypes" through rap music.
Sharpton expressed special concern about white perceptions of African Americans. Rappers and their corporate supporters "make it easy for black culture to be dismissed by the majority," he said, and the large white fan base "has learned through rap images to identify black male culture with a culture of violence."
Jesse Jackson's Rainbow/PUSH Coalition signed on to the boycott, as did Princeton Professor Cornel West, who issued a statement claiming that music companies and rappers made it easy for whites to "view black bodies and black souls as less moral, oversexed and less intelligent."
These critics argue that the "damaging" images of African Americans in rap discourage whites from opening the door to full citizenship.
Yet a consideration of the troubled relationship between civil rights leaders and black popular music in the past might give pause to the opponents of contemporary rap, and, for that matter, to proponents of integration.
In fact, blues, jazz, rock-and-roll and rhythm-and-blues were all denounced by advocates for racial integration, and for the same reasons rap is now under attack.
In the 1920s, several civil rights leaders were so concerned about the sexual and violent content of popular blues and jazz songs that they established a record company to "undertake the job of elevating the musical taste of the race."
Promoted by W.E.B. DuBois and A. Philip Randolph, two of the most important civil rights leaders of the 20th century, Black Swan Records pledged to distribute "the Better Class of Records by Colored Artists," which meant recordings of "respectable" European classical music.
Civil rights leaders similarly opposed the next creations of African American musicians: rock-and-roll and rhythm-and-blues. In the 1950s, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. told African Americans to shun the new music, which, he said, "plunges men's minds into degrading and immoral depths."
Likewise, Randolph's Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters, which produced a great portion of the civil rights leadership, condemned rock and R&B for their overt sexuality and their "degrading portrayal of Negro womanhood."
This history suggests that the cause of integration has always been at odds with what now is widely hailed as America's most important contribution to world culture.
Many scholars argue that the creators of jazz, blues, rock, and R&B were great because of their willingness and ability to work outside European cultural forms and to speak about elements of the human condition that white artists would not, such as sex and violence.
Those who attack the latest form of black popular music for the sake of racial unity and "respectability" might stop to consider which side, in the history that will be written of this time, they wish to be on.
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Written by Thaddeus Russell, and reprinted with his permission. Dr. Russell is a professor of history and American studies at Barnard College. This commentary first appeared in the Los Angeles Times.
To learn more about many of the historic individuals mentioned by Dr. Russell, visit:
https://BlackHistoryPeople.com
5) Music News: Fats Domino Rescued in New Orleans
Fats Domino Rescued in New Orleans
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After being rescued by boat from the floodwaters of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, R&B and rock and roll legend Fats Domino spent two days with Louisiana State University's quarterback JaMarcus Russell.
Domino was first brought to the Superdome in New Orleans, then traveled by bus to an evacuee center in LSU's basketball arena.
The 77-year-old legend and his family are friends with the family of Russell's girlfriend.
Kanye West Speaks out on NBC's Hurricane Katrina Telethon
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Going with his conscience rather than the teleprompter, hip hop artist Kanye West skipped remarks that were prepared for him, and blasted President Bush during the West segment on the NBC networks telethon for Hurricane Katrina survivors.
The network quickly issued a statement distancing themselves from West's remarks.
Kanye stated that America was set up "to help the poor, the black people, the less well-off as slow as possible. George Bush doesn't care about black people. They've given them permission to go down and shoot us."
NBC added after the broadcast: "It would be unfortunate if the efforts of the artists who participated in this effort and the generosity of millions of Americans who are helping those in need are overshadowed by one person's opinion."
Macy Gray Helps Hurricane Survivors at the Houston Astrodome
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Ohio native Macy Gray was recently in Houston, Texas, not for a concert, but to assist Hurricane Katrina evacuees, victims, and survivors at the world famous Astrodome.
Gray helped distribute clothing and supplies.
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Editors note: Thank you Macy, and thank you celebrity musicians, actors, television personalities, and just ordinary folk who have been providing a helping hand.
By the way, some in the media are referring to the hurricane survivors as refugees. A refugee is someone who has fled another country to avoid invasion, persecution, or political oppression.
The folks in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and other areas affected by the storm devastation are hurricane survivors, evacuees, or victims. They are not refugees.
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Shelter from the Storm: A Concert for the Gulf Coast
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ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, The WB, and UPN will simulcast a primetime fund raiser for those affected by Hurricane Katrina Friday, September 9th, 2005, 8pm Eastern, 7pm Central.
The event will be live in Los Angeles, and New York City, and tape delayed in the Mountain and Pacific time zones.
Celebrities from music, film, and television will participate.
R&B Charlie Brown Christmas
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Chaka Khan, Brian McKnight, Toni Braxton, Vanessa Williams, Dave Koz, and others will pool their talents to contribute to "A Charlie Brown Christmas" tribute album, featuring traditional and contemporary Christmas songs.
The CD will feature R&B, jazz, & soul treatments of newly recorded versions of the cartoon classic in honor of the holiday special's 40th anniversary. It's due out October 4, 2005.
Ray Charles
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Rhino Records has compiled a new eight-disc box set containing the entire Atlantic catalog of 21-time Grammy winner Ray Charles.
There's nine hours of music, 165 tracks, including 27 unreleased rare cuts. Street release date is September 20, 2005.
Quincy Jones & 50 Cent
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Quincy Jones is scoring the music for 50 Cent's new movie: "Get Rich or Die Tryin'." The movie drops in theaters November 11, 2005.
6) Concert Dates: Who's on Tour?
Legends of Hip Hop:
Coolio, Tone Loc, Naughty by Nature, Digital Underground
Friday, September 9, 2005
Zoo Amphitheatre
Oklahoma City, OK
5:00pm
Destiny's Child
Saturday, September 10, 2005
GM Place
Vancouver, BC, Canada
7:00pm
Angie Stone
Friday, September 16, 2005
Cleveland Music Hall
Cleveland, OH
George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic
Thursday, September 29, 2005
Electric Factory
Philadelphia, PA
8:00pm
Carlos Santana
Sunday, October 9, 2005
Journal Pavilion
Albuquerque, NM
7:00pm
50 Cent
Sunday, October 16, 2005
Wembley Arena Pavilion
London, England, UK
War
Tuesday, November 8, 2005
Birchmere
Alexandria, VA
7:30pm
James Brown
Tuesday, November 15, 2005
4th & B
San Diego, CA
7:30pm
7) Terry Johnson (formerly of The Flamingos) Talks Music
Terry Johnson, formerly of the Flamingos, has a brand new release, "Let's Be Lovers," also introducing Jeff Calloway and Tee on the track.
The song is on Terry's new label Hot Fun Records out of Miami, Florida.
From The Whispers, to The Flamingos, to The Starglows, to Motown Records, and continuing today, Terry has had great success, an influential sound, and an important legacy.
You may have seen him on the PBS special "Rock and Roll at 50." He'll be featured on a new PBS special, "Doo-Wop Lost and Found," filmed in Atlantic City, New Jersey, scheduled to air in November, 2005.
Let's find out more about Terry Johnson...
King - "Terry, you started in the music business at 16, so you beat me by one year, as I started as a college radio announcer at 17. What was it like to record at 16?"
Terry - "Yes, I was pretty blessed at the age of 16. I had a group I put together, we were called The Whispers. They were from Baltimore, Maryland. We went to Philadelphia Pennsylvania to Gotham Records to record four songs."
"Two songs I wrote myself and sang lead on. The first one is "Full Heart." I sang that in my first tenor voice, the high voice. The second song was, "Are You Sorry," a beautiful love song, I sang that in my natural voice, my baritone voice that I'm talking in right now."
"I switched between first tenor and baritone, a matter of fact that's how the confusion started with The Flamingos, because I was singing all of the duets with Paul Wilson, I was singing the low part, the baritone, and then I would go into first tenor to do the repeats...(Terry sings to demonstrate).
See what I mean...(switching between the two parts).
King - "You're from Baltimore. A lot of groups have come out of Baltimore. The Orioles, and some newer groups like Pockets. Who inspired you to get into music?"
Terry - "Yes Baltimore, Maryland had many great superstars, I mean the groups were very plentiful. I can remember the Cardinals, I can remember Johnny Mason, and the Clovers."
"Also, down the street from me...I was blessed, I mean, I had Earl Hurley of The Swallows, I had Sonny Til of The Orioles."
"I was very inspired by Sonny Til. He was the main one. And up the street was Junior Bailey of The Cadillacs. I mean man, there were so many great superstars from Baltimore, but especially on my street, 1300 block of whatcoat Street."
King - "You played guitar on all your records and on all The Flamingos albums. Who inspired you to play guitar?"
Terry - "I was inspired for guitar when I first heard Les Paul, and Mary Ford. Little did I realize that he was using about three or four different tracks that he was playing his solos on."
"I said it's impossible for someone to be playing that fast. Once I got the shape, then I turned to some of my other mentors."
"Music that I love was Kenny Burrell, jazz, Johnny Smith, the way he played the melody and chord formation."
"I turned to Manny Johnson. Manny Johnson was the guitarist with The Swallows, Earl Hurley also. I turned to Bunty Rogers, he was an excellent teacher. He showed me a lot of the Johnny Smith stuff. And ah, that's how I really got my soul."
"Guitar is my soul. Guitar speaks what I feel inside. So when you hear me strumming those six strings man, you're touching my very soul. You're hearing it."
King - "You've had your own group of Flamingos since 1961, and you were involved with Motown."
Terry - "From 1964 - 1974, I was at Motown Records as an artist, writer, arranger, and producer. I produced a lot of songs with my dear friend, who brought me to Motown, Smokey Robinson. We had a great team."
"We recorded on The Supremes, The Four Tops, The Temptations, The Miracles, Jimmy Ruffin, David Ruffin, Martha and The Vandellas, Edwin Starr...I can't even name all of them, I mean because there was such a vast amount of artists at Motown, I really enjoyed what I did there."
King - "How does it feel to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame?"
Terry - "It's the pinnacle of what we entertainers strive for, and it's a great honor."
King - "Thanks very much for your time Terry. Any closing thoughts for your fans?"
Terry - "Thanks for the ride, and thanks for your support. I love you, and I hope you love my new music. Thank you."
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You can hear "Let's Be Lover's" by Terry Johnson with Jeff Calloway and Tee on Powerhouse Radio.
Visit Terry's site:
http://theflamingos.com
8) Your Feedback via email to King at Powerhouse Radio
Deborah wrote (June 2005):
"I've been trying to figure out the title of a Gladys Knight and the Pips or a Gladys Knight song for years. I don't know the title, just some of the words. They are as follows:"
"Promises at night are so easily made that they can disappear at the light of day, so I ask you over and over.... "Is there a place in your heart for me."
Immediately after publishing the June 2005 Newsletter, we received this note from SB...
"I'm sure lot's of folks know the answer to this, but, The Gladys Knight song Deborah refers to is called "Is There A Place in Your Heart?" It was the "B" side of one of her Motown singles."
Great! Thanks SB.
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From Thomas:
"Your Station, Web Site, and News Letter is the greatest thing on the internet. Keep up the great work. Love it! Peace and God Bless!"
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Sonia Says: "Hi, I just started listening to your station and I love it. The music is very soothing as I go about my day at work and it plays music I haven't heard in years."
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Tamika checks in: "I am a huge fan. I was wondering if you could help me. I'm looking for a song that the radios play but I can't find that particular version. I'm looking for "Can You Stand The Rain" by New Edition. There's a version called "Under the lamppost - quiet storm mix."
King: I suggested to Tamika that she check out half.com to find the track. The good news is that she did find it at half.com right away (after previously searching for two years!).
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Don't be left out, because we're listening. Leave your comments, feedback, or music requests here:
https://powerhouseradio.com/contact.html
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Copyright 2005 by Powerhouse Radio
All rights reserved
Powerhouse Radio
https://powerhouseradio.com
More 2005 Powerhouse Radio Newsletters:
| December - | Songs of Christmas |
| November - | Stevie Wonder Power |
| June - | Live 8 Around The World |
| January - | How to Sell Old Records |
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