Henry Fambrough, the last surviving original member of the R&b group the Spinners and an inductee into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, died at age 85.
Fambrough died peacefully of natural causes Wednesday at his Virginia home following a month in hospice care, the Spinners’ spokeswoman Tanisha Jackson told the Detroit Free-Press. His death comes just over two months after Fambrough was on hand for the Spinners’ Rock Hall induction ceremony in November.
“He got to experience those accolades. He was able to bask in the accomplishment, and...
Fambrough died peacefully of natural causes Wednesday at his Virginia home following a month in hospice care, the Spinners’ spokeswoman Tanisha Jackson told the Detroit Free-Press. His death comes just over two months after Fambrough was on hand for the Spinners’ Rock Hall induction ceremony in November.
“He got to experience those accolades. He was able to bask in the accomplishment, and...
- 2/8/2024
- by Daniel Kreps
- Rollingstone.com
Filmmaker Sam Pollard, one of the most prolific and important forces in contemporary documentary, will be honored by Black Public Media at its upcoming PitchBlack Awards in New York.
Pollard — who directed or co-directed four films and docuseries this year alone, including The League and Bill Russell: Legend — will receive the Bpm Trailblazer Award in a ceremony on April 25. The event is set to take place at the Stanley H. Kantor Penthouse of Manhattan’s Lincoln Center, capping the latest edition of Bpm’s PitchBLACK Forum, described as “the largest pitch competition of its kind in the United States for independent filmmakers and creative technologists who create Black content.”
“A multiple Emmy- and Peabody Award-winning producer-director-editor, Pollard is known for his work on a plethora of important works including: Eyes On The Prize, Maynard, MLK/FBI, Lowndes County and the Road to Black Power, and Mr. Soul!,” a release noted.
Pollard — who directed or co-directed four films and docuseries this year alone, including The League and Bill Russell: Legend — will receive the Bpm Trailblazer Award in a ceremony on April 25. The event is set to take place at the Stanley H. Kantor Penthouse of Manhattan’s Lincoln Center, capping the latest edition of Bpm’s PitchBLACK Forum, described as “the largest pitch competition of its kind in the United States for independent filmmakers and creative technologists who create Black content.”
“A multiple Emmy- and Peabody Award-winning producer-director-editor, Pollard is known for his work on a plethora of important works including: Eyes On The Prize, Maynard, MLK/FBI, Lowndes County and the Road to Black Power, and Mr. Soul!,” a release noted.
- 12/23/2023
- by Matthew Carey
- Deadline Film + TV
The Spinners were nominated to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame three times before finally getting the nod on Wednesday morning. The legendary R&b group will become the 21st Detroit artist inducted into the rock hall since it was established in 1983. The Spinners will join Kate Bush, Sheryl Crow, Missy Elliott, George Michael, Willie Nelson, and Rage Against the Machine as the class of 2023 in the Performer category.
“This has been a lifelong dream, I never imagined back in Ferndale, when we all started in 1954, that we’d...
“This has been a lifelong dream, I never imagined back in Ferndale, when we all started in 1954, that we’d...
- 5/4/2023
- by Charisma Madarang
- Rollingstone.com
Mick Fleetwood Enlists Sheryl Crow, Bonnie Raitt to Honor ‘Songbird’ Christine McVie at 2023 Grammys
Bonnie Raitt, Sheryl Crow, and Mick Fleetwood joined forces to pay tribute to Christine McVie during the In Memoriam segment of the 2023 Grammy Awards.
The performance began with Kacey Musgraves, who sang a shattering cover of Loretta Lynn’s “Coal Miner’s Daughter” (Lynn died in October at 90). Quavo then took the stage, joined by Maverick City Music, to honor his nephew Takeoff, who died in November at the age of 28 after being shot at a bowling alley in Houston, Texas.
And to bring the In Memoriam segment to a close,...
The performance began with Kacey Musgraves, who sang a shattering cover of Loretta Lynn’s “Coal Miner’s Daughter” (Lynn died in October at 90). Quavo then took the stage, joined by Maverick City Music, to honor his nephew Takeoff, who died in November at the age of 28 after being shot at a bowling alley in Houston, Texas.
And to bring the In Memoriam segment to a close,...
- 2/6/2023
- by Larisha Paul and Angie Martoccio
- Rollingstone.com
Bob Penny — an Alabama college professor turned actor with a nearly 30-year career in Hollywood — died on Christmas Day in Huntsville, Alabama. He was 87.
Penny spent three decades as an English professor, teaching Poetry and Prose at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. During his career as a professor, Penny was an award-winning educator and acclaimed poet in his own right.
He retired from academia in 1990, after 32 years in the classroom, and turned toward his passion for performing. Penny began getting work in small bit parts in some beloved classics.
Throughout his Hollywood career, Penny appeared in over 30 films and TV shows. His movie credits include “Sweet Home Alabama”, “Forrest Gump”, “Mississippi Burning”, “My Cousin Vinny” and “The Legend of Bagger Vance”, among others.
As for TV projects, Penny appeared on shows such as “Higher Education”, “Drop Dead Diva”, “Devious Maids” and the TV adaptation of “In the Heat of the Night...
Penny spent three decades as an English professor, teaching Poetry and Prose at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. During his career as a professor, Penny was an award-winning educator and acclaimed poet in his own right.
He retired from academia in 1990, after 32 years in the classroom, and turned toward his passion for performing. Penny began getting work in small bit parts in some beloved classics.
Throughout his Hollywood career, Penny appeared in over 30 films and TV shows. His movie credits include “Sweet Home Alabama”, “Forrest Gump”, “Mississippi Burning”, “My Cousin Vinny” and “The Legend of Bagger Vance”, among others.
As for TV projects, Penny appeared on shows such as “Higher Education”, “Drop Dead Diva”, “Devious Maids” and the TV adaptation of “In the Heat of the Night...
- 12/30/2022
- by Becca Longmire
- ET Canada
Stephen Greif — the British actor known for his work on some iconic British TV shows including “Blake’s 7”, “Citizen Smith” and, most recently, Netflix’s “The Crown” — has died. He was 78.
News of Greif’s death was first shared by his agency, Michelle Braidman Associates, who took to social media to share a tribute to the veteran actor.
“With great sadness we announce the death of our wonderful client Stephen Greif,” the agency shared. “His extensive career included numerous roles on screen and stage, including at the National Theatre, RSC and in the West End.”
“We will miss him dearly and our thoughts are with his family and friends,” the statement added.
With great sadness we announce the death of our wonderful client Stephen Greif.
His extensive career included numerous roles on screen and stage, including at the National Theatre, RSC and in the West End.
We will miss him...
News of Greif’s death was first shared by his agency, Michelle Braidman Associates, who took to social media to share a tribute to the veteran actor.
“With great sadness we announce the death of our wonderful client Stephen Greif,” the agency shared. “His extensive career included numerous roles on screen and stage, including at the National Theatre, RSC and in the West End.”
“We will miss him dearly and our thoughts are with his family and friends,” the statement added.
With great sadness we announce the death of our wonderful client Stephen Greif.
His extensive career included numerous roles on screen and stage, including at the National Theatre, RSC and in the West End.
We will miss him...
- 12/27/2022
- by Becca Longmire
- ET Canada
UFC fighter, Stephan Bonnar has died. He was 45. The news of the athlete’s death was shared by the organization on Christmas Eve. According to the announcement, Bonnar died from presumed heart complications.
“The UFC family is saddened by the tragic passing of UFC Hall of Famer Stephan Bonnar Thursday from presumed heart complications while at work. He was 45,” Dana White, president of the organization announced via the site.
“Stephan Bonnar was one of the most important fighters to ever compete in the Octagon,” White’s statement continued. “His fight with Forrest Griffin changed the sport forever, and he will never be forgotten. The fans loved him, related to him and he always gave them his best. He will be missed.”
No other details about his death have been shared.
Bonnar made his debut in 2005 on the Ultimate Fighter where he made a name for himself and the sport during...
“The UFC family is saddened by the tragic passing of UFC Hall of Famer Stephan Bonnar Thursday from presumed heart complications while at work. He was 45,” Dana White, president of the organization announced via the site.
“Stephan Bonnar was one of the most important fighters to ever compete in the Octagon,” White’s statement continued. “His fight with Forrest Griffin changed the sport forever, and he will never be forgotten. The fans loved him, related to him and he always gave them his best. He will be missed.”
No other details about his death have been shared.
Bonnar made his debut in 2005 on the Ultimate Fighter where he made a name for himself and the sport during...
- 12/26/2022
- by Becca Longmire
- ET Canada
On Dec. 22, pop lost one of its true influencers when Thom Bell died at the age of 79. As a producer, songwriter, and/or arranger, Bell was at the forefront of the Philadelphia Sound, the gorgeous R&b that dominated much of the pre-disco Seventies. Along with his peers Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff, Bell injected a level of elegance and sophistication into R&b and pop as heard on records he made with the Spinners (“I’ll Be Around,” “Could It Be I’m Falling in Love,” “Mighty Love,” “One...
- 12/23/2022
- by David Browne
- Rollingstone.com
Thom Bell, who helped to create the soul songs style that became known in the 1960s and 1970s as “The Sound of Philadelphia,” died Thursday in Bellingham, Washington. He was 79 and no cause of death was given.
His lawyer, Michael Silver, confirmed the death.
Bell, along with fellow producers and songwriters Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff, were the forces behind the lush orchestrations that characterized The Sound of Philadelphia. Bell, Gamble, and Huff were known as “The Mighty Three,” working out of a Broad Street building and creating a song factory that dominated the era’s charts and Top 40.
Dyanna Williams, a music journalist and broadcast personality, announced Bell’s death on her social media accounts Thursday afternoon.
“Beloved songwriter arranger, producer Thomas aka Randolph Bell aka Thom Bell, co-architect of The Sound of Philadelphia with Gamble & Huff. Soundtrack to our lives music The Delfonics The Stylistics The Spinners Deniece Williams...
His lawyer, Michael Silver, confirmed the death.
Bell, along with fellow producers and songwriters Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff, were the forces behind the lush orchestrations that characterized The Sound of Philadelphia. Bell, Gamble, and Huff were known as “The Mighty Three,” working out of a Broad Street building and creating a song factory that dominated the era’s charts and Top 40.
Dyanna Williams, a music journalist and broadcast personality, announced Bell’s death on her social media accounts Thursday afternoon.
“Beloved songwriter arranger, producer Thomas aka Randolph Bell aka Thom Bell, co-architect of The Sound of Philadelphia with Gamble & Huff. Soundtrack to our lives music The Delfonics The Stylistics The Spinners Deniece Williams...
- 12/23/2022
- by Bruce Haring
- Deadline Film + TV
Producer Thom Bell, who co-created “The Sound of Philadelphia” alongside Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff as the Mighty Three, has died at age 79. His cause of death was not immediately made known.
“Tommy and I have been best friends for over 60 years,” said Gamble in a press statement. “When we first met, we decided to start writing songs together and form a singing duo ‘Kenny and Tommy’ and then our band The Romeos… He was a great talent and my dear friend. Rest in peace buddy.”
“Thom Bell was my favorite musician,...
“Tommy and I have been best friends for over 60 years,” said Gamble in a press statement. “When we first met, we decided to start writing songs together and form a singing duo ‘Kenny and Tommy’ and then our band The Romeos… He was a great talent and my dear friend. Rest in peace buddy.”
“Thom Bell was my favorite musician,...
- 12/22/2022
- by Tomás Mier
- Rollingstone.com
The sad news came down today today that Delfonics frontman William “Poogie” Hart died from complications during a surgery. He was 77.
“His music touched millions, continues to touch millions,” his son Hadi told Rolling Stone. “His body might not be here, but his music will live forever. He was a great man, he loved his family, he loved God, and he just loved people. Great heart, great spirit. That was my dad.”
Hart fronted the Delfonics from their formation in the mid-Sixties all the way through their most recent tours.
“His music touched millions, continues to touch millions,” his son Hadi told Rolling Stone. “His body might not be here, but his music will live forever. He was a great man, he loved his family, he loved God, and he just loved people. Great heart, great spirit. That was my dad.”
Hart fronted the Delfonics from their formation in the mid-Sixties all the way through their most recent tours.
- 7/15/2022
- by Andy Greene
- Rollingstone.com
William “Poogie” Hart, the lead singer and songwriter for the celebrated Philadelphia soul outfit the Delfonics, has died. He was 77.
Hart’s son, Hadi, confirmed his death to Rolling Stone, saying the singer died from complications during surgery on Thursday, July 14. “His music touched millions, continues to touch millions,” Hadi said. “His body might not be here, but his music will live forever. He was a great man, he loved his family, he loved God, and he just loved people. Great heart, great spirit. That was my dad.”
Hart and...
Hart’s son, Hadi, confirmed his death to Rolling Stone, saying the singer died from complications during surgery on Thursday, July 14. “His music touched millions, continues to touch millions,” Hadi said. “His body might not be here, but his music will live forever. He was a great man, he loved his family, he loved God, and he just loved people. Great heart, great spirit. That was my dad.”
Hart and...
- 7/15/2022
- by Jon Blistein
- Rollingstone.com
Click here to read the full article.
William “Poogie” Hart, lead singer of Philly soul greats The Delfonics, has died. Hart’s son Hadi tells TMZ that the singer-songwriter was taken to Temple University Hospital in Philadelphia due to breathing difficulties, and that he passed on Thursday (July 14) due to complications stemming from surgery. He was 77.
The Delfonics were one of the leading lights of Philadelphia’s surging soul scene of the late ’60s and early ’70s, scoring classic hits like the Billboard Hot 100 top 10 smashes “La – La – Means I Love You” (No. 5, 1968) and “Didn’t I (Blow Your Mind This Time)” (No. 10, 1970). Working with legendary local writer-producer Thom Bell, the group’s lush, dreamy harmonies matched Bell’s symphonic mini-soundscapes to create a smoother, more blissed-out soul sound than usually heard in the poppier, snappier hits from the Motown assembly line in Detroit, or the grittier, funkier singles emerging from Stax/Volt in Memphis.
William “Poogie” Hart, lead singer of Philly soul greats The Delfonics, has died. Hart’s son Hadi tells TMZ that the singer-songwriter was taken to Temple University Hospital in Philadelphia due to breathing difficulties, and that he passed on Thursday (July 14) due to complications stemming from surgery. He was 77.
The Delfonics were one of the leading lights of Philadelphia’s surging soul scene of the late ’60s and early ’70s, scoring classic hits like the Billboard Hot 100 top 10 smashes “La – La – Means I Love You” (No. 5, 1968) and “Didn’t I (Blow Your Mind This Time)” (No. 10, 1970). Working with legendary local writer-producer Thom Bell, the group’s lush, dreamy harmonies matched Bell’s symphonic mini-soundscapes to create a smoother, more blissed-out soul sound than usually heard in the poppier, snappier hits from the Motown assembly line in Detroit, or the grittier, funkier singles emerging from Stax/Volt in Memphis.
- 7/15/2022
- by Andrew Unterberger, Billboard
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
William Hart, the lead singer of the hit-making Philly Soul group the Delfonics, died Thursday at a Philadelphia hospital following complications from surgery. He was 77.
Hart, known to friends and fans as Poogie, was a founding member and chief songwriter of the group, and had one of the purest falsettos in the Philadelphia-based soul music of the late 1960s and ’70s. His aching, heartfelt tones were demonstrated on the group’s classic hits “LA-La Means I Love You” (1968) and, perhaps most enduringly, the Grammy-winning “Didn’t I Blow Your Mind This Time”.
Hollywood & Media Deaths In 2022: Photo Gallery
Hart’s death was confirmed by his brother and co-founding bandmate Wilbert Hart, who wrote on Facebook, “R I P. My. Brother. William. Poogie. Delfonic. Hart”
See the group perform the “Didn’t I Blow Your Mind This Time” below.
The Hart brothers co-founded the group...
Hart, known to friends and fans as Poogie, was a founding member and chief songwriter of the group, and had one of the purest falsettos in the Philadelphia-based soul music of the late 1960s and ’70s. His aching, heartfelt tones were demonstrated on the group’s classic hits “LA-La Means I Love You” (1968) and, perhaps most enduringly, the Grammy-winning “Didn’t I Blow Your Mind This Time”.
Hollywood & Media Deaths In 2022: Photo Gallery
Hart’s death was confirmed by his brother and co-founding bandmate Wilbert Hart, who wrote on Facebook, “R I P. My. Brother. William. Poogie. Delfonic. Hart”
See the group perform the “Didn’t I Blow Your Mind This Time” below.
The Hart brothers co-founded the group...
- 7/15/2022
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
William “Poogie” Hart, lead singer of legendary Philadelphia soul act the Delfonics, has died, his son Hadi confirmed to TMZ. According to the report, Hart was taken to Philadelphia’s Temple University Hospital after suffering breathing difficulties and died Thursday due to complications from surgery. He was 77.
Powered by Hart’s high, sweet falsetto, the Delfonics were one of the leaders of the Philadelphia’s vibrant soul scene of the early 1970s, lighting up FM radio with songs like “Didn’t I (Blow Your Mind This Time),” “LA-La (Means I Love You),” “Ready or Not Here I Come (Can’t Hide From Love)” and many others, most of which were co-written by Hart with legendary producer Thom Bell. They were introduced to later generations by Quentin Tarantino’s 1997 film “Jackie Brown,” where their music appears several times and was even used as a plot device in the film.
The group...
Powered by Hart’s high, sweet falsetto, the Delfonics were one of the leaders of the Philadelphia’s vibrant soul scene of the early 1970s, lighting up FM radio with songs like “Didn’t I (Blow Your Mind This Time),” “LA-La (Means I Love You),” “Ready or Not Here I Come (Can’t Hide From Love)” and many others, most of which were co-written by Hart with legendary producer Thom Bell. They were introduced to later generations by Quentin Tarantino’s 1997 film “Jackie Brown,” where their music appears several times and was even used as a plot device in the film.
The group...
- 7/15/2022
- by Jem Aswad
- Variety Film + TV
Netflix has scored a slam dunk with a feature-length documentary about NBA great and Boston Celtics legend Bill Russell that will be directed by Sam Pollard.
The untitled documentary is described as the definitive bio-doc on Russell, one of American sports’ greatest champions who won 11 titles with his 13-years with the Celtics, including his last two as the first Black head coach in NBA history while still playing for the team.
Russell himself will sit for an exclusive series of interviews and provide access to his archives as part of the documentary. No release date has been set.
Larry Gordon, Ross Greenburg and Mike Richardson are producing the film for High Five Productions, LLC.
The Bill Russell documentary follows the string of successful films and series about other sports icons such as Michael Jordan in “The Last Dance” and an upcoming series about Magic Johnson, among many others.
Known for...
The untitled documentary is described as the definitive bio-doc on Russell, one of American sports’ greatest champions who won 11 titles with his 13-years with the Celtics, including his last two as the first Black head coach in NBA history while still playing for the team.
Russell himself will sit for an exclusive series of interviews and provide access to his archives as part of the documentary. No release date has been set.
Larry Gordon, Ross Greenburg and Mike Richardson are producing the film for High Five Productions, LLC.
The Bill Russell documentary follows the string of successful films and series about other sports icons such as Michael Jordan in “The Last Dance” and an upcoming series about Magic Johnson, among many others.
Known for...
- 2/17/2022
- by Brian Welk
- The Wrap
Sam Pollard, the Peabody winning director of “Mr. Soul!” and “Sammy Davis, Jr.: I Gotta Be Me,” has set another documentary feature called “The Sound of Philadelphia” about music icons Kenny Gamble, Leon Huff and Thom Bell and the musical genre they helped proliferate, Philly Soul.
“The Sound of Philadelphia” is a documentary produced by Warner Music Entertainment, Warner Chappell Music and Imagine Documentaries in partnership with Jigsaw Productions. Alex Gibney is executive producing the film.
The film will explore how Gamble, Huff and Bell — together known as “The Mighty Three” — founded the record label Philadelphia International Records and helped craft a signature sound heard in a catalog of over 3,500 songs. It includes tracks like “Love Train” by The O’Jays, “If You Don’t Know Me Now” by Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes, “Me and Mrs. Jones” by Billy Paul, “Rubberband Man” by the Spinners, “You Are Everything” by The Stylistics,...
“The Sound of Philadelphia” is a documentary produced by Warner Music Entertainment, Warner Chappell Music and Imagine Documentaries in partnership with Jigsaw Productions. Alex Gibney is executive producing the film.
The film will explore how Gamble, Huff and Bell — together known as “The Mighty Three” — founded the record label Philadelphia International Records and helped craft a signature sound heard in a catalog of over 3,500 songs. It includes tracks like “Love Train” by The O’Jays, “If You Don’t Know Me Now” by Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes, “Me and Mrs. Jones” by Billy Paul, “Rubberband Man” by the Spinners, “You Are Everything” by The Stylistics,...
- 2/2/2022
- by Brian Welk
- The Wrap
“The Sound of Philadelphia,” a documentary on the 1970s “Philly Soul” sound and its masterminds Kenny Gamble, Leon Huff and Thom Bell, is coming from Warner Music Entertainment, Warner Chappell Music, and Imagine Documentaries, in partnership with Jigsaw Productions, the companies announced on Wednesday. The lushly orchestrated but soulful sound — exemplified by songs like “Love Train” by the O’Jays, “If You Don’t Know Me Now” by Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes, “Me and Mrs. Jones” by Billy Paul, and “Tsop” by Mfsb and the Three Degrees – famously known for its use as the Soul Train theme song.dominated U.S. radio in the mid-1970s and influenced all of the R&b that has followed, perhaps most immediately with David Bowie’s “Young Americans” album, and most recently with Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak’s Soul Sonic.
The Oscar and Emmy award-winning executive producer Alex Gibney has signed on to the project,...
The Oscar and Emmy award-winning executive producer Alex Gibney has signed on to the project,...
- 2/2/2022
- by Jem Aswad
- Variety Film + TV
The story of Philly Soul as told by its three greatest hitmakers will be the focus of an upcoming documentary produced by Alex Gibney.
The Sound of Philadelphia will feature never-before-seen footage and exclusive interviews with Kenny Gamble, Leon Huff, and Thom Bell, a.k.a. “the Mighty Three” who founded Philadelphia International Records and served as songwriters and producers for artists like the O’Jays, the Spinners, the Jacksons, and many more.
Gamble, Huff, and Bell said in a statement, “After six decades, we are incredibly proud to finally...
The Sound of Philadelphia will feature never-before-seen footage and exclusive interviews with Kenny Gamble, Leon Huff, and Thom Bell, a.k.a. “the Mighty Three” who founded Philadelphia International Records and served as songwriters and producers for artists like the O’Jays, the Spinners, the Jacksons, and many more.
Gamble, Huff, and Bell said in a statement, “After six decades, we are incredibly proud to finally...
- 2/2/2022
- by Daniel Kreps
- Rollingstone.com
Exclusive: The story of Kenny Gamble, Leon Huff, and Thom Bell, who created the sound of Philly Soul, is to be chronicled in a new feature documentary.
Sam Pollard, director of Mr. Soul!, MLK/FBI and Citizen Ashe, will direct The Sound of Philadelphia with Alex Gibney, director of docs including Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief, set as exec producer.
The doc, which will tell the story of the sound of late ’60s/early ’70s soul music, comes from Warner Music Entertainment, publishing company Warner Chappell Music and Imagine Documentaries in partnership with Gibney’s Jigsaw Productions.
The Sound of Philadelphia will include exclusive interviews and never-before-seen footage featuring the songwriters and producers Gamble, Huff, and Bell – known as The Mighty Three. It will explore how the founders of the legendary record label Philadelphia International Records, crafted their sound and navigated the music business.
The trio wrote...
Sam Pollard, director of Mr. Soul!, MLK/FBI and Citizen Ashe, will direct The Sound of Philadelphia with Alex Gibney, director of docs including Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief, set as exec producer.
The doc, which will tell the story of the sound of late ’60s/early ’70s soul music, comes from Warner Music Entertainment, publishing company Warner Chappell Music and Imagine Documentaries in partnership with Gibney’s Jigsaw Productions.
The Sound of Philadelphia will include exclusive interviews and never-before-seen footage featuring the songwriters and producers Gamble, Huff, and Bell – known as The Mighty Three. It will explore how the founders of the legendary record label Philadelphia International Records, crafted their sound and navigated the music business.
The trio wrote...
- 2/2/2022
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
Gabriels have just five songs to their name, but one of them verges on the sublime. “Professional,” which came out toward the end of 2020, embraces the off-kilter swoon of jazz vocalists like Billie Holiday or Andy Bey, as singer Jacob Lusk sends his voice gently dive-bombing to the floor and then yanks it back up like a yo-yo, ducking and weaving around a glum string section. The strings fall away, leaving Lusk alone for a late-night, empty-bar, alone-at-the-piano interlude, and then the fireworks begin: A lazy beat enters, spurring the...
- 8/5/2021
- by Elias Leight
- Rollingstone.com
Philadelphia International Records, the celebrated label behind the “Philly Soul” sound and acts like the O’Jays, Teddy Pendergrass, Patti Labelle and more, has announced a year-long campaign to celebrate its 50th anniversary.
The campaign is a joint effort with Legacy Recordings and Warner Chappell Music, and, per a press release, it will comprise a “series of exclusive partnerships, product and content releases, artist initiatives and much more.” To kick things off, producer/DJ Eric Kupper has shared a new remix of one of Philadelphia International’s most enduring hits: McFadden and Whitehead’s 1979 track,...
The campaign is a joint effort with Legacy Recordings and Warner Chappell Music, and, per a press release, it will comprise a “series of exclusive partnerships, product and content releases, artist initiatives and much more.” To kick things off, producer/DJ Eric Kupper has shared a new remix of one of Philadelphia International’s most enduring hits: McFadden and Whitehead’s 1979 track,...
- 1/25/2021
- by Jon Blistein
- Rollingstone.com
Kiss were a year into their End of the Road tour — which will supposedly be their last-ever big outing — when the coronavirus forced them to change their modus operandi. Last Monday, they decided to cancel their nightly meet-and-greets, where they shook hands and posed for pictures with a hundred or more fans a night. Toward the end of the week, they decided to postpone the last three dates of the North American leg of their tour “out of an abundance of caution” until October.
The trek is set to resume...
The trek is set to resume...
- 3/18/2020
- by Kory Grow
- Rollingstone.com
By 1979, Loretta Lynn had been recording country music for almost 20 years, with some 50 albums to her credit. The first female artist to be nominated for — and to win — the Cma Entertainer of the Year award in 1972, Lynn’s string of major solo hits was accompanied by five Number Ones with duet partner Conway Twitty. The pair also logged four chart-topping LPs as a duo between 1973 and 1976.
Also in 1979, Lynn was preparing for the big-screen adaptation of her autobiography, Coal Miner’s Daughter, published three years earlier. The story of her spotting...
Also in 1979, Lynn was preparing for the big-screen adaptation of her autobiography, Coal Miner’s Daughter, published three years earlier. The story of her spotting...
- 12/23/2019
- by Stephen L. Betts
- Rollingstone.com
Before Joseph Jefferson penned a string of hits for the Spinners in the early Seventies, he and his band the Nat Turner Rebellion – named after the 1831 slave revolt – entered Philadelphia’s famed Sigma Sound Studios and, over the course of a few years, laid down more than a dozen of searing funk-soul songs that were emblematic of the sound piping out of the City of Brotherly Love at the time.
A handful of the tracks were released as long-forgotten singles in the early Seventies, but the group disbanded before ever releasing a debut album.
A handful of the tracks were released as long-forgotten singles in the early Seventies, but the group disbanded before ever releasing a debut album.
- 3/26/2019
- by Daniel Kreps
- Rollingstone.com
The O’Jays rekindle the spirit — and the sumptuous sound — of Philadelphia soul in the Seventies on new single “I Got You.” The song will appear on The Last Word, which the group says will be their final LP.
“I Got You” offers a message of reassurance in a time of political tumult: “Even if the sky begins to fall, and even if they try to build that wall, and even if the bomb goes off and the world is set on fire, I got your back.” “It’s almost gospel,...
“I Got You” offers a message of reassurance in a time of political tumult: “Even if the sky begins to fall, and even if they try to build that wall, and even if the bomb goes off and the world is set on fire, I got your back.” “It’s almost gospel,...
- 2/7/2019
- by Elias Leight
- Rollingstone.com
Elvis Costello‘s new ballad “Suspect My Tears” is the latest preview off his upcoming LP Look Now. It’s the rocker’s first album with the Imposters in a decade.
The singer pairs the track’s expressive lyrics – “Your lash is sweet now, I dry your cheek / You think I’m powerless when you weep / You may have something, I don’t deny / You look too beautiful when you cry” – with a heartrending, strings-laden production courtesy of Latin Grammy-winning producer Sebastian Krys.
“Not always having a reason to put music on the page,...
The singer pairs the track’s expressive lyrics – “Your lash is sweet now, I dry your cheek / You think I’m powerless when you weep / You may have something, I don’t deny / You look too beautiful when you cry” – with a heartrending, strings-laden production courtesy of Latin Grammy-winning producer Sebastian Krys.
“Not always having a reason to put music on the page,...
- 9/7/2018
- by Daniel Kreps
- Rollingstone.com
Don Cornelius passed away on February 1st from a gunshot wound to the head. The host of "Soul Train" is being remembered by music legend Kenneth Gamble. "I'm sad to hear of his passing. He was such a wonderful person and an American icon," he said. Gamble, along with partners Leon Huff and Thom Bell, was responsible for discovering and nurturing numerous R&B and soul performers while running their Philadelphia International Records label in the 1970s and '80s. Gamble remembers his friend Cornelius in an interview with the La Times
He talks about what the show did for the African American community. "Don Cornelius' 'Soul Train' made a great contribution to American culture. It came directly from the African American community. It was more than TV dance show; it was a source of pride and dignity for African American community. There were hardly any venues at that time,...
He talks about what the show did for the African American community. "Don Cornelius' 'Soul Train' made a great contribution to American culture. It came directly from the African American community. It was more than TV dance show; it was a source of pride and dignity for African American community. There were hardly any venues at that time,...
- 2/2/2012
- by editorial@zap2it.com
- Zap2It - From Inside the Box
LeRoy Bell may not have gotten the chance to play original material during his eighth-place run on Season 1 of The X Factor, but if you’ve ever taken an end-of-the-work-week road trip with the radio blasting, you may have heard his 1979 hit, “Livin’ It Up Friday Night.” We caught up with Bell to discuss the way X Factor obsessed over his status as the world’s hottest 60-year-old, what we didn’t see during his televised audition, and his tenuous connection to American Idol judge Jennifer Lopez.
Tvline | Let’s talk about overall image that was projected of you on The X Factor.
Tvline | Let’s talk about overall image that was projected of you on The X Factor.
- 12/23/2011
- by Michael Slezak
- TVLine.com
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