The Beatles weren’t civil rights activists, but a soul singer said the group’s success was “a civil rights breakthrough.” He wasn’t the only one to say something like that. Here’s a look at how Black singers inspired the Fab Four.
A singer said The Beatles and Elvis Presley moved helped the civil rights movement
Maxwell is a neo-soul singer known for tunes such as “Ascension (Don’t Ever Wonder),” “Sumthin’ Sumthin,” and “Lake by the Ocean.” His music doesn’t sound much like The Beatles’. However, Maxwell works in a musical idiom that paved the way for the Fab Four.
During a 2017 interview with The San Diego Union-Tribune, Maxwell discussed the issue of The Beatles and cultural appropriation. “It’s a very touchy subject,” he said. “Because it’s like it was appropriation, but there was a certain window that was opened that never would have...
A singer said The Beatles and Elvis Presley moved helped the civil rights movement
Maxwell is a neo-soul singer known for tunes such as “Ascension (Don’t Ever Wonder),” “Sumthin’ Sumthin,” and “Lake by the Ocean.” His music doesn’t sound much like The Beatles’. However, Maxwell works in a musical idiom that paved the way for the Fab Four.
During a 2017 interview with The San Diego Union-Tribune, Maxwell discussed the issue of The Beatles and cultural appropriation. “It’s a very touchy subject,” he said. “Because it’s like it was appropriation, but there was a certain window that was opened that never would have...
- 1/9/2024
- by Matthew Trzcinski
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
In Episode Three of Hulu’s The 1619 Project, narrator and Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones argues that Black Americans have, and still do, create and transform America’s musical landscape. In between a narrative arc examining the history of Black participation in music, the docuseries also speaks to several musical legends about their most famous works and processes. The 1619 Project shared several first look photos and two exclusive clips from its music episode with Rolling Stone — which you can watch below.
Based on the 2019 essay collection published in The New York Times Magazine,...
Based on the 2019 essay collection published in The New York Times Magazine,...
- 2/1/2023
- by CT Jones
- Rollingstone.com
BroadwayWorld has an exclusive first look at the cast of Ain't Too Proud in action Leading the cast of Ain't Too Proud as The Temptations are Jalen Harris as 'Eddie Kendricks,' Harrell Holmes Jr. as 'Melvin Franklin,' James T. Lane as 'Paul Williams,' and joining directly from the Broadway company are Marcus Paul James as 'Otis Williams,' and Elijah Ahmad Lewis as 'David Ruffin.'...
- 1/26/2022
- by BWW Staff
- BroadwayWorld.com
Bruce Williamson, who sang lead for legendary Motown group the Temptations in more recent years, has died. He was 49. His son posted the news on social media but didn’t provide details.
Born on September 20, 1970, in Los Angeles, Williamson joined the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame group in the mid-2000s and left in 2015. By then the Temptations had only one original member, Otis Williams, and were long past their hitmaking days.
But what days those were. The Temptations were among Motown’s — and America’s — most popular groups of the 1960s and early ’70s. After breaking out with “The Way You Do the Things You Do” in 1964, the Temps hit No. 1 with the stone classic “My Girl” the next year and would rack up 14 Top 10 singles and three more chart toppers with “I Can’t Get Next to You” in 1969; “Just My Imagination (Running Away with Me)” in...
Born on September 20, 1970, in Los Angeles, Williamson joined the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame group in the mid-2000s and left in 2015. By then the Temptations had only one original member, Otis Williams, and were long past their hitmaking days.
But what days those were. The Temptations were among Motown’s — and America’s — most popular groups of the 1960s and early ’70s. After breaking out with “The Way You Do the Things You Do” in 1964, the Temps hit No. 1 with the stone classic “My Girl” the next year and would rack up 14 Top 10 singles and three more chart toppers with “I Can’t Get Next to You” in 1969; “Just My Imagination (Running Away with Me)” in...
- 9/7/2020
- by Erik Pedersen
- Deadline Film + TV
Nearly 50 years after it aired its final episode in 1971, the legendary Ed Sullivan Show is officially headed to all streaming platforms.
From the Beatles’ debut to Elvis Presley to the Rolling Stones, iconic clips and low-resolution bootlegs of the variety show have been available for years, but this marks the first time the entire catalogue will be available digitally — thanks to a deal between UMe and Sofa Entertainment Inc.
Seven performances are available now on the show’s official YouTube channel, with new videos rolling out over the next three years.
From the Beatles’ debut to Elvis Presley to the Rolling Stones, iconic clips and low-resolution bootlegs of the variety show have been available for years, but this marks the first time the entire catalogue will be available digitally — thanks to a deal between UMe and Sofa Entertainment Inc.
Seven performances are available now on the show’s official YouTube channel, with new videos rolling out over the next three years.
- 6/12/2020
- by Angie Martoccio
- Rollingstone.com
The producers of Broadway's Ain't Too Proud - The Life and Times of The Temptations announced today that they will welcome Hamilton alum Nik Walker and Detroit native Matt Manuel to the musical as Otis Williams and David Ruffin, respectively, beginning Friday, February 28, 2020. Derrick Baskin and Ephraim Sykes, the Tony Award nominated original Temptations actors, will depart the production on Wednesday, February 26, 2020.
- 2/19/2020
- by BWW News Desk
- BroadwayWorld.com
A few weeks ago, New Yorkers were treated to an unusual sight: The cast of Ain’t Too Proud, the Broadway musical about the life of the Temptations, riding the subway with a camera crew. The idea was pure promotion — to maintain buzz for the Tony-winning show, which is now up for a Grammy for Best Musical Theater Album. Ephraim Sykes, who plays the volatile and tragic David Ruffin, admits he had a few trepidations about the idea. “At first, none of us were like, ‘Yeah, let’s go sing on the subway!
- 12/20/2019
- by David Browne
- Rollingstone.com
The 2019 Tony Awards are almost upon us. Before you watch the CBS ceremony hosted by James Corden on June 9, make sure to check out these 11 conversations with Tony nominees. Follow the links below to watch all of our exclusive interviews with these nominated performers.
See Tony Awards predictions slugfest: 3 Experts track hottest races [Video & Audio Podcast]
Derrick Baskin (“Ain’t Too Proud”): Baskin portrays Otis Williams, the founder of The Temptations, in “Ain’t Too Proud.” It’s a role so large that he never leaves the stage. His previous Broadway credits include “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee,” “The Little Mermaid,” and “Memphis.” This is Baskin’s first Tony nomination. (Click here to watch the full interview)
Stephanie J. Block (“The Cher Show”): Block transforms herself like never before to emobdy the pop icon Cher. This marks Block’s third Tony nomination, after previously competing for “The Mystery of Edwin Drood” and “Falsettos.
See Tony Awards predictions slugfest: 3 Experts track hottest races [Video & Audio Podcast]
Derrick Baskin (“Ain’t Too Proud”): Baskin portrays Otis Williams, the founder of The Temptations, in “Ain’t Too Proud.” It’s a role so large that he never leaves the stage. His previous Broadway credits include “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee,” “The Little Mermaid,” and “Memphis.” This is Baskin’s first Tony nomination. (Click here to watch the full interview)
Stephanie J. Block (“The Cher Show”): Block transforms herself like never before to emobdy the pop icon Cher. This marks Block’s third Tony nomination, after previously competing for “The Mystery of Edwin Drood” and “Falsettos.
- 6/4/2019
- by Sam Eckmann
- Gold Derby
“This is a show that is about today. It’s about what’s going on in our country now,” declares director Des McAnuff about his Broadway musical “Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of the Temptations.” McAnuff recently received his sixth Tony nomination for his directorial efforts and chatted with Gold Derby about the creative process behind the hit musical. Watch the exclusive video interview above.
McAnuff was initially hesitant to take on another biographical musical because he didn’t want it to compete and be compared with his Best Musical Tony winner “Jersey Boys.” But when Otis Williams himself asked the director to take up the reigns, the opportunity was “impossible to resist.” Over the course of the initial conversation with Williams, McAnuff says that “it was clear this was very important to him… he was willing to open a vein in order to tell this story.
McAnuff was initially hesitant to take on another biographical musical because he didn’t want it to compete and be compared with his Best Musical Tony winner “Jersey Boys.” But when Otis Williams himself asked the director to take up the reigns, the opportunity was “impossible to resist.” Over the course of the initial conversation with Williams, McAnuff says that “it was clear this was very important to him… he was willing to open a vein in order to tell this story.
- 5/16/2019
- by Sam Eckmann
- Gold Derby
“We have a true love for each other,” reveals Ephraim Sykes of the cast and creative team for “Ain’t Too Proud – The Life and Times of the Temptations” now on Broadway. The actor portrays legendary tenor David Ruffin in the hit musical and was recently nominated for the Drama League Award for his performance. He praises the “synergy” and “family-like vibe” of the cast as one of the many reasons this project resonates with him. Watch the full exclusive video interview above.
From the very beginning, the pieces were in place for a harmonious experience. Sykes auditioned for the show’s initial production at Berkeley Repertory Theatre in 2017. Despite being in Los Angeles for pilot season, the actor fell in love with the script. And when he heard past collaborators Sergio Trujillo (choreographer) and Derrick Baskin (Otis Williams) were attached, “it seems like this has to happen.”
SEEDerrick Baskin...
From the very beginning, the pieces were in place for a harmonious experience. Sykes auditioned for the show’s initial production at Berkeley Repertory Theatre in 2017. Despite being in Los Angeles for pilot season, the actor fell in love with the script. And when he heard past collaborators Sergio Trujillo (choreographer) and Derrick Baskin (Otis Williams) were attached, “it seems like this has to happen.”
SEEDerrick Baskin...
- 4/19/2019
- by Sam Eckmann
- Gold Derby
“I love when art can heal,” confesses Derrick Baskin. The actor is dipping into the healing power of performance via his lead role in the hit new musical “Ain’t Too Proud – The Life and Times of the Temptations.” Baskin portrays living legend and founder of The Temptations, Otis Williams, and described his his journey in the show to Gold Derby. Watch the exclusive video interview above.
Baskin received the chance to meet with Otis Williams during the creative process and describes the musician as “warm” and always open to sharing his “wealth of knowledge.” Though Baskin admits he didn’t know too much about the man behind the famous music, he now concludes “it’s a bit eerie” how similar they are. Regarding the difficult decisions that Williams had to make when creating The Temptations, Baskin says he “understands where he’s coming from, based on our personalities.”
SEE...
Baskin received the chance to meet with Otis Williams during the creative process and describes the musician as “warm” and always open to sharing his “wealth of knowledge.” Though Baskin admits he didn’t know too much about the man behind the famous music, he now concludes “it’s a bit eerie” how similar they are. Regarding the difficult decisions that Williams had to make when creating The Temptations, Baskin says he “understands where he’s coming from, based on our personalities.”
SEE...
- 4/15/2019
- by Sam Eckmann
- Gold Derby
Derrick Baskin was sick of musicals when Ain’t Too Proud – The Life and Times of The Temptations arrived in his life. He’d performed on Broadway in Memphis, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee and The Little Mermaid, and was enjoying the change of pace that was Hulu’s Difficult People when his agent came calling with the job that could put Baskin into his first starring role. As Otis Williams, founder of the group that gave the world “My Girl,” “Just My Imagination” and one after another of the greatest songs of the 1960s and ’70s, Baskin would be a first among equals, the singer who first envisioned what The Temptations could and would be.
“I immediately tried to shut him down,” Baskin recalls in this Deadline interview. But the actor had a change of heart, and now finds himself leading what is easily the biggest hit musical of this Broadway season,...
“I immediately tried to shut him down,” Baskin recalls in this Deadline interview. But the actor had a change of heart, and now finds himself leading what is easily the biggest hit musical of this Broadway season,...
- 4/12/2019
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of The Temptations – which chronicles the epic career of the legendary Motown vocal group – opens up on Broadway this week. It’s a musical based on the 1988 memoir of Temptations founder Otis Williams, the sole living member of the classic lineup. But unlike many Broadway musicals, it makes no attempt to sanitize the more salacious parts of their story.
“Otis can see things in hindsight,” Dominique Morisseau, who adapted the story for the stage, told Rolling Stone. “He can be a little...
“Otis can see things in hindsight,” Dominique Morisseau, who adapted the story for the stage, told Rolling Stone. “He can be a little...
- 3/22/2019
- by Andy Greene
- Rollingstone.com
Ain’t Too Proud – The Life and Times of The Temptations is further proof, as if we need it, that the term “jukebox musical” just isn’t fair – to jukeboxes. Feed a juke some cash and it delivers music, free of the blunt exposition that passes for librettos in so many of these stage biographies. Even with source material as glorious as “My Girl,” “Just My Imagination,” “Papa Was A Rolling Stone” and the song that gives this production its title, the result feels less celebratory than ruthlessly efficient, like the treadmill device that’s forever moving the ever-changing Temptations line-up on, off and around the Imperial Theatre’s stage.
Opening tonight, Ain’t Too Proud mostly accomplishes what so many of the lesser examples of this genre haven’t – a fine cast performs beloved songs, performs them well enough to conjure and honor the people they’re playing and the songs they’re singing,...
Opening tonight, Ain’t Too Proud mostly accomplishes what so many of the lesser examples of this genre haven’t – a fine cast performs beloved songs, performs them well enough to conjure and honor the people they’re playing and the songs they’re singing,...
- 3/22/2019
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
The incoming Broadway musical about the enduring music and volatile career of the Temptations features many elements associated with a prestige show. There’s a name director, an award-winning book writer, a cast whose collective resume includes stints in shows like Hamilton and Chicago, and a score overflowing with pop songs that are engrained in the culture.
Then there’s the bong.
The prop, complete with whiffs of artificial smoke, appears during a scene in which the Motown group parties together on the road later in their career. “That’s funny — that’s rock & roll!
Then there’s the bong.
The prop, complete with whiffs of artificial smoke, appears during a scene in which the Motown group parties together on the road later in their career. “That’s funny — that’s rock & roll!
- 3/21/2019
- by David Browne
- Rollingstone.com
The less you know about the Temptations, the more you’ll get out of “Ain’t Too Proud,” a finger-snapping, hand-clapping new jukebox musical passing through Los Angeles’ Ahmanson Theatre en route to Broadway, where it is scheduled to open at the Imperial next spring. This nearly-all-black show’s got a lot going for it, between the sheer quality of the beloved R&B vocal group’s catalog and director Des McAnuff’s experience with such material (including the Four Seasons tuner “Jersey Boys” and “Summer: The Donna Summer Musical”), and yet, considering that the Temptations — who are, incredibly enough, still touring — have several SoCal playdates this September, it’s hard to compete with the thrill of seeing the actual group in concert.
Of course, we could debate all day whether today’s Temptations are still the same Temptations that broke through in the ’60s and ’70s with such hits as “My Girl,...
Of course, we could debate all day whether today’s Temptations are still the same Temptations that broke through in the ’60s and ’70s with such hits as “My Girl,...
- 8/26/2018
- by Peter Debruge
- Variety Film + TV
A musical about the great Temptations is headed to Broadway. Ain’t Too Proud – The Life and Times of the Temptations, directed by Des McAnuff and produced by Ira Pittelman and Tom Hulce, will begin performances at the Imperial Theatre in spring 2019.
The musical, which follows the classic Motown vocalists – and their signature dance moves – from “the streets of Detroit to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame,” had its world premiere at Berkeley Repertory Theatre, where it became the highest grossing production in that theater’s nearly 50-year history. The musical later broke the single-week box office record at Washington D.C.’s Eisenhower Theater in the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, according to producers.
Producers describe the show as the “story of brotherhood, family, loyalty, and betrayal,” all playing out against a backdrop of civil unrest and set to Temptations classics like “My Girl,” “Just My Imagination,...
The musical, which follows the classic Motown vocalists – and their signature dance moves – from “the streets of Detroit to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame,” had its world premiere at Berkeley Repertory Theatre, where it became the highest grossing production in that theater’s nearly 50-year history. The musical later broke the single-week box office record at Washington D.C.’s Eisenhower Theater in the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, according to producers.
Producers describe the show as the “story of brotherhood, family, loyalty, and betrayal,” all playing out against a backdrop of civil unrest and set to Temptations classics like “My Girl,” “Just My Imagination,...
- 8/24/2018
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Ain’t Too Proud – The Life and Times of the Temptations, a new musical about one of R&B’s premier vocal groups, will hit Broadway in Spring 2019. The production will run at the Imperial Theater in New York, New York, producers announced Thursday, although no opening date has been set.
Ain’t Too Proud launched in September 2017 at the Berkeley Repertory Theater in Berkeley, California, before moving this year to the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. It is currently playing at the Center Theater Group in Los Angeles, California,...
Ain’t Too Proud launched in September 2017 at the Berkeley Repertory Theater in Berkeley, California, before moving this year to the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. It is currently playing at the Center Theater Group in Los Angeles, California,...
- 8/24/2018
- by Ryan Reed
- Rollingstone.com
“Now are you ready to go back?” a tuxedoed band leader asked the crowd at Staten Island’s St. George Theatre on a rainy night in May. “I’m talking about all the way back … allow me to introduce the one and only vocal group voted number one of all time!”
The next hour was a brisk and blasting tour through the back catalog of the Temptations, one of Motown’s most famous ensembles. The group performed sharply choreographed dances near the front of the stage, spinning and twirling with military precision; behind them,...
The next hour was a brisk and blasting tour through the back catalog of the Temptations, one of Motown’s most famous ensembles. The group performed sharply choreographed dances near the front of the stage, spinning and twirling with military precision; behind them,...
- 8/13/2018
- by Elias Leight
- Rollingstone.com
15 years ago today was a beautiful day for U2 fans: On October 30, 2000, their album “All That You Can’t Leave Behind” hit record store shelves. It was the U2’s 10th studio album and was largely considered a glorious return to form for the Irish band, following the mixed reception of their 1997 album, “Pop.” Among the successful singles on U2’s first album of the 2000s were “Elevation,” “Walk On” and “Beautiful Day.” Guitarist the Edge said of the album in the book “U2 by U2,” “‘All That You Can’t Leave Behind’ was an album that acknowledged our own past, which we had never really done before…. I was playing the Gibson Explorer. This was really the sound of U2, the sound we had made our own and then abandoned as far back as ‘War.’” He also points out plenty that was fresh and new for the band with the album,...
- 10/30/2015
- by Emily Rome
- Hitfix
Las Vegas -- Former Motown vocalist Richard Street, a member of the Temptations for 25 years, has died. He was 70.
Street's wife, Cindy, says her husband died early Wednesday at a hospital in Las Vegas after a short illness.
Richard Street sang as a young man with Temptations members Otis Williams and Melvin Franklin, but didn't join the famed Motown group until the early 1970s. He later made the move from his native Detroit to Los Angeles with other Motown acts and stayed with the group until the mid-1990s.
Funeral arrangements are incomplete, but Cindy Street expects services to be held sometime next week in Cypress, Calif.
She says her husband "was a really good person" who should be remembered for his work with the Temptations.
Street's wife, Cindy, says her husband died early Wednesday at a hospital in Las Vegas after a short illness.
Richard Street sang as a young man with Temptations members Otis Williams and Melvin Franklin, but didn't join the famed Motown group until the early 1970s. He later made the move from his native Detroit to Los Angeles with other Motown acts and stayed with the group until the mid-1990s.
Funeral arrangements are incomplete, but Cindy Street expects services to be held sometime next week in Cypress, Calif.
She says her husband "was a really good person" who should be remembered for his work with the Temptations.
- 2/27/2013
- by AP
- Huffington Post
Damon Harris, an one-time member of legendary Motown group The Temptations, died on Monday, Feb. 18, family spokesperson Chuck Woodson confirms. He was 62.
According to the Baltimore Sun, Harris (born Otis Robert Harris, Jr.) lost his 14-year-long battle to prostate cancer after spending the last three months in the hospital. He was transfered to the Joseph Richey Hospice in Seton Hill, Md., last week, where he died.
Three-time Grammy winner Harris joined The Temptations in 1971 at the age of 21 following the departure of original band member Eddie Kendricks.
He contributed to hit songs like "Love Woke Me Up This Morning" and "Take A Look Around."
Harris was fired from the group abruptly in 1975 after he made inappropriate statements that affected the group's public image, according to original member Otis Williams. Shortly after his firing, Harris rejoined his former band The Young Vandals, renaming themselves Impact, and recorded a number of minor soul and disco hits.
According to the Baltimore Sun, Harris (born Otis Robert Harris, Jr.) lost his 14-year-long battle to prostate cancer after spending the last three months in the hospital. He was transfered to the Joseph Richey Hospice in Seton Hill, Md., last week, where he died.
Three-time Grammy winner Harris joined The Temptations in 1971 at the age of 21 following the departure of original band member Eddie Kendricks.
He contributed to hit songs like "Love Woke Me Up This Morning" and "Take A Look Around."
Harris was fired from the group abruptly in 1975 after he made inappropriate statements that affected the group's public image, according to original member Otis Williams. Shortly after his firing, Harris rejoined his former band The Young Vandals, renaming themselves Impact, and recorded a number of minor soul and disco hits.
- 2/23/2013
- by Leigh Blickley
- Huffington Post
Soul legend Bettye Lavette got an early start in music. She made her first album at 16, which is why she's already celebrating her 50th anniversary in recording.
And boy is she celebrating. There's a new album on deck, Thankful N' Thoughtful. The disc features Lavette's reinterpretations of hits by the likes of Bob Dylan, The Black Keys, Neil Young, Gnarls Barkley and many more. Early reviews have lauded her bold reworkings of "I'm Not the One" by the Keys and "Crazy" by Barkley.
But the singer isn't content with just another record. She's also releasing her autobiography (written with David Ritz). Lavette has had quite the colorful life, and she spares no detail or hair-raising experience in A Woman Like Me. The music drops Sept. 25 on Anti-Records, with the book following on Sept. 27 (Blue Rider Press/Penguin).
The singer will also tour the country between September and the end of...
And boy is she celebrating. There's a new album on deck, Thankful N' Thoughtful. The disc features Lavette's reinterpretations of hits by the likes of Bob Dylan, The Black Keys, Neil Young, Gnarls Barkley and many more. Early reviews have lauded her bold reworkings of "I'm Not the One" by the Keys and "Crazy" by Barkley.
But the singer isn't content with just another record. She's also releasing her autobiography (written with David Ritz). Lavette has had quite the colorful life, and she spares no detail or hair-raising experience in A Woman Like Me. The music drops Sept. 25 on Anti-Records, with the book following on Sept. 27 (Blue Rider Press/Penguin).
The singer will also tour the country between September and the end of...
- 8/23/2012
- by The Huffington Post
- Huffington Post
Another major class-action lawsuit has just been filed on the digital royalties front. The Temptations, the pioneering male vocal group from the 1960s, is suing Universal Music in federal court in California, seeking millions of dollars after allegedly being cheated out of revenue from digital downloads and ringtones. Otis Williams, one of the original members of The Temptations, and Ron Tyson, one of the later members, are the latest to join a growing chorus of musicians who are going to court with allegations that record labels have stiffed musicians by accounting for downloads off of iTunes as "sales" rather
read more...
read more...
- 3/15/2012
- by Eriq Gardner
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
By Roger Friedman
hollywoodnews.com: A great New York night: the Friars Club took over the Waldorf Astoria main ballroom and toasted Motown’s Smokey Robinson and Steiner Studios founder David Steiner.
Steiner probably drew the big donor crowd, which was fine. He’s a lovely guy. But it was Smokey who brought the music. The Supremes’ Mary Wilson, a glamorous and stunning 66 years young, paid tribute by bringing the house down with “I Am Changing” from Dreamgirls, Norah Jones’s “Don’t Know Why,” and invited the audience on stage for a singalong on “Stop! In the Name of Love.”
The Temptations–all new members along with founder Otis Williams–performed songs Smokey wrote for the group during their heyday including (my all time favorite) “Since I Lost My Baby.” Paul Shaffer described Robinson’s “My Girl” as the greatest pop composition ever from the rock era. Well, it...
hollywoodnews.com: A great New York night: the Friars Club took over the Waldorf Astoria main ballroom and toasted Motown’s Smokey Robinson and Steiner Studios founder David Steiner.
Steiner probably drew the big donor crowd, which was fine. He’s a lovely guy. But it was Smokey who brought the music. The Supremes’ Mary Wilson, a glamorous and stunning 66 years young, paid tribute by bringing the house down with “I Am Changing” from Dreamgirls, Norah Jones’s “Don’t Know Why,” and invited the audience on stage for a singalong on “Stop! In the Name of Love.”
The Temptations–all new members along with founder Otis Williams–performed songs Smokey wrote for the group during their heyday including (my all time favorite) “Since I Lost My Baby.” Paul Shaffer described Robinson’s “My Girl” as the greatest pop composition ever from the rock era. Well, it...
- 6/9/2010
- by Roger Friedman
- Hollywoodnews.com
By Roger Friedman
HollywoodNews.com: Ollie (Ali) Woodson of the Temptations died on Sunday. He was 58 and had been suffering from leukemia.
Woodson was not an original member of the group. They were David Ruffin, Eddie Kendricks, Paul Williams. Melvin Franklin and Otis Williams. Only Williams survives from that era beginning in 1960.
Ollie joined in 1984, and sang lead on the Temps’ last real hit, “Treat Her Like a Lady,” in 1985. He took breaks, but lasted until 1997. He was a class act, and a great performer and soul singer.
To read more go to Showbiz411.com.
HollywoodNews.com: Ollie (Ali) Woodson of the Temptations died on Sunday. He was 58 and had been suffering from leukemia.
Woodson was not an original member of the group. They were David Ruffin, Eddie Kendricks, Paul Williams. Melvin Franklin and Otis Williams. Only Williams survives from that era beginning in 1960.
Ollie joined in 1984, and sang lead on the Temps’ last real hit, “Treat Her Like a Lady,” in 1985. He took breaks, but lasted until 1997. He was a class act, and a great performer and soul singer.
To read more go to Showbiz411.com.
- 5/31/2010
- by Roger Friedman
- Hollywoodnews.com
'Waka, he's crunk,' Oj tells Mixtape Daily of the new Brick Squad member.
By Shaheem Reid
Gucci Mane and Oj Da Juiceman
Photo: Asylum
The O.D.: A Mixtape Daily Exclusive
Oj Da Juiceman smiles with a gold-tooth grin when asked who has more mixtapes: him or his brother in arms, Gucci Mane.
"I'm at 25 or 26 mixtapes, but Gucci Mane is well over 30," Oj said.
He plans to increase his catalog very shortly, with a tape called Six Rings: The Michael Jordan Edition dropping soon. Then he and DJ Drama are hooking up for a Gangsta Grillz simply called Orange. After all that, Oj said he and Gucci have plans to put out a street project with Waka Flocka Flame, a new member of the Brick Squad crew.
"We actually working on a me, Gucci, Waka mixtape," the Juice said. "[That's] half of the Brick Squad. I think me...
By Shaheem Reid
Gucci Mane and Oj Da Juiceman
Photo: Asylum
The O.D.: A Mixtape Daily Exclusive
Oj Da Juiceman smiles with a gold-tooth grin when asked who has more mixtapes: him or his brother in arms, Gucci Mane.
"I'm at 25 or 26 mixtapes, but Gucci Mane is well over 30," Oj said.
He plans to increase his catalog very shortly, with a tape called Six Rings: The Michael Jordan Edition dropping soon. Then he and DJ Drama are hooking up for a Gangsta Grillz simply called Orange. After all that, Oj said he and Gucci have plans to put out a street project with Waka Flocka Flame, a new member of the Brick Squad crew.
"We actually working on a me, Gucci, Waka mixtape," the Juice said. "[That's] half of the Brick Squad. I think me...
- 11/10/2009
- MTV Music News
'Waka, he's crunk,' Oj tells Mixtape Daily of the new Brick Squad member.
By Shaheem Reid
Gucci Mane and Oj Da Juiceman
Photo: Asylum
The O.D.: A Mixtape Daily Exclusive
Oj Da Juiceman smiles with a gold-tooth grin when asked who has more mixtapes: him or his brother in arms, Gucci Mane.
"I'm at 25 or 26 mixtapes, but Gucci Mane is well over 30," Oj said.
He plans to increase his catalog very shortly, with a tape called Six Rings: The Michael Jordan Edition dropping soon. Then he and DJ Drama are hooking up for a Gangsta Grillz simply called Orange. After all that, Oj said he and Gucci have plans to put out a street project with Waka Flocka Flame, a new member of the Brick Squad crew.
"We actually working on a me, Gucci, Waka mixtape," the Juice said. "[That's] half of the Brick Squad. I think me...
By Shaheem Reid
Gucci Mane and Oj Da Juiceman
Photo: Asylum
The O.D.: A Mixtape Daily Exclusive
Oj Da Juiceman smiles with a gold-tooth grin when asked who has more mixtapes: him or his brother in arms, Gucci Mane.
"I'm at 25 or 26 mixtapes, but Gucci Mane is well over 30," Oj said.
He plans to increase his catalog very shortly, with a tape called Six Rings: The Michael Jordan Edition dropping soon. Then he and DJ Drama are hooking up for a Gangsta Grillz simply called Orange. After all that, Oj said he and Gucci have plans to put out a street project with Waka Flocka Flame, a new member of the Brick Squad crew.
"We actually working on a me, Gucci, Waka mixtape," the Juice said. "[That's] half of the Brick Squad. I think me...
- 11/10/2009
- MTV Music News
Plus: Oj Da Juiceman is pushing back album to 'get it right,' in Mixtape Daily.
By Shaheem Reid
R. Kelly
Photo: Michelly Rall/ Getty Images
Man — 2009 is halfway over already? The years go by so quick. As always, though, we're here to document everything. All this week, in addition to our regular coverage, we're going to be highlighting all the impact players in the mixtape circuit so far this year. Who had the biggest mixtape? What Mc was the most consistent? What albums have we kept in rotation? Rappers, DJs, producers, shows — we've got the best of the best of this year thus far. Stay with us all week.
Mid-Season Salute: R. Kelly's The Demo Tape
R. Kelly did what he's never done before in 2009: dropped a mixtape. Along with DJs Skee and Drama, Kells dropped gems to the street like "Club 2 a Bedroom," "Bangin the Headboard" and "Disrespect My Shorty.
By Shaheem Reid
R. Kelly
Photo: Michelly Rall/ Getty Images
Man — 2009 is halfway over already? The years go by so quick. As always, though, we're here to document everything. All this week, in addition to our regular coverage, we're going to be highlighting all the impact players in the mixtape circuit so far this year. Who had the biggest mixtape? What Mc was the most consistent? What albums have we kept in rotation? Rappers, DJs, producers, shows — we've got the best of the best of this year thus far. Stay with us all week.
Mid-Season Salute: R. Kelly's The Demo Tape
R. Kelly did what he's never done before in 2009: dropped a mixtape. Along with DJs Skee and Drama, Kells dropped gems to the street like "Club 2 a Bedroom," "Bangin the Headboard" and "Disrespect My Shorty.
- 7/13/2009
- MTV Music News
Plus: Oj Da Juiceman is pushing back album to 'get it right,' in Mixtape Daily.
By Shaheem Reid
R. Kelly
Photo: Michelly Rall/ Getty Images
Man — 2009 is halfway over already? The years go by so quick. As always, though, we're here to document everything. All this week, in addition to our regular coverage, we're going to be highlighting all the impact players in the mixtape circuit so far this year. Who had the biggest mixtape? What Mc was the most consistent? What albums have we kept in rotation? Rappers, DJs, producers, shows — we've got the best of the best of this year thus far. Stay with us all week.
Mid-Season Salute: R. Kelly's The Demo Tape
R. Kelly did what he's never done before in 2009: dropped a mixtape. Along with DJs Skee and Drama, Kells dropped gems to the street like "Club 2 a Bedroom," "Bangin the Headboard" and "Disrespect My Shorty.
By Shaheem Reid
R. Kelly
Photo: Michelly Rall/ Getty Images
Man — 2009 is halfway over already? The years go by so quick. As always, though, we're here to document everything. All this week, in addition to our regular coverage, we're going to be highlighting all the impact players in the mixtape circuit so far this year. Who had the biggest mixtape? What Mc was the most consistent? What albums have we kept in rotation? Rappers, DJs, producers, shows — we've got the best of the best of this year thus far. Stay with us all week.
Mid-Season Salute: R. Kelly's The Demo Tape
R. Kelly did what he's never done before in 2009: dropped a mixtape. Along with DJs Skee and Drama, Kells dropped gems to the street like "Club 2 a Bedroom," "Bangin the Headboard" and "Disrespect My Shorty.
- 7/13/2009
- MTV Music News
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