Black History: Patti LaBelle

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Patricia Louise Holte-Edwards (born May 24, 1944), better known under the stage name Patti LaBelle, is an American singer, author, and actress who has spent over 50 years in the music industry. LaBelle spent 16 years as lead singer of Patti LaBelle and the Bluebelles, who changed their name to Labelle in the early 1970s and released the iconic disco song "Lady Marmalade". Labelle is also noted for being the first African-American group to play at the prestigious Metropolitan Opera House and the first African American vocal group to land the cover of Rolling Stone magazine.

Her solo career began shortly after the group disbanded in 1977 with the release of her self-titled and critically acclaimed debut album. In 1984 she achieved her first #1 R&B hit with If Only You Knew, while later in the year, she crossed over to pop music with singles such as "New Attitude" and "Stir It Up", both becoming pop radio staples. Her success with the number single "On My Own", a duet with Michael McDonald which was taken from her 3x platinum selling album Winner in You as well as 1989's "If You Asked Me To". With the release of her 10th album Burnin' in 1991 Patti Labelle earned her first Grammy. She maintained commercial appeal and gained a younger audience with albums such as 1994's Gems and 1997's Flame. In 1998 Patti Labelle earned her second Grammy award for her Live! One Night Only CD. Her 2004 release Timeless Journey earned her another top 5 RnB album, while in 2008 Labelle reunited as a group after over 32 years releasing the acclaimed Back to Now which was followed by a successful reunion tour.

The singer has been inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame, the Hollywood Walk of Fame, the Apollo Hall of Fame, and the Songwriters' Hall of Fame. In 2005, the World Music Awards presented her with the coveted Legend Award. Labelle has sold over 50 million records worldwide and Rolling Stones Magazine includes lists her its 100 Greatest Singers List. She possesses the vocal range of a soprano.Patti LaBelle is also commonly identified as the "Godmother of Soul", the "High Priestess of Good Vibrations", and the "Queen of Rock 'n' Soul".

LaBelle is also a noted actress having a supporting role in the Oscar-nominated drama A Soldier's Story as well as being a recurring character in the acclaimed sitcom A Different World. She is currently guest-starring in the fourth season of the Emmy Award-winning American Horror Story, subtitled "Freak Show". As of March 16, 2015, she is competing for the Mirror Ball Trophy on ABC's Dancing with the Stars.

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Perry Blackwell

I love the 1959 movie "Pillow Talk" which starred Doris Day and Rock Hudson. One of the reasons why it's in my top movie selection is because of the Singer/Actress Perry Blackwell. She only had one scene in the movie and she sang for most of that scene, but what she did with her expressions and mannerisms spoke much much more. She was also in the 1960 movie "Dead Ringer" with Bette Davis and Karl Malden. There is not much info on her available, but I did discover via a message written by her daughter, that she is a classically trained Pianist and self taught organist. She played Hammond Organ for years. Also she played with Sonny Stitt, Wes Montgomery Bros. , Roy Milton and Louis Jordan. She worked many gigs around such people as Nancy Wilson, Aretha Franklin, Quincy Jones, Joe Williams, Freddie Hubbard, Jackie Wilson and Red Foxx. She worked on the New York jazz scence for a few years, Best known for her 7 year stint at The Parisian Room in Los A

Madam C. J. Walker

Madam C.J. Walker (December 23, 1867 – May 25, 1919), born Sarah Breedlove , was an African-American businesswoman , hair care entrepreneur and philanthropist . She made her fortune by developing and marketing a hugely successful line of beauty and hair products for black women under the company she founded, Madam C.J. Walker Manufacturing Company. Madam C.J. Walker was born Sarah Breedlove, on December 23, 1867 in Delta, Louisiana to Owen and Minerva Breedlove. She was one of six children; she had a sister Louvenia and 4 brothers: Alexander, James, Solomon, and Owen, Jr. Her parents and elder siblings were slaves on a Madison Parish plantation owned by Robert W. Burney. Her mother died, possibly from cholera , in 1872. Her father remarried and died shortly afterward when she was seven years old. Madam C. J. Walker moved in with her older sister, and brother-in-law, Willie Powell. She later said she married Moses McWilliams when she was 14 years old to get a home of h

Black History : Nina Simone

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Nina Simone (born Eunice Kathleen Waymon ; February 21, 1933 – April 21, 2003) was an American singer, songwriter, pianist, arranger, and civil rights activist. She worked in a broad range of musical styles including classical , jazz , blues , folk , R&B , gospel , and pop . The sixth child of a preacher's family in North Carolina , Simone aspired to be a concert pianist. Her musical path changed direction after she was denied a scholarship to the prestigious Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia , despite a well-received audition. Simone said she later found out from an insider at Curtis that she was denied entry because she was black. So as to fund her continuing musical education and become a classical pianist, she began playing in a small club in Philadelphia where she was also required to sing. She was approached for a recording by Bethlehem Records, and her rendering of " I Loves You, Porgy " was

Son of Ellis

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