musical excerpts, fyi. randye
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* Today in Black History - July 3 *
1871 - Joseph H. Douglass, grandson of Frederick Douglass, is born in
Washington, DC. A student of the New England Conservatory of Music
in Boston, Douglass will become a noted violinist.
1940 - Fontella Bass, vocalist ("Rescue Me"), is born in St. Louis,
Missouri.
* Today in Black History - July 4 *
1938 - Bill Withers, rhythm & blues singer ("Lean on Me"), is born in West
Virginia.
1963 - Marian Anderson and Ralph Bunche receive the first Medals of Freedom
from President John F. Kennedy, the creator of the award.
1990 - "2 Live Crew" release "Banned in the USA"; the lyrics quote "The
Star Spangled Banner" & "The Gettysburg Address."
* Today in Black History - July 5 *
1913 - Smiley Lewis is born in Dequincy, Louisiana. He will become a
rhythm and blues vocalist and best known for his song, "I Hear You
Knockin'."
* Today in Black History - July 6 *
1931 - Della Reese (Deloreese Patricia Early) is born in Detroit,
Michigan. As a teen-ager, she will tour with gospel great Mahalia
Jackson and, at the age of 18, forms the Meditation Singers and
will become the first performer to take gospel music to the casinos
of Las Vegas. She will become the first African American female to
host a daytime television talk show (1969-70) and will appear in
numerous television series, including "Sanford and Son," "The A-
Team" and, on the CBS Television Network, "Crazy Like a Fox"
and "Picket Fences." She will also star as a series regular in
"Charlie & Company" and "The Royal Family", both on the CBS
Network. In September, 1994, she became a regular on the award
winning show, "Touched By An Angel."
1971 - Louis Armstrong joins the ancestors in Corona, Queens, in New York
City. Armstrong had been one of the most popular and influential
jazz musicians since his 1929 hit "Ain't Misbehavin" and had
enjoyed an immensely successful performing and recording career.
1984 - Michael Jackson and his brothers start their "Victory Tour" in
Kansas City, Missouri's Arrowhead Stadium. The tour turns out to
be a victory for the Jacksons when the nationwide concert tour
concludes months later.
* Today in Black History - July 7 *
1851 - Charles A. Tindley, African American Methodist preacher and
songwriter is born. His most enduring gospel hymns include
'Stand By Me,' 'Nothing Between,' 'Leave It There'and 'By and
By.'
* Today in Black History - July 9 *
1901 - Jester Hairston is born in Belew's Creek, North Carolina, and will
move at a very early age to the Homestead section of Pittsburgh,
Pennsylvania, where he will grow up. He will attend the
Massachusetts Agriculture College (now University of
Massachusetts), dropping out in the 1920s due to lack of money.
After impressing a benefactor with his singing, he will be
sponsored at Tufts University, graduating in 1929. He will move to
New York and will meet Hall Johnson, who will teach him to respect
Negro spirituals. He will begin his Hollywood career in 1935 when
Warner Brothers purchases the show, "Green Pastures." His early
acting roles, will include long-running parts on the radio and
television versions of "Amos 'n' Andy" as well as bit parts in
Tarzan films. Although many of his early acting jobs will portray
less than flattering images of Blacks, he will never apologize for
playing racial stereotypes. "We had a hard time then fighting for
dignity," he will say years later. "We had no power. We had to take
it, and because we took it the young people today have
opportunities." In addition to his roles in television's "Amos 'n'
Andy" and "Amen," Hairston will excel as a musician, first with the
Eva Jessye Choir and later as assistant conductor of the Hall
Johnson Choir. He will also arrange choral music for more than 40
film soundtracks. He will also become the first African American
to direct The Mormon Tabernacle Choir. His films credits will
include "The Alamo," "To Kill a Mockingbird," "In the Heat of the
Night," "Lady Sings the Blues," "The Last Tycoon" and "Lilies of
the Valley," for which he will compose the song "Amen." That song,
which he dubbed for Sidney Poitier in the movie, will reflect
Hairston's lifelong dedication to preserving old Negro spirituals.
He will be a sought-after choral director who will organize
Hollywood's first integrated choir and compose more than 300
spirituals. In his later years, when working with students at
college workshops, Hairston will tell them, "You can't sing legato
when the master's beatin' you across your back." He will join the
ancestors in Los Angeles, California on January 18, 2000.
______________________________________________________________
Munirah Chronicle is edited by Brother Mosi Hoj
Archives: <http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/Munirah.html>
______________________________________________________________
Copyright 2002, All Rights Reserved by the Information Man in
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