Thanks, Julius! Some of these artists appear on the Atlantic R&B compilation
which was released about 15 years ago. A few favorites I'd like to add:
LaVern Baker (who, sadly, passed away in 1997, but not before being inducted
into the R&R Hall of Fame as an early influence), Ruth Brown (who is also
remembered for her turn as Motormouth Maybelle in John Waters's Hairspray),
"Big" Joe Turner (who was still making $50 a gig when he died in the saddle
in 1985), Dinah Washington, Doris Troy, Johnny Hartman, Maxine Sullivan,
Bessie Smith. And Charlie Christian who, if he hadn't died of TB at the age
of 24, might well have become the most significant and influential jazz
electric guitarist of the 20th century. Even so, he's still a very bright
light.
I've never known where Soul stops and R&B begins, so I'll just say that the
two defining words for both are, for me, Ray + Charles.
Any list of African Americans who have made indelible contributions to music
is bound to be a very partial one.
I'll stop now - I'm thinking of way too many wonderful musicians for one
post.....plus, I just bought a double Thomas "Fats" Waller set: since he's
an idol of mine (as a piano player, I admire his taste and musicianship, but
envy his incredibly agile and laser-sharp left hand), my stereo's currently
more attractive than my computer ;-)
Julius, I agree with you: the music we love helps us get through the worst
of times, and it enhances the best of times. God help us all if we didn't
have that!!
Love to all,
Roberto
Julius wrote:
>
>Lest we forget the African Americans, again, here is a very partial list of
>performers who are the absolute embodiment of soul, IMO:
>
>James Brown, Aretha Franklin, Mahalia Jackson, Etta James, Diana Ross,
>Andrea Crouch, Curtis Mayfield, Issac Hayes, B.B. King, Muddy Waters,
>Robert
>Johnson, Michael Jackson, Odetta, Marvin Gaye, Smokey Robinson, Wilson
>Pickett, Bill Withers, Chuck Berry, Bryan Thomas, Little Richard, Miles
>Davis, Charlie Parker, Patti Cathcart, John Lee Hooker, Duke Ellington,
>Tammi Terrell, Tina Turner, Ray Charles, Otis Redding, Earl Klugh, Ella
>Fitzgerald, Macy Gray, Whitney Houston, Herbie Hancock, Muddy Waters,
>Grover
>Washington, Jr.and scores and scores of others known and unknown. Thanks
>to
>them all for helping to make my life almost bearable in the worst of times
>through their music.
>
>-Julius
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