Podcasts about black songs

In this episode, I have special guest, innovator and creative Seth Pinnock (@sethanthonyp) talking all things black creativity, entrepreneurship and imagination. We discuss his musical roots, leading a youth movement at 17, and how to decide which risks are worth taking as an entrepreneur. This is a great conversation with lots of laughter and food for thought.

What is a song that comes to mind when you think of the Black struggle and getting THROUGH it!

A High School teacher is speaking out about a viral TikTok claiming white kids shouldn't be singing black songs. Insurance company exec vets white guys extra hard. Satanic statue in Iowa capitol torn down.  

Mike notes that all the songs on the Chicago trio's second LP are about “terrible people doing terrible things”  while Rod describes the albums sonics as the sound of chewing on tinfoil" and Glenn astutely observes “this album should really be called Songs About Getting Fucked.”  They're all right.   Recommended Listening:   Produced by Steve Albini Playlist https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7aLsoxNb3egrBqxnEEXadA?si=084262b414fe48fb   Academy O.C. “Roommate With An Axe” https://open.spotify.com/track/4RuIkJyvkUB4GwGnBEk6k4?si=59ac07d392d74b0f   Video Steve Albini & Ian MacKaye Interview https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fPMNY3roo_Y&list=WL&index=5   huntsmanhill.com huntsmanhillpodcast@gmail.com instagram.com/huntsmanhill https://twitter.com/HuntsmanHill Spotify Playlist:  https://open.spotify.com/user/1298220429/playlist/4gy1wWwypkoFS2lUztvZ44?si=waSq07DBQlq3x9G1_nK0pg   HHPP Amazon Affiliates Store https://huntsmanhill.com/2022/06/09/hhpp-store/   Our Music manhuntsman:  https://manhuntsman.com Academy O.C:  https://academyoc.bandcamp.com/album/academy-o-c   Omertà 68:  https://open.spotify.com/artist/6dfiCa0qTlbPQUrqtIkStS?si=6SCjNtXbSO2xRBDuBKJelQ

This time on The Children's Hour, we take a dive into the very basics of Civics education with lifelong educator and community leader Arthur Lieber. We explore how kids can help bring our country together, and build a brighter future. Then we hear from our friends at the Extinction Diaries about marine plankton, a tiny ocean critter upon whom life on Earth depends. Mixed with excellent music. Learn with us! Photo by Caleb Perez on Unsplash January 18, 2021 is Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service. Learn more from the National Constitution Center.  The National Constitution Center's website is full of educational resources.  titleartistalbumdurationlabel All TogetherWookiefootBe Fearless and Play03:532009 Wookiefoot Be a PainAlastair MoockBe a Pain - An Album for Young (And Old) Leaders03:562020 Alastair Moock You're Only As Good As Your WordMike SolowayHungry for Manners - Songs of Kindness, Politeness and Love02:152005 Pug Records Whistle GaitDevil in a WoodpileDevil in a Woodpile00:501998 Bloodshot Records Golden RuleFRANK & DEANEThe Nation of Imagine03:032018 FRANK & DEANE Being KindNimoEmpty Hands04:392014 Empty Hands Music Washington, D.C.The Not-Its!Are You Listening?02:502016 Little Loopy Records Reveille Variation/Drum Call/Slow Scotch/Quick Scotch/Yankee Doodle/Montezuma's Revenge from 'Warlike Musick'CW4 Gregory S. Balvanz & US Army Old Guard Fife and Drum CorpsCelebrating 50 Years01:242010 Altissimo! Lift Ev'ry Voice and SingBeyonceHOMECOMING: THE LIVE ALBUM02:092019 Parkwood Entertainment LLC, under exclusive license to Columbia Records, a Division of Sony Music Entertainment Reggae WalkSoul DefendersSoul Defenders At Studio One00:552015 Studio One Big Round WorldTrout Fishing In AmericaBig Round World03:512008 Trout Fishing in America PhytoplanktonElizabeth MitchellScience Fair02:202012 Spare the Rock Records LLC Song of FreedomPeter Lenton and FriendsProud Like a Mountain (Deluxe Version)02:252010 Peter Jonathan Lenton Mlk That WayDJ WILLY WOW! & Chuck DAnd the Crowd Goes Wow!03:372019 DJ WILLY WOW! We Dream in 3d Remix (feat. Lil Mike)SaulPaulAll Star Anthems02:172018 ReRoute Music Group I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel to Be FreeNina SimoneForever Young, Gifted & Black: Songs of Freedom and Spirit01:00Compilation (P) 2006 Sony Music Entertainment

Topics: Tupac death, Fugees, Set It Off, Moesha (Bonus Artist: hidingtobefound) http://afropopremix.com 1996 Snapshots 1.    President: Bill Clinton 2.    Jan - Whitewater scandal: U.S. First Lady Hillary Clinton testifies before a grand jury. 3.    Feb - Daniel Green is convicted of the murder of James Jordan, the father of basketball star Michael Jordan. 4.    Mar - Lyle and Erik Menendez are found guilty of first-degree murder for the shotgun killing of their parents. 5.    Apr - Chicago Bulls set a new NBA record for the most wins in a season, 70. 6.    May -? 7.    Jun - The Colorado Avalanche wins their first Stanley Cup in their first season based out of Denver and The Chicago Bulls win their fourth NBA Championship by defeating the Seattle Supersonics. 8.    July - The Centennial Olympic Park bombing at the 1996 Summer Olympics kills 2 and injures 111. 9.    Aug - Tiger Woods makes his professional PGA Tour debut. 10.    Sep - Tupac Shakur dies. 11.    Oct - The Fox News Channel is launched. 12.    Nov - Bill Clinton defeats Republican challenger Bob Dole to win his second term. 13.    Dec - Death of JonBenét Ramsey: A six-year-old beauty queen is beaten and strangled in the basement of her family's home in Boulder, Colorado; her body is found the following day. 14.    Open Comments: 15.    Music Snapshots 16.    #1 Macarena (Bayside Boys Mix), Los del Río 17.    #2 One Sweet Day, Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men 18.    #3 Because You Loved Me, Celine Dion 19.    Record of the Year: Change the World – Eric Clapton 20.    Album of the Year: Falling Into You – Celine Dion 21.    Song of the Year: Change the World 22.    Best New Artist: LeAnn Rimes 23.    Best Female R&B Vocal Performance: You're Makin' Me High – Toni Braxton 24.    Best Male R&B Vocal Performance: Your Secret Love – Luther Vandross 25.    Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal: Killing Me Softly – Fugees 26.    Best R&B Song: Exhale (Shoop Shoop), Babyface, songwriter (Whitney Houston) 27.    Best R&B Album: Words – The Tony Rich Project 28.    Best Rap Solo Performance: Hey Lover – LL Cool J 29.    Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group: Tha Crossroads – Bone Thugs-N-Harmony 30.    Best Rap Album: The Score – Fugees 31.    Movie Snapshots 32.    #1 Independence Day 33.    #2 Twister 34.    #3 Mission: Impossible 35.    Notables: Don't Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood, The Birdcage, Fargo, A Thin Line Between Love and Hate, The Nutty Professor, Kazaam, Set It Off, Space Jam, Jerry Maguire. 36.    TV Snapshots 37.    #1 - ER 38.    #2 - Seinfeld 39.    #3 - Suddenly Susan 40.    Debuts: Moesha, The Daily Show, Kenan & Kel, The Steve Harvey Show, In The House, Malcolm & Eddie, Homeboys in Outer Space, The Jamie Foxx Show 41.    Economic Snapshots 42.    Income = 36.3k (Previously 36K) 43.    House = 118.2K (113) 44.    Car = 16.3k (15.5) 45.    Rent = 554(550) 46.    Harvard = 27.5k (26k) 47.    Movie = 4.42 (4.35) 48.    Gas = 1.22 (1.12) 49.    Stamp = .32 (-) 50.    Social Scene: Tupac Killed 51.    Childhood: Tupac Shakur, born Parish Crooks, was born on June 16, 1971, to Black Panther activist parents in New York City. Thirteen days later, his mother, Alice Faye Walker (Afeni Shakur), changed his name. The parents wanted to avoid him being targeted by Black Panther-affiliated enemies. His mother was imprisoned while she was pregnant with him. Tupac's father, Billy Garland, was also a Panther but lost contact with Afeni when Tupac was five years old. The rapper would not see his father again until he was 23 - I thought my father was dead all my life. 52.    Early Life: He had a difficult childhood, as he grew up in the company of criminals, militant activist, violence, and a drugged addicted mother with a transient lifestyle. Art became a constructive and safe escape. His first acting stint was in 1983 (@12 yrs. old) with the Harlem’s 127th StreetRepertory Ensemble when he performed in a play ‘A Raisin in the Sun’ at the Apollo Theater. In 1984, Tupac's family moved from New York City to Baltimore, Maryland.There he studied poetry, jazz, acting, and ballet at the Baltimore School for the Arts and befriended Jada Pinkett. The family later moved to Marin City, California, across the bay from Oakland, in 1988 (@17 yrs. old). They went to the home of a woman Afeni had been close to during her Black Panther days and lived in a poor housing complex, referred to as ‘the Jungle.’ 53.    Early Career: While attending high school he participated in a poetry workshop known as The Microphone Sessions, organized by Leila Steinberg, who would eventually become his first manager. She introduced 19-year-old Tupac to Atron Gregory, a manager for the World Class Wrekin Cru’ and tour manager for NWA, who had just returned to the Bay Area, started TNT Records, and quickly gained attention by signing Digital Underground.  Gregory matched Tupac with Digital Underground as a roadie and backup dancer. Tupac’s talent was soon recognized by the group, and he began rapping in some of their songs. He debuted on ‘Same Song,’ which was featured in the 1991 film Nothing But Trouble. (@20 yrs. old) 54.    Solo Career: He released his debut solo album ‘2Pacalypse Now’ in 1991. (Big hit - 'Brenda's Got a Baby') Also in 1991, Shakur filed a $10-million lawsuit against the Oakland Police Department for allegedly brutalizing him over jaywalking. The case was settled for about $43,000. (1992 - Juice, first starring role) His second album, ‘Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z’ came out in 1993. It was more successful than its predecessor and contained the hits ‘Keep Ya Head Up’ and ‘I Get Around’. (1993 - Poetic Justice, co-starred with Janet Jackson) In 1994, he formed a group Thug Life and they released one album ‘Thug Life: Volume 1. (1994 - Above the Rim, Co-starred with Duane Martin) During this period he had several brushes with the law (he was associated with the shooting of a 6 yr. old Qa'id Walker-Teal in Marin City / shooting two policemen / various physical assaults) and was shot in an armed robbery case. After recovering from the shooting, he was sent to prison on a sexual assault charge. He released the album ‘Me Against the World’ in 1995 (@24) while serving his prison term. The album was an immediate hit and debuted at number one on the Billboard 200. 55.    Final Album: During 1995, while imprisoned, impoverished, and with his mother about to lose her house, Tupac had his wife get word to Marion Suge Knight, in Los Angeles, boss of the Death Row Records, at the time a verry successful company, and asked for a meeting. Tupac's mother received $15k, Suge paid Tupac's $1.4m bail, signed the rapper, and went to work on the album ‘All Eyez on Me’. The album was recorded in two weeks! In a matter of two weeks, Tupac recorded and completed the double-disc album, completing two out of three albums he owed Death Row. (The third release would end up being the posthumously released The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory) Released in February of 1996, the album featured five singles and went multi-Platinum in just a few months after its release. 56.    Death: Seven months later, in September 1996, Tupac was killed in a drive-by shooting. He was 25 years old. 57.    Open Comments: 58.    Question: Confused young man or someone to be taken seriously? (What did he represent?) 59.    Music Scene: 60.    Black Songs in the Top 40 61.    #1 Macarena (Bayside Boys Mix), Los del Río 62.    #2 One Sweet Day, Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men 63.    #4 Nobody Knows, The Tony Rich Project 64.    #5 Always Be My Baby, Mariah Carey 65.    #6 Give Me One Reason, Tracy Chapman 66.    #7 Tha Crossroads, Bone Thugs-n-Harmony 67.    #9 You're Makin' Me High / Let It Flow, Toni Braxton 68.    #10 Twisted, Keith Sweat 69.    #11 C'mon N' Ride It (The Train), Quad City DJ's 70.    #14 Exhale (Shoop Shoop), Whitney Houston 71.    #16 Sittin' Up in My Room, Brandy 72.    #17 How Do U Want It / California Love, 2Pac featuring K-Ci and JoJo 73.    #20 Hey Lover, LL Cool J 74.    #21 Loungin, LL Cool J 75.    #23 Be My Lover, La Bouche 76.    #27 I Can't Sleep Baby (If I), R. Kelly 77.    #32 Not Gon' Cry, Mary J. Blige 78.    #33 Gangsta's Paradise, Coolio featuring L.V. 79.    #34 Only You, 112 featuring The Notorious B.I.G. and Mase 80.    #35 Down Low (Nobody Has to Know), R. Kelly featuring The Isley Brothers 81.    #36 You're the One, SWV 82.    #37 Sweet Dreams, La Bouche 83.    #38 Before You Walk Out of My Life / Like This and Like That, Monica 84.    #40 1, 2, 3, 4 (Sumpin' New), Coolio 85.    #42 No Diggity, Blackstreet featuring Dr. Dre 86.    Vote: 87.    Top RnB Albums 88.    Jan - Waiting to Exhale, Soundtrack / Various artists 89.    Feb - Str8 off tha Streetz of Muthaphukkin Compton, Eazy-E 90.    Mar - All Eyez on Me, 2Pac 91.    Mar - The Score, Fugees 92.    Apr - The Coming, Busta Rhymes 93.    Apr - The Resurrection, Geto Boys 94.    Jun - Gettin' It (Album Number Ten), Too Short 95.    Jun - Legal Drug Money, Lost Boyz 96.    Jun - The Nutty Professor, Soundtrack / Various artists 97.    Jul - Secrets, Toni Braxton 98.    Jul - Keith Sweat, Keith Sweat 99.    Jul - It Was Written, Nas 100.    Aug - Beats, Rhymes and Life, A Tribe Called Quest 101.    Sep - ATLiens, Outkast 102.    Sep - Home Again, New Edition 103.    Oct - Another Level, Blackstreet 104.    Nov - Bow Down, Westside Connection 105.    Nov - Ironman, Ghostface Killah 106.    Nov - The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory, Makaveli 107.    Nov - Tha Doggfather, Snoop Dogg 108.    Dec - Hell on Earth, Mobb Deep 109.    Dec - Muddy Waters, Redman 110.    Vote: 111.    Featured Artist: The Fugees 112.    Lauryn Hill (@21 yrs. old in 1996) was born in 1975 to a high school teacher and computer expert in New Jersey. Her mother played piano and her father sang in nightclubs. Young Lauryn sang in church choirs, gospel groups and showed a strong voice. She loved '60s and '70s soul and by age thirteen, she was playing the amateur night showtime at the Apollo, doing a cover of Smokey Robinson's "Who's Loving You". Hill nabbed minor roles on television's As the World Turns and in the film Sister Act II: Back in the Habit. Her work with the Fugees began in 1987 in high school with friend Prakazrel Samuel Michel. 113.    "Pras" (@23 in 1996) was born in Brooklyn in 1972 and raised in New Jersey. He showed an early interest in music and attended Rutgers University and Yale University, pursuing a double major in Philosophy and Psychology. 114.    Wyclef Jean (@27 yrs. old) was born in 1969 in Haiti, the son of a minister. When he was nine, he moved to the projects of Brooklyn, and later New Jersey, where he took up guitar and the study of music. 115.    The trio formed in the late '80s, named themselves the Tranzlator Crew and used Hill's soap opera acting proceeds to pay for equipment. They toured the tri-state area and were signed to major label Ruffhouse/Columbia in 1993. Hill was still a minor. Shortly thereafter, they renamed themselves Fugees, a derisive slang term for refugees, and released a debut 12-inch Fugees (Tranzlator Crew) "Boof Baf" to no notable sales. 116.    Their 1994 debut LP Blunted on Reality, stylized in a fashion like A Tribe Called Quest, Poor Righteous Teachers, and Digable Planets, did better. However, it was the remixed versions of "Nappy Head (Mona Lisa)" and "Vocab" that earned the group another budget for a follow-up album. (Also, notable, in later interviews Pras would say that a married Wyclef and the underage Hill were having a clandestine relationship at the time) 117.    Combining a mix of conscious hip hp, soul, and reggae, with a homemade basement studio, sampled melodies, live guitars, bass, keys, "The Score" arrived in 1996, filling the void between gangsta and glitter. It became an instant classic, ultimately selling over 18 million copies. 118.    Open Comments: 119.    Internal "Affairs": In the summer of 1996, on the Smoking Grooves Tour, Hill met Rohan Marley, (one of Bob Marley's kids) and even though the former University of Miami football player was initially rebuffed, because Hill was still seeing Jean, , no one knew who the child really belonged to. 120.    In the summer of 1996 Hill had met Rohan Marley, a son of Bob Marley and a former University of Miami football player. Hill subsequently began a relationship with him, while still also involved with the married Wyclef. She soon became visibly pregnant. Marley and Hill's first child was born the following summer. 121.    Soon after Zion was born, she learned that Marley already had a wife and two children from another marriage. 122.    Amid newfound international fame and baby Daddy drama, Wyclef did not support Hill's solo desires (she had made appearances on Wyclef's solo project), thus leading to the group splitting up. 123.    Hill started work on The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill; blocking out Wyclef Jean from any type of production help after he had snubbed her. Her old-school takes on "Doo Wop (That Thing)" helped it rule the charts in 1998 and win five Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year, Best New Artist, Best Female R&B Vocal Performance, Best R&B Song, and Best R&B Album -- the most ever for a woman. 124.    Meanwhile, Hill was having more of Marley's children and becoming close with Brother Anthony, a spiritual adviser who studied the Bible with her several times per week. In 2001, she recorded an MTV Unplugged session where she broke down in tears and admitted to being deranged and emotionally unstable. Rolling Stone called the session "a public breakdown", though it debuted at number three on the Billboard 200 and went platinum. 125.    She has been a sporadic and reluctant public figure ever since. 126.    Question: Have you ever had an affair with a co-worker? How did it turn out? 127.    Movie Scene: Set It Off. [Directed by F. Gary Gray Action, Crime, Drama, Romance, Thriller. Starring Queen Latifah, Jada Pinkett, and Vivica A. Fox] 128.    Rotten Tomatoes, Critics Consensus: It may not boast an original plot, but Set It Off is a satisfying, socially conscious heist film thanks largely to fine performances from its leads. 129.    Emanuel Levy, Variety 11-1996: Influenced by "Thelma & Louise" and "Waiting to Exhale," F. Gary Gray's "Set It Off" is a well-crafted girls-n-the-hood actioner, with an acute social conscience and plenty of soul. A tale of female bonding and empowerment, this relevant film boasts a terrific cast, headed by Jada Pinkett and Queen Latifah in career-making performances. 130.    Stephen Holden, New York Times 11-1996: Just Trying to Get Even While They Get Rich. On the long list of Hollywood heist movies that make you root for its criminals to steal a million dollars and live happily ever after, F. Gary Gray's film ''Set It Off'' is one of the most poignantly impassioned. If this messy roller coaster of a film often seems to be going in several directions at once, it never for a second loses empathy for its quartet of black female bank robbers who grew up together in a Los Angeles housing project and earn meager wages working for a janitorial service... A pop psychologist might translate the story into a fable called ''Women Who Rob Banks and the Society That Hates Them.' 131.    Roger Ebert 11-1996: “Set It Off” is advertised as a thriller about four black women who rob banks. But it's a lot more than that. It creates a portrait of the lives of these women that's so observant and informed; it's like “Waiting to Exhale” with a strong jolt of reality. The movie surprised and moved me: I expected a routine action picture and was amazed how much I started to care about the characters. 132.    Kent, Entertainment Weekly 09-2019: Why Set It Off is an era-defining film that shouldn't be remade. We are clearly in the age of reboots and remakes, but the '90s heist film is irreplaceable. 133.    Question 1: Remake or Sequel? 134.    Question 2: Do we really want more black female action heroines/stories? (i.e., women of Black Panther, "Breaking In" movie, Berry, Valkyrie, Guardians...etc.) 135.    TV Scene: Moesha 136.    Screen Rant: No show lasts for six seasons without making a cultural impact; Moesha was nominated for 32 awards and won three: two NAACP Image Awards and one SHINE Award. The series was syndicated, and still airs around the world. Netflix picked up streaming rights to the series in 2020, which became available to US subscribers on August 1, 2020. As new viewers will discover, however, despite how influential the show was, it ends abruptly after a significant cliffhanger for the main character in the season 6 finale. Despite the recognition, the show steadily declined in ratings, leading to its cancelation. 137.    Moesha Mitchell went through quite the journey on Moesha. At the beginning of the series, Moesha was still dealing with her mother's death a few years prior and learning to come to terms with her new stepmother, Deirdre "Dee" Mitchel (Sheryl Lee Ralph) — who just happened to be the vice principal at Moesha's school. The final season sees Brandy experiencing the trials and tribulations of being a young adult, complete with an engagement to long-time on-again, off-again boyfriend Quinton "Q" Brooks (Fredro Starr) and attending college. The final episode ends with the reveal of a positive pregnancy test in Moesha's dorm — who it belongs to, however, is a mystery. Since the show never got another season, the storyline was never resolved. 138.    According to EW, at the time, UPN's plan was to address the pregnancy cliffhanger in the spin-off series The Parkers, which premiered on the network in 1999. The Parkers followed Moesha's "boy-crazy" friend Kimberly Ann "Kim" Parker as she navigated attending college with her mother, who has decided to enlist at the same time as her daughter. For unknown reasons, however, the planned resolution never took place, despite The Parkers running until 2005. With there being reports of a possible reboot series in the works, perhaps this Moesha storyline — as well as the question of what happened to Moesha's brother Myles, who disappeared in the finale — can finally be laid to rest." 139.    Question: Is it reboot worthy? / Is any classic black TV show reboot worthy? 140.    Vote: Best/most important/favorite pop culture item from 1996?

Topics: WTC Bombing, Urban Fashion, Dr. Dre, Menace II Society, Living Single (Bonus Artist: Luck) http://afropopremix.com/   https://www.vibe.com/2016/01/1993-the-year-hip-hop-and-rb-conquered-the-world "1993: The Year Hip-Hop And R&B Conquered The World" 1993 was a historically transformative period for hip-hop and rhythm and blues. When VIBE Magazine dropped its iconic black and white debut issue in September of 1993—featuring a ridiculously fresh faced Snoop Doggy Dogg gracing the landmark cover—it was yet another reminder how ubiquitous urban culture had become. 1993: Hip Hop Artist that released albums A Tribe Called Quest / Bone Thugs-n-Harmony / Cypress Hill / De La Soul / Digable Planets / Digital Underground / DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince / Eazy-E / Fat Joe / Geto Boys / Heavy D & the Boyz / Ice Cube / Ice-T / Insane Clown Posse / Jodeci / Jungle Brothers / Kid Rock / Kris Kross / KRS-One / LL Cool J / Luke / MC Lyte / Naughty by Nature / Onyx / Queen Latifah / Run-D.M.C. / Salt-n-Pepa / Shaquille O'Neal / Snoop Dogg / Tag Team / The Roots / Too Short / Tupac / Wu-Tang Clan / Yo-Yo Next recording: Sunday June, 28th 2020 Time: Decatur / Tulsa - 12 noon Denver - 11a California - 10a Topics: Social - World Trade Center bombing Social - Urban fashion Music - The Chronic, by Dr. Dre Movies - Menace II Society TV - Living Single 1. 1993 notes 2. Bill Clinton, President 3. Feb – Former tennis player Arthur Ashe, 49, dies of the AIDS virus in New York. Ashe was believed to have contracted the virus from a blood transfusion during a heart surgery ten years earlier. 4. Feb – World Trade Center bombing: In New York City, a van bomb parked below the North Tower of the World Trade Center explodes, killing six and injuring over 1,000. 5. Feb – Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms agents raid the Branch Davidian compound in Waco, Texas, with a warrant to arrest leader David Koresh on federal firearms violations. Four agents and five Davidians die in the raid and a 51-day standoff begins. 6. Mar - ESPN holds the first ever ESPY Awards. 7. Apr – The Kuwaiti government claims to uncover an Iraqi assassination plot against former U.S. President George H. W. Bush shortly after his visit to Kuwait. Two Iraqi nationals confess to driving a car bomb into Kuwait on behalf of the Iraqi Intelligence Service. 8. Apr - Colorado Rockies becomes a baseball team 9. Jun - The final episode of Soul Train with Don Cornelius as host airs. 10. Jul – U.S. President Bill Clinton announces his 'Don't ask, don't tell' policy regarding homosexuals serving in the American military. 11. Sep – PLO leader Yasser Arafat and Israeli prime minister Yitzhak Rabin shake hands in Washington D.C., after signing a peace accord. 12. Oct – A large scale battle erupts between U.S. forces and local militia in Mogadishu, Somalia; eighteen Americans and over 1,000 Somalis are killed. The assault was planned to include an air and ground phase. As the mission was ongoing, Somali forces shot down two American Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters using RPG-7s. A desperate defense of the downed helicopters began, which would become dramatized in the 2001 film Black Hawk Down. Fighting lasted through the night to defend the survivors of the crashes, including the insertion of two sniper commandos who would be posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor. In the morning, a UNOSOM II armored convoy fought their way to the helicopters, incurring further casualties but eventually rescuing the survivors. 13. Nov – President Clinton signs the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act into law, requiring purchasers of handguns to pass a background check. 14. Open Comments: 15. Top 3 Pop Songs 16. #1. "I Will Always Love You" Whitney Houston 17. #2. "Whoomp! (There It Is)" Tag Team 18. #3. "Can't Help Falling in Love" UB40 19. Record of the Year: "I Will Always Love You", Whitney Houston 20. Album of the Year: The Bodyguard: Original Soundtrack Album 21. Song of the Year: "A Whole New World" by Peabo Bryson & Regina Belle 22. Best New Artist: Toni Braxton 23. Best R&B Vocal Performance, Female: Toni Braxton for "Another Sad Love Song" 24. Best R&B Vocal Performance, Male: Ray Charles for "A Song for You" 25. Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group: Sade for "No Ordinary Love" 26. Best Rhythm & Blues Song: "That's the Way Love Goes" by Janet Jackson 27. Best Rap Solo Performance: Dr. Dre for "Let Me Ride" 28. Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group: Digable Planets for "Rebirth of Slick (Cool Like Dat)" 29. Top 3 movies 30. #1. Jurassic Park 31. #2. Mrs. Doubtfire 32. #3. The Fugitive 33. Notables: CB4, Groundhog Day, The Crying Game, Falling Down, Indecent Proposal, Who's the Man?, Sleepless in Seattle, Poetic Justice, Carlito's Way, A Bronx Tale 34. Top 3 TV Shows 35. #1. 60 Minutes 36. #2. Home Improvement 37. #3. Seinfeld 38. Debuts: Living Single (Forgot to Mention "Martin" debut for 1992) 39. Economic Snapshots 40. Avg. Income: 31k (30k - previously) 41. New Home: 113k (122.5k) 42. Avg Rent: 532 (519) 43. New Car: 12.7k (16.9k) 44. Harvard: 23.5k (15.4k) 45. Movie Ticket: 4.14 (4.25) 46. Gas: 1.16 1.05 (1.05) 47. Stamp: .29 (.29) 48. Social Scene: WTC Bombing 49. A 1,200-pound bomb in a Ryder rental truck parked in a parking garage beneath the World Trade Center exploded. The explosion created a hole about 6 stories deep. An estimated 50,000 people were evacuated, yet only 6 people died. 50. Ramzi Yousef directed the organization and execution of the bombing. He said he did it to avenge the sufferings Palestinian people had endured at the hands of US-aided Israel. He is the nephew of Khalid Shaikh Mohammed - the accused mastermind of the 2001 attacks on New York and Washington that killed nearly 3,000 people and ultimately brought down the World Trade Center. 51. Timeline 52. February 26, 1993 - At 12:18 p.m. ET, a bomb explodes on the second subterranean level of Vista Hotel's public parking garage, below the 2 World Trade Center building. 53. February 28, 1993 - The FBI confirms that a bomb caused the explosion. In the wreckage, federal agents find shattered van parts with a vehicle identification number. 54. March 4, 1993 - Mohammad Salameh is arrested after he claims a refund on a rented van authorities believe carried the explosives. 6 More arrested over next 8 months. 55. March 29, 1993 - The World Trade Center re-opens. 56. August 25, 1993 - Sheik Omar Abdel-Rahman (The Blind Sheik) an Egyptian cleric who emigrated to the United States, is indicted for involvement for in the terrorist plot. Some of the 1993 bombing suspects frequented the New Jersey mosque where he preached. 57. February 7, 1995 - Suspected WTC bombing mastermind Yousef is captured abroad by the FBI and State Department. 58. October 1995 - Abdel-Rahman is convicted of seditious conspiracy and sentenced to life in prison. 59. January 8, 1998 - After being convicted, Yousef is sentenced to 240 years in prison for his role in organizing the bombing. "I am a terrorist and proud of it," he tells the court. He has been locked away in solitary confinement at the federal "Supermax" prison in Florence, Colorado, since 1998. 60. February 18, 2017 - Abdel-Rahman, the blind Egyptian-born cleric who inspired terrorist plots including the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, passes away in an American prison at the age of 78. 61. Question: What do you remember about this attack and/or the 9/11 attack? 62. Social Scene (2) Urban Wear / Street gear explosion 63. First generation of hip-hop acts dressed like the top RnB acts that influenced them: Classic Motown, Rick James, Michael Jackson, Prince, George Clinton, etc... 64. 1983: Run-DMC set a new standard in hip-hop fashion, choosing casual wear like adidas sneakers and Kangol hats over suits, fancy shoes and other expensive gear. They popularized, the B-Boy look of bucket hats, sneakers, and gold chains. 65. Mid 80's Dapper Dan, born Daniel Day, a haberdasher who would import bootlegged fabrics or screen-print logos onto luxury leather, then turn them into one-of-a-kind, street-inflected pieces. His boutique, operated from 1982–92 and is most associated with introducing high fashion (opposite Run-DMC's casual style) to the hip hop world, with high profile clients over the years including Eric B. & Rakim, Salt-N-Pepa, & LL Cool J. 66. 1984-1992: Tommy Hilfiger & Polo Ralph Lauren: Between 1984 and 1989, Ralph Lauren was king of the hip-hop culture. When Tommy Hilfiger was released in the early 1990s, both brands battled each other for the hearts of musicians and the attention of hip-hop fans around the world. In 1992, Grand Puba wrote lyrics for the Mary J. Blige’s song “What’s the 411?” and mentioned Hilfiger because that’s what he was repping at the time. Puba said he gave a shout-out to the brand because rap artists recognized “whatever’s fresh, whatever’s dope.” 67. 1990: Founded in 1989, Cross Colours was geared toward young African Americans to help promote pride in their ethnicity. Based on the principle of “clothes without prejudice,” Cross Colours is one of the most iconic brands to embrace hip-hop culture. In 1990, on the first season of the hit primetime television show The Fresh Prince of Bel Air, lead actor Will Smith wore a series of boldly hued and geometric looks designed by the young Los Angeles–based urban apparel line. African American-owned, founded by Carl Jones and T.J. Walker, the brand quickly skyrocketed. Soon, it was being worn by almost every musical icon of the era. Snoop Dogg, Tupac, Run DMC, Dr. Dre, Lil Kim, Mary J. Blige, members of TLC, television show In Living Color, and Muhammad Ali. 68. 1993: With the mainstream success of hip-hop, street gear/urban wear sales exploded and legitimized "Urban" fashion as a legitimate niche for major retail outlets. 69. Notable brands: Pelle (1978), Karl Kani (1989), Phat Farm (1992), PNB Nation (1992), Fubu (1992), Ecko Unlimited (1993), Mecca (1994), Enyce (1996), Sean John (1998), Rocawear (1999) 70. Question: What old-school gear/style would you still rock today? 71. Music Scene: 72. Black Songs from the top 40 73. #1. "I Will Always Love You" Whitney Houston 74. #2. "Whoomp! (There It Is)" Tag Team 75. #4. "That's the Way Love Goes" Janet Jackson 76. #5. "Freak Me" Silk 77. #6. "Weak" SWV 78. #7."If I Ever Fall in Love" Shai 79. #8. "Dreamlover" Mariah Carey 80. #9. "Rump Shaker" Wreckx-n-Effect 81. #10. "Informer" Snow 82. #11. "Nuthin' but a 'G' Thang" Dr. Dre 83. #12. "In the Still of the Nite" Boyz II Men 84. #13. "Don't Walk Away" Jade 85. #14. "Knockin' da Boots" H-Town 86. #15. "Lately" Jodeci 87. #16. "Dazzey Duks" Duice 88. #17. "Show Me Love" Robin S. 89. #18. "A Whole New World" Peabo Bryson and Regina Belle 90. #19. "If" Janet Jackson 91. #20. "I'm So Into You" SWV 92. #21."Love Is" Vanessa Williams and Brian McKnight 93. #23. "I'll Never Get Over You (Getting Over Me)" Exposé 94. #24. "Ditty" Paperboy 95. #25. "Rhythm Is a Dancer" Snap! 96. #29. "Right Here" SWV 97. #30. "I Have Nothing" Whitney Houston 98. #31. "Mr. Wendal" Arrested Development 99. #33. "Saving Forever for You" Shanice 100. #35. "If I Had No Loot" Tony! Toni! Toné! 101. #37. "Slam" Onyx 102. #38. "Looking Through Patient Eyes" P.M. Dawn 103. #39. "I'm Every Woman" Whitney Houston 104. #40. "Baby I'm Yours" Shai 105. Vote: 106. Number One RnB Albums 107. Jan The Bodyguard - Soundtrack / Whitney Houston 108. Feb The Chronic - Dr. Dre 109. Mar 19 Naughty III - Naughty by Nature 110. Mar Till Death Do Us Part - Geto Boys 111. Apr Loose Control - Silk 112. Apr 14 Shots to the Dome - LL Cool J 113. May Down with the King - Run-D.M.C. 114. May Fever for Da Flavor - H-Town 115. Jun janet. - Janet Jackson 116. June 26 Menace II Society - Soundtrack / Various artists 117. Aug Black Sunday - Cypress Hill 118. Sep The World Is Yours - Scarface 119. Sep Music Box - Mariah Carey 120. Oct Toni Braxton - Toni Braxton 121. Oct 187, He Wrote - Spice 1 122. Nov It's On (Dr. Dre) 187um Killa - Eazy-E 123. Nov Get in Where You Fit In - Too Short 124. Nov Midnight Marauders - A Tribe Called Quest 125. Dec Shock of the Hour - MC Ren 126. Dec Doggystyle - Snoop Doggy Dogg 127. Dec Lethal Injection - Ice Cube 128. Vote: 129. Music Scene: The Chronic by Dr. Dre, (@age 28 yrs. old) 130. Bio: Dr Dre (Andre Romelle Young) is an American rapper, producer and entrepreneur. He is the CEO of Aftermath Entertainment. 131. His initial stint with music was as a DJ in the local club, The Eve After Dark. It was during this time that he took up the moniker Dr Dre that has lived with him all through. In 1984, Dre began his musical career as a member of the musical group, World Class Weckin’ Cru. The group soon dominated the electro-hop scene in the West Coast with their first single, ‘Surgery’ selling more than 50,000 copies within Compton alone. In 1986, he along with Eazy-E, Ice Cube and DJ Yella formed the local gangsta rap group N.W.A. (Niggaz for Life). N.W.A worked on the themes of urban crime and gang lifestyle. Their lyrics were harsh and overt, and brought to mainstream America the slice of ‘real’ life on streets. N.W.A’s debutant studio album, ‘Straight Outta Compton’ met with blockbuster success, selling more than 2 million copies. Its single, ‘Fuck Tha Police’ explored the tension between black youth and police officials. In 1991, the group released its second album, ‘Efil4zaggin’ before disbanding. In 1991, he co-founded Death Row Records with Sue Knight. In 1992, he released his first single, which served as the title track for the film ‘Deep Cover’. The single featured the debut of rapper Snoop Dogg as well. 132. In 1993, Dre made the big leap of his career with his maiden album, ‘The Chronic’. Its singles, ‘Nuthin’ but a ‘G’ Thang’, ‘Let Me Ride’, ‘Fuck with Dre Day’ created a revolution in the music industry, making the album a cultural phenomenon. The album with its G-funk sound dominated the hip hop music for the early 1990s.Following success as a rapper, he switched to being a producer. He produced Snoop Dogg’s debut album, ‘Doggystyle’, Tupac Shakur’s work, ‘All Eyez on Me’ and several film songs. 133. In 1996, following contractual dispute, he left Death Row Records for good. Same year, he set up his own label, Aftermath Entertainment in connection with Interscope Records. 134. Audio clip 1 - Review 135. Audio clip 2 - Jimmy Iovine 136. Question: Are you tired of Ganster Rap? If so, when and why? 137. Movie Scene: Menace II Society 138. Audio Clip Trailer 139. Firmly established "Hood" films as commercially viable, just like fashion. 140. Question: which of the following is your favorite "hood" film? 141. Colors, 1988 / King Of New York, 1990 / Boyz N The Hood, 1991 / Juice, 1992 / New Jack City, 1992 / South Central, 1992 / Deep Cover 1992 / Menace II Society, 1993 / Poetic Justice, 1993 / Sugar Hill, 1993 / Strapped, 1993 / CB4*, 1993 142. Soon to come: Fresh (1994) / Above the Rim (1994) / Friday (1995) / Higher Learning (1995) / New Jersey Drive (1995) / Set It Off (1996) / Dead Presidents (1995) / Hoodlum (1997) / The Players Club (1998) / Belly (1998) / In Too Deep (1999) 143. TV Scene: Living Single, starring Queen Latifah (@ 23 yrs. old) 144. Audio clip Theme song 145. Queen Latifah is an American singer, songwriter, rapper, actress, record producer and talk show host 146. Dana Elaine Owens was born on 18th March 1970 in Newark, New Jersey, to Lance and Rita Owens. Her father was in police services. Her parents got divorced when she was eight. She was raised by her mother in Baptist faith. Her mother played a catalyst role in her music career. She had an older brother, Lance Owens, who also worked in police service. He died in a motorbike accident in 1992. This motorbike was presented to him by Latifah. She attended Catholic School in Newark, New Jersey. During her high school days, she was part of girls’ basketball team. She began rapping during high school. She formed her first rap group ‘Ladies Fresh’ when she was in junior year. She met local DJ Mark James. He formed a group named ‘Flavor Unit’ of which Latifah was the original member. James made a demo record of Latifah's rap ‘Princess of the Posse’. This recording caught attention of ‘Tommy Boy Music’ who immediately signed Latifah. In 1988, this music company offered her first single, ‘Wrath of My Madness’. The song got a positive response and she got an opportunity of a European tour and to perform at the ‘Apollo Theater’. In 1989, when she was just 19 years old, Latifah released her first album, ‘All Hail to the Queen’, which went on to sell more than 1 million copies. 147. Queen invested her money in a small video store on the ground floor of her apartment. She elevated this business to turn it into a record production company. In 1991, when she was just 21 years old, she rolled out ‘Flavor Unit Records and Management Company’ in New Jersey in partnership with her old friend Shakim Compere. She became the CEO of this company. In the same year, she also tried her hands at acting. She debuted in inter-racial romance drama ‘Jungle Fever’. In 1992, she appeared in crime thriller ‘Juice’. 148. Soon she grabbed a leading role in the groundbreaking a sitcom ‘Living Single’. 149. By late 1993, her record company signed 17 rap groups. One of these groups, ‘Naughty by nature’, was extraordinarily successful. In the same year, this company released, album ‘Black Reign’. 150. audio clip - Friends vs Living Single 151. Question: Did Friends have any character that was better than Living Single? 152. Vote: Best/most important/favorite pop culture item from 1993?

During quarantine, we're picking a color each show and playing a selection of songs about that color. This episode, the color is Black.

Topics: A Black Renaissance?, Mariah Carey, House Party, In Living Color / The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (Bonus Artist: hidingtobefound)     1990 General Snapshots   1.    George Bush Sr. President   2.    January - United States invasion of Panama: General Manuel Noriega, the deposed "strongman of Panama", surrenders to American forces.   3.    January - Douglas Wilder becomes the first elected African American governor as he takes office in Richmond, Virginia.   4.    January - Mayor Marion Barry is arrested for drug possession in an FBI sting.   5.    February - James "Buster" Douglas knocks out Mike Tyson to win the World Heavyweight Boxing crown.   6.    February - A smoking ban takes effect on all domestic U.S. flights of less than six hours.   7.    March - Greyhound bus drivers’ strike for higher pay.   8.    April - STS-31: The Hubble Space Telescope is launched aboard Space Shuttle Discovery.   9.    June - Nelson Mandela tours North America, visiting 3 Canadian cities and 8 U.S. cities.   10.    July - George H. W. Bush signs the Americans with Disabilities Act, designed to protect disabled Americans from discrimination.   11.    August - Gulf War: Iraq invades Kuwait, eventually leading to the Gulf War.   12.    September - Chris Rock makes Saturday Night Live debut.   13.    October - Evander Holyfield defeats James "Buster" Douglas to become the heavyweight boxing champion.   14.    November - Sharon Pratt Kelly is elected Mayor of the District of Columbia, becoming the first black woman to head a major U.S. city. She takes office January 2, 1991.   15.    Top 3 Pop Songs   16.    #1    "Hold On"    Wilson Phillips   17.    #2    "It Must Have Been Love"    Roxette   18.    #3    "Nothing Compares 2 U"    Sinéad O'Connor   19.    Record of the Year - "Another Day in Paradise" – Phil Collins   20.    Album of the Year - Quincy Jones (producer & artist) for Back on the Block   21.    Song of the Year - "From a Distance" performed by Bette Midler   22.    Best New Artist - Mariah Carey   23.    Best R&B Vocal Performance, Female - Anita Baker for Compositions   24.    Best R&B Vocal Performance, Male - Luther Vandross for "Here and Now"   25.    Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group - Ray Charles & Chaka Khan for "I'll Be Good to You"   26.    Best Rhythm & Blues Song - "U Can't Touch This" performed by M.C. Hammer   27.    Best Rap Solo Performance - M.C. Hammer for "U Can't Touch This" 28.    Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group - Big Daddy Kane, Ice T, Kool Moe Dee, Melle Mel, Quincy D. III & Quincy Jones for "Back on the Block"   29.    Top 3 Movies   30.    #1 Ghost   31.    #2 Home Alone   32.    # 3 Pretty Woman   33.    Other Notables:   34.    Top 3 TV Shows   35.    Cheers   36.    60 Minutes   37.    Roseanne   38.    Debuts: In Living Color, True Colors, Brewster Place, The Fresh Prince   39.    Economic Snapshots   40.    New Home: 123k (previously 120K)   41.    Avg Rent: 465 (425)   42.    Avg. Income: 29k (27K)   43.    New Car: 16k (15K)   44.    Harvard: 13.5k (12.7k)   45.    Movie Ticket: 4 3.50 - same   46.    Gas: 1.34 (.97)   47.    Stamp: .25 (.25)   48.    Social Scene: Pop Culture Dominance and Influence   49.    Politics: Colin Powell, Douglas Wilder, Congressional Black Caucus @ 25 (John Lewis 2nd term)   50.    Business: Ebony/Jet, Russel Simmons, Reginald F. Lewis   51.    Sports: Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, Mike Tyson, Barry Sanders, Jerry Rice, Barry Bonds, Ken Griffey Jr.   52.    Music: Michael Jackson, Prince, Whitney, Janet Jackson, MC Hammer, Anita Baker   53.    Movies: Eddie Murphy, Denzel Washington, Whoopi Goldberg, Morgan Freeman, Spike Lee, Robert Townsend   54.    Television: Oprah (Daytime), Cosby (Prime time), Aresnio (Nighttime)   55.    Open Comments:   56.    Question: Assimilation? OK, but who is changing who? Are we changing America or is America Changing us?   57.    Music Scene   58.    Black Songs from the Top 40   59.    #4    "Poison"    Bell Biv DeVoe   60.    #6    "Vision of Love"    Mariah Carey   61.    #8    "Hold On"    En Vogue   62.    #11    "Do Me!"    Bell Biv DeVoe   63.    #13    "Pump Up the Jam"    Technotronic   64.    #14    "Opposites Attract"    Paula Abdul and The Wild Pair   65.    #15    "Escapade"    Janet Jackson   66.    #17    "Close to You"    Maxi Priest   67.    #21    "All Around the World"    Lisa Stansfield   68.    #22    "I Wanna Be Rich"    Calloway   69.    #23    "Rub You the Right Way"    Johnny Gill   70.    #24    "She Ain't Worth It"    Glenn Medeiros and Bobby Brown   71.    #26    "The Power"    Snap!   72.    #30    "Two to Make It Right"    Seduction   73.    #33    "Step by Step"    New Kids on the Block   74.    #36    "I Don't Have the Heart"    James Ingram   75.    #38    "Rhythm Nation"    Janet Jackson   76.    #41    "Everything"    Jody Watley   77.    #42    "Back to Life (However Do You Want Me)"    Soul II Soul featuring Caron Wheeler   78.    #43    "Here and Now"    Luther Vandross   79.    Top RnB Albums   80.    January Tender Lover Babyface   81.    January Back on the Block Quincy Jones   82.    April Please Hammer, Don't Hurt 'Em MC Hammer   83.    June Poison Bell Biv DeVoe   84.    June Johnny Gill Johnny Gill   85.    August I'll Give All My Love to You Keith Sweat   86.    December I'm Your Baby Tonight Whitney Houston   87.    Featured Artist: Mariah Angela Carey, (Songbird) singer, songwriter, record producer, actress and philanthropist   88.    Childhood - Born to Patricia (Hickey), an Irish American mezzo-soprano opera singer, and Alfred Roy Carey, an aeronautical engineer. They got divorced when Carey was only three. Her first public performance was at the age of six. By the age of sixteen, she was skipping classes to write songs and her brother, Morgan, paid for her first recording session. She finally graduated from Harborfields High School, in 1987.   89.    Career - Before Carey got her big break, she worked as a temp and juggled with a few odd jobs such as a beautician, hair sweeper in a salon, waitress and as a coat check girl. After several years of struggling, Carey began singing background vocals for the pop and salsa singer-songwriter Brenda Starr in the late 1980s. Additionally, Carey wrote four songs with Ben Margulies, which solely constituted her demo tape. Margulies was a drummer, guitarist, piano player and singer. (One of Margulies's bandmates went to high school with Mariah’s older brother) Starr ultimately helped Carey land a record contract by giving her demo tape to Columbia Records executive Tommy Mottola. In 1988, Mottola signed her***.   90.    In June of 1990, her self-titled album, ‘Mariah Carey’, which contained four No.1 hits were released. It was the best-selling album of 1991 and has been certified nine times Platinum.   91.    Aside from her voice, she has become known for her songwriting. Yahoo Music editor Jason Ankeny wrote, "She earned frequent comparison to rivals Whitney Houston and Celine Dion but did them both one better by composing all of her own material." Also, according to Billboard magazine, she was the most successful artist of the 1990s in the United States. Additionally, the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) lists Carey as the third best-selling female artist of all-time behind Madonna, Rhianna, maybe Taylor Swift.   92.    Open Comments:   93.    Point #1 – Divas status is earned. (She stuck to her guns re: song writing / Dunked on everyone / Checked Eminem)   94.    Pont #2 – Studio performer, but not studio tricks.   95.    Point #3 – The Christmas Song   96.    Question: Is Mariah a "Soul" singer?   97.    Movie Scene: House Party,” …an infectious, engaging comedy starring the rap duo Kid 'N Play.”   98.    Plot: Although Kid has been grounded by his father, he sneaks out for a party at his friend Play's house. But Kid has no clue about the trouble that awaits him in the form of three thugs from school.   99.    Release date: March 9, 1990 / Rotten Tomatoes: 93% 4.5 Stars   100.    Budget - $2.5m, / Box office - $26.4m   101.    Open Comments:   102.    Point #1: Cast is great (Tisha & Martin broke out)   103.    Point #2: First truly successful "Hood" comedy franchise. (4! sequels)   104.    Point #3: Not possible without the success of Robert and Spike. Director said the project only got the green light because of the recent box office success of "black" movies.   105.    Question: What are some of your house party war stories?   106.    Television Scene   107.    #1 - In Living Color (1990–1994): [IMDB Rating: 8.1/10] Keenen Ivory Wayans (@ wasn't looking to do a TV show. In 1988, he was riding high on the success of his cult hit I'm Gonna Git You Sucka and contemplating his next movie. But he took a meeting with a fledgling network called Fox, which made an offer he couldn't refuse. "They told me I could do whatever I wanted," Wayans, 61, recalls. What he wanted was to do a show like Saturday Night Live only much, much edgier. Homey Da Clown, Homeboy Shopping Network, Men on Films, Fire Marshall Bill, Oswald Bates, Wanda, The Fly Girls — the skits Wayans and his mostly African American cast performed each week pushed the envelope not just of TV's color barrier but of TV comedy, won an Emmy and incubated the careers of stars Jim Carrey, Jamie Foxx and Jennifer Lopez, and several members of the Wayans family.   108.    Open Comments:   109.    Question: Chapelle or In Living Color?   110.    #2 - The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (1990–1996) [MDB Rating: 7.9/10]: A streetwise, poor young man from Philadelphia is sent by his mother to live with his aunt, uncle and cousins in their Bel-Air mansion.   111.    Open Comments   112.    Point #1 - Will and Jazzy were supposed to do the movie House Party   113.    Point #2 - Quincy is doing the most! - Fresh Prince, a collaboration of Quincy Jones and the then-married team of Andy and Susan Borowitz, was based loosely on the life of Will Smith’s then-manager Benny Medina (and on the lifestyle of Jones’ own family) and ran on NBC from 1990-96. NBC was wary of a project starring a rapper, and the show was derided at first by some for a lack of grit. Ultimately, critiques proved ignorant, as the sitcom became part of the cultural DNA of the 1990s. “The Cosbys were affluent,” said Quincy Jones in 2015, “but the Banks’ were wealthy. I don’t think you’d ever seen a wealthy African-American family on television until Fresh Prince, and you definitely hadn’t seen a kid from the hip-hop generation until Fresh Prince.”   114.    Open Comments:   115.    Question: Why wasn't this just "Different Strokes" - Pt. 2?   116.    Vote: Best/most important/favorite pop culture item from 1990?

Topics: Chicago Bears, Janet Jackson, Anita Baker, She's Gotta Have It, 227-(TV Sitcom)(Bonus Artist: hidingtobefound)   General Snapshots   1.    Ronald Reagan is President   2.    Jan - The first federal Martin Luther King Jr. Day, honoring Martin Luther King Jr., is observed.   3.    Jan - The first group of inductees to the Rock and Roll HOF, included Elvis Presley, the Everly Brothers, Buddy Holly, Jerry Lee Lewis, and 3 other white performers. Also inducted were, James Brown*, Little Richard*, Fats Domino*, Ray Charles*, Chuck Berry*, Sam Cooke*, Robert Johnson*, and Jimmy Yancey*.   4.    Jan - Super Bowl XX: The Chicago Bears defeat the New England Patriots 46–10 at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana.   5.    Jan - Space Shuttle Challenger disintegrates 73 seconds after launch, killing the crew of seven astronauts, including schoolteacher Christa McAuliffe (see Space Shuttle Challenger disaster). President Ronald Reagan postpones for one week the State of the Union address that had been scheduled for the evening and instead addresses the nation on the Challenger disaster.   6.    Mar - Halley's Comet is a comet visible from Earth every 75–76 years. It last appeared in the inner parts of the Solar System in 1986 and will next appear in mid-2061.   7.    Apr - The Mystery of Al Capone's Vaults, hosted by Geraldo Rivera, is a two-hour live American television special.   8.    Apr - In Ukraine, one of the reactors at the Chernobyl nuclear plant explodes, creating the world’s worst nuclear disaster. 31 are killed directly by the incident, many more die from cancer in later years, many thousands more are exposed to significant amounts of radioactive material, and vast territories in Ukraine and Belarus are rendered uninhabitable.   9.    May - Hands Across America: approximately 6.5 million people form a human chain from New York City to Long Beach, California, to raise money to fight hunger and homelessness. The event raised about $15 million. A total of 24 cities participated along the route, including: Champaign, Illinois (with Walter Payton), Chebanse, Illinois (A cornfield in central Illinois served as center-point of the nation with 16,000 people in attendance), Springfield, Illinois (with 50 Abraham Lincoln impersonators), and St. Louis, Missouri (with Kathleen Turner under the St. Louis Arch)   10.    Aug - In Edmond, Oklahoma, United States Postal Service employee Patrick Sherrill guns down 14 of his co-workers before committing suicide.   11.    Sep - Desmond Tutu becomes the first black Anglican Church bishop in South Africa’s Cape Town, the most senior position in southern Africa's Anglican hierarchy.  Theologically, he sought to fuse ideas from black theology with African theology; politically, he identifies as a socialist.   12.    Nov - Iran–Contra affair: The United States has been selling weapons to Iran in secret, in order to secure the release of 7 American hostages held by pro-Iranian groups in Lebanon. Also, profits from the covert weapons sales to Iran were illegally diverted to the anti-communist Contra rebels in Nicaragua. National Security Council member Oliver North and his secretary, Fawn Hall, start shredding documents implicating them.   13.    Nov - Mike Tyson wins his first world boxing title by defeating Trevor Berbick in Las Vegas. Tyson won the title by TKO in the second round, and at the age of 20 years and 4 months became the youngest heavyweight champion in history. Tyson won his first 19 professional fights by knockout or stoppage, 12 of them in the first round.   14.    Dec - Three African Americans are assaulted by a group of white teens in the Howard Beach neighborhood of Queens, New York. One of the victims, Michael Griffith, is run over and killed by a motorist while attempting to flee the attackers.   15.    Open Comments:   16.    Top 3 Pop Songs   17.    1 "That's What Friends Are For, Dionne and Friends   18.    2 "Say You, Say Me", Lionel Richie   19.    3 "I Miss You", Klymaxx   20.    Grammy Award Winners   21.    Record of the Year: "Higher Love", Steve Winwood   22.    Album of the Year: Paul Simon (producer & artist) for Graceland   23.    Song of the Year: Burt Bacharach & Carole Bayer Sager (songwriters) for "That's What Friends Are For" performed by Dionne Warwick, Elton John, Gladys Knight & Stevie Wonder   24.    Best New Artist: Bruce Hornsby & the Range   25.    Best R&B Vocal Performance, Female: Anita Baker for Rapture   26.    Best R&B Vocal Performance, Male: James Brown for "Living in America"   27.    Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group: Prince and The Revolution for "Kiss"   28.    Best Rhythm & Blues Song: "Sweet Love" performed by Anita Baker   29.    Open Comments   30.    Top 3 Movies   1.    Top Gun   2.    Crocodile Dundee   3.    Platoon   31.    Other Notables: The Karate Kid Part II, Star Trek IV, Back To School, Aliens, The Golden Child, Ruthless People, Ferris Bueller's Day Off,  Crocodile Dundee, The Fly, Howard the Duck, Labyrinth, Little Shop of Horrors, Platoon, Pretty in Pink, Stand By Me, Top Gun, The Three Amigos ---AND UNDER THE CHERRY MOON!   32.    Open Comments   33.    Top 3 TV Shows   1.    The Cosby Show   2.    Family Ties   3.    Cheers   34.    Open Comments   35.    Economic Snapshot   36.    New Home: 89,463   37.    Avg Rent: 385   38.    Avg. Income: 22,300   39.    New Car: 9,300   40.    Harvard:10,600 yearly   41.    Movie Ticket: 2.75   42.    Gas: .89   43.    Stamp: .22   44.    Social Scene: Chicago Bears – Super Bowl Shufflin!!   45.    “In March of 1920 a man telephoned me. Mr. Chamberlain asked if I would like to come to Decatur and work for the Staley Company. [George Chamberlain was general superintendent of the A. E. Staley Company, a food starch company of Decatur, Illinois. In 1919, the company's Fellowship Club had formed a football team. It had done well against other local teams, but Mr. Staley wanted to build it into a team that could compete successfully with the best semi-professional and industrial teams in the country.” - George Halas, in his book Halas by Halas.   46.    The franchise was founded in Decatur, Illinois, on September 17, 1920 and moved to Chicago in 1921. It is one of only two remaining franchises from the NFL's founding in 1920, along with the Arizona Cardinals, which was originally also in Chicago. Originally named the Decatur Staleys, the company hired George Halas, a Chicago native, and Edward "Dutch" Sternaman in 1920 to run the team. The 1920 Decatur Staleys season was their inaugural regular season completed in the newly formed American Professional Football Association (later renamed the National Football League (NFL) in 1922). The team relocated to Chicago in 1921, where the club was renamed the Chicago Staleys. Under an agreement reached by Halas and Sternaman with Staley, Halas purchased the rights to the club from Staley for $100 (~$1,400 in 2019). In 1922, Halas changed the team name from the Staleys to the Bears. The team moved into Wrigley Field, which was home to the Chicago Cubs baseball franchise and, as with several early NFL franchises, the Bears derived their nickname from their city's baseball team. Halas liked the bright orange-and-blue colors of his alma mater, the University of Illinois, and the Bears adopted those colors as their own.   47.    The 1985 Bears were simply the greatest team ever, and here's why. The collection of players Chicago put together not just on defense, but also offense, made them one of the most talented teams ever assembled. The Bears steam-rolled their way through the regular season with a 15-1 record. In Super Bowl XX, they destroyed the Pats 46-10, with the only 10 points they would give up in the entire playoffs. At the time, the 36-point win was the largest in Super Bowl history. Chicago finished with an 18-1 overall record and allowed only five of the teams they faced that year to score more than 10 points in a game. They had the greatest running back in NFL history, Walter Payton. They had the best middle linebacker in NFL history, Mike Singletary. And they even had the 1985 Coach of the Year, Mike Ditka. But, most importantly, they had the greatest team in the history of the NFL. (Including the “Punkie” QB and the Fridge!) They were the 1985 Chicago Bears. R.I.P. Sweetness. Although you wore No. 34 on the field, you will always be No. 1 in Bears fans' hearts! - MATT REAGAN [https://bleacherreport.com/articles/136752-1985-chicago-bears-the-greatest-team-ever]   48.    Question: Did you care?   49.    Music Scene   50.    Black Songs from the Top 40   51.    1 "That's What Friends Are For, Dionne and Friends   52.    2 "Say You, Say Me", Lionel Richie   53.    3 "I Miss You", Klymaxx   54.    4 "On My Own", Patti LaBelle and Michael McDonald   55.    6 "How Will I Know", Whitney Houston   56.    7 "Party All the Time", Eddie Murphy   57.    11 "Greatest Love of All", Whitney Houston   58.    12 "Secret Lovers", Atlantic Starr   59.    16 "There'll Be Sad Songs (To Make You Cry)", Billy Ocean   60.    19 "Kiss", Prince and The Revolution   61.    26 "I Can't Wait", Nu Shooz   62.    31 "When the Going Gets Tough, the Tough Get Going", Billy Ocean   63.    32 "When I Think of You", Janet Jackson   64.    39 "Dancing on the Ceiling", Lionel Richie   65.    43 "What Have You Done For Me Lately", Janet Jackson   66.    Vote:   67.    Top RnB Albums   68.    Jan - In Square Circle, Stevie Wonder   69.    Feb – Promise, Sade   70.    Apr – Control, Janet Jackson   71.    Jun - Winner in You, Patti LaBelle   72.    Aug - Love Zone, Billy Ocean   73.    Aug - Raising Hell, Run–D.M.C.   74.    Sep – Rapture, Anita Baker   75.    Oct - Word Up!, Cameo   76.    Nov - Give Me the Reason, Luther Vandross   77.    Dec - Just Like the First Time, Freddie Jackson   78.    *Dec - Life, Love & Pain, the debut album of Club Nouveau (Personal Favorite – 1st “Grown Up” album I bumped)   79.    Vote   80.    Featured Artist: Janet Damita Jo Jackson (@ 20 yrs. old): a.k.a, Ms. Jackson if you’re Nasty.    81.    One of the most awarded artists in the world, her career longevity, hit records and trail of achievements reflect her influence in shaping and redefining the scope of popular music. In her more than four decades of music career that has spanned over eleven studio albums and seven world tours, Jackson has sold more than 100 million records with four of her albums being included in Rolling Stone's ‘500 Greatest Albums’ and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's ‘Definitive 200’ list. She was a fixture on MTV and a major role model for young artist.   82.    Childhood and career: Born and raised in Gary, Indiana, she was the youngest of the ten children. With the entire family into the entertainment business, it was only natural for Janet Jackson to follow suit. She recorded herself in the studio and by the age of seven, had performed at the Las Vegas Strip at MGM Casino. In 1976, Jackson began acting in the variety show ‘The Jacksons’. The following year, she grabbed a main role as Penny Gordon Woods in the sitcom ‘Good Times’. This was followed by a role in ‘A New Kind of Family’ and a recurring role in ‘Different Strokes’. At the age of 16, Jackson received a contract with A&M Records. Under the label, she released her debut album ‘Janet Jackson’ in 1982. The album peaked at number 63 on the Billboard 200, and number six on the publication’s R&B albums chart. In 1984, Jackson released her second album ‘Dream Street’. The album was moderately successful, peaking at 147 on the Billboard 200, and number 19 on the R&B albums chart. Its lead single ‘Don’t Stand a Chance’ peaked at number nine on Billboard’s R&B singles chart. Continuous tiffs with her father led Jackson to come out from under his shell. She then teamed with Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis to come up with her third album ‘Control’ in 1986 which became a major hit. The album peaked at number one on the Billboard 200 and was certified five times platinum by the RIAA, selling over ten million copies worldwide.   83.    ‘Control’ gave Jackson her first breakthrough success. It not just spawned top five singles but also gave her, her first number one hit on the Hot 100. The album went on to receive six Billboard Awards, including Top Pop Singles Artist and three Grammy nominations. It also won four American Music Awards from twelve nominations, the highest ever till date. ‘Control’ gained crossover pop appeal, giving Jackson her own identity, away from her clan. Following the stupendous success of ‘Control’, Jackson was bounded by the pressure to come up with its sequel. However, she refrained from bowing down to the pressure and instead came up with her fourth album ‘Rhythm Nation 1814’ that dealt with a socially conscious theme.   84.    Open Comments:   85.    Question 1: Nipple Gate - In a 2006 interview with MTV, Justin Timberlake admitted that Jackson suffered more in wake of the controversy. “If you consider it 50-50, then I probably got 10 percent of the blame,” Timberlake told MTV’s John Norris in a 2006 interview. “I think America is harsher on women. I think America is unfairly harsh on ethnic people.” He also said that he could have “handled [the aftermath] better.” -  Why did she get crushed?   86.    Question 2: TMZ 6/23/2019 - Janet Jackson has broken her silence amid new allegations against her brother, Michael Jackson, in "Leaving Neverland" -- and her message is simple ... his rep will be just fine. Janet says, "I love it when I see kids emulating him, when adults still listen to his music. It just lets you know the impact that my family has had on the world." She added, "I hope I'm not sounding arrogant in any way -- I'm just stating what it is. It's really all God's doing, and I'm just thankful for that." She's also defended him in the past, specifically when Jordy Chandler accused Michael of sexual abuse in '93. At the time, Janet called it a money grab. – Denial or Business?   87.    Featured Artist: Anita Denise Baker (@ 28 yrs. old): a.k.a., 'The Songstress'. Singer and songwriter.   88.    Childhood & Early Life: Born in Toledo, Ohio. She was abandoned by her parents at the age of two and was raised by a foster family in Detroit, Michigan. Her foster parents passed away when she was only 12 and her foster sister took care of her upbringing after the death of her foster parents. Baker had an interest in music from an early age and started singing R & B in nightclubs in Detroit by the time she was 16. It was after one of those performances that funk band leader David Washington of ‘Chapter 8’ identified her and asked her to go to go for an audition in order to join the band.   89.    Career: Baker became a member of the band ‘Chapter 8’ in 1975 (@ 17 yrs. old) and following a string of performances, the band was handed a deal by Ariola Records in 1979. The group’s first album ‘Chapter 8’ was released in 1979 and featured the singles "Ready for Your Love," a duet between Baker and bandmate Gerald Lyles, and the Baker-led "I Just Want to Be Your Girl." In 1979, Ariola Records was taken over by Arista Records and Chapter 8 lost their contract as Arista Records was of the view that Baker was not fit to be the group’s lead singer. Baker went back to Detroit and worked as a waitress and a receptionist for a law firm. In 1983 (@ 25yrs old), she released her debut solo album, 'The Songstress', under the Beverly Glen label. The album was a popular one and many of the songs made it to the music charts. Following the release of the album she had a protracted legal battle with the Beverly Glen label over payment of royalties and breach of contract issues. She won the case against the label in 1985, signed with Elektra Records label, and came out with her second album 'Rapture' in 1986. The album became a big hit, with over eight million copies sold worldwide and led to ‘The Rapture Tour’.   90.    Open Comments:   91.    Question: Parade Magazine 9/12/19 - Short hair, don’t care! Tamron Hall has been rocking a short ‘do for over 20 years—and the TV personality, 48, revealed on her new self-titled daytime talk show that she decided to first go for the chop because of an old flame. “I cut my hair when I was 18 years old because my boyfriend at the time had a crush on Anita Baker, and I had a bigger crush on him than he did on me apparently,” she shared. So, Hall modeled her hair after the “Sweet Love” singer, who has been credited as one of the pioneers of the pixie haircut. – Do you like the pixie on women?   92.    Movie Scene: She’s Gotta Have It   93.    A 1986 American black-and-white comedy-drama film written, edited and directed by Spike Lee. Filmed on a small budget and Lee's first feature-length film, it earned positive reviews and launched Lee's career. The plot concerns a young woman (Johns) who is seeing three men, and the feelings this arrangement provokes. Nola idealizes the freedom to have multiple sex partners that men have typically enjoyed, saying “A woman can be a sexual being, doesn’t have to belong to a man, and perhaps shouldn’t even wish for such a thing.” Nola's voice has been described as the most revolutionary element in the film, a representation of the struggle African American women faced in society at the time.   94.    Review: By Esi Edugyan, he Guardian 12/2017 - Perhaps the most daring aspect of ‘She’s Gotta Have It’ was not its portrayal of sexuality but simply its willingness to view black people just as people. The film never highlights their racial otherness, exploring instead the whole messy business of their experiences. The black experience – to the extent such a thing even exists – is not only slavery and racism and economic disparity and brutality and the endless ongoing struggle, though it is all these things certainly. It is also sex and love and boredom and dreaming and joy.   95.    Question: Are promiscuous black women now acceptable?   96.    TV Scene     97.    Debuts: Oprah Winfrey's Chicago-based talk show goes national, He's the Mayor, The Redd Foxx Show, Melba, featuring singer/actress Melba Moore.   98.    Cancellations: Mar - Diff'rent Strokes, 1978 / Apr - Benson, 1979 / May - The Love Boat, 1977   99.    Featured Show: “227”   100.    “227” stars Marla Gibbs as Mary Jenkins. The series was adapted from a play written in 1978 by Christine Houston about the lives of women in a predominantly black apartment building. The show was created as a starring vehicle for Marla Gibbs, who had become famous as Florence Johnston, the sassy maid on The Jeffersons, and had starred in Houston's play in Los Angeles. This role was similar in nature.   101.    “227” followed the lives of Mary Jenkins (Marla Gibbs), a nosy, tart-tongued, but loving housewife. Her husband, Lester (Hal Williams), had his own construction company, and their daughter, Brenda (Regina King), was boy-crazy yet smart and studious, in her first television acting role. Also cast in 227 was Sandra Clark (Jackée Harry), Mary's young neighbor who constantly bickered back and forth with her about their respective views on life. Except for The Cosby Show and A Different World, “227” achieved higher ratings than other sitcoms airing at the time with a predominantly African American cast during the first two seasons. Awards: Winner of 1987 Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series Jackée Harry.   102.    Open Comments:   103.    Featured Character: Sandra's style was so great because it's the quintessential 1980's look of "grown and sexy". Sandra showed us Black women could be bold, fierce, fabulous, and fashionistas and rock any outfit with enough confidence to stop traffic. From interview with Lee Bailey’s Electronic Urban Report, “I was a diva, full and blown up. In fact, I was the ‘It’ girl. Oh yeah, I was that girl. I dressed well, had a lot of money. I don’t know how many cars. You know, it was the 80s, it was not a blur, but it flew so fast.” Fortunately, Harry had a great vehicle to shine in “227,” which struck a chord with its relatable characters. Harry’s hard work obviously paid off with Sandra, who became a certified hit with viewers. It’s a given that Harry put her stamp on the character, but she credits a couple of entertainment icons for helping to lay the groundwork for her and other women to be funny and sexy without missing a beat. Especially when it came to Sandra. “Just funny. Funny. And the clothes she wore, scandalous. Funny lines. Sexy, fancy. People wanted that and I didn’t know that, then,” Harry said about what made her beloved “227” character so endearing. “I grew up watching a lot of TV and I had seen women like that on TV… a lot of different women like Mae West and Lucille Ball. That was my vision of funny. Pretty, but still funny and you can get away with a lot more. Which is still true today.”   104.    Open Comments:   105.    Question: Ever met a real-life “Jackee”?   106.    Vote: Best Pop Culture item/event for 1986

Topics: Air Jordans, Whitney Houston, Sade, The Color Purple, Whoopi Goldberg, Oprah Winfrey, Phylicia Rashad (Bonus Artist: Luck Pacheco)   1985 Notes   General Snapshots   1.    President: Ronald Reagan   2.    Jan – In Hollywood,  California, the charity single "We  Are the World" is recorded by USA for  Africa. The  single raises money to combat the  ongoing famine in Ethiopia. The  American act consists of high-profile  performers, including Michael  Jackson, Lionel Richie, Tina Turner,  Cyndi Lauper and Diana Ross.   3.    Jan – The newest music video channel, VH-1, begins broadcasting on American cable. It is aimed at an older demographic than its sister station, MTV. The first video played is Marvin Gaye's rendition of "The Star-Spangled Banner".   4.    Mar – WrestleMania debuts at Madison Square Garden.  In the main event, Hulk Hogan and Mr. T defeated Paul Orndorff and Roddy Piper. The attendance for the event was 19,121. The event was seen by over one million viewers through closed-circuit television, making it the largest pay-per-view showing of a wrestling event on closed-circuit television in the United States at the time.   5.    Apr – Coca-Cola changes its recipe and releases New Coke. The response is overwhelmingly negative, and the original formula is back on the market in less than three months.   6.    Aug - Ryan White who was expelled from Western High School in Indiana is allowed to attend his first day of classes via telephone.   7.    Sep - The Farm Aid concert is held in Champaign, Illinois, USA.   8.    Oct  – The Nintendo Entertainment System is released in U.S. stores. By 1988, industry observers stated that the NES's popularity had grown so quickly that the market for Nintendo cartridges was larger than that for all home computer software.  The NES was released two years after the North American video game crash of 1983, when many retailers and adult consumers regarded electronic games as a passing fad. With the NES, Nintendo also changed the relationship between console manufacturers and third-party software developers by restricting developers from publishing and distributing software without licensed approval. This led to higher-quality games, which helped change the attitude of a public that had grown weary from poorly produced games for earlier systems.   9.    Nov - Microsoft Corporation releases the first version of Windows, Windows 1.0.   10.    Open Comments:   11.    Top 3 Pop Songs   12.    1    "Careless Whisper"    Wham!   13.    2    "Like a Virgin"    Madonna   14.    3    "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go"    Wham!   15.    Grammy Awards   16.    Record of the Year: Quincy Jones (producer) for "We Are the World"   17.    Album of the Year: Phil Collins (producer & artist) for No Jacket Required   18.    Song of the Year: Michael Jackson & Lionel Richie (songwriters) for "We Are the World"   19.    Best New Artist: Sade   20.    Top 3 Movies   21.    Back to the Future   22.    Rambo: First Blood Part II   23.    Rocky IV   24.    Other Notables:  The Color Purple / Out of Africa / Cocoon / The Jewel of the Nile / Witness / The Goonies / Spies Like Us / The Breakfast Club / Brewster's Millions / St. Elmo's Fire /  Krush Groove   25.    Top 3 TV Shows   26.    The Cosby Show   27.    Family Ties   28.    Murder, She Wrote       29.    TV Debuts   30.    Sep - What's Happening Now!! / Stir Crazy   31.    Black Snapshots   32.    Feb -  Whitney Houston releases her debut  album – Whitney Houston.   33.    Mar  – Mike Tyson makes his professional debut in Albany, New York, a match which he wins by a first-round knockout.   34.    May - Michael Jordan is named as the NBA's "Rookie of the Year."   35.    May – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Mayor Wilson Goode, the  first African American to hold that office,  orders police to storm the  headquarters of the black liberation/back-to-nature group MOVE to end a stand-off over serving arrest warrants. (Due process?!?!)  The police drop 2 explosive devices into the headquarters, killing 6 adults and 5 children, and destroyed an additional 61 residental homes in the resulting fire. The survivors filed a civil suit against the city and the police department, and were awarded $1.5 million in 1996.   36.    Jul - The final episode of The Jeffersons airs. (1975-) 10 yrs   37.    Aug - Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids  (1972-) 13 yrs   38.    Nov - Ebony Man: EM  Magazine launches   39.    Best Comedy Recording: Whoopi Goldberg - Original Broadway Show Recording   40.    Best R&B Vocal Performance, Female: Aretha Franklin for "Freeway of Love"   41.    Best R&B Vocal Performance, Male: Stevie Wonder for In Square Circle   42.    Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal: Commodores for "Nightshift"   43.    Economic Snapshot   44.    Avg. Income = $22,138   45.    House = $99,331   46.    New Car = $9,531   47.    Avg. Rent = $375   48.    Tuition at Harvard = $9,800   49.    Movie Ticket = $2.75   50.    Gas = $1.20   51.    Stamp = $0.22   52.    Socilal Scene: “Money, it's gotta be da shoes!” - Mars Blackmon   53.    The Air Jordan I was originally released in 1985 and is almost single-handedly responsible for modern-day sneaker culture. Michael Jordan originally wanted to sign with either Converse or Adidas. But Converse declined and according to a Wall Street Journal article published in 2015 so did Adidas. Still MJ was not convinced. Only when Nike, thinking they had nothing to loose, offered to give MJ his own shoe- and clothing line did he change his mind. This was unheard of at the time, no NBA player had an entire product line named after them. As the first basketball player with his own signature shoes Jordan would immediately become the king of basketball sneaker advertising. Just to be on the safe side Nike worked an out-clause into the contract: if Air Jordans didn’t earn Nike $3 million in the first 3 years, or if Jordan didn’t make the NBA All-Star Game in his first three years, Nike could dump him. Jordan was voted into the All-Star Game as a Rookie starter and the "Air Jordan 1" shoe made Nike $130 million in 1985 alone. The rest is history.   54.    Open Comments:   55.    The pushback and common critisisms   56.    Extremely superficial materialism is one of the only ways that many black Americans express a sense of self worth.    57.    When you live in a society where nobody has a savings account, or a college degree, or has traveled abroad, having a fresh pair of sneakers and a gold chain shouldn't be your version of keeping up with the Joneses.   58.    Liking shoes is as much of a "black thing" as liking chicken is a "black thing". Everyone likes both of these things.   59.    Open Comments:   60.    It became popular in the late 80s for people with moderate or low incomes to wear clothing adorned with the names and logos of luxury, high-end brands. Then all the luxury brands started making their own low-end, logo-covered versions. You wear your favorite sports team to affiliate yourself with them. It's the same thing with Tommy Hilfiger, Gucci, Jordache, Guess, Wrangler, Levi, Gitano, Bonjour, Sasson, etc., it's a way of signalling.   61.    Question: We went from tailored suits and dresses to baggy jeans and yoga pants. From afro's and braids to fashioned bandanas and bleached blondes. From the stylish Supremes and Tempations to tatooed  faces and pireced everytginhg. - What do you think is at the root of our decisions? Are we victims of advertising?   62.    Music Scene   63.    Black Songs from the Top 40 (No Lionel Richie showed up!)   64.    5    "I Feel for You"    Chaka Khan   65.    6    "Out of Touch"    Hall & Oates   66.    12    "Easy Lover"    Philip Bailey and Phil Collins   67.    17    "Cherish"    Kool & the Gang   68.    20    "We Are the World"    USA for Africa   69.    22    "Part-Time Lover"    Stevie Wonder   70.    23    "Saving All My Love For You"    Whitney Houston   71.    26    "Cool It Now"    New Edition   72.    28    "Loverboy"    Billy Ocean   73.    29    "Lovergirl"    Teena Marie   74.    31    "Oh Sheila"    Ready for the World   75.    32    "Rhythm of the Night"    DeBarge   76.    38    "Neutron Dance"    The Pointer Sisters   77.    40    "Nightshift"    Commodores   78.    Vote:   79.    Top RnB Singles   80.    Jan - "Operator"    Midnight Star   81.    Jan - "Gotta Get You Home Tonight"    Eugene Wilde   82.    Feb -  "Mr. Telephone Man"    New Edition   83.    Feb - "Missing You"    Diana Ross   84.    Mar - "Nightshift"    The Commodores   85.    Apr - "Back In Stride"    Maze featuring Frankie Beverly   86.    Apr - "Rhythm Of the Night"    DeBarge   87.    May - "We Are the World"    USA for Africa   88.    May - "Fresh"    Kool & the Gang   89.    May - "You Give Good Love"    Whitney Houston   90.    Jun - "Rock Me Tonight (For Old Times Sake)"    Freddie Jackson   91.    Jul - "Hangin' on a String (Contemplating)"    Loose Ends   92.    Jul - "Save Your Love (For #1)"    René & Angela   93.    Aug - "Freeway of Love"    Aretha Franklin   94.    Sep - "Saving All My Love for You"    Whitney Houston   95.    Sep - "Cherish"    Kool & the Gang   96.    Sep - "Oh Sheila"    Ready For the World   97.    Oct - "You Are My Lady"    Freddie Jackson   98.    Oct - "Part-Time Lover"    Stevie Wonder   99.    Nov - "Caravan of Love"    Isley-Jasper-Isley   100.    Dec - "Don't Say No Tonight"    Eugene Wilde   101.    Vote:   102.    Top RnB Albums   103.    Jan - New Edition    New Edition   104.    Feb - Solid    Ashford & Simpson   105.    Mar - Gap Band VI    The Gap Band   106.    Mar p- Private Dancer    Tina Turner   107.    Apr - Nightshift    The Commodores   108.    Apr - Can't Stop the Love    Frankie Beverly and Maze   109.    May - The Night I Fell in Love    Luther Vandross   110.    Jun - Whitney Houston    Whitney Houston   111.    Jun - Rock Me Tonight    Freddie Jackson   112.    Nov - In Square Circle    Stevie Wonder   113.    Vote   114.    Featured Artists: Whitney Houston and Sade   115.    Whitney Elizabeth Houston, @22 yrs old: Singer, actress, model, and producer, Whitney Houston is one of the world’s most successful female entertainers of all time.   116.    Born and raised in Newark NJ,  she is the daughter of Grammy-award-winning gospel singer, Emily “Cissy” Houston and John R. Houston, who managed his daughter’s production company.    117.    Childhood & Early Life   118.    She was no stranger to the entertainment industry, having come from a line of singers and actresses. Not only did her mother’s vocal group, the ‘Sweet Inspirations’, sing backup for Aretha Franklin, but her cousins Dionne and Dee Dee Warwick are also renowned singers, as well as her godmother, Darlene Love. She began performing in her church’s gospel choir as a soloist at the age of eleven and learned to play the piano. While attending Catholic school, she took voice lessons from her mother, with whom she would occasionally perform in nightclubs.   119.    Career   120.    In 1977 (@ 14 yrs old), she was a backup singer for Michael Zager Band’s single ‘Life’s a Party’ and the following year she sang on Chaka Khan’s single ‘I’m Every Woman’. She was offered an opportunity to sign with a recording company, but her mother declined so she would finish high school. In the early 1980s, (@17 yrs old), she worked as a model, appearing in several magazines including, ‘Seventeen’, where she became the first African American to be featured on the cover. She also took on acting gigs appearing in TV show episodes such as, ‘Gimme a Break’, while continuing to develop her vocal skills. In 1983,(@ 20yrs old) she was signed with ‘Arista Records’. President Clive Davis spent the next couple years assembling lyricists and producers to balance her gospel-like sound with contemporary melodies. In 1985, her debut album, ‘Whitney Houston’ gradually became the number one selling album of her career.  She went on to win two Emmy Awards, six Grammy Awards, 30 Billboard Music Awards, 22 American Music Awards.   121.    Open Comments:   122.    A Hot Mess   123.    On February 11th, 2012, Whitney Houston (@ 48 yrs old) was found facedown in a bathtub.  Weeks later, an autopsy report would contribute Houston’s death to accidental drowning, heart disease and cocaine use. There were additional traces of a muscle relaxant, Xanax, marijuana and an allergy medication in the singer’s system.    124.    The sad, secret life of Whitney Houston: From a secret lesbian relationship to a decades-long struggle with drugs, five years after singer’s death, a new film ‘Whitney: Can I Be Me’ examines what caused her tragic downfall - Tara Brady [Jun 12, 2017] https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/music/the-sad-secret-life-of-whitney-houston-1.3105861   125.    Selected quotes from the article:   126.    What exactly killed Houston? Why did she drown? How did she drown? Was she simply overwhelmed by the controlling demands of her formidable mother, Cissy Houston, Svengali Clive Davis, and her record company, Arista? Did the aftermath of her toxic and co-dependent marriage to Bobby Brown send her spiralling? Or was it the dissolution of her decades-old lesbian relationship with her assistant Robyn Crawford? It’s complicated, as documentarian Nick Broomfield discovered.  “In the end I think the divide between who she was and what her public persona was became more and more difficult,” says  documentarian Nick Broomfield. “And she just went down,    127.    The imploding relations between Houston, Bobby Brown and Robyn Crawford. Brown told Us Weekly magazine that Houston was bisexual and that she once had an affair with Tupac Shakur. He went on to say that Houston kept her relationship with Crawford hidden because of Cissy. “I really feel that if Robyn was accepted into Whitney’s life, Whitney would still be alive today,” Brown told the magazine. “She didn’t have close friends with her anymore.”   128.    From Cissy’s notorious 2013 interview with Oprah Winfrey:  “Would it have bothered you if your daughter was gay?”  “Absolutely,” Cissy snapped back. “You wouldn’t have condoned it?” continued an incredulous Oprah. “Not at all.” ...“I didn’t particularly like [Crawford],” Cissy told the talk show queen. “She just spoke too much, disrespectful sometimes, like she had something over Nippy (Houston’s nickname), and I didn’t like that at all. She was all right, she turned out to be all right, I guess. That was her friend.”   129.    Houston and Crawford first bonded while they were teenagers working at a community centre in East Orange, New Jersey. When Houston’s modelling career began to take off, she’d face bullying in school, and Crawford, who was originally a friend of Houston’s older brothers Michael and Gary, would frequently come to the rescue. When Houston moved out of her family home, she shared her first apartment with Crawford. Deep into Houston and Brown’s 14-year marriage, Crawford remained a fixture in Houston’s domestic arrangements.   130.    Houston’s marriage to Brown, understandably, made for an uneasy romantic trinity. In Derrick Handspike’s unauthorised 2008 biography, Bobby Brown: The Truth, The Whole Truth and Nothing But . . ., the author quotes Brown as saying: “Now I realise Whitney had a different agenda than I did when we got married. I believe her agenda was to clean up her image while mine was to be loved and have children. “Whitney felt she had to make rumours of a lesbian affair go away. Since she was the American Sweetheart and all, that didn’t go too well with her image. In Whitney’s situation the only solution was to get married and have kids. That would kill all speculation whether it was true or not.”   131.    Supermarket tabloids did a brisk trade during the 1990s by peddling the idea that Houston’s life spiralled into addiction after she married Brown. She was the gospel-singing good girl – the church-going daughter of Cissy and a cousin of Dionne Warwick. He was a bad boy who, aged 20, when they first met, had already been shot and stabbed in the shoulder. Their tumultuous marriage (from 1992 to 2007), characterised by drug use, infidelity and a costly entourage, was seldom out of the headlines. But contrary to popular belief, Brown did not introduce his troubled wife to cocaine. Houston first dabbled with drugs with her brothers, Michael and Gary, as a teenager. The truth is that Houston was always as “street“ as her R&B star husband. But that part of her personal history didn’t fit with what Broomfield calls “the Whitney character”.  As Pattie Howard, Houston’s backing vocalist, notes: “People may not know it but Whitney was from the ‘hood’. They wanted to present her as the princess. And that’s what white America was presented with.” Kenneth Reynolds, who worked in marketing for Arista Records recalls that: “Anything that was too black sounding was sent back. We wanted Joni Mitchell. We wanted Barbra Streisand. ” “She was very carefully groomed for nearly two years before the first album came out,” explains Broomfield. “So every aspect of her was carefully considered. She was a major project. A lot of money was spent on her. Anything that was too R&B was out. They didn’t want a female James Brown. That was not part of their vision. Which, of course, was a very successful vision.”   132.    In 1989, just as Houston topped 25 million in album sales and surpassed the Beatles’s record with seven consecutive number one hits, she attended the Soul Train awards where, in response to her “white” music, she was roundly booed. Pre-Beyoncé and Mariah Carey, “crossover” was synonymous with cultural betrayal. People shouted “Oreo” – brown on the outside, white on the inside – as her nomination for Best Female Vocalist was announced. “It’s not a good feeling,” says Houston, in Can I Be Me. “It’s horrible and kind of funny. You think: ‘Are they booing me?’ And you have to sit there and be cordial and smiley. And you feel like: ‘Oh my God’.” Kirk Whalum, the saxophonist who toured with Houston for more than seven years recalls that night, which coincidentally, was the first time she met Brown. “It was devastating [for her],” says Whalum.   133.    By the end of the 90s, Houston found herself at the centre of a perfect storm of ongoing racial friction, marital troubles and drug abuse. Friends, unable to watch Houston’s decline, began to drift away. Her father, John, died in 2003, but not before his management company, John Houston Entertainment LLC, filed a $100 million lawsuit against his own daughter. Months before his death, he made a public appeal on the syndicated show, Celebrity Justice: “You get your act together, honey, and you pay me the money that you owe me.” Robyn Crawford’s departure in 2000, too, prompted a new, crippling dependency on crack-cocaine and other substances. - “Robyn was the one who was keeping her together,” says writer Allison Samuels. “That’s when drugs became so important to her.”   134.    Open Comments:   135.    The Smooth Operator -Helen Folasade Adu, professionally known as Sade (@26 yrs old)   136.    Sade is an internationally renowned, multi-Grammy award winning singer who is known for her smooth, melodic vocals and the seamless incorporation of different styles of music. She was born in Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria on January 16, 1959. Her father Adebisi Adu, a Nigerian lecturer of economics, and her mother Anne Hayes, a district nurse, had met in London. Sade was the couple’s second child. Shortly after her birth, Sade’s parents separated and she and her brother followed their mother to Colchester, Essex, England. There, the children were raised by their mother as well as their maternal grandfather. Upon finishing her education at Clacton County High School in Colchester, she enrolled at Central St. Martin’s College of Art and Design in London to pursue fashion and design. After completion of her program, she worked as a model and menswear designer.    137.    Sade entered the music scene around 1980 when she started singing harmony for Arriva, a Latin funk band. She joined another funk band called Pride and was a background singer for the group. Pride garnered much attention from record companies due to their performances around London. Eventually Sade and fellow bandmates, Stuart Matthewman, Paul Denma, and Andrew Hale signed a deal with the U.K. division of Epic Records and formed the band Sade. In 1984 the band’s debut album, Diamond Life, was released to much critical success and was bolstered by singles such as “Hang On to Your Love” and “Smooth Operator.” The band followed up their debut with their next album, Promise, which was released the following year. “The Sweetest Taboo,” a single from Promise, was on the U.S. Hot 100 for six months. She was awarded the Grammy for best new artist of 1985.    138.    Open Comments:   139.    Selected quote about her sound   140.    Let's get this into context. With Sade it's unlikely there will ever be a full, naked baring of the soul. In terms of contemporary icons, it's better to listen to Mary J for stories of drama and shattered devotion. But Sade, today, is all about the acknowledged presence of absence. What's missing in her music is as important as what's present. - The Fader   141.    A small, yet important, fact: When Sade signed her first record deal with Epic in the early '80s, she accepted a small advance, worth ~$70,000 in exchange for an unusually high cut of sales for a new artist—15 percent. It was a deal that ended up proving immensely lucrative, and it has freed her from many of the commercial demands that often encumber artists. Put simply, she only works when and how she wants to. As one executive at her label, Epic, put it to me: "Who's going to argue with a woman who's sold 50 million albums? She's more powerful than anyone working at the label, including the [President]." - The Fader   142.    Question: Does the Sade sound ever wear out?   143.    The Movie Scene   144.    The Color Purple/Film synopsis   145.    An epic tale spanning forty years in the life of Celie (Whoopi Goldberg), an African-American woman living in the South who survives incredible abuse and bigotry. After Celie's abusive father marries her off to the equally debasing "Mister" Albert Johnson (Danny Glover), things go from bad to worse, leaving Celie to find companionship anywhere she can. She perseveres, holding on to her dream of one day being reunited with her sister in Africa. Based on the novel by Alice Walker.   146.    Review by Roger Ebert   147.    Returning to "The Color Purple" after almost 20 years, I can see its flaws more easily than when I named it the best film of 1985, but I can also understand why it moved me so deeply, and why the greatness of some films depends not on their perfection or logic, but on their heart. The movie may have inconsistencies, confusions and improbabilities, but there is one perfect thing at its center, and that is the character of Celie, as played by Whoopi Goldberg. "Here is this year's winner for best actress," I wrote in my original review, and that should have been true, but although "The Color Purple" had 11 nominations, it won not a single Oscar. When a movie character is really working, we become that character. That's what the movies offer: Escapism into lives other than our own. I am not female, I am not black, I am not Celie, but for a time during "The Color Purple," my mind deceives me that I am all of those things, and as I empathize with her struggle and victory I learn something about what it must have been like to be her.  - Roger Ebert   148.    Selected Quotes   149.    In Honor of Its 33rd Anniversary, Here Are 10 Life Lessons I Learned From the Color Purple - By Melissa Kimble Dec 18, 2018 [https://www.oprahmag.com/entertainment/tv-movies/a25616715/the-color-purple-quotes-anniversary/]   150.    I was born a few years after the film was released. However, I can credit much of my self discovery to the many times I’ve watched it. My favorite quotes from the movie taught me valuable lessons about Black womanhood, faith, and self love. And these 10 are the ones I’ll never forget.   151.    “Girl, you oughta bash Mister’s head open and think about heaven later.” By Oprah Winfrey - In a film where women are treated like inferiors, Sofia breaks the mold by refusing to be her husband's punching bag. This scene-stealing monologue, with its rage filled entrance by the O of O, is an act of defiance—especially one committed in early 20th century Georgia. It was powerful and necessary to see a Black woman go against the grain on screen. And to me, it was a call to action to be fearless.   152.    "I'm poor, Black, I may even be ugly, but dear God, I’m here! I’m here!" By Whoopi Goldberg - What a victorious statement this was by Celie, who, up until this point, had spent most of her life feeling unworthy and invisible. It reminded me that even with our flaws and imperfections, we still deserve to show up in our own lives.   153.    "Until you do right by me, everything you think about is going to crumble." By - Whoopi Goldberg - With these words, Celie breaks a cycle of abuse from Mister and sticks up for herself. I interpreted this line as a sign that I don’t have to carry the weight of people who have caused my pain; life will take care of everything.   154.    “Miss Celie, why you always covering up your smile?” By Desreta Jackson - Growing up, I was very insecure about my smile. And when Shug Avery posed this question to Miss Celie, it also made me turn to myself. When Shug encourages Celie to smile, I learned that there’s no need to cover up my own   155.    Open Comments:   156.    Featured Artist   157.    Caryn Elaine Johnson, a.k.a. Whoopi Goldberg (@ 30 yrs old): an American comedian, actress, singer-songwriter, Broadway star, political activist, author and talk show host, she is one of the most successful and established African American actresses of her time.    158.    Born and raised in Manhattan, she is one of 14 entertainers ever to have won an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony. What differentiates Goldberg from her contemporaries is the excellence that she portrayed in all the mediums of entertainment, be it television, theatre, films or radio.    159.    Childhood & Early Life   160.    Her mother was a nurse and a teacher while her father served as a clergyman. She was raised in the Chelsea-Elliot Houses by her mother alone after her father disbanded the family when she was young. She studied until her teen years and later dropped out of school. Her started acting started at a young age. It was during her stage performance that people complimented her by saying that she looked like whoopee cushion. It was from there that she took the stage name Whoopi and adopted Goldberg as her surname to sound more Jewish.    161.    Career   162.    In 1974, (@ age 19) she moved to California and thereafter lived in various cities such as Los Angeles, San Diego and San Francisco. It was during this time that she honed her acting skills and developed her talent as a stand-up comedian.  However, soon thereafter, she returned to New York and started receiving training under acting coach Uta Hagen. Her first ever appearance on screen was for William Farley’s feature, ‘Citizen: I'm Not Losing My Mind, I'm Giving It Away’ in 1982 (@ 27). In 1983, she created, starred and directed a ‘The Spook Show’, a one-woman show that addressed the issue of race in American but in a unique and innovative style. Next, she created other off-Broadway productions such as ‘Little Girl’ an African-American child obsessed with having blond hair and ‘Fontaine’ a junkie who also happens to hold a doctorate in literature. The innovative presentation and sense of wit and style in her shows impressed director Mike Nicholas who offered to take ‘The Spook Show’ to the Broadway. The show which ran for 156 performances, met with much acclaim both commercially and critically. It went on to earn her a Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album. The eye-catching performance and amazing positive reception of the show earned her attention of the Hollywood bigwigs. It helped her bag a role in the Steven Spielberg film, ‘The Color Purple’, released in 1985. The movie met with resounding success, clutching 11 Academy Awards nominations and she won her first Golden Globe award.   163.    Open Comments:   164.    Oprah Gail Winfrey , a.k.a. Oprah Winfrey (@ 31 yrs old): Talk show host, actress, producer and philanthropist.   165.    Childhood & Early Life   166.    Born in Kosciusko, Mississippi, on a small family farm, to an unwed mother who had a short relationship with a soldier stationed nearby, Oprah grew up in dire poverty, and was primarily raised by her grandmother. Sexually abused and mistreated as a child, Winfrey rose above adversity to focus on her primary and high school education.    167.    Career   168.    When she was still a teenager, the local CBS television station in Nashville, Tennessee offered her a job as a co-anchor. She turned it down three times. At age 19, Oprah Winfrey said yes after the fourth offer. She failed the interview, but instead was offered a job as a full-time reporter for a Baltimore television news channel. She did poorly as a reporter, and by age 22 she was fired from the news division. The director of the station gave Winfrey a boost by selecting her to anchor a morning talk show entitled ‘People are Talking’. For the next seven years, her talk show enjoyed excellent ratings. In 1981, (@ 27) she moved to Chicago to host a talk show entitled ‘A.M. Chicago’. Four years later, (1985) after a tremendous boost in the ratings, the producers changed the name to ‘The Oprah Winfrey Show’. She caught the attention of Quincy Jones, a Chicago native, and he cast her as Sofia for the first movie he produced, 'The Color Purple'. The following year ‘The Oprah Winfrey Show’ was broadcast nationally.    169.    Open Comments:   170.    TV Scene:   171.    Featured Actor: Phylician Ayers Allen, a.k.a Phylicia Rashad is an Emmy-nominated American actress, singer, and director.   172.    Her multi-faceted career began with Broadway before she branched into television and films. She is best remembered for her character as Claire Huxtable in the NBC sitcom ‘The Cosby Show’, which ran for eight years. The series brought Phylicia much deserved recognition, also earning her two Emmy nominations. Phylicia, however, is immortalized for her rich performances on the stage as an artist. She starred in several lavish musicals and dramas, all praised highly by critics. She became the first African American actress to walk away with a Tony Award for her performance in Lorraine Hansberry’s ‘Raisin in The Sun’.  Subsequently, she was venerated within the African American acting community at the NAACP Awards, where she was called ‘The Mother’ of the Black Community. Her other popular plays include ‘Cat on a Hot Tin Roof’, ‘August: Osage Country’, and ‘Gem of the Ocean’. She has tried her hand at stage direction and has successfully directed hit plays at prominent stages. Over the course of her career, Rashad has starred in several television series and voiced many characters. Her prolific output continues to be on the rise as she is still an active part of the entertainment industry.   173.    Childhood & Early Life:   174.    Phylicia Rashad was born Phylician Ayers Allen on June 19, 1948, in Houston, Texas to Vivian Ayers and Andrew Arthur Allen. Her mother was a prize-winning poet and artist, while her father was a reputed orthodontist. She has three siblings: Andrew Arthur Allen Jr., Debbie Allen, and Hugh Allen. Phylicia was raised in the United States and Mexico. She studied at Howard University, Washington D.C. and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in theatre in 1970. During her university days, she was inculcated into the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority.   175.    Career   176.    After graduating with a degree in theatre, Phylicia immediately joined the Negro Ensemble Company in New York. She toured the city and was seen in several plays under this troupe. Her Broadway debut occurred in 1972 and she was seen in several minor roles for hit musicals, including ‘The Wiz’ (1975) and ‘Dreamgirls’ (1981). In 1978, Rashad tried her hand at something new by releasing the concept album ‘Josephine Superstar’, an album that was based on Josephine Baker’s life. She decided to embark on an alternative career in television owing to the scarcity of good roles given to her. In 1982, after moving to television, Rashad landed a recurring role in the series ‘One Life to Live’ as Courtney Wright, a publicist. In 1984, Phylicia Rashad was roped in to play the role of Clair Huxtable, an attorney, in the hit comedy ‘The Cosby Show’. The show starred Bill Cosby in the lead role and Phylicia played his wife. The series ran for over eight years and was a critical and commercial success. Phylicia’s role as Clair proved to be the highest point in her career, earning her two Emmy Award nominations.   177.    Open Comments   178.    Question: Is she a good actor? Do you buy her in other roles?   179.    Vote: Best Pop Culture item/event for 1985

Topics: Air Jordans, Whitney Houston, Sade, The Color Purple, Whoopi Goldberg, Oprah Winfrey, Phylicia Rashad (Bonus Artist: Luck Pacheco)   1985 Notes   General Snapshots   1.    President: Ronald Reagan   2.    Jan – In Hollywood,  California, the charity single "We  Are the World" is recorded by USA for  Africa. The  single raises money to combat the  ongoing famine in Ethiopia. The  American act consists of high-profile  performers, including Michael  Jackson, Lionel Richie, Tina Turner,  Cyndi Lauper and Diana Ross.   3.    Jan – The newest music video channel, VH-1, begins broadcasting on American cable. It is aimed at an older demographic than its sister station, MTV. The first video played is Marvin Gaye's rendition of "The Star-Spangled Banner".   4.    Mar – WrestleMania debuts at Madison Square Garden.  In the main event, Hulk Hogan and Mr. T defeated Paul Orndorff and Roddy Piper. The attendance for the event was 19,121. The event was seen by over one million viewers through closed-circuit television, making it the largest pay-per-view showing of a wrestling event on closed-circuit television in the United States at the time.   5.    Apr – Coca-Cola changes its recipe and releases New Coke. The response is overwhelmingly negative, and the original formula is back on the market in less than three months.   6.    Aug - Ryan White who was expelled from Western High School in Indiana is allowed to attend his first day of classes via telephone.   7.    Sep - The Farm Aid concert is held in Champaign, Illinois, USA.   8.    Oct  – The Nintendo Entertainment System is released in U.S. stores. By 1988, industry observers stated that the NES's popularity had grown so quickly that the market for Nintendo cartridges was larger than that for all home computer software.  The NES was released two years after the North American video game crash of 1983, when many retailers and adult consumers regarded electronic games as a passing fad. With the NES, Nintendo also changed the relationship between console manufacturers and third-party software developers by restricting developers from publishing and distributing software without licensed approval. This led to higher-quality games, which helped change the attitude of a public that had grown weary from poorly produced games for earlier systems.   9.    Nov - Microsoft Corporation releases the first version of Windows, Windows 1.0.   10.    Open Comments:   11.    Top 3 Pop Songs   12.    1    "Careless Whisper"    Wham!   13.    2    "Like a Virgin"    Madonna   14.    3    "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go"    Wham!   15.    Grammy Awards   16.    Record of the Year: Quincy Jones (producer) for "We Are the World"   17.    Album of the Year: Phil Collins (producer & artist) for No Jacket Required   18.    Song of the Year: Michael Jackson & Lionel Richie (songwriters) for "We Are the World"   19.    Best New Artist: Sade   20.    Top 3 Movies   21.    Back to the Future   22.    Rambo: First Blood Part II   23.    Rocky IV   24.    Other Notables:  The Color Purple / Out of Africa / Cocoon / The Jewel of the Nile / Witness / The Goonies / Spies Like Us / The Breakfast Club / Brewster's Millions / St. Elmo's Fire /  Krush Groove   25.    Top 3 TV Shows   26.    The Cosby Show   27.    Family Ties   28.    Murder, She Wrote       29.    TV Debuts   30.    Sep - What's Happening Now!! / Stir Crazy   31.    Black Snapshots   32.    Feb -  Whitney Houston releases her debut  album – Whitney Houston.   33.    Mar  – Mike Tyson makes his professional debut in Albany, New York, a match which he wins by a first-round knockout.   34.    May - Michael Jordan is named as the NBA's "Rookie of the Year."   35.    May – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Mayor Wilson Goode, the  first African American to hold that office,  orders police to storm the  headquarters of the black liberation/back-to-nature group MOVE to end a stand-off over serving arrest warrants. (Due process?!?!)  The police drop 2 explosive devices into the headquarters, killing 6 adults and 5 children, and destroyed an additional 61 residental homes in the resulting fire. The survivors filed a civil suit against the city and the police department, and were awarded $1.5 million in 1996.   36.    Jul - The final episode of The Jeffersons airs. (1975-) 10 yrs   37.    Aug - Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids  (1972-) 13 yrs   38.    Nov - Ebony Man: EM  Magazine launches   39.    Best Comedy Recording: Whoopi Goldberg - Original Broadway Show Recording   40.    Best R&B Vocal Performance, Female: Aretha Franklin for "Freeway of Love"   41.    Best R&B Vocal Performance, Male: Stevie Wonder for In Square Circle   42.    Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal: Commodores for "Nightshift"   43.    Economic Snapshot   44.    Avg. Income = $22,138   45.    House = $99,331   46.    New Car = $9,531   47.    Avg. Rent = $375   48.    Tuition at Harvard = $9,800   49.    Movie Ticket = $2.75   50.    Gas = $1.20   51.    Stamp = $0.22   52.    Socilal Scene: “Money, it's gotta be da shoes!” - Mars Blackmon   53.    The Air Jordan I was originally released in 1985 and is almost single-handedly responsible for modern-day sneaker culture. Michael Jordan originally wanted to sign with either Converse or Adidas. But Converse declined and according to a Wall Street Journal article published in 2015 so did Adidas. Still MJ was not convinced. Only when Nike, thinking they had nothing to loose, offered to give MJ his own shoe- and clothing line did he change his mind. This was unheard of at the time, no NBA player had an entire product line named after them. As the first basketball player with his own signature shoes Jordan would immediately become the king of basketball sneaker advertising. Just to be on the safe side Nike worked an out-clause into the contract: if Air Jordans didn’t earn Nike $3 million in the first 3 years, or if Jordan didn’t make the NBA All-Star Game in his first three years, Nike could dump him. Jordan was voted into the All-Star Game as a Rookie starter and the "Air Jordan 1" shoe made Nike $130 million in 1985 alone. The rest is history.   54.    Open Comments:   55.    The pushback and common critisisms   56.    Extremely superficial materialism is one of the only ways that many black Americans express a sense of self worth.    57.    When you live in a society where nobody has a savings account, or a college degree, or has traveled abroad, having a fresh pair of sneakers and a gold chain shouldn't be your version of keeping up with the Joneses.   58.    Liking shoes is as much of a "black thing" as liking chicken is a "black thing". Everyone likes both of these things.   59.    Open Comments:   60.    It became popular in the late 80s for people with moderate or low incomes to wear clothing adorned with the names and logos of luxury, high-end brands. Then all the luxury brands started making their own low-end, logo-covered versions. You wear your favorite sports team to affiliate yourself with them. It's the same thing with Tommy Hilfiger, Gucci, Jordache, Guess, Wrangler, Levi, Gitano, Bonjour, Sasson, etc., it's a way of signalling.   61.    Question: We went from tailored suits and dresses to baggy jeans and yoga pants. From afro's and braids to fashioned bandanas and bleached blondes. From the stylish Supremes and Tempations to tatooed  faces and pireced everytginhg. - What do you think is at the root of our decisions? Are we victims of advertising?   62.    Music Scene   63.    Black Songs from the Top 40 (No Lionel Richie showed up!)   64.    5    "I Feel for You"    Chaka Khan   65.    6    "Out of Touch"    Hall & Oates   66.    12    "Easy Lover"    Philip Bailey and Phil Collins   67.    17    "Cherish"    Kool & the Gang   68.    20    "We Are the World"    USA for Africa   69.    22    "Part-Time Lover"    Stevie Wonder   70.    23    "Saving All My Love For You"    Whitney Houston   71.    26    "Cool It Now"    New Edition   72.    28    "Loverboy"    Billy Ocean   73.    29    "Lovergirl"    Teena Marie   74.    31    "Oh Sheila"    Ready for the World   75.    32    "Rhythm of the Night"    DeBarge   76.    38    "Neutron Dance"    The Pointer Sisters   77.    40    "Nightshift"    Commodores   78.    Vote:   79.    Top RnB Singles   80.    Jan - "Operator"    Midnight Star   81.    Jan - "Gotta Get You Home Tonight"    Eugene Wilde   82.    Feb -  "Mr. Telephone Man"    New Edition   83.    Feb - "Missing You"    Diana Ross   84.    Mar - "Nightshift"    The Commodores   85.    Apr - "Back In Stride"    Maze featuring Frankie Beverly   86.    Apr - "Rhythm Of the Night"    DeBarge   87.    May - "We Are the World"    USA for Africa   88.    May - "Fresh"    Kool & the Gang   89.    May - "You Give Good Love"    Whitney Houston   90.    Jun - "Rock Me Tonight (For Old Times Sake)"    Freddie Jackson   91.    Jul - "Hangin' on a String (Contemplating)"    Loose Ends   92.    Jul - "Save Your Love (For #1)"    René & Angela   93.    Aug - "Freeway of Love"    Aretha Franklin   94.    Sep - "Saving All My Love for You"    Whitney Houston   95.    Sep - "Cherish"    Kool & the Gang   96.    Sep - "Oh Sheila"    Ready For the World   97.    Oct - "You Are My Lady"    Freddie Jackson   98.    Oct - "Part-Time Lover"    Stevie Wonder   99.    Nov - "Caravan of Love"    Isley-Jasper-Isley   100.    Dec - "Don't Say No Tonight"    Eugene Wilde   101.    Vote:   102.    Top RnB Albums   103.    Jan - New Edition    New Edition   104.    Feb - Solid    Ashford & Simpson   105.    Mar - Gap Band VI    The Gap Band   106.    Mar p- Private Dancer    Tina Turner   107.    Apr - Nightshift    The Commodores   108.    Apr - Can't Stop the Love    Frankie Beverly and Maze   109.    May - The Night I Fell in Love    Luther Vandross   110.    Jun - Whitney Houston    Whitney Houston   111.    Jun - Rock Me Tonight    Freddie Jackson   112.    Nov - In Square Circle    Stevie Wonder   113.    Vote   114.    Featured Artists: Whitney Houston and Sade   115.    Whitney Elizabeth Houston, @22 yrs old: Singer, actress, model, and producer, Whitney Houston is one of the world’s most successful female entertainers of all time.   116.    Born and raised in Newark NJ,  she is the daughter of Grammy-award-winning gospel singer, Emily “Cissy” Houston and John R. Houston, who managed his daughter’s production company.    117.    Childhood & Early Life   118.    She was no stranger to the entertainment industry, having come from a line of singers and actresses. Not only did her mother’s vocal group, the ‘Sweet Inspirations’, sing backup for Aretha Franklin, but her cousins Dionne and Dee Dee Warwick are also renowned singers, as well as her godmother, Darlene Love. She began performing in her church’s gospel choir as a soloist at the age of eleven and learned to play the piano. While attending Catholic school, she took voice lessons from her mother, with whom she would occasionally perform in nightclubs.   119.    Career   120.    In 1977 (@ 14 yrs old), she was a backup singer for Michael Zager Band’s single ‘Life’s a Party’ and the following year she sang on Chaka Khan’s single ‘I’m Every Woman’. She was offered an opportunity to sign with a recording company, but her mother declined so she would finish high school. In the early 1980s, (@17 yrs old), she worked as a model, appearing in several magazines including, ‘Seventeen’, where she became the first African American to be featured on the cover. She also took on acting gigs appearing in TV show episodes such as, ‘Gimme a Break’, while continuing to develop her vocal skills. In 1983,(@ 20yrs old) she was signed with ‘Arista Records’. President Clive Davis spent the next couple years assembling lyricists and producers to balance her gospel-like sound with contemporary melodies. In 1985, her debut album, ‘Whitney Houston’ gradually became the number one selling album of her career.  She went on to win two Emmy Awards, six Grammy Awards, 30 Billboard Music Awards, 22 American Music Awards.   121.    Open Comments:   122.    A Hot Mess   123.    On February 11th, 2012, Whitney Houston (@ 48 yrs old) was found facedown in a bathtub.  Weeks later, an autopsy report would contribute Houston’s death to accidental drowning, heart disease and cocaine use. There were additional traces of a muscle relaxant, Xanax, marijuana and an allergy medication in the singer’s system.    124.    The sad, secret life of Whitney Houston: From a secret lesbian relationship to a decades-long struggle with drugs, five years after singer’s death, a new film ‘Whitney: Can I Be Me’ examines what caused her tragic downfall - Tara Brady [Jun 12, 2017] https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/music/the-sad-secret-life-of-whitney-houston-1.3105861   125.    Selected quotes from the article:   126.    What exactly killed Houston? Why did she drown? How did she drown? Was she simply overwhelmed by the controlling demands of her formidable mother, Cissy Houston, Svengali Clive Davis, and her record company, Arista? Did the aftermath of her toxic and co-dependent marriage to Bobby Brown send her spiralling? Or was it the dissolution of her decades-old lesbian relationship with her assistant Robyn Crawford? It’s complicated, as documentarian Nick Broomfield discovered.  “In the end I think the divide between who she was and what her public persona was became more and more difficult,” says  documentarian Nick Broomfield. “And she just went down,    127.    The imploding relations between Houston, Bobby Brown and Robyn Crawford. Brown told Us Weekly magazine that Houston was bisexual and that she once had an affair with Tupac Shakur. He went on to say that Houston kept her relationship with Crawford hidden because of Cissy. “I really feel that if Robyn was accepted into Whitney’s life, Whitney would still be alive today,” Brown told the magazine. “She didn’t have close friends with her anymore.”   128.    From Cissy’s notorious 2013 interview with Oprah Winfrey:  “Would it have bothered you if your daughter was gay?”  “Absolutely,” Cissy snapped back. “You wouldn’t have condoned it?” continued an incredulous Oprah. “Not at all.” ...“I didn’t particularly like [Crawford],” Cissy told the talk show queen. “She just spoke too much, disrespectful sometimes, like she had something over Nippy (Houston’s nickname), and I didn’t like that at all. She was all right, she turned out to be all right, I guess. That was her friend.”   129.    Houston and Crawford first bonded while they were teenagers working at a community centre in East Orange, New Jersey. When Houston’s modelling career began to take off, she’d face bullying in school, and Crawford, who was originally a friend of Houston’s older brothers Michael and Gary, would frequently come to the rescue. When Houston moved out of her family home, she shared her first apartment with Crawford. Deep into Houston and Brown’s 14-year marriage, Crawford remained a fixture in Houston’s domestic arrangements.   130.    Houston’s marriage to Brown, understandably, made for an uneasy romantic trinity. In Derrick Handspike’s unauthorised 2008 biography, Bobby Brown: The Truth, The Whole Truth and Nothing But . . ., the author quotes Brown as saying: “Now I realise Whitney had a different agenda than I did when we got married. I believe her agenda was to clean up her image while mine was to be loved and have children. “Whitney felt she had to make rumours of a lesbian affair go away. Since she was the American Sweetheart and all, that didn’t go too well with her image. In Whitney’s situation the only solution was to get married and have kids. That would kill all speculation whether it was true or not.”   131.    Supermarket tabloids did a brisk trade during the 1990s by peddling the idea that Houston’s life spiralled into addiction after she married Brown. She was the gospel-singing good girl – the church-going daughter of Cissy and a cousin of Dionne Warwick. He was a bad boy who, aged 20, when they first met, had already been shot and stabbed in the shoulder. Their tumultuous marriage (from 1992 to 2007), characterised by drug use, infidelity and a costly entourage, was seldom out of the headlines. But contrary to popular belief, Brown did not introduce his troubled wife to cocaine. Houston first dabbled with drugs with her brothers, Michael and Gary, as a teenager. The truth is that Houston was always as “street“ as her R&B star husband. But that part of her personal history didn’t fit with what Broomfield calls “the Whitney character”.  As Pattie Howard, Houston’s backing vocalist, notes: “People may not know it but Whitney was from the ‘hood’. They wanted to present her as the princess. And that’s what white America was presented with.” Kenneth Reynolds, who worked in marketing for Arista Records recalls that: “Anything that was too black sounding was sent back. We wanted Joni Mitchell. We wanted Barbra Streisand. ” “She was very carefully groomed for nearly two years before the first album came out,” explains Broomfield. “So every aspect of her was carefully considered. She was a major project. A lot of money was spent on her. Anything that was too R&B was out. They didn’t want a female James Brown. That was not part of their vision. Which, of course, was a very successful vision.”   132.    In 1989, just as Houston topped 25 million in album sales and surpassed the Beatles’s record with seven consecutive number one hits, she attended the Soul Train awards where, in response to her “white” music, she was roundly booed. Pre-Beyoncé and Mariah Carey, “crossover” was synonymous with cultural betrayal. People shouted “Oreo” – brown on the outside, white on the inside – as her nomination for Best Female Vocalist was announced. “It’s not a good feeling,” says Houston, in Can I Be Me. “It’s horrible and kind of funny. You think: ‘Are they booing me?’ And you have to sit there and be cordial and smiley. And you feel like: ‘Oh my God’.” Kirk Whalum, the saxophonist who toured with Houston for more than seven years recalls that night, which coincidentally, was the first time she met Brown. “It was devastating [for her],” says Whalum.   133.    By the end of the 90s, Houston found herself at the centre of a perfect storm of ongoing racial friction, marital troubles and drug abuse. Friends, unable to watch Houston’s decline, began to drift away. Her father, John, died in 2003, but not before his management company, John Houston Entertainment LLC, filed a $100 million lawsuit against his own daughter. Months before his death, he made a public appeal on the syndicated show, Celebrity Justice: “You get your act together, honey, and you pay me the money that you owe me.” Robyn Crawford’s departure in 2000, too, prompted a new, crippling dependency on crack-cocaine and other substances. - “Robyn was the one who was keeping her together,” says writer Allison Samuels. “That’s when drugs became so important to her.”   134.    Open Comments:   135.    The Smooth Operator -Helen Folasade Adu, professionally known as Sade (@26 yrs old)   136.    Sade is an internationally renowned, multi-Grammy award winning singer who is known for her smooth, melodic vocals and the seamless incorporation of different styles of music. She was born in Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria on January 16, 1959. Her father Adebisi Adu, a Nigerian lecturer of economics, and her mother Anne Hayes, a district nurse, had met in London. Sade was the couple’s second child. Shortly after her birth, Sade’s parents separated and she and her brother followed their mother to Colchester, Essex, England. There, the children were raised by their mother as well as their maternal grandfather. Upon finishing her education at Clacton County High School in Colchester, she enrolled at Central St. Martin’s College of Art and Design in London to pursue fashion and design. After completion of her program, she worked as a model and menswear designer.    137.    Sade entered the music scene around 1980 when she started singing harmony for Arriva, a Latin funk band. She joined another funk band called Pride and was a background singer for the group. Pride garnered much attention from record companies due to their performances around London. Eventually Sade and fellow bandmates, Stuart Matthewman, Paul Denma, and Andrew Hale signed a deal with the U.K. division of Epic Records and formed the band Sade. In 1984 the band’s debut album, Diamond Life, was released to much critical success and was bolstered by singles such as “Hang On to Your Love” and “Smooth Operator.” The band followed up their debut with their next album, Promise, which was released the following year. “The Sweetest Taboo,” a single from Promise, was on the U.S. Hot 100 for six months. She was awarded the Grammy for best new artist of 1985.    138.    Open Comments:   139.    Selected quote about her sound   140.    Let's get this into context. With Sade it's unlikely there will ever be a full, naked baring of the soul. In terms of contemporary icons, it's better to listen to Mary J for stories of drama and shattered devotion. But Sade, today, is all about the acknowledged presence of absence. What's missing in her music is as important as what's present. - The Fader   141.    A small, yet important, fact: When Sade signed her first record deal with Epic in the early '80s, she accepted a small advance, worth ~$70,000 in exchange for an unusually high cut of sales for a new artist—15 percent. It was a deal that ended up proving immensely lucrative, and it has freed her from many of the commercial demands that often encumber artists. Put simply, she only works when and how she wants to. As one executive at her label, Epic, put it to me: "Who's going to argue with a woman who's sold 50 million albums? She's more powerful than anyone working at the label, including the [President]." - The Fader   142.    Question: Does the Sade sound ever wear out?   143.    The Movie Scene   144.    The Color Purple/Film synopsis   145.    An epic tale spanning forty years in the life of Celie (Whoopi Goldberg), an African-American woman living in the South who survives incredible abuse and bigotry. After Celie's abusive father marries her off to the equally debasing "Mister" Albert Johnson (Danny Glover), things go from bad to worse, leaving Celie to find companionship anywhere she can. She perseveres, holding on to her dream of one day being reunited with her sister in Africa. Based on the novel by Alice Walker.   146.    Review by Roger Ebert   147.    Returning to "The Color Purple" after almost 20 years, I can see its flaws more easily than when I named it the best film of 1985, but I can also understand why it moved me so deeply, and why the greatness of some films depends not on their perfection or logic, but on their heart. The movie may have inconsistencies, confusions and improbabilities, but there is one perfect thing at its center, and that is the character of Celie, as played by Whoopi Goldberg. "Here is this year's winner for best actress," I wrote in my original review, and that should have been true, but although "The Color Purple" had 11 nominations, it won not a single Oscar. When a movie character is really working, we become that character. That's what the movies offer: Escapism into lives other than our own. I am not female, I am not black, I am not Celie, but for a time during "The Color Purple," my mind deceives me that I am all of those things, and as I empathize with her struggle and victory I learn something about what it must have been like to be her.  - Roger Ebert   148.    Selected Quotes   149.    In Honor of Its 33rd Anniversary, Here Are 10 Life Lessons I Learned From the Color Purple - By Melissa Kimble Dec 18, 2018 [https://www.oprahmag.com/entertainment/tv-movies/a25616715/the-color-purple-quotes-anniversary/]   150.    I was born a few years after the film was released. However, I can credit much of my self discovery to the many times I’ve watched it. My favorite quotes from the movie taught me valuable lessons about Black womanhood, faith, and self love. And these 10 are the ones I’ll never forget.   151.    “Girl, you oughta bash Mister’s head open and think about heaven later.” By Oprah Winfrey - In a film where women are treated like inferiors, Sofia breaks the mold by refusing to be her husband's punching bag. This scene-stealing monologue, with its rage filled entrance by the O of O, is an act of defiance—especially one committed in early 20th century Georgia. It was powerful and necessary to see a Black woman go against the grain on screen. And to me, it was a call to action to be fearless.   152.    "I'm poor, Black, I may even be ugly, but dear God, I’m here! I’m here!" By Whoopi Goldberg - What a victorious statement this was by Celie, who, up until this point, had spent most of her life feeling unworthy and invisible. It reminded me that even with our flaws and imperfections, we still deserve to show up in our own lives.   153.    "Until you do right by me, everything you think about is going to crumble." By - Whoopi Goldberg - With these words, Celie breaks a cycle of abuse from Mister and sticks up for herself. I interpreted this line as a sign that I don’t have to carry the weight of people who have caused my pain; life will take care of everything.   154.    “Miss Celie, why you always covering up your smile?” By Desreta Jackson - Growing up, I was very insecure about my smile. And when Shug Avery posed this question to Miss Celie, it also made me turn to myself. When Shug encourages Celie to smile, I learned that there’s no need to cover up my own   155.    Open Comments:   156.    Featured Artist   157.    Caryn Elaine Johnson, a.k.a. Whoopi Goldberg (@ 30 yrs old): an American comedian, actress, singer-songwriter, Broadway star, political activist, author and talk show host, she is one of the most successful and established African American actresses of her time.    158.    Born and raised in Manhattan, she is one of 14 entertainers ever to have won an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony. What differentiates Goldberg from her contemporaries is the excellence that she portrayed in all the mediums of entertainment, be it television, theatre, films or radio.    159.    Childhood & Early Life   160.    Her mother was a nurse and a teacher while her father served as a clergyman. She was raised in the Chelsea-Elliot Houses by her mother alone after her father disbanded the family when she was young. She studied until her teen years and later dropped out of school. Her started acting started at a young age. It was during her stage performance that people complimented her by saying that she looked like whoopee cushion. It was from there that she took the stage name Whoopi and adopted Goldberg as her surname to sound more Jewish.    161.    Career   162.    In 1974, (@ age 19) she moved to California and thereafter lived in various cities such as Los Angeles, San Diego and San Francisco. It was during this time that she honed her acting skills and developed her talent as a stand-up comedian.  However, soon thereafter, she returned to New York and started receiving training under acting coach Uta Hagen. Her first ever appearance on screen was for William Farley’s feature, ‘Citizen: I'm Not Losing My Mind, I'm Giving It Away’ in 1982 (@ 27). In 1983, she created, starred and directed a ‘The Spook Show’, a one-woman show that addressed the issue of race in American but in a unique and innovative style. Next, she created other off-Broadway productions such as ‘Little Girl’ an African-American child obsessed with having blond hair and ‘Fontaine’ a junkie who also happens to hold a doctorate in literature. The innovative presentation and sense of wit and style in her shows impressed director Mike Nicholas who offered to take ‘The Spook Show’ to the Broadway. The show which ran for 156 performances, met with much acclaim both commercially and critically. It went on to earn her a Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album. The eye-catching performance and amazing positive reception of the show earned her attention of the Hollywood bigwigs. It helped her bag a role in the Steven Spielberg film, ‘The Color Purple’, released in 1985. The movie met with resounding success, clutching 11 Academy Awards nominations and she won her first Golden Globe award.   163.    Open Comments:   164.    Oprah Gail Winfrey , a.k.a. Oprah Winfrey (@ 31 yrs old): Talk show host, actress, producer and philanthropist.   165.    Childhood & Early Life   166.    Born in Kosciusko, Mississippi, on a small family farm, to an unwed mother who had a short relationship with a soldier stationed nearby, Oprah grew up in dire poverty, and was primarily raised by her grandmother. Sexually abused and mistreated as a child, Winfrey rose above adversity to focus on her primary and high school education.    167.    Career   168.    When she was still a teenager, the local CBS television station in Nashville, Tennessee offered her a job as a co-anchor. She turned it down three times. At age 19, Oprah Winfrey said yes after the fourth offer. She failed the interview, but instead was offered a job as a full-time reporter for a Baltimore television news channel. She did poorly as a reporter, and by age 22 she was fired from the news division. The director of the station gave Winfrey a boost by selecting her to anchor a morning talk show entitled ‘People are Talking’. For the next seven years, her talk show enjoyed excellent ratings. In 1981, (@ 27) she moved to Chicago to host a talk show entitled ‘A.M. Chicago’. Four years later, (1985) after a tremendous boost in the ratings, the producers changed the name to ‘The Oprah Winfrey Show’. She caught the attention of Quincy Jones, a Chicago native, and he cast her as Sofia for the first movie he produced, 'The Color Purple'. The following year ‘The Oprah Winfrey Show’ was broadcast nationally.    169.    Open Comments:   170.    TV Scene:   171.    Featured Actor: Phylician Ayers Allen, a.k.a Phylicia Rashad is an Emmy-nominated American actress, singer, and director.   172.    Her multi-faceted career began with Broadway before she branched into television and films. She is best remembered for her character as Claire Huxtable in the NBC sitcom ‘The Cosby Show’, which ran for eight years. The series brought Phylicia much deserved recognition, also earning her two Emmy nominations. Phylicia, however, is immortalized for her rich performances on the stage as an artist. She starred in several lavish musicals and dramas, all praised highly by critics. She became the first African American actress to walk away with a Tony Award for her performance in Lorraine Hansberry’s ‘Raisin in The Sun’.  Subsequently, she was venerated within the African American acting community at the NAACP Awards, where she was called ‘The Mother’ of the Black Community. Her other popular plays include ‘Cat on a Hot Tin Roof’, ‘August: Osage Country’, and ‘Gem of the Ocean’. She has tried her hand at stage direction and has successfully directed hit plays at prominent stages. Over the course of her career, Rashad has starred in several television series and voiced many characters. Her prolific output continues to be on the rise as she is still an active part of the entertainment industry.   173.    Childhood & Early Life:   174.    Phylicia Rashad was born Phylician Ayers Allen on June 19, 1948, in Houston, Texas to Vivian Ayers and Andrew Arthur Allen. Her mother was a prize-winning poet and artist, while her father was a reputed orthodontist. She has three siblings: Andrew Arthur Allen Jr., Debbie Allen, and Hugh Allen. Phylicia was raised in the United States and Mexico. She studied at Howard University, Washington D.C. and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in theatre in 1970. During her university days, she was inculcated into the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority.   175.    Career   176.    After graduating with a degree in theatre, Phylicia immediately joined the Negro Ensemble Company in New York. She toured the city and was seen in several plays under this troupe. Her Broadway debut occurred in 1972 and she was seen in several minor roles for hit musicals, including ‘The Wiz’ (1975) and ‘Dreamgirls’ (1981). In 1978, Rashad tried her hand at something new by releasing the concept album ‘Josephine Superstar’, an album that was based on Josephine Baker’s life. She decided to embark on an alternative career in television owing to the scarcity of good roles given to her. In 1982, after moving to television, Rashad landed a recurring role in the series ‘One Life to Live’ as Courtney Wright, a publicist. In 1984, Phylicia Rashad was roped in to play the role of Clair Huxtable, an attorney, in the hit comedy ‘The Cosby Show’. The show starred Bill Cosby in the lead role and Phylicia played his wife. The series ran for over eight years and was a critical and commercial success. Phylicia’s role as Clair proved to be the highest point in her career, earning her two Emmy Award nominations.   177.    Open Comments   178.    Question: Is she a good actor? Do you buy her in other roles?   179.    Vote: Best Pop Culture item/event for 1985

Topics: 1984 Olympics, Prince, Purple Rain (LP/Film), Cosby Show. (Bonus Artist: hidingtobefound)   1984 Notes General Snapshots 1. President: Ronald Reagan 2. Jan - US Bell System is broken up Bell System divestiture breaks AT&T into 24 independent units. 3. Jan - Wendy's "Fluffy Bun" advertisement is first broadcast, which gains Clara Peller and her "Where's the beef?" catchphrase national fame. 4. Jan - Michael Jackson's hair catches on fire during the filming of a Pepsi commercial. Michael Jackson stars in a Pepsi commercial with a young Alfonso Ribeiro, a.k.a Carlton from “The Fresh Prince.” 5. Feb - Michael Jackson wins a record eight Grammy Awards. [Prince was in the audience] 6. May - Happy Days airs its series finale, "Passages". 7. Jun – Best ever NBA draft: (1) Hakeem Olajuwon, (3) Michael Jordan, (5) Charles Barkley, and (16) John Stockton. [Sam Bowie 2nd pick] 8. Jun - Sally Ride becomes first American woman in space on the Space Shuttle Challenger. 9. Jul - The Motion Picture Association of America institutes the PG-13 rating, as a response to violent horror films such as Gremlins and Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. [Parental Advisory sticker for albums coming next year because of Darling Nikki by Prince] 10. Jul - ABC begins their coverage of the Summer Olympic Games from Los Angeles. 11. Sep - The first MTV Video Music Awards, featuring Madonna’s iconic breakout moment, the ‘Like a Virgin’ performance. 12. Nov - Sony and Philips introduce the first portable CD player. 13. Nov – Reagan Re-Elected 14. Top 3 Pop Songs 15. #1 - "When Doves Cry", Prince 16. #2 - "What's Love Got to Do with It", Tina Turner 17. #3 - "Say Say Say", Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson 18. Record of the Year: Tina Turner / What's Love Got To Do With It 19. Album of the Year: Lionel Richie / Can't Slow Down 20. Song of the Year: Terry Britten (songwriter) / What's Love Got To Do With 21. Best New Artist: Cyndi Lauper 22. Top 3 Movies 23. #1 - Beverly Hills Cop 24. #2 - Ghostbusters 25. #3 - Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom 26. Other Notable Movies 27. Gremlins / Karate Kid /Footloose / Terminator / Nightmare on Elm Street / Police Academy / The Never-Ending Story / Sixteen Candles / Romancing the Stone / Breakin’ / Beat Street 28. Top 3 TV Shows 29. #1 – Dynasty 30. #2 – Dallas 31. #3 - The Cosby Show 32. Black Snapshots 33. Apr - Marvin Gaye, singer, songwriter, and musician (b. 1939) Motown legend Marvin Gaye was shot to death by his own father after a fight between them. The murder weapon was a gun he had given his father for Christmas. His reputed final words were, "I got what I wanted... I couldn't do it myself, so I made him do it." 34. Jul - Vanessa L. Williams becomes the first Miss America to resign when she surrenders her crown, after nude photos of her appear in Penthouse magazine. 35. Dec - Four African American youths board an express train in The Bronx and attempt to rob Bernhard Goetz. He shoots them. 36. Dec - The first nationally broadcast telethon for the United Negro College fund is held. - "A Mind is a Terrible Thing To Waste" 37. Best R&B Vocal Performance, Female: Chaka Khan / "I Feel for You" 38. Best R&B Vocal Performance, Male: Billy Ocean / "Caribbean Queen" 39. Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group: James Ingram & Michael McDonald for "Yah Mo B There" 40. Best R&B Instrumental Performance: Herbie Hancock / "Sound System" 41. Best Rhythm & Blues Song: Prince, songwriter / "I Feel for You" performed by Chaka Khan 42. Economic Snapshot 43. Avg. Income = $21,600 44. House = $86,700 45. New Car = $8,700 46. Avg. Rent = $350 47. Tuition at Harvard = $9,000 48. Movie Ticket = $2.50 49. Gas = $1.10 50. Stamp = $0.20 51. Social Scene: 1984 Olympics [Jul 28th - Aug 12th] 52. Under the direction of the American entrepreneur Peter Ueberroth, the 1984 Olympics witnessed the ascension of commercialism as an integral element in the staging of the Games. Corporate sponsors, principally U.S.-based multinationals, could put Olympic symbols on their products, which were then marketed as the “official” such product of the Olympics. A spot on the torch relay team sold for $3,000 per km. The Olympics turned a profit ($225 million) for the first time since 1932. Despite concerns about growing corporate involvement ... the financial success and high worldwide television ratings raised optimism about the Olympic movement for the first time in a generation. [Due to the success of the games, Peter Ueberroth was named Time magazine's Man of the Year in 1984.] - https://www.britannica.com/event/Los-Angeles- 53. The Soviets, and 13 other countries, in retaliation for the U.S. boycott of the 1980 Olympic Games in Moscow, boycotted the 1984 Olympics. 54. Highlights: 55. Carl Lewis Ties Jesse Owens: At the 1936 Olympics, Jesse Owens won four gold medals — the 100-meter dash, the 200-meter, the long jump, and the 400-meter relay. Nearly five decades later, Carl Lewis also won four gold medals, in the same events as Jesse. 56. Edwin Moses won the gold medal in the 400m hurdles 8 years after winning in 1976. 57. Mary Lou Retton: The U.S. became enthralled with the short (4' 9"), exuberant Mary Lou Retton in her attempt to win gold in gymnastics, a sport that had long been dominated by the Soviet Union. When Retton received perfect scores in her final two events, she became the first American woman to win an individual gold medal in gymnastics. 58. A marathon for women was held for the first time at the Olympics (won by Joan Benoit of the U.S.) 59. Michael Jordan, Patrick Ewing, and Chris Mullin were on the team that won the gold medal in basketball. 60. The United States topped the medal count for the first time since 1968. 61. Music Scene 62. Black Songs from the Top 40 63. #1 - "When Doves Cry", Prince 64. #2 - "What's Love Got to Do with It", Tina Turner 65. #3 - "Say Say Say", Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson 66. #7 – “Hello", Lionel Richie 67. #9 - "Ghostbusters", Ray Parker Jr. 68. #12 - "All Night Long (All Night)", Lionel Richie 69. #13 - "Let's Hear It for the Boy", Deniece Williams 70. #18 - "Jump (For My Love)", The Pointer Sisters 71. #21 - "Let's Go Crazy", Prince and The Revolution 72. #22 - "Say It Isn't So", Hall & Oates 73. #24 - "Joanna", Kool & The Gang 74. #25 - "I Just Called to Say I Love You", Stevie Wonder 75. #30 - "The Glamorous Life", Sheila E. 76. #32 - "Stuck on You", Lionel Richie 77. Vote: 78. Top R&B Albums 79. Jan - Can't Slow Down, Lionel Richie 80. Mar – Thriller, Michael Jackson 81. Apr - Busy Body, Luther Vandross 82. Apr - She's Strange, Cameo 83. May - Can't Slow Down, Lionel Richie 84. Jul - Jermaine Jackson, Jermaine Jackson 85. Jul – Lady, One Way 86. Jul - Private Dancer, Tina Turner 87. Jul - Purple Rain [Soundtrack], Prince and The Revolution 88. Dec - The Woman in Red [Soundtrack], Stevie Wonder 89. Vote: 90. Featured Artist: Prince Rogers Nelson, a.k.a. Prince, The Purple One. American singer, songwriter, actor, and multi-instrumentalist. (@ 26 yrs. old) 91. Famous for his flamboyance, powerful voice, and eclectic behavior, he boasted of a career that spanned four long decades, a rarity in the music world where success is fickle. With worldwide sales of 100 million records, he is counted amongst the best-selling artists of all time. The son of a pianist and a jazz singer, Prince inherited his musical talents from his parents who encouraged him from a young age to pursue music as a career. Under his parents’ guidance he developed a deep love for music and began creating tunes when he was just seven. He also taught himself how to play the piano, guitar and drums. He became a professional singer and performer as a young man and earned much popularity with his eponymous album ‘Prince.’ His highly sexualized lyrics, creative compositions, and incorporation of elements of funk, dance, and rock music made him stand out from others of his generation. He enjoyed a very successful career that was cut short by his untimely death at the age of 57. 92. Childhood & Early Life: 93. Born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on June 7, 1958 to an African American couple Mattie Della and John Lewis Nelson. His father was a pianist and songwriter and his mother was a jazz singer. He suffered from epileptic seizures as a young child. He became interested in music at a young age and was encouraged by his parents. He taught himself how to play the piano, guitar and drums, and wrote his first tune when he was seven. His parents separated when he was ten, and the next few years were spent repeatedly switching homes, sometimes living with his father and sometimes with his other. He formed his first band, Grand Central (later known as Champagne), when he was 14. 94. Career: 95. Debut album ‘For You’, (1978) / ‘Prince’, (1979) - Hit singles ‘Why You Wanna Treat Me So Bad?’ and ‘I Wanna Be Your Lover’. Went platinum, effectively establishing Prince’s career. / ‘Dirty Mind’ (1980) / ’Controversy’ (1981), and ‘1999’ (1982) 96. 1984, he released ‘Purple Rain’. Sold more than 13 million copies in the US and spent 24 consecutive weeks at No. 1. The same year he appeared in a rock musical drama film of the same name, making his film debut. The film became a cult classic. 97. Following Albums: ‘Parade’ (1986) / ‘Sign o' the Times’ (1987) / ‘Lovesexy’ (1988) / ‘Batman’ (1989) 98. In the 1990s he started performing with a new backing band, the New Power Generation. 99. In 1993 he changed his stage name to, an unpronounceable symbol which was a combination of the symbols for male (♂) and female (♀). 100. ‘Purple Rain’ is consistently ranked among the best albums in music history and is widely regarded as Prince's magnum opus. It has sold over 22 million copies worldwide, becoming the sixth best-selling soundtrack album of all time. His album ‘Sign o' the Times’, which had elements of funk, soul, psychedelic pop, and rock music, and featured tracks like ‘If I Was Your Girlfriend’, ‘Housequake’ and ‘It’ was another one of his mega hits. In 1989, ‘Time Out’ magazine ranked it as the greatest album of all time. 101. In early April 2016 he reported that he was not feeling well and postponed his performances. It was also said that he was being treated for drug overdose. On April 21, 2016, he was found dead in an elevator. He was 57 years old. 102. Open Comments: Do you know what Purple Rain is? 103. TV Scene: 110. Open Comments: 111. Question: Evans or Huxtables? 112. Vote:

This is a throwback episode of Musically Challenged. This was housed with one of our collaborators Geekery in General. Now, for the first time here, on Musically Challenged - Black Songs, as in songs ith Black in the title.  No Trivia and NO BEER!! We are on Twitter, please follow us and get updates from Musically Challenged! @MCPodcast17 will find us. If you see the skeleton rock fingers, it's us! If you follow us, we follow you.  Want to reach out to us? There are a few ways to do that. First send us an email at eclecticmediaproject@gmail.com or if your more into that social media thing, you can find us on Facebook @eclecticmediaproject or @musicallychallengedpodcast. Like us and share us. Aside from Podbean we are on iTunes as well!! New is Instagram!! www.instagram.com/eclecticmediaproject  Check out our website at www.eclecticmediaproject.com  ***We use music based on the fair use policy***

Topics: Reaganomics, MJ vis-a-vis Prince, 48 Hrs. (Film). (Bonus Artist: hidingtobefound)     1.    1982 Notes   2.    General Snapshots   3.    Ronald Reagan President   4.    Oct – The 1982 Chicago Tylenol murders occur when 7 people in the Chicago area die after ingesting capsules laced with potassium cyanide.   5.    November – The unemployment rate peaks at 10.8%.   6.    November 2 – United States elections, 1982. The Republican Party loses 27 seats to the majority Democratic Party in the House.   7.    November 30 – Michael Jackson releases Thriller, the biggest-selling album of all time.   8.    Open Comments   9.    Popular Music Scene   10.    Top 3 Singles   11.    1 - "Physical", Olivia Newton-John   12.    2 - "Eye of the Tiger", Survivor   13.    3 - "I Love Rock 'n Roll", Joan Jett & The Blackhearts   14.    Record of the Year - "Rosanna", Toto   15.    Album of the Year - Toto IV, Toto   16.    Song of the Year - "Always on My Mind", Willie Nelson   17.    Best New Artist - Men at Work   18.    Open Comments   19.    Popular Movies   20.    Top 3 Grossing Movies   21.    1 - E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial   22.    2 – Tootsie   23.    3 - An Officer and a Gentleman   24.    Notables: Fast Times at Ridgemont High, First Blood, Poltergeist, Rocky III, Porky's, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan   25.    Open Comments   26.    Popular TV   27.    1 - 60 Minutes   28.    2 – Dallas   29.    3 - M*A*S*H / Magnum, P.I.   30.    Black Snapshots   31.    Jan - Fame debuts on TV   32.    Mar - Teddy Pendergrass is severely injured in a car accident in Philadelphia. Pendergrass's injuries result in him being paralyzed from the chest down.   33.    Andrew Jackson Young Jr., pastor, politician, diplomat, activist, former executive director of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), and a close confidant to Martin Luther King Jr. becomes Mayor of Atlanta.   34.    Best R&B Vocal Performance, Female: Jennifer Holliday for "And I Am Telling You (I'm Not Going)"Best R&B Vocal Performance, Male: Marvin Gaye for "Sexual Healing"   35.    Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal: (tie) Dazz Band for "Let It Whip" 36.    Earth, Wind & Fire for "Wanna Be with You"   37.    Best Rhythm & Blues Song: "Turn Your Love Around" performed by George Benson   38.    Best Comedy Recording: Richard Pryor for Live on the Sunset Strip   39.    Economic Snapshots   40.    New House - 82.5k   41.    Avg Income - 21k   42.    New Car - 8k   43.    Avg Rent – 320   44.    Harvard Tuition - 7k per year   45.    Movie Ticket - 2.50   46.    Stamp - .20   47.    Open Comments   48.    Social Scene: Reaganomics   49.    Reaganomics is a popular term used to refer to the economic policies of Ronald Reagan   50.    During the campaign of 1980, Ronald Reagan announced a recipe to fix the nation's economic mess. He claimed an undue tax burden, excessive government regulation, and massive social spending programs hampered growth.   51.    Reagan's 1981 Program for Economic Recovery had four major policy objectives: (1) reduce the growth of government spending, (2) reduce the marginal tax rates on income from both labor and capital, (3) reduce regulation, and (4) reduce inflation by controlling the growth of the money supply. The economic theory behind the plan was called Supply-Side, or Trickle-Down economics, or voodoo economics by political opponents.   52.    Did It Work?   53.    President Reagan delivered on each of his four major policy objectives., although not to the extent that he and his supporters had hoped.   54.    Government spending wasn't lowered, just shifted from domestic programs to defense. The result? The federal debt almost tripled, from $997 billion in 1981 to $2.857 trillion in 1989.   55.    Reagan cut tax rates enough to stimulate consumer demand. By Reagan's last year in office, the top income tax rate was 28 percent for single people making $18,550 or more. Anyone making less paid no taxes at all. That was much less than the 1980 top tax rate of 70 percent for individuals earning $108,000 or more. Reagan offset these tax cuts with tax increases elsewhere. He raised Social Security payroll taxes and some excise taxes. Reagan cut the corporate tax rate from 46 percent to 40 percent.   56.    Reagan deregulated: Domestic oil and gas, cable TV, long-distance telephone service, interstate bus service, and ocean shipping. He eased bank regulations, but that helped create the Savings and Loan Crisis in 1989. Reagan increased, not decreased, import barriers. He did little to reduce other regulations affecting health, safety, and the environment. Carter had reduced regulations at a faster pace.   57.    Tame Inflation. Reagan was fortunate Federal Reserve Chairman Paul Volcker was already in place. Volcker vigorously attacked the double-digit inflation of the 1970s.   58.    Legacy   59.    Reagan’s indifference to urban problems was legendary. For example, early in his presidency, at a White House reception, Reagan greeted the only black member of his Cabinet, Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Samuel Pierce, saying: “How are you, Mr. Mayor? I’m glad to meet you. How are things in your city?” He had failed to recognize his own HUD Secretary.   60.    And his dislike for public school education is still with us.   61.    MAY 06, 2013 LANCE T. IZUMI: SACRAMENTO, CA – While Ronald Reagan’s foreign policy changed the face of the world, it shouldn’t be forgotten that his leadership also dramatically changed the face of issues at home. Top among those was education. In 1983, the Reagan administration released the groundbreaking report A Nation at Risk.  Using a wealth of statistical data, the report demonstrated in detail the failings of America’s education system and the impact of those failings on the country’s children. The report recommended greater emphasis on basic subjects such as math and English, more rigorous and measurable standards, higher expectations for student performance and conduct, lengthening the school year, and improving teacher quality through, for example, increasing standards for teacher training programs. It’s no coincidence that the report’s recommendations form the basis for much of today’s agenda for education reform.   62.    According to Dick Carpenter, professor of education leadership at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs, in the two years after the release of “A Nation at Risk”,  Reagan delivered more than 50 education-related speeches. Prof. Carpenter found, In speech after speech, Reagan articulated his educational beliefs and ideas, including parental responsibility in education; school choice, including tax credits and vouchers; rigorous academic content focused on basics such as reading, writing, arithmetic, history, and government; religious freedom in schools; high standards of conduct and discipline; character education; and a federal responsibility in helping the disadvantaged.    63.    Gary K. Clabaugh The Cutting Edge 259: Most presupposed that the charges made by Mr. Reagan’s handpicked panel were true. Oddly, throughout this entire clamor parents’ confidence in the schools their children attended remained remarkably high.9Meanwhile Mr. Reagan was quietly halving federal aid to education.   64.    That sums up Mr. Reagan’s educational legacy. As governor and president he demagogically fanned discontent with public education,then made political hay of it. As governor and president he bashed educators and slashed education spending while professing to value it. And as governor and president, he left the nation’s educators dispirited and demoralized.   65.    Open Comments   66.    Question: What are some of the changes you have noticed in schools since you were a child? Good & Bad.   67.    Music Scene   68.    Black Songs from the Top 40   69.    4 - "Ebony and Ivory", Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder   70.    15 - "I Can't Go for That (No Can Do)", Hall & Oates   71.    24 - "Let It Whip", Dazz Band   72.    26 - "The Other Woman", Ray Parker Jr.27 - "Turn Your Love Around", George Benson   73.    33 - "Let's Groove”, Earth, Wind & Fire   74.    Vote Top R&B Albums   75.    Jan - Raise!, Earth, Wind and Fire   76.    Feb - Skyy Line, Skyy   77.    Feb - The Poet, Bobby Womack   78.    Apr - Love Is Where You Find It, The Whispers   79.    Apr - Friends, Shalamar   80.    May - Brilliance, Atlantic Starr   81.    May - The Other Woman, Ray Parker, Jr.   82.    Jun - Stevie Wonder's Original Musiquarium I, Stevie Wonder   83.    Jun - Keep It Live, Dazz Band   84.    Jul - Gap Band IV, The Gap Band   85.    Sep - Jump to It, Aretha Franklin   86.    Oct - Get Loose, Evelyn "Champagne" King   87.    Nov - Forever, For Always, For Love, Luther Vandross   88.    Nov - Lionel Richie, Lionel Richie   89.    Dec - Midnight Love, Marvin Gaye   90.    Key Artists: Michael Jackson, vis-a-vis Prince, and Quincy   91.    Let's just peek into the "underground" scene and see what Prince has been up to since Off The Wall   92.    (1979)"Thriller" is the sixth studio album by American singer Michael Jackson, released on November 30, 1982   93.    "1999" is the fifth studio album by American recording artist Prince, and the first to feature his band the Revolution. It was released on October 27, 1982.   94.    Previous Albums by Prince: For You (1978), Prince (1979), Dirty Mind (1980), Controversy (1981), 1999 (1982) - Peak Chart Position for "1999" was #5   95.    Singles from Prince since 1978:   96.    June 7, 1978 - "Just as Long as We're Together"   97.    November 21, 1978 - "I Wanna Be Your Lover"   98.    August 24, 1979"Why You Wanna Treat Me So Bad?"   99.    January 23, 1980"Still Waiting"   100.    March 25, 1980"Sexy Dancer"   101.    April 1980 (non-US single)"Uptown"   102.    September 10, 1980"Dirty Mind"   103.    November 26, 1980"Do It All Night"   104.    March 6, 1981"Controversy"   105.    September 2, 1981"Sexuality"   106.    October 1981 (non-US single)"Let's Work"   107.    January 6, 1982"Do Me, Baby"   108.    July 16, 1982Singles from "1999""1999"   109.    September 24, 1982"Little Red Corvette"   110.    February 9, 1983"D.M.S.R."   111.    Vote: Prince vs. MJ   112.    Quincy Delight Jones Jr., aka The Dude (@ 49 yrs. old): Producer, musician, composer, and film producer.   113.    Born on the South Side of Chicago   114.    Parents divorced at a young age. At 10 yrs. old, family moved to the state of Washington.   115.    At 14, began playing the trumpet, arranging music, and hanging out with 16-year-old Ray Charles.   116.    At 19, left college to become a professional musician with the Lionel Hampton band. While with the band he did arrangements for Sarah Vaughan, Dinah Washington, Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Dizzy Gillespie, and other prominent artists of the day.   117.    For the next 8 years he traveled the world performing with Hampton, arranging music, and building possibly the best contacts list in music history.   118.    At 27, he started his own band. It was a financial failure and left him in serious debt.   119.    Irving Green, friend and head of Mercury records gave him a personal loan, and an executive job. Quincy was off to the races.   120.    Highlights:   121.    One 1 year later, friend Sidney Lumet, one of the most prolific filmmakers of the era: 12 Angry Men (1957), Dog Day Afternoon (1975), Network (1976), and The Verdict (1982), asked him to score his film The Pawnbroker. He would go one to score 40+ films.   122.    In 1964, at age 31, he was the arranger/conductor for Frank Sinatra's 2nd album with Count Basie, It Might As Well Be Swing, which contained the classic hit Fly Me to The Moon. It became the first music heard on the Moon when played on a portable cassette player by Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin after he stepped onto the Moon.    123.    In addition, he composed the theme music for the TV shows, Sanford and Son, Ironside, Banacek, The Bill Cosby Show, the opening episode of Roots, Mad TV and the game show Now You See It.   124.    He was co-producer for the 1985 film The Color Purple. He convinced Steven Spielberg to direct, and was responsible for discovering and casting Oprah.   125.    In 1990, he began production for The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, with Will Smith, and In the House, with LL Cool J.   126.    He launched Vibe magazine in 1993.He is second in the list of all-time Grammy award wins with 28. (31 is 1st)   127.    Absolute Legend.   128.    Bonus Song: Grandmaster Flash  and The Furious Five   129.    "The Message" is the best-known track by legendary hip-hop innovators Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, and is a song that, without exaggeration, changed rap music's tone and content forever.   130.    Movie Scene: 48 Hrs., starring Eddie Murphy   131.    TV Scene: N/A   132.    Vote: Favorite/Most Important Pop Culture thing for the year?

Topics: Black Hair/Jheri Curls, Luther Vandross, Ragtime (Film) - Howard Rollins Jr., Nell Carter (Tv). (Bonus Artist: Luck Pacheco)   1981 Notes 1.      Snapshots 2.      Ronald Reagan is President 3.      Jan - Ronald Reagan is sworn in as the 40th President of the United States. Minutes later, Iran releases the 52 Americans held for 444 days, ending the Iran hostage crisis. 4.      Mar - U.S. President Ronald Reagan is shot in the chest outside a Washington, D.C. hotel by John Hinckley, Jr. Two police officers and Press Secretary James Brady are also wounded. 5.      Jun - The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that five homosexual men in Los Angeles, California, have a rare form of pneumonia seen only in patients with weakened immune systems (the first recognized cases of AIDS). 6.      Jul - President Ronald Reagan nominates the first woman, Sandra Day O'Connor, to the Supreme Court of the United States. 7.      Aug - MTV (Music Television) is launched on cable television in the United States. 8.      Aug - The IBM Personal Computer, commonly known as the IBM PC, is introduced. 9.      Nov - Luke and Laura marry on the U.S. soap opera General Hospital; it is the highest-rated hour in daytime television history. 10.     Dec - The first American test-tube baby, Elizabeth Jordan Carr, is born in Norfolk, Virginia. 11.     Open Comments: 12.     Popular Music Scene 13.     Top 3 Singles 14.     1 - "Bette Davis Eyes", Kim Carnes 15.     2 - "Endless Love", Diana Ross & Lionel Richie 16.     3 - "Lady", Kenny Rogers 17.     Record of the Year: "Bette Davis Eyes" performed by Kim Carnes 18.     Album of the Year: John Lennon & Yoko Ono, Double Fantasy 19.     Song of the Year: "Bette Davis Eyes" performed by Kim Carnes 20.     Best New Artist: Sheena Easton 21.     Open Comments: 22.     Popular Movies 23.     Top 3 Grossing Movies 24.     1 - Raiders of the Lost Ark 25.     2 - On Golden Pond 26.     3 - Superman II 27.     Open Comments: 28.     Popular TV 29.     Top 3 Rated Shows 30.     1 - Dallas 31.     2 - 60 Minutes 32.     3 - The Jeffersons 33.     Open Comments: 34.     Black Snapshots 35.     Feb - Funky 4 + 1 perform "That's the Joint" on NBC's Saturday Night Live. This makes them the first hip hop act to perform on national television.  36.     Mar - Toni Morrison gave her next novel, Tar Baby (1981), a contemporary setting. In it, a looks-obsessed fashion model, Jadine, falls in love with Son, a penniless drifter who feels at ease with being black. 37.     Jun - Wayne Williams, a 23-year-old African American, is arrested and charged with the murders of two other African Americans. He is later accused of 28 others, in the Atlanta child murders. 38.     Aug - Bryant Gumbel: The candidates auditioned for Brokaw's job throughout the summer of 1981 when he was on vacation. Gumbel became a candidate for the job just by chance when he served as a last-minute substitute for Today co-anchor Jane Pauley in August 1981.  39.     Oct - Gimme a Break! is an American sitcom that aired on NBC for six seasons from October 29, 1981 until May 12, 1987. The series starred Nell Carter as the housekeeper for a widowed police chief (Dolph Sweet) and his three daughters. 40.     Sep - Isabel Sanford - For her role on The Jeffersons as "Weezy", she won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series in 1981, making her the first African American actress to win in that category. 41.     Best R&B Vocal Performance, Female: Aretha Franklin for "Hold On I'm Comin'" 42.     Best R&B Vocal Performance, Male: James Ingram for "One Hundred Ways" 43.     Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal: Quincy Jones for The Dude 44.     Best R&B Instrumental Performance: David Sanborn for "All I Need Is You" 45.     Best Rhythm & Blues Song: "Just the Two of Us" performed by Grover Washington, Jr. & Bill Withers 46.     Open Comments: 47.     Economic Snapshot 48.     New House: 78k 49.     Avg. income: 21k 50.     New car: 8k 51.     Avg rent: 315 52.     Postage Stamp: 18c 53.     Movie ticket: 2.25 54.     Open Comments: 55.     Social Scene: The Jheri Curl 56.     Brief History of Black Hair 57.     For centuries black communities around the world have created hairstyles that are uniquely their own. These hairstyles span all the way back to the ancient world and continue to weave their way through the social, political and cultural conversations surrounding black identity today. 58.     Ancient Origins: Headdresses and wigs symbolized one’s rank and were essential to royal and wealthy Egyptians, male and female alike.  59.     Twisted Locks: Dreadlocks have often been perceived as a hairstyle associated with 20th century Jamaican and Rastafarian culture, but according to Dr. Bert Ashe’s book, Twisted: My Dreadlock Chronicles, one of the earliest known recordings of the style has been found in the Hindu Vedic scriptures and worn about 2,500 years ago. 60.     Intricate Braids: Braids were used to signify marital status, age, religion, wealth, and rank within several West African communities. 61.     Bantu/Nubian Knots: Bantu universally translates to “people” among many African languages and is used to categorize over 400 ethnic groups in Africa.  62.     Cornrows: Africans wore these tight braids laid along the scalp as a representation of agriculture, order and a civilized way of life. These types of braids have served many purposes, from an everyday convenience to a more elaborate adornment meant for special occasions. In the age of colonialism, slaves wore cornrows not only as an homage to where they had come from, but also a practical way to wear one’s hair during long labored hours. 63.     Madam CJ Walker and The Quest for Straight Hair: Even after Emancipation, there was a growing notion that European textured hair was “good” and African textured hair was “bad,” foreign and unprofessional. Wigs and chemical treatments became the means to achieve smoother, straighter hair. Cornrows were still popular, but this time only as the base for sew-ins and extensions, not something thought of as for public display. In the early 1900s, Annie Malone and Madam C.J. Walker started to develop products that targeted this want for straighter hair.  64.     Dreadlocks: In the 1920s, Jamaica born Marcus Garvey began a black nationalist movement in America to spread his belief that all black people should return to their rightful homeland of Africa. Although many associate dreadlocks like Bob Marley’s with what became known as the Rastafari movement, the Ethiopian emperor, who the movement was named for, was better known for his facial hair than the hair on his head. Early Rastas were reluctant to cut their hair due to the Nazarite vow in the Bible. Tensions started to build regarding debates on whether to comb these locs. In the 1950s, a faction within the Rastafari movement, the Youth Black Faith, rebelled against any visual signs of conformity, and split into the “House of Dreadlocks” and “House of Combsomes.” 65.     Afro: With the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s and ‘70s, came the rise of the natural hair movement that encouraged black communities to accept their hair and turn away from damaging products. The notion of conforming to European standards did not fit with their message of black power. 66.     Jheri Curl (Thanks Michael Jackson):  The Jheri curl provided a glossy curly style that became uniquely iconic in its time. The name comes from its inventor, Jheri Redding, a white man from an Illinois farm who turned into one of the 20th century’s leading hair chemists. In the 1970s, Jheri Redding Products created a two-step chemical process that first softened the hair, then sprang it up into curls. However, Comer Cottrell is the man responsible for taking this product to the masses. In 1970, Cottrell and two partners started mixing hair care products by hand for their new L.A. company, Pro-Line Corporation. By 1980 they were able to create a product that replicated the look of the Jheri curl for much cheaper. The Curly Kit cut out the need to book an expensive salon appointment and in 1981, Forbes magazine called it “the biggest single product ever to hit the black cosmetic market.” In their first year of business, the $8 kits took in over $10 million in sales. 67.     Audio Clips 68.     Shape-Ups and Fade: (Thanks Michael Jackson) The 1980s ushered in the birth of Hip Hop, which had a huge cultural influence on style. Black barber shops around the U.S. had perfected the fade but the ‘80s allowed them to blossom with more forms of creativity and expressionism. Afros were shaped up with the sides cut short for a hi-top fade, and cornrows were braided in with flairs of individuality. Icons like Grace Jones sported inspired looks on their album covers, and by the 1990s the fade was being beamed into television sets across the U.S., via Will Smith in The Fresh Prince of Bel Air. [Source: https://www.history.com/news/black-hairstyles-visual-history-in-photos] 69.     Open Comments: 70.     Question: What is your "back in the day" hair horror story? 71.     Music Scene 72.     Black Songs from the Top 40  73.     #2 - "Endless Love", Diana Ross & Lionel Richie 74.     #6 - "Celebration", Kool & the Gang 75.     #7 - "Kiss on My List", Hall & Oates 76.     #13 - "Being with You", Smokey Robinson 77.     #18 - "Just the Two of Us", Grover Washington, Jr. & Bill Withers 78.     #19 - "Slow Hand", The Pointer Sisters 79.     #22 - "Sukiyaki", A Taste of Honey 80.     #39 - "Lady (You Bring Me Up)", Commodores 81.     #45 - "How 'Bout Us", Champaign 82.     Vote: 83.     Top R&B Albums 84.     Jan - Hotter Than July, Stevie Wonder 85.     Feb - The Gap Band III, The Gap Band 86.     Mar - The Two Of Us, Yarbrough & Peoples 87.     Apr - Being With You, Smokey Robinson 88.     May - A Woman Needs Love, Ray Parker Jr. & Raydio 89.     Jun - Street Songs, Rick James 90.     Oct - Breakin' Away, Jarreau 91.     Nov - The Many Facets Of Roger, Roger 92.     Nov - Never Too Much, Luther Vandross 93.     Nov - Something Special, Kool & The Gang 94.     Nov - Raise, Earth, Wind & Fire 95.     Vote: 96.     Key Artists: Luther Vandross, "The Velvet Voice" 97.     Luther Ronzoni Vandross Jr. (@ 30 yrs. old), was born and raised in NYC. He was a singer, songwriter and record producer. - "For many years, Luther Vandross was the vintage Cadillac among the banged-up jalopies in the used car lot of male pop singers.  98.     With a sound that echoed the smooth soul stylings of the 1960s, Vandross was a fixture on the rhythm and blues charts from his solo recording debut in 1981 until his tragic stroke in 2003. Over the course of his career he released a string of platinum albums and established himself as one of the leading romantic singers of his generation. Much of his appeal came from his emotional approach to music, which he modeled after great female vocalists such as his friends Aretha Franklin and Dionne Warwick." 99.     He Came from Musical Family:  His father, an upholsterer, died when Luther was eight years old, and his mother, a nurse, supported the family (4 children) while living in lower Manhattan housing project. His first piano lessons came at the age of three and his sister was a member of a doo-wop group. By 13, Vandross was obsessed with the girl groups of the Motown label, as well as the gospel-based soul sounds being produced by the likes of Aretha Franklin and Cissy Houston. He liked to hang out in the school hallways and sing doo-wop. In 1972 (@21 yrs. old) a song written by Vandross, "Everybody Rejoice," was chosen for the Broadway musical The Wiz. Although he received substantial royalties for the composition, the money was not enough to support him completely, and Vandross continued to work at a variety of "day jobs". 100.    Entered the Music Industry through the Back Door: In 1974 (@23 yrs. old), Vandross received his first real professional break. A childhood friend landed a job backing British singer David Bowie, and he invited Vandross to accompany him to a recording session during the making of Bowie's album Young Americans. During the session, Bowie overheard Vandross mentioning some background vocal arrangement suggestions to Alomar. Bowie loved the ideas, and he immediately hired Vandross to sing and arrange backup vocals for the album. He also recorded a Vandross-penned song, "Fascination." When the album was finished, Vandross joined the Bowie tour as a backup singer. Through Bowie, Vandross made many important connections in the music industry, laying the groundwork for his own budding career. Bowie introduced Vandross was Bette Midler. She hired Vandross to sing backup vocals on her next two albums. Vandross soon became much sought after. Among the artists whose recordings his voice appeared on during the next few years were Chaka Khan, Carly Simon, Ringo Starr, the Average White Band, Barbra Streisand, and Donna Summer. He also became one of Madison Avenue's favorite voices for commercial jingles. During the late 1970s, Vandross's anonymous voice was used to sell everything from fried chicken to long-distance telephone service, not to mention as a recruiting tool for the U.S. Army.  Artistically, however, those jobs did not satisfy him, and he continued to try to break out as a solo act. He formed or joined several groups, with such names as Luther, Bionic Boogie, and Change, but none proved commercially viable. He also sang the lead vocal on Chic's song "Dance, Dance, Dance." 101.    Hit the Big Time: Part of the problem in landing a solo recording contract was Vandross's insistence on total creative control of the recording process. Another problem was the prevalence of disco, a musical form antithetical to Vandross's lyrical approach. Finally, in 1980, Vandross used his own money to rent a studio and began recording. He took the resulting handful of songs to Epic Records, and he was immediately given a contract. Epic released Vandross's first solo album, Never Too Much, in 1981. The album sold more than one million copies cracked the top ten on black pop charts, and effectively launched Vandross's career as a solo superstar. 102.    Audio Clip / Open comments: 103.    Achievements: Grammy Awards, 1979, 1990, 1991 (2), 1996, 2003 (4); NAACP Image Awards, 1990, 2003. 104.    Health and death: As Vandross's career expanded, so did his waistline. At times his weight soared to well over 300 pounds. Angered by the constant mention of his size in the press, where he was tagged with such nicknames as the "heavyweight of soul," Vandross shed 120 pounds, only to seesaw back and forth between weight extremes for the next several years. In several interviews, Vandross attributed the yo-yoing to his love life. When things were going well, he lost weight; when he was heartsick, he overcompensated with food. Sadly, in April of 2003 Vandross suffered a debilitating stroke that left him temporarily in a coma; the stroke was likely caused by a combination of his recent weight gain and his ongoing struggle with diabetes. He never fully recovered.  105.    Vandross died on July 1, 2005, at the JFK Medical Center in Edison, New Jersey, at the age of 54 of a heart attack. [Source:https://www.encyclopedia.com/people/literature-and-arts/music-popular-and-jazz-biographies/luther-vandross] 106.    Movie Scene: Ragtime 107.    A 1981 drama, directed by Miloš Forman, based on the 1975 historical novel Ragtime by E. L. Doctorow.  Starring: Howad E Rollins Jr, Moses Gunn, Debbie Allen, and Samuel Jackson. 108.    Review: "Profound as Coalhouse's story might be, Ragtime is about far more. Set in early 1900s New York, at the beginning of America's so-called Gilded Age, the movie is about the radical and long-lasting changes, including the onset of the industrial revolution, and increased importance of civil rights and sexual equality issues. As in E.L. Doctorow's novel, the characters in Forman's film each represent those changes, with Coalhouse just one in a complex and compelling mix. [Source: Nikki Tranter - 28 Nov 2004 https://www.popmatters.com/ragtime-1981-dvd-2496253275.html] 109.    Roger Ebert - “Ragtime” is a loving, beautifully mounted, graceful film that creates its characters with great clarity. We understand where everyone stands, and most of the time we even know why. Forman surrounds them with some of the other characters from the Doctorow novel (including Harry Houdini, Teddy Roosevelt, and Norman Mailer as the architect Sanford White), but in the film they're just atmosphere, window dressing. Forman's decision to stick with the story of Coalhouse is vindicated, because he tells it so well. [Source: https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/ragtime-1981] 110.    Audio Clips 111.    Open Comments 112.    The actor Howard E. Rollins Jnr made his film debut in Milos Forman's Ragtime (1981) as Coalhouse Walker, the cool, sophisticated ragtime pianist. who becomes head of a group of black revolutionaries. Variety praised his "staggeringly effective portrayal of conscience-wracked pride" and "intense screen magnetism that bodes instant stardom". For a time, it looked as if Rollins would become Sidney Poitier's successor. However, in spite of unanimous praise from the critics, and an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor, Rollins made only one other film appearance. This was A Soldier's Story (1984) ...Rollins gave another memorable performance as the stylish, self-assured but intense Captain Richard Davenport, one of the first black officers in the US Army, who arrives in a racially segregated training camp in wartime Louisiana to investigate the murder of a black sergeant. But this time there was no Oscar recognition or any follow-up movie roles. Years passed before Hollywood felt ready to promote a serious black actor: Denzel Washington. 113.    Question: Was he better than Denzel? 114.    Black Television: Gimme a Break! [PLEASE!] 115.    The series aired for 6 seasons and starred Nell Carter as the housekeeper for a widowed police chief (Dolph Sweet) and his three daughters. 116.    Nell Ruth Hardy, (@ 33yrs old), born and raised in Birmingham, AL was an award-winning singer, actress, Broadway and television performer. She possessed a powerful, sultry singing voice and had a very strong stage presence; she deftly handled roles in drama, comedy, and musicals with equal capability. 117.    Carter was the fifth of nine children. When she was a toddler, her father died of electrocution. At 15, she was raped at gunpoint and gave birth to the child. That same year, four of her friends died when a bomb planted by segregationists exploded in a local church. Later, Carter would say she found solace in listening to music, having a fondness for her mother's Dinah Washington and B.B. King tunes as well as her brother's Elvis Presley records. Carter developed her performance skills by singing in church groups, on the gospel circuit, on a weekly radio program, and coffeehouses. At age 19, she moved to New York City to study acting at Bill Russell's School of Drama. There, she began to appear at several nightclubs. 118.    Carter's Broadway debut came in the 1971 musical Soon. (@23 yrs. old), – unknowns Richard Gere and Peter Allen were in the cast. Carter also had a bit part in the film Jesus Christ Superstar in 1973. She moved overseas and studied drama in London before being cast in the 1978 Broadway production of Ain’t Misbehavin' (@30 yrs. old), where it ran four years. She would win a Tony Award for her performance in Ain't Misbehavin' and won an Emmy Award in 1982 for the television version of the show. In addition to her stage roles, Carter appeared in a handful of television shows in the late 1970s and early 1980s, including the soap opera Ryan's Hope in 1978 and 1979 and in the television series The Mis-adventures of Sheriff Lobo in 1980. Sensing her appeal, network executives offered her the lead role in the sitcom Gimme A Break! in 1981. 119.    Audio clip: 120.    After Gimme a Break went off the air in 1987, Carter took various parts in films, on television shows, and on stage. Even later in her career, Carter kept active with cabaret performances and concerts. 121.    Eating disorders, alcohol and drug addiction, and other health concerns plagued Carter for years. In a 1994 interview, she admitted that she first tried cocaine the night she won her Tony Award. In 1992, Carter had two brain surgeries to fix an aneurysm. In 1997, Carter learned she had diabetes. Carter was married in 1982 and divorced in 1992, then married again that same year. She was divorced again in 1993. In 1989 and 1990, she adopted two sons. Carter died on January 23, 2003, at the age of 54 due to natural causes likely caused by heart disease and complications from diabetes. [Rumored: After her passing, friends and family were surprised to discover that Carter had been living as a closeted lesbian, and that custody of her children had been left to her domestic partner, Ann Kaser.] [Main Source: https://www.notablebiographies.com/newsmakers2/2004-A-Di/Carter-Nell.html#ixzz5kPhe5ORT] 122.    Open Comments 123.    Question: Was this just a show about a modern Mammy? 124.    Vote: Favorite Pop Culture thing for the year?

Topics: Pac-Man & the start of the "Gaming" culture, Zapp, Fame (1980 Film), Eddie Murphy. (Bonus Artist: hidingtobefound)   1980   1.    Jimmy Carter President   2.    Jan – The comic strips The Far Side debuts in newspapers   3.    Feb – The XIII Winter Olympics open in Lake Placid, New York.[1]   4.    Feb – The United States Olympic Hockey Team defeats the Soviet Union in the medal round of the Winter Olympics, in the Miracle on Ice.   5.    Feb - U.S. President Jimmy Carter announces that the United States will boycott the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow.   6.    Apr – Operation Eagle Claw, a commando mission in Iran to rescue American embassy hostages, is aborted after mechanical problems ground the rescue helicopters. Eight United States troops are killed in a mid-air collision during the failed operation.   7.    Apr – Rosie Ruiz wins the Boston Marathon, but is later exposed as a fraud and stripped of her award   8.    May – A Miami, Florida court acquits four white police officers of killing Arthur McDuffie, a black insurance executive, provoking three days of race riots.   9.    May – Mount St. Helens erupts in Washington, killing 57 and causing US$3 billion in damage.   10.    May – The Empire Strikes Back is released.   11.    May – Pac-Man, the best-selling arcade game of all time, is released.   12.    May – Vernon Jordan is shot and critically injured in an assassination attempt in Fort Wayne, Indiana by Joseph Paul Franklin (the first major news story for CNN).   13.    Jun – The Cable News Network (CNN) is officially launched.   14.    Jun – In Los Angeles, comedian Richard Pryor is badly burned trying to freebase cocaine.   15.    Jun – U.S. President Jimmy Carter signs Proclamation 4771, requiring 19- and 20-year-old males to register for a peacetime military draft, in response to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.   16.    Jul – The Unemployment Rate peaks at 7.8%, the highest in four years.   17.    Nov – United States presidential election, 1980: Republican challenger and former Governor Ronald Reagan of California defeats incumbent Democratic President Jimmy Carter, exactly one year after the beginning of the Iran hostage crisis.   18.    Nov - Millions of viewers tune into the U.S. soap opera Dallas to learn who shot lead character J. R. Ewing. The "Who shot J. R.?" event is a national obsession.   19.    Dec - John Lennon is shot and killed by Mark David Chapman in front of The Dakota apartment building in New York City.   20.    Open Comments:   21.    Popular Music Scene   22.    Top 3 Singles   23.    1 - "Call Me", Blondie   24.    2 - "Another Brick in the Wall, Part II", Pink Floyd   25.    3 - "Magic", Olivia Newton-John   26.    Record of the Year: Michael Omartian (producer) & Christopher Cross for "Sailing"   27.    Album of the Year: Michael Omartian (producer) & Christopher Cross for Christopher Cross   28.    Song of the Year: Christopher Cross for "Sailing"   29.    Best New Artist: Christopher Cross   30.    Open Comments:   31.    Popular Movies   32.    Top 3 Grossing Movies   33.    1 - The Empire Strikes Back   34.    2 - 9 to 5   35.    3 - Stir Crazy   36.    Open Comments:   37.    Notables:   38.    Airplane!, starring Robert Hays, Julie Hagerty, Leslie Nielsen, Peter Graves, Lloyd Bridges, Robert Stack, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar   39.    American Gigolo, directed by Paul Schrader, starring Richard Gere, Lauren Hutton and Héctor Elizondo   40.    The Blue Lagoon, starring Brooke Shields and Christopher Atkins   41.    The Blues Brothers, directed by John Landis, starring John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, Cab Calloway, Carrie Fisher, John Candy, Henry Gibson   42.    Caddyshack, directed by Harold Ramis, starring Chevy Chase, Rodney Dangerfield, Ted Knight, Michael O'Keefe, Cindy Morgan, Bill Murray   43.    Coal Miner's Daughter, starring Sissy Spacek and Tommy Lee Jones   44.    Flash Gordon, directed by Mike Hodges, starring Sam J. Jones, Melody Anderson, Chaim Topol   45.    Friday the 13th, directed by Sean S. Cunningham, starring Betsy Palmer, Adrienne King and Harry Crosby   46.    Raging Bull, directed by Martin Scorsese, starring Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci, Cathy Moriarty   47.    The Shining, directed by Stanley Kubrick, starring Jack Nicholson, Shelley Duvall, Danny Lloyd, Scatman Crothers   48.    Open Comments:   49.    Popular TV   50.    Top 3 Rated Shows   51.    1 - Dallas   52.    2 - The Dukes of Hazzard   53.    3- 60 Minutes   54.    Open Comments:   55.    Black Snapshots   56.    Ralph Abernathy, president of the SCLC following the assassination of King in 1968, endorses Ronald Reagan   57.    Nikki Giovanni publishes Vacation Time: Poems for Children   58.    Bernard Shaw stars at CNN:  Shaw is widely known for the question he posed to Democratic U.S. presidential candidate Michael Dukakis at his second Presidential debate with George H. W. Bush during the 1988 election, which Shaw was moderating. Knowing that Dukakis opposed the death penalty, Shaw asked him if he would support an irrevocable death penalty for a man who hypothetically raped and murdered Dukakis's wife. Dukakis responded that he would not.   59.    Nov - Eddie Murphy made his first Saturday Night Live appearance, appearing in a non-speaking role in the sketch "In Search Of The Negro Republican".   60.    Jan - Black Entertainment Television launches in the United States as a block of programming on the USA Network; it won't be until 1983 that BET becomes a full-fledged channel.   61.    Best R&B Vocal Performance, Female - Stephanie Mills for "Never Knew Love Like This Before"   62.    Best R&B Vocal Performance, Male - George Benson for Give Me the Night   63.    Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal - The Manhattans for "Shining Star"   64.    Open Comments:   65.    Economic   66.    New House: 69K   67.    Avg. income: 19K   68.    New car: 7K   69.    Avg rent: 300   70.    Postage Stamp: 15c   71.    Movie ticket: 2.25   72.    Open Comments:   73.    Social Scene:  Pac-Man, Arcade, and the birth of the Gaming Culture.   74.    Taken from: For Amusement Only: the life and death of the American arcade [https://www.theverge.com/2013/1/16/3740422/the-life-and-death-of-the-american-arcade-for-amusement-only]   75.    "If you’ve never been inside a “real” arcade, it could be hard to distinguish one from say, oh, a Dave & Buster’s. Authenticity is a hard nut to crack, but there are a few hallmarks of the video game arcade of days gone by: first, they have video games. Lots and lots of video games, and (usually) pinball machines. They’re dark (so that you can see the screens better), and they don’t sell food or booze. You can make an exception for a lonely vending machine, sure, but full meals? No thanks. There’s no sign outside that says you “must be 21 to enter.” These are rarely family-friendly institutions, either. Your mom wouldn’t want to be there, and nobody would want her there, anyway. This is a place for kids to be with other kids, teens to be with other teens, and early-stage adults to serve as the ambassador badasses in residence for the younger generation. It’s noisy, with all the kids yelling and the video games on permanent demo mode, beckoning you to waste just one more quarter. In earlier days (though well into the ‘90s), it’s sometimes smoky inside, and the cabinets bear the scars of many a forgotten cig left hanging off the edge while its owner tries one last time for a high score, inevitably ending in his or her death. The defining feature of a “real” arcade, however, is that there aren’t really any left."   76.    Open Comments:   77.    The years between 1978 and 1982 saw unprecedented growth across the entire video game industry. A January 1982 cover story in Time magazine noted that the most popular machines were pulling in $400 a week in quarters and the number of dedicated arcades in the United States reached its peak with around 13,000. Video game cabinets also appeared in grocery stores, drug stores, doctor’s offices, and even in school recreation centers. The arcade chain Tilt began opening locations in the growing number of shopping malls across America. Beginning with Space Invaders in 1978, a string of now legendary games were released in rapid succession: Galaxian ('79), Asteroids ('79), Berzerk ('80), Centipede ('80), Rally-X ('80), Defender ('81), Donkey Kong ('81), Frogger ('81), Galaga ('81), Ms. Pac-Man ('81), Dig Dug ('82), Donkey Kong Jr. (('82), Joust ('82), Pole Position ('82), Q*bert ('82), and Tron ('82).    78.    Simultaneously, the home console business blossomed: from the primitive Magnavox Odyssey in 1972, the concept of home gaming erupted with the Atari 2600 and the Apple II in 1977, the Intellivision in 1980, the Commodore 64 and ColecoVision in 1982, and the NES and Sega Master System in 1985.But it was 1980’s Pac-Man, the most successful video arcade game of all time, released by Midway in the United States, which had the most lasting effects on the industry and the American psyche.   79.    Audio Clip:   80.    Question: What do you say about the following criticisms: Ingrains scripts of violence and aggression into the psyche. / Too much sex, nudity, and mistreatment of women. / Poor portrayal of race / Addiction leading to health problems and obesity.   81.    Music Scene   82.    Black Songs from the Top 40    83.    4    "Rock with You"    Michael Jackson   84.    8    "Funkytown"    Lipps Inc   85.    13    "Cruisin"    Smokey Robinson   86.    14    "Working My Way Back to You/Forgive Me, Girl"    The Spinners   87.    18    "Upside Down"    Diana Ross   88.    19    "Please Don't Go"    KC and the Sunshine Band   89.    21    "With You I'm Born Again"    Billy Preston and Syreeta   90.    22    "Shining Star"    The Manhattans   91.    23    "Still"    Commodores   92.    29    "Cupid/I've Loved You for a Long Time"    The Spinners   93.    30    "Let's Get Serious"    Jermaine Jackson   94.    35    "Ladies' Night"    Kool & the Gang   95.    36    "Too Hot"    Kool & the Gang   96.    37    "Take Your Time (Do It Right)"    The SOS Band   97.    38    "No More Tears (Enough Is Enough)"    Barbra Streisand & Donna Summer   98.    42    "Special Lady"    Ray, Goodman & Brown   99.    43    "Send One Your Love"    Stevie Wonder   100.    44    "The Second Time Around"    Shalamar   101.    Vote:   102.    Top R&B Albums   103.    Jan - Off the Wall    Michael Jackson   104.    Feb - The Whispers    The Whispers   105.    Apr - Light Up the Night    The Brothers Johnson   106.    May - Go All the Way    The Isley Brothers   107.    Jun - Let’s Get Serious    Jermaine Jackson   108.    Jul - Cameosis    Cameo   109.    Jul - diana    Diana Ross   110.    Sep - Give Me the Night    George Benson   111.    Oct - Love Approach    Tom Browne   112.    Oct - Zapp    Zapp   113.    Nov - Triumph    The Jacksons   114.    Nov - Hotter Than July    Stevie Wonder   115.    Vote:   116.    Key Artists: Roger Troutman and Zapp   117.    Roger Troutman (@ 29 yrs. old) singer, composer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer.   118.    Born and raised in Hamilton, OH, the fourth child of nine, he gravitated toward music at an extremely early age; he was only five years old when he received his first guitar.   119.    By 11, he was playing in local bands with one of his brothers.    120.    Influenced by old-schoolers B.B. King, Jimmy Reed, Chuck Jackson, and Junior Walker, and then-current chart-toppers The Temptations, Wilson Pickett, and the Beatles, by the late '60s, Roger had added Hammond organ to his resumé of instruments, and 2 more brothers.   121.    Like many of his generation, Roger and his brothers became enraptured by such funk/rock artists as Jimi Hendrix, the Isley Brothers, Stevie Wonder, and Funkadelic.   122.    By age 26, the band was playing shows all over the U.S. and Canada. The group added another Troutman brother to their ranks ((4 in total), Terry, who went by the nickname of "Zapp," and that soon became the group's new name.   123.    Shortly thereafter, Bootsy Collins' brother, Phelps "Catfish" Collins, happened to catch a gig by Zapp, who put them in touch with Bootsy, who then brought them to the attention of George Clinton. Clinton promptly signing the group to his own custom label, Uncle Jam.   124.    Clinton got Roger (Not Zapp) a performance spot at a 1979 Awards show and declared “Roger Troutman as the most talented musician” he'd ever seen in his life. Roger’s performance created a buzz for Zapp's self-titled debut release, issued in 1980.   125.    Audio clips   126.    After the 1980 release of Zapp's debut album, tensions rose between Roger Troutman and George Clinton. Troutman's solo album “The Many Facets of Roger” was primarily funded by Clinton and Clinton was experiencing financial troubles due to his poor management skills and shifting tastes in music.   127.    Troutman could see the disarray surrounding Clinton and severed their partnership by accepting a higher offer for the album from Warner Bros. and cut Clinton out of the picture.   128.    Clinton's view was, "…I paid for it. I don't like to go into it on the negative side, but it cost about 5 million [dollars], and a lot of people's jobs and what we consider as the empire falling". - The financial loss from the rupture with Troutman is credited as one of the factors that derailed Clinton's musical career and sent Funkadelic into hiatus.   129.    On Sunday morning, April 25, 1999, Roger Troutman was fatally wounded as a result of an apparent murder-suicide that was orchestrated by his older brother, Larry. Roger was shot several times in the torso by Larry as he exited a recording studio. Larry's body was found in a car a short distance away from the murder scene. There were no witnesses at the time, and Larry's motive for the murder of Roger remains unclear. Larry had been experiencing increasingly severe financial problems managing the family-run business. Larry might also have been bitter after Roger fired him as manager of his music career, a position Larry had held for several years.   130.    After Troutman's death, Ice Cube said that "More Bounce To The Ounce" introduced him to hip-hop. "I was in the sixth grade, we'd stayed after school. We had this dude named Mr. Lock, and he used to bring in his radio with these pop-lockers. He used to teach [the dance group] the L.A. Lockers, and he would do community service in after-school programs. He knew a lot of kids and introduced them to all the new dances, he put on that song 'More Bounce', and they started pop-locking. And I think from that visual, from seeing that, it was my first introduction into hip-hop. Period. I didn't know nothing about nothing. I hadn't heard 'Rapper's Delight' yet. It was the first thing that was really fly to me. They started dancing, and since 'More Bounce' goes on forever, they just got down. I just think that was a rush of adrenaline for me, like a chemical reaction in my brain.”   131.    Open Comments   132.    Black Movies: Fame   133.    Blending elements of straight drama, music, and dance, FAME shadows a group of gifted students (including singer Irene Cara, dancer Gene Anthony Ray, and composer Lee Currieri) during their time at New York's prestigious High School of Performing Arts, where they're learning the skills they need to succeed. The film -- which won two Oscars for its music (including a Best Original Song statuette for the title track "Fame" -- spawned a 1980s TV series of the same name that allowed several of its young stars to reprise their roles and gave Debbie Allen a much more prominent role as a no-nonsense dance teacher.   134.    Critical response: Gene Siskel of the Chicago Tribune, "When the kids perform, the movie sings, but their fictionalized personal stories are melodramatic drivel." -  Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times, "Fame is a genuine treasure, moving and entertaining, a movie that understands being a teen-ager as well as Breaking Away did, but studies its characters in a completely different milieu."   135.    Audio Clips   136.    Open Comments   137.    Black Television: Eddie Murphy – The Young Prince   138.    Edward Regan Murphy, (@ 19 yrs. old), Comedian, actor, screen writer, film producer, and singer? He was the dominant comedic voice during the 1980s.    139.    Born and raised in NYC, parents split when he was 3, father died when he was eight, lived in foster care for a year, and began doing stand-up comedy after listening to "That Nigger's Crazy", by Richard Pryor, when he was 15.   140.    Doing impersonations of Al Green at talents shows helped him land gigs at late night clubs.   141.    After the 79-80 season of SNL wrapped for summer break, the show had a major shakeup. OG Producer, Lorene Michaels and the OG cast left. After the new producer was hired, she had 2 months to re-cast the show.   142.    In September 19-year-old Eddie contacted the show and repeatedly pleaded for an audition. 2 months later he made his national television debut.   143.    Audio Clips   144.    Major criticism:” Welcome Back, Eddie Murphy! The rise and fall and rise of America's most dangerous comic” - Chris Nashawaty November 06, 2011 - [https://ew.com/article/2011/11/06/welcome-back-eddie-murphy-the-rise-and-fall-and-rise-of-americas-most-dangerous-comic/]   145.    “If you grew up watching Eddie Murphy chomping on a cigar as Gumby or getting gunned down in a hail of bullets as Buckwheat on Saturday Night Live, or better yet, dropping F-bombs as the cool-cat star of 48 Hrs., Trading Places, and Beverly Hills Cop, it’s hard to wrap your head around the fact that there’s a whole generation out there that has no clue just how funny and dirty he once was. When they think of Eddie Murphy — if they even think of him at all — it’s as the donkey from the kiddie franchise Shrek, or the once-dangerous comedian desperately searching for laughs in fart gags and fat suits in The Klumps.”   146.    Audio Clips   147.    Open Comments   148.    Question: Is Eddie funny or formula?   149.    Vote: Favorite Pop Culture thing for the year?

With guest Saijah Williams of the TeachRock-Rock and Roll Forever Foundation. Here's the playlist: 1. Respect-Aretha Franklin (Chain of Fools,Rhino Atlantic) 2. Universal Soldier-Buffy Saint-Marie (Its My Way!) 3. Woodstock-Joni Mitchell (Ladies of the Canyon, Rhino) 4. To Be Young, Gifted and Black-Nina Simone (Forever Young, Gifted&Black: Songs of Freedom and Spirit RCA/Legacy) 5. Ladies First-Queen Latifah & Monie Love (All Hail the Queen, Tommy Boy Music) 6. Rebel Girl-Bikini Kill (The Singles,Bikini Kill Records LLC) 7. Como La Flor-Selena (Entre A Mi Mundo, Capitol/EMI Latin) 8. Seven Nation Army-The White Stripes (Seven Nation Army, CDI Music Ltda.) 9. Run the World (Girls)Beyoncé (4(Deluxe), Parkwood Entertainment /Columbia) 10. Yesterday-Noname (Telefone, Not On Label (Noname (18) 11. Your Best American Girl-Mitski(Puberty 2,Dead Oceans) 12. Mad (feat. Lil Wayne)-Solange (A Seat at the Table, Saint Records /Columbia) 13. 1950-King Princess (1950, Zelig Music, LLC)

Topics: Jimmy Carter, Donna Summer, Michael Jackson, Richard Pryor - Live In Concert, Roots: The Next Generations. (Bonus Artist: Luck Pacheco)     1979   Snapshots   1.    Jimmy Carter president   2.    Mar - America's most serious nuclear power plant accident at Three Mile Island, Pennsylvania.   3.    Mar - C-SPAN, an American television channel focusing on government and public affairs, is launched.   4.    Apr - On CBS, the final episode of All in the Family is seen by 40.2 million American viewers.   5.    Jun - McDonald's introduces the Happy Meal.   6.    Sep - ESPN, an all-sports channel, launches and becomes the first cable TV channel to be launched as a 24-hour channel   7.    Oct - President Jimmy Carter signs a law establishing the Department of Education. [also responsible for Dept. of Energy]   8.    Nov - Iran hostage crisis begins: 3,000 Iranian radicals, mostly students, invade the U.S. Embassy in Tehran and take 90 hostages (53 of whom are American). They demand that the United States send the former Shah of Iran back to stand trial.   9.    Open Comments:   10.    Popular Music Scene   11.    #1 - "My Sharona", The Knack   12.    #2 - "Bad Girls", Donna Summer   13.    #3 - "Le Freak", Chic   14.    Record of the Year: "What a Fool Believes"-The Doobie Brothers   15.    Album of the Year: "52nd Street"-Billy Joel   16.    Song of the Year: "What a Fool Believes"-The Doobie Brothers   17.    Best New Artist: Rickie Lee Jones   18.    Open Comments:   19.    Popular Movies   20.    #1 - Kramer vs. Kramer   21.    #2 - The Amityville Horror   22.    #3 - Rocky II   23.    Notables: Apocalypse Now, Star Trek: The Motion Picture, Alien, 10, The Jerk, Moonraker, The Muppet Movie, Phantasm, The Warriors.   24.    Open Comments:   25.    Popular TV   26.    #1 - 60 Minutes   27.    #2 - Three's Company   28.    #3 - That's Incredible!   29.    Open Comments:   30.    Black Snapshots   31.    Jan - Singer Donny Hathaway dies after falling 15 stories from his hotel room in New York City. According to Hathaway's record company, Atlantic, the singer had been having some psychological problems   32.    Apr - Real People, starring Byron Allen, featured a panel of seated hosts in front of a large studio audience. The hosts introduced pre-filmed segments and engaged in comedic banter about them. Each segment was a visit to someone with a unique occupation or hobby.   33.    Aug - Michael Jackson releases his first breakthrough album Off the Wall. It sells 7 million copies in the United States alone, making it a 7x platinum album.   34.    Aug – “Prince”, the self-titled second studio album from Prince was released. The album was written, arranged, composed, produced and performed entirely by Prince. Singles: “I Wanna Be Your Lover" & "Sexy Dancer".   35.    Aug – TV Debut: The Facts of Life   36.    Sep - Benson   37.    Sep - Sugarhill Gang releases Rapper's Delight.   38.    Nov - The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh (Film)   39.    Open Comments:   40.    Economic   41.    New House: 58k   42.    Avg. income: 17.5k   43.    New car: 5.7k   44.    Avg rent: 280   45.    Gas: 0.86    46.    Inflation reaches double digits - 13%   47.    Open Comments:   48.    Social Scene:  Jimmy Carter’s truth-telling sermon to Americans   49.    James Earl Carter Jr. (@ 55yrs old in 1979), Politician and philanthropist. Born and raised in south-west Georgia, Jimmy grew up to be a U.S. Navy Lieutenant, Georgia State Senator, Governor of Georgia, and the 39th POTUS.   50.    On July 15, 1979, President Jimmy Carter went on national television to share with millions of Americans his diagnosis of a nation in crisis. "It’s clear that the true problems of our nation are much deeper -- deeper than gasoline lines or energy shortages, deeper even than inflation or recession. And I realize more than ever that as President I need your help...I know, of course, being President, that government actions and legislation can be very important. That’s why I’ve worked hard to put my campaign promises into law, and I have to admit, with just mixed success. But after listening to the American people, I have been reminded again that all the legislation in the world can’t fix what’s wrong with America. So, I want to speak to you first tonight about a subject even more serious than energy or inflation. I want to talk to you right now about a fundamental threat to American democracy. I do not mean our political and civil liberties. They will endure. And I do not refer to the outward strength of America, a nation that is at peace tonight everywhere in the world, with unmatched economic power and military might. The threat is nearly invisible in ordinary ways. It is a crisis of confidence."   51.    General Legacy   52.    Carter's presidency was initially seen as a failure. Although HE ESTABLISHED THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY  and the  DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, initiated a lot of pro-environment policies, PLAYED A KEY ROLE IN NEGOTIATING A PEACE TREATY BETWEEN EGYPT AND ISRAEL, IMPROVED RELATIONS WITH PANAMA BY GIVING THEM CONTROL OF THE PANAMA CANAL, his  administration was plagued by dissatisfaction from congressional Democrats, high unemployment and inflation, an energy crisis, and most notably the Iranian Hostage Crisis. Carter has said his biggest lesson from his time in office was, "not to ever let American hostages be held for 444 days in a foreign country without extracting them." He added, "I did the best I could, but I failed."   53.    However, Carter’s peacekeeping and humanitarian efforts since he left office have earned him a Nobel Peace Prize, along with a Grammy award, making him one of the most successful ex-presidents in American history. - The Independent wrote, "Carter is widely considered a better man than he was a president."   54.    Open Comments:   55.    African American Legacy/ Appointments   56.    Patricia Roberts Harris: Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, and United States Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare. The first African American woman to serve in the United States Cabinet, and the first to enter the line of succession to the Presidency.   57.    Amalya Lyle Kearse: the first female African-American circuit court judge   58.    Andrew Young: Ambassador to the United Nations, the first African-American to hold a high-level diplomatic post.   59.    On Obama   60.    Carter has criticized the Obama administration for its use of drone strikes against suspected terrorists.   61.    Carter also said that he disagrees with President Obama's decision to keep the Guantánamo Bay detention camp open.   62.    In July 2013, Carter expressed his criticism of current federal surveillance programs as disclosed by Edward Snowden.   63.    Carter believes the Obama administration “waited too long” to act on ISIS.   64.    When asked about Obama's "success or failures on the world stage," Carter replied: "On the world stage, I think they've been minimal...let me add again, let me repeat, I don't blame him for it, because there's been circumstances that have been involved."   65.    Audio Clip: OPRAH'S SUPERSOUL CONVERSATIONS - Season 7 Episode 620 (Aired on 09/27/2015)   66.    Question: How should black folks think about Jimmy? Friend - Foe - Forgettable   67.    Music Scene   68.    Black Songs from the Top 40    69.    #2    "Bad Girls"    Donna Summer   70.    #3    "Le Freak"    Chic   71.    #5    "Reunited"    Peaches & Herb   72.    #6    "I Will Survive"    Gloria Gaynor   73.    #7    "Hot Stuff"    Donna Summer   74.    #8    "Y.M.C.A."    Village People   75.    #9    "Ring My Bell"    Anita Ward   76.    #12    "MacArthur Park"    Donna Summer   77.    #15    "Fire"    The Pointer Sisters   78.    #20    "Good Times"    Chic   79.    #22    "Knock on Wood"    Amii Stewart   80.    #24    "Lead Me On"    Maxine Nightingale   81.    #25    "Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)"    The Jacksons   82.    #30    "You Can't Change That"    Raydio   83.    #31    "Shake Your Groove Thing"    Peaches & Herb   84.    #32    "I'll Never Love This Way Again"    Dionne Warwick   85.    #38    "After the Love Has Gone"    Earth, Wind & Fire   86.    #39    "Heaven Knows"    Donna Summer and Brooklyn Dreams   87.    Vote:   88.    Top R&B Albums   89.    Jan - C'est Chic, Chic   90.    Mar - 2 Hot, Peaches & Herb   91.    Mar - Instant Funk, Instant Funk   92.    Apr - We Are Family, Sister Sledge   93.    Jun - Bad Girls, Donna Summer   94.    Jul - I Am, Earth, Wind & Fire   95.    Jul - Teddy, Teddy Pendergrass   96.    Sep - Midnight Magic, Commodores   97.    Oct - Off the Wall, Michael Jackson   98.    Oct - Ladies' Night, Kool & the Gang   99.    Dec - Masterjam, Rufus and Chaka Khan   100.    Vote:   101.    Key Artists   102.    LaDonna Adrian Gaines, a.k.a. Donna Summer - Disco Queen (@ 31 yrs. old) (past away 2012 @ 63 yrs. old): Singer, songwriter, and actress. Five-time Grammy winner, the first artist to have three consecutive double albums reach number one and charted four number-one singles in the US within a 12-month period. She had dance hits in five straight decades; she hit the pop Hot 100 32 times. And her biggest songs altered the course of pop music permanently: Love to Love You Baby, I Feel Love, Hot Stuff, This Time I Know It’s for Real, Bad Girls, & She Works Hard for the Money.   103.    Audio Clips   104.    Open Comments   105.    Michael Joseph Jackson, The King of Pop (@ 21 yrs. old): Singer, songwriter, dancer, and global icon.   106.    "...Raised in the limelight by an infamously strict father, Michael (as a teenager) was painfully self-conscious, worried that he might never be able to shake his child stardom. He didn’t want to merely cling to his family’s fading notoriety. He wanted to break away from it completely. Off the Wall is the sound of that liberation. And he knew exactly what he was doing. On November 6, 1979, just as the album was starting to take off, Michael wrote a note to himself on the back of a tour itinerary, a proclamation of self so ambitious it could make Kanye blush. "MJ will be my new name, no more Michael Jackson. I want a whole new character, a whole new look, I should be a totally different person. People should never think of me as the kid who sang ‘ABC’ [and] ‘I Want You Back,’" he jotted down. "I should be a new incredible actor singer dancer that will shock the world. I will do no interviews. I will be magic. I will be a perfectionist, a researcher, a trainer, a masterer… I will study and look back on the whole world of entertainment and perfect it. Take it steps further from where the greats left off." - by Ryan Dombal Features Editor 2/24/2016 pitchfork.com   107.    Audio Clips   108.    Open Comments   109.    Movies   110.    Richard Pryor: Live in Concert is a 1979 American stand-up comedy film starring Richard Pryor and directed by Jeff Margolis.   111.    In her review of Richard Pryor Live in Concert, Pauline Kael commented, "Probably the greatest of all recorded-performance films. Pryor had characters and voices bursting out of him .... Watching this mysteriously original physical comedian you can't account for his gift and everything he does seems to be for the first time."   112.    Audio Clips   113.    Open Comments   114.    Television   115.    Roots: The Next Generations   116.    Primetime Emmy Awards: Best Limited Series and Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or a Special – Marlon Brando for "Episode VII"   117.    Vote: Favorite Pop Culture reference from 1979

Lou and Chad sit down in our continuing one word series and this week we talk about "black" songs. Songs that contain the word black in their title. We have 14 heaping spoonfulls of music for you. Just sit back and see if you feel the power. Find out if you are musically challenged as well.Want to drop us a line? You can do so at musicchallengepodcast@gmail.com or on Facebook at @musicallychallengedpodcast. Either way we look forward to hearing from you.

Singer-songwriter Jeff Black has a lot of fan; and some of them are policemen, at least according to his podcast, Black Tuesdays. He’ll be in Columbus on December 3 with Six String Concerts. Listen in for the path less traveled and … Continue reading →

PROFESSOR TAIARAHIA BLACK- SONGS OF A KAUMATUA - WHAKAWAIRANGI by He Rangahau - Professor Taiarahia Black