The Cleftones Biography Who were The Cleftones and why do they still make a difference? What was a Queens born singing group whose bright harmonies, corner soul of the streets, and subsequent crossover appeal came to define the sound people today refer doo wop but whose songs nonetheless continue to illuminate films, radio broadcasts, and … Read more
The Doobie Brothers Biography The Doobie Brothers are an American rock band. They are significant. They are an American San Jose band that has a harmony-laden mix of pop, soul, and rock that has been the soundtrack for the past fifty years and has shaped classic radio. The Doobie Brothers is the name. The group’s … Read more
The Spinners Biography Who are The Spinners? The Spinners are a Detroit-born vocal group that emerged from neighborhood harmony and became one of American soul’s most enduring voices. T he saga begins with the name The Spinners and a date and place of birth in group terms. They began in 1954 in Detroit, Michigan, when … Read more
Eric Clapton Biography Who is Eric Clapton? Eric Patrick Clapton is a British rock and blues singer and guitarist who was one of the leading figures in both the development and popularization of blues rock. Name: Eric Patrick Clapton. Date and place of birth: 30 March 1945, Ripley, Surrey, England. Family background: He was born … Read more
Ray Charles Biography Who was Ray Charles? He was an American singer, songwriter, pianist, and composer who incorporated gospel, blues, jazz, and rhythm and blues into the sound the world would later call soul music. Ray Charles Robinson, who was known professionally as Ray Charles, was born on September 23, 1930, in Albany, Georgia, and … Read more
Al Green Biography, Songs Why Al Green matters? Because his voice, his songs and his history shaped the sound and sensibility of modern soul music and conserved its fire for generations. Albert Leornes Greene, better known to the world as Al Green, was born April 13, 1946, in Forrest City, Arkansas, and grown up in … Read more
The Isley Brothers Biography Who are The Isley Brothers, and why should they be relevant? They were a Cincinnati family act who turned church-trained harmony and aggressive experimentation into one of the greatest and most influential periods of popular music. The name is The Isley Brothers, the core around brothers O’Kelly Isley Jr. born Dec. … Read more
Who was Marvin Gaye, and why does he still matter? He was the voice that made soul music a reflection of love, longing, and social conscience, and his records continue to appear relevant because they pick at the heart with integrity and art. Marvin Pentz Gay Jr. was born April 2, 1939, in Washington, D.C., … Read more
Pearl Jam Biography Why has Pearl Jam endured for so long? Because they turned raw emotion into a purpose, cultivated a close bond with fans on stage, and just kept on growing without conforming. Pearl Jam was conceived in Seattle in 1990, a town that was on the cusp of re-inventing rock music. The core … Read more
Gene Chandler Biography Why was Gene Chandler nicknamed “The Duke of Earl”? His 1962 single “Duke of Earl” reigned for three weeks at number one in the United States and he took on the persona on stage in a cape, cane, monocle, and top hat and turned a chart hit into a lasting character. Gene … Read more