Some 70's & 80's Soul & R&B Figures

Rudolph Isley - 84 - American 1960's & 70 R&B singer w/The Isley Brothers) and songwriter ("Shout", "Twist & Shout", "Respectable", "It's Your Thing")

THE ISLEY BROS ~ "SHOUT";


THE ISLEY BROS ~ "WHO'S THAT LADY";


Sweet Charles Sherrell - 80 - American bassist w/James Brown & The JB's

JAMES BROWN & THE JB'S ~ "PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE DON'T GO";


JAMES BROWN ~ "PAPA'S GOT A BAND NEW BAG" & "I FEEL GOOD";


JAMES BROWN & THE JB'S ~ "SEX MACHINE";


Floyd Newman - 91 - American saxophonist w/The Mar-Keys & the Memphis Horns (playing with Otis Redding, Wilson Pickett, BB King, Aretha Frankin, Etta James, Bozz Skaggs, Lulu, Stephen Stills)

WILSON PICKETT ~ "LAND OF 1000 DANCES";


OTIS REDDING ~ "TRY A LITTLE TENDERNESS" / "RESPECT";


ARETHA FRANKIN ~ "RESPECT";


ETTA JAMES ~ "SOMETHINGS GOT A HOLD OF ME";


Fuzzy Haskins - 81 - American Hall of Fame singer for Parliament-Funkadelic;

PARLIAMENT-FUNKADELIC ~ "BRING THE FUNK";


PARLIAMENT-FUNKADELIC ~ "COSMIC SLOP";


PARLIAMENT-FUNKADELIC ~ "GIVE UP THE FUNK";


Fred White - 67 - Drummer with R&B band Earth, Wind & Fire

EARTH WIND & FIRE ~ "LET'S GROOVE";


EARTH WIND & FIRE ~ "BOOGIE WONDERLAND";


EARTH WIND & FIRE ~ "SEPTEMBER";


Sheldon Reynolds - 63 - American guitarist w/R&B bands Commodores, Earth, Wind & Fire, Smokey Robinson

THE COMMODORES ~ "NIGHT SHIFT";


EARTH WIND & FIRE ~ "SUNDAY MORNING";


Bobby Eli - 77 - Guitarist with 1970's Disco group MFSB songwriter ("TSOP", "Love Won't Let Me Wait"), backing band with Teddy Pendergrast, Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes, the O'Jays, the Stylistics, the Spinners, Wilson Pickett, and Billy Paul

MFSB ~ "TSOP";


THE O-JAYS ~ "LOVE TRAIN";


BILLY PAUL ~ "ME & MRS JONES";


George "Funky" Brown - 74 - American drummer with Kool & the Gang and songwriter ("Ladies' Night", "Celebration", "Get Down On It")

KOOL & THE GANG ~ "LADIES NIGHT";


KOOL & THE GANG ~ "CELEBRATION";


KOOL & THE GANG ~ "GET DOWN ON IT";


Jean Knight - 80 - American singer ("Mr. Big Stuff")

JEAN KNIGHT ~ "MR BIG STUFF";


Nidra Beard - 71 - American singer w/1970's & 80's R&B band Dynasty

DYNASTY ~ "I'VE JUST BEGUN TO FIGHT";


DYNASTY ~ "I DON'T WANT TO BE A FREAK";


Linda Lewis - 72 - English R&B singer-songwriter ("Rock-a-Doodle-Doo")

LINDA LEWIS ~ "ROCK-A-DOODLE-DOO";


LINDA LEWIS ~ "THE OLD SCHOOLYARD";


Otis Redding III - 59 - American singer and guitarist of R&B group The Reddings, son of Otis Redding

THE REDDINGS ~ "IF YOU FEEL IT";


THE REDDINGS ~ "CLASS";


Keith Beaton - 72 - Singer with 70's Soul group Blue Magic

BLUE MAGIC ~ "SIDESHOW";


Gordy Harmon - 79 - American soul singer with vocal group The Whispers

THE WHISPERS ~ "AND THE BEAT GOES ON";


THE WHISPERS ~ "KEEP ON LOVING ME";


Bobby Caldwell - 71 - American 1970's & 80's Blue Eyed Soul, & Jazz singer "What You Won't Do For Love"

BOBBY CALDWELL ~ "WHAT YOU WON'T DO FOR LOVE";


Renee Geyer - 62 - Australian Soul and Jazz singer

RENEE GEYER ~ "AIN'T NO SUNSHINE";


RENEE GEYER ~ "SAY TO ME";


Lilian Day Jackson - 63 - American born singer with 1970's & 80's Dutch band Spargo

SPARGO ~ "ONE NIGHT AFFAIR";


SPARGO ~ "JUST FOR YOU";


David Jude Jolicoeur - 54 - Rapper & composer with Grammy winning 1990's Hip Hop group De La Soul ("Me Myself and I")

DE LA SOUL ~ "ME MYSELF & I";


DE LA SOUL ~ "SAY NO GO";

Some Blues, Soul & R&B Figures From The 50's, 60's & 70's

Mary Wilson - 76 - Detroit singer with 1960's & 70's Soul group the Supremes ("Stop In The Name Of Love", "Where Did Our Love Go")

THE SUPREMES ~ "STOP IN THE NAME OF LOVE";


THE SUPREMES ~ "WHERE DID OUR LOVE GO";


THE SUPREMES ~ "BABY LOVE";


THE SUPREMES ~ "COME SEE ABOUT ME";


Lloyd Price ~ 88 ~ American 1950's & 60's R&B singer ("Personality", "Lawdy Miss Clawdy", "Stagger Lee")

LLOYD PRICE ~ "PERSONALITY"


LLOYD PRICE & LITTLE RICHARD ~ "LAWDY MISS CLAWDY";


Charles Connor ~ 86 ~ Drummer with Little Richard ("Tutti Frutti", "Keep A Knocking"), James Brown, Smiley Lewis, Jack Dupree, Shirley and Lee, Sam Cooke, Jackie Wilson, The Coasters, Big Joe Turner, Larry Williams, Don Covay, Dee Clark and The Upsetters

LITTLE RICHARD ~ "TUTTI FRUTTI";


LITTLE RICHARD ~ "KEEP A KNOCKING";


Pee Wee Ellis ~ 80 ~ American R&B sax player with James Brown, also Van Morrison, Maceo Parker, George Benson, Ginger Baker, Jack McDuff, Sonny Stitt, Shirley Scott, Leon Thomas

JAMES BROWN ~ "PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE";


JAMES BROWN ~ "NIGHT TRAIN";


Nolan Porter ~ 68 ~ American Soul singer "Keep On Keeping On";

NOLAN PORTER ~ "KEEP ON KEEPING ON";


Purvis Staples ~ 85 ~ Singer with the Staple Singers from the 1960's onward

THE STAPLES SINGERS ~ "GREAT DAY";


THE STAPLE SINGERS ~ "SIT DOWN SERVANT";


THE STAPLE SINGERS ~ "PRAY ON";


THE STAPLE SINGERS ~ "RESPECT YOURSELF";


Sarah Dash ~ 76 ~ American singer w/Labelle "Lady Marmalade";

LABELLE ~ "LADY MARMALADE";


LABELLE ~ "YOU TURN ME ON";


Ralph Tavares - 79 - Singer with 1970's R&B group Tavares ("Heaven Must Be Missing An Angel")

TAVARES ~ "HEAVEN MUST BE MISSING AN ANGEL";


Ronnie Wilson - 73 - Keyboard & horn player with R&B The Gap Band

THE GAP BAND ~ "YOU DROPPED A BOMB ON ME";


THE GAP BAND ~ "PARTY TRAIN";


Regi Hargis - 70 - Singer, guitarist & bassist with 1970's American band Brick

BRICK ~ "DAZZ";


Morris "B.B." Dickerson ~ 71 ~ Bassist and singer with Eric Burdon & War ("Low Rider", "Spill The Wine" "Why Can't We Be Friends")

WAR ~ "SPILL THE WIND";


WAR ~ "LOW RIDER";


WAR ~ "WHY CAN'T WE BE FRIENDS"


Dennis Thomas ~ 70 ~ Saxophonist with 1970's & 80's R&B band Kool & the Gang ("Celebrate")

KOOL & THE GANG ~ "GET DOWN ON IT";


KOOL & THE GANG ~ "CELEBRATE";


Paul Mitchell ~ Singer with 1970's Soul vocal group the Floaters ("Float On")

THE FLOATERS ~ "FLOAT ON";


Grady Gaines ~ 86 ~ R&B Saxman w/The Texas Upsetters, Little Richard, Sam Cooke, Jackie Wilson, Joe Tex, Gatemouth Brown, Curtis Mayfield, Little Willie John, James Brown, Dee Clark, Big Walter Price, Joe Hughes

BUDDY & STACEY WITH THE UPSETTERS ~ "SHOT GUN";


GRADY GAINES & THE TEXAS UPSETTERS ~ "FULL GAIN";


James Burke - 70 - Singer from 1960's American Soul group Five Stairsteps ("Oh Child")

THE FIVE STAIRSTEPS ~ "DANGER SHE'S A STRANGER";


THE FIVE STAIRSTEPS ~ "OH CHILD";


Joe Simon - 85 - American soul and R&B singer ("The Chokin' Kind", "Get Down, Get Down (Get on the Floor)", "Power of Love")

JOE SIMON ~ "POWER OF LOVE";


JOE SIMON ~ "GOING THROUGH THESE CHANGES";


Willie Winfield - 91 - Singer with American Doo-Wop group The Harptones

THE HARPTONES ~ "THAT'S THE WAY IT GOES";


John Dee Holeman ~ 92 ~ American Piedmont blues guitarist, singer and

JOHN DEE HOLMAN & ALGIA MAE ~ "CROW JANE";


JOHN DEE HOLMAN ~ "ONE BLACK RAT";

Some Jazz, Blues & R&B Figures

Clarence Fountain ~ 88 ~ Singer with Gospel group the Blind Boys of Alabama

THE BLIND BOYS OF ALABAMA ~ "TOO CLOSE TO HEAVEN";


THE BLIND BOYS OF ALABAMA ~ "AMAZING GRACE";


Otis Rush ~ Chicago blues singer/guitarist from the 1950's onward w/Chess, Cobra and Atlantic Records ("I Can't Quit You Baby", "I'm Satisfied")

OTIS RUSH ~ "I CAN'T QUIT YOU BABY";


OTUS RUSH ~ "SWEET LITTLE ANGEL";


Matt Guitar Murphy ~ 88 ~ Guitarist w/Howlin Wolf, Ike Turner, Muddy Waters, James Cotton, Otis Rush, Etta James, Willie Dixon, Sonny Boy Williamson II, Chuck Berry, Joe Louis Walker, Memphis Slim, Aretha Franklin and The Blues Brothers as well as solo

MATT GUITAR MURPHY ~ "MURPHY'S BOOGIE";


MATT GUITAR MURPHY & MEMPHIS SLIM;
MATT'S GUITAR BLUES";


MATT GUITAR MURPHY ~ "MURPHY'S BOOGIE";


Eddie Willis ~ 82 ~ Guitarist with Motown studio band The Funk Brothers who played on most of the Motown hits in the 1960's & 70's

THE FUNK BROTHERS ~ "NOWHERE TO HIDE";


THE FUNK BROTHERS ~ "PAPA WAS A ROLLING STONE";


John "Jabo" Starks, 79, American drummer (James Brown, The J.B.'s)

JAMES BROWN;


JAMES BROWN "PAPA'S GOT A BRAND NEW BAG" & "I FEEL GOOD";


Eugene Pitt ~ Lead singer with 1960's Doo-Woppers the Jive Five

THE JIVE FIVE ~ "HAPPY MAN";


Lazy Leter ~ 85 ~ Blues singer & harpist from the 1950's onward

LAZY LESTER ~ "THEY CALL ME LAZY";


Edwin Hawkins ~ 74 ~ American gospel musician ("Oh Happy Day", "Lay Down (Candles in the Rain)") (w/Melanie)

MELANIE & THE EDWIN HAWKINS SINGERS ~ "LAY DOWN (CANDLES IN THE RAIN)";


EDWIN HAWKINS SINGERS ~ "OH HAPPY DAY";


CECIL TAYLOR ~ 89 ~ American Free Jazz pianist from the late 1950's onward

CECIL TAYLOR;


Randy Weston ~ 90 ~ American Avant Garde Jazz pianist from the 1950's onward with Charles Mingus and his own band

RANDY WESTON;


Eddy Clearwater ~ 83 ~ American blues singer and guitarist from the 1950's on
EDDIE "THE CHIEF" CLEARWATER ~ BOOGIE WOOGIE BABY";

Nathan Davis ~ 81 ~ American jazz sax player from the 1960's onward w/Eric Dolphy, Art Blakey, Nat Adderly. Ray Charles and solo

NATHAN DAVIS ~ "NEW ORLEANS";


Norman Edge ~ 84 ~ Jazz bassiat with Gene Ammons, Clark Terry and Nelson Riddle

CLARK TERRY ~ "STARDUST";


GENE AMMONS ~ "SOPHISTICATED LADY";


Hamlet Bluiet ~ Sax player with The World Saxophone Quartet;

THE WORLD SAXOPHONE QUARTET ~ "HATTIE WALL";

Hugh Hefner, Playboy And Rock & Roll

Hugh Hefner isn't normally thought of as a figure with a connection to R&R but part of his "Playboy" esthetic, or ideology even, included the idea that a Playboy Man should have god taste in literature (Hemingway, Capote, Mailer, Miller, Vidal and Baldwin all wrote for him), art (Pop Art, Abstract Expressionism, Dali) and music. At a time when "swingers" were still listening to Mantovani or Jackie Gleason's "Songs For Lovers" albums Hefner promoted some fairly hip music. Starting with the obvious choices like Sinatra, Nat King Cole, Dinah Washington, Sarah Vaughan in the 1950's he moved into Cool Jazz and before embracing the Summer Of Love in the mid sixties. One of his projects in the late 1960's was a late night TV show called "Playboy After Dark which had on some of the coolest bands around, including a number of black musicians hosted by Hef in a somewhat incongruous tuxedo.

IKE & TINA TURNER;


STEPPENWOLF ~ "AMERICA";


PETER GREEN'S FLEETWOOD MAC ~ "RATTLESNAKE SHAKE";


THE BYRDS ~ "YOU AIN'T GOING NOWHERE" & "THIS WHEELS ON FIRE";


DEEP PURPLE ~ "HUSH;


IRON BUTTERFLY ~ "INNA-GADDA-DAVIDA";


CANNED HEAT ~ "ON THE ROAD AGAIN";


JAMES BROWN;


MARVIN GAYE ~ "CHAINED";


JAMES COTTON & LUTHER TUCKER;


BUDDY MILES;


BB KING ~ "THE THRILL IS GONE";


BUDDY RICH;


DAVE BRUBECK ~ "TAKE FIVE";

Sharon Jones and some 1950's & 60's R&B And Jazz Singers

Sharon Jones ~ 60 ~ American singer (Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings) was probably the best traditional soul singer of the modern era. She had had a long battle with cancer which had seemed to be in remission and at the time of her death she was in a popular car TV ad

SHARON JONES ~ "100 Nights";


SHARON JONES & THE DAP KINGS ~ "STRANGER TO MY HAPPINESS";


SHARON JONES ~ "MIDNIGHT RIDER";


Prince Buster ~ 78 ~ Jamaican ska musician ("One Step Beyond" (later covered by Madness), "Al Capone", "Madness")

PRINCE BUSTER ~ "AL CAPONE";
PRINCE BUSTER ~ "ONE STEP BEYOND";


PRINCE BUSTER ~ "WASH WASH";


Joni Sledge ~ 60 ~ American singer w/1970's R&B/Disco group Sister Sledge ("We Are Family")

SISTERS SLEDGE ~ "WE ARE FAMILY";


SISTERS SLEDGE ~ "HE'S THE GREATEST DANCER";


Clyde Stubblefield ~ 73 ~ American R&B drummer w/James Brown

JAMES BROWN


JAMES BROWN ~ "I GOT THE FEELING";


Joan Marie Johnson ~ 72 ~ Singer w/1960's Girl Group the Dixie Cups ("Chapel Of Love", "Iko Iko");
THE DIXIE CUPS ~ "CHAPEL OF LOVE";


THE DIXIE CUPS ~ "IKO IKO";


Diz Russell, 83, American singer w/1950's & 60's Doo-Wop groups The Regals and The Orioles ("It's Too Soon To Know", "Baby Please Don't Go", "Crying In The Chapel", "It's Gonna Be A Lonely Christmas")

THE ORIOLES ~ "CRYING IN THE CHAPEL";


Ernestine Anderson, 87, American Jazz, Blues and R&B pianist and vocalist from the 1940's on, sang with Johnny Otis, Lionel Hampton, Gigi Gryce, Quincy Jones later solo ERNESTINE ANDERSON ~ "MOANIN'";


Shelly Moore ~ 84 ~ British born American Big Band Jazz singer from the 1950's & 60's w/Vic Lewis, Ramsey Lewis, Ray McKinney and Plas Johnson, recorded on Argo Records

SHELLY MOORE ~ "WHEN THE LIGHTS ARE LOW";



Joe Ligon, 80, American gospel singer (Mighty Clouds of Joy)

THE MIGHTY CLOUDS OF JOY ~ "WALK AROUND HEAVEN";


Clifford Curry ~ 79 ~ American 1960's R&B singer ("She Shot a Hole in My Soul")
CLIFFORD CURRY ~ "SHE SHOT A HOLE IN MY HEART";


Shirley Bunnie Foy ~ 80 ~ 1960's and 70's American Jazz, Gospel and R&B singer w/Archie Shepp, Art Blakey, Milt Jackson, The Dell-Tones

ARCHIE SHEPP & BUNNIE FOY ~ "SEA OF FACES";