BARRY WHITE

BARRY WHITE

Barrence Eugene Carter known as Barry White was born in Galveston, Texas September 12, 1944, Barry grew up in South Central Los Angeles. Barry went to jail for four months, for stealing $30,000 worth of Cadillac tires.

After Barry was released from jail he left the gang and started his music career. He had marginal success as a songwriter. Bobby Fuller rock singer recorded his songs and The Banana Splits TV bubblegum act. In 1963 he also did the arranging of “Harlem Shuffle” for Bob & Earl. Barry was producing a girl group he discovered in 1972, called Love Unlimited, that’s when he got his big break. His best friend and music industry businessman Larry Nunes financed his career. “Walking in the Rain (With The One I Love)”

Barry wrote and produced. Barry married the lead singer of Love Unlimited, Glodean James July 4, 1974. Barry had hits in the 70s which includes “I’m Gonna Love You Just a Little More Baby” in1973, “ “Never, Never Gonna Give You Up” in 1973, I Belong To You” in 1974, “Love Theme” in 1974, “You’re the First, the Last, My Everything” in1974, “What Am I Gonna Do with You”

in 1975, “Let the Music Play” in 1976, “Is Ecstasy When You Lay Down Next to Me” in 1977,  “Your Sweetness is My Weakness” in 1978. I grew up listening to Barry and dancing to his music at the school dances and house parties. Barry’s Female fan considered handsome and deeply romantic. He was refer to as the “Maestro”, The Man with the Velvet Voice”, The Sultan of Smooth Soul” and the press called him the “Walrus of Love”. Barry career slowed down by the end of the disco era, but he had his followers.

In the 1994 his comeback album The Icon Is Love with the hit “Practice What You Preach”, was a hit Barry was back. Barry recorded with Tina Turner “In Your Wildest Dreams” in 1996.  Barry’s album Staying Power won two Grammy awards in 1999.  Barry’s music was often featured on the Ally McBeal show, he also appeared on the show twice. Barry was also a voice actor he was the voice of the Bear in the 1975 film Coonskin, he was featured on two episodes of The Simpson’s “Whacking Day” and “Krusty Gets Kancelled”. Barry suffered from high blood pressure, which resulted in kidney failure in 2002. Barry suffer a stroke in May 2003, that is when he retired from public life. Barry passed away on July 4, 2003, from kidney failure on the day which would have been his and Glodean‘s 29th anniversary. Barry White made the ladies scream his name and the men a little jealous I‘m sure. I am truly glad I got to grow up listen to the Maestro’s of love songs

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barry_White

LM

The Gap Band

The Gap Band via last.fm

The Gap Band

When Michael – DJ for Streetwise Radio (and also my hubby) asked me to write about my favorite funk artists, I immediately thought of The Gap Band. I grew up in Cleveland so many of the house parties were in the basement, with no lights – and loud wall sweating music that made the house rock. We loved The Gap Band and their funky dance songs. My all time favorites were “Burn Rubber on Me (Why You Want to Hurt Me)” – girl; “Early in the Morning” – I gotta find me someone to love, and “Outstanding”. Boy, those songs bring back memories. The other reason that I loved this band is that I understood the words as opposed to rap songs today, where I have no clue. Ok, I’m showing my age. But, here are a few things that you may not know about my all time favorite band.  The three brothers Charlie, Ronnie and Robert Wilson formed The Gap Band in 1967 in Tulsa, Oklahoma; originally they had twelve members. The name comes from the streets where they grew up Greenwood, Archer and Pine Streets that formed the African American business district of Tulsa, Oklahoma also called Black Wall Street. The Greenwood district was the site of one of the most violent racially motivated attacks in United States history. The complete destruction of the community was the result of the Tulsa Race Riots.
The group found their biggest success in the 1980s, with songs like "Burn Rubber On Me (Why You Wanna Hurt Me)", "Humpin' ", "Yearning For Your Love", "Outstanding", "You Dropped a Bomb on Me", "I Found My Baby", "Early In the Morning", and "Party Train" which further established the group as icons. They also found great success in the UK when their 1987 single "Big Fun" reached #4 in the UK chart ("Oops Upside Your Head" had also reached #6 there in 1980).Four of the band's albums, The Gap Band II, The Gap Band III, Gap Band IV, and Gap Band V - Jammin, achieved platinum selling status, and four of their singles ("All Of My Love", "Outstanding", "Burn Rubber On Me (Why You Wanna Hurt Me)", and "Early in the Morning") reached the #1 spot on the Billboard R&B charts. Raymond Calhoun (writer "Outstanding"), Oliver Scott (co-writer "Yearning For Your Love), and arranger/producer Malvin Dino Vice (co-writer "Boys Are Back in Town"), were members of the backing band and major contributors to the Gap Band's successful recordings.Ever since the 1990s, the Gap Band's most famous hits have been sampled and covered by the likes of Nas, Snoop Dogg, Warren G., Jermaine Dupri, Da Brat, Notorious B.I.G., II D Extreme, Blackstreet, Shaquille O'Neal, Mia X, and Mary J. Blige. "Outstanding" was even sampled for a famous 1990s commercial for malt liquor. Among the musicians they have inspired are R. Kelly, Keith Sweat, Ruff Endz, Guy, Blackstreet, II D Extreme, Mint Condition, Jagged Edge, D'Extra Wiley, and Aaron Hall. Recently, "You Dropped a Bomb on Me" was featured in the hit videogame Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, playing on funk radio station Bounce FM.So, if you want to hear those great artists from your past, and stroll down memory lane, listen to Streetwise Radio for the best music on internet radio.
 

CarolT-E