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Welcome
to Soul Classics 24/7
If today's music just doesn't make you get your groove on, then you'll feel right at home at SoulClassics247.com! Smooth Old School Soul from the 60's through the 80's with a pinch from the 50's and the early 90's. No blabbering DJ's, minimal interruptions, and the soul hits you grew up with.
Chuck Brown DC Go Go Godfather Dies at 75
Conspicuously not present with his band at the Prince Georges County,MD Fair recently due to pneumonia rumors were already out there. Today, the Godfather of DC GoGo died at age 75 at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore.
Update on 5/17/2012: The Washington Post has two large write-ups on Chuck Brown today. Front and center on the Front page and also in the “Style” section. It’s “Chuck Brown” day in D.C. – D.A.
Washington Post: Front Page Style
Donald “Duck” Dunn
Most likely you have seen the Blues Brothers movies, probably the first one more than once, and if you have then you might recognize Donald “Duck” Dunn. A well known “Stax” Bass player known for performing on many of the 60s greatest Soul hits. Once one of the members of Booker T and the MG’s (Memphis Group) Dunn played on other artists records as well. Examples of which are the classic Sam and Dave hit “Soul Man.” Another would be Wilson Pickett’s “In the Midnight Hour” and the list goes on and on. Donald “Duck” Dunn was born in Memphis in 1941 and nicknamed “Duck ” by his father for the Disney character. He died May 13 in Tokyo at age 70 of undisclosed causes. – D.A.
It Was His Thing And We Got Our Groove On
I have always gotten a groove going listening to the guitar riff in “It’s Your Thing” by the Isley Brothers. It came from the same dude that also gave us the “Wah Wah” sound in the “Theme from Shaft.” Charles “Skip” Pitts who grew up in the same neighborhood as Bo Diddley in Washington and had the opportunity to learn a few things from the 50′s legend. During his career he played with Bo, Al Green, Wilson Pickett, Same and Dave, Rufus Thomas, The Temprees, Albert King and I would bet numerous others. Here is is wikipedia bio. Mr. Pitts passed on May 1st in Memphis at age 65. – D.A.
Dick Clark Dead at 82
Dick Clark, the legendary host of American Bandstand and the New years Eve Ball drop in NY has gone on to meet his maker.
The Duck once worked for his former boss at the now defunct WKKO in Cocoa, Florida. Dick worked for Howard Maschmeier at WFIL way way back then and Howard retired to Florida and owned WKKO.
Not much more to say. A video for you to see on his passing.
The Two Bobby Bennetts – Both live in Suburban Maryland
Bobby Bennett #1; A member of James Brown and the Famous Flames. After years of it, he tires of the road and moves to Prince Georges County Maryland where he owned a cleaning business for many years but stepped out into the limelight every now and then. Most recently Bobby Bennett was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Bobby Bennett #2 sometimes referred to as “The Burner” was a popular disc jockey on WOL, a heritage Soul station back in the day, who went on to “create Soul Street” for XM radio according to his web site Bobby Bennett.org. Bobby also wrote a book “The Ultimate Soul Music Trivia Book” available on his web site. Bobby lives in Olney, Maryland located in Montgomery County outside Washington, D.C. – D.A.
The Howard Theatre Set to Re-open after $29M Restoration
The Howard Theatre…a famous historic Theatre located in a part of Washington known as “Black Broadway” in the days of segregated Washington. Anybody that was anybody in African American Entertainment performed at the Howard. At the Theatres Grand re-opening, Al Jarreau, Wanda Sykes, and Smokey Robinson are scheduled to perform.
Although the neighborhood has changed over the last ten years, now less than 50% African American, there is still alot of history in the U Street corridor. Here is an article from the Washington Post that will give you a feel for what it was like back in the day.- D.A.