On November 15th, in 1998, we lost the 4th Chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC)-Stokely Carmichael (Kwame Ture). He passed away in Conakry, Guinea, Africa (age 57). He’s the former husband of African singer Mariam Makeba (married 1968-1973). Ture is a Port of Spain, Trinidad & Tobago born, Bronx NYC raised and Howard U graduate (BA Philosophy 1964). He was a seminal Pan-Africanist, activist, COINTELPRO target, writer, liberator, public speaker, political mobilizer and is listed as one of the Greatest African Americans to ever live by scholar Molefi Kete Asante. Ture’s revolutionary activism started in 1961 with the Freedom Rides.
He gained popularity among the youth and elders from 1961-1963. From 1964 to 1967, he was active with SNCC going to Mississippi to register voters, helped found the Lowndes County Freedom Organization and pretty much coined the term ‘Black Power’ and the philosophy that it stands for (it is not White oppression). He also spoke out about the Vietnam war. In 1967, he stepped down from SNCC (replaced by H. Rap Brown) and went global, becoming an international activist. He was targeted by COINTELPRO during this time. He founded the All-African People’s Revolutionary Party towards the end of the 60s. He wrote books and lectured often up to his death. He’s a figure that can’t be forgotten in Black History.
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On November 15th, in 1956, a teen guitar prodigy was born that would be recruited by the Father of Funk (George Clinton)-Michael Hampton (l-Cleveland, Ohio). The Story of Funk Guitarist & Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame inductee Michael Hampton. Around 1974-1975, Eddie Hazel (lead guitarist for Parliament-Funkadelic) was showing the signs of ‘road wear’ (too much recording and touring-everyone needs a break at some point). Subsequently, Clinton was in need of a ‘steady’ lead guitarists. He ran across a 17 year-old Hampton that played Hazel’s Maggot Brain solo note for note. Clinton was impressed, and asked Hampton to join the Funk super group.
In 1975, Hampton made his debut on Funkadelic’s Let’s Take it To the Stage LP (Westbound Records). He stayed with the band, recording guitar on their LPs that followed. He was dubbed Kidd Funkadelic by Clinton because of his Funkiness and youth. His guitar is on One Nation Under a Groove & Not Just Knee Deep, two heavily sampled song by the Hip Hop and Urban music community. Pretty much, any guitar you hear after ’75 on P-Funk related LPs are most likely Hampton (Hazel did make returns here and there up to his death in 1992). Hampton is also a member of the P-Funk All-Stars (a renaming of Parliament Funkadelic for legal purposes). He’s 62 today.
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On November 15th, in 1954, singer, songwriter, Minneapolis Music scene vet, the ‘New Wave R&B Otis Redding’-Alexander O’Neal was born in Natchez, Mississippi. O’Neal attended the HBCU Alcorn State (Lorman, MS, Claiborne County) until he was 20. He moved to Minneapolis in the early 70s and started performing there. Throughout the decade, he co-founded or became a member of several R&B based bands in the area: the Mystics, the Wynd Chymes, Enterprise and Flyte Tyme (Jimmy Jam, Terry Lewis, Monte Moir). All of these groups made recordings. In the early ‘80s, Prince signed Flyte Tyme to Warner Brothers and shortened the name to Time (alternate spelling of Tyme). Allegedly, Prince and Alexander O’Neal had a dispute that caused O’Neal to leave the group.
Prince brought in Morris Day to sing lead. O’Neal put his own band together and put a couple of singles out on the small Midwestern label-Erect (Attitude, Do You Dare b/w Playroom-mostly a House, Techno and rare 80s progressive R&B label). He made some local noise with the singles, as Deep House and House were gaining ground in Chicago, and Techno was being cultivated in Detroit (the Erect label distributed music heavily in Chicago & Detroit). This led to him getting signed to Tabu records in 1984. He sang back up for Cherrelle (they have several duets together as well) and the S.O.S. Band. In 1985, he released his debut LP: Alexander O’Neal. He released 11 more LPs, two of them live albums. He’s 65 today.
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On November 15th, in 1941, singer, author, songwriter, disc jockey, composer and the younger brother of Marvin Gaye-Frankie Gaye (Frances Frankie Gaye) was born in Washington, D.C. Frankie sang with Marvin in the church when they were very young, and in Doo-Wop groups during their teen years (late 50s). He was drafted in 1967, and did a tour in Vietnam (he was the radio dj). When he returned, his in-depth conversation with Marvin about the horrors of war, led Marvin to write What’s Happening Brother on the What’s Going On LP. Around the mid-70’s, Frankie started touring with Marvin, and would open a lot of his live shows. He also was a ‘roadie’ of sorts, helping test and set-up equipment.
By ’77, Frankie was in the studio laying background vocals on Got to Give It Up (1977). By the end of the decade, he was co-writing music for the seminal Blaxploitaton film-Penitentiary. After Marvin’s murder in 1984, Frankie was living next door at the time it happened, he dabbled in music, but nothing serious. It wasn’t until 1989, when he signed to Motorcity Records, that he released two singles: My Brother & Extraordinary Girl. He was writing a book about his brother in the late 90s: Marvin Gaye-My Brother. The book was supposed to be released in 2002, but Frankie passed in 2001, and it wasn't released until 2003. He was 60 when he passed. S.O. to Frankie for helping to inspire Marvin to write the What’s Going On LP. His influence can be heard throughout.
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On November 15th, in 1939, this seminal movie and TV actor was Across 110th Street being born-Yaphet (Frederick) Kotto (NYC, NY). The Big Apple native has some deep roots, being a direct descendant of African & European Royalty (Royalty is the title of his autobiography)…His father was the crown Prince of Cameroon. His Father’s great great great grandmother-Princess Nakande (daughter of King Doualla Manga Bell) had an affair with Edward the VII of Britain (Prince of Wales 19th Century) and had a child by him. Yaphet grew up a Black Jew, and was ostracized by Blacks, Whites and Jews for it.
He acted throughout high school and got his professional Broadway break playing Othello when he was 19 (The Great White Hope too). Throughout the 60s (film debut in 1963
4 For Texas"), he acted in small supporting roles in films and on television (Hawaii Five-O). However, in 1973, he made his presence known playing the main villain in the James Bond film Live and Let Die (Mr. Big). That same year, he was the clean or ‘good cop’ in Across 110th Street alongside the villain and corrupt cop Anthony Quinn. These two film roles solidified his versatility (could play the villain and the hero well), which allowed him to secure roles in all types of films (action, drama, sci-fi Alien). The soundtracks for the films he’s been in are dope too. Just a side note. He’s 79 today.
4 For Texas"), he acted in small supporting roles in films and on television (Hawaii Five-O). However, in 1973, he made his presence known playing the main villain in the James Bond film Live and Let Die (Mr. Big). That same year, he was the clean or ‘good cop’ in Across 110th Street alongside the villain and corrupt cop Anthony Quinn. These two film roles solidified his versatility (could play the villain and the hero well), which allowed him to secure roles in all types of films (action, drama, sci-fi Alien). The soundtracks for the films he’s been in are dope too. Just a side note. He’s 79 today.
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Honorable Mention: On November 15th, in 2015, the program called Jazz FM on UK BBC Radio polled its listeners to see who they considered to be the 100 Greatest Jazz Artists of all-time. The public returned a resounding #1 for the trumpeter that brought us The Birth of Cool (inspired by Ahmad Jamal)-Miles Davis. Some of the other artists that made the top 10 were Billie Holiday, Duke Ellington, Charlie Parker, Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald.
On November 15th, in 1975, singer, songwriter, dancer, producer, and the man known as Mr. Excitement-Jackie Wilson, would see the end of his singing career. The singer collapsed on stage in September of 1975. Two months later, today, his semi-comatose state led his former band mates (the Dominoes) and Wilson himself, to forget about touring, recording, singing or performing going forward. He stayed at the Medford Leas Retirement Center in Medford, New Jersey.
People we’ve recently covered: Ironically, the same day that Yaphet Kotto was born, is the same day this late 60s to mid 80s actor was born-Thalmus Rasulala (Miami, Florida). He was a recognizable actor in the blaxploitation era, getting his starring lead role in the 1972 film Cool Breeze. A few days ago we covered the death of the drummer for LaBelle, Ecstasy-Passion & Pain, Chic and Power Station-Tony Thompson (Anthony Terrence Thompson-center).
The drummer that helped shape the sound of popular music from the 70s to the 80s was born today in NYC, NY. Exactly 2 days ago, we covered the death of Wu-Tang’s most recognizable Emcee-ODB (Russell Jones AKA Dirt Dog-Big Baby Jesus-Osirus-Dirt McGirt-Ason Unique). He was born today in NYC, NY.
On November 15th, in 1937, singer, songwriter, and King Records artist-Little Willie John (William Edward John) was born in Cullendale, Arkansas. He got his stage debut with the Paul Hucklebuck Williams orchestra. In 1955, Henry Glover of King Records caught him singing with the band and signed him. He released All Around the World as his first side. It hit the number 5 slot on the R&B chart. The hits kept coming for Little Willie for a decade (1955-1965) up to his sudden death at age 30 in Walla Walla, Washington (1968).
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