On November 6th, in 1943, Soul, Jazz & R&B vocalist-(Lavern) Eloise Laws was born in Houston, Texas. She’s the sibling of Ronnie Laws (infamous Jazz Sax player), svocalist Debra Laws (Very Special), and Flutist Hubert Laws. She got her professional recording start with the Holland-Dozier-Holland Production trio for Music Merchant and Invictus Records in the late 70s. She put out one LP in 1977 on Invictus-Ain’t It a Good Feeling. The title cut and Put a Little Love Into it When You do it are the notable songs on this LP. Invictus folded and her brother Ronnie coming off his Friends and Strangers fame, helped her put out an LP on ABC-Eloise (1977). Forever Now, Someone Who Still Needs Me and Love Comes Easy are the notables on this LP.
The 1980-Eloise Laws LP on Liberty Records, and the 1982 Capitol-All in Time albums are not records I am familiar with, but I’m sure they have a song or two on em. Eloise sang back up on her brother Hubert’s Land of Passion LP, Ronnie’s Friends & Strangers LP and Debra’s Very Special LP. She also did some vocals for Aquarian Dream-a Norman Connors produced Disco outfit, Lee Oskar from War, Harvey Mason and Ahmad Jamal. She's a talented writer and actress that co-wrote the play: It Ain’t Nothin’ but the Blues. It's a Tony-nominated musical. She’s 75 today.
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On November 6th, in 1964, singer, actor, guitarist, songwriter, and lead singer for the band Living Colour-Corey Glover AKA Reverend Daddy Love was born in Brooklyn, New York. Vernon Reid discovered Glover in 1985 when he heard him sing Happy Birthday to someone. At the time, Glover was pursuing an acting career, having a small role in Platoon (US Army Private Francis). He was on the show Signs of Life and hosted programs on VH1 too. The band had their debut LP (released 1988)-Vivid go double platinum. First in 1989, and then again in 1994. The Grammy award-winning song on the LP is Cult of Personality.
They released two more LPs-Time’s Up in 1990 and Stain in 1993. Both made subtle noise in comparison to Vivid. By 1995, they’d split up and Glover would change his moniker to Reverend Daddy Love. He and guitarist Mike Ciro started the band called Vice. Glover and Reid reconnected the band in 2000. They put out another LP in 2003 called Collide0scope. By 2006, Glover was acting and singing in the national tour of Jesus Christ Superstar (he played Judas Iscariot). In Living Coulor put out another LP in 2009-The Chair in the Doorway and Glover performed as lead for Galactic a year later in 2010, being a member of both bands. He continues to perform, record and act. He’s 54 years-old.
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On November 6th, in 1966, singer, producer, record executive, manager, talent scout, songwriter and ex-wife of L.A. Reid-Perri Ariette McKissack AKA Pebbles AKA Sister Perri was born in Oakland, California. She got her start singing back up for Con Funk Shun in the early 80s (Bill Summers-she was 16). She got a production deal when she was 19, but then lost it when she got pregnant. She came into some money in the late 80s and put together Mercedes Boy (single and video). MCA came calling once they saw and heard it.
She cut a few albums on the imprint: Pebbles (1987), Always (1990) and Straight From My Heart (1995). Her biggest lucrative success came from being manager, producer and promoter for TLC. She founded her own production company and label in 1989 (Pebbitone & Savvy Records). TLC was her first major act to crack the market on her label. She took a lot of money form the crew. They declared bankruptcy in 1995. Pebbles ended up getting a divorce from L.A. Reid and sued MCA for $10 million. Reid remarried Chili from TLC…pause…In 1997, Perri became Sister Perri when she had a calling from the creator. She started the WOGCL (Women of God Changing Lives). She now sings gospel and is a pastor. She’s 54 today.
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Rock ‘n’ Roll debut, the humble beginnings: On November 6th, in 1970, The Bad Boys From Boston, America’s Greatest Rock and Roll Band-Aerosmith made their live debut at Nipmuc Regional High School in Mendon, Massachusetts. This was way before their world-wide fame. Aerosmith is: Tom Hamilton on bass, Joey Kramer on drums, Joe Perry on Guitar, Steven Tyler on vocals and Brad Whitford on guitar (formed in 1971-original guitarist was Ray Tabano). They got love form their hometown of Boston early on. By 1972 they were signed to Columbia and in 1973 they released their debut LP (self titled).
A year later they released Get Your Wings and both reached multi-platinum status. They tore the Rock charts up during the 70s, but in 1979 Joe Perry left due to inner strife and drug addictions within the band. Two years later, Whitford left (1981). From 1980 to 1984 they put out one LP. They tried to do a reunion tour in 1985 but it fell flat. In 1986, Rick Rubin called and put them up with Run DMC. Run DMC helped save their career and re-energize their fan base, not to mention they exposed them to new fans they’d never had. Aerosmith has gone on to sell more than 150 million records. Aerosmith currently holds the record for having the most gold and multi-platinum albums of any American Music group.
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On November 6th, in 1975, Punk Rock originators and innovators-The Sex Pistols took to the stage to perform live for an audience for the first time. It all went down at St. Martin’s School of Art in the central area of London, England. Their set was about 10 minutes long because they weren’t on the bill alone…the Punk Band Bazooka Joe featuring Adam Ant (Stuart Goddard at the time) were the headliners. The Pistols were: Paul Cook on drums, Glen Matlock on bass, Steve Jones on guitar and Johnny Rotten on lead vocals.
Sid Vicious wasn’t a current member during this performance. He replaced Matlock on bass in 1977, the same year of their debut full-length LP: Never Mind the Bullocks, Here’s the Sex Pistols. Unfortunately, no commercial recordings exist of the original Pistols’ lineup with Matlock on bottom. I’m sure some Pistol purests have bootleg copies or live footage of shows featuring his playing…Bazooka Joe was comprised of: Stuart (Adam Ant) on bass, Danny Kleinmann, Bill Smith, Mark Tanner, Chris Duffy, Robin Chapekar and Dan Barson. Some members would leave and others would add on, morphing into the Vibrators, and later Adam and the Ants.
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Honorable Mention: On November 6th, in 1880, the track and field phenom-George (Coleman) Poage was born in Hannibal, Missouri. He was the first Black man to win gold medals in the Olympics. He won two golds in the 200 and 400 meter race in 1904 at the Olympics in St. Louis, Missouri. A University of Wisconsin graduate, he was regarded as one of the best athletes on campus, if not the best. He was Big Ten track champion in 1904, the first Black to do this as well. He passed away in 1962 (82).
On November 6th, in 1900, the Black National Anthem was created by James Weldon Johnson and John Rosamond Johnson-Lift Ev’ry Voice & Sing. The song was originally based off a poem that James had written. His brother John put music to it. The first time it was sung publicly was in 1900 by 500 children in Jacksonville, Florida (Stanton School) as a celebration for Abraham Lincoln’s birthday, and to introduce the honored guest-speaker: Booker T. Washington. James was the principal at the school.
On November 6th, in 1962, Frankurt, Germany hosted an epic live show. The American Folk Blues Festival debuted at Kongress Halle in West Germany. Some of the performers were: John Lee Hooker, Memphis Slim, T-Bone Walker and Sonny Terry & Brownie McGee. The event paid homage to the roots of the British invasion, Rock ‘n’ Roll and Folk artists like Dylan, Mitchell and Havens that were bringing the genre back to the mainstream.
Speaking of Folk music & Dylan, on November 6th, in 1967, Bob Dylan finished recording All Along the Watchtower and John Wesley Harding. It took him three hours to complete the songs. He was captured on reel to reel in Nashville, Tennessee at Columbia Recording Studios. Jimi got a leak of All Along the Watchtower from a mutual friend. He liked it, and recorded his version less than three months later at Olympic Studios in London (January 21st, 1968). Both versions are dope.
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