On March 7th, 1942, Disco Innovator, singer, producer, songwriter, drummer, composer, percussionist, arranger, and Clark Atlanta University Alumni-Hamilton (Frederick) Bohannon was born in Newnan, Georgia. Bohannon received formal training on the drums, and in his teens, started gigging with local bands. While enrolled at Clark, he received the opportunity to play with a band that included Jimi Hendrix on guitar. In the mid 1960s he was recruited by Motown execs to be Stevie Wonder’s tour drummer. Once the other artists heard him playing, the label was inundated with requests for Bohannon to play for them. As a result, he became the band leader of Bohannon & The Motown Sound.
Bohannon resume includes work with Smokey Robinson, The Four Tops, Marvin Gaye, The Supremes, and The Temptations. After Motown moved to LA in 1972, Bohannon stayed in Detroit, formed another band, signed to Dakar Records, and released his classic debut LP Stop & Go in 1973. This album contains the Hip Hop break songs Song For My Mother (sampled by Ed O.G. & Da Bulldogs, for I Gotta Have It) and Save Their Souls (everyone’s sampled this, there’s too many to list one). One unique quality about Bohannon’s music is that the majority of it was upbeat, averaging about 100-120 beats per minute. Thus, it was the prototype for both Disco and House-both of which he heavily influenced, if not shaped. Trust me, he has plenty breaks for Hip Hop and Deep House heads. Bohannon is 77 today.
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On March 7th, in 2004, we lost a ground-breaking Hollywood icon, voice over actor, narrator, writer, activist, film, stage, and television actor-Paul (Edward) Winfield. Sidebar: I first saw the actor in the Blaxpolitation film Gordon’s War. It’s a 1973 film about a Vietnam vet that returns stateside to find his community under the thumb of drug abuse (heroine). His wife had also become a victim, which sent his need for retribution against dealers into the stratosphere. After seeing this film, I noticed he was the same guy in the movie Sounder (1972), that they showed me in elementary school. Then my Pops put me up on Winfield, for the third time, by showing me Trouble Man.
Winfield played the villain in Trouble Man; but he was the hero in the other two movies. Speaking of which, I caught Winfield again in the 1978 film A Hero Ain’t Nothin’ But A Sandwich. To reel it back real quick, Paul got his start on the silver screen in 1967. He was an uncredited extra in two films that year (The Perils Of Pauline & Who's Minding The Mint?). His first major credited role was in the 1969 film The Lost Man (he played Steve Dempsey). His TV debut, however, was on Perry Mason in 1965. Since then, and up until his death, Paul appeared in over 150 films and TV shows collectively. This isn’t including all the documentaries and commercial ads he did. He was one of the most recognizable voices for narrators in the game from the 1970s thru the 1990s. Paul Winfield was 64 years old when he died.
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On March 7th, 2006, we lost one of the most influential pop culture icons of whom The Wandering Eyes Blog has covered several times over-Gordon (Roger Alexander Buchanan) Parks. Parks was one of the few people TOV has covered to have high schools, parks, and historical monuments named after him. Parks is most known for his photography work done for Glamour Magazine, Time Magazine, and other popular periodicals during the 1950s and 1960s. TOV covered his birthday in the November 30th post. Please refer to it for more information. Parks is also famous for the films he created during the Blaxploitation Era of the 70s: The Learning Tree (1969), Shaft (1971) and Shaft’s Big Score (1972).
He also wrote books, poetry, and plays. Parks didn’t stop there, his first gig was playing piano in a brothel. He composed his first major song, No Love, in the 1930s-and in 1953, he composed Concerto For Piano And Orchestra. Fourteen years later, in 1967, he composed Tree Symphony. During the 1970s Parks got into painting, and by 1981, he’d created enough abstract art to have an official exhibit at New York City's Alex Rosenberg Gallery entitled Expansions: The Aesthetic Blend Of Painting And Photography. Parks' legacy and initiative in documenting The Black experience in America, from a historical standpoint is also one of the many accomplishments he will forever be known for. Gordon Parks was 93 when he passed away.
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HONORABLE MENTION:
On March 7th, 1952, guitarist, songwriter, drummer, singer, composer, bassist, percussionist, and member of The Isley Brothers-Ernie Isley was born in Cincinnati, Ohio. Ernie started playing drums when he was 12; and by the age of 14 he was playing with his older brothers in The Isley Brothers. Ernie picked up guitar around that same time, and taught himself how to play. He officially joined the group in 1973 when he was 21. He played guitar, drums, and percussion. He and Chris Jasper wrote most of The Isley’s notable T-Neck music. This legendary guitarist is 67 today.
On March 7th, 1952, guitarist, songwriter, drummer, singer, composer, bassist, percussionist, and member of The Isley Brothers-Ernie Isley was born in Cincinnati, Ohio. Ernie started playing drums when he was 12; and by the age of 14 he was playing with his older brothers in The Isley Brothers. Ernie picked up guitar around that same time, and taught himself how to play. He officially joined the group in 1973 when he was 21. He played guitar, drums, and percussion. He and Chris Jasper wrote most of The Isley’s notable T-Neck music. This legendary guitarist is 67 today.
On March 7th, 1975, singer, actor, songwriter, and the man that brought us Ziggy Stardust-David Bowie released his ninth full-length LP Young Americans. This album is credited as being one the best in his lengthy discography-and showcases his love for soul, R&B, Funk, and Blues. He also changed his image from androgynous glam rocker to a more cool baggy-suit look. The LP features the classic cut Fame, which was co-written by John Lennon and Carlos Alomar. Fame became Bowie’s first #1 single in The U.S. & The UK.
On March 7th, 1987, pop culture icon, boxer, actor, and one of the best heavyweights to ever do it-Mike Tyson became the youngest heavyweight champion, for the second time, when he defeated James 'Bonecrusher' Smith in Las Vegas, NV. Tyson won the WBA (World Boxing Association) belt by TKO. Again, this was the second time he was the youngest heavyweight champ-not due to defeat, but because he won a different belt a few months earlier. On November 22nd, 1986, he became the youngest heavyweight champ for the first time, when he beat Trevor Berbick by (again by TKO) for the WBC (World Boxing Council) Championship. He was only twenty years old.
March 7th was popping for both sports and Hip Hop. In 1987, two things happened for The Beastie Boys (Mike D, Ad Roc, MCA). First: they became the first white rap group to appear on Soul Train. Don Cornelius gave them mad props after they performed Brass Monkey. Second: their Def Jam debut License To Ill, became the first rap album to debut at #1 on The Billboard Chart.
Interesting Fact: The original title of License to Ill was Don’t Be A Faggot. Columbia Records thought the name may have been a bad look; so they had them change the title.
Interesting Fact: The original title of License to Ill was Don’t Be A Faggot. Columbia Records thought the name may have been a bad look; so they had them change the title.
For more information on any musician or event reviewed in posts, or for additional information on The Wandering Eyes Blog overall, use the search bar and search the artist or event using keywords. It’s like a Google search for the site. A myriad of information, covering several topics exists on this site going back to 2013 when it was created. PEACE