On January 2nd, 1954, singer, songwriter, producer, guitarist, drummer, bassist, and seminal vocalist with Parliament Funkadelic,Glenn (Lamont) Goins (l) was born in Plainfield, New Jersey. Goins comes from a musical family and got started on instruments early in his childhood. He gigged around the Plainfield area during his teens with a band called The Bags. In 1972, the then 18 year old made one of his first recordings with them: It’s Heavy b/w Don’t Mess With My Baby. In the mid 70s, Goins became a member of the P-Funk camp. He played guitar mostly, and had some co-songwriting credits. However, he’s most known for his soulful and gospel vocals. He sang lead on a lot of their hits. I’ve Been Watching You and Bop Gun are some notable songs. His backup vocals, and runs on other songs are also very distinct.
You Know it’s Glenn (above-4th r) singing. He’s featured on all the Parliament and Funkadelic LPs from 1975-1977. In 1977, he left the P-Funk and started his own band called Quazar. It featured Jerome "Bigfoot" Brailey from the P-Funk camp, and Goins’ brother Kevin. In 1978 they released one self-titled LP, which has recently been reissued.
A lot of artists left the P-Funk camp in 1977, due to monetary issues with Casablanca, Westbound, Warner Brothers, and even Clinton. Goins was only 24 years old when he passed due to complications from Hodgkin’s Lymphoma (July 29th, 1978). The Hall Of Fame musician recorded more than 40 songs with four different groups (The Bags, Parliament, Funkadelic, and Quazar), helped innovate the genre of Funk, and toured the country-all before he was 25.
A lot of artists left the P-Funk camp in 1977, due to monetary issues with Casablanca, Westbound, Warner Brothers, and even Clinton. Goins was only 24 years old when he passed due to complications from Hodgkin’s Lymphoma (July 29th, 1978). The Hall Of Fame musician recorded more than 40 songs with four different groups (The Bags, Parliament, Funkadelic, and Quazar), helped innovate the genre of Funk, and toured the country-all before he was 25.
| | |
On January 2nd, 1968, comedian, film, and television actor Cuba M. Gooding, Jr. was born in the Bronx, NYC, NY. Both of his parents were well-known musicians in the 60s & 70s. His mother Shirley, formerly Shirley Sullivan, was a member of the vocal group The Sweethearts. His father Cuba Sr. was the lead singer for The Main Ingredient. Cuba Jr. was raised by his mother, and he was deeply involved in the church, becoming a born again Christian when he was 13. He attended four different high schools in the LA area, serving as class president at three of them. He made his TV debut in 1981, on the TV show Hill Street Blues. He also performed as an un-credited (B-Boy) break-dancer with Lionel Richie in the closing ceremonies for the 1984 Summer Olympics. Post-high school: Cuba studied martial arts for three years; and then started focusing on acting.
In 1988, he guest starred on Amen & MacGyver (and again in 1989 and 1990). He also made his silver screen debut with a small part in Coming To America. He got his first starring role in 1991’s Boyz N The Hood, directed by John Singleton. Most people know him from this movie (Trey Styles). The movie went on to become a critically acclaimed hit, and from there he would go on to secure a role in at least one mainstream movie each year from 1992-2000 His film credits include: A Few Good Men (1992); Judgment Night (1993), Blown Away (1994), Outbreak (1995), Jerry Maguire (1996), As Good As It Gets (1997), A Murder Of Crows (producer, 1998), Instinct (1999) and Men Of Honor (2000). The award-winning actor has appeared in more than 50 movies since 1991; and continues to act, produce, direct, and write screen plays. He’s 50 today.
| | |
On January 2nd, 1977 pianist, composer, arranger, bandleader, and sideman Erroll (Louis) Garner was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He has a twin brother named Ernest, an older brother named Linton, and an older sister named Martha. All of them learned piano from Miss Bowman. Erroll, however, was not formally taught by Miss Bowman. He would imitate what she played, note for note, after watching her teach his siblings. His musical and visual memory were very high, but he never learned to read music, and instead composed by ear. He got his professional start on KDKA Radio in Pittsburgh with The Candy Kids. Garner played piano in the group (age 7). When he was 11, he started playing piano in the house bands on the various riverboats around The Allegheny River.
In 1937 he became the pianist for Leroy Brown (sax), and around the mid 1940s, he moved to NYC to work with artists around the area (Charlie "Bird" Parker, Slam Stewart, Art Tatum, Fats Heard Phillips, Alvin Stoller, etc). He started recording for Savoy Records in 1945, then Vogue Records, before landing a long-term contract with Phillips Records. Garner was short, 5’2” to be exact; and this made him have to sit on top of things to play. He also was known for his vocal additions and calls, when he really felt the music, during his live sets and recordings. The Pittsburgh Music Union refused to let him in at first because he couldn’t read music; but eventually they granted him membership in 1956. The Hall Of Fame musician recorded more than 50 LPs between 1945 and 1995. He was 53 when he passed away.
| | |
Seminal Studios: On January 2nd, in 1950, seminal early Rockabilly, Soul, Blues, and Country producer-Sam Phillips opened The Memphis Recording Service Studio at 706 Union Ave, in Memphis, TN. He was very influential in penning, composing, and recording songs and artists that would shape the sounds of Rock ‘n’ Roll and Funk. Phillips changed the name of the studio to Sun Records (Sun Recording Company, Sun Entertainment Corp.) shortly after opening for business. He had a love for Blues and Soul Music, and began recording acts from the Memphis area immediately. His roster diversified after the success of a few R&B sides. Artists like Johnny Cash, Rufus & Carla Thomas, Jimmy Orion Ellis, Jerry Lee Lewis, Ike Turner, Roy Orbison, Little Milton, Howlin Wolf,
Conway Twitty, Roscoe Gordon, and Elvis Presley all recorded at Sun. Phillips had Elvis cover Big Mama Thornton’s Hound Dog, and this song shot the young Presley into stardom. He sold Elvis’ contract to RCA Victor for $35K in 1955 (only five years after he opened). Sun’s success happened quickly, and Phillips managed to stay open for 19 years, before he sold his company to Mercury Records in 1969. The company never closed, which is a testament to Phillips success and good ear. It remains open and continues to do business under the name Sun Entertainment Corp. Phillips was a champion of Blues, R&B, and good music overall. He sought to bring artists that championed that same love for good music to the forefront and record them. As a result, we have Rock ‘n’ Roll & Southern Funk.
| | |
Seminal Studios: On January 2nd, in 2018, we lost another important figure in music. Guitarist, songwriter, producer, arranger, composer, publisher, and owner of Fame Studios, Rick Hall (Roe Erister Hall) passed away on that day. Rick came from humble beginnings. His parents were sharecroppers. His mother left him and his siblings when he was four, and he grew up extremely poor in rural Northern Alabama (raised by his father & grandparents). He started playing the mandolin and guitar at age six and moved to Rockford, Illinois for a job in his teens (late 1940s). He played with bands around the area before being drafted for the Korean War. Upon returning in the mid 1950s, he got a gig on WERH Radio in Hamilton with Carmol Taylor & The Country Pals featuring Billy Sherrill. Towards the end of the 1950s, Hall had started a band called The Fairlanes with Dann Penn and Sherrill.
Later he would leave to write songs and produce for others. In 1960, he started FAME (Florence Alabama Music Enterprises) with Billy Sherrill. They had a basic studio above the local drug store. Sam Phillips, of Sun Records, mentored Hall & Sherrill on the ins and outs owning a studio. Both Phillips and Hall shared a love for R&B. Hall would end up producing many singers, with many acts requesting to record at Fame Studios after hearing the work Hall was making. Their roster included artists like: Joe Tex, Aretha Franklin, Candi Stanton, Clarence Carter, Arthur Conley, Percy Sledge, Rolling Stones, Paul Anka, Tom Jones, Wilson Pickett, The Osmonds, Etta James, Duane Allman, Otis Redding, James & Bobby Purify, and Bobbie Gentry to name a few. They remain open and continue to record.
| | |
HONORABLE MENTION:
On January 2nd, 2000 Jazz trumpeter, cornet player, sideman, bandleader, and younger brother of Cannonball Adderley, Nat Adderley passed away in Lakeland, Florida. TOV covered his birth in the November 25th post. Adderley released more than 30 LPs, as bandleader from 1955 to 1995. He’s also featured on more than 40 LPs as a sideman with his brother’s Quintet. He also produced for his son’s band Natural Essence, and other artists. He was 68 years old when he died.
On January 2nd, 2000 Jazz trumpeter, cornet player, sideman, bandleader, and younger brother of Cannonball Adderley, Nat Adderley passed away in Lakeland, Florida. TOV covered his birth in the November 25th post. Adderley released more than 30 LPs, as bandleader from 1955 to 1995. He’s also featured on more than 40 LPs as a sideman with his brother’s Quintet. He also produced for his son’s band Natural Essence, and other artists. He was 68 years old when he died.
On January 2nd, in 1997, guitarist, songwriter, lead singer, and member of the Psychedelic Rock outfit Spirit, Randy California (Randy Craig Wolfe-c) died in a tragic turn of events. The former front-man had been vacationing in Hawaii with his family on the island of Molokai. While at the beach, his son got caught in a riptide current and Randy swam out to save him. He was successful at getting his son Quinn (12 years old) back to the shore; but he himself was caught in the undertow and drowned. Randy California was 45 years old, when he passed. Be aware of the riptides at the beach.
On January 2nd, in 2003, rapper, actor, and soon to be TV producer, 50 Cent was taken into police custody for parking his car in the wrong place-at the wrong time. As the story goes, 50 was in a No Parking Zone and the police searched his SUV. Why they searched a car parked in a no Parking Zone, is unbeknownst to me; but they did it. They found a 45, and a 25 caliber pistol. Both were loaded. He got charged with illegal possession of a firearm. Just make sure if you’re riding dirty, you park clean.
On January 2nd, 2012, session guitarist, and member of multiple Rock bands, Larry Rhino Reinhardt (c) passed away. He was a member of Bittersweet, The Load, The Second Coming, Iron Butterfly, Captain Beyond, The Ryno Band, and Mad Dancer. He also worked with Bobby Womack and Robert Tepper. He released two solo compilations in 2009 and 2011. Most were previously unreleased old band songs, with some new unreleased material mixed in. He was 63 years old when he died.
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!