On June 24th, in 1986, 21st century R&B musician, singer, actress, producer, songwriter and little sister of Beyonce Knowles-Solange Knowles was born in Houston, Texas. She’s well-known in the film/TV and music industries. She made her television debut in 2001 on Intimate Portrait-a biographical show on the Lifetime network. In 2002, she became the voice of Chanel on Proud Family-Disney animated series. She made her film debut in 2004 as Nikki Johnson in-Johnson Family Vacation. She co-starred in Bring It On: All or Nothing as Camille in 2006. Her music career started long before her acting career. Interesting fact: Solange wrote songs for Beyonce, Destiny’s Child, Michelle Williams and Kelly Rowland.
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She started singing in her early childhood, and was writing her own songs when she was 9. She was a backup singer and dancer for Destiny’s Child at various tours in her early teens. Her first solo single was the Proud Family Theme song, on which Destiny’s Child sang backup. She followed it up with a 2002 appearance on the Austin Powers in Goldmember movie soundtrack-Hey Gold Member. She made several featured appearances on other artists’ songs like: Lil Romeo, Kelly Rowland and Lil Bow Wow. In 2002, she released her full-length debut-Solo Star. She continued to release LPs during the remainder of the decade. Her most notable release came in 2008-Sol-Angel and the Hadley St Dreams. It’s a throwback to Motown 60s/70s soul. She’s 33 today.
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On June 24th, in 1950, reggae musician, songwriter, Rastafarian, singer Prince Jammy collaborator, former member of the Wailing Souls and founding member of Black Uhuru-Derrick ‘Duckie’ Simpson (l) was born in Kingston, Jamaica. He’s the only member of Black Uhuru that’s been with the band since it’s initial founding in 1972-with Don Carlos and Garth Dennis. All three original members went solo for a brief moment before joining the Wailing Souls. In 1976, Simpson resurrected Black Uhuru-naming them Black Sounds of Uhuru-with Michael Rose & Errol Nelson. Uhuru in Swahili means Freedom. They hooked up with the prolific Dub producer-Prince Jammy and released Love Crisis in 1977. Errol Nelson returned to the Jayes later that same year and was replaced with female upstart-Sandra ‘Puma’ Jones.
Shortly after, they shortened the band’s name to Black Uhuru. They worked with producers-Sly & Robbie on their next album-Showcase (1979). They released 8 more LPs with Sly & Robbie as producers (1980-1986). Duckie continued to lead the band into the 90s, releasing 4 more LPs with original members Garth Dennis and Don Carlos (1990-1994). In 1998, Dennis and Carlos were replaced with Jenifah Nyah and Andrew Bees. They released 3 LP from 1998 to 2018. Duckie (l) continues and record as a member of Black Uhuru. He also is an undeclared spokesman for the plight of people of color and the poor worldwide. His lyrics have always been insightful, politically poignant and socially conscious. He’s 69 today.
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On June 24th, in 1944, rock musician, guitarist, prog rock innovator, songwriter, fusion jazz pioneer, actor and founding member of the Jeff Beck Group-Jeff Beck (Geoffrey Arnold Beck) was born in Wallington, Surrey, England. Beck became interested in the guitar when he was 6 after hearing a Les Paul song on the radio. His other major guitar influences were B.B. King, Steve Cropper and Cliff Gallup. He learned to play during his childhood and teens years, using guitars that his friends owned. He also met Jimmy Page during his teens. He joined Screaming Lord Sutch’s band-The Savages in 1962, and shortly after Rolling Stones co-founder and keyboardist-Ian Stewart introduced him to R&B music. He became obsessed with the genre and formed his own band-Nightshift (1963).
They released a single later that year on Piccadilly Records-Stormy Monday b/w That’s My Story. In 1964, he joined the Tridents-the house band for the nightclub-'Walton on Thames', and the backing band for Walton Hop talent shows. In 1965, he joined the Yardbirds. He stayed with them for nearly 2 years and is the featured guitarist on most of their hits between 1965 and 1967. In 1967, he founded his own band-The Jeff Beck Group-with Jeff Harris (bass), Micky Waller (drums), Ronnie Wood (rhythm guitar) and Rod Stewart (lead vocals). They released several LPs during the late 60s. He was recruited for the Rolling Stones in 1969 but fell ill. He traveled to the US in 1971 and recorded some unreleased material at Motown with the Funk Brothers as his backing band. In 1972, he traveled south the Stax studios in Memphis, TN and worked with Steve Cropper. He reformed the Jeff Beck Group and began experimenting with fusion jazz and prog rock. He’s 75 today.
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HONORABLE MENTION: On June 24th, in 1942, shock rock musician, vocalist, songwriter and recording artist-Arthur (Wilton) Brown was born in Whitby, North Riding of Yorkshire, UK. Brown’s infamous alias is-‘The God of Hellfire’. He’s most known for his outrageous live performances and the musical contributions he’s made to several subgenres of rock-psychedelic, prog rock, heavy metal and experimental. He was an early innovator of all four. He also acted as lead singer for two bands during the 60s and 70s-Kingdom Come, the Crazy World of Arthur Brown. The latter being the same title for his 1968 debut LP. He’s 77 today.
On June 24th, in 2008, we lost a seminal gospel musician, vocalist, songwriter and lead singer for the Dixie Hummingbirds-Ira B. Tucker. His career spanned 7 decades, all of which were with the Dixie Hummingbirds. Many consider the quartet to be innovators of doo wop and soul. Tucker joined the group in 1938 when he was 13. They recorded for Deeca, Peacock and MCA Records. Both of his daughters sang secular music-Sundray Tucker and Lynda Laurence. Lynda was a former member of the Supremes. Ira Tucker is one of the few gospel artists that stayed in the genre during the influx of soul, funk, rock ‘n’ roll and R&B. He was 83 when he passed.
On June 24th, in 2010, we lost a prolific jazz musician, sideman, saxophonist, free jazz innovator, hard bop instrumentalist and Chicago Jazz icon-Fred Anderson. The Monroe, LA native is most known for his avant-garde approach to swing, hard bop and free jazz. He was a founding member of the AACM-Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians. He was a sideman and bandleader on many of the pioneering free jazz LPs released in the 60s. In the 70s, he recorded with his sextet. In the early 80s, he took over the Velvet Lounge in Chicago which became the focal point for experimental music and jazz. He was 81 when he passed.
On June 24th, in 2013, we lost a new wave musician, percussionist, sequence/sampler user, drum programmer, and the third drummer for Devo-Alan Myers aka ‘The Human Metronome’. He became a member of Devo in 1976 after Jim Mothersbaugh left. Myers preferred laying acoustic drums. However, when Devo started using drum machines and samplers in the early 80s, Myers reluctantly picked up on the technology. The band dissolved in the mid 80s, only to reconvene in the late 80s without Myers on drums (replaced with David Kendrick). Myers went on to compose the musical-Swahili Blonde (2010). He was 58 when he passed.
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