#1 R&B Song 1948: “King Size Papa,” Julia Lee & Her Boyfriends
Born: Roscoe Gordon, 1928; Nate Nelson (the Flamingos), 1932; Danny Woods (the Chairmen of the Board), 1944; Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds, 1959
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1954 Billy Ward & the Dominoes’ “Tenderly” and the Harptones’ “My Memories of You” were released. Alos, the Crows from Harlem, New York, jumped on the R&B hit list with “Gee,” which many historians consider the first rock ‘n’ roll Top 10 pop hit. The record took off when a Los Angeles disc jockey began playing the record continuously because it was his girlfriend’s favourite and they had just had a fight. She called him for fear he’d get fired, but “Huggy Boy” said: “I’m not taking it off until you come back to here.”
1956 During a performance for an all white audience in Birmingham, AL, Nat King Cole was beaten senseless while on stage. On January 23, 2002, Nat had a U.S. Post Office located in Los Angeles, CA named in is honor.
Nat King Cole in a Las Vegas performance in 1956.
1965 England’s popular TV show Juke Box Jury welcomed Dionne Warwick as a guest panelist.
1971 Marvin Gaye—now more reflective and concerned after the death of his friend and singing partner, Tammi Terrell—wrote, produced, and recorded the anti-war, anti-pollution, anti-poverty anthem, “What’s Going On,” which reached #2 pop and #1 (for five weeks) R&B.
1992 The first album by Boyz II Men, Cooleyhighharmony, esceeded four million records sold and consequently became the biggest selling R&B vocal group in record in music history.
1996 R. Kelly and LL Cool J performed at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Uniondale, NY.
1998 Prince performed with Larry Graham at the eleventh annual Essence Awards.
BEAUTIFUL, ALSO, ARE THE SOULS OF MY BLACK SISTERS 