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STAX
NEWS
page 25
STAPLES
GRAMMYS AWARDS
(February 14, 2005)
Before a crowd of some 500 people
in Los Angeles, Lewis, onetime Stax act the Staple Singers and
Belzoni, Miss.-born blues pianist Pinetop Perkins were feted
alongside Led Zeppelin and six others with the highest honor the
Grammys bestow, its Lifetime Achievement Award for career
excellence in the recording arts.
Accepting on behalf of her Chicago-based family act -- late
patriarch Roebuck 'Pops' Staples and siblings Cleotha, Pervis and
Yvonne (who also attended) -- Mavis Staples reminisced about how
in 1950, 'Pops' gathered his children in a circle to teach them
the songs he sang growing up "down in Mississippi."
"The very first song he taught us was 'Will the Circle Be
Unbroken,' " she said, referring to the standard by the
day's other first name in filial singing, fellow Lifetime
Achievement winners the Carter Family.
"God's greatest hitmakers," as the Staples were dubbed,
went on to produce a long, influential body of work, much of it
for Memphis's Stax label, notably the "message song"
anthems "I'll Take You There" and "Respect
Yourself."
Mavis Staples performed at the Grammy Awards in a special segment
with rapper/producer Kanye West, John Legend and the Blind Boys
of Alabama. Mavis Staples also has two Grammy nominations, one in
the gospel category for a duet with Dr. John, "Lay My Burden
Down," and the other as part of the artists who played on
traditional folk album nominee Beautiful Dreamer -- The Songs
of Stephen Foster.
THE
PORRETTA SWEET SOUL MUSIC GREAT LINE UP
(January 17, 2005)
THE WATTSTAX REVUE
JULY 1-2-3, 2005 IN PORRETTA TERME, ITALY
More details soon AT www.porrettasoul.com
The Staple Singers
honored by the Recording Academy
(January 6, 2005)
Country music's first family The Carters and legendary rockers Led Zeppelin are among the artists named among the recipients of the Recording Academy of America's Lifetime Achievement award.
Janis Joplin, Jerry Lee Lewis and soul stars The Staples Singers have also been named among the award winners, while composer Hoagy Carmichael, Soul Train creator Don Cornelius, Blue Note record company founder Alfred Lion and jazz star Dr. Billy Taylor will be honored with the Academy Trustees Award.
The Lifetime Achievement Award honors lifelong artistic contributions to the recording medium while the Trustees Award recognizes outstanding contributions to the industry in a non-performing capacity.
Both awards are decided by vote of The Recording Academy's National Trustees. They'll be handed out at a gala dinner on the eve of the Grammy Awards.
(Copyright World
Entertainment News Network 2005)
THE SOULSVILLE,
USA NEW WEB SITE
(January 5, 2005)
The Stax Museum web site has been revamped from A to Z. Go to www.soulsvilleusa.com for a virtual tour, an history of Stax, the Satellite record shop, the Stax Academy activities, etc.
MOOHAH DIES
(December 4, 2004)
 |
A. C. 'Moohah' Williams, the founder of the Memphis radio
institution and a WDIA radio announcer for 34 years, died of
heart failure Friday 2 at 88.
Mr. Williams was hired as the first full-time black employee at WDIA in 1949 shortly after station owners John Pepper and Bert Ferguson made a historic switch to an all-black on-air staff with programming aimed at black listeners.
WDIA was the first radio station in the country to have an all-black staff of announcers. It was the only radio station Mr. Williams ever worked for.
He acquired the nickname 'Moohah' as a student at Tennessee State University, where he earned a degree in agriculture in 1938. He said "moohah" was an Indian name meaning "the mighty."
Mr. Williams also composed songs for the group and Carla Thomas, a Teen Town alumna, later recorded his tune "All I Want For Christmas" for Stax Records.
He was also the inspiration behind the Otis Redding song "Mr. Pitiful," written by Redding and Steve Cropper. Mr. Williams had nicknamed the soul singer "Mr. Pitiful" because of Redding's anguished delivery of ballads. He wrote Albert King's great "Oh, Pretty Woman". Steve Cropper often talked about him.
His last day on the air was Dec. 1, 1983.
Listen to WDIA live at www.am1070wdia.com
Lenny Mayes of the
Dramatics Passes Away
(november 12, 2004)
 |
Lenny Mayes, who in 1973 joined The Dramatics replacing the group’s founder, died Monday at Southfield’s Providence Hospital after a long battle with lung cancer. He was 53.
Born Leonard Cornell Mayes in Detroit on April 5, 1951, the singer took the place of Elbert "Al" Wilkins in the legendary R&B group, singing second tenor, baritone and alternate lead. He joined members L.J. Reynolds, Ron Banks, Willie Ford and later, Winzell Kelly.
Lenny’s first album as a Dramatic was “A Dramatic Experience.” Other classic albums would soon follow, featuring his distinctive vocals on such songs as “The Very Heart of Me,” “Me and Mrs. Jones,” “You’re Fooling You,” “I’m Going by the Stars in Your Eyes,” and “I Cried All The Way Home.”
A public viewing was held Thursday in Detroit.
See a recent interview of
the Dramatics here: http://thedramaticsfc.tripod.com/interview.html
Isaac Hayes Day
in L. A.
(november 4, 2004)
From the Commercial Appeal, Memphis (4 november 2004): Memphis music legend
Isaac Hayes is being honored today in Los Angeles for his music
and his work with literacy programs. Hayes will be inducted into
the Hollywood RockWalk, where he will leave his handprints
alongside those of such other musical greats as B.B. King and
Stevie Wonder. The Los Angeles City Council has proclaimed today
"Isaac Hayes Day." Later today, Hayes also will be
honored by the Millenium Momentum Foundation -- a non-profit
organization that helps train young people for leadership -- for
his work as a spokesman for the World Literacy Crusade and Men
Who Care, both education and literacy programs.
INDEX -- NEWS -- INFOS -- STAX TODAY -- FOCUS -- ADS -- LISTS -- LINKS -- PHOTOS -- CONTACT