name	Rhythm and blues
color	white
bgcolor	#0000E1
stylistic origins	JazzBlues (esp., jump, electric)Gospel
cultural origins	1940s–1950s, USA
instruments	Drum kit – Double bass – Saxophone – Horns – Piano – Organ – Electric guitar – Vocals – Background vocalists
popularity	Significant from 1940s to 1960s; iconic afterwards
derivatives	Funk – Ska – Soul – Rock and roll – Reggae - Disco later: Beat music - Power pop - Psychedelic rock - Garage rock - Pub rock (UK) - Mod revival
subgenres	Contemporary R&B; – Smooth jazz
fusiongenres	Rockabilly
local scenes	New Orleans R&B;
other topics	List of R&B; musicians, British Invasion, Mod (lifestyle) }}

Rhythm and blues, often abbreviated to R&B;, is a genre of popular African American music that originated in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly to urban African Americans, at a time when "urbane, rocking, jazz based music with a heavy, insistent beat" was becoming more popular.

The term has subsequently had a number of shifts in meaning. In the early 1950s and beyond, the term ''rhythm and blues'' was frequently applied to blues records. Starting in the 1950s, after this style of music contributed to the development of rock and roll, the term "R&B;" became used to refer to music styles that developed from and incorporated electric blues, as well as gospel and soul music. By the 1970s, ''rhythm and blues'' was used as a blanket term for soul and funk. In the 1980s, a newer style of R&B; developed, becoming known as contemporary R&B;.

Etymology

Jerry Wexler of ''Billboard'' magazine coined the term "rhythm and blues" in 1948 as a musical marketing term in the United States. It replaced the term "race music", which originally came from within the black community, but was deemed offensive in the postwar world. The term "rhythm and blues" was used by ''Billboard'' in its chart listings from June 1949 until August 1969, when its "Hot Rhythm & Blues Singles" chart was renamed as "Best Selling Soul Singles".

Writer/producer Robert Palmer defined rhythm & blues as "a catchall term referring to any music that was made by and for black Americans". He has used the term "R&B;" as a synonym for jump blues. However, Allmusic separates it from jump blues because of its stronger, gospel-esque backbeat. Lawrence Cohn, author of ''Nothing but the Blues'', writes that "rhythm and blues" was an umbrella term invented for industry convenience. According to him, the term embraced all black music except classical music and religious music, unless a gospel song sold enough to break into the charts. Well into the 21st Century, the term R&B; continues in use (in some contexts) to categorize music made by black musicians, as distinct from styles of music made by other musicians.

In the commercial rhythm and blues music typical of the 1950's through the 1970's, the bands usually consisted of piano, one or two guitars, bass, drums, and saxophone. Arrangements were rehearsed to the point of effortlessness and were sometimes accompanied by background vocalists. Simple repetitive parts mesh, creating momentum and rhythmic interplay producing mellow, lilting, and often hypnotic textures while calling attention to no individual sound. While singers are emotionally engaged with the lyrics, often intensely so, they remain cool, relaxed, and in control. Bands dressed in suits, and even uniforms, a practice associated with the modern popular music that rhythm and blues performers aspired to dominate. Lyrics often seemed fatalistic, and the music typically followed predictable patterns of chords and structure.

History

Precursors

The migration of African Americans to the urban industrial centers of Chicago, Detroit, New York, Los Angeles and elsewhere in the 1930s created a new market for jazz, blues, and related genres of music, often performed by full-time musicians, either working alone or in small groups. The precursors of rhythm and blues came from jazz and blues, which overlapped in the 1930s through the work of musicians such as The Harlem Hamfats, with their 1936 hit "Oh Red", as well as Leroy Carr, Cab Calloway, Count Basie, and T-Bone Walker. There was also increasing emphasis on the electric guitar as a lead instrument, as well as the piano and saxophone.

Late 1940s

In 1948, RCA Victor was marketing black music under the name "Blues and Rhythm". In that year, Louis Jordan dominated the top five listings of the R&B; charts with three songs, and two of the top five songs were based on the boogie-woogie rhythms that had come to prominence during the 1940s. Jordan's band, the Tympany Five (formed in 1938), consisted of him on saxophone and vocals, along with musicians on trumpet, tenor saxophone, piano, bass and drums. Lawrence Cohn described the music as "grittier than his boogie-era jazz-tinged blues". Robert Palmer described it as "urbane, rocking, jazz based music with a heavy, insistent beat". Jordan's cool music, along with that of Big Joe Turner, Roy Brown, Billy Wright, and Wynonie Harris, is now also referred to as jump blues. Also in 1948, Wynonie Harris' remake of Roy Brown's 1947 recording "Good Rockin' Tonight" hit the charts in the #2 spot, following band leader Sonny Thompson's "Long Gone" at #1.

In 1949, the term "Rhythm and Blues" replaced the Billboard category ''Harlem Hit Parade''. Also in that year, "The Huckle-Buck", recorded by band leader and saxophonist Paul Williams, was the #1 R&B; tune, remaining on top of the charts for nearly the entire year. Written by musician and arranger Andy Gibson, the song was described as a "dirty boogie" because it was risque and raunchy. Paul Williams and His Hucklebuckers' concerts were sweaty riotous affairs that got shut down on more than one occasion. Their lyrics, by Roy Alfred (who later co-wrote the 1955 hit "(The) Rock and Roll Waltz"), were mildly sexually suggestive, and one teenager from Philadelphia said "That Hucklebuck was a very nasty dance". Also in 1949, a new version of a 1920s blues song, "Ain't Nobody's Business" was a #4 hit for Jimmy Witherspoon, and Louis Jordan and the Tympany Five once again made the top 5 with "Saturday Night Fish Fry". Many of these hit records were issued on new independent record labels, such as Savoy (founded 1942), King (founded 1943), Imperial (founded 1945), Specialty (founded 1946), Chess (founded 1947), and Atlantic (founded 1948).

Early to mid 1950s

Johnny Otis, who had signed with the Newark, New Jersey-based Savoy Records, produced many R&B; hits in 1951, including: "Double Crossing Blues", "Mistrustin' Blues" and "Cupid's Boogie", all of which hit number one that year. Otis scored ten top ten hits that year. Other hits include: "Gee Baby", "Mambo Boogie" and "All Nite Long". The Clovers, a vocal trio who sang a distinctive sounding combination of blues and gospel, had the #5 hit of the year with "Don't You Know I Love You" on Atlantic Records. Also in July 1951, Cleveland, Ohio DJ Alan Freed started a late-night radio show called "The Moondog Rock Roll House Party" on WJW-AM (850). Freed's show was sponsored by Fred Mintz, whose R&B; record store had a primarily African American clientele. Freed began referring to the rhythm and blues music he played as "rock and roll".

In 1951, Little Richard Penniman began recording for RCA Records in the jump blues style of late 1940s stars Roy Brown and Billy Wright. However, it wasn't until he prepared a demo in 1954, that caught the attention of Specialty Records, that the world would start to hear his new, uptempo, funky rhythm and blues that would catapult him to fame in 1955 and help define the sound of rock 'n' roll. A rapid succession of rhythm and blues hits followed, beginning with "Tutti Frutti" and "Long Tall Sally", which would influence performers such as James Brown, Elvis Presley, and Otis Redding.

Ruth Brown on the Atlantic label, placed hits in the top 5 every year from 1951 through 1954: "Teardrops from My Eyes", "Five, Ten, Fifteen Hours", "(Mama) He Treats Your Daughter Mean" and "What a Dream". Faye Adams's "Shake a Hand" made it to #2 in 1952. In 1953, the R&B; record-buying public made Willie Mae Thornton's original recording of Leiber and Stoller's "Hound Dog" the #3 hit that year. Ruth Brown was very prominent among female R&B; stars. Ruth Brown’s popularity most likely derived because of “her deeply rooted vocal delivery in African American tradition” That same year The Orioles, a doo-wop group, had the #4 hit of the year with "Crying in the Chapel".

Fats Domino made the top 30 of the pop charts in 1952 and 1953, then the top 10 with "Ain't That a Shame". Ray Charles came to national prominence in 1955 with "I Got a Woman". Big Bill Broonzy said of Charles' music: "He's mixing the blues with the spirituals... I know that's wrong."

In 1954 The Chords' "Sh-Boom" became the first hit to cross over from the R&B; chart to hit the top 10 early in the year. Late in the year, and into 1955, "Hearts of Stone" by The Charms made the top 20.

At Chess Records in the spring of 1955, Bo Diddley's debut record "Bo Diddley"/"I'm A Man" climbed to #2 on the R&B; charts and popularized Bo Diddley's own original rhythm and blues beat that would become a mainstay in rock and roll.

At the urging of Leonard Chess at Chess Records, Chuck Berry had reworked a country fiddle tune with a long history, entitled "Ida Red". The resulting "Maybellene" was not only a #3 hit on the R&B; charts in 1955, but also reached into the top 30 on the pop charts. Alan Freed, who had moved to the much larger market of New York City, helped the record become popular with white teenagers. Freed had been given part of the writers' credit by Chess in return for his promotional activities; a common practice at the time.

Late 1950s

In 1956, an R&B; "Top Stars of '56" tour took place, with headliners Al Hibbler, Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers, and Carl Perkins, whose "Blue Suede Shoes" was very popular with R&B; music buyers. Some of the performers completing the bill were Chuck Berry, Cathy Carr, Shirley & Lee, Della Reese, the Cleftones, and the Spaniels with Illinois Jacquet's Big Rockin' Rhythm Band. Cities visited by the tour included Columbia, SC, Annapolis, MD, Pittsburgh, PA, Syracuse, Rochester and Buffalo, NY, into Canada, and through the mid Western US ending in Texas. In Columbia the concert ended with a near riot as Perkins began his first song as the closing act. Perkins is quoted as saying, "It was dangerous. Lot of kids got hurt. There was a lot of rioting going on, just crazy, man! The music drove 'em insane." In Annapolis 70,000 to 50,000 people tried to attend a sold out performance with 8,000 seats. Roads were clogged for seven hours.

Film makers took advantage of the popularity of "rhythm and blues" musicians as "rock n roll" musicians beginning in 1956. Little Richard, Chuck Berry, Fats Domino, Big Joe Turner, The Treniers, The Platters, The Flamingos, all made it onto the big screen.

Two Elvis Presley records made the R&B; top five in 1957: "Jailhouse Rock"/"Treat Me Nice" at #1, and "All Shook Up" at #5, an unprecedented acceptance of a non-African American artist into a music category known for being created by blacks. Nat King Cole, a former jazz pianist who had had #1 and #2 hits on the pop charts in the early 1950s ("Mona Lisa" at #2 in 1950 and "Too Young" at #1 in 1951), had a record in the top 5 in the R&B; charts in 1958, "Looking Back"/"Do I Like It".

In 1959, two black-owned record labels, one of which would become hugely successful, made their debut: Sam Cooke's Sar, and Berry Gordy's Motown Records. Brook Benton was at the top of the R&B; charts in 1959 and 1960 with one #1 and two #2 hits. Benton had a certain warmth in his voice that attracted a wide variety of listeners, and his ballads led to comparisons with performers such as Cole, Sinatra and Tony Bennett. Lloyd Price, who in 1952 had a #1 hit with "Lawdy Miss Clawdy" regained predominance with a version of "Stagger Lee" at #1 and "Personality" at #5 for in 1959.

The white bandleader of the Bill Black Combo, Bill Black, who had helped start Elvis Presley's career, was popular with black listeners. Ninety percent of his record sales were from black people, and his "Smokey, Part 2" (1959) rose to the #1 position on black music charts. He was once told that "a lot of those stations still think you're a black group because the sound feels funky and black." Hi Records did not feature pictures of the Combo on early records.

1960s and later

Sam Cooke's #5 hit "Chain Gang" is indicative of R&B; in 1960, as is Chubby Checker's #5 hit "The Twist". By the early 1960s, the music industry category previously known as rhythm and blues was being called soul music, and similar music by white artists was labeled blue eyed soul. Motown Records had its first million-selling single in 1960 with The Miracles' "Shop Around", and in 1961, Stax Records had its first hit with Carla Thomas' "Gee Whiz! (Look at His Eyes)". Stax's next major hit, the Mar-Keys' instrumental "Last Night" (also released in 1961) introduced the rawer Memphis soul sound for which Stax became known. In Jamaica, R&B; influenced the development of ska.

By the 1970s, the term ''rhythm and blues'' was being used as a blanket term for soul, funk, and disco. Around the same time, earlier R&B; was an influence on British pub rock and later, the mod revival. Now the term ''R&B;'' is almost always used instead of the full ''rhythm and blues'', and mainstream use of the term usually refers to contemporary R&B;, which is a newer version of soul and funk-influenced pop music that originated as disco faded from popularity.

British rhythm and blues

British rhythm and blues developed in the early 1960s, largely as a response to the recordings of American artists, often brought over by African American servicemen stationed in Britain during the Cold War, or merchant seamen visiting ports such as London, Liverpool, Newcastle on Tyne and Belfast. Many bands, particularly in the developing London club scene, tried to emulate black rhythm and blues performers, resulting in a "rawer" or "grittier" sound than the more popular "beat groups". Initially developing out of the trad jazz, skiffle and folk club scenes, early artists tended to focus on major blues performers and standard forms, particularly Alexis Korner, who acted as a mentor to members of The Rolling Stones, The Yardbirds, Manfred Mann, the Graham Bond Organisation and The Kinks. Blues songs and influences continued to surface in the Rolling Stones' music in later years. Other London-based bands included the Yardbirds, the Kinks, Manfred Mann and the Pretty Things, beside more jazz-influenced acts like the Graham Bond Organisation, Georgie Fame and Zoot Money. As a result a number of bands emerged to fill this gap, including Small Faces, The Creation, and most successfully The Who. The Who's early promotional material tagged them as producing "maximum rhythm and blues", but by about 1966 they moved from attempting to emulate American R&B; to producing songs that reflected the Mod lifestyle. Many of these bands enjoyed national success in the UK, but found it difficult to break into the American market.

The British R&B; bands produced music which was very different in tone from that of African American artists, often with more emphasis on guitars and sometimes with greater energy. They have been criticised for exploiting the massive catalogue of African American music, but it has also been noted that they both popularised that music, bringing it to British, world and in some cases American audiences, and helping to build the reputation of existing and past rhythm and blues artists. Most of these bands rapidly moved on from recording and performing American standards to writing and recording their own music, often leaving their R&B; roots behind. Many helped pioneer psychedelic, and eventually progressive and hard rock, having a major influence of the nature and sound of rock music and meaning that rhythm and blues would be a major component of that sound.

See also

African American music

Music of the United States

Chitlin' Circuit

Rhythm and Blues Foundation

Urban contemporary gospel

List of number-one rhythm and blues hits (United States)

List of artists who reached number one on the Billboard R&B; chart

Museum of African American Music

References

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name	Jools Holland
background	solo_singer
birth name	Julian Miles Holland
birth date	January 24, 1958
birth place	Blackheath, London, England
instrument	Piano, keyboard, guitar
genre	Boogie-woogie, jazz, blues, R&B;
occupation	Musician, composer, television presenter, bandleader
years active	1974–present
associated acts	Squeeze Rhythm & Blues Orchestra
website	Official site }}

Julian Miles "Jools" Holland OBE, DL (born 24 January 1958) is an English pianist, bandleader, singer, composer, and television presenter. He was a founder of the band Squeeze (1974-1980 & 1985-1990) and his work has involved him with many artists including Sting, Eric Clapton, George Harrison, The Who, David Gilmour, Magazine and Bono.

Holland is a published author and appears on television shows besides his own and contributes to radio shows. In 2004, he collaborated with Tom Jones on an album of traditional R&B; music. He currently hosts ''Later... with Jools Holland'', a music-based show aired on BBC2, on which his annual show the Hootenanny, is based.

Life and career

His great grandfather came from Ireland.

Holland played as a session musician before finding fame, and his first studio session was with Wayne County & the Electric Chairs in 1976 on their track "F*ck Off."

Holland was a founding member of the British pop band Squeeze, formed in March 1974, in which he played keyboards until 1981 and helped the band to achieve millions of record sales, before pursuing his solo career.

Holland began issuing solo records in 1978, his first EP being ''Boogie Woogie '78''. He continued his solo career through the early 1980s, releasing an album and several singles between 1981 and 1984. He branched out into TV, co-presenting the Newcastle-based TV music show ''The Tube'' with Paula Yates. Holland achieved notoriety by inadvertently using the phrase "groovy fuckers" in a live, early evening TV trailer for the show, causing it to be suspended for six weeks. He referred to this in his sitcom "The Groovy Fellers" with Rowland Rivron.

thumb|right|Holland at the Tsunami Relief concert in Cardiff's Millennium Stadium, 22 January 2005In 1983 Holland played an extended piano solo on The The's re-recording of "Uncertain Smile" for the album ''Soul Mining''. In 1985, Squeeze (which had continued in Holland's absence through to 1982) unexpectedly regrouped including Jools Holland as their keyboard player. Holland remained in the band until 1990, at which point, he again departed Squeeze on amicable terms to resume his solo career as a musician and a TV host.

In 1987, Holland formed The ''Jools Holland Big Band'' which consisted of himself and Gilson Lavis from Squeeze. This gradually became his 18-piece Rhythm & Blues Orchestra.

Between 1988 and 1990 he performed and co-hosted along with David Sanborn during the two seasons of the music performance program Sunday Night on NBC late-night television. Since 1992 he has presented the eclectic music program ''Later... with Jools Holland'', plus an annual New Year's Eve "Hootenanny".

In 1996 Holland signed a record deal with Warner Bros. Records and his records are now marketed through Rhino Records.

Holland has a touring band, The Rhythm And Blues Orchestra, which often includes singers Sam Brown and Ruby Turner. In January 2005 Holland and his band performed with Eric Clapton as the headline act of the Tsunami Relief Cardiff. He also headlined the Skegness SO Festival in July 2010.

Personal

Holland lives in the Westcombe Park area of Blackheath in southeast London, where he had his studio, Helicon Mountain, built to his design, heavily inspired by Portmeirion, the setting for the 1960s TV series ''The Prisoner''. Holland owns costumes and props from the series and occasionally appears wearing the trademark brown-with-white-pipe blazer featured in the series. In 1987, Holland demonstrated his love of the series and starred in a spoof documentary, ''The Laughing Prisoner'', with Stephen Fry, Terence Alexander and Hugh Laurie. Much of it was shot on location in Portmeirion, with archive footage of Patrick McGoohan, and featuring musical numbers from Siouxsie and the Banshees, Magnum and XTC. Holland performed a number towards the end of the program. Holland is also a Millwall FC fan. His younger brother Christopher also plays organ in the Rhythm & Blues Orchestra as well as being a successful singer/songwriter in his own right.

Holland was an interviewer for The Beatles Anthology TV project, and appeared in the 1997 film ''Spiceworld'' as a musical director.

He received an OBE in 2003 in the Queen's Birthday Honours list, for services to the British music industry as a television presenter and musician. In September 2006 Holland was appointed a Deputy Lieutenant for Kent. He is also known for his charity work: in June 2006 he performed in Southend for HIV/AIDS charity Mildmay, and in early 2007 he performed at Wells and Rochester Cathedrals to raise money for maintaining cathedral buildings. He is also patron of the Drake Music Project and has raised many thousands of pounds for the charity.

Jools Holland was appointed an Honorary Fellow of Canterbury Christ Church University at a ceremony held at Canterbury Cathedral on 30 January 2009.

On 29 August 2005 Holland married Christabel McEwen, his girlfriend of 15 years (between 1983 and 1995 she had been married to Edward Lambton, 7th Earl of Durham, but they divorced). The wedding, at St James's Church, Cooling near Rochester, was attended by many celebrities, including Ringo Starr, Robbie Coltrane, Stephen Fry, Lenny Henry, Noel Gallagher, Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders.

Holland is also a patron for The Milton Rooms, a new Arts centre in Malton, North Yorkshire, along with Bill Nighy, Imelda Staunton and Kathy Burke.

Writing

His 2007 biography, ''Barefaced Lies and Boogie Woogie Boasts'' was BBC Radio 4 "Book of the Week" in the week beginning 8 October 2007 and was read by Holland. He is the author or joint author of four other books.

Discography

Albums that have charted and gained Certifications

Year	Album	Peak chart positions		!style="width:4em;font-size:75%"
1996	Jazz & Rock & Roll''
1998	''Best Of''				UK">Music recording sales certifications
!style="width:4em;font-size:75%"	!style="width:4em;font-size:75%"
1996	Jazz & Rock & Roll''
1998	''Best Of''				UK: Silver
2000	''Hop The Wag''				* UK: Silver
2001	''Small World Big Band''				* UK: 2× Platinum
2002	''SWBB Volume Two: More Friends''				* UK: Platinum
2003	''Jack O The Green (SWBB Friends 3)''				* UK: Silver
2005	''Swinging the Blues, Dancing the Ska''
2007	''Best of Friends''				* UK: Silver
2011	''Finding The Keys - The Best of''

Releases

1978 "Boogie Woogie '78" (EP)

1981 ''Jools Holland and His Millionaires''

1984 ''Jools Holland Meets Rock 'A' Boogie Billy'' (U.S. release only)

1990 ''World Of His Own''

1991 ''The Full Complement''

1992 "Together Again" (single with Sam Brown)

1992 ''The A-Z Geographer's Guide To The Piano''

1994 ''Solo Piano''

1994 ''Live Performance''

1996 " Jazz & Rock & Roll''

1997 ''Lift The Lid''

1998 ''Best Of''

1999 ''Sunset Over London''

2000 ''Hop The Wag''

2001 ''Small World Big Band''

2002 ''SWBB Volume Two: More Friends''

2003 ''Jack O The Green (SWBB Friends 3)''

2004 ''Tom Jones & Jools Holland''

2005 ''Beatroute''

2005 ''Swinging the Blues, Dancing the Ska''

2006 ''Moving Out To The Country''

2007 ''Best of Friends''

2008 ''The Collection''

2008 ''The Informer (With Ruby Turner)''

2008 ''"The Informer" (single with Ruby Turner)''

2009 ''"I Went By" (single with Louise Marshall)''

2010 ''Rockinghorse''

Film and television

1981 ''Urgh! A Music War''

1982 ''Police: Around the World''

1982 - 1987 ''The Tube'' (Host for 121 editions)

1983 ''Rebellious Jukebox'': Compere

1984 ''The Young Ones'': Punk (Episode entitled "Summer Holiday")

1985 ''Walking To New Orleans'' (Jools Holland in New Orleans)

1987 ''Eat the Rich'': Sun Reporter

1987 ''Filthy Rich & Catflap'': Strip Show Pianist (Episode #1.3)

1987 ''The Laughing Prisoner'': No. 7

1987 ''French and Saunders'' (Episode 1.5)

1988 ''Sunday Night'': Host (unknown episodes)

1989 ''Juke Box Jury'': Host (unknown episodes)

1989 ''The Groovy Fellers'' Himself, 6 episodes

1991 ''Mr Roadrunner'' (Jools Holland in Memphis)

1994 ''There's No Business'': Pianist

1994 - 1995 ''Don't Forget Your Toothbrush''

1995 ''The Beatles Anthology''

1997 ''Spice World'': Musical Director

1997 ''Name That Tune'': Host and Pianist

2003 ''Jool's History of the Piano'' : Presenter

2006 ''Top Gear: Star in a reasonably priced car.

2007 ''Fairport@Forty'': Interview

2009 ''Chop Shop Rover Concept: The Jet 1 Car'' : Customer

Current television programmes

1992–present ''Later... with Jools Holland''

1993–present ''Jools' Annual Hootenanny''

Books

''"Rolling Stones": A Life on the Road'', (with Dora Loewenstein), Viking/Allen Lane (1998), (ISBN 0-670-88051-5)

''Beat Route: Journeys Through Six Counties'', Weidenfeld & Nicholson (1998), (ISBN 0-575-06700-4)

''Ray Charles: Man and Music'', (with Michael Lydon), Payback Press (1999), (ISBN 0-86241-929-8)

''Hand That Changed Its Mind '', International Music Publications (2007), (ISBN 1-84328-645-9)

''Barefaced Lies and Boogie-woogie Boasts '', Michael Joseph Ltd (2007), (ISBN 0-7181-4915-7)

References

External links

Category:1958 births Category:Living people Category:Boogie-woogie pianists Category:English rock pianists Category:English television presenters Category:Officers of the Order of the British Empire Category:Bandleaders Category:Squeeze (band) members Category:I.R.S. Records artists Category:People from Blackheath, London Category:BBC Radio 2 presenters Category:Deputy Lieutenants of Kent Category:British people of Irish descent Category:English people of Irish descent

cy:Jools Holland de:Jools Holland es:Jools Holland fr:Jools Holland nl:Jools Holland pl:Jools Holland pt:Jools Holland fi:Jools Holland

name	Lionel Leo Hampton
landscape	yes
background	solo_singer
birth name	Lionel Leo Hampton
alias	"Hamp", "Mad Lionel"
born	April 20, 1908Louisville, KentuckyUnited States
died	August 31, 2002New York City, New YorkUnited States
instrument	VibraphoneDrumsPianoVocals
genre	SwingBig bandMainstream jazzNew York blues
occupation	Multi-instrumentalistActorComposer
years active	1927–2002
label	Decca
associated acts	Benny Goodman, Teddy Wilson, Quincy Jones, Louis Armstrong, Gloria Parker
notable instruments	}}

Lionel Leo Hampton (April 20, 1908 – August 31, 2002) was an American jazz vibraphonist, pianist, percussionist, bandleader and actor. Like Red Norvo, he was one of the first jazz vibraphone players. Hampton ranks among the great names in jazz history, having worked with a who's who of jazz musicians, from Benny Goodman and Buddy Rich to Charlie Parker and Quincy Jones. In 1992, he was inducted into the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame.

Biography

Early life

Lionel Hampton was born in Louisville, Kentucky, in 1908, and was raised by his grandmother. Shortly after he was born, he and his mother moved to her hometown Birmingham, Alabama. He spent his early childhood in Kenosha, Wisconsin before he and his family moved to Chicago, Illinois in 1916. As a youth, Hampton was a member of the Bud Billiken Club, an alternative to the Boy Scouts of America, which was off limits because of racial segregation. During the 1920s—while still a teenager—Hampton took xylophone lessons from Jimmy Bertrand and started playing drums. Hampton was raised Roman Catholic, and started out playing fife and drum at the Holy Rosary Academy near Chicago.

Early career

Lionel Hampton began his career playing drums for the Chicago Defender Newsboys' Band (led by Major N. Clark Smith) while still a teenager in Chicago. He moved to California in 1927 or 1928, playing drums for the Dixieland Blues-Blowers. He made his recording debut with The Quality Serenaders led by Paul Howard, then left for Culver City and drummed for the Les Hite band at Sebastian's Cotton Club. During this period he began practicing on the vibraphone. In 1930 Louis Armstrong came to California and hired the Les Hite band, asking Hampton if he would play vibes on two songs. So began his career as a vibraphonist, popularizing the use of the instrument ever since.

While working with the Les Hite band, Hampton also occasionally did some performing with Nat Shilkret and his orchestra. During the early 1930s he studied music at the University of Southern California. In 1934 he led his own orchestra, and then appeared in the 1936 Bing Crosby film ''Pennies From Heaven'' alongside Louis Armstrong (wearing a mask in a scene while playing drums).

With Benny Goodman

Also in November 1936, the Benny Goodman Orchestra came to Los Angeles to play the Palomar Ballroom. John Hammond brought Goodman to see Hampton play. Hampton backed Billie Holiday with the Goodman orchestra, which was discovered by Hammond, and Goodman asked Hampton to join the Benny Goodman Trio, made up of Goodman, Teddy Wilson, and Gene Krupa, expanding it into the Benny Goodman Quartet. The Trio and Quartet were among the first racially integrated jazz groups to record and play before wide audiences, and were a leading small-group in an era when jazz was dominated by big bands.

Lionel Hampton Orchestra

While Hampton worked for Goodman in New York, he recorded with several different small groups known as the ''Lionel Hampton Orchestra'', as well as assorted small groups within the Goodman band. In 1940 Hampton left the Goodman organization under amicable circumstances to form his own big band.

Hampton's orchestra became popular during the 1940s and early 1950s. His third recording with them in 1942 produced a classic version of Flying Home, featuring a solo by Illinois Jacquet that anticipated rhythm & blues. The selection became very popular, and so in 1944 Hampton recorded "Flying Home, Number Two" featuring Arnett Cobb. The song went on to become the theme song for all three men. Guitarist Billy Mackel first joined Hampton in 1944, and would perform and record with him almost continuously through the late 1970s. In 1947 he recorded Stardust at a "Just Jazz" concert with Charlie Shavers and Slam Stewart produced by Gene Norman.

From around 1945 to the early 1950s Hampton's band played in a style that merged jazz with rhythm & blues. Represented in recordings on Decca Records, the band included performers that achieved renown in their own right in the 1950s and 1960s, composer and bassist Charles Mingus, saxophonist Johnny Griffin, guitarist Wes Montgomery, vocalist Dinah Washington and keyboardist Milt Buckner. Other noteworthy performers in the orchestra then included trumpeters Dizzy Gillespie, Cat Anderson, Kenny Dorham and Snooky Young, trombonist Jimmy Cleveland and saxophonists Illinois Jacquet and Jerome Richardson.

In 1953 the orchestra toured Europe with Clifford Brown, Gigi Gryce, George Wallington and Art Farmer in his lineup; Quincy Jones was arranger/trumpeter and Annie Ross sang. Hampton continued to record with small groups and jam sessions during the 1940s and 1950s, with groups including Oscar Peterson, Art Tatum and Buddy DeFranco among others. In 1955 he was in California working on ''The Benny Goodman Story'' he was able to record sessions with Stan Getz and Art Tatum for Norman Granz as well as with his own big band.

Hampton performed with Louis Armstrong and Italian singer Lara Saint Paul at the 1968 Sanremo Music Festival in Italy. The performance created a sensation with Italian audiences, as it broke into a real jazz session. That same year, Hampton received a Papal Medal from Pope Paul VI.

Later career

During the 1960s, Hampton's groups were in decline; he was still performing what had succeeded for him during the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s. He did not fare much better in the 1970s, though he recorded actively on the Who's Who Record label.

Beginning in February 1984, Hampton and his band played at the University of Idaho's annual jazz festival, which was renamed the Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival the following year. In 1987 the UI's school of music was renamed for Hampton, the first university music school named for a jazz musician.

Hampton remained active until a stroke in Paris in 1991 led to a collapse on stage. That incident, combined with years of chronic arthritis, forced him to cut back drastically on performances. However, he did play at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History in 2001 shortly before his death.

Personal life

During the 1950s he had a strong interest in Judaism and raised money for Israel. In 1953 he composed a King David suite and performed it in Israel with the Boston Pops Orchestra. Later in life Hampton became a Christian Scientist. Hampton's wife was his manager throughout much of his career. Many musicians recall that Lionel ran the music and Gladys ran the business. He also had a love for puppies and in fact owned 30. He named half of them Bill and half Sharon. Hampton was a Thirty-third degree Prince Hall freemason in New York, also. In January 1997, his apartment caught fire and destroyed his awards and belongings; Hampton escaped uninjured.

thumb|The grave of Lionel HamptonLionel Hampton died from congestive heart failure on August 31, 2002 at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City, and was interred in the Woodlawn Cemetery, Bronx, New York. His funeral was held on September 7, 2002 and featured a performance by Wynton Marsalis and David Ostwald's Gully Low Jazz Band at Riverside Church in Manhattan; the procession began at The Cotton Club in Harlem.

Charity

Hampton was deeply involved in the construction of various public housing projects, and founded the Lionel Hampton Development Corporation. Construction began with the Lionel Hampton Houses in Harlem, New York in the 1960s, with the help of then Republican governor Nelson Rockefeller. Hampton's wife—Gladys Hampton—also was very involved in construction of a housing project in her name—the Gladys Hampton Houses. Gladys died in 1971. In the 1980s, Hampton built another housing project called Hampton Hills in Newark, New Jersey.

Hampton was a staunch Republican and served as a delegate to several Republican National Conventions. He served as Vice-Chairman of the New York Republican County Committee for some years and also was a member of the New York City Human Rights Commission. Hampton donated almost $300,000 to Republican campaigns and committees throughout his lifetime.

Awards

2001 - Harlem Jazz and Music Festival's Legend Award

1996 - National Medal of Arts presented by President Bill Clinton

1995 - Honorary Commissioner of Civil Rights by George Pataki

1995 - Honorary Doctorate from the New England Conservatory of Music

1993 - Honorary Doctorate from the University of Maryland Eastern Shore

1992 - Inducted into the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame

1992 - "Contributions To The Cultural Life of the Nation" award from the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts

1988 - The National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Masters Fellowship

1988 - The National Association of Jazz Educators Hall of Fame Award

1987 - Honorary Doctorate of Humanities from the University of Idaho - UI's School of Music renamed "Lionel Hampton School of Music."

1987 - The Roy Wilkins Memorial Award from the NAACP

1986 - The "One of a Kind" Award from Broadcast Music, Inc.

1984 - Jazz Hall of Fame Award from the Institute of Jazz Studies

1984 - Honorary Doctorate of Music from USC

1983 - The International Film and Television Festival of New York City Award

1983 - Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from the State University of New York

1982 - Hollywood Walk of Fame Star

1981 - Honorary Doctorate of Humanities from Glassboro State College

1979 - Honorary Doctorate of Music from Howard University

1978 - Bronze Medallion from New York City

1976 - Honorary Doctorate of Humanities from Daniel Hale Williams University

1975 - Honorary Doctorate of Music from Xavier University of Louisiana

1974 - Honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts from Pepperdine University

1968 - Papal Medal from Pope Paul VI

1966 - George Frederick Handel Medal

1957 - American Goodwill Ambassador by President Dwight D. Eisenhower

1954 - Israel's Statehood Award

Discography

{| Class="wikitable"|width=100% |- bgcolor="#CCCCCC" !align="center" valign="bottom" width="40"|Year !align="center" vallign="bottom" width="230"|Album !align="center" valign="bottom" width="230"|Notes !align="center" valign="bottom" width="120"|Label |- bgcolor="#efefef" |align="left" valign="top"|1937–39 |align="left" valign="top"|Benny Goodman -''The Complete RCA Victor Small Group Recordings'' |align="left" valign="top"| - |align="left" valign="top"|RCA Records |-|- bgcolor="#efefef" |align="left" valign="top"|1937–39 |align="left" valign="top"|''Hot Mallets, Vol. 1'' |align="left" valign="top"| - |align="left" valign="top"|Bluebird Records |- |- bgcolor="#F0F8FF" |align="left" valign="top"|1937–39 |align="left" valign="top"|''The Jumpin Five, Vol. 2'' |align="left" valign="top"| - |align="left" valign="top"|Bluebird Records |- |- bgcolor="#efefef" |align="left" valign="top"|1938 |align="left" valign="top"|''The Famous 1938 Carnegie Hall Jazz Concert'' |align="left" valign="top"|appearance as sideman for Benny Goodman |align="left" valign="top"|Columbia Records |- |- bgcolor="#efefef" |align="left" valign="top"|1939–40 |align="left" valign="top"|''Tempo and Swing'' |align="left" valign="top"|appearances by Ben Webster, Coleman Hawkins and Nat "King" Cole |align="left" valign="top"|Bluebird Records |- |- bgcolor="#efefef" |align="left" valign="top"|1944 |align="left" valign="top"|''Star Dust'' |align="left" valign="top"| the famous "Just Jazz" jam session |align="left" valign="top"|Verve Records |- |- bgcolor="#efefef" |align="left" valign="top"|1947 |align="left" valign="top"|''with the Just Jazz All Stars'' |align="left" valign="top"|Charlie Shavers, Willie Smith, Corky Corcoran, Milt Buckner, Slam Stewart, Jackie Mills, Lee Young |align="left" valign="top"|GNP Crescendo/Vogue 78s/London Records 1972 transfer |- |- bgcolor="#efefef" |align="left" valign="top"|1953–54 |align="left" valign="top"|''The Lionel Hampton Quintet'' |align="left" valign="top"| with DeFranco and Peterson. Includes a 17 minute jam on "Flyin Home". There is also a 5CD box of the complete Verve recordings of the quartets and quintets with Peterson, as well as a number of other compilations and selections. |align="left" valign="top"|Verve Records |- |- bgcolor="#efefef" |align="left" valign="top"|1955 |align="left" valign="top"|''Hamp and Getz'' |align="left" valign="top"| |align="left" valign="top"|Verve Records |- |- bgcolor="#efefef" |align="left" valign="top"|1958 |align="left" valign="top"|''The Golden Vibes'' |align="left" valign="top"| with a reed quintet |align="left" valign="top"|Columbia Records |- |- bgcolor="#efefef" |align="left" valign="top"|1958 |align="left" valign="top"|''Lionel'' |align="left" valign="top"| |align="left" valign="top"|Audio Fidelity |- |- bgcolor="#efefef" |align="left" valign="top"|1960 |align="left" valign="top"|''Silver Vibes'' |align="left" valign="top"|with a Trombones And Rhythms (Trombone Quartet) |align="left" valign="top"|Columbia Records |- |- bgcolor="#efefef" |align="left" valign="top"|1963 |align="left" valign="top"|Benny Goodman ''Together Again!'' |align="left" valign="top"| reunion with Lionel Hampton, Teddy Wilson & Gene Krupa |align="left" valign="top"|Columbia Records |- |- bgcolor="#efefef" |align="left" valign="top"|1963 |align="left" valign="top"|''You Better Know It!!!'' |align="left" valign="top"|with Clark Terry, Ben Webster, Hank Jones, Milt Hinton, Osie Johnson |align="left" valign="top"|Impulse! Records |- |- bgcolor="#efefef" |align="left" valign="top"|1972 |align="left" valign="top"|''Please Sunrise'' |align="left" valign="top"| |align="left" valign="top"|Brunswick Record Corporation |- |- bgcolor="#efefef" |align="left" valign="top"|1988 |align="left" valign="top"|''Mostly Blues'' |align="left" valign="top"| |align="left" valign="top"|Jazz Heritage Society |- |- bgcolor="#efefef" |align="left" valign="top"|1991 |align="left" valign="top"|''Live at the Blue Note'' |align="left" valign="top"| jamming with old friends including trombonist Al Grey |align="left" valign="top"|Columbia Records |- |}

;Compilations {| Class="wikitable"|width=100% |- bgcolor="#CCCCCC" !align="center" valign="bottom" width="50"|Year !align="center" vallign="bottom" width="230"|Album !align="center" valign="bottom" width="230"|Notes !align="center" valign="bottom" width="120"|Label |- bgcolor="#efefef" |align="left" valign="top"|37–40 |align="left" valign="top"|''Swing Classics - Lionel Hampton and His Jazz Groups'' |align="left" valign="top"|Recordings from 1937-1940 Reissued 1961 |align="left" valign="top"|RCA Victor LPM-2318 |- |- bgcolor="#efefef" |align="left" valign="top"|39–56 |align="left" valign="top"|''Greatest Hits'' |align="left" valign="top"|Selections from above records |align="left" valign="top"|RCA Victor |- |- bgcolor="#efefef" |align="left" valign="top"|42–63 |align="left" valign="top"|''Hamp!'' |align="left" valign="top"| - |align="left" valign="top"|GRP/Decca |- |- bgcolor="#F0F8FF" |align="left" valign="top"|37–63 |align="left" valign="top"|''The Lionel Hampton Story'' |align="left" valign="top"|Selections from all records and eras above |align="left" valign="top"|Proper |- |}

Filmography

{| Class="wikitable"|width=100% |- bgcolor="#CCCCCC" !align="center" valign="bottom" width="20"|Year !align="center" vallign="bottom" width="230"|Movie !align="center" valign="bottom" width="50"|Role !align="center" valign="bottom" width="120"|Director !align="center" valign="bottom" width="120"|Genre |- bgcolor="#efefef" |align="left" valign="top"|1933 |align="left" valign="top"|Girl Without A Room |align="left" valign="top"|himself |align="left" valign="top"|Ralph Murphy |align="left" valign="top"|Comedy |- |- bgcolor="#F0F8FF" |align="left" valign="top"|1936 |align="left" valign="top"|Pennies From Heaven |align="left" valign="top"|himself |align="left" valign="top"|Norman Z. McLeod |align="left" valign="top"|Comedy/Musical |- |- bgcolor="#efefef" |align="left" valign="top"|1937 |align="left" valign="top"|Hollywood Hotel |align="left" valign="top"|himself |align="left" valign="top"|Busby Berkeley |align="left" valign="top"|Musical/Romance |- |- bgcolor="#F0F8FF" |align="left" valign="top"|1938 |align="left" valign="top"|For Auld Lang Syne |align="left" valign="top"|himself |align="left" valign="top"|? |align="left" valign="top"|Documentary |- |- bgcolor="#efefef" |align="left" valign="top"|1948 |align="left" valign="top"|A Song Is Born |align="left" valign="top"|himself |align="left" valign="top"|Howard Hawks |align="left" valign="top"|Comedy/Musical |- |- bgcolor="#F0F8FF" |align="left" valign="top"|1949 |align="left" valign="top"|Lionel Hampton and His Orchestra |align="left" valign="top"|himself |align="left" valign="top"|Will Cowan |align="left" valign="top"|Music |- |- bgcolor="#efefef" |align="left" valign="top"|1955 |align="left" valign="top"|Musik, Musik and nur Musik |align="left" valign="top"|himself |align="left" valign="top"|Ernst Matray |align="left" valign="top"|Comedy |- |- bgcolor="#F0F8FF" |align="left" valign="top"|1955 |align="left" valign="top"|The Benny Goodman Story |align="left" valign="top"|himself |align="left" valign="top"|Valentine Davies |align="left" valign="top"|Drama |- |- bgcolor="#efefef" |align="left" valign="top"|1957 |align="left" valign="top"|Mister Rock and Roll |align="left" valign="top"|himself |align="left" valign="top"|Charles S. Dubin |align="left" valign="top"|Drama/Musical |- |- bgcolor="#F0F8FF" |align="left" valign="top"|1980 |align="left" valign="top"|But Then She's Betty Carter |align="left" valign="top"|himself |align="left" valign="top"|Michelle Parkerson |align="left" valign="top"|Documentary |- |}

References

External links

Lionel Hampton Library Collection, part of the International Jazz Collections at the University of Idaho Library

Christopher Popa, "Lionel Hampton: Music Was His Fountain of Youth," Big Band Library

Interview with Lionel Hampton by Felix Grant in 1982

Lionel Hampton's Gravesite

Lionel Hampton: His Life and Legacy at University of Idaho

Lionel Hampton at Drummersworld

''Gene Krupa - What's New(s)''

Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival at University of Idaho

Lionel Hampton at IMDB

Official website of the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame

Photos at Jazzhouse.org

Category:1908 births Category:2002 deaths Category:African American musicians Category:American jazz bandleaders Category:American jazz vibraphonists Category:Big band bandleaders Category:Burials at Woodlawn Cemetery (The Bronx) Category:Cardiovascular disease deaths in New York Category:Deaths from congestive heart failure Category:Kennedy Center honorees Category:Musicians from Alabama Category:Mainstream jazz vibraphonists Category:Musicians from Kentucky Category:New York blues musicians Category:New York Republicans Category:People from Birmingham, Alabama Category:Swing bandleaders Category:Swing vibraphonists Category:Timeless Records artists Category:United States National Medal of Arts recipients Category:University of Southern California alumni

ca:Lionel Hampton cs:Lionel Hampton da:Lionel Hampton de:Lionel Hampton es:Lionel Hampton eo:Lionel Hampton fr:Lionel Hampton io:Lionel Hampton it:Lionel Hampton he:ליונל המפטון ka:ლაიონელ ჰემპტონი sw:Lionel Hampton nl:Lionel Hampton ja:ライオネル・ハンプトン no:Lionel Hampton oc:Lionel Hampton nds:Lionel Hampton pl:Lionel Hampton pt:Lionel Hampton fi:Lionel Hampton sv:Lionel Hampton

Shaw Taylor MBE (born 26 October 1924 in Hackney, London) is a British actor and television presenter.

He served in the RAF and trained at RADA. He then acted on stage in the West End and on tour. He was an announcer for ATV when the normal announcer was not available. He then had a variety of acting roles in film and television from the 1950s onwards, and presented various game shows including ''Password,'' ''Tell the Truth'', ''Dotto'', ''This Is Your Chance'' and ''The Law Game'' (BBC Radio 2).

He is today best known for presenting ''Police 5'', a long-running 5-minute television programme first broadcast in 1962 that appealed to the public to help solve crimes. He later presented a spin-off show for younger viewers called ''Junior Police 5'', aka ''JP5''. His catchphrase was "Keep 'em peeled!" - asking viewers to be vigilant. This was originally used at the end of every ''JP5'' programme, but according to Shaw Taylor himself, "...at the suggestion of a friend I tried it out on the adult Police 5. I thought it sounded a bit naff at first but then the studio crew seemed to get withdrawal symptoms if I didn't say it at the end of the programme and it became a catchphrase that complete strangers still shout at me in the street".

Taylor was a boyhood friend of the writer Anthony Burgess, who published his novella A Clockwork Orange in 1962, the same year Police 5 was first broadcast. The novella's central character - Alexander the Large - was said to be loosely based on Taylor, who was interested in violent crime from a very early age and also had a rare gift for the English language, as demonstrated by his "Keep 'em peeled" catchphrase.

In 2008, at the age of 83, he featured as himself hosting ''Police 5'' in the seventh episode of the BBC TV drama ''Ashes to Ashes'', set in October 1981, in which he uses the aforedescribed "Keep 'em peeled!"

He plays bridge and presented a television series on the subject.

External links

Category:1924 births Category:Living people Category:English actors Category:English television presenters Category:People from Hackney

name	Teena Marie
background	solo_singer
alias	Lady Tee, Ivory Queen Of Soul
birth name	Mary Christine Brockert
born	March 05, 1956Santa Monica, California, U.S.
died	December 26, 2010Pasadena, California, U.S.
instrument	Vocals, keyboard instruments, electric guitar, congas
genre	R&B;, soul, funk, jazz
occupation	Singer, songwriter, musician, record producer, arranger
years active	1964–2010
label	Motown Records (1976–1982)Epic/CBS Records (1983–1990) Ca$h Money Classics/Universal Records (2004–2007) Stax/Concord Records (2009–2010)
associated acts	Rick James, Ozone, Q.T hush, Bernadette Cooper, Eve }}

Mary Christine Brockert, better known by her stage name Teena Marie, (March 5, 1956 – December 26, 2010) was an American singer, songwriter and producer. She was known as Tina before taking the stage name Teena Marie; she later acquired the nickname of Lady Tee (sometimes spelled Lady T) given to her by mentor, collaborator, and friend Rick James. She was known for her distinctive soulful vocals which initially caused many listeners to believe she was African-American. Her success in R&B; and soul and loyalty to these genres would earn her the title Ivory Queen of Soul. She played rhythm guitar, keyboards and congas. She also wrote, produced, sang and arranged virtually all of her songs since her 1980 release, ''Irons in the Fire'', which she later said was her favorite album.

Biography

Early life (1956–1978)

Mary Christine, or Tina as she was called, was the fourth of five children born in Santa Monica to construction worker Thomas Leslie Brockert and his wife, home renovator Mary Anne. She spent her early childhood in Mission Hills. Her ethnic heritage was Portuguese, Italian, Irish and Native American ancestry. In 2005, while visiting Louisiana, she had discovered that her paternal ancestors once lived in New Orleans. Brockert took to singing naturally, performing Harry Belafonte's ''Banana Boat Song'' by age two. She also developed a fondness for singing the songs of Motown, and her self-professed “gift from God” would become fine-tuned as the years progressed.

Brockert's parents began sending her out on auditions when she was eight years old, which netted an acting role on ''The Beverly Hillbillies'', credited as Tina Marie Brockert. She also sang at the wedding of actor Jerry Lewis' son when she was 10 years old. Reared in a Roman Catholic household, she learned to play the piano under the tutelage of two nuns and later taught herself the guitar, bass, and congas. She would go on to form a semi-professional R&B; band with younger brother Anthony and their cousin.

In the early 1970s, after the family moved to Venice, Los Angeles, Brockert spent her adolescent years in the historically black Venice enclave of Oakwood, nicknamed "Venice Harlem". There, she would acquire a strong spiritual influence from neighborhood matriarch Berthalynn Jackson, an African American who would become her godmother.

While attending Venice High School, Brockert joined the Summer Dance Production, and also had the female lead in the school's production of ''The Music Man''.

After graduating, Brockert juggled auditioning for various record companies with studying English Literature at Santa Monica College. She credited her love of reading with helping her to write the lyrics she's known for.

Motown era (1979–1982)

thumb|Teena Marie, 1979In 1976, Brockert (as the lead singer member of a band she assembled which included long time friend Mickey Boyce) gained an introduction to Motown Records staff producer Hal Davis (best known for his work with Brenda Holloway and the Jackson 5). This led to an audition for a film about orphans being developed by Motown. The project was shelved, but label boss Berry Gordy decided to sign her as a solo act, impressed with her singing but having no need for a musical group. She recorded unreleased material with a number of different producers over the next few years, before being spotted by labelmate Rick James who was immediately impressed with her sound. (Some of the earlier unreleased material has since been made available on the compilation album ''First Class Love: Rare Tee''.) At the time, James, already established as a successful recording artist, was on tap to produce for Diana Ross but changed his mind and decided to work with Brockert. The result was debut album release, ''Wild and Peaceful''. The album was, at one point, due to be credited to "Teena Tryson", but ultimately was put out under ''Teena Marie'', the name by which she would be known throughout her career. It scored Teena Marie her first top-ten R&B; hit, "I'm Just a Sucker for Your Love" (#8 Black Singles Chart), a duet with James. Neither the album nor its packaging had her picture on it, and many radio programmers assumed she was African-American during the earliest months of her career. This myth was disproved when she performed her debut hit with James on ''Soul Train'' in 1979, becoming the show's first white female guest (she would appear on the show eight more times, more than any other white act).

In 1980, her second album, ''Lady T'', would have her portrait on the cover upon its release. It's also noted for having production from Richard Rudolph (husband of R&B; singer Minnie Riperton, who died a year earlier). Teena Marie had asked Berry Gordy to contact Rudolph and secure his input as Rick James was unavailable and she felt unprepared to be sole producer of her own material. Rudolph intended for the song he penned, "Now That I Have You", to be sung by his wife, but it was later given to Teena Marie. Rudolph also co-composed the single "Behind The Groove", which reached number 21 on the black singles chart and reaching #6 on the U.K. singles chart in 1980. The song would also be included on the soundtrack of Grand Theft Auto: Vice City on the Fever 105 soundtrack. Another notable track, "Too Many Colors," featured Rudolph and Riperton's then 7-year-old daughter, Maya Rudolph, who became Teena Marie's god-daughter.

Also in 1980, Teena Marie released her third LP, ''Irons in the Fire'', for which she handled all writing and production herself, including the horn and rhythm arrangements of her band and all backing vocals, all considered rare at the time for a female artist. The single "I Need Your Lovin'" (#37 Pop, #9 Black Singles) brought Teena Marie her first top 40 hit. This single also peaked at #28 in the UK chart. That same year, Teena Marie appeared on James' hugely successful album, ''Street Songs'', with the duet "Fire and Desire". In an interview, Teena Marie said she had a fever at the time yet managed to record her vocals in one take. After the session, she was driven to a hospital. The two would perform the single at the 2004 BET Awards, which would be their last TV appearance with one another as Rick James died later that year.

Teena Marie continued her success with Motown in 1981, with the release of ''It Must Be Magic'' (#2 Black Albums Chart), her first gold record, which included her then biggest hit on R&B;, "Square Biz" (#3 Black Singles). Other notable tracks include "Portuguese Love" (featuring a brief, uncredited cameo by James, #54 Black Singles), the title track "It Must be Magic" (#30 Black Singles), and album only track "Yes Indeed", which she cited as a personal favorite.

In 1982, Teena Marie got into a heated legal battle with Motown Records over her contract and disagreements about releasing her new material. The lawsuit resulted in "The Brockert Initiative", which made it illegal for a record company to keep an artist under contract without releasing new material for that artist. In such instances, artists are able to sign and release with another label instead of being held back by an unsupportive one. Teena Marie commented on the law in an ''LA Times'' article, saying, "It wasn't something I set out to do. I just wanted to get away from Motown and have a good life. But it helped a lot of people, like Luther Vandross and the Mary Jane Girls, and a lot of different artists, to be able to get out of their contracts." She left Motown as the label's most successful white solo act.

Epic era (1983–1990)

Contacted by Epic Records in the Fall of 1982 after expressing dismay over her Motown contract, Teena Marie signed a worldwide deal with the Columbia Records' subsidiary that also allowed her to establish her own publishing company, Midnight Magnet. Epic released the concept album ''Robbery'', which featured the hit "Fix It" (#21 R&B;), as well as "Shadow Boxing" and "Casanova Brown." The latter was one of a number of tracks Teena Marie would write over the years about her real-life romance with one-time mentor Rick James. The relationship had ended by that point, but the two would continue a sometimes tempestuous friendship, until James' death in August 2004. In 1984, Teena Marie released her biggest-selling album, ''Starchild''. It yielded her biggest hit "Lovergirl", which peaked at #4 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart in March 1985. It also peaked at #9 on the R&B; chart. The label also released the moderate R&B; hit "Out on a Limb", which peaked at #56 on the R&B; chart, but didn't break the Hot 100. "14k" was featured on the soundtrack of the film ''Goonies'' (1985) but was not a hit (only making the U.S. R&B; charts at #87).

In 1986, Teena Marie released a rock music-influenced concept album titled ''Emerald City''. It was controversial with her established fan base and not as successful as its predecessors. She also recorded another rock-influenced track, "Lead Me On", co-produced by Giorgio Moroder, for the soundtrack of the box office hit film, ''Top Gun'' (1986). In 1988, however, she returned to her R&B; and funk roots, releasing the critically acclaimed album ''Naked to the World''. That album contained the hit "Ooo La La La", which reached the top of Billboard's Hot R&B;/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart and was her only #1 single on that chart. During her 1988 ''Naked to the World'' concert tour, she suffered a fall and was hospitalized for six months.

Teena Marie released ''Ivory'' in the fall of 1990 and it scored no pop hits, but it did experienced two R&B; hits: "Here's Looking at You" (#11 R&B;) and "If I Were a Bell" (#8 R&B;).

Hiatus, ''Passion Play'' and ''Black Rain'' (1991–2003)

During the 1990s, Teena Marie's classic R&B;, soul, and funk records were either sampled by hip-hop artists or covered by R&B; divas. Teena Marie herself is regarded as something of a pioneer in helping to bring hip-hop to the mainstream by becoming one of the first artists of her time to rap one of her singles—the aforementioned "Square Biz". In the hip-hop portion of that song, she mentions some of her inspirations: Sarah Vaughn, Johann Sebastian Bach, Shakespeare, Maya Angelou, and Nikki Giovanni, "just to name a few". In 1996, the Fugees paid tribute to her by interpolating the chorus of her 1988 hit, "Ooo, La, La, La", into its own "Fu-Gee-La".

In the fall of 1994, Teena Marie released ''Passion Play'' on her independent label, Sarai Records. Lacking the backing of a major label, this album sold less well than her earlier work, but was well received by fans.

Subsequently, Teena Marie devoted most of her time to raising her daughter Alia Rose (who has since adopted the stage name "Rose Le Beau" and is pursuing her own singing career). During the late 1990s, Teena Marie made appearances (as herself) on the TV sitcoms, ''The Steve Harvey Show'' and ''The Parkers''. She also began work on a new album, titled ''Black Rain''. She was unable to secure a major label deal for this, and did not want to put it out on her own Sarai label in light of the modest sales of ''Passion Play''. However, a version pressed for promotional purposes was widely bootlegged among fans. This contained the tracks, "The Mackin' Game", "I'll Take the Pressure", "Baby, I'm Your Fiend", "My Body's Hungry", "Ecstasy", "I'm on Fire", "Watcha Got 4 Me", "Black Rain", "1999", "Butterflies", "Spanish Harlem", "Blackberry Playa", "The Perfect Feeling", and "Rainbow Outro". Some of these tracks resurfaced on the later albums: ''La Doña'', ''Sapphire'', and ''Congo Square''; in some cases (e.g. "The Mackin Game") in significantly reworked versions.

''La Doña'' to ''Congo Square'', and her final years (2004–2010)

After a 14-year sabbatical from the national spotlight, Teena Marie returned to her musical career by signing with the Classics sub-label of the successful hip-hop label, Cash Money Records. She released her comeback album, ''La Doña'', in 2004, and follow up ''Sapphire'', in 2006. ''La Doña'' became a gold-certified success (and the highest-charting album of her career, peaking at #6 on the Billboard 200 chart) on the basis of the Al Green-sampled "I'm Still In Love" (#23 R&B;, #70 Pop) and a duet with the late Gerald Levert, "A Rose by Any Other Name". Teena Marie was nominated for a 2005 Grammy Award for Best Female R&B; Vocal Performance for "Still in Love". Teena Marie quickly followed this success with the release of ''Sapphire'' in 2006. While sales were not as great this time around (the album peaked at #24 on the Pop Chart), the release did give her yet another R&B; Top-40 hit, "Ooh Wee" (#32); it also reunited her (on "God Has Created" and "Cruise Control") with Smokey Robinson, the early Motown mentor whose style she had emulated on early hits such as "Young Love". Teena Marie parted ways with Ca$h Money records after the release of ''Sapphire''.

On September 19, 2008, Teena Marie performed in concert at B.B. King's Blues Club in New York City. Teena took this time to play a couple of finished tracks from her upcoming album, ''Congo Square'', and she received a positive response from the crowd. ''Congo Square'' was released on June 9, 2009 on Stax/Concord Records. She has described the album as "personal and spiritual" and indicated that it was more jazz-influenced than most of her previous work. "Can't Last a Day", a duet with Faith Evans, leaked to the Internet in March 2009. Teena Marie says of Evans, "It was after I had recorded the song ("Can't Last a Day") I got the idea to put Faith on it. I’ve always loved Faith and her vocal style. She reminds me of me. Her correlation with Biggie — having a career with him and without him — reminds me of me and Rick. I feel like she’s a younger me. Of the younger ladies, she’s the one I love most.”

Meanwhile, with regard to her early-life inspirations for ''Congo Square'', in January 2010 Teena Marie told Lee Tyler, editor of ''Blues & Soul'' magazine: "I wanted to do songs that reflected the things that I loved when I was growing up. Every single song on the record is dedicated to someone, or some musical giant that I loved. 'The Pressure' is dedicated to Rick James; 'Can't Last a Day' is dedicated to the Gamble & Huff sound - the Philly International sound'. Then 'Baby I Love You' and 'Ear Candy' are dedicated to Marvin Gaye and Curtis Mayfield - with memories of riding down Crenshaw in LA in jeeps and bumping to music on ``the 808'' i.e. Roland TR-808 drum machine. While 'Miss Coretta' is, of course, dedicated to Mrs. Coretta Scott King, the late wife of Dr. Martin Luther King."

Sales-wise, the album proved another success, reaching the Top 20 on Billboard's Top 200, and giving Teena Marie yet another Top 10 R&B; chart entry. In 2010, Teena Marie continued to be a headliner on the Las Vegas Strip, appearing regularly at the Las Vegas Hilton and other venues until just before her death.

At the time of her death, Teena Marie had completed her 14th CD and was also working on jazz and inspirational CDs. In addition, she was in the midst of her writing her memoir.

Personal life

Teena Marie, who never wed, gave birth to a daughter in 1991, named Alia Rose. As of 2009, Alia Rose sang under the name Rose LeBeau.

Throughout her career, Teena Marie had lived in Inglewood, California and Encino before settling in Pasadena in the mid-1980s.

In addition to Maya Rudolph, Teena Marie was godmother to Marvin Gaye's daughter Nona Gaye. She also cared for Rick James' son, Rick Jr. and family friend Jeremiah O'Neal. Lenny Kravitz posted a video in which he revealed that Teena Marie had taken him into her home and helped him when he was struggling early in his career. Teena's hobbies included archery, drawing, and writing poetry.

Death and memorials

Around 2004, Teena Marie lay sleeping in a hotel room when a large picture frame fell and struck her in the head. The blow caused a serious concussion that would result in momentary seizures for the rest of her life. She had suffered a Grand mal seizure just one month before her death.

On the afternoon of December 26, 2010, Teena Marie was found unresponsive by daughter Alia Rose at her home in Pasadena, California.

On December 30, 2010, an autopsy was performed by the Los Angeles County coroner, who found no signs of apparent trauma or discernible cause of death and concluded she had died from natural causes.

A memorial service was held at Forest Lawn Cemetery on January 10, 2011. Among the luminaries who attended were Smokey Robinson, LisaRaye, Sinbad (entertainer), Tichina Arnold, Stevie Wonder, Shanice Wilson and Tata Vega.

Discography

Studio albums

''Wild and Peaceful'' (1979)

''Lady T'' (1980)

''Irons in the Fire'' (1980)

''It Must Be Magic'' (1981)

''Robbery'' (1983)

''Starchild'' (1984)

''Emerald City'' (1986)

''Naked to the World'' (1988)

''Ivory'' (1990)

''Passion Play'' (1994)

''La Doña'' (2004)

''Sapphire'' (2006)

''Congo Square'' (2009)

'' First Class Love: Rare Tee (2011)

References

External links

Teena Marie – official website

Teena Marie at BBC Music

Teena Marie discography at Discogs

Teena Marie at Billboard

Teena Marie at Find A Grave

Teena Marie 2010 interview with DJ Soulswede

Category:1956 births Category:2010 deaths Category:American dance musicians Category:American record producers Category:American female singers Category:American rhythm and blues singers Category:Cash Money Records artists Category:Disease-related deaths in California Category:Songwriters from California Category:Musicians from California Category:Blue-eyed soul singers Category:Motown artists Category:Epic Records artists Category:People from the Greater Los Angeles Area Category:American rhythm and blues guitarists Category:American rhythm and blues keyboardists Category:Freestyle musicians

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