by Marlon West (FB: marlon.west1 Twitter: @marlonw IG: stlmarlonwest Spotify: marlonwest)

Happy Labor Day, y’all! It is no toil for me to offer up another playlist on this holiday Monday.

After June’s AfroBowie collection, our editor-in-chief, Lori Lakin Hutcherson, suggested a few more in a series of collections of rock musicians inspired by and in collaboration with Black artists.

So here is the second offering: AfroZeppelin. While David Bowie championed and collaborated with Black music-makers throughout his long career, Led Zeppelin’s connections were not as overt.

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Outselling the Beatles and toppling them as icons of a new era of rock and roll, Zeppelin was the perfect combo of the Delta blues, London’s swinging scene and the myriad of cultural influences.

The influence of the street-tough Chicago blues of Muddy Waters and Howlin’ Wolf taught them much about swinging boogie. Over the decades many of their famous riffs and lyrics would come under fire. The allegations have brought several lawsuits as well, most of them settled out of court discreetly.

In the case of “Whole Lotta Love”, the song credits were later amended to include Willie Dixon, who claimed Robert Plant used his lyrics from “You Need Love”.

“The Lemon Song” is an expansion of a musical phrase featured in Robert Johnson’s “Traveling Riverside Blues”.

I’ve gathered many of the songs covered and referenced by Led Zeppelin, and their own versions of said tracks. Of course, they have been covered many times themselves.

I’ve included Zeppelin covers by Mary J. Blige, Lizz Wright, and Stanley Jordan. You’ll also find many classic cuts that feature Led Zeppelin samples too.

Here’s Beyoncé, Ice T, Jurassic 5, D12, Dr. Dre, Beastie Boys and many others.

This collection of great tracks stands as another example that no artist creates in a vacuum. Whether the influences are readily acknowledged, each creator makes offerings informed by what came before.

Do enjoy! Until next month! Stay safe, sane, and kind.

“Donayle Luna was the first Black woman to be on the cover of Vogue. Why don’t we know more about her?”

This pointed question from the recently released trailer for Donyale Luna: Super Model will hopefully no longer be relevant after the feature-length documentary about Luna’s life and career debuts on HBO September 13.

Born Peggy Anne Freeman in Detroit, Donyale Luna went on to revolutionize the fashion industry in the 1960s and 1970s, becoming the muse to some of the foremost photographers of the 20th century until her untimely death at the age of 33 in 1979.

Though Luna was one of the first Black models who graced the covers of both Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar in Europe, today, most people have never heard of her.

Directed by Nailah Jefferson, produced by Melissa Kramer, Isoul H. Harris, Melanie Sharee and executive produced by Jonathan Chinn, Simon Chinn, Jeff Friday, Dream Cazzaniga, participants in the doc include Luna’s daughter, Dream Cazzaniga, husband, Luigi Cazzaniga, supermodels Beverly Johnson and Pat Cleveland; Vogue global editor-at-large Hamish Bowles; photographers David Bailey, David McCabe, and Gideon Lewin; and many more.

GBN highlighted Luna last February in our post GBN’s Daily Drop: Donyale Luna – the First Black Supermodel (LISTEN) based on our entry about her in the Good Black News Page-A-Day Calendar for 2022.

We are looking forward to learning even more about this mostly unsung trailblazer in the global fashion industry.

by Marlon West (FB: marlon.west1 Twitter: @marlonw IG: stlmarlonwest Spotify: marlonwest)

Mavis Staples is eighty-four years old as I peck these words. She has been a gospel and soul singer longer than Elizabeth II wore the crown.

Many R&B vocalists started in gospel music, though she and her family have always kept a foot in both worlds. The Staple Singers have brought their spirituality, and devotion to civil rights to all of their studio and stage offerings.

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From the churches across the South Side of Chicago and the Rock ‘n Stages with artists a third her age, Mavis Staples has brought her unique smokey voice to audiences for decades.

This collection brings together her many works with The Staple Singers from 1948 until 1999, and her own solo offerings from 1969 to the present.

Mavis Staples is still an in-demand guest vocalist to boot. She has dueted or sung background with Mahalia Jackson, The Band, Gorillaz, Jon Batiste, Run the Jewels, Hozier, Benjamin Booker, Sheryl Crow, Abraham Alexander and so many others.

Mavis Staples is the only subject of one of these playlists that I have had the pleasure of spending any meaningful time with. Back in 2012 I was honored to be one of the Alumni Of The Year at Columbia College Chicago. She received an honorary doctorate from the college.

I was delighted to spend hours visiting with her that graduation weekend. She could not have been more warm, insightful, and kind.

Please enjoy this collection featuring decades of Doctor Mavis’ work with The Staple Singers, as a solo artist, and generous collaborator.

As always, stay safe, sane, and kind.

by Marlon West (FB: marlon.west1 Twitter: @marlonw IG: stlmarlonwest Spotify: marlonwest)

I’m back with another batch of tracks. “AfroBowie” is a collection devoted to David Bowie, who,  in a 1976 Playboy interview, described his own album Young Americans as “the definitive plastic soul record. It’s the squashed remains of ethnic music as it survives in the age of Muzak, written and sung by a white limey.”

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Though those funky soulful tracks made Bowie one of the few white performers to be invited to perform on Soul Train.

He would also go on to call out MTV on not featuring Black artists: “I’m floored by the fact that there are so few Black artists featured on [MTV]. Why is that?” “The only few black artists one does see are on in about 2:30 in the morning until 6:00,” Bowie continued, “Very few are featured prominently during the day.”

Almost a decade before James Brown would become constantly sampled, the Godfather of Soul would borrow Carlos Alomar’s guitar riff from David Bowie’s crossover hit “Fame” to create his track “Hot”.

Bowie would later team up with Queen Latifah for a version “Fame” in 1990. This collection features Bowie covers from Black artists like Robert Glasper & Bilal, Durand Jones & The Indications, Rhonda Dakar and others.

There are Bowie tracks written with his longtime collaborator Alomar including: “D.J.”, “Fame”, “Never Let Me Down”, “Red Money” and “The Secret Life of Arabia”. And of course his team-up with young Luther Vandross on “Young Americans” is in the mix.

I’ve included David Bowie’s covers of “Almost Grown” by Chuck Berry, Nina Simone’s “Wild is the Wind” and versions of “Knock on Wood” (by Eddie Floyd) and “Here Today, Gone Tomorrow” (by Ohio Players) from DAVID LIVE.

There are a few tracks from Ziggy Stardub, a spectacular reggae recasting “Ziggy Stardust” by the Easy Star All-Stars.

There are also songs from the tribute record Modern Love. It features covers from across Bowie’s catalog by Helado Negro, Khruangbin, Jeff Parker, We Are KING, Meshell Ndegeocello, and more. P

lus, Seu Jorge’s beautiful set of Bowie covers from Wes Anderson’s The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou. Hope you enjoy AfroBowie as much as I’ve enjoyed making it.

As always, stay safe, sane, and kind. See ya next month.

News about the stamps is being shared with the hashtag #JohnLewis, and you can view the ceremony at John Lewis Commemorative Forever® Stamp Dedication Ceremony – YouTube.

Insights in telling the story of this stamp can also be found on the Postal Service’s Facebook and Twitter pages at facebook.com/USPS, and twitter.com/usps.

“Look carefully at how the shadow falls on the right side of his face, illuminating the left side, in a way that seems to take the viewer from darkness into the light. A fitting tribute to a man who sought to awaken the conscience of a country,” said Ronald A. Stroman, a member of the U.S. Postal Service Board of Governors and dedicating official for the stamp. “The Postal Service is proud to celebrate Lewis — a national treasure — and to honor his legacy with the tribute of this Forever stamp that is as beautiful visually as was the spirit of the man whose image it bears.”

Among those joining Stroman for the ceremony were mistress of ceremonies Alfre Woodard; Lawrence Edward Carter Sr., professor and founding dean of the Martin Luther King, Jr., International Chapel at Morehouse College; John-Miles Lewis, son of John Lewis; Linda Earley Chastang, president and chief executive officer of the John and Lillian Miles Lewis Foundation; Michael Collins, chair of the board for the John and Lillian Miles Lewis Foundation and U.S. Senator Raphael Warnock.

The stamp features a photograph of Lewis taken by Marco Grob for the Aug. 26, 2013, issue of Time Magazine. Lewis’s name is at the bottom of the stamp. The words “USA” and “Forever” appear in the stamp’s top left corner. Derry Noyes, an art director for USPS, designed the stamp.

Background on John Lewis

A key figure in some of the most pivotal moments of the Civil Rights Movement, John Lewis was the face of the Nashville Student Movement, chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, an original Freedom Rider, and one of the keynote speakers at the historic 1963 March on Washington. Even in the face of hatred and violence, Lewis remained resolute in his commitment to what he liked to call “good trouble.”

Devoted to equality and justice for all Americans, Lewis spent more than 30 years in the U.S. House of Representatives steadfastly defending and building on key civil rights gains that he helped achieve in the 1960s. He was a staunch and unwavering believer in and advocate for nonviolent protests. The recipient of more than 50 honorary degrees, he was called a “saint” by Time magazine and “the conscience of the Congress” by his colleagues.

He served as executive director of the Voter Education Project; as associate director of ACTION, the federal volunteer agency that oversaw the Peace Corps and Volunteers in Service to America (VISTA); and as a member of the Atlanta City Council. He was also the author of several bestselling books, including the “March” comic book series and the inspiring autobiography “Walking With the Wind.”

Elected to represent Georgia in the U.S. House of Representatives in 1986, Lewis garnered the support needed to pass the Civil Rights Act of 1991, sponsored the legislation that created the 54-mile Selma-to-Montgomery National Historic Trail, and worked for more than a decade to establish the National Museum of African American History and Culture on the National Mall in Washington, DC. He was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor, by President Barack Obama.

According to Forbes.com, statistics from a publicly-available U.S. Department of Education database reveal that six-year graduation rates (a commonly-used metric in higher education) for Black students are higher at Harvard and Princeton than they are for the overall student body (equal at Ivy League sister school Yale), as well as at other highly-selective private institutions like Cal Tech, University of Chicago, Johns Hopkins University, Case Western Reserve University, and Wake Forest University.

To quote the article:

The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled race-conscious college admissions policies and practices unconstitutional. Affirmative Action opponents have long argued that admitting presumably unqualified applicants of color to highly-selective institutions sets those students up for failure because they can’t do the work.

If completing a bachelor’s degree is a reasonable measure of whether someone has what it takes to succeed in the Ivy League or at another highly-selective university, then federal data from the three institutions where admission slots are among the most coveted in the world confirm that Black students are indeed more than capable and deserving of the opportunities they earned.

At Harvard, it’s 98% for undergraduates overall and 99% for Black collegians. It’s also 99% for Black students at Princeton, compared to 97% of bachelor’s degree seekers there overall. Additionally, 98% of Yale students graduate within six years – the exact same for Black Yalies.

Read more: www.forbes.com/sites/shaunharper/2023/07/03/graduation-rates-higher-for-black-collegians-than-for-students-overall-at-harvard-and-princeton-equal-at-yale/

by Jeff Meier (FB: Jeff.Meier.90)

This July, as we endure the latest triple digit temperature heatwave, or navigate flight cancellations in our attempts at a vacation, we can always count on summer music to lighten the mood and keep our heads cool in the comfort of our own backyard.

So, with that in mind, we’re back again this holiday week with the latest update to our popular playlist entitled “Summer Breeze – Soulful Summer Songs.” We introduced this playlist a few years ago and have been updating it annually with both new and old musical finds uncovered deep in the recesses of Spotify.

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The goal of the playlist is simple – find music by Black artists (or, in a few cases, soul-influenced artists of various ethnic backgrounds) that have the word “summer” in their song title – these songs are literally written about summer.

Some are big BBQ standards, like “Summer Breeze” by the Isley Brothers, Will Smith‘s “Summertime”, Sly & The Family Stone‘s “Hot Fun in the Summertime” and “Summer” by War.

But many are lesser known from across the decades, from artists ranging from Nat King Cole and Nancy Wilson to Anderson.Paak and Aloe Blacc – all unified by their seasonal theme.

This year we’ve added 35 new songs, sprinkled throughout the list. Some are fresh out of the oven, like Chris Brown‘s “Summer Too Hot” and “Summer Renaissance” by Beyoncé. Others include older songs we found anew on Spotify since our last update, from name artists like Uncle Charlie Wilson (“Just Like Summertime”), Rick James (“Summer Love”), Tony! Toni! Toné! (“Til Last Summer”), reggae group Big Mountain (“Reggae Inna Summertime”) and Kelly Rowland (“Summer Dreaming”).

For this OG soul music fan, the most fun, perhaps, is uncovering via the magic of Spotify all sorts of artists new to my ears. Many are already successful with millions of monthly Spotify listeners, such as SiR (“Summer in November”), Fana Hues (a lovely cover of Stevie’s “Never Dreamed You’d Leave in Summer”), girl group FLO (“Summertime”), Khruangbin (a cool new take on “Summer Madness”) and KYLE (“SummertimeSoul”). 

We’ve also got songs from newcomers like Kenya Vaun (“Summer”), Tay Iwar with Juls (“Summer Breeze”), and NoMBe (“Summer’s Gone” remix with Sonny Alven and Thutmose).

Spotify has opened up American ears to artists from all over the globe that we may never have heard before the internet. South Africa’s Soweto-born DJ Kent brings us the hypnotic “Summer Heartbreak.” Suriname-born Jeangu Macrooy (“Summer Moon”) has represented Netherlands in Eurovision. Pheelz (“Pheelz Like Summer”) is a prolific Nigerian producer/artist with a following in both his home country and throughout Europe. And from the UK comes newcomer Debbie, with her tune “Summer in December.”

Of course, we also had to dig for a few more deep classics. Those include the Chic-like British soul tune “Summer Grooves” by Mirage, doo-wop classics from Ruby & The Romantics (“My Summer Love”), The Danleers (“One Summer Night”), and The Tymes (“Summer Day”), and some newly found standards, including a lovely version of “The Summer Knows” from Leslie Uggams and Sarah Vaughan‘s “The Green Leaves of Summer.” And, love it or hate it, you simply must check out LGBT icon Sylvester‘s version of the Porgy & Bess standard “Summertime” in which the disco star merges Gershwin with Soft Cell’s “Tainted Love.”

If you’ve enjoyed this playlist in the past, here’s the annual reminder to check in with it again for some fresh additions. And if you are new to it, check out all the above and more on what is now a full day’s worth of summer songs with a soulful sensibility to explore. Feel free to let us know in the comments your favorite “summer” songs, including any we’ve missed!

Enjoy!

by Marlon West (FB: marlon.west1 Twitter: @marlonw IG: stlmarlonwest Spotify: marlonwest)

This June 3rd was the 81st anniversary of Curtis Mayfield’s birth. Today, on Juneteenth, we offer Move On Up: The Best of Curtis Mayfield playlist to celebrate the Chicago native who made an indelible mark on popular music through his protest songs and on the movie soundtrack album in particular.

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As a singer, songwriter, and producer, Mayfield is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in soul and R&B music. His early days with The Impressions showcased his distinctive falsetto vocals and he penned hits like “I’m So Proud” “It’s All Right,” and “Woman’s Got Soul,” among others.

However, it was his solo career that solidified his place as a musical pioneer and visionary. Beyond his musical contributions, Mayfield was a vocal advocate for civil rights and social equality.

His songs, including “Move On Up,” “People Get Ready,” “Keep On Pushing,” “Choice of Colors” and “We’re a Winner” became anthems for the Civil Rights Movement. They have empowered marginalized communities and inspired change for decades.

The soundtrack of Superfly was a smash by any measure. The record’s first single, “Freddie’s Dead” came out in July 1972, before the full album and the movie, and hit No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

Mayfield also crafted and composed the 1976 soundtrack to Sparkle, on which Aretha Franklin recorded the now classic #1 R&B hit “Something He Can Feel.” En Vogue remade the song in 1992 and repeated that feat, along with taking their cover to No. 6 on the Hot 100 chart.

This collection features his many hits, collaborations, remixes of his work and covers made in tribute to his impact. Enjoy.

Happy Juneteenth!! Stay sane, safe, and kind. See ya next month, y’all.

According to npr.org, U.S. Rep. Cori Bush (D, Missouri) has introduced new legislation calling for $14 trillion in reparations for Black Americans, in an effort to see the federal government atone and attempt to compensate for the practice of chattel slavery for over 250 years and the generations of racist policies that have followed.

To quote from npr.org:

“The United States has a moral and legal obligation to provide reparations for the enslavement of Africans and its lasting harm on the lives of millions of Black people,” Bush said in a Wednesday news conference attended by Reps. Barbara Lee, D-Calif., and Jamaal Bowman, D-N.Y., as well as other stakeholders.

“America must provide reparations if we desire a prosperous future for all,” Bush said.

Rep. Bush’s resolution is the latest in a long line of congressional efforts by Democrats to compensate Black Americans for centuries of racial inequity. Similar language about reparations has been introduced in every legislative session since 1989.

“We know that we continue to live under slavery’s vestiges. We know how slavery has perpetuated Jim Crow. We know how slavery’s impacts live on today,” Bush said, citing the racial wealth gap, voter suppression, infant mortality rates and other negative health outcomes for Black people.

“It’s unjust and it wouldn’t happen in a just and fair and equitable society,” Bush also remarked. “Those are not the natural consequences of human society… They are directly caused by our federal government’s role in the enslavement and exploitation of Africans and Black people throughout our history.”

California is currently exploring reparations on a state level, San Francisco is proposing reparations to bring Black people back to the city, while Evanston, Illinois started offering a form of reparations in 2019 through its Restorative Housing Reparations Program.

RELATED:

• https://www.newyorker.com/news/dispatch/the-black-families-seeking-reparations-in-californias-gold-country
• https://www.cnn.com/2022/07/13/us/reparations-state-local-commission-reaj/index.html

by Marlon West (FB: marlon.west1 Twitter: @marlonw IG: stlmarlonwest Spotify: marlonwest)

Happy springtime from your friend and selector, Marlon!

Here’s a freewheeling playlist, and a seemingly random collection of tunes. Though what they all have in common is famous folks, sometimes uncredited, singing backup.

In some cases it is an established artist leading a hand, like Stevie Wonder contributing to Jermaine Jackson’s “Let’s Get Serious,” or a then-unknown protege like Lou Rawls singing behind his childhood pal Sam Cooke on “Bring It On Home To Me.”

In some tracks, you won’t be able to pick them out. Though in others you will never be able to hear the same again without recognizing them. Here is a breakdown of each song and who’s helping out in the background. Enjoy!

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1. “Bring It On Home to Me” by Sam Cooke with Lou Rawls
2. “Let’s Get Serious” by Jermaine Jackson was produced by Stevie Wonder (who also provided vocals)
3. “Part-Time Lover” by Stevie Wonder with Luther Vandross and Philip Bailey
4. “Don’t Lose Your Head” by Queen with Joan Armatrading
5. “Step by Step” by Whitney Houston with original writer and vocalist Annie Lennox
6. “Every Time I Close My Eyes” by Babyface with Kenny G, Mariah Carey, and Shelia E.
7. “Somebody’s Watching Me” by Rockwell with Michael Jackson and Jermaine Jackson
8. “Pink + White” by Frank Ocean with Beyoncé
9. “State of Shock” by the Jacksons, with Mick Jagger
10. “Young Americans” by David Bowie with Luther Vandross
11. “Why Should I Love You?” by Kate Bush with Prince singing and playing guitar
12. “There Must Be More to Life Than This” by Queen with Michael Jackson
13. “This Is What You Came For” by Calvin Harris and Rihanna with uncredited vocals by the song’s author, Taylor Swift
14. “Partition” by Beyoncé with Justin Timberlake
15. “Chain Reaction” by Diana Ross with Barry Gibb

There are certainly others, but I’ll stop here. Though if there are glaring omissions, lemme me know, and I’ll make additions.

See ya next month, and as always: stay safe, sane, and kind.

Good Black News wants to take a moment on this day to honor and remember the women who gave us life, who nurtured and raised us, and also offered us solace, counsel, wisdom, humility and humor.

To all the mothers out there – be they Aunties, Grandmothers, Cousins or Friends – thank you for all you do. It might not always feel like it, but you are deeply appreciated.

For those of us who aren’t able to be with our mothers or mother figures in person due to circumstance, distance or transcendence — we are with you in voice, online and always – in spirit!

Happy Mother’s Day!

Activist and former U.S. Ambassador to the Bahamas Nicole Avant on Friday helped open the Jacqueline Avant Children and Family Center at the MLK Medical Campus in the Watts-Willowbrook community of Los Angeles, CA in memory of her mother.

“My family and I are thrilled and honored to celebrate the unveiling of the Jacqueline Avant Children and Family Center,” Nicole Avant said. “For over 50 years, my mom was dedicated to the mental and physical and spiritual health of the children and families in South Los Angeles and was on a mission to improve the quality of life for those less fortunate.”

Philanthropist and community leader Jacqueline Avant, spouse to legendary music industry executive Clarence Avant, was 81 years old when she was fatally shot during a home invasion in December 2021.

The three-story children and family center is a 50,000-square-foot facility that employs variety of programs to address the needs of at-risk children struggling with trauma, health and mental health problems. The first two floors of the center will be open to the community this summer, and the remaining floor is slated for completion by the end of the year.To quote from Marc Malkin’s Variety.com article:

The center opening and dedication attracted giants of the music industry, including Jerry Moss, Jimmy Jam, Phil Quartararo, L.A. Reid, Hollywood management powerhouse Benny Medina, real estate tycoon and former Los Angeles mayoral candidate Rick Caruso, actor Holly Robinson Peete and Nicole’s husband, Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos.

Los Angles Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell opened the ceremony before handing the mic to Dr. Janet Arnold-Clark, who detailed the lifesaving and affirming work being done at the center.

With the opening of the center, Nicole and her family have turned their focus from tragedy to helping others. “My friend Dionne said to me, ‘The greatest way you can honor your mom’s life is to live to the fullest. That is what you have to do,’” she says. “Your job is to live to the fullest because you don’t know how long you have on this earth, no one does. Sometimes you have three months, sometimes you have three years, you just don’t know. People remember you by your good works. That’s what people remember.”

It was an honor to celebrate the legacy of Jacqueline Avant at the unveiling and dedication ceremony for the Jacqueline Avant Children and Family Center in the Watts-Willowbrook community. Mrs. Avant was a devout philanthropist and a long-time supporter of children and (1/3) pic.twitter.com/gwRkOgrl6s

— Holly J. Mitchell (@HollyJMitchell) April 29, 2023

Jacqueline Avant’s assailant, Aariel Maynor, was sentenced to life in state prison with a minimum of 150 years, after pleading guilty to Avant’s murder.

To read more:

• https://mitchell.lacounty.gov/jacqueline-avant-children-and-family-center/
• https://www.billboard.com/pro/jacqueline-avant-children-family-center-open-south-los-angeles/
• https://heysocal.com/2023/04/29/la-county-dedicates-health-center-in-honor-of-jacqueline-avant/

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Here’s hoping that you, your loved ones, colleagues and friends are partaking of only the best during this year’s Easter celebration – enjoy your blessings and the day!

In gratitude,

The GBN Staff

Every year on March 18, Good Black News celebrates the day of its founding. We continue that tradition today, thirteen years after GBN’s inception.

Even though this past year has been particularly challenging (details here), and led to way fewer postings on the main goodblacknews.org site as well as the cessation of the GBN Daily Drop Podcast, we are still exceedingly proud of all we’ve offered and accomplished over the years, even as we continue to search for our new footing as we forge ahead into the future.

We were glad to publish “A Year of Good Black News” Page-A-Day Calendar for 2023” via Page-A-Day.com, of which we are sharing some of the contents on GBN’s Instagram, Facebook and Twitter (it’s still available in its entirety for a limited time on Amazon.com).

And although it’s no longer weekly, every month we are happy to offer new and/or updated Music Monday playlists from our incredible music contributors Marlon West and Jeff Meier.

I also want to acknowledge 2022’s other volunteer contributors in alphabetical order: Julie Bibb, Gina Fattore, Julie Fishman, Michael Giltz, Warren Hutcherson, Fred Johnson, Epiphany Jordan, Brenda Lakin, Joyce Lakin, John Levinson, Dena Loverde, Catherine Metcalf, Flynn Richardson, Maeve Richardson, Becky Schonbrun, and Teddy Tenenbaum. 

You are all deeply, greatly appreciated.

But what truly keeps me, my co-editor Lesa Lakin and all of GBN’s wonderful volunteer contributors going is the appreciation you’ve shown us over the years and still show via follows, likes, comments, shares, reblogs, DMs and e-mails (even when we are overwhelmed and can’t respond to them all).

Your support means the world, and inspires me as Editor-in-Chief to keep working to find ways to improve GBN on the main page as well as on Pinterest, Tumblr, YouTube, RSS feed, LinkedIn and Flipboard, and yeah, our sometime-y GBN newsletter you can get via email.

Please continue to help us spread GBN by sharing, liking, re-tweeting and commenting, and consider following GBN on the main page, as well as wherever you are on social media.

Please also consider joining our e-mail list via our “Contact Us” tab on goodblacknews.org. We will only use this list to keep you updated on GBN and send you our e-newsletter from time to time. And, of course, you may opt out whenever you like.

Thank you again for your support, and we look forward to providing you with more Good Black News in the coming months and beyond!

Warmly,

by Marlon West (FB: marlon.west1 Twitter: @marlonw IG: stlmarlonwest Spotify: marlonwest)

Happy Music Monday, you all. This collection celebrates another recently departed great, Wayne Shorter. He was a giant of jazz for six decades. He was a well-regarded improviser, bandleader, composer, and thinker.

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From his teen years with Art Blakey and Miles Davis to his work as a founder of Weather Report, to leading his own landmark quintet Shorter was among the greatest.

A well-known figure on the jazz circuit since the late 1950s, Shorter would go on to take a strong hand in shaping much of 20th Century jazz music.

The 12-time Grammy award winner played alongside several greats, including Carlos Santana, Steely Dan, Joni Mitchell, and Herbie Hancock.

In 1964 he was swooped away after several attempts by jazz legend Miles Davis to become part of Davis’ “Second Great Quintet.”

Wayne Shorter would also release solo albums by 1959, including the acclaimed Speak No Evil, Night Dreamer, and JuJu.

Among the dozen Grammy awards he won, Shorter received a Lifetime Achievement award in 2015

In 2018, Shorter received the Kennedy Center Honors Award from the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts for his lifetime of contributions to the arts.

Hope you enjoy the collection. As usual, stay safe, sane, and kind. See ya next month!

by  Lori Lakin Hutcherson (@lakinhutcherson)

Happy March! As promised, GBN is happy to announce the name of the winner of our “Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance With Somebody” DVD Blu-Ray and bundle pack giveaway, courtesy of Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.

Congratulations to Glenn McHarg! Glenn, we will be contacting you shortly via email to arrange delivery of your free bundle pack directly from Sony.

Directed by Kasi Lemmons (Harriet, Eve’s Bayou, Candyman) and written by Academy Award® nominee Anthony McCarten (Best Adapted Screenplay, The Two Popes, 2019), produced by legendary music executive Clive Davis and starring BAFTA Award® winner Naomi Ackie, the film  — which is currently available on all digital platforms as well as DVD/Blu-Ray — is a no-holds-barred portrait of the complex and multifaceted woman behind The Voice.

From New Jersey choir girl to one of the best-selling and most awarded recording artists of all time, audiences are taken on a journey through Whitney Houston’s trailblazing life and career, with show-stopping performances and a soundtrack of the icon’s most beloved hits as you’ve never heard them before.

Thank you so much to all who entered the giveaway. GBN is always in the sharing spirit, so keep an eye out for other giveaway announcements in the near future.

by Lori Lakin Hutcherson (@lakinhutcherson)

In conjunction with the 2/28 release of Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody on DVD/Blu-Ray, Good Black News is giving away one bundled prize pack, courtesy of Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.

The items in the prize pack include:

• Blu-ray
• Vinyl album
• Karaoke mic
• Kodak Printomatic Instant Camera  – with package of photo paper
• Movie night popcorn set
• Box of conversation hearts

To enter for a chance to win, send your first and last name and an email address with the subject heading “Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody Giveaway” to goodblacknewsgiveaways@yahoo.com from now until 11:59PM PST on Tuesday, February 28.

One entry per email, and GBN will announce the name of the winner in a post on March 1st, then contact them for a mailing address to receive their prize pack bundle.

Directed by Kasi Lemmons (Harriet, Eve’s Bayou, Candyman) and written by Academy Award® nominee Anthony McCarten (Best Adapted Screenplay, The Two Popes, 2019), produced by legendary music executive Clive Davis and starring BAFTA Award® winner Naomi Ackie, the film  — which is currently available on all digital platforms — is a no-holds-barred portrait of the complex and multifaceted woman behind The Voice.

From New Jersey choir girl to one of the best-selling and most awarded recording artists of all time, audiences are taken on a journey through Whitney Houston’s trailblazing life and career, with show-stopping performances and a soundtrack of the icon’s most beloved hits as you’ve never heard them before.

As it’s still Black History Month, GBN is taking the opportunity of this giveaway to highlight some Whitney Houston history that, unlike her timeless music, is not as well known.

BLU-RAY and DIGITAL

• Whitney’s Jukebox
• Deleted Scenes
• Behind-the-Scenes Featurettes:
  • Moments of an Icon
  • Becoming Whitney
  • The Personal Touch

Directed By: Kasi Lemmons
Written By: Anthony McCarten
Produced By: Denis O’Sullivan, Jeff Kalligheri, Anthony McCarten, Pat Houston, Clive Davis, Larry Mestel, Molly Smith, Thad Luckinbill, Trent Luckinbill, Matt Jackson, Christina Papagjika, Matthew Salloway
Executive Producers: Naomi Ackie, Kasi Lemmons, William Earon, Marina Cappi, Erika Hampson, Josh Crook, Rachel Smith, Seth Spector, Dennis Casali, Janice Beard, Lexie Beard, Tanner Beard, Matthew Gallagher, Jane Bergere, Stella Meghie, Mackenzie O’Connell
Cast: Naomi Ackie, Stanley Tucci, Ashton Sanders, Tamara Tunie, Nafessa Williams, and Clarke Peters

Twitter: @WannaDanceMovie
Instagram: @WannaDanceMovie
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WannaDanceMovie/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/SonyPictures

by Marlon West (FB: marlon.west1 Twitter: @marlonw IG: stlmarlonwest Spotify: marlonwest)

Happy Black History Month, you all. Now it might seem counterintuitive to use my February offering to feature and honor Burt Bacharach, who died on February 8 at age 94.

The prolific composer, songwriter, record producer, and pianist is widely regarded as one of the most important and influential figures of 20th-century popular music. He was a six-time Grammy Award winner and three-time Academy Award winner, Bacharach’s songs have been recorded by more than 1,000 different artists.

However, no one would disagree that Bacharach’s (and his lyricist partner Hal David‘s) most popular success was with Dionne Warwick. They created a string of 39 consecutive chart hits including “Don’t Make Me Over,” “Walk On By,” and “I’ll Never Fall In Love Again.” Their collaboration would continue for decades including his production of “That’s What Friends Are For.”

Open in Spotify

This “Close To You: Soulful Burt Bacharach Covers” collection features generations of Black artists who have collaborated directly with Bacharach (Ronald Isley), covered beautifully (Aretha Franklin, Love), and sampled (Mos Def, Masta Ace, Floetry) the work of Burt Bacharach.

Stevie Wonder‘s live performance in 1972, of “Close To You” and the Jackson 5′s “Never Can Say Goodbye utilizing the ‘talkbox,’ inspired Frank Ocean’s cover on his 2016 album, Blonde.

Bobby Womack and Isaac Hayes each spent ample time covering Bacharach while pushing against what they saw as limits of what was acceptable for Black artists.

The 5th Dimension, who were stung by being called “the Black group, with the white sound,” are present with “One Less Bell To Answer.” Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis Jr. perform it twice in this collection.

There are ample examples of hip-hop artists using Warwick and Bacharach’s work on “Recognize,” “Hold U,” “Must Be Bobby,” “Know That” and other tracks.

So please enjoy this Black History Month celebration of Burt Bacharach’s impactful work through the creation of these great Black artists.

Until next month, stay safe, sane, and kind.