Lucille Bogan

Lucille Bogan was born Lucille Anderson in Amory, Mississippi on 1 April 1897. In 1923 Lucille recorded for the first time in Atlanta, Georgia. Perhaps the public was not yet ready for the young Lucille with future legends like Ma Rainey and Bessie Smith still reigning as queens. Lucille Bogan returned in 1927 under the pseudonym of "Bessie Jackson." The pseudonym seemed to get her some notice due to the popularity of Bessie Smith. Lucille bogan wrote and arranged many of her popular songs which covered every theme from sex, prostitution, Alcoholism, drug addiction, lesbianism and yes…more sex! The question most often asked about Lucille Bogan was if she really lived the lascivious lifestyle portrayed in her music?

Rumor has it she came by her material through her associations with the Birmingham, Alabama underworld. It’s also rumored that in 1927 she was having an affair with her piano man, Will Ezell while she was still married to Nazareth Lee Bogan Sr. [Lucille's husband of 11 years at the time]. There were songs like, Barbecue Bess [no relation] (1935) where Lucille sang about a sign on her door stating, "Barbecue for Sale" and she wasn’t talking about the kind of barbeque you eat with cole slaw on a bun. There were other songs like Groceries on the Shelf (1933) and Stew Meat Blues (1935) which also carried the theme of prostitution.

Songs with lesbian themes included, B.D. Woman's Blues and the forthright Women Won’t Need No Men. Her true sexual preference was never truly revealed and this is how she wanted it. One of Lucille Bogan’s most popular songs was the risqué hit, Shave ‘Em Dry (1935):

“…Grind me honey and shave me dry,
And when you hear me holler baby,
want you to shave it dry…
Oh, daddy shave me dry,
And I'll give you somethin' baby,
swear it'll make you cry."

Honestly, I didn’t have the guts to post the most explicit parts of the song. Check it out for yourself. Shave ‘Em Dry stands as the most sexually explicit recording that is as old as the Blues itself. Yes, this would make her the queen of “nasty.” Well, at least in the 2oth Century. So, Lil’ Kim , 2 Live Crew, and all the rest of the artist who thought that they were "As Nasty As They Wanna Be"…think again. However, with all due respect Lucille Bogan was a serious Blues artist who did her research and gave the people what the wanted on a juke joint Saturday night. Hip Hop artist like the Notorious B.I.G. would do the same type of research for some of his more nefarious material some 60 years later. Bogan’s last recordings were done in 1935. She would go on to perform at different venues for years afterwards, but her recording career was no longer. She left the South and moved to Los Angeles in 1948. Unfortunately, she died a couple of months after on August 10, 1948 from Coronary Sclerosis. Lucille Bogan was 51 years old.

Sources and photo credit: wikipedia.com, redhotjazz.com, and deltahaze.com

The Lighter Side of the Blues

Video time: 2:00
This little lady can sing the blues! This is a 4 year old young lady by the name of Nia singing Strange Fruit by Billie Holiday. I found this on Youtube. She is wonderful. I'll be back with more women and Blues next week. Enjoy your weekend. Peace~

Savannah Churchill: Sho' Nuff Blues

Savannah Churchill, the original Queen of Rhythm & the sho nuff Blues. Savannah was born in Colfax, Louisiana on August 21, 1920 from Creole parents. Jobs and opportunities were scarce in places like Colfax, Louisiana so the Churchill family joined the African Migration North. The family packed their things and moved to Brooklyn, New York where Savannah would grow up to become a fine young lady. Savannah’s experience started out just like any experience for African American New Yorkers in the 1930’s. This was during America's Great Depression. However, it was business as usual for many of the black immigrants from the Southern United States. Struggle was their life's story and the Blues was their soundtrack.

Savannah married young, but the marriage was cut short when her husband died in a car accident. The tragedy left the 20 year old Savannah with two children to support on her own. Savannah set out to find work and the year was 1941. While many black women of the time would’ve searched for work as a domestic Savannah decided to pursue a career in singing. She felt she had a good chance to make it in the business. Besides, she was young, pretty, and she possessed a beautiful, smoky alto voice. So, Savannah set out and played gigs in different spots around town. Soon people began to know about this Creole sensation from Brooklyn by way of Colfax, LA. By 1942 Savannah had recorded two hit singles with Beacon Records. The songs were the risqué “Fat Meat is Good Meat” and “Two Faced Man.” The success from these songs and the exposure launched Savannah Churchill’s singing career. Her other hits included the songs, “I Want to Be Loved,” “Once There Lived A Fool,” and “Ain'tcha Glad I Love You.”

Savannah enjoyed success throughout the 1940s and '50s singing all over the country including an invitation to sing in Honolulu, Hawaii in 1954. Unfortunately, tragedy would strike a second time. The year was 1956. Savannah was singing on stage one evening when a drunken man fell from a balcony above her. The man’s full weight fell on top of Savannah; this incident, coupled with fate, would end the career of a beautiful and talented singer. Death, however, did not arrive in an instant. According to Savannah Churchill’s granddaughter, Audrey Churchill, Savannah Churchill developed cancer of the esophagus from years of cigarette smoking. She stated:

“While she did suffer for quite some time as a result of the injury from the man falling on her during her performance, she did not die from that injury. My grandmother was a smoker, as were most people during that time, and she developed cancer of her esophogus, which permanently ended any possibilities of singing. The operations for treating the cancer meant she was in and out of the hospital many times over the years. However, later she fell down the stairs and broke her hip, which landed her back into the hopital where she developed pneumonia and died. She was survived by her mother Hazel Roberts, who continued to live in the house well into 1990's.”

Savannah Churchill died on April 19, 1974 at the age of 53. Savannah Churchill, the original Queen of Rhythm & the sho nuff Blues.

Note: To read more about Savannah Churchill's life and family please visit the websites and comments of this post.

Sources and Photo credit: http://www.group-harmony.com/, Audrey Churchill, and Wikipedia.org

Women and the Blues

I think that all of you would agree that women definitely experience the blues. As a matter of fact, if we look at the Blues guitar as a symbol of the Blues women would represent the moan and shrilling sound the bottle neck produces as it slides down the throat of the instrument. Yes, women know all about the blues. I want to share my thoughts about the blues and women in my upcoming post. Stay tuned. Peace~

Photo Credit: Bill Steber photography

Poetry: Thomas Bess Jr.

I wanted to leave you guys with a little poetry for the weekend. A couple of you have already seen this video, but I wanted to share it with the rest of the community. The artist is my younger brother Thomas. His music and life is based in Atlanta, GA. He is a spoken word artist, painter, brother, and friend. Thomas is featured on a few cd's in the business, but his latest solo effort is called Action Theory . This is Thomas' first solo cd and it is tight! The best has yet to come. For sentimental reasons, I'm still attached to his premiere cd as a member of the Atlanta based group, Jason Blackwell. the cd is titled, Urban Experimentalist. The featured video performance can not be heard on either cd, but it's definitely worth hearing. Keep in mind that some of the language may offend. Also, I did the camera work so forgive the bootleg quality of the video. *smile* Enjoy your weekend. Peace~

Lesole's Dance Project

Last night, I had the pleasure of seeing my daughter, Thakabasadi Sato perform at the Kennedy Center's Millennium Stage. She's a dancer with Lesole's Dance Project. Lesole Maine (pronounced: Mah ee nay) is a very talented dancer and performer from South Africa. He has assembled a terrific group of young dancers here in the states and they were definite crowd pleasers at the Kennedy Center for Performing Arts last evening. The performance was more like a story book in dance. They performed traditional South African dance which spoke honor to the ancestors. The story continued as they transported us in time to the turmoil of the Apartheid system. This included a backdrop of film footage accompanied with protest chants and high stomping defiance against the injustice. They ended it with the fancy footwork of Hip-Hop and the influences it has had on South African music and youth (see Kwaito). You know I acted a fool as all fathers will when they see their child on stage. Yes, I've seen her on stage before, but this was the Kennedy Center! It meant a lot to her. I wasn't too bad though. My wife only slapped me upside the head once because I yelled out something in Sesotho when they hit one of their moves. It was great! We were not allowed to take any pictures of the performance, but here are a few that we took afterwards.

Momma, Thaka, & Wife

From left: Me , Mom, Thaka & Wife

There was tremendous support from family and friends. We all had a great time just talking and laughing after the performance. In the end, Ke isa masapo ho beng (translation: I'm taking the bones back to the owners). Lesole taught me that! Yes, I was sleepy and it was time for bed. Peace~

VA Tech Tribute

Geoffrey Philp has a touching tribute for everyone affected by the terrible events that took place at Virginia Tech yesterday. God bless them all. Peace~

Journal Entry: Poetry

Journal Entry
Written by: Kevin

The School for Arts and Learning
Friday April 30, 1999
Kevin was 10 years old

A Hyena is wild
Some people are wild
Bees Fly
Birds fly
Toys light up
Street lights come on at night
I need a pint of milk to make my cake
I drink a pint of milk sometimes
Sly means sneaky
Sly means you get into somebody business
I grind with two sticks

Weekend reading: Ernest J Gaines

Bloodline: Five Stories
Written by Ernest J. Gaines
Category: Fiction - Literary
Format: Trade Paperback, 256 pages
ISBN: 978-0-679-78165-3 (0-679-78165-X)

This will be my reading this weekend from author, Ernest J Gaines. I admire him as an author and historic preservationist of African American culture. His work speaks to my heart. Thank you Mr. Gaines. Enjoy your weekend everyone. Peace~

Thursday Thoughts

Hello everyone. I thought I would just share a few of my thoughts this afternoon. It’s been a really busy day here at work and it has reminded me how important it is to do what you love in life. I like the way that Aaron Neville said it in his 1966 hit, Tell it like it is:

“Life is too short to have sorrow
You may be here today and gone tomorrow
You might as well get what you want
So go on and live
Baby go on live”

It would be wise of us to make the best of this ephemeral existence (on earth) given to us by God. We should strive to do all the things most important to us and with all of our might. For me, I will strive to pray with all my might. I will love with all my might. I will hope with all my might and I will live with all my might. I’m not really sure where this road in life will take me, but I know I will not be alone. Enjoy your weekend and accomplish something. Peace~

Photography: School House

My grandfather's old school house in

Hassell, North Carolina

Population: 72

Photo info: I took this picture in December of 2006. The school housed children in grades primary through secondary. There was some rain the day I took this picture. I love the way the rain made the brick steps glisten. It also gave the old building a slightly different shade.

A Psalm for the Times

I want to share with you one of my favorite Psalm . I hope you all have a wonderful weekend. I hope for many blessings to you and your loved ones on this holiday weekend. Peace~

DC Riots of 1968

The corner of 14th and U Street in Northwest DC

The date was Thursday, April 4, 1968. It was time for change. If you were somewhere around the corner of 14th and U Street (Little Harlem) in Washington, D.C. things would’ve seemed normal. Unbeknownst to the people, it would become a transitional period in this nation’s history. It was early in the evening and there were people moving about. Black people. There were nurses, police officers, prostitutes, construction workers, pick-pockets, pimps, and preachers just carrying on like any other day. I often imagine that day even though I was just an eight month old baby living in Northeast Washington, D.C. with my parents.

I imagine a young black man walking down 14th Street that day in 1968. He's carrying a small transistor radio. The radio is playing Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell’s new hit, Ain’t nothing like the real thing. He seems to enjoy it as he smiles and pops his fingers to the melody. Suddenly, the song is interrupted and the disc jockey’s voice comes over the radio. He isn’t his usually exciting self. His tone is low-spirited and sad. The young man first stopped to see if anything was wrong with his new radio and then he heard the disc jockey announce that Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was shot and killed in Memphis. In disbelief, the young man stopped a woman on the sidewalk and asked if she'd heard about Dr. King! The woman's mouth fell opened as she placed her hand on her chest.

All around people began to stop all along the 14th and U Street corridor. They are all talking about the death of a King. It was felt all over the nation that day. In fact, the same thing was taking place in Baltimore City, 125th Street and Lenox Avenue in New York, 63rd Street and Cottage Grove in Chicago, and Third and McLeiuore in Memphis. The nation stopped. Again, it was a transitional period for the descendants of Africans in America. The cool and non-violent Negroes of the Dr. King era were quickly becoming volatile, hot, and Black!

Violence erupted in at least 110 US cities. The brunt of the rioting took place in predominantly black urban areas. The worst riots were felt in Chicago, Baltimore and Washington, D.C. The government ordered 22,000 federal troops and 34, 000 national guard to aid local police departments. The atmosphere was complete pandemonium. The Godfather of Soul, James Brown, appeared on national television to urge the people to not react in anger towards Dr. King's death. This did very little to put out the flames of change. Rioting continued throughout the weekend here in DC. By Sunday morning, 12 people were dead, 1,097 injured and over 6,100 were arrested. Additionally, at least 1,200 buildings were burned. 900 of those buildings were businesses. Damages were said to reach $27 million. The 1968 riots had a devastating affect on Washington's inner-city economy that can still be felt today. Nationally, state and local governments did very little to repair the damages in the largely affected/infected black areas. Many of the businesses did not return and urban decay set in. The date was April 4, 1968.


Photo credit and sources: The Progressive Review, the Smithsonian institution Research Information System, Scurlock Studios of Washington DC and Wikipedia

Books on Subject: Ten blocks from the White House: Anatomy of the Washington riots of 1968, Ben W. Gilbert, 1968
Hard Revolution, George Pelecanos, 2004

Website: larryrosen.org

Marvin Gaye: Silky Soul Singer

"...We're all sensitive people

With so much to give

Understand me, sugar

Since we got to be here

Let's live

I love you..."

Let's Get It On~Motown 1973

Marvin Pentz Gay, Jr. was born on April 2, 1939 in Washington, D.C. Marvin Gaye died on April 1, 1984 after an altercation with his father. The altercation ended when Marvin Sr. pulled out a gun and shot his son twice in the chest. [Time of death: 1:01 pm] Marvin Gaye, an American Music icon and Motown legend. Peace~

Side story: My uncle, Merrill "Boogie" Owens, [now deceased] nearly wrecked his vehicle when he heard the news on the radio about Marvin Gayes' death. He pulled over to the side of the road that afternoon and sobbed.

Photo Credit: http://www.thelincolntheatre.org/