Thomas “Blind Tom” Wiggins was a blind piano prodigy so popular that it has been alleged that he was the highest-paid pianist of the 19th Century. Wiggins was celebrated for his ability, but his success came at the price of his dignity. Wiggins was born May 25, 1849 to slave parents, Charity and Mingo Wiggins […]
After dropping his critically lauded Black Messiah, D’Angelo, was the featured guest on a J.K. Simmons-hosted episode of ‘Saturday Night Live.’ The sketch comedy show featured…
Gil-Scott Heron is a groundbreaking musician/poet whose work was sampled by many hip-hop artists. His song “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised” is one of the most iconic protest songs of all time. Unfortunately, his career – and his genius – was curtailed by drug addiction. Marcus Baram is the author of Gil Scott-Heron: Pieces […]
While the HBO biopic still doesn’t have a release date, the network has let loose the first pictures of Queen Latifah as iconic Blues singer Bessie Smith in a small-screen…
Basically, the Lifetime movie Aaliyah Princess of R&B, which aired on Saturday night, was an epic fail for Lifetime. Even casting director Twinkie Byrd tweeted that she’d have to “pick herself up, dust herself off and try all over again.” Black Twitter was brutal, creating the trending topics #LifetimeDisrespectsAaliyah and #LifetimeBeLike, complete with hilarious miscasting […]
Yup, Beyonce’s baby sis has indeed tied the knot. Solange Knowles, 28, married video director Alan Ferguson, 51 in New Orleans on Sunday in front of 200 family and friends, according to People.com. Rumors of the impending marriage trickled out a few days ago and surprisingly most details were right – according to reports, Solange […]
BEIJING (AP) — President Barack Obama is awarding the Presidential Medal of Freedom to 19 people, including Meryl Streep and Stevie Wonder. The two performers are among those who will receive the medal at a White House ceremony Nov. 24. The medal is the highest honor granted to civilians in the U.S. and honors contributions […]
GLASGOW, Scotland (AP) — Nicki Minaj rapped about shortbread and Ariana Grande capped a breakthrough year with two trophies as the MTV Europe Music Awards celebrated its 20th anniversary Sunday with a Scottish-accented show in Glasgow. Grande was named best female artist and also took the best-single prize for “Problem,” one of a string of […]
For many women musician/actor Lenny Kravitz now 50, is a reason to believe that some things get better with time. In an interview for the October/November issue of Uptown magazine, on stands now, the guitarist talks about getting married again, having more children and his future, among other things. Kravitz’s interview comes amid the release of his […]
Musical prodigy Dean Dixon made history by becoming the first African-American to conduct the New York Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra. Although Dixon’s race barred him from success domestically, he went on to achieve global recognition for his talents. Dixon was born January 10, 1915 in Harlem to Caribbean parents. Dixon learned the violin at age three […]
Philippa Schuyler was a New York City child prodigy who achieved fame in the 1930s and 40s because of her musical talents but also her mixed-raced parentage. Acknowledged as the “Shirley Temple of American Negroes,” Schuyler found fame as a pianist, but tragedy struck when she realized she was nothing more than a social experiment […]
Attempting to list all the achievements of musician, producer and guitarist Nile Rodgers is nearly impossible. His career, which began when he was still a teenager has spanned over 40 years and he remains as a vital part of the music industry. Rodgers was born September 19, 1952 in New York. In a revealing 2013 […]
