Month: May 2020

Rest in peace, Betty Wright: “Clean Up Woman” (1971)

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Soul singer Betty Wright passed away today at the age of 66. Wright technically started her singing career before she turned three. She was a member of Echoes of Joy, a group that featured her whole family, in Miami in 1956. It wasn't until ten years later, at the age of 13, that she recorded … Continue reading Rest in peace, Betty Wright: “Clean Up Woman” (1971)

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Rest in peace, Little Richard: “Long Tall Sally” (1956)

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Richard Penniman passed away today at the age of 87. Like anything about Little Richard, that sentence doesn't tell the whole story. Little Richard began his recording career in 1951 with RCA Victor. His early sides for them, including "Taxi Blues," didn't go anywhere on the charts. But in 1956 the world changed. Richard, recording … Continue reading Rest in peace, Little Richard: “Long Tall Sally” (1956)

New this week in ’70: May 2

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(Tin soldiers and Nixon coming. Photo credit: KSU photojournalism student and Valley Daily News staffer John Filo, who won a Pulitzer prize for this image.) May 2, 1970 It's a Saturday, and just after midnight hundreds of Kent State students went into downtown breaking windows and causing commotion in an anti-war protest. This led to … Continue reading New this week in ’70: May 2

Rest in peace, Millie Small: “My Boy Lollipop” (1964)

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(Millie poses with her LP. Credit: Getty Images) Millie Small, known as the "Blue Beat Girl," passed away on May 5 at the age of 73 due to complications from a stroke. A native of Jamaica, Small had been living in England since 1973. Small was first discovered in a talent contest in Jamaica at … Continue reading Rest in peace, Millie Small: “My Boy Lollipop” (1964)