Dancing in the Street: Our 25 Favorite Motown Songs
Detroit’s Motown Records will forever be important as a hit factory and an African American-owned label that achieved massive mainstream success and influence.
motown
King Garbage’s Beautiful Mess of a Sophomore Album Is a Garage-Soul Classic
From marching band drums to gritty guitar lines to hip-hop beats, the dusty anything-goes soul-pop approach of King Garbage doesn’t have any contemporaries.
He’s the Leader: An Interview with Aretha’s “Main Man” Fonzi Thornton
From the Apollo Theater to the Kennedy Center, acclaimed vocalist Fonzi Thornton shares untold stories from his solo career and his prolific stage work with Diana Ross, Bryan Ferry, Aretha Franklin, and other music legends.
Making a Masterpiece: An Interview with Legendary Composer Valerie Simpson
Fifty years after Ashford & Simpson gave Diana Ross her first number one solo hit with "Ain't No Mountain High Enough", Valerie Simpson reflects on a lifetime of writing chart-topping anthems for Motown and beyond.
Johnny Nash Refused to Remember His Place
Johnny Nash, part rock era crooner, part Motown, and part reggae, was too polite for the more militant wing of the Civil Rights movement, but he also suffered at the hands of a racist music industry that wouldn't market him as a Black heartthrob. Through it all he was himself, as he continuously refused to "remember his place".
29 Black Music Documentaries for Black History Month 2020
For Black History Month 2020, we are showcasing films and videos featuring Black American artists. Enjoy them and learn about the origin of each Black music legend featured.
Perfect Harmony: An Interview with Legendary Vocal Group the Waters
From Phil Spector's Wall of Sound to 20 Feet from Stardom, Julia, Maxine, Luther, and Oren Waters reflect on their six-decade career, including historic sessions with Herbie Hancock, Neil Diamond, Michael Jackson, and countless other music legends.
On the Raydio: An Interview with Ray Parker, Jr.
With a documentary and new album slated for 2020, GRAMMY-winning legend Ray Parker, Jr. reflects on his career from Motown to "Ghostbusters" and beyond.
Mississippi to MoWest: An Interview with Grammy-Winning Legend Thelma Houston
On the eve of premiering her new single "ISLY (I Still Love You)", soul legend Thelma Houston revisits her landmark debut for Motown's boutique label, MoWest.
Aretha Franklin: Context, Intersectionality, and the Rock Canon
Viewing Aretha Franklin's work through a focus on race, gender, and other categories of analysis can challenge us to do the same with all music, acknowledging how multiple points of oppression and privilege impact the production, consumption, and reception of a wide range of music.
Bobby Darin at Motown
A new compilation has unearthed experiments in soul music made by pop legend Bobby Darin at his final recording home. Charles Donovan talks to its compilers/producers, Joe Marchese and Andrew Skurow.
Ready for Her Cue: An Interview with Soul Legend Valerie Simpson
With dazzle, flair, and "all that jazz", Songwriters Hall of Fame legend Valerie Simpson makes her Broadway debut as Matron "Mama" Morton in Chicago: The Musical.