Tag: music history
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The Songs I Loved: Queen Latifah’s “Come Into My House”
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“welcome into my queendom, come one, come all…,” the opening line of the first verse of queen latifah’s 1990 hip-hop/house track “come into my house” was an invitation into her world, extended to those of us who were either exiled from or denied entry into kingdoms that valued hyper-masculinity and…
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The Songs I Loved: Sarah McLachlan’s “Adia”
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in 1998, my relationship with my younger brother nicholas was strained. we were so young (me 21 and he 18 years old) and on our own. looking back, i realize now just how much we carried on our young shoulders and how much of that prevented us from carrying each…
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THE GOOD GIRLS
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by the late 80’s, motown records, the label that invented the r&b cross-over sound in the 60’s, was struggling to remain relevant. with new jack swing dominating radio, motown signed several young acts to compete with the musical landscape. the good girls were one of those acts. in late 1989,…
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Madonna’s “Vogue” Is A Whole Three Decades Old, Y’all!
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in 1990, madonna was arguably the most popular and consistent pop artist on the planet. at the time, she had already sold millions upon millions of records and amassed an astounding 17 consecutive top 10 singles. sixteen of the singles reached top 5 including 7 number ones on the billboard…
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KENNY GREENE
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it has been almost 20 years since the death of singer and prolific songwriter, kenny greene. sadly, his death was shrouded in hiv stigma and biphobia. kenny greene was the dynamic mastermind behind 90’s r&b trio INTRO. born in detroit, michigan, kenny, was inspired to put a trio together after…
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DAVID COLE
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in the late 1980’s and early 1990’s, david cole, one half of c&c music factory, wrote and produced some of dance music’s biggest pop hits. today we celebrate his life and his musical legacy. david was a brilliant piano player who got his start remixing songs as he was DJing…
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30 Years Ago, I Discovered Who I Was and Who I Would Become Through Music
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i love anniversaries. they provide a moment of celebration and reflection. and as person who loves history, especially that of pop culture and music, anniversaries are a huge fuckin’ deal for me. why am i sharing this? well, 1990 in my opinion, is the best year in music. DON’T @…
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GWEN GUTHRIE
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dubbed the queen of paradise garage, the notable and beloved new york night clubs of the 1980’s, gwen guthrie entered the mainstream pop music consciousness with her 1986 hit, “ain’t nothing going on but the rent.” the song helped her garner a wider audience but by that time, gwen was…
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JERMAINE STEWART
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born on september 7, 1957, in columbia, ohio, jermaine, who was already a budding entertainer, got his first taste of fame when became a soul dancer after his family moved to chicago in 1972. jermaine became a local celebrity and when the show relocated to los angeles, jermaine, along with…
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SHANNON
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as a kid in the early half of the the 1980′s, i’d watch as my mother and her gay friends shuffle through a crate of vinyl records to choose a song to dance to. one of those songs was “let the music play” by shannon. my mother’s friend, josie, a Black…
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SYLVESTER
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“i get this conformist shit from queens all the time. they always want to read me. they always want me to do it their way. i am not going to conform to the gay lifestyle as they see it and that’s for sure.” – sylvester sylvesterjames jr. september 6, 1947…