During a recent interview Blair Underwood, the talented actor who has long maintained a regular presence on television and the big screen, says he would love to have the opportunity to portray Marvin Gaye.
People tell me all the time that my memory amazes them. I have a head full of facts, statistics, songs, etc. I can recall, in great detail, people, events and conversations going way back, plus there are always new things to pick up on.
In 1968, when I was two years old (okay, stop laughing!), Dusty Springfield (a great singer with a soulful, sexy voice) recorded a fantastic song titled “Son of a Preacher Man” that was destined to become a classic.
Two major events that were symbolic of what Metro Detroit is about during the summer months — the Comerica TasteFest and the Michigan State Fair — came to a rather abrupt end.
At a time when most popular songs deal with matters of the heart and/or the flesh, or just having a good time, it is interesting to reflect on the fact that music can be and has often been used as a human rights and ethnic pride tool.
In 2001, when the debut album of Alicia Keys, “Songs In A Minor” featuring the No. 1 hit “Fallin’,” was released, the industry and the public took more than casual notice. The assumption was that a new star had arrived, one who would have staying power.
In the 12-issue “Grounded” storyline the Man of Steel opts to walk through various American cities. His second stop in issue 702, released Aug. 11 is Detroit.
Smokey Robinson once wrote a song titled “The Day You Take One, You Have to Take the Other,” and there is a lot of truth in those words, nowhere more so than in show business.
The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is the trade organization that, among other things, tracks the sales of recordings. Those that reach certain sales marks are certified accordingly — Gold (500,000 copies sold), Platinum (1 million), Multi-Platinum (1 million plus), Diamond (10 million). A select few albums have gone way beyond Diamond.
