Music Archives - Roy Shuler - Actor. Print Model. Blogger. Voice Actor. Inspirational Speaker.

🎵 Happy African-American Music Appreciation/Black Music Month 🎵

Roy / June 1, 2024

Decreed by former and 39th President Jimmy Carter on June 7, 1979, it took a score plus a year for the bill to pass through Congress in 2000 to make this annual celebration official. Without question, music made by Black Americans has had a profound impact on music made in America and throughout the world. While criticisms arise when Black artists are inducted almost annually into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, here are the facts: • 60% of the their inaugural class of 10 performers in 1986 were Black: Chuck Berry, James Brown & The Famous Flames, Ray Charles, Sam Cooke, Fats Domino, and Richard Penniman, aka Little Richard. The other esteemed inductees were: The Everly Brothers, Buddy Holly, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Elvis Presley. • 65% of the following class of 17 performers in 1987 were also Black: The Coasters, Bo Diddley, Aretha Franklin (the first female), Marvin Gaye, Louis Jordan, B. B. King, Clyde McPhatter (the first three-time inductee – solo, The Drifters, The Dominoes), Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, Big Joe Turner, Muddy Waters, and Jackie Wilson. The other esteemed inductees were: Eddie Cochran, Bill Haley, (Jerry) Lieber & (Mike) Stoller, Ricky Nelson, Roy Orbison, and Carl Perkins. So, according to the pundits and learned folk, at its foundation, almost two-thirds of those artists who were recognized as the creators of Rock and Roll music, a genre not normally associated with Black people, are from this very same group. The music of legendary groups like The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Who, The Police, while clearly brilliant in its own right, was heavily influenced by the similarly-hued artists whose inductions are sometimes met with controversy. I’m just sayin’. 🎶 Happy African American Music Appreciation/Black Music Month 🎶

Blog, Music

A Little Respect When I Come Home…

Roy / December 10, 2022

Many may recognize those words as a line from the late Aretha Franklin’s anthemic 1967 hit song ‘Respect.’ What many may not know is that the song was written, performed, and released two years earlier by her Atlantic Records label mate (via a distribution with Stax Records), the legendary Otis Redding. I heard a lot of Otis’ music growing up courtesy of my father. He always sounded so gritty, so emotional, so soulful…and so old! When I became a huge fan of his as a young adult, I couldn’t believe that he was only 26 years old when he died. Otis, along with four members of his backup band, The Bar-Kays, died in a plane crash 55 years ago today. A few months later, his signature song, (Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay, became the first posthumous number one song in the history of Billboard’s Hot 100 chart. It won two Grammy Awards a year later: Best R&B Song and Best Male R&B Vocal Performance. When I listen to Otis, he still sounds so gritty, so emotional, and so soulful. I’m glad that’ll never get old.

Blog, Music

Well, I Guess I AM Getting Old (er)…

Roy / November 30, 2022

Today marks the 40th anniversary of the release of the best-selling album of all time: Thriller. And I was there. I remember the build up with the release of the lead off single, ‘The Girl is Mine,’ a duet between Michael Jackson and former Beatle Paul McCartney. A couple of months later saw the release of ‘Billie Jean.’ Everything changed for me after that. As if the bass line and synthesizer chord changes weren’t hypnotizing enough, when I checked out the lyrics, I was done. Or so I thought. Then came the video that signaled the beginning of a new day for the still fledgling MTV network as it kicked opened doors for other Black artists to have their videos played as well. THEN came the iconic performance in May 1983 on Motown 25 that sent him into the stratosphere. While his legacy has been tainted by noticeable physical changes, sensational accusations regarding his personal behavior, and odd decisions in general, let’s briefly go back to a time when Michael Jackson could do no wrong.

Blog, Music

Black Rock & Roll

Roy / June 1, 2022

Sounds like a contradiction in terms, doesn’t it? Well, in commemoration of the launch of Black Music Month, humbly, allow me to demystify this for you. In launching the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame back in 1986, six of the 10 charter performing members were Black: Chuck Berry, James Brown, Ray Charles, Sam Cooke, Fats Domino, and Richard Penniman, better known as Little Richard. The following year, 10 of the next 15 performing inductees were also Black: The Coasters, Bo Diddley, Aretha Franklin, Marvin Gaye, B. B. King, Clyde McPhatter, Smokey Robinson, Big Joe Turner, Muddy Waters, and Jackie Wilson. So statistically, almost two-thirds of the individuals who pundits deemed were at the foundation of what is referred to as Rock and Roll emanated from folks who are not traditionally associated with the genre. Now mind you, I’m a fan of all kinds of music and artists. I admire and am a fan of Elvis Presley, The Everly Brothers, Buddy Holly, The Rolling Stones, Frank Sinatra, James Taylor, The Police, Journey, Sting, and the like; White artists who are more often associated with the term ‘Rock and Roll.’ But let’s not be confused. It is commonly known that the origins of this music were the ‘sanitized’ reinterpretations of Rhythm and Blues, music made primarily by Black artists. None other than charter member Ray Charles said it this way. So, should you choose to visit the website for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and see names like Jay Z, LL Cool J, and Public Enemy, kindly go back to the roots.