Music
Beyonce’s Musical Clap Back, “Formation”…
Discontentment in this country is at an all-time high, as we look at blacks in this area.
Discontentment in this country is at an all-time high, as we look at blacks in this area. The Civil Rights Movement of ’58 to the ’60s had their anthems at the time, and this is not only one to be applied today, but on the flip side speaks to black feminism as well. The hype machine has taken it to another level, because it happens to be Queen Bey herself doing the talking.
Beyonce formation
Now I will admit, that I wasn’t a true Beyoncé fan in the beginning, (please don’t get at me Beyhive), but the more she’s forged her lane she’s become grittier, and is finding her “voice” along the way. Now, for that I’ve become a fan for sure and being a music fanatic, I’m loving the immense diversity that she shows with each musical project (although my all-time fave is still 2013’s Beyoncé…it will take A LOT for her to move me from that project). No coincidence that she drops this during Black History Month, among Trayvon’s and Sandra Bland’s birthdays, but she and her team analyze the waters and know when to drop blood in it.
“Formation” touches upon a lot of Black Pride on all levels, and she should be applauded for her turn at bat. She’s raising her “Down South” flag and glorifying who she is at the core. Yes, she’s married to Sean Carter (Jay Z) and makes a lot of money, but saying all that to say, she’s still black and a black woman at the end of the day. Telling you as a “black” woman primarily, but a woman in general that you can achieve success. Let’s be real here…she didn’t come from money, so she achieved her success the old-fashioned way, she earned it.
Some white people seem to think they can relate to our journeys, but you simply can’t. So instead you try to pick apart things that you can’t or won’t understand. Which is why things are so up in arms around not only the song, the video, but Beyoncé’s Super Bowl performance. Let’s not get confused behind the imagery of the performance, but what it as a whole stood for. There are things going on in this world against “people of color”, and what is going on in the USA is taking us backwards and becoming the new Civil Rights Movement in itself. This is reality and is happening, and the truth that’s she’s speaking. Society would love for us to just take a back seat, and not take offense to our plight…but why should we?
This body of work that Beyoncé has presented to the world, is impactful in many ways in which it was intended. You can’t deny the messages and imagery that she shows you, just like the events that are happening right now in the world. She just happened to bring it to you with a one, two punch. BOOM!
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Black Excellence
In Memoriam: Cissy Houston (September 30, 1933 – October 7, 2024)
Cissy Houston, beloved soul and gospel singer and mother to Whitney Houston, has died at age 91 from Alzheimer’s.
Cissy Houston, beloved soul and gospel singer and mother to Whitney Houston, has died.
She was 91.
Cissy Houston dies at 91
Houston, a two-time Grammy winner, passed away at her home earlier this morning in New Jersey, according to her daughter-in-law Pat Houston. Houston, who was surrounded by her family, was under hospice care for Alzheimer’s disease.
“Our hearts are filled with pain and sadness. We loss the matriarch of our family,” the family shared in a statement.
“Mother Cissy has been a strong and towering figure in our lives. A woman of deep faith and conviction, who cared greatly about family, ministry, and community. Her more than seven-decade career in music and entertainment will remain at the forefront of our hearts.”
Music career
Born as Emily Drinkard on September 30, 1933 in Newark, N.J., Houston started performing in church at an early age, singing with her family’s gospel act before getting into in popular music in the 1960s as a member of the group The Sweet Inspirations with Doris Troy and her niece Dee Dee Warwick. The group sang backup for a variety of soul singers including Lou Rawls, The Drifters, and Otis Redding. They also sang backup for Dionne Warwick, who is also Houston’s neice.
Houston’s many credits included Franklin’s “Think” and ”(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman,” Van Morrison’s “Brown Eyed Girl” and Dusty Springfield’s “Son of a Preacher Man.” The Sweet Inspirations had their own top 20 single with the soul-rock “Sweet Inspiration”.
Houston was one of the top in-demand studio session singers and recorded more than 600 songs in multiple genres throughout her career. Her vocals can be heard on tracks alongside a wide range of artists including Luther Vandross, Beyoncé, Donny Hathaway, Jimi Hendrix, Chaka Khan, Roberta Flack, Paul Simon, and her daughter Whitney Houston.
She inspired the youth
Cissy love her hometown of Newark and often spent much time there, presiding for decades over the Youth Inspirational Choir at Newark’s New Hope Baptist Church and was also the church’s musical director, where Whitney Houston sang as a child.
Cissy Houston and Whitney Houston
When she was not directing the youth choir, she was guiding her daughter’s music career.
Whitney Houston made her debut on national television when she and Cissy Houston sang a medley of Franklin hits on “The Merv Griffin Show”.
They would later sing together often in concert and appeared in the 1996 film “The Preacher’s Wife.” Cissy also appeared in the video for one of Whitney’s biggest songs from the mid-1980s, “Greatest Love of All.” The video was filmed as a mother-daughter homage.
Whitney would predecease her mother in 2012 at 48 years old, when she was found unconscious in a bathtub at the Beverly Hills hotel over Grammy weekend.
Several years later in 2015, her granddaughter, Bobbi Kristina, passed away at only 22 years old from similar circumstances like her mother. She was found unconscious in a bathtub causing her to be put on life support before she passed.
Life for Cissy Houston
After her daughter’a death, Cissy wrote a book entitled Remembering Whitney, detailing her life in New Jersey while also honoring her daughter’s legacy.
Gilda Rogers interviews Cissy Houston
Cissy Houston was briefly married to Freddie Garland in the 1950s and had one son, Gary Garland. Garland was a guard for the Denver Nuggets and later sang on many of Whitney Houston’s tours. Cissy Houston then married Whitney’s father, entertainment executive John Russell Houston, from 1959-1990. In addition to Whitney, the Houstons also had a son named Michael.
Cissy Houston was the youngest of eight children of a factory worker and a housewife. She was just 5 when she and three siblings founded the Drinkard Singers, a gospel group that lasted 30 years, performing on the same bill as Mahalia Jackson among others and releasing the 1959 album “A Joyful Noise.”
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Music
Grammy Award-Winner Rudy Currence Releases New Single “God Don’t Cancel Me”
Grammy and Dove Award-winning producer, songwriter, and multi-#1 Billboard recording artist Rudy Currence, in partnership with TRIBL Music Group, has released his new single, “God Don’t Cancel Me.”
About the song
Blending rich gospel and pop harmonies with contemporary production, “God Don’t Cancel Me” showcases Rudy’s signature soulful style and speaks to today’s world where ‘cancel culture’ dominates. The single draws inspiration from his previous award-winning works while pushing the boundaries of his sound with lyrics that will deeply resonate with listeners.
“This song reflects the world we live in, where ‘cancel culture’ dominates,” said Rudy. “With this song, I want to remind people that God’s grace is unwavering. No matter how many mistakes we make, we’re always accepted and will be okay.”
About Rudy Currence
Described by his fans as simply an “Experience,” Rudy is a South Carolina native currently residing in Atlanta.
His writing production credits include songs for the iconic Quincy Jones and Gospel legend Karen Clark Sheard, among many others. He has also worked alongside Lecrae, David Banner, Kirk Franklin and Jazmine Sullivan.
Rudy’s single, “I Belong Here,” exploded onto the Billboard charts in 2021, holding the #1 spot in Gospel Airplay for two consecutive weeks, along with the #1 Gospel Songwriter spot – one of only six writers to hold this title. He achieved another #1 Billboard hit with the release of “No Greater Love,” featuring Chrisette Michele. His highly anticipated album, “Stained Glass Windows,” was released in April 2023, along with his latest radio single, “Ransom.”
Check out Rudy on Instagram.
Listen to “God Don’t Cancel Me”
The track is available now on all music platforms.
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Unheard Voices Magazine is a news reporting platform covered under Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research.
Entertainment
In Memoriam: Tito Jackson (1953 – 2024)
Tito Jackson, a founding member of the Jackson 5 along with his brothers Jackie, Jermaine, Marlon and Michael, has died at 70.
Tito Jackson, a founding member of the Jackson 5 who, along with his brothers Jackie, Jermaine, Marlon and Michael, became a teen heartthrob in the 1970s, has died.
He was 70.
Passing details on Tito Jackson
According to a statement released by a spokesperson for the family, Jackson died Sunday from a heart attack while driving to Oklahoma from New Mexico. Jackson had been recently living in Oklahoma, about 25 miles northeast of Tulsa, reports Tulsa World.
He told the publication that he ‘found the peace he was looking for’ in the small city of about 20,000 residents.
‘I always wanted to get away from the West Coast and experience living somewhere with new people and new culture,’ Jackson said.
The singer also revealed his family had some roots in nearby city of Tulsa, where his uncle Samuel Jackson ran an undertaking business in 1917.
Jackson said his uncle’s business was burned down during the Tulsa Race Massacre in 1921, but they were able to rebuild the funeral home.
Tito Jackson’s music career
Toriano Adaryll Jackson was born on Oct. 15, 1953, in Gary to Joe and Katherine (Scruse) Jackson. Tito was the charming guitarist in the Jackson 5, a skill he said he picked up by watching his father. The elder Mr. Jackson died in 2018.
Tito was the second oldest, after Jackie, followed in age by Jermaine, Marlon and Michael.
The Jackson 5 was a household name in the 1970s, regularly appearing on television, sometimes next to Cher or Diana Ross. With more than a dozen albums with a line of hits that included “ABC” and “I’ll Be There”, their music was a soundtrack for a young generation.
Legacy
Tito is survived by his three sons Taj, 41, Taryll, 39, and TJ, 46 – who were in the band 3T – and nine grandchildren.
Tito’s sons shared a picture and an emotional tribute to their father, writing: ‘It’s with heavy hearts that we announce that our beloved father, Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Tito Jackson is no longer with us.
“We are shocked, saddened and heartbroken. Our father was an incredible man who cared about everyone and their well-being.
‘Some of you may know him as Tito Jackson from the legendary Jackson 5, some may know him as “Coach Tito” or some know him as “Poppa T.”
‘Nevertheless, he will be missed tremendously. It will forever be “Tito Time” for us. Please remember to do what our father always preached and that is “Love One Another.” We love you Pops. Your boys, Taj, Taryll and TJ.’
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Unheard Voices Magazine is a news reporting platform covered under Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research.
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