May 7, 1946 Thelma Jackson Houston, singer, actress, and songwriter, was born in Leland, Mississippi. In 1969 Houston released her debut album, “Sunshower,” and in 1971 she signed with Motown Records. Houston’s first successful single was “You’ve Been Doing Wrong for So Long” (1974) which earned her a Grammy nomination for Best Female R&B Vocal […]
Archive | Acting RSS feed for this section
Dexter Keith Gordon – April 25th in African American History
April 25, 1990 Dexter Keith Gordon, jazz tenor saxophonist and actor, died. Gordon was born February 27, 1923 in Los Angeles, California. He played the clarinet from the age of 13 before switching to the saxophone at 15. Between 1940 and 1943, Gordon was a member of the Lionel Hampton Band and in 1943 he […]
Djimon Gaston Hounsou – April 24th in African American History
April 24, 1964 Djimon Gaston Hounsou, actor and model, was born in Cotonou, Benin. Hounsou made his film debut in the 1990 film “Without You I’m Nothing” but his breakthrough came with his portrayal of Cinque in the 1997 film “Amistad.” For that role he received wide critical acclaim and a Golden Globe Award nomination.
Roscoe Lee Browne – April 11th in African American History
April 11, 2007 Roscoe Lee Browne, actor and director, died. Browne was born May 2, 1925 in Woodbury, New Jersey. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Lincoln University in 1946 and in 1949 won the Amateur Athletic Union 1,000-yard national indoor track championship. Browne began his acting career with the Shakespeare Festival Theater and in […]
William December “Billy Dee” Williams, Jr. – April 6th in African American History
April 6, 1937 William December “Billy Dee” Williams, Jr., actor and artist, was born in New York City. Williams graduated from Manhattan’s School of Performing Arts and first appeared on Broadway in 1945 in “The Firebrand of Florence.” Other Broadway appearances include “A Taste of Honey” (1961), “I Have a Dream” (1976), and “Fences” (1988). […]
Jill Scott – April 4th in African American History
April 4, 1972 Jill Scott, singer, songwriter, poet and actress, was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Scott began her performing career as a spoken word artist, appearing at live poetry readings to perform her work. Her debut album, “Who Is Jill Scott? Words and Sounds Vol. 1,” was released in 2000. She followed that with “Beautifully […]
March 27th in African American History – Mariah Carey
March 27, 1970 Mariah Carey, singer, songwriter and actress, was born in Long Island, New York. Carey began singing at the age of three and by high school was working as a demo singer for local recording studios. Carey co-wrote the tracks on her 1990 debut album, “Mariah Carey,” which resulted in her winning Grammy […]