November 8, 1999 Lester Bowie, jazz trumpeter and composer, died. Bowie was born October 11, 1941 in Frederick, Maryland but raised in St. Louis, Missouri. At the age of five, he began studying the trumpet with his father who was a professional musician. In 1966, he moved to Chicago, Illinois where he worked as a […]
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November 4th in African American History – Sean John “Diddy” Combs
November 4, 1969 Sean John “Diddy” Combs, rapper, record producer, fashion designer, and entrepreneur, was born in Harlem, New York. Combs attended Howard University but dropped out after becoming a top executive at Uptown Records. In 1993, he established Bad Boy Records where he signed and produced The Notorious B.I.G., Faith Evans, Mariah Carey, and […]
October 31st in African American History – Ali Ibrahim “Farka” Tour
October 31, 1939 Ali Ibrahim “Farka” Toure, guitarist, singer and one of Africa’s most internationally renowned musicians, was born in Timbuktu, Mali. Toure was the first African bluesman to achieve widespread popularity in Africa and was often called “the African John Lee Hooker.” He appeared in the 2003 documentary “Feel Like Going Home” which traced […]
October 30th in African American History – Clifford Brown
October 30, 1930 Clifford Brown, jazz trumpeter, was born in Wilmington, Delaware. Brown started playing professionally after briefly attending college. He performed with Lionel Hampton and Art Blakey, among others, before forming his own group with Max Roach. Brown won the Down Beat critic’s poll for the New Star of the Year in 1954. Albums […]
October 29th in African American History – Beatrice Melba Smith (Melba Moore)
October 29, 1945 Beatrice Melba Smith (Melba Moore), R&B singer and actress, was born in New York City. Moore earned a bachelor’s degree in musical education from Montclair State Teacher’s College and taught music for a year in the Newark Public School System. She began her performing career in 1967 in the cast of “Hair.”
October 29th in African American History – George Murphy “Pops” Foster
October 29, 1969 George Murphy “Pops” Foster, jazz string bassist, died. Foster was born May 19, 1892 in Ascension Parish, Louisiana. By 1907, Foster was playing professionally, working in bands such as King Oliver’s and Kid Ory’s. In 1929, he moved to New York City where he played with various bands, including Louis Armstrong’s.
October 25th in African American History – Earl Cryil Palmer
October 25, 1924 Earl Cryil Palmer, hall of fame drummer, was born in New Orleans, Louisiana. Palmer started his entertainment career at the age of five as a tap dancer on the black vaudeville circuit. He toured the country extensively with the Darktown Scandals Review. Palmer served in Europe for the United States Army during […]