January 18, 2000 Jester Joseph Hairston, songwriter, choral conductor, and film and television actor, died. Hairston was born July 9, 1901 in Belews Creek, North Carolina. He graduated cum laude from Tufts University in 1928 and studied music at the Juilliard School. In the early stages of his career, he worked as a choir conductor. […]
Tag Archives | Hollywood Walk of Fame
January 6th in African American History – Louis Allen Rawls
January 6, 2006 Louis Allen Rawls, soul, jazz, and blues singer, died. Rawls was born December 1, 1933 in Chicago, Illinois. He sang with Sam Cooke in a 1950s gospel group. He also sang background on Cooke’s recording of “Bring it on Home to Me” in 1962 and that same year released his first single […]
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 7th in African American History – William Boone “Billy” Daniels
October 7, 1988 William Boone “Billy” Daniels, vocalist and Broadway actor, died. Daniels was born September 12, 1915 in Jacksonville, Florida. Daniels was a nightclub entertainer and was the biggest cabaret draw in New York City during the 1950s. He was also popular in Europe and in 1952 headlined at The London Palladium and broke […]
August 31st in African American History – Lionel Leo Hampton
August 31, 2002 Lionel Leo Hampton, jazz vibraphonist and band leader, died. Hampton was born April 20, 1908 in Louisville, Kentucky. While still a teenager, he played the xylophone and drums. In 1936, he joined the Benny Goodman Quartet, making it one of the first racially integrated jazz groups to record and play before wide […]
July 15th in African American History – Forest Steven Whitaker
July 15, 1961 Forest Steven Whitaker, actor, producer and director, was born in Longview, Texas. Whitaker’s family moved to Los Angeles in 1965 due to racism. While in high school, Whitaker took voice lessons, performed in musicals, and caught the “acting bug.” Whitaker was accepted into the Music Conservatory at the University of Southern California […]
July 9th in African American History – Eloise Gwendolyn Isabel Sanford
July 9, 2004 Eloise Gwendolyn Isabel Sanford, television and film actress, died. Sanford was born August 29, 1917 in New York City. She made her film debut in the 1967 movie “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner.” Other films in which she appeared include “Lady Sings the Blues” (1972), “Love At First Bite” (1979), and “Sprung” […]