March 16, 1975 Aaron Thibeaux “T-Bone” Walker, blues guitarist, singer and songwriter, died. Walker was born May 28, 1910 in Linden, Texas and learned his craft as a teenager. He made his debut recordings in 1929 with “Wichita Falls Blues” and “Trinity River Blues.” Much of his output was recorded between 1946 and 1948, including […]
Tag Archives | Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
March 10th in African American History – LaVern Baker
March 10, 1997 LaVern Baker, rhythm and blues singer, died. Born Delores LaVern Baker on November 11, 1929 in Chicago, Illinois. She began singing in Chicago clubs under various names around 1946 before settling on LaVern Baker in 1952. Baker had her first hit, “Tweedlee Dee,” in 1955 and had a succession of hits over […]
March 4th in African American History – Robert Dwayne “Bobby” Womack
March 4, 1944 Robert Dwayne “Bobby” Womack, singer, songwriter and musician, was born in Cleveland, Ohio. As a youngster, Womack and his four brothers formed a gospel group called the Womack Brothers and began touring the gospel circuit. In 1962, they were renamed the Valentinos and began to sing secular music. They had hits with […]
March 2nd in African American History – Charles Henry Christian
March 2, 1942 Charles Henry Christian, swing and jazz guitarist, died. Christian was born July 29, 1916 in Bonham, Texas but raised in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. By 1936, he was playing electric guitar and had become a regional attraction. In 1939, he was hired by Benny Goodman for the newly formed Goodman sextet. By 1940, […]
March 2nd in African American History – Hank Ballard
March 2, 2003 Hank Ballard, Rhythm and Blues singer and songwriter, died. Ballard was born John Henry Kendricks on November 18, 1927 in Detroit, Michigan but raised in Bessemer, Alabama. At 15, Ballard moved back to Detroit where he began his singing career. In 1951, he formed a group which eventually became known as the […]
February 27th in African American History – Franklin Joseph “Frankie” Lymon
February 27, 1968 Franklin Joseph “Frankie” Lymon, R&B singer and songwriter, died from a heroin overdose. Lymon was born September 30, 1942 in Harlem, New York. At the age of 12, he began singing in a group that called itself both The Ermines and The Premiers. In 1955, they wrote the song “Why Do Fools […]
February 23rd in African American History – Melvin Franklin
February 23, 1995 Melvin Franklin, original member of The Temptations, died. Born David Melvin English on October 12, 1942 in Montgomery, Alabama, his family moved to Detroit, Michigan when he was nine. Franklin took his mother’s maiden name as his stage name and sang with a number of local groups. In 1960, he joined The […]