Monthly Archives July 2009

 
Just watched a press conference post the “Beer Summit.” “The Beer Bash,” featuring the brews of Bud Light for Barack; Blue Moon for James; and Red Stripe for Henry. I’d love to know what the sales increase for all three will be.

 
Ever since his death, music artists, bands, friends and fans have been paying tribute to Michael Jackson. The same week of his passing, BET changed the program of their entire awards show, to pay tribute to “The King of Pop.” BET began the event by playing a clip from a previous year, when Michael Jackson honored “The Godfather of Soul” James Brown.  Michael draped JB with a cape, after he performed at the BET Awards that paid tribute to him.

I get my thing in action
To be, to sing, to feel, to live
That’s what’s happenin’

 
George Clinton took the stage this past week on July 22nd at Englewood, New Jersey’s BergenPAC center. “This is a Homecoming,” said the hype man for George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic, as the day marked his 68th birthday.

 
 
My friend Kweli reminded me that Michael Jackson sang background vocals on Stevie Wonder’s “All I Do” the other day. It wasn’t that I’d forgotten, I just hadn’t thought it about in years. Communicating via Internet, leaving a comment on one of the many social networks we choose to use these days, I said, “I’m listening to it right now.”  In reality I was recounting the vocals of the song in my head, All I doo, is think about you…

What an honor it was to speak to Miriam Makeba. When we got together, she spoke of her relationship with Stevie Wonder, how she enjoys the music of Erykah Badu and her marriage to Black Panther leader Stokely Carmichael.