#Dyana Williams
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Image: courtesy of Ricky Codio/Ricky Codio Photography
“The creation of Black Music Month was the brainchild of Grammy Award winning songwriter/producer and one of the architects of The Sound of Philadelphia (TSOP) Kenny Gamble,” schools Dyana Williams, the music industry veteran and celebrity strategist. The songwriter/producer—along with his partner Leon Huff—has created countless classics, including “If You Don’t Know Me By Now,” originally recorded by Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes; “For the Love of Money” by The O’Jays; and Teddy Pendergrass’ “Turn Off the Lights.”
“When he established the Black Music Association in the late 1970s, we were a couple at that point; we had two children,” continues Williams, whose illustrious road to premier Black music advocate and tag as “the Mother of Black Music Month” began as a radio pioneer, holding her own on the airwaves during a time when women were woefully underrepresented.
It was a collective effort to that day on June 7, 1979 when President Jimmy Carter hosted the reception at the White House that made Black Music Month official. Williams, who played a critical role, describes it as “a coming together of various aspects of the music industry to celebrate and recognize this multibillion-dollar industry, not just the songwriters and the singers, people behind the scenes as well.”
Williams' love of Black music, she shares, was sparked in her native New York City at a very early age. As a child, Williams learned how to dissect music. She grew up knowing where songs were recorded, who wrote them, who sang them, who played on them, who engineered them, who produced them and more. Later the daughter of Puerto Rican parents would mix and mingle with those same folks, even dating musicians as well as forming meaningful relationships with many other titans. City College of New York’s radio station WCCR gave her the first taste of what being a behind-the-scenes mover and shaker could be.
“I was the music director. I had a jazz show, but I also availed myself of student funds to produce concerts to bring artists to the school,” she says. At a time when very few women were on the air, she took her cues from one legendary figure who is today best known for Mama, I Want To Sing!. “Vy Higginsen was on the radio at WBLS and she's the first Black woman that I listened to that inspired me to want to be on the radio,” shares Williams.
Although radio no longer physically occupies as much of her time as it did throughout her life, even as she raised her three kids, Black music still keeps her busy. She is the president and founder of the International Association of African-American Music Foundation, which organizes conferences and educational symposiums as well as produces panels that communicate the vastness of Black music. In addition, IAAAM has honored many Black music greats, including Stevie Wonder, Patti LaBelle, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, Babyface and L.A. Reid. She’s also a board member of the Nashville-based National Museum of African American Music (NMAAM), which recently honored Missy Elliott. TV One fans also recognize her as a frequent and trusted contributor to the network’s acclaimed series Unsung.
Even as Williams enters her 70s later this year, advocating for Black music is a personal mission and calling from which she can’t retire. And for good reason. “Black music deserves champions and advocates, and that's what I see myself as,” she insists. “Black Music is American music created in this country and exported culturally, but also economically. We don't tend to think of it that way, but the reality is that Black music is big business. I'm talking about not millions of dollars, but billions of dollars. We are the trendsetters. We are the weathervane so to speak. We’re the taste. We’re the flavor all over the planet. It is us and I see myself as a person who uses her platform, whether it's social media, whether it is talking with [journalists] to spread the word about the magnificence, the viability, and the power of Black music.”
#‘The Mother of Black Music Month’ Dyana Williams Sets the Record Straight on the Historic Celebration and Why Her Work Is Not Done#Dyana Williams#Black Music Month#Black Music Matters
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top 3 best gothotd child actors:
sophie sansa
leo young aemond
isaac bran
also maddie evans as dyana was good but she only had one scene
HIGHKEY AGREE with maddie evans, that whole sequence is just amazing. i was FEELING it, that was some intense PHYSICAL ACTING for someone that young.
that’s probably how i’d rank them too? sophie and leo are for sure my one and two i’m just not sure about slot three. idk if we’re counting emily carrey, 17 is a baby but like, you don’t even need a permit to work at 17 lmao. that goes the same for the replacement tommen but he was Just Okay so he’s not in this convo anyway lol. everyone else is either like, Good But Not Number Three or a 20 year old playing a 15 year old (ty, millie, harry, jack) so this is ultimately (imo) a contest between bella ramsay, maisie williams, and isaac hempstead wright. bella is amazing but their acting specifically as lyanna is imo not better than isaac or maisie. i think isaac had a harder job than maisie which is probably why i’d put him above her but i haven’t rewatched a season that isn’t 1, 2, or 6 in awhile so i don’t have a hard opinion there.
#does ewan count as adult playing teen too. isnt aemond 17 even tho ewan looks like he has a 401k and a mortgage.#asks#anons#baby luke is the cutest child in this series but he doesn’t have like a huge standout scene imo#bc…..he a bebe#i want to pinch his lil cheeks and give him oatmeal cookies.
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Common Roma names
If you use these names, feel free to tag me in your work. I’d love to support you as a writer and reblog your work.
A lot of these names are what you’d consider “basic”, but I think that’s a big thing that’s overlooked in FanFiction. We don’t all have “exotic” names, majority of us have basic names with special meanings. If you want to know the Romany meanings behind ANY of the names, just comment I will reply. (This can include last names also).
A THREAD WITH MORE!
LAST NAMES
Lovell
Wortley
Francis !! This name was used by Roma who moved from France to England in the first world war. Please do not misuse this name. The name is soon changed after they gain an English identity, if you want to put this in your work, feel free to do so, but please use it right !!
Holland
Gray (or Grey), yet more popularly Gray.
Boswell
Chilcott
Coulson !! This name is also a popular English name, however, it is a name that popular Romani families use !!
Lee
Shelby is a Romani last name - However it isn’t popularly used anymore.
FIRST NAMES - Middle names are often the first names of parents.
💗Catherine - often told as Kitty
💗Hannah
💙Henry
💙John
💙Michael — Also spelt Michel
💗Esmeralda — Often called Esme
💗Isabelle — Often called Belly or Izzy
💗Sarah-Ann — Never used apart.
💗Elizabeth — Often called Betty
💙Thomas — Often called Tommy or Tom
💙James
💙Arthur — Often called Arty
💗Mahala
💗Theodosia — Often called Dora
💗Tillie
💙Eladon
💙 William — Often called Lee
💗 Ethalind
💗 Dyana
💗 Lementeni
💗 Olivina - Often called Oli
💗 Margaret
💙 Amari
💙 Royal
💙 Solomon
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For Catherine Morris, the founder and executive director of the Boston Art and Music Soul Festival, Franklin Park is a sacred ground of sorts. The site is home to Elma Lewis Playhouse in the Park, an open-air performance venue that has hosted Black artists since 1966. The park's tie to Black history is one of the reasons Morris decided to host BAMS Fest there. “Franklin Park is ground zero for us because of Elma Lewis,” she says. “I stand on her shoulders.”
Lewis, a famed Black Boston arts educator and organizer, created Playhouse in the Park in the 1960s to serve marginalized communities in Boston. BAMS Fest is a festival that continues the tradition set forth by Lewis — taking up space in one of Boston’s central locations to celebrate Black people and Black art. “We need to think about how our people experience a green space, as Black and brown bodies,” Morris says. “It's fertile ground. It's native ground. All those things we need to be in tune with.”
WBUR is a nonprofit news organization. Our coverage relies on your financial support. If you value articles like the one you're reading right now, give today.
These concepts shaped what would become the first annual BAMS Fest in 2018, where two stages featured musical acts at Franklin Park. The festival also had vendors, street artists, resource tents and more. Around 2,200 people attended the first BAMS Fest. Five years later, the festival is expecting close to 15,000 people.
In the past, BAMS Fest has been a free, one-day experience. This year, that will change. “What's been remarkable is the decision to scale, going from one day to basically three days,” says Morris. “We start with the inaugural BAMS CONX conference, centering Black imagination, entrepreneurship, connection and unity at the Berklee College of Music.” Patrons can expect to hear discussions on topics like equity in music, songwriting, sneaker culture and more. The conference will feature creatives and industry leaders, including drummer and composer Terri Lyne Carrington and journalist Dyana Williams, co-creator of Black Music Month.
“We have chefs. We have food trucks. We have a dedicated kids' zone, which is called 'Kids Play.' We have Black and brown face painters; we have dance,” Morris says. “We have a vendor market. We have over 50 Black and brown nonprofits and businesses. And we added a job fair this year.” To celebrate the 50th anniversary of hip-hop, Grandmaster Flash will close the festival, followed by an afterparty at Chez-Vous Roller Skating Rink.
One other marked difference from years before is the addition of a tiered ticketing system. Buying the BAMS Fam Access Pass at $225, for example, gives visitors access to the entire lineup of events offered during the festival, along with priority seating at Saturday’s events. The new ticketing model was an important decision as the fest moves toward an end goal of expanding and offering more to patrons.
“As a nonprofit organization, as a cultural movement that started from zero to get to where we are, the tiered ticketing model allows for people to support,” Morris points out. “The sustainability of continuing our tradition requires investment. It requires investment from the business community, from the local community, from the arts community.”
However, “there will always be a portion of this that will remain free to the public,” Morris says. Patrons who cannot buy a tiered ticket can always register for free to experience the music, art, vendors and more at Saturday’s festival at Playstead Park. At the end of the day, Morris wants visitors to feel free: “Feel free to take off your shoes. You should feel free to be able to run. You should feel free to be able to do a cartwheel. You should feel free to dance."
One of the musicians taking the stage this year on Friday night is Tim Hall, a Boston-based musician. He’s been playing the saxophone since he was 9 years old and now teaches other musicians at Berklee College of Music as an assistant professor in the professional music department. He's also the co-owner of the digital media company HipStory.
Hall has played on a multitude of stages and at many shows but his upcoming performance at BAMS Fest will be his largest to date as a featured artist. "It's very emotional to now find myself performing, not as a sideman, not a session musician for somebody else, but to do my own music at the festival," Hall says. "It's been an emotional experience."
Hall worked at BAMS Fest in different roles between 2015 and 2021. Although he’s no longer working with the nonprofit on the business side, he still feels BAMS Fest is essential for musicians like him. Not only does the festival offer an opportunity to play on one of its two stages, but "there is an educational component to working with artists. It wasn't just like 'Submit your art or submit your profile,'” says Hall. BAMS Fest sought to create active platforms for artists to develop professionally.
But both Hall and Morris point out that the city is still lacking major music venues and spaces that allow for expansive expressions of Black music and culture. Because hip-hop is included in the festival, Morris says she's run into barriers like insurance companies refusing to cover it. “There is a level of tension or trepidation with law enforcement about a potential, you know, gang affiliation.” The festival pays a higher premium because of assumptions about hip-hop. “It's something we have to deal with every single year,” says Morris.
The question of whether or not Boston is hostile to hip-hop has been raised again and again by musicians and festival organizers like Morris. WBUR's Amelia Mason reported in 2018 that hip-hop artists, DJs and event coordinators faced heightened difficulties when trying to book acts or ran into roadblocks when trying to execute hip-hop themed events.
For Morris, it makes the work BAMS Fest is doing even more important. “We're more than a festival,” she says. “Everything from challenging our city government around the permitting process, how Boston police are involved in the permitting process. There are a lot of us giving our lives to the work so that future curators and producers and organizations don't have to go through what we are experiencing right now.”
Despite the hurdles, the outcome is worth it. As Morris says, BAMS Fest is more than just a festival — it's a movement. “Doing a multidisciplinary intergenerational festival that feeds people, gives them nourishment, something they can be proud about starts to change the attitude about what's possible and will hopefully inspire the next generation to go bigger,” says Morris.
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Did ya'll know #BlackMusicMonth has direct ties to Philly? A month to celebrate and promote Black music was the brainchild of Philly Soul architect Kennth Gamble (and former wife Dyana Williams helped ensure it became law).
The first official observation, at the Carter White House, was in 1979. That’s fifty years ago
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Amplify Color Podcast Host Ryan Cameron Discusses The Future of Radio
Podcasts with value for listeners offer either information, insight or entertainment. In short, these podcasts make us think, laugh, cry or even reassess our beliefs.
After listening to the episodes of Amplify Color, I learned that Black artists have contributed much to our culture via broadcast radio. Some of the most influential DJs in our modern culture were subjects of the show's episodes.
From... Dyana Williams, who got her start in radio back in the 1970s when she joined the staff of 96.3 WHUR-FM in Washington D.C. Two years later she returned to her hometown of New York City to become an on-air personality and the first Black-Latina woman to host rock music station WRQX-FM. Her career in radio has left a legacy of fighting for Black musical creatives and is proof that radio personalities can have a positive impact on our world outside the airwaves.
...To Wendy Williams, who first rose to prominence as New York City’s #1 “Shock Jocktress.” Listeners will learn more about how, through many personal and professional trials and tribulations, Wendy persevered to achieve new heights and land in the National Radio Hall of Fame.
So in this last, and bonus, episode, "Amplify Color" we are treated to a conversation between Amplify Color host Ryan Cameron and Allan Coye, SVP, Digital Strategy & Business Development and GM of Interval Podcasts at Warner Music Group.
Learn all about a life in radio as Cameron reminisces about his journey on the airwaves, the people he’s met and things he’s learned, and also what the future of the medium holds and how Black voices will continue to shape it. Amplify Color is hosted by Ryan Cameron, a 2x Emmy winner, the host of “Voice of Atlanta,” a member of the Georgia and Black Radio Hall of Fame, and long-time Atlanta DJ. Amplify Color is produced by Warner Music Group's in-house podcast network, Interval Presents.
Please see below for a list of previous episodes:
● Episode 1: The Foundation of Black radio
● Episode 2: Jack L. Cooper
● Episode 3: WERD (America’s 1st Black Owned Radio Station)
● Episode 4: Petey Greene
● Episode 5: Cathy Hughes
● Episode 6: Dyana Williams
● Episode 7: Tom Joyner
● Episode 8: Mr. Magic
● Episode 9: Stretch & Bobbito
● Episode 10: Robin Quivers
● Episode 11: Big Boy
● Episode 12: Sway Calloway
● Episode 13: Wendy Williams
● Episode 14: Charlamagne tha God
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November 16th, 2023
Nanowrimo Day 16:
Current words: 26,819 words altogether
Dyana: inspired by Emilia Clark
Dyana is the mother of Eve, and Wife to Arthur Williams. she has disappeared and may or may not come back later in the story.
#~author thoughts~#nano 2023#nanowrimo#nanowrimo 2023#~nanowrimo~#~copyrights~#~please do not use my stuff.~#~my characters are inspired by the celebs i base them from~
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Dyana Williams Continues To Build Her Legacy as a Coach to the Stars
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The Living Legends Foundation Announces its 2019 Annual Awards Gala, Phil Thornton Among Honorees
Top Row -- Left to Right:
Dyana Williams, Sidney Miller, Hymen Childs, Dedra N. Tate
Middle Row -- Left to Right:
Frank Ski, Steve Hegwood, Maurice White, Karen Lee
Bottom Row -- Left to Right:
Phil Thornton, Sheila Coates, Ray Chew and Vivian Scott Chew, DeDe McGuire
(Los Angeles, CA – June 4, 2019) — The Living Legends Foundation, Inc. (LLF) today announces its 2019 Annual Awards Dinner and Gala. This year’s event will be held on Friday, October 4, 2019, at 6:30 p.m. at Taglyan Cultural Complex, 1201 N. Vine Street, Hollywood, CA.
The distinguished honorees include Dyana Williams, CEO of Influence Entertainment, who will be presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award; Frank Ski, Broadcast Personality, V-103 Radio Atlanta, and Steve Hegwood, CEO and President, Core Communications, will both receive the Jerry Boulding Radio Executive Award; Maurice White, Vice President of Promotion, eOne Entertainment Group, will be presented with the Music Label Executive Award; Sheila Coates, founder and creator of BYOB (Be Your Own Brand), will receive the Entrepreneur Award; Dedra N. Tate, President and CEO, Unlimited Contacts, will be the second recipient of the Mike Bernardo Executive Award; Sidney Miller, founder and Publisher, BRE (Black Radio Exclusive), will be presented with the A.D. Washington Chairman’s Award; Hymen Childs, Owner, Service Broadcasting Group (SBG), including K-104 Radio, KRNB Radio, Dallas and the nationally syndicated DeDe In The Morning, will receive the Broadcast Icon Award; Phil Thornton, Senior Vice President/General Manager, RCA Inspiration, will be presented with the Gospel Music Executive Award; and Karen Lee, Senior Vice President, W&W Public Relations, will receive the Media Executive Award.
The Chairpersons of this year’s Awards Dinner and Gala are husband-and-wife team Ray Chew and Vivian Scott Chew, Partners, Chew Entertainment. Award-winning radio personality DeDe McGuire, of the syndicated show DeDe In The Morning, is returning as host.
The LLF continues its mission to honor the best and the brightest in the ever-changing and evolving music and entertainment industries. The foundation’s core mission is to honor pioneers and professionals who have broken new ground in the areas of broadcasting, recorded music, marketing, retail, publicity, publishing, digital, creative, and philanthropy.
“The Living Legends Board of Directors is proud to continue its tradition of recognizing the greatest in the music and record industries,” says David C. Linton, Chairman of the LLF. “We continue to raise the bar and celebrate the unsung heroes of our industry who have helped to lay the foundation for black music, black artists, and black executives of the 20th and 21st century. We remain steadfast in our efforts to raise much-needed funds to assist the less fortunate among us. We look forward to another exceptional event and year.”
In 1991, record industry pioneer Ray Harris had the vision for an organization that would not only salute the achievements of black music executives but would assist them in their time of need. During the same year, Harris worked with record executives Barbara Lewis and C.C. Evans and radio programming legend, the late Jerry Boulding, and founded the Living Legends Foundation.
Over the years, the organization has recognized and honored more than 100 distinguished leaders in music, radio, retail, and media. Past honorees include, in alphabetical order: Brenda Andrews, Larkin Arnold, Clarence Avant, Lee Bailey, Big Boy, Jamie Brown, Troy Carter, Ray Chew and Vivian Scott Chew, Keith Clinkscales, Kenny Gamble, Jack “The Rapper” Gibson, Tony Gray, Ethiopia Habtemariam, Jeffrey Harleston, Denise Brown Henderson, Esq., Stephen Hill, Leon Huff, Cathy Hughes, Don Jackson, Hal Jackson, Larry Jackson, Cynthia Johnson, Varnell Johnson, Quincy Jones, Larry Khan, Morace Landy, Vicki Mack Lataillade and Claude Lataillade, Miller London, Michael Mauldin, Rushion McDonald, Kendall Minter, Esq., Jon Platt, Gwendolyn Quinn, Pat Shields, Eddie Sims and Belinda Wilson, Antonio “L.A.” Reid, Ruben Rodriguez, Aundrae Russell, Herb Trawick, Charles Warfield, Dr. Logan H. Westbrooks, Tyrone Williams, and numerous others.
The LLF is a registered 501 (c) (3) non-profit, tax-exempt organization and has been funded primarily with corporate contributions and individual donations. The 28-year-old organization has expanded its mission to assist those who have served the music industry and who have a confirmable need. This assistance is provided in a manner that maintains the dignity of those who may receive financial help. Many former music industry employees worked during a time when 401Ks and retirement packages were not available—and even today, in this era of downsizing and mergers, the industry’s lack of long-term career stability has become more commonplace. Proceeds from the event will enable the LLF to continue to aid those in need, as well as fund the Living Legends Foundation Scholarship Program, which helps the educational pursuits of the next generation of music makers and marketers at three HBCUs.
The LLF Officers and Board Members include Chairman David Linton, Chairman Emeritus and founder Ray Harris, President Varnell Johnson, Vice-President Jacqueline Rhinehart, Recording Secretary Pat Shields, founder and Treasurer C.C. Evans, and General Counsel Kendall Minter, Esq. Board Members include Vinny Brown, Sheila Eldridge, Marcus Grant, Tony Gray, Ken Johnson, Barbara Lewis, Miller London, Sidney Miller, Kathi Moore, Jon Platt, Gwendolyn Quinn, Sam Weaver, and Colleen Wilson.
The Living Legends Foundation Advisory Board includes a list of distinguished entertainment executives, including Monica Alexander, Don Cody, George Daniels, Brad Davidson, Michael Dawson, Esq., Skip Dillard, Kevin Fleming, Shannon Henderson, Jay Johnson, James Leach, Vicki Mack Lataillade, Gail Mitchell, Azim Rashid, Lionel Ridenour, Kevin Ross, A.J. Savage, Vivian Scott Chew, Phil Thornton, Brian Wallace, Irene Ware, Tyrone Williams, Buzzy Willis, and Tony Winger.
For tickets and sponsorship information, please contact Pat Shields at 310.568.9091 or [email protected].
For additional information on the Living Legends Foundation, please visit www.livinglegendsfoundation.com.
www.livinglegendsfoundation.com
www.facebook.com/thelivinglegendsfoundation
www.twitter.com/TheLLFInc
www.instagram.com/livinglegendsfoundation
www.youtube.com/TheLivingLegendsFdn
# # #
#Music#living legends foundation#livinglegendsfoundation#naomi richard#naomijrichard#naomi jean richard#RCV#RCVFashion#Frank Ski#Dyana Williams#Phil Thornton#Steve Hegwood#Maurice White#Dedra N. Tate#Sheila Coates#Syndey Miller#Karen Lee#Hymen Childs
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🎶Black Music Month 2021
📚25 Fiction and Nonfiction Books to Celebrate Black Music Month
“It is important to celebrate Black Music Month because it’s a recognition and ownership of our culture. It’s something that we need to be proud of.”-Dyana Williams, Co-Founder of Black Music Month
Black Music Month was first observed in June of 1979 by President Jimmy Carter during a reception at the White House, but it took a few years of tireless lobbying by Dyana Williams before an official proclamation was issued in 2000 by President Bill Clinton...Williams expresses how it is important to know and understand how influential and inspirational Black music is around the world. She says it is “a source of pride and a source of great history as well.” The fiction and nonfiction books listed cover various genres of music history and themes, from spiritual to hip hop.
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If you believe BCBA provides a valuable service, please take a few minutes to donate here or via Cash App ($BCBooksA) and support our mission to promote awareness of children’s and young adult literature by Black authors.
Thanks for your support!
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One of the Wu-Tang Clan’s biggest names is gearing up to paint the White House black.
As President Joe Biden and his wife prepare to celebrate Juneteenth, they have tapped Method Man to come to their home in the nation’s capital to commemorate the ending of the institution of enslavement of Black people and punctuate the importance of remembering African American fore-bearers.
The plan is to host a concert on the White House’s South lawn on Tuesday, June 13. In addition to recognizing Juneteenth, the president wants to also pay tribute to Black Music Month.
The press release from the White House stated the concert is an effort to “uplift American art forms that sing to the soul of the American experience.”
Staten Island’s own Method Man is one of the performers taking the stage on this occasion.
In addition to the Grammy Award-winning rapper, Audra McDonald, Jennifer Hudson, Ledisi, Colman Domingo, Fisk Jubilee Singers, Maverick City Music, Morgan State University Marching Band – The Magnificent Marching Machine, Hampton University Concert Choir, Step Afrika! And more will also perform.
The commemoration of Black Music Month and Juneteenth are both significant to African Americans. However, they hold weight for two very different reasons.
Black Music Month was founded by Music executive, songwriter, and producer, Kenny Gamble; radio host and media maven Dyana Williams; and DJ Ed Wright in 1979, according to the Grammy Awards.
When talking about why she, Gamble and Wright came up with the idea, she said, “[Music] is one of our greatest exports. That’s how we need to look at it. I want us to be celebrated. I want us to be respected. I want us to get what we rightfully deserve.”
Juneteenth, on the other hand, is the commemoration of informing people of African descent in Galveston, Texas by Union soldiers that they were no longer legally enslaved on June 19, 1885.
In 2021, this holiday recognized for the last 137 years by Blacks in Texas, was signed into law by President Biden.
He said on the day it became the country’s eleventh national holiday, “This is a day of profound weight and profound power, a day in which we remember the moral stain, the terrible toll that slavery took on the country and continues to take.”
#Method Man Heading To The White House For Juneteenth Celebration#WU Tang#Meth#Method Man#Juneteenth 2023
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Happy Pride AND African American Music Appreciation Month!
So yes, first of all, as many have posted already, Happy Pride, everyone!
But I wanted to bring to your attention a lesser-known - and longer-lived - theme for June: African American Music Appreciation Month.
African American music - be it spirituals, the blues, jazz, rock n roll - shaped an entire century-plus of American history. It influenced so many other genres of music and is an important cultural legacy. The month of June was designated a “Black Music Month” by President Jimmy Carter in 1967, after lobbying by Philadelphians Dyana Williams and Kenny Gamble. The House of Reps formerly recognized it in 200 with Resolution 509, and President Obama officially renamed it in 2009 as “African American Music Appreciation Month.”
So this month, wave those rainbow flags, but also be sure to show your love to amazing African American musicians! I recently discovered Classical composer Florence Price and am enthralled with her music :) And lord knows I’ll be playing my favorites from Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, and Louis Armstrong!
Who will you honor during AAMAM?
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I AM BESIDE MYSELF! Look who I bumped into across the hall - the legendary broadcaster (and a professional inspiration of mine!) Miss Dyana Williams 💜 She begins her daily PM drive shift today on Classix 107.9fm, 3-7pm and to celebrate will be b’casting her debut shift live from World Cafe Live! #PhillyLove #phillyradio #phillyicon #radiolegend 🎧💕 (at World Cafe Live) https://www.instagram.com/p/Bz8oW4Lj5CU/?igshid=197qol6s0odls
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Black Music Month started in Philadelphia. How local artists pay tribute to legends
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Shekhinah B. is an artist, entertainer and advocate, and the challenges many musicians face are why she started the Women's Coalition for Empowerment. The community-based organization helps artists of color navigate the expensive and often exclusive space, making it harder for them to break into the industry.
"It's super tough," she said. "It's, yeah, no business like it. … A lot of times, they're not being paid. Unfortunately, the disparities exist."
June is Black Music Month, a month dedicated to celebrating the history of Black music and the impact it has around the world. The idea of Black Music Month was conceived in Philadelphia, where artists and advocates are working to ensure the legacy continues.
"Black Music Month is important because a lot of music that has become crossover in pop culture has been inspired by Black music," Shekhinah B. said, "without giving credit to the Black musicians. We want to pay homage to artists who pave the way."
President Jimmy Carter celebrated the first Black Music Month at the White House 44 years ago in 1979.
"We must never let anyone take it from us or erase it," Philadelphia radio legend Patty Jackson said.
"It is the indigenous music of the world," Donn T said.
Jackson and singer and songwriter Donn Thompson Morelli, also known as Donn T, were part of a panel of music insiders organized by Caliph Gamble, the co-founder of the Sons of Legends Foundation.
"Black Music Month represents that Black music is green," Gamble said.
Gamble is the son of Philadelphia music pioneers Kenny Gamble and Dyana Williams, two of Black Music Month's co-founders.
"It's probably one of the biggest exports from this country," Gamble said.
"We are innovators," Donn T said.
Morelli, a Philadelphia native, is one of the newest trustees of the National Recording Academy. She grew up in a family of musicians, including her brother, Amir "Questlove" Thompson of the Roots.
"To become leaders and innovators and forward thinkers and staying ahead of the game, was in knowing the history," Donn T said. "Because you cannot know about the future unless you know about the past, understanding we're here today."
For Shekhinah B., her advice to aspiring artists? Keep pushing and seek support.
"Be objectively positive," she said, "and continue to be persistent."
Earlier this month, the White House issued a proclamation for Black Music Month, calling it "a tribute to the legends of American music who have composed the soundtrack of American life."
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Black Affinity Network Conference 2019 "Blacks in Entertainment" #BANC2019 #BabsonBAN #Babson100 Music Panel Great panel with Moderator Dyana Williams, and Panelists Vivian Chew, Ray Chew and Lynn Scott! Dynamic voices in tht industry who saw need in the industry and did great things. (at Babson Park, Massachusetts) https://www.instagram.com/p/BuOxGLggos9/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=9wgdb1dtj33g
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Amplify Color Podcast Discusses the Life of Radio & TV Icon Wendy Williams
Some celebrities begin their careers being well-known in one area of the entertainment business, and then that career fades and is eclipsed by their next foray into the entertainment game.
That's the case with the subject of this week's Amplify Color podcast.
This week, Warner Music Group's "Amplify Color" hosted by Ryan Cameron, a 2x Emmy winner, the host of “Voice of Atlanta,” discusses the fascinating life of Wendy Williams.
Today we know her as a well-known TV host, businesswoman, writer, comedian, and actress. But Wendy Williams first rose to prominence as New York City’s #1 “Shock Jocktress.” Her journey was filled with hurdles and obstacles. From being one of the few Black people in her neighborhood growing up in Asbury Park, New Jersey, to graduating almost last academically in high school, Wendy never gave up. Listeners will learn more about how, through many personal and professional trials and tribulations, Wendy persevered to achieve new heights and land in the National Radio Hall of Fame.
From 2008 to 2021, Williams hosted the nationally syndicated and popular television talk show, The Wendy Williams Show. But then personal issues and health problems affected her career.
She tested positive for a breakthrough infection of COVID-19 in September 2021. In early 2022, Williams's bank, Wells Fargo, froze her accounts and requested a New York Supreme Court hearing to determine whether her health conditions render her incapacitated and in need of a guardianship. Her attorney disputes these notions and says Williams employs "holistic health professionals". In 2022, production of The Wendy Williams Show concluded due to Williams's ongoing health issues. Wendy Williams, 58, suffers from a raft of medical issues including lymphedema and Graves' disease, but is reportedly determined to keep her career going.
She is also reportedly working on her podcast called The Wendy Williams Experience, which is still in the works,
Produced by Double Elvis, the 14-episode “Amplify Color” series tells the stories of how trailblazers like Big Boy, Tom Joyner, Robin Quivers and more have left an undeniable impact on the radio industry. The next upcoming episode will discuss the life of The Breakfast Club's Charlamagne tha God.
The final episode premiering on Wednesday, December 13 will feature a conversation between Amplify Color host Ryan Cameron and Allan Coye, SVP, Digital Strategy & Business Development and GM of Interval Podcasts at Warner Music Group as Ryan reminisces about his journey on the airwaves.
Please see below for a list of previous episodes:
● Episode 1: The Foundation of Black radio
● Episode 2: Jack L. Cooper
● Episode 3: WERD (America’s 1st Black Owned Radio Station)
● Episode 4: Petey Greene
● Episode 5: Cathy Hughes
● Episode 6: Dyana Williams
● Episode 7: Tom Joyner
● Episode 8: Mr. Magic
● Episode 9: Stretch & Bobbito
● Episode 10: Robin Quivers
● Episode 11: Big Boy
● Episode 12: Sway Calloway
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