Greetings

BOOGIE BITS

Prayers for Stan Mosely who is recouping at home from a heart attack....


On The Road Again,

Since we made the move to Jackson and took on additional responsibilities you've proably noticed that we haven't covered very many live events, we've basically left that up to our good friend BIG K 9 cause he does such an awesome job describing the excitement and cheer that goes on on most Chitlin Circuit live events.

But last week end was special in three respects:

1.It was Blues On The River In Little Rock,an excellent opportunity to go home an reunite with family and friends.
2.Our Good Buddy Broadway Joe had asked our advice on acts to appear on this years show.
From the list we submitted Broadway booked Archie Love ,Omar Cunningham Kenne Wayne, Betty Padgett,Floyd Taylor and Bigg Robb and Da Problem Solvas.

3.This is the first time the Little Rock market had seen many of the acts scheduled and I knew it was gonna be an extra special happening.

Lemme Tell Ya. Broadway and crew did an outstanding Job promoting the show there were close to 8000 people on the river.

Our Homeboy John Craig opened up the show he and his group have been favorites among Blues Lovers for as long as I can remember .I remember back in High School "Horace Mann" "Go Bearcats" John was gigging way back then with all the big names on the blues circuit. It was a special treat to see him bring his 8 year old son on stage to help close out his set.

Archie Love is proably the best kept secret in Southern Soul Music Backed by The Barkays Archie gave the crowd exactly what they came down to the river to see, an action packed hit filled soulful performance its always a pleasure to watch Archie work.

Omar Cunningham gave a sterling performance everyone in the crowd loved his show they went wild when he sang Check to Check.

Kenne Wayne won the hearts of every woman in the audience with his smooth debonair delivery .
At the end of his performance Kenne asked the crowd if he could be invited back to Little Rock The response was a resounding "Hell Yeah".

When Betty Padgett sang "I aint never coming home again" I thought I was gonna hafta restrain Caldonia and Sapphire. Ms Padgett certainly won throngs of new fans on the river.

Bigg Robb and Da Problum Solvas is undeniably the liveliest act on the circuit. The act is totally entertaining . I guess the best way to describe the Bigg Robb Show is to say its a mix of James Brown Parliament Funkadelic and Zapp all mixed together with Funk filled Southern Soul Music , Costume Changes Skits and Audience participation plus the vocal stylings of Bigg Robb and Bigg Woo who is one of the "sanginest brothers" you will ever meet. the crowd was so amazed that many of them rushed to a special on site ticket booth to purchase tickets for the June 7th concert when Bigg Robb and crew return to the natural state along with Bobby Rush and others in Pine Bluff.Needless to say Bigg Robb and crew blew the crowd away.

It would have been nice if we could have took Sunday off to recoup from Saturday Night but it wasnt in the cards cause My Little "Sister Queen Bee "was having her Birthday Party at The CrossRoads in Jackson.

So we motored back to Jtown just in time to catch the end of Jeff Floyd's set
It was a grand evening
On hand to pay homage to The Queen Of Jackson radio was Sergio davis DeeDee Starz John Haley, Sorrento Ussery,Reggie P,Donny Ray,Tina Diamond, Pat Brown Sterling Williams and many Many Others.. GREAT WEEKEND YEAH WE GOT PICTURES


THE SOUTHERN KONNECTION 2008"
7TH ANNUAL BUSINESS CONFERENCE
THEME: SAVE BLACK RADIO AND ITS CULTURE
FRIDAY-8/ 1 /08- ELECTION OF OFFICERS
10:00 AM- ELECTIONS & BALLOT COUNTING NOON LUNCH
1:00 PM- NASA SPACE CENTER TOUR(OPTION TO BEACH PARTY)
4:00PM-BUSINESS MEETING-(all officers& directors) Setting of dates for 2009 & goals
5:30 PM- Dinner Break
7:00 PM-INTRODUCTION OF "College Konnection & the Bahamian Konnection Intrduction
10:00PM-Local Club ShowCase
CONTACTS: CLEO SEARS 321.795.8886-MR EDD 786.316.6205
E MAIL - SKBLACKRADIOGROUP@YAHOO.COM

KURTIS BLOW AND KRS ONE PARTNER TO PROMOTE "NO PROFANITY DAY" ON AUGUST 9, 2009

A "No Profanity Hip Hop Anniversary Tour" will launch May through July 2008, showcasing Big Daddy Kane, Whodini, Public Enemy and more.

Kurtis Blow and other Hip Hop icons are challenging America. For one day: no crime, no violence, no hate, no murders, no sin - and no profanity. Their goals is to have one day of love, peace, unity, kindness, goodness, gentleness and fun with a series of events throughout the coarse of a day.

In the last 30 years, rap has steadily become a cultural phenomenon and its influence dominates as America's latest offering of pop culture to the world. And now - the Parents Television Council, in partnership with the Enough is Enough Campaign, released shocking new data about BET's and MTV's daytime music video programming. As recently as March 2008, children who watched BET's Rap City and 106 & Park and MTV's Sucker Free on MTV were bombarded with adult content - sexual, violent, profane or obscene - once every 38 seconds.

Kurtis Blow comments, "No Profanity Day is a national holiday that is anointed and ordained right from the Bible and God. What would it hurt to have one day of this kind of behavior? It is a challenge for anyone to live like this for 24 hours. Spiritual people are commanded to live this way everyday. Can you make it happen for 24 hours? August 9, 2009 is the day. Also, there is a No Profanity Hip Hop Anniversary Tour launching in May and June of 2008 to start the buzz for the national holiday."

He continues, "Our scriptural inspiration is Galatians 5:22-23 which says that the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law."

Supporters of No Profanity Day include Rev. Delman Coates, the NAACP, and thousands of other hip-hop fans and icons.

The anniversary tour will showcase legendary artists and enormous talents that created the rap music genre in the USA starting in May. The tour is sponsored by Visit Florida (www.visitflorida.com) and aims to present three hours of non-stop Hip Hop without profanity.

The series of U.S. and European shows will feature:

Grand Master Mele Mel
Grand Wizard Theodore
The Force MDs
Big Daddy Kane (for selected shows)
Whodini. (for selected shows)
KRS 1 (for selected shows)
The Air Force Crew
Spoonie Gee (for selected shows)
Dana Dane (for selected shows)
Public Enemy (for selected shows)

For more information, visit: www.hipho panniversary.com

Say you missed The Blues Is Alright Tour Click here see a portion of what you missed"Latimore"


From The Desk Of Bob Davis
www.soulpatrol.com

Three Things That Black Folks in Philadelphia Should Be Ashamed of:

a. The Cancellation of the Bootsy Collins/James Brown Tribute Concert Due to "Poor Advance Sales" - I realize that the economy is in bad shape and folks are worried about gas crisis, housing crisis, health care crisis and more. But for folks NOT to turn out for this type of a show is totally mind blowing.

b. Mr. Obama Losing by Double Digits - He wasn't going to win the primary anyhow, and if you know/understand Pennsylvania, then you know why. But for him to lose by ten percentage points tell me that a whole lotta Black folks, simply didn't bother to vote.

c. Privatization of the Dell East - If yall alow that to happen, there is no hope for you...

--Bob Davis 609-351-0154 earthjuice@prodigy.net


SWEET ANGEL IN CONCERT - GET YOUR TICKETS TODAY!

HANDLE YOUR BUSINESS TOUR - 8:00 PM Friday, May 2nd, 2008 CHUCK'S PLACE 1489 Florida Street Memphis, TN 38109 USA 901-246-7545 Come share an evening with the notable Sweet Angel at Chuck's Place (formerly Mike's Place). www.sweetangel.or g Call Chuck's Place for ticket information.


www.IBBAINC.com The International Black Broadcasters Association 8th Annual Conference June 4,5,6,7 2008 in New Orleans, Louisiana. The IBBA is proud to announce the International Black Broadcasters Association 2nd Annual Golf Tournament to be held at the English Turn Golf & Country Club in New Orleans, Louisiana on Thursday, June 5, 2008. Mr. Chauncey Bell is the Tournament Director. He can be contacted at cbell@egagolf.net or Office # 201- 324-0003 .


Congrats to The Malaco Family for recieving an Official Mississippi Blues Trail Marker


RADIO ONE BUYS BLACK PLANET

RADIO ONE has acquired the social networking company COMMUNITY CONNECT for $38 million to expand its presence on the Internet, reports THE WASHINGTON POST. COMMUNITY CONNECT, which has about 100 employees, owns and operates social networking brands including BLACKPLANET.COM, MIGENTE.COM and ASIANAVE.COM, RADIO ONE said in a statement.

The acquisition is part of RADIO ONE's strategy to diversify beyond radio to reach black audiences. COMMUNITY CONNECT, based in NEW YORK, has more than 20 million members, making it the fourth- most visited U.S. social networking property, RADIO ONE said, citing JANUARY data from HITWISE.

"We will be the clear #1 in the African American online space," CEO ALFRED LIGGINS III said in the statement.


THE 3rd ANNUAL DELTA GROOVE ALLSTAR BLUES REVUE AND JAM SESSION !!!!!

Bringing a whole new generation of talent back to the crossroads where the blues began!"

On Friday, May 9th, Delta Groove Music continues the annual tradition of its highly regarded concert series at the Ground Zero Blues Club located in the heart of historic downtown Clarksdale, Mississippi. This monumental event will follow on the heels of what is considered to be the single most important night of the year in blues - the 2008 Blues Music Awards. The All-Star Blues Revue will be hosted by Bill Wax (XM Radio) along with a surprise celebrity guest, and documented on film. You can expect to see an entire festivals worth of talent showcased during this colossal event featuring many of your favorite Delta & Eclecto Groove artists and friends.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION

"GET YOUR BLUES ON. OPEN TO ALL MUSICANS!"

Delta Groove Music, in conjunction with Big City Rhythm & Blues Magazine, will be hosting a FREE Jam Stage outside Ground Zero Blues Club in Clarksdale, MS during the Delta Groove All-Star Blues Revue on May 9th, 2008. PA and backline will be provided.

For more information or to sign up for the jam please contact Robert Jr. and Shirley Mae at blues@bigcitybluesmag.com


GRAMMY-WINNING MUSIC SUPERSTAR MICHELLE WILLIAMS SEEKS NATION'S HOTTEST MALE DANCERS FOR UPCOMING PROJECTS SURROUNDING RELEASE OF NEW CONTEMPORARY POP/DANCE ALBUM, "UNEXPECTED"

Auditions Scheduled for Sunday, April 13 in North Hollywood

Pop icon Michelle Williams will be holding auditions in Los Angeles looking for the nation's hottest and most talented male dancers for a series of performances and projects in support of her new solo album, the contemporary pop/dance collection Unexpected, set for release on Tuesday, August 12.

Auditions for the Michelle Williams' Unexpected project will be held at The Basement in North Hollywood on Sunday, April 13 (please see full details following).

Auditions are open to male dancers only. Applicants need to be 5' 10" or taller and at least 18 years old. Prospective dancers should bring a resume, headshot, and best moves.

Michelle Williams - Auditions
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Open Call
2pm to 5pm
Agency call ( Agency Dancers only)
6pm to 8pm


The Basement
5259 Lankershim Blvd. Studio C
North Hollywood, CA 91601


The only Mississippi Delta Blues station is now available to the world! WABG-AM is broadcasting live from Greenwood, Mississippi and can be heard worldwide! Simply log on to www.jamespoe.com. Click on the guitar and enter the delta page, then click on the photo in the center of the page. Wait for the player to download and enjoy the best that the Mississippi Delta has to offer in radio! Please let me know what you think. E-mail or call me at (662) 455-1688.

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The O.V.Wright Memorial Fund

> Just a note to let you know that we have now set up a home page for the Fund: > > www.ovwright.org > > Hopefully that will simplify things a little. > > Donations are still being accepted. > > Thanks
> > -red kelly

2nd Annual Deep Blues Festival Expands To 45 Performers with International Acts & a Film Festival Fri - Sun, July 18-20, 2008 11:00am - 10:00pm Washington County Fairgrounds - Lake Elmo, MN Tickets on sale at w ww.deepbl uesfestival.comDiscount ticket offer ends 3/31/08 45 national and international "Deep Blues" bands perform at the 2nd annual Deep Blues Music & Film Festival on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, July 18-20, 2008. This festival celebrates the alternative and punk blues sound as well as the modern juke joint music of the Deep South with bands from 18 states as well as Italy, Australia, Canada, and the UK.




Zach Harmon among those appearing at the fifth annual Simply The Blues Fest

Coordinators of the fifth annual Simply The Blues blues festival - scheduled for May 9 and May 10 - have announced its 2009 lineup.

On Friday, May 9 Simply The Blues presents, Magic Slim and the Teardrops, Eddie Turner, Leon Redbone, Louisiana Red, The Second Skinny Blues and the Jefferson County Green Band.

On Saturday, May 10 the acts are all past International Blues Challenge participants, which are also some of the best National acts in the country. These include Sean Costello, Diunna Greenleaf, Zach Harmon, Shawn Kellerman,Trampled Under Foot, Alvin Jett and Phat Noiz, Rich Berry, Matt Woods and the Thunderbolts, Allen Smith and Willie McKnight. Information on all these great National acts can be found at www.si mplemanenterprises.com.




YOU BEATS

YouBeats.com, the leading hip-hop social network, now has an industry expert handpicking favorites from the worldwide amateur talent being assembled. The expertise of DJ Wonder, a Hot 97 and Sirius Radio host, is now an essential part of the http://ww w.YouBeats. com site as he selects his favorites on a regular basis from the thousands of self-posted songs on the site. "Taking into account years of longing for a social network fully devoted to hip-hop as a main course meal instead of a side dish add-on, YouBeats.com has emerged on the scene to serve the hungry minds of individuals within the hip-hop industry who want to be heard," said Ebony Garris, writer for AllHipHop.com, TheSource.com and Urban magazine. "YouBeats grants up-and- coming artists the opportunity to showcase their talent to an array of major players in the entertainment industry," she continued.

The YouBeats.com site enables young artists to post their recorded songs and many groups have chosen to post a range from their hip-hop repertoire. The songs are catalogued by subgenre, and rated by number of listens. Additionally, DJ Wonder selects his favorites from the newcomers and sets up his Top Artists List.

CONTACT: Public Relations, info@youbeats.com or visit http://ww w.YouBeats. com

Zydeco Comes to the BAY AREA!

Don't miss one of the Zydeco Nation's hottest live performers: T Broussard and The Zydeco Steppers!!! Sample the music at: www.ZydecoOnline.com

As part of the Zydeco Squeeze Box Series: T Broussard & The Zydeco Steppers will perform LIVE at the venues listed below. The Zydeco Squeeze Box Series is a major fundraising event for the Zydeco Historical and Preservation Society. Your support of this event help fund projects like: * The Bias Family Medical Fund * The Luke Collins Burial Restoration project* The ZHPS Oral History and Restoration Project:

Tuesday, April 29th - Ashkenaz
1317 San Pablo Avenue
Berkeley, CA
$12 @ the door *8pm-11pm
Thursday, May 1st - Lake Merritt Dance Center
600 Grand Avenue
Oakland, CA
$15 @ the door * 8pm - 11pm


Friday, May 2nd - King Fish Restaurant
201 S. B Street
San Mateo, CA
*Dinner reservations required: www.Kingfish.net

Saturday, May 3rd - St. Francis of Assisi Church Hall 1425 Bay Rd.
East Palo Alto, CA 94303
$20 @ the Doors * 8pm -12mid

Sunday, May 4th - The Boom Boom Room
1601 Fillmore Street
San Francisco, CA
$15 @ the door * 9pm-until


FROM THE DESK OF LOLA LOVE

It's a Zydeco Family Affair with:
* FREE Zydeco Dance Lessons!!!
* ZydecoOnline Giveaways!!!
* Louisiana Creole Food!!!
Lola Love your Zydeco Lady spinning the best of Zydeco & Southern Soul!!!

Presale Tickets & ZydecoOnline Super Passes
Available on www.ZydecoOnline.com, so get your's today!
It's a Zydeco Family Affair!!!!
For more information, Log on to www.ZydecoOnli ne.com or
www.ZHPS.org
Uniting the Zydeco Nation
Lola Love
ZydecoWorkout Webcast, Director
www.ZydecoOnli ne.com www.myspace.com/ZydecoOnline
www.myspace.com/_LolaLove
Uniting the Zydeco Nation
What is Zydeco Music?<br>
Zydeco Music is a unique form of musical expression that originated in rural southwest Louisiana. Locally known as "la la" music, Zydeco music was formed and forged in a time best forgotten--a time when African-Americans had to struggle in the fields from sunup to sundown as sharecroppers so that their children might reap a better life.

It was these backbreaking hard times that help to define one of the most vibrant and successful musical traditions in the world. The phrase "Zydeco sont pas sale'" means "The snapbeans are not Salty" in Creole French, and the music draws upon French, Creole, West African, Cajun, Caribbean, and R & B musical traditions. Zydeco Music is characterized by the use of the accordion, spoons, scrubboard, fiddle and triangle.

-- ZydecoOnline.com--

To learn more about Zydeco Music, and Creole Culture; log on to: www.ZydecoOnline.com


You Driving Theodis Take Us To The Windy City

Our Good Partner The Stand Up In It Man called to remindus that He is Also gonna be appearing at the 25th Annual Chicago Blues Festival, June 5-8, 2008.

Sweet Home Chicago has never been better, as the Chicago Blues Festival takes over Grant Park June 5-8, 2008.

The largest free admission Blues festival in the world, the four-day festival offers the best in national, international and local Blues entertainment on six stages with more than 70 performances, preceded by a month of Blues activities (Blues Season) throughout Chicago. In commemoration of the 25th Annual event, the festival not only will feature a quarter of a century of the blues festival highlights but also celebrate the centennials of Louis Jordan, Tommy McLennan, and Blind John Davis.

Annouced performancer include,Theodis Ealey ,Buckwheat Zydeco,Lil' Ed and the Blues Imperial s,Koko Taylor,Eddy "the Chief" Clearwater, Pinetop Perkins, Honeyboy Edwards, James Cotton, Johnny Winter (Winter hasn't performed at the event since the very first Chicago Blues Festival), Lurrie Bell, and the king himself, B.B. King.


34TH ANNUAL NCBM AND 8TH ANNUAL IBBA CONFERENCE

June is Black Music Month and New Orleans has been selected for a Historical Event. Mayor George Grace, President of National Conference of Black Mayors and Rob Neal, Executive Director of The International Black Broadcasters Association are proud to announce The 34th Annual National Conference of Black Mayors Conference and The Eighth Annual International Black Broadcasters Association Conference will be held on the same dates, June 4,5,6,7,8, 2008 at Harrah's Casino Hotel and The Hilton Riverside Hotel, Poydras Street Downtown New Orleans. Over 600 Black Mayors and Black Broad- casters across America and abroad will be in attendance. That's June 4,5,6,7,8, 2008 at Harrah's Casino Hotel and The Hilton Riverside Hotel on Poydras Street, Downtown New Orleans. Be There - For More Information www.IBB AINC.COM


MAKE PLANS NOW 2 B THERE


Blues Music Awards
The 29th Blues Music Awards will be Thursday May 8 at the Grand Casino and Hotel in Tunica, Mississippi. While the complete schedule of events is still unfolding, be sure to click on the Tunica Convention and Visitors Bureau logo to your left, to get an idea of the offerings in the area. We know that many nominees will be performing in Tunica and Clarksdale before and after the Awards and tours will be available to visit all the blues historical sites in the Delta, including the new Mississippi Blues Marker Trail, developed by 2008 Blues Music Awards sponsor, the Mississippi Development Authority, Division of Tourism, and the Mississippi Blues Commission.

The host hotel for the 2008 Blues Music Awards will be the Veranda, part of the Grand Casino Resort, in Tunica, MS. Special $79.00 guest rates apply to those attending the 2008 Blues Music Awards.

You can reserve online for Wednesday, May 7 and/or Thursday, May 8. If you wish to stay before or after those dates, you may NOT reserve those additional dates online so you may wish to make reservations for your entire stay by phone.

To reserve by phone call 800.394.7263. The Code is S 05 BLUE To reserve online click here.


Celebrating Birthdays This Month

Kenny Edwards Apr 12
Artie "Bluesboy" White Apr 16
Sylvester Parsons Apr 19
Bobby Bowens Apr 22
Craig Grear Apr 23
Charles Jones Apr 25
Paralee Williams Apr 28
Gary Young Apr 30
Linda Ealey May 2
Ennis Bright May 2
Walter T. Miles,Sr May 4
Stan Mosley May 6
Willie Hunter May 6
Katie Fogg May 10
Bev Johnson May 10
Trupiedo A. Crump, May 11
Tommy Clark May 11
Becky Sigler May 15
Ken Tippens May 16
Ken R Tippens May 16
Brenda Goldsmith May 20
Lamont Renzo Bracy May 24

CLICK HERE Join Boogies Birthday List


LURRIE BELL TO HEADLINE JFEST 2008

The Cotton Club Museum and Cultural Center's 2nd Annual Juneteenth Festival & Juried Art Show (JFest) will celebrate African cultural heritage and will take place at Lincoln Park in Gainesville, Florida on June 14-15, 2008 (Father's Day weekend).

The application deadline for this festival has been extended to April 25th, 2008 due to technical difficulties with the website which have been addressed. Applications are available at our website JFestCentral.com or by calling (352) 505-6161. We welcome artists of all mediums to apply, particularly those whose work deals with the African heritage experience. Join 150 artists as they compete for $10,000 in prizes.

JFest 2008 welcomes guest artists the Florida Highwaymen group who will share their art on scenes of Florida's subtropical wilderness. This group started during the time of segregation when they were not allowed to sell their work at sales venues leaving Florida's highways as their marketplace. Twenty six members of the group have been inducted into the Florida Artists Hall of Fame.

Co-sponsored by the Gainesville Blues Society, Lurrie Bell, son of Chicago blues harmonica master Carey Bell, is the JFest 2008 Headliner. Lurrie Bell at the age of 17 was a founding member of The Sons of Blues. After a grand performance at the Berlin Jazz Festival they cut three tracks for Alligator Records' Grammy-nominated series Living Chicago Blues. Recently Lurrie has immersed himself in his music resulting in his CD Let's Talk About Love. Voted Most Outstanding Guitar Player in 2007 by the Living Blues magazine critics' poll, he was nominated for a 2007 Blues Music Award for Best Guitarist by the Blues Foundation. With Lurrie's extensive blues background and guitar playing credentials he is sure to be a hit at this years' JFest. This legendary artist will perform Saturday, June 14th from 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Lincoln Park in Gainesville, FL. To find out more about Lurrie Bell and hear some of his music please visit JFestCentral.com

The 2nd Annual Juneteenth Festival and Juried Art Show is produced by the Cotton Club Museum & Cultural Center, Inc., a non-profit, 501(c) 3 corporation dedicated to the preservation of African American history and culture through the fine, folk, and performing arts.

We encourage you to share this information with your family, friends and colleagues! www.JFestCentra l.com

in this issue
	45th Medgar Evers/B.B. King Homecoming Rapper-Actor David Banner Makes Campus Tour Riviera Beach Music Festival Brings Hot Jazz, Cold Tea and...Emmanuel Lewis Ross On Radio: Covering Great Songs, Bringing Back Great Stations New Music From Steve Perry Al Wilson Passes Submit Your Music LT. GOV. LANDRIEU ANNOUNCES $6M FOR JAZZ MUSEUM AT OLD U.S. MINT CHANGES IN THE ENTERTAINMENT VOCABULARY The 2008 Blues Music Awards Chip Eagle Reporting on Bluzapalooza in the Middle East Spotlight On Otis Clay The Catch-22 of Buying Black Media Check Out The Latest Southern Soul Hits Arbitron Says Urban Radio is 'Strong & Vibrant' in PPM Thanks From Bigg Robb Jim Starr Ask The Twins Becky Starr's star ready to shine on solo career

Rapper-Actor David Banner Makes Campus Tour

Hip-hop superstar and HBCU alumnus David Banner is in the midst of a cross-country promotional tour for his new album, The Greatest Story Ever Told, which hits shelves June 3. His new single "Get Like Me" is available now for download on iTunes. The multi-talented star, who recently filmed four movies, said he is ready to switch his focus back to music. Banner had a role in the hit holiday movie "This Christmas" that starred R&B artist Chris Brown, who is also featured on Banner's new single. read on

Riviera Beach Music Festival Brings Hot Jazz, Cold Tea and...Emmanuel Lewis

The opening night of the eighth annual Riviera Beach Music Festival had already proven itself a success: none of last year's stage collapse mishaps, a relative timely flow, gorgeous weather and an impressively diverse dance into the world of smooth jazz, ending with an emotional appearance by ailing singer Will Downing. And then Emmanuel Lewis showed up, grabbed the mic and shook his small groove thing to a Stevie Wonder song and shouting "Give the drummer some!" I'm not sure why. I still can barely believe this wasn't an hallucination brought on by an overload of fried fish and strawberry iced tea. But when Webster shows up and, as Kool and the Gang might say, celebrates your party with you, an already successful, enjoyable night becomes pretty much the most awesome thing ever. "Is this actually happening?" asked a dumbfounded and delighted fan sitting next to me, applauding as the former child actor and "The Surreal Life" star jammed with Downing and white-suited musician Najee, a satisfying and, yes, delightfully surreal ending to a great evening of music. I can't be the only person crossing their fingers and holding their breath during last night's opening, featuring hilarious and musical MC Tommy Davidson, funky guitarist Carmen Chiles, smooth jazz singer Michael Franks and a toe-curling, arm-waving, head- bopping combined set with Najee, pianist Jeff Lorber and powerfully-voiced singer Maysa. The festival's had a rough time of it in recent years, from the aforementioned stage collapse on last year's opening night, chilly weather, routinely late starts that dragged the schedule woefully behind, never catching up, and what we'll describe only as the Crying Patti LaBelle incident. continue reading here

Ross On Radio: Covering Great Songs, Bringing Back Great Stations

Ross On Radio: Covering Great Songs, Bringing Back Great Stations Once it was common for singers to find their next hit on another artist's album--or a song that had been recorded previously without becoming a hit. We haven't seen much of that practice recently, except on "American Idol," where unlikely covers have become one of this season's highlights. So this week's Ross On Radio asks "Is The Industry Open To Interpretation?" And with the return of WNEW New York as an Internet/HD-2 station, we ask "Who Should Be Next?" Jump to Ross On Radio

New Music From Steve Perry

LISTEN

Al Wilson Passes

Soul singer Al Wilson, who topped the U.S. pop singles chart in 1974 with "Show and Tell," died on Monday. Wilson succumbed to kidney failure in a hospital in Fontana, a city about 50 miles east of Los Angeles, He was 68. The Meridian Mississippi native issued his first single "The Snake," in 1968. "Show and Tell" spent one week at No. 1 on the Billboard Hit 100 singles chart in January 1974. He was always singing," Wilson's son, Tony Wilson, said in a statement. "He would call me in the middle of the night with a new song that he had written." Wilson is survived by his wife, Patricia; daughters Alene Harris and Sharon Burley; his brother, Eddie Wilson; sisters Lottie Ross, Ruby Conyers and Maebell Cole, and 13 grandchildren. Best remembered for the soul classic "Show and Tell," singer Al Wilson was born June 19, 1939 in Meridian, Mississippi. From childhood forward he was singing professionally, and by the age of 12 was leading his own spiritual quartet and singing in the church choir, even performing covers of country and western hits as circumstances dictated. While he was in high school, Wilson and his family relocated to San Bernadino, California, where he worked odd jobs as a mail carrier, a janitor, and an office clerk, in addition to teaching himself to play drums; after graduation he spent four years touring with Johnny Harris and the Statesmen before joining the U.S. Navy and singing with an enlisted men's chorus. After a two-year military stint, Wilson settled in Los Angeles, touring the local nightclub circuit before joining the R&B vocal group the Jewels; from there he landed with the Rollers, followed by a stint with the instrumental combo the Souls. In 1966, Wilson signed with manager Marc Gordon, who quickly scored his client an a cappella audition for Johnny Rivers -- the "Secret Agent Man" singer not only signed Wilson to his Soul City imprint, but also agreed to produce the sessions that yielded the 1968 R&B smash "The Snake." The minor hit "Do What You Gotta Do" appeared that same year, but Wilson then largely disappeared from sight until 1973, when he issued the platinum-selling Weighing In -- the album's success was spurred by the shimmering "Show and Tell," a Johnny Mathis castoff that sold well over a million copies. 1974's "The La La Peace Song" proved another major hit, and two years later, "I've Got a Feeling We'll Be Seeing Each Other Again" cracked the R&B Top Three. With 1979's "Count the Days" Wilson scored his final chart hit, however, and he spent the next two decades touring clubs and lounges; in 2001 he re-recorded his classic hits for the album Spice of Life.