Second Listen Sunday: Gerald & Eddie LeVert, Father & Son
Today is Father’s Day, so I wanted to highlight a legendary father and son duo for Second Listen Sunday. Arriving in stores on Sept 26, 1995, Father and Son was the first full-length collaboration between the late great Gerald LeVert and his dad Eddie LeVert.
Slow Jam Saturday: Eric Roberson feat. Pop, Do The Same For Me
Next to New Edition, one performer who I always make time to see any time they are in my city is Eric Roberson. I’ve lost count of times I’ve witnessed Erro wreck shop on stage. One performance that sticks out was in 2016 at The Birchmere in Alexandria. During a “Do The Same For Me” performance, Eric brought his dad on stage to sing the song with him.
Second Listen Sunday: Jordan Knight, Jordan Knight
Lead singers going solo from their group is nothing new. Sometimes the solo venture happens when they are still with the group; other times, they wait until the group is on hiatus. Jordan Knight was the primary lead vocalist in the massively successful New Kids On The Block pop group. With a falsetto style modeled after the legendary Russell Thompkins Jr of The Stylistics, Knight led his group to numerous top-ten hits.
Slow Jam Saturday: DeBarge, Love Me In A Special Way
DeBarge, Motown’s eighties answer to The Jackson 5, was introduced to a whole new era of fans when one of Hip Hop goats, The Notorious B.I.G., sampled their 1983 classic “Stay With Me” for the remix to “One More Chance.” “Stay With Me” appeared on the group’s third album, In a Special Way.
Second Listen Sunday : Jimmy Cozier
Industry giant Clive Davis shook numerous heads when he announced his new label J Records after he was ousted from Arista Records in 2000.
Slow Jam Saturday : 3T, Waiting For Love
There’s no doubt that the Jackson Family is a musical dynasty. You can go anywhere in the world, and there’s a good chance you will hear a song by Michael or Janet on the radio. In the past, I’ve given some flowers to solo releases from Jermaine and Jackie, but for this week’s Slow Jam Saturday, I wanted to shout out 3T.
Second Listen Sunday : Trey Lorenz
Luther Vandross, Tank, Gwen Stefani, and Whitney Houston are just some of the names who got their start singing background vocals for more successful singers who would later find success on their own. One name who often gets lost in the shuffle is Trey Lorenz.
Slow Jam Saturday : Lil Mo feat. Carl Thomas – Player Not The Game
Songtress Lil Mo hit the scene in 1998 with her debut single “5 Minutes” from the soundtrack to Why Do Fools Fall In Love under the tutelage of icon Missy “Misdemeanor” Elliott. While the song was received well by urban audiences wasn’t until Mo’s appearance on Missy Elliott’s record-breaking single “Hot Boyz” that the industry began to take note. Mo would follow that song with two successful Ja Rule collaborations in “Put It On Me” and “I Cry,” which set the stage for her debut album Based on a True Story.
Second Listen Sunday : Bell, Biv, Devoe, Welcome To My Heart
R&B trio Bell, Biv, Devoe just wrapped up a successful tour with their parent group New Edition and I’m sure they are already cooking up some dates for Summer 2023 as BBD.
Slow Jam Saturday : The Spinners, Sadie
Tomorrow is Mother’s Day, so I wanted to pick a song for this week’s Slow Jam Saturday that pays homage to moms.
Second Listen Sunday : Janet Jackson 20 Y.O.
I’m still on a musical high after seeing Janet Jackson in concert last night, so of course, she will get some more love. I decided to revisit her ninth album, 2006’s 20 Y.O., for this week’s Second Listen Sunday.
Slow Jam Saturday : Janet Jackson, 70s Love Groove
Tonight will be one for the record books, as I finally see Janet “Ms. Jackson if you’re Nasty” live. Before that, though, I must show some love to one of my favorite Janet slow cuts for Slow Jam Saturday.