Black Merda was an American soul-funk/psych band from Detroit that released a self-titled album on Chess in 1970, followed by a second as Mer-Da on Janus in 1972. Along with Funkadelic and Purple Image, the band was pivotal in bridging R&B and psych-rock at the dawn of the 1970s. Members: Anthony “Wolf” Hawkins (guitar), VC […]
Carolyn Crawford (born July 19, 1949) is an American soul singer from Detroit who cut three singles for Motown as a teenager during the mid-1960s and another three for PIR during the mid-1970s before finally releasing two albums on Mercury in 1978/79. She was briefly a fourth member of Hodges James & Smith for two […]
The Undisputed Truth were an American soul-psych group from Detroit, formed in 1970. The group released six albums on Motown’s Gordy imprint between 1971 and 1975, followed by two further albums on producer Norman Whitfield’s surnamesake label during the second half of the decade. Members: Joe Harris (lead vocals), Billie Rae Calvin (lead vocals, 1970-74), […]
The Supremes were an American soul-pop trio from Detroit, formed in 1961. Their classic lineup featured singers Mary Wilson, Florence Ballard, and frontwoman Diana Ross, who all grew up on the city’s east side. Signed to Motown, The Supremes were part of that label’s classic roster of chart-topping sixties artists, along with the Four Tops, […]
The Spinners were an American soul group from Ferndale, Mich., formed in 1954. The group released a string of singles on Tri-Phi during the early 1960s, followed by another run of singles on Motown, which issued the Spinners’ debut album in 1967. After a second album on V.I.P. at the turn of the 1970s, the […]
The Miracles were an American soul group from Detroit, formed in 1955. The band released a round of singles on End and Chess during the late 1950s, followed by a high-volume run of albums on Tamla between 1961 and 1976. Between 1965 and 1972, the nameplate was affixed with that of featured vocalist/songwriter Smokey Robinson. […]
The Jones Girls were an American soul group from Detroit, formed in 1965 as a gospel trio by sisters Brenda, Shirley, and Valorie Jones, who were aged 9–12 at the group’s inception. Between 1979 and 1981, the group released three albums on Philadelphia International Records, followed by a fourth on RCA and a fifth on […]
Leon Ware (Feb. 16, 1940 — Feb. 23, 2017) was an American R&B singer, songwriter, and producer who released a self-titled album on United Artists in 1972, followed by the popular Musical Massage on Gordy in 1976. Between 1979 and 1982, Ware released three LPs on Fabulous and Elektra, including a second eponymous album. Though […]
Hodges, James & Smith were an American vocal trio from Detroit. The nameplate was briefly suffixed with a fourth surname, Crawford, to account for vocalist Carolyn Crawford, who recorded two singles with the group circa 1971/72. Members: Pat Hodges, Denita James, Jessica Smith, Carolyn Crawford (1971—72) Discography: “Somewhere a Valley” / “Ain’t That Right” (1969) […]
Freda Payne (born Sept. 19, 1942) is an American soul-pop/jazz singer from Detroit. She started with a sting of vocal jazz releases on ABC/Impulse! during the early 1960s. In 1970, she started a three-album stint on Invictus, charting with the Stax-influenced soul-pop number “Band of Gold.” Between 1974 and 1979, she cut a pair of […]
The Four Tops were an American soul group from Detroit, formed in 1953. Members: Abdul “Duke” Fakir (first tenor vocals), Renaldo “Obie” Benson (baritone, bass vocals, 1953-2005), Levi Stubbs (lead vocals, 1953-2000), Lawrence Payton (second tenor vocals, lead vocals, 1953-97) The Four Tops assembled in 1953 Detroit when two students at Pershing High, Levi Stubbs […]
Enchantment was an American soul group from Detroit. Members: Emanuel “EJ” Johnson, Bobby Green, Mickey Clanton, Joe Thomas, Dave Banks Discography: Enchantment (1976) Once Upon a Dream (1977) Journey to the Land Of…Enchantment (1979) Soft Lights, Sweet Music (1980) Enchanted Lady (1982) Utopia (1983)
Diana Ross (born March 26, 1944) is an American soul-pop singer from Detroit who rose to fame as the lead vocalist of The Supremes, a trio that she co-founded in 1961 and fronted until 1970. Diana Ross was born on March 26, 1944, in Detroit, Mich., the second child of Ernestine (née Moten; 1916–1984) and […]
The Power of Zeus were an American hard-rock/psych band from Detroit that released the album The Gospel According to Zeus on Motown-subsidiary Rare Earth in 1970. The band gigged for two years prior as Gangrene but changed names as a condition of their contract. Members: Joe Periano (guitar), Bill Jones (bass), Dennie Webber (Hammond organ, […]
Robert Byrne (July 10, 1954 — June 26, 2005) was an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter from Detroit who released the album Blame It on the Night on Mercury in 1979, followed by the album An Eye for an Eye as half of the duo Byrne & Barnes in 1981. Discography: Blame It on the […]
Donald Byrd (Dec. 9, 1932 — Feb. 4, 2013) was an American trumpeter who emerged as an early member of The Jazz Messengers during the mid-1950s. He was born Donaldson Toussaint L’Ouverture Byrd II on December 9, 1932, in Detroit. Byrd first performed behind jazz percussionist and bandleader Lionel Hampton while still a student at […]
October were an American symphonic-rock band from Detroit, Mich., that issued an eponymous album on local small-press Charisma Sound in 1979, followed that same year by the sophomoric self-release After the Fall. Members: Pat Carson (Drums, Percussion), Mark Krench (Electric, Acoustic And Prepared Pianos, Recorder, Synthesizer), Mark Stering (Mini Moog, Moog Sonic Six, Micro Moog, […]
707 were an American melodic/hard-rock band that released three albums on the PolyGram subsidiaries Casablanca and Boardwalk between 1980 and 1982. Members: Kevin Russell (vocals, guitar), Phil Bryant (vocals, bass), Duke McFadden (vocals, keyboards), Jim McClarty (drums), Kevin Chalfant (vocals), Tod Howarth (keyboards, guitar), Felix Robinson (bass), Don Bassey (bass), Denny Carmassi (drums) Discography: 707 […]
Bennie Maupin (born Aug. 29, 1940) is an American jazz-funk multi-reedist from Detroit. Discography: The Jewel in the Lotus (1974) Slow Traffic to the Right (1977) Moonscapes (1978)
The 8th Day were an American soul-funk/psych band from Detroit that released two albums with accompanying singles on Invictus between 1971 and 1973. A decade later, the nameplate was resurrected for a third album on A&M. Members: Steve Mancha (vocals), Melvin Davis (vocals, drums), Antonio ‘Tony’ Newton (bass), Carole Stallings (vocals, electric violin), Anita Sherman […]
