The Sylvers were American soul-funk family act from Memphis, formed in 1971. The group released two albums on Pride in 1972/73, followed by a third release on MGM, a trio of titles on Capitol, and a further pair of longplayers on Casablanca between 1974 and 1979. Two subsequent titles appeared on Solar and Geffen during […]
Dee Dee Bridgewater (born May 27, 1950) is an American soul and jazz singer from Memphis. Bridgewater was born Denise Eileen Garrett on May 27, 1950, in Memphis, Tenn., the daughter of jazz trumpeter and teacher Matthew Garrett. She was raised in Flint, Mich. At age 16, she gigged the local clubs with her first […]
Anita Ward (born Dec. 20, 1956) is an American soul singer from Memphis. Discography: Songs of Love (1979) Sweet Surrender (1979)
Ebonee Webb were an American soul-funk band from Memphis that served as a backing act on two 1978/79 Japanese disco albums on the Seven Seas label. As a standalone unit, the band released two albums on Capitol Records between 1981 and 1983. Members: Charles Liggins, Chico, Gregg Davis, Kenneth Ray Coleman, Leon Thomas, Michael Winston, […]
The Amazing Rhythm Aces were an American rustic-rock band from Memphis that released five albums on ABC between 1975 and 1979, followed by a sixth on Warner Bros. in 1980. Members: Russell Smith (guitar, vocals), Billy Earheart III (keyboards, organ, accordion, piano), James Hooker (keyboards, piano, vocals), Jeff “Stick” Davis (bass, vocals), Butch McDade (drums, […]
D. Beaver were an American art-pop band from Memphis that released the album Combinations on RCA-subsidiary TMI Records in 1973. Members: David Beaver (vocals, keyboards), Tommy Cathey (bass, vocals), Jimi Jamison (vocals), Carl Marsh (woodwinds, horns), Paul Allen Taylor (guitar, backing vocals), Joel Williams (drums, percussion, guitar) Discography: Combinations (1973)
Edgewood were an American hard-rock/psych band from Memphis that released the album Ship of Labor on TMI Records in 1972. Members: David Beaver (vocals, keyboards), Pat Taylor (vocals, guitar), David Mayo (vocals, guitar, keyboards), Jim Tarbutton (guitar), Steve Spear (bass), Joel Williams (drums, percussion), Mike Bleecker (drums, percussion, 1970) Discography: Ship of Labor (1972)
Alamo were an American hard-rock band from Memphis that released a self-titled album on Atlantic in 1971. Members: Larry Raspberry (guitar), Richard Rosebrough (drums), Larry Davis [aka Larry Changes] (bass), Ken Woodley (keyboards, vocals) Discography: Alamo (1971)
The Memphis Horns were an American brass/woodwinds ensemble that originally served as a house act at Stax Records. As an autonomous unit, the band debuted with an album on Cotillion in 1970, followed by the 1972 album Horns for Everything on Million Records Inc. Between 1976 and 1979, the band released four albums on RCA. […]
Frank Lowe (June 24, 1943 — Sept. 19, 2003) was an American free-jazz saxophonist and composer from Memphis who released the album Black Beings on ESP Disk in 1973, followed by titles on assorted labels in solo and collaborative form between 1975 and 1985. Discography: Black Beings (1973) Duo Exchange (1973 • Rashied Ali & […]
Bettye Crutcher — aka Bettye Jean Crutcher Barnes — is an American soul singer and songwriter from Memphis, Tenn., that released the album Long as You Love Me on Stax/Enterprise in 1974. She hailed from the writing/production team We Three along with musicians Homer Banks and Raymond Jackson. During the late 1960s, her songs were […]
William Bell (born July 16, 1939) is an American soul singer from Memphis. Discography: The Soul of a Bell (1967) Bound to Happen (1969) Wow… (1971) Phases of Reality (1972) Relating (1973) Coming Back for More (1977) It’s Time You Took Another Listen (1977) Survivor (1983) Passion (1985) On a Roll (1986)
The Soul Children were an American soul group from Memphis. Members: J. Blackfoot (vocals), Norman West (vocals), Anita Louis (vocals, 1968-79), Shelbra Bennett [Shelbra Deane] (vocals, 1968-75) Discography: Soul Children (1969) Best of Two Worlds (1971) Genesis (1972) Friction (1974) Finders Keepers (1976) Where Is Your Woman Tonight? (1977) Open Door Policy (1978)
The Temprees were an American soul group from Memphis. Members: Harold Scott (vocals), Deljuan Calvin (vocals, 1970-73, 1976-present) , Jasper Phillips (vocals, 1970-2001), Larry Dodson (vocals, 1970), William Norvell Johnson (vocals, 1973-76), Jerry “JC” Calvin (vocals, 2001-present) Discography: Lovemen (1972) Love Maze (1973) Three (1974)
Aretha Franklin (March 25, 1942 — Aug. 16, 2018) was an American soul singer from Memphis. She was born Aretha Louise Franklin on March 25, 1942, in Memphis, the third child of baptist minister Clarence LaVaughn Franklin (1915–1984) and pianist/singer Barbara Vernice Franklin (née Siggers; 1917–1952). Aretha had two sisters, Erma (1938–2002) and Carolyn (1944–1988), […]
James Williams (March 8, 1951 — July 20, 2004) was an American jazz-funk pianist from Memphis. Discography: Flying Colors (1977) Everything I Love (1979 • The James Williams Quartet) The Arioso Touch (1982) Together – Spolu (1982 • James Williams & Emil Viklický) Alter Ego (1984) Progress Report (1986) Magical Trio 1 (1987) Meet the […]
The Bar-Kays were an American soul-funk band from Memphis that released the album Soul Finger on Volt in 1967. Following a plane crash that claimed four of the original six members, survivors Ben Cauley and James Alexander formed a second lineup of the band. Four further albums appeared on Volt between 1969 and 1974, after […]
Hank Crawford (Dec. 12, 1934 — Jan. 29, 2009) was an American post-bop/jazz-funk alto saxophonist, arranger, and composer from Memphis. Discography: More Soul (1961) The Soul Clinic (1961) From the Heart (1962) Soul of The Ballad (1963) True Blue (1964) Dig These Blues (1965) After Hours (1966) Mr. Blues (1967) Double Cross (1968) Mr. Blues […]
