Lesley Gore “Look The Other Way”(Mercury 72867-B, 1968) There’s a hole in our collective hearts where America’s Sweetheart meets Queer Icon Lesley Gore doesn’t exist anymore. Since she passed away last year, not much has been done to cover the scope of her art or activism. It’s to be remembered that within 9 months time,…
Category: Soul Birthday
I’ll Try Anything: The Master Vocal-Cultural Intersection Class as Taught by Dusty Springfield
Dusty Springfield, older I get, is someone that I love more, although she causes some grand complications being a fan of hers. She’s *that* Blue-eyed soul singer that reigns over all others. She’s *that* early queer icon that at least publicly identified as Bisexual far ahead of anyone else. She’s that British Invasion artist wholly…
Sheila Ferguson “Heartbroken Memories” (Swan 4234, 1965)
Sheila Ferguson “Heartbroken Memories” (Swan 4234, 1965) Sheila Ferguson is one of the most heavenly voices of the girl group era. It is to a lot of surprises that she didn’t find her greatest success as a soloist or for the majority of the Classic Girl Group era, but in the 1970’s. However, she had…
The Ronettes “You Came, You Saw, You Conquered” (A&M 1040, Pop #100, 1969)
The Ronettes “You Came, You Saw, You Conquered” (A&M 1040, Pop #100, 1969) She sometimes talks to rainbows, and the applause of the crowd gives her orgasms. She might be the most definitive Leo of the Girl Group era; so we celebrate Ronnie Spector on her 72nd Birthday. The fierce feline from Spanish Harlem whose…
The Chiffons “Easy To Love (So Hard To Get)” (Laurie 3224, 1964)
The Chiffons “Easy To Love (So Hard To Get)” (Laurie 3224, 1964) Our next Leading Lady Leo is one of the many that was gracious enough to share the spotlight with fellow group members. Although her voice dominates the biggest hits The Chiffons had, Judy Craig shared lead duties with Sylvia Peterson on the slew of classics,…
Timi Yuro “Get Out Of My Life” (Mercury 72431, 1965)
Timi Yuro “Get Out Of My Life” (Mercury 72431, 1965) One of the fiercest blue eyed soul singers would be of course a Lady Leo. The pint sized powerhouse born Rosemary Timothea Yuro 75 years ago today blurred many an expectation of what it meant to be a female pop singer in the early 1960’s….
Bobbie Gentry “I Saw An Angel Die” (Capitol 5992, 1967)
Bobbie Gentry “I Saw An Angel Die” (Capitol 5992, 1967) It isn’t that rare that someone has a break-out #1 hit and then the next single goes absolutely nowhere. It may have been crushing to Bobbie Gentry though. After the storybook #1 Smash “Ode To Billy Joe” hung around AM Top 40 at the peak…
Darlene Love “He’s a Quiet Guy” (Philles 123-B, 1964)
Darlene Love “He’s a Quiet Guy” (Philles 123-B, 1964) There’s a few things to consider over the next few weeks. 1) The Sun is in Leo. 2) There’s a Venus Retrograde, soon to retreat back into the flames of Leo and 3) There’s a bevy of Soul Legends born under the sign of Leo as…
Della Reese “Solitary Woman” (ABC 10841-B, 1966)
Della Reese “Solitary Woman” (ABC 10841-B, 1966) In between the days of Dinah Washington and Dionne Warwick, there spans the remarkable career of Delloreese Early, someone that you definitely know better as Della Reese. In age she’s the perfect generation gap between two transition periods of African American Femme Fatales of song, and today, we…
Lena Horne “Sand and the Sea” (United Artists 911, 1966)
Lena Horne “Sand and the Sea” (United Artists 911, 1966) It wouldn’t be smart of me to ignore that it’s also Lena Horne’s Birthday as well. The Goddess of Screen, Stage and Song was born 98 years ago in Bed-Stuy, and from there became a pacesetter in the world of entertainment, going places few women of…
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