In Memoriam: Charles Bradley (1948 – 2017)

Charles Edward Bradley (November 5, 1948 – September 23, 2017) was an American funk/soul/R&B singer, signed to the Daptone Records label under the Dunham Records division. His performances and recording style were consistent with Daptone’s revivalist approach, celebrating the feel of funk and soul music from the 1960s and 1970s. One review said he “echoes the evocative delivery of Otis Redding”.

Dubbed “the screaming eagle of soul”, Bradley was the subject of the documentary Soul of America which premiered at South by Southwest in 2012. – Wikipedia

LA Times Obit
The soul singer Charles Bradley, one of the most joyful and powerful contemporary vocalists in his genre, died Saturday morning. He was 68.

Representatives for the singer said in a statement that Bradley died of complications from stomach cancer, which had been in remission. Bradley toured up through the last year of his life.

Bradley, like his Daptone label mate, the late Sharon Jones, was a later-in-life soul music success story. He was discovered while working as a James Brown impersonator, and he released his debut album, “No Time For Dreaming,” in 2011. “The Screaming Eagle of Soul” quickly turned ears among vintage R&B enthusiasts and younger audiences at festivals like FYF Fest, where Bradley played in 2016 to raucous crowds.

His 2016 album “Changes” was widely praised and led to numerous mainstream television appearances, including a performance on “CBS This Morning: Saturday” that earned an Emmy nomination for outstanding on-camera musical performance in a daytime program.

Born in Gainesville, Fla., Bradley moved to Brooklyn as a child and lived all over the U.S. before returning to New York for the last 20 years of his life. He closely collaborated with a number of acts and backing bands in his career, including His Extraordinaires, Menahan Street Band, Budos Band and the Jimmy Hill Allstarz.

Musicians around the music world lamented his passing. The Daptone band Antibalas tweeted “RIP to our dear brother Charles Bradley. Your heart was too big for this planet. See you on the other side. We love you.” Singer-songwriter Neko Case wrote, over a picture of Bradley and Sharon Jones, that “I’ve had the honor of being completely and utterly blown off stage by both of these sweethearts.”

Representatives for the singer said, “Mr. Bradley was truly grateful for all the love he’s received from his fans and we hope his message of love is remembered and carried on.” – LATimes

Friday 10pm: Feature Artist – Joan Jett

Joan Marie Larkin (born September 22, 1958), known professionally as Joan Jett, is an American rock singer, songwriter, composer, musician, record producer and occasional actress.

She is best known for her work as the front woman of her band, Joan Jett & the Blackhearts, preceded by success with the Runaways, including the hit song “Cherry Bomb”. The Blackhearts’ song “I Love Rock ‘n Roll” was number-one on the Billboard Hot 100 from March 20 to May 1, 1982. Her other popular recordings include “Bad Reputation”, “Crimson and Clover”, “Do You Wanna Touch Me (Oh Yeah)”, “Light of Day”, “I Hate Myself for Loving You” and “Dirty Deeds”.

Jett has a mezzo-soprano vocal range. She has three albums that have been certified Platinum or Gold, and has been a feminist icon throughout her career. She has been described as the Queen of Rock ‘n’ Roll.  She is also known as the Godmother of Punk. In 2015, she was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. – Wikipedia

Thursday 10pm: Feature Artist – Faith Hill @FaithHill

Audrey Faith Hill (née Perry; born September 21, 1967) is an American singer and record producer. She is one of the most successful country artists of all time, having sold more than 40 million albums worldwide. Hill is married to American singer Tim McGraw, with whom she has recorded several duets.

Hill’s first two albums, Take Me as I Am (1993) and It Matters to Me (1995), were major successes and placed a combined three number ones on Billboard’s country charts. She then achieved mainstream and crossover success with her next two albums, Faith (1998) and Breathe (1999). Faith spawned her first international hit in early 1998, “This Kiss”, while Breathe became one of the best-selling country albums of all time, led by the huge crossover success of the songs “Breathe” and “The Way You Love Me”. It had massive sales worldwide and earned Hill three Grammy Awards. In 1996, before her marriage to Tim McGraw, Faith Hill appeared on the PBS music program Austin City Limits (season 21).

In 2001, she recorded “There You’ll Be” for the Pearl Harbor soundtrack and it became an international hit and her best-selling single in Europe. Hill’s next two albums, Cry (2002) and Fireflies (2005), were both commercial successes; the former spawned another crossover single, “Cry”, which won Hill a Grammy Award, and the latter produced the hit singles “Mississippi Girl” and “Like We Never Loved at All”, which earned her another Grammy Award.

Hill has won five Grammy Awards, 15 Academy of Country Music Awards, six American Music Awards, and several other awards. Her Soul2Soul II Tour 2006 with McGraw became the highest-grossing country tour of all time. In 2001, she was named one of the “30 Most Powerful Women in America” by Ladies Home Journal. In 2009, Billboard named her as the No. 1 Adult Contemporary artist of the 2000 decade and also as the 39th best artist. From 2007 to 2012, Hill was the voice of NBC Sunday Night Football’s intro song. – Wikipedia

Wednesday 6pm: Feature Artist – Nelson

Nelson is an American rock band founded by singer/songwriters Matthew and Gunnar Nelson (twin sons of Ricky Nelson and Kristin Nelson). The band achieved success during the early 1990s with their double platinum debut album After the Rain, which featured the number-one hit “(Can’t Live Without Your) Love and Affection”.

After the success of their first album, the band claims to have been faced with conflicts with their record label, lack of support from the media, and the shift in music towards grunge and alternative rock. They eventually split with Geffen Records in 1995. Despite this, the band has continued to produce and release albums independently under their own label, Stone Canyon Records.

Matthew and Gunnar also perform under the name of Ricky Nelson Remembered, as a tribute to their father. They are listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the only family to reach number one record status in three successive generations (beginning with grandparents Ozzie and Harriet Nelson). – Wikipedia

Tuesday 9pm: Feature LP: Elton John – Honky Chateau (1972)

Honky Château, released in 1972, is the fifth studio album released by Elton John. It was titled after the 18th century French chateau where it was recorded, Château d’Hérouville. The album reached number one in the US, the first of seven consecutive US number one albums for Elton John.

In 2012, the album was ranked number 359 on Rolling Stone magazine’s list of the 500 greatest albums of all time. It was certified gold in July 1972 and platinum in October 1995 by the RIAA. This was the final Elton John album on the Uni label in the US and Canada before MCA consolidated all of its various labels under the MCA brand. This and John’s earlier Uni albums were later reissued on MCA Records.

Two singles were released worldwide from Honky Chateau, “Rocket Man” and “Honky Cat.” A third single, “Hercules,” was prepared for release, but this never materialised

Click here for album contents from Wikipedia

Tuesday 6pm: Feature Artist – Lita Ford

Lita Rossana “Lita” Ford (born 19 September 1958) is an English-born American rock guitarist, actress, vocalist and songwriter who was the lead guitarist for the Runaways in the late 1970s before embarking on a solo career in the 1980s.

Following the breakup of the Runaways, Ford set about launching a solo career. Her debut solo album, entitled Out for Blood, was released in 1983 and was a commercial disappointment. Her next release, Dancin’ on the Edge (1984) achieved moderate success and Ford’s popularity began to rise. Dancin’ on the Edge included the single “Fire in My Heart”, which reached the Top 10 in several countries outside the United States. The follow-up single, “Gotta Let Go”, performed better, reaching number one on the Mainstream Rock charts. Ford said in an interview that she recorded an unreleased album with RCA Records, and Tony Iommi didn’t perform on it. – Wikipedia

Monday 9pm: Feature LP: Elton John – Made In England (1995)

Made in England is the twenty-fifth studio album by English singer-songwriter Elton John, released in 1995 and produced by him and Greg Penny, the first time since Leather Jackets without Chris Thomas. It was dedicated to John’s boyfriend and future civil partner David Furnish. It was also dedicated to the memory of Denis Gauthier and Peter Williams. It was the last album to feature regular percussionist Ray Cooper until 2016’s Wonderful Crazy Night. Bob Birch became John’s full-time recording and touring bass player and continued that role until his death in 2012.

Click here for album contents from Wikipedia