Moms Mabley Sings "Abraham, Martin and John"

By

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March 1, 2023

I have only the vaguest memory of Moms Mabley. I knew her only as a grandmama with a mouthful of stories that weren't always suitable for young children. But one of her performances still rings in my memory today -- and it still moves me to tears. Her version of the song, Abraham, Martin and John.

About the unforgettable Moms Mabley
Moms Mabley was born Loretta Mary Aiken on March 19, 1894. Her parents, James Aiken and Mary Smith had 16 children in total. Even though her father was a successful businessman and her mother was a stay-at-home parent who took in boards, Moms' childhood was still traumatic. She endured two rapes that resulted in two pregnancies when she was still a young teen, and both children were put up for adoption. Moms ran away at age 14 and joined a Vaudeville-type show, where she did what she loved best: entertained.

Moms joined the Chitlin' Circuit and quickly rose to fame. She was one of the first openly gay comedians and even cross-dressed in some of her performances. As she grew older, she took the name "Moms" and the appearance of a toothless old woman in a house dress and floppy hat. This "gentle and harmless look" opened the door for her to tackle subjects like racism and segregation without ruffling too many feathers. She made mainstream TV appearances, recorded albums, and even appeared on The Pearl Bailey Show, Ed Sullivan, and The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour.

Moms had six children, including the two given up for adoption. She died of heart failure on May 23, 1975.

For more details on Moms' life, click here:

Biography - https://www.biography.com/actors/moms-mabley

The Legacy Project - https://legacyprojectchicago.org/person/jackie-moms-mabley

ABOUT THE SONG
An article written by Dave Paulson (The Tennesseean) explains the story behind the song Abraham, Martin and John. The article, aptly called "Story Behind the Song: 'Abraham, Martin and John," details how a songwriter named Dick Holler was working on a new album when he heard the shocking news that Bobby Kennedy had been assassinated. The date was June 5, 1968. Mr. Holler was so moved by Bobby Kennedy's murder he wrote Abraham, Martin and John in 10 minutes. The song connected the assassinations of Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King, Jr. and John F. Kennedy. Mr. Holler ended the lyrics by tying in Bobby Kennedy's death with the words: "I thought I saw him walkin' up over the hill with Abraham, Martin, and John."

Moms Mabley's version of Abraham, Martin and John hit the US Top 40. It also reached Number 18 on the R&B charts. These records made 75-year-old Moms Mabley "the oldest living person to have a U.S. Top 40 hit."

Without further ado, here are the lyrics:

Songwriters: Richard Louis Holler
Abraham, Martin and John lyrics © Regent Music, Stonehenge Music
Released August, 1968

Has anybody here seen my old friend Abraham?
Can you tell me where he's gone?
He freed a lot of people
But it seems the good die young
But I just looked around and he's gone

Has anybody here seen my old friend John?
Can you tell me where he's gone?
He freed a lot of people
But it seems the good die young
But I just looked around and he's gone

Has anybody here seen my old friend Martin?
Can you tell me where he's gone?
He freed a lot of people
But it seems the good die young
But I just looked around and he's gone

Didn't you love the things that they stood for?
Didn't they try to find some good for you and me?
And we'll be free
Someday soon, it's gonna be
One day

Has anybody here seen my old friend Bobby?
Can you tell me where he's gone?
I thought I saw him walkin'
Up over the hill
With Abraham, Martin and John.

This video originally posted at this url: https ://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=KFIYVDrFphg

Fair Use: Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use.

Grazing in the Grass - Original

By

RitaLorraine

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February 18, 2023

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A young Hugh Masekela holding his beloved horn.

Hugh Ramapolo Masekela, or "Masekela," as he was known in America, was the original creator of the 1968 instrumental mega-hit, GRAZING IN THE GRASS.

Masekela was born on April 4, 1938 in Kwa-Guqa Township, Witbank, South Africa. He grew up in a house filled with music, but did not receive his own instrument until he was 14 years old. He had a deep desire to own a trumpet after watching the 1950 film, Young Man With a Horn. He was eventually forced to flee his country after the 1960 Sharpeville Massacre and was eventually helped by friends to gain admittance into London's Guildhall School of music. During that time, he visited the US and became friends with the amazing Harry Belafonte. He went on to attend the Manhattan School of Music (New York) where he studied classical trumpet from 1960 to 1964. There are conflicting accounts about how many times he was married. However, it is known that his second marriage was to Chris Calloway, daughter of Cab Calloway.

Masekela was one of the first artists to bring South African jazz to the United States, releasing Trumpet African in 1962. His breakthrough album was called, The Americanization of Ooga Booga. One of his original titles on the album was a cover he did for Herbie Hancock. The 1968 hit that Americans know him for -- Grazing in the Grass -- sold 4 million copies.

Masekela received many awards during his lifetime, including the MTV Africa Music Legend Award, and the South African Music Award for Best Adult Contemporary Album. He is heralded as "a pioneer of jazz in South Africa and a campaigner against apartheid" after he escaped the country. He was also a powerful singer and songwriter too, and used his music and his voice "to attack the apartheid regime that had banished him from his homeland." Masekela had a profound influence on the direction of jazz in the 1960's.

Hugh Ramapolo Masekela died from complications of prostate cancer on January 23, 2018.

For more details on Hugh Masekela's life, see:

His OBITUARY.

Hugh's Official Site - https://hughmasekela.co.za/

South African History Online - https://www.sahistory.org.za/people/hugh-masekela

Enjoy!

This video originally posted at this url: https:// www.youtube. com/watch?v=qxXZF60EPdM

Fair Use: Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use.

The Amazing Hazel Scott

By

RitaLorraine

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February 11, 2023

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Hello History Lovers,
Today we have a treat for you, because... well, this is a treat for US. As much as The Black History Channel loves celebrating little-known African American movers and shakers, we must admit we almost overlooked Ms. Hazel Dorothy Scott. Thank goodness we stumbled across her story again, because now we can tell you about her beauty, her courage, her musical genius, and how she helped shape the music industry.

By age three, Hazel Scott could play piano by ear.

Hazel was born in Port of Spain, Trinidad on June 11, 1920. Her father was a West African scholar and her mother was a classically trained pianist. She discovered a love and natural talent for the piano at age three, and by age eight (1928) she was so good on the piano that she auditioned for the Julliard School of Music. Of course, students had to be at least 16 years old for enrollment, so Hazel was too young for acceptance. However, since she was endorsed by many wealthy family friends, Julliard gave her the opportunity to at least try. Hazel's stunning rendition of Rachmaninoff’s “Prelude in C-Sharp Minor” earned her the label of "genius" by one of the school's professors. This in turn earned her a special scholarship to be instructed by Professor Oscar Wagner of Julliard.

When Hazel was in high school, she won a local talent competition and was rewarded with her own radio show. She graduated Wadleigh High School with honors, and not long afterward, she made her way to Broadway. Below is a video of Hazel singing "Autumn Leaves" in French, one of seven languages she was fluent in.

Hazel received two very hard lessons in racism when she was still a child. After her parents divorced, she did the grocery shopping, prepared meals and handled the household money while her mother worked. When a gang of white teenagers heard this news, they broke into her home and tried to bully her into handing over the money. When she refused, they beat her, and left only after they heard police sirens approaching. Some time after this, a white girl she was playing with told her to “Turn around so that I can brush you off and send you to school." A very trusting Hazel turned around and the girl pushed her into a trench. She was quickly rescued from the trench by workmen, but not because they cared. They were angry that Hazel had fallen into THEIR trench and they did not want to be involved.

Hazel Scott did so many more amazing things in her life that there is hardly room to list it here. At one time, when singer Billie Holiday ended a standing night club engagement in New York three weeks early, she insisted on having Hazel as her replacement. Hazel appeared in several Broadway productions, then moved to Los Angeles and signed with RKO, a major movie studio. Once signed, it was not long before she was confronted with the racial "strictures" of Hollywood. Perhaps the racial incidences from Hazel's childhood were what led to her resolve to stand up for herself and those of her race. She became so outspoken against racism that she refused to play any role that demeaned black people. Hollywood "bosses" did not like her bucking against their authority. They did not mind allowing Hazel a bit of dignity in her movies but they did not like her standing up for other black cast members, so it was not long before her popularity began to fizzle.

Hazel married preacher and politician Adam Clayton Powell, Jr (after an affair), and gave birth to their son, Adam Clayton Powell, III in 1946. In 1950 she became the first African American woman to host her own television show, The Hazel Scott Show. The show did not last long, but it was still a milestone in African American history. Later, after Hazel and her husband divorced, she took her son and moved to Paris. When she returned ten years later, her style of music had been replaced by the Motown South, which included R&B . She died of pancreatic cancer in 1981.

For more articles on Hazel and her amazing career, see these links:

She Was Once the Biggest Star in Jazz
https://getpocket.com/explore/item/this-black-woman-was-once-the-biggest-star-in-jazz-here-s-why-you-ve-never-heard-of-her?utm_source=pocket-newtab

Hazel Scott
https://www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/hazel-scott

Hazel Scott: The Gorgeous Face of Jazz at the Mid-Century
https://blogs.loc.gov/loc/2021/10/hazel-scott-the-gorgeous-face-of-jazz-at-the-mid-century/

Enjoy!

"Autumn Leaves" was originally posted at this url - https:/ /www.youtube. com/watch?v=oKlT8aGvDE8&t=50s
"Whatever Happened to Hazel Scott" was originally posted at this url - https:/ /www.youtube.com/watch?v=o_ WJ4PpxWaE&t=277s

FAIR USE
“Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for “fair use” for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use.”

Higher Ground!!

By

RitaLorraine

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February 6, 2023

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Hello Music Lovers,
We're back with another MEGA-HIT by the amazing Stevie Wonder. This one is called "Higher Ground." Here's a bit of background:

In "a three-hour burst of creativity," Stevie wrote, produced, performed, arranged and supplied the vocals for this song. He also played ALL the instruments, including the Clavichord, drums, percussion, Moog Bass, tambourine, and the claps. That's right, Stevie did the clapping, too. The song had a unique "wah-wah clavinet" sound that came from a Mu-Tron III envelope filter pedal.

Higher Ground first appeared on an album called Innervisions in 1973 and quickly reached Number 4 on the Billboard Hot 100. It went on to reach Number 1 on the US Hot R&B Singles chart. It was recorded just before Stevie was involved in a near-fatal accident in August 1973 that left him in a coma. It is said that Stevie's road manager sang the song's melody into this ear while he was in a coma and Stevie responded by moving his fingers with the music.

According to Wikipedia, "In 2004, Rolling Stone ranked the song number 261 on its list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time, and it was re-ranked at number 113 in 2021."

And now, without further ado... Higher Ground!

Higher Ground
Composer: Stevie Wonder
Lyricist: Stevie Wonder
Producer, Performer, Recording Arranger, Vocals, Clavichord, Drums, Moog Bass, Tambourine, Clapping: Stevie Wonder
Associate Producer: Malcolm Cecil
Associate Producer: Robert Margouleff
℗ 1973 Motown Records, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.

People keep on learnin'
Soldiers keep on warnin'
World keep on turnin'
'Cause it won't be too long
Powers keep on lyin', yeah
While your people keep on dyin'
World keep on turnin'
'Cause it won't be too long
Oh, no
I'm so darn glad He let me try it again
'Cause my last time on earth, I lived a whole world of sin
I'm so glad that I know more than I knew then
Gonna keep on tryin'
'Til I reach my highest ground
Lovers keep on lovin'
Believers keep on believin', um yeah
Sleepers just stop sleepin'
'Cause it won't be too long, oh, yeah, yeah
Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah
I'm so darn glad He let me try it again
'Cause my last time on earth, I lived a whole world of sin
I'm so glad that I know more than I knew then
Gonna keep on tryin'
'Til I reach my highest ground, whoo
'Til I reach my higher ground, oh no
No one's gonna bring me down
They're sure gonna try
I'm gonna go higher (higher)
Higher (higher)
Higher (higher)
Higher (higher)
Higher (higher)
Higher (higher)
Higher (higher)
Higher (higher)
Higher (higher)
Higher (higher)
Ooh, ooh, oh, oh, oh, oh
(Higher) Higher
Higher (higher)
Higher (higher), yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Don't you let nobody take you to a low level
Just keep on and keep on until you reach higher ground
Don't you let nobody take you to some low, low level
Just keep on and keep on until you reach higher ground
And a high, and a how

FAIR USE: The Black History Channel may contain copyrighted content not authorized for use by the owner, such as the video music above. Our use of this copyrighted content falls under the guidelines of fair use. See Section 107 of the Copyright Act.

This video also appears on: https:// www.youtube.com/ watch?v=zGSxvH5i6XQ

Behind the Black Pen #4: The Mega-Talented Marlon McKenny!

By

RitaLorraine

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February 2, 2023

0

Hello History Lovers!

In honor of #BlackHistoryMonth today and EVERY DAY, we have a treat for you. Whether you love eye-popping illustrations or a good old-fashioned read, you'll find something for everyone in this interview. Come and meet artist-writer-publisher Marlon McKenny and read the remarkable "remixed" stories in his Conscious Culture line of children's books.

FYI, here’s our interview legend:

BHC = The Black History Channel
MM = Marlon McKenny

To contact Marlon or learn more about his work, follow these links:

Website: https://www.consciousculturepublishing.com/
Instagram: @consciousculturepublishing

Let's go!

All About Marlon the Creative

Marlon McKenny's "remix" of Alice in Wonderland.

BHC: What inspired you to become a writer?

MM: Ever since I was a kid I always loved books. As a 5 year old I put the staples in paper and made books. My mother was a teacher who was very critical of my vocabulary. She said my spelling was horrible. In my mind I thought I was not good enough. So, I focused on art.

BHC: We can't wait to find out: what is your favorite childhood book?

MM: My favorite book is Corduroy, by Don Freeman. I really loved that book. The people in it are black people, and this made a big impact on me.

BHC: Corduroy looks and sounds like a great book. Thanks for sharing, we'll have to check that one out. Now, on to YOUR characters. How do you select names for your characters?

MM: A lot of the stories I tell are based on African history, so many of the names have been researched and are already in place. That’s where I get them most of them from. Other times I pull them from people I know, or from notable African American people.

BHC: We're curious; do you try more to be original with your stories and illustrations, or do you prefer to deliver to readers what they want?

MM: I actually try to do both. I always begin with a story that inspires me, so in essence I always start with something I think is a cool idea. But as I put the story together, I really like to think about how the reader will enjoy it. So of course I want the flow of the book to make sense. In other words, I’m very conscious of people being able to follow the story. That's why I used to go to meet-ups for children's books. I wanted to learn, to sharpen my skills. FYI, I was always the only African American male at those meet-ups, but I'm sure it has gotten better since then.

BHC: The topic of meet-ups is a great lead to this next question: What other authors are you friends with, and did/do they help you become a better writer?

MM: I spend a lot of time working by myself, but I also love to collaborate with like-minded people. That being said, Jesse Byrd is one of my writer friends. He's an African American editor who has been writing children's books for over a decade. He understands structure and story arc and he has definitely helped me polish up my ideas.

BHC: We'll keep our eyes open for that name. Now, tell us, what does literary success look like to you?

MM: In my mind, my goal is to be the default or "go-to" when people want to buy a book with African historical characters in it. I want them to want to pick up one of my books. I want them to think of Conscious Culture, my publishing company, first.

BHC: If you didn’t write, what would you do for work?

MM: Even if I didn't write I would still be storytelling. At the end of the day I’m a storyteller.