Awesome video: Music That Would Not Exist Without Black People

[OneGrassRoot]

Basically all of the genres.

Enjoy!

[OneGrassRoot]

1. Personal story:

I grew up in a white, blue-collar, VERY RACIST environment (and home) in SW PA, outside of Pittsburgh. It still is.

There were always only a handful of AA kids in the schools from K-12.

I have always had fond memories of this one beautiful girl who was a senior when I was a freshman. Beautiful black young lady. We rode on the same bus (we both lived on the "other side of the tracks&quot and, given that she was a senior, I appreciated her friendship tremendously.

I moved away literally the day after I graduated high school, so it was only upon joining Facebook that I learned what happened to many classmates.

Imagine my shock and delight when I learned that the lead singer for the 90's hit "Rhythm is a Dancer" was none other than my beautiful friend, Thea Austin. She had a great career in the house dance scene in Europe evidently.

EDIT TO ADD: I didn't even know she could sing! She probably only sang at church, because she never did anything involving singing in school.

Yay, her!

[brush]

2. Great post. Thanks for the quick musical history lesson.

[OneGrassRoot]

15. You're welcome! :) n/t

[Kind of Blue]

4. Nice! But wish they'd included Sister Rosetta Tharpe

known as the Godmother of Rock and Roll. Cool as I don't know what. Listen to her solo at about 1:30

[Number23]

5. This is the coolest thread

My white British, OLLLLD money former boss was always talking about a black woman who did rock and roll but I can't remember her damn name!! Something Thornton?? Help me out here! He loved that woman to death.

[Kind of Blue]

6. If I'm not mistaken, and I probably am,

Sister Tharpe, not Big Mama Thornton, who was "rediscovered" and invited by some British promoter to please come perform there. Here's a part of the performance in Manchester. And a PBS American Masters video following. For all I know, both of these fucking awesome ladies were invited to play in Britain. They make me stupid happy

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/sister-rosetta-tharpe-full-episode/2516/

[Tarheel_Dem]

8. I should have read further before posting. Didn't know you had already dug it up. It's wonderful.

[Tarheel_Dem]

7. Thanks for digging that up. I remember watching a PBS documentary a few years ago. She was.....

phenomenal. Her life story is extremely interesting, and lots of things I never knew. Growing up in the Pentecostal church, I knew of her, but this documentary was very enlightening. She was a treasure. It's about an hour long, but well worth it.

[Kind of Blue]

12. No, thank you Tarheel_Dem!

I couldn't get it to embed in the post.

Nice, quiet day and I'm about to watch again. She is a treasure who should be a household name, like all the boys of rock, for influencing Chuck Berry to Elvis and so on. Thanks to PBS for putting Sister Tharpe's story together in one place!

[OneGrassRoot]

16. Thanks for this, Tarheel_Dem! n/t

[Tarheel_Dem]

20. No problem!

[Kind of Blue]

21. Every time I get a chance to insert her name

I jump at it.
So glad to know I'm not the only one

[OneGrassRoot]

10. Wowzer!

What a force! Thanks for introducing me to Sister Rosetta. Dang...yeah...that video would have been so much cooler and more complete if she had been included.

[Kind of Blue]

13. I know! Always leaving women out :)

[Tarheel_Dem]

9. That was awesome. Thanks for sharing it here. n/t

[MrScorpio]

11. Pretty much everything nt

[OneGrassRoot]

17. yep n/t

[lovemydog]

14. I had to check out Louis Jordan, what they mention as early rap.

Thanks for this thread. I love all the musical connections. This is a damn great song:

[OneGrassRoot]

18. You're right...

That is a damn great song.

Thanks for sharing it!

[lovemydog]

19. Thank YOU for bringing it to my attention.

Funny how great songs help us appreciate other ones. That one reminds me of Kid Creole & the Coconuts.