Earth, Wind & Fire First African American Group Inducted Into Kennedy Center Honors

Earth, Wind & Fire made history on Dec. 8 as the first African American Group to be inducted into Kennedy Center Honors, which recognizes lifetime achievement in the arts.

The group were announced as recipients of the Kennedy Center Honors over the weekend at its 42nd event, which took place at Washington, D.C.’s John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.

Earth, Wind & Fire’s original members Verdine White, Philip Bailey, and Ralph Johnson, paid tribute to the group’s late founder and co-lead singer Maurice White, who passed away in February 2016 at his home in Los Angeles, California, due to complications from Parkinson’s disease.

“You can’t play any Earth, Wind & Fire songs without Maurice’s DNA being on it, so he’s always here and we’re always celebrating him and his vision,” Johnson, 68, told Billboard. “People are still coming together and having fun.”

Hinting toward a possible duets album in the future, Bailey said: “We’re making a list, and checking it twice. And you’ll hear about it soon.”

“There are so many more African American acts that are deserving and perhaps this can be the first of many more to come,” he added.

Other honorees recognized at the event included Oscar-winning actress Sally Field, singer Linda Ronstadt, conductor Michael Tilson Thomas, and the long-running children’s TV show “Sesame Street.”

[SOURCE: EpochTimes]

The Apollo documentary premieres on HBO November 6, 2019

Helmed by Academy and Emmy Award-winning director Roger Ross Williams, The Apollo chronicles the unique history and contemporary legacy of the New York City landmark, the Apollo Theater. The documentary weaves together archival footage, music, comedy and dance performances, and behind-the-scenes verité with the team that makes the theater run. The Apollo features interviews with artists including Patti LaBelle, Pharrell Williams, Smokey Robinson, and Jamie Foxx.

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Trailer

The Apollo covers the rich history of the storied performance space over its 85 years and follows a new production of Ta-Nehisi Coates’ Between the World and Me as it comes to the theater’s grand stage. The creation of this vibrant multi-media stage show frames the way in which The Apollo explores the current struggle of black lives in America, the role that art plays in that struggle and the broad range of African American achievement that the Apollo Theater represents.>

The Apollo Theater is internationally renowned for having influenced American and pop culture more than any other entertainment venue. The space has created opportunities for new talent to be seen and has served as a launchpad for a myriad of artists including Billie Holiday, Aretha Franklin, Ella Fitzgerald, Diana Ross & The Supremes, Stevie Wonder, The Jackson 5, Luther Vandross, Dave Chappelle, Lauryn Hill, Jimi Hendrix, and more. The Apollo, directed by Academy Award-winning and Tribeca alumnus Roger Ross Williams (Music by Prudence; Life, Animated) and is produced by Lisa Cortés (Precious), White Horse’s Nigel Sinclair (George Harrison: Living in the Material World; Undefeated), Jeanne Elfant Festa (Foo Fighters: Back and Forth, Pavarotti) and Cassidy Hartmann (The Beatles: Eight Days A Week, Pavarotti) along with Williams.

The documentary premieres November 6, 2019 at 9PM on HBO.

National museum of African American Music to open in 2020

Scheduled to open in Downtown Nashville in early 2020, the National Museum of African American Music will be a 56,000-square-foot facility that will encourage visitors to discover the many connections and influences that composers have had on all genres of music. From classical to country to jazz and hip hop, NMAAM will integrate history and interactive technology to share the untold story of more than 50 music genres and subgenres. It will be an unparalleled institution, not confined by record label, genre or recording artist, but instead will tell a unique narrative through the lens of black music.

NMAAM (or the National Museum of African American Music) is to be the only museum dedicated to preserving the legacy and celebrating the accomplishments of the many music genres created, influenced, or inspired by African Americans. Located in Downtown Nashville the museum will share the story of the American soundtrack by integrating history and interactive technology to bring music heroes of the past into the present.

From production to songwriting to performance to consumption, this country’s musical landscape was formed by a distinct group who created, influenced and inspired more than 50 genres and subgenres of music. NMAAM’s purpose is to tell the story that has never been told before—one that shares how African Americans play a critical role in shaping our country’s heritage and culture. This museum will highlight the history, struggles, triumphs, and culture of African Americans. NMAAM will showcase how today’s artists are connected to the traditions born out of the African American Experience through interactive technology, quotes, artifacts and creative educational programming. We’ve all been touched by this music. The artists, genres, songs, dances and the history from which they emerged is the soundtrack of our lives. And the narrative will unfold right here in NMAAM.

Learn more about the NMAAM here: https://nmaam.org/