Source Material

Don Covay was a singer and a songwriter from Orangeburg, South Carolina.  His career started in the early '50s.  He sang alongside his family in their gospel quartet called the Cherry Keys.  In 1956, Covay transitioned to secular music. …

Gábor Szabó was a Hungarian guitarist who made jazz, pop, and rock music.   In 1961, Szabó started his career as a member of Chico Hamilton's quintet.  Chico Hamilton was a famous jazz drummer and a bandleader who made his mark in the '50s…

Van Mccoy was a singer, songwriter, and producer from Washington, D.C.  He came up as a songwriter in the '50s and the '60s.  He wrote hits for artists like Gladys Knight & The Pips ("Giving Up), Barbara Lewis ("Baby I'm Yours"), and…

James Cotton was a blues harmonica player, singer, and songwriter from Tunica, Mississippi.  In the early '50s, he started his career as a harmonica player in Howlin Wolf's band.  A few years later, Cotton was recruited by Muddy Waters to…

David Zé was an Angolan musician who sang in the '60s and the '70s. He was also a political activist, and he played a role in Angola obtaining their independence from Portgual.  In 1975, after Angola became an independent country, Zé was…

Makoto Matsushita is a Japanese singer and composer.  His passion for music started in high school, and he studied guitar and music theory in college.  He studied at the Nem Conservatory in Japan, and a lot of his curriculum revolved around…

Major Lance was a soul singer from Winterville, Mississippi who recorded in the '60s, '70s, and '80s.  He was well known for his string of classics in the '60s.  Songs like, "The Monkey Time, "Hey Little Girl," and "Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um"…

Ofege was a band from Lagos, Nigeria who recorded in the '70s.   The band featured five members: Melvin Noks (lead vocals/rhythm guitar), Paul Alade (bass guitar), Mike Meme (drums), Felix Ijeh (rhythm/tenor guitar), and Dapo Olumide…

Özdemir Erdoğan is a Turkish singer, songwriter, and composer from Istanbul, Turkey.  He was exposed to music at an early age through his mother and his uncle.  His mother was a classical pianist, and his uncle was a pianist and a…

Cécile Frenette is a singer from Montreal, Canada who sang in the '70s and the '80s.  She started her career as a singer in The Cooper Brothers band.  The Cooper Brothers band was a Canadian rock band that formed in the mid-'70s. …