By nikki (24.46.200.124) on Monday, February 03, 2003 - 10:30 pm:

I have an idea, if this is agreeable to David, Ralph, and everyone here!

I know many of you know each other and know exactly who has done what now and in the past for R&B/Soul/Northern/Doowop/Blues music. Speaking for myself (as well as possibly some others here) I am not familiar with everyone's musical background and credentials. Could each one of you please post your name, introducing yourself, and a brief bio of your past and/or present achievements, accomplishments, etc. in the music field. I know so many of you were "there at the time" (and in some cases, are still "there" now) either as singers, musicians, arrangers, producers, technicians, writers, etc., and I would like to be able to have a better handle of who is who. This might help me and others to direct our posts, comments, and questions to the appropriate source.

Thanx in advance,

Nikki
http://www.harmonytrain.com

By SisDetroit (68.42.209.170) on Monday, February 03, 2003 - 10:51 pm:

I was raised in Detroit. I pinched my pennies to buy the music.

By Ralph (209.240.198.62) on Monday, February 03, 2003 - 10:54 pm:

Sounds like A reasonable request Nikki. I think everyone is familiar wth me. If not, see the Tera Shirma webisode on Soulful Detroit. next!

By Eli (209.204.87.216) on Monday, February 03, 2003 - 10:57 pm:

Bobby Eli... Record producer/ songwriter/musician/
arranger.
I have been a part of the Philadelphia music community since the late sixties and an integral contributor to the Sound Of Philadelphia.
I have produced and/or written:
Just dont want to be lonely... Main Ingredient
Sideshow, Three Ring Circus, Grateful, Summer snow
Four albums on Blue Magic,
Love wont let me wait, Major Harris, Luther Vandross, Nancy Wilson and others, Zoom, Fat Larrys Band, and tons of others.
I was the lead guitarist with MFSB and the Salsoul Orchestra.
I am presently working with several new and fresh young artists who are destined for stardom.

By Nancy (66.185.85.72) on Monday, February 03, 2003 - 11:02 pm:

Hey Nikki, I am not a singer, producer technician etc. but I am a music fan and I am also a teacher but it is my strong belief that in order to keep this music alive I pass my love of it on to the children that I work with. I was born and raised and still live in Toronto Canada

By Edgar (200.46.133.221) on Monday, February 03, 2003 - 11:08 pm:

I am also a music fan, a writer and a theater director on my own, and whenever I can put soul music in a play, write about it or make a reference in an article, I do. I was born and live in Panama (pretty close to the Canal).

By Vickie (205.188.199.184) on Monday, February 03, 2003 - 11:25 pm:

Hey Nikki,
I am a lover of all music and a Motown fan. I have been in The TV biz for nearly 20 years. I've always had the passion to write so I followed my heart and decided that it was time to tell Tammi Terrell's story, I found her sister and I am collaborating with her family to tell her story to her fans. I have met so many wonderful people because of this project.

Vickie

By MIA (207.69.93.57) on Monday, February 03, 2003 - 11:33 pm:

Greetings, my name is Mia and I am 33 years old. I am a fan and lover of R&B music of the past. I am in no way affiliated with the music industry, but as a music fan, I read the postings at these forums to gain knowledge and insight on the music that I love.

By STUBASS (206.135.204.2) on Tuesday, February 04, 2003 - 12:40 am:

GREETINGS NIKKI: I AM STUBASS!!!...THAT'S STU-BASS...NOT STUB-ASS, OR ANY OTHER ADULTERATION!!!...I SPENT QUITE A BIT OF MY EARLY LIFE ON THE DETROIT MUSIC SCENE!!!...I PLAYED...YOU GUESSED IT...BASS!!!...WAS ALSO INVOLVED IN OTHER MUSICAL PROJECTS ( YOU CAN SEE THE STUBASS THREAD FOR MORE DETAILS)!!!...I ALSO WORKED AS A MAJOR MARKET BROADCAST NEWS JOURNALIST!!!... BUT FOR THE PURPOSE OF THIS DISCUSSION...JUST TELL ALL YOUR FRIENDS THAT YOU MET..."STUBASS"!!!...

By Nish (170.224.224.134) on Tuesday, February 04, 2003 - 12:59 am:

Hi. I'm Tanisha, I'm 22, a first year law student (B.A. in Philosophy, Africana Studies), but I'm more music girl than academic. I sing, play some piano, and write songs (for fun right now, maybe for a career one day, prayerfully). I've done ONE freelance article on R&B groups for Rock N' Blues News back in junior year. I want to be an entertainment and employment & labor lawyer, sometime songwriter, and all the time supporter of musicians and workers. It's my big goal in life to record at least one album. Just to do it for fun! :-) And whatever I decide to do to earn a buck, I'd better hurry and do it soon, to support my taste for records and CDs and Christian Louboutin boots and vintage dresses. :-) And oh yeah, I LOVE SD AND SDers.

By David Meikle (62.6.103.6) on Tuesday, February 04, 2003 - 03:57 am:

Hi Nikki and everyone

Nice touch.

You can read about the backgrounds of Lowell and myself under "Authors" at the top of the page.

I love Soul Music from the sixties in all it's forms.

Detroit is very special.

By Jim G (205.188.193.163) on Tuesday, February 04, 2003 - 08:05 am:

Hello everybody,

I was born in Detroit and live in the Detroit area.
I produced & hosted vintage jazz programs on Public Radio in Detroit (1972-93) & Ypsilanti (1995-97).
I've written numerous biographies of, & liner notes for, Detroit musicians.
Lars Bjorn and I wrote "Before Motown: A History Of Jazz In Detroit, 1920 - 1960" (University of Michigan Press: 2001).
Lars and I share our information occasionally at talks around town.
I will always research and write about Detroit jazz, blues and jump music, and if you've read my posts (or if you've done some research of your own) you know there is significant crossover from those areas into Soul.
I am here to share and learn.

Jim Gallert

By Uptight! But everything is alright. (24.55.6.144) on Tuesday, February 04, 2003 - 09:05 am:

Hello, everyone! I am a music fan, too. I grew up on the west side of Detroit.

I had the opportunity to work at a certain non-profit museum on West Grand Boulevard throughout the 1990s. It was fun and exhausting helping to present this history to visitors from around the world through oral histories and exhibits. One of the real payoffs was in hearing stories by other musicians and producers (straight from the horses' mouths) when they visited there.

Being fascinated by the recording process, I was able to easily incorporate into my presentation what I learned from those producers, musicians and artists (many of whom are still in Detroit).

Anyway, while I am a motion picture editor now, I still enjoy my records & CDs every day.

This forum is so cool. It's like a virtual community. Do many of you read these threads while listening to the music? I often do. There's a type of communion occuring between us while we're all reading the messages, posting new ones and listening to the music at the same time.

Uptight!

By R&B (138.238.41.128) on Tuesday, February 04, 2003 - 09:09 am:

HI NIKKI,R&B HERE,I'M A MUSIC LOVER FROM WAY BACK{I WON'T SAY HOW FAR BACK,BUT LET'S JUST SAY THAT PEOPLE WERE STANDING UNDER STREETLIGHTS PASSING AROUND THE BROWN PAPER BAG AND HARMONIZING LIKE PROS}I'M FROM D.C.AND I HAPPENED UPON THIS WONDERFUL FORUM JUST LOOOKING FOR A GOOD MUSIC SITE,AND IT'S LIKE I WALKED INTO ONE BIG HAPPY FAMILY.

By Ritchie (62.254.0.8) on Tuesday, February 04, 2003 - 09:59 am:

I was born and raised down in Alabama, on a farm way back in the woods. I was so ragged... (sorry, wrong autobiography!)

By john dixon (205.188.193.34) on Tuesday, February 04, 2003 - 10:04 am:

I'm the son of Hickory Holler's tramp. Pleased to meet you.(o:

By Lynn Bruce (65.60.200.153) on Tuesday, February 04, 2003 - 10:43 am:

In the archives past:Lynn Bruce-1---I tell it in more detail plus some pictures in the later threads. I played drums in a teen band with Babbitt in 58.Went on the road with the Gigalos spring of 60.
Went with Johnny and the Hurricanes from summer of 60 till 64. During that time worked with Dick Clark on his show (twice) and we would play our songs and then back up the stars on his shows around the country.
In 64 worked with Rod Cox future guitar player with Rare Earth
In 66 worked with Babbitt backing up Chuck Berry
In 71 or 72 Worked with Mr. Bo and the Blues Boys.A Detroit blues legend.
77 till about 99 worked with The Blue Notes
I also worked with bands in bars between these years.
Right now all I,m playing is the radio,although I try to keep my chops up.

Slainte,Lynn
P.S. Do I get the job?

By RonS (12.251.115.153) on Tuesday, February 04, 2003 - 10:49 am:

I am a diehard Motown fan and former Operations Manager of the Motown Historical Museum at Hitsville USA.

Welcome to the forum, Nikki

By KevGo (64.115.26.80) on Tuesday, February 04, 2003 - 11:01 am:

Nikki:
Kevin "KevGo" Goins here...started career in Rochester (my hometown) and Ithaca NY as a radio announcer/news producer/program director (1983-1990). Worked the record retail biz here in NYC (1990-2000). Started label career when Brunswick Records was reactivated (full-time 1995-98, consultant 1998-present)as a sales/catalog development rep. Contributed research info to Sony Legacy for their Rhythm & Soul series and co-wrote the liner notes for Earth Wind & Fire's Greatest Hits (released 1998). Briefly worked with Martha Wash (Weather Girls, Two Tons of Fun)helping her label promote her single release "Listen To The People" (2000). Went on to Night Train International as a researcher/liner note writer/reissue coordinator.

On a personal note, I learned how to read by looking at record labels, liner notes on jackets & 45s, which led to my passion for music and research when I got older. It's that passion that allows me and many others here to do what we do best.

Kevin Goins - KevGo

By Paulie3shoes (151.197.5.74) on Tuesday, February 04, 2003 - 11:05 am:

Paulie(over here)
I am mob guy wit a hart of gold,i t'ink , so's dey tell me. I was borned in Palermo sicily an came over when i was ten.
Da rerason i got the name 3 shoes is cus ehen i was jus' born my fadder took one look at me an he says "marrone!!will look at da size of dat t'ing, da kids gonna grow up needin a t'ird friggin shoe!!" so's den dey decided to call me paulie 3 shoes (over here) cus ya know alla us italian guise we got dese middle name t'ings an s**t
do i make myself clear?? capice, i said CAPICE???
My goomba eli, he told me about dis detroit t'ing an when he says detroit I t'ought he was talkin bout da mob t'ing in east detroit sos i got all exited causei got one a dem italian hot head t'ings goin on, capice??

By douglas m shirk (68.113.15.28) on Tuesday, February 04, 2003 - 11:17 am:

Well let's see....
...Did a little rock, country, and classical (like Jim G., worked at WEMU, but back in the Dick Jacques-Bill Swisher-Tom Hunt 10 watt era) radio in the late '60's, and owned/operated a small market station in Central Washington in the mid '90's for a couple years. 35 years in retail. Don't collect records, they just seem to gravitate to me. Bread and buttered in Detroit area, love music of all forms, and am here for an education.

By stephanie (205.186.134.32) on Tuesday, February 04, 2003 - 02:47 pm:

Well My name is Stephanie Campbell and Im 41 years old and the most I ever did was an internship in radio and a few news articles. Ever since I was a kid I collected old records and went to college and sold lab equipment. I also worked as a sales rep for different companies. Im 41 years old and the only thing i know how to play remotely is the piano. Im the moderator of the Florence Ballard and the Mary Wilson club on Yahoo and due to an accident I work from home on the phone and on the computer.
I love music of all forms, and have read TONS of books on music as well as old movies.
Stephanie

By Vonnie (67.40.203.32) on Tuesday, February 04, 2003 - 03:02 pm:

Let me begin: I have been a big fan of Motown since a very young teen. I grew up in Philly where every teen I knew was into music. When the Temptations recorded for Motown; every guy I knew wanted to be a Temptation, and every girl I knew wanted to be a Supreme, including myself. Myself and two school friends formed a group many years ago called "Shai", NO NOT THE BOYS GROUP "Shai" that recorded a few years ago. Our group was named after a perfume I used to wear made by the Rosal Company of Philadelphia. We were so inspired by all the wonderful music that was coming out of Motown and hoped to be one of the next Detroit acts, this led me to meet Bobby Eli when I was 16 years old. Bobby and I met through a mutual friend who thought the group "Shai" could be helped by Bobby. Unfortunatly nothing could help the group "Shai", because only one person in my opinion had star quality and her name was Lillian. I had a fair voice but the other member of the group was awful. To make a long story short, Bobby Eli wound up being my first boyfriend and I have loved him ever since.

I received a B***S*** recording contract for my solo effort which quickly went nowhere. My parents wishes prevailed and I went away to school. I lost touch with Bobby Eli over the years, we both married other people and carried on with our lives. He became a sucessful music producer and songwriter and I pursued academic achievements and a very long career with a telecommunications giant.

Around six years ago my marriage ended but my love of music and never ending love for Bobby Eli still existed. I had lost contact with him for so many years and had no idea where he was, but modern technology prevailed. Around five years ago, I located Bobby through the internet with a cross-reference of Vince Montana(SalSoul Orchestra). I contacted Vince who advised me that Bobby's wife had died some years ago, he had seen him very recently and he was doing fine. Vince took my telephone number and said "he would have Bobby contact me". Three weeks later on my birthday, I received a call out of the blue and the person on the other end said, "Happy birthday Vonnie", it was Bobby and the rest of the story is history.

I am no longer involved in the music business on a professional level, but who knows what might happen in the future.

Vonnie
p.s. Bobby is my fiance

By Nish (66.119.34.39) on Tuesday, February 04, 2003 - 03:12 pm:

Miss Vonnie - That's such a beautiful and touching story!!

By Ritchie (62.254.0.8) on Tuesday, February 04, 2003 - 03:24 pm:

Just had an email asking for my real bio, so - "by popular demand"....

I've been a Soul/Motown fan and music lover since the mid-sixties, and after leaving art college I worked in a Manchester (UK) recording studio. From there, I graduated into TV production - Granada TV in Manchester - and ended up specialising in working on music programmes. (It's always gotta be music for me!)

Since leaving the TV racket in the mid-90s, I've become heavily into the Internet: moderating a record company Bulletin Board, running a Classic Soul group on Yahoo and maintaining several websites, both for my own amusement and for a couple of businesses. I'm also involved in digital remastering for a couple of small reissue labels. Whatever I do, music is in there somewhere. It's in my blood!

By Chancellor of Soul (66.207.40.18) on Tuesday, February 04, 2003 - 04:05 pm:

Hey everyone, I'm the "Chancellor of Soul", Mike
Boone. I guess from the time I graced this earth
from my mother's womb, I've been exposed to
varoius types of music basically from my family.
My second home was the Apollo theater and have
had Music Education 101, just from the exposure
of that theater. I love just about every piece
of music there is, but my real love, is soul & pop.
I've been collecting records since of the age
of 11. I've always been facinated by record labels, the color, the time, the shape of a 45,
the sound quality, the producer, the writers,
the publishing companies, etc; I first got my
start of posting the history of the artists,
through internet called Soul-Patrol. I live,
breath, sleep and drink music. I can't ever wake
up in the morning without a song playing loudly
in my head. My education also consisted of
listening to great radio stations here in New York
such as WWRL AM (Super 1600) with Frankie Crocker
Hank Spann, Rocky G, Al Gee, Jerry B, WLIB
with the late great Eddie O'Jay, WNJR (New Jersey)
with Hal Jackson broadcasting live from Palisades
Amusement Park and pop station WABC with Cousin
Bruce Morrow, Chuck Leonard and Scott Muni.

Peace,
Mike Boone
(Chancellor of Soul)

By matt (208.130.56.167) on Tuesday, February 04, 2003 - 04:07 pm:

wow, what a cool mix of people!

i grew up in detroit in the sixties and seventies and moved to brooklyn, new york, in '87. i'm obsessed with soul 45s and have found this site to be a great source of information as well as a great way to pass the time at my boring office job. i have been doing a soul radio show friday nights from 7 to 8 p.m. on a station called wfmu, in jersey city, new jersey (91.1 fm; www.wfmu.org) since '94.

matt

By KevGo (64.115.26.80) on Tuesday, February 04, 2003 - 04:14 pm:

Vonnie:
What a beautiful story about you & Bobby. I remember meeting you & our dear Mr. Eli at one of Felix Hernandez's Rhythm Revue Dance Parties at Roseland here in NYC (with the amount of Philly soul he plays I'm wondering when Bobby will start charging him! ). Bobby's stories about Philly soul and his career are amazing. Please know that you will always have a friend here in the Big Apple.
Peace,
Kevin Goins - KevGo

By nikki (24.46.200.124) on Tuesday, February 04, 2003 - 10:05 pm:

Wow - You folks here never cease to amaze me! Thanx for all the INTRO'S! Vonnie your story was especially neat - Congrat to you & to Bobby!! Way to go! Sainte Lynn, if I were hiring, you'd for sure get the job!!! LOL! This forum sure has a wonderful mix of talented, knowledgable folks! As for me, I'm a 45 rpm record collector for many years, researcher of sorts of the groups & labels, but most of all just a HUGE fan of the music & the artists of "this" genre!

In harmony,

Nikki
http://www.harmonytrain.com

By Nancy (66.185.85.72) on Tuesday, February 04, 2003 - 10:13 pm:

Nikki thank you for introducing this thread, Vonnie what a wonderful story thank you for telling us,, Matt I am going to tune into your radio show

By Larry Rott (12.141.160.25) on Tuesday, February 04, 2003 - 10:39 pm:

Born in Detroit, December �59
Played Cello in Elementary, Upright in High School.
Moved to LA in �76.
Switched to electric bass after a Stanley Clarke concert at the Santa Monica Civic.
Learned Funk, Motown, Rock, Pop and Jazz from copying the greats.
Played in a quirky Pop Band with Michael Penn (Sean�s brother, Aimee Mann�s husband) for 6 years.
Clive Davis and Seymour Stein passed on us. We took an Indie deal. Saw some local LA fame.

Studied theory with Mike Garson from NY and currently with Carol Kaye.

Currently playing Bebop in LA with Kaz Takeda, Japan�s biggest guitarist.

By 1wicked (64.32.154.94) on Tuesday, February 04, 2003 - 10:52 pm:

Vonnie....wow !! That's a beautiful story....I just wanna sit here & let it "marinate". Wow...that's the stuff that great love songs are made of. Congrats to the both of you !!
Now...as far as an intro: I'm Aaron....another frustrated drummer (had to give 'em up because (1)Granny couldn't stand the noise, then (2)in Jr. High, there were 100 wannabe drummers and 5 practice rooms). I was raised around music...my sis was a well known B-3 player & had her own trios around Texas....but I just worked retail record & became a liner note junkie 'cause I had to know who wrote, who played, who produced, and who engineered. THAT gave me a great appreciation for the many (behind the scenes) talents that come together to make a project go....and I'm happy to be a fly on the wall in this forum where so many of those greats share the knowledge and love of the music.
(BTW...I've become a damn good "air bassist" over the years.)

By acooolcat (210.201.192.198) on Tuesday, February 04, 2003 - 11:01 pm:

Hi Nikki,
Like most people on this forum, I'm a Detroit music junkie.
I spent my teens listening to "northern" soul in the UK, lived in Windsor, Canada (across form Detroit) for a few years during the late '90's, which is when I did a lot of research on the unsung heroes of Detroit Soul. I now live in Taiwan but my research continues; I aim to write a book that comprehensively covers the history of Detroit Soul - from the late '50s through to the 1970s.
This site is a priceless tool that allows me to share info' with like-minded people around the world.
Warmest regards,
Graham

By Mark Speck (65.56.4.107) on Wednesday, February 05, 2003 - 12:38 am:

Hi Nikki!

I'm just a crazy anorak who's been collecting records for almost all my 38 years on the planet.

Born and raised here in Cleveland...picked up on all sorts of music growing up--country, polka, easy listening from Mom, psychedelic rock and soul from my brother and sister, and I also had Top 40 stations throwing stuff at me as well.
I now have over 2,000 LPs, close to 6,000 45s, about 700 CDs and a few cassettes (cassettes are not my format of choice due to fragility).

I've been reading books about music all my life and absorbing stuff like a sponge. The ladies in my office go to me when they have a trivia question.

I've always wanted to work behind the scenes in the music business, since I never had the talent to work up front (I do sing a lot of karaoke and have sat in with friends' bands, but I'm far from good!). I have written liner notes for two CDs that I helped my friend Tom King get released by Collectables ("Roots of the Outsiders" and "The Outsiders: 30 Years Live")--that is probably as close as I'll come to working in the biz, LOL!

Best,

Mark

By David Meikle (213.122.46.116) on Wednesday, February 05, 2003 - 03:43 am:

Great intros folks.

Please keep 'em coming.

David

By DJDetroit (212.21.166.254) on Wednesday, February 05, 2003 - 03:59 am:

Hi Nikki, great thread.
As many people just go by there nickname, I also often wondered who I'm listening to!

I'm known as DJDetroit. 37 years old, born in Detroit, I came to Germany in the late sixties!
Collecting records, writing and producing my own music stuff with my pal Denis (working on our second, self-produced CD), but that's just a hobby thing, not producing any success :-)

I really love dropping in at SD and enjoying all the stories!

Darin

By lynnbruce (65.60.200.153) on Wednesday, February 05, 2003 - 09:01 am:

Nikki,that's slainte,a Scottish or Irish gaelic word that means to your health. Although sainte Lynn has a nice ring to it,I doubt the Pope would agree to my cannonization. lololo

By Julian (152.163.197.53) on Sunday, February 09, 2003 - 08:47 pm:

Greetings Nikki,

My name is Julian, a.k.a Kent. Native Detroiter. Aspiring recording executive and recording student. Attempting to bring a modern interpretation of the Detroit sound to the land.
Wish there were more hours in the day. I owe my existence to MIDI (haha!)

By Fred (205.188.209.38) on Monday, February 10, 2003 - 11:26 am:

I�m a lawyer who backed into the entertainment field through a series of career moves too complex to explain here. Because of a love of soul music (and the persistence of Sam Moore), I ended up gravitating toward artist representation in that field and have worked for artists for the past 15 years, many with solid Detroit connections, including, I am very proud to say, the Funk Brothers.

By rhythmqueen (199.180.18.5) on Wednesday, February 12, 2003 - 11:00 am:

Greetings Nikki,
I'm rather new to this forum, but not to the music scene. I grew up around music. All of my relatives either sing or play some sort of instrument and have played the local scene and some tours for years--which has been the source of my influence. I, like my predecessors, chose my instrument--the drums--at a very early age. My career has gravitated to medicine. I am still a music junkie and play local venues on occasion and want to lend more of my time to it. I work mainly in surgery and it has become my unoffical job to educate my co-workers regarding "real" music and they come to me with the music questions.
I enjoy reading the forums and everyone's comments.
Stacie