By Randy Russi (169.139.180.100) on Wednesday, June 18, 2003 - 10:46 am:

I have a request of everyone on the forum--
Would you please email T.J. Lubinsky of the
WQED Multimedia in Pittsburgh requesting
the reunion of the Rocky Fellers for one
of the PBS shows? I have contacted them-
the 4 original brothers-and they are interested.
the email address is: tjlubins@wqed.org
You may also request others who have not yet
performed on one of these shows--Gladys Horton,
Brenda Holloway, Kim Weston, Laura Lee, and
what about a reunion of the Honey Cone?
Thanks, Randy Russi

By Vonnie (141.151.71.70) on Wednesday, June 18, 2003 - 10:52 am:

I would also ask that you request Jimmy Scott, I am sure that he would be a treat for everyone to hear him sing "The Masquerade Is Over". And the fact is it would be a Mitzvah for what his grandfather did to Jimmy in the past.

Vonnie

By Thommygirl_70 (152.163.252.68) on Wednesday, June 18, 2003 - 12:58 pm:

Thanks for that Randy. I just emailed them and put down everyone that you mentioned. I also added, Jimmy Ruffin, Barbara Mason, James & Bobby Purify, and the Winstons.

By Handsome (170.118.157.134) on Wednesday, June 18, 2003 - 01:03 pm:

Hi.

Thommygirl, I saw Barbara Mason on the last PBS special, (w/Freda Payne, Mary Wilson, Spinners, Aretha, etc.) She was singing Yes, I'm ready, Did you catch it or you just want to see more Barbara Mason, ha ha!

By Vonnie (141.151.71.70) on Wednesday, June 18, 2003 - 01:10 pm:

Thommygirl...Barbara Mason was on the last PBS show, I was the one who put her in touch with T.J. Lubinsky, thanks to someone(I think it was Sue?)who posted on the forum that they were looking for her. I have known Barbara since before I was born. Her mother and my mother were friends, when her mom was pregnant with Barbara, my mom was pregnant with me. My grandmother worked in a baby clothing store and my mom had so many baby clothes awaiting my impending birth, she gave Barbara's mom a lot of clothes for her. Barbara and I were always friends, we grew up in the Francisville section of Philadelphia. We attended the same parochial school from the 1st grade up to the 5th grade.

Vonnie

By Randy Russi (169.139.180.100) on Wednesday, June 18, 2003 - 01:24 pm:

Vonnie, that is SO cool about you and Barbara
Mason. I always liked her and saw her perform
in 1968 at the Orlando Sports Stadium with
Jackie Wilson, the Impressions, Peaches & Herb,
the 5 Stairsteps, etc. What a line-up!
I also saw her perform on a PBS special and
thought she sounded and looked terrific!!!!
A BIG thank you to everyone who sends an email
requesting the Rocky Fellers and anyone else
you'd like to see.
Wouldn't the 5 Stairsteps be great?

By KevGo (64.115.26.80) on Wednesday, June 18, 2003 - 03:35 pm:

Randy:
Now THAT'S one hell of a lineup! Was Jackie headlining or was it Barbara? And yes - a Five Stairsteps reunion is lonnnnnnnnng overdue!
Oooooh Child! Where's my 45s!
Kevin Goins - KevGo

By TonyRussi (68.210.7.184) on Wednesday, June 18, 2003 - 04:03 pm:

Hey Kevin, I was at that show too and Jackie Wilson was the headliner along with the Impressions whose "We're A Winner" was the big hit at the time.I think Barbara Masons hit at the time was "Oh, How It Hurts".The Stairsteps were BAAD.I'm sure the ticket prices were under $5.00.

By Thommygirl_70 (64.12.97.7) on Wednesday, June 18, 2003 - 04:23 pm:

OMG I can't believe Barbara Mason was already on there! I missed it I only caught part of that show when Freda Payne was on there and Lou Rawls(or maybe it was Jerry Butler, I don't remember now. I must losing my mind!!) was talking about how good she looked,LOL! God, I wish I had of seen that whole show. Thanks guys for telling me. I emailed them and told them to put her on there too hehehehe...Nothing wrong with trying for a second time, right? And yes I would L-O-V-E to see a Five Stairsteps reunion too!

By KevGo (64.115.26.80) on Wednesday, June 18, 2003 - 04:47 pm:

Tony & Randy:
Five bucks!!! And to think, I've blown up to $200 for tickets! (Mark Anthony, 1998 - Madison Square Garden).
I still have my brother's old 45 of "We're A Winner". My mentor, Eddie Thomas, was the Impressions' manager (he was the TOM in Curtom)and he recalled being at Universal Recording in Chicago when they cut "Were A Winner". The woman who shouted "All right now, sock it to me baby!" at the beginning of the song was Eddie's first wife, who sadly passed ten years ago from cancer.
Five Stairsteps reunion is next!!! Hey, TJ - do ya' hear us?
Kevin Goins - KevGo

By Randy Russi (169.139.180.100) on Thursday, June 19, 2003 - 08:33 am:

KevGo: I know the lineup on that show in the
spring of '68 also included PegLeg Moffet, Emory
& the Dynamics, and yes, it was about $3.00.
The mc was Gorgeous George, who I saw years
later w/Marvin Gaye.
Yes, a 5 Stairsteps reunion would be FABULOUS!!!
Thank you to everyone who sent emails requesting
the Rocky Fellers as I'd really like to see
them reunite. The lead singer, Albert, was ONLY
ten yrs. old on the recording of "Killer Joe".
These guys played everywhere from the Apollo
to the Fountainbleu Hotel in Miami.

By Steve Litos (209.100.86.4) on Thursday, June 19, 2003 - 12:45 pm:

I think one of the Purifys was on one of the PBS specials already. I believe I saw one of them singing "I'm Your Puppet". However, the performance only made it to the DVD and not the aired version.

By Randy Russi (169.139.180.100) on Thursday, June 19, 2003 - 01:12 pm:

I believe it was Bobby Purify(?) Or was it James?
Either way, I think one is no longer living.
They were actually cousins, not brothers.

By Nish (128.239.47.61) on Thursday, June 19, 2003 - 01:25 pm:

MIss Vonnie - WOW. How cool about you and Barbara Mason. She's such a cool lady. I had lots of fun talking to her. You're a gem for getting her on the show!

By Eli (151.197.217.213) on Thursday, June 19, 2003 - 02:15 pm:

I hear from "reliable sources" that there is gonna be a "Blue Eyed Soul" PBS show.

Who would you guys like to see on that show???

By Scratcher (65.238.127.144) on Thursday, June 19, 2003 - 02:21 pm:

I can't see a Five Stairsteps reunion occuring since either one or two members are devout muslims and have been so for years. Only Kenny and Dennis (guitarist) are still active. I haven't seen or read anything about their sister Aloha or Cubie since the '70s.

By KevGo (64.115.26.80) on Thursday, June 19, 2003 - 02:27 pm:

Eli:
Forgive the knee-jerk reaction but why should someone bother with a "blue-eyed soul" show? Just create another edition of Rhythm Soul & Love and have soul/R&B singers from all races appear. Soul music doesn't need any segregation.

Scratcher:
Thanks for the 411 regarding the Stairsteps. Maybe Kenny, Dennis & Aloha can do a brief reunion. Then again, that's wishful thinking on my part.

Kevin Goins - KevGo

By Eli (151.197.217.213) on Thursday, June 19, 2003 - 02:39 pm:

Kev,
Blue Eyd Soul in this instance in not a "segregation" thing hence the term "Blue Eyed Soul"
It is only a genre and we all think that it would be an interesting show, conceptualy speaking and a tribute and thank you to all of the fine "soul singers" who have paved the way for al of the "Blue Eyed Soul" folks.

I think that the line up can include:

The Righteous Brothers
Len Barry
The Sons of Robin Stone
Magnificent Men
Teena Marie
Soul Survivors
Taylor Dayne
Michael Mc Donald

By Scratcher (65.238.127.144) on Thursday, June 19, 2003 - 02:41 pm:

KegGo, got to go against you on the Blue Eye Soul show though I agree with you that music shouldn't be segregated.

You're never going to see many blue eye soul singers on their regular R&B shows because they didn't exactly tear-up the charts; only a few had really big recordings. Some R&B or Soul artists will always be chosen over people like Roy Head, Timi Yuro, the Magnificent Men, the Valadiers, the Reflections, Wayne Cochran, etc, so they need their own spotlight.

I see a problem with some blue eye soul acts like Tenna Marie appearing; I don't think she would want to be lumped with the blue eye soul singers.

By KevGo (64.115.26.80) on Thursday, June 19, 2003 - 03:46 pm:

Scratcher:
You see, that's my point exactly. Teena Marie, the Soul Survivors & the Magnificent Men had degrees of success as Soul/R&B artists (hell, Teena had bigger hits on the R&B charts than she did on the Pop and "Expressway To Your Heart" was Top Ten on both)& Michael McDonald's work with the Doobies ("What A Fool Believes," "Minute By Minute") crossed over to the R&B listings as well. The R&B/Soul station in my hometown played all these artists when I was growing up. So to lump them into a category of blue-eyed soul is absolutely wrong.

Also, Teena Marie was NEVER called a "blue-eyed soul" artist. She was - and still is - a SOUL artist - period.

This is why I have an issue with these PBS specials - their tendency to lump artists together under what THEY consider to be soul or blue-eyed soul or doo-wop or rock. Why not have just a plain ol' oldies but goodies thang just like Mr. Nader's shows were here in NYC back in the day. He didn't separate then and the last one he did he had all rock/soul people.

Kevin Goins - KevGo

By Wonder B (81.248.163.208) on Friday, June 20, 2003 - 04:13 am:

Scratcher, Cubie Burke did a highly sought after 12" single dance track called 'Down For Double' on the Rissa Chrissa label if my memory is corect around 1981/82...
Nothing else surfaced after that...

Wonder B

By P.M. Berton (208.39.161.193) on Friday, June 20, 2003 - 10:39 am:

Eli

Add New Kids On The Block to that Blue Eyed Soul Lineup, also The Temptones with Daryl Hall.

By Eli (151.197.64.135) on Friday, June 20, 2003 - 10:45 am:

The Temptones would be a tall order.
H&O would work.
I used to write with Daryl in the same pub. co., back in the day so maybe for old times sake......

By Vandelron (24.44.20.172) on Friday, June 20, 2003 - 01:29 pm:

Gladys Horton pulled out of PBS girl group special hosted by Mary Wilson. She felt she was being taken advantage of . She was replaced by LaLa Brooks.

By Eli (151.197.64.135) on Friday, June 20, 2003 - 01:39 pm:

Was that for a Marvelettes or Crystals segment. I am confused.
If it were for a Marvelettes segment she should be thankful that she was contacted having been an original member and not one of those knockoff groups.
Some things never change, do they??

By Vandelron (24.44.20.172) on Saturday, June 21, 2003 - 02:09 pm:

Eli--what do u mean by your last sentence. Apparently somehow Gladys(Im sure doing Marvelettes) felt ripped off again(by PBS) like the 60s and didnt want to repeat past injustice she felt. LaLa replaced her for Crystals segment(she was fantastic).If valid I say good for Gadys not to compromise herself.

By Sue (205.188.209.109) on Saturday, June 21, 2003 - 02:33 pm:

Gladys wasn't in the Crystals so how could she be "replaced" by LaLa Brooks, who was in the group?

Gladys, alas, feels besieged even by those who are her friends.

By Vandelron (24.44.20.172) on Saturday, June 21, 2003 - 02:52 pm:

Just meant that they got LaLa when they couldnt get Gladys--replaced as a perfromer on the show. Can u elaborate about Gladys?

By Sue (205.188.209.109) on Saturday, June 21, 2003 - 06:38 pm:

Just that Gladys feels persecuted by the fake Marvelettes "team" and hasn't felt comfortable doing dates, she's been warned not to even advertise herself as "of the Marvelettes" -- it's a shame. So she dodges even the things that she should do ...

Lala puts on a great show and looks wonderful, she was at the Girl Group Stamp ceremony in Cleveland with Mary and all the others, so she's a natural for the show.

By Soul Sister (68.73.167.246) on Sunday, June 22, 2003 - 05:22 pm:

Vonnie;
Hey girlfriend thanks for the support for Jimmy! I will call you tomorrow, the show at Town Hall was fabulous and the Vanity Fair shoot was awesome!!!
Love Ya', J.

Whatever catagory I like to see Teena Marie on the show doing slow stuff and the impossible she & Rick James teaming up for "Fire & Desire".
Also Bobby Taylor & The Vancouvers doing "Does Your Mama Know About Me".

By stephanie (64.63.221.205) on Sunday, June 22, 2003 - 07:02 pm:

Well Randy I emailed PBS so I hope we get more support in seeing the old groups..
Stephanie

By Soul Sister (68.73.167.246) on Sunday, June 22, 2003 - 08:30 pm:

Would love to see The 5 Stairsteps perform again, but the sound wouldn't be the same without Clarence,Jr.

By Randy Russi (169.139.180.100) on Monday, June 23, 2003 - 08:46 am:

I was told that Gladys didn't do the Girl Groups
PBS special because she did not (& still does not)
want to fly. They had to replace her spot, so
they contacted LaLa Brooks who was available.
Also, does anyone know what happened to this
program? Titled, The Girl Groups Are Back, it
seems it was pulled off the market.
Phil Spector????

Again, thanks to anyone emailing a request for
the Rocky Fellers!!!!!!

By Scratcher (65.238.127.36) on Monday, June 23, 2003 - 09:05 am:

Didn't know about the Cubie single Wonder B, thanks for the info.