(Vocals, b. 1963) Houston has good genes; her mother is soul singer Cissy Houston and her cousin, Dionne Warwick. After working as a model and actress she plunged into her destined career. Her debut album, Whitney rose to No. 1 in 1985, with the ballad ‘Saving All My Love For You’, the first of many chart-topping singles. ...
(Vocals, b. 1980) NYC native Aguilera has been making records since 1999, but singing since her very earliest years, inspired by the talents of the likes of Whitney Houston and Madonna. Her own vocal ability has long been the selling point of her talent, but her ‘blonde bombshell’ looks have not hindered her progress. Breaking on to ...
Dolly Rebecca Parton was born on 19 January 1946, in Locust Ridge, Tennessee. Immediately after graduation in the summer of 1964, she travelled from the Blue Ridge Mountains to Nashville, taking with her dreams of country stardom and little else. Ever since, she has thrilled audiences worldwide. An entertainer extraordinaire, Dolly has also become an ...
(Singer-songwriter, b. 1970) Along with Whitney Houston, Carey (New York-born of Irish/African-American/Venezuelan descent) is one of the most successful female singers in American pop history. Her eponymous debut (1990) showcased her five-octave range and songwriting talent. Gorgeously sexy promotional videos meant songs like ‘Vision Of Love’ and ‘Love Takes Time’ were soon topping the charts. Emotions (1991) and Music ...
(Producer, singer-songwriter, b. 1969) With his roots firmly planted in R&B, pop and balladry Robert Kelly is one of America’s most successful male artists. Early albums like 12 Play (1993) and R. Kelly (1995) showcased his booty grabbing smooth vocal style over self-written and produced sensual music. ‘Sex Me Pts 1 & 2’, ‘She’s Got That Vibe’ and ...
(Vocal/instrumental group, 1983–88) Formed in Hull by Paul Heaton (vocals), Stan Cullimore (guitar, vocals), Ted Key (bass) and Hugh Whitaker (drums), the band were the epitome of unassuming British indie pop. Their up-tempo, melodic songs belied some abrasive, politically charged lyrics on the likes of ‘Sheep’ and their first big hit ‘Happy Hour’, from 1986’s all-conquering debut ...
The rise of arena rock began in North America during the mid-1970s with a surge in the popularity of bands like Journey, Foreigner, Boston and Styx. Embraced by a network of FM radio stations, these bands and others like them became so profitable to their record companies that they almost represented a licence to print money. The formula ...
Although many would contend that 1980s pop was typified by an empty, aspirational overload of bad haircuts and cynical blandness, the decade produced many of pop’s most individual artists. In addition, it was arguably defined by 1985’s Live Aid – a global charity event unmatchable in its reach, and definitive in its marking of the period. The ...
If you ask a young music consumer what kind of acts represent pop music, they will undoubtedly reel off a list of teen-orientated, manufactured bands. Pop has come to represent a narrowly focused genre, as far away from the initial, revolutionary rock-meets-pop appeal of Elvis Presley and The Beatles as can be. Since the 1950s, pop ...
Although the 1960s Golden Age established soul as the foundation of Afro-American pop, the 1970s and 1980s saw soul’s supremacy challenged and ultimately ended by, in turn, funk, disco, electro, dance-rock, hip hop and house. In hindsight, the soul music of the 1980s went into a form of stasis, waiting for a ...
Despite initial comparisons to her fellow Londoner, the late Amy Winehouse, and other female soul acts – Adele has been likened to everyone from the late Whitney Houston to a combination of Joni Mitchell and Carole King – there’s no denying she is now widely thought of as a unique talent. ‘I keep getting called “the new Amy Winehouse” and ...
Almost no Texan musicians have ever herded cattle, but most like to think of themselves as cowboys nonetheless. They imagine themselves pulling out an acoustic guitar after dinner and singing a song about the adventures and frustrations they have known. And not just any old song – it has to be one they wrote and it has to be more ...
Like a great river that runs endlessly, forming numerous tributary streams as it flows, jazz continues to evolve over time. And no matter how far the River Jazz may flow from its source – whether through stylistic evolution or technological innovation – the essential spirit of the music remains intact. Granted, the more academic and esoteric extrapolations of ...
Composed: 1984–87 Premiered: 1987, Houston Libretto by Alice Goodman Act I On 21 February 1972, representatives of the Chinese armed forces are waiting at an airfield outside Beijing in order to greet President Richard Nixon on his arrival. The presidential Boeing, The Spirit of ’76, taxies to a halt. Nixon disembarks with his wife, Pat, ...
(Piano, vocals, 1927–80) Joseph Amos Milburn Jr. was born in Houston, Texas, and he began recording in 1946 for Aladdin records. Milburn was an exceptionally popular performer between the late 1940s and mid-1950s, with number-one R&B hits such as ‘Chicken Shack Boogie’, ‘Bewildered’ and ‘Roomin’ House Boogie’ (all 1948–49). Beginning in 1949, he toured and ...
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An extensive music information resource, bringing together the talents and expertise of a wide range of editors and musicologists, including Stanley Sadie, Charles Wilson, Paul Du Noyer, Tony Byworth, Bob Allen, Howard Mandel, Cliff Douse, William Schafer, John Wilson...
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Classical, Rock, Blues, Jazz, Country and more. Flame Tree has been making encyclopaedias and guides about music for over 20 years. Now Flame Tree Pro brings together a huge canon of carefully curated information on genres, styles, artists and instruments. It's a perfect tool for study, and entertaining too, a great companion to our music books.
David Bowie
Fantastic new, unofficial biography covers
his life, music, art and movies, with a
sweep of incredible photographs.