Unsung

[Assasin]

Did anybody check out unsung on TV1?

It featured the group Debarge one week, Phylis Hyman, The Clark sister and Donnie Hathaway, their life story.

Sorry I missed the early part of Donny Hathaway but caught all the others in full.

The Clark sisters first hit was actually a reggae gospel song.

It went into the life of one of my favorite Phylis Hyman. Sad lost and wasted talent.

Donnie story was just as sad.

Debarge I can't believe they all wer junkies.

Interesting series. Hopefully they have more.

[Gamma]

debarge? i believe it!

donnie hathaway.....sad.

[Lazie]

Talking bout that .. anyone know the group called Skyy? Lets Celebrate, Call Me, Heres to you. Just found on Thursday that the original keyboardist and I work at the same institution. While talking to him yesterday he called up a former group member who wrote the 2 hits that I like "Lets Celebrate" and "Call Me"

[Assasin]

yeah I remember that group.

Call Me was very huge back in the days.

[Gamma]

yeah?!! cool! have all those chunes....him still in touch wid di girls from the group? how dem doing these days?

[Historian]

debarge? i believe it! donnie hathaway.....sad.

Yep, music has its share of sad stories! Among the real tragedies are Jamaica's gospel singer David Keene (remember David Keene and the Sunshine Singers from the 1970s), America's R&B stars Jackie Wilson, Donnie Hathaway, Phyllis Hyman, Minnie Riperton, Marvin Gaye, the Temptations, Teddy Pendergrass, etc. etc.

Also, we cannot forget the jazz geniuses like Jaco Pastorious (one of the saddest stories of them all), Billie Holiday, Charlie Parker, etc.

Then there are the promised ones that failed to move to the next level. I'm referring here to guys like Tevin Campbell.

By the way, I never knew the members of Debarge were on drugs!

[Gamma]

historian....does rev VB have any albums? do you know

[HL]

yes...Tevin Campbell.

Last week I was watching a documentary about Quincy Jones.

A small segment of the program featured Tevin Campbell. It did not mention his current whereabouts; but Campbell had great potential. He just fell from the music world like so.........floppppp!!

Waz-up with him?

[Historian]

historian....does rev VB have any albums? do you know

My goodness, Gamma!! Talk about stirring my memory! At first I had to struggle to even remember who VB was, and this shows how really out of touch with certain aspects of Jamaican life and culture, in particular the church, I had become!! The ironic thing is that this is a man who I talked to face to face as a youngster back in the 1970s.

But to answer your question, I've never heard of an album by Rev. VB.

Looking at that other Jamaican gospel stalwart, David Keene, he had been taken to hospital some years ago as a virtual vegetable. Seems he had suffered a massive stroke. To my knowledge, Keene is still alive but unable to function. Unfortunately as well, his wife Denver Keene, who was an accomplished keyboard player and played with his Sunshine Singers, died from cancer several years ago.

Keene's Church On The Rock is still functioning, however. But I remember in the 1980s and 1990s when this church was responsible for bringing many first-class international gospel artists to Jamaica, including people like Candi Staton, Donnie McClurkin, etc. etc.

[Historian]

yes...Tevin Campbell. Last week I was watching a documentary about Quincy Jones.

A small segment of the program featured Tevin Campbell. It did not mention his current whereabouts; but Campbell had great potential. He just fell from the music world like so.........floppppp!! Waz-up with him?

Good question, HL. Often, Quincy Jones' discoveries seem to stay around for a while and reach the top. We only have to look at, for example, James Ingram. (If I'm not mistaken, it was Quincy who brought Tevin Campbell into the public domain.) Surprisingly, Tevin's stay at the top was so brief! And this youngster could sing; he had a genuinely beautiful voice. We only have to listen to, for example, "Can We Talk (For a Minute)" and his immense talent becomes obvious.

[Jawge]

married with kids
I guess, bet they look nothing like back in the days.

Yuh know BB King; "the thrill is gone"? Big chune dat.

[Lazie]

yes...Tevin Campbell.

Last week I was watching a documentary about Quincy Jones.

A small segment of the program featured Tevin Campbell. It did not mention his current whereabouts; but Campbell had great potential. He just fell from the music world like so.........floppppp!!

Waz-up with him?

He did put out a new album this year ... nothing gwaan fi it.