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Cal Harris Jr.
Cal Harris Jr. is an American contemporary jazz artist, producer, audio engineer, songwriter, and composer. In 2018 Cal Harris was ranked the #5 smooth jazz artist by Billboard. He has toured with Prince, Lenny Kravitz, Boyz II Men, Earth Wind and Fire, Pharrell Williams, Il Divo, Cirque du Soleil (Delirium), Whitney Houston, Babyface, and Kenny Loggins. Harris has worked as a recording engineer for Paula Abdul, Selena, Lenny Kravitz, as well as Earth Wind and Fire. He has also performed as a keyboard player for Con Funk Shun, Jonny Gill, and Lenny Kravitz. In 1990 Harris co-wrote the hit single "Just Want to Hold You" by Jasmine Guy. He also became one of the twenty finalists for American Idol's season 6 songwriter competition, beating out over 25,000 other submissions. Early life At a young age Cal Harris Jr. was exposed to Motown legends since his father, Cal Harris Sr, worked as a recording engineer for Motown. He grew up seeing his father work with artists such as Marvi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Smooth Jazz
Smooth jazz is a genre of commercially-oriented crossover jazz and easy listening music that became dominant in the mid 1970s to the early 1990s. History Smooth jazz is a commercially oriented, crossover jazz which came to prominence in the 1980s, displacing the more venturesome jazz fusion from which it emerged. It avoids the improvisational "risk-taking" of jazz fusion, emphasizing melodic form and much of the music was initially "a combination of jazz with easy-listening pop music and lightweight R&B". During the mid-1970s in the United States it was known as "smooth radio", and was not termed "smooth jazz" until the 1980s. Notable artists The mid- to late-1970s included songs “Breezin'" as performed by another smooth jazz pioneer, guitarist George Benson in 1976, the instrumental composition " Feels So Good" by flugelhorn player Chuck Mangione, in 1978, " What You Won't Do for Love" by Bobby Caldwell along with his debut album was released the same year, jazz fusion gr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Con Funk Shun
Con Funk Shun (formerly known as Project Soul) is an American R&B and funk band whose popularity began in the mid-1970s and ran through the 1980s. They were influenced by funk legend James Brown and Sly and the Family Stone. Signed to Mercury Records in 1976, Con Funk Shun enjoyed a decade of successful national and overseas tours, eleven chart-topping albums, and numerous hit singles. The group formally disbanded in 1986. History The band began in 1969 as "Project Soul", formed by Louis A. McCall Sr. (drums/percussion/vocals) and Michael Cooper (rhythm guitar/lead vocals), both of whom were high school students in Vallejo, California. By 1971, the band also included bassist Cedric Martin, keyboardist Danny "Sweet Man" Thomas, trumpeter Karl Fuller, and woodwinds player Paul "Maceo" Harrell. Soon thereafter, this fledgling group's classic lineup became complete when lead vocals/multi-instrumentalist Felton Pilate came on board. In 1971, the seven musicians formed a new band, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Billboard (magazine)
''Billboard'' (stylized as ''billboard'') is an American music and entertainment magazine published weekly by Penske Media Corporation. The magazine provides music charts, news, video, opinion, reviews, events, and style related to the music industry. Its music charts include the Hot 100, the 200, and the Global 200, tracking the most popular albums and songs in different genres of music. It also hosts events, owns a publishing firm, and operates several TV shows. ''Billboard'' was founded in 1894 by William Donaldson and James Hennegan as a trade publication for bill posters. Donaldson later acquired Hennegan's interest in 1900 for $500. In the early years of the 20th century, it covered the entertainment industry, such as circuses, fairs, and burlesque shows, and also created a mail service for travelling entertainers. ''Billboard'' began focusing more on the music industry as the jukebox, phonograph, and radio became commonplace. Many topics it covered were spun-off ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
It Is Time For A Love Revolution
''It Is Time for a Love Revolution'' is the eighth studio album by American rock musician Lenny Kravitz, released on February 5, 2008. The album produced four singles released in 2007 and 2008. This is Kravitz's final album for Virgin Records. Background It includes 14 original tracks, written, composed, arranged, performed, and produced by Kravitz. The album received Kravitz's best reviews in years, with ''Rolling Stone'' giving it three stars out of a possible five and suggesting that "As a blast back to the past, this is the best album Lenny Kravitz has ever made." Kravitz toured with the album's material for two years after the release, starting with a performance of two new songs on Times Square New Year's Eve show, hosted by Carson Daly. Release It debuted at No. 4 on the ''Billboard'' 200, selling about 73,000 copies in its first week and becoming Kravitz's first US Top 5 album since 2000's ''Greatest Hits''. Reception At Metacritic, which assigns a weighted mean rat ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
I'm Getting Used To You
"I'm Getting Used to You" is the title of the fourth single released by Selena from the album '' Dreaming of You''. It was written by Diane Warren and produced by Rhett Lawrence. The song was released on March 26, 1996, by EMI. Song information The track was written by songwriter Diane Warren in the key of F#minor with the BPM of 100 and Selena's range here was from F#3-F#5, and was chosen to be the fourth release (third in English language). The song was not as successful as the previous singles, but managed to peak at number 7 on the ''Billboard'' Bubbling Under Hot 100 singles chart. Track listing US Maxi-CD # I'm Getting Used To You (Album Version) 4:03 # I'm Getting Used To You (Def Radio Mix) 3:42 # I'm Getting Used To You (Def Club Mix) 8:40 # I'm Getting Used To You (Dub A Dub Mix) 6:48 # I'm Getting Used To You (Beatstrumental Mix) 5:50 Chart performance Personnel *Produced and arranged by: Rhett Lawrence *Lead and background vocals by: Selena *Mixed by: N ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Head Over Heels (Paula Abdul Album)
''Head over Heels'' is the third studio album released by American singer Paula Abdul on June 13, 1995 under Virgin Records. The album features three singles " My Love Is for Real", "Crazy Cool" and " Ain't Never Gonna Give You Up". Background In 1994, Abdul took a break from her music career to focus on her personal life. Her marriage to Emilio Estevez ended with them filing for divorce, and she sought treatment for bulimia. "I was so sad, I just needed to be filled up. It was like I was trying to fill this big empty hole", she said. This experience gave her strength to work on a third album, ''Head over Heels'', her most honest and personal project. "I took all the stuff I was afraid to face, and put it in my music", the singer said. Abdul also stated that, "It's a completely different space and time for me. I've experienced some spiritual growth that has allowed me to really get back to what I enjoy doing best. And that's being totally connected to the creative source as a reco ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Jackson 5
The Jackson 5 (sometimes stylized as the Jackson 5ive, also known as the Jacksons) are an American pop band composed of members of the Jackson family. The group was founded in 1964 in Gary, Indiana, and for most of their career consisted of brothers Jackie Jackson, Jackie, Tito Jackson, Tito, Jermaine Jackson, Jermaine, Marlon Jackson, Marlon and Michael Jackson, Michael. They were managed by their father Joe Jackson (manager), Joe Jackson. The group were among the first African Americans, African American performers to attain a crossover following. The Jackson 5 performed in talent shows and clubs on the Chitlin' Circuit, then signed with Steeltown Records in 1967 and released two singles. In 1968, they left Steeltown Records and signed with Motown, where they were the first group to debut with four consecutive number one hits on the Billboard Hot 100, ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart with the songs "I Want You Back", "ABC (The Jackson 5 song), ABC", " ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Diana Ross
Diana Ross (born March 26, 1944) is an American singer and actress. She rose to fame as the lead singer of the vocal group the Supremes, who became Motown's most successful act during the 1960s and one of the world's best-selling girl groups of all time. They remain the best-charting female group in history, with a total of twelve number-one hit singles on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100, including "Where Did Our Love Go", "Baby Love", "Come See About Me", and " Love Child". Following departure from the Supremes in 1970, Ross embarked on a successful solo career in music, film, television and on stage. Her eponymous debut solo album featured the U.S. number-one hit "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" and music anthem "Reach Out and Touch (Somebody's Hand)". It was followed with her second solo album, '' Everything Is Everything'' (1970), which spawned her first UK number-one single " I'm Still Waiting". She continued her successful solo career by mounting elaborate record-setting ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Marvin Gaye
Marvin Pentz Gay Jr., who also spelled his surname as Gaye (April 2, 1939 – April 1, 1984), was an American singer and songwriter. He helped to shape the sound of Motown in the 1960s, first as an in-house session player and later as a solo artist with a string of successes, earning him the nicknames "Prince of Motown" and "Prince of Soul". Gaye's Motown songs include "Ain't That Peculiar", "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)", and "I Heard It Through the Grapevine". Gaye also recorded duets with Mary Wells, Kim Weston, Tammi Terrell, and Diana Ross. During the 1970s, Gaye recorded the albums '' What's Going On'' and ''Let's Get It On'' and became one of the first artists in Motown to break away from the reins of a production company. His later recordings influenced several contemporary R&B subgenres, such as quiet storm and neo soul. "Sexual Healing", released in 1982 on the album ''Midnight Love'', won him his first two Grammy Awards. Gaye's last televised appearances we ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cal Harris (engineer)
Calvin Lawrence Harris was an American sound engineer and the head of the recording department at Motown. He worked on projects such as Marvin Gaye's hit album ''What's Going On'', The Beach Boys' single “Good Vibrations”, and Lionel Richie's Grammy award-winning album ''Can't Slow Down''. He is the father of jazz musician Cal Harris Jr. and programmer/keyboard technician Eric Harris. Biography Cal Harris Sr. was born on August 9, 1941, in Marshall, Michigan. He began his musical career at Gold Star Records, as in intern for The Beach Boys. His work for at Gold Star Records gained him the recognition to get hired by Motown Records in the late 1960s. At Motown he became the head of the recording department. He died on August 14, 2017, in a California hospital due to natural causes. Working at Motown Records As the head of the recording department at Motown, Cal Harris Sr. was tasked with managing the team of sound engineers employed by Motown. As well as finding/hi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Motown
Motown Records is an American record label owned by the Universal Music Group. It was founded by Berry Gordy Jr. as Tamla Records on June 7, 1958, and incorporated as Motown Record Corporation on April 14, 1960. Its name, a portmanteau of ''motor'' and ''town'', has become a nickname for Detroit, where the label was originally headquartered. Motown played an important role in the racial integration of popular music as an African American-owned label that achieved crossover success. In the 1960s, Motown and its subsidiary labels (including Tamla Motown, the brand used outside the US) were the most of the Motown sound, a style of soul music with a mainstream pop appeal. Motown was the most successful soul music label, with a net worth of $61 million. During the 1960s, Motown achieved 79 records in the top-ten of the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 between 1960 and 1969. Following the events of the Detroit Riots of 1967, and the loss of key songwriting/production team Holland–Dozier– ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
American Idol (season 6)
The sixth season of ''American Idol'' premiered on the Fox Broadcasting Company as a two-night, four-hour premiere special on January 16 and January 17, and ran until May 23, 2007. Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul, and Randy Jackson returned to judge once again, and Ryan Seacrest returned as host. A new record of 74 million votes were cast in the finale round, and a new record of 609 million votes were cast in the entire season (the seasonal total record was surpassed by the tenth season and the finale vote record was broken by the eleventh season). Jordin Sparks won the competition with Blake Lewis as the first runner-up and Melinda Doolittle finishing third. Jordin Sparks is also the youngest winner of the competition, winning at age 17, as well as the first winner from outside the Southern United States. Sparks remained the last female winner until the twelfth season. Regional auditions The Auditions were held in the following cities: Auditioning contestants were required to ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
