|
Unsung (TV Series)
''Unsung'' is an hour-long music documentary program that airs on TV One which premiered on November 27, 2008. It uncovers the stories behind well-known R&B and hip-hop music artists, bands, or groups which ranked onto the ''Billboard'' music charts with a string of hits, only to have their career derailed by a major crisis that caused them to be essentially unappreciated by later generations of contemporary R&B and soul music listeners. The series is produced by production company A. Smith & Co. Productions. Format Each episode usually begins with an artist's upbringing and family, painting a picture of the issues driving them in their music career. Themes of "escaping the hard life of the streets" and "experiencing physical abuse", as well as "signs of musical genius", can be found in many of the lives of ''Unsungs subjects. Those interviewed in this segment of the show typically are relatives and friends, although some celebrities may be interviewed depending on their rel ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
TV One (American TV Channel)
TV One is an American basic cable television channel owned by Urban One, having acquired Comcast's stake in the TV channel in 2015. Headquartered in Silver Spring, Maryland, TV One's programming targets African American adults with a broad mixture of original lifestyle and entertainment-oriented series, documentaries, films, music performances and reruns of sitcoms from the 1970s through the 2000s. As of February 2015, TV One is available to approximately 57 million pay television households (48.9% of households with at least one television set) in the United States. History TV One launched on January 19, 2004, on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, as a competitor to the longer-established BET.Felicia R. Lee"A Network for Blacks With Sense of Mission,"''The New York Times'', December 11, 2007. At the time of its launch, the channel was in approximately 2.2 million homes in 16 markets. On July 7, 2008, the channel's president and CEO Johnathan Rodgers announced that TV One would pr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
David Ruffin
David Eli Ruffin (born Davis Eli Ruffin;Ribowsky, p. 88 January 18, 1941 – June 1, 1991) was an American soul singer and musician most famous for his work as one of the lead singers of the Temptations (1964–68) during the group's "Classic Five" period as it was later known. He was the lead voice on such famous songs as " My Girl" and "Ain't Too Proud to Beg." Known for his unique raspy and anguished tenor vocals, Ruffin was ranked as one of the 100 Greatest Singers of All Time by ''Rolling Stone'' magazine in 2008. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1989 for his work with the Temptations. Fellow Motown recording artist Marvin Gaye once said admiringly of Ruffin that, "I heard n his voicea strength my own voice lacked." Early life Ruffin was born Davis Eli Ruffin on January 18, 1941, in the rural unincorporated community of Whynot, Mississippi, 15 miles from Meridian, Mississippi. He was the third born son of Elias "Eli" Ruffin, a Baptist minister, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Meagan Good
Meagan Monique Good is an American actress. She first gained critical attention for her role in the film ''Eve's Bayou'' (1997), prior to landing the role of Nina in the Nickelodeon sitcom ''Cousin Skeeter'' (1998–2001). Good received further prominence after starring in the films ''Deliver Us from Eva'' (2003), ''Roll Bounce'' (2005), and ''Stomp the Yard'' (2007). In 2012, Good featured in an ensemble cast of the film ''Think Like a Man''. The following year, she played Joanna Locasto, the lead character on the NBC drama series '' Deception''; and starred in the comedy '' Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues.'' Furthermore, Good has had supporting roles in the films ''One Missed Call'' (2008), ''Saw V'' (2008), '' The Unborn'' (2009) and DC Comics' '' Shazam!'' (2019). Early life and family Good was born in the Panorama City neighborhood of Los Angeles. Her mother, Tyra Wardlow-Doyle, worked as Good's manager into her teens, and her father, Leondis "Leon" Good, is an LAPD po ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sheryl Lee Ralph
Sheryl Lee Ralph OJ is an American actress and singer. She made her screen debut in the 1977 comedy film '' A Piece of the Action'', before landing the role of Deena Jones in the Broadway musical ''Dreamgirls'' (1981), for which she received a Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical nomination. She currently stars as Barbara Howard on the ABC mockumentary sitcom ''Abbott Elementary'', for which she won Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series at the 74th Primetime Emmy Awards, and became the first Black woman to win the award in 35 years. Ralph has appeared in a number of films during her career. She starred alongside Denzel Washington in the film '' The Mighty Quinn'' (1989). In 1991, she won the Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Female for her performance in the 1990 drama film ''To Sleep with Anger''. Ralph starred in the 1992 films ''Mistress'' and ''The Distinguished Gentleman''. She later played the role of Florence Watson in '' Sister Act 2: Back in ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Charlie Murphy (actor)
Charles Quinton Murphy (July 12, 1959 – April 12, 2017) was an American comedian, actor, and writer. He was best known as a writer and cast member of the Comedy Central sketch-comedy series ''Chappelle's Show'' as well as the co-star of the sitcom '' Black Jesus''. He was the brother of actor and comedian Eddie Murphy. Early life Murphy was born on July 12, 1959, in the New York City borough of Brooklyn. His mother Lillian Murphy was a telephone operator and his father, Charles Edward Murphy, was a transit police officer, actor, and comedian. As an adolescent, Murphy spent ten months in jail. In 1978 on the day of his release, he enlisted in the United States Navy and served for six years as a boiler technician. Career Murphy had minor roles in several films in the late 1980s and early 1990s and worked behind the scenes with hip hop group K-9 Posse, a duo composed of his half-brother Vernon Lynch Jr. and Wardell Mahone. On their 1988 self-titled debut, Murphy was credited as ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Richard Roundtree
Richard Roundtree (born July 9, 1942) is an American actor. Roundtree is noted as being "the first black action hero" for his portrayal of private detective John Shaft in the 1971 film '' Shaft'', and its four sequels, released between 1972 and 2019. For his performance in the original film, Roundtree was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for New Star of the Year – Actor in 1972. Early life and education Born July 9, 1942, in New Rochelle, New York, to John and Kathryn Roundtree, Roundtree attended New Rochelle High School; graduating in 1961. During high school, Roundtree played for the school's undefeated and nationally ranked football team. After high school, Roundtree attended Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, Illinois. Roundtree dropped out of college in 1963 to begin his career. Career Roundtree began his professional career around 1963. Roundtree began modeling in the Ebony Fashion Fair after being scouted by Eunice W. Johnson. After his modeling success wit ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Vivica A
Vivica or Vivika are female given names. Notable people with these names include: *Vivica Bandler (1917–2004), Finnish theater director *Vivica A. Fox (born 1964), US actress *Vivica Genaux (born 1969), US singer *Otto and Vivika Heino, US ceramicists See also *Viveca *Ivica *VICA (other) *"Vivica", a song by Jack Off Jill from ''Clear Hearts Grey Flowers'' {{given name ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sheryl Underwood
Sheryl Patrice Underwood (born October 28, 1963) is an American comedian, actress and television host. She first rose to prominence in the comedy world as the first female finalist in 1989's Miller Lite Comedy Search. Currently, Underwood is one of the hosts on the CBS Daytime talk show ''The Talk (talk show), The Talk'', becoming the show's longest running co-host, a role she first stepped into in September 2011. She has received one Daytime Emmy Awards, Daytime Emmy Award from seven nominations. Early life Underwood was born in Little Rock, Arkansas, and later moved to Atwater, California, where she attended high school. Her sister, Frankie, was diagnosed with polio. Sheryl is now Frankie's caregiver. Underwood revealed that she was born with a twin who did not survive. She went on to say that her mother lied to her, telling her that her father murdered her sister. Underwood admitted to carrying her sister's birth certificate around with her. She even stated that her mother s ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
A Different World
''A Different World'' is an American sitcom (and a spin-off of ''The Cosby Show'') television series that aired for six seasons on NBC from September 24, 1987 to July 9, 1993. The series originally centered on Denise Huxtable ( Lisa Bonet) and the life of students at Hillman College, a fictional historically black college in Virginia. It was inspired by student life at historically black colleges and universities. After Bonet's departure in the first season, the remainder of the series primarily focused more on Southern belle Whitley Gilbert-Wayne (Jasmine Guy) and math whiz Dwayne Cleophus Wayne (Kadeem Hardison). Concept While it was a spin-off from ''The Cosby Show'', ''A Different World'' typically addressed issues that were avoided by ''The Cosby Show'' writers (race and class relations, sexual assault, or the Equal Rights Amendment). One episode that aired in 1990 was one of the first American network television episodes to address the epidemiology of HIV/AIDS. The or ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Redd Foxx
John Elroy Sanford (December 9, 1922 – October 11, 1991), better known by his stage name Redd Foxx, was an American stand-up comedian and actor. Foxx gained success with his raunchy nightclub act before and during the civil rights movement. Known as the "King of the Party Records", he performed on more than 50 records in his lifetime. He portrayed Fred G. Sanford on the television show '' Sanford and Son'' and starred in ''The Redd Foxx Show'' and ''The Royal Family''. His film projects included ''All the Fine Young Cannibals'' (1960), ''Cotton Comes to Harlem'' (1970), '' Norman... Is That You?'' (1976) and ''Harlem Nights'' (1989). In 2004, Foxx ranked 24th in ''Comedy Central Presents: 100 Greatest Stand-ups of All Time''. Foxx not only influenced many comedians but was often portrayed in popular culture as well, mainly as a result of his catchphrases, body language and facial expressions exhibited on ''Sanford and Son''. During the show's five-year run, Foxx won a Go ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dick Gregory
Richard Claxton Gregory (October 12, 1932 – August 19, 2017) was an American comedian, civil rights leader, business owner and entrepreneur, and vegetarian activist. His writings were best sellers. Gregory became popular among the African-American communities in the southern United States with his "no-holds-barred" sets, poking fun at the bigotry and racism in the United States. In 1961 he became a staple in the comedy clubs, appeared on television, and released comedy record albums. Gregory was at the forefront of political activism in the 1960s, when he protested the Vietnam War and racial injustice. He was arrested multiple times and went on many hunger strikes. He later became a speaker and author, primarily promoting spirituality. Gregory died of heart failure, aged 84, at a Washington, D.C., hospital in August 2017. Early life Gregory was born in St. Louis, Missouri, the son of Lucille, a housemaid, and Presley Gregory. At Sumner High School, he was aided by te ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
What's Happening!!
''What's Happening!!'' is an American sitcom television series that aired on ABC from August 5, 1976, until April 28, 1979, premiering as a summer series. Due to other shows being cancelled across the network, and good ratings and reviews from the critics, ''What's Happening!!'' returned as a weekly series from November 1976 until its April 1979 conclusion; ratings were modest. ''What's Happening!!'' was loosely based on the Eric Monte-penned film ''Cooley High''. From 1985 until 1988, a sequel series titled ''What's Happening Now!!'' aired in first-run syndication, with most of the major cast members reprising their roles. ''What's Happening!!'' was Bud Yorkin's second series after he ended his partnership with Norman Lear and Tandem Productions. The show was produced by TOY Productions, which was formed by Yorkin, Saul Turteltaub, and Bernie Orenstein after the split. Premise ''What's Happening!!'' follows the lives of three working-class African-American teens living in the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
