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  Posted By:
  PacRimTrade at 04/06/2008 2:11:10 PM
  Comment:
  King The SoundTrack is an extraordinary walk down memory lane grounded in recollections of American history, culture, music, and family. What a touching and emotional piece on Dr. King by a master of his trade. Martin Johnson, you deserve props for delivering a masterpiece article that is heartfelt, authentic, and insightful. The memories are bittersweet, but the struggle goes on. :
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  Posted By:
  juanrvi at 04/06/2008 1:55:50 AM
  Comment:
  I enjoyed the keen insight of Martin Johnson's piece. He writes VERY WELL, and at least some of the credit goes to his "Catholic Middle School" in Chicago.
  
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    Posted By:
    Beeler at 04/06/2008 11:34:54 AM
    Comment:
    Thank You!
    However, I must report that Louis Wirth Experimental (a school now called Kenwood Academy) is by no means Catholic. That said, Ms. McCoo, my seventh grade literature teacher there certainly exerted a profound influence on my writing style.
    -MJ
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  Posted By:
  juanrvi at 04/06/2008 1:54:14 AM
  Comment:
  Martin Johnson writes VERY WELL! At least some of the credit should go to his "Catholic Middle School" in Chicago.
  
  Juan Romero
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  Posted By:
  cranapplegrape at 04/05/2008 1:31:36 PM
  Comment:
  African America lost it's fathers when we lost these two men. It was destiny to lose them because you cannot pin the hopes of a people on two men, it has to be the masses moving in the right direction. Why does this article end in the 80's, someone must understand how "popular" black music has devolved since then and understand how this music became so popular in the first place. I personally think we overemphesize black entertainment in our culture but the youth these days are being raised on it. Without their fathers.
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  Posted By:
  BluMizu at 04/05/2008 12:07:51 PM
  Comment:
  This was a really amazing article. Honestly i cant say enough about it. I believe that as Blacks we have always poured our joys,pain and disappointments into our music. But i had never thought about the assisination in this way. Of course it had an impact on our music!! Wonderful article.
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  Posted By:
  Milestonz at 04/04/2008 12:54:48 PM
  Comment:
  From "What's Goin' On" to "Let's Get It On". Interesting perspective! It's as though Marvin pulled our heads out of the sand and then reminded us of what was REALLY important!. Artists like Vernon Reid are the musical progeny of Dr. King, who have boldy proclaimed to the establishment, analogous to how the Memphis sanitation workers did, "I Am An Artist!". Kudos to Vernon for all of his slammin', bone-crushin' music, deliverd with stunning virtuosity, and for his passionate activism, the essential purpose of which is summed up in a line from a song by Living Color, "Pride", which forthrightly states,
  
  "Don't ask me why I play this music,
  'Cause it's my culture
  So naturally I use it"
  
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  Posted By:
  Milestonz at 04/04/2008 11:27:08 AM
  Comment:
  From "What's Goin' On" to "Let's Get It On". Interesting perspective! It's as though Marvin pulled our heads out of the sand and then reminded us of what was REALLY important!. Artists like Vernon Reid are the musical progeny of Dr. King, who have boldy proclaimed to the establishment, analogous to how the Memphis sanitation workers did, "I Am An Artist!". Kudos to Vernon for all of his slammin', bone-crushin' music, deliverd with stunning virtuosity, and for his passionate activism, the essential purpose of which is summed up in a line from a song by Living Color, "Pride", which forthrightly states,
  
  "Don't ask me why I play this music,
  'Cause it's my culture
  So naturally I use it"
  
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  Posted By:
  hewetson at 04/04/2008 9:43:15 AM
  Comment:
  Fascinating. Mr. Johnson's family sounds much like mine, including the music and kitchen politics talk. I was more of a Stax fan than Motown but still liked Marvin Gaye and the Temptations a lot. I am not familiar with the Temptations "Masterpiece" song referenced here. I will check it out. I saw Vernon Reid with Liviing Colour when they opened up for the Rolling Stones. What ever became of the BRC? Chuck D speaks to truth now.