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Nina Simone’s Tragic Rise and Fall
She had been the toast of New York City’s pop scene for all of two years, but Nina Simone was already cementing her legend as a no-nonsense diva. There she was onstage at the Apollo Theater in February 1961, barely two weeks before her 28th birthday. She was a slip of a woman, haughty and…
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What Mariah, Beyoncé and J-Hud Owe Whitney Houston
She looked serene and comely on the album cover: lips parted seductively, hair slicked back and a strand of pearls encircled her thin neck. The peach border around the picture complemented the light, creamy color of her dress, which draped across one shoulder. The young singer’s name was in a stately brown font, all caps,…
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Who You Callin' ‘Grown & Sexy’?
About 15 minutes after stepping into the place, I wanted to go back home and go to bed. A few friends and I decided to check out this “special night” hosted at a popular Washington, D.C. nightclub. The party, according to the radio spot, was for the “grown and sexy.” I didn’t know what the…
Black News and Black Views with a Whole Lotta Attitude
