2013 Soul Train Awards Spotlight: 1500 Or Nothin’
Many unfortunately see the education in liner notes as a lost art form in the age of digital cataloging your music. But as far as I’m concerned, that is no excuse given the accessibility of information...
View Article2013 Soul Train Awards Spotlight: A Q&A with Anthony Anderson–The Host
Award-nominated actor and writer Anthony Anderson would be lying to SoulTrain.com and the readers and fans who visit this site if he wasn’t completely honest during this exclusive interview. So there’s...
View ArticleClassic Soul Cinema Presents: ‘Five on the Blackhand Side’
In the early seventies, many black organizations denounced the blaxploitation film craze which often featured a heavy dose of violence, drugs and sex. Moreover, these organizations did not approve the...
View Article2013 Soul Train Awards Red Carpet Recap
Much excitement along with plenty of love, peace and soul was displayed Friday, November 8 at the 2013 Soul Train Awards red carpet. Celebrities were fashionably and stylishly decked out in their best...
View ArticleProtest Songs: 4 Songs By Current Artists That Awaken Our Consciousness
Depending on which part of the country you reside in, there’s a lot going on nowadays. Between our youth being gunned down, department stores alienating certain races, international disasters and now...
View ArticleThe 80s: INXS’ Kick
It’s hard to believe that the most successful studio album of a band’s career was considered a reject by some, but such was the case with INXS’s Kick, released in 1987. The band was already riding...
View ArticleTV’s Top 5 Biopics
CrazySexyCool: The TLC Story aired on VH1 last month and was the highest-rated television film premiere of 2013, as well as the highest-rated original film premiere in VH1 history. That says...
View ArticleOn the “A” w/Souleo
Stax Records was more than a music machine releasing hits by the likes of Otis Redding and The Staple Singers. According to author and music historian Robert Gordon, it was also an example of unity in...
View ArticleThe 80s: The 25th Anniversary of Tracy Chapman
There was no shortage of ladies on the music scene in 1988. While Whitney Houston belted out “So Emotional,” Debbie Gibson sang “Shake Your Love.” Belinda Carlisle let us know that “Heaven Is A Place...
View ArticleWorld Premier: ‘Black Nativity’ at Harlem’s Apollo Theater
It was lights, camera and action at New York’s Apollo Theater for the red carpet premiere of the holiday movie Black Nativity, based on the play by Langston Hughes. The heartwarming musical drama,...
View ArticleQ&A: Hill Harper-Delivery Man
Watching Soul Train for award-winning actor/writer/producer/director Hill Harper was “the front line of style and being cool,” he says. Apparently, what the Iowa-born star of television and film saw...
View ArticleProfile: George Daniels
George Daniels is the ultimate music merchant; as owner of George’s Music Room, with locations at Chicago’s Midway Airport and on the city’s west side, he is one of the most recognized and revered...
View ArticleThe Temptations: ‘A Song For You’
By 1972, even die-hard Temptations fans had to accept that the Temptations were, in fact, Dennis Edwards, Otis Williams, Melvin Franklin, Richard Street and Damon Harris. Of course, albums like All...
View ArticleBlack Movies Create Culture in 2013
Let’s be honest: Miley Cyrus didn’t invent twerking, nor did she make it great. Blacks have created culture that has attracted the masses and created waves of imitation. The same can be said for the...
View ArticleQ&A: Malcolm Goodwin—From Brooklyn to the Big Screen
At first glance, he’s an actor with a familiar face. Film and television enthusiasts may know him as an American Gangster, or even as one of the Breakout Kings, but Malcolm Goodwin is much more than...
View ArticleClassic Soul Cinema Presents: ‘Poetic Justice’
“Cause nobody but nobody can make it out here alone.” So states the tagline to the timeless classic romantic tale Poetic Justice, which was the first feature film role for Janet Jackson. Written and...
View ArticleThe List: 14 Notable Stories Of 2013
From President Obama’s 2nd term to George Zimmerman’s not guilty verdict, 2013 was full of highs and lows. SoulTrain.com looks back.The post The List: 14 Notable Stories Of 2013 appeared first on Soul...
View ArticleArt Basel 2013: VH1 and SCOPE
It’s the holiday season! In South Florida, that means 70 degree weather and Art Basel, an event where renowned artists from all around the world come together for a brilliant artistic movement. Art...
View ArticleQ&A: Drew Sidora
Singer and actress Drew Sidora has lit up both the big and small screens with roles in films including White Chicks and Wild Hogs, and in popular TV series like That’s So Raven and The Game; however,...
View ArticleWhat We Won’t Miss In The New Year
There were a lot of things to be grateful for in 2013 when it came to Hollywood’s elite. Beyoncé showed her fierceness yet again, the world welcomed the DILF of all DILFs in Channing Tatum, “Blurred...
View ArticleQ&A: Art “Chat Daddy” Sims
Art Sims, affectionately known as “Chat Daddy,” has 16 years of media experience in radio, television and print. Sims is a familiar and welcomed face in many diverse communities in Chicago and around...
View ArticleBlack Culture Highlights of 2013
It might be hard to believe that 2013 is over and 2014 has begun. So much happened in the world in 2013—some extraordinary, some painful and some moments that may have challenged us greatly. There...
View ArticleIn Memoriam: James Avery–A Good Guy
Once I’d heard the news of actor James Avery’s passing, I immediately became reduced to a childlike state. This wasn’t the first time he’d done this to me. My first inkling of how I should react was to...
View ArticleFive New Year’s Resolutions You Can Actually Keep
The new year is a time for fresh starts and ambitious goals. And while most people will strive for the perfect body, an incredible love life or a life-changing promotion at work, let’s keep things in...
View ArticleBereolaesque: Man Cave
“And y’all dudes acting way too tough/throw on a suit, get it tapered up…” –Jay Z It’s a new year, new month and new day. It’s time to grow up. If you think I’m ruining your game, then you have […]The...
View ArticleMotown: A Never Ending Force
Berry Gordy did it again. Fifty-four years after the birth of the legendary label, Motown has again set the world on fire. Motown The Musical is tearing up Broadway and gearing up for a national tour....
View ArticleQ&A: Sheila Pree Bright—The What on Project 1960
Riding down Trinity Ave.—with its homelessness, drug abuse and depression, there’s hardly a reminder that the same street was a stomping ground for the Atlanta Student Movement. That is until seeing...
View ArticleThe 80s: George Benson’s Give Me The Night
George Benson’s 1980 album Give Me The Night was one of those albums that just couldn’t go wrong. First of all, you’ve got George Benson, a Grammy Award-winning singer and musician and joining him, a...
View ArticleAnita Baker ‘The Songstress’
Anita Baker started singing in the early ‘70s in Detroit at various R&B clubs. In 1975 she was discovered by Chapter 8 co-founder David Washington. In 1975, Baker became a member and the band...
View ArticleQ&A: Antwain Alexander–Dancing Viral Sensation
The success of Soul Train has proven that the high energy of a dance-off can warm the hearts of many and not only create a buzz but produce stardom! Past Saturday mornings were highlighted by the Soul...
View ArticleQ&A: The Legendary Eric Monte
Who is Eric Monte? You may not be familiar with his name, but you know his work. Have you ever heard of Cooley High or Good Times? He created both. He was the driving force behind the...
View ArticleThe 80s–Billy Idol’s ‘Rebel Yell’
English rocker Billy Idol had already scored a hit in 1982 with his eponymous debut album, which contained the hits “White Wedding,” “Hot In The City” and “Dancing With Myself.” He recorded his second...
View ArticleSoul Train History Book: The First Soul Train Line
On the fifth national episode of Soul Train that aired October 30, 1971, a segment was introduced that became a mainstay of the show and has become synonymous with the word “legendary.” That segment...
View ArticleThe 80s: Cameo’s ‘She’s Strange’
She’s Strange, the tenth studio album from the band Cameo, finds the group somewhat in between phases of what was already a pretty successful career by most standards. The band was definitely no...
View ArticleIn Remembrance and Respect: Ricky Lawson
Editor’s Note: Legendary drummer Ricky Lawson passed on December 26, 2013. SoulTrain.com’s Chuck Nunley contributed this piece in tribute to a musician who influenced and inspired him, both on and off...
View ArticleDiary of an Ex-Soul Train Dancer Presents: Diana Price
For nine years, Diana Price was one of Soul Train’s most fashionable and effervescent dancers. Whether she was dancing in sync with her then-husband and fellow Soul Train dancer Erwin Bernard Thompson...
View ArticleQ&A: Richard Pryor, Jr.
It can’t be easy to be the child of a celebrity. People from all over the world know your parent and you’re simply known as the son or daughter of that celebrity. But I know there’s more than that....
View ArticleThe 80s: ‘Ghostbusters’
It’s been almost thirty years since audiences gathered in theaters to see the feature film Ghostbusters. The movie starred Saturday Night Live veterans Bill Murray and Dan Aykroyd, joined by Harold...
View ArticleQ&A: Black Milk-The Art Of Storytelling
Public Enemy’s Chuck D once called hip-hop “The Black CNN.” The music and culture has been driven by testaments and experiences of life rarely shown within mainstream America. It is a rite of passage...
View ArticleClassic Soul Cinema: ‘Hell Up In Harlem’
Most moviegoers thought crime lord Tommy Gibbs (played by Fred Williamson) was a goner at the end of the movie Black Caesar, as a group of kids robbed him in the neighborhood he grew up in. He may have...
View ArticleClassic Soul Album: Barry White’s ‘Rhapsody in White’
By the beginning of 1974, soul crooner Barry White was on a commercial roll. In 1973, he scored two hit gold albums—his first solo effort I’ve Got So Much to Give and the follow-up Stone Gon—as well as...
View ArticleMy Favorite Soul Train Memory: All-Star Compilation Volume 1
Soul Train was a remarkable opportunity for the recording artists who graced its stage, allowing them to be seen by an impressionable television audience open to be moved by music. The hippest trip in...
View ArticleBereolaesque: Don’t Think About It Too Much
“Don’t think about it too much, too much, too much, too much/There’s no need for us to rush it through/Don’t think about it too much, too much, too much, too much/This is more than just a new lust for...
View ArticleBlack Beauties: Butterfly McQueen
Happy Black History Month! It is an occasion celebrated by many all over the world, chock full of learning, reflecting and acknowledging pioneers and leaders of the past plus the present. To be clear,...
View ArticleQ&A: Chaka Khan
Preparation for this SoulTrain.com exclusive interview with Chaka Khan actually began a bit over a year ago. After being given early word there was going to be an announcement of an upcoming new album...
View ArticleClassic Soul Cinema Presents: ‘Willie Dynamite’
At the height of the early 70s blaxploitation film era, there were iconic characters such as John Shaft, Superfly, Hammer, The Mack, Foxy Brown and Black Caesar. There was also Willie Dynamite. Willie...
View ArticleBlack Beauties: Madam C.J. Walker
In honor of Black History month, the “Black Beauties” article series continues acknowledging the impact and artistry of three black women of our American culture. First in the series was the highly...
View ArticleQ&A: Shelly Garrett
We all remember the radio commercial for an upcoming play which had the famous catch phrase ,“BEAUTY SHOP!!!” That was Shelly Garrett. Shelly Garrett is “The Godfather of Urban Theatre.” He began his...
View ArticleForget Me Nots: Valentines For Don Cornelius
The right song can do more for a person than influence them to dance, tap their feet, or nod their head to its rhythm. A proper song can jerk tears, evoke aggression, even encourage reluctant students...
View ArticleExecutive Decisions: Phil Thornton
As a member of the Soul Train Power 20, record executive and TV producer Phillip Thornton’s resume speaks for itself. For the Norfolk, VA native, the journey into the record business came around 1995....
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