THE SENSATIONAL EPICS

03/27/2022

South Carolina has produced some of the best R&B, Soul, and Beach Music bands in the world. What really sets these apart for me is the brass, the horn sections, that is something we do very well down here in Carolina. I enjoyed learning the history of the Epics, going through the photos dating back to the early 60’s and witnessing how they grew from a party band to a first class show band with nearly all original members intact. That is no easy task starting out as a group of high school kids, it takes discipline, practice, trial and error but I would think most importantly it would require a lot of fun and close friendship in order to...

THE EXOTICS

02/28/2022

There is a powerful story behind this band that involves race, talent, and tragedy. This story tells how the worst of these things can be overcome with music, tenacity, and sheer faith. I would like to thank Richard Reid for bringing this band to my attention through his published article in The Times and Democrat, which I have provided a link to in the launch bar below. Mr. Reid is president of the Orangeburg Historical and Genealogical Society. His mission is researching Orangeburg history, with a particular emphasis on the role of African-Americans in that history...

JOHN PHILLIPS

12/14/2021

John Phillips was a pioneer and a visionary, he understood how to write a song that would not only hook you with the melody but stand the test of time itself to become a classic. Beyond that he also understood vocal harmonization which started with his time spent in The Journeymen trio and finally reaching perfection with the Mamas & the Papas...

HOOTIE & THE BLOWFISH

11/22/2021

On the subject of Hootie & the Blowfish I have never spoken with a single person from South Carolina that was not proud of them. They are the band that put us on the map and that legacy will carry forever more. I was late collecting their catalog and later still giving them a deep and honest study but personally I believe that worked out for the best and here’s why – I did not get swept up in the fever of 1994 or the mania that followed, I was submerged in building my own home studio, writing, recording, and learning and gave little thought to the world of music outside for many years. Exploring them later as a much older and wiser...

DANIELLE HOWLE

03/15/2021

I love Danielle Howle – as a matter of fact you can’t meet her and not fall in love with her she’s just that genuine. She gives without expecting in return, she’s fiercely dedicated to her friends and her fan base and they in turn feel the same way about her. She has never given up and she shows no sign of giving up in the near future, she is a force of nature by design steadfast in dedication to her craft yet soft and yielding in her expression of that same craft.

I’m very proud to assemble and put up this showcase which only just touches on the depth of her career. A true South Carolina treasure, an incredible talent...

SHAGTIME

12/18/2020

Living in Orangeburg I remember Willis Blume and I also remember Shagtime. I briefly had a music review column while working at the Orangeburg newspaper and I was charged with reviewing their release, “Always Wound.” Retrospect is a funny thing because thinking back I attempted to write about and explain something I really had no understanding of. My mistake was I thought Beach Music was suppose to be Soulful and the only true Soul I knew did not sound anything like this. My ignorance haunts me to this day. Beach Music is a music unto itself, vibrant, happy, a joy to listen to and appreciate and to top it off Beach Music was created here in South Carolina spawning the Shag dance...

DIZZY GILLESPIE

10/21/2020

What can you say about Dizzy Gillespie that has not been said before. I can only give you my take and simply put he was an incredible musician of unmatched vision. I’m a blues player myself and Jazz alludes me a bit, I think it’s the timing and the interjected spontaneity – give me 4/4 and Big Joe Turner and I’m out!

Artists like Dizzy Gillespie not only bring amazing talent to the table but they take it up several notches and set new standards worldwide that only a few dare ever reach for. South Carolina should be very proud of the musicians and music we have produced as a state, by proxy we are all a part of something magnificent...

EARTHA KITT

07/25/2020

​After months of research and studying Eartha Kitt's incredible life and career I have come away with the greatest of respect and admiration for her and I would have to say in my opinion she is the most accomplished talent this state has yet produced.

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A very special Thank you to Kitt Shapiro for giving me permission to create this page and also to Jonathan Thompson and the generous folks at Freedom Forum for allowing the use of their "Speaking Freely" episode with Eartha Kitt...