Chaka Khan

Tell Me Something Good
Rufus
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P23WCKgZGgo

Sweet Thing
Rufus
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NqzIArLPDDA

Do You Love What You Feel?
Rufus
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yg1OSK1nXDc

Hollywood
Rufus
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T2vrcrbPm7Q

Once You Get Started
Rufus
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ldRl9UqJEV8

Little Boy Blue
Rufus
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V4n8QLXOBUc

I'm Every Woman
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YnXRI1Ce19Q

Clouds
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2CTf8OAZqv8

What Cha' Gonna Do For Me
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ixLCJkmgOp4

Night In Tunisia
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=emR8gVhntEI

Ain't Nobody
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GeKFA-IWTp0

I Feel For You
no audio avail. on YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sgE4qOxW8kU

Through The Fire
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MNLQ_hvWQh4

I'll Be Good To You
w/Ray Charles
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-rDHFXdUPLQ

Love You All My Lifetime
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KdZR5Vw-okk&feature=related

It Ain't All Good
w/De La Soul
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYhFHn5wB3s

What's Going On
w/The Funk Brothers
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ZTRUpALajc

The National Anthem
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uSfff2H-jY8&feature=related

Walk With Me Lord
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EICxKhtC_TY

I'm Still Here
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ezsndnHTixM&feature=related

The End of a Love Affair
w/Herbie Hancock
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P9PSpZOnXTo&feature=related

Hey Big Spender
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YI3FWJCgWGk

Reading Rainbow theme song
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABOVPcTMrWQ



FYI

Chaka Khan (born March 23, 1953) is a multiple Grammy Award-winning American singer known for hit songs such as "I'm Every Woman", "I Feel For You" and "Through the Fire". She also sung the theme song for the hit children's TV show, Reading Rainbow.

She was first featured as a member of the funk band Rufus before beginning her solo career.

Though regarded as an R&B singer, she has performed numerous musical genres including funk, disco, jazz, ballads, hip hop, adult contemporary, pop and blues standards.
Her contributions to funk and soul music in her early career earned her the title of the "Queen of Funk Soul"

Kahn is known for her perfectly pitched contralto vocals.

Chaka Khan was born Yvette Marie Stevens. She adopted the African name "Chaka" while working as a volunteer on the Black Panthers' Free Breakfast for Children program in Chicago.

At the age of 11 she formed her first group, the Crystalettes.

Chaka's fortunes changed when she teamed with ex-American Breed member Kevin Murphy and Andre Fischer to form Rufus. In the meantime, she married bass guitarist Hassan Khan.

By decade's (70s) end, Rufus was among the most successful funk groups, rivaling the popularity of Earth Wind & Fire & The Commodores, among others.
With the help of Stevie Wonder, Rufus broke into both the pop music and R&B charts in 1974 with the gold-selling hit "Tell Me Something Good".

Rufus earned eight platinum albums and three gold singles before Khan went solo full time in 1980.

On December 3, 2004, Chaka Khan received an honorary doctorate degree from Berklee College of Music. She is also active in the autism community, as she has family members who have been diagnosed with this condition.

For more on Chaka Khan: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chaka_Khan

Al Green

Look What You Done For Me
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MTlOE1XX3Gc

I'm Still in Love With You
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9mJerMmmX8Y

Simply Beautiful
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vo1i69D7cRI

Tired of Being Alone
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vg4dnFx6JW0

Here I Am (Come & Take Me)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZahWZ8T0xsc

Love & Happiness
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hsU6_eSG4k4

For the Good Times
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TBmhokPDZik

For the Good Times (live)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ybh_qmve968

Livin' For You
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FKR7Rm9Wz6s

People Get Ready
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h8NWqO85P6Y

God Blessed Our Love
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qwT7rKTqQbk

Let's Stay Together
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WAOOFk549fw

Let's Stay Together (live)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Knw4wsp-NF8

How Do You Mend a Broken Heart
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uzitOsxKJNY

Put a Little Love in Your Heart
w/Annie Lennox
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sHuGyuwvPLg

Albert Greene (born April 13, 1946), better known as Al Green, is an American gospel and soul music singer who received great acclaim in the 1970s.

The LP, Al Green Gets Next to You (1970), was a massive success that included four gold singles as Green developed his vocal and songwriting talents. Let's Stay Together (1972) was an even bigger success, as was I'm Still In Love With You (1972). Call Me was a critical sensation and just as popular at the time; it is one of his most fondly remembered albums today. Al Green Explores Your Mind (1974) contained the song "Take Me to the River", later covered by the Talking Heads on their second album.

On October 18, 1974, Mary Woodson, a girlfriend of Green's, assaulted him before killing herself at his Memphis home. Although she was already married, Woodson reportedly became upset when Green refused to marry her. At some point during the evening, Woodson doused Green with a pan of boiling hot grits while he was showering causing third-degree burns on Green's back, stomach and arms. Woodson then shot herself with Green's gun.

Green cited the incident as a wake-up call to change his life. He became an ordained pastor of the Full Gospel Tabernacle in Memphis in 1976. Continuing to record R&B, Green saw his sales start to slip and drew mixed reviews from critics.

In 1979, Green was injured while performing, and interpreted this accident as a message from God. He then concentrated his energies towards pastoring his church and gospel singing.

His first gospel album was The Lord Will Make a Way. From 1981 to 1989 Green recorded a series of gospel recordings, garnering eight "soul gospel performance" Grammys in that period.

In 1984, director Robert Mugge released a documentary film, Gospel According to Al Green, including interviews about his life and footage from his church.

After spending several years exclusively performing gospel, Green began to return to R&B. He released a duet with Annie Lennox, "Put A Little Love In Your Heart" for Scrooged, a 1988 Bill Murray film.

His 1994 duet with country music singer Lyle Lovett blended country with R&B, garnering him his ninth Grammy, this time in a pop music category. Green's first secular album in some time was Your Heart's In Good Hands (1995), released to positive reviews but disappointing sales, the same year Green was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

In 2000, Green published Take Me to the River, a book discussing his career. Green received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2002.

In 2004, Green was inducted into the Gospel Music Association's Gospel Music Hall of Fame. Also in 2004, Rolling Stone magazine ranked him #65 on their list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time. He was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2008 BET Awards on June 24, 2008.

Green still continues to tour, and to preach at the Full Gospel Tabernacle in Memphis, Tennessee. In 2006, Green worked on his latest studio album for Blue Note Records with The Roots' Ahmir "?uestlove" Thompson. The album, Lay It Down, was released May 27, 2008 and includes tracks featuring John Legend, Corinne Bailey Rae and Anthony Hamilton.

(Wikipedia)

Aretha Franklin

See previous post: http://missdelite3.blogspot.com/2008/07/amazing-gracearetha-franklin.html

The Shoop Shoop Song
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dAueAEO8Abk

Night Life
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KTXpXO6jQHg

Chain of Fools
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kK-g4ye7nmI

Respect
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C6C83lwwxJ8

(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jbYOKKyz3Qg

I Never Loved A Man (The Way I Love You)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fDoO9s73jV0

I Say A Little Prayer
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=STKkWj2WpWM

Don't Play That Song For Me
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OAa8vwmeewU

Until You Come Back to Me
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VDtWm4rRaq8

Call Me
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KlPtCv66LVg&feature=related

I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)
w/George Michael
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AuU0cJ_iW8w

O Happy Day
w/Mavis Staples
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JvlEOldamEw

Precious Lord
(she's 14 yrs old)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fgTnA9FseWw&feature=related

Aretha Franklin is the second most honored female singer in Grammy history (after Alison Krauss). She has won twenty Grammy Awards, which includes the Living Legend Grammy and the Lifetime Achievement Grammy. Aretha won eight consecutive awards between 1968 and 1975,during which time the category of Best Female R&B Vocal Performance was nicknamed "The Aretha Award".

Franklin has had a total of twenty number-one singles on the Billboard R&B Singles Chart. Two of them became #1 hit songs on the Billboard Hot 100 as well, "Respect" in the 1960s and her 1980s duet with George Michael, "I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)".

(Wikipedia)

The Staple Singers

I'll Take You There
(live clip)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qKj72gJrROY

I'll Take You There
(recording)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zXvKRZRofDE

Respect Yourself
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OsW4vk9uP8o

Let's Do It Again
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yoz0foGQyBk

The Weight
(w/The Band)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYQWCB4rkDI

The Staple Singers were an American gospel, soul, and R&B singing group. Roebuck "Pops" Staples (1914-2000), the patriarch of the family, formed the group with his children Cleotha (born 1934), Pervis (b. 1935), Yvonne (b. 1936), and Mavis (b. 1939). They are best known for their 1970s hits "I'll Take You There", "Respect Yourself", and "Let's Do It Again".

In 2005, the group was awarded the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.

(Wikipedia)

Gospel

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gospel_music

Gospel music is music that is written to express either personal or a communal belief regarding Christian life, as well as (in terms of the varying music styles) to give a Christian alternative to mainstream secular music.

Like other forms of Christian music the creation, performance, significance, and even the definition of Gospel music varies according to culture and social context. Gospel music is composed and performed for many purposes, including aesthetic pleasure, religious or ceremonial purposes, and as an entertainment product for the marketplace. However, a common theme of most Gospel music is praise, worship or thanks to God, Christ, or the Holy Spirit.

(Wikipedia)

Ray Charles

Georgia on My Mind
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jnaUP2n9swk

Ring of Fire
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IhGZdSkX6IM

America The Beautiful
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zOHoN-8ibsY

Till There Was You
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n7FB7yKmW0Q

A Song For You
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mXGc0OoZEsM

Ray Charles Robinson (September 23, 1930 – June 10, 2004), known by his stage name Ray Charles, was an American pianist and singer who shaped the sound of rhythm and blues. He brought a soulful sound to country music, pop standards, and a rendition of "America the Beautiful" that Ed Bradley of 60 Minutes called the "definitive version of the song, an American anthem — a classic, just as the man who sung it."

Frank Sinatra called him "the only true genius in the business" and in 2004, Rolling Stone Magazine ranked Charles #10 on their list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.

(Wikipedia)

Amazing Grace::Aretha Franklin

youtube.com/watch?v=4jrgqjiQXNA&feature=PlayList&p=6B5DCCF5AAC7B75E&index=1

Aretha Louise Franklin (born March 25, 1942) is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. She is known to her fans as "The Queen of Soul"[citation needed] and is also affectionately called "Sister Ree". She is renowned for her soul recordings but is also adept at jazz, rock, blues, pop, gospel, and even opera.[1] She is widely acclaimed for her passionate, soulful vocal style, which is aided by a massive and powerful vocal range. (Wikipedia)

Amazing Grace is a 1972 album by R&B/gospel legend Aretha Franklin.
Rolling Stone reviewer Jon Landau wrote that the album was " a great Aretha Franklin album...She plays havoc with the traditional styles but she sings like never before on record. The liberation and abandon she has always implied in her greatest moments are now fully and consistently achieved." Landau went on to hail her rendition of "You'll Never Walk Alone" as "one of the best things she has ever recorded...Aretha's voice rings out like a clarion call to righteousness, as she hits miraculous note after miraculous note..." (Wikipedia)