On May 31, President Obama issued a proclamation declaring June 2016 as African American Music Appreciation Month. The designation has actually been around since 1979, when President Carter commemorated the cultural and financial contributions of music made by African Americans at a reception at the White House. Back then it was Black Music Month, an idea conceived by music industry executive and radio personality Dyana Williams and her husband, Kenny Gamble.
You may not know Gamble’s name, but you know his music. The co-founder of Philadelphia International Records with Leon Huff, Gamble and his music partner have written and produced hits for Diana Ross & the Supremes and the Temptations, Dusty Springfield, the Jacksons, the O’Jays, Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes, Jerry Butler, Archie Bell and the Drells, the Three Degrees, Joe Simon, MFSB, Billy Paul, the Soul Survivors, Teddy Pendergrass, the Intruders, Lou Rawls, People’s Choice and the Jones Girls.
Tunes du Jour’s weekly dance party celebrates African American Music Appreciation Month with twenty dance floor packers, kicking off with a few of Gamble and Huff’s gems.
Click here to like Tunes du Jour on Facebook!
Follow me on Twitter: @TunesDuJour
Follow me on Instagram: @GlennSchwartz
[…] by Black Music Month, LGBTQ Pride Month, the June 3 birthdays of Curtis Mayfield, Deniece Williams, Mott the […]
[…] by Black Music Month, LGBTQ Pride Month, and the June 7 birthdays of Prince, Tom Jones, Violent Femmes’ Gordon […]
[…] by Black Music Month, LGBTQ Pride Month, and the June 8 birthdays of Kanye West, Three Dog Night’s Chuck Negron, […]
[…] by Black Music Month, LGBTQ Pride Month, and the June 11 birthdays of Stereo MC’s’ Nic Hallam and Rob Birch, […]
[…] by Black Music Month, LGBTQ Pride Month, and the June 14 birthdays of Culture Club’s Boy George, the xx’s […]
[…] by Black Music Month, LGBTQ Pride Month, and the June 18 birthdays of Sir Paul McCartney, Alison Moyet, Tommy Hunt, The […]
[…] by Black Music Month, LGBTQ Pride Month, and the June 24 birthdays of Mick Fleetwood, Solange, Tears For Fears’ […]
[…] by Black Music Month, LGBTQ Pride Month, and the June 26 birthdays of The Clash/Big Audio Dynamite’s Mick Jones, […]
[…] by Black Music Month, LGBTQ Pride Month, and the June 28 birthdays of Mel Brooks, Gilda Radner and 2 Unlimited’s […]