AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Vicki Sue Robinson

Artist:Vicki Sue Robinson
Song:Turn The Beat Around
Album:Disco Nights Vol. 1; Divas of Dance





The 1976 single Turn The Beat Around was one of the biggest hits of the disco era. It was the only big hit for Vicki Sue Robinson. Some of her other songs charted so she is not technically a one hit wonder. But it's the only song you will care about. She was born May 31, 1954 in Harlem, NY. Her father Bill Robinson was a black Shakesperean actor. This is not Bill "Bojangles" Robinson. Her mother Jolly Robinson was a folk singer from Europe. She grew up in Philadelphia and then New York. Vickie Sue appeared with her mother at the Philadelphia Folk Festival when she was six years old. Vicki Sue was still in high school when she joined the Broadway cast of Hair. Then she moved to the cast of Soon which was not successful. She was also in the Broadway cast of Jesus Christ Superstar. Then she gets into studio work on Todd Rundgren's 1972 album Something/Anything. And she toured Japan with Itsuro Shimoda. So she's in a recording studio in 1975 and producer Warren Schatz really likes her voice. Fortunately for Vicki Sue, Schatz is the VP of A&R at RCA Records. Her first single is a cover of The Foundations' Baby Now That I've Found You. That led to the 1976 album Never Gonna Let You Go. Turn The Beat Around reached #10 on the Billboard Hot 100. And it topped the dance charts worldwide. The song was written by Gerald and Peter Jackson of the R&B group Touch of Class. Associated Studios recording engineer Al Garrison allowed them to cut a demo one Sunday afternoon as long as they were quick because his girlfriend was picking him up for dinner. The girlfriend was Vicki Sue Robinson. She wanted the song immediately but they planned to record it on their next album. But their label passed on it and they gave it to Vicki Sue. The rest is history. Never Gonna Let You Go is available on CD but it's expensive. You can get Turn The Beat Around on this various artists budget comp from Polygram's Rebound label. This is the full album version. A lot of CDs have the radio edit. Vicki Sue recorded three albums for RCA. But she was unable to repeat the success of Turn The Beat Around. When Schatz left RCA for Ariola, Vicki Sue went with him. After one single for Ariola and a few singles for small labels, Vicki Sue returned to session work. She became a jingle singer and she sang in the animated series Jem. After Gloria Estefan covered Turn The Beat Around in 1994, Vicki Sue returned to performing live and she toured with other disco artists. And she had a one woman show in 1999. Vicki Sue Robinson died of cancer on Apr. 27, 2000 at age 45. Here's Vicki Sue Robinson performing Turn The Beat Around on The Midnight Special. The girl playing bass is Wendy Simmons. She appeared on Vicki Sue's second album. It was her only recorded appearance.

Frank Pozen's Big Bad Podcast Feb. 28, 2020

UFC on ESPN+ 27 preview and new fight announcement.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Jordan Davis

Artist:Jordan Davis
Song:Singles You Up
Album:Home State





Singer songwriter Jordan Davis had success on the country charts with his 2018 album Home State and hits like Singles You Up. He should have a new album out shortly. He was born Mar. 30, 1988 in Shreveport, LA. His brother Jacob Davis is also a singer songwriter. His uncle Stan Davis played pedal steel guitar for Commando Cody and his Lost Planet Airmen in the 70s and he wrote a couple of hits for Tracy Lawrence in the 90s. After graduating from Louisiana State University with an Environmental Science degree, Jacob convinced him to move to Nashville and try to get into the music business. After securing a publishing deal in 2015, Davis signed with MCA Nashville in 2016. Singles You Up was released in 2017 and it reached #4 on the Country Singles chart. Davis wrote the song with Justin Ebach and Steven Dale Jones. Jones is a veteran songwriter whose biggest hit was the 2000 Diamond Rio #1 country hit One More Day. The album Home State was released in 2018 and the singles Take It From Me and Slow Dance in a Parking Lot charted. The album was certified Gold. The album was produced by Boys Like Girls lead guitarist Paul Di Giovanni. He's from Boston. While that band has been on hiatus, Di Giovanni has been working in Nashville. He gives the album that pop rock backbeat that country music purists hate but has been successful for singers like Sam Hunt. Davis co-wrote all the songs on the album. After touring, Davis recorded his second album which should be out soon as he is going on tour in March. Davis married in 2017 and they had a daughter in Nov. 2019. He told The Boot that those life changes will be represented in the new album. So after a successful debut album, we will soon see if Davis can repeat that success. Here's the video for Singles You Up by Jordan Davis. The girl is model Abbey George from Austin, TX. The video was shot in El Paso.

The Big Topic in WMMA episode two

Should open scoring be adopted in MMA?

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Pretty Ricky

Artist:Pretty Ricky
Song:Your Body
Album:Bluestars





The 2005 single Your Body was one of three top twenty hits for Pretty Ricky. They had most of their success on the R&B charts. The group name is a character in the sitcom Martin. They are a family group from Miami. Marcus "Pleasure P" Cooper was lead singer. The other three guys are rappers; Diamond "Baby Blue" Smith, Spectacular Smith and Corey "Slick 'Em" Mathis. They were managed by their father Joseph Smith Sr. At first they were called Pretty Rickie and the Mavericks. When they started having success locally, producer Jim Jonsin came in to help them get a record deal. Jonsin was just starting his career but he's best known for his work with Lil Wayne. They released an album independently and the single Flossin' was a hit on Miami radio station Power 96. That got Pretty Ricky a deal with Atlantic Records. The 2005 album Bluestars was produced by Jonsin and Derrick "Big D" Baker. The first single Grind Me reached #7 on the Billboard Hot 100 and the second single Your Body reached #12. The album was certified Gold. The 2006 single On The Hotline also reached #12 and the 2007 album Late Night Special was certified Gold. It looks like that album was produced by Diamond Smith. Then Cooper was fired after accusations of child molestation surfaced. He recorded a solo album for Atlantic in 2009. He was replaced by Christopher "4Play" Myers. Pretty Ricky recorded a third album but Atlantic shelved it and they left and released a 2009 album on the small Big Cat label. They have released a few singles but that's their latest album. Cooper returned to Pretty Ricky in 2015 and they still tour. Spectacular Smith created Grumpy Cat and that made him a millionaire. I'm not kidding. He's worth $100M. He has appeared on the reality series Love & Hip Hop. Here's the video for Your Body by Pretty Ricky.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Beyond The Wizards Sleeve

Artist:Beyond The Wizards Sleeve f/Euros Childs
Song:Door To Tomorrow
Album:The Soft Bounce





Beyond The Wizards Sleeve (BTWS) is a union of two British DJs known mainly for remixes. BTWS was formed because both guys were fans of psychedelic music. Erol Alkan and Richard Norris knew each other from the London club scene. One day they were guests on the same radio show and they decided to work together as Beyond The Wizards Sleeve. They record for Alkan's Phantasy label. At first they released several remix EPs. But in 2012 they decided to record an original single Black Noise/Door To Tomorrow on vinyl only. When it was well received and the single sold out, they decided to record a full album as BTWS. But first they remixed Temples 2014 album Sun Structures. The album The Soft Bounce was released in 2016. The album was well received. The guest singer on Door To Tomorrow is former Gorky's Zygotic Mynci lead singer Euros Childs. He is currently a member of Teenage Fanclub. Other guest singers include Hannah Peel of The Magnetic North, Blaine Harrison of Mystery Jets, Jane Weaver, Holly Miranda and Jon Savage. Norris and Alkan play all the instruments except for jazz musician Leo Taylor of The Invisibles on drums. Fans of neo psychedelia should check it out. Alkan and Norris continue to work on remixes together and individually. It remains to be seen if Beyond The Wizards Sleeve will record more original music. Here's the video of Door To Tomorrow by Beyond The Wizards Sleeve featuring Euros Childs.

Valentina Shevchenko vs Joanne Calderwood added to June 6 UFC show

🇦🇺 WE’RE HEADED BACK TO PERTH! @BulletValentina and @DRkneevil journey to Australia for #UFC251! https://t.co/UocfFo1z8h pic.twitter.com/HGWRUD4Y9Y

— UFC (@ufc) February 25, 2020

Last week Brett Okamoto of ESPN reported that Valentina Shevchenko will defend her UFC Flyweight Championship against Joanne Calderwood on UFC 251. Yesterday the UFC announced that this show will be June 6 at the RAC Arena in Perth, Australia. Though it might seem that Valentina might be unbeatable right now, I think it has more to do with the weak quality of the current crop of contenders. Joanne is a decent fighter. But I don't think she is any better than those who have already fought Valentina. Joanne's big problem is consistency. She is 34 years old from Scotland but she now trains at Syndicate MMA in Las Vegas with John Wood. Her record is 14-4. Like Valentina, Joanne is a kickboxer but she's not as good as Valentina. Last year she looked good winning over the highly touted Ariane Lipsky. If she had beaten Katlyn Chookagian in her next fight, she would have gotten a title shot. But she lost and that title shot went to Liz Carmouche. Joanne beat Andrea Lee by split decision in her last fight. Normally that wouldn't get her a title shot. But she's getting it by default because the other ranked fighters have either gotten a title shot and failed or they aren't as good as Joanne. So we're in a holding pattern. While we are waiting for someone to be a credible challenger, Valentina is constantly asked about fighting outside her weight class.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Charlotte Church

Artist:Charlotte Church
Song:Tonight
Album:Enchantment





Charlotte Church was 11 years old when she first performed on TV. Her initial success was as a classical soprano and then she tried to cross over to pop with the 2001 album Enchantment. Most of her success has been in England. She was born Feb. 21, 1986 in Llandaff, Cardif, Wales. Her big break came when she sang on the British TV show This Morning followed by ITV's Big, Big Talent Show in 1997. She continued to attend school. But she left at age 16 after signing with Sony. Charlotte's first two albums were strictly classical produced by Sony Classical producer Grace Row. Her third album was a Christmas album. All three albums were very successful. In the US she appeared on several PBS specials. For the 2001 album Enchantment, Charlotte tried to cross over to pop. Most of the songs were from Broadway shows like Tonight from West Side Story. The album was produced mostly by Keith Thomas who produced CCM acts like Amy Grant and Bebe & Cece. The album didn't do as well as the classical albums. It's available as a budget CD. She also performed the song All Love Can Be in the 2001 film A Beautiful Mind. It was around this time when she started getting harassed by the British tabloids. After the 2003 single The Opera Song with producer Jurgen Vries was a top five hit in England, Charlotte released her first full blown pop album Tissues and Issues. Charlotte wrote a lot of the songs with pop producers like Guy Chambers. Though Crazy Chick was a top five hit in England, the album wasn't as successful as her classical albums. It was her final album for Sony. She hosted The Charlotte Church Show on Channel 4 from 2006-08. She had two kids with rugby player Gavin Henson. Charlotte told the media in 2008 that she was considering returning to classical music. Instead she released another pop album on her own label in 2010. She continues to record occasionally. But I think it's fair to say Charlotte's career has stalled. After splitting with Henson in 2010, she eventually married musician Johnny Powell in 2017. Here's Charlotte Church performing Tonight in Cardiff, Wales 2001.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Travis Scott

Artist:Travis Scott
Song:Highest in the Room
Album:Now That's What I Call Music! 73





Highest in the Room is one of two number one hits for rapper Travis Scott. The thing that's odd about this song is it looks like it was released by accident. So it can be tricky to find om an album. He was born Jacques Webster II Apr. 30, 1992 in Houston. His father played the drums and apparently his grandfather was a jazz musician though he is never identified. I don't think it's Ben Webster. So his father was especially opposed to Scott becoming a musician. So when he dropped out of University of Texas San Antonio to move to New York, he was cut off financially. He formed The Graduates with Chris Holloway and they released a 2008 EP on MySpace. Then he formed The Classmates with OG Chess and released a couple of EPs. Things weren't going well and eventually he moved to Los Angeles where rapper T.I. discovered him and signed him to his Grand Hustle label. He released his debut album Rodeo in 2015. The single Antidote was a top 20 hit. He released an album in 2016 and then the album Astroworld in 2018. Sicko Mode was Scott's first #1 hit. Meanwhile he started dating Kylie Jenner and she had a daughter with him in Feb. 2018. Then they split up Sept. 2019. And Highest in the Room was about their breakup. The song leaked out but Scott pulled it back. He wasn't going to release it. But the demand was so great that Scott had no choice. And then it topped the charts. It's his biggest hit to date. He released a remix on an EP by the collective JackBoys. But the original version is only available as a single. You can get it on the latest edition of the Now series. And it looks like Scott and Kylie have reconciled per People and TMZ. Scott will begin a tour next month and maybe he will record after that. Here's the video for Highest in the Room by Travis Scott.

Frank Pozen's Big Bad Podcast Feb. 23, 2020

UFC on ESPN+ 26 review.

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Priscila Cachoeira vs Shana Dobson

Here's the match video of Priscila Cachoeira vs Shana Dobson from last night's UFC show in New Zealand. Neither fighter should be in the UFC. Priscila is a teammate of Jessica Andrade at PRVT in Brazil. She's 0-3 in the UFC and she has looked awful. Shana was in TUF 26. She's 1-2 in the UFC. She has recently moved to 303 Training Center in Denver with coach Trevor Wittman and Rose Namajunas. I wasn't looking forward to three rounds with these two. Thankfully it's over in forty seconds as Priscila KOs Shana with an uppercut. If you watch the replay, Shana walks right into it. The good news is that Priscila got a $50,000 bonus. I don't know if she can do that against anyone else. Enjoy the video!

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Angela Hill vs Loma Lookboonmee

Here's the match video of Angela Hill vs Loma Lookboonmee from last night's UFC show in New Zealand. Again Angela comes in as a short notice replacement. That gives her value because the UFC feels she is dependable. Of course it also puts her against opponents that she can beat. Loma is a Thai kickboxer who is still learning MMA. I'm not sure she should be in the UFC. But she did win her UFC debut. Loma's problem in this fight is she needs to be more aggressive. Kickboxers tend to be counterpunchers but she loses the fight in round one. Angela is not that aggressive either. But she gets away with that in this fight because of Loma's passiveness. Loma overcoming her natural tendencies is a big hill to climb. That's why I doubt she should be in the UFC. She should learn that somewhere else. And she may never learn that. I guess Angela is happy to win fights. But is she satisfied with being a fill in? Most fighters would want to move up the ladder. Of course it's possible she knows her limitations. Enjoy the video!

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Yan Xiaonan vs Karolina Kowalkiewicz

Here's the match video of Yan Xiaonan vs Karolina Kowalkiewicz from last night's UFC show in New Zealand. Yan is an up and coming fighter from China. She is mainly a striker. She's 4-0 in the UFC. Karolina is a former Strawweight title contender who is on the downside of her career. She's on a three fight losing streak but she's still ranked. So I guess she's now a gatekeeper. The fight went as I expected. Yan is more aggressive than most Strawweights. She nails Karolina in her right eye and she's seeing double for the rest of the fight. It's a dominant performance for Yan. Round two is probably 10-8 and the other two rounds are 10-9. Yan wins by unanimous decision. That should get her in the rankings and I want to see her face somebody better. Most ranked Strawweights are booked right now. So we'll see what happens in upcoming fights. It may be time for Karolina to consider retirement. I don't know what happened to her eye. It could be a detached retina. That will require surgery. Her days as a competitive fighter are probably over. Enjoy the video!

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-The Magnificents

Artist:The Magnificents
Song:Up On The Mountain
Album:Rock 'N Roll Relix: 1965-1959




Up On The Mountain was a top ten R&B hit in 1956. It was the only big hit for the doo wop group The Magnificents. They were called The Tams when they were formed at Hyde Park High School in Chicago in 1953. The lead singer was Johnny Keyes and the other members were Thurman "Ray" Ramsey, Fred Rakestraw and bass Willie Myles. The name was because they wore Tam-O-Shanters on stage. They performed at school shows. One day they were spotted by WAAF DJ Nathaniel Montague who called himself The Magnificent Montague. He decided to manage them and change their name to The Magnificents. He took them to Vee-Jay Records. Montague wrote Up On The Mountain with Vee-Jay staff songwriter Ewart Abner. The record was produced by Calvin Carter, brother of Vee-Jay co-owner Vivian Carter. Up On The Mountain reached #9 on the R&B Singles chart. Vee-Jay also used The Magnificents to back up other artists. Subsequent singles did not do well. You can get Up On The Mountain on this various artists budget box set. No doubt influenced by The Platters, Montague brought in Barbara Arrington. Ramsey left and was replaced by Sam Cooke's brother L.C. Cooke. Eventually only Keyes and Rakestraw were left. They left Vee-Jay and Montague and moved to Philadelphia. They continued to perform and record occasionally until Keyes became Isaac Hayes' road manager. Ramsey formed a new version of The Magnificents in 1965. Keyes revived the group in the 90s to work the oldies circuit. They also toured with Harvey Fuqua as The Moonglows. It's not clear if they are still around. Here's a video for Up On The Mountain by The Magnificents.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Amick Byram

Artist:Amick Byram w/Linda Dee Shayne
Song: All I Ever Wanted (With Queen's Reprise)
Album:The Prince of Egypt Soundtrack





Amick Byram is an actor and singer mainly known for singing in animated films. Probably his best known role is as the singing voice of Moses in the 1998 film The Prince of Egypt. Val Kilmer was the speaking voice. He was born Jan. 24, 1955 in McLennan County, TX. His brother Danny Byram is a Contemporary Christian singer. Byram started out in the early 80s with jazz pianist Clare Fischer. He was also a member of the Christian groups The Maranatha! Singers and The Continental Singers. He got into studio work in the 90s. And that's how he got into singing in animated films. His first film was the 1994 film The Swan Princess. And he did a couple of others before he appeared as Moses in The Prince of Egypt. I noticed that some think that is a Disney film. But no, it was produced by Jeffrey Katzenberg at DreamWorks. Hans Zimmer composed the score. And he wrote most of the songs with Stephen Schwartz. He wrote All I Ever Wanted with film composer Harry Gregson-Williams. The album is available on CD. Since then Byram has sung on plenty of animated films mostly made for video. Though he has only appeared in one Broadway show, Byram appears in stage musicals in Los Angeles all the time. He owns the American Coast Theater Company. He also released an album in 2005. His voice was in The Matrix and The Simpsons and he still does a lot of that kind of work. Here's Amick Byram performing All I Ever Wanted 2008.

Frank Pozen's Big Bad Podcast Feb. 21, 2019

Kairi Sane and UFC on ESPN+ 26 preview.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Guitar Slim

Artist:Guitar Slim
Song:The Things That I Used To Do
Album:You're Gonna Miss Me: The Complete Singles Collection




The Things That I Used To Do topped the R&B charts in 1953. It was the only chart single for Eddie "Guitar Slim" Jones. And though Jones died prematurely, his use of distortion has influenced many guitarists. He was born Dec. 10, 1926 in Greenwood, MS. His mother died when he was five and he was raised by his grandmother. As a teen he worked in the cotton fields and spent his free time singing and dancing in juke joints. He was a good enough dancer that he was nicknamed "Limber Leg". After WWII military service, Jones played New Orleans clubs. Willie D. Warren taught him to play guitar and Jones was influenced by T-Bone Walker and Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown. In 1950 he started calling himself Guitar Slim. He was known for his wild stage act. Jones wore brightly colored suits and he dyed his hair to match it. And he had an assistant follow him through the audience with a 350 foot amp cord. Sometimes he would go into the street and stop traffic. Jones played guitar with a lot of distortion and that was a big influence on many guitarists. That's a common technique now. He signed with Specialty Records and The Things That I Used To Do topped the R&B charts in 1953 for 14 weeks. Jones wrote the song and it was arranged and produced by Ray Charles. Today the song is a blues standard. James Brown charted with his cover in 1964. Jones moved to Atco in 1956 but he never seemed to click there despite working with Jerry Wexler among others. This Jasmine comp has all of his Specialty and Atco singles. His Atco recordings are considered to be much tamer than his Specialty recordings. When his career faded, Jones became an alcoholic and he died of pneumonia on Feb. 7, 1959 at age 32. Buddy Guy, Albert Collins and Frank Zappa all acknowledged Jones as an influence and Jimi Hendrix and Stevie Ray Vaughan recorded covers of The Things That I Used To Do. Jones' son Rodney Armstrong toured with Stevie Ray Vaughan and today he performs in New Orleans clubs as Guitar Slim Jr. Here's a video for The Things That I Used To Do by Guitar Slim.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-AFI

Artist:AFI
Song:Love Like Winter
Album:Decemberunderground





AFI started out in the 90s as a hardcore punk band. By the time they had major label success in 2006, they were more of an emo band. So they have had longevity because they have changed as musical tastes change. AFI are from Ukiah, CA. Lead singer Davey Havok (real name-David Marchand) wanted to start a band with his high school pals Mark Stopholese (guitar) and Vic Chalker (bass). AFI currently means A Fire Inside. They didn't know how to play the instruments so Stopholese suggested his friend drummer Adam Carson join the band. Chalker was replaced by Geoff Kresge and they released a 1993 EP. They were all planning to go to college and split the band up. But a 1993 reunion show went so well they decided to reform and they released an album in 1995. They signed with Nitro Records owned by Dexter Holland of Offspring. Stopholese and Kresge left in 1998 and were replaced by Jade Puget and Hunter Burgan. AFI recorded four albums for Nitro. They signed with DreamWorks for the 2003 album Sing The Sorrow. The album was certified Platinum so it did well. The album was produced by blink-182 producer Jerry Finn. They were nominated for an MTV Music Video award. After DreamWorks was sold to Universal, AFI was moved to Interscope for the 2006 album Decemberunderground. It was also certified Platimum. The singles Miss Murder and Love Like Winter charted and the video for Love Like Winter was very popular on MTV's Total Request Live. Decemberunderground was released in England with two bonus tracks and it is available as a budget CD. AFI hasn't been as successful since then. They still record for Universal. Their 2017 album AFI was on Concord. They are probably due for a new album. Here's the video for Love Like Winter by AFI.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Paris Angels

Artist:Paris Angels
Song:Perfume
Album:Manchester North of England






Paris Angels would have been successful if they had been around longer because they mixed the Madchester sound of the 80s with electronic dance beats. But they only released one album and Perfume was their big hit in England. The band members hung around Manchester clubs and decided to start a band influenced by Echo & The Bunnymen. It started with lead singer Rikki Turner, guitarist Paul Wagstaff and bassist Scott Carey. Singer Jayne Gill and keyboard player Steven Tatji were added. And I guess Tatji was a key because he was into synthesizers and dance music. So Paris Angels started out copying other Manchester bands and added their own spin with the dance beats. They signed with the small label Sheer Joy and New Order's recording engineer Michael Johnson. The single Perfume reached #55 on the British Singles chart. That was good enough to get them a deal with Virgin Records. The 1991 album Sundew did well and Paris Angels recorded a second album. But when Virgin was sold to EMI, Paris Angels fell through the cracks. The album was never released and their contract was cancelled. They called it quits. The only place you can get Perfume is on this 10CD box set from Cherry Red. It looks like most of Paris Angels left the music business. Wagstaff was a member of Black Grape led by Shaun Ryder of Happy Mondays. The second album was eventually released and Paris Angels reformed and released a 2015 album on Bandcamp. Here's the video for Perfume by Paris Angels.

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Kairi Sane vs Natalya

Here's the match video of Kairi Sane vs Natalya from last night's episode of RAW. The WWE plays this off the match two weeks ago when Asuka gave Nattie a black eye. After The Kabuki Warriors mock Nattie, we get this match which is OK but nothing special. Kairi did hit a back fist that looked really stiff. The end comes when Asuka distracts Nattie and Kairi kicks her to the floor. Asuka kicks Nattie in the head while the ref's back is turned. Kairi wins by countout. I guess a win is a win. Yesterday the WWE announced that Shayna Baszler, Natalya, Asuka, Ruby Riott, Liv Morgan and Sarah Logan will be in the Elimination Chamber match. The winner will challenge Becky Lynch for the RAW Women's Championship at Wrestlemania. It's a timewaster because we've known for a while that Shayna will get that match. And though I know they want to make a big deal out of Ruby's attack of Liv on last week's RAW, Sarah wasn't involved. So I would prefer Kairi was in this match instead of Nattie or Sarah. Many fans asked "Where's Kairi?" the moment that match was announced. It wouldn't surprise me if the WWE made a change. Enjoy the video!

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Laura Lee

Artist:Laura Lee
Song:Dirty Man
Album:Love More Than Pride




Laura Lee is best known for the 1971 hit Women's Love Rights and her other recordings for Holland-Dozier-Holland's Hot Wax label. But before that Laura recorded for Chess. And though those recordings aren't as well known, songs like Dirty Man are soul classics. She was born Laura Lee Newton Mar. 9, 1945 in Chicago but she grew up in Detroit. Her mother Ernestine Rundless was a member of the gospel group The Meditation Singers led by Della Reese. Laura replaced Della in 1956. She started performing secular music in local clubs while still touring with The Meditation Singers. After a 1965 single for Ed Wingate's Ric-Tic label, Laura signed with Chess. They decided to send her to Muscle Shoals to record at FAME Studios with producer Rick Hall. Dirty Man was the first single and it reached #13 on the R&B Singles chart. The song was written by Chess staff songwriter Bobby Miller. Though some of her other singles charted, Laura left Chess in 1969. And after a couple of singles on Atlantic's Cotillion label, she had her greatest success on Hot Wax in the early 70s. That success led to Chess releasing an album of Laura's singles in 1972 called More Love Than Pride. This album is available on CD as a Japanese import. Dirty Man is incorrectly listed as Dirty Old Man. Laura left Hot Wax for Ariola in 1975. After several years of illness, Laura became an ordained minister. She occasionally records gospel but she mostly runs her church. Her Chess recordings are worth a listen. Here's a video of Dirty Man by Laura Lee.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Bill Cox

Artist:Bill Cox
Song:I Got Those Drunken Blues
Album:Rough and Rowdy Hillbilly of the 1930's Vol. 2





Bill Cox was a country music pioneer known as The Dixie Songbird. Back then he would have been called a hillbilly singer. He performed on the radio and recorded in the 30s. He was born Aug. 4, 1897 in Eagle, WV. He learned to play the harmonica and guitar as a child. He started performing on radio station WOBU in 1927. His show was daily but Cox had a drinking problem and sometimes he didn't show up. The station owner Walter Fredericks suggested that Cox record so that he would have music to play when Cox didn't show up. Most of Cox's recordings were for Champion Records in Richmond, IN. They were owned by The Starr Piano Co. Cox recorded for a couple of other labels after Champion closed in 1936. He started out covering Jimmy Rodgers songs. But then he started writing his own songs some of which were political in nature. Among his better known songs are Sparkling Brown Eyes and Filipino Baby. I Got Those Drunken Blues was recorded in 1931. You can get that and most of Cox's recordings on this comp from the Dutch label Collector Records. And that includes duets Cox recorded with Cliff Hobbs. After Champion closed, Cox recorded briefly for Decca. Apparently his drinking got worse and Cox slipped into poverty until he was found living in a shack in Charleston in 1965. He got to perform and record until he died on Dec. 10, 1968 at age 71. Here's a video of I Got Those Drunken Blues by Bill Cox.

Frabk Pozen's Big Bad Podcast Feb. 16, 2020

UFC on ESPN+ 25 review.

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Macy Chiasson vs Shanna Young

Here's the match video of Macy Chiasson vs Shanna Young from last night's UFC show in New Mexico. This fight is at Bantamweight. Macy won TUF 28 and looked really good until she was upset by Lina Lansberg in her last fight. She admitted this week that she didn't show up for that fight. I'm sure her coach Sayif Saud of Fortis MMA will make sure that will never happen again. New Mexico native Nicco Montano was supposed to be her opponent. But she was forced to pull out due to a knee injury that I understand isn't that serious. She should recover in a couple of months. Shanna Young is from Knoxville. She lost in Dana White's Tuesday Night Contender Series. She was supposed to fight on last week's Invicta show but got sick just before weigh ins. Not only is she coming in on short notice but most fighters have to prepare for the New Mexico altitude and she couldn't do that. Shanna started out OK at a distance. But Macy got her in a clinch and took a lot out of her with knees. Not surprisingly, Macy dominated and I scored it 30-27 for Macy. The judges scored it 30-26. It's about what I expected because Shanna was a short notice replacement. Enjoy the video!

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Montana De La Rosa vs Mara Romero Borella

Here's the match video of Montana De La Rosa vs Mara Romero Borella from last night's UFC show in New Mexico. This fight is at Flyweight. I guess the big deal here is that Montana and her husband Mark are the first married couple to appear on a UFC show. Both fighters have had mixed results on the lower mid card. Montana is mainly a wrestler. And when Mara's striking gives her trouble early in round one, Montana takes her down and much of the first two rounds sees her in top position. Mara defends well so Montana is unable to advance her position. But the judges don't give points for defense. So that's how Montana won the first two rounds. So Mara needs a finish and one would think she would show some urgency. But she doesn't and Montana even drops her with a punch and then rides her for the rest of round three. I scored the fight 30-27 for Montana and so did the judges. Obviously I would like to see Montana face someone better to see if she is really any good. Mara is now 2-3 in the UFC and she showed nothing in this fight. Maybe it's time for her to go. Enjoy the video!

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Okkervil River

Artist: Okkervil River
Song:Red
Album:Don't Fall in Love With Everyone You See





Okkervil River is an indie band led by singer songwriter Will Sheff. These days it seems more like a solo act and he brings in musicians to record and tour. He was born July 7, 1976 in New Hampshire. He formed Okkervil River while attending Kimball Union Academy and then moved to Austin, TX. Okkervil River is a short story by Russian author Tatanya Tolstoya. At the same time Sheff formed Shearwater with Jonathan Meiburg. Sheff juggled his activities with both bands until he left Shearwater in 2009. After releasing a 1989 EP, Okkervil River signed with Jagjaguwar for the 2002 CD Don't Fall In Love with Everyone You See. Red is from that album. At the time the band was Meiburg on bass, Zachary Thomas on mandolin and Seth Warren on drums. They added steel guitarist Howard Draper in 2003. There were others added but this was the band until Meiburg left to concentrate on Shearwater in 2008. And then Sheff decided to concentrate on Okkervil River. The band is currently signed to Dave Matthews' ATO label. Their latest album In the Rainbow Rain was released in 2018. He seems to bring in a lot of musicians to record. And then when they tour, some of them are the touring band. Currently the band is Will Graefe on guitar, Sarah K. Pedinotti on keyboards, Benjamin Lazar Davis on bass and Cully Symington on drums. They aren't on tour right now. Sheff seems to be working on releasing a series of live albums over the band's history. Here's Will Sheff performing Red at the Brooklyn Parlor in Tokyo Dec. 2, 2013.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Eddie Vedder

Artist:Eddie Vedder
Song:Sleeping By Myself
Album:Ukulele Songs




Of course Eddie Vedder is best known as the lead singer of Pearl Jam. His occasional solo recordings have been more folk than rock. The 2011 album Ukulele Songs may seem like an inside joke. But it's actually pretty good and it sold well. He was born Edward Louis Severson III Dec. 23, 1964. After his parents divorced, he thought his stepfather was his father. And he didn't know the truth until he was a teen living with his family in San Diego. His father had died by that time. He moved back to Chicago with his mom and changed his name to her maiden name Vedder. He moved back to San Diego in 1984 looking to break into the music business. He joined the group that became known as Pearl Jam in 1990 and he is still their lead singer. Occasionally Vedder has contributed solo material to films like Dead Man Walking (1995), I Am Sam (2001), A Brokedown Melody (2004), Body of War (2007) and Reign Over Me (2007). His first solo album was the soundtrack for the 2007 film Into the Wild. He toured to support it and he won a Golden Globe for the song Guaranteed. And he was nominated for a couple of Grammys. He followed this with Ukulele Songs in 2011. Vedder's interest in the ukulele comes from him being an avid surfer and friends with other surfing musicians like Jack Johnson. Johnson directed the surfing documentary A Brokedown Melody and Vedder contributed a song to the soundtrack. Vedder wrote most of Ukulele Songs including Sleeping By Myself. Other than guest appearances by Glen Hansard and Cat Power, there is no band. It's just Vedder and his ukulele. He toured to support it and the album sold well considering it is not commercial music. He also released a live DVD. It remains to be seen if Vedder will record another solo album. Maybe when Pearl Jam goes on hiatus. Here's the video for Sleeping By Myself by Eddie Vedder.

Frank Pozen's Big Bad Podcast Feb. 14, 2020

Asuka, UFC on ESPN+ 25 preview and new fight announcements.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Kelly Hogan & the Pine Valley Cosmonauts

Artist: Kelly Hogan & the Pine Valley Cosmonauts
Song:Papa Was a Rodeo
Album:Beneath the Country Underdog





Kelly Hogan has been a fixture on the Chicago Alt Country scene since the 90s. She has toured with Neko Case for years. That's where I saw her. Occasionally she records as a leader including this 2000 album on Bloodshot Records. She was born Jan. 11, 1965 in Atlanta. She listened to country music on the radio growing up. She sang in local clubs as a teen. Kelly was a member of the early 90s band The Jody Grind. After recording two albums, two members were killed in a car crash and they split up. Kelly was also a member of Rock*A*Teens from 1994 to 1997. Then she moved to Chicago. Kelly released her solo debut album in 1996. After moving to Chicago, she joined Neko Case's band and they have toured together ever since. This cover of the Stephin Merritt & the Magnetic Fields song Papa Was a Rodeo is from her 2000 album Beneath the Country Underdog. She is backed up by the Bloodshot Records house band The Pine Valley Cosmonauts and produced by Jon Langford. The male singer is Mike Geier aka Puddles the Clown. Kelly's latest CD was released by Anti Records in 2012. Kelly still tours with Neko Case. She also toured with The Decemberists. She appears with several bands in the Chicago area. And she has appeared on albums by Mavis Staples, The Mekons, Jakob Dylan, Alejandro Escovedo and Drive By Truckers. Here's Kelly Hogan performing Papa Was a Rodeo at Stage on Sixth in Austin, TX Mar. 16, 2013.

The Big Topic episode one

Presenting my new podcast The Big Topic with my co-host Schwan Humes. The first topic is Should the UFC gave started a Women's Featherweight division.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Black Oak Arkansas

Artist:Black Oak Arkansas
Song:Jim Dandy
Album:The Seventies: Heavy Guitar Boogie





This cover of the LaVern Baker classic Jim Dandy was the biggest hit for the Southern Rock group Black Oak Arkansas. The band was named after their home town. When they first formed in 1963, they were called The Knowbody Else. They were going nowhere until Jim "Jim Dandy" Mangrum was made lead singer in 1968. They moved to Memphis and released a 1969 album on Stax's Hip label that went nowhere. Then they moved to Los Angeles, changed their name to Black Oak Arkansas and signed with Atco Records. Along with Mangrum, they had three guitarists in the band; Rickey Lee Reynolds, Harvey Jett and Stanley Knight. Pat Daugherty was on bass and Tommy Aldridge on drums. The success of Black Oak Arkansas was mostly because of Mangrum's on stage antics. They didn't really have hit singles but their albums sold well enough for Atco to keep them around. Jim Dandy is from the 1973 album High on the Hog. By this time the band added singer Ruby Starr who is featured on Jim Dandy. Mangrum saw her performing in Evansville, IN and he invited her to join the band. After Jim Dandy was a top 30 hit, she went solo with Capitol Records. Black Oak Arkansas left Atco for MCA in 1975. In 1977, they shortened their name to Black Oak and signed with Capricorn. Unfortunately there aren't any Black Oak Arkansas comps in print. But you can get Jim Dandy on the various artists budget comp from the reissue label American Beat. Beware of off label comps with rerecordings. Manngrum and Reynolds still lead a version of Black Oak Arkansas on the nostalgia circuit. They released a new album in 2019 on Cleopatra Records. Here's Black Oak Arkansas performing Jim Dandy on Don Kirshner's Rock Concert 1973.

Claudia Gadelha vs Marina Rodriguez added to May 2 UFC show

🚨Duelo brasileiro confirmado no #UFCOKC 🚨@ClaudiaGadelha_ enfrenta @WMMarz em 2 de maio.

— UFC Brasil (@UFCBrasil) February 12, 2020

The UFC announced today that Claudia Gadelha vs Marina Rodriguez has been added to UFC on ESPN+ 32 May 2 at the Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City. Claudia is 31 years old from Brazil. She now trains with Mark Henry in New Jersey. She's supposed to be a BJJ whiz. But in her last fight she used Henry's keep away strategy to beat Randa Markos. Then she had knee surgery. she was supposed to fight Alexa Grasso last month. But Alexa missed weight so badly that the Nevada AC cancelled the fight. Marina is 32 years old from Brazil. Her record is 12-0-2 and 2-0-2 in the UFC. She was in the Brazilian Contender Series. Marina is a striker but terrible on the ground. So I would think Claudia would want to take her down. But if Marina could keep it standing, she could pull an upset because Claudia's endurance is not good. And we don't know how injuries have affected her.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-D'Angelo and the Vanguard

Artist:D'Angelo and the Vanguard
Song:Really Love
Album:Black Messiah





Though the 2000 single Untitled was a big hit, Michael "D'Angelo" Archer was concerned that the music video would stereotype him as "that naked dude" and no one cared about his music. This turned into a 14 year hiatus that finally ended with the 2014 album Black Messiah. You wouldn't think that a guy that talented would be that fragile but there you go. Archer went into hiding at his home in Richmond, VA. When a planned 2004 album was scrapped, Virgin Records sold his contract to J Records. Though Archer appeared on albums by J Dilla and Snoop Dogg, his own album was not going well. He became addicted to drugs and alcohol. He was arrested for drug possession in 2005. When Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson leaked an unfinished recording of Really Love in 2007, Archer was upset with him. He finally returned to recording the album in 2011 and he toured Europe in 2012. Black Messiah was released in Dec. 2014 and Really Love was the first single. Though it did not recreate the sales of Archer's previous albums, it was received positively. It was just great to see him return after such a long break. Archer wrote and produced all the songs. He wrote Really Love with backup singers Kendra Foster and Gina Figueroa. Thompson played drums and helped with the production. Musicians include Jesse Johnson on guitar, Pino Palladino on bass and James Gadson on drums. And now it looks like Archer is finishing a new album. The 2018 single Unshaken was on the soundtrack of the video game Red Dead Redemption 2. And the single Behoove was released last month. A new album looks to be on the way. Here's D'Angelo and the Vanguard performing Really Love on Saturday Night Live Jan. 31, 2015.

Sarah Alpar vs Duda Santana added to May 2 UFC show

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OKC ARE YOU READY!!!??? #TooSweet #UFC #Debut #OKC #hometurf #represent #AmericanElite #kamebodywork #nourishedbyrachel #supportlocal #WMMA #Repost @tkocombatsports • • • • • • Another HUGE announcement for #TeamTKO!!! @toosweetalpar returns to the cage in her official @ufc debut on May 2 in Oklahoma City on her home turf vs Duda Santana!!! 💪🏼😳👊 #UFC #MMA #WMMA

A post shared by Sarah Alpar (@toosweetalpar) on Feb 8, 2020 at 6:29pm PST

Mike Heck of BJPenn.com has reported that Sarah Alpar vs Duda Santana has been added to UFC on ESPN+ 32 May 2 at the Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City. Sarah confirmed this on Instagram. This fight will be at Bantamweight. Sarah is 28 years old from Amarillo, TX but she trains at American Elite in Edmond, OK. Her record is 9-4. she won a UFC contract last summer on Dana White Tuesday Night Contender Series. This is her UFC debut. Duda is 24 years old from Brazil. She trains at Tata Fight Team with Polyana Viana. Her record is 3-1. She was supposed to be on the Brazilian Contender Series but she couldn't get a visa. She looked pretty good in round one of her UFC debut against Bea Malecki. She attempted a takedown in round two and lost by submission after she wound up on the bottom. She was unlucky. She was supposed to fight in Nov. but pulled out due to injury. Both fighters are unproven.

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Becky Lynch vs Asuka

Here's the match video of Becky Lynch vs Asuka from last night's episode of RAW. Of course this is a rematch from Royal Rumble. It's very similar in quality to that match. The only problem is the commercial breaks hurt the flow of the match. Other than that it builds very nicely especially at the end. Except the actual finish came across flat probably because there were too many false finishes. I would have been OK with the power bomb as the finish. I'm sure it was a timing issue. Afterwards Shayna Baszler came out and bit Becky in the back of her neck. I'm sure that seemed like a good idea on paper. But I thought the execution and especially the fake blood was hokey. And the nonsense of Becky driving herself to the hospital in an ambulance and then returning later in the show to cut a promo was absurd. I guess this looked good on paper. So Becky vs Shayna will be at Wrestlemania. The Kabuki Warriors can return to defending their title. As I said, this match is really good. So enjoy the video!

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-White Heart

Artist:White Heart
Song:How Many Times (Seventy Times Seven)
Album:The Early Years





The 80s CCM band White Heart probably would have been more successful if they had been able to maintain a stable lineup. In the 80s they were the number two CCM rock band after Petra. White Heart was formed in 1982. Guitarist Billy Smiley and keyboard player Mark Gersmehl were members of the New Gaither Vocal Band. It was a steady gig but they got tired of being in the background. So they formed White Heart with other members of the Gaither band like lead singer Steve Green, bassist Gary Lunn, guitarist Dann Huff and his drummer brother David Huff. They were to be a CCM version of Toto. They signed with Home Sweet Home Records. After their debut album, Green left for a successful solo career and was replaced by Scott Douglas. After the 1984 album Vital Signs, Dann Huff left to become a studio musician and producer. David Huff left to tour with Michael W. Smith. They were replaced by Gordon Kennedy and Chris McHugh. Then Douglas was arrested for sexual assault and sentenced to prison. That should have killed the band especially in the Christian market. Roadie Rick Florian was made the new lead singer and for the 1986 album Don't Wait For The Movie, they signed with Sparrow Records. Gary Lunn was replaced by Tommy Sims. Sparrow did a much better job of promoting White Heart. So this was their most successful period. They also brought in Amy Grant's producer Brown Bannister. McHugh, Kennedy and Sims all left. White Heart continued to have success in the early 90s with Star Song Records. After three albums, they signed with Curb Records in an attempt to cross over to mainstream. After that was unsuccessful, White Heart split up in 1997. Gersmehl released a solo album in 2002 and he continues to tour. Smiley has produced Clay Aiken and other CCM acts. Florian is a real estate agent who still does music part time. This comp covers White Heart's Sparrow years. Here's White Heart performing How Many Times (Seventy Times Seven) in 1986.

Invicta Phoenix Series 3 analysis

Invicta announced the card for their Mar. 6 show. Most of it is a Bantamweight tournament like the first two they did. All the fights are one round fights until the three round final. As I have said before, I don't like the one round fights. There is also a Bantamweight title match on this show. I assume that will be the main event. That will be Lisa Verzosa vs Julia Stoliarenko. Lisa is 24 years old from Vancouver, WA. She has won all five of her Invicta fights. Julia is 26 years old from Lithuania. Her record is 8-3-1. She was in TUF 28 for Featherweights and the UFC passed on her. I don't like that she is getting a title shot in her Invicta debut. The fighters in the tournament are Autumn Norton, Brittney Victoria, Clare Guthrie, Erin Harpe, Hope Chase, Kerri Kenneson, Taneisha Tennant and Taylor Guardado. Most are younger fighters with limited experience. It's too much of a crapshoot for me which is why I don't like this tournament format. There are also a couple of reserve bouts in case of injury. One is Mitzi Merry vs Morgan Hickam and the other is Serena DeJesus vs Julia Ottolino. Plus there are two Strawweight bouts with Amber Brown vs Sharon Jacobson and Kay Hansen vs Liana Pirosin. I guess Invicta's hope is that one of the tournament fighters is a breakout star like Brianna Van Buren. I guess we'll have to watch to find out.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-New Riders of the Purple Sage

Artist: New Riders of the Purple Sage
Song:Panama Red
Album:Original Album Classics





New Riders of the Purple Sage (NRPS) started out as a Grateful Dead spinoff band. But they established their own identity with the 1973 album The Adventures of Panama Red. The song Panama Red is their signature song. In the late 60s, it was not unusual for Jerry Garcia and the other Grateful Dead members to jam with all kinds of musicians when they weren't touring. And Garcia wanted to start a country rock band where he could play pedal steel guitar. And that's how New Riders of the Purple Sage started in 1969. They were named after the 40s country swing band. John Dawson and David Nelson would become leaders of NRPS. Garcia played pedal steel and Mickey Hart played drums. Recording engineer Bob Matthews or Phil Lesh played bass until Dave Torbert was hired permanently. They recorded an album and signed with Columbia. Hart left and was replaced by former Jefferson Airplane drummer Spencer Dryden. Garcia played on the 1971 album New Riders of the Purple Sage and the album did well. But Garcia had to return to the Dead so he was replaced by Buddy Cage of Ian and Sylvia's Great Speckled Bird. That was the lineup for the next few years. The 1973 album The Adventures of Panama Red was their most successful album as it was certified Gold. The song Panama Red was written by bluegrass musician Peter Rowan. He was in the Grateful Dead spinoff band Old & In The Way. Torbert was replaced by Skip Battin in 1974 and then Stephen Love in 1976. Meanwhile NRPS left Columbia for MCA and eventually the band split up in 1982. You can get five NRPS albums on Original Album Classics. There are comps available but they are too short in length. Dawson led a version of NRPS from 1986 until he retired in 1997. They recorded for the Grateful Dead fanzine Relix. Nelson led his own band which he and Buddy Cage turned into NRPS in 2005. That was after Dryden died in 2005. Dawson died in 2009. And sadly Buddy Cage died last week. So I don't know if Nelson will continue New Riders of the Purple Sage. Here's New Riders of the Purple Sage performing Panama Red at the Capitol Theater in Passaic, NJ Oct. 31, 1975.

Frank Pozen's Big Bad Podcast Feb. 9, 2020

UFC 247 and Invicta FC 39 reviews and new fight announcements.

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Lauren Murphy vs Andrea Lee

Here's the match video of Lauren Murphy vs Andrea Lee from last night's UFC show in Houston. This fight went as expected including the inept judging. Both fighters are mediocre and ineffective. Neither punches hard enough to break an egg. And they both have poor defense. I was not surprised the fight was close and went to a split decision. I scored it 29-28 for Andrea but it was too close to call. It's just that one of the judges scored the fight 30-27 for Lauren and fans got upset. There have always been problems in Texas because the AC thinks they can use boxing judges who don't know MMA. This happens a lot in Florida too. The only thing the UFC can do is not go to Texas which is unfair to fans there. I know that UFC Director of Regulatory Affairs Marc Ratner is always hammering away at these state ACs to fix the problem of inept judges. There is no simple solution. And some of the judging on last night's show was worse than this fight. Enjoy the video!

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Valentina Shevchenko vs Katlyn Chookagian

Here's the match video of Valentina Shevchenko vs Katlyn Chookagian from last night's UFC show in Houston. This fight went as expected. I didn't think that Katlyn's keep away strategy would work against Valentina. And it didn't. Valentina was very patient and just picked her apart for two rounds and then finished her with ground and pound in the third. It was a dominant performance. Valentina said in her post fight interview that she was hoping to finish her with a head kick. But I like that Valentina took what Katlyn gave her and destroyed her. Because that's what the keep away strategy deserves. Now the UFC has a big problem because none of the potential title contenders are good enough. The big hope was Maycee Barber but she's out with a knee injury. They keep bringing in fighters who keep failing. I know Jessica Eye was knocked out in her title fight. But she really looked good in her last fight with her new team at Xtreme Couture. I wouldn't mind seeing her face Joanne Calderwood for a title shot. The UFC will have to do something. Enjoy the video!

Two women's fights added to Apr. 11 UFC show

April 11th let’s go!!! 👊🏽👊🏽👊🏽 @mhpstrongusa @ourlifecbd1 @coverthreeCTE @builttosave pic.twitter.com/iq3iZ3tFlZ

— Carla Esparza (@CarlaEsparza1) February 9, 2020

Last night the UFC announced several fights for UFC on ESPN+ 30 Apr. 11 at the Moda Center in Portland, OR. There are two women's bouts. At Strawweight, Carla Esparza will face Michelle Waterson. And at Bantamweight, Julia Avila will face Karol Rosa. Carla is a former UFC Strawweight Champion. She is 32 years old and she trains at Team Oyama in Redondo Beach, CA. Her record is 15-6 and 6-4 in the UFC. Obviously she is looking to get back in the title picture. She is on a two fight winning streak. Michelle is 34 years old and she trains at Jackson Wink in New Mexico. She is a former Invicta Atomweight Champion. The problem is she is too small to fight at Strawweight. That was very apparent in her recent loss to Joanna Jedrzejczyk. But she is very popular mostly because of sex appeal and that's why she's on the co-main event of this show. I just don't see how a win over Michelle gets Carla any closer to the title. Julia is 31 years old from Oklahoma City. Her record is 7-1. She won her UFC debut in July over Pannie Kianzad. I liked her in Invicta. Her only loss was when she suffered a broken finger during a fight. Karol is 25 years old from Brazil. She trains at PRVT so she is a teammate of Jessica Andrade. Her record is 12-3 and she won her UFC debut over Lara Procopio by split decision. She's a pretty good striker but Julia is a more complete fighter. These two were supposed to fight in October but Karol pulled out due to an injury.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Banda de Boca

Artist:Banda de Boca
Song:Samba da Bahia
Album:Banda de Boca





With the popularity of Pentatonix, a cappella music has seen a surge in recent years. In the US, a cappella came from doo wop groups singing on streetcorners. Banda de Boca is a Brazilian a cappella group. They were formed in 1999 in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. The group leader is Hiran Monteiro. Other members are Poliana Monteiro, Fabio Eca, Arno Hubner, Simei Ferreira and Taric Marins. Influences include groups like Singers Unlimited and Take 6. They have toured extensively in Brazil and recorded with Caetono Veloso and Carlinhos Brown. Samba da Bahia is from the 2007 album Banda de Boca. The song was written by Brown who is also a native of Salvador. When you watch the video, you'll notice they recreate musical instruments like Take 6. Banda de Boca's 2010 album MPB pras Criancas was nominated for a Best Children's Album Latin Grammy. That's their latest album. Based on what I saw on their Facebook, it looks like they are recording new music. And they still perform live. It looks like Hiran Monteiro is on the faculty of the Federal University of Bahia. Fans of a cappella should check out Banda de Boca. Here's the video for Samba da Bahia by Banda de Boca.

Jinh Yu Frey misses weight and forfeits the Invicta Atomweight Championship

Jinh Yu Frey Edges Ashley Cummins in #InvictaFC39 Main Event; Atomweight Title Vacated via @MikeSloan19 https://t.co/XwpKBKa0pH pic.twitter.com/0pVBX2P1id

— Sherdog by Mandatory (@sherdogdotcom) February 8, 2020

The main event of last night's Invicta FC 39 was supposed to be Junh Yu Frey defending her Invicta Atomweight Championship against Ashley Cummins. But she missed  weight and was forced to forfeit the title. The fight still went on but only Ashley could win the title. The fight was what I expected. Neither fighter does enough to win fights decisively. Ashley started out OK and probably won the first two rounds. But she slowed down over the rest of the fight and Jinh won by unanimous decision. So now the title is vacant. Jinh said afterwards that she is thinking about moving up to Strawweight. In a Flyweight bout, Miranda Maverick beat Pearl Gonzalez by unanimous decision. Miranda dominated but she couldn't get a finish. In an Atomweight bout, Alisha Zappitella dominated Kelly D'Angelo and won by unanimous decision. In a Flyweight bout, Erin Blanchfield beat Victoria Lenardo by second round headkick. This is the best Erin has looked since she has been in Invicta. In an Atomweight bout, Jillian DeCoursey beat Linda Mihalec by unanimous decision. And in an Atomweight bout, Monica Franco beat Kristina Pettigrew by unanimous decision. March 6 is the next Invicta show. They are doing another Phoenix Rising tournament.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Kitty Wells

Artist:Kitty Wells
Song:It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels
Album:The Complete Country Hits 1952-62





Kitty Wells was a country music pioneer known as The Queen of Country Music. Her 1952 single It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels was the first by a female artist to top the Country Singles chart. And she continued to have success in the 50s and 60s. She was born Ellen Muriel Deason Aug. 30, 1919 in Nashville. Her father was a railroad brakeman and a part time singer. He taught Kitty to play guitar. She and her sisters performed on a local radio station as The Deason Sisters. At age 18 she married Johnnie Wright. Kitty toured with Wright and his sister Louise as Johnny Right and the Harmony Girls. Then Wright formed Johnnie & Jack with Jack Anglin. Anglin married Louise. Wright got the name Kitty Wells from the folk song Sweet Kitty Wells. She signed with RCA in 1949. But at the time record companies weren't promoting female country singers. RCA dropped Kitty in 1950. She was considering retirement when Decca Records exec Paul Cohen approached Kitty about recording It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels. Cohen wanted it to be an answer to the Hank Thompson hit The Wild Side of Life. The song was written by Louisiana swamp musician JD Miller. Kitty thought it was just another song. Some radio stations banned the song because of the controversial lyrics. But listeners loved it and Kitty became the first female to top the Country Singles chart since it was established in 1944. From there Kitty was a fixture in the country top ten until the mid-60s. And that included duets with Red Foley and Webb Pierce. You can get all her hits on this 2CD comp from the reissue label Acrobat. Kitty faded in the late 60s. But she continued to record and tour. She left Decca in 1973 and recorded an album for Capricorn. She was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1976. After that she recorded for her own label and she and Wright continued to tour. You may recall Kitty, Brenda Lee and Loretta Lynn appeared on k.d. lang's 1987 single Honky Tonk Angels Medley. That was nominated for a Grammy. Kitty Wells and Johnnie Wright retired in 2000. He died in 2011 at age 97. Kitty Wells died on July 16, 2012 at age 92. Here's Kitty Wells performing It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels on a 1966 episode of The Jimmy Dean Show.

Frank Pozen's Big Bad Podcast Feb. 7, 2020

Asuka, Invicta FC 39 and UFC 247 previews and new fight announcement.

Bethe Correia vs Pannie Kianzad added to May 9 UFC show

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Can we make this happen @ufc?? Hey @bethecorreia I heard u wanna fight in Europe 😚😚 Ranking and matchups wise it’s the right thing to do I’m your woman for the job so let’s go! If not in Europe , anywhere , anytime #teamflatnose @mickmaynard2 @majdishammas @moments_mgmt @neems01 @ilazzabeli @coach_koubti @cederhof.boxing @ufceurope

A post shared by Pannie "Banzai" Kianzad🇸🇪🇩🇰🌍 (@panniekianzad) on Jan 24, 2020 at 10:13am PST

AgFight in Brazil reported yesterday that Bethe Correia vs Pannie Kianzad has been added to UFC 250 May 9 at Ginasio do Ibirapuera in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Pannie confirmed this on Instagram. This fight is at Bantamweight. Bethe is 36 years old from Brazil. She trains with the Pitbull Brothers. Her record is 11-4-1 and 5-4-1 in the UFC. She's 1-1 since returning from a two year layoff due to eye surgeries. Sijara Eubanks dominated her in round one of her last fight. But Sijara pooped out and Bethe was able to squeak out a win. Mostly she is an ineffective points fighter. Pannie is 28 years old from Denmark. Her record is 12-5 and 1-2 in the UFC. She lost to Macy Chiasson in the TUF 28 final. That was for Featherweights. So she's big for a Bantamweight and she will have a size advantage over Bethe. And that was true of her recent win over Jessica-Rose Clark. I think Pannie will win this fight. But I find that when the competition level raises and her opponent is the same size, she tends to have trouble.