AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Michael Henderson

Artist:Michael Henderson f/Jean Carn & Norman Connors
Song:Valentine Love
Album:The Best Of Michael Henderson




Michael Henderson went from being the ace bassist for Stevie Wonder and Miles Davis to being an R & B crooner and one of the founders of what would become Quiet Storm music. This 1975 Norman Connors hit Valentine Love was the first time Henderson sang on record. He was born July 7, 1951 in Yazoo City, MS. His family moved to Detroit in the early 60s and as a teen, Henderson played bass for The Fantastic Four, The Detroit Emeralds and Billy Preston. Henderson's major influences were legendary Motown bassist James Jamerson and legendary jazz bassist Paul Chambers. Henderson claims those two hung out together and he would pick their brains. Henderson toured with Stevie Wonder in the late 60s. Davis saw him on a show in New York and stole him from Wonder. His first album for Davis was Jack Johnson and he also played on On The Corner and Big Fun. Jazz drummer Norman Connors played with Pharoah Sanders but by the mid-70s, he signed with Buddah Records and wanted to record R & B. For the 1975 album Saturday Night Special, Connors recruited jazz guys like Henderson and Reggie Lucas from the Davis band. Henderson wrote Valentine Love and it was his first time singing on record. The female singer is Jean Carn. Valentine Love reached #10 on the R & B Singles chart. On Connors next album, Henderson wrote and sang You Are My Starship which reached #4 on the R & B Singles chart and #27 on the Billboard Hot 100. So now Buddah signs Henderson to a solo deal. His debut album Solid was released in 1976. Henderson's hits include Take Me I'm Yours in 1978 and Wide Receiver in 1980. He was a popular slow jam crooner for a few years. He recorded for Buddah/Arista until 1983 and then retired in 1986 after one album on EMI. He still performs occasionally but hasn't produced new music since 1986. You can get all of Henderson's hits including the Connors hits on this comp first released by BMG but then reworked when it was licensed to the German label Electrocord. Here's a video for Valentine Love by Michael Henderson featuring Jean Carn and Norman Connors.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Brook Benton

Artist:Brook Benton
Song:It's Just A Matter Of Time
Album:20th Century Masters: The Millennium Collection: The Best Of Brook Benton




Brook Benton was not only a tremendous singer but he wrote and produced most of his own songs usually with long time partner Clyde Otis. It's Just A Matter Of Time was Benton's breakthrough hit and it turned out to be his biggest chart hit. He was born Benjamin Franklin Peay Sept. 19, 1931 in Lugoff, SC. His father was a local choir director and Benton grew up singing in church. He moved to New York City in 1948 and appeared in several gospel groups. Then he joined the R & B group The Sandmen. They recorded for Columbia's race label Okeh. Columbia executives decided to push Peay as a solo artist and they gave him the name Brook Benton. It was around this time that Benton met Clyde Otis and they started writing songs together. One of Benton's biggest hits as a songwriter was the Clyde McPhatter hit A Lover's Question. Benton was struggling at Okeh. So when Otis was hired as Mercury Records' A & R Director in 1958, he brought Benton with him. Benton, Otis and Belford Hendricks intended It's Just A Matter Of Time for Nat King Cole. But Otis changed his mind and decided to have Benton record it. Hendricks wrote the arrangement obviously influenced by Cole. The record reached #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1959. It was Benton's first big hit and his highest chart placing for his career. It's Just A Matter Of Time was a very durable song as it was a country hit for Sonny James in 1970, Glen Campbell in 1985 and Randy Travis in 1989. Benton, Otis and Hendricks also produced hits like So Many Ways, Baby (You've Got What It Takes) and Kiddio. Otis and Hendricks left Mercury for Columbia in 1961 and they produced Aretha Franklin's Columbia recordings. Hendricks also arranged the 1963 Nat King Cole hit Ramblin' Rose. Benton left Mercury in 1962 and had minimal success in the 60s recording for Reprise and RCA. He returned to the charts when Rainy Night In Georgia was a smash hit in 1970. That was on Atlantic's Cotillion label. This budget comp is a good intro to Benton's music. Beware of off label CDs that have alternate takes of Benton's hits. Brook Benton continued to record until he retired in the late 70s. He died on Apr. 9, 1988 at age 56. Here's Brook Benton performing It's Just A Matter Of Time on The Ed Sullivan Show 1959.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Kat Edmonson

Artist:Kat Edmonson
Song:Hopelessly Blue
Album:Way Down Low





Kat Edmonson started out as an American Idol contestant but she seems to have found her groove as a jazz singer with a Sony Masterworks contract. She was born Aug. 3, 1983 in Houston listening to her mom's record collection featuring The Great American Songbook. After attending college in South Carolina, she moved back to Texas and auditioned for American Idol in 2002. She made it to Hollywood but that ended when Idol judge Randy Jackson told her she didn't look like a star. Kat sang in Austin clubs and released her debut CD in 2009. Her big break came when she sang Baby It's Cold Outside with Lyle Lovett on his 2012 CD Release Me. Then she appeared with him on The Tonight Show. She used Kickstarter to fund her 2012 CD Way Down Low and it made some noise on Billboard's Heetseekers and the jazz chart. This got Sony's attention and they signed Kat and released Way Down Low on Sony Masterworks. Kat wrote, produced and arranged most of the album with former Roy Hargrove bassist Danton Boller. Other musicians include Frank Locrasto on piano, Matt Munisteri on guitar and Brian Wolfe on drums. Special guests include Lyle Lovett and organist Larry Goldings. Hopelessly Blue was written by Miles Zuniga formerly of the 90s group Fastball. He's a local Austin guy and he accompanies Kat when she performs the song. Kat's latest CD The Big Picture was released Sept. 2014 and it was produced by veteran producer Mitchell Froom. Kat writes most of the songs and the album topped the jazz charts. She should remind long time jazz fans of Blossom Dearie. Maybe Kat Edmonson doesn't look like a pop star. But it looks like she will be around a lot longer than most pop stars. Here's Kat Edmonson with Miles Zuniga on guitar performing Hopelessly Blue on eTown Radio in Boulder, CO Jan. 2013.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Sugar Ray

Artist:Sugar Ray
Song:Every Morning
Album:The Best Of Sugar Ray





Though they started out as a funk metal band, Sugar Ray used a mix of pop and hip hop techniques to have a lot of success in the 90s with songs like Every Morning. Sugar Ray are from Newport Beach, CA and were called Shrinky Dinx when they were formed in 1988 by guitarist Rodney Sheppard, drummer Stan Frazier and bassist Murphy Karges. Sheppard and Frazier were in the band The Tories. Lead singer Mark McGrath joined soon after. They signed with Atlantic Records but were forced to change the band name after the toy company Milton Bradley threatened to sue over the Shrinky Dinx name. So they named themselves after boxer Sugar Ray Leonard. Their 1995 debut CD Lemonade and Brownies was acclaimed for it's mix of funk and metal. But Atlantic was disappointed with the album sales and they wanted Sugar Ray to be a more mainstream pop band. They recorded the 1997 CD Floored with veteran producer David Kahne. Sugar Ray got lucky when Fly became a big hit though it wasn't released as a single. Many in the music industry thought it was a fluke. But Sugar Ray proved them wrong when the 1999 CD 14:59 was certified 3XPlatinum and the single Every Morning reached #3 on the Billboard Hot 100. The success of Fly encouraged Sugar Ray to go in a more mainstream pop direction but they still used hip hop elements. Every Morning featured rapper MC Rebel and sampled the 70s Malo hit Suavecito and the 1968 Hugh Masekela classic Grazing In The Grass. Sugar Ray's next single Someday was also a top ten hit. This was the band's high point as subsequent albums didn't do as well and Sugar Ray left Atlantic in 2003. You can get all their hits on this comp. Sugar Ray was inactive while Mark McGrath was an anchor for the syndicated entertainment show Extra. Sugar Ray reformed and released the 2009 CD Music For Cougars. They toured but Frazier and Karges left in 2012. McGrath attempted to continue but legal issues forced the end of Sugar Ray and McGrath announced that he will release a solo album in 2015. Here's the video for Every Morning by Sugar Ray.

Joanna Jedrzejczyk to defend UFC Strawweight Championship at UFC Berlin

The UFC is going to Berlin, Germany for the first time on June 20 at the O2 World Arena. This will air on UFC Fight Pass. The main event was announced as Swedish Light Heavyweight Alexander Gustafsson vs Brazilian Glover Teixeira. The UFC announced this morning that Gustafsson is injured and the new main event will have Joanna Jedrzejczyk make her first defense of the UFC Women's Strawweight Championship against former Invicta Atomweight Champion Jessica Penne. This will be the first title fight to headline a Fight Pass show. The reason for this is the UFC just signed a new TV deal in Germany and they want to make a big splash. Joanna may not be as big of a star as Gustafsson yet but she knows how to sell a fight. She's also a great fighter and throws harder punches than most guys. Jessica is similar to Carla Esparza as both are wrestlers. So she will have the same problem as Carla trying to take Joanna down and keep her there. Joanna has tremendous takedown defense and Jessica's takedowns must be successful or Joanna will make her pay. Jessica was supposed to fight Juliana Lima May 30 in Brazil. Jessica is ranked 3rd so I have no problem with pulling her from that fight for this. Jessica's last fight was a split decision win over Randa Markos on the TUF Finale last fall. Of course we don't know who else this title shot was offered to. Jessica is highly ranked so she was probably their first choice. The other day Claudia Gadelha and her manager said they were pushing for the first title shot. See, she still thinks she beat Joanna though the judges decided otherwise. I'm pretty sure the UFC wants her to beat another ranked fighter first. The UFC hasn't named a new opponent for Juliana. It depends on what they want. I think Jessica would have beaten her easily so maybe they don't want a competitive match.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Maureen McGovern

Artist:Maureen McGovern
Song:The Morning After
Album:Greatest Hits





Maureen McGovern topped the charts in 1973 with The Morning After from the film The Poseidon Adventure. She became known for singing film themes and then in the 80s she turned to cabaret music and occasional Broadway appearances. She was born July 27, 1949 in Youngstown, OH. Her father led a vocal quartet that rehearsed in their home. Apparently Maureen wanted to be a singer at a very young age. After graduating high school, she worked as a secretary while leading the folk music group Sweet Rain. The Morning After was written by film composer Joel Hirschorn and frequent songwriting partner and lyricist Al Kasha. They wrote a couple of hits for Ronnie Dove in the mid-60s and then Hirschorn got into composing music for films. In The Towering Inferno, The Morning After is performed briefly by actress Carol Lynley dubbed by Renee Armand. 20th Century Fox asked 20th Century Records president Russ Regan to turn it into a hit record. Regan had just heard Maureen's demo and he signed her and went to Cleveland to have Maureen record it. The Morning After topped the charts in 1973 and it won the Best Song Oscar. Maureen also recorded Nice To Be Around from the 1974 film Cinderella Liberty. It was Oscar nominated but was not a hit. Then she recorded We May Never Love Like This Again from the 1974 film The Towering Inferno which won an Oscar but was not a hit. Maureen recorded three albums for 20th Century but Regan spent all the money. She was broke so she moved to Los Angeles and signed with Curb Records. She recorded Can You Read My Mind which was supposed to be in the 1978 film Superman but wasn't used. Then she recorded Different Worlds, the theme of the sitcom Angie. That record reached #18 on the Billboard Hot 100. You can get all of Maureen's 70s hits on this comp. Maureen made her Broadway debut in Pirates of Penzance in 1981 and by the late 80s she established herself in nightclubs. She also records occasionally, most recently in 2008. She also does fundraising for Muscular Dystrophy and has appeared on the Jerry Lewis Telethon for many years. I think this kind of thing is what she really wanted to do all along. Pop music stardom isn't for everybody. Here's Maureen McGovern performing The Morning After on the 1988 Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon.

Michelle Waterson vs Angela Magana added to July 12 UFC show

Michelle Waterson

When Michelle Waterson lost the Invicta Atomweight Championship last fall, I expected her to make a beeline to the UFC. A couple of months ago, I heard she was about to sign and last night, the UFC announced that she will face Angela Magana on The Ultimate Fighter 22 Finale on July 12. A site hasn't been announced yet but it will be in Florida. Of course Michelle is known as The Karate Hottie and is very marketable. I suggest you check out her Samsung commercial that I posted on Twitter. But like a lot of female fighters who depend a lot on sex appeal, she's overrated. And unlike Paige VanZant, Michelle is a veteran fighter and I've seen enough of her fights to know that she's a good fighter but not an elite fighter. So how did she become a champ in Invicta? After winning a split decision over Lacey Schuckman that many, including myself, thought Lacey should have won, she was rushed into a title shot against Jessica Penne mainly because of her sex appeal. Invicta will deny this but they lie a lot. She was fortunate to win the match by submission as it went back and forth. Her one title defense was a ridiculous mismatch vs Yasuko Tamada. Then she lost to the much younger Herica Tiburcio. Invicta overrated Michelle because of her sex appeal and I expect that to happen in the UFC as well. She's moving up to 115lb a la Jessica Penne and Lisa Ellis. Michelle has fought at 115 before but she has fought at 105 since she returned from her pregnancy. Angela Magana was a big heel in the TUF 20 house. But she looked terrible losing to Tecia Torres on the TUF Finale last fall. She is also a veteran and she should be better than what we saw in that match. But who knows? Angela is on a three fight losing streak so maybe it's time for her to go. I'll say this much. If Michelle wins, I bet Jessica Penne will want to get her hands on her.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Taylor Dayne

Artist:Taylor Dayne
Song:Tell It To My Heart
Album:Playlist: The Very Best of Taylor Dayne





Everything about Taylor Dayne was bombastic and over the top including her look. But she was very successful in the late 80s mostly in the dance market. Tell It To My Heart was her debut single and first top ten pop hit. She was born Leslie Wunderman Mar. 7, 1962 in Baldwin, Long Island, NY. After graduating high school, she started singing in local bands like Felony and Next and she also released a couple of singles as Les Lee. Clive Davis saw her in a New York club and signed her to Arista. She was assigned to British born house producer Ric Wake. He went on to produce several female singers but Taylor Dayne was his first big success. Tell It to My Heart was written by Seth Swirsky and Ernie Gold. It was first recorded by Canadian pop singer Louisa Florio in 1987. Swirsky was a staff songwriter at Chappell Music. He has written plenty of hits but Tell It To My Heart was his first big hit. From what I can tell, Ernie Gold is a pseudonym for veteran singer songwriter Franne Golde. It looks like there may have been a publisher conflict and she had to use a phony name. The single reached #7 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was a worldwide dance hit. Taylor had a string of hits including the chart topper Love Will Lead You Back in 1989. After seven consecutive top ten pop hits, Taylor had faded by the time her 1993 album Soul Dancing was released. That was her final album for Arista. You can get all her hits on this budget comp. Since then she has recorded occasionally and also done some acting on TV series like Nightman and Rude Awakening. She has also turned up on reality shows like CMT's Gone Country. Her most recent CD of new music was released in 2008 but she has recorded several live CDs. I guess when I hear her I think of the bombastic 80s. I'm not sure that is a good thing. Here's the video for Tell It To My Heart by Taylor Dayne.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Doug Supernaw

Artist:Doug Supernaw
Song:I Don't Call Him Daddy
Album:The Kings Of New Country





Doug Supernaw had brief success on the country charts in the mid-90s. I Don't Call Him Daddy was his only number one country hit in 1993. He faded by the late-90s and I don't believe he is in the music business today. He was born Sept. 26, 1960 in Bryan, TX. His mom was a big country music fan and Supernaw listened to George Jones and Gene Watson who was probably his biggest influence. He was also on the high school golf team and attended college on a golf scholarship. Supernaw dropped out of college in 1979 and briefly worked on an oil rig before playing in local bands. He moved to Nashville in 1987 and found work as a session musician. Then he moved back to Texas and formed the band Texas Steel. Supernaw was spotted by Lorrie Morgan's producer Richard Landis. He signed Supernaw to RCA's BNA label. Supernaw's second single Reno reached #4 on the Country Singles chart. Then I Don't Call Him Daddy topped the charts. The song was written by Reed Nielsen and was first recorded by Kenny Rogers in 1987. Nielsen recorded as Nielsen/Pearson in the late 70s and turned to songwriting after that group ended. He has written several songs with Vince Gill. And Landis produced Nielsen/Pearson. Supernaw's career was derailed by a surfing accident, then a car accident and then food poisoning. He recorded a second album for BNA but it didn't do well and Landis took him to Giant Records. The 1995 single Not Enough Hours In The Night reached #3 on the Country Singles chart. That was it. Supernaw recorded in 1999 but the album went nowhere and that's the last time he recorded. His CDs are out of print but you can get I Don't Call Him Daddy on this various artists budget CD. Supernaw's son Phillip Supernaw is currently a tight end for the Baltimore Ravens of the NFL. It doesn't look like Doug Supernaw is in music anymore. But he has been in the news for failure to pay child support and arrests for erratic behaviour and public intoxication. He was even committed to a mental hospital for a time. So Supernaw's glory days are long behind him. Here's the video for I Don't Call Him Daddy by Doug Supernaw.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Dusty Springfield

Artist:Dusty Springfield
Song:You Don't Have To Say You Love Me
Album:Hits Collection





Dusty Springfield was one of the most popular pop singers of the 60s and You Don't Have To Say You Love Me was her biggest hit in 1966. She was born Mary O'Brien Apr. 16, 1939 in London, England. Dusty was a childhood nickname. She started out in folk groups like The Lana Sisters and then The Springfields with her brother Dion O'Brien. He became Tom Springfield and she became Dusty Springfield. they recorded for Philips Records and producer Johnny Franz. They had some success on the British charts but Dusty felt folk music was limiting and left to go solo in 1963. She had success when her debut single I Only Want To Be With You reached #4 on the British Singles chart. Then Wishin' and Hopin' was a top ten hit in the US. She continued to have success in England but was not as successful in the US. Dusty performed at the 1965 Italian Song Festival in San Remo. She heard the song Io Che Non Vivo (Senza Te) and wanted to record an English version. The song was written by Pino Donaggio who at the time was a successful singer songwriter in Italy. He would go on to be a film composer for horror films. So an instrumental track was recorded and Dusty still doesn't have English lyrics. Manager Simon Napier-Bell and Ready Steady Go producer Vicki Wickham were having dinner and they decided to try and write lyrics for this song though they weren't songwriters. The end result was You Don't Have To Say You Love Me. The record topped the British charts and reached #4 on the Billboard Hot 100. Though Dusty would have a long career in music, that was her biggest hit and you can get it on this budget comp. Dusty got a lot of acclaim for recordings like Son of A Preacher Man and she had success in the 80s with The Pet Shop Boys. By the mid-90s, she was diagnosed with breast cancer and died on Mar. 2, 1999 at age 59 two weeks before she was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Here's Dusty Springfield performing You Don't Have To Say You Love Me 1967.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Next

Artist:Next
Song:Too Close
Album:Platinum & Gold Collection





The R & B vocal trio Next topped the charts with Too Close in 1997. They had one other top ten hit. Their music was notably raunchy. Next came out of the Minneapolis gospel scene. The uncle of brothers Terry "T-Low" Brown and Raphael "Tweet" Brown was a choir director. He thought they should form a group. And they did with RL Huggar. At first they were called Straight4ward. But producer Lance "LA" Alexander formerly of the group Lo-Key? suggested the name Next which stands for Nobody Ever eXpected This. The Browns took vocal training from their godmother, Sounds Of Blackness lead singer Ann Nesby. Next was introduced to Keir "KayGee" Gist of Naughty By Nature. He signed them to his Divine Mill label with Arista distribution. Next's debut CD Rated Next was released in 1997. The debut single Butta Love was a top five R & B hit. But the second single Too Close topped the R & B Singles chart and the Billboard Hot 100. Rated Next was certified 2XPlatinum. The uncredited female singer was Vernell "Vee" Sales of the duo Koffee Brown who were also on Divine Mill. The song was written by Raphael Brown, KayGee and and Divine Mill house producer Darren Lighty who produced the record with his brother Cliff. Naughty By Nature and Adina Howard also made guest appearances on the album. So Next had to follow up one of 1997's biggest hits. And their 2000 album Welcome II Nextasy did well. The single Wifey featuring Lil Mo reached #7 on the Billboard Hot 100. It appears that KayGee closed Divine Mill and sold it to Arista. When Arista founder Clive Davis left to form J Records, he took Next with him. RL released a 2002 solo album and then Next released The Next Episode in 2003. The album didn't do that well and Terry Brown's throat surgery was of some concern. There was also conflict over RL's outside activities. J Records dropped Next. You can get all their hits on this budget comp. Next signed with Interscope and were supposed to work with producers Jermaine Dupri, Rich Harrison and Babyface. But nothing ever came of that and they signed with Music World owned by Matthew Knowles (Beyonce's dad). Apparently they recorded an album but it was never released and there was conflict within the group over explicit content. Remember these guys were all church boys. Next released a single last year but the album hasn't been released yet. And RL is working on a solo album. Here's the video for Too Close by Next.

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Randa Markos vs Aisling Daly

Here's the fight video of Randa Markos vs Aisling Daly from last night's UFC show in Montreal. Aisling was supposed to fight Claudia Gadelha in Poland. When Claudia pulled out, this fight was set up and the late addition of this fight is why it aired on Fight Pass. Randa lives in Windsor, ON and trains at Michigan Top Team in Dearborn, MI. UFC fighter Daron Cruickshank was in her corner. Randa also trained with Jessica Eye at Strong Style on Cleveland. Randa is an elite grappler which I thought would be kryptonite for Aisling who is terrible on the ground. But the interesting thing is that in round one, Randa was much quicker than Aisling on her feet and was outstriking her. Then she took Aisling down and almost submitted her. Randa used the dreaded headlock takedown a couple of times because her training with Aisling in TUF made her think Aisling was ripe for that move. So I scored round one 10-9 for Randa. This continued in round two until Randa got a little unlucky when she took Aisling down and Aisling ended up on top. An elbow cut Randa above her left eye and I thought that was enough to score round two 10-9 for Aisling. Looking at the cut, I thought Randa would be fine. So who wants it in round three? Things were even until Aisling initiated a takedown and Randa wound up on top. So as Randa was unlucky in round two, Aisling was unlucky in round three. That's how fights go sometimes. I thought Randa's armbar attempt was enough for me to score round three 10-9 for Randa. So I scored the fight 29-28 for Randa and the judges gave her the win by unanimous decision. Was that an upset? Not for me because I thought Aisling was overrated and Randa was underrated. I don't think Randa will be on UFC Fight Pass anymore. Enjoy the fight!

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Valerie Letourneau vs Jessica Rakoczy

Here's the match video of Valerie Letourneau vs Jessica Rakoczy from last night's UFC show in Montreal. It aired on UFC Fight Pass. Both were fighting at 115lb for the first time. And they both looked emaciated at the weighins. We haven't seen Jessica since TUF 18. She recovered from a shoulder injury and moved back to her home town of Hamilton, ON. She's a former boxing champ but I don't think she's much of an MMA fighter. Valerie is from Montreal but she now trains at American Top Team in Florida. She admitted the weight cut was not pleasant. Valerie seemed to be quicker on her feet and was winning round one. They went to the mat and Valerie destroyed Jessica's right eye with an elbow. She couldn't see after that and Valerie won easily by unanimous decision. The doctor almost stopped the fight before round three. But he let it go on but it really hampered Jessica's vision. I guess the main thing I got from this fight is both women would be better off fighting at 125lb. Enjoy the video!

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Alexis Davis vs Sarah Kaufman

Here's the match video of Alexis Davis vs Sarah Kaufman from last night's UFC show in Montreal. Both of these fighters want to get back into the title picture. Alexis is a very good fighter who is error prone. The thing I remember about their 2012 Strikeforce fight was Alexis losing the striking battle with Sarah. By the time she took Sarah down, she lost the first two rounds. Would she make the same mistake? And Alexis did make the same mistake in round one and though I don't think she was ever hurt, Sarah did win round one 10-9. I guess a light bulb went on between rounds because Alexis took Sarah down and got the win with an armbar. And until Sarah develops a ground game, that's how you you beat her. What will it take for her to at least be able to defend on the ground? That weakness has cost her all her losses. Opponents have figured that out. Anyway, it's a big win for Alexis especially after how she lost to Ronda Rousey. But I'm not sure it puts her any closer to a title shot. I don't do fantasy booking so I don't know who Alexis should face next. Enjoy the video!

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Tanya Tucker

Artist:Tanya Tucker
Song:Delta Dawn
Album:16 Biggest Hits





Though Delta Dawn was not Tanya Tucker's biggest hit, she was 12 years old when it hit the country charts in 1972 and established her for the bigger hits that came after. And Tanya continued to have success in the 80s and 90s. She was born Oct. 10, 1958 in Seminole, TX. Her father was a heavy equipment operator and the family moved around quite a bit. Tanya grew up in Arizona and Utah and she wanted to be a performer at an early age. After performing at the Arizona State Fair with country singer Judy Lynn, Mel Tillis liked Tanya enough to invite her on stage to sing with him. The Tucker family moved to Las Vegas in 1969 to advance Tanya's singing career. Songwriter Dolores Fuller gave Tanya's demo to legendary Columbia Records producer Billy Sherrill, best known for producing Tammy Wynette, and he signed her up. Sherill's original plan was to have Tanya record The Happiest Girl In The Whole USA but Sherrill heard Bette Midler sing Delta Dawn on The Tonight Show and he had Tanya record it. Of course Donna Fargo had a huge hit with The Happiest Girl In The Whole USA. Delta Dawn was written by former child rockabilly star Larry Collins and veteran Nashville songwriter Alexander Harvey, not to be confused with the Scottish rocker Alex Harvey. Harvey recorded Delta Dawn on his 1971 Capitol Records album Alex Harvey which was partially produced by Kenny Rogers. The first recording of Delta Dawn that I heard was by Dianne Davidson on her 1972 Janus Records album Backwoods Woman. Bette Midler heard Tracy Nelson sing it at a club (Tracy sang backup on Harvey's album) and added it to her show though I don't think Midler ever recorded it. Helen Reddy did have a pop hit with Delta Dawn after Tanya's recording was a hit. Tanya's recording of Delta Dawn reached #6 on the Country Singles chart. But when fans found out her age, she became a big sensation and scored #1 country hits with What's Your Mama's Name and Would You Lay With Me (In A Field Of Stone). Tanya left Columbia for MCA in 1975 and continued to have success there and later on at Capitol Records. This budget comp has her Columbia hits including Tanya's original recording of Delta Dawn. Beware of re-recorded versions. Tanya Tucker has been one of the more durable country music artists but this is how her career started. Here's Tanya Tucker performing Delta Dawn on Hee Haw 1972.

Lackluster Invicta show plays out in front of empty seats

The biggest problem with last night's Invicta show is we could see that the hall was empty on TV. It became a topic of discussion on Twitter instead of the fights. I am told that KC is a poor MMA market and I know that Invicta owner Shannon Knapp is from KC. It's still a poor reason to go there if you can't draw. The solution is to piggyback on UFC shows like they did in Los Angeles in February and as they will in Las Vegas in July. At least they can fill the joint. They couldn't even give tickets away in KC. They had the same problem in Dallas so it's not just the location. As they did in Dallas, Invicta gave an unknown Brazilian fighter a main event title shot. That's a tough sell no matter where you go. As it turns out, Livia Souza is a pretty good fighter and and she won the Invicta Strawweight Championship from Katja Kankaanpaa. But if you're a promoter, fans shouldn't have to accept that a fighter deserves a title shot out of nowhere just because the promoter says she's good. That's a leap of faith most fans won't accept and it's poor marketing as opposed to poor matchmaking. Katja knew that Livia was dangerous on the ground and for the most part, she was able to neutralize her for the first three rounds. I just think she should have tried to keep the fight standing and she could have won a decision because typically, Katja doesn't have the punching power to KO anyone. But the way the fight was going, I thought it was inevitable that Katja would make a mistake and that's what happened. Livia won with a fourth round triangle choke. The rest of the main card was weak considering the main event had an unknown fighter in it. The co-main had Vanessa Porto win by unanimous decision over Roxanne Modafferi. The fight went about as I expected. Vanessa did just enough to win but she was never close to a finish. She did miss weight though. I didn't think this fight should have been that high up on the card and the fight itself didn't convince me otherwise. Faith Van Duin beat Amanda Bell by what Shayna Baszler called a Schoolboy Choke at the beginning of round two. It was a cross between a Bulldog and a Rear Naked choke and it was funny to hear commentators TJ DeSantis and Julie Kedzie struggle over what to call it. Both fighters were making promotional debuts so maybe this should have been on the prelims. Amanda's claim to fame was her KO win over Ronda Rousey's BFF Marina Shafir. But I had seen Amanda before and she tends to be overly aggressive and reckless and it cost her this fight as it has cost her before. She needs to learn controlled aggression. Raquel Pa'aluhi beat Ediane Gomes by unanimous decision. This fight was at 135lb. Raquel is better than her 4-4 record. My observation of her is she should be more selective about who she fights as sometimes she has been clearly overmatched. Gomes is in an odd position because she would get killed by top 145lb fighters but she doesn't have the quickness to fight at 135. And that was the big difference in this fight. Raquel was much quicker than Gomes in the first two rounds. And when Raquel slowed down in the third round, Gomes couldn't get the finish she needed. In the first match on the main card, Latoya Walker beat Peggy Morgan by unanimous decision. Latoya is a boxer so we know what she wants to do and Peggy did nothing for three rounds. Look, I understand why Peggy is on the main card. She was on TUF 18. But I thought she was terrible on the show and she has done nothing in Invicta. The one fight she won was wretched. Both fighters stunk out the joint. What will it take to send her back to Palookaville? In the prelims, Lacey Schuckman returned to Invicta and beat Jenny Liou by first round TKO. That's what I expected. Lacey tends to have problems with better competition. In what was probably the best fight on the show, Sharon Jacobson beat Delaney Owen by unanimous decision. UFC fighter Raquel Pennington was in Sharon's corner. It was competitive but I thought Sharon was more aggressive and Delaney just seemed to react to that. And that's a good way to lose a decision. Shannon Sinn beat Maureen Riordon by unanimous decision. Apparently these two used to train together so this was kind of a grudge match. I didn't like either of them and for someone who is a Glory kickboxer, Maureen didn't show much striking skill. Both are over 30 so I don't see much of a future for either of them. And in the opener, Sijara Eubanks beat late replacement Gina Begley by first round TKO. I thought this would be Invicta's weakest show to date and the main card was particularly lackluster. Other than the main event upset, there was nothing surprising on this show. It went like I thought it would.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Mtume

Artist:Mtume
Song:You, Me and He
Album:Soul Hits Of The 80's





You, Me and He was one of two big hits by 80s R & B group Mtume. The other hit, Juicy Fruit, is supposed to be one of the most sampled songs in history. The leader of Mtume was percussionist James "Mtume" Forman. He was born Sept. 27, 1946 in Philadelphia the son of jazz sax legend Jimmy Heath. He started out in Miles Davis' 70s band that was more funk than jazz. Mtume was on the 1972 album On The Corner and the 1974 album Big Fun. Guitarist Reggie Lucas was also in that band. The two left Davis in 1976 for Roberta Flack's band. The two formed Mtume and brought in session singer Tawatha Agee. After two albums on Epic Records had modest success, Lucas left and was replaced by Ed "Tree" Moore. Lucas went on to be one of the producers on Madonna's 1983 debut album. The 1982 single Juicy Fruit topped the R & B charts and is supposedly one of the most sampled songs in history. You, Me and He is more of a slow jam. But it did just as well on the R & B charts in 1984. The sax solo is by Sonny Fortune. Unfortunately, the only Mtume comp released to date is out of print. So you can't get both singles on one CD. I recommend this 3CD various artists budget comp to get You, Me and He. Mtume split up in 1986 and both Mtume and Lucas have had long careers as producers. Tawatha Agee recorded a 1987 solo album and then returned to session singing especially with Luther Vandross. Here's the video for You, Me and He by Mtume.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-The Trews

Artist:The Trews
Song:Every Inambition
Album:House Of Ill Fame





The Trews are originally from Nova Scotia and had success on the Canadian charts in the late 90s. Every Inambition was their first single and they would go on to have a couple of number one hits in Canada. The Trews are a family group from Antigonish, NS. Colin MacDonald is the lead singer. His brother John-Angus MacDonald is the guitarist. Cousin Sean Dalton plays drums and childhood pal Jack Syperek plays bass. They formed while in high school as One I'd Trouser after a Monty Python song in The Meaning Of Life. They released an EP under that name and then a fan suggested The Trews which acknowledges their Scottish roots. They moved to Naigara Falls to be closer to the Canadian music business hub in Toronto. In 2002, they won Rocksearch, an annual talent contest held by St. Catherines radio station HTZ-FM and this got them a record deal with Bumstead Productions with Sony BMG Canada distribution. The 2003 debut CD House Of Ill Fame was produced by Big Sugar lead singer Gordie Johnson. Every Inambition was the first single and it reached #14 on the Canadian Rock chart. They went on to have number one Canadian Rock hits like Not Ready To Go, Hold Me In Your Arms and Yearning. Their music is straight ahead Beatles influenced rock. They don't try to get fancy. Of course there's a lot of competition out there and that has made it difficult for The Trews to establish themselves outside Canada. But they still have a big following especially in the Maritimes. Syparek's father owns several clubs in Nova Scotia so he handles their booking. Their latest CD The Trews was released April 2014 and it features a guest appearance by Serena Ryder. They will tour Canada this summer. If you have never heard of them, The Trews are worth checking out. Here's the video for Every Inambition by The Trews.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Tommy Dorsey

Artist:Tommy Dorsey f/Edythe Wright
Song:The Dipsy Doodle
Album:The Seventeen Number Ones





Edythe Wright was a featured vocalist in Tommy Dorsey's band from 1935-39 usually on his radio broadcasts. She sang several Dorsey hits from that era including The Dipsy Doodle and You was probably the biggest Dorsey hit she appeared on. She was apparently born Aug. 16, 1914 in Bayonne, NJ. I say apparently because the census info is sketchy. Her father died when she was young and she and her siblings lived with their grandparents. After graduating high school, Edythe ran a coffee shop with her sister and studied drama at the New Jersey College for Women in New Brunswick, NJ. In the summer of 1935, bandleader Frank Dailey asked Edythe to fill in for his regular vocalist on a show at the Asbury Park Casino. She was spotted by Tommy Dorsey's manager and he hired her to sing in the Dorsey band. She wasn't crazy about the idea but at age 21, she needed a job. Edythe was frequently described as sultry. Her singing voice was okay but I wouldn't describe her as passionate. She appeared frequently on Dorsey's radio show and those recordings are available on a massive box set. You and The Dipsy Doodle were her two biggest hits. The Dipsy Doodle was written by Larry Clinton who recorded his own version with his big band. There are no Edythe Wright CDs but you can get several of her notable recordings on this budget CD. Like Dorsey's male vocalist of that era, Jack Leonard, Edythe left Dorsey in 1939. She was ultimately replaced by Jo Stafford and of course Leonard was replaced by Frank Sinatra. Edythe constantly argued with Dorsey over her dislike of performing novelty songs and that led to her departure. Both had notoriously fiery tempers. Afterwards, Edythe moved to Los Angeles and worked in radio voiceovers. She moved back to New Jersey in 1950 and managed musician Sy Oliver. She was married with a son and was involved in local politics and amateur theater. Edythe Wright died of pancreatic cancer on Oct. 27, 1965 at age 51. Here's a video of The Dipsy Doodle by Tommy Dorsey featuring Edythe Wright.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-R. Kelly and Public Announcement

Artist:R. Kelly and Public Announcement
Song:Honey Love
Album:The Essential R. Kelly





Robert Kelly has been an important R & B artist and producer for over twenty years. Honey Love is one of his first big hits from his debut album. He was born Jan. 8, 1967 in Chicago. His mom was a singer and Kelly grew up singing in church. He was also a very good basketball player and was on the high school basketball team. One of his teachers suggested he leave the team and concentrate on music. By the late 80s, Kelly had a group called MGM (Musically Gifted Men) and he won the TV talent show Big Break in 1989. MGM released one single and split up. Kelly signed with Jive Records in 1991 and he wanted a backup group. He auditioned Public Announcement (Earl Robinson, Andre Boykins, Ricky Webster) and hired them. They were billed as R. Kelly and Public Announcement for the 1992 debut CD Born Into The 90s. So it was supposed to be a group but Kelly wrote all the songs and sang all the lead vocals. So he might as well have used studio singers. Honey Love was the second single and Kelly's first #1 R & B hit. The song is a standard slow jam that could have been written by anyone. Honey Love was used in the 1993 film Menace II Society. Born Into The 90s was certified Platinum. Kelly and Public Announcement toured and then Kelly left to go solo in early 1993. I don't know why he thought he needed a backup group in the first place. Public Announcement split up but would reform in 1998. Of course Kelly would go on to be a big star with hits like I Believe I Can Fly. Honey Love is on this 2CD Essential comp but Born Into The 90s is available as a budget CD. So that was R. Kelly in his early days. Here's the video for Honey Love by R. Kelly and Public Announcement featuring an appearance by Halle Berry.