logo
episode-header-image
Aug 30
49m 6s

Roots of R&B: Charles Brown & Ray Charle...

NPR
About this episode
All week we're revisiting archival interviews with key figures in early rock and roll, rockabilly and R&B. We listen back to a 1989 interview with singer and pianist Charles Brown. Brown is credited with creating an expressive style of music that blended rough Texas blues with the soft glamour of Hollywood. And we revisit a 1998 interview with soul singer Ray Charles, who helped shape American music, beginning with his 1955 hit, “I Got a Woman.”

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy
Up next
Yesterday
Best Of: Ben Stiller / Cynthia Erivo
<p dir="ltr">Ben Stiller talks about his new Apple TV+ documentary about his actor/comedian parents Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara. In the ‘60s and ‘70s, they were famous as the comedy duo, Stiller and Meara. Ben talks about growing up in a showbiz family, where there was no separa ... Show More
48m 11s
Nov 21
A Look Back At Hitchcock’s ‘Psycho’
<p dir="ltr">Sixty-five years ago, Alfred Hitchcock shocked audiences with his film ‘Psycho.’ It broke Hollywood conventions about what a film should and should not do, ushered in a new era of horror/thriller, and became one of the most studied movies in cinema history. We listen ... Show More
46m 51s
Nov 20
A Sleep Scientist Excavates The World Of Dreams
<p dir="ltr">Michelle Carr has spent years researching what goes on in the brain while we dream. She explains dream engineering, including how sensory inputs like light, sound and vibration can influence the subconscious. Her book is ‘Nightmare Obscura.’ <p dir="ltr">Also, TV cri ... Show More
44m 40s
Recommended Episodes
Jul 2022
GGACP Classic: Charles Fox
GGACP celebrates the 40th anniversary of one of Gilbert's favorite comedies, "Zapped!" (released July 23, 1982) with this 2019 interview featuring Grammy and Emmy winning composer Charles Fox. In this episode, Charles looks back on a six-decade career of writing top 40 hits (“Kil ... Show More
1h 35m
Jun 2024
GGACP Classic: Charles Fox
GGACP celebrates the recent release of the musical documentary "Killing Me Softly with His Songs" (now streaming) by revisiting this memorable interview with Grammy and Emmy winner Charles Fox. In this episode, Charles looks back on a six-decade career of writing top 40 hits as w ... Show More
1h 35m
Nov 2024
Human Conditions: ‘Black Music’ by Amiri Baraka
In 'Black Music', a collection of essays, liner notes and interviews from 1959 to 1967, Amiri Baraka captures the ferment, energy and excitement of the avant-garde jazz scene. Published while he still went by LeRoi Jones, it provides a composite picture of Baraka’s evolving thoug ... Show More
17m 57s
Jun 2023
Michael R Jackson on his hit musical, Ray BLK on Champion, the Natural History Museum
Playwright and composer Michael R Jackson talks about his musical A Strange Loop, which won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. The musical is based on his own experiences and follows a black man working as an usher at the musical The Lion King, who is himself writing a musical about a ... Show More
42m 18s
Mar 2022
K. Stephen Prince, "The Ballad of Robert Charles: Searching for the New Orleans Riot Of 1900" (UNC Press, 2021)
For a brief moment in the summer of 1900, Robert Charles was arguably the most infamous black man in the United States. After an altercation with police on a New Orleans street, Charles killed two police officers and fled. During a manhunt that extended for days, violent white mo ... Show More
1h 11m
Sep 2024
Music of My Mind from 'The Wonder of Stevie'
Renegades listeners! We'd like to share the first episode of an exciting new Audible Original podcast. It's called The Wonder of Stevie. You might think you know Stevie Wonder. You might think you know his music. But you’ve never heard it like this. Host Wesley Morris is taking y ... Show More
59m 21s
Jul 2024
Questlove Supreme: George Benson
George Benson examines his transition from a top Jazz guitarist into a highly respected vocalist. He shares the origin stories behind several 1970s hits like "Breezin" and "On Broadway" plus recalls working with Stevie Wonder, Bobby Womack, and Al Jarreau. George also discusses h ... Show More
53m 50s
Oct 2024
Chris Brown: The Most Violent and Dangerous Man in R&B Music
We explore the controversial legacy of Chris Brown, one of the most talented yet polarizing figures in R&B music. From his meteoric rise to stardom to the troubling incidents that have marred his career, we unpack the complex narrative surrounding Brown. Known for his smooth voic ... Show More
49m 55s
May 2016
45. James McBride (Author) – Fear Sells Many a Car/James Brown is a Noun
“Fear is just a monster motivator. It sells many a car and harnesses many a vote.”  – James McBride, in this episode. Fear, says National Book Award winner and New York Times bestselling author James McBride, was the most powerful force in the life of James Brown, the Godfather o ... Show More
35m 10s
Sep 2024
Music of My Mind from 'The Wonder of Stevie'
<p>Higher Ground listeners! We'd like to share the first episode of an exciting new Audible Original podcast. It's called The Wonder of Stevie.</p><p><br></p><p>You might think you know Stevie Wonder. You might think you know his music. But you’ve never heard it like this.&nbsp;< ... Show More
59m 21s