Muhammad Ali

       Born Cassius Marcellus Clay, Jr. on January 17, 1942, in Louisville, Kentucky. Later to become Muhammad Ali, he was not afraid of any fight inside or outside the ring. Growing up in the segregated South, Ali experienced firsthand the prejudice and discrimination that African-Americans faced during this era.

Muhammad Ali Interview 

 

     At the age of 12,his bike was stolen, and Ali told a police officer, Joe Martin, that he wanted to beat up the thief. Martin also trained young boxers at a local gym and advisd him to learn how to fight first.

  Ali started working with Martin to learn how to box, and soon began his boxing career. Three years later, he won the Golden Gloves Tournament of Champions and the Amateur Athletic Union's national title for the light-heavyweight division. In 1960, Ali won a spot on the U.S. Olympic Boxing Team and went on to win the Gold medal and the black superman had arrived.

 Black Superman

     
  When he returned he went professional and in 1964 upset Sonny Liston in Miami to become heavyweight champion of the world. The next day, Clay announced to the world that he was a member of the Nation of Islam and that his name was Cassius X. The X reflecting the unknown name that was taken from him by the slave owners centuries before.

Malcolm X Interview  

  The national response was immediate, negative and intense. Cassius X, soon to be given the name Muhammad Ali, by NOI founder Elijah Muhammad.  Ali continued to defend his crown against all comers, then 1967, as the Vietnam War was escalating, Ali was called up for induction into the Armed Services. Ali refused induction on the grounds of religious beliefs. The boxing association took away his title and suspended him from the sport for three and a half years.
   In 1970, while his case was still on appeal, Ali was allowed to fight again.Ali returned to the ring and fought Frazier in October of that year for the world title but lost when Frazier hit him with a left hook in the final round.

Rumble in the Jungle 

      In the summer of 74 after two losses to Frazier and Norton Don King arranged a purse of ten million dollars for Ali to fight Foreman for the world title in Zaire Africa.Sponsored by the dictator of that country President Joseph Mobutu.

 Foreman younger and stronger man, who had never lost and had knocked out 37 of his 40 opponents. His last eight fights had all ended inside six minutes. Foreman had destroyed Joe Frazier and Ken Norton, the two men who had beaten Muhammad Ali. He was surely unbeatable in the same way that Sonny Liston had been.Ali had a plan to defeat Foreman it was called

Rope A Dope Ali began the bout by lying on the ropes and letting Foreman punch him, without any attempt to attack Foreman. As a result Foreman spent all his energy throwing punches in a oven like heat, they either did not hit Ali or were blocked in a way that would do little damage to Ali. This loss of energy was the key to the "rope-a-dope" teachnique.

Thrilla in Manila September of 1975, for the third time, Ali fought Joe Frazier.The fight lasted 14 grueling rounds in temperatures approaching 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Ali won many of the early rounds, but Frazier staged a comeback in the middle rounds. By the late rounds, however, Ali had reasserted control and the fight was stopped when Frazier was unable to answer the bell for the 15th and final round his eyes were swollen closed. 

Ali won the title for a record third time in 1978 against Leon Spinks.He retired in 1981.

Sam Cooke and Muhammad Ali Gangs All Here 

 Ali Quotes

  At home I am a nice guy: but I don't want the world to know. Humble people, I've found, don't get very far.  

Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee

He who is not courageous enough to take risks will accomplish nothing in life.

I figured that if I said it enough, I would convince the world that I really was the greatest.

I know where I'm going and I know the truth, and I don't have to be what you want me to be. I'm free to be what I want.

I wish people would love everybody else the way they love me. It would be a better world.

Picture This The Beautiful Deborah Harry

 

   Born in 1945 in Florida, Deborah Harry was adopted at about three months of age by Richard and Catherine Harry. She was raised in New Jersey, where as a teenager she said of herself "I used to dress in black every day and pretend to be tough"  

  

    She spent most of her twenties working odd jobs as a secretary, cocktail waitress and Playboy bunny, while rubbing shoulders with the Warhol set.

In October 1973 Harry began both a musical and personal relationship with Chris Stein. Together, Deborah and Chris formed Blondie. The name of the band Debbie said she got the idea from the lurid shouts of passing truck drivers "Come on Blondie, give us a screw!"

Deborah Harry Interview

It was only in Australia they succeeded to begin with and in 1976 the song In The Flesh became a number one hit in that country.Internationally Blondie battled for success for another year or so until late in 1977, 'Denis' reached number two in the British charts. 'Heart of Glass' was Blondie's first worldwide hit, reaching number one in both America and Britain.   

Sunday Girl

 

    Harry's glamorous platinum blonde looks, keen wit and creative musical style propelled Blondie to mega stardom, and the group had several number one hits, including 'Call Me', 'The Tide is High', and 'Rapture'.

Call Me

 

   Today the 64-year-old Blondie vocalist said she would still like to wear revealing clothes when performing, but although she recognises she should dress more for her age, doesn't feel comfortable wearing suits onstage.
She said "For me, performance is about forgetting what I'm wearing. Just putting it on and knowing it's right. I'd like to wear hot pants  honest, guys, I really would  but those days are gone.
"I had someone say to me, 'You should just wear Chanel suits.' I tried. I wasn't comfortable."
 The singer also said she thinks the internet has ruined the mystique surrounding rock stars, and it is harder to surprise people than her heyday in the late 70s

One Way or Another Live

  

                                                           Pretty Baby Live

 

 

  .

Winston Churchill

Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill  

Born at Blenheim Palace, Oxfordshire on 30th November 1874

    

British politician, best known as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom during World War II. In 1893 he enrolled in the Royal Military College. He graduated two years later ranked eighth in his class. He was appointed Second Lieutenant in the 4th Hussars cavalry.

     Winston Churchill was a war correspondent in the second Anglo-Boer war between Britain and self-proclaimed Afrikaaners in South Africa. He was captured in a Boer ambush of a British Army train convoy, but managed a high profile escape and eventually crossed the South African border to Mozambique.

He first stood for Parliament in 1899 and serving as an MP in the House of Commons from 1900 to 1922 and from 1924 to 1964

 Winston Churchill during World War II

     At the outbreak of the Second World War Churchill was appointed First Lord of the Admiralty on Chamberlain's resignation in May 1940. Churchill was then appointed Prime Minister and formed an all-party government. In response to previous criticisms that there had been no clear single minister in charge of the prosecution of the war, he created and took the additional position of Minister of Defence.
His speeches at that time were a great inspiration to the embattled United Kingdom. His famous "I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat" speech was his first as Prime Minister. He followed that closely, before the Battle of Britain, with "We shall defend our island, whatever the cost may be, we shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender." 

QUOTES

Although prepared for martyrdom, I preferred that it be postponed.

  Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference.

Continuous effort - not strength or intelligence - is the key to unlocking our potential.  

Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen.

If the human race wishes to have a prolonged and indefinite period of material prosperity, they have only got to behave in a peaceful and helpful way toward one another. 

It is a mistake to look too far ahead. Only one link of the chain of destiny can be handled at a time. 

Man will occasionally stumble over the truth, but most of the time he will pick himself up and continue on. 

If you are going through hell keep going. 

Orson Wells with Funny Churchill Story 

Nobel Prize in Literature 1953

       Churchill was also a notable historian, producing many works and he was awarded the nobel prize for literature in 1953.The aAmerican author Ernest Hemingway was also in the running that year but the Prize was awarded to Churchill "for his mastery of historical and biographical descriptions as well as for brilliant oratory in defending exalted human values."

 Some of Churchill's Works

   The World Crisis detailing the First World War and The Second World War are highly autobiographical, telling the story of the conflict.

The River War - Published in 1899  Kitchner's reconquest of the Sudan in 1898.

Savrola  Churchill's only novel. Published in 1900
Lord Randolph Churchill - A two volume biography of his father.
The World Crisis 6 volumes covering the Great War
My Early Life - An autobiography covering the first quarter century of his career.
Marlborough - A biography of his ancestor, John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough 

The Second World War 6 volumes

A History of the English Speaking Peoples
The Scaffolding of Rhetoric  a 1,763-word essay on oratory.
Painting as a Pastime a short appreciation of painting

 Funny Churchill Stories

 

An aide brought Churchill the morning paper with the news that one of his Cabinet Ministers would have to resign because he had been caught having gay sex with a Grenadier Guardsman in Green Park the night before.

Churchill said: "It was cold last night was it not?"
the aide replied: "Yes Sir, only 23 degrees" (that's -5 in new money)
Churchill replied: "Makes you proud to be British" 

Sir, if you were my husband, I would poison your drink.’ Lady Astor to Winston Churchill
Churchill's reply ‘Madam, if you were my wife, I would drink it.’ “

 

The Tragic Sam Cooke Story

         Sam Cooke was born Samuel Cook on January 22, 1931 in Clarksdale, Mississippi. Sam’s father was Charles Cook Sr a Baptist minister and his mother Annie May Cook. They had Sam and 7 other children. Charles was a travelling minister in the Church of God, a section of the Baptist faith which started around 1900.
     When Sam was 15 years old he became the front man of a teenage gospel group called the “Highway QC’s” where R.B. Robinson, baritone singer of the Soul Stirrers, trained him. With the QC’s he travelled on the gospel circuit and performed on radio shows.

    When the Soul Stirrers’ R.H. Harris left the group because he was sick of the business a very young Sam Cook was asked to replace him. He did an audition and was accepted as a member of the Soul Stirrers. This all happened in 1950 when he was only 19 years old. In 1957, as he himself said, financial situation, caused him to explore the possibility of crossing over to sing popular music.

      He became a successful solo artist from 1957 until his death in 1964, with hits like Wonderful World, Good Times ,Send Me Some Lovin,Cupid, Only Sixteen, Soothe Me and many others most written by Sam himself. Two hits that are always associated with the great Sam Cooke are You Send Me and A Change Is Gonna Come. 

The Sar Story

      Another part of his legacy which has'nt seen the light of day as yet is as a record company owner and record producer.Cooke and his long-time friend and singing associate J. W. Alexander started the Sar label in 1957. It was dissolved shortly after Cooke's death in 1964. The rights to the recordings and the publishing were bought up shortly thereafter by Allen Klein, who was Cooke's last manager. 

   Fifty-seven singles and Four LPs were issued on the Sar label and 11 45s and two LPs on Derby Records.
Many of the records have a strong Sam Cooke sound. All Sar and Derby records remain very collectible.

         Hopefully, someday someone will plot out sensible compilation LPs of most of the issued cuts and the best of what may remain unissued.
   The artists on the label are largely singers and musicians that Cooke and Alexander knew through their years on the "Gospel Highway" as quartet singers .

Valentino's

 I Gonna Forget About You

Sam's Death

   Just remembering Sam is not around to defend himself.

I am not saying that this is not how it happened.There is always two sides too a story, anyway its a long time ago now.History!

      Lisa Boyer was the name of the woman Sam met on the evening of December 10, 1964. She was a singer as well. She was dining with friends, and Sam was to sing the last song of his life, Good News. Apparently he offered to give Lisa a lift home, and ended up taking her to a club called PJ’s. Sam had some sort of altercation there, and they left. He offered to take her home, but he was fuming from the altercation, and drove very fast, all the way to the Hacienda Motel on South Figueroa.
 
  He registered under the name Sam Cooke, at 2:35am. The woman that signed him in was called Bertha Lee Franklin. She noticed that he was not alone, so she made him change the name to Mr. and Mrs. Sam Cooke. You must be morally correct to sleep in a 3 dollar a night room. They got to the room, and everything fell apart.
   According to her testimony, Sam began ripping her clothes off, and yet still proclaiming they were "just going to talk." Lisa was positive she was going to be raped. She asked if she could use the bathroom, but the door wouldn’t lock, and she couldn’t get the window open. When she returned, Sam was naked. He went into the bathroom after her, and she saw this as her cue to escape. She grabbed her clothes (and apparently some of Sam's), ran out the door, and started to pound on the manager’s door. No answer. (Bertha was on the phone to the motel owner, Mrs. Carr) She fled, to find a phone booth, where she made a call to the cops. By the time the manager opened the door, Lisa was gone.

Lisa’s call was logged in at 3:08 am. "Will you please come down to this number. I don’t know where I am. I’m kidnapped."

       Meanwhile, Sam blows a gasket. He goes to the manager’s office, positive she is in there. He pushed his way in, demanding, "You got my girl in there!" They got into a scuffle keep in mind Sam was wearing only a sport coat at this point nothing else. He tried to shove his way into her apartment, positive that Lisa was hiding in there. He searched it, couldn’t find her, then grabbed Bertha and demanded to know where the girl was.    
   Bertha grabbed her trusty .22 and shot Sam three times. One of the shots was made only an inch from him, blowing a hole in Sam’s chest, collapsing both lungs. "Lady, you shot me," were his last words.

 There was an event only a few months prior to his death which tragically had an effect on the family. Sam and his wife Barbara lost their 18-month child in a swimming pool drowning. They also had two other daughters, age 11 and 4 at the time.

     At Sam's funeral, about 200,000 fans showed up to pay their respects. Lou Rawls, Ray Charles, and Bobby "Blue" Bland all performed at the service. He was buried in Glendale, California at Forest Lawn Memorial Park.

Sam's Epitaph

   Sam Cooke's photo laying against a wall after being shot dead.

A change is Gonna Come 

Cooke wrote this as a protest song to support the civil rights movement, as black Americans fought for equality. Up to this point, most of his songs were either touching ballads ("You Send Me") or lighthearted uptemo tunes ("Twistin' The Night Away"). When Cooke heard Bob Dylan's "Blowin' In The Wind," he became determined to write something similar - he couldn't believe Dylan's song wasn't written by a black man.

Blowin in The Wind Sam Cooke

Good Times

        This was one of the last songs Cooke wrote and recorded before he was killed on December 11, 1964. One of Cooke's lighter songs, it's about enjoying oneself at a party. It's an example of one of Cooke's songs that was accessible to white audiences.

Good Times Rolling Stones 

Love this clip 

Mick looks so young 

and looked like he was enjoying himself

Cupid 

       Rolling Stone magazine's Top 100 songs, Sam Cooke's producers had the idea for him to do a song for a girl they had seen on a Perry Como TV show. "She didn't do anything but just look up at Perry Como in the most wistful-type manner," said J.W. Alexander, Cooke's business adviser. Cooke decided to drop in the sound of an arrow being fired "Straight to my lover's heart" whenever the song called for it.

 Johnny Nash Reggae Cupid

Bring It On Home to Me Live Harlem Club

Somebody Would Ease my Troublin Mind Eric Clapton and Sam Cooke