Reading sheet music can be very intimidating for a beginning guitarist. It is, after all, a brand new language composed of a lot of symbols that are new and alien. But Reading sheet music is a must for anyone who wants to be a serious guitarist and it will take your guitar playing well beyond anything that TAB will show you. Tablature is a crutch. It will only teach you how to play songs and compositions by rote. It is true that with Tab you will learn how to play a piece of music but in the process you are missing some of the real things that music, and being a musician are all about.

What is the goal of a guitarist?

Playing pieces of music is not the only goal of a guitarist. Growth in both technical ability and creativity are just as important. When you learn a piece of music by TAB you experience a certain amount of growth but as you master the piece your growth quickly levels off. You have learned the piece and you practice it only to keep it sharp. When you learn a piece of music with traditional sheet music you are not just learning the notes you are also learning another language. This exercising of your mind makes you more flexible, more capable, and more creative. With time and practice you recognize keys, chords, progressions and whole host of things you would never see with TAB.

Advantages of Reading Sheet music

Hearing the music -As your skill develops and your ears sharpen you will be able to pick up a piece of written sheet music and actually hear the notes without playing the guitar. It is a language that you have learned. For some this ability comes quickly and for others it takes years of practice.

Creativity Learning a language exercises a new part of your brain. Everyday, as you apply yourself to learning this new language you will grow. And this growth promotes your creativity. You are given many more tools to work with and apply to your music composition and you gain a broader, and more colorful, understanding of music.

Sight Reading – As you develop your skill in reading sheet music you will gain the ability to pick up a piece of music that you have never seen before and play it from sight. This ability makes you a competent musician and accelerates your ability to add pieces to your repertoire.

Breadth of Repertoire - Does your taste in guitar music deviate from the mainstream? It can be very difficult to find tablature for pieces that are not mainstream. But you can always find the sheet music. It is the language of music.

Cross-pollination with other instruments – If you have heard a piece of music written for another instrument; like the piano, bass guitar, cello, or anything else where would you find guitar tab for it? If you are able to read sheet music you can get a copy of the music, understand it, and transcribe it for your guitar. This holds true for sub-genres of guitar. There is an enormous amount of music available to guitarists that are not written in tab. Music like classical guitar, flamenco, Spanish and progressive/experimental. Reading sheet music gives you instant access to all these flavors of guitar.

The Ultimate Reward

As a guitar player, or aspiring guitar player, you know that it is not something that you study for a few weeks and are done. Playing guitar is a life long pursuit and learning tablature is just a short cut that enables you to play some songs. But learning to read sheet music is a skill that will have a more profound impact on your experience with the guitar and with the music. It will make you a better, more creative, and more capable player. It will enrich your experience with the guitar and with the music in ways that tab never can.

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Gangster rap, or hardcore rap, is generally considered a sub genre of the larger category of rap music, which itself is a subcategory of hip-hop. Gangster rap is differentiable from other rap music in that it makes use of images of urban life associated with crime (Haugen, 2). According to the Encyclopedia Britannica definition of gangster rap, the top four images associated with the genre are violence, drugs, materialism and sexual promiscuity.

Gangster Rappers as Defining the Hip-Hop Social Group
As the hip-hop movement has gained recognition throughout the United States, it has established itself as one of the fastest growing social groups anywhere. In the late 1990s immediately following the murders of both Tupac Shakur and Christopher Wallace, two nationally known gangster rappers, a propaganda campaign escalated against rap music and the hip-hop culture (Slaughter). Although gangster rap only represented a small percentage of the hip-hop culture at the time, all hip-hop and rap music was instantly stereotyped negatively as being gangter-like. Why? Well, this gangster version of hip-hop was the highest selling and most recognized form of hip-hop music among the majority class. And many critics have determined that this is because America is in love with sex, drugs and violence (Whaley).

Hip-Hops Rejection of Inferior Social Group Status
Henri Tajfel, a social psychologist who developed a theory of inter-group relations and social change, argues that members of a social group deemed inferior by a majority class can either accept or reject their inferior position in society. If a group refuses to accept its inferior position in society as just, it will attempt as a group to change things (Coates, 8-9). A large number of hip-hop artists have used their musical lyrics to reject the inferior social status placed upon them by the majority class.

The Reconstruction of the Gangster Identity
I have found that hip-hop artists use lyrics, both musical and poetic, to redefine the negatives characteristics given to their culture by the majority class, and in the process, reconstruct the gangster identity. By examining these hip-hop and gangster rap lyrics as text, I will show ways in which the lyrics attempt to reconstruct the stereotyped gangster rap identity by examining different views of violence, drugs, materialism and sexual promiscuity. In the end, one tends to wonder: Who exactly are the real gangsters?

Violence
That the hip-hop culture represents gangster-like violence is perhaps the biggest disputed claim amongst hip-hop artists. In order to disprove this claim, many hip-hop artists have pointed to the violence that exists within the majority social group, and how it leads to violence all over the world. In Violence, 2 Pac demonstrates his belief that violence was prevalent long before gangster rap existed:

I told em fight back, attack on society
If this is violence, then violent’s what I gotta be
If you investigate you’ll find out where it’s comin from
Look through our history, America’s the violent one

Here, the poet points to American society as the violent one and that he has to be violent in order to fight back.

In Who Knew, Eminem showed a similar viewpoint by expressing his belief that violence is a common occurrence in American society, yet not challenged in genres outside of the urban environment:

So who’s bringin the guns in this country?
I couldn’t sneak a plastic pellet gun through customs over in London
And last week, I seen a Schwarzaneggar movie
Where he’s shootin all sorts of these bad guys with an Uzi

Here, the poet questions the existence of violence in a country that allows firearms and violent movies.

In Casualties of War, Rakim blames the United States government, specifically its Head of State, as the group causing the violence in society with their war-like ways:

I’ma get back to New York in one piece
But I’m bent in the sand that is hot as the city streets
Sky lights up like fireworks blind me
Bullets, whistlin over my head remind me…
President Bush said attack
Flashback to Nam, I might not make it back

In this text, the poet refers to our countrys decision to go to war as an example of the violence that exists amongst the majority social class.

In The Watcher, Dr. Dre redefines the negative characteristic of violence by pointing to the police force as the source of violence, and therefore, referring to them as gangster-like:

Things just ain’t the same for gangstas
Cops is anxious to put people in handcuffs
They wanna hang us, see us dead or enslave us
Keep us trapped in the same place we raised in
Then they wonder why we act so outrageous
Run around stressed out and pull out gauges
Cause everytime you let the animal out cages
It’s dangerous, to people who look like strangers

Here, the poet accuses the majority class of keeping them trapped in the same place we raised in and that the perceived violence is only due to the introduction of people who look like strangers.

These are examples of how hip-hop artists redefine the image of violence by showing how it exists or was created within the majority social group.

Drugs
Another common disputed stereotype of hip-hop artists is their use and distribution of illegal drugs. In attempts to redefine this negative characteristic, many hip-hop artists have pointed at the majority social group as the facilitator of drug abuse.

In Justify My Thug, Jay-Z speaks directly to members of government, raising questions about who has made the availability and use of these drugs possible:

Mr. President, there’s drugs in our residence
Tell me what you want me to do, come break bread with us
Mr. Governor, I swear there’s a cover up
Every other corner there’s a liquor store – what is up?

In this example, the poet inquires as to why there is a liquor store in every other corner of his community.

In I Want to Talk to You, Nas uses the same approach to challenge the notion of drug distribution by asking his representatives what they would do in his situation:

Why y’all made it so hard, damn
People gotta go create their own job
Mr. Mayo,r imagine if this was your backyard
Mr. Governo,r imagine if it was your kids that starved
Imagine your kids gotta sling crack to survive

Here, the poet claims that the distribution of drugs is not only an effect of the poverty that exists in his environment, but also a means of survival.

In Manifesto, Talib Kweli actually accuses the government of being the body which allows drugs into the country:

Like the C.I.A. be bringin in crack cocaine bailin out of planes
With the George Bush connections, I push Reflection
Like I’m sellin izm, like a dealer buildin the system
Supply and the demand it’s all capitalism
People don’t sell crack cause they like to see blacks smoke
People sell crack cause they broke

In this example, the poet accuses the C.I.A. of flying drugs into the country, and again reiterates the point that it is a means of survival due to the supply and demand of a capitalist society.

In Damn It Feels Good to be a Gangster, the Geto Boys fully redefine the negative characteristic of drug distribution by accusing the President of being a drug dealer, and therefore, a gangster:

And now, a word from the President!
Damn it feels good to be a gangsta
Getting voted into the White House
Everything lookin good to the people of the world
But the Mafia family is my boss
So every now and then I owe a favor gettin’ down
Like lettin’ a big drug shipment through
And send ‘em to the poor community
So we can bust you know who

These examples show how hip-hop artists redefine the image of being drug dealers and users by again pointing to the majority class as the creator of the drug problem in this country.

Materialism
Hip-hop music is also seen by the majority class as a genre dominated by materialism. Again, artists point back to the majority class in an attempt to redefine this negative characteristic.

In Respiration, Black Star points to all the wealth surrounding urban areas, and how it absorbs the lower class in materialism, making them want parts of that wealth:

Where mercenaries is paid to trade hot stock tips
For profits, thirsty criminals take pockets
Hard knuckles on the second hands of workin class watches
Skyscrapers is colossus, the cost of living
Is preposterous, stay alive, you play or die, no options

Here, the poet talks about various materialistic aspects of the majority class, and how the lower class must play or die to stay alive.

In All Falls Down, Kanye West actually blames this materialism on American society:

It seems we living the American dream
But the people highest up got the lowest self esteem
The prettiest people do the ugliest things
For the road to riches and diamond rings

In this example, the poet blames the American dream for materialism, saying it causes people to do the ugliest things for riches and diamond rings.

In Los Angeles Times, Xzibit also blames this materialism on the majority class, claiming that is what the youth are taught coming up in urban environments:

Welcome to L.A.
Where you can see the whole city burning
Cause the cops got Uzis and the dealers keep serving
And your kids ain’t learning it, except this
Sex power and wealth, forget everything else

Here, the poet expresses his belief that certain aspects of materialism, including power and wealth are taught to children through occurrences in society.

These are examples how hip-hop artists redefine the negative characteristic of being materialistic by showing examples of how this materialism is prevalent in the majority class, and often created within that class.

Sex
And the final debated stereotype of the hip-hop social class is that they are sexually promiscuous, often leading to disrespectful treatment towards women. The poets also attempt to redefine this stereotype by blaming the core of the problem on society.

In Pussy Galore, the Roots claim that the countrys obsession with sex is pushed by sexually-driven marketing campaigns:

Lookin’ out the limo window up at the billboards
200 miles, she was the only thing I saw
Promotin’ everything, from the liquor to the nicotine
Cell phones, anti-histamines, chicken wings
You gotta show a little skin to get them listening
For real yo, the world is a sex machine

In this example, the poet retells a personal experience in which he saw sex advertisements as promotin everything. And in order to get them listening, he claims, you gotta show a little skin.

In Get By, Talib Kweli blames this sexual obsession on what we view on television:

The TV got us reachin for stars
Not the ones between Venus and Mars,
The ones that be readin for parts
Some people get breast enhancements and penis enlargers

Here, the poet expresses his belief that television creates a misconception of what people should be sexually, and that contributes to the promiscuity that is being blamed on the hip-hop movement.

Hip-hop artists have used their lyrics and poetry to influence the rejection and reconstruction of the gangster identity that plagues their social class. This is accomplished through the redefining of negative characteristics assigned by the majority class. In most cases, these redefinitions include pointing to the majority class as the real holders of these negative characteristics. The redefining of these gangster-like images through hip-hop lyrics helps to reconstruct the gangster identity by questioning gangster-like behaviors and which social class actually has these behaviors. So the question presented is: Who exactly are the gangsters?

Works Cited / Discography
2 Pac. 2Pacalypse Now. Jive Records, 1991.
Black Star. Mos Def & Talib Kweli are Black Star. Rawkus Records, 1998.
Coates, Jennifer. Women, Men and Language. Longman Publishing, New York: 1993.
Dr. Dre. The Chronic 2001. Interscope Records, 1999.
Eminem. The Marshall Mathers LP. Interscope Records, 2000.
Geto Boys. Uncut Dope LP. Interscope Records, 1999.
Haugen, Jason. Unladylike Divas: Language, Gender and Female Gangster Rappers. Popular Music and Society: December, 2003.
Jay Z. The Black Album. Def Jam, 2003.
Kanye West. College Dropout. Roc-A-Fella Records, 2004.
Nas. I Am. Sony Records, 1999.
Rakim. Dont Sweat the Technique. MCA Records, 1992.
Rawkus Records. Lyricist Lounge Volume 1. Priority Records, 1999.
Slaughter, Peter. Attack on Rap Music. Barutiwa Weekly News. June 14, 1997.
Talib Kweli & DJ Hi-Tek. Train of Thought. Rawkus Records, 2000.
Talib Kweli. Quality. Rawkus Records, 2003.
The Roots. Phrenology. MCA Records, 2002.
Whaley, Angela. Hip Hop is Not for Sale. Colorado State Universitys Talking Back: Volume 3, Issue 1.
Xzibit. 40 Days and 40 Nights. Loud Records, 1998.

Nathaniel Long is the creator and editor of Hip Hop Linguistics, a website dedicated to studying, interpreting and understanding hip-hop music, language, philosophy and culture. You can read more articles and reviews at http://www.hiphoplinguistics.com.

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While Wolfgang Mozart showed an amazing aptitude for music very early in life, he also displayed an absolute affinity for women. His charm was alluring, earning him the title, The Most Kissed Boy in Europe.

Unfortunately, his adorable charm began to fade when, at age seven, he proposed to the future queen of France, Marie Antoinette, and was rejected. Things got worse when his girlfriend and the love of his life forgot him after his absence during a musical tour of Europe. She didn’t even recognize him when he entered the room. Ouch.

Imagine, were he alive today, young Mozart could have tried courting 21st Century-style with a date at the movies. This teen was the type of courter who, eager to scoop a handful of bosom in the dark theatre, would employ the stretch and clutch maneuver.

This is a smooth and delicate movement where the suave pubescent pretends his arms need a stretch. After slowly lifting his limb closest to his target, he reaches around to her furthest shoulder and casually rests his hand there. Little by little he begins to feel the overwhelming force of earth’s gravity as his hand creeps down.

This tactic sometimes backfires, leaving a buttery hand print across the attacker’s doleful face and an angry phone call from the girl’s father. In the event his device failed, he would have simply pursued her sister. It worked for him back in the 1700′s!

Well, sort of.

His wife, the sister of the first forgetful girl, was described by him as not ugly, but in no means a beauty. He went on to write, She is not witty but has enough sound common sense to enable her to fulfill her duties as a wife and mother. Again, ouch!

Enough of Wolfgang. One fellow who never had any romantic charm to begin with was Franz Schubert, nicknamed Little Mushroom for his chubby stature, little round glasses, and shy, geeky nature. A crummy catch for most girls , he was a poor composer who couldn’t even afford his own piano and composed his piano works on a cheap guitar.

At one point he thought the best way to woo a potential sweetheart was to write her a love song. Unfortunately, he couldn’t sing to save his life ever since his voice broke at age 16. He devised a scheme where his friend, Schober, a handsome tenor, sang the tune to the girl with Schubert’s piano accompaniment. Much to the mushroom’s dismay, when the song was finished, the girl embraced Schober!

If only he were born in the mid-1900′s, Schubert would have been much more successful in catching girls with his music. All he would have to do was holler out the song himself, strum a few chords on his Fender and gaze at her through his groovy, John Lennon-style glasses. The guy would have been a babe magnet, and I’d still love his music, be it changed.

Peter Tchaikovsky had disastrous relationships. His first marriage lasted only 9 weeks, which resulted in him trying to kill himself. Other affairs didn’t get much better. He finally met a wealthy 46-year-old widow, but their relationship never went past writing letters for 14 years. They met once by pure accident and were so embarrassed that they ran in opposite directions.

Peter would have done very well had he the chance to date on the Internet. Thousands of on-line dating and matchmaker services offer a highly selective process in which the seekers specify the personality, physical appearance , income bracket and other details of themselves and their potential mates. Peter was a handsome lawyer who dressed very well and had expensive taste. This successful and famous musician was also sensitive guy who wasn’t afraid to cry. This hunk would have cleaned house on www.composerdate.com.

Even if he chose to continue his relationship with the widow on-line, it would’ve saved him oodles in postage stamps and would have been much quicker than mail delivery in 1880′s Russia. Maybe he could’ve gone a step further and picked up the phone, or even hopped on a plane to take a visit! It’s these modern-day miracles in technology that could have bridged an awkward gap in poor Tchaikovsky’s love life.

As I write this I think of what my love life would have been like if I lived in the time of the great composers. Chances are, I would’ve married for money, or worse, against my will, and life as a woman would have meant serving my husband and fifteen-plus children. At least my corset would’ve had me too breathless to complain…

Even though life seems to be more complicated in the 21st Century than ever before, I’m blessed to have a relatively simple life with endless opportunities and to have found love. It’s not romantic, but it’s simple, it’s real and it’s mine.

**Rhiannon Schmitt (nee Nachbaur) is a professional violinist and music teacher who has enjoyed creative writing for years.

She currently writes columns for two Canadian publications and Australia’s Music Teacher Magazine. Writing allows her to teach people that the world of music is as fun as you spin it to be!

Rhiannon’s business, Fiddleheads Violin School & Shop, has won several distinguished young entrepreneur business awards for her commitment to excellence. Her shop offers beginner to professional level instruments, accessories and supplies for very reasonable prices: Visit http://www.fiddleheads.ca

Rhiannon is also Founding President of the Shuswap Violin Society which promotes violin & fiddle music and helps young musicians in need: http://www.violinsociety.ca

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Twenty five years ago, the birth of a darker side of music was forming. Straight out of the loins of fast, furious punk, came the sombre approach to life and death in the form of Goth. It was initially the delights of North London in such suburbs as Camden Town that was first blamed. Pointed at by conservative bony fingers for the introduction to such macabre ways of thinking, it was actually Nottingham and the surrounding areas, it has been said, first took the giant steps into a brave new witchcraft -like world. Even though Nottingham didnt achieve great Goth status in the eyes of the rest of the English speaking world, (no claim on Joy Division, Im afraid) they did mange to put in their pennys worth as far as other music was to go.

So, we know that every town can have a stab at a claim to fame on the generating genre list. Its not difficult for the Liverpudlians to shout Cilla Black or Gerry and the Pacemakers in front of a passing tourist. They dont even have to mention the B word too much these days. Even Leeds can boast the more recent Sisters Of Mercy; probably one of the most innovative bands from the Goth movement, but, hold fast, there are more obscure places to go and find the birth of great names. What about Cobham in Surrey who gave us Peter Gabriel and who can forget Stanmore in Middlesex who gave us Billy Idol? So who have we been able to identify as more than just a blotch on the British music industry from this historic city?

Well, delving through the deepest depths of the back of my mind, I came up with two bands who have graced us with their enigmatic presence. The first of these bands are almost certainly going to be figures of the Sixties generation. Back in the midst of the psychedelic decade, long haired, introverted students were busily working away on their own stunning slants of already secure music themes. It wasnt just The Beatles that we got all unnecessary about by any stretch of the imagination. The youth of the day were shifting into a pattern of generating their own angles of music that their parents had been brought up on. The British Blues scene took its turn at peaking around the late Sixties with such sounds from John Mayall, Eric Clapton and Peter Green. Born out of the inspiration of the ever changing social acceptance of free thinking, a certain band flung themselves onto the general public from Nottingham and they eventually called themselves, Ten Years After. Appearing as though they had all failed the audition for Easy Rider, and with Leo Lyons, their bass guitarist looking more like Frank Zappa, these three individuals came together an created some of the greatest British born Blues around.

Although they may not light up any seasonal fire crackers in your minds, they will have made their presences felt throughout the revolutionary British Blues scene. Solidifying true Southern U.S blues with a predominately white guitar feel, they embarked on a historic career that has never really ended. Even though British Blues artists had been smouldering away in the privacy of their own bedrooms since the late Fifties, it was, strangely and literally, ten years after that this sound from the now, heavenly regarded, artists of that time, really came to the fore. It was great musicians like Alvin Lee, of Ten Years After, that gave us the backbone of a lot of the rock music we still listen to today.

Thankfully, they are still going strong and sounding just as exciting and revolutionary as they did forty years before, they just look like our dads now; bearded, friendly and trusting like a well behaved Spinal Tap, they undoubtedly, can still rock. For future gigs and contact, please go to www.ten-years-after.com.

The next influential band to come out of the Robin Hood city was a band that need no formal introduction. Tindersticks plunged head first into our ears initially as the strangely titled, Asphalt Ribbons. Quite where this name originated, I dont know, and even so, it was not under this name that they found any great success. Yet, it was the three musicians plus three more that gave us the name that stayed fast. Although, they never appeared to conger up any real critical acclaim, they did have a fairly memorable album, The Second Tindersticks Album, that landed the position of number 13 in April 1995. Describing them to a complete stranger is rather a difficult task as they did seem to create a genre all of their own. Not quite fitting into a known category, other than chamber pop, they may have been brushed casually with the title of Goth Gods, although this would have been better felt to be at the most extreme end of the scale where Goth may have met Country on a unique and totally accidental night

One thing was for certain, they somehow found the same frequency as a few other darkly spirited romantics floating around at the time. As the colourful craziness of the Eighties came to an abrupt halt and the more monochromed moroseness of the Nineties began, Tindersticks found themselves an audience that was surprisingly and completely at their mercy. Their depressingly precise lyrics and heart aching melodic music was quite the tonic for the faint hearted. Even though they were fundamentally a band who produced meaningful prose and wistful string arrangements, they were not unlike the pensive side of Lou Reeds Velvet Underground. The brooding vocals of Stuart Staples in Tindersticks was enough to melt the most coldest of souls. His emotion altering lyrics shifted darkly and absorbingly through the aching tunes and mournful chords, that the listener felt quite dragged in to his doom and gloom world. Perhaps making what we knew as mainstream Goth more along the lines of Stock, Aitken and Waterman..

Despite their bleak outlook, their beauty came from their traditionally perfected arrangements. Their music, although noose-needing, spelt out a theme that probably applies to us all at some stage in our lives. What Tindersticks gave us was an alleyway; destitute and deathly as it was, but a path when, on such down trodden moments, we might just find a guiding light. These glamorously laced themes dripping with personal failure were beautifully crafted with such musical skill that the songs seem practically timeless. It could well be argued that there never was, nor will there ever be, a band with such a gentle, inoffensive sound quite like Tindersticks. Find out more about this uniquely accomplished band at www.tindersticks.co.uk.

Since the two above mentioned bands slot into the filing cabinet of our minds of bands from Nottingham, they couldnt really be any further apart in the genre sense. Yet they are just as important to mention as any other, more famous name from anywhere esle. Both just as inspirational now to up and coming bands as others were to them in past decades. With this in mind, and with these two enchantingly professional groups, perhaps it is about time that we were graced with another band or artist from this city

michelle duffy 2006

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(1) The BMG Music Service offers the best deal you’ll find — 11 CDs for the price of shipping ($2.79 each) when you buy one CD at full club price, which is typically about $15 plus shipping. That works out to about $4 per CD. Its chief competitor, Columbia House, has an offer that works out to about $8 per CD.

(2) When you join, you will receive a catalog in the mail about every three weeks, along with a postcard that highlights a featured selection in the genre you selected when you joined. You must return this postcard by the due date or the club will send you the selection. You can decline online, however, by logging into your account. This makes the process much easier.

(3) If you forget to return the card and receive a CD you don’t want, the clubs are good about letting you return it. But the beauty of this system for the clubs is that this happens often enough and many people don’t bother sending it back. They just pay the invoice.

(4) If you don’t see the CDs you want in a newspaper or magazine advertisement visit the club’s site to browse. Copy down the item number of the CDs into the form (some titles will not be available as free selections and this will be indicated). Also, the clubs usually do not have the latest and greatest albums until months after their release.

(5) The clubs press their own CDs, which some people feel makes them inferior. But if you can hear the difference, you have better senses than most humans.

(6) The clubs no longer have toll-free numbers, so the best way to contact them is by email. Always include your account number. The current phone number and email address is listed each month in your membership catalog.

William Pilgrim has been a member of both BMG and Columbia House. You can read more about the clubs and their history at http://www.dealdude.com by searching for keyword cd clubs. Copyright 2005 cc Media, Inc.

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Times are changing. Digital music is accessible music and the industry is changing fast. Here, you’ll find extraordinary selection of services and sites where you can explore and find interesting sounds (and video) to pep up your iPod. The message is simple: if you’re hungry for music but don’t want to break the law, there are numerous legal alternatives to file sharing.

MySpace

MySpace has emerged as the leading destination for musicians and fans to meet, with 106 million users worldwide and it’s free to join, all it requires is that you fill in a registration form and create a profile. Once you’ve published your own page on MySpace, you can explore other pages and get connected to people and musicians you like by asking to be added to their collection of friends.

If you come across a band that you like, you just need to hit the ‘Add’ button in the clearly marked ‘Contact’ box, which is generally situated under the main profile description. When you submit a friend request, the other party receives a message telling them you want to get connected, so they can vet and approve you.

You will also receive the same message when others try to befriend you. You can expand your network quickly by leaving comments on your friends’ sites, thanking them for allowing the connection it’s good MySpace etiquette, and what you write may attract new friends to you. As your network grows, you will find it increasingly easy to find new, talented musicians.

MySpace also integrates ways users can recommend artists they like, for example, any page can host background music chosen by the page owner. When you navigate to a website playing music that you’d like to promote, you can choose to have that track play automatically when others visit your page.

You simply need to use the ‘Add’ button beneath the selected song. You’ll then be asked if you want to add the song to your page answer ‘Yes’ and the job is done. Personal users can only have one such streamed track on their site, while bands can carry two to four songs. Bands can choose to make their tracks available for free download, or just for streaming.

MySpace alternatives

While MySpace is the clear market leader in terms of users and activity, there are other social sites offering free and legal music downloads that will work with iPods.

GarageBand

Around since 1999, this music website hosts pages for independent bands. You can subscribe to fanlists, contact bands, find out about releases and gig dates, and speak with other fans. Site visitors can review music they find which can help casual browsers find some sounds they may like. Musicians decide whether to make music available only for streaming, or for free download.

SoundClick

With 3 million members and almost 2 million songs, SoundClick is a free community-based site focused on musicians. It offers tracks and information from thousands of unsigned acts, with music split into categories (Metal, Alternative, Pop, and so on). You can listen to streamed music, and some bands offer tracks in MP3 format for download. Bands can also choose to sell songs through this service.

Bebo

This social-networking site recently introduced its Bebo Bands service. While you can use the site to find new acts, it doesn’t yet offer music for download, but you can add tracks you like to your playlist on your own profile page. These songs only stream when you visit the site.

Pandora

This streaming service can help you find new artists, but doesn’t offer music downloads. It’s based on the Music Genome Project, which analyses every detail of songs to accurately recommend and play tracks based on a user’s taste. You set up channels Happy Mondays, for example and the service will stream tracks it thinks are similar. It’s a nice way to find new acts you may like, which you can then look for elsewhere.

Bands websites

Most bands these days have their own dedicated websites, some personally run by the act. Some offer free music downloads for fans, while others offer their own music stores where fans can buy tracks.

Legal music sales at low prices

Newly launched, the web-based eMusic subscription service offers a catalogue of 1.4 million tracks from indie labels. Songs cost as little as 17p. Unlike other subscription-based services, you can download and keep the music you choose. The site trusts its customers.

Songs are sold in MP3 format (encoded at 192k) and are free of any digital rights management technology. You can use your eMusic purchases on any system or any player (naturally including iPods and iTunes). You are allowed to burn your music to as many CDs as you like, and host your collection on as many machines as you want.

There are three subscription packages: Basic, 40 downloads per month for 8.99 per month; Plus, 65 downloads per month for 11.99 per month; and Premium, 90 downloads per month for 14.99 per month.

eMusic’s site navigation isn’t as slick as iTunes, but it does offer a wealth of information about the music it sells. It also publishes charts based on sales, so you can easily find the hottest new acts. Music is split into genres, such as ‘Alternative’, ‘Jazz’ or ‘Hip Hop’. Each genre is further divided into the sub-genres that exist.

You are encouraged to create your own playlists, which others can take a look at to help you find a band you might enjoy. You can also rate and review tracks.

Downloading tracks isn’t as straightforward as in iTunes as you need to install a software called the ‘eMusic Download Manager’ for both Mac or Windows (www.emusic.com/dlm/download.html).

Once you find a track you want to buy, click on the download link beside it. A file is then downloaded to your desktop. If you’ve set up your browser to automatically open downloaded files in the correct application, the Download Manager will open the file and begin downloading the track(s) to a folder, ‘My eMusic’, which the software creates on your desktop.

Once you have the music you can drag and drop it into your iTunes library (iTunes will import it, and file it just like any other track in its collection), or, in iTunes, select ‘File—Add To Library’ and navigate to the downloaded music in the eMusic folder on your desktop.

Other music services

While eMusic is the cheapest, most smaller music services have begun offering music in MP3 formats. It makes sense for digital services to do this, as Apples iPod is by far the most popular player and songs sold in other protected formats wont work on iPods. Process tends to be about the same or slightly higher than iTunes. The following services may be worth watching checking out.

Wippit

One of the oldest UK download services, Wippit offers a broad catalogue of music, though only minority of its catalogue will work with an iPod or iTunes. Tracks cost from 29p. The service also sells video, comedy and ring tones.

7 Digital

This service offers limited selection of music in the iPod-friendly AAC format. Songs are encoded at 192k (better than iTunes) and cost 77p. This service also offers video for iPods. The company also runs websites for bands and offers a service that lets unsigned acts sell their tracks.

TuneTribe

Most of TuneTribes major label catalogue is incompatible with iPods as its sold in Windows Media format. Some tracks mainly from indie artists are available as MP3s. Albums cost 7.99, while singles cost 89p. The site also offers articles written by working music journalists.

Trax2burn

This service offers a wide catalogue of dance music tracks at varying prices, approximately 1.49 per track. For that you get the music in MP3 format. Because its a service for working DJs, songs are encoded at 320k, which is approaching CD quality.

On the Blog

Theres a wealth of clued-up music-focused websites that legally distribute music (usually in MP3 format) for free. These are promotional tracks, which are made available to drum up interest in a band. The following sites are recommended to get you started exploring this alternate online music universe.

Epitonic

Epitonic has been around since 1999. Its mission is to switch music lovers onto new sounds and acts. Site features include a streaming radio station, reviews, features and band profiles. You can search the site for particular artists and navigation is easy. Some bands allow Epitonic to offer songs in MP3 format for free download, others just allow the site to stream songs so users can decide if they like the band.

The site also features a helpful recommendation system, listing similar artists on every individual artist page. Sadly, this service seems to be on its last legs staffs have revealed no future plans to update content, indicating it may be removed at some point. The site is still worth exploring if you are looking to boost your collection of avant-garde and indie music, and has an audience of dedicated users.

The Wire

This venerable international magazine focuses on non-mainstream experimental music across multiple genres. Because of its unique place in the hearts of music-makers, over the years it has gathered a substantial collection of free and legal MP3s, many of which it makes available for download. These include tracks from many top-flight musicians. (www.thewire.co.uk/web/mp3.php)

Knobtweakers

Knobtweakers promotes electronic music. The site offers a regular weekly podcast featuring the best underground electronic music talent from around the globe. It also hosts or links to tracks in MP3 format that are being made available legitimately with permission from the artists. Occasionally updated, the site also offers in-depth reviews and features covering emerging artists, so its an invaluable resource for fans of the genre. (www.knobtweakers.net)

Oddio Overplay

Dedicated to odd, obscure and out-of-print music, this site offers an extensive index of free and legal music downloads being made available across the internet. It also offers an extensive links section, and information that will be useful to independent musicians seeking outlets. The primary purpose of this site is to connect artists and audiences.

EC Brown

Artist Erik Brown hosts his creations on this website, including photographs of work he has made, links to web projects he has been involved with. For iPod users hungry for new music, Erik also hosts a page of MP3 links, which he describes as a personal log of MP3 links in various genres. Youll find links there to many more sites offering legitimate music downloads. (www.kittyspit.net/erik)

TofuHut

This site is a bloggers attempt to let readers know about the latest new MP3s as they reach the web. You should be aware that some of the tracks it suggests arent being made available legitimately, but many tracks are actually legal to download. The site also offers an extensive list of links to similar blogs, which are available at http://tinyurl.com/ae4ko (http://tofuhut.blogspot.com)

TourDates

This UK-based site acts as a gig listings website for all types of bands (signed and unsigned), DJs and other musical performers. It offers dedicated pages where musicians can tell audiences what they do, and also has a wide selection of free promotional MP3s from a host of independent acts. Theres also a forum where users can discuss the music they hear.

Net labels

Net labels distribute music exclusively in MP3 format. They are a little like more traditional labels in that they aim to promote albums or projects and build a profile of artists. However, these shoestring operations are managed by enthusiasts attempting to build careers outside the corporate music industry.

Net labels are particularly supportive of the notion of free downloads, and many of their releases are made available under licenses, such as Creative Commons License, that encourage sharing. Copyright remains with the artists, who tend to be electronic and computer music makers. Net label sites tend to link to others, so its a nice way to find some avant-garde musical gems.

Net labels releases

This yahoo groups site is maintained by net labels themselves. Label owners submit details of new releases as they happen, news updates and newsletters. Its not a conversational site, but remains an essential stop for anyone looking to explore new music from the scene. (http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/netlabels)

Netlabels.org

This site is a huge index of the worlds net label sites. Youll find information on new labels as they appear, the latest releases, and lots of helpful advice for others hoping to start their own online music brand. There are also monthly updated charts detailing the most popular releases.

Beatpod

Another net label portal, Beatpod offers news and information about new releases, and also hosts a forum where music fans can rate and review these new releases. Theres also a built-in music player on the site, as well as the ability to download tracks to your Mac or PC. An extensive links section and links to other net labels completes the offering.

Internet Archive: Audio Archive

Founded in 1996, the Internet Archive is a non-profit organisation that collects and maintains a huge historical archive of digital creative products. Its well known for holding a huge collection of website images you can see Apples home page in different years, for example.

It also maintains a huge audio collection, in which net labels are well presented. The collection includes alternative news shows, Grateful Dead concerts, old radio shows, book and poetry recordings, and a huge assemblage of original music contributed by users. Its a tremendous historical collection of sounds. (www.archive.org/details/audio)

More than music

Some iPods will play and store video, and can be used to play back your video collection on some TVs. Apple doesnt sell TV shows in the UK yet, but does offer short Pixar movies and music videos. But where else can you go to find and download new and free videos for your iPod? YouTube and Google Video are first stops youll find personal movies, bits of TV shows and other delights on these sites.

Google Video

Googles video service offers a range of clips, as well as some material for sale (available only in the US). In some ways, tracking down the best clips is challenging, unless you know exactly what you are looking for. If you are searching for something specific, then its as effective as any other Google search if it exists, youll find it.

Google has made it easy for viewers to download clips they want to keep. To the right-hand side of movies that can be downloaded is a Download button. To the right of that button theres a drop-down menu where you can decide whether to download it for Mac/Windows, iPod or PSP. Once you have downloaded the clip, you simply need to open iTunes and select File→Add File to Library to import the clip to the media browser, after which it will be synced to your video iPod next time you connect it to your Mac.

YouTube

Its little more complicated with YouTube. While the site has grown astonishingly popular, eclipsing Google and others in terms of the number of users it interacts, it doesnt make it easy t download clips. The most straightforward way to download a YouTube clip for your iPod is to use the excellent KeepVid service (http://keepvid.com).

When you come across a YouTube clip you want, just enter the URL into the green box at the top of the KeepVid page, hit submit and a few moments later youll be given a download link.

Unfortunately, files are downloaded in the iPod-incompatible Flash video (.flv) format. You need to convert the clip using a conversion utility such as iSquint (www.isquint.org), which is free and extremely easy to use. You just need to drag the file into iSquint, select Optimize for iPod and press Start.

BBC Creative Archives

UK users should take a look at the BBcs Creative Archives, a collection of video footage thats free for UK residents to download for use in their own projects, or to rip to a format thats suitable for iPods and iTunes. The library of available material is frequently updated, and now features clips from the BBC, Channel 4, Open University, British Film Institute and Teachers TV.

Once youve downloaded a clip, you can convert it into iTunes/iPod-friendly format using iSquint or directly within iTunes. (http://creativearchive.bbc.co.uk)

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~Continued from Part 1~

As Selena’s popularity grew placing additional demands on the band (e.g. travel), Abraham removed Selena from the 8th grade, drawing immediate unwarranted criticism. Some accused him of violating Child Labor laws while others warned that he was ruining his kids. They’ll be surrounded by drinking and drugs and it’s going to have an effect on them, the critics incorrectly predicted.[1

Despite the skeptics, Selena remained unaffected. She continued to have fun and enjoy singing. She kept her down-to-earth personality and refused to snub anyone, believing that if you treat people good, it [will come back in the end.[2 Accordingly, Selena always maintained a great repertoire with her fans and audience.[3 At the same time, she also kept up with her academics and earned a G.E.D. from a Chicago-based Correspondence School at 17.

As Selena was growing into a star, her brother, A.B. III was becoming an accomplished songwriter and producer, after originally taking it up to supply his youngest sister with the quality, original material that the band lacked. One of his first songs, Dame Un Beso enjoyed moderate success. Before long, A.B. III supplanted his father as the band’s leading songwriter. In addition, Ricky Vela, another band member also assisted with music composition.

When the bands second album, Alpha was released, it brought Selena her first music honors. She won Female Vocalist of the Year at the 1987 West Texas Hispanic Music Awards and KFLZ Awards ceremonies and was voted Female Vocalist of the Year and Performer of the Year at the Tejano Music Awards. This recognition introduced Selena to two influential people: Rick Trevino, founder of the Tejano Music Awards and Johnny Canales, a television personality on one of the top-rated Spanish shows. Their efforts gave Selena much needed publicity, expanding the horizons for Selena Y Los Dinos.

Two more albums, Preciosa and Dulce Amor were released in 1988 earning Selena greater recognition. With album sales exceeding 20,000, Selenas name began to spread beyond Texas. Not surprisingly, Selena was a finalist for Female Vocalist of the Year for 1988 and Terco Corazon and A.B. III were nominated for Single of the Year and Songwriter of the Year, respectively, at the Tejano Music Awards.

Despite Selenas growing fame, the Quintanillas lifestyle had not changed much. They continued to live on beans and hamburgers and shared just about everything. As a result, they had Nobody You Know written at the top of the bands bus, Big Berthas front windshield.

Their fortunes, though, changed dramatically when Selena was signed by Jose Behar, the former head of Sonys Latin music division and creator of the Capitol/EMI Latin label in 1989. The signing came about when Behar and a friend, Mario Ruiz, who became President of EMI Mexico attended the 1989 Tejano Music Awards searching for new talent and discovered Selena. The events went as follows according to the account by Jose Behar:

…We were standing at the back of the auditorium when we saw her. Mario and I looked at each other like, ‘Wow. This is special.’

…I said, ‘It’s interesting. Women don’t sell in the Tejano market.’ And they really hadn’t. Yet I said to myself, ‘This is the crossover act I’m looking for.[4

Afterwards, Behar, believing that he had found the next Gloria Estefan, a popular and successful crossover Latin artist went backstage and met and signed Selena after talking to her father. At the time, Behar never imagined how many records Selena would eventually sell.

Despite her signing with Capitol/EMI Latin and her taking Female Vocalist of the Year honors at the 1989 and 1990 Tejano Music Awards, and also Female Entertainer of the Year at the 1990 Tejano Music Awards, Selena’s first few new releases did little better than her previous ones. However, another breakthrough came in 1991 when she was paired with Alvaro Torres in Buenos Amigos. Their video soared to #1 on the Billboard Latin Tracks Chart giving Selena national exposure. An appearance on Donde Quiero Que Estes with the Barrio Boyzz, an immensely popular Latin band further enhanced Selena’s rising stature, enabling her to enter the international Latin market with her solo hits, La Carcacha and Como La Flor.

Johnny Canales then helped make Selena an instant Celebrity in Mexico leading to an offer star in a leading role in a Mexican Soap opera, which she turned down because of its steamy scenes. Though determined to make it big, Selena wasn’t about to sacrifice her principles. She valued her appeal to her broad audience that consisted of young children and grandparents alike.

Performing in skin-tight pants, low-cut bustiers, and shiny outfits was her limit. Unlike many others, Selena did not need to forego her morals for fame. Her natural-born talent was sufficient. In addition, when Johnny Canales compared Selena to Madonna, Whitney Houston, and Janet Jackson, all pop stars, he declared, I’d say [Selena was like those people, but better. Those people never sang Tejano. She could do what they do, but it would be hard for them to do what she does.[5

Also during this time, the Los Dinos Band was expanding, providing Selena with some of her happiest moments. Pete Astudillo, a Laredo, Texas native and talented artist joined in 1989. Together, he and Selena went on to perform hit duets like Yo Te Amo and Amame, Quiereme.[6 Accordingly the pair were twice nominated for Vocal Duo of the Year at the Tejano Music Awards.

A second great addition was Chris Perez, who briefly joined Los Dinos in 1988, left a year later to try it on his own, and then returned in 1990. Chris was a talented guitarist who eventually became Selena’s husband. They were married on April 2, 1992.

Although Selena’s father initially opposed the marriage, he soon viewed Chris as a son.[7 Afterwards, Selena and Chris shared a nearby house, with her parents living next door in one house and her brother, A.B. III and his wife and children in another. Between the three houses there were nine dogs, five of which belonged to Selena, an avid animal lover. Later the pair bought a piece of land a little further away with plans to build a larger house to start a family and run a small farm. Prior to her death, Selena had already picked out the furniture.

As Selena’s career took off, she released two hit albums: Ven Conmigo featuring the hit song Baila Esta Cumbia in 1990 and Entre A Mi Mundo featuring the hit songs La Carcacha and Como La Flor in 1992. The great success of these albums completed Selena’s transformation from unknown to star. Then a show featuring Selena, La Mafia, and Emilia Navaira at the Summit in Houston in the summer of 1991 drew more than 9000 people. Next followed Selena Live in 1993, which gave the young singer her first Grammy along with three Tejano Awards, opening the door to mainstream pop.

After four years of attempts, Jim Behar, using Selenas soaring popularity and sales to their advantage, finally convinced EMI’s pop division to give her the crossover chance she had been dreaming of. Prior to 1993, Behar had faced repeated setbacks and had to start over each time when key executives left the Company. As one EMI executive, Nancy Brennan, Vice President of Artist and Repertoire summarized, All he [Behar ever talked about was Selena. He was like a broken record, ‘Selena, Selena…’[8

Brennan was exposed to Selena when she attended a Billboard Latin Music Convention in Las Vegas, Nevada to see Jon Secada, an immensely popular EMI artist. There, Selena’s opening made a lasting impression. By December 1993, Selena had been signed by EMI’s SBK subsidiary to begin her crossover album, which took a year-and-a-half to produce due to the tedious effort of finding the right songs and producers.

The 1994 Amor Prohibido success also added to the crossover delays since Selena was requested to appear everywhere. Nancy Brennan recounted one such episode when had been forced to postpone a recording session: This is the first time I have ever made a debut album by an artist who was too busy to record for me. How can you tell someone, ‘No I don’t want you to play the Astrodome for 60,000 people; I want you to work on your record. Everyone wants her.[9

The Amor Prohibido album featuring four #1 Latin Singles (title track Amor Prohibido No Me Queda Mas, Bidi Bidi Bom Bom, and Fotos Y Recuerdos launched Selena’s greatest year to date. When Amor Prohibido came out, it promptly replaced Gloria Estefan’s Mi Tierra at #1 on Billboards Latin Tracks Charts and even made the top 200 on Billboard’s Pop Charts. It led to six awards at the Tejano Music Awards ceremony attended by more than 45,000 people Female Entertainer of the Year, Female Vocalist of the Year, Orchestra Album of the Year, Record of the Year, Bidi Bidi Bom Bom Song of the Year, and Techno Cumbia, Crossover Song of the Year. More than 400,000 copies had sold at the time of Selena’s death less than a year after its release.

Selena also realized two more dreams in 1994. First, she opened a boutique/salon in Corpus Christi called Selena Etc. Since childhood, Selena had dreamed of designing clothing and jewelry. Second, she played a bit-role Don Juan DeMarco, a film released in early 1995 that starred Marlon Brando and Johnny Depp and offered the potential of leading to greater and perhaps leading roles. Acting had been a recent dream of Selena’s.

With the impending release of Selena’s cross-over album, Dreaming of You, her wide-spread fame and rocketing demand, a million-dollar record deal, a Grammy Award, endorsements from sponsors like Coca Cola and her own line of clothing, it seemed like Selena’s meteoric career could only rise higher. By this time, Selena had been named one of the most successful Latin entertainers in the world by Hispanic Business magazine.

The sold-out Astrodome Concert for the Houston Livestock and Rodeo February 1995 with a crowd of 61,000 , at the time, the largest in Astrodome history only strengthened this belief. Yet ironically and almost prophetically, when Selena was asked to speculate on her future during a July 1994 interview, she modestly stated, I just hope still to be alive, hopefully singing still and later on, maybe 10 years yonder, I hope to have a family by then.[10

Four years earlier, Yolanda Saldivar, a self-professed biggest Selena fan had come into Selena’s life after persistently requesting to start a fan club in her honor. Although Abraham had initially refused, he eventually gave in when Yolanda agreed to make it not-for-profit and donate leftover proceeds to charity. Eventually Yolanda’s relationship with the Quintanillas deepened when Selena named her Operations Manager to handle sales, customer-relations, and Selena Etc.s finances.

At the time, no one saw Saldivar’s dark obsession. Furthermore, no one had been aware that Yolanda had failed to pay off a $5300 student loan, left her nursing job under suspicious circumstances, been turned down by Shelly Lares, a prominent, young Tejano singer to form a Shelly Lares Fan Club, and been accused of stealing $9200 from a dermatologist she had worked for.

However, by early 1995, Abraham Quintanilla began to receive complaints from upset fans who reported that they were not receiving the Selena packets, consisting of a T-shirt, baseball cap, cassette/CD, and autographed poster they had paid for in membership dues. Money also began to go missing from the boutiques. With their suspicions growing, the Quintanillas conducted an investigation and discovered that Yolanda had written four checks, including one to herself for $3000 from the Fan Club’s books. Selenas father then angrily confronted Yolanda who claimed she could explain everything if given some time. Afterwards, Saldivar purchased a .38 caliber gun.

Yet despite the mounting evidence, Selena sent Yolanda to Mexico to assist with opening a Selena Etc. boutique in Monterrey. Hopeful that they could remain friends after the confrontation, Selena was willing to give Saldivar the chance she had requested to prove her innocence and find the missing papers.

Then while in Mexico, Yolanda phoned Selena to hysterically report that the car containing the documents had been stolen and that she had been raped. Yet Yolanda refused medical care when she returned to Corpus Christi. Instead, she requested that Selena meet her at the Day’s Inn motel in Corpus Christi. When Selena and her husband arrived, Yolanda failed to produce any documents.

Afterwards, Yolanda called Selena around midnight on the morning of March 31, 1995 claiming that she was suffering from internal bleeding caused by the rape. During the phone conversation, Saldivar pleaded for Selena to return alone, which she did in the morning.

Once there, Selena drove Yolanda to the hospital where she retracted her rape story. Afterwards Selena drove her back to the motel where they both argued after, it is believed, Selena fired her and planned to return a Faberge Egg ring funded by all of the boutique employees, which she had been misled into believing that Yolanda had generously given to her as a gift.

Upon hearing the argument and a gunshot, a maid cleaning a nearby room looked out the window and saw Selena clutching her chest, screaming for help as she fled from Yolanda who clutched the .38 in her right hand, aimed and fired again.

When Selena made it to the lobby, she collapsed, bleeding profusely from her wound. Although the desk clerk locked the door and called 911 for an ambulance, it was too late. Efforts to revive Selena, despite a blood infusion and electric shocks that briefly restarted her heart, were to no avail. She was pronounced dead at 1:05 PM. Afterwards, tens of thousands filed past Selenas open coffin to pay their last respects as her body lay in state.

Today, nearly 12 years after her death, Selenas legacy lives on. Despite the tragedy, Selena made the crossover into mainstream and is an icon whose spirit still lives. Reminders of Selenas warmth, generosity, and indelible beauty are all around Corpus Christi. Mirador de la Flor stands along the Gulf shore while a museum dedicated to her career stands only a few miles away. Each year thousands visit Selenas grave, Mirador de la Flor, and the Selena Museum. Selena memorabilia remains popular with rare autographs going at times for more than a $1000. With her continued fame and popularity, it would not be surprising if the United States Post Office eventually issued a stamp to honor Selenas enduring legacy.

[1 Rick Mitchell. Interactive Corpus Christi Caller Times Biography. (Houston Chronicle), 1995.

[2 Rick Mitchell. Interactive Corpus Christi Caller Times Biography. (Houston Chronicle), 1995.

[3 Bill Hewitt, et al. People Weekly. (Chicago, April 17, 1995) 49.

[4 Rick Mitchell. Interactive Corpus Christi Caller Times Biography. (Houston Chronicle), 1995.

[5 Rick Mitchell. Interactive Corpus Christi Caller Times Biography. (Houston Chronicle), 1995.

[6 Himilce Novas. Remembering Selena: A Tribute in Pictures and Words. (St. Martins Griffin: New York, 1995) 43-44.

[7 Rick Mitchell. Interactive Corpus Christi Caller Times Biography. (Houston Chronicle), 1995.

[8 Rick Mitchell. Interactive Corpus Christi Caller Times Biography. (Houston Chronicle), 1995.

[9 Rick Mitchell. Interactive Corpus Christi Caller Times Biography. (Houston Chronicle), 1995.

[10 Bruce Hagan, Producer; Joshua Kuvin, Editor, et. al. Dateline NBC Obsession. (April 7, 1995).

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Selena Quintanilla-Perez, now an icon in Tejano and mainstream Latino, Texas and pop culture, was born on April 16, 1971 to Abraham (II) and Marcella Quintanilla at Freeport Community Hospital, just outside their hometown of Lake Jackson, a small Texas community of 23,000, 75 miles from Houston. At the time of Selena’s birth, the Quintanillas had two other children, Abraham (A.B.) III, 8, and Suzette, 4.

Initially when Marcella began experiencing pregnancy symptoms, a doctor misdiagnosed her, declaring that she had a tumor that needed to be removed. Only after the Quintanillas went for a second opinion, did they receive an accurate diagnosis.

Upon learning of the pregnancy, both parents picked Marc Antony as the name for their baby, convinced that they were going to have a boy. Then when Marcella gave birth to a healthy, 5-pound baby girl, they chose Selena at the suggestion of her hospital roommate.

At the time of Selenas birth, Abraham worked in the shipping department of Dow Chemical, the anchor company of their community with a strong passion for music. Earlier, during the late 1950s and early 1960s, he and a few friends had formed a band Los Dinos and performed a mix of rock ‘n’ roll and traditional Mexican songs at nightclubs and restaurants in Corpus Christi. However, due to limited opportunities, Abraham had to give up the band when he married and took the job at Dow Chemical to support his family. Even though he gave up the band, Abraham’s passion for music didn’t die. Accordingly he taught his children how to play an instrument at an early age. A.B. III was taught bass and Suzette, the drums.

By the time Selena was three, Abraham spent many hours working with A.B. III and Suzette. Feeling excluded, Selena confronted her father, demanding to know why she couldn’t learn an instrument. When told that she was too young, Selena decided to sing.

Before long Abraham was convinced that Selena had a special talent. He was especially influenced by her sheer determination. Abraham’s belief was further enhanced when one day, Selena, then only 5, came up to him and began to sing with purity and perfect pitch as he strummed his guitar. Her rendition of a song sung by the Little Anthony and the Imperials over the radio was amazing.

I always wanted to go back into the music business, but I felt like I was already getting too old, and my kids were growing up, Selena’s father later reflected in an interview. When I found out Selena could sing, that’s when the wheels started turning in my mind. I saw the chance to get back in the music world through my kids.[1

A year later, Abraham was convinced that Selena was destined to be a star, especially since she shared his passion for music and her voice had a special quality to it. …She had that extra thing that makes an artist. Of course, nobody believed me at the time, he recalled.[2

Then with Marcella’s blessing, Abraham converted the family garage into a soundproof studio. He bought a set of drums and obtained a used bass from a friend. Afterwards, he taught Selena how to sing in Spanish. At first she sung using phonetics but quickly progressed until she could sing flawlessly with emotion.

Prior to being taught how to sing in Spanish, English had been Selenas first and only language. However, afterwards when she could sing with perfection in Spanish, Selena still found it difficult to converse fluently in that language. Her thinking was slow and her word selection awkward. As a result, Selena relied on her effervescent personality, radiant smile and interpreters to get by with Spanish-language interviews. Because of Selenas laughter at her own mistakes, the Spanish media overlooked her difficulties.

Prior to Selenas enrollment in an intensive Spanish course to gain proficiency, her parents were terrified at the prospect of their daughter facing 30 Mexican reporters in a Monterrey, Mexico press conference coordinated by EMI Mexico. Afterwards, although Selenas answers sounded ridiculous, she had won every reporters heart by hugging each one of them. As a result they wrote kindly of her, declaring that she was an artist of the people.[3 Nevertheless, by December 1994, Selena had mastered the Spanish language.

Once everyone was proficient at their musical tasks — A.B. III on bass, Suzette on the drums and 9 year-old Selena at singing, Abraham formed a family band called Selena Y Los Dinos. Afterwards they practiced almost every night.

Initially Selena was the only one who enjoyed the rehearsals; A.B. III and Suzette preferred to play with their friends. Later on, though, all of the Quintanilla children got into music. Before long they were creating extemporaneous compositions.

When Selena attended Oran M. Roberts Elementary School, she tried to excel at and participate in everything. She tried really hard at whatever she was doing and was eager to learn the kind of student you always like to have, Selena’s first grade teacher, Nina McGlashan recalled.[4

As a child, Selena was upbeat with a big smile and constantly cheerful. She was also extroverted and athletic with a gift of bringing others together in the playground. She was well liked by her peers and excelled in several of the class games running faster and jumping further than most.

Though athletic, Selena also enjoyed playing with dolls. She liked to work with their hair and dress them in custom outfits she made, a prelude to her dream of opening a boutique. Even the one occasion when Selena badly burned a doll’s hair while using a curling iron, did not deter her.

In addition, Selena exercised maturity and respectfulness when in the company of adults, always addressing them with Yes/No sir/maam. Although she got into mischief once in a while, Selena, with her strict upbringing in a well-disciplined family that looked out for each other, knew when to behave and be polite.

In the summer of 1980, Abraham Quintanilla quit his job at Dow Chemical and opened Papa Gayos, a family-run restaurant that featured quality meals and live entertainment. In an attempt to succeed, Abraham poured all of his life-savings into it and everyone pitched in to help.

Papa Gayo’s also gave Selena Y Los Dinos their first real public exposure, as they frequently performed in front of patrons during evenings. Selena became an instant favorite. One patron commented, It was so unusual. You wouldn’t expect to see a kid get up and sing in a restaurant like that. …she always had a lot of enthusiasm.[5 Soon every patron shared Abraham’s belief that Selena was destined for stardom.

Initially during their performances at Papa Gayo’s, Selena Y Los Dinos sung renditions of current Top 40 mainstream hits in English and occasional pop oldies using Spanish lyrics that Abraham had written. However, just when things were about to take off, the recession of 1980-81 struck forcing many oil wells, the life-blood of Texas, to shut down. With people out of work, Papa Gayo’s along with the other businesses lost many customers. With mounting debts and little hope of recovery, Abraham was forced to close the restaurant and move the family back to Corpus Christi.

Yet despite their desperation, Abraham never gave up. He continued to believe in Selena’s talent and did whatever he could to assist her. Music became the Quintanilla’s sole source of income as Selena Y Los Dinos traveled to various clubs and restaurants and performed at weddings and other special occasions. During those times, even if each made only $5 or $10, they were happy since they could eat and go shopping.

Gradually their hard work and determination began to pay dividends. Selena Y Los Dinos recorded their first album, Mis Primeras Grabaciones in 1984 under the Freddie Records Label. However, aside from some radio play of the Ya Se Va track, Mis Primeras Grabaciones didn’t do very well and was not released until 11 years later when Abraham purchased the rights.

Although during Mis Primeras Grabaciones recording sessions Selena needed fewer cuts than many, Freddie Records felt she needed more time to develop. Abraham rejected this and moved the band first to Cara Records and then to the Manny Label.

~Continued in Part 2~

[1 Rick Mitchell. Interactive Corpus Christi Caller Times Biography. (Houston Chronicle), 1995.

[2 Rick Mitchell. Interactive Corpus Christi Caller Times Biography. (Houston Chronicle), 1995.

[3 Joe Nick Patoski. Selena: Como La Flor. (Boulevard Books: New York, 1996) 124.

[4 Clint Richmond. Selena! The Phenomenal Life and Tragic Death of the Tejano Music Queen. (Pocket Books: New York, 1995) 24.

[5 Rick Mitchell. Interactive Corpus Christi Caller Times Biography. (Houston Chronicle), 1995.

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Della Griffin, a legendary jazz singer and one of the first female drummers, was born the 19th child out of 20 on June 12, 1925 in Newbury, South Carolina to William and Mary Gilliam. Though born in the south, Della Griffin grew up in Jamaica, Queens, NY.

As a child, Della Griffin took an early interest in entertainment. She devoutly listened to big band singers and jazz tunes each day on the radio. She began dance lessons when she was 8 and took up singing, which became her ultimate love, three years later, after her brother-in-law, a trumpeter gave her a Billie Holiday (1915-1959) (whom later with her husband, became a close friend) record. Upon receiving the Billie Holiday record, Della immediately reallocated her weekly allowance from paying for movies to buying all of Holidays records as well as records by William Count Basie (1904-1984), Charlie Barnet (1913-1991) and other swinging big bands of the day.[1

In addition, because of her passion for singing, Della Griffin frequently sang the latest songs around the house. She especially loved to sing in front of company and guests. It was a habit she carried into old age. As a result, her foster children were blessed to hear special renditions of Today Is Your Birthday, the title song of her first release, each birthday.

Tragically when Della Griffin was 12, her younger sister, Nancy, the familys 20th child, contracted pneumonia and died. Yet Della persevered. Her love for music and dreams of becoming a performer remained undiminished.

Within a few years, after graduating with the Class of 43 from Jamaica High School (JHS) in Queens, NY, Griffin began singing professionally. She performed in local clubs and dance halls in South Carolina. Upon discovering the enthusiastic interest her performances commanded in the segregated south, Della in search of an even bigger audience, returned to New York where she and Frances Kelly decided to create a group in 1950. Per Della Griffin, I always liked show business. I liked Billie Holiday. I was working with another girl [in a factory that manufactured shoulder pads.[2 and we decided to put a group together and sing. Any place they would let us sing, we would sing.[3

Afterwards, they recruited three additional members, Chris Towns, a mutual friend of theirs who was a pianist and songwriter, Pearl Brice, a childhood friend of Dellas, and Rachel Gist, a Harlem club soloist. They named their group the Enchanters, which in 1951 became one of the first female R&B groups paving the way for [such famous female groups as the Hearts, the Bobbettes, the Chantels and the Shirelles.[4

With the group in place, Della Griffin performed as the lead singer, Francis Kelly sang bass, Pearl Brice alto, and Rachel Gist, the youngest at 17, soprano, while Chris Towns played the piano and produced many of their songs. During their existence, the Enchanters booked themselves into every venue available to them[5 impressing one club so much that it even invited them to hold rehearsals in their building during off-hours.

As the Enchanters success grew, Della took a bold step in inviting Jerry Blaine (1910-1973), owner of Jubilee Records and label of the Orioles,[6 a male music group, to attend one of their performances in November 1951. Intrigued at the thought of a female group, Blaine agreed and attended their concert at Showmans club (next to the famed Apollo theater on 125th Street in Harlem, NY) where he listened to them perform Ive Lost. He was immediately impressed and invited the group to sign a contract the following day. Recording began within a week with Today Is Your Birthday, a sentimental love song which had been given to them by Blaine and had been previously performed by the Sugartones (Onyx label), How Could You Break My Heart, Ive Lost, Housewife Blues, and You Dont Know Im Not In Love With You. Della Griffin was the lead singer in all five songs, with bandleader Buddy Lucas providing male vocals in Today Is Your Birthday.

With the recordings completed in one session on November 28, 1951, Jubilee Records included the Enchanters as Something New & Different![7 in their 1951 Christmas trade ad that included its list of performers, most notably the Orioles, Buddy Lucas, Edna McGriff, and Earlington Carl Tilghman (1928-1981) known as Sonny Til, who became a good friend of Dellas. This was even before Jubilee Records introduced the Enchanters and announced who they were just after New Years Day in 1952 when they released the groups first record featuring Today Is Your Birthday and How Could You [Break My Heart, a blues/rock song.

Fueled by the positive critical acclaim and success of their single, the Enchanters began touring the country. They performed at theaters on The Chitlin Circuit[8 and at the Apollo in New York City, The Howard in Washington, D.C., and The Royal in Baltimore, MD. Everywhere the Enchanters went they received an enthusiastic positive response. As a result, Shaw Artists Corporation signed on to represent them in March 1952.

Jubilee Records released the Enchanters second record in April 1952 that consisted of Ive Lost and Housewife Blues. It was met with a comparable reception.[9

With their success, Della Griffin and the Enchanters performed as part of the Amsterdam News 15th Annual Midnight Benefit Show (for the newspapers charitable fund) on December 12, 1952, appearing with Milton Berle (1908-2002), Ella Fitzgerald (1917-1996), Aaron Red Buttons Chwatt (1919-2006), Duke Ellington (1899-1974), Arnett Cobb (1918-1989), Billy Eckstine (1914-1993), Vito Vic Damone (b. 1928),[10 etc. In addition, the Enchanters who felt that they were not receiving the attention afforded [to Jubilees male groups like The Orioles [and The Marylanders[11 left the label.

Then to compound matters, Rachel Gist who had entered into a troubled marriage that bore her two children, and Pearl Brice, also married, decided to quit the group, with the latter choosing to become a housewife. By this time, Della Griffin was married to her first of three husbands, Jimmy Simpson, who had been managing her group.

Despite the adversity, Della Griffin and Frances Kelly were determined to continue. They chose Gloria Alleyne (b. 1931) and Sherry Gary of the Dorsey Sisters, a relatively new female group, to replace Gist and Brice, respectively. They then renamed their group the Dell-Tones after Della Griffin their lead singer and drummer, the first female with such a role in a well-known group.

Following this, Dellas husband, Jimmy Simpson got them a record deal with Brunswick Records where they recorded My Hearts On Fire and Yours Alone that prominently featured Griffin as the lead vocalist and Gloria Alleyne as the second lead and bridge, respectively on June 3, 1953. The record was released a month later.

The Dell-Tones then performed for a week at Harlems Baby Grand (near the Apollo) in December 1953, working with comedian Julius Nipsey Russell (1918-2005), a resident act dubbed The Playboy of Harlem.[12 Shortly afterwards, dissatisfied with their lack of releases, the Dell-Tones left Brunswick Records and signed on with Eddie Hellers Rainbow records, where they recorded Im Not In Love With You (released in April 1954) and Little Short Daddy. As usual, Della Griffin was the lead singer on both tracks while background music was provided by the Kelly Owens Orchestra.

Afterwards Della Griffin and the Dell-Tones embarked on a 43-day tour with Jimmy Forrest (1920-1980) on the Night Train Tour, which also included R&B luminaries Granville Stick McGhee (1917-1961) known as Spo-Dee-O-Dee and Jimmy Smith (1928-2005).[13 They also sang for performances by the Kangaroos, a dance troupe, alongside Arnett Cobb and Jean-Baptiste Illinois Jacquet (1922-2004), renowned jazz saxophonists, and performed at the Apollo, The Howard, The Royal, and made appearances in Lexington, KY, Little Rock, AK, Mobile, AL, New Orleans, LA (a legendary R&B and jazz city), as well as in the Canadian cities of Toronto and Quebec City, the latter where they also sang in French.

By this time, Gloria Alleyne who became known as Gloria Lynne, had aspirations for her own stardom. She left the Dell-Tones during the summer and signed on with a management team led by DJ Stan Pat of WTTM in Trenton, NJ and Jubilee Records. Subsequently, Gloria Alleyne had several successes including her hit song, I Wish You Love, which peaked at #28 on the charts in 1964. She was replaced by Shirley Bunny Foy.

More turmoil followed when Sherry Gary who had come with Gloria Alleyne from the Dorsey Sisters, also decided to leave. Yet the Dell-Tones went on, replacing Gary with Rene Stewart, who had been a gospel singer since she was five (having sung with the 3 Chimes, with her sister Beverly and Lily Mae Belle while attending P.S. 99 in the Bronx, NY) and a member of a short-lived female group, The Solirettes.[14 It should be noted that Rene Stewart had decided to audition at the last minute while accompanying a friend, Vicki Burgess, to the groups trials.

By the summer of 1955, Della Griffins original partner, Frances Kelly also left with family taking priority over music. She was replaced by Algie Willie. The Dell-Tones then signed with Sol Rabinowitzs Baton records, one of the first labels to put out a full-length R&B album, where they recorded four singles Dont Be Long, Baby Say You Love Me, My Special Love, and Believe It with Della performing as lead vocalist accompanied by Maurice Simons tenor sax.

Shortly after the release of their first Baton Records single that featured Dont Be Long and Baby Say You Love Me, the Dell-Tones were invited to The Godfrey Show in Philadelphia, PA, where they anticipated performing Baby Say You Love Me. Instead, the Dell-Tones were told they couldnt sing any of their songs because they sounded too white. Having been assigned a song they were not interested in, their hearts werent into it [and thus they didnt give it their all. Thats not what we were about, so of course we didnt win, Della Griffin later recounted.[15

In December 1955, Gloria Alleyne Lynnes new manager, Stan Pat signed the Dell-Tones and brought them back under the fold of Shaw Artists Corporation for bookings. The Dell-Tones then began a weeklong tour on December 30, 1955 at the Apollo, performing alongside Sonny Til and the Orioles, before returning to The Royal along with saxophonist Illinois Jacquet on February 3, 1956. This was followed by Batons release of My Special Love and Believe It in March 1956.

A month later, the Dell-Tones toured Canada where they performed at the Flamingo Club in Hamilton and the Esquire Show Bar in Montreal. In addition to her singing, Della Griffin also played the drums while Chris Town, the pianist also sang. At the same time, the group also added a second saxophonist, Frank Henderson, to assist Illinois Jacquet. Yet Della Griffin remained the only lead. The others were lazy When I got sick before an appearance and couldnt sing, no one else would do it, she reflected back to the time when the Dell-Tones had to cancel a show. We had to come home without appearing. [16

The Dell-Tones next appeared for the opening of Club Basin Street in Miamis Hotel Sir John for a four week engagement starting May 16, 1956 where they replaced Frank Henderson with Gloria Bell, who had played for Duke Ellington, as bassist. This proved to be the groups last gig since a scheduled 11-week summer engagement at Club Harlem in Atlantic City was cancelled after Gloria Bell and Rene Stewart (the latter who eventually wrote the celebrated R&B street anthem I Call To You[17) left to get married and settle down,[18 followed by Chris Town who went on to work as a Broadway producer. It also did not help that their latest release, the My Special Love/Believe It single floundered after showing early promise in Philadelphia, PA and Virginia.

Afterwards, because of Dellas close friendship with Sonny Til, whom she took in and cared for, for the last two years of his life, the remnants of the Dell-Tones and his Orioles merged. The new group consisting of Della Griffin, Sonny Til, pianist Paul Griffin who became Dellas second husband, Diz Russell, Jerry Holeman, Aaron Tex Cornelius, Billy Adams, Shirley Bunny Foy, Rene Stewart who returned, and Algie Willie, produced two singles, Voices Of Love and Im So Lonely in June 1957 and made several appearances in New York City clubs.

However, by the end of 1957, this group, The Kings And Queens, had also fallen apart. Della Griffin then went out on her own performing with an organist and saxophonist. At times she shared the stage with singer Etta Jones (1928-2001), a Grammy nominee who went on to her own success following her hit single, Dont Go To Strangers.

Dellas music career came to a decade-long hiatus starting in 1961 when she married Paul Griffin who wanted her to devote time to family matters. When I married Paul, he wanted me to take time off, Della Griffin stated during an interview. However the hiatus was not permanent since Dellas second marriage did not endure. After we broke up, I started making the rounds again. I was scheduled to sing at The Blue Book on 146th Street and St. Nicholas Avenue (in New York City), for two weeks and wound up staying for years, she added.[19

~Continued in Part 2~

[1 Della Griffin. Musicmatch, Inc. 2004. 3 August 2006. http://www.mmguide.musicmatch.com/artist.cgi?ARTISTID=886881&TMPL=LONG

[2 Marv Goldberg. Marv Goldbergs R&B Notebooks: The Enchanters/Delltones. 2004. 4 August 2006. http://home.att.net/~marvart/Enchanters/enchanters.html

[3 John Clemente. Girl Groups. (Krause Publications. Iola, WI., USA. 2000) 86.

[4 Marv Goldberg. Marv Goldbergs R&B Notebooks: The Enchanters/Delltones. 2004. 4 August 2006. http://home.att.net/~marvart/Enchanters/enchanters.html

[5 John Clemente. Girl Groups. (Krause Publications. Iola, WI., USA. 2000) 86.

[6 Marv Goldberg. Marv Goldbergs R&B Notebooks: The Enchanters/Delltones. 2004. 4 August 2006. http://home.att.net/~marvart/Enchanters/enchanters.html

[7 Marv Goldberg. Marv Goldbergs R&B Notebooks: The Enchanters/Delltones. 2004. 4 August 2006. http://home.att.net/~marvart/Enchanters/enchanters.html

[8 John Clemente. Girl Groups. (Krause Publications. Iola, WI., USA. 2000) 88.

[9 John Clemente. Girl Groups. (Krause Publications. Iola, WI., USA. 2000) 88.

[10 Marv Goldberg. Marv Goldbergs R&B Notebooks: The Enchanters/Delltones. 2004. 4 August 2006. http://home.att.net/~marvart/Enchanters/enchanters.html

[11 John Clemente. Girl Groups. (Krause Publications. Iola, WI., USA. 2000) 88.

[12 Marv Goldberg. Marv Goldbergs R&B Notebooks: The Enchanters/Delltones. 2004. 4 August 2006. http://home.att.net/~marvart/Enchanters/enchanters.html

[13 John Clemente. Girl Groups. (Krause Publications. Iola, WI., USA. 2000) 89.

[14 John Clemente. Girl Groups. (Krause Publications. Iola, WI., USA. 2000) 89.

[15 John Clemente. Girl Groups. (Krause Publications. Iola, WI., USA. 2000) 89.

[16 Marv Goldberg. Marv Goldbergs R&B Notebooks: The Enchanters/Delltones. 2004. 4 August 2006. http://home.att.net/~marvart/Enchanters/enchanters.html

[17 John Clemente. Girl Groups. (Krause Publications. Iola, WI., USA. 2000) 89.

[18 Marv Goldberg. Marv Goldbergs R&B Notebooks: The Enchanters/Delltones. 2004. 4 August 2006. http://home.att.net/~marvart/Enchanters/enchanters.html

[19 John Clemente. Girl Groups. (Krause Publications. Iola, WI., USA. 2000) 89.

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~Continued from Part 1~

There was also another story behind Della Griffins longevity at the Blue Book club. For some reason her integrity was tested when a sizeable sum of cash was left in the womens bathroom that she used before and/or after performances. She did not take it. Afterwards, having earned the highest level of trust, she was welcome to stay as long as she wanted, which turned out to be more than a decade. Ultimately with mutual feelings of respect and love, the Blue Book became one of Dellas all-time favorite venues.

Following the dissolution of her second marriage, Della Griffin, married unsuccessfully one last time (Jimmy Walker whose name she refused to take feeling that it was not worth the time) and resumed her career, which lasted into the 21st century.

After opening at Harlems Blue Book club in 1973, Della Griffin performed there for the next 14 years, until 1987 when she was seriously injured after being hit by a car in Mt. Vernon, NY. In addition, starting in the 1980s, Della resumed working with Etta Jones and joined with Irene Reid. Their efforts led to two albums Ill Get By and Travlin Light, both produced by Houston Person (b.1934) and Muse Records. When Muse Records folded, Della Griffin followed many of its performers to [the newly-formed HighNote-Savant label where Person produced The Very Thought of You which came out in 1998. Shortly afterwards, due to her high level of achievement, Della Griffin was invited to Finland to appear at one of that countrys major jazz festivals.[1

Following her recovery, Della Griffin along with Frances Kelly and Shirley Bunny Foy appeared on Dan Romanellos Rhythm & Blues Group Harmony Review on Fordham Universitys WFUV-FM show in New York in 1994 after being rediscovered by group harmony enthusiast Louie Silvani.[2 After taking inquiries about the Enchanters and Dell-Tones, Della Griffin put another Dell-Tones group together, consisting of Frances Kelly, Annette St. John and Gwen Michael, the latter two new members. They then made numerous appearances including at The Heroines of R&B concert in October 1995, which also included the famed Chantels, The Jewels and Vikki Burgess, who just missed being selected to replace Sherry Gary of the Dell-Tones forty years earlier, among others.

In addition to her performances for the new Dell-Tones and recording acts for Muse Records and HighNote-Savant, Della Griffin took part in many solo acts in clubs across the tri-state region during the 1990s. Some of these performances include:

Della Griffin and her All-Stars in Croton Falls and Yonkers, NY in May and June 1992, respectively; a solo performance at Blue Note Jazz Club and Restaurant at 131 West 3rd Street in New York City in April 1991, solo New Years Eve performances at DeFemios Restaurant in Yonkers, NY in December 1992, 1993, 1994, and 1997, a December 1994 performance A Very Merry Holiday Jazz Party with Etta Jones and Houston Person at the Schoolhouse in Croton Falls, a show titled Standards & Blues by Della Griffin in Scarsdale, NY in June 1998, and a performance at the White Plains Public Library in White Plains, NY in March 1999, among others. She was also a frequent performer at Scotties club in Yonkers, NY, a member of the Jimmy Hill Quartet (with jazz musicians Jimmy Hill (1928-2004), Joe Puma (1927-2000), and Etta Jones) that frequented jazz haunts through the [New York metro region,[3 a member of Fred Smiths Harlem Renaissance Swing Band (performing at Hartford, CTs Bushnell Park in July 1999), and a drummer for The Melba Joyce Group in a 1998 Nicki Mathis The Many Colors of a Woman[4 concert also in Hartford, CT, as well as a participant in benefit concerts for musicians in need. She also performed in Hartford CTs Bushnell Park in July 1995 and 1996 as one of the most valuable showstoppers singing Taint Nobodys Business and All of Me,[5 and at Rich Forum in Stamford, CT in February 1998. During the July 1995 concert, it was written, Singer Della Griffin, decked out in shades, a hot pink sweat suit and matching hat, almost stole the show when she scurried to the front of the stage and began singing All of Me in a wonderfully grainy, lived-in kind of voice[6

Della Griffin continued her music career into the 21st century making appearances in New York City, Westchester County, and Newark, NJ, one of which included a 3 hour-long performance at the Renaissance Jazz Caf on 195 Mulberry Street in May 2003, among others.

Even though Della Griffin never had children of her own and had a demanding career, she found time to be a philanthropist. Despite her fame and 50 -year career, she took in more than 40 foster children, raising many from infancy. As a result she was known as Aunt Della and described as having a voice gorgeous enough to evoke Billie Holiday, (a jazz legend and close friend) and [a heart big enough to take in more than a dozen foster children.[7

When her Mt. Vernon, NY house suffered severe fire damage from a pre-Christmas 2004 fire that had been started by a 6-year-older foster child who accidentally knocked over a candle, a benefit concert featuring Irene Reid and Houston Person, among others, was held by the Jazz Foundation to cover the $15,000 rebuilding costs. Della and some of her foster children ultimately returned to the rebuilt house just before the summer of 2005.

During her remarkable pioneering career, Della Griffin has performed in venues all around the world, including some of the most famous jazz clubs. She had also created two female groups the Enchanters and the Dell-Tones, sang for William Count Basies band as well as the Modells, and shared the stage with many legends a whos who of jazz and blues singers, including Etta Jones[8 and Gloria Coleman, a Soul singer, among others.

Having been a singer you can count on for moving performances with a voice [that fills the songs she sings, weaving their way into your heart[9 in the class of Billie Holiday (for a while Holidays husband stopped by every week after Billies passing to hear Griffins rendition of Some Other Spring because she reminded him of his deceased wife) and Etta Jones, Della Griffin is a jazz legend in her own right, mentioned in the Encyclopedia of Jazz for having taken a daring step forward [when the Enchanters and Dell-Tones, pioneering female ensembles of vocal group music decided to compete on a circuit usually reserved for men. When others chose to marry and tend to families and despite the adversities and setbacks she faced, Della Griffins heart remained with music. In her words, Music brings me great joy. It always makes me smile.[10

Aside from music, Della Griffin also had other passions. She loved sewing and crochet since she was a child and she enjoyed dining at Sizzlers restaurant (now defunct) at Cross County Center in Yonkers, NY and supermarket shopping, especially for different kinds of foods, soda, and candy. At the same time her favorite colors are purple and black, the latter, which she adopted during her later years.

At the same time, despite her success and fame, as well as the difficult trials she faced, Della Griffins faith has remained strong. As a result she serves as an inspirational Christian role-model clothing, feeding, sheltering, and caring for children in need, demonstrated through the years by all the foster children she cared for and loved as if they were her own blood. Accordingly because of Dellas love for God, one of her favorite pastimes when she was able and fit to, was taking her foster children on frequent visits to Lourdes of America at St. Lucys Church in the Bronx, NY to enrich the familys spirituality and receive blessings from the grottos holy water which is said to have miraculous healing powers.[11

A tribute to honor Della Griffin and her contributions to R&B and jazz was recently held by the Eleanor Scott Center at the Creole club in New York City on June 21, 2006 in recognition of the lasting and indelible imprint she has left on the jazz world. This came five years after a Summer Breeze concert on the steps of Mt. Vernon, NY City Hall in which Della Griffin was awarded a plaque by the Citys mayor, Ernest Davis in recognition and gratitude of her 30 years of contributions to music and Mt. Vernon. Afterwards she (with a big smile) and Etta Jones performed a duet, singing East of the sun and west of the moon, were going to build a dream house of love followed by a standing ovation, even from their fellow musicians.[12 Ironically it was one of Etta Jones last performances before she succumbed to cancer less than three months later.

Furthermore in recognition of Della Griffins achievements, the Newark (NJ) Star-Ledger wrote when discussing an upcoming jazz concert in Ivy Hill, NJ, in which Dave Braham and his jazz group, the Latin Jazz Quartet was the key attraction Actually, Braham is a master organist, having backed singers like Irene Reid, Arthur Prysock (b. 1929) and Della Griffin. [13 At the same time, the Fairfield (CT) Citizen News wrote when talking about Antoinette Montague, a local singer who sang jazz and R&B for a while and who was celebrating the life of jazz great Louis Armstrong in a play She has been focusing on pursuing her craft, aiming for excellence, by meeting long-time performers such as Etta Jones and Della Griffin and making contacts with musicians.[14 In addition, the Hartford (CT) Courant when writing about Fred Smith, a traveling workaholic jazz trumpeter stated, Aside from Smith’s swing savvy, his band’s key assets are saxophonist David Bubba Smith, a fat-toned tenor saxophonist, and Della Griffin, a vocalist Petite and grandmotherly looking, Griffin is graced with an evocative, soul-wrenching voice that can all but channel the long departed spirit of Billie Holiday. Her grainy, lived-in sound is delightful. Especially when she plunges into a Holiday signature song like Fine and Mellow, with its wry, melancholic lyrics[15 and The guitarist also has played on other forthcoming albums led by McDuff, Hampton, Della Griffin and Larry O’Neill[16 when discussing Randy Johnston, a jazz and blues artist.

Today Della Griffin resides in New Rochelle, NY. She is still loved as much as ever and visited daily by one foster child or another. Most importantly her voice still sings lifting and enriching lives.

Discography:

Today is Your Birthday/How Could You. January 1952. The Enchanters. Jubilee Records. (5072)
Ive Lost/Housewife Blues. April 1952. The Enchanters. Jubilee Records. (5080)
Yours Alone/My Hearts On Fire. July 1953. The Dell-Tones. Brunswick Records. (84015)
Im Not In Love With You/Little Short Daddy. April 1954. The Dell-Tones. Rainbow Records. (244)
Baby Say You Love Me/Dont Be Too Long. July 1955. The Dell-Tones. Baton Records. (212)
My Special Love/Believe It. March 1956. The Dell-Tones. Baton Records. (223)
Voices Of Love/Im So Lonely. June 1957. The Kings And Queens (combined Dell-Tones and Orioles). Everlast Records. (5003)
Duke Ellington Collection, 1927-1988, #301
Subseries 3F: Other Music Company Records, 1938-1965 (boxes 106-111) Box 107. Expense Records. The Enchanters 1956-1958.
Della Griffin Sings. (Vinyl LP featuring Ill Be Seeing You, Lover Man, Dont Explain, Standing There, But Beautiful, Youve Changed, Travelin Light, and Gloomy Sunday) Della Griffin. Dobre Records. (1009)
Travelin Light. (CD featuring Smile, Travelin Light, Out of Nowhere, Some Other Spring, The Second Time Around, Easy Living, Trouble In Mind, Trust In Me, Blue Gardenia). June 1992. Della Griffin. Muse Records. (5496)
Ill Get By. (CD featuring If You Were The Only Boy In The World, But Beautiful, Im Getting Sentimental Over You, Fools Rush In, You and Me Against The World, Ill Get By (As Long As I Have You), Two Different Worlds, and East of the Sun). July 1996. Della Griffin. Muse Records (B000008REL).
The Very Thought of You. (CD featuring My Melancholy Baby, The Very Thought of You, All of Me, Misty, This Bitter Earth, Yesterdays, It Could Happen To You, You Go To My Head, and Sunday). September 1998. Della Griffin. Savant Records. (1180011)

Unreleased:

You Know Im Not In Love With You. Recorded November 1951. The Enchanters. Jubilee Records.
Boogie Woogie Daddy. The Enchanters. Jubilee Records.
Why Make A Fool Out Of Me. The Dell-Tones. Brunswick Records.
After All Ive Been To You. The Dell-Tones. Brunswick Records.

Also Appears On:

Darling Please Save Your Love For Me. March 1994. Dakota Staton. Muse Records. (5462). Featured on tracks 2 and 7 Youve Changed, and East of the Sun.
Jazz Ballads With a Blue Feeling. February 2003. HighNote. (B00008AY5I). Featured on track 7 This Bitter Earth.
Jazz for a Christmas Present. July 2003. Savoy Jazz. (B0000AGWKQ). Featured on Vol. 2 track 2 Jingle Bells.
Jazz in an R&B Groove. March 2004. HighNote. (B0001I2C7A). Featured on track 6 This Bitter Earth.
Jazz Thats Soulfully Blue. February 2005. HighNote. (B0007N19J6). Featured on track 9 Sunday.
Jazz for the Wee Small Hours. April 2006. HighNote. (B000F1HGAG). Featured on track 6 You Go To My Head.

[1 Della Griffin. Musicmatch, Inc. 2004. 3 August 2006. http://www.mmguide.musicmatch.com/artist.cgi?ARTISTID=886881&TMPL=LONG

[2 John Clemente. Girl Groups. (Krause Publications. Iola, WI., USA. 2000) 89.

[3 Joseph Ax. Jimmy Hill dies at 76; was well-known jazz musician. The Journal News. Gannett Co., Inc. 15 June 2004. 3B.

[4 Owen McNally. Local Jazz Artist Keeps Celebrating Many Talents of Women. The Hartford Courant. 3 September 1998. 8.

[5 Owen McNally. Harlem Legends Put Life In Park. The Hartford Courant. 23 July 1996. A4.

[6 Owen McNally. Veterans Revive Harlem Jazz And Blues. The Hartford Courant. 11 July 1995. A4.

[7 A Benefit for Della Griffin. all about Jazz.com. 14 January 2005. 3 August 2006. http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/newsprint.php?id=5026

[8 A Benefit for Della Griffin. all about Jazz.com. 14 January 2005. 3 August 2006. http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/newsprint.php?id=5026

[9 Ismael Rangel. Della Griffin. 3 August 2006. http://www.ddg.com/LIS/InfoDesignF96/Ismael/jazz/1980/Griffith.html

[10 A Benefit for Della Griffin. all about Jazz.com. 14 January 2005. 3 August 2006. http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/newsprint.php?id=5026

[11 Historic Attractions: Lourdes of America. i love the bronx.com. 14 August 2006. http://www.ilovethebronx.com/thingstodo.cfm?prmCategoryIDs=17

[12 Greg Clary. Jazz lovers enjoy the Summer Breeze. The Journal News. Gannett Co., Inc. 24 July 2001. 3K.

[13 Barbara Kukla. Feast of music and food comes to Ivy Hill Jazz musician is star attraction. Star-Ledger, The (Newark, NJ). 5 August 1999. 1.

[14 Local Singer Celebrates the Life of Louis Armstrong in Musical Play. Fairfield Citizen News. 17 June 2005. Living section.

[15 Owen McNally. Traveling Trumpeter Brings Harlem Jazz to Bushnell Park. The Hartford Courant. 14 July 2000. D3.

[16 Owen McNally. Randy Johnston brings jazz-blues mix to 880 with DePalma trio. The Hartford Courant. 28 May 1992. 5.

Additional Sources:

Newark This Week: Coming Events. Star-Ledger, The (Newark, NJ). 15 May 2003. 2.

Della Griffin Lead singer of the Dell-Tones 1955-56. liveDaily. 3 August 2006. http://www.livedaily.com/artists/bio/195412.html

Tribute for Della Griffin. all about Jazz.com. 2006. 3 August 2006. http://forums.allaboutjazz.com/calendar.php?do=getinfo&e=37&day=2006-6-21&c=1

W5: This Week Who What When Where Why. The Hartford Courant. 4 July 1999. G1.

Note: Article with photos, including exclusives, can be found at my website at: http://aaliyahremembered2.homestead.com/files/DellaGriffinBiography.pdf

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