Browse Items (44 total)
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Benson, George Washington (1943-?)
George Washington Benson is a jazz musician. He grew up playing guitar and began recording at a young age. He performed for several years with Jack McDuff. His first album was "The New Boss Guitar." He also worked with McDuff to release“It’s Uptown” and “George Benson Cookbook.” He worked with Columbia Records in the late 1960s before moving to Verve Records. He then signed with CTI Records. In the 1970s Benson skyrocketed to global fame as he turned toward pop and R&B and his hit Quincy Jones produced the album “Give Me the Night.” He has worked with artists such as Minnie Riperton and acted as a guitarist for Stevie Wonder's "Another Star." He married Johnnie Lee in 1965. He had seven children. He is also a Jehovah's Witness. Benson moved to Englewood in the 1970s with his wife and children. Benson bought a home on Next Day Hill Drive designed by Eleanor Petterson, a student of Frank Lloyd Wright.Tags Music -
Maron, Jonathan (?-?)
Jonathan Maron is a musician. He is a Grammy-nominated electric bassist, composer, and producer. Maron became a world-renowned bass player in the 1990s after he co-founded the legendary group Groove Collective. In 2007 the group was nominated for a Grammy for Best Contemporary Jazz Album of the Year for their album People People Music Music. The Groove Collective released a total of eight albums. Maron has recorded with several legendary R&B, Jazz, and Hip-Hop performers including Mshell Ndegeocello, Tupac Shakur, India.Arie Simpson, Anoushka Shankar, Dave Douglas, and many more. -
Daley, Joseph Peter (?-?)
Joseph Daley was a jazz musician and teacher. He graduated from The High School of Music & Art and the Manhattan School of Music where he earned his bachelor’s in Performance and a master’s in music education. As a composer, arranger, and performer, Daley worked with numerous jazz artists including Sam Rivers, Carla Bley, Gil Evans, Charlie Haden, Muhal Richard Adams, and several others. His 2011 CD The Seven Deadly Sins which featured Daley’s Earth Tones Ensemble was widely praised by critics. Daley followed up his first release in 2013 with The Seven Heavenly Virtues.
In 1976, began working at the Englewood public schools when he was hired as a music teacher. He worked as the Dwight Morrow Concert Band Director, Music Appreciation Teacher, Jazz Ensemble Director, and Music Harmony and Theory teacher. Until his retirement in 2005, Daley’s presence ushered in a renaissance of musical achievement in Englewood. His students included Regina Belle, Bernard Belle, Cindy Mizelle, Jonathan Maron, and many others. -
Stewart, Leroy Eliot "Slam" (1914-1987)
Leroy Eliot "Slam" Stewart was a jazz musician who was born in Englewood. He was raised in the city’s predominately African American neighborhood known as “Little Texas” or just “Texas.” He attended Dwight Morrow High School where he began playing string bass and the Boston Conservatory. By the late 1930s, he formed a popular Jazz act called “Slim and Slam.” The group had a big hit in 1938 with “Flat Foot Floogie.” Stewart went on to play with the Jazz greats including Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker, Benny Goodman, Coleman Hawkins, and many more. Stewart stayed rooted in his Englewood community and performed concerts for his friends and neighbors at the Social Services Federation’s Memorial House. -
Belle, Regina (1963-?)
Regina Belle is a musician, singer, and songwriter. She is a native of Englewood. She began to develop her musical talent at the city’s Mt. Calvary Baptist Church. Her musical talents were nurtured by the legendary Dwight Morrow music teacher and band leader, Joseph Daley. She graduated from Dwight Morrow High School. She attended the Manhattan School of Music and Rutgers University, where she became the first female vocalist in Rutgers Jazz ensemble.In 1987 she released her debut album, All By Myself, which had two hit songs. The same year she recorded a popular duet with Peabo Bryson, “Without You.” In 1993, Peabo Bryson and Belle released another duet for Disney’s “Aladdin,” called “A Whole New World,” which peaked at No. 1 and won an Academy Award for Best Original Song and a Grammy. Over the last thirty years, Belle has released several soul, R&B, and Gospel albums and numerous songs have reached the Top 100 charts in the United States. Belle has been nominated five times for a Grammy and won the Grammy for “A Whole New World” in the category of Best Pop Performance by a Duo. She married twice, first to Horace Alexander Youn from 1985 to 1990. She had a daughter, Tiy. She then married John Battle on June 25, 1991. She had four children, Winter, Jayln, Sydni, and Nyla. Winter and Jayln were adopted. She is the
Tags Music -
Cheatham, Shawn (?-?)
Shawn Cheatham, or "DJ Shawn" is a hip-hop artist. He joined Rock N' Gee. He grew up in Teaneck.Tags Music -
Grant, John "Uncle Boogie" (?-?)
John "Uncle Boogie" Grant is a hip-hop artist. He lived in Englewood and created Rock N' Gee with friend Reggie "Rock" Passely. He also created a radio station in 2011 in Kokomo which was the first radio station in the area dedicated completely to hip-hop. He was inducted into the hip-hop Hall of Fame in 2023. -
Passley, Reginald "Reggie" "Rock," Jr. (?-?)
Reginald "Reggie" "Rock" Passley Jr. is a hip-hop artist. He is a founding member of the group Rock N' Gee. He married Lettitia D. Cureton in 1999. He lived in Englewood.Tags Music -
Bligen, Saleem "Serius Jones" (1981?-?)
Serius Jones born Saleem Bligen is a rapper. He was born in Englewood. He signed a deal with Disturbing tha Peace in 2006 for eighteen months. He is also known for his participation in rap battles. Jones won 12 consecutive rap battles at New York’s Monday Night Fight Klub. In 2011, Jones released an album Serius Business 2, which included appearances by 2 Chainz, Gucci Mane, T-Pain, Bobby V, and others. Jones followed this album with his mixtape Living Legendary and an album Legendary in 2014. -
Belle, Bernard (1964-2022)
Bernard Belle was a musician and music producer. He grew up in Englewood. He started with The Gents in 1984, which eventually was renamed Today, although Belle was no longer a member then he produced songs for them. Belle was known for his work with producer Teddy Riley and his help in pioneering the New Jack Swing era. Belle wrote and produced songs for Whitney Houston, Bobby Brown, Patti LaBelle, Aaron Hall, and Keith Sweat. He worked with Michael Jackson as well co-writing "Remember the Time," "Privacy," and "Why You Wanna Trip on Me." He married Debra in 1995. He had five children, Jahmel, Tyrone, Tyrell, Jeana, and Asia Milner. His sister was Regina Belle.Tags Music