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Happy Birthday to R&B great Angela Winbush, born on January 18, 1955. One of the most talented singers, songwriters and producers of the 80s and 90s, Angela Winbush never received either the across the board commercial success she deserved, nor sufficient credit for her pioneering work as a top tier female producer in the male […]

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(January 16, 2026) It should be declared that Terri Green has led a double artistic life.  Launching her career in Europe back in the late nineties, dropping several memorable dancefloor moments like “Big Fun” and “Night to Remember,” she is known as Terri B! (Terri Bjerre) who wowed the club community as a 3-time Billboard Dance #1 vocalist.  And […]

The post First Listen: Terri Green gives us “That Something” again appeared first on SoulTracks.

(January 18) Today we commemorate the birthday of the late, great David Ruffin, born January 18, 1941 Certainly one of the greatest Soul singers of all time, David Ruffin was an enigmatic man whose own internal struggles and contradictions led to a tumultuous career, both as the lead vocalist of the Temptations and subsequently as a solo […]

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January 18, 1975 – Minnie Riperton releases “Lovin’ You” She was a perfectly angelic singer who left the earth far too soon, but on this day in 1975, the incredible Minnie Riperton displayed her five-octave soprano voice on what would become her signature song, the lovely “Lovin’ You.” Written by Riperton and her husband, producer […]

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(January 15, 2026) Shae Universe is among the artists that fans of the British soul scene mention when making a case for the R&B made on the other side of the Atlantic. Anyone who watched her Tiny Desk performance will understand why Brits want Shae Universe, a Nigerian born UK based singer and songwriter, to be a face of […]

The post World Premiere: Shae Universe takes us on a “Journey to the Sun” appeared first on SoulTracks.

In the years that SoulTracks has been around, there’s no doubt that one of our favorite singer/songwriters has been past Readers’ Choice Award winner Frank McComb. His top notch keyboard work, his memorable compositions and that voice have combined to create some truly classic songs. And as I look back over his discography, a few songs stand out: His stop-the-clock version […]

The post SoulTracks Lost Gem: Frank McComb gave us chills when he called our name appeared first on SoulTracks.

We are wishing a very Happy Birthday to Helen Folasade Adu, butter known to music fans around the world as Sade, born on January 16, 1959. The Nigerian born singer-songwriter burst onto the scene with her self-named band in 1984, wowing pop, soul and jazz audiences with the #1 hit “Smooth Operator” and the accompanying […]

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(January 14, 2026) There’s an old familiar saying that emerges during consequential presidential elections bearing these words: “As Iowa goes, so goes the nation.” There may actually be a ring of truth to that after hearing the emerging talent of Jaianna Carlene, a two-time Iowa Music Awards winner based in Cedar Rapids who has recently […]

The post First Listen: Jaianna Carlene wants him to “Warm Me Up” appeared first on SoulTracks.

Today we wish a very happy birthday to Lisa Velez, aka Lisa Lisa, who emerged from the New York music scene to become one of the biggest stars of the 80s and early 90s. She was born on January 15, 1967. Raised in the Hell’s Kitchen are of New York City as the youngest of ten in […]

The post Happy Birthday to R&B and hip-hop great Lisa Lisa appeared first on SoulTracks.

LOS ANGELES (January 13, 2026) – The new Roberta Flack collection, With Her Songs: The Atlantic Albums, 1969–1978, is the first retrospective release since the GRAMMY® Award-winning singer passed away in 2025. A celebration of her acclaimed tenure with Atlantic Records, the 8CD set presents newly remastered versions of her first eight studio albums. It will be […]

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(January 13, 2026 – New York, NY) – Grammy-nominated® jazz fusion/R&B/funk greats The Blackbyrds are set for select east coast headlining dates beginning next month in February. Of the upcoming shows, The Blackbyrds’ Keith Killgo commented, “This is an exciting next step in The Blackbyrds storybook. I feel blessed to have seen so many peaks and valleys and have never been discouraged […]

The post Legendary R&B/Funk group The Blackbyrds set East Coast Tour appeared first on SoulTracks.

January 15, 1974 – Tavares releases debut album, Check It Out When asked to name the Soul Music supergroups of the ’70s and early ’80s, folks tend to gravitate to familiar names such as Earth, Wind and Fire, the Spinners, the Commodores and the Isley Brothers.  However, five brothers from New Bedford, Massachusetts – Ralph, Tiny, Chubby, Butch and Pooch […]

The post On This Day in 1974: The music world discovers Tavares appeared first on SoulTracks.

Happy birthday to L.L. Cool J, born January 14, 1968 in Bay Shore. New York. LL Cool J, named for the phrase “Ladies Love Cool James,” has been perhaps the longest survivor of the early rap game.  Raised in Queens, LL Cool J began rapping as a teenager, drawing inspiration from early hip-hop icons like […]

The post Happy Birthday to LL Cool J – Hip-Hop Icon and Trailblazer appeared first on SoulTracks.

After a 10-year hiatus from recording, Rebbie Jackson returned in 1998 with what promised to be a successful comeback album, Yours Faithfully. The eldest sibling of the Jackson musical dynasty had quietly put a pause on her career after a signing with Motown in the late eighties fizzled with no output. Thus, it’s not surprising […]

The post Lost Gem: Rebbie and Michael Jackson wanted to “Fly Away” appeared first on SoulTracks.

(January 12, 2026) Two months ago, we posted an article that created quite a stir, as we told the story of a convincing song submission to SoulTracks by a fresh young artist who turned out to be completely A.I.-generated. It was an existential moment for us, as the ongoing discussion of A.I. in music became […]

The post A.I.-generated music is catchy, familiar, …and boring appeared first on SoulTracks.

(January 12, 2026) The song “Can We Pretend” has a back story that’s straight out of Hollywood. The song was penned for Bill Withers by his wife at the time, actress Denise Nichols, star of the television series Room 222. Nichols and Withers wed in 1973, and the folksy, lyrical tune expresses the sentiment of […]

The post First Listen: Gil Johnson and Doc Powell help us to “Pretend” appeared first on SoulTracks.

Today we wish a Happy Heavenly Birthday to the late, great George Duke, born on January 12, 1946. Duke stood as one of the true master keyboardists of the late 20th century. In a forty plus year career, Duke performed with everyone from Cannonball Adderley to Frank Zappa to Deniece Williams to Michael Jackson. Add to this his […]

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Back in 1971, when the Spinners left Motown for Atlantic Records, it wasn’t exactly an event that shook the music world.  But why would it?  The group had toiled in virtual obscurity for nearly a decade as one of Motown’s “forgotten” groups.   Click Here for the full Spinners biography Well, the Spinners went on to be one […]

The post SoulTracks Lost Gem: The Spinners take us through a “City Full of Memories” appeared first on SoulTracks.

January 13, 2010: Teddy Pendergrass dies Today we commemorate the anniversary of the death of legendary soul singer Teddy Pendergrass, who died on January 13, 2010, from complications related to colon cancer.  As the lead singer of the vocal group Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes and later as a solo artist, Teddy Pendergrass established himself […]

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(January 11 , 2026) The Roy Hargrove estate has released more great music from its archives, this time a four-song EP of originals that were recorded live at Seattle’s KNKX radio in 2009 and 2017.   The set includes fan favorite “Top of My Head,” released as an advance single late last year, as well as “Soulful,” […]

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