Loose Ends: Where Are They Now?
The things we do for our readers.Recently, a SoulBounce visitor emailed us to inquire if we could track down some of our favorite old school soul artists to bring their fans up-to-date. Many artists were mentioned, but it was Loose Ends who piqued our interest since the last time we really heard from them was in 1990 when their last hit "Don't Be A Fool" was getting radio airplay love. Keep in mind that last incarnation of Loose Ends was not the original lineup of Carl McIntosh, Jane Eugene, and Steve (the cute one) Nichol, but Carl, Linda Carriere, and Sunay Suleyman. Word had it that Carl and Jane were living in Los Angeles, while Steve's whereabouts were unknown. Always up for a challenge, I decided to fulfill the thirst of at least one of our readers and track down Carl, the only member with a MySpace page, to find out what was up with one of the best UK soul imports of the '80s. I received the following email in my inbox yesterday. It was, how shall I say, interesting.
How do you say 'happy birthday' to a man who actually wrote a "Happy Birthday" song? How do you put into words the impact he's had on R&B and soul music history? How do you pay all due respect to a global icon who's amassed more than thirty top ten hits, won a record twenty-five Grammy awards, an Academy award for Best Song and has been inducted into both the Rock & Roll and Songwriters halls of fame?
Today, May 2nd, is the birthday of the diva known to many as Angelita de la Noche (Little Angel of the Night). We know her best as Angela Bofill, the professionally trained Latina soul singer whose powerful, distinctive voice gave us such hits as "This Time Will Be Sweeter" as well as a remake of Jennifer Holiday's "I'm On Your Side." It was just after recording her "Live From Manila" album in 2006 that she suffered a stroke that left her paralyzed on the left side. She suffered a second stroke in July 2007, leaving her speech-impaired and facing the possibility that she would never sing again.
If the definition of soul music is literal in that it comes directly from the soul, then the personification of that music has to be Marvin Pentz Gay, Jr., better known to the world as Marvin Gaye.
I have been reminiscing about my college years lately, namely the music that provided the soundtrack to my life back then. In those days, I was an unapologetic backpacker, tramping around the sidewalks, attempting to escape to the world within the music. After a downloading binge on mid-90's hip hop including
March 26 is truly a special day. Not only is it 
