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April 14, 2015  |  By Edward J Boyer  |  In Longer Takes

A Heartbeat in Search of a Heart

L.A.’s Leimert Park has become a center of black creativity. Now actress Marla Gibbs dreams of a theater to anchor it.

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Photo by Serge Kutuzov on Unsplash
February 25, 2015  |  By Edward J Boyer  |  In Reviews

YOU SEND ME: The Life & Times of Sam Cooke, By Daniel Wolff with S.R. Crain, Clifton White and G. David Tenenbaum

For six years, beginning in the late 1950s, singer Sam Cooke lived on the upper reaches of popular music charts. He recorded or wrote 29 Top 40 singles–more than Little Richard, Buddy Holly and Jerry Lee Lewis combined. In 1986, he was one of the first 10 inductees into the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame.

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Photo by Van Mendoza on Unsplash
April 3, 2000  |  By Edward J Boyer  |  In Longer Takes

The Self-Prescribed Therapy of ‘Dr. Rapp’

His friends tell him he is crazy when he asks them to go with him to Leimert Park in Los Angeles’ Crenshaw district, asking: “Do I need a gun? Do I need a bulletproof vest?”

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Photo by Don Ross III on Unsplash
January 4, 1999  |  By Edward J Boyer  |  In Longer Takes

Richard ‘5th Street Dick’ Fulton Turned Scars into Stars

It started with pieces of scrap lumber. Richard ‘‘5th Street Dick’’ Fulton had helped build the small theater in what was then Marla Gibbs’ Vision Complex in Leimert Park. With scraps left over from that job, he went to work on his own vision–one that would bring a jazz and poetry venue to the burgeoning arts community.

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May 4, 1996  |  By Edward J Boyer  |  In Short Takes

The Brandon Pops: Whistling to a Different Tune

Stand within arm’s length of Joel Brandon, study him closely, watch every move he makes, and you still won’t believe your ears. This has to be a trick. No one could produce that kind of sound without using a musical instrument.

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Photo by Denise Jans on Unsplash
December 23, 1994  |  By Edward J Boyer  |  In Longer Takes

The Soulful Legacy of Sam Cooke

The charismatic minister’s son became a Top 40 sensation who inspired generations of singers. His explosive rise was cut short when he was slain at a motel 30 years ago.

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  1. Edward J Boyer on Remembering Lithofayne Pridgon: Jimi Hendrix’s Foxy LadyJanuary 28, 2025

    Helllo June Smith, there is a hyperlink in my post to Chris Campion's profile of Fayne in the Guardian. If…

  2. June Smith on Remembering Lithofayne Pridgon: Jimi Hendrix’s Foxy LadyJanuary 2, 2025

    Just watched the doc. Looking for more info on Fayne, I found this. What a treasure she was and what…

  3. You have received a message(-s) № 417. Read >> https://telegra.ph/Message--2868-12-25?hs=202b034310597e62a5f4dd14c7001c5a& on Aretha, Smokey and a Neighborhood Full of Memories.January 1, 2025

    3gta62

  4. Kimara Mason on Remembering Lithofayne Pridgon: Jimi Hendrix’s Foxy LadyDecember 13, 2024

    I am so glad to hear this. I want to read her book!

  5. barrettk on The Misunderstood Migration of ‘Homeboy’October 20, 2024

    Hi Ed, My name is Kristen (Kay) Barrett, and I'm reaching out because I believe you knew my late aunt,…

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    Remembering Lithofayne Pridgon: Jimi Hendrix’s Foxy Lady Saturday, 23, Apr
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About Ed

I was hooked on becoming an ink-stained wretch after seeing my first byline when I was in 4th Grade and covered a basketball tournament for our elementary school newspaper in Detroit. Those bylines continued on newspapers in high school, at Wayne State University and at the two dailies in the Motor City. I left daily journalism for nearly six years to work as a correspondent for Time magazine, but returned as a writer and editor at the Los Angeles Times…[Read More]

Latest Posts

  • Jimi & Fayne
    Remembering Lithofayne Pridgon: Jimi Hendrix’s Foxy Lady
  • Detroit Northern High School
    Aretha, Smokey and a Neighborhood Full of Memories.
  • Photo by Alexander Kunze on Unsplash
    Homecoming in Havana
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