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