Free Republic

Recently indicted Rep. LaMonica McIver (D-NJ) claimed Thursday on MSNBC’s “The Weeknight” that “Republicans have sold their soul for Donald Trump.” Discussing Sen. Alex Padilla (D-CA) being forcibly removed from a press conference, McIver said, “It was disgraceful. I mean, to see it honestly brought tears to my eyes. someone had dropped it in a chat to me. I watched the whole video and just the idea of how they were handling him with no regard, just throwing him on the floor, his hands up. I mean, it just brought back just a time that you don’t want to be...

Another of his timeless hits entered the Hot 100 in May 1960. Sam Cooke made so many outstanding contributions to music history that it’s impossible to choose just one song that defines him. His smooth, lyrical and expressive voice adorned countless gems, from “You Send Me” to “Chain Gang,” “Only Sixteen” to “Cupid,” and of course the immortal “A Change Is Gonna Come.” Another of his all-time greats, “Wonderful World,” debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 on May 9, 1960. The song was written chiefly by A&M Records co-founder and hitmaker Herb Alpert with Lou Adler, but Cooke himself...

The Chicago-born songbird’s years of paying dues were rewarded with a hit single that traveled far and wide.The tragedy of Minnie Riperton’s death from cancer at the age of just 31 in 1979 is a story for another day. For now, we’re celebrating the pinnacle of her chart career four years earlier. After topping the Billboard Hot 100, her signature hit “Lovin’ You” came close to repeating that success in the UK. After years of paying dues, as a solo artist and with the group Rotary Connection, the Chicago-born songbird had failed to make the impression she was hoping...

The Juilliard-trained hitmaker was diagnosed with cancer in December, his family said.Chris Jasper — the award-winning Isley Brothers songwriter, producer and keyboardist — has died. He was 73 years old. The Rock & Roll Hall of Famer’s family broke the news with a notice on Facebook posted Monday (Feb. 24), one day after Jasper’s death. “He will be deeply missed and his legacy will live on as an inspiration for generations,” it reads. The message also noted that Jasper had been battling cancer following a diagnosis in December. Born Dec. 30, 1951, and educated at the Juilliard School of Music,...

The much-covered song had its origins at the end of World War II.Late in 1957, Sam Cooke was making his fans swoon. The smooth, stylish pop of “You Send Me” had just been No.1, and was about to spread Cooke’s name internationally, early in 1958. In an explosion of activity on the US charts, he also charted in November with George Gershwin’s “Summertime,” then again in the week before Christmas with the double-sided “I’ll Come Running Back To You” and “Forever.” Then, on December 30, 1957, he entered Billboard’s Best Sellers In Stores chart with yet another hit, “(I...

The powerful song was the second single from the group’s ‘Puzzle People’ album.It’s October 18, 1969. The Russian Soyuz 8 spacecraft returns to Earth with cosmonauts Shatalov and Yeliseyev. Jefferson Airplane’s Paul Kantner is arrested for marijuana possession. Wyclef Jean and golfer Ernie Els are each one day old; Led Zeppelin are preparing to release their second album. Gas costs 35c a gallon in America and 6s 2d (31p) in Britain. And America’s new favorite pop single is “I Can’t Get Next To You” by the Temptations. Another triumph in the ongoing collaboration between the vocal group, producer Norman...

Observing consciousness as physical allows insights not available to most. Ever since my NDE over 35 years ago, I've been observing and learning how consciousness flows in the human soul, and how it changes as it grows toward the Higher Consciousness many call God. Human consciousness, and the stored memories in people's souls became physical to me after the NDE. My comments below are a result of direct observation and experience, some involving exorcisms dealing directly with evil over the past 35+ years. I've been following the research on Artificial Intelligence (AI) since it began, beginning in the 1970's when...

The lost 1970 recording ‘We Got To Change’ will be released this month alongside A&E’s James Brown documentary.More than two decades after the release of his last single, listeners will be able to hear a new James Brown song. Titled “We Got To Change,” the song is a lost track by the musical pioneer, recorded in Miami at Criteria Studios on August 16, 1970. UMe will debut “We Got To Change” on February 16, 2024 in unison with A&E’s James Brown: Say it Loud, a 4-episode documentary, premiering February 19 and 20, 2024. The track was recorded with the core...

ABC legal analyst Sunny Hostin told her co-hosts Friday on “The View” that the United States is still “in the fight of our lives” to save the United States from “the scourge of racism.” Thursday on a CNN town hall, Republican presidential candidate former Gov. Nikki Haley (R-SC) said, “When you look, all men are created equal. I think the intent was to do the right thing. Now, did they have to go fix it along the way? Yes, but I don’t think the intent was ever that we were going to be a racist country.” Hostin said, “What is...

Actor David Soul, who won cult status for his role in 1970s TV series Starsky & Hutch before topping the charts in the US and UK, has died at the age of 80. His heartbroken wife Helen Snell confirmed the news in a statement issued this afternoon. She said: 'David Soul - beloved husband, father, grandfather and brother - died yesterday after a valiant battle for life in the loving company of family. 'He shared many extraordinary gifts in the world as actor, singer, storyteller, creative artist and dear friend. 'His smile, laughter and passion for life will be remembered...

Greg Kelly weighs in on James Comer connecting money from China to President Biden's house, the President's empty promises to the American people, and more on NEWSMAX.

US President Joe Biden on Tuesday denounced antisemitism and reiterated his support for Israel, as he spoke at a White House event in honor of Jewish Heritage Month. Biden condemned antisemitism as a “stain on the soul of America”, and noted that it was the 2017 white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, where protesters carried torches and chanted phrases including “Jews will not replace us,” that convinced him to run for the White House in 2020. “That’s when I knew we had to stay engaged in the work of our time. Hate never goes away,” Biden said, before pointing out that...

President Biden issued an official proclamation declaring that transgender Americans "shape our nation's soul" and established a holiday relating to the group this week. Biden issued the proclamation Thursday to mark March 31, 2023, as the Transgender Day of Visibility, a day some transgender activists have renamed to "day of vengeance." "Transgender Americans shape our Nation's soul -- proudly serving in the military, curing deadly diseases, holding elected office, running thriving businesses, fighting for justice, raising families, and much more," Biden wrote in the Thursday morning proclamation. "Today, too many transgender Americans are still denied…rights and freedoms," the president's statement...

Full of artistry and soul, Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell’s ‘Ain’t No Mountain High Enough’ is a pinnacle of pop music that cannot be surpassed.It was one of the most glorious achievements in 60s music, rising from a delicate opening to a shattering climax. If the 60s gave us the love generation, here was an anthem full of love. If soul was about physical passion in a gospel context, this song is its apex. Full of artistry, Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell’s “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” is, fittingly, a pop pinnacle. Though its roots lie in gospel, the song...

The Spinners helped create the sound of an era with a parade of soul and pop hits beginning in 1973. Their music has lived on thanks to its sly sophistication, love-struck lyrics and timeless hooks. The lineup whittled down over the years to stalwart Henry Fambrough and a group of newer collaborators, but the songs – and memories of the camaraderie – remain: "The other guys are gone, but they're still with us any time we sing," Fambrough told Billboard. "This group's bigger than any one of us." After a slow start at Motown, the Spinners switched to Atlantic Records...

Strong -- who passed away Sunday, Jan. 29, at the age of 81 in Detroit -- co-wrote some of Motown's most enduring hits.More than 73 years ago, Barrett Strong, as a singer, declared “Money (That’s What I Want)” — for the first hit single from the Motown empire. What he actually wound up getting was musical immortality. As a songwriter. Strong — who passed away Sunday, Jan. 29, at the age of 81 in Detroit — co-wrote some of Motown’s most enduring hits, with a variety of collaborators but primarily the late Norman Whitfield. Those included “I Heard It Through...

Earth, Wind & Fire drummer Fred White has died, the band and White’s brother, Verdine, announced yesterday (January 1). No cause of death was given. Fred White was 67. White was a drum prodigy, touring with the likes of Donny Hathaway before finishing high school (including in the show immortalized on Donny Hathaway Live) and joining his siblings in Earth, Wind & Fire before his 20th birthday. His arrival in the band in 1974 installed him in the twin-drummer engine room of a hitmaking powerhouse; the band’s commercial heyday began a year later with “Shining Star,” a No. 1 single...

Thom Bell, the Jamaican-born producer, arranger, songwriter, and pillar of ’70s Philadelphia soul, has died. The news was confirmed by Philadelphia radio station WDAS-FM. Bell was best known for his work in the “Mighty Three” with Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff; together, the trio created what became known as the “Sound Of Philadelphia.” He was 79. Born in Jamaica in 1941, Bell moved to Philadelphia as a child. He studied classical music, and as a teen sang with Gamble, Huff, and Daryl Hall of Hall & Oates. His first major break in soul music was with Cameo Records, where he...

Stewart, a fearless champion of racial integration in soul music, was described by the Stax Museum as ‘an architect of the Memphis Sound.’Jim Stewart, the co-founder of Stax Records, died yesterday (5) at the age of 92. His passing was confirmed by another storied member of the Stax family, hit songwriter David Porter. Stewart paved the way for, and presided over, the immense and worldwide popularity of Stax and its wealth of household soul names. His standing was reflected in his 2002 induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, by representatives of two of the company’s most celebrated...

From iconic records by Parliament-Funkadelic and James Brown to Betty Davis and the Isaac Hayes, these are the best funk albums ever.Rick James, artist behind one of the best funk albums everPhoto by Bobby Holland/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images The best funk albums ever made have one thing in common: They make you want to get down. Over the years, plenty of artists have excelled in the genre: James Brown, Parliament-Funkadelic, Rick James. There have also have been artists that have taken elements from funk and made it their own: Prince, Michael Jackson, and Stevie Wonder all come to mind. In...