Harlem Arts Alliance Presents: On the “A” w/Souleo
They may be called The Whispers, but quiet as it’s kept for the past 50 years this soul vocal group’s impact on the music industry has been more like a shout. For their 50th anniversary they are getting aboard this fall’s Soul Train Cruise. It’s a full circle event as The Whispers regularly appeared on the “Soul Train” television show. For group member, Walter Scott the cruise will also allow fans to get intimate access to the singers.
“You get to spend time with people on a personal level and talk about Soul Train. It is the foundation of how most black acts got their exposure. Don [Cornelius] basically gave black acts the exposure and showed the rest of the world how black entertainment was done,” he says.
Although they’ve been performing since 1963, their first recoding was in 1964 which is why they hope to release a new album in 2014. Yet, Scott revealed that with today’s music industry climate that may not happen since veteran acts have a tougher time securing airplay and promotional support. “Hopefully we can come out with some new product. The bigger problem is that in today’s market we are trying to get distribution and marketing, but I can’t say we will at this point. We’ve also written a book about our career and are trying to get that distributed too.”
If The Whispers need additional career support, one person they can turn to is Double XXposure Media Relations founder, Angelo Ellerbee. As we reach the end of African-American Music Appreciation Month, Ellerbee shared with us some essential thoughts on the state of African-American music and the need for greater artist development. “People are around picking up checks not doing the job and not giving the kind of direction that an artist needs to have today,” he asserts.
Ellerbee understands this firsthand having worked with some of music’s biggest names ranging from Michael Jackson to DMX (whom he also managed).
To read the entire column please click here.
