In the beginning, my paternal ancestors came from 2 locations. These places are in the Eastern Shore of Virginia and at Halifax County, North Carolina. This is common as many people from Hampton Roads, Virginia have ancestors or relatives who originated from North Carolina too. To start, my ancestors from North Carolina came from a man named James D. and a woman named Edney D. Both of them were my 4th great grandparents. They had a child named Alfred D. (b. 1828). He married my 3rd great grandmother named Jennie D. (1820-1919). They had children named Alfred D. (b. 1880), Adam D. (b. 1862), James D. (b. 1863), Daniel D. (b. 1868), and Frank Grant D. (1869-1949). I came from Adam D. who was my 2rd great grandfather. Adam D. had over 10 children. He lived in North Carolina. His first wife was Georganna Tillery or my 2nd great grandmother, and they married in 1886. The children of Adam D. and Georganna Tillery were: Carl D. (1886-1968), Arthur Lawrence D. (1889-1944), Ada (Ettie) D. (1890-1960), Penora D. (b. 1895), Mancy D. (1896-1964), Oren D. (b. 1899), Ily D. (b. 1903), and Leatte D. Williams (b. 1897). Adam D. had many children with Nancy Reynolds (1888-1982. Adam and Nancy Reynolds married at August 12, 1908 at Halifax, North Carolina) whose names are: Paul D. (b. 1910), Alphonso D. (1911-1977), Elvin D. (1914-2002), Sarah D. Lee (1917-2013), James D. (1919-2003), Cleveland D. (1921-1921), Joseph D. (1922-2001), Roberta D. (1925-1926), Geneva D. (1927-2016), Emma Eunice D. (1929-1998), and Carrie Bell D. (1931-1979). Adam had children with Mary Eliza Edmunds (b. 1873. They married at 1905 in Halifax, North Carolina) too whose names are Ethel Lee Edmunds (1909-1983), Ernest Edmunds (b. 1910), Mary Selma Edmunds (b. 1911), and Hattie M. Edmonds (b. 1928).
Nancy Reynolds was the last wife of Adam D., and my father said that he saw her before. My father saw Sarah D. Lee before too. Many of my paternal family stayed in Halifax, North Carolina. Other members of my family migrated from Halifax to Charlotte, North Carolina, the Virginian Eastern Shore, Maryland, Virginia, New Jersey, Philadelphia, Florida, and other places of America. This started by the early to mid 20th century. My great grandfather was Carl D. (1886-1968). He married Lizzie Trice (1885-1950) on April 15, 1907 at Halifax, North Carolina. Their children are Linwood D. (1907-1971), Annie Mae D. (1910-1984), Ernestine D. Lee (1911-1994), William McKinley D. (b. 1914), James Curtis D. (1915-1992), Esley D. (1917-2001), Thurman Lee D. (1919-1985), Ollie D. (1920-2004), Levi D. Sr. (1923-2015), and Melson D. (b. 1925). Thurman Lee D. was my grandfather, and she married Effie Sarah Bryant on April 10, 1944 at Northampton County, Virginia (at the Eastern Shore). Their children are Minnie, the late Thomas, the late Effie, and my father. My father and my mother conceived me. Effie Sarah Bryant's ancestors came from George (b. 1815) and Esther Perkins (b. 1816) from the Eastern Shore of Virginia. These parents are my 4th great grandparents. It's a well known fact that I'm related to the Upshur family in the Eastern Shore. It started with George and Esther Perkins' daughter named Carolina Perkins (1862-1927).
The 1870 United States Federal Census mentioned that she lived in Eastville, Northampton County, Virginia being 8 years old and born to the parents of George and Esther Perkins. Caroline Perkins was my late 3rd great grandaunt. She married Henry Upshur (1858-1940) on December 29, 1881 at Northampton County, Virginia (at the Eastern Shore). Their children were Henry Upshur (b. 1883), Messina Upshur (b. 1887), Mayfield Upshur (b. 1888), William Thomas Upshur (1894-1923), Roxyanana Upshur (b. 1895), Corinthia Upshur (B. 1897), Renthy Upshur (b. 1897), Winkie Upshur (b. 1898), Elton Upshur (b. 1900), Virginia Upshur Drummond (1903-1993), and Carrie Upshur (b. 1905). My late 1st cousin Virginia Upshur Drummond was born in Wardtown, Virginia on October 18, 1903. She married Gowans Drummond at Franktown, Virginia on March 25, 1923. The couple had many children who are: Virginia Celestine Leonora Drummond (1924-2013), Maurice G. Drummond (b. 1928), Booker Washington Drummond (1930-1999), Rebecca Drummond (b. 1932), and Evelyn Drummond (B. 1936). These children are my 2nd cousins. My 2nd cousin Virginia Celestine Leonora Drummond (1924-2013) was born on February 1, 1924 at Northampton County, Virginia. She married Tom Bedford Rogan on June 2, 1945 at Norfolk, Virginia. Their children are Thomas Leon Rogan (1946-1990) and Clariesa Lenora Rogan (b. 1950). My 3rd cousin Clariesa Lenora Rogan married Floyd Dawn on February 21, 1980 at Fairfax, Virginia. Their children are Tiana Genese Dawson and Kelly Nicole Dawson (who are my 4th cousins).
The culture of the 1950's was not monolithic regardless of what some believe. It is a time when there were diverse changes and movements going about in America and the world. There was a population boom in American society. Many Americans moved into the Sunbelt, the West Coast, and other locations. Many people moved from the cities into the suburbs. By the 1950's, early deindustralization and declining populations in some large cities developed. The issue is that many black people who wanted to live in the suburbs were restricted from doing so because of structural racism, redlining, and other reasons. The federal government investigated in national highways. The car culture expanded. Harley Earl of the Ford Motor Company promoted cars with chrome that reminded people of jet planes. The evolution of the American economy were more centered on service jobs. Multinational corporations increased its power. Back then, the vast majority of the families in America were nuclear families being promoted on TV, movies, and in educational institutions. There were massive conformity, and a rebellion against that conformity too. Dr. Benjamin Spock's Common Sense Book of Baby and Child Cure was about parents should nurture children from infants to their teen years. New vaccines and antibiotics increased the life expectancy of human beings. Also, there were a renewed religious revival among Billy Graham and people of other denominations. This came during the McCarthy era as many folks (who were progressives, socialists, etc.) were violated of their First Amendment rights because of their political views. Another important part of 1950's culture deals with TV having a central role in culture. TV shows like the Nat King Cole show, I Love Lucy, Ozzie and Harriet, etc. were popular. Since 1952, TV have had massive impact in the Presidential race. Music like rock and roll, R&B, the blues, and jazz dominated the 1950's culture. Rock and Roll came from the Delta from the blues by African Americans. There is no rock and roll without black people. All of the great musicians acknowledge this too. Chuck Berry, Rosetta Sharpe, Little Richard, and other innovators have done rock and roll too. A young Elvis Presley was inspired by B.B. King and other black musicians to expand his career too. B.B. King came from Memphis like Elvis. Tons of teenagers loved rock and roll. Back then, America was a more conservative society, so people even thought that every form of rock and roll was vulgar. Also, the 1950's saw diverse people like African Americans, Asian Americans, Latino Americans, poor people, women, and other minorities promoting their own interests. The fight for liberation existed for thousands of years.
David Riesman and Nathan Glazer wanted people to have their own power to reject conformity. We know about the Beats who wanted to use culture, literature, and music to wanted no massive conformity. The Beatniks wanted peace, joy, and self expression. Also, many black people exposed urban renewal and other oppressive conditions going on. Poverty was a real problem back then and today too. Many people like black people, Latino people, Asian people, and Native Americans made their voices known.
By the early 1960's, Motown dominated the charts. It was soul music that appealed to black people and people of every color. It was created in 1959, and it was headed by Berry Gordy. Gordy worked like an car production line to sign artists and produce hit records. Some of the great musicians of early Motown were The Supremes, Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, Mary Wells, The Temptations, and the Marvettes. There were other singers showing their voices like Aretha Franklin, James Brown, Sam Cooke, and The Four Tops. The culture of the early 1960's and the culture of the late 1950's in style and dress. During the 1960's Olympics, Wilma Rudolph and Muhammad Ali won gold in track and boxing respectively. By the 1960's, the start of a massive cultural revolution happened. From women to African Americans, nothing will be the same. More human beings showed their confidence in unprecedented ways. Films like Nothing But a Man exposed the real life racism that black people have faced in America for centuries.
R&B Culture definitely deals with the business of the music industry. The important thing for any musician in any genre is to study contracts, publishing, and other facets of economics. The industry has always been cutthroat and protecting assets and funds is always the responsibility of any artist. Also, R&B culture is involved in advertising, art, dealing with fans, hotel privileges, and the development of businesses. Many businesses, both large and small, use R&B music to sell merchandise, foods, and other services. R&B music is not monolithic or static either. It evolves witness the shifting times. Musicians should inspire younger artists to follow lessons, cultivate their talents, and to grow their gifts. Today, we live in a time where were have old school sounds and new school energy in overall R&B culture.
Chicago is a city with a massive gospel history. Gospel came from folk, jazz, blues, and American spirituals. Thomas Andrew Dorsey worked in gospel during the 20th century. He was born outside of Atlanta, Georgia in a rural town. He moved in South during the first Great Migration of 1919. In 1931, Dorsey, Magnolia Lewis Butts, and Theodore Roosevelt Frye created the first gospel choir in Chicago at the Ebenezer Baptist Church. Dorsey worked at Pilgrim Baptist Church on South Indiana Avenue. He was the director of the Pilgrim gospel choir for almost 60 years. Dorsey helped to use music to inspire many artists. Chicago was the city involved in gospel artists like Mahalia Jackson, Roberta Martin, Sallie Martin, and Kenneth Morris. Chicago is home to many of the largest gospel music publishing houses. The Bowles Music House Inc. is one such music publishing house along with the Martin and Morris Music Studio, Inc. Since 1985, both traditional and contemporary gospel styles have been celebrated each summer during Gospel Fest or Chicago's annual salute to gospel music.
Detroit have a long history involving gospel music. Back in the 1940's, Oliver Green formed the Detroiters who was one of the most popular gospel groups of their time. During the 1950's, there was a Laura Lee and a young Della Reese to started their gospel careers as the Meditations Singers. They were the premier Detroit based woman gospel group of the era. They had instrumental backing and traditional acapella vocals. Della joined the ranks of the gospel leaders in Detroit. Mattie Moss Clark is believed to be the first to show three party harmony into gospel choral music. In the 1960's, Detroit gospel music had the Reverend C. L. Franklin with his recorded sermons on Chess Records' gospel label. There was the album of spirituals recorded at his New Bethel Baptist Church including the debut of his young daughter, Grammy Award winner Aretha Franklin. Aretha Franklin was a gospel legendary singer too. By the 1980's, Detroit's Winans dynasty of singer existed with CeCe and BeBe Winans including their other relatives. Later, there were J. Moss, Bill Moss Jr., The Clark Sister, Rance Allen Group, Vanessa Bell Armstrong, Thomas Whitfield, Bryon Cage, and Fred Hammond. Kierra Sheard-Kelly is another Detroit gospel singer who is the daughter of gospel singer Karen Clark Sheard.
By Timothy
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