By January of 1991, Madonna's Justify My Love song was popular. It came out in late 1990 and caused controversy over the contents in the video. Back then, America was much more conservative, so even MTV once was banned the music video of Justify My Love. This song was part of Madonna's ninth American number one single and number 2 in the UK. By May of the same year, her Truth or Dare movie is released documenting her 1990 tour. The UK metal band of Iron Maiden had music. The popular song of C&C Music Factory of Gonna Make You Sweat was a number one hit in America (when I was in elementary, I remember that song on the radio and on TV vividly). It had vocals from Martha Wash, a very underrated singer with an outstanding voice. The song had the rapper Freedom Williams on it. The dance song was part of their first album going 5 times platinum in America. Janet Jackson in that time of early 1991 had her fifth US #1 single with "Love Will Never Do (Without You)" the seventh single from her 1989 #1 album Rhythm Nation 1814. In March Jackson signs a deal with Virgin Records for over $30 million, making her the highest paid recording artist at the time. Music from Chris Iaak and The KLF had songs going onward in society. On March of 1991, Long Island, New York singer Mariah Carey has her third US #1 single in a row with "Someday" from her self titled debut album. She would repeat at #1 again in May with "I Don't Want To Cry" making it four #1 singles from her debut album. The album is the best-selling of the year in the US. Mariah Carey was an icon from the start of her career to be honest. She is one of the best vocalists of our generation period. By March of 1991, the Nielsen Soundscan was introduced. This was done to promote a more accurate method of collecting music sales data from over 14,000 stores in America. Before, data was collected by phone surveys of records retailers which was subject to error and potential fraud. Billboard begins using the data in the November 1991 charts. Sacramento, California rock band Tesla release a live acoustic album Five Man Acoustical Jam #12 US, featuring cover songs and acoustic versions of their own songs. Tesla's cover of "Signs", a #3 US hit in 1970 for Canadian group Five Man Electrical Band, hits #8 US. This was in April 1991.
British/American dance pop group Londonbeat hit #1 in the US, #2 UK with the single "I've Been Thinking About You". The retro/soul style single is from the band's second album In The Blood which reaches #21 US, #34 UK. This is the group's only Top Ten single (in April 1991). I remember Amy Grant with the song Baby, Baby before that was popular in April 1991. Amy Grant was from Nashville, Tennessee who sang contemporary Christian pop music. Amy Grant had the album of Heart in Motion. That album went 5 times platinum. By May of 1991, the Compton, California hip hop group of N.W.A. had their 2nd and final album of N___z4LIfe that hits number one in America. The original member of Ice Cube had already left the group (over financial issues. Ice Cube accused Jerry Heller of promoting faulty music contracts. Heller denied this allegation to his death), and Dr. Dre would soon leave to promote the album's release to form Death Row Records. The Sydney, Australia rock group the Divinyls hit #4 US, #10 UK with the provocative single "I Touch Myself". The song is from the band's self-titled fourth album which charts at #15 US, #59 UK. The band would release only one more album in 1996 before calling it quits (on May of 1991). Cher by May of 1991 had her number one UK hit of The Shoop Shoop Song (It's in His Kiss) from the film of Mermaids. The song is a cover of Betty Everett's 1964 hit of the same name. It reached number six in America. "Kiss Them For Me", an ode to Hollywood actress Jayne Mansfield, becomes the first and only US Top 40 single for veteran UK group Siouxsie And The Banshees at #23 US, #32 UK. The song also hits #1 US Alternative and #8 US Dance. The track is from the band's ninth studio album Superstition. Extreme was a rock group from Malden, Massachusetts with a hit too called More than Words. Oklahoma City, OK R&B band Color Me Bad hit #1 UK, #2 US with their first single "I Wanna Sex You Up" from the film New Jack City. The song is from their debut album CMB which produces two more US #1 singles, charting at #3 in both the US and UK and going triple Platinum in the US (Ice Cube promoted the group in June of 1991). Alternative rock legends of R.E.M. had their song of Losing My Religion. The group is from Athens, Georgia, and the song is part of their 7th album called Out of Time. It tops American and UK charts going 4 times Platinum. R.E.M. would be the spokesperson for tons of alternative bands talking about social issues and the philosophies of living life.
Right Here, Right Now is an anthem of the 1990's done by the Bradford-On-Avon, England alternative rock band Jesus Jones. The song was a worldwide hit single being #2 in the US and #31 in the UK. The song focuses on current events of the time like perestroika and the fall of the Berlin Wall. The song is from the band's second album Doubt #1 UK #25 US. The soundtrack of the movie Robinhood: Prince of Thieves had the song of Everything I Do I Do It for You by Bryan Adams from July of 1991. It was seven weeks at Number One in America and 16 weeks atop the UK singles charts. Bristol, UK band Massive Attack release their debut album Blue Lines which charts at #13 UK. The album pioneers a mix of hip hop and electronica now referred to as "trip hop" and proved popular in the club scene and on college radio. The band would record four more albums including two UK #1's. Massive Attack was like the Linkin Park of the early 1990's. Metallica released their 5th self-titled album by August of 1991. Grunge and more rock bands increased their influenced with Pearl Jam's debut album by August 1991 and New York City rock band Spin Doctors debut albums. California Latino American hip hop group Cypress Hill release their self-titled debut album #31 US, #81 UK. The album's double sided lead single hits #1 on the US Rap chart. The album goes double Platinum in the US and Gold in the UK. This was in August of 1991. Alternative bands like Blur and Toad The Wet Sprocket existed with music. Blur's music started the 90's Brit-Pop movement. The third album, Ropin' The Wind, by Oklahoma country singer Garth Brooks enters the US charts at #1 with advance shipments of four million copies. This is the first country album to debut at #1 on the Billboard 200 album chart. The album goes 10X Platinum in the US. Garth Brooks started the new generation of new school country musicians with a country mixed with a large audience (filled with country, rock, and pop fans). The Philadelphia R&B group of Boyz II Men have their first single of Motownphilly. The song is from the group's debut album CooleyHighHarmony #3 US, #7 UK. The album generates four US Top Five hits including "End Of The Road" which tops both the US and UK singles charts.
Aberdeen, Washington rock group Nirvana release their second album Nevermind and have a Suprise hit, with the album reaching #1 US and #7UK in January 1992. The album would go on to sell over 30 million copies, driving alternative rock and "grunge" into the mainstream. Seattle, Washington grunge band Soundgarden release their third album Badmotorfinger and reach #39 in both the US and UK. The band receives MTV play for "Rusty Cage" and "Outshined", but MTV bans the video for "Jesus Christ Pose." The album eventually goes double Platinum. Veteran blues guitarist, singer, songwriter Bonnie Raitt has her first and only US Top Ten hit with the single "Something To Talk About" #5 US. The song is from Raitt's eleventh album Luck Of The Draw which hits #2 US and goes on to sell over seven million copies. I remember that song Something to Talk About as a child. Los Angeles hard rock band Guns N' Roses release their third and fourth albums Use Your Illusion l and ll. The albums chart at #2 and #1 respectively in both the US and UK. Both albums go 7X Platinum in the US. The single "November Rain" hits #3 US, #4 UK. By October 1991, Ice Cube released his 2nd solo album of Death Certificate. It sold over 1 million copies in America being the 2nd highest album in America. The single of Steady Mobbin' was number 3 in the Rap charts and Number 30 in the R&B charts. Cube around this time had his acting debut in the classic, successful movie Boyz 'n The Hood, which was directed by the late, great John Singleton. Dorchester, Massachusetts hip hop group Marky Mark & The Funky Bunch hit #1 US, #14 UK with their debut single "Good Vibrations". The song is from their debut album Music For The People which also contains the #10 US single Wildside. After two LP's Mark Wahlberg moves on to acting. By that time in October 1991, East Orange, New Jersey hip hop trio Naughty By Nature have a US Top Ten hit single with "O.P.P." #6 US, #35 US which samples the 1970 Jackson Five hit "ABC". The song is from the group's self-titled debut album which hits #16 US and goes Platinum. The group of Naughty by Nature had previously recorded as The New Style. Prince had The Power Generation as his new band. He had a hit song called Cream. By November of 1991, Freddie Mercury passed away from complications relating to AIDS. Two days before his passing, Mercury told the press about his AIDS diagnosis. His vocals would be released on Queen's last album of Made in Heaven being released in 1995.
Dublin, Ireland rock band U2 reveal a new direction on their seventh album Achtung Baby! #1 US, #2 UK. Working with producers Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois, the group reinvents their sound by with EDM and industrial influences. Six singles are released including Top Ten hits "One" and "Mysterious Ways." Jersey City, New Jersey hip hop duo PM Dawn top the US charts with the single "Set Adrift On Memory Bliss" #3 UK. The hypnotic song is built on a sample of Spandau Ballet's 1983 hit "True." The song is from the group's debut album which charts at #48 US and #8 UK. PM Dawn merged hip hop with R&B style. By November of 1991, hip hop artist and songwriter Tupac Shakur released his debut album 2Pacalypse Now on Interscope Records. With lyrics focusing on social issues such as poverty, police brutality and racism the album peaks at #64 US and #13 US R&B/Hip Hop on it's way to going Gold. This was the beginning of Tupac's extensive, complex, and influential life as the most influential hip hop artist in human being. By December 1991, Michael Jackson would make history again. By this time, Michael Jackson was an icon of music. He signed with Sony for a record $65 million in March. He has the hit of Black and White being number one in America and in the UK. It was Michael Jackson's 12th US #1 single as a solo artist and is from his eighth album Dangerous which sells 32 million copies and hits #1 in both the US and UK. Black and White was a song that opposed racial prejudice and wanted respect and harmony to be the order of the day among the human family.
By January 1992, the grunge anthem of Smells like Teen Spirit by Nirvana took the world by storm. Nirvana combined alternative and grunge music elements together. It was shown heavily in MTV. The London alternative duo of Shakespears Sister had the hit of Stay. The duo is comprised of former Banarama singer Siobhan Fahey and American Marcella Detroit. I remember the song from Shanice called I Love Your Smile. Shanice was based in Los Angeles, and she was singer and songwriter. The song "I Love Your Smile" was #2 in both the US and UK. The song is from her second album Inner Child which goes Gold in the US and charts at #83 US, #24 UK. Shanice would win a grammy for Best Female R&B Performance for this song. Right Said Fred by February 1992 had the song of I'm Too Sexy. The Los Angeles rock band Mr. Big had the song of To Be With You. By March 1992, Vanessa Williams had a major comeback with the song Save the Best for Last. Vanessa Williams has been an actress, singer, and former Miss America winner for years. The song Save the Best for Last was from her 2nd album called The Comfort Zone which went triple platinum in America. The songs from that album like The Comfort Zone and Work represent her versatile legacy as an artist. More music came from White Zombie and Bruce Springsteen. Veteran UK singer/songwriter and guitarist Eric Clapton has the biggest single of his career with the acoustic ballad "Tears In Heaven" #2 US, #5 UK. The song is written for the film Rush and is included on Clapton's Unplugged album. The lyrics are influenced by the death of his 4-year-old son Conor.
Groups like Def Leppard, L7, and the Pavement released their own albums during the Spring of 1992 as well. Wish was the UK alternative band The Cure's 9th album. It was number one in America and number 2 in the UK. The album was their best-selling album going platinum. Friday I'm in Love was one of their singles. Annie Lennox had her debut album of Diva. She is from Scotland and was in the group of the Eurythmics. Her singles on it were Why, Walking on Broken Glass, etc. The 1992 parody film of Wayne's World celebrated rock music. KWS was a group with the cover of KC and The Sunshine Band hit of Please Don't go. The Oakland, California based vocal R&B group En Vogue released their song of My Lovin' (You're Never Gonna Get It). It had harmonies and classic sounds from their 3 times platinum album of Funky Diva. This was in May of 1992. En Vogue placed a huge foundation for future R&B groups from SWV to Brownstone to outline their music to the globe. Los Angeles funk rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers break into the mainstream with the ballad "Under The Bridge" #2 US, #13 UK. The song is the second single from their smash album Blood Sugar Sex Magik which reaches #3 US, #25 UK and goes 7X Platinum in the US. The Atlanta based hip hop duo of Kris Kross had the hit of Jump working with hip hop artist and producer Jermaine Dupre. The song was recorded in 1991. It's found in their album of Totally Krossed Out. The Lemonheads, Sophie B, and more artists expressed themselves. Sir Mx a Lot had the July 1992 song of Baby Got Back. That song was a reflection of an ode to the phenotype of curvy women, especially of black women. The conscious hip hop group of Arrested Development had their hit of Tennessee. Their debut album 3 Years, 2 Days In The Life Of charting at #7 US, #3 UK and going 4X Platinum in the US. Billy Ray Cyrus had the song of Achy Breaky Heart, and he was from Kentucky. Medgadeth and Sonic Youth shown music. By August of 1992, Boyz II Men solidified their iconic status with their song of End of the Road. It was number one in America and in the UK. August 1992 saw the rise of TLC in the mainstream arena. TLC is an R&B group with T-Boz from Iowa, Left Eye from Philadelphia, and Chili from Georgia. All of them moved to live in Atlanta. Baby Baby Baby was a it #2 US, #1 US R&B with their second single "Baby-Baby-Baby". It is the groups second consecutive Top Ten hit from their debut album Ooooooohhh...On The TLC Tip which goes 4X Platinum in the US. The song would be the #5 best seller in the US for 1992. Also, TLC was a group that had swag from new jack swing as its music was a mixture of R&B and hip hop.
The Frankfurt, Germany eurodance group Snap! hit #1 UK and #5 US with the club hit "Rhythm Is A Dancer". The dance favorite is from the groups second album The Madman's Return which goes Top Ten in the UK, but only reaches #121 in the US. Kennesaw, Georgia hard rock band Jackyl release their self-titled debut album on Geffen Records. The album reaches #76 US and eventually goes Platinum. The band's debut single is "The Lumberjack" a song featuring the novelty of a chainsaw solo. By September of 1992, we witnessed groups like The Shamen, Screaming Trees, Sloan, House of Pain (with Jump Around), Patty Smyth, Don Henley, Stone Temple Pilots, and Bobby Brown showing their songs and albums. By October of 1992, Madonna released her fifth album of Erotica. The music video of Erotica was filled with free expression, sexual acts, and celebrity guests. She also released her photo book called Sex being filled with nudity, erotica, and romantic images. Madonna was born to be expressive and controversial to be honest. Deeper and Deeper and Erotica were singles part of the albums. The theme song for the American television show The Heights hits #1 US. The song, "How Do You Talk To An Angel", features actor Jamie Walters as lead singer with other cast members singing back up. The series is cancelled one week after the song hits #1. By November 1992, American R&B singer Whitney Houston has her tenth US #1 single with "I Will Always Love You." The song is from the film soundtrack for The Bodyguard, Houston's first major acting role. The song is a cover of Dolly Parton's 1974 #1 US Country hit. Houston's version goes on to sell over 8 million copies in the US. Whitney Houston had a one in a lifetime singing voice. She is the greatest vocalist of our generation and among the top 5 greatest vocalists of all time (along with Mahalia, Donna, Aretha, and other human beings). Los Angeles rock band Rage Against The Machine release their debut album on Epic Records. Mixing rap vocals, heavy metal, and politics, the album charts at #45 US and #17 UK. The albums lead single "Killing In The Name" gets strong rock radio play and the LP goes 3X Platinum. New York singer songwriter Mary J. Blige scores her first US Top Ten hit with the single "Real Love" #2 US, #1 US R&B. It is the second single from her debut album What's The 411? which reaches #6 US and goes Triple Platinum. The first single "You Remind Me" also goes to #1 on the US R&B chart. This was in December of 1992. 1992 was the year when the 1990's established itself as its own decade. It was the start of a new wave of music that defended the golden age of the 1990's in terms of music and culture. Like TLC, Mary J. Blige came out to embrace a new jack swing style mixing R&B and hip hop. She would go on to show anthems about the struggles and joy of women indeed.
All of the time, information about my family tree existed. Recently, I found information about Joan Mae Howell Artell, who is my 4th cousin as we are descendants of my 7th grandmother Nanny Woodson (the Nottoway matriarch of so many human beings in Southampton County, Virginia). Nanny Woodson had many children who were Anny Woodson, Winny Woodson, William G. Bozeman, and Jincy Woodson. Winny Woodson, or my 6th grandmother was born in ca. 1791, and she married Burwell Williams (a freeman African Americans). Their children were Pasty Woodson-Williams, John Burwell Williams, Mary Woodson-Williams, and Sally Woodson-Williams. My 5th great grandaunt Sally Williams-Woodson married Robert Wiggins, and they had many children. One of their children were Mary J. Wiggins (b. 1843). My 1st cousin Mary J. Wiggins had a child with William B. Lamb named William Lamb (1875-1958). William Lamb was my 2nd cousin and married Della Jones. Their child was Mabell Lamb (1916-1968). Mabel Lamb was my third cousin, and she married Horace Howell (1908-1981) on May 12, 1941, at Southampton County, Virginia. Their children are Joan Mae Howell (b. 1942), Horace Howell (1946-1973), and William Howell (b. 1947). Joan Mae Howell was my 4th cousin, and she married Herbert E. Atwell (b. 1942). Their child is Nicole M. Atwell (b. 1969) My 5th cousin Nicole M. Atwell lived in New Jersey and married Delando Lyle Braxton (b. 1965) on November 15, 1998 at Berkeley Heights Township, Union, New Jersey. They have many children like Kaela Braxton (b. 2001. She lives in the state of Florida. She recently graduated from Florida State University. Her major is Criminology, and her hometown in Orlando, Florida. She wants to promote equity and inclusion for students of color), Courtney Chanel Braxton, and a younger sister. Delando Lyle Braxton's parents are Oliver Chester Braxton and Aida Luz Martinez.
I found out that Dwayne A. Roberson was my 3rd cousin, and she was born in March 1978. We are descendants of Adam D. (b. 1862). Dwayne A. Roberson is from the Washington, D.C. area, and her parents are Terrence Alan Robertson (b. 1953) and Jeanette F. Roberson. His siblings are Brendolyn Robertson (1976-2004) and Corey Roberson. My 2nd cousin Terrence Alan Roberson's parents are Elbert Lee Roberson (1913-2001) and Lucy Nanearl Holmes (b. 1926). Elbert Lee Roberson and Lucy Nanearl Holmes's children are Elbert Rudolph Robertson (b. 1948), Tia A. Roberson McClain (b. 1951), Terrence Alan Roberson (b. 1953), and Nannette Roberson Johnson (b.1956). Elbert Lee Roberson's parents are James Gus Henry Robertson (1883-1951) and Ada (Ettie) D. (1890-1960). My great grandaunt Ada D.'s parents are Adam D. and Georganna Tillery (1868-1954).
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