Ilse Assmann is the manager of Media Libraries at the SABC in Johannesburg, South Africa. She has been with SABC for over twenty years, starting in SABC’s Radio Archive in 1986. (Courtesy of Malik Bendjelloul)
Clarence Avant is an American music executive, entrepreneur, and film producer. Known by some as the “Godfather of Black Music,” Avant began in the music business during the 1950s, working as a manager of Teddy P’s Lounge in Newark, New Jersey. During the 1960’s he managed artists like Little Willie John, jazz singer Sarah Vaughan and rock and roll pioneer Tom Wilson, among others. Throughout his entire career, Avant has worked with musicians such as Bill Withers, Miles Davis, Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, Quincy Jones, Janet Jackson and Dionne Warwick.
In 1967, Avant began working for Venture Records Inc, where he successfully engineered the first joint venture between an African American artist and a major record company. In August 1969, Avant became the associate producer, along with Al Bell, of Douglas Turner Ward's The Reckoning (a surreal Southern Fable), presented in co-operation with The Negro Ensemble Company at St. Mark's Playhouse in New York. The Reckoning started the Off-Broadway season and starred Jeannette DuBois, later Ja'net Dubois of Good Times fame.
After Venture Records Inc. folded, Avant remained in Beverly Hills and founded Sussex Records in Hollywood on December 18, 1969. The company went out of business in June 1975, with the IRS seizing and auctioning off all assets because of $48,000 in federal tax liens.
Since his time at Sussex Records, Avant has gone on to buy the first African-American owned FM radio station in metropolitan Los Angeles on March 3, 1973 from Trans America Broadcasting Corp, buying the license of KTYM-FM in Inglewood, C.A., including actual facilities and FCC licensing fees, renaming it KAGB-FM. He also served as an executive producer on the 1973 Paramount Pictures film SAVE THE CHILDREN. Filmed at the Operation PUSH Black Expo in Chicago, the production mixed performances of top black entertainers with footage depicting blacks, especially children, in various conditions, including war-ravaged and malnourished refugees. The film premiered at the Apollo Theater in Harlem.
In 1976, he founded Tabu Productions, Inc. /Tabu Records where he signed acts like Alexander O’Neal, Kool & the Gang and Cherrelle. In the early 1990s, Avant became involved as a mentor to Jheryl Busby, president and chief executive officer of Motown Record Co. LP, as the company sought to implement a new business plan during the spring of 1993. In August of that year, as part of Polygram Holdings Inc.'s acquisition of Motown, Avant was named Chairman of the Board of Motown Records. Four years later, in December 1997, he became the first African- American to serve on the International Management Board for Polygram. In June 1994, Avant and a group of other notable African American investors created a $20 million investment partnership in South Africa called New Age Beverages. New Age soon teamed with PepsiCo to build a bottling plant in South Africa. PepsiCo owned 25% of a joint venture bottling company called New Age Beverages, with the other 75% in the hands of Egoli Beverages, L.P., a U.S.- based partnership that included Avant.
After Motown, Avant became associated with Urban Box Office Network, Inc., serving as its chairman. A web-based new media company consisting of series of websites aimed at minorities, UBO was founded by George Jackson, Hollywood producer and record company executive, Adam Kidron, longtime British music industry producer, and Frank Cooper, former vice president of business affairs at Def Jam Recordings. The trio raised $5.5 million in first round financing, with Avant helping to raise $16 million in second round private equity financing from Flatiron Partners, Chase Capital Partners, the New York City Investment Fund, and an investor group on January 20, 2000.
In November 1999, Avant joined the newly established music advisory board of Mjuice.com, the Web's largest secure digital music retailer. Founded in 1998, the San Francisco-based Mjuice.com provided music fans with a dynamic Web music experience through its digital retail music site, Mjuice.com, and its network of affiliate partners.
Today Avant is president of his own publishing companies, Avant Garde Enterprises, Inc., Avant Garde Music Publishing, Inc., Clarama Music, Inc., and Interior Music Corp. In May 2004, Universal Music Publishing Group announced that it would administer Clarence Avant's music publishing catalogs, including representation worldwide for synchronization licensing for Motion Picture, TV, Advertising and other mediums. Clarence Avant has also served as a member of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund and the Pepsi-Cola African-American Advisory Board.
Avant was recently awarded with an honorary doctorate from Morehouse College on February 13, 2003 at the Founder's Day Convocation. Avant was featured prominently on the cover of the February 11, 2006 issue of Billboard magazine. Around 2006, Avant became a key advisor to Network Foundation Technologies, LLC (NFT), a leading developer of Internet streaming technologies.
On February 10, 2008, the National Association of Recording Arts and Sciences awarded him the Trustees Award. (Adapted from and courtesy of Wikipedia)
Craig Bartholomew-Strydom lives and works as a writer in Baltimore, Maryland. His work has appeared in the Mail & Guardian, the Sunday Independent, and Creative Nonfiction and was a finalist for the Arts & Letters/Susan Atefat Prize for Creative Nonfiction. His original article on the search for Rodriguez called “Looking for Rodriguez” appeared in the October 1997 issue of Directions magazine. (Courtesy of Craig Bartholomew-Strydom) among others.
Dennis Coffey co-produced Rodriguez’s first album Cold Fact (1970). Throughout his career he has worked with artists such as Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, The Temptations, The Supremes, Gladys Knight, Ringo Starr, The Four Tops and Wilson Pickett, among others.
Dennis Coffey is an American original. Only in America (and specifically, only in Detroit) could one man play guitar with a group of legends as diverse as Del Shannon, The Temptations, and George Clinton and Funkadelic. However, the list of iconic artists, producers and writers Dennis has worked with the world over only scratches the surface of what the man has done and the contributions he's made to the canon of popular music.
Dennis Coffey first began to make his mark as a member of The Royaltones, a group which had hits in the late 1950s and early 1960s and who performed sessions with other artists, including Del Shannon. From there, Coffey moved on to a distinguished run as a session guitarist for various labels operating at the peak of Detroit's influence as a hub of musical innovation and commercial success. He’s perhaps best known for his work as a member of the legendary Funk Brothers, backing a veritable trunk load of hits for Motown, specifically The Temptations' classics “Cloud Nine,” “Ball of Confusion,” and “Just My Imagination.” It is in those works that his introduction of the wah-wah guitar sound to Motown (and soul / R&B in general) first reared its head, and the resulting influence on all kinds of popular music continues to reverberate to this day. His work with The Temptations is just the tip of the iceberg, though... he's on songs like “War” by Edwin Starr and “Band of Gold” by Freda Payne, among others.
In the early 1970s, Coffey struck out on his own as an artist, film scorer and producer. He scored the cult classic film BLACK BELT JONES. He recorded “Scorpio” in 1971 as part of his second solo record and first for Sussex (“Evolution”). “Scorpio” was a million selling single and was a key foundational track in the history and development of hip-hop, totally apart from its status as a funk classic. Dennis has recorded several other solo records, and he has co-produced a million- seller in Gallery’s Nice to Be with You as well as cult record Cold Fact by Rodriguez, a release that has gained increasing notoriety over the decades since it initially appeared, and which is now regarded as a rediscovered gem. He also continued session guitar work through the 1970's, appearing on such disco classics as “Boogie Fever” by the Sylvers.
Coffey is also featured in the 2002 film STANDING IN THE SHADOWS OF MOWTOWN, further cementing his legacy as a key contributor to the development of some of the most cherished and important popular music of the 20th century.
Coffey continues to write and perform music. (Courtesy of Malik Bendjelloul & DennisCoffey.com)
Dan DiMaggio is a bartender at the Motor City Brewing Works in Detroit, Michigan. (Courtesy of Malik Bendjelloul)
Rick Emmerson is a construction worker and a member of Detroit rock band Chairman Wow. (Courtesy of Malik Bendjelloul)
Jerome Ferretti is a brick layer and local Detroit artist. His painting and sculptures have been displayed in New York, Chicago, San Diego, Omaha and throughout the state of Michigan. http://www.jeromium.com/ (Courtesy of Malik Bendjelloul & Jeromium.com)
Steve M. Harris is the marketing director of Universal Music in South Africa. He previously was the marketing director for the now defunct South African record company Teal Trutone (a joint venture between Polygram and Gallo Records) which released Rodriguez’s two records, Cold Fact and Coming from Reality on CD in the early 1990s. (Courtesy of Malik Bendjelloul)
Rian Malan is a South African author, journalist and songwriter of Afrikaner descent. As a teenager, Malan associated with “township” [i.e. black] artists. To avoid the draft, he moved to the USA, where he wrote about violence in contemporary society. Returning to South Africa in the 1980s, he wrote My Traitor's Heart, his memoir of growing up in Apartheid-era South Africa in which he explores race relations through prominent murder cases. In addition, he reflects on the history of his family, a prominent Afrikaner clan that migrated to the Cape in the 17th century and included Daniel François Malan, the South African Prime Minister, who was a principal ideological force behind Apartheid doctrine.
In 2000, he wrote a widely-disseminated piece in Rolling Stone about the origin of the song The Lion Sleeps Tonight, tracing its history from its first recording by Solomon Linda, a penniless Zulu singer, through its adoption by The Weavers, The Tokens, many of the folksingers of the 1960s, and its appropriation by The Walt Disney Company in the movie THE LION KING.
Malan has generated controversy by repeatedly denying the seriousness and scope of AIDS in Africa. In articles in the Rolling Stone, The Spectator and Noseweek, a controversial South African monthly, Malan proposed that AIDS statistics are greatly exaggerated by researchers and health professionals who are trying to obtain more funding. His hypothesis was roundly criticized by national and international AIDS organizations, and Malan was accused of endangering lives in Africa. Responding to the controversy, Malan stated, “I get a kick out of it...it's like sport.” (Courtesy of Rian Malan/Facebook)
Robbie Mann previously worked at RPM Records, who released Rodriguez’s albums in South Africa in the 1970s. His father, Matt Mann, was the managing director of RPM. (Courtesy of Malik Bendjelloul)
Willem Möller is a renowned South African guitarist who is mostly famous as a member of the rock band Big Sky. In '96, Big Sky won the FNB Music Award for “Best South African Rock Act” for the album Horizon. One of South African rock's most talented and unassuming singer-songwriters, Steve Louw, first hit the spotlight with his mid-‘80s band, All Night Radio. Albums like The Killing Floor evoked much interest and laid the foundations for Big Sky, which Steve formed in 1990.
The first Big Sky album, Waiting for the Dawn, introduced the band’s new, big rock sound and spawned three Top 10 hits. For their second album, 1995’s Horizon, Louw flew to Los Angeles to work with the esteemed producer Shelley Yakus (U2, Tom Petty) and some of L.A.’s best session musicians. This album set a new standard for SA rock albums and sold over 10,000 copies as well as grabbing the above-mentioned award.
In '97, Big Sky released Going Down with Mr. Green and once again big sales and radio play followed. In 1998, Möller, Louw, Russel Taylor (keyboard), Reuben Samuels (drums), Graham Currie (bass) and Tonia Selley (percussion) had the pleasure of being the supporting slot on Rodriguez’s 1998 South Africa tour. Performing behind Rodriguez, Big Sky drew nation-wide attention to the solid and stimulating music produced by the band over the decade.
Late in 2002 Louw began to put together a new band for a series of benefit shows at Kirstenbosch. Möller came on as guitarist and Schalk Joubert, ex-member of the Afrikaans rock band Valiant Swart joined as the bassist. Peter Cohen, who'd played with 90's bands like Bright Blue and Mango Groove and who currently plays in Freshly Ground, joined on drums, and Simon Orange from The Blues Broers came in on piano and organ. It was this band that began to tour South Africa 2003 through 2008, with concerts at many of the national music festivals and live venues. (Courtesy of Malik Bendjelloul)
Eva Rodriguez is Rodriguez’s eldest daughter. (Courtesy of Malik Bendjelloul)
Regan Rodriguez is primarily an artist, born and raised in Detroit. She is a community activist and an avid volunteer for organizations that positively impact people, especially children. Regan enjoys working as a Coordinator for the Wayne State University Library System. Sometimes working on international concert tours with her father, Regan enjoys organizing in unique situations and continues to appreciate and share the beauty and wonders of our world. Regan is Rodriguez’s youngest daughter. (Courtesy of Regan Rodriguez)
Sandra Rodriguez-Kennedy is Rodriguez’s middle daughter. (Courtesy of Malik Bendjelloul)
Steve Rowland produced Rodriguez’s sophomore album Coming from Reality (1971). Throughout his career, he has worked with artists like Jerry Lee Lewis, The Cure, Peter Frampton, Gloria Gaynor, Boney M and The Pretty Things, among others.
Steve Rowland is singer, columnist, record producer and actor. He grew up in Beverly Hills. During the 1950s and 1960s his father, Roy Rowland had been one of Hollywood’s most respected directors since the late ‘30s. His mother Ruth was a writer and Louis B. Mayer was her uncle. This put the teenage Steve in a kind of maelstrom of magnificence, where stars witnessed at close hand quickly lost their shine. Wanting to be part of the world his parents created for him, he became an actor, a columnist and a singer. He cruised through the Sunset Strip like Candide in leather jacket and jeans (as worn by his friend James Dean) in search of some elusive, unholy Hollywood grail that contained fame, fortune and fun. Like the rest of the world, Steve looked to Hollywood for his values. And despite repeated betrayals, like the rest of us, he held on to the dream even when it became a nightmare.
His star-studded lifestyle inspired his five monthly columns in various fan magazines, “The View From Rowland’s Head” being the most famous. Excerpts from these columns appear in these pages exactly as they were originally printed. In addition, his monthly record reviews tied in with his weekly radio broadcast on Hollywood station KGIL which included music, reviews and interviews.
During the 1950’s, Rowland went on to act in 35 TV shows like Bonanza, Wanted Dead Or Alive and a two year role in The Legend of Wyatt Earp. Film appearances included co-starring roles in THE BATTLE OF THE BULGE with Henry Fonda; GUN GLORY with Stuart Granger; CRIME IN THE STREETS with John Cassavetes and Sal Mineo; and the original THE THIN RED LINE with Kier Dullea and Jack Warden.
During the making of five films in Spain, Rowland enjoyed Spanish chart success with the tastefully named group, Los Flaps. The lure of the exciting British music scene of the 1960s brought him to London where he produced 13 Top 5 hits for Dave Dee Dozy Beaky Mick & Titch. Among those worldwide hits were “Hold Tight”, “Zabadak”, “Bend It” and “The Legend of Xanadu” (a million selling British Number One).
Rowland also discovered Peter Frampton and the Herd, and with “Way of Life” had a #2 British hit with his own group The Family Dogg (named after his obsessive love of animals). He produced hits for other 1960s icons including P.J. Proby and The Pretty Things. In the 1970s he won a gold album and ASCAP award for producing “Jerry Lee Lewis (the London Sessions)”. In the late 1970s, Rowland acted as Creative Manager /A &R for Hansa/Ariola where he discovered and signed The Cure and The Thompson Twins, and handled Boney M and Japan.
In 1985 he produced “The Lost Opera” with Kimera and THE L.S.O. which remained in the Top 5 of the French charts for 20 weeks selling 1.5 million albums. In 1986 he discovered, demoed, and developed MEL & KIM, and signed them to Supreme Records.
In 1988, Rowland ran his own dance label Dr. BEAT, and later became Creative Director of Wham Records. Steve has also written, produced and collated music for the TWI TV series Hi Five broadcast in 38 countries. At the end of 1993 Steve became a director of Pavillion Studios forming a production company working with a number of young D.J.s, Producers, Artistes and Programmers. During this time he auditioned and tried to sign the then-unknown Spice girl Geri Halliwell. In 1995, Steve became Managing Director of Media Bank U.K. a Hong Kong based international production company. (Courtesy of Malik Bendjelloul & SteveRowland-Action.com)
Mike Theodore co- produced Rodriguez’s first album Cold Fact (1970). Mike Theodore’s musical resume originates in Detroit, Michigan in the 1960s, where he and fellow producer Dennis Coffey began writing and producing local acts in the Motor City. It wasn’t too long before the two had been given office space in the renowned Tera Shirma studios and landed a contract with Sussex Records.
While under contract to Sussex Records Theodore and Coffey had five hit albums under the moniker of Dennis Coffey & The Detroit Guitar Band. They had a Top Ten smash with “Scorpio” in 1971 and followed it with another Top Twenty hit “Taurus” in 1972. While Coffey was renowned for his guitar work with an occasional producer credit, Mike's main credits were for producer and engineer with an occasional arranger/mixer credit thrown in.
By the mid-1970's disco was in full swing, a movement that was heavily driven as a producer’s medium. Mike's first disco success came in 1977 with the C.J. & Co. album Devil's Gun. The album was a gritty and funky yet sophisticated blend of disco and Detroit soul. The three-man, two-woman vocal quintet scored a major club hit with the title track. The second 12” single from the album was “We Got Our Own Thing.”
The album was on Westbound Records which was distributed by Atlantic Records. Having severed ties with Sussex Records earlier, the duo (Coffey-Theodore) had no label affiliation until Westbound Records. Westbound would play a key role in both their lives. Towards the end of 1977 Mike released his first solo effort Cosmic Wind. The album became an immediate hit topping the club charts and has since become an enduring classic. The 12” single of “The Bull” is considered a collector's item and very rare. The next year, the duo could be heard on the Errisson album that spawned the hit “Manhattan Love Song,” the Detroit Emeralds album with “Turn on Lady” and the Caesar Frazier album with “Child of the Wind.”
In 1979, the hits just kept coming. The second Mike Theodore Orchestra album was released. The four-track masterpiece featured the mega-hits “High on Mad Mountain” and “Disco People.”
The outside work continued for the duo with Fantastic Four's “Bring Your Own Funk” and Carlis Munro’s “Boogie Up, Rock Down” both on Westbound Records. But the duo had their biggest hit in 1979 with the creation of Tempest Trio. The tracks were leased to T.K. Records and spawned the hit, and one of my favorites, “Love Machine.” The track is available on the T.K. compilation The Best of T.K. Disco Singles.
After 1979 the disco market collapsed, Westbound Records folded and the music business took a radical turn. Theodore had one more club success with Unlimited Touch in 1980. Coffey and Theodore went back to their original roots: session work.
In 1988, Mike appeared as the engineer for the club smash “No Use to Borrow” by Blue Moderne. Mike’s most recent projects include work as engineer/producer for such varied artists as Amish, Copernicus, Danny Madden, Bill Evans, Nelson, Johnathon Round and Voyeur. (Adapted from and courtesy of www.DiscoMuseum.net)
Stephen ‘Sugar’ Segerman is a baby boomer born in Johannesburg, South Africa around the time when Elvis first entered Sun Studios. An ex-jeweller, with a law degree, he now runs Mabu Vinyl, the well-known Cape Town record shop. He was involved in the rediscovery of Rodriguez and his subsequent re-emergence, and co-runs Sugarman.org, the official Rodriguez website. (Courtesy of Stephen ‘Sugar’ Segerman)