I chose to do an entry on Mammie Smith becauseof the lack of information available on her and because mom is a big fan. I have so many memories of her and my dad dancing to Mammie’s music and I’m super excited to learn and share my findings on this awesome woman.

Mamie Smith was born in Cincinnati in 1883 with the last name Robinson, she was most known in her life for her theatrical performances; singing, dancing, and playing the piano. Unfortunately, there is little to no documentation on the early years of Mamie’s life. In the nineteenth century African American people, especially ones considered to be of lower class, were not often kept track of.¹ When she was just ten years old she joined a traveling performing group called The Four Dancing Mitchells. This was a group made up of white folk, Mammie’s inclusion wasn’t a common thing. With them, Mammie travelled America ending up in New YorkCity. It was there that she quit their act and began working in performance centers around Harlem, most prominently showcasing in the Ford Theater. In this part of her life she met director and song writer Perry Bradford for whom she acted in a show titled “Made in Harlem”.²

From there on Mamie’s career and achievements were no easy feat. After the tremendous success of Bradford’sshow, Mammie was one step closer to her recording dreams. Perry introduced her to Fred Hagar of Okeh Records with the idea of producing their songs. when word got out Hagar recieved very negative reviews along with people threatening to boycott Okeh. Despite all that Hagar took a chance and the went on to record two songs backed up by a white band. These songs were the first ever to be recorded by a female black blues singer, or by any black blues singer for that matter.³ Her songs “That Thing Called Love” and “You Can’t Keep a Good Man Down” took off and later that year she recorded her biggest hit “Crazy Blues”. The insane amount of records sold opened up the opportunity for many more black artists to record, and in turn had her inducted into the grammy hall of fame.⁴

She later found herself with a full time band of all black race and under the name “Jazz Hounds” they went on an American and European tour and were shown plenty of love for it.⁵

Mammie Smith was the true underdog of her era. She started with the struggle of being a lower class, black female in the 19th century. She poured her sweat blood and tears into doing what she loved, working her way through the industry, climbing up the social ladder, and building connections with the people who could help her. She paved the way for other women and men alike to be involved in the music industry. A girl who started as nothing is now being remebered, quoted, and awarded to this day. Unlike artists whoare credited for braking records or created new sounds, Mammie’s dent on the music world was what allowed more people of all race and gender to express their creativity.

Mamie Smith’s first song, “A Thing Called Love”, is nothing spectacular when it comes to the music itself. The vocals don’t have a huge range and the instrumentals are a very mellow sound, keeping the same tempo all the way through. Overall it is a very calm sounding song, groundbreaking only for the time and person it was released by.

“You Can’t Keep a Good Man Down” I’d say is definitely the better of the two songs she recorded together. She shows more talent here by hitting, and holding, higher andlonger notes. Mamie also throughout the song controls her voice by using quivering notes and changing her pitch frequently. Even the band picks it up in this song by changing up their sound on the chorus but holding the same beat.

I chose these first two songs as they were the first Mammie ever recorded. These were the songs that impacted the system and I think it’s important for people to understand that it wasn’t some amazing qualities of them that made a difference in the music world, it was the artist.

Mamie’s song “Crazy Blues” as stated before, was her best selling record, and for good reason. The instrumental was much more technical, the tempo was ever changing and the beat stayed on point keeping the song to remain sounding smooth and without drowning out Mamie’s voice. The conjunct melody kept the song easy to sing and tap alng with as the note weren’tjumping all over the spectrum. Along with that, Mamie’s singing abilities, the fluxuation in her voice, kept the song interesting. She was able to match the pitch changed of the instruments and did so well.

I chose this as my third song because it was Mammie’s best hit. Although she is known for her groundbreaking involvement in female black reccording, this song is the title that pops into peoples head when they think of Mammie. I wanted to explore a little further into why that was, and what made it great.

Sources Cited

1. Tracy, Steven C. (1998). Going to Cincinnati: A History of the Blues in the Queen City. University of Illinois Press. p. 5. ISBN0-252-06709-6.
2. Gates, Henry Louis; Higginbotham, Evelyn Brooks (2009). Harlem Renaissance Lives from the African American National Biography. Oxford University Press US. p. 458. ISBN0-19-538795-3.
3. Oakley, Gilles (1976). The Devil’s Music: A History of the Blues. Da Capo Press. pp. 83–84.
4. Du Noyer, Paul (2003). The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Music. Fulham, London: Flame Tree Publishing. p. 154. ISBN1-904041-96-5.
5. Kernfeld, Barry Dean (2002). “Mamie Smith”. The New Grove Dictionary of Jazz, vol. 3(2nd ed.). London: Macmillan. p. 615. ISBN 1-56159-284-6.

The term Payola is defined as a secret payment given out in return for the promotion of a product (Dictionary.com). It comes from the words Pay and Victrola. “Pay” comes from the payment/bribe that record companies would offer to radio broadcasters in exchange for more radio air time for the songs recorded by their company. “Victrola” is the name of a phonograph which is a device that can mechanically record and reproduce sound, it was manufactured by the Victor Talking Machine Company.

The Scandal started in 1958 with an investigation into the popular NBC game shows “Twenty-One” and “$64,000 Question”. There was evidence that these shows were fixed by the producers as a method to increase their television ratings (Neira). This scandal resulted in the cancellation of the guilty shows and led to a similar investigation into the radio broadcasting industry.

As Payola in the radio broadcasting industry was being brought into the light, numerous disk jockeys from across the United States admitted to receiving payments from record companies in order to get their records played more often on the radio which in turn would increase the popularity of their music (History.com). Although Payola wasn’t investigated until 1958 it had actually been around in the vaudeville era of the 1920’s and the big band era of the 1930s/40s.

In 1960 the National Association of Broadcasting proposed legislation that would see any disk jockey who accepted payment be fined $500 and possibly spend a full year in prison (Neira). The President of the United States at the time was Dwight D. Eisenhower, he expressed his strong disapproval of Payola calling it an issue of public morality.

Congressman Oren Harris from the state of Arkansas conducted a set of investigative hearings in February of 1960. Harris stated that the reason for the hearings was that Payola was an abuse of public trust. At these hearings Wesley Hopkins from KYW Cleveland and Stand Richard from WILD Boston confessed to receiving thousands of dollars in what they called “listening fees” from the record producers (History.com). Although Richard stated he never actually let the bribe persuade his selection of music to put on the air. Other popular Dick Jockeys who were a part of these hearings were Alan Freed and Dick Clark. Freed is known for being the man who coined the term “rock and roll”.

After the conclusion of the investigation Freed along with several other radio personnel were arrested under the suspicion of commercial bribery. Freed ended up being charged with 26 counts of commercial bribery but only had to pay a fine. Clark denied any involvement in the payola scandal saying that he never received any payments (Hutchinson, 2015).

What came from the investigation performed by the government, was the amendment of the Federal Communication Act. This act abolished any under the table payments to disc jockeys and stated that broadcasters must disclose if a record company had purchased airtime for their music (Institute, 2010). Payola was also classified as a misdemeanour and a penalty of a $10,000 fine and a possible year in prison were set in place. However, there was a loophole in the legislation as record companies continued to send secret undisclosed payments, because of this loophole Payola was thought to have been only reorganized and not completely eradicated as first hoped.

Fast forward to the modern era and Payola still very much exists and is still illegally performed in the radio broadcasting industry. In 2005 one of the biggest record labels in the world Sony BMG was forced to pay a $10 million fine in New York after they were caught in their own payola scandal. The majority of the charges against Sony were for the playing time of Jessica Simpson and her most recent album at the time (Macdonald, 2018). To avoid being caught for Payola some record labels today will hold promotional competitions with a preselected DJ as the winner. This is used a way to conceal the prize money and claim that every contestant had the same opportunity to win the prize, when in reality the money would go to the DJ who agreed to participate in Payola.

In my opinion I am against Payola and I believe Payola laws should be heavily enforced. The popularity of the songs played on the radio shouldn’t be decided by the record companies who produce the songs or the DJ’s who work for the radio stations. Popularity should be solely based on what appeals to the listeners of the radio.

Bibliography

Dictionary.com. (n.d.). Payola Definition. Retrieved from http://www.dictionary.com/browse/payola

History.com. (n.d.). The Payola scandal heats up. Retrieved from https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/the-payola-scandal-heats-up

Hutchinson, L. (2015). Alan Freed and the Radio Payola Scandal. Retrieved from http://performingsongwriter.com/alan-freed-payola-scandal/

Institute, R. (2010). Communications Act of 1934. Retrieved from http://rooseveltinstitute.org/communications-act-1934/.

Macdonald, H. (2018). Payola: Influening the charts. Retrieved from https://www.thebalancecareers.com/payola-influencing-the-charts-2460759

Neira, B. (n.d.). Payola Scandal Rocks 50’s Radio. Retrieved from Modesto Radio Museum: http://www.modestoradiomuseum.org/payola.html

The First wave of Rock n roll met its Apex in the mid to late 50s, and essentially two events led to its decline. The first being a plane crash on February 3, 1959, that claimed the lives of the Buddy Holly, Richie Valens, and J.P. “The Big Bopper” Richardson. The second reason was the Payola scandal of 1959.
So, what exactly is payola? Similar to advertisements on radio or television, it is the act of making a financial transaction based on controlling and promoting a musical talent. In short, paying Disc Jockeys to play specific artists regardless of public demand. The two Jockeys who were on the front lines of the payola scandal were, Alan Freed and Dick Clark.
Alan Freed as known to had “accepted bribery in return for guaranteed airplay” unlike Dick Clark who was according to himself very diversified in the music industry. Regardless both Freed and Clark to the lion’s share of the brunt when the U.S. government lead investigations to pursue the scandal. According to Clark who fully cooperated with the federal government, he had his home broken into and phones tapped, as well as warned by senators regarding the matter at hand.
Dick Clark on the Payola Scandal
The investigations led to an Amendment of the Communications Act of 1934, which heavily regulated all forms of media mainly at the time, radio broadcasting. Thus, ending the corruption of radio, until 1996. The Telecommunications act of 1996 was designed to deregulate media, to break down barriers to entry into the market of media. This was done mainly due to the recent development of the internet. To some who are unfamiliar with government intervention in markets, it creates far more loops for firms to jump through in order to be successful and in order to be successful you must be very well established. So, by deregulating the industry, doors are open to any new potential entrepreneurs eager to start a firm in media.
What is also created was an opportunity for large corporations to dominate the industry by buying up competitors and seizing the majority of the market. Clear Channel or now known as iHeart Radio, controls just shy of 50% of the U.S. radio market (1,200 stations) and spent $30 billion to acquire them. Also, now that the market is unregulated the broadcasting firms are able to choose without interference from the government what they can play and are also able to be incentivized financially.
What we see in today’s radio in regard to payola is a large sum of independents approaching record labels of all types with artists varying in talent and offering these labels more artist exposure via radio time. In return, the Independents or “indies” receive a large “payola” bonus of cash. Once the transaction is made the “indies” approach a company like iHeart Radio and offer to give them help in tracking down firms to buy radio time or provide iHeart Radio with more exposure through different marketing tactics. What the “indie” will demand in return for a firm like iHeart is to be able to control a stations playlist.
This is a very unorthodox method of payola. It is far less black and white than the original form in the 60s. However, it is a loophole that is exploited greatly in the industry today. It also is visible in the opposite effect when artists are blacklisted in order to preserve the popular fan base of a station. The prime example of that is the Dixie Chicks when their lead singer spoke out against former president Bush. Every Dixie Chicks song was pulled off the radio and it did serious damage to the band. It may not be an exact form of payola, but it proves the radio companies can control the public interpretation of the music industry.
As a man who believes in a free market economy, I support the media industry being unregulated. However, music is one of those industries where someone could spend countless hours working and never achieve success and is simultaneously competing with someone from a wealthy background that can be fast-tracked to stardom. It may not be fair but is the nature of the beast. As a concept, Payola was not overly shocking, and through studying it certainly became interesting has it plays more than just a roll in the music industry, but rather is affecting the economy, government policy and social interpretation is truly fascinating.

#M2Q3

William Christopher Handy, better known as “W. C. Handy” was born on November 16th, 1873 in Florence, AL. As his nickname describes “The Father of Blues”, Handy was a pioneer for the blues. Though the blues originated sometime between the mid to late 1800s in the backwoods of the deep south, Handy is responsible for bringing the blues out of the woods and into the mainstream music scene.  Prior to his fame, he worked as a skilled carpenter and a teacher. I believe his humble roots helped him become the great racial activist we see in history books. Bringing the blues to the mainstream was a huge stride for the African-American racial movement. The history books appear to get muddy around the exact time, but it is believed Handy’s success with the blues in the mainstream music scene came around 1909, where he and his band would play in Memphis nightclubs. That year he was noted creating the base work for his first known blue’s tune Memphis Blues.  It was originally created for a mayoral campaign, then rewritten in 1912 and is the same Memphis Blues we know today

Some historians believe that Memphis Blues was the first published blues song. During a time where there was a significant amount of racial tension, long after the civil war, it was extraordinary that white mayoral candidate Edward Crump allowed W. C. Handy, a black man, be responsible for a significant part of his campaign. Edward Crump went on to win his first major political role as the mayor of Memphis and eventually led to a short-term as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives for the state of Tennesee.

It is hard to find specific examples if Mr. Handy was ostracized or mistreated for being black, but I can guarantee it was not easy for him to be growing up in the southern United States in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Whether he strived for equality or not, W. C. Handy let his music do the talking.

The great success of Memphis Blues lead to other great compositions such as St. Louis Blues.

In 1917, Handy moved to New York. In Handy’s autobiography titled Memphis Blues, he claims that his song, which shares the title of the book created the foxtrot dance style [1, 4]. Foxtrot is normally danced to the ragtime genre. Below is the song Ole Miss Rag, which was written and composed by W. C. Handy during the peak of the foxtrot era [1, 3, 4].

As we have learned throughout the first half of this class, the blues have had a significant influence on today’s popular music and racial movements. The Father of Blues has made waves in today’s popular music and culture and most of the world has no idea who W. C. Handy is [4].

References:

[1] “W. C. Handy.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 11 July 2018, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/W._C._Handy.https://www.allaboutjazz.com/a-brief-history-of-the-blues-by-ed-kopp.php

[2] “W.C. Handy.” Biography.com, A&E Networks Television, 27 Oct. 2015, www.biography.com/people/wc-handy-39700.

[3] Tucker, David. “Edward Hull ‘Boss’ Crump.” Tennessee Encyclopedia, Tennessee Historical Society, 1 Mar. 2018, tennesseeencyclopedia.net/entries/edward-hull-and-crump/.

[4] Nager, Larry, and Bill Monroe. “W.C. Handy.” Memphis Music Hall of Fame, memphismusichalloffame.com/inductee/wchandy/.

It may seem farfetched that Elvis aka “The King of Rock and Roll” inspired an underground hip hop group in Minnesota [1]. This is not a direct connection, but there is a lineage that explains how the hip hop group Atmosphere received musical influences from Elvis Presley [1].  As seen below, Atmosphere’s influence from Elvis can be traced directly through The Beastie Boys and Led Zeppelin [1].

[1] Elvisualization (Spotify, 2018)

Atmosphere

[2] Sean “Slug” Daley (left) and Anthony “Ant” Davis (right)

Atmosphere is no longer considered an “Underground Hip Hop” group, due to their success in the late 2000s but for a long period of time they weren’t selling out major concert halls. Since their inception in 1989, they have stayed true to their storytelling rapping lyrical measures and have remained with their small record company Rhymesayers Entertainment since they both founded it in 1995 [3, 4]. The song Yesterday (2008) is a great representation of their style, unlike most hip hop groups their lyrics are easily understood and the message is clear. They are aware of their audience and the influence their music has on their fans and are very cautious to avoid references that involve breaking the law.

Spoiler Alert!

Yesterday is a story about a mysterious influential person (usually assumed to be a friend or ex-lover), where Slug describes all the lessons he learned from this person and the regret he carries with him. Just as he is coming to grips of being a better person and is ready to reconcile with this individual, he explains the song is about his dad whom passed away. Then the tables are turned and the song has a new meaning about how he never achieved the peace he wanted with his father [5].

The Beastie Boys: Influence on Early Hip Hop

[6] The Beastie Boys

According to the influence web from Spotify, Atmosphere’s music was influenced by the Beastie Boys [1]. The Beastie Boys were an American punk rock band turned hip hop/rap rock group in the 1980s [7]. When listening to their tracks, it is difficult to draw parallels. Being that The Beastie Boys were pioneers in hip hop, it perhaps influenced Slug and Ant into the genre at a young age.

Led Zeppelin: Influence on Evolution of Music

[8] Led Zeppelin

The Beastie Boys were influenced by new genre of punk rock. According the Ramones, whom were a significant pioneer for punk rock claimed that Led Zeppelin were the creators of punk rock with the hit Communication Breakdown (1969) [9, 10]. It is believed that punk originated in 1975, where the Ramones lead the punk movement in 1976 [9, 11]. Though The Beastie Boys eventually switched genres, their roots and influence of Led Zeppelin remains.

Elvis: Influence on Rock and Roll

[12] Elvis Presley

Elvis did not create rock and roll, but he is known to be the first “rock star”. He has been granted the official nicknames of “The King of Rock and Roll” and even more impressively “The King” [13].

Did Elvis Influence Underground Rap?

[14]

A direct relationship between Elvis and Atmosphere is not apparent; however, there is a relationship as seen through the Elvisualization chart [1]. His impact on certain genres of music is debatable, but it is evident without Elvis, today’s popular music would be very different [1].

References:

[1] The Elsvisualization. Spotify, 2018, static.echonest.com/insights/elvis/elvisualization.html.

[2] “Atmosphere.” IMDb, IMDb.com, 18 July 2018, www.imdb.com/name/nm2282786/mediaviewer/rm3956212480.

[3] “Atmosphere (Music Group).” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 10 July 2018, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atmosphere_(music_group).

[4] archive-Kyle-Anderson. “Atmosphere’s Slug Tips Many Glasses To The Absent Beastie Boys At Outside Lands.” MTV News, MTV, 31 Aug. 2009, www.mtv.com/news/2576539/atmosphere-beastie-boys-outside-lands/.

[5] B, Nihal. “My Creative Creative Writing Blog.” Atmosphere-Yesterday Song/Poetry Analysis, 2010, nihalbhakta.blogspot.com/2010/03/atmosphere-yesterday-songpoetry.html.

[6] Hart, Ron. “How The Beastie Boys Perfected Rap-Rock (Before Everyone Else Ruined It).” Observer, Observer, 21 Apr. 2017, observer.com/2017/04/beastie-boys-check-your-head-album-anniversary-review/.

[7] “Beastie Boys.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 18 July 2018, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beastie_Boys.

[8] Zorthian, Julia. “Led Zeppelin Wins Stairway to Heaven Copyright Trial.” Time, Time, 23 June 2016, time.com/4380339/led-zeppelin-win-stairway-to-heaven/.

[9] “Discover Who Influenced Beastie Boys.” MAROON 5’s Biggest Music Influences, 18 July 2018, inflooenz.com/?artist=Beastie

[10] “How Led Zeppelin’s ‘Communication Breakdown’ Sparked The Ramones’ American Punk Rock Revolution.” Don’t Forget The Songs 365, 3 Oct. 2013, dontforgetthesongs365.wordpress.com/2013/10/01/how-led-zeppelins-communication-breakdown-sparked-the-ramones-american-punk-rock-revolution/.Boys&follower=atmosphere.

[11] “U.S. Pop Music Timeline.” HUMAN IMPACT, www.factmonster.com/cool-stuff/music/us-pop-music-timeline.

[12] Einhart, Nancy. “I Love Elvis, and These Are My Favorite Songs.” POPSUGAR Tech, 18 Aug. 2017, www.popsugar.com/entertainment/Best-Elvis-Songs-Live-43883018.

[13] “Elvis Presley.” Biography.com, A&E Networks Television, 20 June 2018, www.biography.com/people/elvis-presley-9446466.

[14] “Elvis Presley.” Freaking News Pictures, www.freakingnews.com/Elvis-Presley-Pictures–1286.asp.

In 1959, a scandal shook the music world. With the popularity of music and the number of disc jockeys skyrocketing, the radio became the common ground to share music. With popularity from audiences came money for disc jockeys, as their status allowed them to receive money from labels to receive airtime. (Kelly 2016)

This process became known as “Payola,” which refers to the payment of money in return for airtime, and is a combination of the words pay and Victrola, which was an old-fashioned record player. With more airtime resulting in more record sales, it only became natural for labels to push radio stations and disc jockeys to play their music, with financial incentives. (Neira 2004)

After it became publically aware that certain broadcasted game shows were rigged, an investigation was launched into the operations of broadcasters around America, and soon the radio industry was in the midst of a scandal. (Neira 2004)

What came of the investigation?

Two of America’s most famous DJ’s suffered remarkably different fates. Dick Clark, a younger, clean faced disc jockey who was known to millennials for his New Year’s Eve celebrations in Times Square, got off scot-free. Meanwhile, a counterpart in the industry and the creator of the term “rock and roll,” Alan Freed was charged to 26 counts, costing him his television and radio shows. Both men were likely equally as guilty, however, due to their reputations and appearances, rightly or wrongly, their end fate were the strikingly polar opposite. (Kelly 2016)

“I think the crime I have committed, if any, is that I made a great deal of money in a short time on little investment. But that is the record business.” –Dick Clark (Staff 2009)

Many disc jockeys across America came clean during the investigations, admitting to tallying up an astonishing amount of money, in some cases over tens of thousands of dollars.

Due to their immense power and popularity the disc jockeys had at the time, they were able to greatly alter the popularity of music to the point that simply isn’t possible today, because popular music is arguably more accessible than ever before.

However, a different type of Payola still exists today in many different manners. An essay from the former president of Rykodisc wrote an essay regarding the present-day payola, which was summarized in an article on Noisey;

“Labels hire indie promoters to flog records to radio stations, promoters pay radio stations in cash, giveaways, and assorted swag, and those same promoters often draw a second salary from the stations themselves to “consult” on which songs to add into the rotation.” (Kelly 2016)

Popular music streaming Spotify even offers a “Sponsored Songs” playlist to subscribers. (Sanchez 2017)

In my opinion, in an optimal world, Payola would not exist. However, that is an unrealistic request and quite frankly is a goal that will never indeed be accomplished. For music to become famous, a song needs to be played quite repetitively. It is interesting when listening to the radio, as for the most part, I believe they determine which songs are popular. However, I think that it shouldn’t be up to people with money to decide which songs are popular, that should be up to the consumer to choose. It’s not difficult to see why payola still has such a prevalent role in the world of music.

Works Cited

Kelly, Kim. 2016. A Brief History of American Payola. February 14. https://noisey.vice.com/en_us/article/64y8y9/a-brief-history-of-american-payola.

Neira, Bob. 2004. Payola Scandal Rocks 50’s Radio. http://www.modestoradiomuseum.org/payola.html.

Sanchez, Daniel. 2017. Spotify Introduces a Brand New Feature: Payola . June 20. https://www.digitalmusicnews.com/2017/06/20/spotify-sponsored-songs-payola/.

Staff, History.com. 2009. Dick Clark survives the Payola scandal .    https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/dick-clark-survives-the-payola-scandal.

One of our nation’s finest musical talents that my generation may have no clue about, Paul Anka broke down borders and made his name known on the world stage. Anka, who was born in the nation’s capital, Ottawa, Ontario in 1941, was quick to realize his dreams needed bigger lights to make them a reality. (Paul Anka Biography 2017)

At the age of 15, Anka purchased a plane ticket and traveled to where the talent of all kinds flocks to, Hollywood. After getting lost in the shuffle in Los Angeles, Anka decided the bright lights of the Big Apple were his next stop, but with his parent’s patience running short, Paul needed a big break quickly, and when he was fortunate enough to land a meeting with an ABC and Paramount Records executive, he made the most of the opportunity. The up and coming prodigy landed his first contract, and from there it was history. A year later, “Diana” stood as the number one song in the world, and Anka’s career blossomed from there. (Official Site of Paul Anka 2011)

“Lonely Boy” which released in 1959, was Anka’s first single to reach the peak of the Billboard Hot 100 and ended the year as their fifth-ranked song. (Lonely Boy (Paul Anka song) n.d.) What stood apart Anka from other crooners in his era was his exceptional ability to write songs. He was not simply another male with a smooth, low voice. His ability to make words flow beautifully caught the attention of some of the world’s greatest artists including Frank Sinatra and Michael Jackson. (Paul Anka Biography 2017) While Anka had a similar voice to Sinatra, his ability to write and sing songs from the heart, pushed him over the top.

“When I’m writing, I generally toy with an idea until it manifests itself – meaning a phrase or a tune comes into my head and eventually begins to jell. When something hits me, I write it down immediately. I don’t wait, or it’s gone.” -Paul Anka

To me, Anka had a more distinct, upbeat style of music, more comparable to modern day pop. While Sinatra’s music was a bit slower paced and could be seen as more fitting in the jazz genre.

While Anka’s career peaked as a teen singing sensation, his ability to write songs carried his career’s wave length on even longer.
Anka stands as one of the most successful musical artists to come out of Canada, and his career will be forever enshrined north of the border. The singer and songwriter is a member of the Canadian Music Hall of Fame, Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame, the Order of Canada and has a star on Canada’s Walk of Fame. He also was honored with a street named in his honor in his hometown, named Paul Anka Drive. (King 2010) He will stand as a trailblazer in Canadian Music, and one who will never be forgotten.

“If you’re in pop music, you’ve got to deal with the changing of the guard every few years. By the time the ’70s arrived, I was well aware of the cyclical nature of the game. Pop music is a creature of the moment; it thrives on the mood of its time. Either you hook into that or you’re not going to be part of it.” – Paul Anka

Some tidbits of information I found interesting while I was researching Anka included:

• Amanda Anka, one of Paul’s five daughters, is married to well known Hollywood comedian Jason Bateman (Jason Bateman – A child star grows up 2008)

• Anka’s famous hit “Diana” was written about his childhood crush Diana Ayoub, who grew up in Ottawa with Paul (Butler 2017)

Works Cited

Butler, Don. 2017. Ottawa Citizen. February 13. https://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news/capital-facts-busting-the-myth-of-paul-ankas-doomed-love.

2008. Jason Bateman – A child star grows up. June 20. https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/features/jason-bateman-a-child-star-grows-up-850743.html.

King, Betty Nygaard. 2010. The Canadian Encyclopedia. January 17. https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/paul-anka-emc/.
n.d. Lonely Boy (Paul Anka song).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lonely_Boy_(Paul_Anka_song).

2011. Official Site of Paul Anka. http://paulanka.com/biography/.

2017. Paul Anka Biography. April 27. https://www.biography.com/people/paul-anka-3424.

One of our nation’s finest musical talents that my generation may have no clue about, Paul Anka broke down borders and made his name known on the world stage. Anka, who was born in the nation’s capital, Ottawa, Ontario in 1941, was quick to realize his dreams needed bigger lights to make them a reality. (Paul Anka Biography 2017)

At the age of 15, Anka purchased a plane ticket and traveled to where the talent of all kinds flocks to, Hollywood. After getting lost in the shuffle in Los Angeles, Anka decided the bright lights of the Big Apple were his next stop, but with his parent’s patience running short, Paul needed a big break quickly, and when he was fortunate enough to land a meeting with an ABC and Paramount Records executive, he made the most of the opportunity. The up and coming prodigy landed his first contract, and from there it was history. A year later, “Diana” stood as the number one song in the world, and Anka’s career blossomed from there. (Official Site of Paul Anka 2011)

“Lonely Boy” which released in 1959, was Anka’s first single to reach the peak of the Billboard Hot 100 and ended the year as their fifth-ranked song. (Lonely Boy (Paul Anka song) n.d.) What stood apart Anka from other crooners in his era was his exceptional ability to write songs. He was not simply another male with a smooth, low voice. His ability to make words flow beautifully caught the attention of some of the world’s greatest artists including Frank Sinatra and Michael Jackson. (Paul Anka Biography 2017) While Anka had a similar voice to Sinatra, his ability to write and sing songs from the heart, pushed him over the top.

“When I’m writing, I generally toy with an idea until it manifests itself – meaning a phrase or a tune comes into my head and eventually begins to jell. When something hits me, I write it down immediately. I don’t wait, or it’s gone.” -Paul Anka

To me, Anka had a more distinct, upbeat style of music, more comparable to modern day pop. While Sinatra’s music was a bit slower paced and could be seen as more fitting in the jazz genre.

While Anka’s career peaked as a teen singing sensation, his ability to write songs carried his career’s wave length on even longer.
Anka stands as one of the most successful musical artists to come out of Canada, and his career will be forever enshrined north of the border. The singer and songwriter is a member of the Canadian Music Hall of Fame, Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame, the Order of Canada and has a star on Canada’s Walk of Fame. He also was honored with a street named in his honor in his hometown, named Paul Anka Drive. (King 2010) He will stand as a trailblazer in Canadian Music, and one who will never be forgotten.

“If you’re in pop music, you’ve got to deal with the changing of the guard every few years. By the time the ’70s arrived, I was well aware of the cyclical nature of the game. Pop music is a creature of the moment; it thrives on the mood of its time. Either you hook into that or you’re not going to be part of it.” – Paul Anka

Some tidbits of information I found interesting while I was researching Anka included:

• Amanda Anka, one of Paul’s five daughters, is married to well known Hollywood comedian Jason Bateman (Jason Bateman – A child star grows up 2008)

• Anka’s famous hit “Diana” was written about his childhood crush Diana Ayoub, who grew up in Ottawa with Paul (Butler 2017)

Works Cited

Butler, Don. 2017. Ottawa Citizen. February 13. https://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news/capital-facts-busting-the-myth-of-paul-ankas-doomed-love.

2008. Jason Bateman – A child star grows up. June 20. https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/features/jason-bateman-a-child-star-grows-up-850743.html.

King, Betty Nygaard. 2010. The Canadian Encyclopedia. January 17. https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/paul-anka-emc/.
n.d. Lonely Boy (Paul Anka song).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lonely_Boy_(Paul_Anka_song).

2011. Official Site of Paul Anka. http://paulanka.com/biography/.

2017. Paul Anka Biography. April 27. https://www.biography.com/people/paul-anka-3424.

Joseph Byrd’s article, “Whitewashing Blackface Minstrelsy in American College Textbooks,” digs deeper into the content revolving around the issues of Blackface performances and theatric minstrelsy stating that the harsh racist realities are “tucked away in blandly-titled chapters” (Joseph Byrd, 2009, 77). Byrd provides critiques academic textbooks providing  evidence which suggests that they misconstruing the racism behind the scenes of minstrelsy. This type of entertainment that began to gain American popularity in the 1830s and continues well into the early 20th Century, developed out of England and was considered “comic entertainment” (Joseph Byrd, 2009, 77) of black people and their culture. As minstrel shows surfaced more through America, slavery became a popular theme among this entertainment business. These shows often mocked black people elaborating on certain physical qualities, exaggeration clothing and language used among them on plantations. Byrd presents a valid argument that challenges the racist nature that existed and still does regarding the context provided about blackface minstrelsy.

What really caught my attention was the amount of academic sources that still fail to fully acknowledge the underlying tones of racism, even though some obvious racist tones are presented within the lyrics of this form of entertainment. As someone who is looking to become an educator, I consider it of high importance that the truth of North American, specifically, is taught in its most authentic forms. This would mean looking at and using any resource critically and ensuring that the audience reading from it is aware of anything that has been hidden away behind dissociative titles and negligent facts. This resembles much of the Canadian Indigenous history that was stowed away for years having the truth hidden from many Canadians. Analyzing these sorts of texts is essential in addressing further racial tendencies and repetitions of history. Another point that I found surprising was the lyrics used as evidence by Byrd suggesting that the derogatory implications were very evident when we examine it through an inclusive, non-biased lens. And yet, sources used throughout our education present this vaguely, if at all.

Below I have attached a video of “Old Dan Tucker” written by Dan Emmett in 1843. Byrd talks about how the lyrics used portray racist stereotypes of black people during this time. During this time the shows were based on the ugliest stereotypes of African Americans through songs, jokes, and imitations.

The audience for these shows were the lumpenproletariat: low-class white and irish males who were considered undereducated. This audience is seemingly a target to present exaggerated stereotypes of the African-American slaves in America perhaps because they are more easily influenced and susceptible to such to racial behaviours. Karl Marx describes the lumpenproletariat the “social scum” and undesirables of society. By targeting this audience, racial tensions grew allowing them to infiltrate the multiple levels of socioeconomic and racial statuses. By understanding this audience, we can see that the acceptance among this group spread throughout other social groups further contributing to racial tensions.

Through the rapid spread of blackface minstrel shows came a wave of acceptance towards this type of representation of the African-American people in America. This not only created widespread stereotypes and racist tendencies, but it also contributed to racist laws named after the famous minstrel character Jim Crow and an “insulting lyrics associated with it [1]. Jim Crow laws enforced the segregation of whites from blacks in the 1860s in Southern United States after the release of four million slaves [2] . They outlined when and where they could eat, ride the bus, work, played, how much they were played and even harder punishments and legal sentencing [3].

Byrd presents a great argument acknowledging that society still has a long way to come. With textbooks still avoiding historical facts, it prevents us as a functioning societal whole to move forward and past such injustice. By not acknowledging or representing the history of minstrel shows, we are allowing the American racist truth not be held to any accountability whatsoever. I think that textbooks avoid this information for a number of reasons but none, in my mind, are good enough excuses to misrepresent this history. The truth is that it may be embarrassing in nature to acknowledge such a horrendous past and it may be uncomfortable but it still needs to be talked about an acknowledged. As I mentioned before, this mirrors the history of Canada’s indigenous people, how they were treated by European settlers and how the truth has been and still is avoided. Lack of information creates ignorance and ignorance breeds fear and the creates social injustice and marginalization we see today. If we acknowledge all the facts and not just partial truths, it can hopefully open a gateway that will not allow history to repeat itself. Lack of proper education is only going to feed into this vicious cycle of racism and injustice. While blackface minstrel