The R&B Foundation is holding their Pioneer Awards ceremony and 20th anniversary celebration tonight in Philadelphia. This event will also award Kool & The Gang, Bill Withers, Teena Marie, The Whispers, The Funk Brothers and Al Bell of Stax Records. Teena Marie, who R&B Foundation chairman Kendall Minter calls a “true soul sister,” and other award recipients will be performing. Anthony Hamilton, Kindred the Family Soul and others will also be making appearances. The foundation itself has a unique mission that not only focuses on the preservation of R&B music itself but also older R&B musicians who may need medical or financial assistance, and educational outreach and scholarship programs.
If I was in Philly I would definitely make my way to this ceremony just
to see Sugar Pie DeSanto. She is a brilliant performer, and even though
it is unknown whether she will sing tonight, the prospect of seeing her
live is exciting. In this video she performs live on the streets of San
Francisco, killing it at 72. Congratulations to her and to all of the award recipients. [RBF/AP]
