Mike

another soul hero moves on Thanks to members for passing on in the forum the sad news of yet another artist passing on, link to posts is above and at the end QUOTE Dave was in the process of doing Stanley's biography and had been in regular contact with him, even persuading him to appear at the March 07 Prestatyn weekender! on the numerous times Dave spoke to him he never mentioned any health problems, Stanleys cause of death was a heart attack, in the last half an hour Dave has spoken to his family, he had on going heart problems which he chose to ignore as he wished to perform right to the end, he died at 3.30am (U.S time) Saturday morning. His funeral is this coming Friday. All good wishes will be passed onto his family. quote from the forum thread by Louise (see below for link) The following clip is from the sleeve notes of a recent cd released by Blue Suit Label titled Motor City R and B Pioneers featuring Stanley along with Joe Weaver and Kenny Martin, the full version and more photos can be read at the Blue Suits Website (see below for link) STANLEY MITCHELL Stanley Mitchell's singing career could be the book about the history of R&B vocal groups. Blessed with a silky smooth voice, Stanley, like many of the R&B performers of the time, got his start singing in the church. "My whole family sang, it was just the standard thing, we all sang in gospel choirs." As a teenager he formed his first R&B group, the Cherokons, with his neighborhood buddies. His first big break came at an amateur contest headlined by Billy Ward & The Dominoes. Impressed by his singing, Ward asked him to join the group. He did, but only stayed for a few months, just long enough to do the Ed Sullivan Show. Stanley didn't stay unemployed very long. Lionel Hampton, impressed with the Cherokons, hired the band to be the new Hamp-Tones. He spent a year on the road with the Hamp-Tones, then quit the band and returned to Detroit. Back in the Motor City, he formed the Tornadoes with some former Midnighters. Chess Records signed the band, and their debut single "Four O'Clock in the Morning" became a top ten R&B hit. The Tornadoes moved to the Bumble Bee label before calling it quits in the early 60's. Stanley went on to record a solo record for the Gone label before going to Motown as backing vocalist. In the mid-60's he joined the Royal Jokers, and ended up staying with them for the next few years. In 1968 he went solo again and recorded a single on Dynamo Records http://www.blue-suit.com/catalogue/pioneers/pioneers.html full discography can be read on Soulful Kinda Music http://www.soulfulkindamusic.net/smitchell.htm original forum thread https://www.soul-source.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=35713

Latest news from Midnight Hour website on this weekends event... LEGENDS SOUL WEEKENDER PLEASE NOTE NOT OPEN THURSDAY NIGHT Just packing our stuff to head up to Prestatyn for the First legends weekender here at the "Home of the Soul Weekender". Our artists have touched down at Manchester this morning and are going to enjoy a well earned rest getting over the "Jet Lag" today. A Quick rundown of the timetable of events lined up for you this weekend can be found at the website, Friday info below FRIDAY--event opens as below. Check in at the centre from 4.00pm Queen Vic will be open from 12 noon Friday playing music & serving drinks if you arrive early. Queen Vic is open right through to 11.00 pm each night. Main Northern Room opens 7.30 pm through till 8.00 am Modern /Crossover Room opens 9.00 pm through till 5,00 am Commercial/ Soul Classics Room opens 8.00 pm till 2.00 am Masqueraders on stage approx 11.30 pm Bars open all way through rest of weekend schedule of events can be read at the website thanks http://www.soul-weekenders.co.uk/legends2006 last minute bookings 0870 604 5606 or Direct to Prestatyn centre 01745 881 800 Prices from £25 each for a party of 6

MUSCLE SHOALS, Alabama The world-famous FAME Records- based in the fabled music mecca of Muscle Shoals, Alabama - has signed a distribution agreement with EMI Music Marketing in the United States. Under the terms of the deal, EMI will distribute new FAME Records product along with rare and vintage Southern soul and rhythm-and-blues recordings from the treasured FAME vaults. "This is the beginning of an exciting new chapter in the story of FAME and Muscle Shoals music," says legendary producer Rick Hall, founder of the historic, hit-generating FAME Recording Studios in Muscle Shoals. "This new deal with EMI gives us an excellent opportunity to develop new acts here at FAME and possibly bring some established artists here to Muscle Shoals to record their projects. It's also an ideal time to dig into our catalog and put out some classic hits and rare cuts that fans of Muscle Shoals soul have been waiting to hear." "The timing couldn't be more perfect," says Hall. "This new deal with EMI follows on the heels of a recent resurgence in Muscle Shoals music. Acts based here or linked with this area - acts like the Drive-by Truckers (New West), Gary Nichols (Mercury), Bo Bice (BMG) and Heartland (Lofton Creek) - are having chart success in rock and country and keeping the Muscle Shoals tradition alive and well in the 21st century. In addition, Muscle Shoals native John Paul White is slated to record his first record for EMI's Capitol Records at FAME Recording studios. This new distribution agreement with EMI enables us to prove once again that Muscle Shoals remains a major force in the music world." In addition to providing an outlet for future FAME Records product, the EMI distribution deal will include the opportunity for the long awaited reissues of classic music from Fame's catalogue from the heyday of "Southern soul," a warm, funky brand of rhythm-and-blues that first popularized the unmistakable "Muscle Shoals sound." Additionally, the FAME-EMI relationship includes the opportunity to distribute many of these records in compilations of masters by the likes of Candi Staton, Dan Penn, Jimmy Hughes, Arthur Alexander, Clarence Carter, Willie Hightower, Spencer Wiggins and James Govan as well as the FAME Gang, an all-star act made up of Hall's multi-talented studio musicians. "Some of these old masters have never been released at all, and only a select few of them have ever been released on CD," added Rodney Hall, who has helped document and preserve the company's rich, one-of-a-kind musical archives. "It's really the last great soul catalog to come out on CD, and I know that there's definitely some intense interest among diehard fans of Southern soul and R&B. They're eager to add these classic recordings to their collections."