Mike

Latest info on the new series of nighters planned for 2005 The Original Sounds Of Detroit&Chicago and Down To Midtempo Lounge Allnighter - Confirmed Dates For 2005. I can now confirm the three dates booked so far for THE ORIGINAL SOUNDS OF DETROIT AND CHICAGO ALLNIGHTERS and of course the down to mid tempo lounge set to happen AT SHERRIDANS, DEWSBURY next year, the event will run on the second Saturday of the month on February 12th/13th, May 14th/15th and August 13th/14th 2005 and possibly more dates if things go to plan. DJs are currently being worked out to give the best possible authentic flava to the night and its idea,so watch this space for full DJ line up soon. For further information please contact bicknellmark@aol.com or telephone 0161 330 6267. Flyers will be ready very soon and will provide you with all the information, already i have had a good solid buzz on this idea and do hope the nights are well supported, what i can promise is some outstanding tunes throughout. Regards and thanks - Mark Bicknell.

SOLID HIT SOUL ANNOUNCE THEIR FIRST GUEST DJ..................... We, at the Solid Hit Soul Club, are pleased to announce that Dave Rimmer will be our first guest DJ at our opening night. Details for the night are: DATE: Saturday 20th November 2004 TIME: 9pm - 2am VENUE: VIVOs, 17 Watling Street, LONDON, EC4 Dave will be joined by resident DJs Gene Robertson, Stuart Tyler, Martin Thomson and Dave Greenhill. The music policy is 60s rare soul - with a leaning towards the lesser known, the underplayed and the forgotten while still blending in plenty of established floor pleasers. Also, dont forget to make a note of our next night on Saturday 11th December. Take a soulful break from the Christmas shopping with us! Guest DJ on this night to be confirmed. Dont forget that during 2005, we will be running on the 3rd Saturday of every month, so be sure to make a note in your diaries!!! Latest Event news Published by Gene Robertson [Gene-R] on 2004/10/19 (83 reads

Latest Event news Published by Andyk123 PLEASE NOTE THAT DUE TO BOOKING PROBLEMS THE NEXT EVENT PLANNED FOR THE 28TH JAN 05 AT THE HITCHIN FOOTBALL CLUB HAS BEEN MOVED TO THE FOLLOWING ADDRESS: PAYNES PARK SOCIAL CLUB LEGION HOUSE PAYNES PARK HITCHIN HERTS SG5 1EH THE LINE UP REMAINS THE SAME...!!!! NOTE - BY MOVING TO THIS VENUE WE NOW HAVE A CHEAP BAR AND A WOODEN DANCE.....SO IT CANT BE ALL BAD, CAN IT! HOPE TO SEE YOU ALL THERE, IF THIS IS ANYTHING LIKE THE LAST ONE THEN A GOOD NIGHT SHOULD BE HAS BY ALL ALL THE BEST ANDY TEL: 07841 652680 MAIL: NORTHERNSOUL_1@hotmail.com

Alcohol by Robert Jay - the story behind the track Alcohol, the first release from Voxpop45s. A new and completely legit record label working with the artists themselves. Each release on 7", no bootlegging. Detroit 1969. Robert Jay woke up one morning mad as hell. Firstly with himself for being so vulnerable, then with the demon alcohol. From that moment, armed with a strong tune in his head, he decided to combine a serious love of the blues and funk with sheer determination to combat the damaging effects of drinking. The result? 'Alcohol'; A smart transposition of 'I'm gonna ditch ya, troublesome woman' blues style lyrics over a pounding funk rhythm and the first release from new funk and soul re-issues label Voxpop45's. The Robert Jay story just goes to show not all rock 'n' roll addictions lead to unhappy endings, sometimes they lead to truly compelling music. "I came out of the service and got the habit. After I got my first drunk on, it took years to get off it. They arrested me for drinking and driving, then I went before the judge and he sent me to three different psychologists to see if I had a mental problem. He told me I had to go to AA so when I went back for my license I told him I didn't have a habit no more. I go to church now. I'm a Sunday school teacher." It's an unrelenting and powerful cautionary two-part tale. During 1969, a blue label release was recorded in-house with plain upfront lyrics and a strong backing track. The message slowly sinks in with the same infiltrating flow as liquor taking over the body. Four years later a second studio recording was laid down, this time onto a pink label. With better equipment, spiralling sax melodies, a glistening rhythm and a little help from his friends, the Blues influence is even stronger than it was before, creating such painful intensity that it's impossible not to dance. After all, this is a track of celebration and with family members hollering their support it has the sound of an after-hours whiskey-soaked block party from the depths of an underground basement. It's nice to know Robert wasn't alone on his road to recovery. "The female vocals were done by relatives of mine through marriage. Beverly, Sydney and their friend, I see them all the time, they live in the neighbourhood. My sister married their brother." Perhaps this and the fact only 300 copies were pressed before being given to friends, was why the record and artist had a following that remained within the boundaries of the city. Voxpop45's are making the track accessible again, re-issuing the music in its original format on 7" vinyl*. Alcohol's tough but soulful sound is proof that when one door closes another always opens and here what could have been a rock 'n' roll style tragedy is actually a blessing in disguise. In the words of Mr Jay... "Let the rhythm push you on"

Track listing of upcoming release inc unissued french live and alt versions THE VELVELETTES: ‘THE COMPLETE MOTOWN ANTHOLOGY’ due out 1 Nov Disc 1 1. Selfish Lover* 2. Should I Tell Them* 3. My Foolish Heart (Keeps Hanging On To A Memory)* 4. Mama Please* 5. There He Goes 6. Thats The Reason Why 7. I Know His Name (Only His Name) 8. (The) Monkey (Hokey Pokey)* 9. Thats A Funny Way* 10. You Cant Get Away* 11. Stop Beating Around The Bush 12. Needle In A Haystack [stereo version] 13. He Was Really Sayin Somethin [alternative version]* 14. Since Ive Lost You* 15. Think Of The Times 16. Throw A Farewell Kiss 17. Long Gone Lover 18. Lonely Lonely Girl Am I [alternative version]* 19. Im The Exception To The Rule 20. Why Must You Go* 21. A Bird In The Hand (Is Worth Two In The Bush) [alternative mix]* 22. Save Me (My Ship Of Love Is Sinking) [alternative version] 23. Since Youve Been Loving Me [stereo version]* 24. Let Love Live (A Little Bit Longer) [alternative mix]* Disc 2 1. The Boy From Crosstown [alternative mix]* 2. A Love So Deep Inside* 3. Aint No Place Like Motown 4. Hes The One* 5. Everybody Needs Love 6. Somethings Happening* 7. Love Is Good 8. These Things Will Keep Me Loving You 9. These Things Will Keep Me Loving You [alternative stereo version] 10. Your Heart Belongs To Me* 11. Seasons Greetings From Motown 1966 12. I’m In Love (And I Know It)* 13. (Weve Got) Honey Love* 14. Im So Glad Its Twilight Time 15. Bring Back The Sunshine* Bonus 1: Battle Of The Stars, Live at the Greystone, February 28, 1964 * 16. (The) Nitty Gritty 17. There He Goes 18. The Monkey Time 19. I Cant Wait Until I See My Baby’s Face 20. (Ain’t That) Good News Bonus 2: The French recordings* 21. Puisque Je Sais Qu’il Est à Moi (‘As Long As I Know Hes Mine’) 22. Tu Perds Le Plus Merveileux Garçon du Monde (‘You Lost The Sweetest Boy’) 23. Le Hokey Pokey ‘(The) Monkey’ 24. Je Veux Crier (‘My Foolish Heart (Keeps Hanging On To A Memory)’)

THE UK SUE LABEL STORY VOL 3 / The Soul of Sue • KENT - CDKEND 235 Read Dean Rutlands full review of the CD "UK Sue label story Vol 3 - The Soul of Sue" HERE . Track listing:- HURT BY LOVE - INEZ FOXX I CAN’T WAIT UNTIL I SEE MY BABY’S FACE - JUSTINE “BABY” WASHINGTON THE LAST MINUTE - JIMMY McGRIFF HITCH-HIKE PT I - RUSSELL BYRD AM I A FOOL IN LOVE - IKE & TINA TURNER CONTINENTAL MIND - ERNESTINE ANDERSON I CAN’T STAND IT - SOUL SISTERS INCENSE – ANGLOS DON’T MESS WITH MY MAN - IRMA THOMAS HARLEM SHUFFLE - BOB & EARL YOUR RED WAGON (YOU CAN PUSH IT OR PULL IT) - DONNIE ELBERT CRYIN’ DAYS ARE OVER - KELLY BROTHERS STRONGER - THELMA JONES DANCING FAST, DANCING SLOW - INTENTIONS BEFORE IT’S TOO LATE - JACKIE DAY THAT DID IT - BOBBY BLAND SEARCHIN’ FOR MY BABY – MANHATTANS WHAT DID YOU TELL THIS GIRL OF MINE - OV WRIGHT NIGHT TRAIN - JAMES BROWN & THE FAMOUS FLAMES DO- RE-MI - LEE DORSEY GIMME, GIMME - ZZ HILL TALKIN’ WOMAN - LOWELL FULSON OH HOW HAPPY - SHADES OF BLUE BELIEVE IN ME - JERRY BUTLER YOU DON’T WANT ME - JAMES CARR Read Dean Rutlands full review of the CD "UK Sue label story Vol 3 - The Soul of Sue" HERE .

SOUL FUNCTION (Northern Soul story) MUSIC DVD & CD SET Full info including sound streaming of all tracks and video clips available at the New Century Soulshop http://www.newcenturysoul.co.uk/modules/soulshop/ "In two and a half minutes life is magic" - V2 Music and the makers of the dance film hit "Function at the Junction" present "Soul Function" “It was all about self expression which was amazing really because to be a working class kid and to think about how you look was completely different. It was very creative." - Sir Paul Smith. "You get out on the dance floor. You rock it. To me that is quintessential Northern Soul." Ashley Beedle. DJ. TRACKLISTING DVD: FUNCTION AT THE JUNCTION — Short Film THE WAY OF THE CROWD — Documentary / Exclusive Photo Gallery Click image below for flash video intro or view quicktime file at new century soul shop (note - this video has been edited for internet and is a lesser quality than the dvd) Dance. Vinyl. DJs. Amphetamines. Club culture. Northern Soul culture fed on the energy of audiences discovering dance music classics for themselves. British appreciation of the under-appreciated and instinct for street-generated style lay at the heart of the Northern scene. The street-based energy that filled Northern club floors in the Seventies laid the foundations for the Rave scene in the Nineties. With film, archive footage, dance clips, documentary and twenty blistering dance tracks, "Soul Function" captures the excitement and power of Northern Soul. The Soul Function CD/DVD artifact features: CD: streaming available at New Century Soulshop (1) The Royal Esquires “Aint Gonna Run” (2) Calvin Grayson “Youve Got to Be Willing” (3) Dave Charles “Aint Gonna Cry No More” (4) Doris Troy “Face up to the Truth” (5) Harry Deal & The Galaxies “I still Love You” (6) Kiki Dee “Magic On A Carpet Ride (7) Nancy Butts “I want to hold your Hand” (8) Charles Mann “ Shonuff No Funny Stuff Love” (9) The Soulful Twins “Cant Let you Go” (10) Steve Mancha “Friday Night” (11) The Enchanters “Theres a Look about You” (12) Lela Martin “You Cant Have Your Cake” (13) Willy McDougal “Dont Turn Away” (14) Bobby Jonz “Win Your Love” (15) Clay Hunt “Your Loves Gone Bad” (16) Emmit Long “Call Me” (17) Judy Street “What” (18) The Mylestones “The Joker” (19) Mojo “Lets Get Ugly” (20) Tommy Neal “Going to a Happening” Rare archive footage of club and dance action Previously unreleased stills from the scene 20 rare Northern Soul classics, including previously un-released material 45 minute "Way of the Crowd" documentary charting the history of the scene Interviews with DJs Ashley Beedle, Stuart Patterson, DJ Paulette, Terry Farley, Bill Brewster, Geno Washington Commentary from Sir Paul Smith detailing the impact of Northern on British fashion Award winning short "Function at the Junction" as seen on the BBC, Sky, Sundance and on the web at Tiscali. Full info including sound streaming of all tracks and video clips available at the New Century Soulshop

NEW RELEASES – Monday October 18th Two more in our collectable 45s series : £10.00 each inc postage G2K 45-149 HERMAN HITSON : You Can’t Keep A Good Man Down / Ain’t No Other Way (great 70s coupling rare Sweet Rose 45 – Crossover dancer ‘A’ with in-de mand funker) G2K 45-150 EDDIE HOLMAN : Wanted In 3 States (classic Northern – here’s the previously unreleased original version Harthon recording) And two new CDs : £12.99 each inc postage GVCD 3016 : CAROL ANDERSON – Sad Girl (cult Detroit soulstress – inclueds all her known output including the title track and 2 other in-demand dancers – Taking My Mind Off Love & It Shouldn’ t Happen To A Dog) GVCD 3017 : VARIOUS ARTISTS – America’s Most Wanted Volume 2 (another visit to the vaults of Malaco for a 21 track dancer’s treasure – includes previously unreleased tracks – George Jackson’s own cut of “The Only Way Is Up”and a previously unknown femme delight Carol Bell. This one lives up to the high standard set by AMW 1) Order direct from Grapevine : Phone : 01924.2994641 or grapevine.musicgroup@virgin.net

CP Spencer dies at 65, was tenor for the Originals C.P. Spencer, whose soaring tenor voice led the hit song “Baby I’m For Real,” by Motown group the Originals, died Wednesday 20 October of a heart attack. The Oak Park resident was 65. Born Crathman P. Spencer, the Detroiter started singing with the Voicemasters, a group who evolved from the Five Jets and were one of the first groups that Berry Gordy used on sessions. Core members Crathman P. Spencer, Walter Gaines, and Henry Dixon were led by the dynamic leads of David Ruffin, Ty Hunter, Joe Charles aka Joe Murphy, and Lamont Dozier. Along with Freddie Gorman, Hank Dixon and Walter Gaines, Spencer was signed to Motown in 1964 by producer Lamont Dozier. While cutting some sides on their own, they sang backup on sessions from 1965 to 1969. The Originals scored their first big hit on their own with “Baby, I’m For Real,” in 1969, a song written and produced by Marvin Gaye. It was Ed Love, then a disc jockey on jazz station WCHD, who first played “Baby I’m For Real” in Detroit at the request of Gorman, who worked with Love at the post office. It wasn’t intended to be the single, but the group liked it, and listeners went crazy for the song, and Spencer’s lead vocal. CP Spencer was also one of "The Voice Masters" which evolved from the Five Jets and the Five Stars and were one of the first groups that Berry Gordy used on sessions. Core members Crathman P. Spencer, Walter Gaines, and Henry Dixon were led by the dynamic leads of David Ruffin, Ty Hunter, Joe Charles aka Joe Murphy, and Lamont Dozier. Ref: Originals biography

Half of 60s Phoenix soul duo plucked from obscurity “I’ll need to get a ride with you," said Ernie out of the middle of nowhere. We were waiting for his turn to sing Karaoke at the AmVet Post #15 at 7th St. and Broadway in South Phoenix Wednesday night. "I live at 13th and Pima on the west side,” he followed. "I wish I would have known you were going to need a ride, Ernie," I said. "I have to leave early, before you sing the last time, sorry." He walked from there and would walk "home" - more like a backyard to put his stuff and sometimes a night on the couch in the house - a round trip of nearly 7 miles. I left without taking him since I needed to quickly get back to Phoenix to watch another band play before the bars shut down. The next day I asked him if he was able to find a ride and he said, "I started walking and a friend of mine saw me and picked me up. He said, 'Man you walk fast. Aren’t you tired?' I said 'no, I walk this 2 or 3 times a day.'" Ernie was dressed casually, sporting a canvas derby, a white floral print shirt and sandals with white socks, in contrast to the stylin’ white suit he wore the previous week. Both times he looked good but tonight what set off his outfit was a pair of expensive looking sunglasses with three diamond inlays on the arms. I asked him about the shades and he said, "You know what, I found these glasses on the ground. I find all kinds of things when I’m walking. People say to me 'Ernie those look like real diamonds.' I say it doesn’t matter as long as they shine." And shine he did Wednesday night at this open mic Karaoke night, up against such formidable talent as OG Charles, Brenda, and a crowd-pleasing, dance-floor-filling dude known only as “The Artist.” DJ Charles Ray Hayes welcomed folks to the post, encouraging them to “share their talent from 10 o’clock all the way to the top, 1 a.m.” Ernie started out with a killer version of “If Something is wrong with my baby,” written by Isaac Hayes and David Porter, though it was a rough start. When DJ Hayes called the name Ernie Sweetwater Johnson - “Ernie Johnson is my real name, Sweetwater is my new name,” he told me last week - Sweetwater was nowhere to be found. It turns out he was in the bathroom when the song started, though the DJ re-cued the song and introduced him when he appeared. He had moves, his voice was note perfect and electric and his open-throated falsetto “whhooo hooos!” at the end got folks going, so naturally Ernie kept going after the song was over. For a moment he looked transported to another time - cue a wiggling TV screen indicating a memory - all the way back to 1965 when Eddie and Ernie, a duo born in Phoenix, had a hit in New York and were being flown out to the Apollo for an extended gig playing a package show. “In 1965 ‘Time waits for no one’ (a song written and performed by Eddie & Ernie) was released and it hit the charts,” said Ernie when I reached him by phone. “It was #1 on WWRL in NYC and it was about number 100 or so in Billboard. The next thing we knew, we have two tickets to New York to play the Apollo Theater,” he said. “We did five shows a day, and we worked with people like Wilson Pickett, The Marveletts and Patty Labelle and the Blue Bells, Gene Chandler, The Impressions, The Four Tops, we worked with a lot of artists.” Eddie and Ernie had all the right elements to be a top R&B; duo, they were young (when they first started playing clubs Ernie was 16 and Eddie 19), they were good looking, and they had great voices that sounded even better together. Ernie’s voice was high-register and Eddie was in the middle, and their voices harmonized extremely well. Their songs (mostly originals) got play in other markets and at their peak they had singles on Chess and Columbia. But they never had a proper hit. They cut many sides and toured but not extensively, and because of the lack of hits and bad management, the duo petered out on its own in 1972. The last show they played was with Al Green at the California Club after reconciling for a last go around. Eddie Campbell moved to California and had a respectable songwriting career which provided him an income as well as royalties from past records being anthologized and covered, though he had a problem with drink and eventually passed away from cirrhosis of the liver. Ernie drifted, tried to make a go on his own, but couldn’t keep up a steady address for the royalties he was due. He spiraled into homelessness, working day labor and doing some time in jail, always hoping to make more music or receive some money from his past efforts. Without management and a musical partner and with plenty of bad luck, Ernie was in creative and spiritual limbo. When speaking with Ernie, it’s almost as if he remembers the time between 1972 and 2002 as one very long, bad year. In 2002, English soul music guru Dave Godin started actively tracking down rare Eddie and Ernie music for a compilation. Godin is a huge force in the popular north London trend known as “Northern Soul,” a term which Godin coined and has championed since 1971. The trend, which has enjoyed resurgence in the last 15 years or so, is focused on forgotten or overlooked American soul and R&B; music from the ‘60s and ‘70s. John Dixon, aka Johnny D., Phoenix musicologist and endless source of all things musical Arizona, explains what Northern Soul is about: “Playing a track all the way through. No talking over it, no fading, it’s very straight. It’s a dance tempo thing, it’s all tempo and you have to be able to dance to it. It’s got to be obscure black American music. The more obscure, the better. Those are about the only two generalizations I can see because it’s a pretty wide spectrum. Eddie and Ernie were obscure enough and a lot of the songs are very poppy and danceable Dave Godin, who’s the god of Northern soul writing and coined the term and all, was telling people that E&E; were the greatest thing since Sam and Dave if not better than, so his credibility helped a lot.” If you are interested in more info about Northern Soul there are many Web sites a google away, but I found this site to be fairly understandable for the uninitiated, myself included. Eddie and Ernie have been popular as Northern Soul artists in England almost since they stopped making music in the early ‘70s, and Godin has touted them as the one of the best exemplars of Northern Soul, so he was eager to put together a comprehensive CD. He had featured songs by E&E; on all of his “Artistry in Soul” compilations for the English soul label Kent. Godin wanted to get all the E&E; music in one place and put out a compilation, but this turned out to be a huge undertaking. Songs had been sitting on shelves for 30 years untouched. Old vinyl was almost non-existent. The duo recorded under at least 4 names on many labels, many of which no longer existed or had been bought out long ago. A huge amount of detective work went into the effort, but in late 2002 Eddie & Ernie, Lost Friends came out on Ace records subsidiary Kent. Ernie was thought by the English fans of the duo to be lost to the street, but in 2002 John Dixon found him. “I had heard as I went around town ‘Oh yeah, He’s still around, we saw him a couple of months ago’ that sort of thing,” said Dixon. “I went around to a couple of the Salvation Armies in South Phoenix and there’s a big St. Vincent De Paul on 7th St. I went in there they said ‘Last time we saw him was a couple of months ago.’ So I knew he was around,” explained Johnny D. “I went over to see Gene Blue (CEO and founder) of OIC.” OIC stands for Arizona Opportunities Industrialization Center, a charity that has worked since 1967 to help people get back on their feet in many ways, from GEDs to computer training to helping people with social security issues. “Gene Blue said ‘Oh yeah, Ernie comes around every so often,’ so that was it, and I didn’t think about it for a couple of months,” said Johnny D. “One morning Gene called and said ‘You’ll never guess who’s sitting across from me in the office’ and it was Ernie and so I arranged to pick him up the next day and took him down for breakfast at Denny’s and introduced myself and I took all the records and showed him and he was very impressed.” Dixon told him about Northern Soul and Dave Godin and about the effort to put together a compilation CD. Ernie was excited and consented to his first interview in many years, which Dixon recorded and transcribed for use in the anthology. Later that year with many of the songwriting rights reverting back to Ernie “Lost Friends” came out and through Johnny D’s help, Ernie also received some back royalties from Johnny's research and new money from the issuing of the CD. Part of what intrigued Dixon in the interview and brought this story to me via former New Times music editor Chris O’Connor was that Ernie Johnson, a man who played the Apollo at a very young age and tasted modest musical success, who might have been rich and famous if given proper guidance, was now singing Karaoke at a downtown club called Big Al’s and living on the street. The gig at Big Al’s has been over for a while, and Ernie does his thing most Wednesdays at the AmVet in South Phoenix. The release of the CD and some past royalties helped get Ernie in a good place for a while, but the money is all gone now. “After I paid some people some bills it was gone,” says Ernie. “We get royalties twice a year so maybe something will come up. I have got a few debts which doesn’t feel too good, but I hope they are people that trust and believe that when I get some money I will try to pay them,” he says. So Ernie, at 60, is singing Karaoke in hopes of his big comeback. “Something’s got to give and it’s got to give real quick,” says Sweetwater of his situation. “Time’s winding up, and I know that. This is my last time around and I want to go to the top. All the way. So I’m freelancing, I’ve got no contracts with nobody and I want to work with somebody that wants to work and I know that we’ll be successful if the music is heard.” Unfortunately there are a few strikes against Ernie getting something together musically at this juncture in his life. I asked Johnny D. if he thought Ernie could have success at his age in his current situation “That’s a hard call,” he said. “I would like to think he could, but he’s just kind of on that level, no wheels, everybody around town kind of knows him and has an opinion already, and he’s burned quite a few bridges. I’d like to think he could talent-wise because he’s been writing songs, mostly gospel. He sings them to me, a capella in the car, and there’s some potential there.” He can sing, there is no question. And he is a social butterfly, a smooth operator. Drinks would appear in his hand when he returned from his frequent socializing that I know he didn’t pay for. He told stories of people shaking his hand and giving him money folded in their hands because “I think people do that because they know I deserve much more then I’m given, which is nothing but a clap of the hands and pat on the back.” When he asked if I was going to pay him for interviewing him I explained that the interview wasn’t going to be broadcast so there would be no gratuity, but hopefully the story might generate a few sales of the CD, which would trickle down to him eventually. To this he said rather cryptically “Yeah, somebody should hear and feel and know.” Pan out on the Wednesday night Karaoke at the AmVet Post #15 where Ernie Sweetwater Johnson can be found, working the room in more ways than one and enjoying the momentary spotlight. Picture he and I, seated at a long table waiting for his turn, when an impressive female singer starts tearing it up on the mic. Sweetwater turned to me and said, “She can sing good too. Sweetwater and you ain't the only superstars in the house!” Thanks to Chris O’Connor for additional info. http://www.aznightbuzz.com/mt/000119.html ...... ending with the footnote When he asked if I was going to pay him for interviewing him I explained that the interview wasn’t going to be broadcast so there would be no gratuity, but hopefully the story might generate a few sales of the CD, which would trickle down to him eventually. To this he said rather cryptically “Yeah, somebody should hear and feel and know.” Pan out on the Wednesday night Karaoke at the AmVet Post #15 where Ernie Sweetwater Johnson can be found, working the room in more ways than one and enjoying the momentary spotlight. Picture he and I, seated at a long table waiting for his turn, when an impressive female singer starts tearing it up on the mic. Sweetwater turned to me and said, “She can sing good too. Sweetwater and you aint the only superstars in the house site note the article above was orig up on azbuzz which is no longer online - updated in 2018