From: Bob Davis (earthjuice_at_prodigy.net)
Date: 2004-05-12 13:49:07
As I stated earlier, I didn't know him well.
I met John Whitehead for the first time at the taping of the PBS 70's Soul special last year
in Atlantic City at the Bogata Casino.
I can tell you this, he was a heck of a nice guy, who had one of those type of personalities
that lit up a room when he entered it.
He was nice to me and was genuinely interested in Soul-Patrol.
We exchanged contact information.
He was on my list of people to contact about the Soul-Patrol East Coast Convention.
However, I never spoke with him again :(
So there isn't much that I can tell you about him on a personal tip.
However on the musical/cultural end of things I can tell you that John Whitehead was a GIANT.
I'm all but certain that the "black music experts" at places like Rolling Stone magazine would
think of McFadden & Whitehead as "a one hit disco wonder"?
HOWEVER WE KNOW BETTER
The song "AIN'T NO STOPPING US NOW" is one of the lasting anthems of the 1970's.
The song itself sounds like a "party song" on the surface, but in reality it serves as a
metaphor for the Civil Rights Movement.
In the Black Community, this song has become one of OUR STANDARDS.
Much like we no longer sing the traditional version of the song "Happy Birthday"....
(We sing the Stevie Wonder version instead).
We use the song "AIN'T NO STOPPING US NOW" as a call to action and as a song of
congratulations when a person has done something well. It's always played at family &
neighborhood functions. I can remember the song being BLASTED by boxer Larry Holmes as he
entered the ring during his heyday as World Heavyweight Champion and I think that is where the
community at large picked it up from.
In fact, the song "AIN'T NO STOPPING US NOW", was the very last song played at the 2002
Soul-Patrol East Coast Convention
THE SONG HAS BECOME
BLACK AMERICA'S
VICTORY CHEER
And it will certainly serve as a legacy for John Whitehead...
Ain't No Stoppin Us Now!
We're on the move!
Ain't No Stoppin Us Now!
We've got the groove!
There's been so many things thats held us down.
But now it looks like things are finally comin' around.
I know we've got, a long long way to go,
and where we'll end up, I don't know.
But we won't let nothin' hold us back,
we're putting our selves together,
we're polishing up our act!
If you felt we've been held down before,
I know you'll refuse to be held down anymore!
Don't you let nothing, nothing,
Stand in your way!
I want ya'll to listen, listen,
to every word I say, every word I say!
Ain't No Stoppin Us Now!
We're on the move!
Ain't No Stoppin Us Now!
We've got the groove!
Ain't No Stoppin Us Now!
We're on the move!
Ain't No Stoppin Us Now!
We've got the groove!
I know you know someone that has a negative vow,
and if you're trying to make it they only push you aside.
They really don't have, no where to go.
Ask them where they're going, they don't know.
But we won't let nothin' hold us back,
we're gonna put our selves together,
we're gonna polish up our act!
And if you've ever been held down before,
I know you'll refuse to be held down anymore!
Don't you let nothing, nothing,
Stand in your way!
I want ya'll to listen, listen,
to every word I say, every word I say!
Ain't No Stoppin Us Now!
We're on the move!
Ain't No Stoppin Us Now!
We've got the groove!
Ain't No Stoppin Us Now!
We're on the move!
Ain't No Stoppin Us Now!
We've got the groove!
_________
Bob Davis
earthjuice_at_prodigy.net
<a href="http://www.soul-patrol.com/convention"> 2004 SOUL-PATROL EAST COAST CONVENTION</a>
<a href="http://www.soul-patrol.com"> SURF THE: SOUL-PATROL.COM WEBSITE</a>
<a href="http://www.soul-patrol.com/newsletter"> JOIN THE FREE BI-MONTHLY: SOUL-PATROL
NEWSLETTER</a>
<a href="http://www.soul-patrol.net"> LISTEN TO: SOUL-PATROL.NET RADIO </a>
<a href="http://www.davisind.com/spnetwork"> GET FREE: SOUL-PATROL NETWORK CONTENT FEEDS FOR
YOUR SITE (UPDATED EVERY TWO WEEKS) </a>