Archive | February 1, 2012

Don Cornelius

By Greg Wilson on February 1, 2012 in Black Culture, Disco, Hear, Records, RIP, The Eighties, The Seventies, TV, Video

As host of US TV’s quintessential black / dance music show, Soul Train, Don Cornelius, who died today, aged 75, was an iconic black music figure. Everyone who was anyone in the Soul and Funk world appeared on the programme during its ’70s heyday. Film director Spike Lee would aptly describe it as an “urban music time capsule.”

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Upcoming Dates

17.04 Manchester – Escape To Freight Island

24.04 Liverpool – District

29.04 Leeds – Chow Down

30.04 London – Brixton Disco Festival

01.05 Glasgow – Queens Park

27.05 Brighton – Concorde 2

29.05 Ilminster – Shindig Festival

05.06 Sligo – Wild Roots Festival

17.06 Manchester – Blues Kitchen

23.06 Glastonbury – Stonebridge

23.06 Glastonbury – The Rabbit Hole

23.06 Glastonbury – Funkingham Palace

24.06 Wicklow – Kaleidescope Festival

25.06 Chelmsford – Clockstock Festival

01.07 Bournemouth – High Tide Festival

10.07 Birmingham – Mostly Jazz, Funk & Soul Festival

17.07 Ribble Valley – Beat Herder Festival

21.07 Canada – Shambhala Music Festival

06.08 Edinburgh – Out East Festival

20.08 Gisburne Park – Gatherings Festival

27.08 Abbots Ripton – We Out Here Festival

These are all confirmed dates, further bookings will be posted on social media and updated here.

Being a DJ

I’m a DJ from Merseyside. I started out in 1975, but stopped for almost 20 years, between 1984 and the end of 2003, at which point I started again.

One night during the period I wasn’t deejaying, turning off my mind, relaxing, and floating downstream I had what might be termed a moment of clarity. Paradoxically, although I was no longer a DJ in the literal sense I suddenly became aware that I’d never actually stopped being a DJ, for even if I was in a room with just one person I couldn’t help but ask them ‘have you heard this?’, and not only ‘heard’, but ‘have you seen this / read this?’, for it goes beyond music. Already taken somewhat aback by this nugget of self-discovery, I realised, in true eureka style, that this all pre-dates my being a DJ and goes back as far as I can remember – I’ve always had an inherent need to share, it’s absolutely central to my nature. This was quite a revelation.

So it’s no wonder that I became a Disc Jockey, for once I fell in love with those circular pieces of magical plastic during my formative years, it wasn’t a matter of choosing this as a path, the path pretty much chose me.

I don’t intend this to be a DJ blog as such, but more a blog by someone who happens to be a DJ – a place where personal emphasis takes precedence over professional, although, as I’ve already explained, the two aspects are, of course, inescapably entwined.

If you want info about my DJ appearances, email greg@gregwilson.co.uk for regular updates.

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Archive | February 1, 2012

Don Cornelius

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