Dr. BEN CARSON
Dr. Benjamin Carson, one of the world's most gifted surgeons was born in Detroit, Michigan. After graduating with honors from high school, he attended Yale University where he earned a degree in Psychology. From Yale he went to the Medical School of the University of Michigan, where his interest shifted from psychology to neurosurgery. After medical school he became a neurosurgery resident at the world famous Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore. At the age of 32, he became the hospital's Director of Pediatric Neurosurgery.
In 1987, Carson made medical history with an operation to separate a pair of Siamese twins. The Binder twins were born joined at the back of the head. Operations to separate twins joined in this way had always failed, resulting in the death of one or both of the infants. Carson agreed to undertake the operation. A 70-member surgical team, led by Dr. Carson, worked for 22 hours. At the end, the twins were successfully separated and can now survive independently.
In addition to his surgical duties, Carson finds time at least twice a month to address groups of junior high school and high school students who visit the hospital. Carson has written two books Gifted Hands and Think Big. Dr. Carson's Early Life
"Dr. Carson grew up poor in inner-city Detroit and Boston. After his parents divorced when he was eight, he and his brother were raised by his mother, who was one of 24 children and got married at the age of 13. Dr. Carson was such a poor student in elementary school that his fifth-grade classmates nicknamed him "Dummy," and he even got into a fight over whether he was just the "dumbest kid in the class" or the "dumbest person in the world." At that point in his life he was totally unmotivated with failing grades, low self-esteem, and a terrible temper by measures, a child in danger of being left behind.
Fortunately, Dr. Carson had two things working in his favor. One was his strong faith in God that continues to sustain him. The other was a mother who was involved in his life and believed in him--a mother who prayed for the wisdom to go beyond her own third-grade education in order to instill in her sons an enthusiasm for learning. Her prayers led her to a plan that worked: Mrs. Carson began sending the boys to the public library every day instead of letting them watch television and making them each turn in two book reports to her every week.
Dr. Carson recalls that at first he and his brother thought this was certified child abuse. But as he began to read, his entire world opened up. Dr. Carson started realizing that through books he could go anywhere and do anything. He became interested in learning and in aspiring to something more than the factory job and nice car that most of his classmates wanted. By the seventh grade he was at the top of his class, and his love of reading and learning and commitment to excellence and doing his best were fully ingrained.
As he says now, "When I was in the fifth grade I thought I was stupid, so I conducted myself like a stupid person and achieved like a stupid person. When I was is the seventh grade I thought I was smart; I conducted myself like a smart person and achieved like a smart person. What does that say about human potential?" It was not until years later that Dr. Carson realized his mother had not even been able to read the book reports that had turned his life around.
Eventually he received a scholarship to Yale University and went on to medical school at the University of Michigan. By age 33 he had earned his current position as director of pediatric neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins." Dr. CARSON'S COLLEGE DAYS
"From mediocre grades to brain surgery At the School of Medicine, Ben faced two dilemmas. He initially studied to become a psychiatrist. But as he got deeper into his major, he realized that the profession was not what he thought it was. "My concepts had been derived largely from television," he says.
Looking at his options, he didn't want to backtrack, wasting his years spent studying the brain. So Ben prayed and considered his situation. He knew he had excellent hand-eye coordination; he was a champion foosball (table soccer) player at Yale. In addition, he had a superior ability to manipulate spatial relationships in his mind (thinking in 3-D images), critical when working on the brain, which he likens in consistency to "a hard-boiled egg with oatmeal mixed inside." And he considered himself to be a careful person, another vital asset if you're in a position to work on a person's most important body part. "Now, what would be something that would take advantage of those things? Brain surgery! That's a no-brainer," he says.
If his new goal was brain surgery, Ben knew his grades wouldn't cut it. He had to get them up. A counselor suggested medical school was too much for him. But with a history of overcoming obstacles, Ben didn't let the advice get him down."
Damon J. Keith Biography
Damon J. Keith has served as a United States Court of Appeals Judge for the Sixth Circuit since 1977. Prior to his appointment to the Court of Appeals, Judge Keith served as Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan. Judge Keith is a graduate of West Virginia State College (B.A. 1943), Howard Law School (J.D. 1949), where he was elected Chief Justice of the Court of Peers, and Wayne State University (L.L.M. 1956).
As a member of the federal judiciary, Judge Keith has consistently been a courageous defender of the constitutional and civil rights of all people. Some of his most notable cases include: Davis v. School District of City of Pontiac, (school desegregation); Baker v. City of Detroit (municipal affirmative action plan); United States v. Blanton, (jury selection and pretrial publicity in a criminal case); Rabidue v. Osceola Refining Co., (sex discrimination); and United States v. Sinclair (evidence obtained through warrantless electronic surveillance).
In Garrett v. City of Hamtramck (1971) Keith ruled that the city of Hamtramck, Michigan practiced "Negro removal" under the guise of urban renewal and ordered the city to build new public housing.
In Stamps v. Detroit Edison Co. (1973) Keith ruled that the Detroit Edison Company had practiced systematic racial discrimination and ordered the company to begin an aggressive affirmative action program.
Although Judge Keith is well known for his many landmark decisions, he is most cited for his opinion in United States v. Sinclair, commonly referred to as The Keith Decision. In Sinclair, Judge Keith, sitting on the district court, found that then-President Richard Nixon and then-Attorney General John Mitchell could not engage in warrantless wiretap surveillance of three individuals suspected of conspiring to destroy government property because the surveillance was in violation of the Fourth Amendment. This decision was affirmed by the Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, and unanimously upheld by the United States Supreme Court.
In 1985, Chief Justice Warren E. Burger appointed Judge Keith as Chairman of the Bicentennial of the Constitution Committee for the Sixth Circuit. Then, in 1987, Judge Keith was appointed by Chief Justice William Rehnquist to serve as the National Chairman of the Judicial Conference Committee on the Bicentennial of the Constitution. In 1990, President George Bush appointed him to the Commission on the Bicentennial of the Constitution. In recognition of Judge Keith's service to the Bicentennial Committee, more than 300 Bill of Rights plaques commemorating this important constitutional anniversary bear Judge Keith's name and adorn the walls of courthouses and law schools throughout the United States and Guam, as well as the FBI Headquarters and the Thurgood Marshall Federal Judiciary Center in Washington, D.C.
Judge Keith has received 37 honorary degrees from the following colleges and universities: West Virginia State College, Wayne State University, Howard University, Lincoln University, University of Detroit, Atlanta University, Detroit College of Law, University of Michigan, New York Law School, Michigan State University, Marygrove College, Detroit Institute of Technology, Shaw College, Central State University, Yale University, Loyola Law School (Los Angeles), Eastern Michigan University, Virginia Union University, Central Michigan University, Morehouse College, Western Michigan University, Tuskegee University, Georgetown University, Hofstra University, DePaul University, Ohio State University, Colgate University, Paine College, Bowling Green State University, College of William & Mary, Spelman College, University of Cincinnati, Oberlin College, and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Oakland University, Ohio Northern University and Lawrence Technological University.
Andrew Young with Judge Keith
In 1974, the Detroit Board of Education dedicated one of its primary schools in his honor, naming it The Damon J. Keith Elementary School. Judge Keith is also a recipient of numerous awards, most notably: the NAACP's highest award, the Spingarn Medal (past recipients include the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., Justice Thurgood Marshall, and General Colin Powell); and the Distinguished Public Service Award from the National Anti-Defamation League of B-nai B-rith. He has also been recognized by the Detroit Legal News as one of only 16 Legal Legends of the Century in Michigan. In addition, Wayne State University has recently created the Damon J. Keith Law Collection, the first national archive devoted entirely to the accomplishments of our nation's African American lawyers and judges. Most recently, he received the lifetime achievement award from the National Black College Alumni and was inducted into their Hall of Fame. Judge Keith was named the 1997 recipient of the American Bar Association's Thurgood Marshall Award. In naming Judge Keith the recipient of this highest of honors, the ABA said: "Judge Keith represents the best in the legal profession. His work reflects incisive analysis of issues, principled application of laws and the Constitution, passionate belief in the courts' role in protecting civil rights, a commitment to community service and, most significantly, an independence of mind to do what's right that is at the core of his view of professional responsibility. There is no better role model today for lawyers and law students seeking to work for equal justice."
In 1998, Judge Keith was selected to receive of the Detroit Urban League's 1998 Distinguished Warrior Award, as well as recipient of the prestigious Edward J. Devitt Award for Distinguished Service to Justice. The Devitt Award annually honors a federal judge who has achieved an exemplary career and has made significant contributions to the administration of justice, the advancement of the rule of law, and the improvement of society as a whole. Judge Keith was nominated for the Devitt Award by lawyers and judges throughout the country. United States Court of Appeals Judge Peter Fay remarked: "One cannot be around Damon for very long without sensing his commitment to all that is good about our country. But, unlike many, he does not limit his commitment to words his actions speak volumes. He gets involved. He spends the time. He does the work. Yes, he gets his hands dirty because there is nothing he will not do if he is convinced it will help others and strengthen our way of life."
In 1999, The Michigan Chronicle chose Judge Keith to represent the legal profession as one of ten of "The Century's Finest Michiganders." Judge Keith's dedication to equality under the law and his contributions to civil rights prompted the Chronicle to say of Judge Keith: "There is no better role model today for lawyers and law students seeking to work for equal justice."
In January of 2000, Turner Broadcasting Systems, presented Judge Keith the Pinnacle Award at the Eighth Annual Trumpet Awards in Atlanta. Trumpet Awards are given annually to African Americans whose achievements in their fields, coupled with their humanitarian and community-oriented efforts, have helped create a better society.
In February of 2000, Judge Keith's career was profiled by Court TV as part of a program honoring "America's Great Legal Minds" in honor of Black History Month.
On February 17, 2001, Judge Keith received the American Bar Association Spirit of Excellence Award.
Judge Keith is married to Rachel Boone Keith, M.D. They have three daughters, Gilda Keith, Debbie Keith, and Cecile Keith-Brown. Cecile and her husband, Daryle Brown, are parents of Judge Keith's granddaughters, Nia and Camara.
Dr. Ossian Sweet purchased this Detroit home on Garland and Charlevoix so he could bring up his daughter in good surroundings.
'I have to die a man or live a coward' -- the saga of Dr. Ossian Sweet
By Patricia Zacharias / The Detroit News
"I have to die a man or live a coward." With these words, a mild-mannered black Detroit physician set in motion forces that would result in a dramatic milestone in America's civil rights movement, extending the notion that a man's home is his castle to blacks.
It began in the summer of 1925 when Dr. Ossian Sweet decided to move his wife and baby daughter from the crowded lower east side black ghetto into an all-white neighborhood at Garland and Charlevoix.
Dr. Ossian Sweet
"He wasn't looking for trouble," Dr. Sweet's brother Otis, a dentist, recalled. "He just wanted to bring up his little girl in good surroundings."
The surroundings may have been good, but they were dangerous for blacks. Sweet knew the risks. Just a few months earlier, another black physician, Dr. A.L. Turner, had moved into an all-white west side neighborhood on Spokane Street. A mob invaded his home, moved all his furniture into a van and drove him out of the neighborhood.
"This made a profound impression on my brother," continued Otis. "It was then that he told me he was prepared to die like a man."
By 1925, Detroit's black population was nearly 80,000. Blacks had migrated to the Northern industrial cities in search of better jobs. Most were packed into a near east side area called Paradise Valley, or Black Bottom. The area was badly overcrowded -- seven percent of the city's population was squeezed into one percent of its housing. Some residents slept on bar pool tables and lived four families to a flat.
Dr. Sweet, and his wife, Gladys, wanted something better.
Gladys Sweet
Born in a small inland Florida community, Ossian Sweet studied medicine at Howard University, practiced briefly in Detroit, then continued his studies in Vienna and Paris. Upon his return to Detroit in 1924, he accepted a position at Detroit's first black hospital, Dunbar, and began saving for a home. By the spring of 1925 he had saved enough to purchase a home on Garland for $18,500 with a down payment of $3,500 cash.
Rumblings of trouble began well before Ossian Sweet took occupancy of the house. An organization called the "Water Works Improvement Association" vowed to keep blacks out of the neighborhood.
The woman who sold Dr. Sweet the house told him that she had been warned by a phone caller that if he moved in, she would be killed along with the doctor and the house would be blown up. Ironically, she and her light-skinned black husband had lived in the house undisturbed, the neighbors apparently unaware of her husband's heritage.
On Tuesday, Sept. 8, Dr. Sweet arrived at his new home with two small vans of furniture. He also brought along guns and ammunition and had arranged for friends and relatives to stay with him for the first few days. They included brothers Otis and Henry, 21, a student at Wilberforce University, John Latting, and William Davis, a federal narcotics officer who had been an army captain overseas during World War I. All were black.
Throughout the day tensions rose in the neighborhood. The Detroit Police Department regarded the situation as grave enough to post officers there day and night.
Famed attorney Clarence Darrow headed the defense team.
On the following day, Dr. Sweet attended to his practice downtown and most of the others in his home also went to their jobs. When he returned that night, Dr. Sweet had recruited more friends to join those in the house, bringing the total to 11 including Mrs. Sweet.
"The street was a sea of humanity," Otis recalled. "The crowd was so thick you couldn't see the street or the sidewalk. Just getting to the front door was like running the gantlet. I was hit by a rock before I got inside."
The prosecution later produced a series of witnesses who swore that there never were more than 25 or 30 persons in front of the Sweet home.
About 10 p.m. a series of shots rang out from the Sweet home. Leon Breiner, who lived across the street, fell dead and another man was wounded. Police rushed in and arrested everyone in the Sweet house, charging them all -- including Mrs. Sweet -- charged with murder.
The NAACP promised to defend Dr. Sweet, his wife and friends and brought in Clarence Darrow, a titan of the American bar for more than three decades, as chief counsel. His assistants included Arthur Garfield Hays, one of the nation's leading liberal lawyers, and Walter M. Nelson, a Detroiter.
Presiding over the trial would be a young redheaded judge named Frank Murphy, who would go on to become mayor of Detroit, governor of Michigan, U.S. Attorney General and a justice of the U.S. Supreme Court.
Afterward Murphy said, "This was the greatest experience of my life. This was Clarence Darrow at his best. I will never see anything like it again. He is the most Christ-like man I have ever known."
The facts in the case were relatively simple: Someone in Dr. Sweet's house fired a shot that killed Leon Breiner. Another neighborhood resident, Erik Hofberg, received a bullet in the leg.
Judge Frank Murphy presided over the trial and, in his charge to the jury, made it clear that the right to defend one's home applied to blacks as well as whites.
But the issue was far more complicated: Had there been justification for firing that shot?
In his book "Let Freedom Ring," defense attorney Hays left a graphic memoir of the case. "Colored people regarded the case as one which raised the definite question of race segregation. The claim was made that the shots were fired in defense of the home. It was pointed out that in Detroit, the Negro population had vastly increased in numbers; that Negro districts had become congested and were centers of filth and squalor; that it was almost impossible for a Negro to obtain a decent home except in a white neighborhood; that the whites were always hostile and the colored man was ordinarily either compelled to move or to use force to protect himself."
Hays, however, conceded in his account of the trial, "On the face of it, our case was not strong. It seemed clear that Breiner had been killed by a fusillade from the house. Ten men had gathered there with provisions to withstand a possible siege, with guns and ammunition. And there had been police protection."
The defense, as Hays saw it, depended on the attitude of the defendants at the time of the shooting. Did they think they were in danger? Were they actually scared? Not all of the defendants cared to admit they were scared. They had become heroes to the black community.
The prosecution, meanwhile, had formed its own theory of the case. Lester Moll, chief assistant to Prosecutor Robert M. Toms, recalls "The case had come to the attention of our office 24 hours before the actual shooting. Phone threats to the Sweets had been reported and a police guard had been posted. The following night shots were fired simultaneously from the Sweet home. Mr. Breiner was hit while on the porch of a house across the street. The shooting appeared to follow a pre-arranged signal from within the Sweet home."
"We interviewed police who were in agreement that the crowd out in front was not numerous and that there was no threat of violence. Based on these conversations we issued a warrant on the theory that the shots were fired without provocation."
A Detroit News reporter, Philip A. Adler, testified for the defense. He was at the scene of the shooting and told of a "considerable mob" of between "400 and 500," and stones hitting the house "like hail."
"I heard someone say, 'A Negro family has moved in here and we're going to get them out'," Adler testified. "I asked a policeman what the trouble was and he told me it was none of my business."
The defense hammered hard at the purpose of the Water Works Improvement Association and its goal to keep blacks out. In 1925 the Ku Klux Klan claimed 100,000 members in Detroit and a cross had recently been burned at the steps of city hall.
Detroit News reporter Philip A. Adler testified he saw a mob of about 400 to 500 outside the Sweet home and that rocks were hitting the house "like hail."
Darrow stressed the state of mind of those huddled inside the Sweet home that night. The emotional climax of the trial came when Darrow called Ossian Sweet to the stand in his own defense.
Sweet told of seeing a menacing crowd outside his home: "Frightened, after getting a gun I ran upstairs. Stones were hitting the house intermittently. I threw myself on the bed and lay there awhile, perhaps 15 or 20 minutes- when a stone came through the window. Part of the glass hit me."
"What happened next?" asked Darrow.
"Pandemonium -- I guess that's the best way to describe it--broke loose inside my house," replied Sweet. "Everyone was running from room to room. There was a general uproar."
"Somebody yelled, 'There's someone coming.' A car had pulled up to the curb. My brother Otis, and Mr. Davis got out. The mob yelled, 'Here's niggers, get them! Get them!' As my brother and Davis rushed inside my house, a mob surged forward. It looked like a human sea. Stones kept coming, faster. I was downstairs. Another window was smashed. Then one shot, then eight or 10 from upstairs, Then it was all over."
Then came Darrow's key question: "What was your state of mind at the time of the shooting?"
Sweet replied, "When I opened the door and saw the mob, I realized I was facing the same mob that had hounded my people throughout its entire history. In my mind I was pretty confident of what I was up against. I had my back against the wall. I was filled with a peculiar fear, the fear of one who knows the history of my race. I knew what mobs had done to my people before."
Under Darrow's skillful sympathetic question, Dr Sweet told of the terrible legacy of fear that mob violence had left with his race. Over the protests of the prosecution, his testimony was admitted as having a bearing on the psychology of the occupants of the Sweet home.
The second jury took only four hours to find Henry Sweet, brother of Dr. Sweet, not guilty.
In his closing arguments to the jury, Darrow questioned whether it was possible for 12 white men (however hard they tried) to give a fair trial to a Negro.
He argued, "The Sweets spent their first night in their new home afraid to go to bed. The next night they spent in jail. Now the state wants them to spend the rest of their lives in the penitentiary....There are persons in the North and South who say a black man is inferior to the white and should be controlled by whites. There are also those who recognize his rights and say he should enjoy them. To me this case is a cross-section of human history. It involves the future and the hope of some of us that the future will be better than the past."
In his charge to the jury Judge Murphy indicated clearly his belief that a man's home is his castle and that no one has a right to invade it. He left no question of the right to shoot when one has reasonable grounds to fear that his life or property is in danger. And he made it clear that these rights belong to blacks as well as to whites.
The jury deliberated for 46 hours, then announced that it had been unable to reach a verdict. The prosecution was not ready to give up, and elected to press charges against a single defendent, Henry Sweet, the 21-year-old brother of Ossian. The state believed he fired the shot that killed Leon Breiner. The second trial in many ways paralled the first. The testimony remained almost unchanged and Darrow again gave a moving summation.
Prosecutor Robert M. Toms
After reviewing the horrors of the slave ships and the two centuries in bondage in the United States that Black Americans had endured, Darrow declared that they were owed a debt and obligation by the white race.
He went on: "Your verdict means something in this case. It means something more than the fate of this boy. It is not often that a case is submitted to 12 men where the decision may mean a milestone in the history of the human race. But this case does. And I hope and trust that you have a feeling of responsibility that will make you take it and do your duty as citizens of a great nation, and as members of the human family, which is better still."
The jury found Henry Sweet innocent after less than four hours deliberation. No further effort was made to prosecute any of the defendents.
After all charges were dropped against him, Ossian Sweet moved back into his home on Garland.
However, tragedy plagued his later life. Not long after his brother's trial, Dr. Sweet lost the family he had purchased the house for in the first place. His daughter, Iva, died of tuberculosis in 1926, at the age of 2. His wife, Gladys, succumbed to the same disease soon after. The widow of Leon Breiner, shot on Garland Street, sued for $150,000 but the case was dismissed. Dr. Sweet tried his hand at politics, running four times for various offices, but losing all. He remarried twice, both marriages ending in divorce.
In 1944, he sold the house on Garland and purchased a pharmacy where he lived above the store. In 1960, after years of ill health and depression, he was found dead, a bullet through his head and a revolver in his hand.
Jackie Wilson
Jackie Wilson became one of the first R&B vocalists to enjoy success in the early rock and roll era and became to be regarded as one of the first great soul singers.
Jackie "Sonny" Wilson was born June 9,1934 in Detroit, Michigan and grew up in Highland Park, Michigan. The only child of Jack and Eliza Mae Wilson from Columbus, Mississippi, Wilson's father was an alcoholic and generally unemployed. Eliza Mae who had lost two earlier children doted on Wilson and was a powerful influence on his life.
Wilson began singing at an early age. In his early teens Jackie formed a quartet, the Ever Ready Gospel Singers Group, which became a popular feature of churches in the area. Jackie wasn't religious, he just loved to sing and the cash came in handy for the cheap wine which he drank from the age of nine.
Growing up in North End, a rough section of Detroit, Wilson was an habitual truant, belonged to a gang called the Shakers, and was continuously in and out of trouble. Twice he was sent to detention in the Lansing Correctional Institute. It was there that he learned how to box. Wilson dropped out of the school in the ninth grade, in 1950 at 16.
At sixteen Wilson became a Golden Gloves boxing champion in Detroit.
In February 1951 Wilson married Freda Hood, whom he had known since he was ten, after she had become pregnant. It was the first of her 15 pregnancies. A daughter was born the next month. At this time he was singing in a group that consisted of Levi Stubbs, Sonny Woods and Lawson Smith. They only knew a few songs, but were welcome additions at house parties where they split the five dollars they were paid to perform.
Billy Ward and the Dominoes
Jackie Wilson on the far right
After dropping out of high school, Wilson began performing at local clubs. He was discovered at a talent show by Johnny Otis in 1951. Wilson sang with the Thrillers before they changed their name to the Royals, an R&B quartet. Before Wilson could become a full fledged member of the group they signed with King Records and left him behind. He the briefly recorded with Dizzy Gillespie's Dee Gee label ("Danny Boy" 1952) before he successfully audition for Billy Ward's Dominoes in 1953. He eventually replaced Clyde McPhatter when McPhatter left the group to form the Drifters. The Dominoes first release with Wilson, "You Can't Keep a Good Man Down," became a near R&B hit and was soon followed by the R&B hit "Rags to Riches." Wilson was lead singer on the Dominoes first pop hit, "St. Therese of the Roses" in 1956.
Wilson, Nate Tarnopol and Alan Freed
In 1957 Wilson left the Dominoes for a solo career. Al Green, a music publisher and manager, who already managed singers Johnnie Ray, Della Reese and LaVern Baker, took over as Wilson's manager. Green went to New York, met Decca Records' Bob Theile, and secured Wilson a contract with Decca's Brunswick label. The day before the deal was to be signed, Al Green died. Upon Green's death , Nat Tarnopol, a Green business associate, became Wilson's manager.
Signing with Brunswick Records, Wilson soon had a minor hit with "Reet Petite," co-written with Berry Gordy, Jr and Roquel "Billy" Davis. Gordy/Davis also co-wrote Wilson's major pop and R&B smash hits "To Be Loved," "That's Why," and "I'll Be Satisfied," and his top R&B and pop hit classic "Lonely Teardrops." Wilson appeared in the film Go, Johnny, Go singing "You Better Know It."
The initial success Wilson had with the song writing team of Davis/Gordy ended due to disagreements between them and Tarnopol over inadequate payment. Tarnopol felt confident he could do without them, despite the remarkable success the team had, and refused to pay what they felt was owed them. Without knowing it, Tarnopol did Davis and Gordy a favor, as both went on to have successful careers.
Berry Gordy used his royalties on the nine hits he'd co-written for Jackie to establish his Hitsville USA Studios - destined to become the enormous Motown recording label. Davis joined Chess Records in Chicago as A&R manager, song writer and producer, achieving success for himself and other black acts.
Jackie trusted Nat Tarnopol implicitly and foolishly signed over power-of-attorney to him. Deciding that Wilson should not limit himself to singing rock and roll, Tarnopol had veteran band leader and Decca arranger Dick Jacobs produce most of Jackie's recordings from 1957 through 1966. Jacobs knew Jackie could sing and reveled in all styles, so he combined him with huge orchestral accompaniments.
Jackie Wilson at the Apollo Theatre
Performing engagements at major Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and New York nightclubs and recording a variety of material, including bland pop material and classical adaptations such as "Night," "Alone at Last," and "My Empty Arms," Wilson suffered through intrusive arrangements and critical neglect in the early '60s. Nonetheless, he scored four two sided crossover hits in 1960-1961 with "Night"/"Doggin' Around," "All My Love"/"A Woman, a Lover, a Friend," "Alone at Last"/ "Am I the Man," and "My Empty Arms"/"The Tear of the Year." "Night" was a pop smash, while "Alone at Last" and "My Empty Arms," were near pop smashes. "Doggin' Around" and "A Woman, a Lover, a Friend" were top R&B hits. Later in 1961 Wilson had major pop and R&B hits with "Please Tell Me Why" and "I'm Comin' Back to You," followed by moderate pop hit with "Years from Now" and "The Greatest Hurt." He subsequently formed a songwriting partnership with Alonzo Tucker that yielded a top R&B and smash pop hit with "Baby Workout" in 1961. Later R&B and pop hits included "Shake a Hand" and "Shake! Shake! Shake!"
By 1961 Jackie was involved with Harlean Harris, a former girlfriend of Sam Cooke and a Ebony magazine fashion model while at the same time having a relationship with a Juanita Jones.
Leaving the hospital after being shot with mother
Eliza Wilson, Jackie and wife Freda
February 15, 1961, Jones shot Wilson twice as he returned with Harris to his Manhattan apartment. Despite his wounds, Wilson made it downstairs where he was taken to the Roosevelt Hospital. Life saving surgery was performed followed by weeks of medical care. Wilson lost a kidney and would carry the bullet that was to close to his spine to be removed, around for the rest of his life.
A month and a half later Jackie was discharged and, apart from a limp and discomfort for a while, he was quickly on the mend. He discovered that despite being at the peak of success, he was broke.
Around this time the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) seized Jackie's Detroit family home. Tarnopol and his accountant were supposed to take care of such matters. At the time Jackie had declared annual earnings of $263,000, while the average salary a man earned then was just $5,000 a year. Yet the fact was he was nearly broke. Fortunately Jackie made arrangements with the IRS to make restitution on the unpaid taxes and to re-purchase the family home at auction.
However, Freda's patience had finally run out due to Jackie's notorious philandering and she filed for divorce. Jackie didn't contest it and so their thirteen year marriage was annulled in 1965. Freda was granted the house, $10,000 and a modest $50-per-week for each of their four children. For the rest of her life Freda regretted seeking the divorce and, moreover, Jackie still treated her as though she was still his wife.
In March 1967 Jackie and his friend and drummer, Jimmy Smith, were arrested in South Carolina on morals charges. Both were arrested in a motel with two 24-year-old white women. Lurid details of the case appeared in the newspapers. Tarnopol decided that to restore Jackie's public image, a marriage to long-time girlfriend Harlean had to be held. The civil ceremony was held the next month. Jackie had been going with Harlean from at least 1960 and they'd had a son in 1963. Jackie and Smith were only fined a few hundred dollars and the "morals charges" were soon forgotten.
Although he continued to have hits over the next three years, Wilson didn't have another major pop and smash R&B hit until he began recording in Chicago with producer Carl Davis. Under Davis, Wilson staged a dramatic comeback with "Whispers (Getting Louder)," and the classic "(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher," a top R&B and smash pop hit, and "I Get the Sweetest Feeling." Wilson recorded with Count Basie in 1968 and managed his last near smash R&B and moderate pop hit with "This Love is Real" in the late '70s. He was subsequently relegated to the oldies revival circuit, despite having continued R&B hits.
September 1970 Wilson's oldest son, 16-year-old Jackie Jr., was shot and killed during a confrontation on the porch of a Detroit neighbors' home.
On the night of September 29, 1975 while performing at the Latin Casino near Cherry Hill, New Jersey Wilson was stricken with a massive heart attack. One of the first to reach Jackie was Cornell Gunter of the Coasters group who immediately noticed he wasn't breathing. Gunter applied resuscitation and got him breathing again. An ambulance quickly got him to the nearby hospital where he remained in a coma for over three months.
Jackie gradually improved to the stage of semi-coma state, but obviously he had suffered severe brain damage and, at 41, a tremendous career was ended. Although he never uttered another word, he remained clinging to life for a further eight and a quarter years. He remained hospitalized until his death on January 21, 1984, at the age of forty-nine.
Jackie Wilson was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987.
A Call to Conscience:
The Landmark Speeches of
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Speech at the Great March on Detroit
23 June 1963
Detroit, Mich.
My good friend, the Reverend C. L. Franklin, all of the officers and members of the Detroit Council of Human Rights, distinguished platform guests, ladies and gentlemen, I cannot begin to say to you this afternoon how thrilled I am, and I cannot begin to tell you the deep joy that comes to my heart as I participate with you in what I consider the largest and greatest demonstration for freedom ever held in the United States. [Applause] And I can assure you that what has been done here today will serve as a source of inspiration for all of the freedom-loving people of this nation. [Applause] [Audience:] (All right)
I think there is something else that must be said because it is a magnificent demonstration of discipline. With all of the thousands and hundreds of thousands of people engaged in this demonstration today, there has not been one reported incident of violence. [Applause] I think this is a magnificent demonstration of our commitment to nonviolence in this struggle for freedom all over the United States, and I want to commend the leadership of this community for making this great event possible and making such a great event possible through such disciplined channels. [Applause]
Almost one hundred and one years ago, on September the 22nd, 1862, to be exact, a great and noble American, Abraham Lincoln, signed an executive order, which was to take effect on January the first, 1863. This executive order was called the Emancipation Proclamation and it served to free the Negro from the bondage of physical slavery. But one hundred years later, the Negro in the United States of America still isn't free. [Applause]
But now more than ever before, America is forced to grapple with this problem, for the shape of the world today does not afford us the luxury of an anemic democracy. The price that this nation must pay for the continued oppression and exploitation of the Negro or any other minority group is the price of its own destruction. For the hour is late. The clock of destiny is ticking out, and we must act now before it is too late. (Yeah) [Applause]
The events of Birmingham, Alabama, and the more than sixty communities that have started protest movements since Birmingham, are indicative of the fact that the Negro is now determined to be free. (Yeah) [Applause] For Birmingham tells us something in glaring terms. It says first that the Negro is no longer willing to accept racial segregation in any of its dimensions. [Applause] For we have come to see that segregation is not only sociologically untenable, it is not only politically unsound, it is morally wrong and sinful. Segregation is a cancer in the body politic, which must be removed before our democratic health can be realized. [Applause] (Yeah) Segregation is wrong because it is nothing but a new form of slavery covered up with certain niceties of complexity. [Applause] Segregation is wrong because it is a system of adultery perpetuated by an illicit intercourse between injustice and immorality. [Applause] And in Birmingham, Alabama, and all over the South and all over the nation, we are simply saying that we will no longer sell our birthright of freedom for a mess of segregated pottage. [Applause] (All right) In a real sense, we are through with segregation now, henceforth, and forevermore. [Sustained applause]
Now Birmingham and the freedom struggle tell us something else. They reveal to us that the Negro has a new sense of dignity and a new sense of self-respect. (Yes) For years— (That’s right. Come a long way) [Applause] I think we all will agree that probably the most damaging effect of segregation has been what it has done to the soul of the segregated as well as the segregator. [Applause] It has given the segregator a false sense of superiority and it has left the segregated with a false sense of inferiority. (All right) [Applause] And so because of the legacy of slavery and segregation, many Negroes lost faith in themselves and many felt that they were inferior.
But then something happened to the Negro. Circumstances made it possible and necessary for him to travel more: the coming of the automobile, the upheavals of two world wars, the Great Depression. And so his rural, plantation background gradually gave way to urban, industrial life. And even his economic life was rising through the growth of industry, the influence of organized labor, expanded educational opportunities. And even his cultural life was rising through the steady decline of crippling illiteracy. And all of these forces conjoined to cause the Negro to take a new look at himself. Negro masses, [Applause] Negro masses all over began to re-evaluate themselves, and the Negro came to feel that he was somebody. His religion revealed to him, [Laughter. Applause] his religion revealed to him that God loves all of his children, and that all men are made in His image, and that figuratively speaking, every man from a bass-black to a treble-white is significant on God's keyboard. [Applause]
So, the Negro can now unconsciously cry out with the eloquent poet,
Fleecy locks and black complexion
Cannot forfeit nature’s claim.
Skin may differ, but affection
Dwells in black and white the same.
Were I so tall as to reach the pole
Or to grasp at the ocean at a span,
I must be measured by my soul
The mind is the standard of the man. [Applause]
But these events that are taking place in our nation tell us something else. They tell us that the Negro and his allies in the white community now recognize the urgency of the moment. I know we have heard a lot of cries saying, "Slow up and cool off." [Laughter] We still hear these cries. They are telling us over and over again that you’re pushing things too fast, and so they’re saying, "Cool off." Well, the only answer that we can give to that is that we’ve cooled off all too long, and that is the danger. [Applause] There’s always the danger if you cool off too much that you will end up in a deep freeze. [Applause] "Well," they’re saying, "you need to put on brakes." The only answer that we can give to that is that the motor’s now cranked up and we’re moving up the highway of freedom toward the city of equality, [Applause] and we can’t afford to stop now because our nation has a date with destiny. We must keep moving.
Then there is another cry. They say, "Why don’t you do it in a gradual manner?" Well, gradualism is little more than escapism and do-nothingism, which ends up in stand-stillism. [Applause] We know that our brothers and sisters in Africa and Asia are moving with jet-like speed toward the goal of political independence. And in some communities we are still moving at horse-and-buggy pace toward the gaining of a hamburger and a cup of coffee at a lunch counter. [Applause]
And so we must say, now is the time to make real the promises of democracy. Now is the time to transform this pending national elegy into a creative psalm of brotherhood. Now is the time to lift our nation. [Applause] Now is the time to lift our nation from the quicksands of racial injustice to the solid rock of racial justice. Now is the time to get rid of segregation and discrimination. Now is the time. [Applause] (Now. Now)
And so this social revolution taking place can be summarized in three little words. They are not big words. One does not need an extensive vocabulary to understand them. They are the words "all," "here," and "now." We want all of our rights, we want them here, and we want them now. [Applause] [Recording interrupted]
Now the other thing that we must see about this struggle is that by and large it has been a nonviolent struggle. Let nobody make you feel that those who are engaged or who are engaging in the demonstrations in communities all across the South are resorting to violence; these are few in number. For we’ve come to see the power of nonviolence. We’ve come to see that this method is not a weak method, for it’s the strong man who can stand up amid opposition, who can stand up amid violence being inflicted upon him and not retaliate with violence. (Yeah) [Applause]
You see, this method has a way of disarming the opponent. It exposes his moral defenses. It weakens his morale, and at the same time it works on his conscience, and he just doesn’t know what to do. If he doesn’t beat you, wonderful. If he beats you, you develop the quiet courage of accepting blows without retaliating. If he doesn’t put you in jail, wonderful. Nobody with any sense likes to go to jail. But if he puts you in jail, you go in that jail and transform it from a dungeon of shame to a haven of freedom and human dignity. [Applause] And even if he tries to kill you, (He can’t kill you) you’ll develop the inner conviction that there are some things so dear, some things so precious, some things so eternally true, that they are worth dying for. (Yes) [Applause] And I submit to you that if a man has not discovered something that he will die for, he isn’t fit to live. [Applause]
This method has wrought wonders. As a result of the nonviolent Freedom Ride movement, segregation in public transportation has almost passed away absolutely in the South. As a result of the sit-in movement at lunch counters, more than 285 cities have now integrated their lunch counters in the South. I say to you, there is power in this method. [Applause]
And I think by following this approach it will also help us to go into the new age that is emerging with the right attitude. For nonviolence not only calls upon its adherents to avoid external physical violence, but it calls upon them to avoid internal violence of spirit. It calls on them to engage in that something called love. And I know it is difficult sometimes. When I say "love" at this point, I’m not talking about an affectionate emotion. (All right) It’s nonsense to urge people, oppressed people, to love their oppressors in an affectionate sense. I’m talking about something much deeper. I’m talking about a sort of understanding, creative, redemptive goodwill for all men. [Applause]
We are coming to see now, the psychiatrists are saying to us, that many of the strange things that happen in the subconscience, many of the inner conflicts, are rooted in hate. And so they are saying, "Love or perish." But Jesus told us this a long time ago. And I can still hear that voice crying through the vista of time, saying, "Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, pray for them that despitefully use you." And there is still a voice saying to every potential Peter, "Put up your sword." History is replete with the bleached bones of nations, history is cluttered with the wreckage of communities that failed to follow this command. And isn’t it marvelous to have a method of struggle where it is possible to stand up against an unjust system, fight it with all of your might, never accept it, and yet not stoop to violence and hatred in the process? This is what we have. [Applause]
Now there is a magnificent new militancy within the Negro community all across this nation. And I welcome this as a marvelous development. The Negro of America is saying he’s determined to be free and he is militant enough to stand up. But this new militancy must not lead us to the position of distrusting every white person who lives in the United States. There are some white people in this country who are as determined to see the Negro free as we are to be free. [Applause] This new militancy must be kept within understanding boundaries.
And then another thing I can understand. We’ve been pushed around so long; we’ve been the victims of lynching mobs so long; we’ve been the victims of economic injustice so long—still the last hired and the first fired all over this nation. And I know the temptation. I can understand from a psychological point of view why some caught up in the clutches of the injustices surrounding them almost respond with bitterness and come to the conclusion that the problem can’t be solved within, and they talk about getting away from it in terms of racial separation. But even though I can understand it psychologically, I must say to you this afternoon that this isn’t the way. Black supremacy is as dangerous as white supremacy. [Applause] No, I hope you will allow me to say to you this afternoon that God is not interested merely in the freedom of black men and brown men and yellow men. God is interested in the freedom of the whole human race. [Applause] And I believe that with this philosophy and this determined struggle we will be able to go on in the days ahead and transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood.
As I move toward my conclusion, you’re asking, I’m sure, "What can we do here in Detroit to help in the struggle in the South?" Well, there are several things that you can do. One of them you’ve done already, and I hope you will do it in even greater dimensions before we leave this meeting. [Recording interrupted]
Now the second thing that you can do to help us down in Alabama and Mississippi and all over the South is to work with determination to get rid of any segregation and discrimination in Detroit, [Applause] realizing that injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. And we’ve got to come to see that the problem of racial injustice is a national problem. No community in this country can boast of clean hands in the area of brotherhood. Now in the North it’s different in that it doesn’t have the legal sanction that it has in the South. But it has its subtle and hidden forms and it exists in three areas: in the area of employment discrimination, in the area of housing discrimination, and in the area of de facto segregation in the public schools. And we must come to see that de facto segregation in the North is just as injurious as the actual segregation in the South. [Applause] And so if you want to help us in Alabama and Mississippi and over the South, do all that you can to get rid of the problem here.
And then we also need your support in order to get the civil rights bill that the President is offering passed. And there’s a reality, let’s not fool ourselves: this bill isn’t going to get through if we don’t put some work in it and some determined pressure. And this is why I’ve said that in order to get this bill through, we’ve got to arouse the conscience of the nation, and we ought to march to Washington more than 100,000 in order to say, [Applause] in order to say that we are determined, and in order to engage in a nonviolent protest to keep this issue before the conscience of the nation.
And if we will do this we will be able to bring that new day of freedom into being. If we will do this we will be able to make the American dream a reality. And I do not want to give you the impression that it’s going to be easy. There can be no great social gain without individual pain. And before the victory for brotherhood is won, some will have to get scarred up a bit. Before the victory is won, some more will be thrown into jail. Before the victory is won, some, like Medgar Evers, may have to face physical death. But if physical death is the price that some must pay to free their children and their white brothers from an eternal psychological death, then nothing can be more redemptive. Before the victory is won, some will be misunderstood and called bad names, but we must go on with a determination and with a faith that this problem can be solved. (Yeah) [Applause]
And so I go back to the South not in despair. I go back to the South not with a feeling that we are caught in a dark dungeon that will never lead to a way out. I go back believing that the new day is coming. And so this afternoon, I have a dream. (Go ahead) It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.
I have a dream that one day, right down in Georgia and Mississippi and Alabama, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to live together as brothers.
I have a dream this afternoon (I have a dream) that one day, [Applause] one day little white children and little Negro children will be able to join hands as brothers and sisters.
I have a dream this afternoon that one day, [Applause] that one day men will no longer burn down houses and the church of God simply because people want to be free.
I have a dream this afternoon (I have a dream) that there will be a day that we will no longer face the atrocities that Emmett Till had to face or Medgar Evers had to face, that all men can live with dignity.
I have a dream this afternoon (Yeah) that my four little children, that my four little children will not come up in the same young days that I came up within, but they will be judged on the basis of the content of their character, not the color of their skin. [Applause]
I have a dream this afternoon that one day right here in Detroit, Negroes will be able to buy a house or rent a house anywhere that their money will carry them and they will be able to get a job. [Applause] (That’s right)
Yes, I have a dream this afternoon that one day in this land the words of Amos will become real and "justice will roll down like waters, and righteousness like a mighty stream."
I have a dream this evening that one day we will recognize the words of Jefferson that "all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." I have a dream this afternoon. [Applause]
I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, and "every valley shall be exalted, and every hill shall be made low; the crooked places shall be made straight, and the rough places plain; and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together." [Applause]
I have a dream this afternoon that the brotherhood of man will become a reality in this day.
And with this faith I will go out and carve a tunnel of hope through the mountain of despair. With this faith, I will go out with you and transform dark yesterdays into bright tomorrows. With this faith, we will be able to achieve this new day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing with the Negroes in the spiritual of old:
Free at last! Free at last!
Thank God almighty, we are free at last! [Applause]
WILLIE JONES & THE ROYAL JOKERS
Willie Jones started singing at a young age of fourteen, with the New
Liberty Baptist Church Choir, in Detroit Michigan. The choir included such
later stars as Little Willie John, Laura Lee, Jackie Wilson and Della Reese.
Willie began his professional career with the Five Willows, where he was
quickly noticed by Noah Howell of the Serenaders, and recruited as the lead
singer of the group.
Al Green, owner of the legendary Flame Show bar, hosted many great stars as
Dinah Washington, Lou Rawls, Bobby Lewis, Jackie Wilson, Sarah Vaughn and
The Midnigthers. Al Green also managed acts like Johnny Ray, Laverne Baker
and the Drifters. It was Al who noticed the sound and comedy antics that
Willie brought to the group; so he quickly negotiated a contract with
Atlantic Records and changed the name of the group to the Royal Jokers.
The Royal Jokers first release was an instant hit "You Tickle Me Baby",
followed by "Don't Leave Me Fanny", "She Mine All Mine" (written by Willie
Jones) and "Rocks In My Pillow" and many more. These hits open the door to
tours known today, as in those days, as the Chitlin circuit. The Jokers
played popular venues such as the Fox Theater in Detroit, Michigan, the
Apollo in New York City, and the Howard in Washington.
Willie's versatile style of singing Jazz to Blues carried him through every
facet of show business, traveling and performing with notable artists as
Count Basse, Dinah Washington, BB King, Miles Davis and many many more.
Willie, an icon in the business himself, was later recruited to replace
Clyde McPhatter of the Drifters. However, Atlantic decided to change the
group's musical direction by replacing the entire line up with the Five
Crowns, featuring baritone lead Ben E. King. Undaunted by this, Willie also
changed direction; he became a solo artist on Big Top Records where he wrote
many songs of notoriety like "All Alone", "Coming Back To You", and "Stay
Here".
After Willie's time with Big Top Records, he spent time owning and managing
his own nightclubs and bringing young talent to the stage. However, Willie
could not get his love for R&B out of his heart. So Willie returned to his
true love.., the music.
Noted Playwright and Director, Ron Milner was the first to introduce Willie
to the acting stage with the play Great Music Great Legends. Willie went
on to act in other plays written and produced by the exceedingly talented
Playwright, Director Michael Matthews such as Secret Lover, Forbidden Fruit,
Who Can You Trust and others. Willie received rave reviews for his acting
and singing in these plays around the country.
Willie sharpened his craft by performing with great stars such as Melba
Moore, James Avery, Richard Roundtree and many, many more. After Willie
finished his travels and acting in plays, he returned to Detroit where he
searched and found the best, most talented individuals (Marvin Abney,
Thaddaeus Ted Frye and Marvin Poncho Turner) to re-form the now "World
Famous Royal Jokers".
Marvin Abney
Marvin has sung with such artists as Patte LaBell, George Clinton, Carl
Carton, Ray Parker Jr. and the Superlatives. He has sung on many hits but
most notably with the Elements.
Marvin is a 1st and 2nd Tenor with a versatile style and is able to play the
keyboard. Marvin grew up in and around the music industry singing as an
early age in his father's recording studio. Marvin recently joined the
Royal Jokers and has already become an asset to the group.
Thaddeus (Ted) Frye
Ted sung with such groups as the Soul Mates, the Magic Tones and the
Perfections. Ted, an international performer shared the stage with great
artists like the Jimmy Hendrix, Pink Floyd, the Cream, Johnny Lee Hooker,
Sam & Dave and many, many more all across the United States and Europe.
Marvin (Poncho) Turner
Poncho, a former member of the R & B Band The Phorce is a highly
professional, all around entertainer. Music major at Western Michigan
University, Poncho plays trumpet, piano and sings a complete range from
Tenor to Baritone and can sign lead with control and authority.
Poncho as he is affectionate called has traveled and performed with the best
of R & B groups and bands across the United States and accomplished
musicians, as well as singers. Poncho with his magnetic personality and
polished style will have you inspired and intrigued patting your feet and
clapping your hands. A true professional and with the Royal Jokers he's
headed for the top.
The Royal Jokers
The combined experience of this Royal Jokers ensemble brings versatility
unrivaled by most vocal groups on the scene today. These four are capable
of delivering background harmonies and energetic leads with ease.
Their showcase encompasses everything from popular and jazz standards to
rhythm 'n' blues, soul, Motown and modern harmony. When the spirit moves,
they'll even take you to church and back in a gospel zephyr.
Unlike many contemporary acts, their presentation is smoothly choreographed,
dressed in elegance and delivered with class reverence for their audience.
Just when you think you can relax in some audio-visual reverie, the comedy
bug will bite them, often bringing them off the stage and out among their
patrons.
After all, they are the Royal Jokers "Royal" because they are regal, at the
top of their game!! "Jokers" because like no other royal family, mischief
and laughter are their crown and scepter. Even now, after almost fifty
years in entertainment, veteran acts and shooting stars are coming to their
shows to see what the fuss is all about... and taking notes.
THE ROYAL JOKERS ARE BACK AS NEVER BEFORE. DON'T MISS THE MUSIC AND MAYHEM
WHEN THEY STORM INTO YOUR TOWN.
For booking information, interviews or merchandise, contact Willie Jones of
Detroit, Michigan (313) 585-6250
Martha Jean "The Queen"
Martha Jean "The Queen" arrived in Detroit, in 1963, to become a part of the Bell Broadcasting Company and found the Motor City to be somewhat similar to the southern roots of Memphis. She was an instant success. She was unique. She brought freshness, life, personality, and a philosophy that people are the greatest investment in the world, and the truth will set you free. She was a much sought after personality, appearing at nightclubs, civic and religious functions.
Within the community, the people knew she cared, appreciated and loved them enough to risk stepping on toes to tell them the truth. Her reputation for selling products followed her from Memphis and her reputation for selling people on themselves was fast growing. She worked at WCHB-AM, in Inkster for about 2 years.
"The Queen" moved to WJLB, in 1966, to be hailed as the "only female radio personality in the city and the nation to so steadily command the air waves." Many who had migrated from the south had a voice through her.
The power of her influence as a "voice of reason" emerged when she posted herself at the microphone for 48 hours during the rebellion of 1967, pleading with Detroiters to "get off the streets." Afterwards, she regularly co-hosted a call-in radio show with the Police Commissioner called "Buzz the Fuzz" in an attempt to improve relations between the police and the people.
Her ever-growing love for the community and the "forgotten man" sparked her to begin her work with the Blue Collar Workers of America, later to become the Queen's Community Workers. On July 9, 1993 Queen was selected as a delegate agency for Head Start, serving over 450 children and parents in Detroit.
In the midst of her greatest achievements she experienced the joyless routine of unrewarded labor, the dramatic violence against one another and society, and men's hopeless quest for satisfaction and power. The creation of her Inspiration Time gave voice to a need to nurture, advise and comfort her people, to change their lives by expressing her strong belief in God. She continued for five years, and then, in the serenity of Inspiration Time it happened!
On February 2, 1972, her midday show broke format. "The Queen" received the power of the Holy Spirit, setting her free, preparing her to be called to God's service. After 25 years of selling people on products, "The Queen" started selling people on GOD! On April 10, 1975, the Holy Spirit led "The Queen" to found The Order of the Fishermen Ministry, a non-denominational spirit filled movement to help people establish a fulfilling relationship with GOD with an emphasis on obedience, discipline and faith with compassionate and merciful love. She continued to use the radio airwaves as the medium of her message.
As her followers grew, and the establishment of the "Home of Love" which houses her church, her longtime commitment and resolve to radio ministry strengthened. In 1982, Booth Broadcasting, WJLB-FM, dropped her from the station lineup. Queen and associated investors purchased WJLB-AM and changed the call letters to WQBH-AM, an acronym for "Welcome The Queen Back Home." She became co-founder and General manager (on air personality) at WQBH (1400 AM). The value of the station tripled and established her as a highly successful businesswoman.
On May 12, 1997, with the blessing of the Holy Spirit and the support of the community, Martha Jean "The Queen' purchased WQBH Radio, (Queen's Broadcasting Corporation), and, became one of the first Black female radio owners in the country. She served also as its President/General manager. A Legend, "The Queen" has been recognized as a Black radio pioneer. She was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's roll of distinguished radio personalities in 1998, and received "The Living Legends" Awards for those who have paved the way in the music industry as well as over 400 community service, media and state awards, including keys to various cities in the United States.
The state of Michigan recognized her as its "Michiganian of the Year" in 1995. December 31, 1999 was named "Martha Jean 'The QUEEN' Day" by Mayor Dennis Archer at her annual "Victory Rally'" to pray for the peace, prosperity and wholeness for the city of Detroit. Determined to bring jobs, prosperity and opportunity to her beloved city, "The QUEEN" was instrumental in bringing casino gaming into Detroit. When invited, she became one of seven local partners in MGM Grand Detroit. She wanted to be in a position to "make sure her people and city were treated right."
For over 40 years "The QUEEN" has been "helping us sell ourselves on ourselves, to help us get ourselves together."
On Saturday, January 29, 2000, at 10:45 a.m., Martha Jean "The QUEEN" Steinberg laid her earthly burdens down and said yes to GOD.
She is survived by her three daughters: Diane Steinberg-Lewis, Sandra Steinberg and Trienere Steinberg, her three granddaughters Sierra Kiani Lewis, Kendra Jean Lewis, and Kayla Fox Steinberg, her mother, Elder Mother Florence Jones, her sister Mildred Johnson and her brother, Virgil Jones, Jr. and a host of relatives, friends and parishioners.
God bless you, we love you! Long Live the Queen.
The Scene, a daily dance show that featured many National and Local Guests artists as well as many youngsters from the community was debuted. The show ran for a record 12 consecutive years from 1975 to 1987 and retired as one the most popular and successful shows in the history of WGPR-TV channel 62. The Scene had a strong loyal following of viewers that grew to include city and suburb, white and Black, the young and the young at heart. Nat Morris, Executive producer and host, provided opportunities for unknown artists, launching many careers that went to national and international fame. The Scene paved the way for all the Detroit local entertainment TV shows that followed and had the impact on Detroit Black Television in much the same way that Soul Train and Don Cornelius had on a national level.
ARE YOU READY TO THROW DOWN?
Emanuel Steward He turns youth into world champions
Emanuel Steward
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Emanuel Steward (born 1944) is a boxing trainer who is in the International Boxing Hall Of Fame.
Steward was born in West Virginia, and by the age of 12, he had moved with his mother to Detroit, Michigan. Before that, Steward had boxed on some play bouts his father had set up with his neighbor friends. When he moved to Detroit, he immediately submerged into the Brewster Recreation Center, where fellow hall of famers Joe Louis and Eddie Futch had trained before. Steward was able to compile a record of 95 wins and 3 losses as an amateur boxer, and he won many tournaments, including the 1963 national Golden Gloves tournament. He soon started training amateur boxers,but because of his family's economical situation, he needed a steady job, and so he became an electrician.
Soon after, he was asked to look out for his half brother James. This was 1971, and Emanuel took James to the nearby Kronk Gym. Emanuel got interested in coaching boxers again while he attended Kronk with James.
By the 1970s, Kronk had become an amateur boxer hot-bed, as many of the United States top amateur contenders came to be trained by Steward, and eventually, many of these guys went to the professional rankings and became world champions. By the late '70s, Steward had become known in the boxing world as a trainer.
During the 1980s, those amateur guys that came to Kronk to work under Steward had begun to become world champions,(On March 2 of 1980 Hilmer Kenty became Steward's first world champion by knocking out world Lightweight champ Ernesto Espana), and Steward often found himself involved in some of boxing's biggest events as a trainer, such as The War, where Steward trainee Thomas Hearns faced Marvin Hagler for the world Middleweight title, and Hearns' fights with Wilfredo Benitez, Roberto Duran and Sugar Ray Leonard.
Kronk became a property of Steward, who now is famous also for his collection of Rolls Royce cars and mansion. He opened a branch of the gym in Tucson, Arizona, and has started an association with the Dodge Theater in Phoenix to present boxing undercards once a month. Teenage amateur prospect Ernie Gonzalez has been boxing in some of those undercards, which brings an interesting twist to Steward's cards, because usually boxing cards do not include both amateur and professional fights the same night.
Among the world champions who have trained or sought Steward's guidance at some point of their career are:
Hilmer Kenty
Thomas Hearns
Milton McCrory
Mike McCallum
Dennis Andries
Jimmy Paul
Duane Thomas
John David Jackson
Michael Moorer
Steve McCrory
Gerald McClellan
Wilfredo Benitez
Evander Holyfield
Julio Cesar Chavez
Lennox Lewis
Oscar De La Hoya
Steward is very appreciative of his fame and is good about signing autographs for his fans.
Steward gained new fame for his recent calls during the epic fights of Arturo Gatti and Mickey Ward -- including his legendary assessment of Gatti Ward I's Round 9: "This should be the Round of the Century!" an instant assessment shared by the many millions watching the titanic duel.
History of the Mission Mother Waddles opens her first soup kitchen in the Cass Corridor in 1957
She organizes Christmas food baskets for the needy in 1970
Mother Waddles once said we live in a society that creates a lot of monsters.
She spent her life trying to rehabilitate them.
Charleszetta Waddles, whose charity work got her invited to the White House, written up in countless publications and featured in a PBS television documentary, died Thursday morning at her Detroit home from an undisclosed cause. She was 88.
"I don't think there's been anyone who's had a greater impact for the better part of the last century in helping those who live in the shadows," said her lawyer, Butch Hollowell of Detroit. "She dedicated her whole life to those in need."
Hollowell last spoke to her two weeks ago and had seen her a few weeks before that at the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People Freedom Fund Dinner in Detroit.
"She had that Mother Waddles unfailing smile on her face," he said. "You could tell she was fighting the years of several strokes and other kinds of ailments. But she still had that inner strength."
Though she became a Detroit institution, Waddles described her life as following the Lord's work. She said she trusted Him to provide the means.
He and thousands of friends always seemed to come through to help her Perpetual Mission dodge one crisis or another.
At times she even struggled with her image, which some thought of as a kind of fur-and-Lincoln look. To which she once responded: "They're damn fools. I wore good clothes when I was on welfare."
She was a charismatic, complex, larger-than-life personality who once sold whiskey to feed her 10 children. But her greatest gift, say those who loved her most, was her ability to withhold judgment.
"She didn't care how you came to her," said her oldest daughter, Beatrice Nance, 74. "She took you in."
Among the thousands over the years who had aided her cause was former champion boxer Tommy Hearns. He called one holiday season to donate turkeys. He had been to her mission when he was 8 years old, and she had fed him. He'd never forgotten it.
She had run her small, stitched-together charity since 1958, sometimes without regard for details such as paperwork -- which occasionally prompted questions about how the business end of the charity was handled.
But she dismissed them. "I am carrying out a will larger than the Edison man's or any city inspector," she said.
Born in St. Louis in 1912, the oldest of seven children, she wanted to become a nurse but had to quit school at 12 to work to support her mother.
She moved to Detroit in 1937. She took what jobs she could, operating a blind pig, or after-hours drinking spot, and collecting numbers slips, the underworld's illegal version of the weekly lottery.
In late 1957, while operating a secondhand clothing store on East Adams, she "felt something tell me to turn my life around." Soon she had opened a storefront mission on Columbia and Hastings, selling meals for 35 cents.
Yet working with troubled people sometimes brought trouble to her and to others.
In February 1971, a man waving a gun shot and killed a Detroit policeman in a shootout inside her Gratiot Avenue mission.
The incident caused Mother Waddles to reflect but not to quit.
"There's no fire and brimstone after death," she said. "I think there's plenty of hell right here in Detroit."
Then in 1974, a raffle to raise money for the mission by selling chances on a Rolls Royce turned sour. Her son, Leroy, and a promoter charged each other with skimming off about $70,000 of the $80,000 raised. Police investigated, but no one was prosecuted.
Ten years later, a fire damaged her headquarters on Gratiot. So she moved again, this time west to a storefront on Grand River.
She eventually earned a place in a Smithsonian Institution exhibit about the achievements of black women. She was interviewed by an Ivy League scholar as part of an oral history project.
"She was a gracious figure," said former attorney general Frank Kelley, who knew Waddles for 40 years. "She had a kind and compassionate heart."
The Mother Waddles Lots of Love on Jos. Campau is now the mission's headquarters. The sanctuary, where Mother Waddles preached until this year, is there. And the food program -- free box lunches on Thursdays -- is there.
The lease at the Grand River property ran out a few years ago, and fires at various warehouses hurt the mission. Over the years, the charity faced evictions for unpaid rent and utility shutoffs for unpaid bills.
But Mother Waddles always found hope: "I'm in the business of loving the hell out of people." Charleszetta "Mother" Waddles 1912-2001
'Mother' Waddles gave heart to poor
Mission founder dies in her sleep By Kim Kozlowski and Candice Cunningham / The Detroit News DETROIT -- It was 2:30 p.m. Thursday outside of the Mother Waddles Perpetual Mission on Jos. Campau. Normally, Charleszetta "Mother" Waddles and a group of volunteers would have been passing out whole chickens, vegetables and canned goods to hundreds of needy families in the community. function gallery1() { newsgallery=window.open ("http://pc99.detnews.com/newsgallery/frame.hbs?project=waddles","newsgallery",'toolbar=0,menubar=0,scrollbars=1,resizable=1,width=615,height=550') }
But Waddles, who could be called Detroit's Mother Teresa, was recovering from a heart attack she suffered recently, so one of her daughters on Wednesday night cancelled the weekly event. Within hours of that decision, Detroit lost a beloved Samaritan, spiritual leader and controversial figure, when Waddles, 88, passed away peacefully in her sleep.
"I feel like I lost a mother," said David Smith, sales manager at Mother Waddles Car Donations. He, like so many others in Detroit, said Waddles was the inspiration for change in his life. "She's probably the main reason to go on and fight so hard to be a God-fearing man and live right."
Her Mother Waddles Perpetual Mission, operating since 1957, reached out to thousands in need of food, clothing, shelter and transportation.
Her influence also extended to the parishioners whom she served for several years as an ordained minister, and as far away as Africa, where she opened 17 missions.
"Mother Waddles loss is Detroit's loss," said Mayor Dennis Archer. "She was an icon to this city, having helped more people who have been in need and touched the lives of so many who have been down and out."
Born in St. Louis, Waddles was the daughter of a barber who died when she was 12. She quit school in the eighth grade to work as a kitchen maid to help her mother. In 1936, she moved to Detroit.
Waddles began her good works years before she founded her mission when she passed out bread and vegetables to her neighbors, even though at the time she couldn't afford it. She also came to the aid of others when they suffered crises, and needed refrigerators, stoves and other necessities. When she opened her mission in 1957, its focus was small: distributing canned goods donated from her and her friends' pantries. Later, the mission expanded to include a food and clothing dispatch, a meal and medical center, a used car lot, emergency services department and a restaurant serving meals for 35 cents.
Her work earned her a slew of accolades, that included former Gov. William Milliken proclaiming a week in her honor and the Michigan Women's Hall of Fame adding her to its list of distinguished Michigan women.
"She was an example to so many people of what you can do when you have a good heart and you have a passion," said Eleanor Josaitis, co-founder Focus:Hope.
An ordained minister, Waddles preached from her church for many years on Sundays.
She married three times, and bore 10 children, seven of whom are still surviving.
Waddles' life, however, did not escape scrutiny. Figures released in 1975 by the mission showed only 7 percent of the funding was funnelled to charitable programs while the rest went to administrative and related costs. She also faced eviction notices and utility shut offs because of unpaid bills, along with some legal troubles.
Still, many will always remembers her as one of the city's best hopes for the poor. They promise to continue her legacy.
Detroit City Council Member Brenda M. Scott said Waddles' life is best exemplified by what Martin Luther King once said:
" 'Everyone can be great because anyone can serve. You don't have to have a college degree to serve. You don't have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You don't have to know about Plato and Aristotle to serve. You don't have to know Einstein's theory of relativity to serve. You don't have to know the second theory of thermodynamics in physics to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.'
"That's Mother Waddles."
DONNIE SIMPSON A true legend in the media world
Donnie began his radio career at WJLB in Detroit, at the age of 15!! After 8 successful years at JLB, Donnie moved to Washington, DC to join WKYS where he hosted the morning show and served as Program Director for 15 years. On March 11, 1993, Donnie joined WPGC-FM.
In 1981, Donnie served as George Michael's back-up sports anchor for WRC-TV (NBC's Washington affiliate). In 1983, he joined BET as host of Video Soul, where he broke new ground as one of the nations first "VJ's". Donnie presented a wide array of music videos and conducted hundreds of memorable live interviews on BET for 14 years.
Elijah McCoy
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedh J. McCoy (2 May 1844 - 10 October 1929) was an inventor.
Elijah McCoy was born in Ontario, Canada, to runaway slaves from Kentucky in the United States, who escaped on the underground railroad. When he was three, McCoy's family moved back to the U.S., settling in Detroit, Michigan. He had 11 brothers and sisters. McCoy was fascinated by machinery. He studied engineering in Scotland from age 16 and on his return to the United States settled in Ypsilanti, Michigan.
While working as a fireman on the Michigan Central Railroad McCoy invented the automatic lubricator, which oils the engines of boats, trains, and so on. His "lubricating cup" for locomotives from 1872 was a great boon for the railroad industry, allowing trains to run faster and more profitably with much less need to stop for lubrication and maintenance. He also developed at least 56 other patented devices, including a folding ironing board and an automatic sprinkler. In 1920 he formed the Elijah McCoy Manufacturing Company.
McCoy married Ann Elizabeth Stewart in 1868; she died four years later. He remarried the next year to Mary Eleanor Delaney and moved to Detroit. Elijah McCoy died in Detroit in 1929 at the age of 85, still suffering from injuries from a car accident seven years earlier that killed his second wife. McCoy had been a resident of the Eloise Hospital, also known as the Michigan State Asylum before his death, suffering from dementia.
According to some sources, the saying the real McCoy, meaning the real thing, derives from Elijah: many of his inventions were the basis of inferior copies. Railroad engineers would enquire if a locomotive was equipt with "the real McCoy"; if so they knew it could be driven with confidence. Others dispute this account of the origin of the phrase.
WILLIE HORTON
Born in Detroit, Willie Horton was the youngest of 19 children, a four-time All-Star and a fan favorite for the Tigers in the 1960s and 1970s. He drew attention when at the age of 16 he blasted a home run into Tiger Stadium's right field stands in an All-City game. A tremendously strong man, Horton was the big power threat on Detroit's 1968 World Series Championship team. Horton hit 325 homers in his career, combining strength with quick wrists. After his playing career, Horton worked briefly for the Yankees under Billy Martin as baseball's first "harmony coach." His role was essentially to make sure Martin wasn't undermined by clubhouse politics, and to tutor young players on how to stay out of trouble.
Nicknames
"Willie the Wonder"
Played For
Detroit Tigers (1963-1977), Texas Rangers (1977), Cleveland Indians (1978), Oakland A's (1978), Toronto Blue Jays (1978), Seattle Mariners (1979-1980)
Coached
New York Yankees, Chicago White Sox
Post-Season
1968 World Series, 1972 ALCS
World Champion?
Yes, 1968 Tigers
Ultimate Games (1-1)
1968 World Series Game Seven, 1972 ALCS Game Five
Honors
All-Star (4): 1965, 1968, 1970, 1973; fourth in 1968 American League Most Valuable Player voting; in 1979 with the Mariners, Horton was named the AL's Outstanding Designated Hitter and the Comeback Player of the Year.
Players Linked
Lou Brock, who failed to slide in Game Five of the 1968 World Series and was gunned down by Horton's throw from left field.
Position
Left field through 1974, and designated hitter after that.
Major League Debut: September 10, 1963
Feats
Horton hit two homers in a game 30 times during his career... On June 9, 1970, Horton hit three homers against the Brewers... On May 15, 1977, a month after Detroit traded him to Texas, Horton hit three homers against the Royals.
Transaction Data (courtesy Retrosheet.org)
August 7, 1961: Signed by the Detroit Tigers as an amateur free agent; April 12, 1977: Traded by the Detroit Tigers to the Texas Rangers for Steve Foucault; February 28, 1978: Traded by the Texas Rangers with David Clyde to the Cleveland Indians for Tom Buskey and John Lowenstein; July 3, 1978: Released by the Cleveland Indians; July 13, 1978: Signed as a Free Agent with the Oakland Athletics; August 15, 1978: Traded by the Oakland Athletics with Phil Huffman to the Toronto Blue Jays for Rico Carty; December 2, 1978: Granted Free Agency; January 27, 1979: Signed as a Free Agent with the Seattle Mariners; December 1, 1979: Granted Free Agency; December 20, 1979: Signed as a Free Agent with the Seattle Mariners; December 12, 1980: Traded by the Seattle Mariners with Larry Cox, Rick Honeycutt, Mario Mendoza, and Leon Roberts to the Texas Rangers for Richie Zisk, Rick Auerbach, Ken Clay, Jerry Don Gleaton, Brian Allard, and Steve Finch (minors); April 1, 1981: Released by the Texas Rangers; May 4, 1981: Signed as a Free Agent with the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Best Season, 1968
Horton's career numbers appear modest because he toiled during the low-scoring 1960s and early 1970s. In 1968 he was second in the American League in slugging, OPS, total bases and homers (36). He was fourth in RBI (85) and batted .285, which was also fourth in the league. In the World Series he hit .304 with six runs scored, a homer and three RBI. In addition, his assist that nabbed Lou Brock at home in Game Five helped turn the series in Detroit's favor.
Hitting Streaks
16 games (1970), 15 games (1971, 1979)
They're All Willie's...
Willie Horton was a strong man. It once took four teammates to keep the slugger from beating an opposing pitcher after a brush back pitch. The true measure of Horton's strength? In a game in 1969 he checked his swing - and broke his bat!
Horton was a poor Detroit kid who made it big with his hometown team. As a boy he would sneak into Tiger Stadium to watch his heroes. In 1999 Tiger Stadium closed it's gates for good. When Horton ran onto the field for the post-game festivities after the final game, he was greeted with a tremendous ovation from fans who appreciated his 15 seasons and 262 home runs with Detroit. Willie Horton, the slugger who starred on the '68 World Champions...the little kid from the streets of Detroit...the strong man who broke bats with brute strength...broke down and cried like a baby.
FACTOID
Horton used the same batting helmet his entire career, having it painted to match his new teams after leaving Detroit.
National Training Center & Missionary Residence Hall
Detroit, MI
SHRINES OF THE BLACK MADONNA of the
Pan African Orthodox Christian Church
Detroit – Atlanta – Houston –Calhoun Falls
Central Region: 7625 Linwood, Detroit, MI 48238, 313-875-9700 Southern Region: 960 R.D. Abernathy Blvd, SW, Atlanta, GA 30310, 404-752-5490 Southwest Region: 5317 M.L. King Blvd, Houston, TX 77021, 713-641-5035 Beulah Land Region: Beulah Land Farm Drive, Calhoun Falls, SC 29638, 864-348-3232
For nearly 50 years, the Shrines of the Black Madonna of the Pan African Orthodox Christian Church (PAOCC)has been dedicating its Christian ministry to the upliftment, empowerment and liberation of the Pan African world community. We alone provide the theological, philosophical, and programmatic foundation to build "institutional power" for Black People.
The Shrine of the Black Madonna (PAOCC) has always committed its resources to transforming the spiritual emptiness, economic powerlessness and social disorganization which have plagued the Black community. The church provides the worldwide community with a leadership framework for expanding institutional power for Black Liberation. The revolutionary Christian theology of the Church, Beulah Land Farms, Cultural Centers and Bookstores, Technological Centers, and Community Service Centers, are all examples of how the Pan African Orthodox Christian Church has operationalized spiritual power, Black excellence and economic empowerment.
The PAOCC began as a socially conscious, religious institution in 1953. The Shrine, formally known as The Central Congregational Church, was founded in Detroit, Michigan, by Reverend Albert B. Cleage Jr. (Jaramogi Abebe Agyeman). The Southern Region of the PAOCC was established in Atlanta, Georgia, in 1975, the Southwest Region in Houston, Texas, in 1977, and Beulah Land Farms in Calhoun Falls, SC, in 1999.
The PAOCC is "a force for good in our community and in the lives of men, women and children" because of our belief that "no area of life is separate and apart from our Christian faith, and no problem of society is too dangerous and too controversial for positive Christian action by our church." To that end, the PAOCC seeks to establish a system of Black institutions that can meet the growing needs of a Black community in crisis.
Revolutionary Black Church
The Pan African Orthodox Christian Church labors to bring the Black Church back to its historic roots—The African origins of Christianity and the original teachings of Jesus, the Black Messiah. We offer "seekers" not only a theology grounded in our African heritage, but also therapeutic processes and spiritual disciplines capable of leading one to a transforming, empowering experience of God.
The Shrine of the Black Madonna Cultural Center and Bookstore is one of the institutions of the Pan-African Orthodox Christian Church. Since the first Cultural Center opened in Detroit, MI, in 1970, our purpose has been to contribute to the strengthening of Black People’s identification with the Black experience. In carrying out this mission, the Cultural Centers help us to build a positive Black identity by maintaining our connection to our African heritage and culture. We lead the way for a Black Cultural Renaissance by providing a forum for creative Black artists to display their talents in the Black Community.
Our bookstores and cultural centers (located in Detroit, Atlanta and Houston) contain one of the largest selections of books related to the Black experience in the world.
The Cultural Center and Bookstore regularly sponsor and host book parties/signings, poetry readings and lectures on topics related to Black history and culture. We take special care to maintain an esthetic atmosphere of warmth, friendliness and spirituality in all of our centers. We are also very proud of our Karamu Art Gallery, which contains one of the most extensive collections of art from people of color in Africa, India, South America, the Islands, and America.
We invite you to experience the many aspects of our Cultural Center and Bookstore, including our BLACK HOLOCAUST EXHIBIT. For those of you unable to visit one of our local centers, we hope our web site offers you a virtual and cultural experience of a rich and diverse people.
Sincerely,
Barbara Martin, National Director
Nkengi Abi, Detroit Manager
Famed attorney Clarence Darrow headed the defense team. 
Judge Frank Murphy presided over the trial and, in his charge to the jury, made it clear that the right to defend one's home applied to blacks as well as whites. 
Detroit News reporter Philip A. Adler testified he saw a mob of about 400 to 500 outside the Sweet home and that rocks were hitting the house "like hail." 
The second jury took only four hours to find Henry Sweet, brother of Dr. Sweet, not guilty.
Prosecutor Robert M. Toms
apartment. Despite his wounds, Wilson made it downstairs where he was taken to the Roosevelt Hospital. Life saving surgery was performed followed by weeks of medical care. Wilson lost a kidney and would carry the bullet that was to close to his spine to be removed, around for the rest of his life. 
broke. 
SHRINES OF THE BLACK MADONNA of the