VIDEO VAULT: Kitty & The Haywoods! Or How To Wake Up Chicago-Style!

By

Who is Miss Kitty Haywood? I had no idea when I clicked on the song, "Excuse Me I've Got A Life To Catch," but I instantly realized that in addition to being a bangin' R&B tune, this was my new morning alarm for my iPhone. How can you not wake up in a fantastic mood while hearing this song?


Kitty and the Haywoods, I discovered, was comprised of Chicago-based Marilyn Haywood, aka "Kitty," and her sisters Vivian, Mary Ann and Vivian's daughter, Cynthia. Their first LP, "Love Shock," didn't come out of nowhere, since Kitty had long been singing background for a bevy of top performers of the day, like Curtis Mayfield and Aretha Franklin. Sadly, the album, along with their follow-up LP, "Excuse Me I've Got A Life To Catch," didn't move the needle as much as their record company had wanted, so it was the last we heard of the group. Even more unfortunate for those of us today, their albums are not available on Spotify or any other streaming music service (though you can cobble them together on YouTube, but the quality is variable). 


Happily, Kitty continued singing in industrial shows and more back-up, and even found time to create a fine piece of chocolate, her son Jason Weaver, pictured above, an actor known for "The Chi," "The LeBrons," and for voicing the singing voice of Young Simba in the original 1994 "The Lion King." He made serious bank off of this Disney stint. Why, you ask? Because of Mama Kitty! Mama knows best, obviously. 

Photo Credit: Getty Images

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Peckerwood Manor's ELECTION PANIC-A-GOGO!

By
Image
It's happening right now! This is place to scream about the election; to vent, to rejoice, to grumble, then scream again. I swear, your throat will feel like sandpaper once this day is done. Have you voted yet? Are you in line? Post pictures! Is your heart skipping beats? Do you fear for the future? Of course you do! But crucially, do you have enough booze and pills to get through this? What, exactly, are you taking or drinking? We want to know. And what are you eating? Are you a sugar or salt whore? We want to know that, too.  Leave those who'd rather not discuss such matters to our special Election-Free Open Post , since today, for one day only, we're gettin' real and gettin' dirty  in our own gasping, shrieking, blood-soaked election post. Hold tight.   
Read more

OPEN POST: We Will Survive!

By
Image
Rise up, my chickens. We're all worth fighting for.  It won't be easy, it won't be fun, but through the long dark of night and on to a new day, it will surely be worth it. We don't regularly refer to politics in our Open Posts, but today, I think it's worth noting that many of us got through eight long years of Ronald Reagan - and it was a nightmare, and for many of my contemporaries, deadly. But here we are, we're still standing. We'll get through this, too, I promise.  What does this mean in the short-term? Tears, fury, booze, pills, or weed, of course. You have my permission - not that you need it - to comfort yourself however you like for the rest of the week. But come Monday, all bets are off. Bitches won't even see us coming. 
Read more

OPEN POST: Monday Music At The Manor With DJ Li'l Scratch!

By
Image
Are you freaking out about the election tomorrow? Me, too. Or maybe you're having a more generalized "It's Monday, oh-my-fucking-gawd" freak out? In either case, please allow Peckerwood Manor's esteemed DJ Li'l Scratch to take you away. Many of you already know about Li'l Scratch, as he regularly lays tracks at "Heavy D's," the Manor's exclusive after-hours club.  Today he's spinning Teri Thornton, a vibrant, husky-voiced jazz singer and piano player who hailed from Detroit. In 1961, she exploded onto the scene with her debut LP, "Devil May Care," demonstrating show-stopping vocal prowess. The reviews were through the roof and so was the public reception, yet just as suddenly - poof - she vanished after a few more LPs, her career thwarted by market changes given the rise of rock 'n' roll. And that was that. She was all but forgotten, reduced to driving a taxi to make ends meet.  But in a jaw-dropping comeback, she re
Read more