By John Bracchitta, 04/23/2009

Lil Rounds says American Idol judge Simon Cowell wasn’t the only one that had a feeling she’d be one of the two eighth-season finalists eliminated during last night’s Top 7 results show.

“I actually had a good feeling that it might’ve been about time right there for me to be ready to go,” the 24-year-old from Memphis, TN told reporters in a Thursday media conference call. “I kinda stared coping with the idea that I might be leaving before the show.”

Cowell had predicted Rounds, who was eliminated along with fellow finalist Anoop Desai, would be going home after she’d sung Chaka Khan’s “I’m Every Woman” on Tuesday night’s live performance show.
 
“I’m glad you had fun because I think this is going to be the last week we’re ever going to see you. I do.  I do,” Cowell had told Rounds. “I’ll tell you why, because there’s no originality. It was very copycat. The arrangement — your vocals — were a mess. I absolutely believe this is your final shot. Sorry.”

Cowell’s Tuesday night comments were just the latest in a series of verbal lashings Rounds had received from the judges, who criticized her for not coming into own and establishing her artistic niche, in recent weeks.  However, while she sometimes disagreed with their opinions, she told reporters that she had always accepted the judges’ feedback as constructive criticism to build on.

“I did feel like the judges gave their critiques based on how they felt the performance may have went.” Rounds said. “Whenever they gave me their comments I took ‘em in stride because I felt like they were giving me constructive criticism to improve me. There were times I felt like they would kinda go back and forth a bit, but it was okay because in the end I’m gonna take everything that they say to me and push forward with it.”

One instance in which Round did feel the judges were going “back and forth” was on Bette Midler’s “The Rose,” which Rounds had performed during last week’s performance show. 

Although Cowell had claimed the song was was too “middle of the road” and “completely wrong” for her, Rounds told reporters she felt she had added her own unique touches and stood by her decision to publicly let him know that she disagreed with him.

“I just felt like [when the judges] would give me their critiques… it seemed to me like it started going back and forth,” Rounds said. “One week they would tell me one thing and the next week the same thing they had told me the week before, they would flip it and tell me to do the opposite of that. So I was kinda like ‘I don’t know which way to go.’”

“But I had to make it clear, not just trying to go toe-to-toe with Simon or the judges,” Rounds added.  “I just wanted America to really know that I really, really am an artist and if in any way I gave the vibe that I didn’t know who I was or what I was trying to do as an artist, I was trying to let everybody know that I’m definitely an artist and I love to do the R&B and soul vibe.”

Rounds also said that she had disagreed with the judges’ frequent comments that she had needed to make more adjustments to her performances to “make them your own.” 

“When I would here that I automatically would think… well I would first of all think that I did make it my own, especially vocally. But I guess they wanted me to do more of a change as far as music-wise because when I would do a song I always stay true to the way that the music went with the song,” she explained to reporters. “But I felt vocally that I did do some changing there because I always wanted it to fit who I am as an artist and of course there would me being the R&B, soulful type singer.”

After her elimination, Rounds said she had sought out Allison Iraheta, a 16-year-old from Los Angeles, CA, to let her know that she was throwing her support behind Iraheta now that she is the competition’s only remaining female finalist.

“I gave Allison the biggest hug that I could possibly give. We were crying like, of course, two girls,” she told reporters with a laugh. “But that’s my baby and I just told her to make sure she keeps her head up and continues to be Allison and go out and nail it each week like she’s been doing and hold it down for the ladies… She’s such an amazing singer, she’s gonna do absolutely fabulous.”

Rounds also reiterated her Wednesday night departure comments that she’s looking forward to returning to Memphis and getting to spend some time with her children before American Idol’s summer tour begins.

“I haven’t gotten a chance to see the babies yet, but they did get to watch the show and I just explained to them that my run on American Idol was up but, of course, I was gonna come home and spend some time with them before I went on tour,” Rounds told reporters. “They feel so very, very proud of their mommy and they’ve been great during this, they’ve tried to understand what I was doing and they’re really proud of me, so I’m happy.”

HOME SWEET HOME - MARLIN, TEXAS

By Kenneth Harper Finton, Plantagenet Magazine, 1993

August 1965, is a month that will live forever in my memory. This particular summer my family and I were vacationing in my father’s home town of Marlin, Texas, a very special town for the Smith family. Everybody in town seemed to be related to me. I could not walk down the street without tripping on a cousin. One was the Chief of Police; one was the mayor, and many dozens of others held respectable positions in the town.

Perhaps I will never again have such a feeling of “connectedness” to a geographical point in time. My parents lived in the high deserts of Rosamond, California. From my viewpoint, Marlin, Texas  seemed distant, different, and filled with great family values.

I was just 16 years-old in August of 1965. The air off the gulf was hot and humid. I felt sticky with the heat and a little self-conscious, as I was beginning to look at the girls, and they were beginning to look at me.

Time hung heavy on my hands, so I spent much of my time browsing through the local record stores. I was hungry to listen to all the new records. I knew that music is a universal language, one that I wanted to speak fluently.

Marlin, Texas was a music-loving town. The folks there loved gospel and R&B. I got a chance to see and listen to recordings and artists that I could never have found in Lancaster, California where Country & Western tastes ran high.

 One August day, I came across a 45-rpm single that had over 50 records in the same bin.  That was unusual, because most of the records in the bins contain only ten copies. This particular record was on a bright yellow label. The label letters were drawn in big black block letters that seemed to shout the label name: D–TOWN!  The artist was named Lee Rogers, and the “A” side of the record was “I Want You To Have Everything.”

 It was close to the end of the work day. The heat had broken and the little record store filled up with people. I found myself being pushed aside by the older ladies as they kept coming over to this D-Town bin to purchase this record. Lee must have sold over ten records in less than five minutes . . . and I was so excited and impressed to think of the implications that this could have on my own life. I was not a stranger to the gentle art of dreaming, nor a novice to the songwriting and recording process. I had been recording in my family’s garden shack in Lancaster for over two years. I had many songs that I had already written. I wanted very much to see them pressed and released. Watching the people flock to the bin to buy Lee’s record made me feel that an angel must have brought me to this place. I knew on the spot that I wanted to make records and learn how to market them.

As I watched and witnessed this frenzy of record-buying, I also made up my mind to learn more about  this Lee Rogers. I made a silent vow to myself that I was going to meet this guy one day.  Little did I know that I would be his songwriter and record producer some 14 years later.

LEE ROGERS

      Lee Rogers was born Rogers Craton, December 15, 1942. His mother was a beautiful young woman who lived in Southern Mississippi.  In those days, if a young woman got pregnant and was not married, the family “shipped” her off to relatives in the North. Lee Rogers’ mother was no exception. Her family sent her to Detroit.

      Music played an important role in the everyday lives of Southern people–especially those rural black families. Growing up in Detroitwas not so much different than growing up in the South. Sunday school and weekly church meetings still played a very important role in the shaping of young Rogers.

      Lee was an avid basketball player. His early life was totally devoted to becoming a professional player.  Lee soon realized that he was too short, and really not that fast, but his determination found expression, and he made the Michigan State 1957 Championship Team from Brewster High School.  It was Lee who shot the winning basket from the center of the court during the last seconds of the game. Suddenly, Lee was an instant home-town hero.

      After high school, Lee took his determination and talents to the music industry.  Jack Sorrell, a local disc jockey talked Lee and several of his friends into entering a talent show on a local television show.  The group was named the Peppermints.  Lee’s group won the talent search. 

      Sorrell did not waste anytime introducing them to Ms. Carmen C. Murphy who owned House of Beauty Cosmetics Company, and where she had started to venture into record manufacturing with the HOB Records label.

      Murphy’s first artist was Rev. James Cleveland and his Voice of Tabernacle Choir.  Working for HOB’s was Mickey Stevenson who helped produced the first artists.  As time progressed, Murphy brought in one Michael Anthony Hanks, a young piano player, whose job was to help collect the money from the distributors and the small mom and pop record shop between Detroitand Toledo, Ohio.

      Another person that was ‘hanging’ around the HOB’s operation was a young Berry Gordy, Jr.  Murphy’s strong devotion to Gospel music was swayed by these two young men, and as time passed, Murphy helped to established them recording labels for their ‘blues’ projects, by providing them with their first pressings and introduction into the world of music.

      After a string of hit records which included “I Want You To Have Everything”; “I’m A Practical Guy”, “Sad Affair”, “Troubles”, “Just You And I” between 1957 to 1967, Rogers found himself without a label, and started recording on his own. 

      By the end of 1971, Rogers left Detroit for San Francisco.  Rogers’ first hit record came in 1972, with Loadstone Records. “Love Bandit” smashed its way to the top of the R&B charts and stayed there for  several months.  Loadstone’s recording roster featured only two acts – Lee Rogers and an obscure new group named Sly & the Family Stone who found their way to Columbia Records.

      Lee moved on to Hollywood, where he formed a songwriting partnership with Jimmy Holliday. Holliday was already riding high as the co-writer with Jackie DeShannon for her Number #1 hit single “Put A Little Love In Your Heart” (for Imperial Records, owned by Liberty Records, which is owned by EMI-Capitol Records today).

THE MOTOWN RECORDS YEARS

      Under a songwriter’s contract with ABC Music, Rogers and Holliday had a chance to record and produce several acts for the music publishing division.  As fate would have it, I had joined with ABC Records myself, but I had left the year before to go on my own.  A chance meeting with Rogers and Holliday proved to be one of the best and most fateful unions of all.  It led to the production of four songs for Lee, which included a tune called “Double Love Situation” (which we used for audition purposes).

      At the time, I was working with David Crawford, and we were pulling in the projects left and right. One recording deal was made with Capitol Records for Freda Payne. We arranged and produced Greg Perry for Neil Bogart’s new label, Casablanca Records. Bogart’s office was in his apartment up in the Sunset Hills overlooking Sunset Boulevard.

      Lee Rogers signed with Motown’s Gwen-Glenn Productions and got us (Lee Rogers, R.G. Ingersoll, and myself, Kenneth Howard Smith, then called Kenny Smith) signed to Motown Records. As we started our recording careers with Motown, it was natural for Lee to bring his writing team with him.  It was not long  before Jimmy Holliday joined us there.

      As an introduction to the Motown family, Gwen gave Lee, R.G., and myself a party that I will never forget. The Motown Family Party included practically everybody, a Who’s Who of Detroit music: Berry Gordy, Fuller Gordy (Berry’s oldest brother and Vice-president of Marketing); Gwen Gordy, vice-president of Finance; Joyce Fuller Gordy, vice-president of Galaxy Artist Management Division; Robert Gordy, vice-president of publishing; Anna Gordy-Gaye (Marvin Gaye’s wife and Berry’s oldest sister), Smokey Robinson, Clifton Davis, Bobby Moore (of the Miracles), Tata Vega, Charlene Duncan (“I Never Been To Me”), Hal Davis, and many, many others.

      Lee and I had a young group called Papa’s Results. Grady Harrell was the lead singer, along with his sister Racquel, who later sang with Diana Ross.  My partner, David Crawford,  was under contract to Sal Watts, a local movie maker.  Sal’s film, “Solomon King” featured Papa’s Results on the sound track, and he gave them a part in the film as well.  Sal Wattswas very slow in paying, and we wanted out of our contract.  Two singles were released by SalWa Records, entitled “Sister Sheila” and “There’s No Such Thing (As A Little Bit Of Me)”.      

      Lee and I wanted the Papa’s Results project signed immediately.  I quickly set up two live auditions for Papa’s Results and Los Dudes, featuring Bobby ‘O’ Ormsby.

      Papa’s Results was a unique group. David and I had approached Playboy Records and talked to Harvey Johnson, then vice-president of A&R.  I remember him telling David and I to hold on to our project and he would contact us very shortly.  Usually this meant the ‘kiss of death’ for a record deal. 

      Crawford and I went to Gwen’s house in Beverly Hills, a beautiful home that Berryhad purchased for his sister.  As we walked into the house, the entrance contained a water fountain behind the front door. The room had a large mural of Berry Gordy, Jr., sitting in a kingly throne and posed in a long red robe. The robe began at the base of the mural, then traveled up to the chair, guiding the eye to Berry’s unforgettable face.  It was all very impressive. 

      I’ll never forget what Gwen said to me that day . . . “This house was built with smash records. I want smashes, not hits!”

      Gwen called her brother “Mr. Gordy.” Lee and I called Mr. Gordy, “B.G.” Of course, those were his initials, but we joked among ourselves that it stood for “Black God.” It revealed more about our awe in the presence of great success than it did about Mr. Gordy’s character.

      Bobby ‘O’ and his group were great performers. Motown had implemented the MoWest label to market rock bands.  Since that was Bobby’s forte, it seemed that we were going to get a shot with Bobby. 

      The second project that I submitted to Gwen was Merrell Fankhauser’s “The Maui Album.” Merrell, an original member of The Impacts, was one of the founders of surfing music. He had just come back from Hawaiiwith an original work that sparkled with creativity. It was not until several days later that Gwen spoke to me about Merrell’s album.  I remember her taking a black marker pen and coloring in Merrell’s blonde hair. She said nothing about the album’s content or songs. Her silence spoke volumes.

      Gwen listened to Papa’s Results, but she was not impressed with the group.  “We had the Jackson Five and I don’t think we need another group like them.”

      Papa’s Results reminded Gwen of the Jackson Five, which had departed Motown five months before. The only Jackson left at Motown was married to Berry’s daughter, Hazel. Anything that reminded her of “them” was not going to get a chance at Motown.  Gwen did not like the group, and she did not like Lee’s project.  Why?  It was just another Jackson Five group–nothing exceptional.  At that time, the mood of the recording industry was focused upon acts like Earth, Wind & Fire.  Meanwhile, the new kids on the block were standing in her living room.

      Gwendolyn Gordy Fuqua wanted something different. How different, she really did not know, but she knew that the house she lived in was paid for by smashes, and not mere hits. We had hit records, but that was not good enough for her. 

      After Gwen’s rejection, it was about a month until Harvey Johnson left Playboy Records and went to Atlantic Records. Johnson called us from New York. He wanted the Papa’s Results project. Atlanticliked them and wanted to promote the group.

      Everybody knew that we had signed the group to Atlantic Records as it was reported in Billboard Magazine. This infuriated Gwen to no end. She told me that she would not know a hit record if it hit her in head. I thought to myself, “How true, how true.” Yet, the flack did not stop there. Papa’s Results were written up in Billboard Magazine. They were on their way, but their success did nothing to secure my personal relationship with Gwen Gordy, which was further strained by my confused attitude toward her. I thought to myself that if her name was not Gordy, she would be on welfare.

      I suspected that she didn’t have a clue about music. Or did she?  She was the co-writer on Marvin Gaye’s “Distant Lover” which went platinum. This being so, my logic told me that she could not be that far off the mark. It is often difficult for young men with visions and dreams to bind their emotions long enough to make sound business decisions. In retrospect, I realize that Gwen’s primary job was to keep the money rolling in. Gwen was hard to love, but no one could deny that she was in control. 

      As a newcomer to the Motown family, little did I know that Lee and Motown went back forever.  I had come in at the end of the last chapter. I had the “camera” to get the present picture and name tags to place of the toes of the victims . . . the damage to Lee had been done years before.

      One must understand that in Detroit’s early days, all the people on the music scene knew one another well and pooled their skills and efforts. Most of us identify the Detroit sound with the Motown family of labels, but the truth is that it was not so much the property of Berry Gordy as it was a core group of musicians who could bring the “Motor City” sound to whatever label could secure their services. Lee remembered these early labels such as Fortune, Great Lakes, JVB, Sensations, D-Town, and especially HOB Records where Lee got his start as a solo artist.

      King Records served as the distribution center and was strong on Detroitperformers. During the early 50’s, Fortune Records was the hottest label in Detroit. The sounds they produced were the inspiration for Berry Gordy’s earliest efforts.   Later own, the crown went to the Bahari Brothers’ of Los Angeles with their Modern, Kent, Crown, and Jubilee records labels.

      Pete Hall, co-owner of D-Town Records in the 1960’s also had an interest in a distribution company and did not seem to have enough time for his own label in the early days. 

Mrs. Carmen Murphy was the owner of a successful cosmetic company called House of Beauty.  Though she was not a veteran record producer, she had the money and interest to lend her House of Beauty capital to the music scene and started up HOB Records. HOB was founded on a solid gospel music basis. R&B was a later development.

      Lee told me, “In this neighborhood, music was music. If it was good music, it was good music. If it was bad music, nobody wanted it. So Mrs. Murphy got involved in the pop thing because a fellow named Mickey Stevenson started coming around. Though Stevenson would later become Berry Gordy’s right hand man of A&R, at that time he was just a singer and a writer. Mrs. Murphy would listen to his music almost every day. It wasn’t easy, but he finally persuaded her to cut some R&B.”

      Berry Gordy and Mike Hanks both worked for HOB. Berryleft to found Motown, backed by Mrs. Murphy, and his famous label actually began as a subsidiary of HOB Records. Mike Hanks was originally brought in to collect monies from HOB distributors. Neither Gordy nor Hanks worked full-time. Both held day jobs at the Chrysler Corporation assembly line.

      By the early 1960’s HOB was extremely successful with their gospel lines. Mrs. Murphy wanted to keep it gospel, so she founded Mah Records for the R&B and put Mike Hanks in charge.  Mah’s first release with Lee was “Troubles”. It was Rogers’ first release as a solo artist and did well around Detroit. After a few years, Hanks simply ran out of material and stopped recording for a time.

      By this time, Berry Gordy had established himself with Motown Records. Mike and Berry remained somewhat close friends behind the scenes.  In public, Mike and Berry were at odds.   Mike would do some crazy things and demonstrate outside Hitsville studios.  Mike began to pattern his sound and conduct  business after Berry Gordy’s methods. His recording was done in a converted house they called “The Pig Pen.” T he Motown players were sneaked into “The Pig Pen,” and the results were a sound much like Motown. Gordy did not seem to mind, so his players became a fixture at D-Town.

      Lee Rogers was the most successful artist on the D-Town catalog. Another group called the Fabulous Peps did quite well. The Staple Singers and Roosevelt Grier came aboard and sold some records as well. Roosevelt Grier was a star football player for the Detroit Lions. He and his friends provided enough backing to keep the company afloat and out of the Motown family of labels, as Berrywas buying out all the small labels. Rogers’ records sold well and paid the bills for all the other acts.

      Finally, Mrs. Murphy was bought out by Grier and his friends, but deep splits began to occur in the corporate structure. The IRS began to take as interest in D-Town.  Lee told me, “The federal government started coming down on all these black people for making this kind of money. It caused a lot of friction in the family because some of the partners wanted a tax write-off. We had a big meeting and everyone just decided to take the money and run. All the other acts were waiting to see what I would do, so I said, ‘I think I’ll go with Pete Hall to Wheelsville.’ All the acts came with me, except the Fabulous Peps. They decided to go  with Mike to Motown where they became the Undisputed Truth.”

      Rogers now had to live without Hanks and his productions. He recorded his next session in Memphis with Willie Mitchell. He liked the heavy bottom and bass throb that was the mark of these Memphis musicians.  

      According to Lee, his troubles with Motown started back in 1963 when Mike Hanks stopped all recording and releases.  D-Town was, for all practical purposes, a defunct company.

      Berry Gordy had started a new charm school that he thought was necessary for all prospective recording artists. With Mike gone, Lee was on his own with no one to help him record his material. Lee was supposed to be hanging out at Motown charm school, learning the “craft” of being an entertainer. Mike offered to pay for these mandatory lessons that Berry required of an artist before he would sign them, but Lee was not too excited about “learning” how to be a showman. He had his own hit records. He was a natural showman. He did not need anyone to show him how to be a star on the stage. After all, Marvin Gaye often came to Lee’s local shows. Marvin had much admiration and respect for Lee as a performer.

      Lee made fun of the Motown technique. He laughed when the instructor would turn to the piano player and say, “Maestro, please.” It was too much for him to handle.

      So Lee Rogers, the entertainer extra-ordinary, flunked out of the Motown charm school. You have to understand that the charm school was open to everybody on the street, but most people had to pay the money for the schooling.  It was a business.

      In 1967, Mike’s interests in D-Town were purchased out right by Grier, Roger Brown and Pete Hall.  Mike went to Motown. Lee had written a song entitled “That’s The Way Love Is” which was recorded by Marvin Gaye. Yet, Lee’s name appeared nowhere on the credits. Credits for this song included Berry Gordy’s ex-wife Thelma Gordy, Ebert Abner (once president of Motown Records and Vee Jay Records). The song was written by Lee and shown to Thelma. A 1/4” reel to reel tape made its way to Marvin.  More and more people wanted their names on it.

      Years later, I noticed Lee’s name on BMI’s list of songwriter’s credits. I found out that Lee had signed over his rights. It was something that he never revealed to me, but Lee was definitely the original songwriter.

      To me, it seemed that hostility and deception was the name of the game. Gwen had no intention of ever releasing any of Lee’s recordings. He was the escaped artist from Detroit, the one that got away, she wanted him at any cost.  Most of the cost was borne by Lee Rogers.

      Lee and R.G. had been working with Fuller Gordy the year before on a song entitled “The Night Before.” It was a great song that was going to be used in the film “Coolly High” starring Ernest Thomas.

      The rug was pulled out from under them by Gwen. She had discovered the song “It’s So Hard To Say Goodbye” for the film, leaving Lee and R.G. out in the cold with their project. In Gwen’s defense, I must point out  that “It’s So Hard To Say Goodbye” did made it to the charts many years later, in 1993, when Boyz II Men recorded it on an album that sold 30 million units.

      Lee and I went to Gwen in late May 1976.  Lee told her that he had a record company that wanted to record him. He did not want to be shelved just because of something that happened ten years ago. The Gordy’s never forgave Lee for going to Wheelsville instead of Motown to record with Pete Hall. It was perfectly clear, that they wanted a malleable Lee Rogers as he was back in the good old days, before he knew the music business.

      Between gulps of straight vodka, Gwen finally granted permission for Lee to put a record out with a little record company.  She also stipulated that her name had to be on it. We had signed over the masters and copyrights to Motown. Gwen owned it all.

      Prentiss Anderson and I dismissed ourselves from the room.  Lee’s recollection of the conversation goes something like this: “Berry once told me not to put good money after bad. I do not think that you have anything worth recording, so if you want to put out a record, we will give you some distribution assistance in the area where the record is playing and nothing more.”

      Despite the cool reception from Motown, Lee was excited to get his own record out. He felt he was at the top of his form and knew that he was more than ready.

      We approached Vee Jay Records, which at this time was under the helm of Calvin Carter (producer of Canned Heat for Liberty Records, and the man responsible for the manufacture the Beatles first album in the USA). Vee Jay did not have the money that we wanted. About two weeks later we found out that Vee Jay was going out of business. Soon after that, they closed their doors. We searched every record company in town, but no one was signing.            

      Lee had back problems for many years. His pain was continuous and it was getting worse. Lee was a proud person, he was serious about his recording arts. Our inability to find him a label was disheartening. Should we not find a label, the only other alternative was to go back to Gwen with our tails between our legs and tell her we could find nothing.

      His pain became severe enough to require hospitalization, so Lee told Prentiss and I to press the record ourselves. Lee did a hand-drawing of the label called “Soul ‘N’ Rock Records.” We pressed “Disco Boogie” b/w “Double Love Situation.”  Cash Box Magazine loved the single. The discos loved the record and played it endlessly. 

      However, we were having a hard time getting air play for our record. Lee was not getting much better. By this time, he could hardly walk.

      While I was at Capitol Records (where we mastered our records for manufacturing) when I bumped into Jack Smith in an elevator. Jack was the famous radio celebrity, better known as “Wolfman Jack.” He was on his way to broadcast from his Hollywoodstudio.  I told Jack about the problem were having with the record.  When he got back to his studio, Jack put the record on and played it. He liked it! It took a few more days, but  I finally began to hear Lee’s record on the radio. The “Wolfman” had come through, and “Double Love Situation” filled the airwaves many times a day for weeks.

      Berry Gordy’s famous motto was, “It’s what’s in the grooves that count.” Other times he was fond of saying, “You can’t stop a hit record.” Lee and I returned to Motown with our gathering success, but Gwen’s attitude changed greatly. “I told you not to put good money after bad money!” She shouted.  “I told you that you did not have anything to sell.”

      We had proven her wrong, and this Gwen Gordy was mad as hell . . . mad enough to break up our songwriting team. We were scattered to the wind and assigned to different artists.  Lee was left in the corner with nothing much to contribute. It was quite maddening for him, but he took it like a champion.

      Lee was later assigned several projects that included Gwen’s husband, G.C. Cameron (former lead singer for The Spinners, “It’s A Shame”); Major Lance (“Um Um Um Um Um”) and Barbara Atkins (“Love Makes A Woman”).  R.G. Ingersoll was placed with the Nashvillebased Melodyland/Hitsville Records where he was working with T.G. Shepherd and Pat Boone. I was placed with Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, Jermaine Jackson and New Energy featuring the Mitchell Brothers.          

      Sadly, I positioned myself to get out of my contract.  It seemed that I was going to be set on the shelf and never get a chance at recording again. 

      I wanted out. Gwen agreed, except that she kept me under a songwriter’s contract because she liked the songs I had written for them and did not want to release me to write for someone else.

      Gwen extended Lee and R. G.’s contracts, as she had the option to do so. Suddenly, I was left outside of the music circle for the first time in my life. Lee was tied to his contract. Gwen used this contract like a chain on a dog. She pulled and dragged Lee at will, eventually breaking his spirits.

THE INDEPENDENT YEARS

      It was June 1976. Everything I put my hands on turned to a major contract. Three record deals were made with Atlantic Records, one deal with TK Records and one deal with Roulette Records.

      My other partner, Leroy Harrell (no kin to Grady and Racquel) arranged for our financing and we got the recording projects together.

      Nothing happens in Hollywood without everybody knowing about it. My day job was working with Associated Booking Corporation in their Beverly Hillsoffice.  I was the in-house record producer. I was the one who told the record companies what kind of music the artist should cut, based upon what kind of touring response was received.  

      R.G. took up the reins of recording Lee and every now and then I would contribute to the songwriting efforts, but I mainly stayed away from Motown Records.

      Lee’s condition worsened. He would remain in the hospital for a period of over four  months. He waited out his contract like the trooper he was. The Platinum Sound Productions group we had put together was just getting into high gear.

       The Parisian Room on Washington Boulevardwas one of the oldest clubs in Los Angeles. It was the night spot for blues and jazz greats. The club was in its last days, because the disco era was spawning new clubs at the rate of one a week. The United States Government wanted to put a post office on the site. It overlooked all of the South Los Angeles Valley, a very fine location with a wonderful view.

      Lee was one of the last artists to play this club, and Lee certainly did it in style. It was the first and only time that I had a chance to see and hear Lee Rogers perform live. I could instantly see why he could command an audience and have power over them. I understood why he did not need the charm school. Lee had the magic with a microphone in his hands. He had a golden voice and a most commanding presence. He opened up with John D. Loudermilk’s “Tobacco Road,” and he got a standing ovation when it was over.  The women rushed the stage and the bouncers had to come to his rescue and lead him off stage. It did my heart good to see him in action.

      Lee’s group was called The White House Staff Band. It included; Steve Scott, on drums (the drummer for Dr. Ronald McNair Jazz Group who was killed in the Challenger Space Shuttle); Johnny Love, guitar; Jon Moreno, guitar; Chuck Robinson, bass; and Daryl Koutnik, bass (bassist with Spirit). Lee and I  handled the keyboards. Our singers included the undiscovered Teena Marie, Randi (Jill) Michaels, Joyce James, Stephanie Spruill (of Stuff and Ramjet).  By taking the core group, we spent several days at R.G.’s house rehearsing with the band with Lee at the piano.

      Cardella DiMilo had been singing in Los Angeles for a number of years and had yet to record for anyone, but as a night club performer, she was good at her craft. After Lee’s performance, Cardella approached and asked him if he could produce a  record for her.

      Lee came up with the melody to something called “Gimme Whatcha Promised Me.”  I remember recording the tracks on a Teac 3340 (a 4-track machine) and leaving one track open for the lead vocals. Cardella did not like the production. She wanted to go into a big studio and cut the songs. In the meantime, Lee was visiting with Frank Slay, and gave him a copy of the tune.

      It was about this time that everything came to a full head. Motown had put the locks on Lee. His health was so bad that he practically lived in the hospital. It was more than Lee could stand. He was simply overloaded and his body gave out from the automobile accident that left him with one kidney.

      Lee stayed in the hospital for over four months. During this time, Cardella was in constant contact with me, calling and bugging me about the tape. She feared that Lee was not going to live long enough to give her a chance to record big time.

      Lee was getting better.  Ingersoll and I would make our weekly trek to the hospital to visit and discuss what was and was not happening at Motown.  The only other people to visit him was Marvin Gaye, Ty Douglass (of The Originals, “I’ll Never Hear The Bells”), Gladys Horton (of the Marvelettes) and a few others. As far as Motown was concerned, they did even lift a finger to help him, as though he did not even exist.

      Upon Lee’s return from the hospital, he talked to Frank Slay of Claridge Records. The first thing that Frank wanted was to hear “Gimme Whatcha Promised Me” on the 4-track mix.  It was funky–mean­­, raw and nasty on the bottom.

      Lee was feeling well enough to return to songwriting and producing. Frank gave Lee an advance and sent him to the big recording studio with the two-inch 24-track tapes. Cardella’s dream was finally happening and Claridge successfully promoted the single to the R&B charts. This was Cardella’s first record and Lee had made it possible.

      Lee’s association with Motown began as a one-way slide. The direction was strictly downhill. Lee moved over to Claridge where Frank gave him an office. Frank promoted Cardella’s record. It was only a matter of time, before Lee was working on several other projects for Frank. This included Bo Kirkland and Ruth Davis, Total Force (my group that Lee got Frank to give a distribution deal on my label CKS Records), Total Unity, Buddy Lamp, Freddie Cannon, Jerry Corbetta and Sugar Loaf.

      As I look back into history, Claridge Records finest hour occurred when Frank brought Lee aboard. It was also the first time that Claridge Records had gotten into the Top 40 as an independent company.  “Don’t Call Us, We’ll Call You” by Sugar Loaf broke into Billboard’s top ten and settled at the Number #3 position. It was the last time in U.S.music history that an independent record company had made the top of the charts on its own to this day!

      While Lee sat out his contract with Motown, Ingersoll had started to record some of our songs.  The first recording that Lee did when coming back to Motown was “Second Thoughts,” a new type of acid blues, with an open production and simple projection that pulled the listener into a dynamite groove. When Lee finished recording it, all of the staff from publishing and A&R stood in the hallways, listening to the playback. As Lee was leaving Motown Studios, they gave him a standing farewell, as Lee was now using his walker to propel himself from the building.  It was his last recording session for Motown. One month later, Lee’s contract with Motown expired, three years after it had been signed.

      “Second Thoughts” was a killer, and the European record companies went crazy.  Everybody wanted the single and the follow up album. We managed to manufacture and distribute over 50,000 copies of the single. Lee’s second release was “Love And Life,” recorded for our Platinum Sound Records company.

      After Motown, our old friends did not want for us to go away. Every now and then, Lee and I would make a journey to 6255 Sunset Boulevard and visit the gang. We were given a couple of projects to record from time to time. It was nothing that would knock the house down, but it was work.

D-TOWN RECORDS

      We needed more power in this business. We were not visible to any other record company at the time. As Lee and I had breakfast on September 10, 1979, I pulled out approximately ten copies of Lee’s D-Town singles. We pondered over what might happen if we reactivated D-Town.

      I showed Lee records that were pressed within the past two years. The company had been defunct for over 13 years, yet somebody was still pressing Lee’s records. Goldmine Magazine was loaded with D-Town singles from record collectors, and Lee’s records on the market were going for as much as $15 per copy.

      We both realized that there was a market for Lee Rogers. We wanted to capitalize on it. Being a former law student, I did learn a few things about corporate laws. I used this knowledge to rekindle the flame and  revive the sleeping  D-Town Records. 

      November 8, 1980, Billboard announced that D-Town was alive and well. Inquiries started to pour in after that. Mail swelled our small Hollywoodoffice.  Lee and I would go to breakfast each and every morning, plotting and planning what the next steps would be to get our little label up and running. We still had Platinum Sound Productions, that we used to produce projects outside of the Motown structure. So far, we had produced two singles for Claridge Records, and that company was being purchased by Paul McCartney.

      Lee was not so much concerned about himself and his career, as he was interested in new artists that were looking for a start. Everybody wanted to get on a big label, but their portfolio did not match their performance. Video was new at the time, so we looked for artists that could be potential movie stars as well as recording artists.

      Our first three releases did all right.  Lee recorded “Love’s Coming Down On Me” b/w “Rocking Skates.”  The skating industry loved it. The radio stations hated it.  Our second single was for Debby Clinton, a song that Lee had written entitled “Love Confusion” b/w “When.” It was such a good single, that MCA Records wanted to distribute it.  We let them.  Included in the distribution package was two other singles, Jena Johnson’s “Jackie O” and Joey Rubins, Jr.’s “Together Again.”

      Distribution is the key to any success as a record company, and we began to look high and low for a company to handle D-Town. Columbia Records concurred and we got an advance for our future products.

      With the money, we purchased several recording studios, one in Hollywoodat the Taft Building, one in North Hollywood, and one in Seattle, Washington.

      3M Company gave us the first 32 track digital recorder in the world.  It was a great machine, except that it put out a lot of radiation, and they came and took the machine. Teac Americawas an even better friend, as they let us have a 24-track Teac (their first full two inch machine) for our Hollywoodstudios.

      Some of our clients included Rick James who recorded the rough tracks for the Mary Jane Girls, “Our House.”

      With the advent of disco, the record industry in general started to slip and we began to slip right with it. We saw our market shares drop to 1/2 of 1% of our market. Columbia fared no better. For months, we only spent money for everything with nothing coming in.  By the end of the year we were broke and D-Town lost ground.

      Lee’s attitude was just to sit back and watch. He had seen this thing before. “Have patience,” he said. “Wait for the proper time, and be ready to move when the time is right.”

      I have followed this advice ever since.

      Lee Rogers passed away in August of 1989, leaving me to D-Town Records. My experience over the years has taught me one primary lesson: never give up, never quit, and always keep your chin up. 

      The world is full of exciting talent, as it has always been. Not every great singer becomes a star and not every great song becomes a household melody.

      The value of music cannot be rated by units sold. Artists cannot be forced to create exciting new works. All things happen within their own time.

      D-Town Records is now anchored in Elizabeth, Colorado and we are still going strong. We still adhere to the ideals and principals laid down by Lee Rogers. We encourage new artists to get a head start with us and then jump over to a major label.

      Some of my old friends are just coming into their prime after decades of struggle and limited success. Merrell Fankhauser, Kenneth Harper Finton (The Fintons) and others are still on the horizon. You will hear their new products soon.

      Age and time has mellowed many great talents. The new recording technologies are most exciting. Computers, telephones, TV, and the Internet are combining into new markets that can bring samples into every home. The public demand for new music has never been greater.

_{DENVER (IFS) - Is American Idol Rigged? “Don’t know, Can’t Say” as the kids from Sheridan High School would tell my wife.  Anyway, just a pre-note to this issue.  I for one quit watching “AI” when Kelly Pickler was tossed out of the running.  Then I really disowned it when Jennifer Hudson got the boot.  Yea, I am dating myself.  It just goes to show you, that “America” really do not vote on this show.  It’s all hype.  Where are all the winners these days?  Not signed to any major labels, except one or two. - KHS}

For seven seasons, couch potatoes have accused American Idol of being rigged. But has proof finally come to light in the reality juggernaut’s eighth season?

According to the New York Daily News, an unnamed staff member is running around saying that Idol producers have already selected this year’s final four contestants… even though there are still 11 singers left in the competition.

The source says that the final four will be 28-year-old Danny Gokey, whose wife died mere months before he auditioned; 23-year-old Lil Rounds; 21-year-old rock chick Alexis Grace; and 26-year-old Adam Lambert, who caused a minor storm recently when photos of him kissing other men surfaced online.

The source added that producers are hoping either Gokey or Grace will take out the competition.

“Adam Lambert and Lil Rounds are better singers and musicians… but they’re too much like past winners,” the Daily News reports a source saying. “The producers really want it to be Danny or Alexis. They think they’re very commercially viable, have a good image and a great story.”

But is the report true? Another TV insider told the Daily News it would be “very hard” for producers to manipulate the outcome of the final four. “There’d have to be so many people lying for them to pull something like this off — so I doubt it’s true.”

HOLLYWOOD (IFS) - Talking to Reggie Graves the other day, we were laughing about the times that we volunteered to baby sit Billy and Etta’s new baby boy, Donte Foster back in the day when we were just young kids ourselves.  Etta would be exhausted from a hard road trip and in between watching the baby, we would tip toe to Etta’s bedroom door at Aunt Kathryn’s house there in Rosamond, California and “steal” a quick peak into her room just to see her laying there sleeping.  We remembered the thrill and chills that ran up our backs to be in the presents of greatest. This picture tells the whole story and the birth of “I’d Rather Go Blind” that landed in the top ten of Billboard, CashBox and many other publications.

The world is celebrating 50 years of Motown music magic, and to mark the occasion, British magazine Mojo has announced its list of the Greatest Motown Songs of all-time.

The top 5, as noted by the publication, are:

1. ‘Dancing In The Street’ by Martha & The Vandellas

2. ‘What’s Going On’ by Marvin Gaye

3. ‘Reach Out I’ll Be There’ by Four Tops

4. ‘Papa Was A Rolling Stone’ by The Temptations

5. ‘Superstition’ by Stevie Wonder

Click HERE to check out the rest of Mojo’s Motown Top 10.

Do you agree with Mojo’s choices?  What do YOU consider to be the greatest Motown song of all-time, and why does it top your chart?

Click HERE to vote in our poll, then click ‘REPLY’ at the end of this message below to share your opinions!