Uhuru Radio: Diasporic Music shines the musical spotlight on Jessie Belvin.Producer/Host Norman (Otis) Richmond aka Jalali will speak to Jessie Belvin Jr.

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Jesse Belvin was killed along with his manager/wife Jo Ann on Feb 6, 1960 in Hope, Arkansas, the home town of William Jefferson Clinton. Belvin attended Jefferson High School in Los Angeles. Jefferson High also produced Johnny "Guitar" Watson, Alvin Ailey, Ralph Bunche, Dorothy Dandridge, Roy Ayers and Etta James. James - called Belvin, "The most gifted of all...even now I consider him the greatest singer of my generation. Rhythm and blues, rock and roll, crooner, you name it. He was going to be bigger than Sam Cooke, bigger than Nat Cole." Belvin was Stevie Wonder's favorite singer. Belvin was a prolific songwriter who wrote R&B classics like "Earth Angel", "Goodnight My Love", and "Guess Who". When The Penguins recorded "Earth Angel", 11-year-old Barry White was the pianist on the recording session. Alan Freed used to close his radio show with "Goodnight My Love". Harold Melvin used to close the Blue Notes show by singing "Goodnight My Love." Belvin influenced many vocalist including Marvin Gaye. He was only 27 and his wife was only 25 when they joined the ancestors.