RIP

C0LLETTE · 02-02-2014, 02:04 PM

aaaargh...

nanners · 02-02-2014, 02:09 PM

Gwen Avery, singer/songwriter/musician, has died at the age of 71. Avery was best known for her composition “Sugar Mama”, which was featured on Olivia Records’ groundbreaking collection, Lesbian Concentrate, in 1977. Originally slated to release a solo album on Olivia, she toured with her labelmates Linda Tillery and Mary Watkins on the Varied Voices of Black Women Tour, which also featured poet Pat Parker and Vicki Randle providing supporting vocals and percussion.

Avery stood apart in the Women’s Music Movement: a woman of color who understood the connection between her grandmother’s juke joint and the women’s music movement that Olivia Records was at the center of. Avery was quoted as saying “I dressed differently. I would wear satin suits and platform shoes with an afro with neckties and beautiful silk shirts. They were wearing plaid shirts and blue jeans.“ In an interview with the San Francisco Gate in 2002, she maintained that “the same issues of race and classism that confounded the early feminist and gay rights movements also infected the women’s music scene. I’ve always felt like a warrior or soldier. I’ve learned to deal with separation, isolation in the crowd, rejection in the abandonment.”

Her solo album never came to be via Olivia Records, but she continued to work on the road until her debut solo album, Sugar Mama, was released independently in 2001.

She spent the last decade of her life performing in the Bay Area’s Russian River region, bridging the gap between the blues and gospel, continuing to thrill audiences with her distinct interpretation of the rich heritage of black music. She performed numerous times at June Millington’s Institute for the Musical Art as well. Millington recalls “Gwen used to come to IMA to hang and rest her weary bones. We’d laugh—a lot! Then we’d jam and she’d let me play bass. She’d look at me and say ‘Wow! You can really play this!’ I didn’t even hear the blues until I was 19 or so, certainly not growing up in the Phillipines, but somewhere we met and knew without words. It was strong and true.”

Grammy nominated singer/songwriter/producer Linda Tillery reflects:

Gwen Avery was an authentic blues and gospel singer. She was raised in a juke joint, where from an early age, she heard first hand, the sounds of Black Troubadors weaving tales of love, passion, frustration and pleas to God - any god, for release from Jim Crow, segregation and the horrible legacy of racism in America.

Lesbian yes, Black woman yes, real deal soulful singer, yes. Yet I wonder how many people really understood her gift? You would have had to listen to Bessie Smith, Ma Rainey and Mahalia to recognize the "time stamp" that marked her unique style. She became the "Sugar Mama" of Women's Music, no longer a prisoner of love denied but a champion of love out in the open - raw and unashamed. That was her gift to us all.

Jazz vocalist Rhiannon describes her as “a tough, fragile woman..an open book in a way, with such tender passion for music and life. Vulnerable, flawed, capable of singing all that complex, powerful feeling. Not easy for her, and what she gave us was unique.”

By Tim Dillinger

C0LLETTE · 02-02-2014, 03:38 PM

The name Gwen Avery rang a bell with me and then I remembered where I saw her: at the Michigan Women's Music Festival. And yes, there are many who will never go there because of its policy regarding trans women but it should also not be forgotten that this is where Gwen Avery, Linda Tillery and Rhiannon found an audience of 12000 and, for me, where I first saw that women's bodies could be beautiful in 12000 versions. I've not gone back in many years, for many policy and personal reasons, but I do not regret that I once had a chance to see these remarkable women perform.

candy_coated_bitch · 02-02-2014, 04:14 PM

I am more upset about Philip Seymour Hoffman than I perhaps have been about any other celebrity death ever. I LOVED him SOOOO much!!!! I'm so sad. And actually really surprised about the drug overdose thing. He seemed really grounded.

Martina · 02-02-2014, 04:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by candy_coated_bitch

I am more upset about Philip Seymour Hoffman than I perhaps have been about any other celebrity death ever. I LOVED him SOOOO much!!!! I'm so sad. And actually really surprised about the drug overdose thing. He seemed really grounded.

Heartbreaking. What a waste.

TheLoneStranger · 02-02-2014, 07:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by candy_coated_bitch

I am more upset about Philip Seymour Hoffman than I perhaps have been about any other celebrity death ever. I LOVED him SOOOO much!!!! I'm so sad. And actually really surprised about the drug overdose thing. He seemed really grounded.

I was also shocked...he was one of my favs.

God bless you, Philip.

Arwen · 02-09-2014, 11:19 AM

Gwen Avery was an AMAZING singer. The Sunday morning gospel set at the MWMF was always thrilling. Her voice was one of THOSE voices. Such a gift to our world.

[nomedia="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SrK5p-OTu5k"]Gwen Avery - Sugar Mama (1977) - YouTube[/nomedia]

[nomedia="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YbVsyw308sQ"]Gwen Avery- Sugar In My Bowl - YouTube[/nomedia]

Kobi · 02-09-2014, 09:38 PM

******GRAPHIC CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNING/GENERALLY DISTURBING********

Feb 9 (Reuters) - The Copenhagen Zoo went ahead with a plan to shoot and dismember a healthy giraffe on Sunday and feed the 18-month-old animal's carcass to lions - an action the zoo said was in line with anti-inbreeding rules meant to ensure a healthy giraffe population.

The giraffe, named Marius, was shot in the head and then cut apart in view of children, according to a video of the incident released by the Denmark-based production company Localize.

The zoo's plans had sparked an outcry from animal rights activists. A British zoo had offered to give Marius a home and even started an online petition to save the giraffe, gathering more than 25,000 signatures.

In a statement in English posted on the zoo's website, entitled "Why does Copenhagen Zoo euthanize a giraffe?" the zoo stated its intention to euthanize the giraffe "in agreement with the European Breeding Program" and said that transferring the animal to another zoo would "cause inbreeding."

"As this giraffe's genes are well represented in the breeding program and as there is no place for the giraffe in the zoo's giraffe herd, the European Breeding Program for Giraffes has agreed that Copenhagen Zoo euthanize the giraffe," said the statement from the zoo's scientific director, Bengt Holst. "When breeding success increases, it is sometimes necessary to euthanize."

*********LINK CONTAINS GRAPHIC VIDEO/NOT FOR THE FAINT OF HEART********

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/c...,4203458.story

Kobi · 02-13-2014, 10:24 PM

Ralph Waite, who played the kind patriarch of a tight-knit rural Southern family on the TV series "The Waltons," has died, his manager said Thursday. He was 85.

Waite, a native of White Plains, N.Y., served in the U.S. Marines before earning a bachelor's degree from Bucknell University and a master's degree from Yale University Divinity School, according to a 2010 profile by The Desert Sun.

He became an ordained Presbyterian minister and then worked at a publishing house, the paper said, before falling under the spell of acting. Waite appeared on the stage before moving onto the big screen with roles in 1967's "Cool Hand Luke" and 1970's "Five Easy Pieces," in which he played the brother of Jack Nicholson's character.

Waite received an Emmy nomination for "The Waltons" and another for his performance in the ABC miniseries "Roots."

Waite appeared last year in episodes of the series "NCIS," in which he played the dad of star Mark Harmon's character. He also appeared in "Bones" and "Days of Our Lives."

02-02-2014, 02:04 PM	#1
C0LLETTE Practically Lives Here How Do You Identify?: Depends on the day. Preferred Pronoun?: "I" and "we" Relationship Status: Very good. Thank you for asking. Join Date: Feb 2013 Location: Canada Posts: 11,501 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 16,676 Thanked 15,172 Times in 4,340 Posts Rep Power: 21474860	aaaargh... __________________ ______________________________ ______________________________

02-02-2014, 02:09 PM	#2
nanners Member How Do You Identify?: her femme Preferred Pronoun?: girl Relationship Status: Blissfully married to the love of my life. Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: MS Posts: 1,159 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 9,450 Thanked 4,899 Times in 1,096 Posts Rep Power: 21474853	Gwen Avery Gwen Avery, singer/songwriter/musician, has died at the age of 71. Avery was best known for her composition “Sugar Mama”, which was featured on Olivia Records’ groundbreaking collection, Lesbian Concentrate, in 1977. Originally slated to release a solo album on Olivia, she toured with her labelmates Linda Tillery and Mary Watkins on the Varied Voices of Black Women Tour, which also featured poet Pat Parker and Vicki Randle providing supporting vocals and percussion. Avery stood apart in the Women’s Music Movement: a woman of color who understood the connection between her grandmother’s juke joint and the women’s music movement that Olivia Records was at the center of. Avery was quoted as saying “I dressed differently. I would wear satin suits and platform shoes with an afro with neckties and beautiful silk shirts. They were wearing plaid shirts and blue jeans.“ In an interview with the San Francisco Gate in 2002, she maintained that “the same issues of race and classism that confounded the early feminist and gay rights movements also infected the women’s music scene. I’ve always felt like a warrior or soldier. I’ve learned to deal with separation, isolation in the crowd, rejection in the abandonment.” Her solo album never came to be via Olivia Records, but she continued to work on the road until her debut solo album, Sugar Mama, was released independently in 2001. She spent the last decade of her life performing in the Bay Area’s Russian River region, bridging the gap between the blues and gospel, continuing to thrill audiences with her distinct interpretation of the rich heritage of black music. She performed numerous times at June Millington’s Institute for the Musical Art as well. Millington recalls “Gwen used to come to IMA to hang and rest her weary bones. We’d laugh—a lot! Then we’d jam and she’d let me play bass. She’d look at me and say ‘Wow! You can really play this!’ I didn’t even hear the blues until I was 19 or so, certainly not growing up in the Phillipines, but somewhere we met and knew without words. It was strong and true.” Grammy nominated singer/songwriter/producer Linda Tillery reflects: Gwen Avery was an authentic blues and gospel singer. She was raised in a juke joint, where from an early age, she heard first hand, the sounds of Black Troubadors weaving tales of love, passion, frustration and pleas to God - any god, for release from Jim Crow, segregation and the horrible legacy of racism in America. Lesbian yes, Black woman yes, real deal soulful singer, yes. Yet I wonder how many people really understood her gift? You would have had to listen to Bessie Smith, Ma Rainey and Mahalia to recognize the "time stamp" that marked her unique style. She became the "Sugar Mama" of Women's Music, no longer a prisoner of love denied but a champion of love out in the open - raw and unashamed. That was her gift to us all. Jazz vocalist Rhiannon describes her as “a tough, fragile woman..an open book in a way, with such tender passion for music and life. Vulnerable, flawed, capable of singing all that complex, powerful feeling. Not easy for her, and what she gave us was unique.” By Tim Dillinger

02-02-2014, 03:38 PM	#3
C0LLETTE Practically Lives Here How Do You Identify?: Depends on the day. Preferred Pronoun?: "I" and "we" Relationship Status: Very good. Thank you for asking. Join Date: Feb 2013 Location: Canada Posts: 11,501 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 16,676 Thanked 15,172 Times in 4,340 Posts Rep Power: 21474860	The name Gwen Avery rang a bell with me and then I remembered where I saw her: at the Michigan Women's Music Festival. And yes, there are many who will never go there because of its policy regarding trans women but it should also not be forgotten that this is where Gwen Avery, Linda Tillery and Rhiannon found an audience of 12000 and, for me, where I first saw that women's bodies could be beautiful in 12000 versions. I've not gone back in many years, for many policy and personal reasons, but I do not regret that I once had a chance to see these remarkable women perform. __________________ ______________________________ ______________________________

02-02-2014, 04:14 PM	#4
candy_coated_bitch Pixie Stick How Do You Identify?: The arteest formerly known as musicfemme. Preferred Pronoun?: She. Relationship Status: Happily taken. Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: Northampton, MA Posts: 11,293 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 31,723 Thanked 31,824 Times in 6,109 Posts Rep Power: 21474858	I am more upset about Philip Seymour Hoffman than I perhaps have been about any other celebrity death ever. I LOVED him SOOOO much!!!! I'm so sad. And actually really surprised about the drug overdose thing. He seemed really grounded. __________________ My Etsy Shop My Patreon My Website

02-09-2014, 11:19 AM	#7
Arwen Joy Seeker How Do You Identify?: Smartly-Flavored Preferred Pronoun?: Goddess Relationship Status: Mrs. Syzygy 1/9/14 Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Joyville, NM (aka Land of Enchantment) Posts: 10,140 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 13,636 Thanked 28,108 Times in 6,412 Posts Rep Power: 21474862	Gwen Avery was an AMAZING singer. The Sunday morning gospel set at the MWMF was always thrilling. Her voice was one of THOSE voices. Such a gift to our world. [nomedia="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SrK5p-OTu5k"]Gwen Avery - Sugar Mama (1977) - YouTube[/nomedia] [nomedia="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YbVsyw308sQ"]Gwen Avery- Sugar In My Bowl - YouTube[/nomedia] __________________ I wrote a book, y'all! *FREE* Tarotscopes Seek Joy, y'all. Eschew hate. 9Words: A Poetry Challenge \| Do you like me? Last edited by Arwen; 02-09-2014 at 11:24 AM.

02-09-2014, 09:38 PM	#8
Kobi Infamous Member How Do You Identify?: Biological female. Lesbian. Relationship Status: Happy Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Hanging out in the Atlantic. Posts: 9,234 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 9,840 Thanked 34,617 Times in 7,640 Posts Rep Power: 21474860	Marius - 18 months ****GRAPHIC CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNING/GENERALLY DISTURBING**** Feb 9 (Reuters) - The Copenhagen Zoo went ahead with a plan to shoot and dismember a healthy giraffe on Sunday and feed the 18-month-old animal's carcass to lions - an action the zoo said was in line with anti-inbreeding rules meant to ensure a healthy giraffe population. The giraffe, named Marius, was shot in the head and then cut apart in view of children, according to a video of the incident released by the Denmark-based production company Localize. The zoo's plans had sparked an outcry from animal rights activists. A British zoo had offered to give Marius a home and even started an online petition to save the giraffe, gathering more than 25,000 signatures. In a statement in English posted on the zoo's website, entitled "Why does Copenhagen Zoo euthanize a giraffe?" the zoo stated its intention to euthanize the giraffe "in agreement with the European Breeding Program" and said that transferring the animal to another zoo would "cause inbreeding." "As this giraffe's genes are well represented in the breeding program and as there is no place for the giraffe in the zoo's giraffe herd, the European Breeding Program for Giraffes has agreed that Copenhagen Zoo euthanize the giraffe," said the statement from the zoo's scientific director, Bengt Holst. "When breeding success increases, it is sometimes necessary to euthanize." *****LINK CONTAINS GRAPHIC VIDEO/NOT FOR THE FAINT OF HEART****** http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/c...,4203458.story

02-13-2014, 10:24 PM	#9
Kobi Infamous Member How Do You Identify?: Biological female. Lesbian. Relationship Status: Happy Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Hanging out in the Atlantic. Posts: 9,234 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 9,840 Thanked 34,617 Times in 7,640 Posts Rep Power: 21474860	Ralph Waite, who played the kind patriarch of a tight-knit rural Southern family on the TV series "The Waltons," has died, his manager said Thursday. He was 85. Waite, a native of White Plains, N.Y., served in the U.S. Marines before earning a bachelor's degree from Bucknell University and a master's degree from Yale University Divinity School, according to a 2010 profile by The Desert Sun. He became an ordained Presbyterian minister and then worked at a publishing house, the paper said, before falling under the spell of acting. Waite appeared on the stage before moving onto the big screen with roles in 1967's "Cool Hand Luke" and 1970's "Five Easy Pieces," in which he played the brother of Jack Nicholson's character. Waite received an Emmy nomination for "The Waltons" and another for his performance in the ABC miniseries "Roots." Waite appeared last year in episodes of the series "NCIS," in which he played the dad of star Mark Harmon's character. He also appeared in "Bones" and "Days of Our Lives."