Otis Alexander, Author at • Page 29 of 40

Academic Historian

Otis D. Alexander, Library Director at Saint John Vianney College Seminary & Graduate School in Miami, Florida, has also directed academic and public libraries in the District of Columbia, Indiana, Texas, and Virginia. In addition, he has been a library manager in the Virgin Islands of the United States as well as in the Republic of Liberia. His research has appeared in Public Library Quarterly, Scribner’s Encyclopedia of American Lives, and Virginia Libraries journal. Alexander received the Bachelor of Arts and Master of Science degrees from the University of the District of Columbia and the Master of Library & Information Science degree from Ball State University. He earned a Doctor of Philosophy degree from International University and studied additionally at Harvard Graduate School of Education Leadership for Academic Librarians, Oberlin Conservatory of Music Voice Performance Pedagogy, and Atlanta University School of Library & Information Studies.

Eddie Lee Floyd (1937- )

Singer-songwriter Eddie Lee Floyd, known by his stage name, Eddie Floyd, was a popular R&B singer in the 1960s. Floyd was born on June 25, 1937, in Montgomery, Alabama, to Prince Edward, a steelworker, and Florence Floyd, a nurse. He had three brothers, Joe, Benny, … Read MoreEddie Lee Floyd (1937- )

Morris Eugene Day (1956- )

Multi-talented musician Morris Eugene Day was born on December 13, 1956, in Springfield, Illinois, to LaVonne Daugherty. When he was eight years old, however, his family moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota. There he privately studied the piano and percussion, but his passion was always the drums. … Read MoreMorris Eugene Day (1956- )

The Tymes (1956-1976)

The Tymes were a Philadelphia A cappella group who reached the height of their popularity in the 1960s. They included baritone Norman Burnett, born May 5, 1943, tenor Albert Alexander Berry III born March 17, 1941; bass Donald Banks, born October 29, 1939; tenor George … Read MoreThe Tymes (1956-1976)

The Contours (1958-1971)

The Contours were a talented early Motown Records group that began as a quartet called the Blender in Detroit, Michigan in 1958. They had brilliant choreography of splits and fouetté turns that Motown founder Berry Gordy first thought was too much for a stage act … Read MoreThe Contours (1958-1971)

DeBarge (1979–1989)

The R&B and soul music ensemble Debarge, named for their shared surname, comprises the children of Robert Louis DeBarge, Sr. from Chicago, Illinois, and Etterlene Louise Abney DeBarge Rodriguez, a singer from Royal Oak, Michigan. The seven brother and sister individual members of the ensemble … Read MoreDeBarge (1979–1989)

Jeffrey Linton Osborne (1948- )

Composer, balladeer, lyricist, trumpeter, percussionist, advocate Jeffrey Linton Osborne was born on March 9, 1948, in Providence, Rhode Island to Clarence J. Osborne, Sr. a trumpeter, and Wanita M. Lindsey Osborne, of Pequot Indian ancestry. He is the youngest of twelve children, which consisted of … Read MoreJeffrey Linton Osborne (1948- )

Julius Franklin Nimmons Jr. (1939- )

The academic historian and university administrator Julius Franklin Nimmons Jr. was born on September 11, 1939, in Danville, Virginia, to Julius Franklin Nimmons Sr. from Scotia, South Carolina, and Mozella Flannagan of Danville. He has two sisters. Nimmons graduated from Langston High School in the … Read MoreJulius Franklin Nimmons Jr. (1939- )

Joe Simon (1943- )

Baritone and arranger Joe Simon was born on September 2, 1943, in Simmesport, Louisiana. He picked cotton in the fields as a young boy and began singing in his father’s Baptist church. In 1953, the Simon family relocated to Richmond, California. As a teenager, he … Read MoreJoe Simon (1943- )

The Persuasions (1962-2017)

Known as the “perfect pitch” virtuosic a cappella legends, the Persuasions were established in 1962 by Jesse “Sweet Joe” Russell, who was born on September 25, 1939, in Henderson, Kentucky; bass James Caldon Hayes, born November 12, 1943, in Hopewell, Virginia; composer/tenor Jerome Eugene Lawson, … Read MoreThe Persuasions (1962-2017)

McFadden and Whitehead (1970-2004)

The composers, lyricists, and performers who comprised the duo McFadden and Whitehead were reared in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Gene McFadden was born on January 28, 1949, in Olanta, South Carolina, and John Cavadus Whitehead was born on July 10, 1948, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. As teenagers, they … Read MoreMcFadden and Whitehead (1970-2004)