Archive for September, 2022

Ronnie White

Posted in Woodlawn Cemetery (MI) with tags , , , on September 26, 2022 by Cade

April 5, 1939 – August 26, 1995

As a founding member of the first successful group at Motown Records, Ronald “Ronnie” White’s place in American music history was solidified early on, even if he didn’t always get the recognition. In 1955, White – along with childhood friend, William “Smokey” Robinson – formed the vocal group that would eventually become the Miracles. When Berry Gordy was founding Tamla records in Detroit, the Miracles auditioned for him having found little interest from other labels. Gordy signed the group to the label that became Motown. The Miracles had their first hit with 1960’s “Shop Around.”

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Harold Ramis

Posted in Shalom Memorial Park with tags , , , on September 19, 2022 by Cade

November 21, 1944 – February 24, 2014

Every so often, I come across a post that I dread writing. Usually it’s because it features the life – and death, naturally – of someone I regard very highly. This is one of those posts. At any given moment, if you ask me what my favorite movie is, somewhere north of 2/3 of the time my answer will be the 1984 classic Ghostbusters. The characters in that movie were giants to me as a kid and Egon Spengler was always, always my favorite. Egon was, of course, played by legendary actor/writer/director Harold Ramis…who also wrote the movie.

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Rosa Parks

Posted in Woodlawn Cemetery (MI) with tags , on September 12, 2022 by Cade

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February 4, 1913 – October 24, 2005

As a little girl in Jim Crow-era Alabama, Rosa McCauley had to walk to school while busses filled with White students in her community passed by. Busses, she later said, were one of the most visible ways she “realized there was a Black world and a White world.” Some years later, it was another bus that would make Rosa a quintessential symbol of the American Civil Rights movement.

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David Ruffin

Posted in Woodlawn Cemetery (MI) with tags , , , on September 5, 2022 by Cade

January 18, 1941 – June 1, 1991

Arguably one of the most iconic voices in American music, David Eli Ruffin spent his youth singing with his family in his native Mississippi and throughout the south. When he was 16, he followed his older brother, Jimmy, to Detroit; both with eyes on becoming recording artists. David met Berry Gordy and was able to work and record with minor labels in the area, but he failed to break through. Brother Jimmy was finding some moderate success as a solo artist and would often invite David onstage to perform with him. Jimmy caught a break by joining the Motortown Revue tour alongside acts like Marvin Gaye and the Temptations. David spent time on the tour and got to know the Temps well and in 1964 – when they had to fire Al Bryant from the group – they offered him a job.

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