These Chicago background vocalists have helped the likes of Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder, and Otis Clay sound their best. Here their own voices take center stage.
Back in 1974, I would ride my Schwinn Sting-Ray bike over a six block radius on the South Side of Highland, delivering the (then) afternoon copies of The Times daily
Andrew "Blaze" Thomas is now pursuing his master’s degree in history at Illinois State University. His thesis is an oral history of Black musicians talking about race, based on his interviews with Chicago-area talent. Thomas said it’s the first research of its kind.