How Many of You Watch Unsung on TV One and Are You Aware of the Program?

Question by D’jango’s Woman: How many of you watch Unsung on TV One and are you aware of the program?
This is a fantastic show that provides bios on the some of the black voices of music who provided a huge contribution to American music especially RnB, Hip/Hop, and Rock…tonight they are spotlighting Sly Stone and it is a revelation on how so many were robbed and how they participated in the robbing of their faculties and talents via drugs.

BQ: How many of these names are aware of and have listened to their music: Vesta Williams, Sly and the Family Stone, Millie Jackson, Ray Parker, Jr and Bobby Womack?

Best answer:

Answer by OGUN
Because of my work schedule and family life I don’t keep up with the show on a regular basis like I should but I have enjoyed many many shows spotlighting many of my favorite artist. The most moving and informative story to me was that of Donny Hathaway. He was arguably the greatest male R&B vocalist since the genre’s inception. Many can make a case for Luther Vandross or Marvin Gaye which wouldn’t be bad choices but Donnie Hathaway was the complete package. He composed the music, wrote the lyrics and played the piano for his songs. Musiq Soulchild say himself he was the standard by which all serious artists should be measured. His music is soul stirring and passionate. You could not only hear him pour myself into his song but you could feel spirit in his music moving you. I think he was lost to the versatility of a Marvin Gaye and Steve Wonder of his day though these artist paid him great homage.

More importantly Donny Hathaway’s story brought light to very ignored and unspoken issue within our (the Black) community. That is the issue of mental health. This is an area that is very misunderstood and not nearly given the attention it should. Now days we are discussing it a little more because of conditions such as Alzheimer’s, Schizophrenia, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Depression, Substance Addiction and ADD and AD HD that has been diagnosed in children and adults in our community. Many of us just dismissed these conditions as “my crazy uncle from the Vietnam war” or “children with hard heads and soft behinds that just don’t want to learn in school”. The truth is there is more than meets the eye in this situation and the solutions and treatment our friends and family members need more often than not is never administered.

Shows like this particular episode of Unsung opened my eyes mental illness within our community and how no one is immune to it many forms. This could also be said about Phyllis Hyman as well.