- 1971-07-07 — The "boogie board", was invented by Tom Morey who was inspired by a certain passage of a Bahá'í prayer that has been translated as ... confer upon me thoughts which may change this world into a rose garden ....[The most iconic vintage bodyboards of all time; Short Biography; Mini Documentary; Wikipedia]
- 1972-09-15 — The duo "Seals and Crofts" were on tour in Boston. Their fourth album, "Summer Breeze", had been released a couple of months previously but the album and the title song they had worked so hard to perfect were not catching on in the music charts and their label had stopped promoting it. Their manager, Marcia Day, through a personal connection with a DJ on one of the city's most popular radio stations, arranged for them play the song. He was impressed and put the song into rotation. This proved to be the career break they were looking for. They went on to release more than a dozen albums. Their hit singles from this period also included "Diamond Girl," "We May Never Pass This Way (Again)," and "Get Closer". A number of their songs began to include references to and passages from the Bahá'í scriptures. When they appeared in concert, they often remained on stage after the performance to talk about the Faith.
They became embroiled in controversy in 1974 due to the title track of their Unborn Child album, an anti-abortion song written from the fetus' point of view. The album was a critical failure, while the single flopped and outraged abortion advocates, who held demonstrations at many of the duo's shows.
[Article in the TexasMonthly, February, 2020 entitled The Secret Oil Patch Roots of 'Summer Breeze'; Biography by Steve Huey] - 1981-10-02 —
The passing of Hazel Scott (b. 11 June 1920 in Port of Spain and raised in Harlem) in Manhattan. She was buried in Flushing Cemetery in Queens, NY. Her friend Dizzy Gillespie, along with other Bahá'í musician friends, had told her about the Bahá'í Faith over the years. On December 1, 1968, she became a Bahá'í. [Bahá'í Blog]
- From the Bahá'í Bookstore see Hazel Scott: A Woman, a Piano and a Commitment to Justice by Susan Eagle.
- See the book Hazel Scott: The Pioneering Journey of a Jazz Pianist, from Café Society to Hollywood to HUAC by Karen Clinton presents the compelling biography of Hazel Scott, who became known not only for her accomplishments on stage and screen, but for her outspoken advocacy of civil rights. During the 1940s and '50s, her international career and her marriage to the controversial Black congressman from Harlem, Adam Clayton Powell Jr., kept her in the headlines. A target of the House Un-American Activities Committee during the McCarthy Era (late 1940s-1950s), she eventually joined the Black expatriate community in Paris. In this first biography of Scott, the author traces the fascinating arc of this star's life and rescues her from obscurity.
- See Biography of Hazel Scott by Michelle R Brown.
- See the video essay What Ever Happened to Hazel Scott? which tells the story of the extraordinary pianist and jazz vocalist, Hazel Scott. It was written and edited by Eve Goldberg.
- See Wikipedia.
- From the Smithsonian.
- See the BBC documentary Hazel Scott: Jazz Star and Barrier Breaker.
- From the History, Art and Archives site of the US House of Representatives, a story that recounts her persecution by the House Committee on Un-American Activities in the US Congress of which her husband, Adam Clayton Powell , was an member.
- See an article from Time magazine.
- See entry from the National Women's History Museum.
- 1986-01-28 —
The death of NASA Astronaut Ronald Erwin McNair (b. 21 October, 1951 in Lake City, SC) when Space Shuttle Challenger disintegrated nine miles above the Atlantic Ocean just 73 seconds after liftoff. Prior to this launch he had served 7 days, 23 minutes in space. He was buried in Rest Lawn Memorial Park in Lake City, South Carolina. [BlackPast.org]
- McNair Crater on the Moon is named for him. [Wikipedia]
- 1993-01-06 —
The passing of John Birks "Dizzy" Gillespie (b. 21 October 1917, Cheraw, South Carolina). He was buried next to his mother in Flushing Cemetery, New York. [VV141]
- His autobiography was entitled "To Be, or Not...to Bop".
- He had become a Bahá'í in 1968 at the age of 51.
- See Bahá'í World 1994-95 pg251 for an article by Anne Boyles entitled "The Language of the Heart: Arts in the Bahá'í World Community" for mention of Dizzy Gillespie.
- Find a grave
- 2020-03-23 — The passing of prominent jazz musician Mike Longo. He had a distinguished jazz career as a pianist, composer, and educator, notably as longtime musical director for fellow Bahá'í Dizzy Gillespie. He died at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City. The cause of death was COVID-19. [Live Stream WBGO 23 March 2020]
- 2022-06-06 —
The passing of Jim (James Eugene) Seals, (b. 17 October 1941 or 1942 in Sidney, Texas) singer, musician and songwriter was announced on social media by a relative, Bradley Seals. He passed away in Nashville, TN. [The Guardian 10 June 2022]
- See his obituary on the site of the Bahá'ís of the United States.
- See YouTube.
- See Wikipedia for their career trajectory and disography.
- This chart, courtesy of Steven Kolins, shows the internet traffic generated by the announcement of his passing.
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