Calloway (d. 2008), the daughter of the legendary Cab Calloway, made her home in Santa Fe for many years, where she was known as the “Reigning Diva of the Night.” Her consummate talent as a singer combined with her comic timing, her irreverent humor, her ability to laugh at herself and her circumstances set her apart as a performer.
Chris performed her final concert with the Bert Dalton Trio at the Outpost Performance Space in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on March 20, 2008. The audience was spellbound. Chris sang beautiful material made famous by her godmother, Lena Horne. In her one-of-a-kind style, she told delightful stories of her birth and childhood. Although Chris was in the final stages of her struggle with cancer, she performed at the top of her game. The entire concert was skillfully recorded by Daniel Ward, and is presented in its entirety with minimal editing. As fate would have it, this was her last public performance, and is a testament to her greatness.
above: Chris Calloway singing “Kicking The Gong Around,” filmed at the Scottish Rite Temple in Santa Fe, NM. The video is a Stars Never Fade Production.
Cahn (b. 1924 – d. August 1, 1994) was a folk musician, martial arts teacher, author, and social activist. Born in Germany, he and his family, who were Jewish, fled from Adolf Hitler’s oppression and arrived in the United States in 1937. They settled in Detroit, Michigan. Cahn later moved to Cambridge, Massachusetts, then to Berkeley, California and on to Santa Fe, New Mexico. Cahn died in Santa Fe, New Mexico, where he had been living for many years and was a well-loved local personality.
Folk music career
Cahn played guitar and recorded several albums of folk music during the time he lived in Berkeley. He was married for a time to the folk singer Barbara Dane, and their son, Jesse Cahn, also became a folk musician.
In 1962 Cahn was one of the co-founders (with Debbie Green and Howard Ziehm) of The Cabale, at 2504 San Pablo Avenue in Berkeley, a folk club that featured performers like Mississippi John Hurt, Jesse Fuller, Elizabeth Cotten, Lightnin’ Hopkins, and The Chambers Brothers. The Cabale closed in mid 1965.
K’ang jo fu
Cahn popularized a self-defense technique called k’ang jo fu (also known as kang jo fu or “the kang”) in his 1974 book K’ang Jo Fu: Self Defense for Gentle People.
K’ang jo fu can loosely be translated as “the way of health”. Cahn learned the martial art from a visiting Chinese professor at UC Berkeley, Ch’eng Hsue’ Yi in 1943. Ch’eng returned to China and Rolf continued to study and teach kang. One of his students, described as a young boy in the introduction of Cahn’s 1974 book, Robert Rawlings, taught kang jo fu to martial artist and acupuncturist Charles Peri, who continues to teach kang jo fu in Novato, California. Although kang jo fu is based on a 95 movement form, it does not attach its movements to any ideology or scenario and can be described as pure form. It is described as placing a practitioner inside of everyone elses time and all directions (like bagua and xinyi).
Discography
A Night at The Ashgrove (World Pacific, 1958)
California Concert with Rolf Cahn (Folkways Records, 1959)
Rolf Cahn and Eric Von Schmidt (Folkways, 1961)
If You Ain’t Got The Do-Re-Mi (Smithsonian Folkways, 2007)
above: Rolf Cahn & Eric Von Schmidt performing, “Nobody Knows You When You’re Down And Out.”
Brown (b. December 4, 1940 – d. April 30, 2002) was an American singer-songwriter, he is known for his contributions to New Mexico music, and his ability to seamlessly switch between country music and Spanish music. Freddie was born in Winston, New Mexico, to Alfred C. Brown and Mary Brown. His sons, Bo Brown and AB, continue to perform music; Bo Brown is a New Mexico musician, and AB is an R&B musician. An extremely popular and beloved New Mexico Artist, “Freddie” packed so much emotion into his lyrics that one of his fans said he “sang about the heartaches of humanity.” Freddie lived most of his adult life in Albuquerque and was considered one of the state’s most influential music artists. He died in 2002 at the age of 61. George Welsh Jr., program director and disc jockey at Radio Sol in Albuquerque was quoted as saying “Brown’s death was a huge loss, not only to the music community but also to everybody who knew Freddie Brown.” Freddie leaves us with numerous recordings of his beautiful voice and his musical talents. Music came from his heart no matter the genre. He was able to sing like a Nashville Star or create a beautiful rendition of any Spanish song.
Billingsley (b. January 7, 1970) is a Christian singer, worship leader, songwriter, speaker and author. Born and raised in Clovis, Charles is currently the worship leader at Thomas Road Baptist Church in Lynchburg, Virginia, which is led by Pastor Jonathan Falwell, son of the late Jerry Falwell.
Billingsley began his solo career the day after he graduated from Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama in 1992. After two years, he joined the Christian Contemporary Music group NewSong. In 1994, they released People Get Ready featuring “Arise My Love.” That album had four Number 1 hits. After two years with NewSong, Charles left to pursue a solo career, averaging 200 concerts a year.
The year 2002 brought change as Charles became the worship pastor at Thomas Road Baptist Church, as well as the artist-in-residence at Liberty University. The year 2005 brought even more change as Charles moved to San Diego, California to work with Dr. David Jeremiah at the Shadow Mountain Community Church, home of Turning Point Ministries.
Hear Billingsley on his nationally syndicated radio spot, as well as the app, which are both entitled “Words on Worship” which focuses on encouraging the listener to live a life of worship before God.
Charles has been married to his wife Shae for twenty years. They have two teenage sons, Caleb and Cooper.
Discography
2014
Only Jesus
Charles Billingsley Concert Ministry
2013
In Concert
Charles Billingsley Concert Ministry / InPop
2012
20
Charles Billingsley Concert Ministry
2011
Never Forsaken
Charles Billingsley Concert Ministry
2010
Women of Joy: Weekend of Praise
Red Tie Music/PWM
2009
God of the Ages
Red Tie Music
2009
Extraordinary Women Live Worship
EWomen
2009
Thomas Road Worship
Red Tie Music
2008
Classics
Red Tie Music
2008
Hope, Love and Music
Red Tie Music
2007
Enduring Treasures
Red Tie Music
2007
Better than Life**
Discovery House
2007
Christmas
Red Tie Music
2004
We Bless Your Name
Perpetual Entertainment Group
2004
American Worship Gathering**
Worship Alliance
2003
Secret Conversation
Perpetual Entertainment Group
2003
Toddler Lullabies**
Discovery House
2002
Celtic Cry**
Discovery House
2002
What’s It All About?**
Discovery House
2001
Reflections
Crest Music
2000
Marks of the Mission
Pamplin Music
1998
Between The Now and Then
Pamplin Music
2000
Great Choirs of America**
1998
Grateful Hearts**
EMI
1997
Charles Live!
Crest Music
1997
Change
Crest Music
1994
People Get Ready (with NewSong)
Benson
1993
Until Then
Crest Music
1992
Choice of a Lifetime
Crest Music
above: Charles Billingsley sings Kyrie “Lord have Mercy” on Live from Liberty in 2007.
Randy Bruce Traywick (b. May 4, 1959), known professionally as Randy Travis, is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, and actor. Since 1985, he has recorded 20 studio albums and charted more than 50 singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts, and 16 of these were number-one hits. Considered a pivotal figure in the history of country music, Travis broke through in the mid-1980s with the release of his album Storms of Life, which sold more than four million copies. The album established him as a major force in the Neotraditional country movement. Travis followed up his successful debut with a string of platinum and multi-platinum albums. He is known for his distinctive baritone vocals, delivered in a traditional style that has made him a country music star since the 1980s.
Travis lived in Santa Fe, New Mexico from 2002 to 2010.
By the mid-1990s, Travis saw a decline in his chart success. In 1997, he left Warner Bros. Records for DreamWorks Records and changed his musical focus to gospel music. Although the career shift produced only one more number-one country hit “Three Wooden Crosses”, Travis went on to earn several Dove Awards, including Country Album of the Year five times. In addition to his singing career, he pursued an acting career, appearing in numerous films and television series, including The Rainmaker (1997) with Matt Damon, Black Dog (1998) with Patrick Swayze, Texas Rangers (2001) with James Van Der Beek, and seven episodes of the Touched by an Angel television series.
Travis has sold over 25 million records, and has earned 22 number-one hits, six number-one albums, six Grammy Awards, six CMA Awards, nine ACM Awards, 10 AMA Awards, eight Dove Awards, and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Early life
Randy Bruce Traywick was born on May 4, 1959 in Marshville, North Carolina, the second of six children of Bobbie (née Tucker), a textile factory worker, and Harold Traywick, a horse breeder, turkey farmer, substitute school teacher, and construction business owner. He is a descendant of Cornish immigrant Robarde Traweek, whose son Robert was born in 1700 in Stafford County, Virginia and died in 1788 in Onslow County, North Carolina, establishing the North Carolinian roots of the Traywick family.
Randy and his brother Ricky were encouraged to pursue their musical talents by their father, who was a fan of Hank Williams, George Jones, and Lefty Frizzell. In 1967, at the age of eight, Randy began playing guitar and sang in church as a boy. Two years later, he and his brother began performing at local clubs and talent contests, calling themselves the Traywick Brothers. Randy often fought with his father and soon dropped out of high school. He became a juvenile delinquent and was arrested for various offenses, including auto theft and burglary. Travis has since voiced regret for his past misdeeds.
In 1975, while his brother was serving time in jail for a high-speed car chase, Randy won a talent contest at a nightclub, Country City USA, in Charlotte, North Carolina. The club’s owner, Elizabeth “Lib” Hatcher, took an interest in the young singer, hired him as a cook, and gave him regular singing jobs at the club. During the late 1970s, Randy worked and sang at Country City USA. Still in his late teens, Travis had one more encounter with the law. At his hearing, the judge told Travis that if he ever saw the singer back in his court, he should be prepared to go to jail for a long time. Travis was released into the guardianship of Hatcher, who also became his manager. The two began to focus on his career full-time.
In 1978, he recorded a self-titled album, Randy Traywick, for Paula Records. The following year, he released two unsuccessful singles, “She’s My Woman” and “Dreamin'”. Travis moved in with Hatcher, which put further strain on her already fragile marriage. She eventually left her husband and, in 1982, she and Travis moved to Nashville, Tennessee. It was during this time that an unlikely romance began to form between the two. Travis would later comment, “I think we discovered how much we needed each other.” He and Hatcher eventually came forward with their relationship and were married in a private ceremony in 1991.
Music career
During the early 1980s, Travis was rejected by every major record label in Nashville. His early demo tapes were criticized by record executives as being “too country.” To support them, Hatcher took a job as manager of a nightclub, The Nashville Palace, and hired Travis as a cook and singer. In 1982, Travis recorded an independent album Live at the Nashville Palace, and Hatcher used the album to secure a deal with Warner Bros. Records. As part of the contract, label executives insisted they keep their romance a secret, and changed his stage name from Randy Ray to Randy Travis. In 1985, Warner Bros. Records released the single “On the Other Hand” which peaked at No. 67 on the country charts. His next single, “1982”, became a Top 10 hit single. In 1986, Warner Bros. re-released “On the Other Hand”, which became Travis’ first number-one hit. He also covered some songs, e.g. of Randy Travis.
His debut album, Storms of Life, went on to sell more than four million copies. In the late 1980s he had a string of hits, including “No Place Like Home” and “Diggin’ Up Bones”. A song from his second Warner Brothers album Always and Forever titled “Forever and Ever, Amen” arguably launched the neo-traditionalist country era. For two years in a row, Travis won the Grammy Award for Best Male Country Vocal Performance, for the albums Always & Forever in 1988, and for Old 8×10 in 1989. He also won the ACM award for Best Country Newcomer in 1986. Off the success of his first two albums, Old 8×10 was certified platinum, and Always and Forever was number-one for 43 weeks.
In 1991 Travis took part in Voices That Care, a multi-artist project that featured other top names in music for a one-off single to raise money for the allied troops in the Gulf War. The project included fellow singers Garth Brooks, Kenny Rogers and Kathy Mattea. In addition, Travis recorded the patriotic song “Point of Light” in response to the Thousand points of light program initiated by President George H. W. Bush. Its release prompted New York freelance writer Lina Accurso to file a complaint with the Federal Election Commission charging that the single qualified as political advertising since Bush media consultant Roger Ailes produced the song’s video and White House publicist Sig Rogich was credited as a co-writer. The FEC rejected the complaint, ruling that the song and video “neither expressly advocate the election of, nor solicit contributions on behalf of, Mr. Bush.”
In 1992, Travis took a break from music to concentrate on acting and landed roles in several Western-genre films. He returned to recording with the 1994 album This Is Me and the hit single “Whisper My Name”. Three years later, Travis parted ways with Warner Brothers and signed with DreamWorks Nashville. He recorded You and You Alone, which produced the top 10 hits “Out of My Bones”, “The Hole” and “Spirit of a Boy, Wisdom of a Man”. After good friend George Jones died in April 2013 Travis recorded “Tonight I’m Playin’ Possum,” in Jones’ memory.
Gospel years
After the 1999 release of A Man Ain’t Made of Stone, Travis shifted away from mainstream country and focused on gospel. During this time, he recorded the albums Inspirational Journey (2000), Rise and Shine (2002), and Worship & Faith (2003). The single “Three Wooden Crosses” from the Rise and Shine album reached No. 1 and won the CMA song of the year in 2003. That same year, Travis ranked No. 13 on CMT’s 40 Greatest Men of Country Music. Additionally, he continued to act in film and television; he appeared in several episodes and in the series finale of Touched by an Angel. His album, Passing Through was released in November 2004 and included his song about mothers titled “Angels.” It combined the country music of his earlier years with the gospel influences from his latest albums. After the release of Glory Train: Songs of Faith, Worship, and Praise in 2005 and the Christmas album Songs of the Season in 2007, Travis released his brand new single “Faith in You” as a free download from his official website. It heralded the July 2008 release of his album, Around the Bend, his first collection of mainly secular recordings in nearly a decade.
In February 2009, Travis’ “I Told You So” was released as a single by Carrie Underwood, who had recorded the song for her 2007 album Carnival Ride. The next month, radio stations were sent a duet version of the song featuring Randy Travis on vocals. From that time on, he was credited with Underwood on the single, which peaked at No. 2 on the country charts and No. 9 on the U.S. Hot 100. That month, Travis released the two-disc greatest hits compilation I Told You So: The Ultimate Hits of Randy Travis. In June 2011, he unveiled his latest album, Anniversary Celebration. In September 2013, he released the album Influence Vol. 1: The Man I Am.
Personal life
On July 7, 2013, Travis was admitted to a Dallas area hospital for viral cardiomyopathy after a viral upper respiratory infection. His condition was classified as critical. Three days later, Travis suffered a massive stroke and had surgery to relieve pressure on his brain. On July 15, 2013, it was reported that Travis was awake and alert after undergoing brain surgery, that his heart was pumping without the assistance of machines, and that he was on the road to recovery. He was released from Baylor Heart Hospital in Plano, Texas on July 31, 2013, and entered a physical therapy facility. Following his stroke, and despite physical therapy, Travis has been unable to sing or speak and has difficulty walking, having to rely on a cane. As of November 2014, he is slowly recovering, and can walk short distances without assistance and is relearning how to write and play the guitar, according to his then-fiancée Mary Davis.
Discography
Storms of Life (1986)
Always & Forever (1987)
Old 8×10 (1988)
No Holdin’ Back (1989)
An Old Time Christmas (1989)
Heroes & Friends (1990)
High Lonesome (1991)
Wind in the Wire (1993)
This Is Me (1994)
Full Circle (1996)
You and You Alone (1998)
A Man Ain’t Made of Stone (1999)
Inspirational Journey (2000)
Rise and Shine (2002)
Worship & Faith (2003)
Passing Through (2004)
Glory Train: Songs of Faith, Worship, and Praise (2005)
Songs of the Season (2007)
Around the Bend (2008)
Influence Vol. 1: The Man I Am (2013)
Influence Vol. 2: The Man I Am (2014)
Honors and awards
Academy of Country Music Awards
1985: Top New Male Vocalist
1986: Album of the Year – Storms of Life
1986: Single of the Year – “On the Other Hand”
1986: Top Male Vocalist
1987: Single of the Year – “Forever and Ever, Amen”
1987: Song of the Year – “Forever and Ever, Amen”
2003: Song of the Year – “Three Wooden Crosses”
2009: Song of the Year – ” Nothin But A Good Time”
American Music Awards
1988: Favorite Country Album – Always & Forever
1988: Favorite Country Male Artist
1988: Favorite Country Single – “Forever and Ever, Amen”
1989: Favorite Country Album – Always & Forever
1989: Favorite Country Male Artist
1989: Favorite Country Single – “I Told You So”
1990: Favorite Country Album – Old 8×10
1990: Favorite Country Male Artist
1990: Favorite Country Single – “Deeper Than the Holler”
Country Music Association Awards
1986: Horizon Award
1987: Album of the Year – Always & Forever
1987: Male Vocalist of the Year
1987: Single of the Year – “Forever and Ever, Amen”
1988: Male Vocalist of the Year
2003: Song of the Year – “Three Wooden Crosses”
Grammy Awards
1988: Best Male Country Vocal Performance – “Always & Forever”
1989: Grammy Award for Best Male Country Vocal Performance – “Old 8×10”
2004: Best Southern, Country, or Bluegrass Gospel Album – Rise And Shine
2005: Best Southern, Country, or Bluegrass Gospel Album – Worship & Faith
2007: Best Southern, Country, or Bluegrass Gospel Album – Glory Train
2010: Best Country Collaboration with vocals – “I Told You So” by Carrie Underwood & Randy Travis
GMA Dove Awards
2001: Country Recorded Song of the Year – “Baptism”
2001: Bluegrass Album of the Year – Inspirational Journey
2003: Country Album of the Year – Rise And Shine
2004: Country Recorded Song of the Year – “Three Wooden Crosses”
2004: Country Album of the Year – Worship & Faith
2006: Country Album of the Year – Glory Train
2009: Country Album of the Year – Around the Bend
Filmography
1992/93: Matlock (2 episodes)
1993: Wind in the Wire (Himself)
1994: The Outlaws: Legend of O.B. Taggart
1994: At Risk
1994: Texas
1994: Frank & Jesse (as Cole Younger)
1994: Dead Man’s Revenge (U. S. Marshall)
1994–2002: Touched by an Angel
1995: A Holiday to Remember
1996: Edie & Pen
1996: Sabrina, the Teenage Witch
1997: Boys Will Be Boys
1997: Fire Down Below
1997: Steel Chariots (Rev. Wally Jones)
1997: Annabelle’s Wish (Adult Billy/Narrator)
1997: The Shooter
1997: The Rainmaker
1998: Black Dog
1998: T.N.T.
1998: Hey Arnold (as “Travis Randall”)
1999: Baby Geniuses
1999: The White River Kid (Sheriff Becker)
2000: King of the Hill (Himself)
2000: The Million Dollar Kid
2000: John John in the Sky (John Claiborne)
2000: The Trial of Old Drum (Charlie Burden Jr. as an adult)
2000: The Cactus Kid (Pecos Jim)
2000: Casper’s Haunted Christmas (Recorded a version of the theme song for the film’s opening titles)
2001: Texas Rangers
2002: The Trial of Old Drum
2003: The Long Ride Home (Jack Fowler/Jack Cole)
2003: Apple Jack (Narrator)
2004: Extreme Makeover: Home Edition (Himself)
2006: The Visitation (Kyle Sherman)
2006: On the Farm: The Prodigal Pig (Porkchop)
2006: Lost: A Sheep Story (Porkchop)
2007: National Treasure: Book of Secrets (Himself)
2007: The Gift: Life Unwrapped
2007: The Wager (Michael Steele)
2010: Jerusalem Countdown (Jack Thompson)
Further reading
Goldsmith, Thomas. (1998). “Randy Travis”. In The Encyclopedia of Country Music. Paul Kingsbury, Editor. New York: Oxford University Press. pp. 544–5.
above: Carrie Underwood and Randy Travis perform “I Told You So” on American Idol in 2011. The song won a 2010 Grammy for Best Country Collaboration with Vocals.
David has quickly become the “Come to” Guy in the Southwest Entertainment industry for everything from Radio hits to Business consultation and makes a name for New Mexico by bringing an international presence to the region with world wide collaborations and networking. David Wade has independently secured and worked with such companies as Sony, EMI, Universal and Upstairs Records just to name a few with 2 GOLD albums being produced in the process. He has had over 5 songs on mainstream radio and reached billboard top 100 in 2005 with Lil Robs “Can We Ride” Featuring David Wade.
Wade has written, produced and is featured on over 160 of the hottest and most well known hip-hop, Pop and R&B records worldwide and remains the face of the Southwest music and entertainment movement. His resume reads like a who’s who in Rap, Pop & R&B: Baby Bash, Lil’ Rob, Angelina, Frost, Jay Tee, Fade Dogg, Clicka One, The New Ridaz, etc. are among the many artist to use his services. His voice is instantly recognizable and his hooks unparalleled. Whether writing the latest radio single, singing the hook for another artist, or performing to Sold out crowds, David Wade continues to bring nothing but quality entertainment and a mind for business that will insure he remains one of the Southwest’s top Rap, Pop, and R&B artists.
above: Wild Soul – Something Like A Mixtape by David Wade; Director/ First Camera/ Editor Margaret Thompson; Second Camera Alexander Catedral. www.megannetmedia.com
Calloway (d. 2008), the daughter of the legendary Cab Calloway, made her home in Santa Fe for many years, where she was known as the “Reigning Diva of the Night.” Her consummate talent as a singer combined with her comic timing, her irreverent humor, her ability to laugh at herself and her circumstances set her apart as a performer.
