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National Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame breaks ground, asks Biden to come support project
The National Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame (NRBHOF) wants to invite President Joe Biden and members of the U.S. Congress to come to the city of Marks, which once was visited by Civil Rights Icon Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, two weeks before his assassination. Robinson wants to meet and talk with President Biden along with other legislative leaders, to discuss how to recognize and honor the forgotten R&B artists, who paid the ultimate price, with their own hall of fame.
Robinson acknowledges that the main reason for building an R&B Hall of Fame is to give honor to R&B artists from the 40s, 50s, and 60s, who not only paved the way for artists of all genres to make millions today but also provided America with the SOUNDTRACK of their LIVES. Despite the importance and influence of R&B, most R&B artists were severely and grossly overlooked for nearly a century! They were very limited in where they could play, which had a huge negative economic impact on these artists for several generations. Jim Crow and Racism were rampant for most of the 20th century, and this hindered the “distribution” of the music. To add insult to injury, many record companies refused to show the faces of the Black artists making the music and even got White artists to perform covers that led to stardom, riches, and prosperity for those White artists. On top of that, the record industry was rigged in favor of the record company owners, which meant that to make a living, most black artists had to perform on the chitlin’ circuit to survive. Many of these R&B pioneers were severely taken advantage of and ended up homeless and dying penniless.
To pay tribute and honor to the likes of Louis Jordan, Big Joe Turner, Ruth Brown, Ray Charles, B.B. King, James Brown, Aretha Franklin, Jimi Hendrix, and many other R&B artists of that era, it is most appropriate to construct a world-class facility that not only enshrines them but also educates the public on their legacy. Robinson also stated that rhythm and blues music is the most copied and sampled genre of music, which birthed pop, rock, and country music.
The (NRBHOF) wants to see the U.S. Congress develop a Bill that would be called “Rhythm & Blues Music Matters ” and for President Biden and the U.S. Congress to come together to provide Federal funding to help build a national permanent monument to preserve the legacy and history of R&B music.
The (NRBHOF) is planning a national press conference to gain support from corporate America and the music industry and to also announce the NRBHOF’s 2023 nominees.
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