You know the song. You've probably heard it a thousand times. Even if you haven't heard the original of "What A Man" by Linda Lyndell, you've probably heard the samples in Salt-n-Pepa's "Whatta Man", or at least snippets of it in a commercial (it's been used in several). It was Lyndell's second 45 on Stax, and it was her last. Why? Because, when it became a hit on the R&B charts, she became a target, receiving threats from the Ku Klux Klan. That's right. Because she's white, and had the audacity to record for Stax, the rough tough white supremacists felt threatened. Welcome to Memphis, 1968.
After the threats, Lyndell retired from music. She became a landscaper and didn't return to music until Salt-n-Pepa's 1993 hit brought renewed attention. She would sing the song live for the first time in 2003, thirty five years after the record was released.
Here's everything she recorded. Two 45s. That's it. Imagine what could have been, had it not been for pathetic racist chickenshits.
After the threats, Lyndell retired from music. She became a landscaper and didn't return to music until Salt-n-Pepa's 1993 hit brought renewed attention. She would sing the song live for the first time in 2003, thirty five years after the record was released.
Here's everything she recorded. Two 45s. That's it. Imagine what could have been, had it not been for pathetic racist chickenshits.
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Listen:
2 comments:
I thought I knew a lot about Stax, but I'd never heard these. Thank you! I wonder if the pathetic racist chickenshits ever figured out that the house band on every Stax record was integrated - I suspect they didn't. Stupid assholes.
Keep up the good work Tom!
Marc
The mixed line up of Booker T & the MGs did create a stir, but maybe it was because Lyndell was one individual. Sucks nonetheless.
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