Crate Diggers: Michigan
Showing posts with label Michigan. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Michigan. Show all posts

Wednesday, August 23, 2017

Happy Birthday Earvin "Magic" Johnson

“Ask not what your teammates can do for you. Ask what you can do for your teammates” - Earvin “Magic” Johnson
Image result for earvin magic johnson(Earvin “Magic” Johnson)
Earvin “Magic” Johnson was born on August 14th, 1959 in Lansing, Michigan, USA. As a young child Johnson loved basketball and his favorite player was Bill Russell.
Image result for magic johnson young(Johnson as a young child)
Johnson was on his high school basketball team. He changed high schools from a predominantly Black school to a predominantly White school where he faced a lot of racism while attending it. At 15 years old he got the nickname “Magic”.
Image result for magic johnson high school(Johnson in high school)
After graduating high school Johnson attended Michigan State University.
Image result for magic johnson college(Johnson in college)
Also during this time he started his rivalry with other basketball player Larry Bird.
Image result for magic johnson college(Johnson (Left) and Larry Bird (Right))
In 1979 he was drafted into the NBA by the Los Angeles Lakers.
Image result for magic johnson 1979(Johnson in 1979)
In 1980 the Lakers won the NBA championship. Johnson won the Finals MVP award. In 1981 he missed 45 games due to torn cartilage in his left knee. Johnson then signed a 25 year, $25 million contract with the Lakers. In 1982 the Lakers won the NBA championship and Johnson won the Finals MVP award.
Image result for magic johnson 1982(Johnson in 1982)
In 1984 Johnson became friends with his rival Larry Bird. In 1985 the Lakers won the NBA championship. Also in 1985 Johnson created a charity event called “A Midsummer Night’s Magic”.
Image result for magic johnson 1985(Johnson in 1985)
In 1986 he won the Season MVP award. The Lakers won the 1986 NBA championship. Johnson won the Finals MVP award.
Image result for magic johnson 1986(Johnson in 1986)
In 1988 the Lakers won the NBA championship. In 1989 Johnson won the Season MVP award. Johnson also won the Finals MVP award.
Image result for magic johnson 1989(Johnson in 1989)
In 1991 Johnson found out that he was HIV positive. Also in 1991 Johnson made the “Magic Johnson Foundation”.
Image result for magic johnson 1991(Johnson in 1991)
Also in 1991 Johnson married Earlitha Kelly. In 1992 Johnson won the All Star MVP award. Also in 1992 Johnson was apart of the USA basketball team called “The Dream Team”. The Dream Team won Gold at the Olympics.
Image result for magic johnson 1992 olympics(The Dream Team)
In 1994 Johnson became coach of the Lakers. He then left the same year then bought 5% of the team. In 1996 he returned to playing for the Lakers.
Image result for magic johnson 1996(Johnson in 1996)
In 1997 he officially retired. In 1998 he hosted a talk show called “The Magic Hour”. In 1999 Johnson joined a swedish basketball team. Also in 1999 he was the main speaker for the UN’s World AIDS day.
Image result for magic johnson 1999(Johnson in 1999)
In 2000 he started a record label called “Magic Johnson Music”. In 2002 he was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame.
Image result for magic johnson 2002 hall of fame(Johnson in 2002)
In 2006 he created a contract food service. In 2007 Johnson supported Hillary Clinton in her campaign for president. In 2008 he became an ESPN studio analyst. In 2010 Johnson and a few other basketball players played basketball with Barack Obama.
Image result for magic johnson and barack obama(Johnson (Left) and Barack Obama (Right))
Also in 2010 Johnson sold his share of the Lakers. In 2012 Johnson owned a share of the Los Angeles Dodgers. In 2014 he bought shares of the Los Angeles Sparks. Also in 2014 he bought shares of the Los Angeles Football Club. In 2015 he supported Hillary Clinton in her campaign.
Image result for magic johnson 2015(Johnson in 2015)
In 2016 He hosted a fundraiser for Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign. In 2017 Johnson replaced Jim Buss as the president of basketball operations for the Los Angeles Lakers. Image result for magic johnson 2017(Johnson in 2017)
Today he turns 58 years old and we would all like to say happy birthday Earvin “Magic” Johnson.
Videos of Earvin “Magic” Johnson

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Saturday, May 13, 2017

Happy Birthday Stevie Wonder

“Just because a man lacks the use of his eyes doesn't mean he lacks vision” - Stevie Wonder
(Stevie Wonder)
Stevie Wonder was born as Stevland Judkins on May 13th, 1950 in Saginaw, Michigan, USA. Judkins was born 6 weeks early and as a result his retinas were detached causing blindness. His mother changed his last name to morris. Morris began playing instruments at an early age. He formed a singing partnership with a friend; calling themselves Stevie and John. In 1961 Morris auditioned to a member of the Miracles and he brought him to Motown. Berry Gordy signed Morris to his Tamla label.
(Morris (Right) and Berry Gordy (Left))
Morris was then given the name “Little Stevie Wonder”. Due to his age the label drew up a rolling five-year contract in which royalties would be held in trust until Wonder was 21. Wonder was put in the care of producer and songwriter Clarence Paul. In 1962 Wonder released 2 albums “Tribute to Uncle Ray” and “The Jazz Soul of Little Stevie”.
(Wonder in 1962)
In Wonder then joined the “Motortown Revue” and toured with other Motown artists around the country wherever Black artists would be accepted. In 1963 Wonder’s single “Fingertips” hit No. 1 on the Billboard hot 100 chart. He then became the youngest artist to ever chart.
(Wonder performing “Fingertips”)
The single also hit No. 1 on the R&B charts. In 1964 Wonder appeared in 2 movies Muscle Beach Party (1964) and Bikini Beach (1964).
(Wonder in Bikini Beach (1964))
Also in 1964 Wonder began writing songs for himself and other artists. In 1968 Wonder released an album under the name “Eivets Rednow”, the album wasn't successful. Between 1968 and 1970 Wonder released several hits including "I Was Made to Love Her", "For Once in My Life", "Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours", "My Cherie Amour", and "Uptight”. In 1970 Wonder married Syreeta Wright.
(Wonder (Left) with Syreeta Wright (Right))
In 1972 Wonder signed a new contract with Motown and released “Music of my Mind” and “Talking Book”. From his “Talking Book” album Wonder had a No. 1 hit with “Superstition” and “You Are the Sunshine of My Life”. Wonder also toured with the Rolling Stones the same year. Wonder also won 3 Grammy awards in 1972.
(Wonder in 1972)
Wonder appeared on Sesame Street in 1973. Also in 1973 Wonder released “Innervisions” and the singles “Higher Ground” and “Living for the City” both reached No. 1 on the R&B charts. He also won 3 more Grammys that year. Wonder was injured in a car accident and was in a coma for 4 days.
(The aftermath of Wonder’s accident)
In 1974 Wonder released “Fulfillingness' First Finale” and the single “You Haven’t Done Nothin” featuring the Jackson 5 reached No. 1 on the Pop Charts.
(Wonder (Right) and Michael Jackson (Left))
He also won 3 Grammys that year. In 1975 Wonder performed at the historic "Wonder Dream Concert" in Kingston, Jamaica.
(Wonder (Left) and Bob Marley (Right))
In 1976 Wonder released the album “Songs in the Key of Life”. The album was No. 1 on the Billboard charts for 14 straight weeks. The singles “I Wish” and “Sir Duke” hit No. 1 on R&B charts. Wonder won another 3 Grammys that year. The album ranks 57th on Rolling Stone′s 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.
(Wonder in 1976)
In 1979 he released “Journey Through "The Secret Life of Plants”. Wonder also wrote “Let’s Get Serious” for Jermaine Jackson.
(Wonder (Right) and Jermaine Jackson (Left))
In 1980 Wonder released “Hotter Than July” which became his 1st platinum album. Also in 1980 Wonder campaigned to have Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday to become a national holiday.
(Wonder at the campaign to make Dr. King’s birthday a holiday)
In 1982 Wonder released the single “Do I Do” featuring Dizzy Gillespie and featured on the song “Ebony and Ivory” with Paul McCartney.
(Wonder (Right) with Paul McCartney (Left))
In 1984 Wonder released the album “The Woman in Red” for the movie of the same name. The single “I Just Called to Say I Love You” reached No. 1 on the Pop and R&B charts. Wonder won an academy award for the song and accepted it in the name of Nelson Mandela and was Wonder’s songs were subsequently banned from all South African radio by the Government of South Africa. In 1985 Wonder released the album “In Square Circle”. The single “Part Time Lover” hit No. 1 on the Pop Charts. Wonder also featured on the song “I Feel for You”, a cover of Prince’s song of the same name, with Chaka Khan and Melle Mel. Wonder also appeared on the song “We Are the World”.
(Wonder in the “We Are the World” music video)
In 1987 Wonder was featured on Michael Jackson’s song “Just Good Friends”. Wonder also released the album “Characters” which Michael Jackson appeared on the single “Get It”.
(Wonder (Right) and Michael Jackson (Left))
In 1991 Wonder released the album “Jungle Fever” for the movie of the same name. In 1995 Wonder released the album “Conversation Peace”. In 1996 Wonder performed at the 1996 Summer Olympics closing ceremony. In 2005 Wonder released the album “A Time to Love”. In 2009 Wonder performed at the Obama Inaugural Celebration in 2009.
(Wonder (Left) and Barack Obama (Right))
Wonder also sang at Michael Jackson’s funeral.
(Wonder performing at Michael Jackson’s funeral)
In 2012 Wonder performed at Whitney Houston’s funeral. In 2014 Wonder started his “Songs in the Key of Life Tour”.
(Wonder in 2016)
Today he turns 67 years old and we would all like to say happy birthday Stevie Wonder.

Albums by Stevie Wonder
  • “The Jazz Soul of Little Stevie” (1962)
  • “Tribute to Uncle Ray” (1962)
  • “With a Song in My Heart” (1963)
  • “Stevie at the Beach” (1964)
  • “Up-Tight” (1966)
  • “Down to Earth” (1966)
  • “I Was Made to Love Her” (1967)
  • “Someday at Christmas” (1967)
  • “Eivets Rednow” (1968)
  • “For Once in My Life” (1968)
  • “My Cherie Amour” (1969)
  • “Signed, Sealed & Delivered” (1970)
  • “Where I'm Coming From” (1971)
  • “Music of My Mind” (1972)
  • “Talking Book” (1972)
  • “Innervisions” (1973)
  • “Fulfillingness' First Finale” (1974)
  • “Songs in the Key of Life” (1976)
  • “Journey Through "The Secret Life of Plants"” (1979)
  • “Hotter than July” (1980)
  • “The Woman in Red” (1984)
  • “In Square Circle” (1985)
  • “Characters” (1987)
  • “Jungle Fever” (1991)
  • “Conversation Peace” (1995)
  • “A Time to Love” (2005)

Videos of Stevie Wonder
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Saturday, February 4, 2017

Happy Birthday Rosa Parks

what must be done does away with fear” - Rosa Parks
Image result for rosa parks(Rosa Parks)
Rosa Parks was born as Rosa McCauley on February 4th 1913 in Tuskegee, Alabama, USA. As a small child she suffered from chronic tonsillitis. McCauley attended the Industrial school for girls. As a kid she often fought White kids who would bully her.
Image result for rosa parks young(McCauley as a kid)
Also as a kid the Ku Klux Klan would march down the street in front of her house and her grandfather would be on the front porch with a shotgun. She later dropped out of school to take care of her sick grandmother. In 1932 McCauley married Raymond Parks. She changed her last name to “Parks”.
Image result for rosa parks 1932(McCauley (Right) with her husband Raymond Parks (Left)
In 1933 Parks went back to finish high school. In 1943 Parks joined the Montgomery chapter of the NAACP. She was elected secretary. In 1944 she had a job at Maxwell air force base. In 1955 Parks attended a mass meeting at Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery that addressed the killing of Black teenager Emmett Till. Also in 1955 Parks sat on a city bus and was told to move to the colored section of the bus. She refused to move to the colored section and she was arrested. She was charged with a violation of Chapter 6, Section 11 segregation law of the Montgomery City code.
Image result for rosa parks 1955(Parks in 1955)
She was bailed out of jail the next evening by the Montgomery NAACP president. After this a bus boycott was planned.
Image result for rosa parks and martin luther king(Parks (Right) with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (Left))
The bus boycott lasted for a year. Parks then became an icon within the civil rights movement.
Image result for rosa parks 1955(Parks in 1956)
In 1957 she moved to Virginia. Parks constantly received death threats. She later moved to Michigan. She also met and befriended Malcolm X. In 1965 Parks joined the Selma to Montgomery march.
Image result for rosa parks 1965(Parks in 1965)
In 1967 during the Detroit riots Parks lived a mile from the epicenter of it. Also in 1967 Parks served on a "people's tribunal" investigating the killing of three young men by police during the 1967 Detroit uprising. Parks also supported and visited the Black Panther school in Oakland, CA. In the early 1970s Parks organized for the freedom of political prisoners in the United States. In 1977 her husband died of throat cancer. In 1979 her mother died of cancer.
Image result for rosa parks 1979(Parks in 1977)
In 1980 Parks co founded the Rosa L. Parks Scholarship Foundation. In 1987 she co founded the Rosa and Raymond Parks Institute for Self Development. In 1992 Parks published her autobiography.
Image result for rosa parks 1992(Parks in 1992)
In 1994 Parks’ home was robbed and she was assaulted. Also in 1994 she had a highway named after her in MO.In 1995 she published Quite Strength.
Image result for rosa parks 1995(Parks in 1995)
In 1999 Parks cameoed in the TV series “Touched by an Angel”. In 2002 she received an eviction notice of her apartment. Her rent was paid by the Hartford Memorial Baptist church in Detroit.
Image result for rosa parks 2002(Parks in 2002)
On October 24th, 2005 Rosa Parks died of natural causes in Detroit, Michigan, USA. She was 92 years old.
Image result for rosa parks funeral(Parks’ funeral)
Today is her 104th birthday and we would all like to say happy birthday and rest in peace Rosa Parks.

Videos of Rosa Parks

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