Unsung
TV One shines light on some of our beloved music stars
2008-11-26
By Ronda Racha Penrice
Few things in life strike the collective chord that music does. When it comes to a tie that binds, music reigns supreme. It’s hard to name any aspect of life where music is not present, especially when it comes to us. That’s precisely why TV One’s Unsung is such a brilliant programming choice.
No, we haven’t forgotten VH1’s landmark series, Behind the Music. Few of us have forgotten the TLC installment when Left Eye broke down how she, T-Boz and Chilli were indeed broke after selling millions and millions of albums, as well as discussed the day she burned former NFL boyfriend Andre Rison’s Atlanta-area mansion down to the ground. But you don’t have to have multi-platinum plaques to have moved an audience. TV One has gathered four of the most compelling, if not best selling, artists to launch Unsung.
Thanksgiving night, TV One rolls out a sneak peek of this unprecedented move with DeBarge, the 1980s answer to the Jackson Five, front and center. Admit it, “I Like It” still prompts you to unleash your inner singer, even when you are in places where keeping your talents hidden might be the order of the day. It’s no secret that the family hailed from Grand Rapids, Michigan but how many people know about their abusive father? We know that James married Janet Jackson but how often have we heard James speak on it? There’s no shying away from the family’s drug addiction either. The DeBarge edition of Unsung is chocked full of unanswered questions and tragic consequences. That candidness is what makes Unsung a winner.
That Sunday, November 30, Unsung continues with Phyllis Hyman, who ended her life on June 30, 1995, hours before her performance with The Whispers at the Apollo. Her legacy, however, is greater than that one fateful decision. Traveling back to Pittsburgh, where she grew up, Unsung recaps her early life, with pictures and interviews with her siblings. Discussions with those along her road to success are ample, as is footage of her early work. Her clashes with Clive Davis aren’t shielded either. Davis wanted Hyman to be a crossover star but that audience didn’t cling to her. Hyman was not well, as we can imagine by how her life ended, but Unsung sheds a lot of light on her inner struggles, largely fueled by her mental illness. For any Phyllis Hyman fan this will be a must-watch piece to the puzzle.
Then there is Donny Hathaway, whose episode airs on Monday, December 1. Regardless of how much time passes, “This Christmas” remains the perennial holiday hit for us. Has there ever been a Christmas where you didn’t hear it? And urban radio plays it throughout the season, running it like any current hit record, and still we never grow tired of it. Some of us know that Donny is Lalah Hathaway’s daddy but, beyond that, many of us are clueless about the details of his life. That’s why Unsung speaks to Eulaulah Hathaway, his only legal wife and mother of two of his three daughters. All of his daughters are interviewed. Hathaway’s genius was so great that the venerable Quincy Jones even weighs in on him. Rare audio of Hathaway speaking about his artistry is also featured. Like Hyman, Hathaway also had mental health issues that are just now being brought to light. There’s no way to get around the lingering heartbreak of his apparent suicide but Unsung shows just how unparalleled his musical genius remains.
Unsung closes out on December 2 with The Clark Sisters. (The DeBarge installment does re-air on December 3). Today, we’ve become quite accustomed to the mingling of secular rhythms with sacred messages in contemporary gospel music through such artists as Kirk Franklin, Mary Mary, and, of course, the many branches of the Clark and Winans families, to name a few. In many ways, however, The Clark Sisters pioneered what we hear today. It wasn’t easy and Unsung drives home that struggle. While there are no drug overdoses or mental health challenges in their story, it’s compelling nonetheless. Traveling on faith, as they demonstrate, isn’t an easy task. Critics don’t hold their tongues in any community, and especially not in the church community. Who would think that a song as uplifting as “You Brought the Sunshine” or an unprecedented Grammy appearance would ignite such controversy?
We’ve certainly longed for this kind of programming and Unsung wouldn’t work on any network station or on a VH1 even, although VH1 Soul might have been a candidate. DeBarge, Phyllis Hyman, Donny Hathaway and The Clark Sisters just aren’t mainstream enough. Unsung proves just how vital cable can be. Because catering to everyone isn’t a prerequisite, the possibilities are greater. This year, TV One has stepped its game up significantly by banking more on those possibilities. With its election coverage, the original special Murder in Black and White featuring civil rights cold cases and, now, Unsung, the future is indeed looking bright.
Veteran freelance writer and self-diagnosed television junkie Ronda Racha Penrice is the author of African American History For Dummies.
Unsung airs on TV One on 11/27 at 7 pm EST and on 11/30, 12/1, 12/2, 12/3 at 10 pm EST, 11 pm EST and 2 am EST.
Images are courtesy Jim Marshall
