Tony Lawrence (singer)
Tony Lawrence (born c. 1936) is a
Early life
Lawrence was born in
Work as performer and concert promoter
From the late 1950s, he recorded and released several singles for the small Jude record label in New York, in a variety of styles including
Lawrence started community work in
The second festival in 1968 attracted a wider range of performers, including
Lawrence made plans for further festivals, aiming to turn the Harlem festival into an international touring enterprise, and made recordings aimed at promoting the festivals.
Lawrence organised further, smaller, versions of the Harlem Cultural Festival in 1973 and 1974.[2] In 1974, he attempted to set up an International Harlem Cultural Festival, but the plans did not proceed.[4]
Later activities, and unconfirmed death
He continued to appear occasionally as a singer in nightclubs into the 1980s, and in local theatrical productions, before disappearing from public life. Former colleagues described Lawrence as an enigma, one saying "you never knew where he had been or what he had been up to."[4]
When work started, following Tulchin's death in 2017, on preparing and editing the films for release, several of those who had previously worked with Lawrence assumed that he had died. In 2021, in writing about the documentary film Summer of Soul based around Tulchin's film of the 1969 festival, Rolling Stone reported that it had been "not able to find any confirmation of Lawrence’s death nor any records of his whereabouts."[4]
Discography
- "Put De Money Where De Mouth Is" (1959)
- "When I Grow Too Old To Dream" (1960)
- "You Got To Show Me" (1961)
- "I Love Her So" (1961)
- "I Need Somebody" (1961)
- "That's How I Feel" (1964)
- "When I Grow Too Old To Dream" (1964)
- "Fun City U.S.A." (1968)
- "Harlem Cultural Festival" (1969)
References
- ^ Greene, Bryan (June 2017). "This Green and Pleasant Land". Poverty and Race Research Action Council.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Gaunt, James (2021-12-21). "Who Is Tony Lawrence?". The Shadow Knows. Retrieved 2022-01-05.
- ^ "Carnival - New Years Day", Historic St. Kitts. Retrieved 29 December 2021
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Bernstein, Jonathan (2019-08-09). "This 1969 Music Fest Has Been Called 'Black Woodstock.' Why Doesn't Anyone Remember?". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2021-01-23.
- ^ "You Got to Show Me", MusicVf.com. Retrieved 29 December 2021
- ^ Page 30 - The Pittsburgh Gazette (Pittsburgh, PA), Friday, 20. Singer Tony Lawrence, "the continental dream boat," shows two bikini - clad models the continental manner. The occasion was the party celebrating the departure of an - other model for the Cannes Festival"
- ^ Billboard - 14 Mar 1964 - Page 12 "Singer Tony Lawrence jets to Paris for an appearance at the Montmarte Club in April"
- ^ Jet - 9 Sep 1965 - Page 64 Vol. 28, No. 22 "...a TV show starring singer Tony Lawrence is being planned following success of his nationwide tour on behalf of the "Teen 'N Tea Caravan" sponsored by the Tea Council of the U.S.A."
- ^ "Tony Lawrence Joins Teen 'n Tea Caravan", Pittsburgh Courier, 10 July 1965. Retrieved 29 December 2021
- ^ Edwards, Eve. "Who is Tony Lawrence? Summer of Soul explores Harlem Cultural Festival promoter's work". The Focus. GRV Media. Retrieved 29 July 2021.
- ^ Jet - 15 Feb 1969 - Page 62 Vol. 33, No. 19 - "Harlem Cultural Festival Director Tony Lawrence is soundly irked because booking agents of "top soul acts" are reneging"
- ^ Greene, Bryan (June 2017). "This Green and Pleasant Land". Poverty and Race Research Action Council.