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TODAY IN BLACK HISTORY April 2 nd

1939-Marvin Gaye born

1918-Charles White borm Marvin Pentz Gay Jr. was born in Washington, D.C. He had a troubled relationship with his father, Reverend Marvin Gay Sr., who often beat him. In 1955, Gay Jr. quit school and joined the Air Force. He was honorably discharged a few years later. In the late 1950s, Gaye joined The Moonglows. In 1960, they relocated to Detroit where they were noticed by Motown Records’ president Berry Gordy Jr. Gordy signed Gaye to Motown’s subsidiary label, Tamla. Gaye’s early years at Motown were behind-the-scenes. Finally proving himself in 1962, Motown’s “Prince of Soul” reached 30 on the Hot 100 with “Hitch Hike”. He had a string of successes in the ‘60s and performed duets with other famous singers, such as Diana Ross and Tammi Terrell. As the ‘70s dawned, Gaye created the album What’s Going On to reflect the times. Berry Gordy refused the album, saying it was too political. Gaye went on strike and Gordy released the hugely successful album in 1971. Sadly, Gaye was struggling with substance abuse and depression. the ground. Pickett’s performances guaranteed a successful rodeo. In 1905, Pickett’s skills took him to the Miller brothers’ huge 101 Ranch in Oklahoma. He stayed with the 101 Ranch’s show the rest of his life, making his family’s home on the property and throwing steers for the Millers all over the world, including Canada, South America, and Great Britain. In 1912 alone, the “Dusky Demon” put on 400 performances. In 1921 he made the first of two Hollywood films, The Bull-Dogger, now lost except for a few, grainy action scenes. He also appeared in the film The Crimson Skull. Hollywood preferred a white West, starting with Pickett’s protege, Tom Mix. Pickett also taught celebrity cowboy Will Rogers. In his sixties, Pickett was kicked in the head by a horse. He lasted 11 days with a skull fracture, dying on April 2nd, 1932. His legacy continues through the annual Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo. Charles Wilbert White Jr. was born April 2, 1918 on the south side of Chicago, IL. Although raised in Chicago, he often visited his mother’s family in Mississippi. These trips would In 1982, he left Motown, signed with Columbia Records, and released the album, Midnight Love. The album’s single, “Sexual Healing”, earned Gaye two Grammys. Despite a successful comeback, Gaye was still struggling. He moved back in with his father. On April 1, 1984, Marvin Gay Sr. shot and killed his son. Three years after his death, in 1987, Gaye was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Willie M. Pickett (a.k.a. Bill Pickett, the Bull Dodger, & The Dusky Demon) was born December 5, 1870 in Travis County, Texas, the second of 13 children. Pickett’s parents were former slaves who’d traveled from South Carolina to Texas in 1854. Pickett became a cowhand at age 10. In his 20s, he invented the technique of bulldogging or steer wrestling. Pickett’s method for bulldogging was biting a cow on the lip and then falling backwards. This method lost popularity over time. Bill Pickett practiced his stunt by riding hard and springing from his horse to wrestle the steer to Bill Picket

Charles White marvin gaye

1932-Cowboy WIllie “Bill” Picket dies

later influence his art. He completed some high school but did not graduate. He eventually applied to art school.

Many art schools accepted White, then rescinded after learning his race. He eventually received a full scholarship to the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. In 1938, Charles White began his professional career painting murals for the Works Project Administration during the Great Depression. He went on to teach in New Orleans, where he was briefly married to fellow artist Elizabeth Catlett. His best known work is 1943’s The Contribution of the Negro to American Democracy. He then served in the army in WWII.

Charles and his second wife, Frances Barrett, moved to California in 1956. He had several shows in Los Angeles’ Heritage Gallery. From 1965 to 1979, he taught at the Otis Art Institute. He was elected to the National Academy of Design in 1972.

Charles W. White is one of America’s most renowned Social-Realist artists. He mainly worked in black or sepia & white. He tried to keep his art reasonably priced to keep it accessible. He saw art as a vehicle for social activism, and his commitment to creating powerful images of AfricanAmericans was unwavering. He died October 3, 1979. His work is held in the collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Smithsonian American Art Museum, among others.