Onl y Latoy know for
urc, whether or not her no
inf mou dad, Joe Jackson,
exually mol ted her a an
dol cent. It i on mong
m ny qu tion ble claims th t
have urfaced with the
publishing of her book,
"Latoya.Iackson: Growing Up
In The Jackson Family",
In c e, you haven't read
the book, don't bother.
There; no more insight in it
that ha n't already been
played up in the media blitz on
the di integration of the
Jackson family that has hit the
TV talk show circui 1.
In fact, claims that Latoya
wa exually bused aren't
part of the book. The bigger
qu tion is hould we believe
Latoya? It i clear that this
woman loves attention and
will do almo t anything to get
it from donning a nake in
public to the albums th 1
hould have never been to her
baring it all in Playboy.
Something he said he did
because her moth r dared her.
For a year, we had to
wonder whether or not she was
married, when no one or very
few really cared. Then there
was that inci nt in Europe
where she wa supposedly
hCat up. Of course, reports say
she was recovering from
plastic surgery.
BUT FOR ALL of her
"attention-getting hemes",
the charge of phy ical,
emotional and now sexual
abuse, she's lodged against
her parents are erious. And it
appears that he believes
them, even, if we don't.
Something did happen. We
will probably never know
what.
She says she wrote the
book to get back at her parents,
but what's mo t disturbing are
the shots she's taken at her
brothers and sisters. Latoya's
abuse is her business, but
television is not the forum to
expose the intimate secrets
(whether true or false) of those
you proclaim to love, who
have never hurt you.
Latoya says that Janet hates
Jews, that Rebbie was abused,
and the latest, when asked
whether or not Michael was
sexually abused, she intimated
that he could have been. And
for what reason did she wri te
the book? She says an
apology.
I think right now an
apology is more than in order.
However, that apology should
be to Janet, and Rebbie and
Michael and the rest of her
slblings, who e business she
exposed in a harmful and
insensitive manner. What's
more, to the chi ldren of tho e
siblings who are often just as
affected.
The family called a press
conference, but cancelled. at
the last minute. A formal
statement indicated they
would not dignify the
allegations, while calling her
statements a pack of lies. Yet,
rumor has it that the press
conference wa called off
when the family found out that
Latoya had intended to how
up and confront them. (A more
standard kind of therapy just
might be the ticket).
Un ble to con in hi enth i m
hil Ii t nin to Pe 0 Bry on per­
form on from hi d but Columbi
lbum Can You Stop The Rain t
dio convention j t wee before
th album' rete in M y 1 1, n
excit d p rticip nt 11 d out, "He'
b c I" echoin t ntiments � tile
P c ed ballroom.
While the m terful
ingerl ongerwriter and producer
h n't ctually be n away, th com-
ment wa clear reflection of th
qu Iity of Peabo' powerhouse p r­
form n e combined with material
that i a perfect match for his di tine­
tive, winning tyle.
Indeed, what make CanYouStop
The Rain 0 pecial is the obvious
care and attention that went into the
election of ongs (which include
comp itions penned by legendary
writers like Barry Mann and Cynthia
Weil) and the choice of producers
(including Peabo him elf who
worked wi th longtime associate
Dwight Watkins and Sir Gant on five
of the tun ), with pecial guests
(and labelmates) Kirk Whalum and
Regina Belle contributing their own
musical magic. Topping it all off is
Peabo' compelling and enduring
vocal ensitivity, hi unique gift as
n inspired interpreter of song.
"Doing this album was truly a
labor of love," ays the Atlanta­
based hitmaker. "I really felt that I
w working wi th a te m of people,
from the producers and songwriters
to the company executives who
cared about what I was tloing. It
w n't bout compromising my art
. but lowing me to give the
public what I really. wanted them to
have: Peabo Bryson singing great
ongs from the heart."
o TH OUL U open-
ing cut, "You Don't Have To Beg" (a
pie for women n t to 110 th m I­
v to mi tre ted bee there
re oth r good m n out there), to th
tender nd poign nt title cut (co­
written by John Betti who e credits
include hits for Madonn , Whitney
Ho ton and Th Pointer Si ters),
P bo turns in the kind of vocal per­
formance that has end red him to
audten ince he began hi record­
ing career when he w in hi early
twenti ,b c in 1975.
"There are 0 many ong on this
album that reflect what I want to
v: Peabo not . "Working with
incredible talents like Barty Mann
(who co-produced two and produced
one other cut on th LP), producer
Walter A. (wh e credits have in­
cluded work with Aretha Franklin
amd Whitn y Houston) and the team
of Peter Bunetta and Rick Chudacoff
(responsible for hit on Smokey
Robinson and Patti Labelle) was one
of the mo t rewarding experience of
my career. I'm really very proud of
this album: it's genuinely one of my
best pieces of work."
Can You Stop The Rain allow
Peabo Bry on to express a diversity
of emotions. Hts own "1 Wish You
Love" is one of th mo t potent me -
sage-oriented ong he's ever writ­
ten, touching upon themes like
homeles ness, piritua1ity and
brotherhood. "Lost In The Night", is
reminiscent of an early '60's sound
(co-penned by Mann & Weil, the
team responsible for such '60's clas­
sics as ''You've Lost That Lovin'
Feelin'" "On Broadway") Is a ong
that i definitely different in style for
Peabo, while "I Can't Imagine"
gives Peabo the opportunity to team
up once more with
But making great music i noth­
ing n w for Peabo Bry on. Born in
Greenville, South Carolina, Peabo
w expo ed to music t nearly ge
ince his family were rdent concert­
goers, During hi e rly years, Peabo
began inging with local band ,
working the now-famous Southern
"ch lin' circuit" and gaining the
kind of tage performance ex­
perience that provided th founda­
tion for an emergence a a major
recording and performing arti t.
In 1975, he igned with Atlanta­
ba ed Bang Record and enjoyed
orne regional ucce before
witching to Capitol Records in 1'Tl7
where his auspicious debut album,
"Reaching For The Sky" pawned
number of hits including the now­
cl ssic "Feel The Fire" (recorded in
later year a a duet by Teddie
Pendergras and Stephanie Mills),
the title track (al 0 cut by Dionne
Warwick), and I'm So Into You hi
first chart-topping single.
DURING THE NEXT six years,
Peabo recorded a eries of albums for
Capitol as well a emerging as a uc­
ce ful headlining act as a result of
consistent touring throughout the
country. Duets with N talie Cole
("Whdt You Won't Do For Love'')
. and Roberta Flack ("Tonight I
Celebrate My Love;" a Top-lS pop
smash) earned Peabo the tag; "King
of Balladeers" and in 1984, switch­
ing .to Elektra Records, Peabo en-
Sa PEABO, B·2
II We
topped II
Peabo BrysoD
Geto Boy
Can't Be
Three teen-agers from Houston's
Fifth Ward ghetto, who spent much
of their time "rapping" on the streets,
became officially known in 1 6 a
the "Ghetto Boys."
With the guidance of Rap-A-Lot
Records founder, James Smith, the
triq-Jukebox, Raheem and Sir Rap­
A-Lot-formed their own group and
began rapping to audiences about
real life on the streets. The Boys
always dressed uniformly and
danced about the. stage in
ynchronization.
• "Car Freaks, " in 1987, became
the first song that the group put on
wax. The light-hearted tune talked
about girls who were preoccupied
with the kind of cars the guys were
driving.
·"Making Trouble" was the
Ghetto Boys first full album release
in 1988. The group posed political
questions and addres ed real life is­
sues - sex, sensele s murder and
crime - with songs like, "Why Do We
Live This Way. "
Their music had a commercial
focus, using a variety of jazz, funk
and rock n' roll beats with "clean"
lyrics. However, as an experiment,
the group wrote one hardcore, un­
derground number, "Assassins," for
its first album. '
The experimental, lasher- tyle
rap number received more recogni­
tion than Rap-Ajl.ot Records offi­
cials ever imagined it would.
"Assassins," became known as th
group' first underground ong-a
song that had listeners and record
official taking notice.
·"You Ain't Nothin'," from their
first album was al 0 released and
old a a ingle. The cocky, young
rap group told others in th industry
to "Beware!" The Ghetto Boy told
torte about real life and were on
their way to the top. But nothing
could compare to the popularity of
the lasher-style, "Assas ins."
In early 1990, the group changed
the pellingofits name to Geto Boys,
and began working on hardcore, un- .
derground music u ing hocking
lyrics to illustrate the reality of life
on the treets. Their album, "The
oe» Boys," was released later that
year in a co-label deal between Rap­
A-Lot Record and Def American.
The Geto Boys are kno D for their hardcore, underground m lc eontalnlD expl It Iyri to lUu trate the
re Ilty 0 life on the tree . Th yle of rap mu h brou ht the Geto Bo much ucce . They c n't be
opped, Membe lnchsde (l-r) Scad! ce, B lek BIU d WlUy D .
\.
Members of the group have
changed over the years. Now, Willy
Dee, Scarface and Bushwick Bill
compri e the Gc to Boy .
"We Can't Be Stopped, 1/ wa
relea ed in 1991 and minted gold
after only eight weeks on the market.
The album has sold well over half a
million copies and is till selling.
-NOTE - Each of the members of
the Geto Boys are working on solo
albums scheduled for release later
this year. "Mr. Scarface is Back, " by
Scarface, is available in stores as of
Oct.4,1991
'I