Wednesday, March 26, 7:00 PM
OFFSITE EVENT: Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration
Nelson George presents The Hippest Trip in America: Soul Train and the Evolution of Culture & Style
In conversation with Soul Train dancer Tyrone Procter
Introduction by Rosie Perez
Since his writing career began over a decade ago, Nelson George (Fort Greene resident and author of Where Did Our Love Go?: The Rise and Fall of the Motown Sound, The Death of Rhythm & Blues, Hip-Hop America, and the novel The Plot Against Hip-Hop, as well as the memoir of Brooklyn life City Kid), has established himself as a powerhouse in the realm of urban literature; the Washington Post Book World calls him “The most accomplished black music critic of his generation.”
His newest book The Hippest Trip in America: Soul Train and the Evolution of Culture & Style is an authoritative narrative and oral history of the groundbreaking syndicated television show that has become an icon of American pop culture. George tells the full story of this pop culture phenomenon that appealed not only to blacks, but to a wide crossover audience as well. Famous dancers like Rosie Perez and Jody Watley, performers such as Aretha Franklin, Al Green, and Barry White, and creator Don Cornelius himself share their memories, offering insights into the show and its time—a period of extraordinary social and political change.
George talks at Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration with Tyrone Proctor, one of the original Soul Train dancers, about the show’s legacy. The event is introduced by beloved award-winning actor Rosie Perez, author of the recent memoir Handbook for an Unpredictable Life – as a friend of Nelson George and a former Soul Train dancer herself, Perez brings warmth and perspective to the discussion. Book signing by Nelson George to follow.
Free and open to the public. Books will be sold at a special discount tonight only. Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation is located at 1368 Fulton Street (at Marcy Avenue) in Brooklyn.
RSVPs requested: http://restorationplaza.org/calendar/ngp2014