Second Line for the Great Ones, 2021
By Shelah Moody
“My mom couldn’t read, nor write. But I’ve been all around the world and met all kinds of people from all walks of life. I’ve done Royal Command Performances, I met Prince Charles back in the sixties and the Queen Mother. I know the sister of the king of Sweden; we hung out. Sammy Davis, Bob Hope--we did things at the White House. I worked with Bill Clinton on the Millenium event and we partied until 4:30 a.m. But no one has ever topped my mom. She was illiterate in terms of education, but as a human being, she was number one. So I grew up with an angel, a person who had such a level, the human spirit. That’s all I know. That’s all I can be. People say, diva, but I’m really just little Mae Mae from Detroit, basically.”--Mary Wilson
It seems like we are losing our legends faster than we can write about them. In this blog, I pay tribute to three of the influencers that we lost in 2021.
WARREN SMITH
Warren Smith & Shelah Moody
On Jan, 13, all eyes and ears were focused on an impeachment hearing for Donald J. Trump, who was being held accountable for his role in inciting the Jan. 6 insurrection at the Capitol Rotunda in Washington, DC.
I was in a group chat on the subject of this historic event when someone changed the subject.
“Did you hear the news about Warren Smith?” someone asked.
“On no,” I typed. “Did he pass?”
“Yes.” Someone dropped a sad face emoji.
“Mercy!” I typed.
Someone dropped the link to a post, written by his family, on his Facebook page.
Sadly, the post confirmed that Sierra Nevada World Music Festival founder Warren Smith -- Aug. 26, 1945- Jan. 11, 2021--had transitioned after a long illness.
“Warren crossed peacefully at his beloved ranch on Monday, after falling asleep while wrapped in Gret’s embrace, surrounded with love and listening to Bob.”
“Gret” is Warren’s loving wife and business partner, Gretchen Frantz, who’d helped him build and run the Sierra Nevada World Music Festival via their company, Epiphany Artists, since its inception in 1994. “Bob,” of course, refers to global music icon Bob Marley, no doubt, one of his inspirations for starting SNWMF.
This is a hard blog to write because along with being the subject of many of my SNWMF interviews and reviews, Warren was also my friend. He and Gretchen would invite me to SNWMF wrap-up parties for staff and volunteers at his sprawling Ryde, CA ranch and we would often hang out at parties and gatherings.
I began covering the Sierra Nevada World Music Festival in 1995 and followed them to three venues: Marysville, Frogstown, and finally, Mendocino County Fairgrounds in Boonville, CA.
Over a 25-year span, the Sierra Nevada World Music Festival must have presented at least one musical act from every country on earth. This was Smith’s unique vision, as he traveled around the world looking for new and exotic talent to showcase at the festival. I am told that one of his favorite groups was Rupa and the Fishes, from the San Francisco Bay Area.
I had some wild times covering SNWMF. I met the love of my life there and was caught kissing behind a trailer, got kicked out of a hotel room for smoking ganja one year, and interviewed many music legends there, including two who passed during the pandemic--Frederick “Toots” Hibbert and Daddy U-Roy.
In 2017, I suffered from severe anxiety, and years before the Coronavirus hit, I developed a dreadful fear of being in large crowds at outdoor music festivals. Also, as a 13-year member of the sober community, it was a challenge for me to be in the midst of revelers indulging in cannabis, booze, and every psychedelic drug you can name for three days (and nights) straight. Though I never made it back to SNWMF after 2016, Warren and Gretchen would still reach out to me and invite me to attend. I have hundreds of illuminating stories and good memories of the Sierra Nevada World Music Festival.
Here’s a fun fact about Smith: he was also an actor; he had a cameo role as a cop in the film “Basic Instinct,” shot in San Francisco, starring Sharon Stone and Michael Douglas. Smith, who was also an advocate for artists’ songwriting and publishing rights, believed in the creed that is proudly displayed on the SNWMF website: https://www.snwmf.com/
“The Sierra Nevada World Music Festival promotes "conscious" music. Conscious music is music with a message of peace, unity, and brotherhood, which transcends the divisions of race and culture.”
CICELY TYSON
As I was researching my tribute to Smith, I saw that Academy Award-winning actress Cicely Tyson trending on social media. This could only mean one thing. I got a text from a friend confirming that the 96-year-old icon had died on Jan. 28. Tyson had recently published her memoir, “Just As I Am,” and interviewed Gayle King on the CBS News.
I grew up watching Tyson’s regal presence in films such as “Sounder,” “Roots” and “The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman.” One thing that fascinated me about Tyson was that she was the longtime muse, and later one of the wives, of jazz great Miles Davis. Oh, to be a fly on the wall in that household! Before Barack and Michelle, before Beyonce and Jay-Z, Cicely and Miles were the original black power couple!
On Jan. 29, Tyson’s godson, Lenny Kravitz, posted a loving tribute to her on Instagram:
“With inimitable style and grace, my dear Godmother Miss Cicely Tyson made her grand exit to the heavens,” Kravitz wrote. “She lived a remarkable life up to the last moment. A true pioneer, who bared her heart and soul so we could witness the spirit of the characters she so brilliantly portrayed, which continue to move and inspire generations.
A Black queen who showed us how beautiful black is. The love between us was and is tremendous. As long as I have had consciousness, I’ve known Godmother. She and my mother were kindred spirits. Sisters. And after my mother passed, Godmother's role in my life was amplified. I constantly felt her spirit over me. She always gave me unconditional support. She came to my shows, came over for holidays, met me for dinners, stayed with me in Paris when I first moved there, and never let me too far out of her sight. Our phone calls went on sometimes for hours. We spoke just a few nights ago and talked about everything. She had just sent me her book that has been sitting on my nightstand where it will remain. She did it all, wrote the book, and then God called her. I can hear Godmother saying ‘ok, now y’all can read about it, I’m going home.’ Rest peacefully, Godmother. You did it all exquisitely #CicelyTyson.”
On Feb. 15, I attended Tyson’s public viewing at
This was an epic opportunity to honor one of the great ones and I would not let the pandemic keep me away. I booked a ticket to New York and braved the mandatory 10-day quarantine upon my return to San Francisco.
The temperature was just above 30 degrees in Harlem and there was snow on the ground, but hundreds of masked people lined up for hours for the chance to say goodbye to a legend. Black suited members of the Nation of Islam passed out copies of “The Final Call,” which featured a Cicely Tyson cover story.
Vendors hawked Cicely Tyson’s photos, buttons, and T-shirts. A small choir of masked women held up Tyson’s photos as they sang “Amazing Grace.” Inline, I met a woman named Joyce, who attended Abyssinian Baptist Church with Tyson. Joyce told me she once rode in an elevator with Tyson and remembered her as gracious as well as tiny. She said she regretted not asking for a photo with the great one that day.
In her final resting, Tyson was beautiful in purple ruffles and orchid lipstick that matched one of the floral arrangements near her casket.
MARY WILSON
Soon after the passing of Cicely Tyson, another great one, Mary Wilson, co-founder of one of pop music’s most successful groups, the Supremes, died on Feb. 8 at age 76. Wilson had just paid tribute to Tyson on her YouTube channel.
I first met the Motown legend in 2005, when she was headlining at the Plush Room in SF. I was a staff member of the San Francisco Chronicle, and my podcasting team convinced Wilson to come to the Chronicle headquarters on Mission Street for the interview. https://blog.sfgate.com/chroncast/2005/12/02/mary-wilson-supremes-singer-finds-her-voice-in-solo-career/?fbclid=IwAR0kXELO_sg2jP1MS9OLD0ieIoheobwmAxSWgO1KawwGqsvRHuBPmvqFZqA
To say that Wilson lit up the entire building that day would be an understatement. She was on a solo tour performing up close and personal material and her repertoire included Sting’s “Fields of Gold,” Joni Mitchell’s “Both Sides Now” and “Don’t Know Why” by Nora Jones.
“I think that song is exquisite,” said Wilson. “I don’t know what the lyrics mean, ‘Don’t Know Why I Didn’t Come,’ but I won’t get into that!” (Drop smiling emoji here).
Wilson was regal, down-to-earth, and funny as she talked about her solo career, her relationship with her musical sister, Diana Ross, and her work to support legislation to stop the spread of digital piracy. She also shared tips on staying youthful and sane in the volatile and chaotic entertainment industry.
“In the group, I was always in the middle,” said Wilson. “I found out in life why I’m always in the middle; I’m really just a middle person. I guess I’ve got a lot of Libra in me or something and I’m very balanced. My mom couldn’t read, nor write. But I’ve been all around the world and met all kinds of people from all walks of life. I’ve done Royal Command Performances, I met Prince Charles back in the sixties and the Queen Mother. I know the sister of the king of Sweden; we hung out. Sammy Davis, Bob Hope, we did things at the White House. I worked with Bill Clinton on the Millenium event and we partied until 4:30 a.m. But no one has ever topped my mom. She was illiterate in terms of education, but as a human being, she was number one. So I grew up with an angel, a person who had such a level, the human spirit. That’s all I know. That’s all I can be. People say, diva, but I’m really just little Mae Mae from Detroit, basically.”
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