by Bob Davis
For New Pittsburgh Courier
Obviously this has been a very sad week here at Soul-Patrol. We have lost one of our most dynamic and influential members, someone that I will personally miss a great deal. However it occured to me that perhaps I have been just a bit to personal with respect to my reflections about Al Goodman and in doing so may have minimized his actual impact and influence in the world of music. We don’t ever want to do that with respect to the legacy of The Moments/Ray, Goodman & Brown. So I thought that I would put something together that was a bit more traditional to mark his passing. At the end is the information about Al’s services, which will be this Monday morning in Englewood, NJ…
Al Goodman Passes
Leader of the Moments/Ray, Goodman & Brown
(Mar 31, 1947 – July 26, 2010)
Al Goodman, the leader of one of the most profound vocal groups of the Classic Soul era, passed away on Monday, July 26th. He lived in Englewood, NJ and his death is mourned his wife Henrietta, children and millions of music fans around the world.
The Moments/Ray, Goodman & Brown Chart Summary:
–Moments/Ray, Goodman & Brown had 4 Top 40 Pop hit singles; Look At Me (I’m In Love), Sexy Mama, Love On A Two-Way Street, and Special Lady
–Moments/Ray, Goodman & Brown had 31 Top 40 R&B hit singles; Girls, Gotta Find A Way, Lucky Me, Lovely Way She Loves. My Thing, Inside of You, Happy Anniversary and others
Mr. Goodman was the longtime leader of the group first known as the Moments during the 1970’s. THE MOMENTS started off the 1970’s with a bang, having their song “Love on a Two Way Street reach #1 on the R&B charts and #3 on the Pop charts. During the 1970’s they built a reputation as legendary R&B performers both on record and in concert. Since the 1980’s the group formerley known as THE MOMENTS has been known simply as Ray, Goodman and Brown, after settling a naming dispute when they changed record labels. Despite the name change, Harry Ray (d.1992), Al Goodman and Billy Brown, managed to not only retain their signature “sweet soul” sound, but also expand it into a new audience with the crossover smash “Special Lady” in 1980, reaching #1 on the R&B charts and #5 on the Pop charts.
Over the past 30 + years, Ray, Goodman and Brown has toured the United States and the world with some popular R&B artists such as; the O’Jays, Whispers, Chi-Lites, Stylistics, Dells, Unifics to name a few.
Mr. Goodman led the group during the past 20 years of changing musical tastes and technology landscape that was not particularly kind to veteran artists. Despite these obstacles, Ray, Goodman and Brown embraced these changes and unlike some of their peers were able to overcome and sustain their careers.
In the new millennium, Ray, Goodman and Brown found themselves on the cutting edge, by forming their own independent label called Defourovus Music, releasing highly acclaimed music done in the style which made them famous such as “A Moment With Friends,” where they covered great hit songs by their friends (Blue Magic, Delfonics, Manhattans, Main Ingredient, Chi-Lites, Escorts and others) and using the internet to reach fans and drive sales. In addition to creating their own new music, the music of Ray, Goodman and Brown appeared on some of the biggest hits of the 2000’s from artists such as Jay Z, Alicia Keys and others.
Mr. Goodman was well known through the music industry not only for his willingness to help younger artists, but also for his fierce commitment to the music itself. In the NYC area in recent years, Mr. Goodman could be seen working as an activist with notables such as Rev. Al Sharpton in an effort to convince local radio stations in the NYC area to shift away from “koon style/negative programming” and be more responsive to community needs.
Arrangements for Mr. Albert Goodman
Service: Monday, August, 2, 2010
Location: John Harms/Bergen PAC Theatre
30 North Van Brunt
Englewood, NJ 07631
Phone: 210-816-8160
Service Hours:
Wake: 9AM – 11AM
Service: 11AM- 1PM
Bob Davis is co-founder www.soul-patrol.com and Blues, Hip Hop and Soul Music director www.radioio.com. He can be reached at 609-351-0154 or earthjuice@prodigy.net.
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