Cissy Houston, mother of Whitney Houston, was a much in-demand backup singer who also won two Traditional Soul Gospel Grammy Awards.

Cissy became a member of the Sweet Inspirations in 1963, joining her niece Dee Dee Warwick while replacing another niece, Dionne Warwick, who left the group for a solo career.

The Sweet Inspirations' hit "(Gotta Find) A Brand New Lover" was their most successful R&B single and Houston's final recording with the group before she left to spend more time with her family. However, Cissy continued as a backup vocalist, collaborating with such artists as Paul Simon, John Prine, Linda Ronstadt, Bette Midler, niece Dionne, and daughter Whitney

To hear the Sweet Inspirations sing "(Gotta Find) A Brand New Lover," go here. In the chapters, you'll see a public domain image of the four singers, from left to right: Sylvia Shemwell, Cissy Houston, Myrna Smith and Estelle Brown (Cissy is in the lower left corner). Credited to Atlantic Records, the photo appeared in Billboard in May 1967. It's available on Wikimedia Commons here.

Also in the chapters, the black and white photo of Houston performing in 1975 is credited to Tom Marcello Webster, New York, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0, available on Wikimedia Commons.

The 1996 photo of Houston in this episode's thumbnail is attributed to Kingkongphoto & www.celebrity-photos.com from Laurel, Maryland, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

This tribute is one of 41 stories that Sheldon Zoldan, a longtime journalist, has written and recorded in honor of the music notables who passed away in 2024. He's written tributes for other years as well. You can listen to the ones from 2023 on Everyday Creation. We'll have the 2022 tributes available later this year.

Sheldon also is the creator of Song of the Day, a story that he sends by email to a list of subscribers. To get on his subscriber list, email shzoldan@comcast.net with the subject line ADD ME TO SOTD.

This is Kate Jones. Thank you for listening to Everyday Creation, available on YouTube and in podcast directories including Apple, Audible, iHeart and Spotify.

In college, Kris Kristofferson was a Rhodes scholar and a Golden Gloves boxer who also happened to play guitar and write music. After Oxford, he moved to Nashville to pursue songwriting and eventually managed to gain Johnny Cash's attention by delivering a demo tape by helicopter to Cash's home. Cash ended up recording Kristofferson's song "Sunday Morning Coming Down," which became a hit.

So began Kristofferson's wildly successful career that included starring roles in movies.

The image in this episode's chapters and thumbnail is from the cover of the 2010 unauthorized biography of Kristofferson by Stephen Miller, who also wrote "Johnny Cash: Life of an American Icon." It's available on Kindle and in paperback.

To watch Kristofferson and Cash performing "Sunday Morning Coming Down," go here. The clip is from Johnny Cash's Christmas show in 1978.

This tribute is one of 41 stories that Sheldon Zoldan, a longtime journalist, has written and recorded in honor of the music notables who passed away in 2024. He's written tributes for other years as well. You can listen to the ones from 2023 on Everyday Creation. We'll have the 2022 tributes available later this year.

Sheldon also is the creator of Song of the Day, a story that he sends by email to a list of subscribers. To get on his subscriber list, email shzoldan@comcast.net with the subject line ADD ME TO SOTD.

This is Kate Jones. Thank you for listening to Everyday Creation, available on YouTube and in podcast directories including Apple, Audible, iHeart and Spotify.

Multi-instrumentalist J.D. Souther achieved his greatest musical success by writing songs for the Eagles and other 1970s rock stars. It was Souther who suggested that Linda Ronstadt hire Glenn Frey and Don Henley for her back-up band. That connection eventually led to the formation of the Eagles.

Souther released his own albums to modest success. His biggest hit single was "You're Only Lonely" in 1979. You can hear the song by going to the official audio. In the chapters for this episode, you'll see an image of the "You're Only Lonely" album cover. That album and his LP "Midnight in Tokyo," which is pictured in the thumbnail and the chapters, are available on Amazon Music.

To learn more about Souther and see some great portraits of him, visit his website.

This tribute is one of 41 stories that Sheldon Zoldan, a longtime journalist, has written and recorded in honor of the music notables who passed away in 2024. He's written tributes for other years as well. You can listen to the ones from 2023 on Everyday Creation. We'll have the 2022 tributes available later this year.

Sheldon also is the creator of Song of the Day, a story that he sends by email to a list of subscribers. To get on his subscriber list, email shzoldan@comcast.net with the subject line ADD ME TO SOTD.

This is Kate Jones. Thank you for listening to Everyday Creation, available on YouTube and in podcast directories including Apple, Audible, iHeart and Spotify.

The Jackson 5 started as a trio and became a quintet with the addition of Michael and Marlon. Older brother Tito was one of the group's original members. After his brothers pursued solo careers, he worked as a session musician and producer.

Tito became a blues performer in 2003 and had his first commercial hit "Get It Baby" in 2016. The song reached number 20 on Billboard's R&B chart. To watch the lyrics video, you can go here. The song, which features Big Daddy Kane, is available on "Tito Time," Tito's first solo album. The album's cover is pictured in this episode's thumbnail and chapters.

Also in the chapters, there's a publicity photo from The Jackson 5's 1972 TV special. Credited to CBS Television, the image is available for download on Wikimedia Commons. Here's the link.

To learn more about Tito including why he delayed his solo career, you can go to this 2016 VladTV interview. It's quite good.

This tribute is one of 41 stories that Sheldon Zoldan, a longtime journalist, has written and recorded in honor of the music notables who passed away in 2024. He's written tributes for other years as well. You can listen to the ones from 2023 on Everyday Creation. We'll have the 2022 tributes available later this year.

Sheldon also is the creator of Song of the Day, a story that he sends by email to a list of subscribers. To get on his subscriber list, email shzoldan@comcast.net with the subject line ADD ME TO SOTD.

This is Kate Jones. Thank you for listening to Everyday Creation, available on YouTube and in podcast directories including Apple, Audible, iHeart and Spotify.

Sérgio Mendes had a 60-year career, marked by perseverance and a decision to stay in the U.S. after a lukewarm tour. His success in the U.S. began after being signed by trumpeter Herb Alpert and forming Brasil '66 with two female singers. The group went on to have three Top 10 albums on the Billboard 200 and two Top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 in the late 1960s.

Mendes' first American hit was "Mas que Nada," reaching number 47 on the singles chart in 1966. Forty years later, he did the song with the Black Eyed Peas. It reached number six in the UK.

You can go here to watch him perform the song in 1967 with Brasil '66. And there are a few videos on YouTube that feature the version with Mendes and the Black Eyed Peas. Your choice.

I thought it would be fun to also feature a different song, "That Heat," with Mendes, will.i.am of the Black Eyed Peas, and Erykah Badu. Go here to watch the video.

The photo in this episode's chapters and thumbnail is of Mendes in 1971. It's attributed to Fotograaf Onbekend / Anefo, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.

This tribute is one of 41 stories that Sheldon Zoldan, a longtime journalist, has written and recorded in honor of the music notables who passed away in 2024. He's written tributes for other years as well. You can listen to the ones from 2023 on Everyday Creation. We'll have the 2022 tributes available later this year.

Sheldon also is the creator of Song of the Day, a story that he sends by email to a list of subscribers. To get on his subscriber list, email shzoldan@comcast.net with the subject line ADD ME TO SOTD.

This is Kate Jones. Thank you for listening to Everyday Creation, available on YouTube and in podcast directories including Apple, Audible, iHeart and Spotify.

Scott Simon joined Sha Na Na in 1970 after responding to an ad for a keyboard player; he stayed with the group until they stopped touring in 2022.

The image in this episode's thumbnail is the cover of the album "Sha Na Na: Woodstock 20 Years After." Simon is pictured at the far left. In the chapters, there's also a photo of Simon signing autographs in 2009.

To watch Simon and the rest of Sha Na Na perform "Whole Lot of Shakin' Going On," go this video. To learn more about the band, visit the official website.

Simon co-wrote the song "Sandy" for "Grease." To listen to John Travolta sing it, as he did in the 1978 movie, you can go here.

This tribute is one of 41 stories that Sheldon Zoldan, a longtime journalist, has written and recorded in honor of the music notables who passed away in 2024. He's written tributes for other years as well. You can listen to the ones from 2023 on Everyday Creation. We'll have the 2022 tributes available later this year.

Sheldon also is the creator of Song of the Day, a story that he sends by email to a list of subscribers. To get on his subscriber list, email shzoldan@comcast.net with the subject line ADD ME TO SOTD.

This is Kate Jones. Thank you for listening to Everyday Creation, available on YouTube and in podcast directories including Apple, Audible, iHeart and Spotify.

Actor and singer James Darren's breakthrough role was as Moondoggie in the 1959 film "Gidget," where he also sang the title song. The film was a hit, and he became a heartthrob.

The image in this episode's chapters and thumbnail is an ABC Television photo of James Darren and Shelley Fabares on "The Donna Reed Show" in 1959.

Darren had equal success with acting and singing. His song "Goodbye Cruel World" reached number three on the Billboard charts in 1961.

When acting roles slowed down, Darren began directing. He returned to music in 1998, portraying a lounge singer on "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine." In the chapters, you'll see the cover of "This One's From the Heart," which features songs he performed on "Deep Space Nine."

This tribute is one of 41 stories that Sheldon Zoldan, a longtime journalist, has written and recorded in honor of the music notables who passed away in 2024. He's written tributes for other years as well. You can listen to the ones from 2023 on Everyday Creation. We'll have the 2022 tributes available later this year.

Sheldon also is the creator of Song of the Day, a story that he sends by email to a list of subscribers. To get on his subscriber list, email shzoldan@comcast.net with the subject line ADD ME TO SOTD.

This is Kate Jones. Thank you for listening to Everyday Creation, available on YouTube and in podcast directories including Apple, Audible, iHeart and Spotify.

The music career of Maurice Williams spanned more than six decades, with groups that evolved from the Junior Harmonizers to the Royal Charms, the Gladiolas and, finally, the Zodiacs.

Williams recorded his first hit, "Little Darlin'," with the Gladiolas in 1957. The song reached number four on Billboard's R&B chart.

He was only 17 in 1955 when he wrote "Stay" after unsuccessfully trying to convince a girl to "stay a little longer." At first, Williams didn't like the song but ultimately released it as the B side of a record. "Stay" ended up being the hit, reaching #1 on Billboard's Hot 100 on November 21, 1960.

To watch the Zodiacs performing "Stay" in 1967, you can go to this video from the Reelin' In The Years Archives.

To listen to Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons doing the song, go here, and for one of Jackson Browne's versions, go here.

The photo in this episode's chapters and thumbnail is a publicity shot of Williams (pictured in the middle of the first row) and the Zodiacs in 1960. It's available on Wikimedia Commons.

This tribute is one of 41 stories that Sheldon Zoldan, a longtime journalist, has written and recorded in honor of the music notables who passed away in 2024. He's written tributes for other years as well. You can listen to the ones from 2023 on Everyday Creation. We'll have the 2022 tributes available later this year.

Sheldon also is the creator of Song of the Day, a story that he sends by email to a list of subscribers. To get on his subscriber list, email shzoldan@comcast.net with the subject line ADD ME TO SOTD.

This is Kate Jones. Thank you for listening to Everyday Creation, available on YouTube and in podcast directories including Apple, Audible, iHeart and Spotify.