Homegrown talent, like The Roots and The Trammps, honored during Philadelphia tradition.
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She wasn’t raised on the type of music that made her a child star. Instead, the songs sung by Ms. Andrea Mcardle – who played Annie in the first Broadway production of a musical based on the popular comic strip ‘Little Orphan Annie,’ – as a youth in Philadelphia were performed by African-American artists, many who were produced in a little studio on South Broad Street by legendary songwriters Mr. Leon Huff and Mr. Kenny Gamble.
It was the “Philadelphia Sound,” Ms. Mcardle suggested, that made her voice stand out in auditions, and which afforded her the opportunity in 1971, though she was originally cast as another orphan, to take on the now legendary role, which has since seen many actresses, even one of color, assume the character.
Ms. Andrea Mcardle in Center City Philadelphia. Photo Credit: C. Norris – ©2015
The production was unknown when Ms. Mcardle, then a soap opera actress, auditioned for it on her lunch break. But now, it’s one of the world’s most famous musicals, and the legacy of the show, and more specifically, the character, she says, is that it inspires many generations.
“I was on a subway a month ago and there were little African-American boys, like 13 of them, and they were on the subway singing all the songs from ‘Annie’,” said Ms. Mcardle, who favored the version of ‘Annie’ performed by Ms. Quvenzhane Wallis, a young black girl born in Louisiana. “To be Annie, said Ms. Mcardle, who, along with a number of Philadelphia-born celebrities today received a plaque of the City’s ‘Walk of Fame,’ “all you have to be is loveable.”
Another big name in the Philadelphia Music Walk of Fame’s Class of 2015 is Mr. Earl Young, the tight-pocketed drummer for The Trammps who kept the beat on the hit track ‘Disco Inferno.’
The career of Mr. Young is well-documented, but what isn’t as well-known is where and how he groomed his talent.
Mr. Earl Young, a famous drummer, in Center City Philadelphia. Photo Credit: C. Norris – ©2015
It was 1965 when Mr. Young, an amateur at the time, walked into the Uptown Theater in North Philadelphia and became the drummer for the house band, which was led by saxophonist Mr. Sam Reed.
Mr. Reed taught Mr. Young how to read drum music and play with a band. Mr. Young’s big moment today wouldn’t have been possible without the now dilapidated theater and the Chitlin Circuit it was a part of.
Mr. Young, age 75, was and is an inspiration to Mr. Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson, a drummer, disc jockey, and a founding member of The Roots, who were first in line to have their plaque unveiled this morning by Mayor Michael A. Nutter and others.
Collectively, the artists honored today have 16 Grammy Awards among them. But for many of the celebrities, today’s recognition was the most special.
“I’ve won many awards, but there’s nothing like being honored by your hometown,” said Ms. Mcardle.
Referring to the Class of 2015, Mayor Nutter said:
“This group demonstrates how richly diverse Philadelphia’s musical heritage is. From a country singer, a Broadway star, a hip-hop group, to a legendary jazz singer, glam rock and even a disc jockey, Philadelphia has it all.”
Here are all the names of The Philadelphia Music Walk of Fame’s Class of 2015: The Roots, Ms. Billie Holiday, Mr. Ray Benson of Asleep at the Wheel, Cinderella, The Trammps, Andrea McArdle, and WOGL FM air personality, Mr. Harvey Holiday.
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Thanks for reading. Until next time, I’m Flood the Drummer® & I’m Drumming for JUSTICE!™
Also by Chris Norris
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