How Black Music Month Got Started ...

The present becomes clear if you understand the past. Black Music Month has a creation story reaching as far back as the selling of sheet music. Here is the short version.

What the Sheet?

Sheet music stores once sold the popular songs of the day. They naturally came with lyrics, so people could go home to sing the songs with family and friends. Enter the phonograph in the late 1800s and department stores then sold both sheet music and records. Leap forward to the 1950s with the increased popularity of Black music, but department stores would not sell the product. Then we arrive at the creation of independent record stores that sold Black music and rock & roll. At that time, some referred to the popular new stuff sung by black performers as "race music."

My Point

I am sure you are wondering what all of this relates to Black Music Month. Well, hold your horses and let me get to it. Now, where was I, oh yeah -- race music and record/music stores grew beyond what anyone could have ever imagined. Some of the small stores grew into huge businesses responsible for selling a lot of music sung by Black and rock 'n' roll artists.

Commerce and Culture

Blues, Jazz, and Gospel are considered an American art form in Europe. It is recognized as having originated in the Black communities in the U.S. Music attributed to African-Americans have sold a lot of units for record companies. The first major record company to have an in-house Black division was CBS Records.

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Black Music Month was created with the intention of using the cultural aspect of Black music contributions to distribute and package old and new Black music product. It was about money, an economic program that also highlighted the accomplishments of African-American musicians. Due, greatly in part, to the success of CBS Records and Black music sales many of the independent companies were swept up into the other major companies ... and new in-house Black promotions departments were created. The sales of Black music product had become more profitable than ever.

Black Music Association (BMA)

While CBS was having a field day with its in-house Black division, another independent label distributed by CBS was operated by a two African-Americans by the names of Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff. Years later, Gamble would go on to form the Black Music Association. There were four divisions created within the organization -- Marketing/Merchandising, Record Company Execs, Communications (air personalities/TV execs/journalists), and Entertainers/Artists.

I can still remember a music industry friend telling me about the Black Music slogan, "Black Music Is Green." Apparently, Gamble and two others who helped spearhead the organization, used the Country Music Association as the model for promoting June as Black Music Month; the CMA had established October as Country Music Month during the Nixon White House years.

President Jimmy Carter/BMA/Clarence Avant

Black Music Month became a reality in 1979 with the help of Clarence Avant, an African-American record exec/communications entrepreneur. Best described as an unassuming gentleman with influence in areas far beyond our industry, he was asked to help get a night at the White House with President Carter and his wife Roslyn, similar to an evening the CMA had enjoyed. Apparently after a flurry of well-placed phone calls, it worked. Just to impress upon you the significance of Avant, he was later part of President Bill Clinton's White House economic transition team.

A Party

The Black Music Night at the White House gave birth to a Black Music Month. The guest listed that night included Little Richard, Chuck Berry, Andre Couch, Evelyn Champaign King and Billy Eckstine. The BMA selected June as the month to celebrate the economic and cultural power of Black music. President Carter gave it his stamp of approval with that first night of celebration at the White House. The names credited for the creation of Black Music Month include Kenny Gamble, Ed Wright and Dyana Williams.

Black Music Month Support

Earlier, I mentioned the major record/music companies' discovery of increased revenue from their new in-house Black divisions. Marketing-wise, the companies recognized a way to support the historical contributions African-Americans had made to music. It was an excellent way to package and sell Blues, Jazz, Gospel, and R&B at record stores. There were a lot of advertising dollars poured into media for marketing and all sorts of displays highlighting the merchandise.

For Zs & Future Generations

Over the years, most independent and major record/music store chains have gone out of business. Both were the backbone for celebrating and selling music for Black Music Month. These stores were actual brick and mortar locations, stocked with vinyl records; analog sound storage in the shape of a flat disc with in-scripted spiral grooves and compact discs (CDs); small portable storage items used to record or playback audio in digital form. At one time the clear majority of music lovers purchased music products to own and physically keep at home. These physical locations always had various displays of creative vinyl album art, posters, and placards of music offered for sale. During Black Music Month, imaginative creations were provided by the record/music companies for the stores to highlight R &B -- artists, current music, and a variety of catalogs available. Customers were on a musical adrenaline high, they could touch, feel, listen, and impulse buy. It was like walking into a donut shop and wanting to purchase everything that smelled good.

Increased Consumer Interest

One other thing, not often mentioned: Black Music Month was an economic success for the stores because the increased store traffic was the reason lots of other, non-R & B product was also sold. To reiterate, the bottom line for the month was the bottom line. The cultural revelations were a by-product.

A New Day

When record/music stores began going out of business, record companies' financial support for Black Music Month lessened due to the restructuring of marketing plans to keep up with society's changing methods of buying music -- digital downloads, streaming, etc. The changing of the times has left Black Music Month with some radio syndicated programming (including satellite radio and music services), a few cable TV specials, radio websites, scattered social media awareness, and some well-produced public radio NPR programs. The month itself is recognized, but many don't remember why or how it came into existence.

The Music Plays On

The demand for all music still exists, but the delivery systems have expanded; thanks to technology and the digital age. Regardless of its origins, Black Music Month is still a great way to pay tribute to the African-American entertainers and musicians of past and present. Hopefully, this and future generations will find ways to pour dollars into the continued celebration of Black Music Month.

History & The Future

Yes, June is Black Music Month and thanks to audio advancements, it will be archived more efficiently for generations to come. Songs are no longer exclusively packaged and marketed by the old standards, but culturally the music plays on. (Note: President Barack Obama officially changed the name to African-American Music Month in 2009)