I think that the average Soul Train Awards show does a good job of featuring performers, award presenters, and\or video interview commenters from the R&B industry artists who have a stud or studette track records of success with music that rarely or that not ever crossed over on to the pop charts.

While the show does the best effort at inclusion of this category of R&B performer for those

performers that are relatively new or not much older than 10 years into their recording career (Keyshia Cole, Tank, Eric Benet, for example) they do very little for those performers with relatively infrequent recording careers or who do not have active recording careers. This latter subcategory may be called Old School, mostly or exclusively R&B charts specialists.

For recent Awards Show, Eddie Levert of the OJays and Charlie Wilson of the Gap Band provide excellent examples of ambassadors for the Old School R&B Specialists who have been featured

on the Awards show one way or the the other.

It seems, however, that every Old School Specialst that is able to and and allowed to appear on a

Soul Train Awards show must have a quota of at least one significant crossover, pop charts success such as Chaka Kahn, The Ojays, Cameo (Word Up, Candy), Silk (Freak Me, If You), SWV and Joeci.

If this type of quota does in fact exist it shouldn't because it violates the fundamental intention and purpose of Soul Train from its infancy to its peak periods of quality content and assistance to the industry of R&B artists.

Whether its an active career or an old school career, this category of performers with success

exclusively or mostly on the R&B charts has very frequently made exceptional, fundamentally important contributions to the vitality and growth of the R&B indsutry. Therefore, they, the Old School studs and studettes, should get as much recognition and gratitude as possible

The inclusiion of this Old School , R&B charts only or mostly R&B charts stud or studette

is good for the industry and for the vitality of the Soul Train concept, a show that

introduced new R&B artists and reinforced established R&B artists as its main priorities in service to an audience that cared about the newest and the established R&B expert performers and secondly

to the small minority of the audience that were interested in potential pop chart worthiness of the music on a particular episode.

The examples of Old School R&B Charts All Star level men and women that

I think would be good for the show, if they would be available, include Melba Moore, Patti Austin, Patrice Rushen, Midnight Star, Loose Ends, Michael Cooper/Con Funk Shun,

Herbie Hancock, Evelyn King, Roy Ayers, Jesse Johnson, Skyy, and Steve Arrington.

Questions.

1. Do you agree?

2. If you do agree, which Old School R&B Specialists (successful mainly or exclusively on the R&B charts) do you think would be worthwhile to included in a Soul Train Awards show?

I haven't watched the Soul Train Awards since the JenniferHudson/Evelyn King/Chaka Khan collab (which was outstanding!) but I always enjoyed it because it featured performers that you probably won't see on the AMA's or Grammy Awards. I do agree some of the old school artists do get ignored. It would be nice to see a Melba Moore or Patti Austin on one of these shows. They are both still active recording artists and both were very successful on the Billboard charts back in the 80's.