infinite JODISM

DOCUMENTATION THAT I EXIST

2009-02-10T10:17:00.000-08:00

The feeling of being invisible sometimes hurts,
Inner voices scream at the world,
Only to be blocked by walls of silence,
The feeling of being treated like garbage sometimes hurts,
I try to put out good karma in the universe,
Inner voices scream at the world,
Only to be deleted by those who crush dreams,
I just wanna feel alive,
My inner visions,
Fuel my inner vibes,
Battling the forces of evil,
Just to tell the world my name,
When my life is over,
Will they remember the song I sung for you,
Or the soulful masterpieces I painted,
The feeling of not existing sometimes hurts,
Inner voices scream at a world that isn't listening,
While my cries in the dark go unheard,
Does my life have meaning,
I am a cultural substance,
Demanding my existence be respected,
My umi says,
Shine your light on the world,
So the tattoo on my heart reads "The Mighty I Am".

("JODISM: Documentation That I Exist" opens Friday March 7th, 2009 at 6 pm as part of The Creative Arts Guild's First Friday event.)

Obama Skateboards by Visual Artist Jody L. Harris

2009-01-27T16:49:00.000-08:00

Attention!
Get your
Obama Skateboard today!
Collectors Edition ( Only 100 will be made)
$44.00 each
Celebrate our 44th president in a special way. Visual Artist Jody L. Harris and The Mad Lab are proud to present an opportunity for you to own a part of American History and help make Black History. Purchase an Obama Skateboard and support a good cause. A portion of the proceeds go towards The Starving Artist Fund. These works of art can be mounted or hung on your wall as art. We also offer customization such as names, pictures, important dates, etc. These limited edition skateboards are great for children and adults as well.
To get your Collectors Edition President Obama Skateboard before they sell-out, contact Jody Harris on facebook, myspace or jabz83@hotmail.com

I made the paper!

2009-01-20T14:47:00.001-08:00

Jody Harris, of Atlanta, paints an American flag behind silhouettes of Martin Luther King Jr. and Barack Obama on Monday at the Dalton Community Center during the United Way’s “Day of Service.” Volunteers painted several desks from the Emery Center with quotes and images depicting the civil rights movement.
/ Misty Watson

This is the article that goes along with the front page picture!

Words into action

Residents volunteer to honor MLK, serve community

Jamie Jones
Most holidays off from Dalton High School give Leonardo Martinez a chance to play sports with friends.

But not the Monday set aside to celebrate the life of Martin Luther King Jr.

Martinez was among numerous volunteers who put King’s words into action Monday as part of the United Way of Northwest Georgia’s “Day of Service” at the Dalton Community Center. Students on the United Way Youth Council helped organize the event.

“I wanted to help the community out, make the world a better place,” said Martinez, a 17-year-old sophomore. “I wanted to come here because my friends talked about it, and it sounded like something cool.”

Youth volunteers set up tables representing different countries and cultures including Mexico, Morocco and Scotland. The booths had information about the countries, while volunteers helped children with art and craft projects.

One of the more popular work stations gave children and teenagers an outlet for expression. Volunteers painted 24 desks from the Emery Center with quotes and pictures depicting the U.S. civil rights movement. The Emery Center, an African-American heritage/multicultural center, is where the first public school in Dalton once stood. The desks will be displayed in schools throughout Black History Month (February). They will later be auctioned with the proceeds going to the Emery Center.

Martinez meticulously wrote a quote on a piece of drawing paper. He planned to paint the quote from King: “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.” Martinez interpreted the words as a call for freedom and to stop judging people.

There was also a professional artist there to help. Jody Harris, a 1994 graduate of Dalton High School, painted several desks. One was an image of President-elect Barack Obama with the words “Embrace Change,” another of future first lady Michelle Obama, and the final piece (with help from his cousin, Mario Harris) featured silhouettes of Obama and King with an American flag in the background.

“It’s basically part of Dr. King’s dream coming to fruition with Obama becoming president,” Harris said of the Obama/King painting. “This is my tribute.”

Martin Luther King Day holds special meaning to Harris, who is black.

“It used to mean honoring my ancestors and forefathers and everything they went through, but now it’s about the meaning of everybody embracing change and just coming together like Obama did — and everybody has, just look around,” Harris said.

Obama will be sworn in today as the country’s first black president. At the community center, three posters of Obama are in the lobby alongside posters bearing the images of black pioneers in government, science and education. There are also photographs of two former black Major League Baseball players who were born in Dalton: David Mann and Harry “Suitcase” Simpson.

The messages of King — unity, equality and freedom — were an integral part of the day.

Rod Weaver, a member of the United Way board of directors, gave attendees a brief history on King’s fruitful life, from his birth in Atlanta on Jan. 15, 1929, to his death by assassination in Memphis on April 4, 1968. Weaver noted that King sought to overcome blacks “being treated as second class citizens” through non-violence, whether it was boycotts, sit-ins or marches.

“King fought to overcome these challenges,” Weaver said.

The education continued through the day, wrapping up with tours of The Emery Center.

Above is a article/picture from the Daily Citizen Newspaper. I also performed a spoken word piece. Those pictures were in the Chattanooga Free Times paper today. I feel like a star. I volunteered to oversee the painting of 24 desks from the Emery Center which will be used to raise money for this black history museum. It felt good to do something positive and use my creative abilites for good.

infinite JODISM

2009-01-12T09:43:00.000-08:00

As the old folks say, feels like I need to be sendin up timber. I had breakfast this morning. My favorite, a fresh bag of barbeque pork rinds and a glass of ice cold grape kool aid. I got up this morning realizing that my birthday is Wednesday and I have alot to be thankful for. My free spirit and creative ora encourage me to move forward. The niggativity in my community and space is easier to deal with. No weapon formed against me shall prosper. In my personal life, I finally decided to put it in the Most High's hands. I was thinking back to last year at this time. I said I wanted to be in a committed relationship by my next birthday. It aint even close to happening and that is the only thing I keep beating myself up for. But yo, I do enjoy the lure of being an educated, single black man with no responsibilities except me. It is a historical year. Big moves are fixin to be made! I know for a fact that 2009 is gonna be my year. When I make it to Oprah, I'll have to keep my shout-out list short!

infinite JODISM, infinite POTENTIAL

2008-12-29T15:49:00.000-08:00

2008 is outta here! These pictures are important to me. These people have influenced my life and helped shaped the person I am today in some way, fashion or form. I read alot and love black history & culture. I love music, art and black folks. I love us and who we are.

The top picture is from the "I want your soul" artshow that Dan The Man put on @ The Eastside Lounge. Yall can check it out at www.manoamanoartshow.com I am a visual artist and my passion for art, music and culture will never die. I have always battled other people's thoughts on what I should do with my life. I recently worked for DFACS as a social services placement worker. Some family drama and interaction with DFACS has caused a conflict of interest. My heart and mind all along was screaming go back and follow your dreams. On december 23, 2008, I was forced to make a decision and I chose to do what makes Jody Harris happy while not giving a damn anymore about what my family thinks, my so called friends and outsiders opinions. In reality, I never listened anyway and never gave a flying fuck. In relation to finding a good woman, I realized that going out looking aint gettin me nowhere. When the most high sees it fit for me to meet my soulmate, then it'll happen so I aint gon sweat that anymore. She is out there!

The people in the pictures above never cared about what people thought about them and I am fully embracing their spirits. I realized my infinite potential is limitless and I can do whatever I want. It has inspired me to move forward and focus on my life, my energy, my universal purpose and my all around well being. Walking away from certain situations sometimes can be hard but if it needs to be done, then it needs to be done. Locally, I am called the renaissance man. I am getting my guitar out and gettin back into my music. I have a blues gig lined up at the blues train cafe in downtown dalton on tuesdays. I will be doing Muddy Waters "Hoochie Coochie Man" and other classics. I am also gettin back into my art and the art scene heavy in 2009. I already got some art shows lined up. I am gonna do what makes Jody happy and let the cards fall where they may.

Yall please stay jazzy! Pray for me and I'll do the same for you! Support the arts!

Jody is gonna be Jody in 2009.

2008-12-16T17:53:00.000-08:00

I am moving in a direction that solely focuses on what Jody wants and what makes Jody happy for the new year and the rest of my life. I wanna wish everyone a happy new year. The year of 2008 has been crazy for me. Due to family drama, my job may be in limbo. It has been a big learning experience. For a while, it sounded like a scratched record. I was working at a job I hated. My ride was bummed out. I was borderline straight broke. My family drama went up to another level. So called friends who turned snake showed both of their screwfaces. People came at me crazy, sistas dissed me, haters stepped up their hate and I made more friends than enemies. In my personal life, I came to terms and accepted the fact that I am cursed and will spend the rest of this life on earth alone banned from ever experiencing true love again. To be honest, that is some hard shit to accept as a man. On top of that, I don't have any kids and some people see me as incomplete or less of a person. I want to have kids someday but do to the fact that sistas aint feelin a cat like me, I may end up adopting. When these people said those hurtful things, it stung. Those negative people will be completely gone from my life soon as I am cleaning house. I have actually been told that to my face and that aint cool. I am a man though and I have learned to just keep stuff like this balled up. In 2009, I can't continue to do that. I gotta release it before it ends up killing me.

On a good note, I got a better job for now, I got a new ride and I am working on dealing with the loneliness. I don't hang out with my friends who have girls so I don't feel like the 3rd wheel and I stopped going to certain social events because I end up sticking out cause everyone is coupled up and I am in the kitchen alone hiding. I got over my ex-wife and our history. I got a chance to travel this year and will be traveling alot more in 2009. I got my family regardless and I am slowly regaining my faith. A part of me feels that I am gonna be alright. I am active in my community, I am talented and got alot of things going for me. Everythang is everythang! My groove is mine and my spirit can't be crushed. I am on a journey to restock my life with more positive and uplifting people. I love art and music and my life beat is soulful and jazzy mixed with eclectic. Sun Ra said space is the place. I am always thinking about exploring my space, my personal space and the infinite space around me. Realizing my infinite potential is exciting sometimes and I get hyped thinking about the journey ahead. While on that journey, I will continue to move forward, improving my life and hopefully discover my universal purpose along the way. I know the lord aint bought me this far to drop me off here!
Yall pray for me and I'll do the same for yall. Stay jazzy and support the arts!

PEACE and Blessings

Jody L. Harris( Art, Beats and The Creative Spirit)

2008-11-10T12:10:00.000-08:00

R.I.P. JAX! Condolences to The Thorton Family and Binkis Recs Crew!

2008-11-06T06:46:00.000-08:00

R.I.P. TO OUR GOOD FRIEND AND BROTHA JAX FROM BINKIS RECS. IF YALL BEEN IN ATLANTA AND KNOW THE UNDERGROUND MUSIC SCENE, THEN YOU KNOW WHO JAX IS. THIS BROTHA WAS COOL AND ALWAYS SPOKE EVERY TIME I SAW HIM. HE ALWAYS HAD SOMETHING GOOD TO SAY OR A GOOD CONVERSATION ABOUT MUSIC, ART, WHATEVER. JAX PUT OUT AN ALBUM YEARS AGO ENTITLED "JFK". IT STOOD FOR JAX FOREVER KING AND YOU ARE BROTHA. WE GON MISS YOU MAN!

OBAMA IS DA MAN!

2008-11-05T08:21:00.000-08:00

WE ELECTED THE FIRST BLACK MAN AS PRESIDENT. THE ANCESTORS ARE PROUD AND WE MUST REALIZE THERE IS STILL WORK TO DO! I WOKE UP THIS MORNING FEELING STRONGER ALREADY. OUR EVERYDAY EXISTENCE MUST BE RESPECTED NOW!

This year, halloween fell on a weekend, me and the geto boys trick r treatin

2008-10-31T06:10:00.000-07:00

I don't get down with halloween like I use to. I remember runnin with the NY crew and we was snatchin chains/gaffling whips in buckhead(shout out BIG JUS LUNE TNS). On halloween, The freaks come out at night. It is do or die time tonight as Dalton vs. Northwest Whitfield goes down. Who ever loses, their season is over and no playoff glory. On saturday, the dawgs and dem gators do battle at 3:30. It is November and gettin cold. This is football in the south. Today is pay day and I already had my bills paid so I got some loot to blow. Magic City and Dancers Elite, watch out, I am comin thru. Shout out to Cinnamon, CoCo, Passion and Ms. Nu Booty.

Pay Day and the GA/Fla game!

2008-10-30T11:33:00.000-07:00

I get paid tomorrow and the ga/fla game goes down on saturday. I am still in tifton finishing up another part of job training. The test is friday and I haven't studied. I been hanging out in the hood here in tifton. A woman long time ago told me that confidence is sexy on a man. I been flexin my confidence in tifton lately. It's been a testing site. I tried to holla a few times.I met this sista at the mcdonald's drive thru and she asked me to take her shopping. I ordered a cheeseburger and a large iced latte with light ice. I pulled off. I been hanging out in the hood at the pool hall and guess who I see hugged up in the corner, the mcdonald's gurl and some army dude.

Anyway, the dawgs and dem gators are gonna battle this saturday. This is a SEC showdown and this is what football is all about. We play real football here in the south and it is apart of life from birth. I bleed catamount red and remember my days of running out onto that field on friday nights back in the early 90's. Football in the south is life. When I have kids, they will have a dalton catamount jersey on after birth.

There are 2 things the woman who becomes my next wife MUST have.
1.) She HAS to be a die hard football fan.
2.)She MUST be able to make southern pecan pie from scratch just like my grandmothers.

Back to the subject. It is football season and this is around the time teams realize it is battle or go home!

After the after party on november 5, 2008!

2008-10-29T05:57:00.000-07:00

Fixin to be honest! I aint hatin. I am keepin it real. Before black folks get happy go lucky, there are some things we need to realize. Down here in the south, we still have to deal with Mr. Charlie and his goon squad jim crow. First, Mr.Charlie aint gon bees toos happy if we be hoppin round and hoopin n hollerin on lection day. Mr.Charlie is gonna be mad when he see us doing the running man up and down the streets. Mr.Charlie is gon do everythang he can to tarnish this. He has relied on his homeboy Willie Lynch for many years and now a change may be comin. I am voting for obama cause he is black. I hope this brotha gets in the white house and finally paints it black. Aretha Franklin get ready to sang your heart out baby! Ay, Bootsie, it's chocolate city, crank up the bass guitar. In reality, I have never liked authority or any form of government. I only conform in this society cause I have to in order to survive. In reality, I hate government, religious figures and those in authoritive positions. Yes, I do have issues! The purpose of government is to keep people deaf, dumb and blind to their underhanded dealings in washington and the world. I support non racist anarchists and their belief of overthrowning government. I use to be a socialist and I realized that any form of government is worthless. I have voted over the years out of respect for my grandparents and what their generation endured for me to get to where I am at. When Obama wins, people still need to hold back on making him their savior. Black folks don't need to place him so high cause he is still a human. He will be under pressure to do things to satisfy alot of people and that is gonna be impossible. It is an exciting time and a great moment in history. I know some of the ancestors will be sangin and givin each other high fives saying we made it and others will be happy but still embracing the notion that we still got a long way to go. We should be excited at the facts surrounding this election and whats about to go down. On the wigflip, I read alot about subversive organizations and I use to listen to groups like "Screw Driver" and "Hate Breed". Under the surface, these types of people have always existed and they don't like anybody. The after party I am talking about aint the same type they got in mind. As yall seen in the news recently about the skinhead plot, they see this a a way to start their race war. I am from a mountainous region of north georgia and there are militias and various types of groups. There are some black folks like my inner circle that took steps to protect ourselves if something ever went down years ago. Anyway, go Obama. He win, We in! I am callin in sick november 5 and I am leavin kool-aid packets in the water fountains at work on Monday. Fried chicken, murray's hair grease and watermelon for everybody! It's a celebration.

Friends, time, space and life CHOICES.

2008-10-27T08:00:00.000-07:00

It has been mad crazy the past couple of days. I got folks coming at me saying that I am throwing my life up in they face. To an extent, I do talk about being free to do what ever the f*%k I wanna do since I have no restrictions. I am a young brotha just chillin and I realized I don't want any kids now, controlling women/needy women, extra bills or BS in my life. Folks comin at me cause I got this thang going on called "IT's All About Jody". This particular person made choices of their own that got them in the situation their in with a bunch of kids and 4 different baby mamas. We been homeboys since elementary school. I got alot of homeboys and family members in the same situation or worst and I feel sorry for them sometimes. I got one person to worry about and I am taking care of myself just fine.IT SEEMS LIKE THEY WANT ME TO FEEL GUILTY CAUSE I AM DOIN ALRIGHT IN MY LIFE RIGHT NOW AND WALKIN WITH MY HEAD TO THE SKY WHILE THEY STRUGGLE WITH BABY MAMA DRAMA, CHILD SUPPORT MOB STYLE SHAKE DOWNS. On the wigflip, I am back doing training in tifton,ga. It appears that my over seers have put a block on access to sites like myspace, facebook and facebook. I got another facebook page. Yall check it out.

Breast Cancer Day @ my job!

2008-10-22T16:26:00.000-07:00

I will be wearing a pink ribbon on thursday for my Aunt Sammie. She lives in Chicago and has been battling this disease like a warrior for years. I pray for my aunt and all people affected by this illness. I know she gon make and she gon be just fine. I know it! We are a strong, close knit family and we got her back. I also have a co-worker who was given the all clear sign recently and she doesn't have to take chemo anymore. I always thought pink was a girlie color. For this occassion, I was gon rock a pink jumpsuit but realized that wouldn't be a good PR move with the possible future wifey prospects in this day and age. I aint tryin to go out like Cameron did with the pink land rover, the pink fur and the big ass pink earrings he use to rock. I will have my ribbon on my shirt and my Aunt Sammie in my mind and heart. Yall stay jazzy!

The New New

2008-10-21T10:13:00.000-07:00

Check out the pictures below. This is from the Art Fusion 40 event this past saturday. Today is tuesday. I went to the doctor for a check up. I have lost 3 more pounds and feelin great. By this coming spring, I wanna be able to walk around on the beach in my wife beater showing off my tattooes.

R.I.P. Rudy Ray Moore aka DOLEMITE

2008-10-20T09:22:00.000-07:00

If you don't know who this man is then you are a sucka! And I will tell yo mama to her face that you are a sucka! Rudy Ray Moore is the human tornado aka petey wheatstraw the devil's son-in-law. He is one of the greats and his contributions will not be forgotten. Thank you Rudy Ray Moore for making us laugh and feel good.

ART FUSION @WOODRUFF ARTS CENTER this past saturday/10-18-08

2008-10-20T08:37:00.000-07:00

This event was put on by good brotha Jason Orr, founder of the Funk Jazz Kafe. I came out to this event and really enjoyed seeing old friends and showing off the new Jody Harris. Everybody was surprised and it felt good getting compliments about my weight loss. I got pictures with alot of good folks and got some more coming.

Punch Drunk Arms

2008-10-17T06:03:00.000-07:00

My arms use to brag to each other,
They use to brag about how soft she was,
And how they miss her,
My arms use to brag to each other,
They use to brag about how they use to hold her closely,
And shield her from the bitter cold,
My arms use to brag to each other about her.

Art Fusion@ The woodruff arts center and my connection!

2008-10-16T18:07:00.000-07:00

It is going down this saturday. I went to ACA from fall 1994-1999. I had a chance to meet and hang out with some good people like netifa, chaka aka I Self Devine, fahamou, eric mack, eric hudson, juan, j-dogg, angelbear, will canty, chelle, Joe wheeler, chelle #2(the one that went with will), anika, angela, stephanie, mike jones, terrence, cx, Ryan newman, caleb scott, kagan, obie, born, melanie, larry larr from jersey, andre moore, brian and napeleon, eugene byrd, Dre aka the wal-mart pimp from college park, kevin sipp, honey goode, frankie skates, ash puu(will), del, charles, leo, derek, nique, kish barrington(R.I.P.) and many more cool people. I use to let eric mack shape up my afro back then and we listened to diamond d's first album like 20 times. I also use to smoke some good weed with some of these cats over at the A.U.C. during the zulu nation meetings.

ON THIS SATURDAY, IT IS GOING DOWN AT THE WOODRUFF ARTS CENTER. IT IS ART FUSION. IT WILL HAVE A WHOLE LOT OF THINGS GOING ON SIMILAR TO THE FUNKJAZZ KAFE. DJ AND SOUL BROTHA TABONE ALONG WITH OTHERS WILL BE THERE AND THERE IS A 500 POETRY SLAM CONTEST, 6 LIVE ARTISTS CREATING ON THE SPOT, A VENDORS AREA AND MUCH MORE. THIS EVENT IS FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. YALL PLEASE COME OUT.
ALL ATLANTA COLLEGE OF ART MASIVE WHO ATTENDED ACA DURING THE GOLDEN AGE SHOULD COME OUT AND THINK BACK TO OUR DAYS FROM FALL 1994-1999. R.I.P. TO GOOD BROTHA "KISH BARRINGTON".
IT IS GOING DOWN THIS SATURDAY AT THE WOODRUFF ARTS CENTER FROM 8PM-2AM.
THERE WILL BE FREE HUGS FOR ALL SINGLE LADIES WHILE SUPPLIES LAST!

Book will be here by Christmas Holidays! Yippee!

2008-10-16T07:37:00.000-07:00

A puzzle called Black Women.

2008-10-13T16:51:00.000-07:00

I am about to keep it real again! I am a single brotha back on the dating scene. I have been working on getting my inner house in order before I really try to get into another long term relationship or any kind of relationship for that matter. I have alot to offer a sista. I have found out the hard way that the dating scene has changed. It is a puzzle trying to figure out women. Throw in trying to figure out black women. When they say this, it really means something else. When she does that, she really means this. Then they get mad at us when we don't figure out whatever message they tryin to communicate. I am a man and I think like a man! Sometimes we don't catch on to things. I admit that I am usually thinkin bout something else like when the game come on, do I need to finish grad school, is the beer cold, should I buy that new king magazine, will I get some this weekend, do I buy bread & milk or some rubbers and when is pay day. On the wigflip, I am having fun. I have only 1 person to take care of and I am taking care of myself just fine. I sincerely hope I put this puzzle together someday and find my soulmate. I know she is out there.

Relationship Quote from The Dalai Lama
Consider the following. We humans are social beings. We come into the world as the result of others' actions. We survive here in dependence on others. Whether we like it or not, there is hardly a moment of our lives when we do not benefit from others' activities. For this reason it is hardly surprising that most of our happiness arises in the context of our relationships with others.
Nor is it so remarkable that our greatest joy should come when we are motivated by concern for others. But that is not all. We find that not only do altruistic actions bring about happiness but they also lessen our experience of suffering. Here I am not suggesting that the individual whose actions are motivated by the wish to bring others' happiness necessarily meets with less misfortune than the one who does not. Sickness, old age, mishaps of one sort or another are the same for us all. But the sufferings which undermine our internal peace -- anxiety, doubt, disappointment -- these things are definitely less. In our concern for others, we worry less about ourselves. When we worry less about ourselves an experience of our own suffering is less intense.
What does this tell us? Firstly, because our every action has a universal dimension, a potential impact on others' happiness, ethics are necessary as a means to ensure that we do not harm others. Secondly, it tells us that genuine happiness consists in those spiritual qualities of love, compassion, patience, tolerance and forgiveness and so on. For it is these which provide both for our happiness and others' happiness. [Ethics for a New Millennium, by His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama]

LIFE

2008-10-13T16:23:00.000-07:00

"We do not grow absolutely, chronologically. We grow sometimes in one dimension, and not in another; unevenly. We grow partially. We are relative. We are mature in one realm, childish in another. The past, present, and future mingle and pull us backward, forward, or fix us in the present. We are made up of layers, cells, constellations." ---Anais Nin

NORMAN WHITFEILD(R.I.P. Brotha)

2008-10-13T15:59:00.000-07:00

If you have heard of the Motown Sound, then you know who this brotha is. We have lost another great black contributor to the world. If you seen the movie about the Temptations then you know who this soul brotha is. Norman Whitfield, songwriter and producer who co-wrote a string of Motown classics including "War," "Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me)" and "I Heard It Through the Grapevine," died. He was 67.
A spokeswoman at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center said Whitfield died there Tuesday. He suffered from complications of diabetes and had recently emerged from a coma, The Detroit Free Press reported.
The New York-born Whitfield was a longtime Motown producer who during the 1960s and '70s injected rock and psychedelic touches into the label's soul music.
Many of his biggest hits were co-written with Barrett Strong, with whom he was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2004. He and Strong won the Grammy in 1972 for best R&B song for the Temptations' "Papa Was a Rolling Stone."
Many of Whitfield's songs from late '60s and early '70s have a strong political tone, including the Temptations' 1970 "Ball of Confusion (That's What the World Is Today)," and Edwin Starr's 1970 "War."
In his only No. 1 hit, Starr sings in an anguished voice that war is "a heartbreaker, friend only to the undertaker. ... What is it good for? Absolutely nothing!" Whitfield produced as well as co-wrote the song.
Among Whitfield's other songs were "Cloud Nine," "Beauty Is Only Skin Deep" and "Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me)," all hits for the Temptations; and "Too Busy Thinking About My Baby," a 1969 hit for Marvin Gaye.
The group Undisputed Truth had a top five hit in 1971 with Whitfield and Strong's "Smiling Faces Sometimes."
Whitfield "was able to go beyond R&B cliches with punchy melodies and arrangements and topical lyrics," Joe McEwen and Jim Miller wrote in "The Rolling Stone Illustrated History of Rock & Roll."
Whitfield won another Grammy in 1976 for best original TV or motion picture score for "Car Wash." The movie's theme song was a No. 1 hit for Rose Royce and a Golden Globe nominee for best original song.
In a statement, Motown great Smokey Robinson hailed Whitfield as "one of the most prolific songwriters and record producers of our time. He will live forever through his great music."
Just last week, Gaye's version of "I Heard It Through the Grapevine," from 1968, was ranked at No. 65 in Billboard magazine's compilation of the top singles of the past 50 years.

THANK YOU NORMAN WHITFIELD AND WE WILL MISS YOU BROTHA!

I PASSED!

2008-10-10T18:50:00.000-07:00

In the past, I had a wife in my corner to support me and encourage me when things got dicey. Now we are divorced and in different places. It's been almost 2 years. I am my only form of a support system right now and this morning I thought I missed her or missed her being in my corner. Then I started thinkin about how far I have come. From trying to commit suicide to depression to getting a new job to gettin a new ride and a new crib. I have passed some hard tests in life so far and this little test for certification can't scared me. Today, I took the first test for my job training certification in Tifton,GA. I was lounging last night tryin to get with this honey in the lobby but she kept talkin about studying. I wanted to study also. I am a man and I think like a man! I can't help it. Anyway, I went to my room to watch the wake forest/clemson game and chatted on the phone with a new friend to about 3 in the morning. She is cool and really down to earth. I got up this morning realizing that I had messed around and wasted my thursday night study time. We took the test today in the training course and I ended up making a 84. I passed the test and got the first part of my certification for this job. I am happy and ready to get drunk. The only thing is that I have to go back to tifton next week for more training all the way til november 7. Yo, I still get bad vibes sometimes but in the long run, I think my life is gonna stay on this current track to improving and I am gonna be alright. The biggest test here was dealing with emotions from my divorce and ex-wife. I am over her and have moved on. I feel I passed that test. I'm stronger.

When keepin it real goes wrong! Pt. 1

2008-10-09T13:44:00.001-07:00

Keepin it real! I woke up today breathing. I thank the most high for letting me see another day regardless of the BS I know I'm gon deal with. I am in tifton,ga training for my job certification. When you give a lady a compliment, it is supposed to be in good faith. I am a cool cat who is laid back and when I see a pretty woman, I sometimes let them know. It is funny how somebody can change the way a person feels about themselves with a compliment. Words do have power. I am respectful and never rude or nasty with it. Anyway, it rained like hell down here today and got dark outside. I am gonna leave this blog entry right here!