BBC4 The Changin' Times of Ike White - Arena Mon 18 May 2020

Looks an interesting documentary, about time BBC 4 made something new, sky arts tends to wipe the floor with them in terms of music docs, of late.

Blimey. What a life. 

This adds more after watching:

Murder, mystery and a hit record: the unbelievable story of Ike White

https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2020/may/18/mystery-and-a-hit-record-the-unbelievable-story-of-ike-white?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Copy_to_clipboard

 

abridged part of an article i wrote/posted in SS: Black Panthers, The Lumpen, and Marvin Gaye

As an inmate, Ike White was heading a committee which booked outside entertainment to play at San Quentin prison. In 1971 he helped organise “Soul [Consciousness] Day” (which became renamed as Malcolm X Day at San Quentin”). Curtis Mayfield, Muhammad Ali, War, Jimmy Witherspoon and Eric Burden were invited[1] [2]. It was a day-long event organised by the prisoners’ organisation, with the help of the newly formed San Quentin Prison Chapter of the Black Panther Party (BPP). There is a further account that Curtis Mayfield was actually the headliner. What the prison authorities were unaware of was the supporting band was none other than The Lumpen and their band the Freedom Messengers[3].

 

 

up on iplayer for those who need it

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m000jb6v/arena-the-changin-times-of-ike-white

78 minutes

 

It is worth a watch. Ironically his music is only a small part of it - the life of the man and result on people around him is fasincating.  It's interesting in there how much music he was performing and is shown but seemingly not releasing - adapting to the style of the era, big haired 80s boogie, 90s R&B, bedroom Soul - he kept on but it was the attention from the music rather than releasing the music itself that seemed most important.  There's more to him than was even in the documentary as subsequent articles have picked up on.