The deaths of white R&B vocalist Bobby Caldwell provided a perfect opportunity to celebrate great blue-eyed soul artists. But with Donald Trump’s announcement that he’s going to soon be criminally indicted, Boss Ross merges his love for music and politics into a show covering both bases.
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You are now listening to TheGrios black podcast network, black culture amplified.
Hi, I’m Kevin Ross
and this is
The Podcast,
The Case of Donald Trump and The Blue-Eyed Soul Singers.
After a string of political losses and embarrassing missteps regarding his third presidential campaign,
Donald Trump may finally be getting his comeuppance.
We’ve got charges in New York regarding hush money to keep a porn star from singing, vote tampering in Georgia, the justice department closing in on his alleged illegal possession of classified documents in Florida.
January the 6th, the unlawful efforts to hold political power after his 2020 election defeat, and- and- and.
These pending matters will unquestionably put a chink in Teflon Don’s armor. Thus, as a news story, this is beyond huge. I mean, everybody on earth is talking about Donald John Trump
and I just have one thing, one thing to say
about all of it.
I had absolutely no idea
that singer Bobby Caldwell
was not Black.
Boss Ross, What in the H E double tooth picks does Donald Trump have to do with Bobby Caldwell?
Answer?
Nothing.
Then why are you taking time away from discussing blue eyed soul artists like Caldwell to jump on this Trump insanity bandwagon? Hey,
what can I say, I’m a political junkie and I follow what’s going on. Even when I don’t want to.
See, I was minding my own business, enjoying Miss Diana Ross at a March 12th Oscar viewing party in Beverly Hills put on by Byron Allen. All of a sudden the icon herself, she starts singing this oldie “More Today Than Yesterday”.
And you can check me out singing it on Instagram over @IamBossRoss .
I hadn’t heard that song in years and it instantly took me back to my childhood. That song originally recorded by the white band Spiral Staircase in 1969. I actually started thinking about all the eclectic music that I was exposed to growing up and how the generation of my two sons have all this online access to music but often they simply take that for granted. That’s from where I sit at least.
Anyway, two days after the Oscars and I learned that Bobby Caldwell, whose classic hit, “What You Won’t Do For Love”, one of my favorite songs, by the way.
That Mr Caldwell died at the age of 71.
And then I see his picture and I’m like.
Am I the only person who didn’t know this man was white?
At that point, especially because I was already still reminiscing about music. From my past. I actually started playing other blue eyed soul artists and had been jamming the last week like you wouldn’t believe. But what exactly is blue eyed soul?
Well, Wikipedia defines it as R and B and soul music performed by someone who’s white. That definition for me just, it doesn’t cut it because for a white artist to be embraced by black people, it’s not enough to just sound black.
Certain singers seemingly relate to black folks in a much,
much more meaningful way. I mean, come on, “What you won’t do For Love” released in 1978 reached the top 10 on the Billboard magazine’s hot 100. It was number nine and then the R and B charts, it was number six. It’s been remade so many times and covered by the likes of Phyllis Hyman, Roy Ayers, Boyz 2 Men and was actually even sampled by Tupac Shakur for his hit “Do For Love”.
And have you checked out Caldwell’s other hits such as “My Flame”, “Carry on”,
“The Real Thing”
and “Come To Me”.
Mm That’s some good music.
So rest in peace, Bobby Caldwell.
Job well done, sir.
Bravo.
But you didn’t think I was just gonna stop there. Hell no.
Oh no, I have several favorite blue eyed soul artists that I truly dig. Adele,
Hall and Oates, George Michael, Christina Aguilera, Robin Thicke, Justin Timberlake, Doobie Brothers, Average White Band. Come On Now Culture Club, Righteous Brothers, Michael McDonald, The Beegees, uh Tom Jones, Fergie from Black Eyed Peas. Bring her along with us.
KC and the Sunshine Band. Don’t get me started.
We got Elton can even include Kelly Clarkson, Sam Smith. Oh, I’m here for it. And then there’s the queen, the one and only Teena Marie.
That lady,
I can listen to her nonstop.
You know, she died 12 years ago at the age of 54 and I miss that voice, to this day.
You know, as you can see and as at this one, you can probably tell that I could have spent this entire episode talking about these artists each with their own unique unmistakable sound, but I just can’t quit Donald Trump.
I don’t know. Maybe I’m a masochist, maybe I’m thinking years, decades from now. When I go back and listen to what I was talking about in 2023, I had enough foresight to give my own take on the history that could be made this week. And with Donald Trump sending out messages on his impending arrest along with the call to quote protest and take our nation back. Where do I begin?
Forgive me, Teena Marie, forgive me, please. Alright. Charges from our unending nightmare, also known as our twice impeached former President and Commander in Chief. First, we’ve got this issue of the $130,000 hush money payment to Stormy Daniels, a former porn actress
before the 2016 elections.
The question that I have is, does Manhattan D.A. Alvin Bragg have the goods to indict? Can we trust that Michael Cohen Trump’s former lawyer and fixer actually sent Stormy Daniels money and then the Trump organization reimbursed him sometime during 2017. And did the Trump organization conceal what was allegedly a fake legal retainer?
That’s what the issue is because the potential charge we’re talking about is bookkeeping fraud or falsification of business records. But what we need to understand and what it really boils down to is will a jury be convinced beyond a reasonable doubt
that Donald Trump
knowingly called subordinates
to make false recorded entries with the intent to defraud? That’s, that’s the secret sauce right there with the intent to defraud. Can it be proved
Trump falsified business records with the intention of committing aiding or concealing a second crime? Would not, what was that second crime be? Well, for instance, it could be federal presidential campaign finance violation laws or some sort of improper filing of a New York business tax return. That’s where it gets a little muddled.
But Bragg as a Democrat
is being accused of political showmanship,
the same is true for Fani Willis Fulton County D.A down in Georgia, another Democrat. She’s on the hunt investigating Trump’s attempts to overturn Biden’s 2020 triumph in the state. The allegation is that and we’ve heard it, we’ve seen it, Donald Trump called Georgia’s Secretary of State, Brad Raffensperger and pressured him actually defined quote 11,780 votes and then
ultimately, that would lead to an altering of the official election records. That’s illegal if it’s true.
Also, efforts were allegedly made to get 16 of Trump’s supporters to falsely declare themselves as an alternative slate of electors.
He also allegedly pressured the Governor Brian Kemp to convene a special session of the Georgia legislature to overturn Biden’s razor thin victory
if that can be proved.
The Don is going down.
In Florida, we have this whole issue special counsel for the Federal Justice Department, Jack Smith investigating the handling of classified documents kept at Mar A Lago and whether or not Trump resisted efforts to retrieve them.
Now, as it turns out Justice department, they obtained a subpoena. Trump’s attorney M. Evan Corcoran turned over some documents at the same time while he drafted a false statement saying that there were no more documents to be found. Then later, the FBI with a search warrant ends up finding an additional 103 documents. So that becomes a question of, can it be proved that he was unauthorized in retaining these national security documents?
Because the government is going to have to establish that he knew he possessed classified documents after leaving the White House and then failed to comply.
Those documents have to be related to some sort of national defense. They have to have been closely held and disclosure could harm the United States or aid a foreign adversary.
None of these things seem that difficult to prove because if they were, unless they had airtight cases,
whether we’re talking New York, we’re talking Georgia, we’re talking Florida.
We all know that this is unprecedented when we talk about a former President.
So with this, with this issue, with the documents,
can they prove that Trump knew he had the files that he intended to cause subordinates to fail to turn them over? Aides have actually been on record and has said that he routinely ripped documents up.
Was he in contempt of court for willfully disobeying a court order? Did he conspire to make a false statement? You know, when, when the attorney Cochran- Corcoran
agreed that
there should be some sort of hiding or withholding information about whether or not Trump had additional documents.
So that’s what we’re looking at we and, and let’s not even talk about trying to overturn the 2020 election and what happened on January 6th in terms of the insurrection because we’ve got the Special Counsel Smith trying to determine whether or not there was corrupt, obstruction of, of justice of an official proceeding by urging folks to actually march on the Capitol and quote, fight like hell,
can he be charged with that?
Can he be charged with a conspiracy to defraud the United States after repeatedly telling voters that there was widespread fraud? When in fact, he knew those allegations were baseless.
Should he be charged with starting an insurrection?
In this very moment, I’m starting to rethink, getting off my chosen blue eyed soul topping and letting Donald Trump hover over this space.
Then again, we are a nation of God given freedoms and societal obligations. And if we must digress from those things, which bring us joy to ensure the message that no one is above the law
is unequivocal.
Then that’s a sacrifice I’m actually willing to make.
I’m talking square biz to you baby.
Square, square biz.
I’m Kevin Ross
and this is
The Podcast
powered by TheGrio.
Make sure you follow me @IamBossRoss on Instagram and Twitter .
Thanks for listening.
See you next time.
