You Have The Power To Make History by Beny Ashburn

About a year ago I stumbled upon a travesty in our musical history.  I discovered something so mind-blowing and outrageous, that it forced me to enlist the support of the entire world.

I write this blog with determination and a fire in my spirit and I ask the world one question… How is it that the group that created hits like “Brickhouse”, “Three Times a Lady”, “Easy”, and “Just To Be Close To You”, have never been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame???

I am personally attached to the group by blood and spirit – my father, Benny Ashburn – was the manager and founder of The Commodores.  And having passed away right at the high of the group’s career, (and the beginning of my life – 3 years old), as his only child I have taken the reigns and I am leading the charge to get them inducted – tally hoooooo!

The Grammy Award- winning group The Commodores, started as a group of six students: Lionel Richie on keyboards, saxophone and vocals, Thomas McClary on guitar, William “WAK”-Kin” King on trumpet, Walter “Clyde” Orange on drums, Ronald LaPread on bass and Milan Williams on keyboards and vocal.  The Commodores signed with Motown in November 1972, having first caught the public eye by opening for The Jackson 5 while on tour.

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The world best knows them for ballads, such as ‘Easy’ and ‘Three Times a Lady’,  but, for the most part, the group mainly recorded funky-driven, dance-floor hits, which include ‘Brick House’, ‘Say Yeah’, ‘Fancy Dancer’, and ‘Too Hot Ta Trot’. The instrumental track ‘Machine Gun” from the band’s debut album, became a staple at American sporting events, and is similarly featured in many films, including Boogie Nights and Looking for Mr. Goodbar.  It reached #24 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1975. Another instrumental, ‘Cebu’ (named after an island in the Philippines), later became a staple in the Quiet storm format. Three albums released in years 1975 and 1976 (Caught in the Act,  Movin’ On, Hot On The Tracks) are considered the peak of their harder funk period and that’s when “Brickhouse” as born and that song reached #5 in the U.S.

Later to follow, were the classics ‘Sweet Love’ and  “Easy” which became the group’s biggest hit yet, reaching #4 in the U.S.  After years of toiling in the Top Ten, the group finally reached #1 in 1978 with the sweet ‘Three Times a Lady.’ 1979 saw the Commodores score another Top Five ballad hit ‘Sail On’ before reaching the top of the charts once again with another ballad, ‘Still.’

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The group had no major hits in 1980, but by 1981 they were back with a vengeance, scoring Top Ten hits with the ballad ‘Oh No’ (#4 U.S.) and their first upbeat single in almost five years, ‘Lady (You Bring Me Up)’ (#8 U.S.). ‘Nightshift’ won The Commodores their first Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocals in 1985.

The Commodores have sold over 75 million records worldwide. Now you tell me world, can you imagine how this major oversight has occurred?  This mistake is not a well thought out plan to prevent The Commodores from being celebrated, but rather simple human error.  So it is our job to help correct this mistake and join together to make it right.  So I ask you, music lovers, YOU, THE WORLD, will you help sprea