I am honored to announce that Smithsonian Institute is including my photo (right) of the Delfonics in its exhibit "Ain’t Nothing Like the Real Thing: How the Apollo Theater Shaped American Entertainment" at the National Museum of African-American History and Culture. This exhibition will be on view from April 23, 2010 to August 29, 2010, and then will travel to several venues across the country through 2012. In addition, the photo will also be included it the companion book "Jazz, Jump and Jive/"Ain't Nothing Like The Real Thing" due to be published in April 2010 to coincide with the opening of the exhibition in Washington DC.
The photograph was taken in May 1972 when me and my two friends, Carolyn A. Wyatt and Iris Wyatt, traveled with the group as photographers after meeting them in December 1969 at the Howard Theater in Washington, DC. We spent the next 5 years with the group, photographing them at venues up and down the "chit'lin circuit" and privately at their homes in Philadelphia. From hundreds of photos, this is one of the few that I still have. I gave most of them to the William Hart when I ran into him many years later. Accordingly to William, neither he, his brother Wilbert, Randy Cane or Major Harris had many tangible memories of their years as top recording artists with hits like "(Didn't I) Blow Your Mind This Time", "La-La Means I Love You", "Ready Or Not", and "Hey Love".
The Smithsonian saw the photograph posted here on my website and contacted me recently for permission to use it in the exhibition and book. Growing up in Washington DC, visiting the Smithsonian just about every weekend, it has always been one of my dreams to be in the Smithsonian Institute. I hope that all you will go see the exhibition and/or purchase the book.
