Browse Items (687 total)

A magazine article discussing Dianne Brooks as a musician, and touches on her rise to stardom

An autobiography of Rick James. In the earlier chapters of his autobiography, James discusses his time in Toronto and his time in the band "The Mynah Birds"

An image depicting the inside of Club Bluenote. This image shows performers such as Kay Taylor, the vocalist, and the house band. Club Bluenote was one of the most popular blues clubs in Toronto, frequented by Dianne Brooks and Shirley Matthews, as…

A mural depicting musicians who had mad a significant impact in Toronto, such as Dianne Brooks and Jackie Shane. This is incredibly important as the mural recognizes how important Black musicians are to the history of music in Toronto.

The Mynah Bird was a popular music venue in Yorkville, Toronto, and was known for being a coffeehouse venue in the morning and hosting R&B performers at night. Many famous Canadian folk singers got their start here, such as Joni Mitchell and Neil…

This RPM Chart from 1966 showcases Jackie Shane in the 95th spot for her song “Any Other Way” 3 years after its initial release, which had been rereleased. This is the only song of hers that appears in the RPM Weekly ever. “Any Other Way” is her most…

This RPM Chart showcases Dianne Brooks in the 85th spot for the top albums. Her album “Some Other Kind Of Soul” was her first album she had released as a solo artist, and had eventually gone on to release 2 more solo albums before becoming a backup…

This is a record chart from 1969 which features “Get Back” by the Beatles as the most popular song, as well as songs from the musical “Hair,” which featured R&B songs and was known for its commentary on the Vietnam War as well as featuring Black…

The Sapphire Tavern was a historic venue in Toronto where Jackie Shane performed and recorded her live album “Jackie Shane Live!” in 1967, which had reached the tops of charts in Canada. 4 years after the release of this album, Jackie had disappeared…

A magazine clip featuring Shirley Matthews. This magazine clip gives a small biography on Shirley Matthews, and her beginnings as a telephone operator, as well as coming from a musical background.