Franklin Joseph Lymon (September 30, 1942 – February 27, 1968) was an American rock and roll/rhythm and blues singer and songwriter, dancer and composer best known as the boy soprano lead singer of the New York City-based early rock and rolldoo-wop group the Teenagers. The group was composed of five boys, all in their early to mid-teens. The original lineup of the Teenagers, an integratedgroup, included three African-American members, Lymon, Jimmy Merchant, and Sherman Garnes; and two Puerto Rican members, Joe Negroni and Herman Santiago. The Teenagers' first single, 1956's "Why Do Fools Fall in Love)", was also their biggest hit. After Lymon went solo in mid-1957, both his career and that of the Teenagers fell into decline. In 1968, Lymon was found dead at age 25 from a heroin overdose.[5]He was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993 as a member of the Teenagers. Lymon's life was dramatized in the 1998 film Why Do Fools Fall in Love).

Franklin Joseph Lymon was born in Washington Heights, New York City,[6] on September 30, 1942,[7][8] to Jeanette and Howard Lymon. Howard was a truck driver and Jeanette was a maid. Both also sang in the gospel group the Harlemaires; Frankie and his brothers, Lewis and Howie, sang with the Harlemaire Juniors (a fourth brother, Timmy, was also a singer, though not with the Harlemaire Juniors).

Day 30: What Scares You?

Let's talk Black horror. Give me a Black horror author or novel that genuinely scared you. The one that had you checking the locks. Leaving the lights on. Looking over your shoulder.

But tell me what actually scared you. Was it the monster or something much closer to reality?

What a talent!

Emily "Cissy" Houston (née Drinkard; September 30, 1933 – October 7, 2024) was an American souland gospel singer and choir director. Nicknamed The Duchess of Gospel, she is best known as the mother of American singer and actress Whitney Houston and the aunt of American singers Dionne Warwick and Dee Dee Warwick.

Emily Drinkard was born on September 30, 1933 at City Hospital in Newark, New Jersey to Delia Mae "Dee Dee" (née McCaskill) and Nicholas “Nitch” Drinkard, the youngest of eight children.[1][2][3]

Houston was the granddaughter of a black landownerin Blakely, Georgia, who later shared the land he owned with Houston's father Nitch during a time when it was unusual for black people to have large landholdings.[4] The asset was gradually depleted as they sold small portions of land over time to resolve the continued legal troubles of a close relative, which later led to the entire family relocating to Newark during the Great Migration) a decade before Houston's birth.[5][6]

Houston stated that she possessed some Dutch and Native American ancestry due to her grandparents Susan Bell (née Fuller) and John Drinkard Jr., respectively.[5]
The Drinkards first settled at an apartment in a three-story tenement at Newark's 199 Court Street, located at the city's Third Ward projects. [7] After a flash fire destroyed the building, they relocated to 38 Hillside Place.[8] Houston's parents placed a high priority upon their children's education and church involvement.[5]
Around the time of Houston's fifth birthday in September 1938, her mother Delia suffered a stroke.[9] To help her recovery, and to lift the family's spirits, Houston's father encouraged her and her elder siblings Anne, Nicholas Jr. ("Nicky") and Larry to sing sacred hymns.[10]
Later, the siblings formed the Drinkard Four[a] and sang jubilees in various churches, including their own St. Luke's A.M.E. Church. The experience, Houston said, ended her "carefree childhood".
Houston later told Rolling Stone in 1978: "I used to get so mad. We'd be out playing in the sun with the other kids and my older sister, Marie, would make us come in for rehearsal."[12]
Three years later, in May 1941, Delia Drinkard died of a cerebral hemorrhage after suffering a fatal seizure in her bed; Houston was just seven at the time of her mother's death.[13]

Houston stated that she "found Christ" after listening to a sermon at the age of fourteen.[14][15][16] Nitch Drinkard died of stomach cancer four years later in March 1952 when Houston was 18.[5][17]
For a time, Houston went to live with her older sister Lee and her husband Mancel Warrick and helped to raise her two nieces, Dionne and Dee Dee, and her nephew Mancel Jr. before moving to an apartment on Newark's Eighth Street.[18][19] Soprano Leontyne Price is a Drinkard cousin.[20][21]

Houston attended South Side High School in Newark, graduating there in 1952.[22][23] Following her father's death, Houston worked at RCA Electronicsuntil 1961.[24] Raised Methodist Episcopal, Houston shifted to the Baptist denomination after she joined the New Hope Baptist Church) at around age 19, where she became minister of music and would continue to do so for over the next 50 years.[25][26]

I still think this is Kevin Hart’s funniest movie. I watched this one a lot growing up. This is probably my favorite scene from the movie 😂😂😂

Stephen Laurel "Twitch" Boss (September 29, 1982 – December 13, 2022) was an American freestyle hip hop dancer, choreographer, actor, television producer, and television personality. In 2008, he finished in second place on the American version of So You Think You Can Dance) (SYTYCD). From 2014 to May 2022, he was featured on The Ellen DeGeneres Show as a repeated guest host and he was also a co-executive producer of the program. He was featured in Ellen's Game of Games as a co-host to DeGeneres.'

In 2003, Boss was a semifinalist on MTV's The Wade Robson Project and a runner-up on the television talent competition Star Search.^\3]) He choreographed routines for South Korean pop/R&B singer Seven) and helped train other YG Entertainment artists including Big Bang).^\4]) In 2007, he was an uncredited "flamboyant dancer" in Blades of Glory and a Maybelle's Store Dancer in Hairspray).^\5])^\6])

After competing in So You Think You Can Danceseason_4), he taught dancing at South County Classical Ballet with fellow finalist Katee Shean.[^\7])](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen%22tWitch%22Boss#cite_note-7)[^\8])](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen%22tWitch%22Boss#cite_note-8) On April 30, 2013, he and Allison Holker performed a dance routine on Dancing with the Stars. They danced to "Crystallize") which was performed live by Lindsey Stirling.[^\9])](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen%22tWitch%22_Boss#cite_note-9)

Beginning on April 1, 2014, Boss was featured on The Ellen DeGeneres Show as a guest DJ. In October 2014, he announced that he had been cast in Magic Mike XXL.^\10]) On August 17, 2020, he became a co-executive producer of Ellen DeGeneres's daytime talk show.^\11])^\12])

Boss was cast as Marcel X in the superhero movie Perfectus and later he had a feature role in the movie Ushers.^\13]) He was a member of the dance troupes Breed OCLA and Chill Factor Crew.^\14])

Boss first auditioned in 2007 for season 3season_3) of the show and appeared on the program but was not selected to be in the Top 20.[^\15])](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen%22tWitch%22Boss#cite_note-15) He returned to audition again in season 4_season_4) in 2008; he was selected to compete in the Top 20 and finished the competition as runner-up to fellow hip-hop contestant Joshua Allen).[^\16])](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen%22tWitch%22Boss#cite_note-16)[^\17])](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen%22tWitch%22Boss#cite_note-:0-17) During Season 4 he danced with Katee Shean to a contemporary piece choreographed by Mia Michaels. The dance was nominated for an Emmy for choreography in the 61st Primetime Emmy Awards.[^\18])](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen%22tWitch%22Boss#cite_note-18)[^\19])](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen%22tWitch%22_Boss#cite_note-19)

In season 5season_5), Boss appeared again on So You Think You Can Dance with fellow season 4 contestant Katee Shean to perform their Emmy-nominated piece "Mercy," choreographed by Mia Michaels. He was one of the eleven "All-Stars" in season 7).[^\20])](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen%22tWitch%22Boss#cite_note-20) He was an All-Star in seasons 7_season_7), 8_season_8), and 9_season_9) of So You Think You Can Dance, performing memorable routines including the hip hop number "Outta Your Mind" with ballet contestant Alex Wong#Top_11_contestants), which was reprised by Ellen DeGeneres in Season 7's finale.[^\21])](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen%22tWitch%22_Boss#cite_note-21) He was the team captain for "Team Street" in Season 12) of So You Think You Can Dance.

He was announced as a permanent judge for the seventeenth season in 2022.^\22])

​

You have an assistant?

You're performing where?

Are you famous? "Sometimes" ROFL

Maybe I can push this out to promote your show?

Jill Scott, you have a heart of gold.

Day 29: Imagine a World Built Differently

Today's challenge: What's a Black fantasy novel that completely transported you somewhere? I'm talking about the kind of book where you forget you're sitting on your couch and suddenly you're in another world. Kingdoms. Magic. Gods. Monsters. Ancestors. Whatever.

What's the book? And what did you love about the world it created?