How Black Women Icons Became "Divas" (w/ Patrick L. Riley)

My guest for this episode is award winning independent producer, writer, critic, and Diana Ross superfan Patrick L. Riley. His book, That's What Friends Are For: On The Women Who Inspired Me, provides a nice jumping off point for us to discuss the history of the term "diva" as it is used for Black women.

Mr. Riley breaks down the early 20th Century use of the word for the Black women blues and jazz singers dubbed "the dark divas." He then details the revival of the term for celebrated Black women of music, film, stage, and business, from the late 70s through the modern day.

We ground most of the discussion in Mr. Riley's personal experience as a fan of said divas, with a particular emphasis on Diana Ross, and we get into why the divas have such a passionate following among (Black) gay men.

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/patrick.l.riley/

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/patrick.riley/

• Book: That's What Friends Are For: On The Women Who Inspired Me

Listen to full episode:

How Black Women Icons Became "Divas" (w/ Patrick L. Riley)

Black etc podcast

Episode Notes: 

• Leslie Uggams

• Diahann Carroll

• Lola Falana

• Jayne Kennedy

• “diva” etymology

• Bessie Smith

• Ethel Waters

• Billie Holiday

• VH1 Divas

• Aretha Franklin

• Standing In The Shadows: 10 Of The Best Female Motown Stars You’ve Never Heard Of

• The Supremes

  • Diana Ross

    • Barbara Walters Special Interview (1978)

    • HBO World Stage: Workin´Overtime World Tour ´89

    • “It’s My Turn”

      • Carole Bayer Sager

      • Michael Masser

    • “I’m Coming Out”

      • Nile Rodgers

    • “I Will Survive” (cover)

    • “B U”

    • “The Boss”

    • “Aint No Mountain High Enough”

    • “Reach Out and Touch”

    • “Upside Down”

    • Mahogany

      • Harlem Cultural Festival Foundation - Classic Film Series 50th Anniversary Screening & Talkback

    • Lady Sings The Blues

  • Mary Wilson

• Chaka Khan

• Patti Labelle

• Sparkle

• Dreamgirls

• Ava DuVernay

• Suzanne De Passe

• “Run On” (Oprah Winfrey theme/music video)

• Madonna

• Ethel Merman

• Carol Channing

• Lucille Ball

• Judy Garland

• Lena Horne

  • “Lena Horne on the Big Screen” (Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery)

• Donna Summer

• Frankie Crocker

• “Metrosexual”

• “Divo”

• Devo (band)

• Prince

• Michael Jackson

• Luther Vandross

• Billy Porter

• David Nathan

  • SoulTalkin’ series 

  • The Soulful Divas book

• “Our Stage, Our Stories: 250 Years of Black Theater in America — Notable Black Playwrights” (ebony.com)

• All Star Karaoke @ Sapoara Restaurant, 2262 1st Ave, New York, NY 10035

• LGBT Music Fest

• Tichina Arnold

• Keke Wyatt

• Monifah

• Ashford & Simpson

• paw paw blog post (soul food etc)

• Pawpaw: in search of America's forgotten fruit –Andrew Moore; foreword by Michael W. Twitty