HEART, MIND and SOUL

Bernds´ Urban Life Experience

This is in honor to the memory of the late Bobby DeBarge and to read for people who have soul and R&B in their blood or whoever like to learn or know about it.This is to honor the memory of the late Bobby DeBarge and for people to read who have soul and R&B in their blood or whoever would like to learn about it. This is my life experience. My friends call me "a German guy with a black man´s soul". Through these memories, I will try to explain how today, I have the rhythm, the feel, my spoken English and the soul of an American black man, and life with my friends and families of DeBarge, the Penniman´s and many others. This is about rhythm&blues, love, beauty, pain, success, hurt, death, and to quote my friend, the late Bobby DeBarge, "IT´S NOT OVER ´til the fat lady sings."

I was born during World War II in Hamburg, Germany growing up in postwar Germany. My childhood heroes were JESSE OWENS and LOUIS ´SATCHMO´ ARMSTRONG. I have been in the music business since 1971. I immigrated to the West Coast of North America in 1966, living the first three years in Vancouver, BC. My first experience of urban living was getting to know artists like ODETTA, JOSH WHITE, JR., BOBBY TAYLOR AND THE VANCOUVERS (who introduced the Jackson 5 to Berry Gordy, founder and CEO of the Motown Record Company) and other African American entertainers of great talent who were entertaining in Vancouver and Seattle. I was also heavily into sports particularly track and field, working out at the Optimist Track&Field Club at Stanley Park in Vancouver. I became friends with HARRY JEROME, who at that time was the co-world record holder in the 100m sprint.