One of the greatest minds of the 20th Century, James Baldwin, continues to idolize even after his passing. From being a novelist, essayist and playwriter, Baldwin has also been an amazing advocate who spoke on topics that range from civil rights to sexual identity. One thing many people can tell about Baldwin in videos is that he was outspoken and radiated confidence like no other.
With a mind that great, many would personally love to know more about Baldwin, including what type of music did he listen to. Open Culture reports that Hammer Museum curator Ikechúkwú Onyewuenyi compiled a spotify playlist that he calls ‘Chez Baldwin’, that holds 478-tracks of a plethora of albums Baldwin owned. This playlist will give you 32-hours of music to celebrate the life of Baldwin and the music he owned while living in St. Paude-Vence, France.
On the playlist you will find music by Patti LaBelle, Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin, Donna Summers, Diana Ross, Shirley Bassey, Nina Simone, Gladys Knight and the Pips, Marvin Gaye and many many more. On the playlist, the only two records he was not able to locate was ‘Night Comes’ by Lou Rawls (1983) and ‘Sweet and Sour Tears’ by Ray Charles (1964).
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