Today, January 26th
THE GRAMMY AWARDS AIR AT 8:00PM ET ON CBS—and while one-name-superstars like Lizzo, Ariana and Stevie will be taking the stage, the little known Sister Rosetta Tharpe will be recognized with a 2020 Special Merit Award. Unlike fellow honorees Roberta Flack or Public Enemy, Tharpe’s performances (including 1945’s gospel crossover hit, "Strange Things Happening Every Day") were, until recently, almost impossible to find. Now readily available on YouTube, they showcase the electric guitar technique that influenced Bob Dylan and countless others—winning her the title, Godmother of Rock and Roll.
Click here to learn more about “The Curious Career of the Legendary Sister Rosetta Tharpe.”
“THE CAVE” GETS A GLOBAL & DIGITAL ROLLOUT. Hailed by critics as “unprecedented” and nominated for a 2020 Academy Award®, Feras Fayyad’s film tells the story of a hidden underground Syrian hospital and the female team, led by Dr. Amani Ballour, who defy patriarchy and ever-present threats of chemical attacks to care for besieged civilians. Available now on the Apple TV app, iTunes and other digital platforms—and cities added daily.
Visit nationalgeographic.com for a theater near you; and watch the trailer here.
PLUS, stand with Dr. Amani by discovering simple ways to bring attention to the humanitarian crisis in Syria.
THE PATENT FOR THE “FIRST VIDEO GAME” EXPIRES. Few recognize Thomas T. Goldsmith Jr. as the father of gaming, but his “Cathode-Ray Tube (CRT) Amusement Device” was the poor man’s Space Invaders. Having perfected the CRT and experimented with color television, Goldsmith (now head of research at DuMont in 1947) transformed military radar innovations developed for World War II into a large contraption mounted in a closet—with players using knobs to "manipulate the position of a beam” to hit targets.
Goldsmith died in 2009 at the age of 99. And while his CRT technology is only now in the public domain, its connection to what the public thinks of as modern entertainment has been felt for years.
Click for footage of 1947’s “Tennis for Two.”