Cuba Gooding Sr.
| Cuba Gooding Sr. | |
|---|---|
 Gooding at a performance in San Diego, California, September 25, 2008 | |
| Born |
April 27, 1944 New York, New York, U.S. |
| Spouse(s) | Shirley Sullivan |
| Children | 4 including Cuba Jr. and Omar |
| Parent(s) |
Dudley MacDonald Gooding Addie Alston |
|
Musical career | |
| Birth name | Cuba M. Gooding |
| Occupation(s) | Singer/Actor |
| Years active | 1964–present |
| Associated acts | The Main Ingredient, Stevie Wonder |
| Website | www.cuba-gooding.com |
Cuba Gooding Sr. (born April 27, 1944) is the lead singer of the soul group The Main Ingredient, most notable for its two biggest hits, "Everybody Plays the Fool" (1972) and "Just Don't Want to Be Lonely" (1974). Gooding also had a brief solo career on Motown Records during the late-1970s and early-1980s. His biggest international success was Brian Auger's "Happiness Is Just Around the Bend" in 1983, which has in recent times been sampled by several R&B artists, as well as hitting the charts again as a remix by UK Hardcore Rave group Altern-8 in 1991. In the same year, samples from the song also featured prominently in Bizarre Inc's single "Playing With Knives".
Life and career
Born in New York, New York, Gooding is a son of Dudley MacDonald Gooding and his wife Addie Alston. The elder Gooding was a native of Barbados who fled the island in 1936 to Cuba, and met and married a woman there. When she was murdered because of their affiliation with Pan Africanist leader Marcus Garvey, Dudley Gooding promised his wife on her deathbed that he would name his first son Cuba. His father died when Cuba was eleven years old.[1]
Gooding and his wife, singer Shirley Gooding (née Sullivan) have four children: actors Cuba Gooding Jr., Omar Gooding, April Gooding and musician Tommy Gooding. Gooding Sr. later became a minor actor himself. Gooding Sr. separated from his wife in 1974. In 1995, the Goodings remarried, some 21 years after they separated.
In one of Cuba Gooding Jr.'s movies (Radio), there is a scene where "Radio" is listening to The Main Ingredient.
Gooding released a single called "Politics" in September 2007. He also is developing a film project called Everybody Plays the Fool: The Cuba Gooding Story. The film highlights three generations of the Gooding Family: Dudley "Cuba" Gooding, Cuba Gooding Sr., Cuba Gooding Jr. and Omar Gooding.
On the Boat Trip DVD trivia track, it was stated that he was going to appear in the 2003 romantic-comedy The Fighting Temptations, which stars his son Cuba Gooding Jr., but he is not in the movie.
In 1999 he, along with Mark Yardley and David James wrote the international house hit, "Back and Forth" by the Supakings.
Cuba was added by popular demand to the Beach Music Super Collaboration CD, performing the Charles Wallert composition, "Meant To Be In Love". This has led to the duo’s current project, “Never Give Up”, which debuted at the 2009 presidential inauguration. Gooding records for Bluewater Recordings (bluewaterrecordings.com).
References
- ↑ Modzelewski, Eve (2000-09-27). "Stage Preview: Acting takes Cuba Gooding Sr. on an inspirational tour". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved 2008-11-19.