Thursday, April 1, 2004; Page B06

Ernesto McKenzie Phillips, 50, a Columbia resident who was a musician in pop rhythm-and-blues groups and then produced a series of local entertainers, including singers Toni Braxton and Kimberly Scott, died March 25 at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore after a stroke. He had hypertension.

Mr. Phillips, a native Washingtonian, was raised in Crownsville and graduated from Arundel High School in Gambrills. He was a self-taught guitarist, and during high school he attended the Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore to study trumpet.

He was a graduate of Anne Arundel Community College and attended Howard University, where he intended to study medicine as his father -- a psychiatrist -- had. He decided instead to make music his career.

With his four brothers -- George, Lloyd, Orlando and Gregory -- Mr. Phillips formed Licyndiana, an R&B group named after his mother and his sisters. Ernesto Phillips sang and played guitar. He also wrote songs and did production work.

Singer Renee Diggs, who was Mr. Phillips's longtime companion, and musician-songwriter Kayode "Ky" Adeyemo later joined Licyndiana.

Mr. Phillips had greater success as leader, co-producer and primary songwriter of a successor pop R&B band called Starpoint, which included the same members except for Lloyd.

The band toured nationally, opening for such performers as Luther Vandross, and appeared on "Soul Train," "Solid Gold" and other television programs. Its album "Restless" (1986) sold more than 500,000 copies, according to news reports, and included the hit song "Object of My Desire."

At the 1990 Washington Area Music Awards, Starpoint was named best R&B/urban group. Mr. Phillips, on guitar, was named best instrumentalist.

The group disbanded about 1990 as members went in different directions professionally. Until his death, Mr. Phillips worked as a producer. He owned and operated Longevity Records and Pearl Studios, both in Columbia.

"I pledged that once we made it, I was going to prove there is a lot of talent in this area," he told The Washington Post in 1995.

His best-known find is Braxton, the Grammy Award-winning singer whom he met through a friend.

In recent months, he worked as a counselor for teenagers at Sheppard Pratt psychiatric clinic in Ellicott City.

Survivors include his mother, Ana Phillips, of Columbia; four brothers, George Phillips and Lloyd Phillips, both of Columbia, and Orlando Phillips and Gregory Phillips, both of Annapolis; and two sisters, Diane Laguerre of Elk Ridge, Md., and Lisa Phillips of Columbia.

Jessie x

Check this site for the Solar history.

Please let me introduce you the next album of WILLIAM KENSINGTON "FUNKOLOGY"
features few rappers such as :
WARREN G
AFRIKA BAMBAATAA
KOOL G RAP
DILATED PEOPLES
BLAQ POET

And funky legends such as :
OLIVER CHEATHAM
MELBA MOORE
D-TRAIN
GWEN McCRAE
MARTHA HIGH
KEITH RODGERS (BREAK MACHINE)

here is the trailer link : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Gik327VQi4
here is the last video of WILLIAM KENSINGTON feat. SCOTT ALLEN (bass player and background vocals of PRINCE) : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ahSbEVG075s

this track is out of the album, 6 videos are previous for this one ;)))
Hope you like it!
Peace from FRANCE!!!
Merci ;)
Karim, SKEAL RECORDS

Gico Music’s Gina Carey...The Songbird will sing her way back into our hearts on January 31st, with the release of “Gina Carey…The Songbird.”

Here are some great Soul Original Vinyl Albums that have recently arrived for you to check for your collection, we have added clips for most titles so you can hear them before you buy. All records are one -offs so please order early to avoid disappointment. Records can be ordered on line , over the phone on 020 8875 1018 or collected from our shop in Putney open Mon -sat 10 -7 and Sun 11-5.

Click here to visit soulbrother.com

Soul Brother Records are delighted to offer a limited of pairs of tickets to see Keni Burke and Charlie Wilson live at the Indigo O2 on Friday 16th September. See Soul Brothers Advertiser page on soulandfunkmusic.com