E-mail a friendNovember 27, 2008
Comedians Tim Reid and Tom Dreesen, co-authors of Tim & Tom, explain how they began their interracial comedy team. A cappella singing group Naturally 7 tell the story of how the group got together and also perform.
Tim Reid, Tom Dreesen
Tim Reid, Tom Dreesen
Comedian-actor Tim Reid shares a story from his childhood involving his mother and a nun. (2:18)
Full interview. (16:20)
Tim Reid and Tom Dreesen met in '68, working on a school antidrug campaign. The pioneering duo went on to become one of the first interracial comedy teams in the U.S. After breaking up, they each found individual success—Reid as an actor and co-founder of Millenium Studios, the first full-service studio complex in Virginia; Dreesen as a stand-up comedian, who opened regularly for Frank Sinatra and has worked with such acts as Bon Jovi and Elton John. Their book, Tim and Tom, is a social history of race in entertainment.
Naturally 7
Naturally 7
Group members explain the difference between traditional a cappella music and vocal play. (1:10)
Full interview and performance. (7:51)
Raised in the Seventh Day Adventist Church in New York City, the members of Naturally 7 have a sound that defies traditional a cappella music. They create a full-band sound using the human voice—a style the group describes as "vocal play"—and offer a wide-ranging repertoire that includes self-penned compositions. Since winning a pair of prestigious competitions in NY and San Francisco, they've charted multiple hit singles in Europe and become an international phenomenon. They are currently touring, opening for Michael Bublé.