Summary: Part A:Bill Cosby grew up in a housing project in Philadelphia, his father was largely absent but his mother was very loving. Although he dropped out of high school, he turned things around by joining the Navy and subsequently going to college. Cosby seized every opportunity as a stand-up comedian and landed a breakout role on the show, “I Spy”. That is just a brief overview of the beginning of his story, there is so much more. Mark Whitaker reveals the career setbacks, looks at the controversies, and explores the “Cosby Effect” in his book, “Cosby: His Life and Times”.Part B:She emerged as the first jazz singer to record on the prestigious Blue Note label with her debut album, Portrait of Sheila. Exploding on the jazz scene, she set the bar high for her career early on and worked close such names as Charlie Parker, Charles Mingus, and Thelonious Monk. After innovating the voice and bass sound, Sheila Jordan is still going strong as a jazz vocalist after fifty years. She tells her amazing story in her new biography, Jazz Child: A Portrait of Sheila Jordan.
