About Us
The History of The Soul Survivors Magazine
Synopsis
The Soul Survivors Magazine established in 2006 was originally devised to keep the Soul Surviving members of the public up to date with events and to provide targeted advertisements to a captive Soul Surviving audience. Today, it is the essential Soul Survivors guide. The magazine is dedicated to being informative in providing essential information on the history of all things soulful. Soul Survivors fully support artists and are enthusiastic about our approach to exploring and exposing new music. As a publication Soul Survivors endeavours to continue showcasing the achievements of DJs, dancers, promoters, artists and musicians who represent the history and culture of the music, transcending beyond the indoctrinated commercial sector and remaining always the 'Info provider for the Soul Survivor'.
History of The Soul Survivors Magazine
The Soul Survivors Magazine ‘the info provider for the soul survivor’ was first published in July 2006 via a concept initiated by its two co-founders Anna Marshall and Fitzroy Facey. Neither had any prior experience in music publication, however, Anna was a long-time soul and jazz-funk fanatic whilst Fitzroy at the time had 20-plus years working first and foremost as a DJ but also in various areas of the music and entertainment industry.
As a free printed bi-monthly publication it aimed to unify a racially and regional demographically segregated ‘soul scene’ by advertising events, reviewing music material and inviting editorials from like-minded people. Ultimately the magazine started to take shape once we started introducing interview features with iconic artists who had shaped the soundtrack to ours and everyone else’s lives who grew up as teenagers on that diet of 60s,70s and 80s black music.
Travelling around the country attending various events and hand giving out the magazine as well as having various distributors taking the initiative to spread the gospel, The Soul Survivors Magazine started to be taken more seriously and started to attract some quite high-profiled advertisers. Quite early on the magazine was also available to read online and later via an app.
With regular subscribers and advertisers helping to fund the magazine, the brand has expanded nicely over the years with radio shows, merchandise and creating our own Soul Survivors Magazine awards night in 2009. The awards were based on people's nominations and votes for some of the various categories of soul events, radio stations, holidays and weekenders that had been attended in the calendar years. This proved to be very popular and albeit for some time inhere was a sense of unity amongst the sometimes disenfranchised soul communities.
Fitzroy has compiled two Soul Survivors albums released on Ralph Tee’s Expansion Records label ‘The Sound Of Universal Love’ in 2013 and the ‘Soul Survivors (A Dance, Disco, Boogie Jazz & Fusion Selection)’ in 2016.
After nine years in April 2015 co founder Anna Marshall left the business to concentrate on other projects and Fitzroy has single handedly with a little help from a few trust friends been running the magazine business for the last six years as we approach the fifteenth anniversary in July 2021.
In February 2017 after a four year sabbatical from doing the awards, Fitzroy too an ambitious gamble with some financial help on Anna Benton to take the awards ceremony to a higher level. The idea was to host the awards at a plush venue Under The Bridge in Chelsea and host a live act making their debut namely the Brit Funk Association. Needless too say it was a huge success and the talk of the industry following the inclusion of the forty years of service award to some of the makers and shakers of the music industry.
When you have musical royalty like Greg Edwards, Robbie Vincent, Jeffery Daniel of Shalamar and Keith Harris Stevie Wonder’s European manager personally attend to pick up the awards, one can understand both Fitzroy and Anna Benton breathing on their finger nails and polishing them on the chests in packing out the venue with five herded soul survivors from around the country.
Many of artists have shown gratitude to the magazine an it’s tentacles for showcasing and documenting the history of their careers to an audience who have an enthusiastic interest and still support them in the current millennium. Like every other business the magazine was affected by the pandemic and for a couple of issue were unable to put anything out. However we have managed to continue with the support of faithful subscribers and advertisers to continue without a break our bi-monthly both physically and digitally since August 2020.
Just Some Of The Iconic Artists
Who Have Been Featured!
Over the years The Soul Survivors Magazine are proud and blessed to have included interview features with the following: Leon Ware, Smokey Robinson, Leroy Hutson, Teena Marie, Nile Rodgers (Chic), Frankie Beverly (Maze), Leroy Burgess, Chaka Khan, Melba Moore, Jean Carne, Omar, Jocelyn Brown, Patti Austin, Gamble & Huff, Carleen Anderson, George Duke, Gregory Porter, Eddy Grant, Eddy & Chris Amoo(The Real Thing)Roy Ayers, George Benson, Dez Parkes, Ian Levine, Trevor Shakes, Bluey (Incognito), Brenda Russell, Randy Muller (Brass Construction), Mica Paris, Mario Biondi, Trevor Nelson, Norman Jay MBE, Greg Edwards, Chris Hill, Colin Curtis, Lonnie Liston Smith, Shalamar, Bobby Womack, Lamont Dozier, Beverley Knight MBE, Gwen McCrea, John Legend, Kenny Gamble, Marcus Miller, Louie Vega,
Josh Milan, Patti Austin, Brand New Heavies (Jan Kincaid, Simon Bartholomew , Andrew Levy), John Morales, Leee John (Imagination), Candy Staton, Smokey Robinson, Patrick Adams, Marc Mac, Cerrone, Black Ivory,Tony Blackburn, Tito & Jackie Jackson(Jackson Five), Sheila E, Jarrod Lawson, Jazzie B, Caron Wheeler (Soul II Soul), Larry Blackmon (Cameo), Leon Ware, Paul ‘Trouble’ Anderson, Thelma Houston, Ramsey Lewis, Bob James, Fred Wesley (The JB’s), Ernie Isley (Isley Brothers), Kashif, Cheryl Lynn, Evelyn ‘Champagne’ King, Larry Graham (Sly & The Family Stone) Gwen Dickey (Rose Royce), Bill Curtis (Fatback Band), Charlie Wilson (Gap Band) ... and many many more!
Subscribe to Become a Soul Survivor Member
UK Membership
40£Every yearSix copies per annum delivered to your UK address (includes packaging and postage)Valid for 2 yearsInternational Membership
45£Every yearSix copies per annum delivered to your door (includes packaging and postage)Valid for 2 years