Course

In the 1960s and 1970s, rhythm and blues, gospel, and pop fused into soul, the most popular form of African-American music in the 20th century. Using both common and rare recordings and video clips, the course will cover performers from the birth and peak of soul, from Ray Charles and Smokey Robinson to the Supremes, Aretha Franklin, and James Brown. It will also discuss how the civil rights movement and soul influenced each other, as well as legendary soul record companies like Motown and Stax.

Faculty Bio

Richie Unterberger is the author of numerous rock history books, including volumes on the Beatles, the Who, the Velvet Underground, and Bob Marley. His latest book, Do What You Fear Most: The History of the Velvet Underground, was recently published by Omnibus Press.

This is an In-Person, Livestreamed + Recorded Course

• Classes meet in person at the Golden Bear Center, Suite 202/204, at 1995 University Ave., Berkeley
• Classes will also stream live simultaneously, and be recorded
• You must be a current OLLI @Berkeley member to register. Learn about membership, including our fee assistance program.

Schedule Highlights

• Course starts on Monday, Jan. 25, and ends on Monday, March 8
• Classes meet for 6 weeks, 2 hours per session (10 AM–noon)
• There is no class on Feb. 15
• All course materials will remain available to view and enjoy in Member Dashboards through March 28

Member Praise for Richie Unterberger

Everything worked! Richie's class is academic in nature and he has a very deep understanding of the subject matter, and imparts his knowledge so professionally!

Yay, Richie! Mr. Unterberger has an impressive encyclopedic knowledge of rock music and blues. Add to that a skill at assembling historical notes and ferreting out film clips (sometimes obscure) to create a comprehensive, entertaining, and empathetic narrative of his subject.

Faculty Q&A

• Read an interview with Richie Unterberger from our archive.