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Happy Pride Month: Celebrating the Music That Brought Us Together

As we welcome June, I want to take a moment to celebrate Pride Month and acknowledge the incredible impact that LGBTQ+ artists, producers, DJs, remixers, club owners, and fans have had on the music we love.

Burning The Ground was built on a passion for 12-inch singles, remixes, dance floors, and the artists who created the soundtrack to our lives. Many of those songs were born in clubs and communities where LGBTQ+ people found acceptance, friendship, self-expression, and freedom. The dance floor has always been more than just a place to hear great music. For many, it was a place to belong.

From disco pioneers and Hi-NRG innovators to synth-pop icons, freestyle legends, and house music trailblazers, LGBTQ+ artists and audiences helped shape the sound of the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s. The extended mixes, dub versions, club edits, and remixes that we celebrate every day on Burning The Ground owe much of their existence to the creativity and energy that emerged from those communities.

Growing up, music provided an escape, a connection, and sometimes the courage to be yourself. Many of us have memories tied to a favorite song, a special club, a first dance, or a moment when a record seemed to understand exactly how we felt. Those experiences are part of what makes music so powerful.

Throughout Pride Month, we’ll continue celebrating the artists and music that brought us together, regardless of who we are, where we come from, or who we love. That’s one of the things I’ve always appreciated most about this community. People from all over the world gather here because of a shared love of music and the memories attached to it.

Thank you for being part of Burning The Ground. Thank you for your continued support, your stories, your comments, and your passion for preserving these incredible recordings.

Most importantly, thank you for helping make this community a welcoming place for everyone.

Happy Pride Month!

-Paul

Remembering Peabo Bryson

Today, the music world says goodbye to one of its most beloved voices.

Peabo Bryson, the two-time Grammy Award-winning singer whose rich, soulful tenor became the soundtrack to countless romantic moments, passed away on June 2, 2026, at the age of 75. According to family reports, Bryson died peacefully, surrounded by loved ones, after suffering a stroke days earlier.

For more than five decades, Peabo Bryson defined what a great ballad singer could be. His voice possessed a rare combination of power, warmth, and elegance. Whether performing R&B, soul, adult contemporary, or pop, Bryson delivered every lyric with sincerity and emotional depth.

Born Robert Peapo Bryson in Greenville, South Carolina, he began his recording career in the mid-1970s and quickly established himself as one of the premier vocalists of his generation. Throughout the years he gifted audiences with timeless classics such as “Feel the Fire,” “Reaching for the Sky,” “I’m So Into You,” “If Ever You’re in My Arms Again,” “Can You Stop the Rain,” and “Show and Tell.”

While his solo recordings earned him a devoted following, Bryson’s unforgettable duets helped cement his place in music history. His collaborations with Roberta Flack, Natalie Cole, Regina Belle, and Celine Dion showcased his remarkable ability to connect with fellow artists while never losing his own identity.

For many listeners, Peabo Bryson will forever be associated with two Disney classics. His Grammy-winning performances of “Beauty and the Beast” with Celine Dion and “A Whole New World” with Regina Belle introduced his extraordinary voice to an entirely new generation of fans. Those songs became more than movie themes. They became part of popular culture and remain cherished decades later.

What made Peabo Bryson special was not only his technical brilliance but also the emotion he brought to every performance. He sang about love, heartbreak, hope, and devotion in a way that felt genuine. His recordings never relied on trends. Instead, they were built upon timeless melodies and a voice that conveyed every feeling with grace.

As fans around the world revisit his remarkable catalog, they will discover what made him one of the greatest balladeers of the modern era. His music accompanied first dances, weddings, anniversaries, quiet evenings, and unforgettable memories. Few singers can claim such a lasting connection with their audience.

Peabo Bryson leaves behind a legacy of beautiful songs, extraordinary performances, and a voice that will continue to resonate for generations to come.

Thank you, Peabo, for the music, the memories, and the love you shared through song.

Rest in peace.

-DjPaulT (Burning The Ground)

Vacation Mode: ON, Turntable: OFF (Well… Mostly)

Hey everyone,

Just a quick heads-up that I’ll be taking a little vacation time starting Monday, May 25. The turntables will be spinning a bit slower around here while I recharge the batteries, hunt down some vinyl treasures, and probably listen to way too many extended mixes at unhealthy volume levels.

I’m planning to return sometime around June 8, give or take a few days depending on how far I drift into relaxation mode.

Until then, feel free to dig through the archives, revisit some old favorites, and keep the comments coming. I always enjoy reading them, even when I’m away.

Thank you all for the continued support, kindness, and for helping make Burning the Ground such a fun place to share music memories. You guys are the best.

See you soon, and keep those 12-inch singles spinning loud!

-Paul

Rob Base 1967 – 2026

Today, we lost a true hip-hop pioneer. Rob Base has passed away at the age of 59 after a private battle with cancer.

For many of us, Rob Base wasn’t just part of the soundtrack of the late 80s; he was the soundtrack. When “It Takes Two” exploded in 1988, it changed everything. The energy, the beats, the call-and-response vocals, the pure party atmosphere, it became one of those rare records that crossed every line. Hip-hop, dance clubs, radio, roller rinks, house parties, cars with booming bass, everybody knew it. Decades later, the moment that beat drops still fills dance floors instantly.

Alongside DJ E-Z Rock, Rob helped bring hip-hop into the mainstream while keeping the music joyful, raw, and authentic. Songs like “Joy and Pain,” “Get On The Dance Floor,” and of course “It Takes Two” remain woven into pop culture and DJ history.

What made Rob Base special was that his music never felt dated. It still sounds alive. It still sounds fun. That kind of magic is rare.

It’s especially heartbreaking knowing he joins his longtime musical partner, DJ E-Z Rock, who passed away in 2014. Together, they created records that defined an era and continue to inspire artists, DJs, and music fans around the world.

Thank you, Rob, for the music, the memories, and for giving us some of the greatest party records ever pressed onto vinyl.

Rest in peace.
Robert Ginyard
May 18, 1967 – May 22, 2026