A personal and musical interview with music journalist Danyel Smith hosted by KQED’s Ariana Proehl in our intimate top-floor lounge. 

In her new book Shine Bright: A Very Personal History of Black Women in Pop, Smith highlights the genius and cultural impact of artists like Whitney Houston, Gladys Knight, Donna Summer, Aretha Franklin, Janet Jackson and more. Pulling not just from research but from her own experiences interviewing a number of the pop icons featured, the book presents a unique mix of memoir, criticism and music history that demands Black women artists get their due recognition. Smith joins us to talk about pop stars of Shine Bright and the influence they had on her own life as a Black girl growing up in Oakland and Los Angeles.