Previously on American Soul
I've been pricing recording studios.
We could press a single if we pool our cash.
Who the hell is Ilsa DeJarnette?
She's nobody, Red. It's just business.
If I have to choose today, I choose dance.
You want to relive the pain of Germany?
At least I was alive and it meant something.
-I thought I was under arrest. -Not today.
Thanks again for all your help, JT.
Give Mama her medicine.
Give me what I need, baby.
Give Mama her medicine.
If you walk out that door, you are choosing
Soul Train over this family.
We'll talk about this later.
I want to buy Soul Train.
♪ I can prove it but only if ♪ our hearts are willing ♪♪
♪ Now get on board C the friendship train ♪o.
♪ Everybody, shake a hand, shake a hand ♪
♪ Yes, I'm talking about the friendship train ♪
♪ Get on board, shake a hand ♪
♪ Make a friend, la, na, na. ♪
Yes, yes, yes. Harmony is key.
And if you would like to hear more
from the glorious Gladys Knight,
all you have to do is stay right here.
My name is Tyrone Taylor,
and we'll be right back on The Soul Show,
Big whoop. Dick Clark's doing another dance show.s.
We need to focus on season two.
-And what makes you think we'll get a second season, Brooks? -Oh, come on.
You can't be casual with my money. That is theft,
-plain and simple. -Casual?
I have never been a nine-to-five man for you, Don, so please,
talk to me like the guy that gets it done anytime
and every time you call.
put money behind
the black dance show by the upstart Chicago Negro,
or Do-No-Wrong Dick Clark.
Now, you're the numbers man,
-which way would you go? -I hear you, Don,
I do, but you're wrong on this.
All this is is a little competition.
And I got no problem with Dick wanting competition,
but this, this is war.
Maybe I should take it back.
My mama used to say it's the sinning sort of woman
-that wears a red dress. -It's beautiful, Mama.
You gonna shine at Uncle Pete's party.
I will, won't I? Let's keep it.
Simone!
Hey, girl, how you doing?
-You looking good. -And who do we have here?
Mama, this is Ms. Tucker,
-JT's mom. -You seen Jeffrey?
He was supposed to give me my medicine.
I ain't feeling too good.
-Uh... -Uh, let's go to the car, sweetie.
-Ma. But... -Let's go.
What, you too good to talk to me?
That uppity little bitch wasn't too good to be in my place,
-all up on my boy, now, was she? -Rest assured, Ms. Tucker,
Simone won't be bothering you again.
-Let's go. Let's go. -Mama.
♪ Hey, yeah, yeah ♪
♪ All right ♪
♪ Oh... ♪
♪ Right here, right here ♪
♪ Right now, right now... ♪
What is this?
-Must be Simone's. -Uh-huh.
It was on the left, and you said
everything that's on the left is yours, so...
Kendall Clarke, digging John Denver?
Shut up.
♪ Country roads ♪
♪ Take me home ♪
♪ To the place ♪
♪ I belong ♪
♪ West Virginia ♪
♪ Mountain mama ♪
♪ Take me home ♪
♪ Country roads. ♪
Where you been hiding that voice?
You're the only singer here.
I'm dancing my way to the top.
Don't bring the whole collection.
My place is a closet and I'm squeezing you in as it is.
You know it's not too late to change your mind.
I really think your mom would like that.
Got a lot of packing here. Thanks.
Just looking out for your mom, Kendall.
She wants you to stay.
I don't know what they teach in the Army,
but my father taught me that a man always stands by his word.
And if you really cared about my mom,
I wouldn't be the only one leaving.
Clarke residence.
This is Rhythm Road Records,
-calling for Encore. -Wait, what?
We have a half price discount and we were wondering
if you were interested in recording.
Say that again?
You know this don't have to be a problem, Don.
You think I ain't had hustlers try to muscle in on me?
A little wire snip here, splash of gas there,
next thing you know, the competition's up in smoke.
I appreciate the offer, but think I'm gonna choose
mind over muscle on this one.
All right.
Conrad Johnson? If that's the mind we counting on,
-you in a whole heap of trouble. -Just because you don't like
-his politics... -I don't like anybody think they got the right to speak
-for everybody. -Wake up the chef,
have him cook up a couple of T-bones,
'cause me and my boy might be here for a while.
Conrad, what's up, brother?
Evelyn?
It's good to see you, Tessa. You look incredible.
Thanks. It's good to see at least one other person over 20.
I think my shoes are older than half the girls in here.
What can I say? It's a young girl's game.
Which one's yours?
A lot of the dancers bring their instructors.
-Nobody minds, as long as... -I'm not here with...
I'm auditioning for the troupe.
That's terrific.
I mean, Danilova's back on stage in New York
and she's what, 60-ish?
So, you're here with a student?
Not exactly.
Good afternoon, dancers.
My name is Evelyn Douglas,
I'm the codirector of Dance Zeitgeist,
and I will be conducting your auditions today.
Here you go.
When you ready for a real drink, just let me know.
Well, this turned out to be a productive trip.
I get to reconnect with an old friend and make a new enemy.
You got to excuse Gerald. He holds tight to certain ideas.
Which idea is that?
I got here on Martin's coattails or I'm some black messiah
sent to save our people?
You always had thicker skin than me. I don't know
-how you've managed it all these years. -You remember
that street preacher in Chicago?
Used to camp out on 47th with a megaphone?
Preached the same message over and over?
"Woe unto you when all men shall speak well of you."
Everybody thinks you're doing right,
you're definitely doing something wrong, Don.
-You know what it took to get here, CJ? -There's no point
-in chasing David when you need to go after Goliath. -I've had enough
scripture for today, man, just say what you're saying.
Dick can only do what the network allows.
They're the real power here.
Now, we plant a protest on their doorstep, the game changes.
A peace march is not getting me a second season, CJ.
We put our people out there, Don,
telling the world what they stole from us,
public perception turns.
They start losing sponsors, Dick's done.
How do we make it happen?
Well, every successful protest has three things:
men, moxie and money.
How much money we talking?
Enough to win.
♪ ♪
Five, six, seven, eight.
As you can imagine, we hold a high bar
of expectation for our dancers.
My bar's a little higher than most.
Tour jeté, and don't be boring about it.
♪ Hey ♪
♪ Funky ♪
♪ Yeah, whoo ♪
♪ Do it, yeah, baby ♪
♪ Congo, Congo, baby ♪
♪ Yeah, whoo ♪
♪ Whoo, yeah, uh ♪
♪ Do it, do it, baby, C-O-N ♪
♪ G-O, baby, whoo ♪
♪ Say it again, Congo... ♪
I'm sorry, did you think we were done talking?
We're not talking, you're yelling.
The boy buys drugs for his mother.
That makes him a criminal and a fool...
You are not being fair, Mama.
I will not let him drag you into everything
your father and I fought so hard to keep you out of.
You and Jeffrey are over.
I'm so tired of everyone treating me like a child.
-You need to lower your voice... -And I am not going to San Diego.
-You can go by yourself. -That's perfect,
'cause the only place you're going is church and school.
-You are grounded. -What about Soul Train?
What about Soul Train?
I hate you.
I'll go with you.
I'd be happy to keep you company.
Help drive, if you need.
No, Nate, you don't have to do that.
I'd be honored.
I'd like that very much.
All right. Let's not get too pleased with ourselves.
Tomorrow, you will each perform for our advisory board.
- And if you think I... - Axel, come back here.
-Baby... Oh. -My apologies, everyone.
Your timing's perfect.
Finalists, allow me to introduce you
to our creative director, Prescott Mayer,
a brilliant dancer and an even better husband.
We'll get out of your way.
Oh, hang on. I'm just about to demonstrate
the audition piece.
I'll only perform this once, so I suggest
you pay attention.
Arch, one, two, point, three,
land, four, hinge, five, six,
seven, turn, eight,
down, one, two,
three, four,
over, five, open, six, close, seven,
arch, eight. And one...
-Tessa, wait... -For what?
For Evelyn to steal something more
than my routine and my fiancé?
I think we've done this dance before.
Two, three, four, five,
six, down, seven, finish, eight.
You know, normally we don't do business outside of the bank,
but my manager says you're a special case.
This can't be all of it.
Oh, that's everything from your personal account, sir.
I oversaw the withdrawal myself.
I could've taken funds from Mrs. Cornelius's account,
but that would require written approval...
My wife opened her own account?
-Well, she, um... -Is this Negro out his mind?
Thanks for coming.
This will work just fine.
This is a show that's for black people,
by black people.
We need these types of shows.
A few "We Shall Overcomes" Thisaround the building?gs?
Not now, Gerald.
All these so-called civic leaders
only show up when the cameras do.
It's us "day in, day out" brothers,
we're the ones who get things done.
First, Conrad is a friend, and second,
he knows exactly what he's doing.
Give me one hour, Don. One hour.
I will make all this Soul Show bullshit go away.
Did you forget that you are a silent partner here, Gerald?
All right, Mr. Majority.
Do your thing then.
Getting real tired of looking over my shoulder, Reg.
Been boys for too long to be beefing.
Nah. See, I trust my boys.
I didn't tell the cops nothing. I got your back, man.
This little guy
stopped in a wall above my head.
Wasn't my time. Keep him for luck.
Ain't too big on luck.
Far as I can tell, a man's got to make his own.
Got a job.
Big risk, big reward.
Say you got my back,
then you in.
There's a lot of talk in these streets, JT,
and most of it says you a snitch.
And what do you say?
Ain't my call.
Either you prove your worth,
or you ain't got none.
All right, man.
♪ ♪
Guess I don't have to ask how the audition went.
But I will. What happened?
Evelyn and Prescott run the touring company.
-Germany Evelyn and Prescott? -The very same.
I made the first cut, but I walked out.
So that's it? No tour?
Looks that way. Do we seriously have no mustard?
How about we go on a tour?
You know, we just pick some places out on the map,
get on a plane and take off.
So you're willing to do six cities a week for a year,
-This has nothing to do with you. b-It never does, Tess.
I put you first, willingly,
but you can't...
If you're not gonna let me into that place
that you have locked up,
then what are we doing?
Recording studio called.
Offered two hours, half price.
So we gonna need that cash, if you still got it.
It's all there, man.
Look, whatever Reggie wants to get you into, you got to say no.
But it's got everything to do It's gotwith my sister.with
Look, you get hurt, Simone gets hurt,
and she's had enough pain already.
It seems the suits are "in a meeting" still,
but they'll get back to us. Look, truth?
I don't think this is doing a damn thing, CJ.
You're in a different kind of fight now.
You need to take a chance on a different kind of strategy.
Stay the course, brother.
The win's on the way.
You've reached the Cornelius home.
Club 100 Proof. Talk to me.
All right, here's the deal. No fires, no fatalities,
just shake this shit up.
My man, I'm all over it.
Is that a new song?
-It's a work in progress. -Oh, aren't we all.
Well, I sure hope that we
get to hear it before Dick Clark does.
You are a man with many gifts, Don.
Subtlety ain't one of them.
The network isn't keeping two
black dance shows on the air, Gladys.
I need artists,
our artists, to stand behind the show
made by and for our people.
I need you to use your voice in a different way.
If you really believe in a future
where our people decide our destiny,
then maybe two men
with the powers to make that happen
can find a compromise,
for all our sakes.
-♪ True love ♪ -Right this way.
♪ Is what I feel for you ♪
♪ True love ♪
♪ I need you so bad ♪
♪ True love ♪
♪ Come on, now, baby... ♪
Mr. Cornelius!
-Hold up, okay? -Okay, no problem.
♪ True love... ♪
Mr. Cornelius.
Tyrone Taylor.
I'm a big fan of yours.
You paved the way for all of us here.
Paved? Hell, I say I built the whole damn building.
If there's anything that I can do to help...
Take me to your master.
Molly shall lead the way.
♪ I always thought you looked so good... ♪
Hey, Tess.
I was hoping we could talk.
-I heard you got married. -I did.
And congrats to you and Evelyn, you make a striking couple.
I can't believe you kept this. It took hours to find
the courage to give it to you.
Nothing more chancy than giving a new girlfriend
a birthday gift you made yourself.
Well, you don't have to like the artist to love the art.
I mean, I broke my body for all the toys and trappings,
but I see this and can't help thinking
how the happiest days were when
we didn't have two Deutsche Marks to rub together.
It wasn't all bad, was it?
Why are you here, Prescott?
You think we can ever get past it?
Catching my best friend shagging my fiancé?
-Not so easy to erase. -We were young.
I'm not that man anymore.
After the way I hurt you, I knew I couldn't be.
How old is Axel?
He seems like a precious little boy.
He's four.
So that means she was pregnant when we were together.
Patrick, this is Prescott.
Mm-hmm, I know who he is.
I'm just wondering what you're doing in my house?
I shall correct that posthaste.
I spoke to the advisory board, and they have agreed
to hold a spot for you at callbacks tomorrow.
Uh, good to meet you, Mr. Lorraine.
Patrick, it was nothing.
We fight, I walk out and that's what I come home to?
Tessa, you want me in your corner,
you might want to make a little room.
'Cause it feels full already.
♪ Very superstitious... ♪
Thank you, sweetheart.
Sorry to keep you waiting, Don.
But you know how it is on tape days.
Promised my wife I'd cut back on the jelly beans,
but a man's got to have one vice, right?
How much to make this ungodly appropriation
of my show and my culture go away?
Say I name a number.
Where would you get the money to pay?
How I'll pay is not your problem.
Let's be real, Don.
You can't buy back what you stole from me.
Or did you forget that Bandstand came first?
♪ When you believe in things ♪
♪ That you don't understand... ♪
Sorry, Don, showtime.
You're welcome to stay for the taping, if you like.
♪ Yeh, yeh... ♪
You should've taken the deal, Don.
Funny,
'cause I was just about to tell you the same thing, Dick.
♪ Rid me of the problem ♪
♪ Do all that you can. ♪
Look, the network has been in that same meeting
-since we started this mess. -Stay the course, Don.
I got an inside man who says they're ready to talk.
Here's the truth that must be told!
We won't let them steal our Soul!
Here's the truth that must be told!
We won't let them steal our Soul!
Hey. You know how many union brothers
depend on that show you're trying to shut down?
-Well, we're just making sure... -You're not gonna steal the bread
out of our damn mouths!
Hey, hey.
-I got it. -All right.
-Who are these guys? -I don't know.
Hey, sir. Come on this way.
The fight doesn't matter anyhow.
They're here because of me.
You ready to talk?
♪ ♪
You know, in some places, red's a good luck color.
Let's hope this is one of them.
There's a lot of history in these walls.
Ooh, wee! Is that my baby sis?
This is Nate Barker.
He served with Joe.
Pleasure to meet you, Pete.
Likewise, likewise. Uh, where's my Simone?
Now, she promised she was gonna sing a song for Uncle Pete.
You know teenagers. Busy with life.
-Yeah. -So, where you headed off to?
Uh, me and the wife, we're gonna go a little bit of here,
a little bit of there, a bit of everywhere.
I got a good price for the place,
minus my sister's investment, of course.
I couldn't have done anything without her.
Look around. The new owner's gonna strip everything down
to the baseboards.
You see something you want, grab it.
-I'm gonna get y'all some drinks. -Okay.
Say, man...
-Hey! What you doing? -I was just watching her.
-Get out. Get out! -All right.
Mama, you can't just let anybody in here with Aiya.
-What if somebody hurt her? -If you was here
like you were supposed to be, I wouldn't need no one to help.
Now make me another hit.
♪ ♪
♪ Mama was a roller coaster ♪
♪ Papa was a rolling stone ♪
♪ Treated me like a soldier ♪
♪ Had to grow up big and strong ♪
♪ Alone, on my own. ♪
Your brother's had some real blues royalty come through here.
Oh, you don't know the half.
He made moonshine with Muddy Waters,
and I can't even tell you the stuff he got into
with B.B. King.
I didn't know you sang, Brianne.
Um, I don't.
Not anymore.
Are you and Sergeant Clarke's initials on here somewhere?
I can't believe I did that.
Must have cut it on the glass.
Let me see if you got any stuck in there.
You know, in the Army, some of the worst things I've seen done
didn't have a thing to do with war.
It was a place you could let all the stuff in you go
without people stopping you.
As much as I loved that man-- and I loved that man--
I look at the girl in that picture,
and all I see are the dreams I lost.
Music is the breath in me.
I walk around here and I remember how long
I've been holding my breath.
I can't say I've ever loved anything like that.
Guess I'm just wondering how anybody can
lose a dream.
I mean, they're yours.
They're inside you, aren't they?
You know, if you want to head back early, that's fine with me.
No.
I got one more thing I need to do.
You and Prescott have a good talk yesterday?
It was brief.
Can I ask you something?
You wanting to join the troupe, is that about moving forward
or are you holding onto the past?
Our life in Germany-- the Evelyn that lived it--
was broken and hurt, and hurt people because of it.
Even the ones she loved most.
Now I see Prescott and Axel a few hours a week if I'm lucky.
I wake up in hotels, can't remember
-my body screams... -Am I supposed to feel sorry for you, Evelyn?
Why don't you take the knife out of my back first,
then apologize.
I'm just saying, if you were here for what was,
maybe what you are is enough.
He was supposed to be here.
How we gonna learn parts in an hour?
What if he doesn't show at all?
He'll make it. Be cool.
Since when are you on Team JT?
I'm on the same team as you. Team Encore.
Man, the vocals on that last one, whew!
Lionel, man, you took that one to the bone, brother.
Well, let's hope the world loves the Commodores
as much as you do.
Excuse me.
Y'all sounded out of sight. Kendall Clarke.
-This is my sister Simone. -Hi.
We're about to cut a record, too.
Well, good luck, brother. It's all warmed up in there.
We're still waiting on one person.
Can we get a little extra time?
What you do with your time is your business.
But the clock's ticking, and when it stops, it stops.
He'll be here.
All right.
-Thank you, Kim. -Mm-hmm.
So this doctor gonna give me pills,
no questions asked?
I took care of everything, Mama.
Mr. Tucker.
-How you doing? -Good. Good, good, good.
This is my mom, Andrea.
-Andrea. -Like I said,
she's in a lot of pain.
I understand.
If you wouldn't mind coming with me, Andrea.
We just have a few papers for you to sign.
Right this way.
-This way. -You gonna set me up good, Doc?
We're gonna take care of you.
What are you doing? Get off me.
-What's going on? -Everything's gonna be fine.
What are you doing? Get off of me.
-Everything's gonna be fine. -Get off of me. No!
-Easy, easy. You're fine, ma'am. -Jeffrey, what's going on?
Jeffrey, you can't just leave me.
- Jeffrey, please! - I'-Ms. Tucker, please.
Please help me, Jeffrey.
You can't just leave me, I'm your mama.
-Ma'am. -Jeffrey, don't leave me!
Don't leave me, no.
No, please. Help!
No, Jeffrey! Jeffrey, no!
Jeffrey! Jeffrey! Help, Jeffrey!
No, please. No!
Thank you. We'll be in touch.
Why don't we take ten minutes All to review our notes,ne
Excuse me, I believe anI'm still on the list.
My apologies.
This is Tessa Lorraine, our final performer.
-Please cue the music. -Actually, I'd like to perform something different.
It's a piece I created in Germany,
but it's taken a different direction.
I'm sorry, dancers perform the same piece.
Levels the playing field.
Ms. Lorraine choreographed the audition piece,
so, unless she performs a different routine,
the field is overwhelmingly tilted in her favor.
- Very well, then. - When you're ready.
♪ Hey, fellas... ♪
Sorry, can we start again?
I just missed the cue.
♪ Do you guys know... ♪
♪ Hey, fellas ♪
♪ I'm talking to you, you and you, too ♪
♪ But let me tell you something ♪
♪ The sisters are not going for that no more ♪
♪ So from now on, we gonna use what we got ♪
♪ To get what we want ♪
♪ So, you'd better think ♪
♪ Think ♪
♪ There was a time when we hadn't met ♪
♪ That's the thing I never will forget ♪
♪ Now, baby, I got a life to live ♪
♪ And a whole lot of loving that a woman could give ♪
♪ Yeah ♪
♪ But before I give it up, I gotta think ♪
♪ Think ♪
♪ What the future holds for me ♪
♪ Go ahead and see ♪
♪ I don't need no heartache ♪
♪ I can't stand no misery ♪
♪ Let me think ♪
♪ Think. ♪
You left this on the sink.
I thought it was your good luck thing.
I thought so, but then I remembered
I hadn't worn it since Germany.
Since the day I met you.
I'd lost dance.
I'd lost my best friend.
I'd lost the man I thought I would spend my life with.
When I found them together,
I was on my way home to tell Prescott that I was pregnant.
But I didn't.
I had an abortion.
And I never told a soul.
That first night with you,
I-I remember thinking,
me and you...
we're enough... if we never have a family,
if I never dance again.
We are enough.
Aren't we?
♪ I just want to celebrate... ♪
May I have your attention, please?
Your attention, please.
Everybody gather 'round.
Now, I know we had a hard fight.
- Right? - Yes, we did. Yes, we did.
We received more donations for our community coalitions
than any other event in our history.
And since nothing is sweeter than victory,
and y'all know I like victory...
That's right.
Dig in!
♪ ♪
♪ I just want to celebrate ♪
♪ Another day of livin' ♪
♪ Another day of... ♪
Pleasure doing business.
So he's not really a union man?
Who, Tommy? No. He trying to be a stuntman,
or some shit like that.
Civil rights is a fight, Don.
What you think they did at Selma?
We switched the players, but it's the same damn game.
My future's not a game, Gerald. You got to warn me before
-you take risks like that. -Oh, don't give me that shit.
It ain't like you didn't know, you just chose not to.
-What if someone would have died, Gerald? -They didn't.
What if the press would have found out, man?
They won't. The only thing on the front page is
Soul Train, season two.
It was reckless, and you know it.
I can't take chances like that with my life.
You want to run with the big boys, Don?
You got to be a big boy.
You've reached the Cornelius home.
-Leave a message at the beep.
Hey, Red.
Look, I know you're upset.
And you've got every right to be.
But we've got two great boys and a lot of good years
worth fighting for.
Not too long ago, you were counting down the days
to our anniversary getaway.
And I hope you still are.
I hope you're thinking about our getaway by the Falls,
and dancing until they turn out the lights,
like we did before.
I'll be there, Red.
And I hope you will, too.
I love you.
♪ I just want to... ♪
♪ I just want to celebrate ♪
♪ Said I just want to celebrate ♪
♪ Celebrate ♪
♪ I just want to celebrate ♪
♪ I want to celebrate. ♪
Give it up for Miss Pearl Madigan.
What are you after, Pete?
$500 and I'll be out your hair.
Yo, so, this fool has money
-to eat but not to pay me? -Chill, Reggie.
I'll get you the money back!
Ever think about leaving this place?
Now we can go anywhere we want. Berlin, France, New York.
I don't have a liquor license, I don't have a club.
Who's paying your ass off to shut us down?
Your daddy's not doing so well.
Doc thinks it's old-timer's.
I know that Carter may not be the best father in the world,
but he's yours, and that's more than I've ever had.