By Krystle J Bailey
The Rhythm and Blues Preservation Society, created in 2018, exists to preserve the unique sound of African American music that influences the world of music as a whole. Founder and award-winning CEO Perry Thompson has spent his life not only enjoying Black music but working to educate others on the history and rich culture behind R&B, Soul, Hip-Hop, and Jazz.
As a graduate of LaGuardia School of Music and Performing Arts with a concentration in Voice and Music, Thompson went on to work for a music company for a number of years. His deep love for musical artistry and the history behind various genres and musicians led him to his lifelong dream of creating a non-profit organization centered around Black music education.
Along with VP and COO Sonja Elise Freeman, the Rhythm and Blues Preservation Society aims to promote the culture of black music while celebrating the artists who create it and honoring those who paved the way. This is done through story-telling on social media, seminars at local colleges, and the production of a curriculum that focuses on Black music and culture.
On his regular Instagram Live discussions, Thompson covers a variety of topics, including industry updates, music that impacted the Civil Rights Movement, holiday soul and contributions from African American artists, and the regular CEO corner segment.
The channel features spotlight series including Mothers in Music around Mother’s Day and Women in Music for Women’s History Month. Thompson has interviewed countless artists, producers, and songwriters, including Claudette Robinson, The British Ambassador of Soul Mr. David Nathan, 80’s R&B Legend Melissa Morgan, and many more.
When Thompson is not curating musically inspired conversations, he is contributing to various platforms, including Boss Up Magazine, BringBackSoulMusic.com, and SoulMusic.com. Additionally, Thompson and his team are working to create a curriculum that fosters a scholastic atmosphere conducive to the cultivation of music and artistic development. They currently are a licensed vendor for the Department of Education in New York and are working to bring Black music education into the public school system. That initiative is being expanded, as they are in the process of becoming licensed to bring the curriculum to New Jersey schools.
Thompson and the RBPS team are spearheading several projects this year in the local community, including college classroom tours and the production of Strength of a Woman: A Phyllis Hyman Tribute Album and Documentary. Last year, Thompson presented a lecture at Stockton University in honor of the iconic singer Nina Simone’s 89th birthday. He looks forward to repeating the celebration for what would have been Nina Simone’s 90th birthday on February 21st, 2023 – the day that has been declared “Rhythm and Blues Preservation Society Day.” The organization received a proclamation for its official day in 2022 from Assemblyman Don Guardian. Details for the forthcoming celebration will be shared on the RBPS social media accounts.
Keep up with The Rhythm and Blues Preservation Society on all social media platforms @RBPSOC.
Krystle J Bailey. Multimedia journalist, Author, Poet.
Connect with Krystle on Instagram @thedailybailey5
