Tom Bee facts for kids

Tom Bee was the person who started and led Sound of America Records (SOAR). This was the very first record label owned by Native Americans.

Music Journey

Tom Bee grew up in Gallup, New Mexico, a town near a Native American reservation. He became well-known as the founder and main artist of the popular 1970s music group XIT.

XIT: A Unique Band

One of Tom Bee's songs, "(We've Got) Blue Skies," was recorded by Michael Jackson and The Jackson 5. It appeared on their famous album "Maybe Tomorrow." This led Tom Bee to sign a contract with Motown Records as an artist, writer, and producer.

While with Motown, XIT released two albums: "Plight of the Redman" and "Silent Warrior." A song from "Silent Warrior," called "Reservation of Education," became a top 5 hit in France and other European countries in 1973. XIT's songs often talked about important issues for Native Americans. This made them very popular with some fans, creating a special following in America and Europe. Their music has been loved for over thirty years.

One newspaper even wrote that XIT was like the Beatles for Native Americans. When they performed live, people compared their energy to the Rolling Stones.

Working with Music Stars

While at Motown, Tom Bee also wrote and produced the song "Joyful Jukebox Music" for Michael Jackson's album "Swan Song." He also worked with Smokey Robinson on his first solo album. In 1979, one of Bee's songs, "Red Hot," was a top dance hit by Taka Boom. Later, in 1985, the U.K. Rockabilly star Shakin' Stevens recorded Bee's song "Don't Be Two Faced." Tom Bee's songs have appeared on many other albums over the years.

Sound of America Records (SOAR)

In 1989, Tom Bee started Sound of America Records (SOAR) in his home garage. In 1995, he created another company, SOAR Distribution LTD. This company helped other independent labels and artists who made Native American music.

A New Kind of Record Label

By 1999, SOAR bought the buildings they had been renting since 1991. These buildings housed their record labels, publishing, and studio work. SOAR also became the special distributor for Native American music for Robbie Robertson's albums. These included "Music for the Native Americans" and "Contact From the Underworld of Redboy" on Capitol Records. They also distributed the very popular album "Sacred Spirit" on Virgin Records.

SOAR has three publishing companies and five different record labels: SOAR, Natural Visions, Warrior, Dakotah, and Red Sea. Today, SOAR has over 300 high-quality albums of both modern and traditional Native American music. Tom Bee always said that SOAR wasn't the first to record Native American music. But they were the first to take it to a new level. SOAR was the first company to release traditional Native American music on compact disc. He once said, "we took Native American music out of the trading posts and into the streets." SOAR's main idea has always been "Quality titles, not quantity of titles."

Awards and Recognition

Tom Bee worked hard for ten years to help make a special category for Native American Folk music at the Grammy Awards.

Grammy Wins and More

Besides many gold albums, Tom Bee has received many awards. In 1994, he received the Eagle Spirit from the American Film Institute. In 1996, he got The Will Sampson Award from the First Americans in the Arts. In 1998, Bee won the Producer of the Year Award at the First Annual Native American Music Awards (NAMMY's). The next year, he received the NAMMY's Lifetime Achievement Award (1999). In 2001, Tom Bee won a Grammy as a Producer for Best Native American Music Album. This was in the very first year that category existed.

Special Honors

The Mayor of Albuquerque, Martin Chavez, declared July 27, 2002, "Tom Bee Day." This was to celebrate Bee's achievements in the music world as an artist, songwriter, producer, and award winner. On February 8, 2003, Bee received the Lifetime Achievement Award from First Americans In The Arts in Beverly Hills, California. Most recently, on February 19, 2003, in New York City, he received the Lifetime Achievement Award from Four Directions Entertainment. In 2004, his album "Reveal His Glory" was nominated for a Grammy. Bee also won a Grammy for producing the 2004 Grammy-winning album "Flying Free" by Black Eagle.