Minnie Riperton, Shalamar and Melba Moore, 1970s' R&B performers, will be highlighted as part of the June return of TV One's biographical series, Unsung.
The four-episode series will serve as the centerpiece of the network's "Black Music Month" programming lineup that will feature new episodes of the network's entertainment magazine show TV One Access and a special, TV One On One, an interview show featuring Grammy-award winning artist Mary J. Blige.
Florence Ballard, co-founder of Motown's legendary girl group The Supremes will round out the four new, weekly Unsung episodes, which debut June 8, said network officials. The series looks at the factors that kept several musical performers that achieved a certain level of success and popularity from fully realizing the iconic commercial status they deserved.
Four previous episodes of Unsung featuring DeBarge, Donny Hathaway, Phyllis Hyman and the Clark Sisters, that aired in fall 2008 drew a combined 1.1 million viewers.
"Unsung really resonates with our audience," said TV One senior vice president of original programming Toni Judkins in a statement. "There are so many more remarkable artists who have had the raw talent of Diana (Ross), Aretha (Franklin) or Stevie (Wonder), but whose circumstances have prevented them from attaining that iconic status."
