Freedom

American disco-funk band from Jackson (MS), formed in the late 1970s.
Core members are:
Larry Addison: Keyboards & Lead Vocals
Ray Smith: Bass, Percussion & Vocals
Robert Black: Trumpet & Percussion
David Thigpen: Saxes, Percussion & Vocals
Joe Short: Lead Vocals & Percussion (d. 1981)
Tyrone Armstrong: Guitars
Victor Mason: Drums & Percussion
Adolph Adams: Lead Vocals & Percussion.

Additional Members:
Charles Gilliam: Flute
Carl Marsh: Synthesizers
Chalmers Davis: Keyboards
Robert Scott: Moog Synthesizers
Richard Morgan: Trombone
Henry Rogers: Trumpet

Founded by Victor Mason, Caleb Armstrong and Ray Smith in 1976 while they were students at Jackson State. Signed up by [l=Malaco Records], Freedom hit the radio stations and clubs in NYC with their second single "Get Up and Dance" from their debut album [m=326799] in 1979. The track immediately found its way into the old school hip-hop community as being one of the key samples used by the DJ's like , (DJ Darryl C) of , just to name a few (the song was also covered by in 1981). "Dance Sing Along" was a minor hit from the same album. The group released three more albums into the 80's, however without success. They slowly dissolved in the mid-80's after the percussionist and falsetto vocal Joe Leslie Short was tragically killed in 1981.