80s

California Raisins Creator Has Passed Away At 70

When the California Raisin Advisory Board (yes, it's a real organization) couldn't figure out a way to convince people to eat more raisins during the 80s, they decided that a band of claymation raisins dancing and singing "I Heard It Through the Grapevine," was the solution to the problem.  They appeared in a bunch of commercials, an Emmy Award-winning holiday special, a mockumentary-style movie, partnered with Michael Jackson, and eventually landed their very own cartoon show. The purple R&B singers also had a video game, board game, and figurines, and appeared on mugs, hats, books, backpacks, lunch boxes,