August 2011

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I was about to begin the last few installments in RSP for this month when up crops a group on Facebook called “I Grew up in DC.” It’s amazing what you remember in your hometown. Next month marks 33 years when I left the city and as they say “loaded up the truck and moved to Beverly”… Well not exactly…

I spent about an hour reminiscing in this group about some of the memories of growing up in the city…Places and things that had become distant memories that suddenly found new life…Many of those things, no matter where you grew up everyone knew and understood…

We remembered things from the Good Humor Ice Cream truck to the milkman delivering milk in glass containers, to old fashioned home remedies for the common cold…As real schoolers we grew up in a time and place that we’ll never see again. Families were different, accountability was different, children were raised differently. It just seemed so much more stable…It’s great to look back and find strength in those things that keep us whole.

August 4 marks the first anniversary of my mother’s passing. I took a day...Taking time to acknowledge all the things that she gave to me that enriched my life…I would not be doing any of the things that I’m doing now were it not for her… When most of us were growing up we never believed that our parents would be gone...Parents seemed so forever. Legacies are forever. The legacies of our parents’ lives in us- and so it goes. That is how the branches of the family tree flourish.

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ADVENTURES IN MARLOLAND

A couple of years ago I wrote about Marlo Henderson. I had to share again what's going on and it's really great that he wailed on my upcoming single... 

Meet the man you've always known. I'm an avid album liner notes reader. I knew Marlo from reading album jackets before I worked with him when I was with the gospel group, Tommy T & Company.

Little did I know that years later we'd be working together. But even if I hadn't met him, there is a subtle familiarity that abounds when one continually sees names credited on some of the most notable music memories immortalized on wax. Especially when more than 50 of this wax went gold and platinum!

We all "know" guitarist, arranger, producer Marlo Henderson. If we've ever listened to Minnie Ripperton, Michael Jackson, Earth Wind and Fire, Patti Labelle,The Jacksons, Gato Barberie, Dusty Springfield, Brenda Russell, Ahmad Jamal, Joe Sample, Johnny Mathis, Denise Williams...Okay, this is just part of the list---so yes we know Marlo.

1970 Buddy Miles Them Changes. Henderson fingerprinted his contribution to the rhythm with guitar as well as background vocals.

1977 -The Emotions Rejoice Album. I remember my favorite song on that album Don't Ask My Neighbors Marlo laid a groove that was kick back and sultry. Where was I back then? Living just outside of DC. I remember the leaves changing to the colors of fall and grooving to this tune at my window seat.

1978-The DJ Rogers  My favorite tune from that album Love Brought Me Back. I couldn't believe that track. The strings were awesome on this gospel, r & B funk groove where Marlo held it down with a rhythmic funk  that reiterated the message, Hey, this is funk that 's hanging out with  gospel and R & B.

He's written for The Pointer Sisters,The Emotions, Ramsey Lewis, Booker "T" Jones, Deniece Williams, Tata Vega and Syreeta Wright and more.

He's also worked with the new school, when in 1993 he worked on Hip Hop Projects which included KRS-1 to Snoop Dog, Tupac and the east coast's Dove Shack.

And what is he doing now? Everything! His music and his world which I call Marloland is a serene, quiet, thoughtful mesh of music in its most spiritual form...

You feel it everywhere..Whether it's his unique plants and flowers, to the way they are arranged in the yard to the planters and interesting groupings of all of these elements. 

Everything in Marloland is connected to music...which equals peace which equals the joy of creativity...He continues to keep it real, with the production quality that we remember from back in the day...He has the subliminal wisdom of teaching to the real school preschoolers...All they have to do it listen.  

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MUSIC:

LULU: YESTERDAY AND TODAY

She was one of the biggest female singers in the UK in the 60s… Lulu, has been singing since she was 4 and came to prominence with her cover of “Shout” (it reached number 7) originally recorded by the Isley Brothers in 1959. 

When she made her film debut in To Sir With Love in 1967, she exploded in the US with a number one hit from the movie. It was the B-side of a record in the UK of her record "Let’s Pretend". She married Bee Gee Maurice Gibb in ’69 and had her own self titled show. The couple remained married until 1973.

She is still quietly soulful and unique. Her voice has gotten better through the years and she continues to hold her own…Now in her 60s, her voice is even more vibrant than when she charmed us as a teen in the film…

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MEDIA:

VIOLA DAVIS GETS REAL ON SCREEN

Viola Davis is a powerhouse of an actor. Her work is amazing and she can so transform her face and characters so brilliantly that you could probably be in a room with her and wonder what happened to Viola once she’s on the set. The more I saw her, the more I was spellbound by the depth of her vision…

The Julliard graduate won the Tony Award for her performance on Broadway in August Wilson’s  King Hedley II in 2001… Born in South Carolina in 1965, she was raised in Rhode Island where her family moved when she was two months old… “We grew up in abject poverty." she is quoted as saying. "Acting, writing scripts and skits were a way of escaping our environment at a very young age.”

The actress plays Abilene Clark in the film "The Help" which opens in theaters on August 10…The film itself is sure to garner a myriad of emotions. Ms.Davis does an amazing job in "period pieces".

There are so many words I could use to describe her artistry: focused, direct, captivating…Her star is rising and I can see that she is creating legacy in her performances…She is one of the brightest and the best in the Hollywood Galaxy.

 Her unforgettable performance as Mrs. Miller opposite Meryl Streep won Ms Davis an Oscar Nomination as best supporting actress for the role. She has  been on the big and small screen since the mid 90s and an actress for over 20 years.

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MEMORIES: STILL LOVING LUCY

August 6 would have been Lucille Ball's 100th Birthday...She was the Queen of Comedy back in the day and still maintains her reign to new schoolers and the new schoolers yet to come. I don't think there is any one of us who could ever forget Lucy growing up...Who knew that a woman could be beautiful and funny?  She had a signature look and there will only be one Lucy. 

She was a pioneer in the still very new prairie called television back in the day. She was an entertainer with firsts: the first woman to run a major TV studio (Desilu) and the first woman allowed to show her pregnancy on TV...She and her son, Dezi Arnaz, Jr. were on the first cover of TV Guide Magazine...Before she was an actress, Lucille was a model...She once worked in an ice cream store, but was fired for not putting bananas in the banana splits! Our first Lucy episode off camera? Interestingly so...

The legacy that she left in the world of entertainment is one that none us will ever outgrow...More of us watched Lucy marathons than not and more us had a favorite episode that still tickles our funny bones...

Quote from Lucille Ball: " I'm happy that I have brought laughter because I have been shown by many the value of it in so many lives, in so many ways."

We thank you Lucy. We much real love you.

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REAL FILM: 
RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES

 

Who could forget? That last scene of Planet of the Apes with Charlton riding horseback to see the Statue of Liberty half immersed in the sandy beach? I was 12 years old when I saw Planet of Apes in 1968. The ending was such I shocker, I totally wanted more. One of my first questions was, how did it ever get to this point? Well, all this and more are answered in the prequel Rise Of The Planet of the Apes…

I have long been pissed off at Hollywood for its talentless, relentless remakes of classic films believing that their "remix" will outdo the original. But with “Rise”? THIS is a prequel that was worth waiting 43 years for! Masterful in the way it referenced the original film it makes you want to watch the classic original. That is brilliant…But one thing I must point out. You have to watch past the end credits in the film because as they are rolling you gain more insight into how the rise of the Ape culture spread. This film also leaves it open for a sequel which I hope is as well done as this…All I can say is, when that ape said his first word, everybody in the theater said “WHOA!”

So what was so appealing about  Rise? It was something about the eyes of Ceasar,  and the breath of life that was brilliantly  given by actor Alan Serkas, the man in the virtual monkey suit. He worked it, too...Serkis is no stranger to the CG acting game. He also gave life to Gollum in Lord of The Rings and The Hobbit and King Kong in the 2005 re-make.

Performance-capture, or motion-capture, is a type of film-making that records an actor’s body and facial movements, which are then transferred to a digital model and rendered on computer.  Serkis wore a tight-fitting suit over his body and face when  playing  Caesar from baby to adulthood ,covered with markers that highlight the nuances of his movement, and recorded by a special camera...It's like Avatar in real life...He should definitely get Oscar recognition for this character because it's a type of acting that requires more...Yes, the actors back in the day had to go through hours of make up, but this new technology gives even more realism to the visual in film.

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 "Thanks for sharing the journey"

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March-July 2011

 
Okay, okay... I know that this issue of RSP is really late...I could use the excuse that I'm still celebrating my birthday...One of my friends told me as I reached this 55th year of existence on the planet, that I have now advanced to the senior class in the Real School of life! Nicely put! He also told me to slow down, because I've reached the speed limit! About a month before my March 5th birthday, I became vegan. It was the best decision I ever made.

As I look at my life and look forward to as much of it as I can, I can totally appreciate all the memories I have made and the stories I have to tell… I look at all those hat boxes full of photos and think, "most of my entire life is in them." If someone were to take a peek in those boxes, the story would be already told…

I used to wonder as I was coming of age, how my mother "knew" things. It was like she was psychic...If I formed a friendship with someone as a teen, she could instinctively tell me their entire history just by meeting them once. And as I got older, I discovered her secret. It was the longevity of living, the wisdom you gain through experience and the quacking duck theory...I have become my mother.

All of us real-schoolers have the wealth of experience and wisdom on our side…That doesn't make us as irrelevant and obsolete as some of the younger generation would like to believe...Because whether they know know it or not, as real school pre-schoolers, if they live long enough they will come into their own, and collect their own cultural icons and memories.  

We live in a society that caters to a younger generation, but there are societies in other countries that cherish the wisdom of the elders. The more we live, the more we grow as we earn our degrees just from living...

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YESTERDAY TODAY AND ALWAYS: BILL WITHERS

His style is infectious, easy going, Sunday morning, bluesy, folksy, soul, r&b. This is a sound that can come from only one guy, Bill Withers...I know we've all been wondering where he's been, but thanks to Netflix, I was able to watch one fantastic bio-music-mentary, Still Bill about this unique and well loved music legend...He's older, he's wiser and looks at legacy. But in his every word, there is a sincere poetry that is uniquely Bill...

From the moment I saw Still Bill I was entranced from beginning to end…Curiously you may wonder what Bill Withers has in common with the  Oscar winning film  “The Kings Speech”…Well, he was a stutterer. I am not going to be a spoiler for this wonderful look at the legend that is Bill Withers…I’m just going to say. See it!

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 FLASHBACK: THIRTYSOMETHING

Once upon a time in 1987 Hollywood, there was an interesting show called "Thirtysomething" that ran until 1991. It was about a group of  Baby Boomers in their 30s and I am dying for a reunion...I really loved this show...It would be interesting to see them as they are now with flashback scenes from the show...Watching it again brought back memories of raising kids and being in my thirties...This show broke ground on many levels and won numerous Emmys...It paved the way for shows like Brothers and Sisters, Six Feet Under, My So Called Life and others...So where are they now? 

Ken Olin played Michael Steadman. Olin stars in and is executive producer and director of Brothers & Sisters on ABC.

Patricia Wettig played Nancy Weston, is married to Ken Olin and  earned three Emmys and a Golden Globe for her role as Nancy. She plays Holly Harper on Brothers & Sisters on ABC.

Mel Harris played Hope Murdoch Steadman and  has appeared in several series including the film, Imagine That with Eddie Murphy.

 

Peter Horton played Gary Shepherd. He's an executive producer and director of Grey's Anatomy on ABC, and produces and directs NBC's The Philanthropist.

  

Melanie Mayron played Melissa Steadman, and won an Emmy for role. She has appeared in HBO's In Treatment and Lipstick Jungle on NBC.

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 REAL FRIENDS 
 MEET ELENNE BOOTHE

Elenne & Tommy

Sometimes in the face of great loss there is an incredible gain. It is a curious thing that those who are departed seem to bring people together. Such is the case with Elenne Booth and I…We met upon the sadness of the sudden loss of our most beloved Tommy Thomas… Elenne's an individual with a true spirit and creativity… 

Her career started in 1986 at LA’s Inner City Cultural Center, learning everything from setting the stage, lighting and wardrobe… Her first show at Inner City was a tribute to Thomas Fats Waller which led to more theatrical work. By 1993, she was in the in the Los Angeles union for theatrical wardrobe and I guess you say the rest is history. In wardrobe, she assisted in show load in, preparing the show, steaming and ironing costumes...She’s worked in major theatrical venues throughout Los Angeles. Ice Shows, ballets, operas and Broadway shows as well as traveled internationally.

 

 

In 2000 Elenne became key staff member for Chaka Kahn. Throughout the years a friendship grew and it was truly an amazing moment when Chaka gave Elenne a heartfelt “thank you” when she received her star at the Hollywood Walk of fame. “Working with Chaka Khan was the most amazing and beautiful experience.” Says Elenne.” It was a great joy working for her. She is truly beautiful lady.” 

When Elenne isn’t working the stage behind the scenes, she’s taking photographs and implementing them in her designs on her very successful Zazzle website…

”I use my camera to take pictures of nature and I also add my poetry, poems, special sayings to my art and designs on custom T-Shirts, cards, Keds shoes, iPad & iPhone cases, posters, buttons and  so much more.” She continues, “I love what I do. I love touching lives. I believe when one helps another you are helping yourself and the love you give out will come back to you in so many ways. I just pray that I be remembered for my art, my love and my service/hard work of touching many...Working in the entertainment industry isn't easy nor a bed of roses all the time. you have to put up with a lot and bite your tongue and keep a lot of secrets working with artists. But I wouldn't change the path I have been on."

Since we have our birthdays 4 days apart, we hung out at the Huntington Library…Camera in hand, Elenne couldn’t get enough of the beautiful energies in the gardens, waterfalls, bamboos and coy ponds. It was awesome…

 


Check out Elenne's T shirt design, a  current popular seller on Zazzle.

Elenne's design sites:

• http://www.zazzle.com/elenne
• http://www.artamatik.com/Eagleswings
• http://www.redbubble.com/people/elenne

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THE END OF AN ERA: JERRY LEWIS' LAST TELETHON

Jerry Lewis is turning over his position as the face that got us to give for  Muscular Dystrophy with this years telethon."As a labor of love," he says "I've hosted the annual Telethon since 1966, and I'll be making my final appearance on the show this year by performing my signature song, 'You'll Never Walk Alone'...

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REAL TV:

CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM

I was never a Seinfeld fan, but when one of the co-creaters, Larry David, landed a series on HBO, I like so many,  became hooked. Life has no laugh track and that is what makes Curb Your Enthusiasm a real hit. No one has to cue you when to laugh or get the punch lines because it's automatic.  A brilliant, hysterically raunchy out of the box show, Larry David plays himself and usually gets caught up in the wrong side of everything he attempts to do.  For those of us who can't get enough Enthusiasm, season 8 begins July 10. For those of you who would like to check out the show from it's first season, it's available on HBO 

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THROUGH THE WORMHOLE

Morgan Freeman has scored  as host with this amazing science series. It explores the mysteries of man's existence and shares the new technologies of science that at one point in time were unimaginable.

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THE BIG C

This series now in its 2nd season is breakthrough television at its best. It's inconceivable that a main character with stage 4 melanoma could render comedy and drama. The Big C is just that show. It has so many dimensions and colors as a "dramedy" and takes us through a myriad of emotions...Laura Linney as Cathy is brilliant in her performance, with a vibrant smile and dimpled cheeks reminiscent of a young Betty White.

In the final episode of season one, Cathy,  knowing that she is on borrowed time and keeping the secret of her terminal illness from her family gets discovered by her son, Adam. He's a typical kid coming of age who sees life as forever.  He has all but blown his mother off as he comes into his manhood as he's  assumed she will always be there. I don't think that there was a viewer with a dry eye on this episode. It was a masterful concept and got us, just like it was meant to.

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REAL MEMORIES: 

THE BABY BOOMER e-MUSEUM

Don't you just love it when you stumble on a goldmine? That's what happened when I started thinking about full serve gas stations...Remember? A uniformed employee of the gas station asked you how much fuel you wanted. He pumped the gas for you and cleaned your windshield? Ah, gone are the days... 

I was looking for a picture and came upon this one which I shared on my Facebook page and found the Baby Boomer e-Museum...What a great journey back in time this site is! Check out this site...I bet you you'll be saying " Oh, yeh! I REMEMBER that!"

The Baby Boomer e-museum: A site worth Bookmarking.

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Thanks for sharing the journey!!!!!

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Jan-Feb 2011

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What will this new year bring? 2011 is an empty canvas and with each new year we look toward to achieving our particular goals.

I start every year with a motto...From the day after Thanksgiving to the beginning of the new year I get all of my thoughts and goals together in preparation for the following year. It is a solitary time of focus and introspection… It remains my personal way of remaining grounded and focused on the goals that are ahead of me. For us as real school people, time is not something that we see as something to waste. As we become more actualized in who we are, we take stock of those things that mean us the most good. All of us have our personal goals and as we move through each year, we understand the ultimate value of time…In our youth we saw time differently and how we worked within its framework. As the years roll forward and we look back, we have an invaluable consciousness when it comes to memories, goals and future. So what is my motto for 2011? Drum roll, please….. “NOW is the time.”    Whatever goals we have put off, NOW is the time to actualize them. Remember, we’re not growing old, we’re growing up…Pursuing our life’s dreams when we’ve got some living on our pallet feels really good. You appreciate it…It’s a new way of smelling the roses. 

So to all of you, I wish you a most prosperous new year, because NOW is the time! 

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Real Moves Into 2011

Jan Kain

No one exemplifies my 2011 motto more than my friend, Jan Kain. That's Jan gracing the cover for this issue. She talks the talk and walks the walk! It came as no surprise when this former nurse whose mission is nurturing in health and fitness, took the bull by the horns and opened her own studio: People’s Yoga Health and Dance in Southern California. Her diligence  for over five years  towards her own studio reality paid off. 

“The People’s Yoga, Health & Dance” may be my dream, but it is a collaboration, a collective of many," Jan says. "No man is an island and there is no way I could have accomplished this project without the support from my fantastic students, clients, instructors, family & friends. Without you, “the people”, People’s Yoga, Health & Dance could not exist! You have inspired me to be a better person as well as a better teacher & athlete & have been with me through so much!  

Her life’s passion is dance, choreography, movement, fitness and exercise…She's been performing, (dancing, singing and acting) since she was 6 years old. By the age of ten, Jan became a professional performer. Among many of her accomplishments, she's danced with the New York City Ballet as a child and has appeared on and off Broadway… Among the classes that Jan teaches are Kettlebells, Zumba, Yoga, Pilates and dance classes. 

The mission statement for People's Yoga Health and Dance is warm and wonderfully inclusive for fitness novices to professionals:

Our mission is your health & well-being. At People’s Yoga, Health & Dance we strive to make the world a healthier place one person at a time. We believe that everyone should have the opportunity to be proactive in his or her desire for good health & quality of life. Therefore, we open our hearts & talents to “the people” regardless of their ability to pay. We encourage all “the people” regardless of age or resources to bring friends, hang out, & try new ways to have fun while promoting a healthy & fit lifestyle. Everything is possible; age is just a number; it’s not too late to be & do your best.

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Memories

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Real School icons make a comeback 

YOGI BEAR

The fact that they’re reincarnating Yogi Bear to a new generation reminds me that I really need to write a blog about remakes. This isn’t the Yogi we remember and whether I ever see the Yogi Bear movie remains questionable. But at least when I do my joke about not hiking in the woods because I don’t want to meet Yogi and Boo Boo, the younger generation will get it.  

Hanna-Barbera’s Yogi Bear was born in 1958, a sidekick in the Huckleberry Hound Show. This “smarter than average bear” became so popular from  The Huckleberry Hound show, that he got his own TV gig in 1961. By 1964 he hit the big screen with animated version, “Hey There. It’s Yogi Bear.”  One of his major goals was getting a “pickanick basket” with his sidekick Boo-boo, hanging out in Jellystone park and avoiding Ranger Smith with his own game plan.

A little interesting, “it is said trivia”: mannerisms are said to have been inspired by the character Ed Norton on "The Honeymooners. Ya know, when you think about it….

 ALKA SELZTER'S SPEEDY

Alka Seltzer has been around since February 21, 1931 and has been going strong ever since. Speedy, the product's Mascot starting out as "Sparky" who first appeared in women's Magazines in 1952. 

Speedy gained more fame when he hit TV in the 60s. He left the scene in 1964. I guess an early retirement. But now the 57 year old is back on the advertising circuit and he hasn't changed a bit.

Not only has he made a comeback, but there's also an online game on the Alka Seltzer website called "Where's Speedy?"

 Trivia: According to Advertising Age magazine,

When Speedy retired, Alka-Seltzer was investing $8.5 million in him. The original Speedy statue was lost on a trip to the Philippines in 1971 and wasn’t recovered until 5 years later.

  

I know we all remember this vintage Speedy commercial. Some of us may even be singing this jingle from the holidays.

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Jester Hairston made a huge contribution to the legacy of music in America. He traveled with his culturally diverse group, The Hairston Chorale world-wide. He was a captivating songwriter and performer who engaged his audiences in the telling of the background behind the music he  wrote and performed.

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MUSIC

Jester Hairston

Sometimes when we see older actors in sitcoms, we fail to think that they have a history that creates legacy…The wonderful fascination comes with the discovery of who they really are and the legacy they left behind. Such is the story behind Jester Hairston. Now some of us may remember him as Rolly Forbes in the 1980s sitcom “Amen”, but in 1956 he wrote the famous Christmas song, Mary's Boy Child. He was an accomplished songwriter, choral director and vocalist  who's passion is so clearly reflected in his contributions to American music it absolutely touches the soul.

  

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Below in this 1993 special, Tom Jones, accompanied  by David Foster sang a rendition of Hairston's song.

Yes, Jester Hairston was a pioneer who paved the way for the black actors in Hollywood.  He  also brought the racial and  cultural divide together in his infectious melodies. Did he run naked through more Tarzan movies than he cared to remember? Yes. Did he lose a Boston accent to win long running roles on the radio and TV versions of Amos and Andy? Yes. Did he ever make apologies for his portrayal of black stereotypes? No.

Hairston was adamant about the preservation of negro spirituals. He was a choral director who worked for over 50 years, organizing Hollywood’s first integrated choir and composed and arranged over 300 spirituals. 

Hairston was the embodiment of the black actor’s struggle in Hollywood.  "We had a hard time then fighting for dignity," he once said of his early roles. " . . . We had no power. We had to take it, and because we took it the young people today have opportunities."

Jester Hairston conducts the choir to his left Dmitri Tiomkin

Hairston, a Tufts University graduate was born in 1901 and  arrived in California in 1935. His break into Hollywood came when he was hired  by Russian composer Dmitri Tiomkin to conduct the choir in the film “Lost Horizon” (1935). The film was nominated for an Oscar for best score. Hairston continued to work with Tiomkin for twenty years. 

Hairston maintained an active  role in the history of black music . He formed the first integrated choir used in the films, "Red River," "She Wore a Yellow Ribbon" and "Land of the Pharaohs." Before coming to LA, he went to New York where Hairston  met the noted conductor Hall Johnson. He became Johnson’s assistant, but it was not without getting a lesson into the true meaning of black spirituals and his cockiness took a beating from Johnson. "You don't have the right attitude toward these songs," Johnson said. "We're singing ain't and cain't and you're singing shahn't and cahn't and they don't mix in a spiritual."

Hairston got it together and lost his cahn'ts and shahn'ts. He began to gain a new insight into the music through his mentor. He thought back on the stories and songs of his grandmother, who was born a slave. In his humility and enlightened outlook he dedicated himself not only to preserving the music of the slaves, but memorializing the legacy of the conditions that gave birth to it. He shared his knowledge in college workshops to younger generations. He told students, "You can't sing legato when the master's beatin' you across your back."

After working as an African native yelling “Bwana, bwana” in so my Tarzan movies, in 1955 during casting for "Tarzan's Hidden Jungle," Jester got the role of witch doctor. He would recall his reaction years later: "Good gracious, I've been promoted!"

Jester Hairston worked on "In the Heat of the Night," "Lady Sings the Blues" and "To Kill a Mockingbird." He also worked on such TV shows as That’s My Mama, Harry O, Rawhide and The Virginian. There were many times his work was uncredited. Were it not for the many Jester Hairston’s in the industry back in the day, the status of future black actors would not have changed and opened the doors of equality. This is a legacy that needs to be pronounced in history books. 

His best known work was his arrangement of "Amen" which he also wrote. It was Jester Hairston's singing for the physical presence of Sidney Poiter in the 1963 film ‘Lilies of the Field”. I remember so well my mother talking me to see this film. I was 7 years old.

Jester Hairston as Henry Van Porter in Amos & Andy

In this rare video below, Jester Hairston is introduced as part of the cast of  The Amos & Andy Show. I never personally saw this show as a negative in the history of television. It was a part of the process of making in-roads and was merely a sepia version of The Honeymooners. The show opening looked almost the same and both shows ran began in 1951. The  Amos & Andy Shows ended two years before The Honeymooners. The Flintstones in my opinion was an animated version of The Honeymooners.

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Tommy Thomas

The real bridge between traditional and contemporary gospel

If anyone asked me if I ever met an angel, my reply would be, “At least one.” This experience I will treasure for the rest of my life…I never knew someone who could give so much love to so many and still have more love to share…I believe that Tommy Thomas accomplished the impossible by that and more.

His loss was sudden… His uniquely incredible legacy in black history was his ability to write the most beautiful spiritual music of our lifetime…The uniqueness in his work was his natural skill of keeping the flavor of the black spiritual while interweaving a contemporary style to gospel music. It was a gift that many of us will treasure and that few could ever compare to.

When many of the contemporary "gospalists", hit the scene, my reaction was "And?" because Tommy Tee was ahead of his time. He had pioneered the territory of Contemporary Gospel with precision back in the 70s in his teens. I had the wonderful pleasure of working with him when I joined Tommy Tee & Company in late 79…It was an experience that brought with it a great treasure trove of memories and friends that would become a wonderful extended family throughout the years…

I still don’t think of him as gone, but just away…Sometimes I wake up thinking that he may call me any minute and then sometimes I cry.  But I know that I am better for having shared so many wonderful memories with him and writing music with him…

We tend to think of super stardom as names that are well known among the masses, but Tommy’s star was the brightest in the galaxy because of the integrity he brought with his music and the stirring lyrics that he wrote…From gospel, to r &b, jazz, country, rock…He did them all and he was extraordinary in any musical genre…When you hear his work, you will be moved…

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 BLACK HISTORY

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A Real Look at Past Present and Future

Carter Woodson

Black History Month began its history in September 1915. Harvard historian, Carter Woodson with minister Jessie G. Moore founded the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History. By 1926 the group sponsored a National Negro History Week recognized in the 2^nd week of February, to coincide with the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglas. This event became a success and groups celebrated by organizing history clubs, performances and lectures nationwide. 

By the 60s and with the birth of the civil rights movement, the celebration became a month long and was officially recognized   by President Gerald Ford in 1976 throughout the United States. Thinking back in elementary school history books there was at least one page of history about black Americans and it was usually, George Washington Carver and Frederick Douglas. 

Garrett Morgan

Every time we drive our cars and stop at that traffic signal, we must credit Garett Morgan. It was his witnessing an accident between an automobile and horse and carriage that prompted him to design the traffic signal. While other inventors had experimented with, marketed, and even patented traffic signals,  Garrett Morgan was one of the first to apply for and obtain the U.S. patent for an inexpensive to produce traffic signal. The patent was granted on November 20, 1923.
 
He sold the rights to  his design for what at that time was an incredible sum of money, 40,000.00 to General Electric. Our traffic signal system today is based on Morgan’s design.

It is my hope that in future studies of expounding on legacy and history, black history will not be relegated to just one month of recognition. None of us can look at the history of this country without seeing the imprint of black history. The history of future study should be called Real History and be inclusive of all of individuals of African descent who were a huge part of making this nation.

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 Meeting David Wilson

Meeting David Wilson is an incredible journey that changes the consciousness of a young man who journeys  from  his home in New Jersey to North Carolina to trace the history of his family and meet the descendant who owned his family during slavery. 






His journey does not stop there. He proceeds to  Africa (Ghana) where he relives the holding areas before the passage on slave ships...David A. Wilson begins his trek to North Carolina, an embittered angry young man, who in meeting the descendant of the slave owning family  who happens to have the same name: David Wilson. 

You see the transformation of a young man seeking answers, introspection and growth as he understands  and bonds with the reality of humankind. This is a must see documentary. David A. Wilson is an individual who had questions, sought answers and took action. 

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MEDIA

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REAL FILM 

A MAN NAMED PEARL
 

I didn't know anything about Pearl Fryar until I got Netfliks and decided to check out some of the documentaries for research for RSP.  I started watching and I was hooked.

This film about a self-made topiary artist in Bishop, South Carolina was so moving in the way that he inspired all those who come to his gardens. Once you see this documentary, you will be moved to plan a trip to Bishop to meet this extraordinary man who created a vision that moves every soul with an element of an ultimate sense of peace and positive consciousness.

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JOAN RIVERS: A PIECE OF WORK

I absolutely loved this "in your face," real, sometimes heartbreaking but honest behind the scenes look at Joan Rivers. At 75, Joan can still handle her game and keep it on point. I admire her tenacity and courage as she continues to forge ahead in her career. Her spirit is impenetrable. She is going to ride this career until the wheels fall off.

She's quite good at what she does. Many of us remember when she started in the business of comedy. It was a time when there were few comediennes.  She's worked hard and still remains contemporary and upbeat...You have to admire a woman who can make fun of herself, keep it light when the entertainment business seems so brutal for a woman as she ages. But Joan pushes through any adversity and challenges and continues to make her mark. Good for her.



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ELEGY

Wow! This film is based on the book, "The Dying Animal" by Phillip Roth. I loved reading Roth's work back in the day. 

This film addresses many issues about maturity, friendship, tragedy, fidelity, loss and reality. I didn't know what to think at first. I thought maybe this was going to be just another, older man younger woman story with nothing to it, but it blew me away. It features Ben Kingsley, Dennis Hopper and Penelope Cruz.

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BEEN RICH ALL MY LIFE

Fay Ray who danced with the Harlem dance group in the 30 and 40s.

from left: Marion Coles, 91; Cleo Hayes, 91; Elaine Ellis, 88; and Fay Ray, 86.in 2006

This documentary about the Silver Belles, the dance troupe who danced in the 20s  and 30s, is an inspiring look  at the Harlem dancers'  legacy and their journey as they continue to celebrate fame.

I was really moved by this film...It is wonderful look at the dancers who were as popular as their headliner star performers...By World War II, live shows lost their popularity to film. The Silver Belles would regroup in 1985 to become an integral component of the new Harlem Renaissance.

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REAL TV

MEN OF A CERTAIN AGE

I love this show about  men coming of age: older age. About three college buddies, now in their late 40s/early 50s. The show was canceled last year but made a comeback.  In it's second season on TNT it seems like these guys get more disappointments in their realities, but there is somewhat of a balance of things working, but then not quite working... It's a little different. But that's why I like it because things don't happen the way I want them to.

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REAL LEGACIES

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As we leave 2010 behind, we look back at the great losses of many talented individuals that we grew up with: creative people who seemed immortal, but have crossed the threshold of the living and made their journey to the other side. As I have said many times, the immortality is in the creative works and legacies we leave behind.

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Thanks for sharing the journey!