The Voice

Amanda Brown is phenomenal.  It takes a lot to perform a hard rock classic and make it better than the original.  Love her voice, her stage presence, her look.  Enjoy this performance or find her The Voice performance on YouTube or iTunes.  She's Team Adam by the way.

Dream On

R.I.P. Teena Marie

1956-2010
"I'm a Black artist with White skin.  At the end of the day you have to sing what's in your own soul."

-Teena Marie

Michael Memory III

Front row seats-Jackson Victory Tour!!

Zen and I were having such a great time at the show.  We were hollering and screaming like little girls.  I firmly believe that you always have the most fun when you don't give a damn.  We didn't give a damn.  At one point I made eye contact with Randy Jackson (who cares it was Randy-right), and we were having this intense stare down while he was performing.  For some reason I didn't feel that connection anymore and I followed his eyes that had moved ever so slightly.  I'll be damned if Zen wasn't having stare sex with him too!  We never laughed so hard in our lives.  And yes I know this is a picture of Marlon with Mike-work with me ok?

Anyway they were performing as the Jackson 5 and although were loving it-it was time for Mike solo.  He didn't disappoint.  Michael Jackson is the ultimate show-man.  As he performed Billie Jean, there was anticipation for his signature choreography and then all of a sudden......Michael REALLY made eye contact with me, and the next thing I know...

The Billie Jean hat went right into my hands! 

The Black Fedora came from Hats in the Belfry in Georgetown.
The white silk lining was wet with Michael Jackson's sweat and Jerri Curl juice.
I put it on my head for a split second so my head could be where his was and then protected it like a newborn until I got it home.
Sigh.  I love Michael Jackson.
He was my wallpaper growing up and he entertained me his entire life.
I can't believe he's gone-much less gone a year.
R.I.P.

Michael Memory I

First of all, if you read the post yesterday, click it again and read my footnote.
Kids will keep you honest!

Anyway, the year is 1984 and I was listening to the six o'clock news.  Renee Poussaint (a DC news anchor) was reading the evening's headlines and top of the list was that tickets for the Jacksons Victory Tour were going on sale the next morning.  Up until that point, news of the concert didn't phase me, but for some reason, I felt a big pull to try to get tickets.  I called my girl ZEN  to see if she wanted to camp out in front of RFK Stadium in DC to get tickets.  She couldn't make it, but that didn't stop me.  I grabbed a lawn chair and hopped in the car.  I was anxious the entire ride down thinking that I would be in a long line that had already formed.

I was totally alone at RFK Stadium!  As the evening wore on, people started coming with food, blankets, and music.  We all looked out for each other for bathroom breaks and the like, but we all knew the coveted prize was going to me!  First in line-front row seats!  And to make it even sweeter, each person was limited to 10 tickets apiece and I only needed 4.  I sold my right to buy for $100, so I made $600 that night.  When the box office opened up the next morning, the television cameras were there and filmed me buying the very first tickets for the Jackson Victory Tour.  I recorded the news later in the day, and I still have the tape somewhere (granted it's on a Beta tape).  Look it up youngin's if you don't know what a Betamax is, or should I say-was. 

 

Details from the concert tomorrow!

Michael Memory

My children and I were in the car one day listening to the local R&B station.  Luther had just gone off the air and Usher followed him.  My husband's daughter was a young teen at the time and the younger kids were teasing her about crushing on Usher.  As we were laughing, the kids asked me who I was crushing on "back then".  Thinking it a slam dunk, I told them to guess.  They wanted to know if it was Luther.  I laughed and realized it might be a little harder for them than I thought.  Well after a while, they gave up and I told them it was Michael Jackson.

*crickets*

They looked at me as if I had two heads.

Took me a minute to realize that their images of Mike were something like this:

They didn't know that no matter what, I would always see him as this:

From that moment on, I made it my mission to make sure that they were educated on Mike the master-entertainer-singer-dancer-genius.  

When news of his death broke, it was my children who gently woke me up from a nap, and told me to watch TV.

I overheard them later tell friends who called, that I wasn't taking any calls and they would relay condolences.

Gotta love them for that.

** FOOTNOTE  
The kids read the post yesterday and reminded me I forgot the best part of the story.  You see, after they looked at me like a two headed monster, they burst out laughing and saying stuff like UGHHH, GROSS, and YUCK.  I told them there was absolutely nothing funny about my love for Mike, and they needed to be quiet because he could've been their daddy!  I was serious.

Prince Rogers Nelson

Happy Birthday.

Soulful Sunday:Randy Crawford

This would have been lost in my mind forever had it not been for C.T. who has THE most extensive catalog of music. Thanks for helping me remember this incredible song by Randy Crawford.

Rae-Ripperton Connection

Corrine Bailey Rae performing Closer reminds me of:





Minnie Ripperton.
She died one month after this performance in July 1979 (below) from breast cancer.
Cut for cut-her last album, Minnie, was incredible and the cover was beautiful.
It didn't quite sink in with me that you COULD really die young until Minnie passed away.
She was 31.

 1947-1979

Anyway, when I mentioned that I could hear Minnie in Corrine to C.T.-my go to guy for all musical insight, he sent me this and it confirmed how good my ear really is (smile)-Minnie was an influence.  Enjoy her. 

Memory Lane:

Motown Monday

My first memory of a Motown Song was in 1969,  My Cherie Amour by Stevie Wonder.

It actually recorded on the Tamla label, the very first label from Motown Corporation.

I remember the girls in our neighborhood would just keep singing over and over:  La la la la la la-La la la la la la......until we finally got past that to learn the words.

Sade Babyfather

Love the colors on this promotional poster and I'm really feeling this cut.

Lauryn Hill

It's so good to see Lauryn Hill again after such a long absence.  I still have her in my ear.  Her album twelve years ago still sounds good to me.  It's probably more relevant than what's out here now.  I would however offer a small piece of advice before hitting that carpet again-groom your brows baby.  It makes all the difference in the world. Here are a few products to consider:

24/7 Professional Brow Shaping System

Mally Beauty

Anastasia 7-Item Brow Book 

Nordstrom 

Back to Basics

Flawless Friday

Better late than never C. T., and it doesn't get any better than this.
Love her.

In My Ear: Chrisette Michele

It's not "new" but I just can't get this out of my head.

Happy Birthday Motown!!!

Motown was the soundtrack of my life. 

I can't do it justice right now, but I will.