As an avid reader, I have dozens of books from a variety of authors. There are a few classified as ‘unauthorized biographies,’ and one of them is the 1988 best-seller entitled Call Her Miss Ross. Written by J. Randy Taraborelli, Miss Ross examines the childhood and accomplishments of the Supreme Diva herself, Diana Ross, as well as the love affairs… Continue reading Playing It Slick vs. Keeping It Real
Category: Pop Life
Miscellaneous topics, trends and columns
Rewind: Charlie Murphy at the Addison Improv, 2008 (In Memoriam)
Sitting here stunned at the news of Charlie Murphy dying at 57 of leukemia: I enjoyed all of his film roles, his comedy bits in other projects and, of course, the now-famous True Hollywood Stories enactments from The Dave Chappelle Show. We were lucky enough to see him when I covered his stand-up performance: we… Continue reading Rewind: Charlie Murphy at the Addison Improv, 2008 (In Memoriam)
Jamiroquai’s “Automaton,” CD Review/Preview Link
Imagine an oblong, intergalactic funk-fueled roller rink, tricked out with shiny chrome fixtures, a spinning globe, and a skilled DJ layering eras of funk and pop and soul over trippy, acid-infused beats. In the hands of the unskilled it would be a scattered mess, but for Jamiroquai, it’s their mastered signature style. For over 20 years,… Continue reading Jamiroquai’s “Automaton,” CD Review/Preview Link
Putin, Assad, Racism & a Can of Pepsi?
My baby brother, Michael, is one of my favorite people on the planet. We’re over a decade apart, age-wise, but he loves his Big Sis LoLo and can be fun to hang out with. Since he’s the only native Texan among us, Michael’s full-fledged Southern roots and love for hip-hop have influenced not only his dialect, but his… Continue reading Putin, Assad, Racism & a Can of Pepsi?
“Only Twenty-Five Percent of Books Written For Children of Color Also Have Authors of Color.”
Hidden Figures, the motion picture about three African-American female mathematicians who worked at NASA and became key factors in the success of our nation’s ‘Space Race’ in the 1960s, was an exceptional film that chronicled a trio of unsung heroines. Due to the film’s critical and financial success, two important feats were achieved; publicizing the… Continue reading “Only Twenty-Five Percent of Books Written For Children of Color Also Have Authors of Color.”