Trendsetters to Trendsetters Magazine July August 2011

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OFFICIAL GRAPHIC DESIGNER FOR TRENDSETTERS TO TRENDSETTERS MAGAZINE


Willie StewartWillie StewartWillie StewartWillie Stewart CEO / PUBLISHERCEO / PUBLISHERCEO / PUBLISHERCEO / PUBLISHER

PUBLISHER’S NOTESPUBLISHER’S NOTESPUBLISHER’S NOTESPUBLISHER’S NOTES

The O’Jays Never Forgot Where They Came

From

A t the age of 18 years old, I left my home town of Canton, Ohio. Since leaving Canton over twenty five years ago, I’ve lived in Fairfield, CA, Tif-

fin, OH, Des Moines, IA, Columbus, OH and now re-side in Atlanta, GA. I’m very proud to tell people that I’m from Canton, Ohio which is known for the Pro Football HOF and the home of the Legendary, singing group “The O’Jays.” There’s no question that it will be a memorable mo-ment for me as I bring my business back to my home-town and allow the people to see that we are making a remarkable statement around the country. I have been truly blessed and granted this opportunity to spotlight one of the most informative and positive national maga-zines ever produced, and to show my family and friends that with my success, I never forgot where I came from. I’m honored to have the O’Jays grace the cover of our publication. I want to personally thank Carol Court-ney Anglin, our celebrity correspondent for her tireless commitment and sitting down with the O’Jays and get-ting their interviews. She informed me that the men were nothing but genuine class acts. The O’Jays vowed to give back to their hometown of Canton, Ohio with their star studded event, 7TH AN-NUAL O'JAYS CELEBRATION WEEKEND & SCHOLARSHIP FUND and more. The weekend will include the likes of Patty Labelle, Eric Benet, and Ear-vin “Magic” Johnson, Johnnie Gill, Mike Tyson, Monique, Steve Harvey, Howard Hewett and many more. If your reading my notes, “My philosophy is remem-ber no matter what calling, endeavor or venture a person is pursuing, don’t ever forget where you came from. I want to thank the O’Jays for impacting my life with such a powerful message. Over 50 years in business and numerous awards and honors, they kept their word and never forgot where they came from. ■



Willie Stewart / Willie Stewart / Willie Stewart / Willie Stewart / Chief Executive Officer Lukiether Willingham Lukiether Willingham Lukiether Willingham Lukiether Willingham / President

Derek Payne Derek Payne Derek Payne Derek Payne / Executive Vice President Lindsay Powell Lindsay Powell Lindsay Powell Lindsay Powell / Vice President of Business Development

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www.TRENDTOTRENDMAG.com

The

O’Jays

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contents

departmentsdepartmentsdepartmentsdepartments 04040404 Publisher’s Notes 20202020 Up & Coming Trendsetters 24242424 Education Trends 28282828 Health and Wellness 31313131 Fitness Trends 34343434 Inspirational Trends 44444444 Beauty and Fashion Trends 46464646 Arts & Entertainment Trends

JULY/AUGUST 2011JULY/AUGUST 2011JULY/AUGUST 2011JULY/AUGUST 2011 T2T MAGAZINET2T MAGAZINET2T MAGAZINET2T MAGAZINE

special featuresspecial featuresspecial featuresspecial features 08080808 O’Jays Weekend 14141414 PVIFF 38383838 Trendsetter Spotlight 38383838 The Startini Report

18181818 Two Brothers

Unite

12121212 Tribute to Sean and

Gerald Levert

18181818 Clifton Powell

18181818 Chinaz Love


O’JAYS WEEKEND

F rom 1972 until 1978 you heard hits like “Back Stabbers", "Love Train", "Give The People What They Want", "Unity", "I Love Music", "Livin' For The Weekend", "Message In Our Music",

"Stairway To Heaven", "Darlin' Darlin' Baby" and "Use Ta Be My Girl", each one entering the charts at #1 but it didn’t end there. In the 80’s came "Lovin' You" and "Have You Had Your Love Today" also topping the charts, and as the 90’s ap-proached us there were two top 10 albums, “Emotionally Yours”, and “Heartbreaker.” In 2010, they were awarded BET’s ‘Lifetime Achievement Award’ and today “For the Love of Money” became the theme for the very success hit show “The Apprentice” starring Donald Trump. This group, is labeled, one of the most socially con-scious, yet sensual and funky groups of all time. They have been singing and entertaining fans for decades. Ladies and Gentleman I am talking about the ROCK AND ROLL, VOCAL GROUP, GRAMMY Hall of Famers, the true Icons… Eddie Levert, Sr., Walter Williams, Sr. and Eric Nolan, we know them as …THE LEGENDARY… O’JAYS. If you don’t know …now you know. I totally love the O’JAYS. So when I was given the oppor-tunity to do the interview you could imagine, I was ecstatic! Trying hard not to act like a fan, I kept my composure, and we talked. Wanting to know what’s in the O’Jays I-Pod, I asked, “On your day off what are you guys listening to?” Eddie says, “There are a lot of great people in the business, but I listen out for the messages coming from people like M&M, Master P, and Dr. Dre, I wait to hear what they have to say, and I like Art Kelly.” Walter who do you listens too? “I listen to Beyonce and Usher, I really like Usher but I listen to the O’Jays more than anyone and a little Nat King Cole to when I’m ready, “He laughed. Eric who do you like to listen to? “I listen to a lot of Jazz, and just so happen I have been working on a CD, and I’m

listening to myself a lot lately. My sound is adult contempo-rary / R&B. The project is called, Mood Swings, the sound is somewhat like Will Downy, and so I have been listening to him a lot.” Nice, so let’s talk about small beginnings, the foundation of the group. The group started out in the 50’s with 5 members. When did O’Jays become a trio? Eddie began to explain, “Yes it was 5 of us, and originally it was I, Walter, William Powell, Bobby Massey and Bill Isles. We went through a series of name changes, which none of us liked until the local DJ Eddie O’Jay just said “just call them O’Jays boys for now.” And then one day, our record was playing on the radio, Walter continued, and I heard the DJ say, “this song is by the O’Jays,” a light went on and I said yeah…that’s us.” He laughed and continued, “We went through a number of group members as well, we had Sammy Strain, and Nathanial Best, and after Nathanial’s depar-ture, we called up Eric Nolan, and asked him to join us.” Eric what was your reaction to that call? Eric burst out laughing and said “Well for the first few years I was more of a fan.” I laughed and said, I read somewhere Eric that at one time on stage you got caught up in the moment. You stopped singing, and stood watching Eddie and Walter sing, and they had to yell to you to sing. Eric said Yeah, You know for a while I couldn’t believe I got that gig; but after 17 years, its protocol, it’s my job now. But I still love performing, espe-cially “let me make love to you, I really like Eddie’s delivery on that song. “ So I guess it’s safe to say that the O’Jays, finally found that winning combination. And like any relationship once you have that cohesiveness you can soar, and soaring is what they did but not without sorrow. Eddie I am sure everyone wants to know how you are cop-ing with the loss of both of your sons. They were “O’Jays kids” in a sense and loved by many. How did you maintain and keep going so strong, even in the immediate weeks after your loss? Eddie said, “listen…when my sons were alive we spent hours on the phone laughing. Sometimes we laughed, and laughed so hard we would start crying. During those times, we

BY CAROL COURTNEY ANGLIN PHOTOS BY: AP BOLDEN PHOTOGRAPHY


O’JAYS WEEKEND

talked about everything. We talked about what each one of us would do if one of us went first, and how we would conduct ourselves, and what we wanted each other to do when that day came. We went through every scenario really we did, so it was almost like I knew what their wishes were and knew how to carry them out. Now, of course, (he paused and said slowly) if there were a price I could pay, any price, I would have paid it.” (As his voice started to regulate again) he said, “We always said, life goes on, no matter what. We shared such love for each other, a love that lets me know that if there is such a thing as an afterlife…I will see them again. In fact, I think the whole ex-perience has made me a better person, husband and family man with a more positive outlook on life.” Thank you for that an-swer. Speaking about family, how do you guys balance being on the road so much now? Eric said “I love to travel, and my family is happy for me.” Walter and Eddie both also agree that the traveling is fun now as opposed to the early days when they had young families. “We would miss our families, and they would miss us,” we would be on the road for months, said Wal-ter, but now we travel mostly on weekends. “ You guys have over 50 years of music, so that means you have fans from different generations. The parents, grandparents and their children all love you. How does it feel to sell out sta-diums after all these years, and have fans of all ages swooning over you? Eddie says, “I feel blessed that what we do is valued, and it’s always gratifying to see the check in the mail. I feel good, being me.” I’m living my dream” said Eric. Walter said, “It feels good, and we are always glad to be able to do what we love to do. I still pace back and forth and get a little anxiety before a show. In addition, with the last induction into the Hall of fame, the price went up, and there’s more work, so I would say at this time, it’s a good life.” we laughed. Let’s talk about August 12th – 15th, Canton Ohio, and this major event that the O’Jays sponsor. “Yes we have an O’Jays weekend every year in Canton Ohio, and we hold this weekend very dear to our hearts,” says Eddie, “Canton is where we grew up. We organize as many benefits and star studded events as we

can through the weekend. We raise money for our scholarship fund and, at the same time, present opportunities for people to meet, and great their favorite celebrities. Through the O’Jays Scholarship fund, we have the opportunity to send people to college.” Eric says “I remember it from the inception. We were on the stage after a performance and the committee in Canton pre-sented us with a street sign. They named a street after the O’jays and Eddie, you know Eddie, he’s very emotional, and he just came out and told the crowd we were going to come back and do this every year. The crowd went wild, they were so happy, so this is the 7th year now going back and doing it bigger and bigger each time. In a way, the O’Jays is Canton’s claim to fame, besides the Hall of Fame; it was the O’Jays that brought the city to the forefront.” Walter said “we have some terrific organizers that we want to thank. And many people who supported us through the years. We started out just doing the concert with local acts. Then we invited the temptations, and each year we would grab someone else and ask them to come along. Now we sell out stadiums. One year we had The Whispers and Frankie Beverly and Maze, 20,000 people came out. Every time we go home to Ohio we see people trying to get their lives in order, and we just want them to be encouraged. We want them to hold their heads up, and realize that they are loved. We want them to know why we are here; we want to give them hope of a better, brighter tomor-row. Take us as examples, and make us proud paying it for-ward. “We are planning a phenomenal weekend this year!” Say’s Eddie, “We just want to give back, we have a solid foundation and we “vow” to help as many people as we possibly can. We have added more performers and “red carpet” events so that we can encourage investors and sponsors to get on board. We want people to consider donating whatever they can, help us help others. This year we have Patti Labelle, Shirley Murdock,” they all threw out names, “Howard Hewett, Monique, Johnny Gill, and Eric Benet, in concert.” Eddie continued, we are going to have a celebrity golf tournament, Chris Rock’s mom will be our

10101010 TRENDSETTERS TO TRENDSETTERS | MAY/JUNE 2011

O’JAYS WEEKEND

speaker for our red carpet dinner and Magic Johnson and Charles Oakley will referee a benefit game. We will also have “church” with Dr. Bobby Jones. We are all literally going to take the famous “Love Train” ride from the stadium to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and we invite all of you to get on board this Love train with us. It’s a lot of fun, and we look for-ward to this year’s weekend of momentous events. But Check

the listings,” He laughs, “Yeah check the listings” they said, because, “We don’t want to leave out anything.” I promised that I would check the listings and you can to by logging onto www.ojaysfoundation.org.

The OJAY’s Weekend in Canton Ohio is August 12th – 15th for more information on how you can donate or purchase tick-ets and have a chance to meet, greet and rub elbow with some of your favorite celebrities follow the link to the O’Jays Foun-dation. SEE YOU THERE! ■

CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE

BY CAROL COURTNEY ANGLIN

Eddie Levert, Sr. –Don’t ever forget that, Practice

Makes Perfect. Practice until what you do is like second nature. No matter what you choose to do

in life do it to the best of your ability. And keep a good working

relationship with everyone whether you like them or not.

Walter Williams – Education is Key. See

what you want to be a part of and figure out how to be

a part of it. Try to focus and set goals to accomplish the things you want in life as early as possible. Teach the children good habits

early. The earlier you learn the better but it’s never too

late to get started.

Eric Nolan - Never give up your

dreams to make someone else’s happen or to make

someone else happy. Know and understand the conse-quences of your actions

and decisions.



OJAYS WEEKEND

T he dream began in Canton, OH and now Eddie Levert, Walter Williams, Sr., and Eric Nolan Grant, known collectively as The O’Jays, re-turn to their hometown of Canton, OH to host

the Seventh Annual O’Jays Celebration Weekend & Schol-arship Fund, August 12-15, 2011. The 4-day celebration will kick off on Friday with “The Celebrity Love Train” ride from Canton to the “Rock and Roll Hall of Fame” in Cleveland for dinner and a show. On Saturday, 10-time NBA champion and Hall Of Famer Earvin “Magic” Johnson, will hold “The O’Jays 3 on 3 Celebrity Basketball Tournament”. Saturday evening will continue with “The O’Jays Benefit Concert” featuring The O’Jays with special guest Patti Labelle and other friends. On Sunday The O’Jays will host “The O'Jays Family Reunion” at Nimis-illa Park in Canton, OH which will include a special perform-ance by National Recording Artist Shirley Murdock. Monday at 8:30 am the celebration continues with “The O’Jays Celeb-rity Golf Tournament” at the Glenmoor Country Club’s Jack Nicklaus designed course with special guest celebrity golfer, comedian Mr. Steve Harvey. Following the golf tournament, at 6:00 pm, the festivities conclude with the presentation of schol-arship awards to the 2011 recipients at “The O’Jays Scholar-ship Banquet” at the Pro Football Hall of Fame with special guest author Rose Rock (mother of comedian/actor Chris Rock). (Detailed schedule of events is attached). Earvin “Magic” Johnson is one of the most celebrated NBA stars in the history of the league. With 5 NBA champion-ships and induction into the Basketball Hall of Fame, not to mention numerous MVP selections, ALL STAR appearances and a gold metal as a member of the 1992 Olympics USA Bas-ketball “Dream Team”. Magic Johnson continues to make his mark in this world off the court as a business man and humani-tarian. In 1991, with his motto being “we are the communities we serve”, Mr. Johnson founded Magic Johnson Enterprises and Magic Johnson Foundation. MJ Enterprises focuses on

THE LEGENDARY O’JAYS ANNOUNCE – 7th ANNUAL O’JAYS CELEBRATION WEEKEND & SCHOLARSHIP FUND

IN CANTON, OH - AUGUST 12-15, 2011

businesses in the community, providing the knowledge and tools to empower them to be successful. The MJ Foundation works to develop programs and support community-based or-ganizations that address the educational, health and social needs of ethnically diverse, urban communities. As a 501©3 nonprofit public charity MJ Foundation has had a major impact across America over the past 20 years providing education, outreach programs, financial assistance and many other services in the minority communities. The O’Jay’s successful career spans over 50 years with 10 gold, nine platinum albums and a Rock and Roll and Grammy Hall of Fame induction to their credit. They are one of the most vital and beloved R&B vocal groups of all time. Now in their 50th year making music, The O’Jays have released over 25 albums, their hit song, "For the Love of Money" is the theme song for the popular Apprentice Show with Donald Trump. In 2009, The O’Jays were awarded the BET 2009 Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2011they were honored with a Life-time Achievement Award at the 19th Annual Trumpet Awards. Presently The O’Jays continue to tour and perform before sold out audiences around the world. And it all started right in Can-ton, OH.

The O’Jays Scholarship Foundation was established in 2006 when Eddie Levert and Walter Williams of The O’Jays realized that they could make an impact on Canton/Stark County stu-dents by providing financial support to further educational pur-suits. 2011 marks the seventh year since the inception of the scholarship fund which has raised over $600,000 with support of such contributors as The Timken Company, Aultman Hospi-tal, Mercy Medical Center, Joy 1520 AM, A.B.L.E. Inc., Out-back Steakhouse, Fifth Third Bank, The Timken Foundation, Steve and Sondra Perry, Canton Regional Chamber of Com-merce and the Canton Negro Oldtimers Association. Each year Stark County residents – both traditional (high school seniors) and non-traditional (local community college attendees) stu-dents have received scholarship of $2,000 each. ■

Patti LaBelle, Mo’Nique, Steve Harvey, Mike Tyson, Eric Benet, Howard Hewett, Johnny Gill Among Special Celebrity Guests and Magic Johnson will host 3 on 3 Celebrity Basketball Tournament


OJAYS WEEKEND

A contemporary soul singer whose smooth yet robust vocals brought energy and emotion to even his most serene

recordings, Gerald LeVert grew up in the shadows of his father, Eddie LeVert, Sr., of the O'Jays. As a child, his father's status in the music industry

nurtured and helped prepare Gerald for his prosperous music career as a writer,

arranger, producer, and performer. "We grew up fast with my father being in the

business," recalled Sean Levert. "He would take us out on the road in the

summers when we were out of school. My brother did sing with the O'Jays onstage but I was always too scared." Sean, Gerald and childhood friend Marc Gordon went on to form the R&B group LeVert. Together they went on to create hits on both side of the Atlantic and received Grammy nominations. Sean, also a writer, launched a solo career after the breakup of LeVert, did some acting and appeared in several movies. Their individual and combined collaborations and love for music still radiates in the ears, hearts and souls of those who loved these phenomenal men of music! ■

GERALD LeVERTGERALD LeVERTGERALD LeVERTGERALD LeVERT Sunrise: July 13, 1966 Sunset: November 10, 2006

SEAN LeVERTSEAN LeVERTSEAN LeVERTSEAN LeVERT Sunrise: September 18, 1968

Sunset: March 30, 2008



OJAYS WEEKEND


I had the pleasure of sitting down with a legendary

mogul in the film industry, Len Gibson. This year Len

Gibson will be kicking off the hottest event in At-

lanta: The Peachtree Village International Film Festi-

val (PVIFF). Mr. Gibson is an extraordinary writer and film

maker who wants this festival to educate everyone who has an

interest in film or entertainment in general. This year, the festi-

val will highlight and recognize two true classics: Jungle Fever

and New Jack City. He encourages everyone to come out and

experience his vision come to life!

Nita: What was your inspiration for the Peachtree Village In-ternational Film Festival (PVIFF).

Len: I saw a need for a film festival to be developed that of-fered more than just entertainment. [We needed] syndication, a void that was missing in a lot of festivals that I attended. With that being said, you know I own two childhood museums. One of African American film history and one of Hispanic film his-tory. And the fact that I was educated to the history of film makers as well, I thought it would be of an essence to merge the education with the entertainment values and offer something different than a lot of the film makers got to experience throughout the years during the film festival. Nita: What do you want film makers in general to gain from the PVIFF? Len: Well, I want the film makers to gain a wealth of knowl-edge, and many contacts. When it comes to the festival, I want the actors to leave knowing what they need to do to change the paths of their careers. If they want to take their careers to an-other level. I want them to sit down with someone like Twinkie Byrd, a casting director and learn the do's and don’ts about what to do on an audition. If it’s the director, I want them to be able to leave with the knowledge of how to ensure that they’re staying in budget. You know, with lots of great contacts, great canal leads and different image traffickers. Nita: I know that you did collaboration last year with the Mu-sic Summit. Are there any other collaboration in the works? Len: Yea well you know, they are our partner and there will always be some collaboration between us, The PVIFF, and The International Music Summit. Music and film go hand-in-hand so we’re always working together. Nita: Where do you see the Peachtree Village International

Film Festival five years from now? Len: Five years from now I see us as the next Sundance; we are headed in that direction. We have a television channel now that’s similar to the Sundance channel. We‘re getting quality films and cast, the right panels, the right workshops, and the right talent attending the festival; it’s just a matter of time for us to generally weld that to that magnitude and gain that acclaim. I definitely think that in five years we can get there. Nita: I know that you don’t have any favorites, but if you had to choose who is the most memorable actor/actress that you have worked with? Len: Wow! It’s interesting, I have worked with a lot of differ-ent actors, but it’s two of them if you don’t mind me naming two. Clifton Powell, came to the festival last year and we be-came friends just by him being great to work with. The thing I like about Clifton, is the fact that he keeps it real to the core. It was a lot of fun, but he also was very serious about information that he shared. And what happened was, people left laughing and learning from him being a moderator from our casting panel. And that was my most memorable panel of all the years

LEN GIBSON: VISIONARY Producer, Writer and Director

By: Nita Dean

PVIFF

“I saw a need for a film

festival to be de-

veloped that of-

fered more than

just entertainment.”

- LEN GIBSON

CONTINUED ON PG. 29



PVIFF

KIM FIELDS Life…Outside the BoxLife…Outside the BoxLife…Outside the BoxLife…Outside the Box

By Carol Courtney Anglin

“I am grateful to God for where he

has taken me over the years…” - KIM FIELDS

H umble but radiant with a smile that simply captivates you, Kim Fields is a classy lady, a diamond no longer in the rough, but now a multifaceted Jewel

glistening where all can see and admire. As a profes-sional, she is focused and always ready to reinvent her-self. I grew up watching her in the 80”s as my little friend, Tootie Ramsey on “the facts of Life” and in the 90’s as Regina Régine Hunter, on the sitcom, “Living single.” But there is so much more to Kim Fields. Did you know that she is the director for Tyler Perry’s major television series “House of Payne”, and Meet the Browns and that she produced her very own first-ever special for TV, entitled, “Holiday Love? Or that while she was in college she Co-created, produced and hosted the award-winning Campus Spotlight: Live with Kim Fields? Dig-

ging deeper I found that she not only mastered her craft

thus far but was able to go inside herself once again em-

barking on a new career, recording with Kirk Whalum as Blondie locks, the poet and jazz/spoken word artist. She writes short stories and has accumulated numerous star-ring credits for commercials, guest-starring roles and theater productions. How does she do it all while also being so fiercely dedicated to her family? Well I caught up with Kim on the phone and after speaking extensively about her happy marriage to Chris-topher Morgan and their adorable 4 year old son Sebas-tian, the answer for her motivation was revealed. She said, “I am grateful to God for where he has taken me over the years and for where I am on my journey at this time. When I get up in the morning, I thank Him, and I ask Him to pave the way for me. He gets on the set be-fore I do, and takes my creativity to a whole new level. I am extremely blessed to be rooted in so much love and support from my family, friends and my fans.” Wow, what a testimony, all I could say was…Amen. Kim Fields started in the business at age 7 learning in the early days from her parents and later graduated from Pepperdine University in Malibu, CA. Her life and career has been the subject of “Lifetime intimate Portrait” and “A&E Biography.” So it was no surprise when the PEACHTREE VILLAGE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL (PVIFF) invited Kim to speak on the 2011 celebrity panel. What topic will you speak on at the film festival? “The session is called “cast me if you can” it consists of broad strokes of the film industry with casting from an actor’s / Director point of view. When people leave they will know what to look for on both sides. I guess I was a


PVIFF

C lifton Powell, the tall, dark, handsome, acclaimed actor who has been in just about every black movie on the big screen and television, with 20 years of

film and television credits, too numerous to list and still blazing paths in the industry. His accomplishments in-clude many NAACP theatre awards as well as Best Actor from the American Black Film Festival for the movie “Civil Brand.” There are not many actors that can pull off the kind of roles and diversity that Clifton has achieved. He can go from a bad guy as he played in “Dead Presidents and RAY” to a King as he mastered the character in “Selma, Lord Selma” of the much loved and honored civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. He has also proved to be hilarious as he transformed himself into “Pinky” for the movie “Next Friday”.” What many may not know is that he works behind the camera directing and lends his voice on several video games. Not afraid of work he said of himself. “Look, I’m a work for hire”. Talking to Clifton one can see right away that he is “Real.” There was no pretense. He was very straightfor-ward but polite and strong in his beliefs, focused as he multitasked taking the interview over lunch. We started to talk about his involvement in the PEACHTREE VILLAGE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL (PVIFF) which is in its 5th Year. Clifton,

would you say that the PVIFF is becoming a leading crossroad for the film industry? “Yes I believe so; I have been involved for three or four years now and have watched it grow.” And why do you feel it’s necessary to involve yourself? What does Clifton Powell get out of it all? “Well I get the satisfaction of sharing. I enjoy sharing, coming from the inner-city of D.C. I had a lot of mentors there, as well as, at the Duke Ellington School of Arts. So my philosophy is: Reach back and help somebody, that’s what fulfills me, because someone did it for me.” As a skilled, educated actor what do you think about people who walk off the street with a name and no formal training and land roles on television and on the big screen? Clifton asked “would you repeat that question” I repeated my question and he answered, “I try not to be mindful of what others are doing, but I don’t knock any-one trying to get money. So what if a rapper gets a role it’s no different from what Frank Sinatra and those guys did back in the day. How do I know? Maybe there’s an athlete out there that always wanted to be an actor. I don’t knock anyone’s hustle. All I say is, if you come, respect the craft.” Which is just why Clifton Powell is the ideal speaker for the upcoming PVIFF festival; he will speak on a panel that will educate on how to break into the entertainment business. Can you give us a rundown of what the panel will cover? “Well the session will cover a lot of things we haven’t been able to cover in the past like how ►

BY CAROL COURTNEY ANGLINBY CAROL COURTNEY ANGLINBY CAROL COURTNEY ANGLINBY CAROL COURTNEY ANGLIN


to maintain your spiritual life while in the industry, how to market your brand and your films, how to manage your money, how to get your children in-volved, should you or should you not get married while pursuing your career and if so when is the right time, the best cities to work in and how to land a good agent. If you are in the in-dustry or thinking about going into it, you don’t want to miss this one.” I laughed and told him that it sounds like a discussion that I wouldn’t want to miss myself. “He laughed and said then I guess I’ll see you there! Well Mr. Powell, as we come to the end of our dis-cussion can you tell us what we can expect to see from you in the future? ‘Yes, working right now on a movie with Louis Gossett Jr. and Denzel Washington called the “The Undershep-herd” – directed by Russ Parr also an animation movie called “Black Dyna-mite” that features the vo-cal talents of Michael Jai White, Kym Whitley, and Tommy Davidson, myself and others, picked up by Adult Swim and Executive Produced by Carl Jones.

That is incredible Mr. Pow-ell, and I wish you contin-ued success. Do you have any last words for the trendsetters that are reading this article and pursuing their dreams?

“Well I will give them the

same advice my father gave me. And that is Have the faith of a mustard seed and believe.” ■

The PEACHTREE VILLAGE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL (PVIFF) will run from August 18th-21st For more info visit. http://temp.pviffcom.officelive.com

good fit because I can give an accurate per-spective having worked on both ends.” Why did you decide to get involved with the festival? “I see it as a way to pour into the film maker, but I also see it as an inspiration to me. I get inspired by seeing the great films that are presented at these festivals. It’s ex-tremely inspiring to see artist thriving in their own creative space.” Speaking of inspiration, how does it feel to have paved the way for so many young black female actresses in the film industry today? “You know I’m still amazed when I get these trailblazer awards,” she stated. I don’t see myself in that way, even my hus-band tells me to take the time, look back, and take note of the impact that I have made in the industry. I am still not comfortable with people honoring and celebrating me. But to answer your question I am humbled by it, I think it’s a blessing, and I am still over-whelmed by the thought of it.” Do you have a preference of being in front or behind the camera or does it make a differ-ence? “It makes a difference, but I love them both. I love to be in front of the camera be-cause I have done it the longest. Being in front of the camera also has its specific bene-fits, because you come in do your lines for the day, and go home. Leaves more family time” We laughed. “Behind the camera, there are benefits also because you get to see the project as a whole, being involved with the overall vision you

have more responsibility but with more re-sponsibility comes longer hours, It’s just a given. But what’s most important is that, I find that groove, you know, my spirit feels like doing it at the time. Then I know I can do my best.” What can we expect from Kim Fields in the future? More acting, directing, producing, more spoken word and short stories, I host the 2nd season of BET’s “Lens on Talent”. And I have a one women show, coming real soon. It’s called, Black don’t crack, but my soul does ache.” That sounds mighty intriguing; I’ll be looking out for that one. Kim, trendsetters everywhere will read this article. What kind of advice can you give them? Trendsetters are forward thinkers and in-novators. There are certain requirements that come with being one, like patience. Just know that Delayed does not mean Denied. Find ways to stay motivated, find ways to encourage yourself, find things that inspire you. Whether it is a book, friend, song or a movie, keep them close because things get derailed. Charge yourself up daily so that you have the strength to get to the next day, the next hour, the next meeting. Pull in with your tank full, rather than just making it in on fumes. Preparation is the key, so that you can be ready to recharge when needed. Kim Fields session is Saturday, August 20th 12- 2 pm at the Woodruff Arts Center in Midtown, Atlanta. ■

KIM FIELDS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 15


(L to R) Jimmy and Joe

J immy Lee Hayes and Joe Caesar Smith, Sr., both Clay Smith’s sons, both born in rural Georgia in Cordele, and both brothers lived just outside of Atlanta, but for 64 years Jimmy and Joe never

knew about each other. Jimmy was the oldest, born to Clay and Jeffie Cook. When

he was very young, Jeffie took her son to Butler, Georgia where he grew up on the family farm. After high school, they moved to Atlanta and then to Cleveland, Ohio. It was in the mid 50’s at the time of the Second Great Migration and in the North were more job opportunities.

Joe along with his four sisters was raised in nearby Cordele by Clay and his wife Ernie Mae. Joe joined the Navy, and when he returned to Cordele, a friend invited him to visit Ohio where he moved and started a family. Joe and Jimmy both had children growing up in Ohio both families passing like ships in the night some seeing each other but never meeting, and never knowing they were related. Joe and his kids used to watch Jimmy’s daughter daily as she anchored the news in Cleveland.

How could these two brothers find each other after more

Jimmy and Joe Living only 50 miles apart in N.E Ohio Written by Carol Courtney Anglin, Eleanor Hayes and Jackie Stewart-Mercer

Photos by Eleanor Hayes

than six decades? It was the pondering of the heart strings of the oldest son, big brother Jimmy. For Jimmy, it was a lifelong mission. “I knew my father had married and had other children, but I didn’t know where they were.” He longed to find his sib-lings and his father’s fate, “I wanted to know my whole family, and I wanted to know if my father could possibly still be alive, so I searched.”

There were countless hours spent on the Internet searching ancestry.com. There were lots of dead-end phone calls to “Smiths” listed in old telephone directories. “I hit the pavement visiting funeral homes, checking obituaries; I even went to courthouse’s checking out property deeds.” But it was a trip to the library where Jimmy spent all day sifting through microfilm that led to an address of a “Smith” in Cordele.

Jimmy knocked on the door of a man named James Smith. “I showed him a picture and asked him, do you know who this is?” The man replied, ‘Sure, that’s my brother, Clay.” Jimmy paused for a moment and let out a sigh of relief before he went on to say. “I’m his son.” James welcomed Jimmy into his home where he found out that he had three sisters and a brother. That single knock on the door in Cordele led to a chain of



19191919

phone calls between all the siblings. “Got about 3 or 4 phone calls that day.” said Joe, All about Jimmy.”

After visiting with his new found Uncle James, Jimmy drove a short distance past Atlanta and knocked on another door, a knock that he had dreamt of making for many years. Behind the door was his brother Joe. Joe said, “Ruby opened the door and called me, speaking of Ruby his sister,” they couldn’t be-lieve it! Jimmy looked just like Da-Dee.”

Clay Smith was affectionately called “Da-Dee” by his chil-dren and “Ray Boy” by fam-ily and friends. Many in the family agree. Jimmy looks very much like his father; and, Brothers Jimmy and Joe bear an uncanny resem-blance. Even the brothers can “see it”. Jimmy acknowl-edges their “similar features” and Joe said, “we do” when asked if he thinks they resem-ble.

The men have similar styles of dress and several times, without planning it, have shown up at family events wearing almost identi-cal shirts. Jimmy says they’ve learned they are both “mechanically inclined, hands on men. He likes to fix things”, he said referring to his younger brother. “And I always built trucks and did maintenance in my restaurants.”

Joe worked and retired from Republic Steel in Canton and Jimmy owned a trucking company for nearly 30 years. He re-tired in 2009 he was also a McDonald’s Restaurant Franchisee. Both men are very thoughtful; and, both are rather quiet. Ac-cording to Joe, so was their father. “He didn’t talk too much.” As the only boy at home in the family growing up, Joe was spoiled by his sisters and especially protected by his maternal grandmother. His sisters wrap it up with the saying “Brother could do no wrong.”

Jimmy spent his time well since his retirement “I visit old farms, churches, anyplace that might hold clues to how my par-ents’ paths crossed more than 70 years ago.” He made a docu-mentary of his travels that include many interviews with family members, but he still has one unanswered question, “How did my parents meet?” He thinks it was in a little church school house he says “like the one on, the little house on the prairie,” he laughs, but he’s still not sure?

When asked, what he thought it would have been like grow-ing up with brothers and sisters? Jimmy says. “I don’t know if it would have made a difference because my Aunt Lula raised me with my cousins. We were like brothers and sisters. My Uncle Jim, my Aunt Lula’s husband, was my father figure.”

Both brothers have old farm stories to share from their youth. Joe said, “I started picking cotton when he was about 7 years old.” And Jimmy, “I think I started working in the cotton fields about the age of 8, and I picked until I got out of high school”. “Being us raised on the farm; you had cattle, pigs, peach trees, pecan trees,” said Jimmy. “But they both agree that “we all picked cotton: sun up to sun down,” As they laughed.

Ask the brothers now about life in Georgia and they both miss it. “I miss the weather”, said Joe. “Its home, just miss it

sometimes.” Jimmy also misses the weather and “the people I grew up with”. They remember but don’t miss the “old south.” “We didn’t make an issue about it: colored and white separate water founda-tions and bathrooms. We just understood that was the way it was,” said Jimmy. Since they met two years ago, Jimmy and Joe’s families gather at each other’s homes and at their father’s home for the “Smith’s” annual 4th of July gathering. Jimmy says staying in touch is extremely valuable. “Communication and family visits in Canton,

Cleveland and Georgia mean a lot. I want my daughters to get to know their cousins and aunts and uncles.” “I just wish we had met a lot earlier,” said Joe. Jimmy and Joe encourage all families to trace their roots. “You need to know about your an-cestors and the conditions and times in which they lived,” said Jimmy. “There’s a pride in knowing your family history,” added Joe.

Joe is married to Una Mae Walker Smith. Jimmy is married and has two daughters; Eleanor Hayes and Jacqui Hayes. Other siblings include Mildred (Lewis) Perkins, Florida Ruby Rhodes, and Pearlene (Charlie) Anderson. What do they see in each other’s children? They both agree that they are “friendly, outgoing and aspire to excel in education.” The brothers’ union is the result of Jimmy spending time researching his family’s tree. It was always more than building the family tree, it was about finding the siblings he knew he had; but never met. Both brothers have a lifetime of memories to share, and they cherish each other’s company. When they get together now, the room is sometimes quiet. They don’t need a lot of conversation to communicate. Only the two of them un-derstand the bond they now have. Though he was never in a room together with his two sons to say it, Clay Smith knew his boys had become successful in their careers. Most of all, he knew they both grew into fine family men. ■

(L to R) Jimmy, Ruby, Mildred, Joe and Pearlene


UP & COMING TRENDSETTERS

C ory Hardrict from a small town outside of Chicago has come from the

ground up, and now he’s reaching the stars! He has successfully mixed love and business achieving this with wife Tia Mowry-Hardrict. Cory manages being a husband; supporting father, hard worker, and inspirational role model and contin-ues to flourish in all aspects of life. With all the fame and the limitless drive coming from Cory now and in the near future he’s still able to just kick back and enjoy the weather in Los Angeles where he now resides. With the entire world having weather instability; Cory is cur-rently enjoying the L.A weather saying “Awe...It’s beautiful. It looks like today is going to be another great day. It’s nice being in sunny California!” Cory misses home back in Chi-cago, but he doesn’t miss the Chi-cago winter’s saying “I don’t like the Chicago winter’s, but I can say I do miss the seasons; you know what I’m saying. Because, it’s like you got the snow around the holidays and then you got the rain in the spring, the summers are like real good…Chicago summers are the best! But L.A, it’s just like all year around…it never gets real cold.” Living in the north winters can be tedious. “I do not miss those freez-ing winters when you got to go out and start your car like 30 minutes before you get in it, you know” he giggled. Cory Hardrict has made known that he is a well-rounded man on the rise. Cory played in 35 plus guess starring roles including The Game with wife Tia, 13 plus film features including his starring role in Battle:

Los Angeles. Cory’s career contin-ues to tower immensely. Cory’s response to being a megastar is very humble though, “I don’t know about all that. I keep a low profile, I don’t really you know, think of myself like that I just think of myself as a young kid from Chicago doing what

The Perfect Manifestation of a True Trendsetter

BY TISHA T.BY TISHA T.BY TISHA T.BY TISHA T.

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he love to do and that’s just acting. You know what I’m saying? So if the star stuff comes with it…I mean it’s all good! I’m so you know removed from that title. I just want to do a little work.” Cory is living “The Life”; however he stays down to earth in knowing what’s most important. “I just want to do it maintain a lifestyle by doing it! I want to go after my dreams, but I want to stay low key doing that and I don’t want all the attention. You gone get some of course, but the extra; I don’t need the extra stuff.” Since the 90’s Cory has made appearances in shows such as; CSI, and ER, featured in shows such as: Lincoln Heights which had a thriving 10 episodes, to now playing a huge role in the 1# Box Office movie Battle: Los Angeles. Cory’s acting skills have matured significantly throughout the years. “I study a lot of movies and I study the actors that I want to emulate in my life and I take classes, you know weekly classes and I try to stay sharp. You want to feel like you have a good product to give the world because people know if you’re a serious actor, you don’t want to trick people into getting a pay check.” “The down time is you have to sit around and wait on one good thing, good material and it’s not always out there, you don’t want to make a bad move and do a project just for money and you regret it later. You’re only like one bad move or one bad job away from your career kind of taking a nose dive for the worst and I don’t want that!” Cory said, revealing his secrets to maturing his personal acting skills and career moves. Cory’s secret to become a rising actor is ac-cessible to all aspiring actors, and it’s attainable for all aspiring actors to reach. Cory Hardrict has polished his skills and it has paid off tremendously! Cory Hardrict plays the role of Corporal Jason Locket in the #1 Box Office Movie Battle: Los Angeles; written by Christo-pher Bertolini and directed by Jonathan Liebesman. Also starring Ne-Yo who “brought his A-game, he was a great actor to work with and a good friend of mine.” says Cory. Cory Hardrict and Corporal Locket have more in common than most people know. “His character was cool to play because when I got the movie the real character was from the Southside of Chi-cago, he had lost his mother and he had lost his brother… and that’s my real life; that’s Cory’s real life you know. I’m from Southside of Chicago, I lost my mother years ago then lost my brother a few years back, so that really set home with me and I started to pull from those things and topics,” Cory said. During the preparation and filming of the movie, Cory had to execute 3

weeks in a boot camp location on Camp Lyndon. He had to sleep in tents and he had to

eat nasty pre-packaged food, literally treated as if he were pre-paring to go off to war. Cory hung in there and came out trium-phant only mentioning “That was intense”. Still Cory values the experience and is ready for some more. Playing Corporal Locket in Battle is the first lead role for Cory, and he has every reason to be thrilled with his performance being that this movie has made over $200 million worldwide “That was my first su-per lead movie and a big event movie. I always wanted to be in a movie like the Will Smith type saving the world with aliens and stuff…and I didn’t die!! That was a blessing.” Cory laughed. “I can’t wait to do it again and hopefully the next thing will be bigger, and better!” Cory is ecstatic about his career and family life to come saying “It feels cool just too still be in the game!” Making a perfect match with Tia Mowry (from T.V series “The Game”), Cory has nothing less than greatness to come out of this 10 plus year relationship that turned into a beautiful steadfast marriage; publicly took place on April 20th 2008. Cory and Tia are now expecting their first child, a son, on July 3rd 2011. The preparation and anticipation of their son is filling

their lives with even more beauty and excitement. Everyone wants to know what the baby name will be Cory and Tia! This is what Cory had to say about the naming of their son “I want to know his name too right now. She wants to

name the initials with my initial C and her initial is a T, but you know she’s looking at a lot of C’s and T’s right now.” Extraordinary trendsetter Cory Hardrict has so much more to come, haters watch out! Here Cory comes up with new ideas and shares upcoming endeavors. Cory being a supporter and admirer of Leo Dicaprio had this to say about the possibility of one day doing a film with him “I wouldn’t mind doing like an cop movie with him playing a police officer with him, with us being partners, solving crimes and beating people up…like Training Day, I wouldn’t mind doing something with him like that.” Still celebrating the success of the movie Battle: Los An-

geles, Cory tells us the most exciting and important news com-ing from him this year. “Basically, the most important thing is I’m going to be a father soon, he’s definitely the most important thing to me at this time and then I got this movie The Day com-ing out, I’m starting a pre-production on the movie called The

Phoenix that’s based on a true story about a burn victim who beats all odds and goes on to play college football, other than that, I’m going to continue to be positive and try to put out good work to the world and be a role model. A person who peo-ple can look up to, that’s basically it… I try to help people day to day, rather that’s my advice, through my work or through encouragement, that’s what you can look forward to coming from me! Follow me on twitter.” ■

“It’s all good...I’m blessed.” - Cory Hardrict


G o r g e o u s , hardworking, and moti-vated Erica

Rivera, takes her next big step in her career by landing a spot on the set of High Street Hills by Colours TV net-work. Erica, started her career twelve years ago and since has not let go of her passion. She has worked alongside Ra-ven Simone on the set of That’s So Ra-

ven playing Bianca the bully and also recorded a track on the “What a Girl Wants” soundtrack. Erica is excited about the upcoming show High Street Hill as she plays the beautiful and mys-terious detective “Giselle Winters”. She wants inspire others to reach for their dreams and never give up! Nita: When did you start your acting career? Erica: I started acting in Orlando Flor-ida technically because I did theatre growing up. I always knew how to sing and dance at the same time and every-thing was always about stage perform-ances. That’s kind of where my acting background comes from. So, I would say a little bit over twelve years. Nita: We know that you have an amaz-

ing voice as well and you recorded a song on the “what a girl wants” soundtrack. What inspired you to launch your acting career full throttle? Erica: Well like I said I kind of always associated music and act-ing with myself. It’s just always kind of been a natural career to break into, with what I grew up doing. I also grew up in Orlando Florida for a long time and there is a huge young scene for actors there with Nickelodeon being there and all that.

Nita: We know that you worked side to side with Raven Simone. How was it working with her? Erica: She’s hilarious! She’s truly hi-larious! And honestly she has the ability to make people laugh in person the same way she comes across on tv. She’s got a very bright personality. She’s a hard worker. Nita: You played “Bianca the Bully” on That’s so Raven, as well as an episode on The Proud Family. Can you tell us a little bit more about your new role on High Street Hills? Erica: I play Giselle Winters on High Street Hills. Giselle is a young woman, I’d like to think of her as beautiful per-sonally, and she’s a detective who hap-pens to be head-over-heels in love with this guy who we’re not quite sure about yet. He’s very sketchy, but the show doesn’t quite reveal his background. He could be a drug dealer, he could just be sick, or he could just be kind of lazy. There’s something really sort of mysteri-ous to her life that is the opposite of her job. I’m a cop, I’m a detective but I’ve got a really sketchy boyfriend. One of the main ingredients to the character’s make-up is I use what I know. I use different characters that might pop. For instance, I use the detective to guise my

boyfriend if I need to. So if I need infor-mation out of him, or if I need some-thing for the time being, I can make that happen. Nita: Who is your most idolized ac-tress? Erica: I’ve always been a really huge fan of Jennifer Lopez movies. I’m ob-sessed with her as an actor. I feel like she’s so effortless. I’m also a really huge fan of Cameron Diaz. She’s beautiful, but she’s also super athletic and super quirky. I love comedy and I love when pretty girls can rock. I feel like I have a little bit in common with her as far as the comedy angle. I love her also! Nita: If you had any advice to offer your fans or other aspiring actors or musi-cians, what would you tell them is most important? Erica: First I would say don’t give up. If it’s honestly what you want and you can’t sleep at night because this is what you need in your life to do music or act-ing or be a firefighter or whatever you want to do. It can happen it just takes persistence and believing in you. If you try ten times out of ten instead of five times, your chances are going to be so much higher so I say never give up! Me personally, I’ve had some bumps in the road where I felt like maybe this wasn’t the career for me, and then I woke up! I’m lucky to even know that I did be-cause I got cast on an amazing show like High Street Hills. I’m going to be doing music again so much more because of the people I’ll be meeting on the show. Persistence is key, and you can’t give up. You kind of have to see the light at the end of the tunnel even if the tunnel is ten miles long. The second thing that I would definitely say is to be yourself as an artist and represent what you want because people know when you’re fak-ing it. BE true to yourself. ■

Erica Rivera: From Bully to High Street Hills

By Nita Dean

UP & COMING TRENDSETTERS


Community Arts Experience, Inc. (C.A.E.) provides a 21st Century Learning arts curriculum to Stark County, Ohio youth 7 - 18

years of age. Eight (8) modules are offered to provide instruction to participants in a hands-on environment. A combination of technical instruction and real world experience exposes participants to careers in the world of arts. Individual empowerment and self-determination have always been strong components of C.A.E. Initiated in 2008 by B.J. Rice-Hubbard, Co-Founder/CEO, and Mark Bigsbee, Co-Founder/COO, the organization was conceived and organized to provide a variety of educational experiences in the alternative arts. The purpose of the academy is to provide area youth with a broader range of life choices by exposing them to the numerous careers available in the arts community. The modules available are Music Ap-preciation, Theatre Arts, Fashion/Graphic Design, Multimedia, Dance, Culinary Arts, Invention-Art, and Business Man-agement. C.A.E. currently serves over 200 Stark County youth, and has three (3) satellite locations within the Canton and Massillon, Ohio areas. Our organization is proud to say that we have a direct economic impact within the Stark County community in which we serve. Youth that successfully completes assigned modules are eligible for job assignments with customers of C.A.E. The work experience will allow participants to receive stipends after satisfactory completion of assigned duties. In FY2010, we directly con-tributed $15,955 in the form of stipends for students and mentors who helped with our annual theatrical production of C.A.E.’s

Adaptation of The Wiz. Unlike our competitors’, C.A.E. has an all encompassing diversified business model – strategically de-signed to educate students about financial literacy and professional accountability. For C.A.E. to maintain a standard of excellence, innovation, growth and opportunity, we depend on our community network of local professionals, business’, and civic organizations to support our mission through mentoring partnerships. Internship opportu-nities for local college students in related majors or programs are also provided. C.A.E.’s programming has been proven to decrease behavioral problems; improve social and communication skills; improve

relationships with others including peers, teachers, and parents; increase community involvement; broadened world views; in-

crease self-confidence and self-esteem. We want to encourage our participants to create their own pathways in life, and to use

their entrepreneurial skills on behalf of their communities as well as societies throughout the world.

For more information, visit us on the worldwide web at www.CommunityArtsExperience.com Or

FACEBOOK: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Community-Arts-Experience-Inc-CAE/222570431093195 TWITTER: http://twitter.com/cae_cantonohio ▪ YOUTUBE: http://www.youtube.com/caeohio

MYSPACE: www.myspace.com/communityartsexperience

OUR MISSIONOUR MISSIONOUR MISSIONOUR MISSION:::: To provide Stark County area teenagers with hands-on

experience in the arts in a professional environment that

encourages excellence in learning, performance, and service.

Pictured above: (L-R) Mark Bibsbee, Co-Founder/COO and B.J. Rice-Hubbard, Co-Founder/CEO


EDUCATION

V ESSE LVIBE Maga zi ne (vvibemag.com) in partner with Bruce Clinkscale Good-win, Inc. proudly announces

the launch of their first national community development tour! The VVIBEMAG.com Youth Empowerment Community Tour Kicks-off in the summer of 2011 bringing a series of interactive workshops to various cities throughout the United States. Geared towards both young men and women, the YEC tour was created to in-spire at-risk youth to Make EVERY WAY A RUNWAY to showcase both their inner and outer beauty! During each event youth ages 9-17 will receive five-star knowledge as heavyweights in their local fashion and beauty industry along with the mentoring specialist of BCG, Inc. provide interactive workshops on external glamour, basic grooming, internal health, positive self image, and more!. “…it’s apparent that many of our youth are fascinated with

glamour” says Dominique Paramore Editor-in-Chief

www.VVIBEMAG.com “what they miss is they don’t have to

walk a runway to model. Everywhere they go is a platform to

showcase their beauty to the world and be that

light within their local communities inspiring

their peers to rise above the common negativ-

ism of their environment and maximize their

limitless potential.”

Why focus on At-Risk Youth? The condition of many impoverished communi-ties throughout our nation have perpetuated issues of poor health, low self esteem, violence, and widespread hopelessness throughout multi-ple generations of youth. As local leaders work

diligently to effect change VVIBEMAG.com and the distin-guished men of BCG, Inc have taken ownership of the problem as well. The YEC Tour is the first national step towards encour-aging inner-city communities to 1) become aware of the issues effecting our youth and 2) be an active part in resolving those issues. “As successful products of the inner-city, my partners and I

feel a sincere obligation to invest our time and efforts to em-

powering urban communities. We’ve all witnessed the prob-

lems first hand and believe if we do nothing to help than we

are a large part of those problems.” Brain Bruce Co-Founder

BCG, Inc. ■

VESSELVIBE Magazine and BCG, Inc Launch National Tour to Empower Youth!

For media inquiries or information on sponsoring the YEC Tour in your city contact us today at [email protected]


EDUCATION

S ince their 2005 induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Eddie Levert and Walter Williams have return to their hometown of Canton, Ohio to help inspire and motivate students.

Now the current version of The O'Jays that includes Eric Nolan Grant are giving back to the community where Eddie and Walter began singing as students themselves. The O'Jays Scholarship Foundation awards not only tradi-tional high school and college students, but also non-traditional (adult) students - unlike any other scholarship program of this type in the country. The financial assistance being provided to students is help-ing them secure a good education and achieve their dreams in life. Without the help of the O'Jays Scholarship Foundation and the generous support of their celebrity friends and sponsors many of these students would not be able to complete an educa-tion. To help raise funds to support the foundation, The O'Jays have implemented an annual celebration weekend. This festival includes a benefit concert, a golf outing, a family reunion event and scholarship banquet - where students receive their awards. The entire event is held the second weekend in August immediately following the Pro Football Hall of Fame festivities in Canton. Helping support the foundation are many celebrity friends of the O'Jays - including Steve Harvey, Patti LaBelle, Clifton Davis, The Whispers, Maze featuring Frankie Beverly, Roland Martin, Tom Joyner and Donna Richardson Joyner and many more. You can help support the O'Jays Scholarship Foundation by attending the weekend and joining the celebration. The stu-dents of Canton and all of Stark County will benefit from your support for 2011 and many years to come. The O'Jays Scholarship Fund is professionally administered by the Stark Community Foundation in Canton, Ohio (www.starkcf.org) ■

Support The O'Jays

Scholarship Fund 2011


The OJay's, Walter Williams Sr., Eric Grant and Eddie Levert Sr. in 2004

The O’Jays Timeline

T he O'Jays were one of Philadelphia soul's most popular and long-lived outfits, rivaled only by

the Spinners as soul's greatest vocal group of the '70s. In their prime, the O'Jays' recordings epitomized the Philly soul sound: smooth, rich harmonies backed by elaborate arrangements, lush strings, and a touch of contemporary funk. They worked extensively with the legendary production/songwriting team of Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff , be-coming the flagship artist of the duo's Philadelphia International label. The O'Jays were equally at home singing sweet love ballads or up-tempo dance tunes, the latter of which were often mouthpieces for Gamble & Huff s social concerns. Although the O'Jays couldn't sustain their widespread popularity in the post-disco age, they continued to record steadily all the way up to the present day, modifying their production to keep up with the times.The O'Jays were formed in 1958 in Canton, OH, where all five original members — Eddie Levert, Walter Williams, WilliamPow-ell, Bill Isles, and Bobby Massey — attended McKinley High School. In-

spired to start a singing group after see-ing a performance by Frankie Lymon & the Teenagers they first called them-selves the Triumphs, then switched to the Mascots in 1960. The Mascots made their recording debut in 1961 with the single "Miracles," issued on the Cincin-nati-based King label. It earned them a fan in the influential Cleveland DJ Eddie O'Jay, who gave them some airplay and career advice; in turn, the group re-named itself the O'Jays in 1963, after having recorded for Apollo Records with producer Don Davis Under their new name, the O'Jays signed with Impe-rial and hooked up with producer H.B. Barnum, who would helm their first charting single, 1963's "Lonely Drifter," plus several more singles that followed. Isles left the group in 1965 and was not replaced, leaving them a quartet; late in the year, they released their first-ever album, Comin' Through. In 1967, the O'Jays left Imperial for Bell, where they landed their first Top Ten single on the R&B charts, "I'll Be Sweeter Tomorrow (Than I Was Today)." Discouraged by the difficulty of following that success, the group considered throwing in the towel until it met Gamble & Huff— then working as a production team for the Neptune label — in 1968. Gamble & Huff took an interest in the group, and

they recorded several successful R&B singles together; however, Neptune folded in 1971, leaving the O'Jays in limbo, and Massey decided to exit the group. Fortunately, Gamble & Huff formed their own label, Philadelphia Interna-tional, and made the O'Jays — now a trio — one of their first signings. The O'Jays' label debut, Back Stabbers, re-leased in 1972, became a classic land-mark of Philly soul, and finally made the group stars; the paranoid title track hit the pop Top Five, and the utopian "Love Train" went all the way to number one (both singles topped the R&B charts). It was the beginning of a remarkable run that produced nearly 30 chart singles over the course of the '70s, plus a series of best-selling albums and a bevy of number one hits on the R&B charts. The O'Jays followed up their breakthrough with another classic LP, Ship Ahoy in 1973; it featured the number one R&B hit "For the Love of Money," a funky protest number that still ranks as one of their signature songs, as well as the ten-minute title track, an ambitious suite recounting the ocean journeys of African slaves. 1975's Survival was another hit, spinning off the hits "Let Me Make Love to You" and the R&B number one "Give the People What They Want."


Family Reunion found the group mak-ing concessions to the emerging disco sound, which got them their third Top Five pop hit in "I Love Music, Pt. 1." Unfortunately, William Powell was diagnosed with cancer that year, and although he continued to record with the group for a time (appearing on 1976's Message in Our Music), he was forced to retire from live performing, and passed away on May 26, 1977. Powell’s replacement was Sammy Strain, a 12-year veteran of Little An-thony & the Imperials. The O'Jays regrouped on the albums Travelin' at

the Speed of Thought (1977) and So

Full of Love (1978), the latter of which produced their final Top Five pop hit, "Use ta Be My Girl." 1979's Identify

Yourself began to show signs of wear and tear in the group's successful for-mula, and often consciously attempted to follow disco trends. Although it sold respectably, it marked the begin-ning of a decline in the O'Jays' com-mercial fortunes. Undaunted by the increasingly diminished returns of their early-'80s LPs, the group kept plugging away, and never completely disappeared from the R&B charts. They finally left Philadelphia Interna-tional and signed with EMI for 1987's Let Me Touch You, which melded their classic sound with up-to-date urban-R&B production. Powered by the Gamble & Huff penned R&B number one "Lovin' You," as well as the in-creased visibility of Eddie Levert's sons Gerald and Sean two-thirds of the hit urban group LeVert ), the album gave their career a much-needed shot in the arm. 1989's Serious supplied another big R&B hit in "Have You Had Your Love Today?"; with Na-thaniel Best replacing Sammy Strain, 1991's Emotionally Yours and 1993's Heartbreaker also placed very well on the R&B charts. The O'Jays' come-back didn't really extend to the pop side, and didn't attract the sort of criti-cal praise earned by their '70s classics; as the new jack swing craze subsided, so did the group's recording activity, though they remained consistent draws on the live circuit. In 1997, now with Eric Grant joining Levert and Wil-liams, they returned with Love You to

Tears. A recording layoff followed, during which the group signed with MCA; they debuted for the label with For the Love..., which was released in 2001. ■

1941 Sammy Strain of the O’Jays is born in Brooklyn, New York. 1942 William Powell of the O’Jays is born in Canton, Ohio. 1942 Eddie Levert of the O’Jays is born in Can-ton, Ohio. 1942 Walter Williams of the O’Jays is born in Canton, Ohio. 1961 The Mascots, an R&B vocal quintet from Canton, Ohio, issue two singles for Syd Nathan’s King label. Soon they will rename themselves the O’Jays. 1965 The O’Jays first album, Comin’ Through, is released on Imperial Records. 1966 The O’Jays become a quartet when found-ing member Bill Isles leaves to concentrate on songwriting. 1966 The O’Jays’ “Stand In for Love” reaches #12 on the R&B chart, the biggest hit in their three-year run at Imperial. 1967 Having moved to the Bell label, the O’Jays score a Top Ten R&B hit with “I’ll Be Sweeter Tomorrow (Than I Was Today).” 1969 While performing in New York, the O’Jays meet rising songwriter/producers Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff. The group signs to their Neptune label, a Chess subsidiary, on which they’ll release six singles. 1971 The O’Jays become a trio when founding member Bobby Massey quits to become a record producer. 1972 The O’Jays are the first group signed to Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff’s new Phila-delphia International label. 1972 “Back Stabbers,” the title track from the O’Jays’ album of the same name, enters the singles charts. This epochal crossover hit (#1 R&B, #3 pop) will establish the Philly Soul sound. 1973 “Love Train,” by the O’Jays, enters the

R&B charts. It will be the group’s biggest hit, topping both the R&B and pop charts. 1973 The hit-filled Back Stabbers, by the O’Jays, becomes the first of ten gold and platinum albums for the trio. 1973 The O’Jays’ most ambitious album, Ship Ahoy, is released. The first of four O’Jays albums to sell over a million copies, it yields “Put Your Hands Together” (#2 R&B, #10 pop) and “For the Love of Money” (#3 R&B, #9 pop). 1974 The O’Jays Live in London, recorded in December 1973, is released. 1975 Family Reunion, by the O’Jays, cements their reign as kings of Philly Soul, yielding the disco anthem “I Love Music” (#1 R&B, #5 pop). 1976 Sammy Strain replaces an ailing Walter Powell in the O’Jays. He’ll remain with the group until 1993, when he rejoined Little Anthony and the Imperials. 1976 Message in Our Music, by the O’Jays, is released. It contains three #1 R&B hits 1977 Walter Powell of the O’Jays dies of cancer at his home in Canton, Ohio. 1978 “Use Ta Be My Girl,” by the O’Jays, enters the R&B charts, which it will top for five weeks. It will also reach #4 on the pop chart and propel the album So Full of Love to #6. 1987 “Lovin’ You,” by the O’Jays, enters the R&B charts. It will become the final #1 hit in their fifteen-year run with songwriter/producers Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff. 1991 The O’Jays release Emotionally Yours, which yields a trio of Top Five R&B hits 1998 The O’Jays receive the Rhythm & Blues Foundation’s Pioneer Award at a ceremony in New York. Eddie Levert’s son Gerald is their presenter. 2005 The O’Jays are inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum


HEALTH & WELLNESS

T he causes of and common contributors to alopecia vary:

• Chemotherapy: Drug-induced alopecia

commonly occurs in individuals required to take chemotherapy medications. Chemotherapy attacks rapidly growing cells, including hair, and often leads to alopecia totalis or alopecia universalis. In most cases, hair re-growth resumes with a different hair texture. In addition, some individuals may develop scalp sensitivity or dry scalp and skin.

• Autoimmunity: Alopecia areata, which is considered an

autoimmune disease, reveals a smooth round or oval patch. This patch may enlarge to connect multiple adjacent patches. In some cases, entire head hair loss occurs, thereby revealing alopecia totalis. Kayla Martell, who was recently crowned Miss Delaware, is affected with alopecia areata. Yet her perse-verance did not stop her from obtaining her crown. • Excessive Stress or Trauma: Alopecia may occur when a

person endures physical or psychological stress or trauma, such as domestic violence, the loss of a family member or a close friend/pet. In some cases, the lost hair will re-grow, while in other cases, the alopecia is irreversible. • Underlying Medical Condition: Alopecia may be an in-

dication of an underlying medical condition, such as iron defi-ciency, nutritional deficiency, systemic disease, a skin injury or a scalp infection, which causes the alopecia. If the underlying medical condition is resolved, the alopecia may likewise re-solve itself.

• Psychological Compulsion: Trichotillomania is the medi-

cal term for the compulsion to pull out one’s scalp or body hair. Trichotillomania may result in noticeable patches of hair loss.

• Chemical Over-Processing: Alopecia, including alopecia

totalis, may occur when a person has overused or misused chemical on their hair. This is common with the use of hair coloring products, chemical relaxers, and hair bleach. Hairstyling Routines: Similarly, alopecia may be an unfore-seen consequence of wearing excessively tight ponytails or braids or repeatedly using hot mechanical irons.

Separate from alopecia, some individuals choose to shave off all of their hair to follow the trends of celebrities and athletes or to tattoo on their heads. Overall, alopecia may have many con-tributing factors, whether genetic, medical, or environmental. Regardless of how one develops alopecia, remember that you too can follow the trendsetter Miss Delaware Kayla Martell and know that your goals are obtainable! ■

All questions may be addressed to Dr. Linda Amerson, a world-renowned board certified Trichologist. Proprietor of LA’s Hair & Scalp Clinic, Arlington, TX. (817) 265-8854 or www.hairandscalpessentials.com

By Dr. Linda Amerson


that I’ve been producing PVIFF and even apart of other festivals. I mean he was a phenomenal moderator with a lot of knowledge and information, so definitely Clifton Powell. On the flip-side of things, [the other favorite] is my business partner Tommy Ford, the actor from Martin. I recently pro-duced and directed a show called the Templeton (Pride?) and Tommy is the star of the show. It was phenomenal di-recting Tommy, because he didn’t need any directing or direction. He was directing me because of the depth that he brought to the character. He took the words that I wrote and really brought it to life. Everybody that was on set with him fed off of his energy, knowledge and experience. It made the whole production easier having him apart of the produc-tion with just him acting. It was great just having him in my show/on my show with my directorial there too. Nita: Is there anything else that you would like to share with our Trendsetter to Trendsetter audience?

Len: I want people to understand that PVIFF is not only for film makers. If you enjoy film, TV, or just entertainment in general, you want to come out and check out PVIFF be-cause its definitely something for everybody. This year we have two very important films that we’re celebrating. One is the 20th Anniversary of Jungle Fever, and we’re also cele-brating the 20th anniversary of New Jack City; both of the Black Street Films. Every year, we have about forty percent of our audience coming from out of town, and we would love to see a lot more people from Atlanta come out with us at the festival. ■

LEN GIBSON CONTINUED FROM PAGE 14

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FITNESS

Dying from Eating Too Much By Camela L. Douglass, M.S. ED.

I t is inevitable that everyone will die one day. Hu-man beings are mortal. Everyone is subject to death. Many have asked, “when will I die?” Ac-cording to the bible, “the years of our life are sev-

enty, or even by reason of strength eighty..” (Psalm 90:10). Then the follow-up question is, “how will I die?” People have more control over “the how and when” than they real-ize. There’s a preventable method of dying that has in-creased at a substantial rate over the past few years: eating too much! Americans are dying at an alarming rate from overeating. Most would rather sugar coat this statement because it’s too hard to grasp that someone can actually die from eating too much. Obesity-related complications can ultimately lead to death. A prime example of the effects of this epidemic is the increase in the eating of junk food. Grab bags of chips, sodas and candy bars are stocked at every checkout line, vend-ing machine, and corner store. Eating junk food alone is one of the main contributing factors to the develop-ment of certain cancers. The body desires and needs certain vitamins and minerals to function properly. However, when you eat a poor diet, you severely impair the body’s ability—its immune s y s t e m— t o f i g h t

off toxins and diseased cells. As a result, those cells can become cancerous. It’s just like playing dominos without a winner. Eating too much of the wrong foods lead to obesity, obesity leads to other medical conditions such as heart problems, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and Diabetes. Unfortu-nately, these conditions can ultimately lead to a preventable death. Therefore, overeating is literally killing people. Type II Diabetes and heart disease has increased and sur-prisingly asthma has been at the top of the list. One in 3 Americans born after 2000 have Diabetes. The number is lowered to 1 in 2 in minorities. Who would choose to die like this? According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, approxi-mately 300,000 adult deaths in the United States each year are attributable to unhealthy dietary habits and physical

inactivity or sedentary behavior. Do you know one of these 300,000 adult deaths last year?

Wake up people and take control of your lives. It is time to adopt a 3-E plan of action to live a more active and healthy life. The 3 E’s are: EDUCATE, EAT WISE, AND EX-ERCISE. It is important to educate yourself on your personal need for vitamins, miner-als, and water. After you do your research and consult with your doctor, eat the right foods and get moving. It’s simple, it’s real-

istic, and it’s a lifestyle change. It’s your life….live it

abundantly. ■


FITNESS

“I offer one on one health consulta-tions and help coach people on their way to optimal health.” I began this journey by simply sharing my story

with people I encounter on a daily basis then later took things to the internet. After many years of suffering from asthma, migraines, hip, back and neck pain and looking to shed some weight . I had been placed on a narcotic pain reliever to help me manage the mi-graines I suffered and unfortunately they did not help. Therefore I dealt with the pain. I was introduced to Zija International. I decided to try the all natural Moringa based products. As a Health Consultant with Zija Inter-national, I have helped numerous family and friends rid themselves of medications they have been taking for years. I have helped just as many people shed weight when other products didn't work. In using the Zija XM3 personal system I have overcome all of my ailments and shed 40 lbs. Allow me to help you too! ■

COACHING FAMILY, FRIENDS & COMMUNITY TO OPTIMAL HEALTH COLUMBUS, OHIO

TAMMI GRIFFIN, TAMMI GRIFFIN, TAMMI GRIFFIN, TAMMI GRIFFIN, INDEPENDENT CONSULTANT P.O Box 27179 Columbus, OH 43227

www.tgriffin.myzuja.com [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected]


Tammi Griffin (R) pictured with Mike Sims at the Zija Regional Conference in Lexington, KY.



www.TRENDTOTRENDMAG.com

INSPIRATIONAL TRENDS

D uring my childhood, I attended a small African Methodist Episcopal (A.M.E.) Church. Most of the members were re-lated in some way so I was loved, en-

couraged, and sometimes even corrected by my extended family.

Each year the church members would attend the an-nual A.M.E. conference to find out if the current pastor would be returning for another term, or if the pastoral ba-ton would be passed to someone new. One particular year our church received the news that a female pastor was ap-pointed to our congregation. Female pastors were rare then. This was the first one that I had met. I was in my teens at the time, so I had not yet experienced much.

When the new pastor arrived, she was delightfully different. She was nurturing, encouraging and sowed posi-tive seeds of the Word into the lives of the youth. The pastor even presented Bibles to us when we graduated from high school. Interestingly, I still have and use that Bible today, although it is quite worn and tattered. What I remember most about this woman of God is that she would have the youth of the church recite, “Greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world.” At the time, I do not think any of us realized that she was planting the seeds of the Word in our hearts. Initially we would stand and say the words begrudgingly and lacking enthusiasm, not un-derstanding what we were saying and definitely not com-prehending the power that we professed to have inside of us.

Those teenage years got rough at times. When oppo-sition reared its ugly head, I found myself saying, “Greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world.” When I was having difficulty on an exam, I found myself mum-bling that scripture. Frankly, I was saying those potent words often.

At present, I still speak those words that were planted in my heart long ago. The word of God had not only been planted, it had taken root. Read the Word. Confess the Word. Plant it deep within your heart for it will spring forth at the precise moment that you need it. Utilize that God Power within to deal with those worldly things with-out. Remember: I have the Power and you have the Power. For greater is He that is in you and me than he that is in the world. ■

Gigi

Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome

them: because greater is he that is in you, than he

that is in the world. I John 4:4.

We Have the Power By Georgeann (Gigi) McCrary


INSPIRATIONAL TRENDS

M any of us have experienced burying the problems in

our lives and covering them up, but buried problems have a way of resurfacing! People have to let go, for at least a moment. But most won’t let go for five seconds! They’re holding everything in! When people hold back and deny how they feel about something, they’re not open to the conditions of the moment, and they don’t free their feelings. People need to get out of their dwelling and stop looking at the same four walls where they spend all day fighting the battles and pushing them-selves. It helps us to see things more clearly. It helps to open your sense of sight, which means increasing your perspective by making an effort to see the entirety of the world around you, not just the problems that brings on much stress in our daily lives that we continue to face. We have the power to change our scenery and what we allow to seep inside our mind, hearts and soul. When we allow ourselves to open up to the beauty around us it helps to re-direct our attention on all the blessings in our lives and our problems no longer have us held in bondage. Chase down your peace. Seek His face so your darken place become a spring-board to a brighter place. God wants us to know that we have what we need, for He is there to carry our burdens. Lay aside every weight that you are carrying and run patiently on the path the Lord sets before you; because it leads to supernatural healing and peace. Choose this day the real path to finding your freedom and abundance, and God won’t forget your labor of love. He wants you to reclaim what He’s already given you.

Let me encourage you today. Even if you’ve made costly mistakes and I am pretty sure that we all have

made mistakes, God can lead you back to true abun-dance. He didn’t give up on Israel, His chosen peo-ple, so the Lord won’t give up on you. It’s time to move out of the past and into your eternal destiny. He will become that tower that stands in the midst of chaos and fight our many battles that we strug-gle with daily. Keep praising God until the atmos-phere changes and something breaks loose around you! As long as there is life, there is hope but place it into someone hands that won’t let you down, Jesus Christ. Let go!

No matter what you go through in life, if you have the spirit of a conqueror and you really know

who you are in Christ and truly believe that God is on your side, you do not have to be daunted or over-

whelmed by any difficulty you may face. Always re-member that you are not alone, “God is for you. He is

on your side and you can do all things through Christ who strengthens you.” ■

Angela M. Thomas is a Certified Speaker and has written and published eight inspirational books. To book Angela,

please call (305)793-1347 or Visit: www.AngelaMThomas.com

To Our Own Selves Be True By Angela M. Thomas


INSPIRATIONAL

T he Gospel of Health Boxing Club presents the title fight of the Universe. The overweight champion of the world, the Fat Demon verses miracle woman, Mrs. Obesity Jones. Obesity Jones weighing in at 290 pounds, obese with highblood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, high cholestrol, pre cancerous cells and low self esteem. She is depressed and anxious to win the highly coveted belt, which would

allow her to go into the world with credibility and the necessary credentials to help others win their personal battles. The Fat Demon, weighing in at 316 pounds with powerful punches of deadly mind games, trickery, deceit, cunning moves and fattening food thought suggestions. He’s the master of the food conpiracy and his intent is to kill, steal, and destroy the mind, body and spiritual soul. This super clever fighter attacks opponents who have no will power or self discipline. He then zaps hope, faith and belief from everyone who gets in the ring with him. The Fat Demon’s strategy is to make you defile your body with unhealthy food by throwing hard hitting punches to the brain causing trauma with hipnotic suggestions to eat until your body is laced with dis-ease.

The Fight The Fat Demon comes out throwing right jabs to the heart, insuring you eat everything bad for you, so his opponents can have heart disease, blocked arteries and be sick. He’s clever! Obesity Jones becomes tired and thirsty, experiencing shortness of breath and swollen ankles, as she goes to her corner and drinks 8 glasses of water to hydrate and cleanse the body from toxins and poisions. Obesity Jones begins to pray, she is com-municating with the higher power and asking for strength, be-cause this battle is intense She’s determined to live a long healthy life and suddenly realizes that she has unbelievable strength. Obesity Jones lands 26 blows to the body. She wanted revenge because the demon

killed her mother and wants to kill the world. Obesity Jones has faith, hope, belief, strength and determination to persevere; she stood up to the test and came out punching. Jones landed 14 right hooks, 29 uppercuts, 10 hard hitting jabs to the face and body. The Fat Demon said,“I have programed you be unhealthy and eat junk, fat, sugar and salt and I will punch every disease into you and your entire family”. Prepare to lose and die an early death. She responded, “I am transformed by the renewing of my mind”. She began pounding his body with right and left jabs, cross punches to the head, right hooks to the ribs and speed punches to the heart, until he fell and lost the battle and the belt. Obesity Jones won and lost 125 pounds naturally. ■


37373737 TRENDSETTERS TO TRENDSETTERS | MAY/JUNE 2011

A ndrus & Andrus Adult Care Agency was founded by Monique’ Andrus in January of 2006 and is located in Canton,

Ohio. Ms. Andrus worked in the healthcare field for many years but has always had her dream of oper-ating her own group home facility. She started Andrus & Andrus with the mission to provide not just a service to her clients but a place to call home. Each facility is located in beautiful neighborhood settings close to shopping, recreational parks, res-taurants. The agency focuses on the daily needs of adult clients with developmental disabilities and mental illness. We strive to create a welcoming en-vironment for our clients so their loved ones can rest assure all needs are being met on all levels. Currently we offer: • Around the Clock Residential Care • Respite Care • In Home Care • Meals Provided • Trained/ Certified Staff • Licensed Social Worker

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ANDRUS & ANDRUS Adult CareANDRUS & ANDRUS Adult CareANDRUS & ANDRUS Adult CareANDRUS & ANDRUS Adult Care 1611 27th St. N.E. Canton, OH 44714

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MONIQUE’ ANDRUSMONIQUE’ ANDRUSMONIQUE’ ANDRUSMONIQUE’ ANDRUS OWNER


I woke up this morning and

kissed the sun!

Extending my arms, I rear-

ranged the clouds, cause I did-

n’t like how they were hung.

Jumping from my bed of tulips, I stretched

my back and wiggle my hips, tipping the

earth on its axis a bit,

Placing my feet upon the ground, taking

authority over every step, as I walked

around.

I felt the wind begin to blow a gentle breeze,

it tickled my nose and I began to sneeze,

which caused an aroma of vanilla and san-

dalwood to surround my face.

I picked up some roses to adorn my hair.

Then I squeezed the nectar of peaches upon my neck .

Trying to ensure I looked my very best, I dressed my body with

shells from the sea.

Then I dance around, cause I was feeling me!

Taking caution to make sure the earth stood still, cause I

know the power of my curves and hills.

I spread my lips and imparted a smile and the waves of the

ocean began to rise, and the sunshine was brighter, bouncing

from the reflection of my eyes.

Wanting to add a little sparkle to my face, I called the rainbow

and we embraced, leaving me dressed with the colors of the

spectrum for my appearance.

I began to search what this day would bring, I was ready for

the challenges calling my name.

I spoke peace to the violence in the land, taking careful note

of the master’s plan.

I healed a few hearts with whispers in the

air, reminded the lonely that there is some-

one who cares.

Don’t look surprise by the powers I hold,

don’t act confuse because I appear so bold.

There is no magical wand in my hand. The

swing of my hips has no magical tricks.

I just embrace life and love having fun, and I

understand the power that I possess in my

tongue.

I am no God, or fairytale, but royalty runs in

my bloodstream,

I am the Everyday Woman! A Beautiful

Queen.

While on my quest to find the thing that connects all women, I heard from the voice that whispers words in my ears. All women, no matter the age, culture, spiritual affilia-

tions, ethnicity, political beliefs, income or status, eat! Eat? Well of course we eat, we have to eat to stay alive. Before I completely dismissed the thought, I heard, E.A.T! The mother of life, EVE, had a price to pay in partaking of the forbidden fruit. It is explain in Genesis 3:16 which states, To the woman He said: "I will greatly multiply your sorrow and your concep-tion; In pain you shall bring forth children; . . . KJV. Most people read that scripture and capture that the woman was cursed with receiving pain in child birth. However, the curse was twofold. God said he would multiply our sorrow AND... sorrow is referring to our emotions. We are emotional beings and problems arise when we act out of emotions. When our emotions are aggravated, frustrated, or elevated, our re-sponses can be productive or become deadly. It is the aggra-vated acts of terrorism from responding to our emotions, that assassinates the development of the God in us, prolonging and eliminating our destiny.

TRENDSETTER SPOTLIGHT

WOMAN to WOMAN

The Everyday Woman By Chinaz Love



AVAILABLE NOW

Amazon.com BooksonBoard.com

www.chinazlove.com Email: [email protected]

330-313-5773


40404040


D eemed by Atlanta Journal Constitution as the ‘maestro of marketing,' Dee Dee M. Cocheta orchestrated her marketing skills in Radio before she went on to her next goal in life,

launching her own company - A.B.C. Publicity in 1999. Since then, this award-winning PR and marketing professional has coordinated publicity efforts for music events, conducted media training and developed marketing and PR campaigns for hun-dreds of independent and major artists. Because of her influ-ence, Dee Dee has been contracted by brands, small businesses and non-profits for her contacts, media relations and social me-dia strategies.

Recognized as a thought leader who has extensive experi-ence working with Generation Y/GEN Next, Dee Dee can also be found advising business owners, organizations, public offi-cials and companies on how to reach this audience who rely on the impact of trendsetters within this demographic for their branding efforts.

Not only is Dee Dee a successful entrepreneur, she is a mother of 7 children, grandmother to twins, married for 22 years and just recently founded the organization Queens Never Quit. As a superb networker starting out in AOL chat rooms in 1995; building her database and journaling (before there was such as thing as blogs or social media), this year Dee Dee de-cided to join the blogsphere where she shares tips for small business/non-profits as well as info on: PR, social media, tech-nology, fashion, music, family, spirituality, inspiration, well-ness and going green. Lastly, beyond consulting clients, Dee Dee is teaching Do-It-Yourself PR Sessions for entrepreneurs and non-profits as well as training PR newcomers. ■

For more info on Dee Dee, visit: www.abcpublicity.com or follow on twitter: @DeeDeeCocheta and @ABCPublicity.com



INTERNET MARKETING MANAGER & STRATEGIST www.lukeithermd.comwww.lukeithermd.comwww.lukeithermd.comwww.lukeithermd.com

B etty M. Smith is an Indiana native and graduate of Northeast-ern Illinois University

in Chicago. For 28 years she was em-ployed by Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Chicago where she cre-ated many programs for youth and sen-iors. While employed at Catholic Chari-ties, she founded Forever Free, a recov-ery home for women and women with children in recovery. She operated a 38 bed facility and later opened a 30 bed facility as the second phase of this pro-gram. Halle Berry did some of her research for the movie “Losing Isaiah” at Forever Free. Betty’s name (then McDaniel) and that of the facility are mentioned in the credits of this movie. Some of the women housed at Forever Free were guests on the Oprah Winfrey Show. Betty began her television career in Chicago where she hosted a cable fitness and talk show. She was an aerobics in-s t r uc to r a nd t r a i ne r i n he r “Stretchnastics” fitness studio on Michi-gan Avenue. She was also the aerobics director at the Apostolic Church of God. The Benson Record Company in Nash-ville selected Betty for an aerobics al-bum to Christian music called “Do Your Heart a Favor.” In 1998 Betty married Rev Mark M. Smith and moved to Canton, Ohio. In 1999 she founded Mul ti-

Development Services of Stark County (MDS), a not-for-profit social service agency. It was her strong faith in God that motivated her to feed the hungry, house the homeless, work with the youth and help mothers keep their families together or work with those mothers who had lost custody to re-unite them with their children. Under MDS she opened a shelter, transitional house, neighborhood garden, established a recording stu-dio for youth, produced Gospel Joins Symphony with the Canton Symphony Orchestra, utilized local talent in weekly concerts at the Downtown Nu-Zone, created the Golden Dove Awards and Canton Idol. Since 2000, she has been the TV host of “On Track with Betty Mac”, Channel 11, Canton City Schools TV. In 2008 and 2009 she was the Chairman of the Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement Festival’s Fashion Show. She was the second African-American to have this position in its 63 year history. At the age of 71, Betty is enjoying her retirement but still chooses to be active in the community. She is cur-rently the volunteer public relations co-ordinator for the Hall of Fame Senior Olympics and the O’Jays Scholarship Foundation Weekend in Canton OH. She also assists with some of the other O’Jays events in Canton such as the “Love Train” and the “Family Reunion.”

This year she cre-ated the “O’Jays Youth Singing Compe-tition” for ages 5 – 13. Betty is the author of “Man with a Vision, Bishop Arthur M. Brazier” and “Unexpected Blessings in the Midst of my Pain. In the latter book she talks about her move from Chicago to Can-ton; how God blessed her, at age 58, with a wonderful mate; details on open-ing MDS, it’s challenges and successes; being diagnosed with occipital neuralgia and her retirement in 1999. MDS is still a viable community agency under the leadership of Terrance Jones. ■

BETTY M. SMITH

“ON TRACK WITH BETTY MAC”




D eborah Williams, 14 years the wife of Herb Williams, basketball Pro turned Assistant coach for the New York Knicks says “It’s Her Game 2’ which is also the name of her

feminine NBA active wear clothing line. My first question for Deborah was how does, a former Ms. USA contestant attend the University of Georgia, earn a Doc-torate degree, and land a cushy job as a successful psychologist end up as an equally successful fashion designer? “Well first of all, I actually loved my former career as a thera-pist. But as my husband’s team changed so did our location. So reliability with my clients became difficult to maintain.” “You can’t have people depend on you and then disappear on them. Although I love my career as a designer, sometimes I miss be-ing a therapist, but believe me, I get a lot of use for those skills in everyday life,” she laughs. So what prompted the change? “I noticed, as we traveled, that we could always find things for men in the NBA gift shops

but few selections for women. I clearly saw a need, and was ready to fill it, says Deborah. “It was plain and simple, sure there were many sleepless nights not having formal training in fashion. I had to learn on my feet, but I knew what I wanted, and I had a lot of good solid relationships with people in the business that helped.” “You are also the founder of the NBA wives, tell me about that? “I started the NBA wives association targeting at-risk children and women issues, such as breast cancer and heart disease. We raise funds for charities involving these issues as well as for the Big Brothers Big Sisters, Boys and Girls club and the Special Olympics organizations. The annual confer-ence is held during NBA All-Star Weekend. Speaking of trendsetting, there are other designers on the official website for the NBA, but you were the first is that, right? “Yes I have been designing women clothes for the NBA since 1996. I started out doing a women’s line for Madison Square Garden, and now I have my own license with the NBA.”

“Her game 2”, not only has Jr. and Misses sizes but they also have a full figure clothing line, they provide coordinated bags, accessories and luggage also, true? “Yes, and I also have an NBA small appliance license as well.” Where can people buy your products? “We do annual events

like the WBLS-FM, WLIB-AM and Inner City Broadcasting

network sponsored “Circle of Sisters”, “Harlem Week” and of

course “Fashion Week” in New York. Major Dept. Stores such

as Macys will distribute the fall line, we are spotlighted on

Shop NBC, and of course, you can always buy all of our prod-

ucts from our website. www.hergame2.com.

What advice do you have for our readers? “Don’t give away the store?” Business is business and Christmas is Christ-mas you have to make money at the end of the day, and if you don’t you don’t have a business you have a hobby. Don’t be afraid of success. Believe in your own abilities. It’s not where you start, but where you end up that matter most. ■

Deborah Williams

“It’s Her Game 2” By Carol Courtney Anglin


BEAUTY & FASHION TRENDS

44444444 TRENDSETTERS TO TRENDSETTERS | MAY/JUNE

I n the United States, it's

common to as-sume that the U. S. Food and Drug Admini-stration (FDA) looks out for consum-ers welfare when it comes to hair products, from over the counter drugs to medical devices for stimulating hair growth. But does it? The answer is yes and no. The FDA's mission is responsible for protecting the public health by assuring the safety , efficiency, and security of human and veterinary drugs, biological projects, medical devices, our nation's food supply, cosmetics , and products that emit radiation. The FDA is also responsible for ad-vancing the public health by helping to speed innovations that make medicines and foods more effective , safer, and more affordable; and helping the public get the accurate, science-base information they need to use medicines and foods to improve their health. The FDA can't be everywhere all the time, which is why contaminated medications, tainted foods, and dangerous devices do occasionally make to the stores. However, the FDA does it's best to keep things safe. WHAT IS THE FDA'S INVOLVEMENT IN HAIR LOSS ISSUES: Salesmen still have no trouble pedaling

By Dr. Dorothy Flake


BEAUTY & FASHION TRENDS

their products to hairless and desperate consumers. We look at the myths and truths about what the FDA DOES AND DOES-N'T DO. 1. IT DOES NOT APPROVE SHAMPOOS AND CONDI-TIONERS The FDA wants you and your dermatologist to know what's in your shampoo and conditioner and mandates that shampoo and conditioner manufacturers list all ingredients on the backs of the container. Shampoos designated to treat dandruff or pso-riasis are regulated by the FDA as drugs, not cosmetics. 2. IT DOESN'T APPROVE MOST PERMANENT HAIR DYES (TINTS) PERMANENT SEMI-PERMANENT TEMPORARY All three types contain "coal-tar" dyes, potent chemicals that can cause potentially safety problems, including irritation and allergy. Permanent hair tint/dye contains either lead acetate or bismuth citrate, which has been approved and listed in the CODE OF REGULATIONS for coloring scalp hair. 3. FDA GETS HELP FROM THE COURTS TO PROTECT CONSUMERS FDA gets the most complaints from consumers about hair re-laxers and tints/dyes. The FDA tries to inform the consumers to take a proactive approach in using such products safely. 4. IT PROTECTS YOU FROM COSMETIC HAIR GROWTH PRODUCT SCAMS The FDA banned all topical lotions, potions, creams, and other cosmetic products that claim to grow hair where there was no hair....every time they remove one , another one appears. 5 IT APPROVES ALL PRESCRIPTION DRUGS THAT CLAIM TO GROW HAIR All generic drugs are approved by the FDA, and the FDA as-sures the public that they are equivalent to the original medica-tions. 6. IT DOES NOT PRE-APPROVE OVER-THE-COUNTER HAIR GROWTH DRUGS “There are no agency-approved over the counter drug hair loss prevention drug products" ...companies are warned not to mar-ket such products unless they want to risk fda action. 7. IT PREVENTS DIETARY SUPPLEMENTS FROM CLAIMING TO CURE HAIR LOSS It’s illegal to market a dietary supplement product as a treat-ment or cure for a specified disease or condition, such as hair


J aymes “Thr3efourteen” Ball is the lead producer of Mega Beat Interna-tional, a music production

company located in Canton, Ohio. He was born on March 14, grew up in the Hall of Fame city and actually lived on O’Jays Boulevard. All of these factors are why he is still grinding today. Canton has always been a working class town where hard work, athletic prowess and mu-sical ability has lead people to the world stage, as the O’Jays, Macy

Gray, Levert, Reliant K and Marilyn Manson. Thr3efourteen has the ability to create hip hop, R&B, pop, rock and gospel tracks along with arranging, recording and mixing a record. Thr3efourteen has created his own signa-ture sound that synergizes with the artists vocal abilities. His abilities to produce across several music genres with ease is truly unique and is why one would believe that his tracks were produced by several people. His love for music, sound quality and melodies is why none of his numerous tracks or songs sounds alike, another special quality. His love for music was influenced by and will remind you of music produced by Quincy Jones, Prince, Jam and Lewis, Gamble and Huff or Dr. Dre. Thr3efourteen’s latest works have been producing a cd and score for an exercise dvd “Mo Better Me” by Camela Douglass and the score for “Green Fans the Movie”, a docu-mentary about the Philadelphia Fans love for the Eagles. He produced music for Bio Mega Shampoo company’s national events last fall. Pastor Darlene Wade of Cleveland is work-ing with Thr3efourteen on a praise and worship EP for re-lease. Mega Beat International formed a partnership with “The Office” a songwriting team from Atlanta who are man-aged by Grammy Award winning producer Bryan Michael

Cox. Thr3efourteen has started producing with Vaughn Legend, the brother of Grammy Award winning artist John Legend. Thr3efour-teen was invited to Cali-fornia in February for Grammy Awards week and he established some relationships with song-writers from the east and west coasts. “Who Loves” a single by Sosh B of New York City

and produced by Thr3efourteen was just com-

pleted for national release. Thr3efourteen is presently back in studio in California putting finishing touches on songs he produced for Assel, Russian Idol winner and pop artist be-ing released internationally this summer. Mega Beat International and Thr3efourteen believe in giving back to the community. Thr3efourteen is the musical instructor for CAE (Creative Arts Experience) an after school program for inner city youth in Stark County. Mega Beat International has been using custom made I pod and Dog tag USB’s to market their music to executives and ma-jor labels for four years. This latest technology is still re-ceiving great praise from the industry for ingenuity and con-venience. So join the next generation of marketers and re-place your CDs with USB’s from www.customusb.com. We would like to invite you to check out their website www.megabeatinternational.com for more information on our business, our music and past works. We are looking forward to hearing from you and working on projects with a movement behind it. “The Marketing is in the Music” so hit us up if you are ready to be launched to the next level. Con-tact Chester “C-Dub” Wilson at 330-815-3497 for all music enquiries. ■

Thr3efourteen says the Marketing is in the Music By Chester “ CBy Chester “ CBy Chester “ CBy Chester “ C----Dub” WilsonDub” WilsonDub” WilsonDub” Wilson

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT



(L to R) Eric Benet, Beverly Hill Shelly (Manager) and Robert Alred


R obert Alred, is a singer from Nashville, Ten-nessee. His falsetto voice will carry you

down memory lane in song. His musical forte is old school R&B, but he is not limited to this style. Because of his pas-sion for singing, he ventures into other genres, with interest in gospel, and songs that also appeal to younger listen-ers. In his professional career, he was a member and one of the lead singers for the R&B oldies group, Dynamic Five. The group was quite popular during the early 70’s, performing at the Crystal Blue, the Modern New Era Club, The Jail Night Club, The Red Baron and other night spots. They not only trav-eled throughout Tennessee, but also Ala-bama, Mississippi, Georgia, Indiana, North Carolina, Florida and Louisiana. The group was no stranger to the college circuit. Old Miss, Vanderbilt, Tennessee State University, Lamberth College, Jackson State, Mississippi Valley, and North Carolina A&T are but a few of the

hallowed halls that were exposed to Robert Alred and the Dynamic Five. In 1970 Robert Alred and the Dy-namic Five opened for such groups as the Isley Brothers, the Independents, the Stylistics, Buddy Miles, the Dells and the Ovations. Robert and the Dynamic Five were also the first R&B group to perform at the Opryland Theme Park during its first year open in 1972. The group eventually relocated to the west coast in 1975 where they performed at several venues in that area. In 1979 the single, “Lover’s Lullabye” from their album Love Is The Key, was released by United Artists on the Manhattan label. It was discovered that on an online auc-tion, this rare album was sold for a whopping $3300! In 1989, Robert performed at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion Music Cen-ter in Los Angeles, for its 1st annual Charitable Giving, “A Star Is Born.” He adds this to his credit performances at the Indigo Jazz Club in Los Angeles. He also performed at the Long Beach Carnival and the Annual Long Beach Jazz Festival. Robert Alred, is very mo-

tivated and determined both of which make his performance a memorable one. It also gives him extra drive to continue his musical quest. Throughout their 40 year journey, Robert and the group faced many discouraging musical crashes, finding themselves ‘almost making it, because for some reason they always ended up taking two steps forward, only to take three steps back! In spite of the many doors that closed for him, this 61 year old man still strives to make a mark on the musical commu-nity. Today residing back in Nashville, Tennessee, not only does Robert, sing with two choirs at his church St. John AME, but he also shares the stage with other local artists. This year he will be featuring the newly forming band, En-core Rising, founded by Beverly Hill. Robert’s goal is to work on a project with a major artist and to produce and mentor up and coming talent. He says, “You’re never too old to make your dream a reality!” ■

Contact information for Robert Alred: HITS ON THE HILL, Management, booking and Entertainment Beverly Hill Shelley [email protected] http://www.facebook.com/Lyrical.Lady50

By Beverly Hill ShelleyBy Beverly Hill ShelleyBy Beverly Hill ShelleyBy Beverly Hill Shelley




McDonald’s® 365Black® Awards

July 5, 2011 – New Orleans

ESSENCE MUSIC FESTIVAL

(L to R) Men of McCafé Casting Call winner Lucas Boyce of Orlando, FL, shares the spotlight with New Orleans McDonald’s Owner/Operators Joyce and Louis Colin during the Essence Music Festival Youth Day. ■

Men of McCafé Casting Call winners pose with Ronald McDonald and Men of McCafé Celebrity Ambassador and star of TBS’ Meet the Browns La-mann Rucker on the front porch of the New Orleans Ronald McDonald House. ■

(L to R) Radio One network founder Cathy Hughes, Broad-way and screen actress Ruby Dee, Grammy Award winning gospel recording artist Heze-kiah Walker. ■

MOM Winners & Celeb Ambassadors (L to R) Harold Burnett II of Dover, DE, Phil Solomon of Brunswick, NJ, BET's The Game star Hosea Chanchez, TBS's House of Payne star Lamann Rucker, TBS’s House of Paynes’ Lance Gross, Maurice Lee of Orangeburg, SC, Billy Walker of Southaven, MS and Lucas Boyce of Or-lando. ■ FL.

Co-hosts Tom Joyner and Angela Bassett open the 2011 McDonald’s 365Black Awards ceremony at the start of the Essence Music Festival weekend. ■

(L to R) McDonald’s Men of McCafé Celebrity Ambassa-dors NFL Star Isaac Keys, TBS’s Meet the Browns La-mann Rucker, 2011 McDon-ald’s 365Black Awards recipi-ent Mary J. Blige and TBS’s House of Payne Lance Gross. ■

Rob Jackson, McDonald’s USA, presents a check for $40,000 to Mary J. Blige and Steve Stoute for the Foundation For the Advance-ment of Women Now (FFAWN) during the 2011 365Black Awards ceremony. McDon-ald’s® 365Black Awards recognizes individu-als who make significant contributions to the African American community year round. ■

◄



T ouch One Entertainment is a full-range record label spe-cializing in recording, pro-ducing, writing, engineering

and management. Although not limited in a specific genre, Touch One Entertainment hosts Hip-Hop, Rap and R&B/Soul. Founded by Phillip Turner in 2001, Touch One Entertainment is comprised of several friends from different backgrounds and ex-periences who bring a wide range of talents and ideas to their united table. A native of Canton, OH, It is no surprise that Phillip has a natural love for music. Phillip comes from a musical background, as his father had a group/band back in the day. Phillip has worked with TKL Inc., Maximus Music, Morphiend Music and versatile musical talents such as B. Hannibal, MBakin, Tony Reno, TGZ, Parkway Marc, Ill from Ill Beats, Danny Boi, Alex Richbourg (aka Godson), Robert Andrews (aka Baunchi Zoomadelic), just to name a few. “I would love to work with Timberland, Kanye West, D.J. Quick, Devin Da Dude, NAS, Too Short, Above the Law and Battle Cat,” says Phillip. Phillip has already begun to make his indelible mark in the industry. He has worked on a project called Realist

Wrote, an original promotional hip-hop album turned mix tape released in 2009. Unconvinced that the album was ready for national release, yet un-daunted, Phillip took to the streets in a successful grass-roots effort to get his music heard. Bridging his love for music and his desire to positively influence youth, Phillip also mentors and coaches young people between the ages of 8-16 in life skills in his hometown of Canton, OH. “It’s important to give back. My goals are not only to have a successful entertainment company, but to make an impact in the community and the future of our children.” Bringing quality entertainment is paramount to Touch One Entertainment and it’s all about team work and every-

one bringing their expertise and collaborating their talents and determination for success. With this winning combination, Touch One Entertainment is sure to become one of the preeminent record labels in the industry. As with any growing business, it takes long hours and dedication. The Touch One Entertainment team con-sists of Founder, producer, writer, program-mer, executive producer and recording artist, Phillip Turner (aka Phil-Loc), Joshua Tuck Sr. (aka Jargun) - writer, recording artist and label executive; Stanley L. Brown (aka Money Man Stan) - consultant, management, promotions, negotiations and finances; Rey-nold Williams III (aka Tony Reno) – writer,

recording artist, and producer; Calvin Miles (aka MBakin) - recording artist, writer, videographer and fashion designer; Jermell McCole (aka Melly Mell) – writer, recording artist and videographer; Christian Spilios (aka Nexus) - writer,

producer, technical engineer and computer technician; Jason Torrence (aka Spraydar) – writer and recording artist; Cleveland Dickerson III and Eric Rogers of Morphiend Mu-sic – engineers, recording art-ists, producers, writers, and DJs; Jeffrey Tharp (aka J. Swole) – Public Relations, and Kamon Stokes (aka K-luv) – producer and DJ. Currently in the studio shooting a video for one of the singles from Phil Loc’s solo album entitled Package Deal, which he describes as mostly hip-hop with a touch of R&B. His label mates are also fea-tured on the album, which is scheduled for release in the summer of 2011. ■

Contact Information: http://www.touch1entertainment.com http://www.facebook.com/Phil.Loc http://www.reverbnation.com/philocandtouch1ent [email protected] Bookings Contact: Money Man Stan Promotions 866-238-1543

PHIL-LOC IS GIVING IT BACK TOUCH ONE ENTERTAINMENT TOUCH ONE ENTERTAINMENT TOUCH ONE ENTERTAINMENT TOUCH ONE ENTERTAINMENT

PHILLIP TURNERPHILLIP TURNERPHILLIP TURNERPHILLIP TURNER CEO/FOUNDERCEO/FOUNDERCEO/FOUNDERCEO/FOUNDER


BY MECHELLE BOWSERBY MECHELLE BOWSERBY MECHELLE BOWSERBY MECHELLE BOWSER

Your Latest Celebrity News

Flo Rida, Are You My Baby’s Daddy?? Earlier this year a young lady gave birth to a son, and she is

claiming Flo Rida to be the baby's father. Flo Rida agreed to take the paternity test, but reports are saying that Flo Rida would do it as an alias, to protect his identity. My thing is if you are the childs father, why

hide. The test was taken, but by whom they do not know. So, at this point the young lady who gave birth and her lawyer do not know if Flo Rida took the paternity test OR if someone else took the test for him.

The young lady and her lawyer have no physical proof that he took the test himself. At this point the lady who gave birth is going to court order Flo Rida to take a paternity test using his real identity. We will have to wait and see…

Amy Winehouse Dead at 27 We felt like we knew singer Amy Winehouse who died in London on Saturday at the age of 27. She became a news topic when her marriage started falling apart, her drug addic-

tion, and alcoholism. Amy was back and forth on stage as well as back and forth in rehab. Amy Winehouse had a soulful jazz voice, that many people enjoyed. Her self destructive habits hurt her career in recent years. A tal-ented artist gone too soon. I hope Amy is at peace... Our sincere sympa-thy. Mechelle and T2T Magazine

Ivanka Trump Has Baby Girl Real estate mogul Donald Trump welcomes a new grand-

daughter to the family. Ivanka Trump and her hubby , Jared had a baby girl over the weekend in New York city. The baby girls name - Arabella Rose. This is the couples first child since the 2009 mar-raige. Congratulations to Ivanka and Ja-red!

New Record Deal for Ruben Studdard Ruben Studdard has signed a new record deal with Shananchie Entertainment for the release of his 2011 new album release. i am glad that he has another chance for the people to hear his music, Ruben Studdard has a beautiful voice, and deserves more credit than what he gets. Ruben stated, "This will be the first time that one producer and one writer will be work-ing on my entire album to create one sound."

Jenny Back On Tha Block Reports are stating that Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony have decided to go their separate ways after 7 years of mar-riage. Jennifer stated that this is a difficult time for the fam-ily, but her and Marc have split on amicable terms. The cou-ple has 3 year old twins Max and Emme, not sure who will have custody of the twins. Jennifer stated , "as soon as I had

the babies, I thought to myself, 'I want to do this a thousand

more times...I love this. This is life." Despite Friday’s an-nouncement that Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony had de-cided to end their seven-year marriage, the couple’s upcoming reality talent show, “Q’Viva! The Chosen,” is still a go. The two have committed to finish the reality television series. Jen-nifer also stated ,"My kids make Marc and I stronger than we

have ever been. But there have been tough times where I did

not know what the end looked like. Having kids made us both

see that there's a bigger picture. Yes, we still fight - but at the

end of the day we know we have these amazing children who

need us. So we promised not to go to bed angry." Good luck to Jennifer and Marc on their new endeavors.

R&B Singer Ameriie Weds CongratulationThe R&B sensation Ameriie just recently got married to her fiancee' Lenny Nicholson last month. Ameriie and Lenny Nicholson, which is a Columbia Records executive/music pro-ducer dated for almost 8 years before get-ting married.



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Trendsetters to Trendsetters Magazine July August 2011

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