People in show business do and say a lot of odd things — all of us do, but I think they do it more — plus their actions and words are magnified because they are in the public eye. But even so, sometimes we forget what was said or done, or it gets pushed to the back of our minds.
Remember when Stevie Wonder said he was giving serious consideration to running for mayor of Detroit, against Coleman Young?
…when Martin Lawrence ran out into traffic on foot in Sherman Oaks, California, with a gun in his pocket, yelling and cursing at drivers?
…when popular and pretty Channel 7 Action News actor Carolyn Clifford had a physical altercation with then-weather reporter Monica Jackson? Granted, viewers didn’t see the punchfest, but reports were widespread.
…when Gil Hill, caught up in the excitement of “Beverly Hills Cop,” said he was pondering quitting the Detroit Police Department to pursue an acting career?
…when a late-night TV host suggested getting in the ring with professional boxer Laila Ali? She said, “You don’t want to do that.” (This one isn’t really strange, just funny.)
…when Aretha Franklin made it known that she was planning an “old-fashioned Easter parade” down West Grand Boulevard?
…when La Toya Jackson said her husband at the time, Jack Gordon, beat her up and left her “in a pool of blood”?
…when Luther Vandross had a falling out with En Vogue when they were touring together? The same thing happened when he toured with Anita Baker.
…when fire-tempered Chris Brown threw a chair through a window because he didn’t like one of the questions a “Good Morning America” reporter had just asked him on the air?
…when Eric Benét went into rehab for “sex addiction”?
…when Kanye West, the king of arrogant, stupid statements, said, “There is nothing more to be said about music. I’m the end-all, be-all of music.”
LL COOL J, whose transformation from rap star to actor and perfect TV host is amazing, will receive a star on the legendary Hollywood Walk of Fame next year. So will Kevin Hart and Tracy Morgan. Smokey Robinson has two stars, one for him as a solo act and one with the Miracles.
Janet Jackson has a winner with “No Sleep,” the first single from her upcoming “Unbreakable” album. This is probably her sexiest song since “Someday is Tonight.” She wrote it in collaboration with Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis who also produced the much-anticipated album.
Hmmm…wonder how Jackson’s Muslim husband, Wissam Al Mana, feels about the sexy song.
ERICA CAMPBELL, of the contemporary gospel duo Mary Mary and now working as a solo artist, sure has been outspoken lately, including on matters of the flesh.
“The world we live in today talks a lot about intercourse, but not enough about interconnection or intimacy which is what God designed,” she said.
“Growing up in church you hear a lot of ‘Don’t talk about it,’ ‘Don’t think about it.’ But if you understand the power of your sexuality and the beauty of it, and how God created you to be, you’re armed with information that will allow you to have a healthy relationship.”
Vivica A. Fox degraded herself by arguing with Kenya Moore on “Celebrity Apprentice.” It was so — there’s only one world for it, “ghetto.” Labeling it “ghetto fabulous,” which she did, doesn’t change the reality of the situation.
Cee Lo Green, whose “Fool for You” is one of my all-time favorite songs, has an album coming before year’s end titled “Heart Blanche.” It is, of course, a play on carte blanche.
Jay-Z’s new Tidal music streaming service is not doing nearly as well as expected, largely due to competition from heavy hitters Spotify and Apple Music.
Darlene Love, whose intriguing and varied music/recording career dates back to the early 1960s, will please fans by having a new album, set for fall release, ironically titled “Introducing Darlene Love.”
MEMORIES: “I’ve Got to Use My Imagination” (Gladys Knight & the Pips), “Sherry” (the Four Seasons), “Nothing But Heartaches” (the Supremes), “Lost in Love” (New Edition), “(If You Let Me Make Love to You Then) Why Can’t I Touch You?” (Ronnie Dyson), “On Broadway” (Drifters), “Honey Chile” (Martha Reeves & the Vandellas), “I Want Your Love” (Chic), “Dreamin’” (Vanessa Williams), “I Got a Thing, You Got a Thing, Everybody’s Got a Thing” (Funkadelic).
WORDS OF THE WEEK, from Booker T. Washington: “Character makes the man or woman, not circumstances.”
Let the music play!
Steve Holsey can be reached at Svh517@aol.com and PO Box 02843, Detroit, MI 48202.
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