“Potion” is not a word we often hear, but there are two beautiful show business ladies who must have somehow found a “youth potion.” I am, of course, kidding about the potion, but it is amazing how young Academy Award-winning actress Halle Berry and native Detroiter and “Access Hollywood” co-host Shaun Robinson look.
I know the Temptations sang that “beauty’s only skin deep,” but never mind what they said. These two ladies are gorgeous, and look about 15 younger than they actually are.
Shaun Robinson, believe it or not, turns 50 next month! I know that a lot of people, especially women, do not want their age spotlighted, but in cases like these, it is something to be proud of. She should write a “how to” book!
Robinson, who used to work for WGPR/Channel 62, is a graduate of Cass Technical High School, as were such notables as icon Diana Ross, comedian/actor David Alan Grier, Four Tops member Renaldo “Obie” Benson), comedienne/actress Lily Tomlin, and beauty contest queens Kenya Moore and Carole Gist.
We have enjoyed Halle Berry’s work in movies and on television since the late 1980s. Her movies include “Gothika,” “Boomerang,” “Swordfish,” “Losing Isaiah,” “Monster’s Ball” and “Why Do Fools Fall in Love?” (A lot of Black people disapproved of her role in “Monster’s Ball,” for which she won the Best Actress Oscar, but that’s another story.)
Berry has been mostly unlucky in love (again, another story!), but she has been blessed in the physical beauty department, and in talent. She will be 46 in August!
Age, clearly, is not what it used to be (and never should have been).
R. KELLY, according to Internal Revenue Service records, owes nearly $5 million in unpaid taxes! There is no excuse for that kind of negligence. To make matters worse, his home in suburban Chicago (a mansion) is in foreclosure.
One of R. Kelly’s biggest hits is “Steppin’ in the Name of Love.” Maybe his next one should be titled “Steppin’ in the Name of the IRS.” One would think that at the age of 45, Kelly would be smarter than that.
Will.i.am, mastermind behind the creative, techno savvy genius of the Black Eyed Peas, has a solo album coming out soon. He’s says it’s going to be hot and, of course, creatively different.
We could have done without the unkind joke/comment made by comedian/actor D.L. Hughley on “Live With Kelly” (Kelly Ripa’s TV show) last week. Like so many others, I get tired of Detroit being disrespected. It has gotten to the point where it could be described as bullying.
True, the city has problems — many of them major — but the same can be said of other cities, particularly those with large minority populations, and it would take a highly skilled sociologist to explain the whys and wherefores of that.
By the way, in case you were wondering what “D.L.” stands for, it is “Darryl Lynn.”
Disappointment: Jet magazine, an institution in the African-American community, deciding that it is okay to print the word “sh–.” Founder John H. Johnson would have vetoed that ill-conceived decision in a heartbeat. I know times change, but we can’t allow “street” to overshadow “class.” Our history is too delicate for it to be otherwise.
STRANGE BUT TRUE: Later this summer, boxing legend Mike Tyson, who has been a lightening rod for controversy for a long time, will star for six nights on Broadway (yes, Broadway!) in a show called “Mike Tyson: Undisputed Truth,” directed by none other than Spike Lee.
Since to our knowledge Tyson doesn’t sing, dance or play an instrument, what is he going to do for two hours? Just talk? Sounds boring, but maybe Lee can make it work.
Brandy has a new album coming out in August, one that she says reflects her growth as a human being and as a woman. Good for her, and she is to be respected. But I feel that Brandy is a rather weak singer. For example, on her megahit with Monica, “The Boy Is Mine,” it was clear that Monica was the better singer.
Generally speaking, the worst part of a concert is the long wait between acts, sometimes an hour. Well, Jill Scott knew how to handle that situation at her recent show at the Fox Theatre. During the long break, D.J. Jazzy Jeff played music that, as one concert-goer put it, “had the audience dancing in the aisles.” She added, “That was a great way to pass that boring, awkward time.”
No surprise that Bobbi Kristina, daughter of Bobby Brown and Whitney Houston, chose to not attend his recent wedding to Alicia Etheredge, his manager. According to reports, their relationship is strained, if not toxic. Hopefully everything will come together for them eventually.
Speaking of marriages, if Kim Kardashian and Kanye West do indeed get married, a lot of people will remember David Letterman’s joke: “They wedding will be in June and the divorce in July.”
The age of 43 seems early for “midlife crisis,” but that just may be the case for the formerly classy Brian McKnight. First the crude, explicit sex song, then he picked a fight with the very easily provoked Chris Brown. Now, if he starts wearing his pants saggin’, we will know for sure that it is midlife crisis!
Macy Gray, the lady with the strange voice (kind of reminds you of Donald Duck!), says her next album consist of her versions of great rock songs.
BETCHA DIDN’T KNOW…that one of the reasons superstar Luther Vandross (his skills are still unequaled) decided to embark on a career as a solo artist is that Roberta Flack told him bluntly, and with love, “You are too good to just be singing background for other people.”
MEMORIES: “For the Love of Money” (the O’Jays), “Livin’ in the Life” (the Isley Brothers), “Reasons” (Earth Wind & Fire), “Let’s Go Dancin’ (Ooh La La La)” (Kool & the Gang), “You Got the Love” (Rufus featuring Chaka Khan), “Bennie and the Jets” (Elton John), “He Made a Woman Out of Me” (Betty LaVette), “Mr. Melody” (Natalie Cole), “Dedicated to the One I Love” (the Shirelles).
BLESSINGS to Aaron Daniels Jr., better known as Al (congratulations on your milestone birthday!), Greg Hendricks, Eric Hunter, Ernest Maddox, Barbara Maddox, Harvey Thompson, Duane Davis and Theresa Robinson-Stanley.
WORDS OF THE WEEK, from Alan Cohen: “Your idea of how good it can get is just your idea. There’s more.”
Let the music play!
(Steve Holsey can be reached at Svh517@aol.com and PO Box 02843, Detroit, Mi 48202.)
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