One of the main indicators of a good actor or actress is believability. That’s why the greats, such as Denzel Washington and Meryl Streep, hit a home run every time. They are totally convincing in every role, no matter how different one role is from another.
Taraji P. Henson, who has many acting credits under her belt, is well on her way to becoming one of the heavyweights. She won an Oscar nomination for her work with Brad Pitt in “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.” And more recently she turned in another particularly strong performance in Tyler Perry’s “I Can Do Bad All By Myself.”
Keep on eye on Henson.
And by the way, she is currently in “The Karate Kid” and has four movies coming in the near future.
COUNT ME in among those who are more than fed up with Mel Gibson. He is certainly an impressive actor, but this ignorant, racist behavior has gone way too far.
It was disgusting enough when he publicly ranted against Jewish people. But then he criticized the way his girlfriend was dressed, going way over the top with, “You look like a f—king pig in heat. If you get raped by a pack of niggers, it will be your fault.”
How racist can you get! The Los Angeles branch of the NAACP was right to say, “An apology is insufficient given his history racism, sexism and anti-Semitism. No amount of words will change his image as…an out of control racist.”
Yet, Whoopi Goldberg, although condemning the remarks and calling Gibson a “bonehead” for making them, said, “I have had a long friendship with Mel. I know he’s not a racist.”
Oh, really? Is there another word for it?
One more thing: I hate it when drinking is blamed for racist remarks. If anything, the alcohol just helps bring out the truth.
NE-YO (real name: Shaffer Smith) and his booking agent, Mike Esterman, are being sued by a promoter in Belleview, Maryland, for not showing up at a concert. Furthermore, the promoter, Kenyohn Clark, says the agent has refused to return the $95,000 deposit.
Fans of Ciara are looking forward to Aug. 24 because that is when her new album, “Basic Instinct,” will be released. This will be her fourth release.
Sometimes people get to the point where they want to keep it completely real. Tom Jones, for example, who recently turned 70, as hard as that is to believe. The powerful singer decided to stop dyeing his hair. The new look takes getting used to. Jones’ new album, “Praise & Blame,” due July 26, is a return to his gospel and blues roots.
Back in the day, Jones had a hot affair with Mary Wilson of the Supremes.
John Legend and sometimes naughty talk show host Wendy Williams are good friends — so good, in fact, that she says she can tell him virtually anything, just like she would a girlfriend.
“SISTER ACT” was a major box office success and the sequel also did well. Now it is on its way to the Broadway stage (2011), titled “Sister Act: A Divine Musical Comedy.” In the films, Whoopi Goldberg was lounge singer Delores van Cartier. In the stage version, she will be Mother Superior.
Leave it to Time Life. The venerable company has made available a nine-CD set titled “The Best of Soul Train.” The iconic show ran from 1971 and 2006, and its importance could never be overstated. It is, in fact, the longest-running syndicated music show of all time.
Prince once famously battled the record companies. Now his beef is with the Internet.
“I don’t see why I should give my new music to iTunes or anyone else,” he said. “They won’t pay me in advance for it and then they get angry when they can’t get it.”
In fact, he went so far as to say he “hates the Internet.”
BETCHA DIDN’T KNOW…that the “Soul Train line,” now a staple in the African-American community, was not created specifically for the show. It had long been done at parties in Chicago. Don Cornelius just decided to add it to his new TV show.
MEMORIES: “We’re in This Love Together” (Al Jarreau), “Street Life” (the Crusaders featuring Randy Crawford), “Solid” (Ashford & Simpson), “The ‘In’ Crowd” (Dobie Gray), “Mama (He Treats Your Daughter Mean)” (Ruth Brown), “Can You Rock It Like This?” (Run-D.M.C.), “For the Love of Money” (the O’Jays), “What a Fool Believes” (the Doobie Brothers), “Push It” (Salt-N-Pepa), “Low Rider” (War)
BLESSINGS to Linda Burgess, David Humphries, Hansen Clarke, Ray Henderson, Sylvia Wright, Kenya Howard, Lance Bobo, Vickie Winans, Delores Wyatt, Keith Owens, Derek Thornton, Mary Evans and Chuck Bennett.
WORDS OF THE WEEK: “Do not repeat anything you would not sign your name to.”
Let the music play!
(Steve Holsey can be reached at Svh517@aol.com and PO Box 02843, Detroit, MI 48202.)
