The other day I was thinking about the large number of Black television newscasters, reporters and sportscasters who have come and gone over the years.
The whereabouts of some we are aware of, some we’ve lost connection with and a few, sadly, are no longer with us.
See how many of these names at least ring a bell: Ben Frazier, Kathy Adams, Linda Wright-Avery, Jerry Blocker, Frank Turner, Mattie Majors, Charlie Neal, Beverly Payne, Emery King, Fred Hickman, Kai Maxwell, Otis Buchanan, Jay Berry, Bob Bennett, Amyre Makupson, Doris Bisco, Gerald Harrington, Woody Willis, Dayna Eubanks, Fanchon Stinger and Charles Pugh.
And that’s just some of them.
ONE PERSON I am really proud of is Daphne Andrews Williams. The former Detroiter, now a New Yorker, started her own dance company several years ago and this year the company, Daphne’s Divine Dance, won first prize in the 2011 McDonald’s GospelFest in the Praise Dance category. They were presented a trophy, medals and a cash prize.
The dancers are young and Williams refers to them as “my babies.” You can see the winning performance on YouTube by entering “Daphne’s Divine Dance Gospel Fest 2011.”
Daphne was one of the most creative and original dancers on “The Scene” in the early days of the Detroit dance show. Like so many viewers, I loved watching her. And she can still “get down” on the dance floor. Visit YouTube.com and type in “Daphne Andrews The Scene Reunion” to see what I mean.
KELLY ROWLAND says she is tired of people expecting, even hoping, that she will say something negative about close friend since childhood and former Destiny’s Child singing partner Beyoncé Knowles, but that’s not going to happen.
“They want me to say I can’t stand Beyoncé, but that’s not the case,” said Rowland whose album, “Here I Am,” is doing very well. “It’s real love. We support each other and that’s the way it should be. You hear too many stories about women bickering.”
I was leaving the Main Post Office the other day and ran into the Electrifyin’ Mojo, who will go down in history as Detroit’s most distinctive radio personality. These days he says he is traveling and, in fact, had just returned from Colorado.
Marvin Gaye’s duets with Tammi Terrell receive a lot of attention, and they should because they are good records. However, sometimes the Kim Weston duets (“It Takes Two,” “What Good Am I Without You?) are not focused on enough, especially the latter, and that is even more the case with the MaryWells duets (“Once Upon a Time,” “What’s the Matter With You Baby?”).
BORIS KODJOE sure has been outspoken lately. Last week we told you about his comments on the self-centeredness of so many people in Los Angeles, claiming the city is “cancerous for relationships.”
Now the actor is zeroing in on too many Black women being overweight, based on what he’s seen and what’s been reported by the U.S. Department For Minority Health. The figure is said to be in excess of 70 percent.
“We as a community have to be more conscious of our health,” he said. “The numbers are shocking. It’s not about conforming to the ridiculous ‘skinny’ beauty standards. It’s about being healthy so your kids can be healthy. No more excuses!”
That’s fine, and there are indeed too many overweight and obese people, especially females, in the Black community.
But a respected doctor at Henry Ford Hospital told me that the U.S. Department For Minority Health percentage is too high because the people who compile the information are not taking into consideration the fact that Black women are built differently, just as Asian women tend to be smaller. Thus, such percentages cannot be accurate.
Joe Jackson, patriarch of the Jackson family, has done a number of questionable or flat-out wrong things in his lifetime. But one of the worst was talking about his new record company during an interview about his son, Michael, who had just passed.
BETCHA DIDN’T KNOW…that enigmatic rock legend David Bowie and Black supermodel Iman have been married for 19 years — a good sign they are in it for the long haul.
MEMORIES: “Getaway” (Earth, Wind & Fire), “My Love” (Margie Joseph), “The Girl’s Alright With Me” (the Temptations), “I Wanna Be Your Lover” (Prince), “Encore” (Cheryl Lynn), “Cherish” (Kool & the Gang), “Miss You Like Crazy” (Natalie Cole), “Bye Bye Bye” (’N Sync), “Baby I’m For Real” (the Originals).
BLESSINGS to Eddie Allen, Ken Bell, Larry Buford, Monica Morgan, Kelvyn Ventour, James Campbell, Van Cephus, Theresa Y. Hill, Kevin Keegan, Montez Miller and L.J. Reynolds.
WORDS OF THE WEEK, from Mitch Ryder: “When you make mistakes, try to do better next time. But no matter what happens, keep going.”
Let the music play!
(Steve Holsey may be reached at Svh517@aol.com and PO Box 02843, Detroit, MI 48202.)
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