The WDAS Holiday Jam is back and it’s happening at the newly restored Met Philly at Broad and Poplar. The WDAS Holiday Jam, Starring Uncle Charlie himself, Charlie Wilson and Stokley of Mint Condition, is happening Saturday, December 22nd. Tickets and information can be found on the wdasfm.com homepage.
Disney’s The Lion King is back. In 1994, Disney released the animated version and it took in nearly a billion dollars worldwide. Now comes a reboot but Disney is calling it a live action/animation/reality movie. I’ve got the trailer on my Patty TV page on wdasfm.com. Have a look because it’s great. James Earl Jones leads the cast by reprising his role as Mufasa, and he’s joined by Donald Glover, Beyonce Knowles-Carter, Alfre Woodard, Keegan-Michael Key, Eric Andre, Seth Rogan and Chiwetel Ejiofor (12 Years A Slave; Inside Man; Amistad) as Scar. The Lion King opens in theaters July 19th, 2019.
Although his new movie Robin Hood isn’t doing well in theaters, Jamie Foxx may still have some good news, as in Katie Holmes and wedding bells. Yes reports are flying fast and furious that after years of keeping their relationship top secret, wedding bells are in the future for the lovebirds… and soon. It’s a complicated relationship as Katie’s ex is Tom Cruise. Cruise and Foxx were co-stars in the box office blockbuster Collateral in 2004. At some point, Cruise and Holmes divorced, and sometime after that, Foxx and Holmes got together. All parties have been mum on the subject. Except for some pictures at an industry function and Holmes and Foxx walking on the beach holding hands, no one has said anything. We’re all on standby. Will Tom Cruise be invited to the wedding?!!!
Speaking of weddings, congrats to Singer Miguel and Model/Artist/Actress Nazanin Mandi. The two longtime loves jumped the broom over the Thanksgiving weekend in front of 260 guests in Santa Susana, California. After thirteen years together, Mandi called it One Hell Of A Ride. The Adorn singer took to social media and wrote So Much Love And Gratitude For Everyone That Made Our Special Day Truly Unforgettable. The couple’s wedding photos are appearing in Vogue magazine.
The Soul Train miniseries, American Soul, is headed to BET in February. I caught a preview and there’s some knockin' the boots on the big train. BET, in the tradition of the New Edition and Bobby Brown miniseries, holds nothing back. The cutthroat competition in Hollywood along with the triumphs and struggles of the host (the late Don Cornelius), crew, dancers and the legendary musicians and singers all come together in this 10-episode series. The cast includes Kelly Rowland as Gladys Knight, Kelly Price, Iantha Richardson, Christopher Jefferson, Katlyn Nichol, Jelani Winston and Sinqua Walls as Don Cornelius. Cornelius’ son Tony is one of the miniseries’ executive producers. American Soul premieres Tuesday, February 5th at 9pm on BET.
They’ve been on a great roll, but there’s trouble for the winning team of Salim and Mara Brock Akil. The writing/producing/directing husband and wife team have put on TV’s biggest hits like Girlfriends and The Game, gave us the movie Jumping The Broom and the current Love Is on OWN and Black Lightning on The CW. They also have a deal with Warner Brothers as well. Now a woman named Amber Dixon Brenner has filed a suit against Salim Akil. Brenner alleges she and Salim has a long time affair despite his marriage to Mara. Brenner also says Salim was physically and sexually abusive in their relationship. Her suit states the reason she stayed and took such abuse is why she’s in therapy today. The suit also contends that Salim took several of her ideas including what’s now become the OWN series Love Is. The lawsuit was filed in California last week and at press time no response from the Akil camp yet.
Taraji P. Henson is on the cover of InStyle magazine celebrating her latest film What Men Want. Henson’s InStyle photo spread shows her as the business executive, the white collar worker and even has a Mary Tyler Moore salute. Her new movie, What Men Want, is a reboot of the 2000 Mel Gibson box office smash What Women Want. Gibson played a man who accidentally acquires the ability to read women’s minds and learns the power is not all it’s cracked up to be. For the reboot, Henson has Gibson’s role. She plays a woman constantly battling sexism in the business world when she suddenly can read men’s minds. What Men Want, co-starring Shaquille O’Neal, Tracy Morgan, Max Greenfield (CBS’ The Neighborhood) and Richard Roundtree, opens in theaters February 8th.
Filmmaker Ava DuVernay has signed a $100 million deal with Warner Brothers. DuVernay, who balances projects on film and TV at the same time, signed a multi-platform deal with the legacy studio. Warners is into everything from film, to publishing, to cable and news reporting, just to name a few assets. DuVernay, who became the first African American woman to direct a movie that grossed over $100 million at the box office with A Wrinkle In Time, is on a roll as executive producer of Queen Sugar on OWN and The Red Line coming in 2019 to CBS.
Ciara is hosting the Los Angeles portion of the 47th annual Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve 2018 with a performance from Ella Mai. Ryan Seacrest and Jenny McCarthy will be live from Times Square airing December 31st on ABC.
Toni Braxton lost her ring?!!! What?! Braxton says she lost her engagement ring while flying commercial with designer luggage. Remember, Braxton is now engaged to Rap Entrepreneur Birdman. Anywho, Braxton had the ring in a Louis Vuitton bag. She got the bag back but no ring. Sounds like the authorities will have quite a lot to sort through. Meanwhile, Braxton visited her friend Jada Pinkett Smith on her Red Table Talk podcast. Smith was a bridesmaid at Braxton’s wedding to her ex Keri Lewis of Mint Condition. So what broke up Braxton and Lewis’ 12 year marriage after two kids? Money. Braxton stopped touring because of her lupus and that made a big time impact on the household. Braxton says she even paid Lewis alimony. Braxton’s moving forward with the Birdman so have no fear.
It’s a bittersweet time for Oprah Winfrey. She lost her mom on Thanksgiving. Funeral services were held that weekend for Vernita Lee. Winfrey had a difficult relationship with her mother, including the revelation of an adopted half sister, Winfrey running away from home, giving birth to a baby at 14 and childhood abuse by other relatives. The baby Winfrey had died soon after birth. As a successful adult, Winfrey and her mother were able to reconcile and put the pieces back together for a constructive mother-daughter relationship. Winfrey paid tribute to her mom on social media that at age 83, she lived a good life.
Meanwhile, Oprah will be among a galaxy of starts paying tribute to her mentor Quincy Jones. Will Smith, Dave Chapelle, Stevie Wonder, John Legend, Gladys Knight, Fantasia, LL Cool J, Usher, Charlie Wilson and, Quincy Jones daughter, Actress/Director Rashida Jones, just to name a few, will all pay tribute in Q85: A Musical Celebration For Quincy Jones on BET Sunday, December 9th at 8pm.
A documentary on Sandra Bland is coming to HBO. Bland was the motorist who was stopped and arrested for a traffic violation in a small Texas town. The three days she was in custody ended with her being found hung in her jail cell. Her mother, investigators, civil rights activists and Bland’s other family and friends are interviewed in the documentary that seeks show the activist life that Bland herself led and to keep her name and the questionable circumstances of her death at the forefront of American conversation. Say Her Name: The Life And Death Of Sandra Bland will air on HBO beginning Monday, December 3rd at 10pm.
Our Forever First Lady will be on BET Wednesday, December 5th at 9pm in A Thousand Words With Michelle Obama. Mrs. Obama is also on the cover of Essence’s December/January issue, Ebony’s December/January Power 100 issue, and her Becoming is the hottest title in the book world.
Oprah At Home With Gabrielle Union, Dwyane Wade And Their New Baby (Kaavia James Union Wade) will air Saturday, December 8th at 8pm on OWN.
Check out who’s coming to town:
This Friday – Michael McDonald in concert at the Parx Casino in Bensalem. For Tickets and information log onto parxcasino.com/xcitecenter
Tuesday, December 4th – A Legendary Christmas starring John Legend at The Met Philly, Broad and Poplar. Log onto themetphilly.com/events for tickets and information.
Saturday, December 1st – Jeffrey Osborne at the SugarHouse Casino, 1001 North Delaware Avenue. Log onto sugarhouseentertainment.com for tickets and information.
Saturday, December 8th – Maxwell at the Tower Theater on 69th Street in Upper Darby. Log onto ticketmaster.com for tickets and information.
Saturday, December 22nd – The WDAS Holiday Jam starring Charlie Wilson and Stokley at The Met Philly, Broad and Poplar. Log onto the wdasfm.com homepage for tickets and information.
Friday, December 28th - The Irresponsible Tour starring Kevin Hart at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Atlantic City. Log onto hardrockhotelatlanticcity.com/event for ticket information.
Monday, December 31st – The O’Jays & The Commodores at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Atlantic City. Log onto hardrockhotelatlanticcity.com/event for ticket information.
Friday, February 8th – Herbie Hancock in concert at the Parx Casino in Bensalem. For Tickets and information log onto parxcasino.com/xcitecenter
Saturday, February 16th – Boyz II Men celebrating the 25th Anniversary of the album II at The Met Philly, Broad and Poplar. Log onto themetphilly.com/events for tickets and information.
Saturday, February 16th – Erykah Badu in concert at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City. For tickets and information log onto ticketmaster.com
Sunday, February 17th – Gladys Knight in concert at the Parx Casino in Bensalem. For tickets and information log onto parxcasino.com/xcitecenter
Saturday, March 16th – Comedian JB Smoove at the Parx Casino in Bensalem. For tickets and information log onto parxcasino.com/xcitecenter.
Saturday, March 30th – Mariah Carey in concert at The Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Atlantic City. Log onto ticketmaster.com for tickets and information.
If you would like more info please email me at PattyJackson@iHeartMedia.com or check me out with my midday reports at 10:30am, 12:30pm and 2:30pm during the day.