Let’s keep Kurtis Blow in our prayers because he underwent another heart surgery. Russell Simmons took to social media to wish his friend well and revealed Blow had to have a second emergency open heart surgery. Blow had his first heart attack in 2016. Just last week, the 59-year old Hip Hop Pioneer had surgery after he developed a hematoma during his speaking engagement in China. Blow came through this second surgery, but is being watched closely.
R Kelly back in court and the fans are out, including the ones over 40!!! Yes fans young and ….mature…are showing up when the singer does outside of the courthouse to cheer him on. Meanwhile, Kelly did get a default judgment against him reversed and now the civil suit can continue. The 52-year old automatically had a judgment against him in a sexual abuse civil suit because he didn’t respond. When his lawyers told the court he didn’t respond because the singer/songwriter is illiterate, the judgment was vacated and now the suit can continue. The suit comes from one of the four alleged victims Kelly is criminally charged with sexually abusing. This woman alleges the abuse happened when she was 16-years old. Meanwhile, Kelly also put up $62,000 in back child support to ex-wife Andrea Kelly, and now he’s caught up. Kelly has pled not guilty to all charges in the criminal sexual abuse case involving three women and an underage girl.
Has Usher settled that $20 million dollar herpes lawsuit? Laura Helm sued the Confessions singer for $10 million alleging he exposed her to the herpes virus when they had unprotected sex. Helm later increased it to $20 million. Now, she and her lawyers have filed papers to dismiss with prejudice, a.k.a. permanently, her suit against the 40-year old singer. Published reports say the court papers note she and Usher came to a mutual agreement. At press time, the two parties haven’t commented. Usher still faces three other accusers in a separate lawsuit filed by Quantasia Sharpton, who alleges Usher exposed her to the risk of herpes though she doesn’t have the STD. Sharpton was joined in her suit by two other accusers listed as John and Jane Doe.
Common reveals he was molested as a child. Let Love Have The Last Word is the rapper/actor’s new memoir and among other events of his life, he reveals on family trip a relative, who he only identifies as Brandon, violated him. Common says he shared this and more to encourage people to not be afraid to talk about it, to seek healing and to stop the cycle of abuse. The Oscar winner was working on the movie The Tale with Actress Laura Dern, whom he was once reportedly romantically linked to, when the repressed memory came to light. Dern and Common talked about it, and she helped him begin his journey of healing.
Will Wendy Williams have to pay alimony? Williams filed divorce papers and served them to Kevin Hunter on the set of The Wendy Williams Show. Then Hunter was removed from the show. Now Hunter filed his response papers and guess what? He wants to get paid. Remember Hunter has acted as Williams’ manager and producer all this time. Reports are flying that he’s asking The Queen Of All Media for spousal support, child support and college tuition for Kevin, Jr. Junior is 18 and getting ready to go off to college.
Tell The Queen that Archie is here! Am I talking about Archie Bunker and All In The Family? No. Am I talking about Archie Comics with Jughead and Veronica? No. Am I talking about Archie Bell & The Drells doing The Soul City Walk or the Tighten Up? No, I’m talking about Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s brand new baby boy. This week, The Royals welcomed their first son Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor. Despite his being seventh in line to the throne, his parents didn’t give him a title. Archie, later in life, will have the title of Prince. The official picture of Prince Phillip, Prince Harry, Meghan Markle, Meghan’s mom Doria Ragland and 93-year old Queen Elizabeth welcoming Archie to the family has gone super viral.
Tyra Banks is on the cover of Sports Illustrated and proved Tiger Woods isn’t the only one who can stage a comeback. Woods was awarded the Presidential Medal Of Freedom in The White House Garden this week following his Master’s win last month. Woods first won the Master in 1997, but 22 years ago was also when Actress/Producer/Talk Show Host/Supermodel Tyra Banks last appeared on the cover of a Sports Illustrated Swimsuit edition (1997). Just like Tiger, Tyra made a super comeback that’s got everybody talking. The 45-year old’s new S.I. cover is one of three covers S.I. put out. 29-year old Soccer Pro Alex Morgan and 27 year old Supermodel Camille Kostek have the other two.
Meanwhile, there’s a sister’s hat trick for Miss America, Miss Teen USA and Miss USA as all three ladies are black women. Miss Teen USA Kaliegh Garris already made headlines by shrugging off the critics and wearing her natural hair in her competition and winning. She now joins Miss America 2019 Nia Franklin and 2019 Miss USA Cheslie Kryst, and the three crowned sisters are now doing some appearances together. Congrats ladies.
A super shake up at CBS News, and Gayle King and Norah O’Donnell make out quite well. First, Gayle got a reported new $11 million deal and will stay with The CBS Morning News with new Co-anchors Anthony Mason and Tony Dokoupil. Current Co-anchor John Dickerson is off to 60 Minutes and current Co-Anchor Norah O’Donnell will replace Jeff Glor on the CBS Evening News. Not only will she replace Glor this summer, but the show will move from New York to Washington, DC. Glor’s ratings were a struggle for the network. With all the allegations of sexism at the network along with those high profiles exits, these are bold changes at CBS. We’ll see what the ratings say. Congrats Gayle and Norah!
Down Under Cover teams up Tiffany Haddish and Chris Hemsworth (Thor from the Avengers). They’re detectives looking for a band of Australian male strippers who are actually a high functioning ring of thieves. Down Under Cover is currently in production. But first up, Haddish plays one of several Hell’s Kitchen wives who keep up the rackets of their husbands after the men are sent to prison in the drama The Kitchen. Co-starring Melissa McCarthy, Elizabeth Moss and Common, The Kitchen opens Friday, August 9th in theaters.
In the 16th Century, the first African Samurai to swing a sword in Japan was Yasuke and Black Panther’s Chadwick Boseman will play him on the big screen in Yasuke. The journey of the first black man to in Japan who arrived as a slave before serving as a samurai under Japanese warlord Oda Nobunaga is set to begin filming. Meanwhile, Boseman is riding high in the latest Marvel/Disney film Avengers: Endgame, which just passed the $2 billion mark in worldwide box office receipts. Next up for Boseman is 21 Bridges. Partially filmed right here in Philly, Boseman is an NYPD detective in hot pursuit of a cop killer. As a result of the chase, Manhattan’s 21 bridges must be shutdown to catch the criminal. 21 Bridges is due out Friday, July 12th.
The Dell Music Center has announced its 2019 line up for the summer. Everything kicks off Thursday, July 11th with the premiere groups of Philly Soul The O’Jays with special guests Russell Thompkins, Jr. & The New Stylistics, The Intruders and Bloodstone and the rest of the lineup:
Thursday, July 18th: Ne-Yo and Tamia
Thursday, August 1st: India.Arie/Raheem DeVaughn/Major
Thursday, August 8th: Anthony Hamilton/Ledisi/Gregory Porter
Thursday, August 15th: Guy featuring Teddy Riley
Saturday, August 17th: Jordan Feliz
Thursday, August 22nd: Jahiem/SWV
Thursday, August 29th: Keith Sweat/Johnny Gill/Stokley
Ain’t Too Proud To Beg is the toast of The Tony Award nominations. Broadway’s highest honor has given 12 nominations to the stage production of one of Motown’s all time legendary groups The Temptations.Ain’t Too Proud To Beg: The Life And Times Of The Temptations is currently running on Broadway and stars Derrick Baskin, Ephraim Sykes, Jeremy Pope, James Harkness and Jawan M. Jackson. Baskin as Otis Williams, Pope as Eddie Kendricks and Sykes as David Ruffin are among the 12 nominations. The cast says they’re not doing impressions of the original group, but giving their interpretations in both acting and song. The Tony Awards air on CBS Sunday, June 29th.
Glamour magazine features Gabrielle Union talking disrupting Hollywood, her newborn daughter, her new TV series with Jessica Alba (the Bad Boys spin-off L.A.’s Finest), sharing parenting with husband Dwyane Wade, and at day’s end she’s just Nickie Union from Omaha.
Music Mogul Diddy, a.k.a. Sean Combs, and his children grace the cover of Essence Magazine’s 49th anniversary issue. In dual covers, the 49-year old poses in one with all six of his children and in a second with his three daughters.
Diana Ross is on the cover of Ebony magazine. She’s celebrating her 75th birthday this month and Motown’s 60th anniversary, the legendary music label that started her career.
Rihanna brings out the rainbow flavor for her cover of Harper’s Bazaar. It’s the Beauty Issue and Rih Rih is the perfect person at the perfect time. The Wild Thoughts singer has got the new Fenty make up line on its way. The cover puts the eyeliner and lashes on full display, but on social media, Fenty Beauty will only say stay tuned and wouldn’t name the products. While we wait for Rihanna’s big reveal look for her on May’s Harper’s Bazaar.
New music and a new book are on the way courtesy of the estate of Prince. The Beautiful Ones is a classic Price song and soon to be a book title about his life. The Purple One was working on this memoir at the time of his death three years ago. The Beautiful Ones is set to hit bookshelves October 29th and is being released with the cooperation of the Prince estate. The estate is also rolling out new music in their partnership with Warner Brothers Records. Songs that Prince wrote and produced for other artists he usually recorded himself as well, but he let them stay in the vault so the other artists could have the hit. Now to mark what would have been the legendary singer/songwriter’s 61st birthday on June 7th, the new album, Originals, debuts. This time Prince performs the songs he wrote for The Bangles (Manic Monday), The Family and Sinead O’Connor (Nothing Compares 2 U), The Time (Jungle Love), Kenny Rogers (You’re My Love) and Shelia E. (The Glamorous Life), just to name a few. Originals by Prince will be streamed on Tidal June 7th, released June 21st on all formats followed by a limited edition collectors’ Deluxe CD and Double LP on July 21st.
Made In America 2019 has been announced with Cardi B and Travis Scott headlining. Also on the bill are Freddie Gibbs, Grace Carter, Kodak Black and Anderson .Paak. The festivities take place on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, Labor Day Weekend, Saturday, August 31st through Sunday, September 1st. Tickets and information can be found at madeinamericafest.com.
Jill Scott, a.k.a. Jilly From Philly, heads up the WDAS Block Party coming to The Mann. Philly’s own Jazmine Sullivan and Musiq Soulchild, plus Mase and DJ D-Nice are all on the bill at The Mann Center for The Performing Arts, 52nd and Parkside Avenue, on Saturday, June 29th. Tickets are on sale at ticketmaster.com.
Dionne Warwick will release her first album in five years. Produced by her son, Damon Elliot, the album is simply entitled She’s Back. The album consists of remakes and new songs, and Warwick will duet with Kenny Latimore, Musiq Soulchild, and Krayzie Bone from Bone, Thugs & Harmony. She’s Back, will be released May 10th.
Check out who’s coming to town:
This Friday, May 10th – The Mother’s Day Music Festival Weekend starring The Whispers & The Force MD’s at Caesar’s Circus Maximus Theater in Atlantic City. For more information log onto ppshows.com and for tickets log onto ticketmaster.com.
This Saturday, May 11th – The Mother’s Day Music Festival Weekend starring Maze featuring Frankie Beverly, Kem, Al B. Sure and Christopher Williams at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City. For more information log onto ppshows.com and for tickets log onto ticketmaster.com.
This Sunday, May 12th – The Mother’s Day Music Festival Weekend starring After 7 and Dru Hill at Tropicana Showroom Theater in Atlantic City. Tickets are on sale now. For more information log onto ppshows.com and for tickets log onto ticketmaster.com.
Saturday, June 1st – The 2019 Roots Picnic has a new location at The Mann Music Center For The Performing Arts, 52nd and Parkside! Celebrating the 20th anniversary of The Roots album Things Fall Apart with special guests H.E.R., Raphael Saadiq, 21 Savage, City Girls and more. Log onto rootspicnic.com for more information.
Thursday, June 6th – One Nation Under A Groove-George Clinton’s Farewell Tour with Parliament-Funkadelic at the Franklin Music Hall, formerly The Electric Factory, 421 North 7th Street. For more ticket information log onto ticketmaster.com
Saturday, June 29th– Diana Ross in concert at Borgata Hotel & Casino in Atlantic City. Log onto theborgata.com for tickets and information.
Saturday, July 6th– Earth, Wind & Fire in concert at The Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Atlantic City. Log onto ticketmaster.com for tickets and information.
Friday, July 12th and Saturday, July 13th– Lionel Richie in concert at The Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Atlantic City. Log onto ticketmaster.com for tickets and information.
Saturday, July 20th– Mary J. Blige & Nas 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.