EDDIE MURPHY MARRIAGE INVALID?: Island official says couple must live in region for 30 days before nuptials.
*A rep for Eddie Murphy and Tracey Edmonds has responded to reports from Australian news sites that claim the couple's New Year's Day wedding on a private island off Bora Bora was invalid.
People.com was the first to report that the couple exchanged vows in French Polynesia, but news.com.au cites a general law specialist who says the two were ineligible to be married locally because they had not lived in the region for at least 30 days, as French law requires.
"You need to have residence for at least 30 days - one month in the island of Bora Bora for instance - and this has not been the case," general law specialist Malgras Benoit was quoted as saying. "If you want to get married in Paris you have to live in Paris for at least one month."
However, a rep for the couple told People.com Thursday that any legal issues surrounding the wedding will be properly addressed soon with another wedding ceremony to take place on U.S. soil.
"As is typical when couples get married in foreign countries, a legal ceremony will take place when they return to the U.S.," says Edmonds's rep.
"The wedding that took place in Bora Bora was a ceremony to bind Eddie and Tracey spiritually in the presence of family and friends. The couple plan a legal ceremony as soon as they return to the States."
In any case…
Whether the marriage is valid or not, Murphy's ex-wife Nicole has apparently moved on with New York Giants defensive end Michael Strahan, as both the New York Post and Daily News reports of the two partying hard at The Plumm on New Year's Eve.
CHRISTOPHER 'PLAY' MARTIN INJURED IN CAR ACCIDENT: Former rapper struck by driver being chased by police.
*Christopher "Play" Martin and a female companion were seriously injured when the SUV they were riding in was hit by a driver trying to escape the cops.
Saturday's accident in Raleigh, NC jumped off after three men robbed a house in Durham. Two of the men were caught by cops, but the driver of the getaway car, 34-year-old Raul Aldamo, attempted to run over the police to escape.
The cops shot and killed Aldamo, but the car kept going and eventually smashed into the SUV driven by Martin, a.k.a. Play of the 80s rap duo Kid-N-Play.
The former rapper and the woman were treated at a nearby hospital and released on Wednesday (Jan. 2). Two other suspects, Alonzo Castillo, 39 and Luis Campo, 26 were arrested and charged with robbery with a dangerous weapon, kidnapping and burglary.
Play, a born-again Christian, founded HP4 Digital Works & Solutions and is currently a teacher at North Carolina Central University in North Carolina. Fans may send him get well e-mails at: hp4digitalworks@yahoo.com.
RAZ-B, RICKY AND CHRIS STOKES DINE AT MR. CHOW: Sexual abuse allegations in the past, trio caught by TMZ leaving restaurant.
*In what appears to be a photo op, former B2K member Raz-B and his brother Ricky were captured by TMZ.com cameras leaving a restaurant in Los Angeles with their former manager Chris Stokes, whom the siblings had accused of sexual abuse just over a week ago.
After Stokes and former B2K member Omarion vehemently denied Raz-B's allegations, the singer recanted and released a YouTube video apologizing.
However, his brother Ricky said he continued to stand by his claims.
On Wednesday night, it appears as if Ricky has also backed away from his earlier story because the three were all smiles, hugs and pounds while leaving Mr. Chow's.
View the footage here:
http://www.tmz.com/tmz_main_video?titleid=1364242851
KANYE AND BEYONCE PLAY GAMES: Artists get their 'Connect Four' on backstage at Jay-Z's New Year's Eve bash.
*Kanye West has posted an entry on his blog for the first time since his mother's death in November.
The following message was accompanied by photographs of the rapper and Beyonce playing the popular Milton Bradley game "Connect Four" while backstage at Jay-Z's new 40/40 club in Las Vegas.
THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR SUPPORT. When I was in Europe I would play this game for hours and hours... it helped me zone out. Everybody would get involved... Derrick Dudley (Common's manager) and Consequence were the best other than me... I beat Lexi... Don C beat Jay... Tony Williams beat Common... but every now and then people would speak of this legendary connect 4 champion........... BEYONCE!!! I had 2 play her!...so last night at Jay's new 40/40 club in Las Vegas (which is sidebar, crazy big w/ 24krt gold flooring, Black Jack tables, $500 slot machines ,the biggest projection screen in the universe and the best turkey burgers I've ever had in my life) she beat me 9 times in a row! (and I didn't even spaz lol) here's a photo of the only game I won!
R. KELLY'S REP RESPONDS TO NE-YO'S LAWSUIT: Spokesperson denies 'So Sick' singer was dropped from tour due to jealousy.
*R. Kelly's camp has responded to a lawsuit filed by former opening act Ne-Yo against the promoter of his Double Up tour.
As previously reported, Ne-Yo and Compound Touring, which was responsible for arranging Ne-Yo's participation on the trek, have sued Rowe Entertainment in Los Angeles Superior Court claiming the singer's touring contract was breached when he was kicked off the 25-city outing after only two dates.
From day one, Ne-Yo has claimed that he was kicked off the tour because fans and critics liked him better than R. Kelly. However, a spokesman for Kels released a statement Thursday denying the notion.
"The idea that R. Kelly had anything to do with Ne-Yo being dropped from the Double Up tour is just plain silly," said the rep. "As we said at the time, Ne-Yo was dropped because of a contractual dispute with the tour promoter, and in fact Ne-Yo is not suing Kelly but only the promoter.
"Ne-Yo may think blaming the situation on R. Kelly will improve his chances of collecting from the promoter, but if he does, he is sadly mistaken. Anyone remotely familiar with R. Kelly knows he is confident enough in his own abilities to be happy to share the stage with enormously talented people -- the more talented, the better."
MARION JONES SEEKING PROBATION INSTEAD OF JAIL: Lawyer for disgraced track star tells court she's suffered enough.
*Former Olympic champion Marion Jones says she should not have to be imprisoned for lying about steroids and check fraud because she's already been punished enough, reports the Associated Press.
According to court papers filed on New Year's Eve, Jones' lawyers asked a federal judge to give her probation instead of jail time when her sentence is handed down next week.
"She has been cast from American hero to national disgrace," the memo said. "The public scorn, from a nation that once adored her, and her fall from grace have been severe punishments. ... She has been stripped of her gold medals, her accomplishments, her wealth and her public standing."
Jones admitted in court in October that she lied to federal investigators about using steroids. She has since relinquished her five Olympic medals.
As part of the plea agreement, prosecutors suggested she be sentenced to six months in prison at most. In pre-sentencing papers filed Dec. 21 prosecutors said anything between no time and six months would be appropriate.
As previously reported, that filing included a doping calendar from the files of the Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative indicating Jones used several performance-enhancing drugs. Prosecutors said the evidence shows "a concentrated, organized, long-term effort to use these substances for her personal gain."
In the check fraud scheme, Jones admitted lying about her knowledge of the involvement of track star Tim Montgomery, the father of her older son, in a scheme to cash millions of dollars worth of stolen or forged checks. Montgomery, who once held the world record in the 100 meters, pleaded guilty in the conspiracy.
BEYONCE WINS APPEAL IN 'BABY BOY' LAWSUIT: Woman claimed song was similar to a demo she sent to Mathew Knowles.
*Beyonce's legal team has announced that the appeal of a copyright infringement lawsuit brought against her and the co-authors of her Grammy-winning song "Baby Boy" has been shot down.
The plaintiff, Jennifer Armour, claimed that her former manager submitted demo recordings of a song to Beyonce's father/manager Mathew Knowles (President, Music World Entertainment), representatives of Beyoncé's record label Columbia Records, a division of Sony BMG Music Entertainment, and others, in late February or early March 2003.
She discovered in the litigation, however, that the writing and recording of "Baby Boy" was substantially complete before Armour claimed to have submitted her demo recording, Beyonce's lawyers said in a statement.
The trial court dismissed the plaintiff's case because, the court determined, no reasonable person could conclude that the two songs sounded substantially similar to one another. The appellate court did not reach that question, but instead upheld the dismissal of the case on the grounds that "Baby Boy" was in existence before Armour allegedly submitted her demos.
In response to the appellate court's decision, Beyoncé said: "It's unfortunate that we had to endure this long legal process but I am hopeful this decision will allow all of us that were involved to finally move on."
Defendants named in the lawsuit included Beyoncé, Jay-Z, Scott Storch, Robert Waller, Sony BMG Music Entertainment, Hitco Music Publishing, TVT Music, and Notting Dale Songs, all of whom were represented by Henry
("Hank") J. Fasthoff, IV of Stumpf Farrimond.
DMX PLANS TO RECORD GOSPEL ALBUM: 'No songs about bi***es, no songs about robbing, just straight 'Give God the glory.'
*DMX, who has always claimed to be spiritual, tells MTV that he will take his relationship with God to another level with the release of his first gospel-rap album later this year.
The project, called "Walk With Me Now and You'll Fly With Me Later," will be available as two separate discs to be released in stores simultaneously. One CD will be a regular hip hop album; the other gospel.
"I [was] the first ni**a to put out two albums in one year [It's Dark and Hell Is Hot and Flesh of My Flesh, Blood of My Blood in 1998], now I'm gonna hit 'em again -- drop two albums on the same f***in' day," X told MTV.
"A double album will make motherf***ers mad, because they gotta spend more money -- plus it's already a long [double] album. I'm talking about a hip-hop album and a gospel album."
The project will be his first under a new partnership with indie label Bodog Music and it's due in stores later this year. X says the gospel portion of the project will be "without cursing – No songs about b**ches, no songs about robbing, just straight 'Give God the glory.'"
MARL SETS RECORD STRAIGHT ON 'VAPORS' CASTING: Juice Crew biopic early victim of rumors.
*David Banner and Cuba Gooding Jr. have not been cast in the upcoming biopic about hip hop's legendary Juice Crew, according to the group's co-founder, producer Marley Marl.
Blackfilm.com had previously reported that Marley would be played by Gooding, while Banner would suit up as Biz Markie. The Web site also mentioned that "ATL" co-star Jackie Long would portray Big Daddy Kane and Keke Palmer was selected to play Roxanne Shante. However, Marl tells MTV that no definitive casting choices have been made.
"We're not reaching out — a lot of stars are reaching out to us because that's an important movie in hip-hop history," he said. "It's basically me, Big Daddy Kane and Biz's life story leading up to 1988. How we got there. How we made the golden era pop. ... A lot of ups and downs, a lot of personal sh**. It is what it is."
MARY J. BLIGE HAS BILLBOARD IN 'PAIN': Singer ends Josh Groban's five-week reign atop album chart. Plus, Flo Rida sets digital record.
*Mary J. Blige has just scored the fourth No. 1 album of her career with 204,000 sold copies of "Growing Pains," according to Nielsen Soundscan.
The album sends Josh Groban's "Noel" to No. 3 after five weeks at the top position. Alicia Keys' former No. 1, "As I Am," rose one to No. 2 this week with sales of 193,000 units. Elsewhere in the top 10, Chris Brown's "Exclusive" was up five to No. 5.
On the Hot 100 singles chart, Flo Rida's "Low" remains No. 1 this week, and the track's 470,000 digital sales has set a single-week sales record, easily trumping the former title-holder, Fergie's "Fergalicious" at 294,000.
Keys' "No One" holds tight at No. 2 on the Hot 100 while Timbaland's "Apologize" featuring OneRepublic also stays put at No. 3. Chris Brown's "Kiss Kiss" featuring T-Pain remains at No. 4 while Soulja Boy's "Crank That (Soulja Boy)" surges back into the top tier, sliding up 11-5.
Janet Jackson's "Feedback" debuts this week at No. 84, and Keys'
other single, "Like You'll Never See Me Again," stays at No. 1 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop chart.
SUGE'S FORMER LAWYER WANTS JUDGEMENT VOIDED: Plus, mogul's feathers ruffled over Tupac comment at nightclub.
*A lawyer who represented Death Row Records mogul Suge Knight's is seeking to void a $130 million judgment against his client after claiming new evidence shows that the plaintiff, singer Lydia Harris, and her imprisoned drug-dealing husband, Michael, allegedly duped a Los Angeles judge into ruling against the rap mogul.
According to the Los Angeles Times, Suge's ex-lawyer Dermot Givens has filed a motion claiming that Harris hid from the court that she had filed for bankruptcy five years before suing Knight and that she never claimed an ownership stake in Death Row during that legal proceeding.
The motion also alleges that recent sworn testimony by the couple shows that Michael Harris was the true party of interest in her lawsuit against Knight.
Michael Harris sued Knight in 1996 claiming that his seed money launched Death Row, and was awarded a $300,000 out-of-court settlement.
Lydia Harris filed a separate suit in 2002 claiming that she and Knight started the label together and that he cheated her out of millions in profits.
In other Suge news, the New York Daily News claims a witness at Las Vegas' Ghost Bar on New Year's Eve saw him about to go off on some dude who suggested – rather loudly – that he was responsible for the death of Tupac Shakur.
A woman was sitting on Suge's lap when a guy at the next table
yelled: "Isn't that the guy who shot Tupac?" The witness says, "Suge pushed the girl off his lap and gave the heckler such an evil look he thought it was advisable to leave the club."
ROBIN THICKE TO DISCUSS INTERRACIAL RELATIONSHIP: Singer in the hot seat on TV One special.
*Singer Robin Thicke will discuss his interracial relationship with wife Paula Patton and the reaction of both families to their union on the new "TV One on One" premiering Sunday, Jan. 6 at 10 p.m. ET.
Thicke tells host Cathy Hughes that his family welcomed the relationship, but Patton’s family had reservations.
“Pops [Patton’s father] was not buying it," he says. "I mean not that he didn’t like me – he just watched me with a very careful eye…His father is from Mississippi, and a sharecropper, so there’s a lot of real history…But, now that I’m ‘Mr. R&B singer’, I’m the coolest white guy in the family.”
Thicke also discusses his successful music career and shares some of his musical influences during the "TV One on One" interview.
“Marvin Gaye’s the epitome to me," he says. "I think if God could sing, He would sound like Marvin Gaye. . .If God was a man. . .If [God] was a woman, it would be Aretha [Franklin] or Whitney [Houston], I would say.”
As previously reported, rumor has it that Patton is pregnant with the couple's first child.
VENUS AND SERENA TUNE UP FOR FIRST GRAND SLAM: Sisters win in two different tournaments preceding Australian Open.
*Venus Williams beat up on her Chinese opponent Peng Shuai in straight sets Thursday at Hong Kong's JB Group Classic tournament, while Serena nursed herself back to health and beat Alicia Molik at the Hopman Cup finals, allowing the United States to advance within a 3-0 clean sweep of Australia.
V. Williams, ranked 8th in the world, said she was delighted with her 6-1, 6-2 victory over Peng, considering she took some time off to graduate from design college.
"I haven't been out there in a long time, and I had to fight for every point," she told reporters after the match. "But I felt like all the things I have practiced really paid off," she added.
Meanwhile, S. Williams' 6-2, 7-6 (9-7) win over Molik on Thursday meant the U.S. could not be dislodged from the top of Group B, regardless of other results.
After a delayed arrival due to illness, Williams opened her Hopman Cup in Australia with a narrow victory over Lucie Safarova on Monday, but felt her form improved against Molik.
"I felt that I returned well and I've been practicing my return," she said. "It's all coming together and as long as I keep playing like this I'll be solid."
BET ASKS 2008 CANDIDATES 'WHAT'S IN IT FOR US?': News specials to feature interviews with Senators Obama and Clinton.
*BET News will sit down with the 2008 presidential hopefuls for a series of half-hour interviews titled "What's In It For Us?"
The premiere special, featuring Sen. Barack Obama, will air on Tuesday, January 15 at 10 p.m. ET/PT. BET News correspondent Jeff Johnson sits with the Illinois to discuss his family and his political aspirations as he embarks on an impressive quest to change the complexion of politics forever.
Viewers will hear Senator Obama's thoughts on topics ranging from the U.S. education system, the criminal justice system and immigration. It also explores what being "black enough" really means, the African American electorate and even the Senator's personal thoughts on hip hop and what is playing on his iPod.
In the second special, Johnson sits down with Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, the woman who once stood before America in the East Wing and is now looking to lead America in the West Wing as the first female Commander-in-Chief.
Viewers will get a glimpse into Senator Clinton's thoughts on her rivals, her passions, and what sets her apart. Also, Senator Clinton's campaign ace has been husband Bill Clinton, and his presidency endeared them both to African Americans. Will her husband's influence and connection with the black community be enough to earn her the black vote and give her a win?
From the Specials:
• When asked about the questions if he is "black enough," Obama said: "As we've progressed over time, and people become more familiar with my track record, then they feel like this is the guy I'm going to vote for not because he's Black, but because he's got a track record and is working on racial profiling, and giving health care to kids, and dealing with wrongful convictions ... The other thing I've got to always say when people say, 'Are you Black enough?' is, 'Well, compared to whom?'"
• Obama also expressed his taste in hip hop, both old school and new, as well as the challenges the genre faces. "The thing about hip hop today is it's smart, it's insightful, and the way that they can communicate a complex message in a very short space is remarkable ... I understand people want to be rooted in the community, they want to be down, but what I always say is that hip hop is not just a mirror of what is. It should also be a reflection of what can be."
CHRIS ROCK KICKS OFF STAND-UP TOUR AT MSG: Topics include Britney, O.J., Obama, Hillary Clinton and more.
*The New York Post has a rundown of Chris Rock's latest stand-up material, which debuted during the sold-out New Year's Eve launch of his comedy tour at New York's Madison Square Garden.
Following a musical set from opening act Jill Scott, Rock took the stage and admitted he was a little "nervous."
"I haven't done this in a while," said Rock, who was clad in a slick gray suit and brown silk shirt. But he quickly got down to business, covering every topic from Britney Spears to each presidential candidate's flaws.
"Britney Spears, boy. Even OJ kept his kids, and he even killed their mother," Rock cracked. "Britney went and messed up her dance moves at the MTV awards and they took her kids away. Go rehearse and get your kids back."
As for the 2008 presidential run, Rock observed, "They sure don't want you to vote - it's easier to vote on 'Dancing With the Stars.'"
On Barack Obama: "Bush f***ed up so bad, now people are like, 'We don't want another white guy in the White House' . . . but Barack don't realize he's the black candidate, talking in measured tones like he does."
On Hillary Clinton: "I think America's ready for a woman president . . . just not that woman. Being married to somebody doesn't make you good at their job. I've been with my wife 10 years now. If she got up here right now, y'all wouldn't laugh. At all. You get on a plane tomorrow, you want the pilot's wife flying you?"
On Rudy Giuliani: "Everyone says Giuliani was great on 9/11. Great on
9/11 . . . What about 9/10?"
Next Rock professed black guys' love of Rosie O'Donnell. "Black men will f*** the whole 'View,' we'll take Barbara, Joy. They will drop kick Jessica Simpson . . . and f*** Rosie O'Donnell."
Even Barry Bonds made it into Rock's new act. "Our government's not trying to get bin Laden, they're trying to get Barry Bonds. If you tell me I'm gonna make more money if I take a pill, I'd be freebasing."
ITTY BITTY BITS: J-Hud's man; Wyclef's party' Mariah's no diva; Wright returns to 007.
*The New York Daily News is reporting that Jennifer Hudson was with her childhood sweetheart James Peyton at the Setai in Miami for her New Year's Eve performance, despite rumors that she is currently dating Kerry Rhodes of the New York Jets.
*Wyclef Jean told a live MTV audience that "everybody" could come to his Saddle River, NJ home for a big New Year's bash. Needless to say, the former Fugees member was shocked to see that "everybody" had taken him up on the offer. After the MTV telecast, he arrived home around 1 a.m. to find more than 500 people partying at his mansion, reports Page Six. "There were hundreds and hundreds of cars parked all over," said one partygoer. "They had tents set up outside, but people were wandering around in his house, in the movie theater, in the kitchen. The cops came around 3 a.m. to break it up, it got so crazy."
*Mariah Carey says she is certainly not a diva – but then again, it depends on one's definition of the word. "I've never done a diva-ish thing in my life," she tells Mirror.co.uk while at Club Tao in Las Vegas. "The definition of a diva is a woman who sings well, the second definition is a woman who's difficult to deal with. I hope I'm the first but I don't think I'm the second."
*Jeffrey Wright, who played CIA agent Felix Leiter opposite Daniel Craig in "Casino Royale," will reprise the role in the next James Bond film, "Bond 22," reports Variety. Shooting began yesterday (Jan. 3) at Pinewood Studios in London. Directed by Marc Forster, the 007 effort also stars Mathieu Amalric, Giancarlo Giannini and Anatole Taubmann. Sony and MGM plan to release the film on Nov. 7.
WHY DID MAGIC JOHNSON STOP SUPPORTING OBAMA?: Columnist follows money train leading to business venture with Clinton homie Ron Burkle.
*Thomas B. Edsall of The Huffington Post has written a column that suggests the almighty dollar sign led Magic Johnson, an early contributor to the presidential campaign of Sen. Barack Obama, to jump ship and back his Democratic rival, Hillary Clinton.
Under the heading "When Magic Backed Hillary, Did Money Buy Love?" Edsall writes:
In late-March 2007, Earvin "Magic" Johnson made his first ever contribution to a presidential campaign -- $2,300 to Barack Obama.
No formal endorsement accompanied the cash, but most political operatives thought that the famous Lakers point guard would be firmly in the corner of the first African-American to have a real shot at winning the presidency.
On August 28, Johnson made the second contribution of his life to a presidential candidate. This time, however, the recipient was Hillary Clinton. Johnson gave her $2,300 for the primary election and another $2,300 to use in the general election, if she won the Democratic nomination.
In addition, the contribution -- chickenfeed to someone of Magic's wealth -- was backed up with an all-star endorsement.
After Oprah Winfrey, the richest African-American in the country, announced that she would hold a September 6 fundraiser for Obama at her Santa Barbara home, Magic countered with an offer to host a Clinton fundraiser at his Los Angeles house on September 14. As the two candidates competed for the support of black luminaries, Johnson announced that co-chairs of his Hillary event included Motown Records founder Berry Gordy, musician Quincy Jones, and music executive Clarence Avant.
"Senator Hillary Clinton understands the domestic and international issues better than anyone," Johnson said in an August 12 press release announcing his fundraiser. "[Hillary] has the experience and knowledge to help lead our country and get us to a better place. We need a winner as our next president."
On December 17 and 18, Magic joined Bill and Hillary for a tour of Iowa. Speaking in Davenport, Johnson infuriated Obama supporters when he told the crowd, "You don't want somebody in there that is young or a rookie at politics" -- a direct dig at Obama.
What happened between Johnson's $2,300 contribution to Obama in March and his $4,600 donation to Clinton in August?
Over the summer, a seemingly unrelated series of events intervened.
In June, Johnson, who is an extraordinarily successful entrepreneur, began talks with billionaire Ron Burkle about forming a joint investment fund of $750 million or more to take advantage of the growing and lucrative markets in inner city and minority-owned businesses, according to Eric Holloman, president of Johnson's Canyon-Johnson Urban Fund.
Burkle has been one of Bill Clinton's closest friends and supporters. Burkle and Bill Clinton were often seen together in and around Los Angeles, and Clinton frequently stayed at Burkle's mansion, which was the scene of much-reported partying. Burkle gave Bill Clinton a lucrative consulting job as a senior advisor to his investment firm, Yucaipa Companies.
When Hillary announced, Burkle became a strong backer and encouraged Johnson to support her.
Now, spokesmen for both Burkle and Johnson flatly dispute that there is any connection whatsoever between the Burkle-Magic investment partnership and Magic's Hillary endorsement.
"There is no correlation at all between the [Johnson-Burkle] private equity fund and him backing Hillary Clinton," said Eric Holloman. "No one has told Earvin what to do since Pat Riley [former Lakers coach]. Earvin needs no more fame, no more money."
Frank J. Quintero, spokesman for Burkle's Yucaipa Companies, described as "preposterous" any linkage between planning the fund and the endorsement. "Ron and Magic have been friends for a dozen years and have supported the same candidates," Quintero said.
DANNY GLOVER: The Honeydripper Interview with Kam Williams
Danny on Acting, Directing, and His Commitment to the Downtrodden and Disenfranchised
*Born on July 22, 1946, Danny Lebern Glover was the eldest of five children raised in San Francisco by James and Carrie Glover, both of whom were postal workers.
After graduating from George Washington High School, he attended San Francisco State University where his progressive political perspective was forged as a member of the Black Student Union.
He developed an interest in acting in his late twenties, which is when he started studying at the Black Actors’ Workshop in San Francisco. Danny’s screen debut came in Escape from Alcatraz in 1979, though he found his breakout role as Moze opposite Sally Field’s Oscar-winning performance in Places in the Heart.
His most notorious outing arrived in 1985 as Albert in Steven Spielberg’s screen adaptation of Alice Walker’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, The Color Purple. However, he is likely to be best remembered for the four buddy flicks he made with Mel Gibson during the run of the Lethal Weapon franchise. Plus, he has handled title roles as Nelson Mandela in Mandela, as Boesman in Boesman and Lena, and appeared in everything from Witness to Predator 2 to The Rainmaker to Beloved to The Royal Tenebaums to Manderlay to Shooter to Dreamgirls.
Danny enjoys his best role in years in his latest film, Honeydripper, a historical drama set in the Jim Crow South. The movie has him re-teamed with iconoclastic director John Sayles and complemented in this endeavor by a very talented ensemble cast which included Charles S. Dutton, Mary Steenburgen, Lisa Gay Hamilton, Vondie Curtis-Hall, Stacy Keach, Keb’ Mo’, Sean Patrick Thomas and Yaya DaCosta.
Here, Mr. Glover talks not only about Honeydripper but about his ongoing commitment to the downtrodden and the disenfranchised.
Danny Glover: Hey, Kam, how’re you doing?
Kam Williams: Okay, and you?
DG: Good! Good!
KW: Thanks so much for the time. I really appreciate it.
DG: Oh, you’re welcome.
KW: So, what interested you in the script of Honeydripper?
DG: Oh, man, it always starts with the story. This story was just so compelling, plus the period was fascinating, and I liked the way in which John Sayles, the director, was able to integrate the music with all the changes that were happening during that period. So, there’s not only the musical dynamics of it, and using music as a metaphor in some way to talk about change, the piano being superseded by the electric guitar and rock music etcetera, but also the way in which John has layered the story, and layered the characters. They have their own histories which reflect a much broader history of the changes which were about to occur.
KW: What I appreciate about this film is how it recaptures a slice of African-Americana from a period during which black people’s existence was denied by the mainstream culture. As a child of the Fifties, I remember how people would yell for everybody to come when you just saw any black face on television.
DG: Absolutely! And the images then on TV were stereotypes and buffoons. And the images of Africa were of Tarzan. So, I just think that there’s a way in which this film, in some sense, takes another step in terms of presenting people in real time in real life. And as we reflect upon that, we see the embodiment of not only the musical dynamic and changes that occurred within that period of time, but also we see the emergence of the social changes and the political changes that were happening as well.
KW: The musical aspects of Honeydripper resonated with me because I grew up in a black community with a lot of jazz greats: Count Basie, Ella, Lena Horne, Lester Young, Fats Waller, Oliver Nelson, Billie Holiday and others, during a time when their music was being eclipsed in popularity by newcomers to the neighborhood like James Brown. It was an interesting dynamic to observe.
DG: Where’d you grow up?
KW: In St. Albans, New York in the late Fifties.
DG: Then you saw it happen during a different period but, yeah, you hit on the way all forms of music indigenous to black people have resonated, whether it’s blues, or jazz, or gospel music, how that forms a foundation and resonates in our lives. My dad was born in Kansas City, Missouri in 1919, at this moment in time when all this stuff was happening around music. And his life reflected that movement of music. So, music becomes something of a barometer for looking at the world and for looking at our situation through the music itself.
KW: I spoke to John Sayles the other day, and find it interesting that this is his third film with an African-American ensemble, along with Brother from Another Planet and Sunshine State.
DG: What I think is so wonderful about John is his historical relevance and reverence. You see, John really feels that, yeah, individuals may mark a moment, but things really happen with the collective movement of people. So, he’s able to identify, in his movies, this unique transition from the individual, as an individual lives his life, to what his life manifests in terms of the collective movement among a people as well. That’s unique, because he achieves this without being didactic, expository or rhetorical.
KW: So, tell me a little about your character in Honeydripper, Tyrone “Pinetop” Purvis.
DG: He’s an independent black businessman trying to save his business. First of all, this was a rarity in the South that we know in 1950. That’s one aspect. Hey, countless, young African-American men were trained in the navy or the army about radio. Here’s a guy who takes that technology and uses it as part of his artistic expression. How many men is he representative of? John gives him a back story, and one that is consistent with the historical evolution. And then my daughter [played by Yaya DaCosta] who decides that she has aspirations outside of the constraints and limitations that are placed upon young black girls in the South. She wants to go to beauty school… She wants to travel…She wants to see this… She wants to see that. These are little revelations which are manifestations not only of an individual’s identity and personality but are also reflective of a collective movement of people.
KW: One of your movies, Manderlay, was #1 on my Ten Best Independent Films List for 2006. That picture, directed by Lars von Trier, had a fascinating premise and was set in the 1930s on a plantation in Alabama where slavery never ended. Despite the micro-budget, I found the film fascinating and extremely well done.
DG: Well, let’s say that, in substance, Manderlay is a movie is about democracy. Then we have to ask, “What is democracy? What does it mean? What are its elements? How do you digest it in real terms? In real terms?” My character asks, “What does this mean to me?” All you have to do is read W.E.B. Du Bois’ “The Souls of Black Folk” to get a picture that he paints through twelve parables about situations directly after the Emancipation Proclamation and after the end of Reconstruction in the South. There’s an interesting dynamic when we look at it, because there were places in the South in the Thirties that were almost unchanged since the end of slavery. So, my character talks about the idea of safety, and the idea of democracy. What were we all to do? We didn’t know. Here you had an institution that subjugated and determined a people’s sense of themselves for 250 years, and all of a sudden they’re set free. What does that mean? That’s the main issue we never deal with in this country. We’re never capable of dealing with the psychosis, the neurosis and all the pathology around that. Everybody’s afraid to talk about slavery. We never speak about it freely. Nobody wants to talk about it, neither the victims nor the perpetrators. That’s why we’re so incapable of dealing with this whole issue around race.
KW: That’s why I appreciated Honeydripper. It tackles some sensitive social issues in a serious fashion, like how innocent black men used to be sentenced to chain gangs in the South to be exploited for free labor. Ordinarily, movies make light of it, such as that comedy Life, starring Eddie Murphy and Martin Lawrence. There, they treated blacks’ second-class status as a fait accompli and as something to joke about. That’s supporting the status quo, not challenging it.
DG: Exactly. Supporting it, rather than questioning it and bringing to the world’s attention the real impact on us of various transgressions. These feelings and these emotions are repeated, because history is not merely individual stories, but it’s a collective story as well.
KW: Well, I’m very eager to see the biography of Toussaint L’Overture you’re going to direct, starring Don Cheadle, Mos Def and Chiwetel Ejiofor.
DG: We’re trying to put it together and get it done, baby. It’s an important part not only of our history, of people from the African world, but of everyone’s history. It’s something that we hope will punch some holes in the Empire narrative.
KW: There are almost no other black actors who have reached the prominence that you have who have remained very vocally and actively committed to progressive political causes. Where do you find the strength to persevere?
DG: Well, the way in which artists’ careers suffered 55 years ago because of the House Un-American Activities Committee’s draconian measures and very Fascistic process of attacking creativity and their imaginations. Back then, unions were larger and more powerful. Social movements and ideological struggles were much more prominent, and a part of the social discourse. It doesn’t happen in the same form now, but today there are other subtle ways in which they attack the credibility of artists like Susan Sarandon and Tim Robbins.
KW: When you mention the House Un-American Activities Committee, it makes me think of Paul Robeson who was from Princeton, which is where I live. He was blacklisted back then.
DG: We owe so much to Paul. He is definitely one of my heroes. Right at the top with Harry [Belafonte].
KW: Are you ever concerned about the toll that your activism might take on your career?
DG: No. I tell people, “You can’t tell me who I can talk to. You can’t tell me what I can talk about. You can’t pick my friends. And in a democracy, you can’t tell me that I can’t talk about real issues.” They attacked us for being against the war, even though everybody’s against the war now. Today, a cat who’s in favor of the war is an anomaly. My critics have taken to attacking my relationships, but they have nothing to say about the substance of what I’ve had to say about the state of education, or about what’s happening with working people and in New Orleans. They don’t want to talk about that.
KW: Yeah, they’ve been condemning you for your relationship with Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.
DG: Look here. Here’s a man who has African blood in him with whom I share things in common, such as how we feel about poor people. How come I can’t talk to him? How come he can’t be my friend? How come he can’t be my brother? Because you say he can’t? Because you don’t like him?
KW: Let me ask you just a couple more questions. The Columbus Short question. Are you happy?
DG: Yeah, I’m happy. I’m a grandfather, and I’m in love with him. He’s almost four and he’s my running partner. I’m trying to insert myself in his life every way I can. And he knows it.
KW: And the Jimmy Bayan question. Where in L.A. do you live?
DG: I live in San Francisco in the Haight-Asbury district. I grew up in the Haight-Asbury.
KW: Thanks again for the time, Danny. Keep giving them hell and the best of luck with this film.
DG: Thank you, baby. Bye now.
OPENING THIS WEEK: Kam's Kapsules -- Weekly Previews That Make Choosing a Film Fun
For movies opening January 4, 2008
by Kam Williams
BIG BUDGET FILMS
One Missed Call (PG-13 for mature themes, frightening images, terror, intense violence and some sexual material) Shannyn Sossamon stars in this remake of Chakushin Ari, a high attrition-rate horror flick from Japan about a traumatized young woman who’s afraid to answer her cell phone after several of her ill-fated friends receive messages accurately predicting exactly when and how they are about to die. With Edward Burns as the detective determined to crack the case.
INDEPENDENT & FOREIGN FILMS
A Bloody Aria (Unrated) Appearances can be deceiving in this gruesome examination of bullying about a perverted music professor (Byeong-jun Lee) who kickstarts an escalating roundelay of revenge after making unwanted advances on his pretty protégé (Ye-ryeon Cha) while driving her to an audition. (In Korean with subtitles)
The Killing of John Lennon (Unrated) Chilling bio-pic presumes to get inside the mind of Mark David Chapman (Jonas Ball), the deranged maniac who claimed to be inspired by the Devil and by the book The Catcher in the Rye to murder The Beatles’ John Lennon before then being instructed by God to plead guilty to the senseless killing.
EUR MOTIVATIONAL NOTE
"It was character that got us out of bed, commitment that moved us into action and discipline that enabled us to follow through." — Zig Ziglar: American author, salesperson, and motivational speaker
CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS
Jan. 4: Actress Jill Marie Jones ("Girlfriends") is 33.
Jan. 5: Actor Ted Lange ("The Love Boat") is 60. Drummer George "Funky" Brown of Kool and the Gang is 59.
Jan. 6: Singer Kathy Sledge of Sister Sledge is 49. Singer Eric Williams of BLACKstreet is 48. Director John Singleton is 40.
WEBSITE OF THE WEEK
Looking for news, information, entertainment and culture for the African Diaspora? Find it here: www.myafricandiapora.com
Submit your favorite Web site to us along with a 15-20 word (or less) description to info@eurweb.com.
BLACK HISTORY
Jan. 4, 1920: Andrew "Rube" Foster organizes the first black baseball league, the Negro National League.
Jan. 5, 1911: Fraternity Kappa Alpha Psi was founded at Indiana University.
Jan. 6, 1820: The first organized emigration to Africa begins when 86 free African Americans leave New York Harbor aboard the Mayflower of Liberia. They are bound for the British colony of Sierra Leone. (Source:
www.BlackFacts.com)