PRINCE ADDED TO LINEUP OF GRAMMY PRESENTERS: Also, Recording Academy confirms Beyonce/Tina Turner duet.
*Music superstar Prince was among a fresh crop of Grammy presenters announced Thursday by the Recording Academy for its 50th annual awards ceremony on Sunday.
Quincy Jones has also been added as a presenter, which places more weight on the likelihood of a rumored segment featuring fellow added presenter Akon, Fergie, Kanye West and will.i.am performing their reworked tracks from Michael Jackson's "Thriller 25" anniversary CD. Jones produced the original record-setting album in 1983.
Another long-rumored segment, a duet between Tina Turner and previously-announced performer Beyonce, was finally confirmed Thursday by the Recording Academy. Also announced was a special performance featuring jazz pianist Eldar, rap-rocker Kid Rock, jazz saxophonist Dave Koz and jazz/pop singer Keely Smith.
Other added presenters in addition to Prince, Quincy Jones and Akon include Stevie Wonder, Jason Bateman, Tony Bennett, Cher, Nelly Furtado, Tom Hanks, Joe Mantegna, Ringo Starr, Dave Stewart and Taylor Swift.
MARY J. BLIGE AND JAY-Z ANNOUNCE TOUR: Artists to mount 25-date co-headlining jaunt through North America.
*Jay-Z and his Grammy-winning "Can't Knock the Hustle" partner Mary J. Blige will co-headline a 25-date, North American outing dubbed the "Mary J. Blige & Jay-Z: Heart of the City" tour.
The Live Nation and Haymon Events produced trek kicks off on March
22 at Miami's American Airlines Arena and will hit cities along the eastern seaboard as well as New Orleans, Houston, Las Vegas and Oakland.
The "Mary J. Blige & Jay-Z: Heart of the City" tour is the pinnacle of Mary and Jay's long-time collaboration which began in 1996 with the their hit single "Can't Knock The Hustle."
Tickets go on sale for the first shows beginning Feb. 15th and are available through http://www.livenation.com. Confirmed dates are listed below. More dates will be announced in the coming weeks.
MARY J. BLIGE & JAY-Z: HEART OF THE CITY TOUR
DATE CITY VENUE
March 22 Miami, FL American Airlines Arena
March 26 Baltimore, MD 1st Mariner Arena
March 27 Uniondale, NY Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum
March 28 East Rutherford, NJ Izod Center
March 30 Philadelphia, PA Wachovia Center
April 2 Toronto, ON Air Canada Centre
April 3 Boston, MA TD Banknorth Garden
April 5 Greensboro, NC Greensboro Coliseum
April 6 Washington, DC Verizon Center
April 16 Los Angeles, CA Hollywood Bowl
ALICIA KEYS BACK ON TOP OF BILLBOARD: Singer's album experiences 'Super Bowl' bump.
*Days after her performance during the Super Bowl pre-game show, Alicia Keys' album "As I Am" returns to No. 1 on the Billboard 200 album chart after a 3 percent sales bump to 61,000 copies, according to Nielsen SoundScan.
Keys' rebound sent last week's No. 1 "Juno" soundtrack down to No. 2 this week. Elsewhere in the top 10, the "2008 Grammy Nominees" multi-artist compilation album (featuring Kanye West and Herbie Hancock among others) debuts at No. 5 on sales of 50,000 units.
Mary J. Blige's Matriarch/Geffen album "Growing Pains" falls from No.
4 to No. 6, and Keyshia Cole's "Just Like You" (Confidential/Imani/Geffen) remains at No. 8 for a second week.
On the Hot 100, Flo Rida's "Low" enters its seventh consecutive week at No. 1., followed by Chris Brown's "With You" at No. 2 and Rihanna's "Don't Stop the Music" at No. 3.
Timbaland's "Apologize" featuring OneRepublic holds at No. 4, while Alicia Keys' "No One" slips 2-5. Sara Bareilles' "Love Song" rebounds 9-6, Fergie's "Clumsy" slips 6-7 and Snoop Dogg's "Sensual Seduction" remains No.
8.
Yael Naim's "New Soul," featured in the TV commercial for Apple's newly launched Apple MacBook Air, debuts at No. 9 this week. Sean Kingston's "Take You There" drops 7-10 to round out the top tier.
CHRIS ROCK HOSTS UN FUNDRAISER: Djimon Hounsou, Alicia Keys Madonna among guests at benefit.
*The stars were out in force Wednesday night helping to raise $3.7 million for the United Nations in its effort to help impoverished and sick children around the world.
Chris Rock served as host of a $2,500-a-plate dinner and live auction held on the U.N.'s north lawn in New York. Rihanna, Timbaland and Alicia Keys performed at the red carpet event, which included such stars as Madonna, Drew Barrymore, Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher, Amy Adams, Brooke Shields, Salma Hayek, Djimon Hounsou, Dita Von Teese and UNICEF Ambassadors Tea Leoni and Lucy Liu.
During the auction, guest Tom Cruise bid $100,000 for a sports package that included the privilege of hanging out at Yankee Stadium with Alex Rodriguez and a private hour playing soccer with David Beckham. But the actor was ultimately outbid by someone who offered $350,000.
A trip to Paris with a tour of a vineyard and lunch with Francois-Henri Pinault and Hayek went for $120,000. The most expensive sale was a $600,000 winning bid to tour with Madonna and take a dance class with her and Gwyneth Paltrow.
Gucci funded costs for the event and tied it in with tomorrow's opening of its Manhattan flagship store on Fifth Avenue.
MIJAC PAYS OFF A TAX BILL: State tax lien on Neverland Ranch reportedly paid in full; but singer still in default on $23 million loan.
*Michael Jackson has taken one small step in tackling his monstrous debt situation. Fox.com columnist Roger Friedman cites Santa Barbara County records that reveal the entertainer has finally satisfied a state tax lien on his Neverland Valley Ranch.
The total, according to the assessor’s office, came to just over $600,000 including penalties and fees, Friedman writes.
Meanwhile, the singer still owes $23 million on a defaulted loan taken against Neverland.
"Fortress Investments is now two weeks past its foreclosure deadline, which means it could start proceedings against Jackson at any time," writes Friedman. "Jackson, sources say, may have arranged for a time extension through his former (and maybe current) pal, Ron Burkle."
ARE JAY-Z AND LYOR COEN PLOTTING A NEW LABEL?: Rumor has it that the two are looking to launch Carter Music Group.
*Warner Music Group boss Lyor Cohen says he has not spoken with Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter about partnering to launch a new record label, but adds he would love to re-team with the rapper he once signed to Island Def/Jam.
"I would be honored and privileged to work with him again," Cohen, a former Def Jam exec, tells the New York Daily News. "Bringing Jay-Z to the Warner Music Group would be a privilege and a coup. I'd do it in a heartbeat."
A source told the newspaper that Jay-Z left his post as Def Jam CEO in December because the job took too much time away from his other ventures.
"The reason Jay left Def Jam was less about money than about freedom," the source said. "He didn't want to come to the office every day. And he had so many outside projects - his chain of 40/40 clubs and the hotel he's building in Chelsea. But he wouldn't mind having a small label for the talent he discovers. He might just put out three or four records a year.
He'd let somebody else do the heavy lifting."
50 CENT WANTS ASHANTI FOR G-UNIT?: Plus, is the rapper's clothing brand hanging by a thread?
*The New York Daily News' Rush & Malloy column reported Wednesday that 50 Cent is trying to convince Ashanti to leave Irv Gotti's operation at The Inc. and become a part of his stable of artists at G-Unit.
According to the paper, the R&B songstress has been upset with Gotti for saying in various interviews that they had a sexual encounter.
"She was pissed," says the source, "And now 50 Cent is trying to get her to be a part of G-Unit."
Meanwhile, Allhiphop.com is reporting that 50's G-Unit Clothing line – launched in 2004 with partner Marc Ecko Enterprises – will not close down for good as recent rumors have suggested. However, a round of layoffs is expected sometime next week.
"They aren’t shutting down," a source told AllHipHop.com. "They may be leaving their partner, but the G-Unit brand is a base business of $75 million dollars annually."
According to a report in The Wall Street Journal, the G-Unit brand accounts for 15% of Marc Ecko Enterprises annual revenue, while sales of the G-Unit brand grew almost 30 % last year.
DO ALL BLACK 'MICHELLES' LOOK ALIKE TO MAUREEN DOWD?: Columnist accused of mistaking journalist for Michelle Obama.
*A black female writer for the Times of London has opened a can of worms by publicly accusing white New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd of being unable to tell her apart from Michelle Obama.
In her column this week, Michelle Henery wrote that Dowd, "one of my journalistic heroes," approached her in the press room after the last Hillary Clinton-Barack Obama debate in Los Angeles.
"She was in my face, smiling warmly, greeting me like a long-lost friend," wrote Henery. "My mind went into overdrive trying to figure out why the world-renowned, Pulitzer Prize-winning, New York Times uber-columnist .
. . was speaking to me. The shock . . . left me momentarily speechless, but in those few seconds Maureen's sweet smile turned into embarrassed confusion and she scampered off."
Henery continued, "The next day I e-mailed a group of American friends, asking whose doppelganger I was. They all agreed: 'She must have thought you were Michelle Obama.'"
Henery, a 1998 Georgetown University grad, added sarcastically: "Of course! I mean, despite her having almost 15 years on me and more than 3 inches in height, not to mention that she should be immediately recognizable having had her face plastered across every newspaper in America for the past three months, we're like twins . . . I wondered how white America was going to elect a black man for president if they could not even tell us apart."
She joked: "Maureen, no hard feelings. When you came up to me, I mistook you for Arianna Huffington."
Meanwhile, Page Six says Dowd is "furious" about the whole thing.
"[It's] total fiction. I never went up to this woman, or mistook her for anyone," Dowd told the column. "I've been covering Barack and Michelle Obama for a year, and I know what they look like. And I would never expect to see a candidate or a spouse in the press room at a debate because that never happens. It's outrageous conjecture."
The Times of London has since removed Henery's article from its Web site.
RUBY DEE TO RECEIVE NAACP'S CHAIRMAN AWARD: Oscar nominee will receive honor next week during Image Awards.
*The NAACP will honor actress and humanitarian Ruby Dee with its prestigious Chairman's Award during the Feb. 14th live broadcast of the 39th NAACP Image Awards on FOX (8 p.m. ET/PT)
The Chairman’s Award is selected annually by NAACP Board Chairman Julian Bond in recognition of special achievement and distinguished public service.
“Ruby Dee is a true American icon who has inspired generations of young actors and filmmakers.” said Bond. “She is an accomplished actor, writer, and a tireless political activist. It's a rare privilege when you get to honor someone who has led by example.”
“The Chairman’s Award is one of three special NAACP Image Awards that will be presented this year,” stated Image Awards Chairman Clayola Brown. “The other previously announced honors include the Hall of Fame Award to be presented to Stevie Wonder and the Vanguard Award being given to Aretha Franklin. I think our honorees this year are inspiring. It should make for a very exciting and culturally informative show.”
ESSENCE HONORS TERRY MCMILLAN: Magazine salutes author with lifetime achievement award.
*Author Terry McMillan has been honored with a lifetime achievement award from Essence magazine for her numerous novels about the life, loves and struggles of black women in contemporary society.
"No single writer today has documented the African-American experience from a contemporary black women's point of view like Terry McMillan," said Patrik Henry Bass, a senior editor at Essence for books and art, according to the AP.
McMillan's first experience with Essence came as a University of California at Berkeley journalism student in 1974, when she won an Essence essay contest with her piece on black male-female relationships.
The 56-year-old writer's best-known books include "How Stella Got Her Groove Back" and "Waiting to Exhale." Both were made into feature films.
Essence editors nominated McMillan along with other authors in eight other literary categories. Winners, expected to attend the Essence Literary Awards ceremony Thursday evening, were selected by a panel of experts in the black publishing field.
JAMIE FOXX STATUE DEBUTS AT MADAME TUSSAUDS: Unveiling kicks off Vegas spot's Black History Month celebration.
*Madame Tussauds in Las Vegas begins its Black History Month exhibit with the unveiling of its latest creation – a wax figure of Oscar-winning actor, Jamie Foxx.
Tussauds Studio artists from the wax museum's home base in London spent two hours with Foxx taking precise measurements, matching eye, skin and hair coloring, and getting a feel for his personality – all of which contribute to the making of his $300,000 wax likeness.
"Jamie Foxx was a natural choice for us," said Adrian Jones, General Manager of Madame Tussauds Las Vegas. "He not only embodies the upper echelon of celebrity that we look to celebrate, but what he represents to the black community, and Americans as a whole, is the ability to take born-talent, drive and commitment and transform them into something magical.
He has rated high with our customers for some time, and we are happy to deliver what our customers have asked for."
"Madame Tussauds Black History" will also feature displays of Muhammad Ali, Louis Armstrong, James Brown, Whoopi Goldberg, Jimi Hendrix, Michael Jordan, Martin Luther King, Jr. and Oprah Winfrey. Each figure will be accompanied with a biography that acknowledges the contributions made by the individuals to shape American history.
RADIO/MAGAZINE BITS: XM nabs N.O.R.E. and Monie Love; 'The Content Black Woman Show'; Dave Mays launches MONSTA magazine.
*N.O.R.E. and Monie Love are the newest members of the XM Satellite radio nation, Valencia Roner gets her Internet blog on and Dave Mays is back with the launch of yet another hip hop publication.
"Militainment Radio with N.O.R.E.," featuring co-hosts DJ EFN and fellow CNN member Capone, launched this week on XM 66 Raw and will air Wednesdays at 8 p.m. covering a wide variety of topics.
"It’s barbershop talk on the radio," N.O.R.E. told AllHipHop.com. "We are covering all issues from Superhead [Karrine Steffans] to Hillary Clinton and Obama, to the Iraq war, to smoking cigarettes, getting weeded and drunk and lying to your girl. It’s made for n***as but females will enjoy it as well."
Ladies First Radio with Monie Love, debuting at 6 p.m. Feb. 14 on XM
65 The Rhyme, will feature celebrity guests as well as the old school rapper's reflections on life and love, all with a playlist full of ‘90s hip hop.
*Popular Internet radio program, The Content Black Woman Show (CBW), has nabbed the No. 1 spot for current events programming on BlogTalkRadio.com.
Hosted by 3BAAS Media owner and blogger Valencia Roner, the online show provides news, opinions and insights from a "content black woman's"
perspective. It's the only African American hosted and produced show listed in BlogTalkRadio.com's top five most popular shows out of some 51,000 currently featured.
*Twenty years after creating the groundbreaking publication The Source, David Mays and Ray “Benzino” Scott announce the Feb. 12 launch of their new monthly magazine, MONSTA.
The publication is described in a press release as "an authentic, relevant and timely chronicle of the Hip Hop Generation, documenting its consistent impact on mainstream society and popular culture."
The first issue contains an article on the murder of NFL player Sean Taylor and an in-depth feature on The Black Mafia Family (BMF) trial "that goes deeper than any other media outlet has ever been allowed to go," the press release states, "including interviews with key BMF members, the trial judge and others."
Georgetown University professor Michael Eric Dyson shares his views on Barack Obama and the hip hop community in the monthly column “Monsta Issues,” while rapper Lupe Fiasco gives his take on the presidential race in a Q&A in MONSTA’S “Politics” section.
ITTY BITTY BITS: 'Artists & Activism'; Gov. Barkley; ODB clothing; HBO cuts 'Inside'; Longoria baby rumors; Winehouse visa denied.
*The NAACP Hollywood Bureau will present its 4th Annual Symposium entitled "Artists & Activism" on Monday (Feb. 11) at 6:30 p.m., at the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Leonard H. Goldenson Theatre in Los Angeles. The event will bring together actors, industry executives, scholars and historians to discuss the cultural impact of the celebrity, art and entertainment on the world. Ed Gordon will host "Artists & Activistsm."
Hill Harper, Debra Lee, Judge Greg Mathis, Congresswoman Maxine Waters are among the featured panelists.
*NBA veteran and TNT analyst Charles Barkley says he's still planning to run for governor of Alabama someday, but he will not seek any help or support from civil rights fighters Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson. "I don't believe in them. They always play the race card, and you can't always play the race card," the former power forward tells next month's Playboy.
"Sometimes the race card is needed but not in every situation. We have to hold blacks more accountable for their actions."
*Icelene Jones, the widow of rapper Ol' Dirty Bastard, is hoping to stop companies from selling knock-off clothing that bear his image. Jones wants to remind folks that she owns the lone official ODB clothing line, which is about to hit stores. Meanwhile, she's also trying to promote the fledgling rap career of Bar-son Jones, her 18-year-old son with ODB.
*Wednesday's episode of HBO's "Inside the NFL" was its swan song. The cable channel has decided to cancel the weekly NFL highlights show after more than 30 years on the air due to competition from 24-hour cable and the Internet, which offer game recaps in a more immediate fashion. "It has been a terrific franchise," HBO Sports president Ross Greenburg said. "But the television landscape has changed quite a bit over the last 30 years, and we have to recognize the realities of the business." The program is anchored by Bob Costas and features analysts Cris Carter, Cris Collinsworth and Dan Marino. The NFL said Wednesday that it will continue with "Inside the NFL"
on another network.
*Eva Longoria Parker baby rumors have again flared up after the actress was recently spotted at L.A. infant boutique Petit Tresor. "She looked at cribs, changing tables and inquired about designing a nursery," a source told the New York Daily News. The "Desperate Housewives" star and wife of NBA player Tony Parker ended up purchasing a $116 Robbie Adrian blanket and a half-dozen Huddy Buddy onesies, including one that proclaimed, "I tend to drool."
*Troubled British singer Amy Winehouse will not get a weekend pass from rehab to attend the Grammy Awards in Los Angeles on Sunday because her visa request was turned down by the U.S. Embassy, her rep said Thursday.
"Amy has been progressing well since entering a rehabilitation clinic two weeks ago and although disappointed with the decision has accepted the ruling and will be concentrating on her recovery," said her rep, the Outside Organization. The 24-year-old singer's "Back to Black" album are nominated for six Grammys.
JENA SIX TEEN CHARGED WITH ASSAULT: Bryant Purvis, 19, had a situation with a schoolmate in Dallas.
*A member of Louisiana's Jena Six was charged Wednesday with one count of assault causing bodily injury for fighting with a fellow student at his high school in Texas, his mother told the Shreveport Times.
Bryant R. Purvis, who now lives in Dallas, was detained in the Carrollton, Texas, jail without bail pending a bond hearing Thursday morning.
Tina Jones, Purvis’ mother, said her son got into an altercation with another student at Hebron High School early Wednesday after being told the student had vandalized his car the night before.
According to Jones, Purvis, 19, didn't really fight the student, but rather “grabbed him by the collar and pushed his head on the table, talking to him,” she said.
“Bryant was very upset because he had a (basketball) game Tuesday night and, when (he went out to his car after) the game, someone made both tires on the passenger side flat,” Jones told the newspaper. “And (Wednesday) morning, someone told him who done it. That’s the reason the altercation happened. And a few days before that happened, he was driving my brother’s truck and someone stole the tires and busted the windows out of it.”
Purvis is one six black Jena High School students initially charged with attempted murder in connection with a Dec. 4, 2006, assault on white student Justin Barker at the LaSalle Parish school. Soon after Purvis’ arrest, Jones said she sent him to live with his uncle, Dallas Cowboys defensive lineman Jason Hatcher, so he could stay out of trouble and out of the limelight.
Purvis' assault charge is a Class A misdemeanor with a maximum penalty of a $4,000 fine and a year in jail.
EUR DVD REVIEW: The Brave One
Jodie Does New York as Revenge-Minded Vigilante
DVD Review by Kam Williams
*David (Naveen Andrews) and Erica's (Jodie Foster) impending wedding plans are ruined the night they're mugged while walking their dog in Central Park. David dies from the sadistic beating doled out by the creeps, while she's left comatose.
Weeks after recovering from her wounds, Erica is still too paralyzed by fear to return to her work as a radio talk show host.
In fact, she's so traumatized by the tragedy that she can't leave her apartment. Frightened by the prospect of encountering the criminals again, Erica purchases a pistol on the black market to protect herself.
Now armed and emboldened, she starts devoting her evenings to roaming the streets in search of the perpetrators. And she gradually morphs into a monster with no qualms about dispensing a deadly brand of instant justice to any outlaws who cross her path. Meanwhile, she returns to the airwaves as host of "Street Walk," though subtly changing the theme of her program to reflect a simpatico with the anonymous vigilante who suddenly has all of New York abuzz.
So unfolds The Brave One, a raw-edged revenge flick which takes most of its cues from the Charles Bronson classic Death Wish (1974). Jodie Foster turns in her best performance since Panic Room, here, imbuing her cold and calculating killer with a contemplative side seldom seen in such tales of vengeance. Given that the script is riddled with lines which would sound false coming from the mouth of a less gifted lead, director Neil Jordan should thank his lucky stars for having landed a two-time Oscar-winner in Ms. Foster.
New York as a godforsaken metropolis where you have a close brush with a criminal every five minutes. Hence, everybody's grateful for the presence of a gun-toting vigilante intent on exacting retribution.
Excellent (3.5 stars)
Rated R for profanty, sexuality and graphic violence.
Running time: 90 minutes
Studi Warner Home Video
DVD Extras: Additional scenes, plus a featurette entitled "I Walk the City."
OPENING THIS WEEK: Kam's Kapsules: Weekly Previews That Make Choosing a Film
Fun
For movies opening February 8, 2008
by Kam Williams
BIG BUDGET FILMS
Fool's Gold (PG-13 for violence, profanity, sexuality and brief nudity) Kate Hudson and Matthew McConaughey co-star in this action comedy about a just-divorced couple who rekindle their romance after reuniting to search for a sunken treasure buried aboard a Spanish sailing ship lost at sea in 1715. Supporting cast includes Donald Sutherland, Malcolm-Jamal Warner and Brian Hooks.
In Bruges (R for pervasive profanity, graphic violence and drug use) Mob comedy about a couple of hit men (Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson) sent by their boss (Ralph Fiennes) to unwind in Belgium for a couple of weeks after an assignment in London goes horribly wrong.
Vince Vaughn's Wild West Comedy Show (R for sexual humor and pervasive
profanity) Concert flick chronicles emcee Vince Vaughn presenting four of his favorite comedians, Ahmed Ahmed, John Caparulo, Bret Ernst and Sebastian Maniscalco, as they crisscross the country, performing in 30 cities in 30 days.
Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins (PG-13 for profanity, crude humor, sexual content and drug references) Martin Lawrence plays the title role in this ensemble comedy about a popular, Hollywood talk-show host who finds himself cut down to size during a family reunion after he travels back to his Georgia roots for his parents' 50th anniversary. Cast includes Michael Clarke Duncan, Mo'Nique, Mike Epps, Cedric the Entertainer, Nicole Ari Parker and Joy Bryant.
INDEPENDENT & FOREIGN FILMS
Bab'Aziz (Unrated) Intergenerational drama about a blind mustic (Parviz Shahinkhou) who ventures into the desert with his free-spirited granddaughter (Maryam Hamid) in search of a sacred convocation of whirling dervishes said to reoccur once every 30 years. (In Arabic with subtitles)
The Band's Visit (PG-13 for brief profanity) Cross-cultural comedy about the hijinks which ensue when an Egyptian police orchestra gets lost on its way to a concert in Israel and ends up stranded in a tiny town where everybody learns a touching lesson in tolerance. (In Arabic, Hebrew and English with
subtitles)
The Hottie and the Nottie (PG-13 for sexuality and crude humor) Romantic comedy about a single guy (Joel David Moore) whose only hope of dating the gorgeous girl (Paris Hilton) of his dreams rests with somehow separating her from her ever-present, ugly duckling best friend (Christine Lakin).
How to Rob a Bank (Unrated) Crime comedy about a bank employee (Erika
Christensen) and a customer (Nick Stahl) who find themselves locked in a vault and having to handle the hostage negotiations between the cops and a gang of robbers. Cast includes Terry Crews, David Carradine and Leo Fitzpatrick.
London to Brighton (Unrated) Taut crime thriller, set in London, revolving around a couple of young prostitutes (Georgia Groome and Lorraine Stanley) on the run from their pimp (John Harris) and a ruthless mobster (Alexander
Morton) with a thing for underage girls.
A Walk to Beautiful (Unrated) Post-partum documentary traces the road to recovery of a quintet of Ethiopian women each of whom experienced ostracism and a loss of dignity after suffering a devastating injury during childbirth. (In Amharic and English)
EUR MOTIVATIONAL NOTE
"The best of us must sometimes eat our words." (From Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets) — J. K. Rowling: British fantasy author
CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS
Feb. 8: Actor Gary Coleman is 40.
Feb. 9: Author Alice Walker is 64. Saxophonist Dennis "DT" Thomas of Kool and the Gang is 57. Actress Camille Winbush ("The Bernie Mac Show") is 18.
Feb. 10: Singer Roberta Flack is 71. Singer Jimmy Merchant of Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers is 68.
WEBSITE OF THE WEEK
This page/site is a tribute to ex-slave and women's rights activist, Sojourner Truth: http://myspace.com/sojourner_truth_lives
Submit your favorite Web site to us along with a 15-20 word (or less) description to info@eurweb.com.
BLACK HISTORY
Feb. 8, 1986: Figure skater Debi Thomas became the first African American to win the Women's Singles of the U.S. National Figure Skating Championship competition. She was a pre-med student at Stanford University.
Feb. 9, 1971: Baseball Hall of Fame inducts Leroy "Satchel" Paige.
Feb. 10, 1927: Attorney Ronald Brown was elected national chairman of the Democratic Party and became the first African American to hold the post.
(Source: www.BlackFacts.com)