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NABOB'S NIGHT OF NIGHTS: The Oscars, Grammys, and the Best of Motown Rolled Up into One Incredible Hollywood Night.
What would you do if you weren’t afraid to get out of your own way? "Anything you want to" according to Oscar-nominated actor Terrence Howard. The actor revealed, in his acceptance speech, at the 22nd Annual National Association of Black Broadcasters (NABOB) communications awards dinner that he pondered this question after being boldly confronted by good friend, actor Jeffrey Wright, for his arrogant ways. The answer, he says, was discovered after some much needed soul searching prompted by a few unfortunate events … including sleeping in the garage after being put out of the house by his wife!
“Sometimes we are very afraid of success because we are afraid of whom [that success] might show us to be,” admits Howard. “[We could become] something so much greater than we thought we could ever be.”
NABOB and the NABOB Foundation recognized Howard and an impressive list of Hollywood notables for their contributions to music, film, television, dance, poetry and theater. Award recipients represented the best of the entertainment industry both past and present. Honorees included the stunningly beautiful and talented Grammy award winner Alicia Keys, Founder and Chairman, BET and the RLJ companies Robert Johnson; Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee and music icon Etta James; Emmy, Golden Globe, and SAG award winning actress S. Epatha Merkerson; Author and Poet Dr. Maya Angelou; and the Queen of Gospel Albertina Walker. And on top of that, The Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin, in rare form, provided the evening's entertainment.
If you are one of the millions who follow the careers of the honorees, you witnessed their rise to prominence through a myriad of successful performances each leaving an indelible impression. From Howard’s role as cute kid in Mr. Holland’s Opus to his Oscar worthy performance in Hustle and Flow; Merkerson’s phenomenal performances in Lackawanna Blues and Law and Order; to Keys’ unforgettable debut album Songs in A Minor and Dr. Angelou’s eloquence and social influence on the world. Performances, in some cases, that were seen and heard on stations owned by NABOB members.
The NABOB awards dinner is historically known for paying homage to the familiar, it is a place for those who worked together in the broadcasting business to reconnect and reminisce about times past, a sentiment to which our own Lee Bailey can attest. Lee ran into a few old buddies that he worked with decades ago, the bond was still evident, conversation and laughter instantly transported the long lost friends back to the good ol' days.
It is also place where WOW moments were shared. S. Epatha Merkerson shared her connection to Alicia Keys’ mother - Terri Auguello - the two studied acting together in New York City years ago. WOW!
It is a place for those who craved NABOB acceptance and consistently to no avail tried to gain membership. Billionaire Robert Johnson was constantly turned down for membership to NABOB during the early years of his BET ownership. Johnson joked about not being invited to join the group during his acceptance speech. I guess we know who got the last laugh!
And it was a place for whispers about those whose face may seem vaguely familiar, but whose names are legendary within the industry, like Hal Jackson, pioneer broadcaster and station group owner (Inner City Broadcasting). They too, have made contributions that have paved the way for artists like Alicia Keys and Terrence Howard to showcase their talents to mainstream audiences and to subsequently be embraced by the world! To learn more about the event and NABOB visit, www.nabob.org.
