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AKON’S LAWYER DOWNPLAYS RECENT BOY-TOSSING: Plus, victim identified as 15-year-old; woman hit by flying boy suffers concussion.
*As police continue to investigate Akon’s fan-throwing incident during a concert Sunday in Fishkill, New York, a lawyer for the Senegalese singer released a statement Wednesday disputing that his client committed a crime.
"Given the information that we have reviewed to date, it does not appear to us that Akon was involved in any criminal conduct whatsoever,"
says his attorney Benjamin Brafman in the statement. "We are prepared to fully cooperate with any law enforcement agency that may be investigating this incident. We are confident that after a thorough investigation it will be apparent that no criminal prosecution of Akon is warranted. “
The boy who was tossed into the crowd by Akon has been located and identified as a 15-year-old resident of Harriman in upstate New York. His mother contacted police after the Poughkeepsie Journal first reported Tuesday that authorities were looking for the victim seen in video footage posted on the Web.
Meanwhile, the flung boy landed atop Abby Rosa, who says she quickly felt a headache and blurry vision and was later diagnosed with a concussion, the Poughkeepsie Journal reported Thursday. She said she has hired a lawyer and spoke to Fishkill police about the incident. She is also requesting an apology from Akon.
Detective Lieutenant John Berlingieri said he needs more witnesses to come forward in order to bring possible charges.
"It would be a pretty weak case if we based it just on the videotape," Berlingieri told the Poughkeepsie Journal. "You need people to come forward and be a true victim."
In the video footage, a black disc is thrown toward Akon from somewhere in the crowd. He asked audience members to point out the culprit, then dispatched his security guards to go fetch the guilty party.
Once the guards brought the boy forward, Akon helped him onstage, only to pick him up and toss him back into the crowd seconds later. A Fishkill town official said the boy was not injured and left the stadium after declining medical treatment.
According to E! Online, the Dutchess County District Attorney's Office is standing by in an advisory capacity.
"If and when they determine that something has occurred, they will forward the case to us and we will review that," Senior District Attorney Edward McLoughlin said.
JERMAINE DUPRI INVOLVED IN CAR ACCIDENT: Mogul is fine; driver suffers minor injuries, car is totaled.
*Allhiphop.com is reporting that music producer Jermaine Dupri is fine following a car accident in New York that sent his driver to the hospital.
The collision took place shortly after midnight Thursday morning as Dupri was being driven in his Cadillac Escalade. A rep for the music exec told AllHipHop.com that a woman ignored a stop light on the corner of 49th Street and Park Avenue and crashed into the SUV.
The Escalade was completely totaled, reports the Web site. One of Dupri’s security guards was taken to a local hospital with a broken arm.
TYLER PERRY TO FILM ‘MEET THE BROWNS’: Popular stage play to become his fifth film under Lionsgate deal.
*Tyler Perry will again don the Madea housedresses for a film adaptation of his stage production, “Meet the Browns,” due in early 2008 for Lionsgate.
The story follows a single mother in Chicago who takes her family to Georgia for the funeral of her father, whom she never met. There, she is introduced to her father’s crude-yet-fun-loving Brown family.
News of the film comes a day after the premiere of Perry’s TBS sitcom “House of Payne,” which is being distributed in first-run syndication by Lionsgate's wholly owned Debmar-Mercury subsidiary.
The series debut has become the No. 1 sitcom telecast in TBS history among adults 18-34, adults 18-49, adults 25-54, overall viewers and overall households, according to preliminary data from Nielsen Media Research.
The show, which grew a strong 12% from the first episode to the second, also provided TBS with the network’s top series telecast of all time among all key adult demos, households and viewers, as well as ad-supported cable’s top scripted telecast for the year to date among adults 18-49 and adults 25-54.
Perry and Lionsgate first struck gold in Feb. 2005 with “Diary of a Mad Black Woman,” which became an unexpected box-office hit opening at No. 1 and eventually earning more than $50 million.
A year later, Perry scored another No. 1 opening with “Madea’s Family Reunion.” His next film, the Madea-less “Daddy’s Little Girls,” earned over
$13 million during its opening weekend this past February. His fourth Lionsgate feature, "Tyler Perry's Why Did I Get Married?" is slated for a November 16 release.
FOX NEWS APOLOGIZES AGAIN FOR REP. CONYERS MIXUP: Second attempt addresses congressman directly.
*Fox News Channel issued a second on-air apology Wednesday for mistakenly running footage of black congressman John Conyers while reporting on the indictment of fellow black congressman William J. Jefferson on bribery charges.
Rep. Conyers, Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, was unhappy with Fox’s initial apology on Tuesday because it was nonspecific and did not mention him personally.
In the second apology broadcast Wednesday, Fox News anchor Martha MacCallum explained to viewers that a production assistant picked up a tape that had been identified as a meeting about Jefferson. However, the video was of Conyers.
"We regret this mistake," MacCallum said Wednesday. "We in no way meant to suggest that there was any connection between the Jefferson indictment and Congressman Conyers. We have extended our apology privately to the congressman and we do so here as well."
RIHANNA’S UMBRELLA CONTINUES BILLBOARD REIGN: Arie’s charity single ‘Flower’
is week’s highest debut.
*Rihanna’s new single “Umbrella” continues to hold down the No. 1 spot on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart after rocketing 42-1 last week, while Shop Boyz keep the No. 2 spot warm for a second week with “Party Like a Rockstar.”
Rihanna's "Umbrella" also tops Billboard’s new Canadian Hot 100 chart, which launched made its debut yesterday (June 7).
T-Pain's "Buy U a Drank (Shawty Snappin')" featuring Yung Joc moves up 4-3, while the song remains No. 1 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs for a sixth week.
On that chart, former Destiny's Child member Kelly Rowland has her first top 10 hit as a solo act as "Like This" featuring Eve climbs 13-7.
Elsewhere in the Hot 100 top 10, Justin Timberlake's "Summer Love"
moves down 6-8, and Huey's "Pop, Lock & Drop It" is up 10-9.
The Hot 100's top debut at No. 56 is India.Arie's "Beautiful Flower,"
which she wrote for the students at the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls and performed on the talk show last week.
Also new is Timbaland's "The Way I Are" featuring Keri Hilson at No.
78, Kanye West's "Can't Tell Me Nothing" at No. 80 and Kat Deluna's "Whine Up" featuring Elephant Man at No. 91.
SHAKE YOUR TAMBOURINE, GO’ON GET YOURSELF A PLASMA: Eve and YouTube team for contest.
*Rapper Eve and video sharing website YouTube are launching the official Shake Your Tambourine contest, where folks are asked to film themselves obeying the chorus of her latest single, “Tambourine.”
The contestant who submits the best "Tambourine" dance video will win a 58" Plasma Panasonic HDTV. The winner will be chosen by the rapper herself.
Those ready to enter can post their “Tambourine” footage at the Youtube Contest Group Page Link here: http://youtube.com/group/tambourine.
GRAMMYS TO HAVE CHURCH IN NATION’S CAPITAL: Annual ‘Salute to Gospel’ set for Lincoln Theatre.
*The annual Grammy Salute to Gospel, organized to showcase talented religious musicians who are often overlooked at the annual Grammy telecast, will be held in Washington D.C. tonight at the historic Lincoln Theatre.
Donald Lawrence will serve as music director, while performers will include Yolanda Adams, Byron Cage, Donnie McClurkin, Kierra "Kiki" Sheard and Richard Smallwood. Three-time Grammy winner Michael W. Smith, the Clark Sisters and Bobby Jones will receive the academy's President's Merit Award.
Tonight’s show marks the first time it is being held outside of Los Angeles. The decision to bring the event east is rooted in a chance to introduce religious music to people who might not otherwise hear it, according to Recording Academy Washington chapter executive director Shannon Emamali.
"We went back and forth on that," Emamali told the Hollywood Reporter. "But in the end, we decided that Washington was a perfect place because the gospel community is so entrenched here, while it would also give us an opportunity to diversify the music's appeal, and it's our nation's capital. Congress members live here."
Emamali said she expects lawmakers and other policy types to attend the show. President Bush is sending a message.
KEYS, JAY-Z, OPRAH OTHERS COVER VANITY FAIR: Bono-helmed July issue features 20 different covers full of Africa’s biggest supporters.
*Folks planning to pick up the new Africa-themed July issue of Vanity Fair will have 20 different covers to choose from, featuring celebrities hand-picked by guest-editor Bono for their charitable ties to the continent.
Oprah Winfrey, Jay-Z, Djimon Hounsou, Chris Rock, Alicia Keys, Don Cheadle and Barack Obama are among the celebrities who took part in the unprecedented cover spread, shot by world renowned photographer Annie Leibovitz to capture what resembles a game of telephone among international icons discussing the crisis in Africa.
“These are incredible people of our time who all have a passion for and a connection to Africa," said Leibovitz. "It was important to me to really show the humanity in their faces."
Leibovitz flew to locations from Japan to Omaha to South Korea over the course of six weeks to photograph the covers. Only two pictures feature subjects who were actually in the same room during the photo shoot – a cover of President George W. Bush next to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, and one showing Alicia Keys and Iman.
Other covers feature Madonna whispering into the ear of Maya Angelou, and Sen. Obama standing next to Muhammad Ali. Warren Buffett, George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Desmond Tutu, Bill and Melinda Gates, Queen Rania of Jordan and Bono himself are also featured on covers.
Barneys New York will display all 20 covers of its special Africa issue in its windows through June 19. A slide show of the covers are also available for viewing here: http://www.vanityfair.com/politics/africa.
The magazine will donate $5 of every subscription purchased online in the month of June to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. And Vanity Fair and (Product) Red will donate to the fund 100 percent of the sales from a special CD curated by African musician Youssou N'Dour on sale at iTunes for $8.99.
DANNY GLOVER JOINS JOHN EDWARDS ON CAMPAIGN TRAIL: Actor supports Democrat’s mission to help the world’s poor.
*Actor Danny Glover stood next to Democratic White House hopeful John Edwards Wednesday as he addressed a crowd of more than 200 in his native state of South Carolina.
The actor was on hand to support Edwards’ announced plans to increase employment and education and also to expand U.S. aid to poor people around the world.
"We have work to do — important work to do," Edwards told the crowd packed into a restaurant in Florence.
Glover said Edwards understands the needs of the working poor and that the campaign is "telling their story."
"This is a campaign about real democracy," Glover said. "This is what this campaign is about, listening to those stories." The actor also said Edwards "was bred and came up on these stories."
As previously reported, Glover is also a big supporter of Venezuela’s president Hugo Chavez, and is currently in the crosshairs of filmmakers in the South American country who oppose the actor’s decision to accept $18 million in government funds to shoot a movie about Haitian revolutionary Toussaint L’Ouverture.
KONNICHIWA TO ‘106 & PARK’: BET’s popular countdown show to air in Japan.
*BET’s “106 & Park” will premiere this fall on MTV Japan as part of the network’s continued plans to expand the BET brand and broaden the company's worldwide reach via BET International.
A weekly "best of" “106 & Park” show will be broadcast, with additional content available on a BET 106 & Park section on the Web site mtvjapan.com.
Hosts Rocsi and Terrence recently traveled to Japan to tape footage for their inaugural programs, which will be televised in English with Japanese subtitles.
While there, the hosts hung out with Japan's hottest DJ's, rappers, and car clubs and spent time in clubs, shopping districts, record outlets and clothing stores.
"Visiting Japan was quite the cultural experience," said Rocsi. "I was surprised they were not that far behind when it comes to hip-hop and I'm proud to share our black culture with our newly-found Japanese fans," said Terrence.
"Black American culture has incredible appeal around the world and transcends barriers of race and ethnicity," said BET Chairman Debra Lee.
"There are places around the globe that hunger for what BET has to offer.
It's our plan to build a footprint of international partners to help us deliver that content.”
NIGERIAN FIRST AFRICAN TO WIN BRITAIN’S ORANGE PRIZE: Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie also youngest author to earn prestigious honor.
*Britain’s annual Orange Prize for fiction by women was awarded this year to Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, a 29-year-old native of Nigeria who became the first African to take the award, and the youngest author to have won the prize in its 12-year history.
Adichie’s "Half of a Yellow Sun," set during the Nigeria-Biafra conflict of the 1960s, beat out such finalists as India's Kiran Desai and American writer Anne Tyler for the $60,000, awarded for a novel by a woman published in English.
"I can only tell you how profoundly happy I am," Adichie said during the award ceremony in London. "Now I have to go and make a phone call to Nigeria."
"The judges and I were hugely impressed by the power, ambition and skill of Adichie's novel," said Muriel Gray, head of the judging panel, according to AP. "It's astonishing, not just in the skillful subject matter, but in the brilliance of its accessibility. This is a moving and important book by an incredibly exciting author."
"Yellow Sun" was also a finalist earlier this year for the National Book Critics Circle fiction prize. Adichie had previously been an Orange Prize finalist for her debut novel, "Purple Hibiscus," in 2004.
The award's full title is the Orange Broadband Prize for Fiction after its sponsor, telecommunications company Orange. Past winners include Zadie Smith's "On Beauty," Andrea Levy's "Small Island" and Carol Shields'
"Larry's Party."
FILM/TV BITS: N-word on UK ‘Big Bro’; VH1 to air ‘Diana’; Fatman & Shanda on MTV; Paula wants a baby.
*A female contestant on Britain’s “Big Brother” reality show was kicked out of the house yesterday morning (Jun 7) for using the N-word.
Emily Parr, 19, was removed from the London compound when she was heard asking a housemate "Are you pushing it out you n**ger?" while dancing in the living room the night before. Parr said she meant the comment as a joke. She was summoned to the Diary Room to explain her remark to producers, who ultimately decided to remover her from the house. UK’s “Big Brother” sparked worldwide controversy earlier this year when Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty was racially bullied by three of her housemates in a celebrity version of the program.
*VH1 will air the "Concert for Diana" event live from Wembley Stadium on her birthday Sunday, July 1 at 11:00 a.m. EDT and 8:00 a.m. PDT. The cable channel will broadcast the 6-hour show live in its entirety, and it will also be streamed live on VH1.com and be simulcast on MHD: Music High-Definition, MTV Network's high-definition music channel. The concert will also air on VH1 Classic starting one hour after the live concert ends.
In addition to the live online stream, the concert will be available for on-demand viewing at VH1.com following the event. Among the scheduled performers are Kanye West, Joss Stone, Nelly Furtado and P. Diddy. For more information, go to, www.concertfordiana.com.
*Fatman Scoop, made famous by his booming baritone DJ voice, and his instantly likable wife, Shanda, have closed a television development deal, and first-look book and DVD deal with MTV: Music Television based on the popular online "Man And Wife" show, available at http://www.manandwife.tv.
The couple created the series to give the audience an interactive and insightful role into their wild relationship. "Fatman Scoop and Shanda are not only made for each other but are made for television," said Tony DiSanto, Executive Vice President, MTV Series Development & Animation.
"Their hilarious and frank discussions could help usher in a new era of public discourse on everything from sex and sexuality to romance in a committed relationship and bring Scoop and Shanda to an even wider audience."
*At age 44, Paula Abdul says she wants to find herself a man so that she can have a child. But if a boyfriend or husband isn’t in the cards, she’d be happy to adopt. "With medical technology these days, I could have children by myself using a donor. But I would rather be in a relationship so the child has a father to help instill core values,” Abdul told WENN in advance of her Bravo reality show, “Hey Paula.” “If it's meant for me to have children naturally, I absolutely will. I love kids, I really do. And kids love me. I'm so open to the idea of adoption. But, again, I would like to be able to share the raising of the children."
MUSIC BITS: Freddie Scott dies; Brown, Fitzgerald on AOL; Rowland’s new man?; Stone at Bumbershoot; Diddy’s FiFi award.
*Freddie Scott, the singer whose 1968 single “(You) Got What I Need”
was borrowed by Biz Markie for his 1989 hit “Just a Friend,” died Monday at the age of 74, reports Fox411’s Roger Freidman. After scoring a hit with the Gerry Goffin and Carole King Scott-written "Hey Girl" in 1963, the Providence, RI native had a string of R&B hits, including a reworking of Ray Charles's "I Got a Woman" and "Where Does Love Go?" In 2001, Scott released his first album of new songs in 30 years, “Brand New Man.” On the Van Morrison tribute album “Vanthology” (2003), he performed "Brown-Eyed Man."
*AOL Black Voices celebrates Black Music Month with a tribute to music legends James Brown and Ella Fitzgerald. As part of the multimedia special, Black Voices will highlight the immeasurable impact that the Godfather of Soul had on several generations of artists. The Ella Fitzgerald special will feature a listening party of "We All Love Ella," a tribute album recorded for the 90th anniversary of Fitzgerald's birth. The listening party will showcase the leading ladies and gents of soul - Natalie Cole, Queen Latifah, Chaka Khan, Gladys Knight, Michael Buble, Hank Jones and more - singing Fitzgerald's most famous tunes including "A Tisket A Tasket," "Dream a Little Dream of Me," "Angel Eyes" and "Mr. Paganini," among other classics.
*Has Kelly Rowland found herself another athlete? British tabloids are reporting that the singer is currently dating English soccer star Kieran Richardson of the Manchester United. The pair first met backstage at one of her London gigs and they have been seeing each other for the last two months, according to British newspaper The Sun. Rowland’s last boyfriend was Dallas Cowboys player Roy Williams.
*Joss Stone has joined the lineup for the 2007 Bumbershoot festival, to be held Sept. 1-3 throughout the Seattle Center. Wu-Tang Clan has already been confirmed for the event, which will also feature the Flatstock poster art fair, readings from writers Miranda July and "This American Life"
contributor Davy Rothbart, visual arts exhibitions, dance and theatre performances and the 1 Reel Film Festival. For ticket information, visit Bumbershoot's Web site.
*Sean “Diddy” Combs, creator of the Unforgivable fragrance, spoke to allhiphop.com about being the first African-American to win an award for Men’s Fragrance of the Year at the Fragrance Foundation's 35th Annual FiFi Awards in New York. "Somebody from fashion had come up to me, an African-American man and he had tears in his eyes because the fashion industry is such a segregated industry and he was just stating that I didn't realize that I was the first African American to ever win this award," Combs told AllHipHop.com. "I've won Grammy's and other awards, but to really win this award is a crazy honor. It's a part of history so it feels great."
JUDGE TO RULE MONDAY IN GENARLOW WILSON CASE: Teen given 10-year sentence for consensual sex with another teen.
*Genarlow Wilson – a 21-year-old Georgia man currently serving a 10-year prison sentence for having consensual oral sex at age 17 with a 15-year-old girl (one year below the age of consent in Georgia) – will find out his fate on Monday when a judge is expected to decide whether his conviction will be overturned.
Wilson’s attorney appealed to Judge Thomas H. Wilson Wednesday to free Wilson, whose sexual encounter with the girl was videotaped by friends
during a New Year’s Eve party involving alcohol and marijuana.
Had Wilson engaged in regular sexual intercourse with the 15-year-old, the act would’ve fallen under Georgia’s "Romeo and Juliet" exception. But under the law in 2003, oral sex between teens constituted aggravated child molestation and carried a mandatory sentence.
Georgia lawmakers changed the law in 2006 to make consensual oral sex between teens a misdemeanor punishable by a maximum of one year behind bars. Also, offenders do not have to register as sex offenders, as Wilson will be required to do. But that law is not retroactive, which means Wilson’s conviction and 10-year prison sentence – by law – must stand.
Wilson's case has attracted national media attention and several influential people are speaking out on his behalf, including former President Jimmy Carter. His sentence has been denounced by members of the jury that convicted him, as well as the author of the 1995 law that put him behind bars.
"The law was designed to protect kids against really, really bad people doing very bad things," said the sponsor, former state Rep. Matt Towery, a Republican. "It was never intended to put kids in jail for oral sex."
A former honors student, standout athlete and homecoming king, Wilson was originally charged with raping a 17-year-old girl at the New Year’s Eve party. The tape showed Wilson and other male partygoers having sexual intercourse with the 17-year-old, who prosecutors argued was semiconscious and not capable of consent. But a jury that watched the tape disagreed and Wilson was acquitted. He was found guilty, however, of aggravated child molestation involving the 15-year-old girl.
Wilson, of Douglas County, has been behind bars for more than two years as his lawyers have fought tirelessly for his release. During Wednesday’s hearing at Monroe County Superior Court, Bernstein told the
judge: "It truly is cruel and unusual punishment. It is wrong when the Legislature has passed the law to make this a misdemeanor with no sex offender registry [requirement], and instead the state is trying to keep this young man in prison for 10 years and on the sex offender registry."
Paula K. Smith, senior assistant attorney general, opposed Wilson's petition, telling the judge the change in law does not apply to Wilson's case.
"The General Assembly passed a statute. They did not make it retroactive," Smith said. "It was their prerogative to do so. They did not.
The courts of Georgia have not."
Judge Wilson said he would issue a ruling by noon Monday.
OPENING THIS WEEK: Kam's Kapsules: Weekly Previews That Make Choosing a Film Fun For movies opening June 8, 2007 by Kam Williams
BIG BUDGET FILMS
*Hostel: Part II (R for nudity, profanity, sexuality, terror, torture, drug use and sadistic violence) Sadomasochistic snuff sequel about three American college coeds studying art in Rome who are lured under false pretenses by one of the models they’re painting to a hostel in Slovakia where they end up as sex slaves to kinky perverts with a malevolent agenda.
Cast includes Bijou Phillips, Heather Matarazzo, Lauren Graham and Vera Jordanova.
Ocean’s Thirteen (PG-13 for sensuality) Clooney and company reassemble to plan their most ambitious caper yet, the heist of a casino owned by a ruthless mobster (Al Pacino) who had double-crossed a member (Elliott Gould) of the gang. With Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Bernie Mac, Don Cheadle, Andy Garcia, Casey Affleck, Carl Reiner and Ellen Barkin.
Surf’s Up (PG for mild epithets and rude humor) CGI-animated mockumentary offers a behind-the-scenes peek at the action at the annual Penguin World Surfing Championship. Voice cast includes Diedrich Bader, Jeff Bridges, Zooey Deschanel, Jon Heder, James Woods, Shia LaBeouf and Mario Cantone.
INDEPENDENT & FOREIGN FILMS
12:08 East of Bucharest (Unrated) Wry holiday comedy, set in Rumania some 16 years after the revolution, revolves around a trio malcontents (Mircea Andreescu, Teodor Corban and Ion Sapdaru) ruminating during the Christmas season about whether or not the revolution ever really reached their rural hometown. (In Romanian with subtitles)
Belle Toujours (Unrated) A sequel to Luis Bunuel’s Belle de Jour
(1967) about a sadist (Michel Piccoli) who starts stalking a widowed socialite (Bulle Ogier) whose secret he’s kept for 38 years, namely, her having once indulged her every sexual fantasy by working as a high class hooker in a brothel. (In French with subtitles)
La Vie en Rose (PG-13 for nudity, profanity, sexuality, substance abuse and mature themes) Marion Cotillard portrays Edith Piaf (1915-1963) in this bittersweet bio-pic about the tragic life and times of the legendary chanteuse who started as a lowly street performer till she was discovered by the nightclub owner (Gerard Depardieu) who put her name up in lights. (In French with subtitles)
The Method (Unrated) Ensemble drama, set against the backdrop of an anti-globalization demonstration, depicts a variation on Trump’s “The Apprentice,” featuring seven candidates caught up in a cutthroat competition for an executive position with a multinational corporation in Madrid. (In Spanish, English and French with subtitles)
Miriam (PG-13 for sexuality and violence) Ariana Savalas (Telly’s
daughter) makes her screen debut in the title role of this bio-pic recounting Miriam Shafer’s real-life tale of survival as a 14 year-old Jewish girl from Lithuania who survived the Holocaust by assuming a Christian identity.
Pierrepoint – The Last Hangman (Unrated) Brit bio-pic chronicles the career of Albert Pierrepoint (Timothy Spall), England’s highly-respected executioner who hanged 450 men and women between 1932 and 1956, including 200 Nazis after World War II.
BROOKLYN SUDANO: The Rain Interview
A Diva Grows in Brooklyn
By Kam Williams
*Brooklyn Sudano is an ingénue with the beauty, pedigree and versatility which makes her one of Hollywood’s emerging stars to be reckoned with. Born in Los Angeles, she’s the daughter of disco diva Donna Summer and singer/songwriter Bruce Sudano.
She and her two sisters were raised by her protective parents far from the public eye. While Brooklyn was in her early teens, the family moved to Nashville, Tennessee, where she began to blossom creatively singing in a gospel choir, writing songs and appearing in all of her high school’s theater productions.
During the summer, she and her sisters would tour with their mother, performing as backup singers, dancing in stage productions, even doing some duets, often in some of the world’s largest venues.
Not one to worry about getting her hands dirty, Brooklyn willingly pitched in to help with the crew behind-the-scenes before and after shows.
But in the Fall, she always turned her attention back to academics, excelling to the point where she was valedictorian of her graduating class.
Though she was accepted to Brown, Duke and Georgetown Universities, in the end she decided to stay close to home and attended nearby Vanderbilt University, for what turned out to be a short stay.
Her passion for performing led her to the famed Lee Strasberg Theater Institute in New York, to study a full curriculum of method acting, dance, musical production, movement, stage, film and television.
While in that program, Brooklyn was spotted by a booker from Ford Modeling Agency, who signed her on the spot.
She immediately landed major print ad campaigns and TV commercials for Clairol, Burger King, K-Mart and Clean & Clear. And she later made her television debut as Vanessa on ABC-TV’s hit show My Wife and Kids.
Currently living in L.A., here Brooklyn talks about her feature film debut in Rain, an adaptation of the V.C. Andrews best seller about an orphan raised in the ghetto who learns that she was the abandoned love child of a wealthy white debutante and a brother who came from the other side of the tracks.
Kam Williams: Hey, Brooklyn, thanks for the time.
Brooklyn Sudan No problem.
KW: Let’s see, where do I want to start? I’ve got a million questions I want to ask you. Wasn’t your maternal grandmother a schoolteacher? Didn’t she teach in Brookline, Massachusetts?
BS: She may have. I don’t know whether my grandma was a teacher or not. Her name is Mary Gaines.
KW: I’ll tell you why I’m asking. When I was in college in Boston back in the seventies, I was a live-in servant for a family with three kids who always talked about how Donna Summers’ mother was a teacher at their grammar school.
BS: Oh, that side of my family is definitely from that area, but I’m not sure. I don’t think so, but she might have been.
KW: Where did you get your name? I’m guessing that because your father’s from Brooklyn, that that’s where it came from.
BS: Yeah, I think that had to be part of it, and also that my dad was in a band called Brooklyn Dreams. I think the combination of the two, plus my parents being the creative types that they are, whether I was a boy or a girl, that was going to be my name.
KW: Have you ever been to Brooklyn?
BS: Yes, of course! [Laughs] I used to live in New York. It was always a funny thing when someone would ask me my name and I would say “Brooklyn.” They would always think that I meant that I lived in Brooklyn, and I would have to clarify that.
KW: What was it like having disco diva Donna Summer for a parent?
BS: [Laughs] I didn’t see it that way. To me, my parents are my mom and dad, and we were able as kids to do a lot of cool things. Just being part of that family definitely brought out and cultivated the creative arts in us. But to me, they’re just mom and dad. It was normal and what I’ve always known. I don’t know anything different, so I don’t really have anything to compare it to.
KW: Weren’t you parents touring frequently?
BS: My parents definitely went on the road a lot, but every opportunity we had to join them we did, especially if they were going to be traveling for long stretches at a time. We would bring a tutor along, like when we went to Japan for five or six weeks during the school year. But if they were just going away for a couple of days, they would always leave us in good hands.
KW: At what age did you develop your passion for performing?
BS: I think it was just there. Every person in my family has that desire. But it’s more about the art, and being creative. Whether it’s singing, acting, painting or writing, my entire family engages in those types of activities. They’re forms of self-expression, and it’s what we love to do, so I just grew up in that environment. When I was a kid, I always envisioned myself as performing, as being in that business. It was all that I knew, so it’s kind of like I’m just following in the family tradition.
KW: I know that you were valedictorian of your high school. What school was that?
BS: That was Christ Presbyterian Academy in Nashville. I was always kind of a student, a nerd. I didn’t have a lot of dates in high school. I really didn’t. [Laughs]
KW: Were you one of those brainiacs who didn’t have to study?
BS: No, I was one of the serious studiers. I’m not somebody who just shows up and gets a hundred on a test. I really put a lot of work into it and was always reading books and studying for tests. I was lucky to have that drive. That’s for sure.
KW: In watching your performance in Rain, I couldn’t help but notice your perfect diction and grammar which I didn’t expect from a character raised in the ‘hood.
BS: Rain, as a character, was similar to how I am, in that sense. She studied, she wanted to learn. Education enables you to see more of the world, even if you can’t travel. So, you’re still able to expand your horizons, and go beyond your borders, in a way. And Rain wanted to do that, even though she loved her family. She wanted to see and experience the rest of the world as well. That excited her.
KW: What interested you in this script?
BS: The screenplay was by a very well-known book writer, V.C. Andrews. He wrote the script and he’s very eloquent. I think he put that quality in the character of Rain as well, I think maybe he wanted that to be a little bit more her vibe.
KW: You mean “she,” don’t you? The “V” in “V.C. Andrews” stands for Virginia.
BS: Well, actually Andrew Neiderman writes under V.C. Andrews’ name.
KW: Oh, you’re saying that Andrew Neiderman ghostwrites as V.C. Andrews?
BS: I’m not sure if I’m supposed to say that, but he’s a very accomplished author on his own. He wrote The Devil’s Advocate, but I don’t know how he portrays himself in the media, and I don’t want to get in trouble for that.
KW: Okay, mum’s the word. How much pressure did you feel playing the title character in your first feature film?
BS: It was a very big undertaking, but I was very blessed to have so many accomplished people surrounding me. One of the reasons I took the role was because I would be the lead, but I was also interested because of the caliber of professionals I would be working with: Faye Dunaway, Khandi Alexander, Giancarlo Esposito, Robert Loggia… And then all the behind-the-scenes people, including Craig DiBona, the director, who’s been a part of so many amazing films and worked with so many greats.
KW: Did you identify with your character, Rain, at all?
BS: Yes, I think you find pieces of yourself in every character you portray. I feel I was a lot like her… sometimes misunderstood, sometimes people think of you one way and their expectations are not who you really are. So, there were a lot of areas where I could connect with her such as being a young woman in a new situation… a fish out of water… You pick pieces of those things you’ve experienced in life to make it real to yourself.
KW: Well, like Rain, you do have one black parent and one white parent, but you weren’t abandoned by them.
BS: No, I’m very well loved. That aspect of it was different for me.
KW: And you didn’t grow up in the ghetto, either?
BS: No, those things I had to create, but the true essence of who she was, I can relate to.
KW: Growing up in Tennessee, I suppose you must have encountered your share of racism?
BS: I lived in California until I was about 10, and then we moved to Connecticut. I didn’t move to the South till I was 14 years-old. By then, I had already traveled, and seen much of the world. I had friends of many different nationalities. So, when I moved to Nashville, it was a bit of a culture shock for me.
KW: How so?
BS: It was never really overt racism. It was more the subtlety of the mentality. Of course, my parents tried to protect me from it, but people are people, and I think a lot of those attitudes are deep-rooted, and it’s not like people even understand some of the things that they’re saying. You know what I mean?
KW: Yep.
BS: There’s often a subtlety to it. It’s not always overt. If you’re in the minority, you often have to deal with bigotry. It doesn’t matter whether you’re black or white, practice a different religion, come from a different culture, or have a disability. If you’re different from most of the people you’re surrounded by, some people might not be as tolerant as they should be.
KW: Do you have a favorite city you enjoy living in?
BS: No, from traveling so much, I’ve really learned to enjoy wherever I’m at, though Los Angeles is great. The weather is great. You can go to the beach. I love that about L.A. New York I love because I can go to plays.
Don’t get me wrong, Nashville is a great place, too. Much of my family and many friends are there, and I have warm feelings for it as well. So, there are different things about each city that are special to me. I try to hold on to the things that I like about a place, and enjoy my time while I’m there.
KW: Where in L.A. did you grow up?
BS: I kinda’ grew up in a few different places, but I spent a lot of my time out on a 56-acre ranch in Thousand Oaks where we had chickens and cows and dogs. My mom had a big garden, and I spend a great deal of time playing outside. I had the country life, but also the city life, since we would go to New York a lot. Now, I live in the main Los Angeles area, so I’ve sort of come full circle.
KW: Would you mind answering the Jimmy Bayan question by telling me what L.A. neighborhood you’re in now?
BS: I’d rather not say, just for safety’s sake.
KW: I understand.
BS: It’s unfortunate, but that’s how you have to be at this stage of the game, especially because of what’s available with the help of the internet. You have to be very aware of the information that you reveal, because you just don’t know how someone might use it. I’m not worried about you, but you know how things can be with the internet. I don’t even have a page at MySpace. [Laughs]
KW: Was it ever hard being the daughter of a pop icon?
BS: When you have parents who are recognizable, there’s a certain part of you that wants to know that people you meet are able to not get clouded by that. For one reason or another, people often get kinda’ caught up with it. You want to know that people see you for who you are before that comes up. It’s not like you want to hide or be dishonest, it’s just that you want to give people an opportunity to see you clearly, without anything else attached to it, if possible. Then you’re able to get the same shot that they did for a real connection. You kind of want to be able to meet people directly where they’re at.
KW: Do you have stalker issues? I’m sure your mother must have had some over the course of her career.
BS: Luckily, I haven’t had anything too intrusive to this point. I’m happy about that. I’m a pretty private person. I’m not “out there” out there. From living in New York City, I developed a certain awareness that you have to have when you live by yourself. And I think I brought that with me here to Los Angeles, even though it’s not the same. I try to be pretty aware, and make sure that I’m safe, especially if I’m alone.
KW: I enjoyed your singing in this role, but you sound more like Judy Collins or Joni Mitchell than Donna Summer. Who would you say are your influences?
BS: The style of music in the movie is not necessarily the same as my own personal music. I helped write one of the songs, but the rest were written by other people. My parents are very much singer/songwriters, so they ended up showing me a lot of that type of music when I was a kid, but as I’ve gotten old I’ve really listened to a wide spectrum of music, whether it’s The Carpenters, Stevie Wonder, Justin Timberlake, Jay-Z or Lauryn Hill. I’ve kinda’ run the gamut, and in listening to so many different styles, you come to take bits and pieces from all of it.
KW: How did you enjoy being on My Wife and Kids?
BS: That was a great experience. It was my first professional, series regular gig. I had so much fun, because it was a great learning experience in a family environment.
KW: How was it working on that show with Damon Wayans?
BS: He was one of the most professional people I’ve ever met. And so sweet and so giving. And [co-star] Tisha Campbell was the same way. I felt very blessed to be able to get paid to go there, because I would’ve gone for free.
KW: You wouldn’t believe how many times I interview someone, and they end up raving about how great it was working with one of the Wayans Brothers. Why do you think that’s the case?
BS: They are enablers, and they do many things well. So, they bring a lot of people along for the ride, especially if they believe in you. And they love kids, and they love their families, and it’s very evident in the environment they create on the set.
KW: In your bio, it says you were spotted by a booker for Ford Model Agency who signed you on the spot. I always hear stories like that. Is that true or was that dreamed up by a publicist?
BS: Well, it was kinda’ like that, but maybe a little glorified. The introduction wasn’t solicited by me. I was introduced to one of the agents at Ford, and very early on, they were like “We would love to work with you.” I didn’t really pursue them. It happened through a natural connection, and it all happened very, very quickly. So, I was really blessed to get a break because it’s not an easy industry.
KW: I’m curious about how you see yourself ethnically, given that you have one white parent, and one black parent.
BS: I’ve taken some journeys with that throughout my life, and come to an understanding about how I felt about, and then how the world kinda’ sees it. I grew up in an environment where of my two best friends, one was Korean, and one was blonde with blue eyes. And I was very close to my nanny, who’s like my second mom, and she’s from El Salvador. From very early on, I was surrounded by different cultures, so, as a kid I wasn’t really aware of it. Then, as I got older, I always identified equally with my mother and father’s sides. My dad’s family is Italian-American from Brooklyn, so I always considered myself bi-racial, because I didn’t want to disconnect from either side, and I felt very strongly about that. Now, I understand that the world sees me as a black woman, a person of color, and I’m okay with that. I wouldn’t want to change the fact that I’m a person of color. But I also try to be fair to both sides of who I am, since they both played a big part in making me who I am today. The world kinda’ gets caught up in putting people in boxes, and you have to check a box saying you’re white, or Hispanic, or black, or Asian-American, or a Pacific Islander. But we all share the same emotions and have the same blood running through our veins and we’re all a part of the human race. Culturally, we might be a little bit different, and say things differently, but if we could all see beyond the boxes and focus on those areas where we are very similar, at the end of the day we’d see that we are simply who we are. And I think the film Rain shows that as well.
KW: What do you see as the movie’s message?
BS: It delivers the message that life is a journey, and that there are going to be some major bumps in the road. You might question who you are and what you’re going to be, but you can fight through it, and even though you’re tested, it will make you stronger and you’ll come to see who you are.
KW: Your generation has recently been dubbed “Generation E.A.” meaning Generation Ethnically-Ambiguous. The New York Times says that what’s popular today is a face whose heritage is hard to pigeonhole. Faces that are ethnically neutral or diverse suddenly have considerable appeal.
BS: Yeah, that is becoming true, because we live in a melting pot. More and more, people are some kind of mixture. Even if you’re Caucasian, you’re a mixture of something.
KW: Like a Benetton ad.
BS: Yeah, whenever I see a family picture of mine, I always call it a Benetton ad, because it kinda’ looks that way. The whole world is gravitating towards being multi-national and multi-racial, which has enabled people of my generation to be more tolerant of differences.
KW: Thanks so much for the interview. I was extremely impressed by your being so forthcoming on so many different subjects. I just hope that when you get as famous as your mother, you’ll still make yourself available to me for another interview.
BS: Sure, definitely. Thank you for taking the time. I appreciate it. Speak to you soon.
EUR MOTIVATIONAL NOTE
"Treat everyone you meet as though they are the most important person you'll meet that day." — Roger Dawson: Author, speaker, negotiation expert.
CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS
June 8: Actor Bernie Casey is 68. Actor-director Keenan Ivory Wayans is 49. Singer Doris Pearson of Five Star is 41. Rapper Kanye West is 29.
June 9: Actress Gloria Reuben is 43.
June 10: Singer Shirley Alston Reeves of The Shirelles is 66. Singer Maxi Priest is 46. Singer Jo-Jo of K-Ci and Jo-Jo is 36. Singer Faith Evans is 34. Singer LeMisha Grinstead of 702 is 29.
WEBSITE OF THE WEEK
StolenID Search is a free service that tells you if your personal information has been stolen or compromised. Check it out:
www.stolenidsearch.com/.
Submit your favorite Web site to us along with a 15-20 word (or less) description to info@eurweb.com.
BLACK HISTORY
June 8, 1968: James Earl Ray, alleged assassin of Martin Luther King Jr., captured at London airport.
June 9, 1989: Congressman John Conyers D-Michigan announced a call for a reparations study.
June 10, 1854: Death of Jack Johnson, first black heavyweight champion, after an automobile accident near Raleigh. (Source:
www.BlackFacts.com)
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