KLEOPATRA GIRL'S RINGSIDE REPORT: 'The King of Hancock Park' pays birthday tribute to 'The King of Pop.'

R&B singer Norwood Young presented a birthday celebration fit for two royals

     Apparently, The King of Hancock Park, R&B Singer Norwood Young felt the same way and threw a lavish birthday party in honor of MJJ and Norwood’s own birthday.  The two kings, it seems, were born just one day apart.

     The setting for the birthday extravaganza was Norwood Young’s lavish estate in Hancock Park, which boasts multiple statutes of Michelangelo’s David situated in front of his house, which greet passers-by on a daily basis. 

(See photos from this event at our eurThisNThat.com blog, HERE.)

     On this birthday tribute eve, when I arrived, I could see the hoopla as my car turned onto 3rd Avenue from Rossmore. There in front of Young’s mansion were swarms of people, and news crews camped outside of his home waiting for clearance to enter the gates and form a red carpet line. 

     You really would have thought it was Michael’s parents home in Encino or fans at Neverland. 

     The site was like a theme park with a huge Jumbo-Tron showing Michael Jackson’s music videos on a revolving reel and the lawn was decked with two huge card board images, one of Michael Jackson and the other an image of Norwood Young, divided by a red velvet King’s throne. Both images stood about 20 feet high (guestimate) and; amidst these gigantic displays there was an enormous replica of Jackson’s sequined glove.

     The David statues were all lined in a row as if on watch at Buckingham Palace and on their cold stoned milky white figures they were dressed with bright red patent leather Thriller jackets.  Oh, I tell you, the scene was mind blowing and could well be described as Norwoodland meets Neverland at Disneyland on Mount Olympus at dusk!!!!

    I was given all access and told I could be a roving reporter.  I felt like I was in a child’s paradise. Everywhere my eyes would glance, there was something amazing and attractive to see. I stopped to chitchat with Pax Stereo/EURweb network host Empress DeVeaux. We were a pair, Empress and Kleopatra Girl. Is everyone a king or a queen around these parts?  Pax stereo’s very affable cameraman Mr. Victor Allen was enjoying our queen-to-queen observations and panning the grounds with his cam.  I hope he will upload the visuals for all to see.

     Then the celebrity guests started their parade of stars. I spotted Bill Duke, Vivica A. Fox, Luenell (busily giving interviews about her new flick All About Steve), singer Tionne, Yvette the funny lady, Damone Roberts “The Eyebrow King” (what another King???), Comedian Michael Colyar and his lovely wife Brooke, LisaRaye Missick and Comedienne Annie McKnight. Also in the crowd was Reno 911 star Niecy Nash looking very elegant in a form fitting blue dress and beautiful as ever.  Music producer Eric Butler was also noted as well as TV producers, Claude Brooks and Gelila Asres. Betty Bridges (Todd’s mama) was in the house and Mother Love too!  Later in the evening John Salley made an appearance as well as Bishop Don Magic Juan and Judge Mablean.  I had a chance to speak with Angela Dean of Deanzigns and complimented her on her recent red carpet dress that she whipped up for comedienne Luenell to attend the “All About Steve” premiere in which Lu Lu girl co-stars with Sandra Bullock.  

(See photos from this event at our eurThisNThat.com blog, HERE.)

     Once the red carpet was struck everyone was invited out back and I don’t mean like outback steakhouse. Norwood’s outback is a perfectly pedicure landscaped area. The buffet was spread with pasta, mounds of roast beef, chicken, dirty rice, yellow rice, veggies and assorted desserts. To drink (?) nothing less than the finest champagne flowed non-stop all evening.  A certain unnamed photog had a bottle and kept refilling guests’ glasses at the table where I was seated (front row ringside) like a personal server. How convenient was that?!!!

     The performers were primed and ready to thrill and they did so with a recreation of Michael Jackson’s Thriller. Ghouls and goblins came from out of nowhere and descended onto the crowd and then took their marks on stage recreating the choreography to a “T.” Norwood addressed the crowd admitting to his own challenges with drugs and drawing some parallels in that regard. He also debuted his new single.  Young also informed the crowd (approx. 300 invited guests) about his charity “Feed His Children.”  It so happens that, that is my pet peeve also. I do not believe anyone should go hungry especially in the U.S. As a third world person, I never drank real milk till I came to the US. Although the scales will attest under oath to the fact that I have never ever starved.

     Late, late in the evening Congresswoman Maxine Waters was announced as one of the illustrious guests in the crowd. She was there to bestow a proclamation upon Norwood Young.  He looked fitting for the honor dressed in a black princely attire with a fleur de lis gold brocade jacket and a mane of hair reminiscent of the Little Prince (by the way one of my favorite childhood books).

     The event was the ultimate in everyway. Near the close everyone sang in unison “We are the World.”  Luenell was the first to take out her lighter and show a beam of light. Others soon followed, hands were swaying, hearts were melting, heads bowed low and there, we were beaming the love and unity symbolizing the love and essence of The King of Pop. I felt his presence.

     It was quite an experience that could not be completely written about in this coverage.  I do hope that Norwood Young, The King of Hancock Park will make this a yearly tribute to the King of Pop Michael Jackson. I know that if he did, I will as long as I live, clear my calendar to attend.

     Thank you Norwood for giving your all. Peace and blessings. 

     Kleo - Out

Eugenia Wright is a former actress turned syndicated columnist/publicist. You may write to her at kleopatragirl117@hotmail.com.