A DAY IN "THE LIFE OF RILEY"

EVENTBRITE LINK here: www.all_star_karaoke_brunch.eventbrite.com/

Hi ALL STAR KARAOKE FAM!

You've been asking "When is ALL STAR KARAOKE coming back?" Well, we will be returning to MIST Harlem for a handful of ALL STAR KARAOKE brunches over the next five months - starting SUNDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2016 from NOON to 5p. $50 EXPERIENCE includes: delicious brunch, many mimosas, amazing karaoke, MISS JESSIE's give-aways, and MORE SURPRISES! Since it's HALLOWEEN EVE, please feel free to wear a COSTUME (but not mandatory)! We'll get in as many songs as we can while enjoying our ALL STAR KARAOKE company one more time!

Here are video recaps of our last two MIST Harlem ALL STAR KARAOKE brunches.

ALWAYS A BLAST: 

* NOVEMBER 2015: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bq1uovrAx0o.  

* VALENTINE'S DAY BRUNCH 2015:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1p9VidQr3uU  

RESERVATIONS are highly recommended.

Please call 212.828.6478.

For more information, please click here: www.mistharlem.com/events.  

And let us know here if you will be GOING: https://www.facebook.com/events/1753070518275894/!

As always, THANKS FOR YOUR SUPPORT!

Patrick L. Riley

Host, ALL STAR KARAOKE

FAMU 2016 William Hearst Visiting Professional 
I have to SHOUT OUT WENDY WILLIAMS for taking time out of her busy schedule (in preps for NEW SEASON: now back as of this week) to say HI and offer words of WISDOM to two of my FAMU mentees: Alexis Lockhart and Steven Byrd-Pitts – both Senior, Public Relations Majors at FAMU’s School of Journalism and Graphic Communications. They are in town for NYC Fashion Week…and I am hosting them (and curating opportunities) for these #HBCUScholars while they are in town. It’s been quite a whirlwind of fashion shows...and go-and-come-sees! LOL!Plus, LIFE OF RILEY plucked from our rolodex to create special moments and meetings for the kids – including WENDY and several others who Alexis and Steven got to see and/or contact during (and even after) their time here - shaping their own rolodexes to help carve out their respective career starts. The list is endless of folks who referred; responded; relayed...but I'm going to try to THANK a few who went above and beyond: supermodel Veronica Webb; Miss Jessie's Co-Founder, CEO, and Creative Director Miko Branch; Emmy-award-winning correspondent at GMA, Mara Schiavocampo; Tony-award-winning producer Randolph Sturrup (FAMU grad and Executive Producer of ASPiRE TV's new docu-series about 6 HBCU alums living in NYC - including my nephew Herman Riley III, rep'ing for our alma mater Morehouse); Fashion/Theater/Event Producer Carl Nelson ("Drums Along The Hudson");  international model  and Beyonce leading man from the video “Irreplaceable”, Bobby Roache; Creative Director Mykel Cortez Smith; Fashion producer/talent representative Ron Smith; celebrity stylist June Ambrose (who was at the TOP of Alexis and Steven's WISH-LIST); designer Edwing D’Angelo (and his publicist Michelle Pascal); Wendy's amazing stylist Memsor (who also let the kids follow him to a Fashion Week Presentation); entertainment publicists Theo Perry, Morehouse brother Trevor Julien (who arranged for Basketball Wives Laura Govan to share her style tips with the FAMU scholars), and Tagan Lee & Associates' Tagan Lee; digital diva Marcia Cole;  NBCBLK’s Amber Payne; entertainment journalist Alicia Quarles; New York Times’ Nikita Stewart Henderson; and many more! Though I’m a proud Morehouse Man, I consider it a total honor that Dean of Florida A&M University’s School of Journalism and Graphic Communications, Dr. Ann Wead Kimbrough, has added me to its impressive roster of 2016 William Hearst Visiting Professionals. I am third in a series of outstanding media professionals who bring value to the rich teaching within FAMU’s SJGC.This is an encore partnership with FAMU's SJGC. I was invited to Keynote its NABJ Multimedia Short Course a couple of years ago. Thanks young folks...and Dean Kimbrough!

Boys & Girls Clubs of America and Disney

So excited that I was invited to join the Boys and Girls Clubs of America family as an emcee for a spectacular, Disney-presented occasion -- on a recommendation from on high: dear sister friend, publicist/marketing expert, and Founder of www.idreamspeakers.comKelly Welborn who has enrolled me into hosting any project she's produced for 20 years now i.e. The High Museum, HBO's Blacklist, Spelman College Museum, etc. And it's always a great experience!This event was the Boys and Girls Clubs of America's 2016 National Military Youth of the Year Celebration. It was an awards luncheon in which the best of the best from military kid culture are honored --- including kids from military installations oversees. Not too unlike me, an Air Force brat born to now-Retired Chief Master Sergeant Herman L. Riley Sr. in Tokyo, Japan on Tachikawa Air Force Base, these young people are thriving against challenges i.e. deployed parents; constant moving; revolving door of friends; adapting to varying study levels location to relocation, etc. Through it all, there are the many youth centers and Clubs, providing life-changing programs and services to these kids who need it the most. Most of the youth centers are powered by the Boys & Girls Clubs of America --- even including an initiative that aids in the adjustment of kids after their parents retire from the military. CONGRATS to all of our scholars who are poised to do wonderful things in the world --- from Broadcast Journalism to Neuroengineering. The team at BGCA Headquarters rocks!!! They truly took care of me while in DC at the historic Army and Navy Club. I am thrilled to continue being a brand ambassador for the Boys and Girls Clubs of America. I've hosted several programs for BCGA, New Rochelle, in New York. #BCGA#MilitaryYouthoftheYear #YOY

So LIFE OF RILEY knew and teased, but now I can SCREAM IT FROM THE RAFTERS - especially now that the artwork is soon to be released: my FAV NEPHEW Herman Lee Riley III is a cast-mate in docu-series THE GRADUATES NYC – a new show that will chronicle the NYC LIVING of HBCU ALUMS in the MILLENNIAL SET! COMING THIS FALL!!!! My nephew hails from our alma mater Morehouse College while each of the other cast members are alums of other #HBCUs. The digital show will also air on ASPIRE during the halftime of the live HBCU football games on ASPiRE. Check out ASPIRE.TV for episodes and more information! CONGRATS NOOT! SO PROUD! Here’s a PREVIEW: http://www.aspire.tv/videos/the-graduates-new-series-preview/. Esteemed Broadway producer Randolph Sturrup ("A Streetcar Named Desire", "The Trip to Bountiful" and "Eclipsed") and seasoned TV News exec Keith Michael Brown are producing this project along with Al Roker Productions. So, these kids are in great hands! Special THANKS to Herman and Randolph for making time for my #HBCUscholars from #FAMU: Alexis Lockhart and Steven Michael Byrd-Pitts.

#LIFEOFRILEY #PETTYCASHNYC #HERMANLRILEYIII #HLRIII #THEGRADUATES #ASPIRE #ASPIRETV Coming this Fall... Stay tuned! #ASPiRE #HBCUpride #MorehouseCollege

THIS IS LOVING

Shout out to Tagan Lee & Associates who always make sure LIFE OF RILEY is IN THE HOUSE for AMAZING OPPORTUNITIES! Was a panelist alongside journalist and friend Alicia Quarles for a Q&A that was moderated by NBCBLK's Amber Payne for an INVITATION ONLY influencer/tastemaker screening of Focus Features film LOVING, which comes out in November!

This much-buzzed about film tells the story of Loving v. Virginia, a Supreme Court decision that makes it legal to marry between races. One of my most recent assignments for "Oprah: Where Are They Now?" captured Richard Pryor's daughter Rain Pryor - referencing her parents' marriage (Her mother is a white Jewish woman) and what that was like four years after the ruling:

http://www.wherearetheynow.buzz/richard-pryors-daughter-describes-the-racism-her-family-endured. I'm excited one of my FAMU mentees Steven Byrd Pitts joined me for the special occasion in Tribeca as well as MISS JESSIE's Co-Founder, CEO, and Creative Director Miko Branch.

ABOUT THE FILM LOVING: From acclaimed writer/director Jeff Nichols, Loving celebrates the real-life courage and commitment of an interracial couple, Richard and Mildred Loving (portrayed by Joel Edgerton and Ruth Negga), who married and then spent the next nine years fighting for the right to live as a family in their hometown. Their civil rights case, Loving v. Virginia, went all the way to the Supreme Court, which in 1967 reaffirmed the very foundation of the right to marry - and their love story has become an inspiration to couples ever since. Loving will open form Focus Features in theaters in select cities on November 4, and will expand across the country later in November.

Watch the trailer for LOVING

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=33g-ZHBQdNU

For more information, please follow us online:

FACEBOOK I TWITTER I INSTAGRAM

www.LovingTheFilm.com

#ThisIsLoving

Hashtag: #ThisIsLoving

URL: lovingthefilm.com

FB: https://www.facebook.com/lovingthefilm/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/lovingthefilm

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lovingthefilm/

KENDRA FOSTER

So excited that Creative Director and friend Mykel C. Smith invited my FAMU mentee Steven Michael Byrd-Pitts out to celebrate close out of Fashion Week…and the celebration of the September 2016 Style Issue #21 of W42ST. FAMU’s own Kendra Foster – Grammy-award-winning singer songwriter – performed brilliantly! Ant has adored her music all Summer 2016! And so nice to connect two RATTLERS! Steven and Kendra had a LOVE FEST over their college in common! Cloak & Dagger brought the music…and it was great to wrap a wonderful week! Ant, Steven, and I capped night off with some KARAOKE at RADIO STAR before calling it a night! I’ll be next working with these students on managing their follow ups – so they can stay engaged with the many mentors they met and so they can begin to shape up steps towards starting their post-graduate careers. THANKS TO ALL who were so kind to the young #HBCUscholars from #FAMU #SJGC.

STEPS at URBAN WORLD FILM FESTIVAL

The Shaquille-O’neal/Michael Baumgartner Executive-Produced Steps screened at Newark International Film Festival to an enthusiastic audience! Thanks everyone for all your love and support of STEPS...and my character "Rudy", my film debut.Next up: UrbanWorld Film Festival.COME WITNESS the MAGIC!
Get tickets: http://www.urbanworld.org/2016/steps (Scroll to bottom of page) Like our Page on facebook StepsUrbanworld Film Festival
Use our Hashtags
#stepsthemovie.info 
#UWFF (twitter/IG/FB)
#UW20. http://newarkiff.com/. $10.00. #stepsthemovie.info www.stepsthemovie.info

XSCAPE PUERTO RICO 2017

...as I update LIFE OF RILEY, I'm watching Monifah Carter and the R&B Divas: Atlanta on TV One’s SUNDAY Marathon, I’m reminded to remind you to join Monifah Carter, more, and me for my new Memorial Day Weekend tradition: Xscape Puerto Rico 2017 - LGBT Arts & Culture Music Festival!

Where: Rio Grande, Puerto Rico
When: May 26 - 29, 2017
Host Resort: Grand Wyndham Resort & Spa (All Inclusive)
Celebrity Ambassadors, Live Performances, Workshops, Vanguard Awards, Pool Party & Fashion Show, Excursions and so much more!!

www.xscapepr.com 
Instagram: xscapepuertorico
Twitter: xscapepuertorico
#grandmoments

P.S. Monifah and I are gonna have to find a microphone: 
ALL STAR KARAOKE SIZZLE W/MONIFAH:https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10152123074463737&set=vb.662073736&type=3&theater

MONIFAH: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_2xHo2iRNQ 

KEKE WYATT: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10152177726443737&set=vb.662073736&type=3&theater 

KEKE WYATT & HOST: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10152166354908737&set=vb.662073736&type=3&theater
ALL STAR KARAOKE SIZZLE W/MONIFAH “Something to Talk About”:https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10152123074463737&set=vb.662073736&type=3&theater 

MONIFAH “One Moment”: https://youtu.be/v4iPJUhdnZ4

MONIFAH “Getting in the Way”:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_2xHo2iRNQ

MONIFAH & PATRICK “Best of My Love”:https://www.facebook.com/patrick.l.riley/videos/10153006964663737/?l=5788490014611877465

MONIFAH “Our Love” – PART 1:
https://www.facebook.com/patrick.l.riley/videos/10152271090203737/?l=8970677645081981736

MONIFAH “OUR LOVE” – PART 2:
https://www.facebook.com/patrick.l.riley/videos/10152271093043737/?l=363297232392292194

  HUSAIN

Motown May's Grand Finale WINNER at "Billie's Black Presents All Star Karaoke with Patrick L. Riley" is one of my nearest and dearest brother friends. Since his win got him on the Motown the Musical on Broadway stage, I have to see him everywhere he performs. So, Fashion Week weekend, we made time to see him at Silvana in Harlem. HUSAIN ROCKS - including his first single "Summer Rain".

AN EARLY THANKSGIVING

An early Thanksgiving welcoming Ant back to NYC was most welcomed by him as it has been a difficult summer, shaken life-changingly with the loss of his amazing dad. We are so grateful to our New York City fam who stem from our roots in Savannah and Denver; school daze; NABJ; and LIFE! We shout out Mario, Nikita, Brian, Ern, and Lamoh for this meal, prepared in LOVE and with all of the ingredients to lift Ant's and my spirits up! MISSION ACCOMPLISHED! #SoBlessed #Ourcurrentsituation

So LIFE OF RILEY knew and teased, but now I can SCREAM IT FROM THE RAFTERS: my FAV NEPHEW Herman Lee Riley III is a REALITY TV cast-mate on THE GRADUATES – a new series that chronicles the NYC LIVING of HBCU ALUMS in the MILLENNIAL SET! My nephew hails from our alma mater Morehouse College while each of the other cast members are alums of other #HBCUs. The digital show will also air on ASPIRE during the halftime of the live HBCU football games on ASPiRE. Check out ASPIRE.TV for episodes and more information! CONGRATS NOOT! SO PROUD! Here’s a PREVIEW: http://www.aspire.tv/videos/the-graduates-new-series-preview/. Esteemed Broadway producer Randolph Sturrup (“A Street Car Named Desire”; "The Trip to Bountiful"; and Eclipsed") and seasoned TV News exec Keith Michael Brown are producing this project along with Al Roker Entertainment. So, these kids are in good hands! #LIFEOFRILEY #PETTYCASHNYC #HERMANLRILEYIII #HLRIII #THEGRADUATES #ASPIRE #ASPIRETV  

The Shaquille O’Neal and Michael Baumgartner Executive Produced film (in which I have a little part as Rudy), STEPS, screened for the first time to 1,100 invited guests to the Landmark Loews Theater on November 19, 2015 (my birthday): helped present premiere night last November in Jersey City: http://thelifeofriley.squarespace.com.rilys-blog/2015/11/28/doctor-sister.html. Well, now you can BE INSPIRED with scheduled screenings at UrbanWorld Film Festival which takes place in NYC September 21 through 25. And prior to #UWFF2016, the much-buzzed-about project written by Eddie Harris, will screen at Newark International Film Festival on Saturday, September 10, 2016 from 6-7:30 pm on Screen3 at CityPlex 12 on 360 Springfield Avenue in Newark, NJ 07103. TICKETS CAN ONLY BE PURCHASED ONLINEwww.newarkiff.com SOCIAL MEDIA: @newarkiff. $10. #stepsthemovie.info #newarkiff SEE THE TRAILER http://Vimeo.com/142798556. BIG THANKS to THOSE who SUPPORTED STEPS in ATLANTA for The Peachtree Village International Film Festival. And as always, THANKS FOR YOUR SUPPORT! URBAN WORLD FILM FESTIVAL INFO: http://www.urbanworld.org/2016/steps. It’s taken a village to make this film happen – including the amazing writer/producer EDDIE HARRIS who penned and ran all of production for STEPS; Producer and Casting Director Penwah who stayed on me to audition and stayed on the filmmakers to cast me; LIFE OF RILEY partner and ALL STAR KARAOKE sponsor, MISS JESSIE’s, who donated MISS JESSIE's bags to the Premiere event in November.STEPS is Co-Directed by the SPECTACULAR Jay Rodriguez and Rock Davis. Denzel Washington’s wife Pauletta and a host of others comprise this most wonderful cast! For more information on the cast and the amazing crew, click here: http://www.stepsthemovie.info/. In STEPS, my RUDY has big heart...and will go down as my feature film debut. My partner Anthony Harper - Events Manager at MIST Harlem - recently hosted a tastemaker screening of STEPS that many of my NYC industry fam got to attend: http://thelifeofriley.squarespace.com/rilys-blog/2016/4/18/rest-in-prince.html.#STEPSTHEMOVIE#SHAQUILLEONEAL

RIO and THE OLYMPICS are on the minds of many this week!

I’m always excited to run into OLYMPIC legends – like a recent run-in with Olympic legend Carl Lewis.

Well, LIFE OF RILEY is excited to invite you to join us NEXT TUESDAY in New York City for a documentary on the 18 Black Olympians of the 1936 Games, “Olympic Pride, American Prejudice” from Director Deborah Riley Draper (Versailles “73: American Runway Revolution) and Narrator/Executive Producer Blair Underwood.

PLEASE COME JOIN LIFE OF RILEY Tuesday, August 9^th for the 7p SCREENING. On this night, you get a BONUS with your purchased ticket: a post-show interview that I will conduct via Skype with Writer/Director Deborah Riley Draper. Ticket info: https://www.cinemavillage.com/Now-Playing/olympic-pride-american-prejudice.html

Riley Draper is not a relative, but a Savannah home-girl who also graduated from the same high school as me: Windsor Forest High School. In fact, my dear friend from high school and my Spelman sister Tandi Reddick – Associate Producer on this project – is the one who hipped me to this masterpiece: www.tandireddick.com! So, I just had to help get the word out on it!  

Moreover, in my role as Brand Ambassador at Miss Jessie’s, Co-Founder, CEO, and Creative Director Miko Branch is donating bags for the NYC Theatrical Release’s Opening Night(s) this Friday, August 5^th and Saturday, August 6^th (Deborah and Blair are scheduled to be in attendance). Ticket info: https://www.cinemavillage.com/Now-Playing/olympic-pride-american-prejudice.html

The film enjoyed a sold-out world premiere as an official selection in the documentary category at the Los Angeles Film Festival and is also an official selection at the 2016 Traverse City Film Festival. The film will open in 10 additional cities in September.

Olympic Pride, American Prejudice follows 18 African Americans, 16 men and two women, who defied Jim Crow and Adolf Hitler to win hearts and medals at the 1936 Summer Olympic Games. While the world is familiar with Jesse Owens' story, this film tells the largely unknown story of the 17 other black Olympians. Though their untold stories faded into obscurity, their presence on the world stage in 1936 remains a seminal precursor to the modern American Civil Rights Movement and the struggle for equality in sports.

"Olympic Pride, American Prejudice is a deeply inspiring and emotional film that examines race, sports and implicit bias during the 1930s through the eyes and voices of 18 young Black Olympians, who laid the groundwork for so many movements,” said Deborah Riley Draper, writer/director. “Their experiences are as relevant today as they were 80 years ago.”

The film weaves rarely seen archival footage and photos with interviews of Carl Lewis, Isiah Thomas, Anita DeFrantz, Ambassador Andrew Young and Lonnie Bunch III, among others, including the families of the 1936 Black Olympians, German 1936 Olympics spectators and sports historians.

“Olympic Pride, American Prejudice is a film for all ages and for the ages,” says Blair Underwood, the film’s narrator and executive producer. “Generations to come will be inspired by the perseverance, courage and patriotism of these 18 African American athletes who faced Jim Crow America and Nazi Germany during Berlin’s 1936 Olympics. I am honored and proud to play but a small role in singing their praises.”

View the Trailer for the film at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=97Icc35DJPM

79 minutes * unrated * USA/Germany* 2016 * www.1936olympicsmovie.com

Cinema Village

22 East 12th St.

New York, NY 10003

(212) 924-3363

Ticket info: https://www.cinemavillage.com/Now-Playing/olympic-pride-american-prejudice.html

Monica Film Center

1332 2nd St.

Santa Monica, CA 90401

(310) 478-3836

www.laemmle.com

Ticket info: http://www.laemmle.com/films/41067

ABOUT COFFEE BLUFF PICTURES: Coffee Bluff Pictures is an Atlanta-based independent film venture created to develop, produce and distribute compelling stories that shed light on the life and stories of the under-represented.

ABOUT DEBORAH RILEY DRAPER

Deborah Riley Draper is a filmmaker, advertising executive and a Film Independent Documentary Lab Fellow. Riley Draper was named to Variety Magazine’s “2016 Top Ten Documakers to Watch.” Her debut film, “Versailles ‘73: American Runway Revolution,” received acclaim from critics and fans alike, including The New York Times, LA Times and Harper’s Bazaar. She is a member of Film Fatales and resides in Atlanta, Ga.

OPAP film website: www.1936OlympicsMovie.com

Facebook: 1936OlympicsMovie

Twitter: @olympics36

Instagram: 1936OlympicsMovie

PLEASE WATCH & SHARE: https://youtu.be/RRv-A-f4zWg Hi folks! I’d mentioned that as my recurring clients prepare for summer breaks (i.e. “Oprah Where Are They Now?” at OWN-TV and “The Wendy Williams Show” [MetroPCS Street Talk]), another recurring client has booked me to host a 3^rd season of digital programming for www.advocate.com. The first installment of it has rolled out this week. It’s The Advocate Collaborators, presented by Wells Fargo. We paired two gay families: one preparing to adopt a baby, and the other having already successfully adopted a baby. And as your host, I guide the conversation about such topics as what to expect, advice, lessons learned, the significance of the event and its financial impact.

SHOUT OUT to WELLS FARGO and THE ADVOCATE.com --- and the agency AD HERE MEDIA --- for continuing to book me on-camera:  http://www.advocate.com/business/advocate-money-minute.  

Here are some individual episodes:                                 

MONEY MINUTE WORKING SESSIONS:

http://www.advocate.com/advocate-money-minute/2015/9/24/introducingthe-advocate-money-minute-working-sessions

PLANNING FOR RETIREMENT:

http://www.advocate.com/advocate-money-minute/2015/9/24/planning-retirement-jason-shane

PAYING STUDENT LOANS: 

http://www.advocate.com/advocate-money-minute/2015/10/23/paying-student-loans-matt-rick 

SAVING COLLEGE TUITION:

http://www.advocate.com/advocate-money-minute/2015/10/07/saving-college-tuition-hayley-erica

PLANNING ADOPTION:

http://www.advocate.com/advocate-money-minute/2015/10/15/planning-adoption-matt-rick

PURCHASING A HOME:

http://www.advocate.com/advocate-money-minute/2015/9/24/purchasing-home-jason-shane

PURCHASING A SECOND HOME:

http://www.advocate.com/advocate-money-minute/2015/10/13/purchasing-second-home-hayley-erica

FEDERAL VS. STATE:

http://www.advocate.com/business/advocate-money-minute/2014/10/16/federal-vs-state

HOME LENDING:

http://www.advocate.com/business/advocate-money-minute/2014/12/12/home-lending

RETIREMENT:

http://www.advocate.com/business/advocate-money-minute/2014/11/13/retirement

MONEY MINUTE PROMO - SEASON 1:

http://www.advocate.com/business/advocate-money-minute/2014/10/10/introducing%E2%80%A6-new-advocate-money-minute

Shout out to the crew on “The Advocate Collaborators, presented by Wells Fargo”

Production Company: Garnish Media

Producer: Elizabeth Gardner Potter

Director: Saro Varjabedian

Editor: Matt Maltese

http://www.garnishmedia.com/

#theadvocate #theadvocatecollaborators #wellsfargo #adheremedia #garnishmedia #moneyminute #lgbt