A DAY IN "THE LIFE OF RILEY"

As I wrote last week, I was in Chicago. On my last night, I got the chance to hang out with my "best friend" from Morehouse College Eddie and my Chicago posse Lesia, Carl, and Jakki (Ki-Ki). We went to Big Bowl (www.bigbowl.com) and enjoyed our last supper before I returned East. We laughed a lot and I really enjoyed this restaurant as I'd never been before. Afterwards, Lesia, Carl, Eddie, and I enjoyed a post-dinner coffee at Starbuck's before calling it a night. There, we each got the "first degree" on our respective relationships (or scenarios in love), and whoever wasn't on the hot seat got counseled accordingly. DR. PHIL would be proud. The next morning, I hopped on a plane at O'Hare airport that was carrying a fallen soldier. As the pilot explained what was going on to the left of the plane (a ceremony in Chicago and once we landed in NYC) - asking us to share in a moment of silence, my eyes began to well with water for yet another life lost in this war. Though sad, it too was a total honor to be on that flight. I also loved leaving Chicago, home of Chaka Khan, to get to my home, where Chaka Khan was hosting a preview listening party of excerpts from her upcoming CD "Funk This..." (BMG/Burgundy Records - due September 25), her first studio project in ten years. It's boasted as a return to her funky/R&B roots and is produced by Janet Jackson's boys Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis: (www.chakakhan.com) and (www.burgundyrecords.com). The party was a lot of fun, too. It was great to see my good friends and associates in the business who were as excited as I was to hear this new material. There was my Theo Perry, great publicist who hipped me to this event; Kori Murray from ESSENCE; Crystal Howard, now PR with ESPN (who I hadn't seen in a few years); PEOPLE magazine's Chuck Arnold; my fellow Diana Ross fanmate Dustin Fitzharris; Jacque Lee (with Diageo, well-known liquor sponsor for all the BIG EVENTS); and my favorite "black voice" from AOL/BLACK VOICES, KARU DANIELS, who was gracious to have his photographer snap a shot or two of Chaka and me.

Before she arrived, we experienced her introduce each song (on a big screen) via a pre-taped session. She shared tracks like "Will You Love Me?" (uptempo tune with vulnerable message that she says came from her heart and where she was when she recorded it on her journey to "... finding Yvette again [referring toher birth name]"); "One For All Time" (a "Rufus-y, acoustic-y track", which she describes as kinda' "Black Joni Mitchell"); "Angel" (a beautiful ballad that will - for sure - be a favorite); "Disrespectful" (the tour-de-force duet with powerhouse Mary J. Blige, who battles Chaka on their respective "screams". It was written by Mary before Chaka came into the picture. Mary told Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis she wanted it to be Chaka-like. Enter Chaka and it's one to listen to. Chaka would say later she doesn't look forrward to singing it LIVE because it requires so much); "Foolish Fool" (a remake of DeeDee Warwick from the '60s that puts you in the mind of current-day retro-girls like Lauryn Hill and Amy Winehouse).

After we heard our five songs, Chaka came in to chat us up. She told us there are other re-makes on the album like PRINCE's "Sign o' the Times"; a duet with Michael McDonald on "You Belong To Me", a song he co-wrote with Carly Simon (Chaka says she got some "Doobie in her funk"); Joni Mitchell's "Ladies Man" (one of Chaka's favorites); Jimi Hendrix's "Castle in the Sand"; and a medly fusion of Rufus classics "Pack'd My Bags"; "You Got the Love"; and "Once You Get Started". I asked Chaka what her set list in concert look like now with all of these new gems (but knowing she'd have to do her prolific discography of hits for the fans). She thought it was a GREAT question because it addressed her very conundrum around her many songs being squeezed in a two-hour show (and don't forget her CLASSIKHAN treats from that LIVE project she recorded with the London Symphony Orchestra - http://www.amazon.com/ClassiKhan-Chaka-Khan/dp/B0002X7G8E ).

Chaka was gracious and warm. I told her of the two times I've interviewed her in the past. We had a great laugh over meeting 1 and meeting 2. And she left us all with a good taste in our mouth for her... (It was FUNKY!).

As I watched the BET AWARDS on Monday night, my hope was CHAKA would be as on-point as she was on her studio projects. But as she generously tributed MY DIANA ROSS with "I'm Coming Out", it shows why Chaka's hits are hers and Diana's hits are hers. No better or worse here. Just some songs are meant for certain voices. Regardless, Diana enjoyed and seemed to enjoy all of her performers - including Erykah Badu, who performed "Love Hangover" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=psfJOiUfI4g) and Stevie Wonder, who put his touch on "Upside Down", after Diana serenaded him a couple of years ago at the "Billboard Music Awards" for one of his career achievement honors.  Alicia Keys gave some wonderful words off the top of the presentation and the ROSS clan brought it home as each of her offspring played a role in her presentation (which I must say was WELL DONE).

Diana then "dropped science" and "preached" beyond her "gratitude" during her speech - pointing out how important it is that the industry note Berry Gordy as an innovator to why we can all be at a BET Awards (He was in the audience) and to the young'ns, she pointed out  that "keeping it classy" is an option for "longevity" (and she is proof). Many reached out to me on behalf of my DIANA - wishing she'd sung ("THE BOSS" would have been a cute one!!), but I think that her not performing and allowing herself to be relaxed and "honored" for the many years that she's put in is how any DIVA should be "honored". And proving everyday that she's still in the game, she's on the road now (New York City, to be exact, doing a private benefit at Lincoln Center) - reinforcing the closing line in her speech: "It's taken me a lifetime to get here, I ain't goin' nowhere"! The evidence (these photos):  TRULY THE HIGHLIGHT OF THE NIGHT!:

http://www.bet.com/onblast/default.html?chan=22&id=4267&i=3&sub=4&itype=v&cid=STFBB

By now, you've all seen (or heard) about the BET AWARDS, but I'd be remiss if I didn't shout out the genius of the show's opening duet between Academy-Award-winning Effie, Jennifer Hudson and Tony-Award-winning Effie, Jennifer Holiday - performing (as duet) "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going". They vomitted (in a very entertaining way) that song out and made it an experience to behold:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cxb5MjPtNMI

Enclosure