A DAY IN "THE LIFE OF RILEY"

HELLO BEAUTIFUL MONICA

VIDEO HIGHLIGHT: https://www.facebook.com/patrick.l.riley/videos/10153425697038737/?l=4560960440663802146.

You folks know I got to FIELD PRODUCE MONICA: STILL STANDING for Dubose Productions and BET back in 2009! We shot in ATLANTA. Did post in L.A. BIG BET HIT! And MONICA was a JOY THROUGH IT ALL! Imagine my EXCITEMENT when Ant told me hed’d booked MONICA for a HELLO BEAUTIFUL PRESENTS EVENT promoting her NEW CD: CODE RED! (Ant curates, books, and helps produce events at MIST HARLEM (including my All Star Karaoke Birthday Brunch:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bq1uovrAx0o&feature=youtu.be). Well, upon show day, Ant called to tell me that MONICA insisted I come by and SAY HI because she hadn’t seen me in YEARS. This, though Ant alerted her I had ALL STAR KARAOKE at the same time. We met early enough for me to get some CATCH UP TIME with MONICA before I headed over to BILLIE’S BLACK! Got to get MONICA’s #1 FAN, my nephew Herman, in the mix as well as some of our other buddies!  **FIND MONICA ONLINE**
https://twitter.com/MonicaBrown
https://instagram.com/monicabrown/
https://www.youtube.com/user/MonicaVEVO
#mistharlem #billiesblack #monicacodered#codered #monica #monicastillstanding#allstarkaraoke #missjessies #shennavaughn
#Monica #CodeRED #TheCodeREDExperienceTour#HelloBeautiful #MistHarlem #shoonailpolish

ALL STAR KARAOKE

1. We have two more Tuesdays left on All Star Karaoke at Billie's Black, though Tuesday, December 22nd, I'll be in Savannah with my FAM! IF YOU ARE IN TOWN, please join Bernice!

2.  TUESDAY, DECEMBER 29TH...we do FINALE of SEASON 4 at BILLIE'S BLACK.

3. SEASON FOUR has been OFF THE CHARTS! LAST NIGHT we had the opportunity to share our night's featured sponsor SHOO NAIL POLISH; NAACP Image Award Nominated Producer Sidra Smith ("Free Angela") who brought esteemed Director of Photography JB Letchinger who DPd the critically - acclaimed short film A LUV TALE Sid directed...and will be doing a run of screenings of that cinematic gem in 2016. Check him out at: Insta is @jbsnaps312.ALSO IN THE HOUSE: SPECIAL GUEST Victoria Pannell - star subject of our All Star Karaoke producer Bernice Wooden's short doc for which she just launched an Indiegogo campaign: Bit.ly/thevictoryinvictoria. PLUS, you have the rest of DECEMBER to experience the beautiful work of Contemporary Artist Shenna Vaughn who is artist-in-residence at Billie's Black for December 2015 - presented by ALL STAR KARAOKE. Reservations are HIGHLY RECOMMENDED: 212.280.2248.

4. Dr. Ian Smith dropped by recently:
https://www.facebook.com/patrick.l.riley/videos/10153404114088737/?l=7038106679684651902.

5. Miss Robbie and Tim from OWN's "Welcome to Sweetie Pie's" came by for my birthday: https://youtu.be/H3DXRU8OWIs.

6. And NBA CHAMP Josh Powell, who when he came at the top of the season, joined me on our weekly #THEBOSSCHOIR MOMENT!

7. PLUS, we always do #THEBOSS: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6OY7bT6AKT8! SO MUCH FUN!

8. PLUS, our ALL STAR KARAOKE FAITHFULS bring the FUN and the SONG!

LOVE, LOSS, LEGACY

Bittersweet weekend:I lost my mom in 1994. And so many of our family pillars and pioneers have left us. Makes me uber-nostalgic and sometimes blue. I LOVE MY FAMILY SO MUCH! And FAMILY - to me, including all of that - is EVERYTHING. And when the SOUND ALARMS, we JUMP! AND HIGH!I'm just back from a trip from hell to get to hometown of Savannah to say FAREWELL to my father's sister, my AMAZING AUNT Goldie Beatrice Riley Mars: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10153408969028737&l=ec2b97eef5. Counting among my blessings on this quick trip: spending quality time with FAM - first time my two siblings and I have stayed in our childhood home in decades; a part one tour of pictures and photo albums from our childhood (part two goes down during Christmas); a late Sunday meal at Outback Steakhouse with dad and his wife Diana; a hometown-style stumble into BFF Nat's parents, the Shinhosters; an ANT CIZE sighting on dad's TV in my childhood home! Lol!; and the HIGHLIGHT OF HIGHLIGHTS – especially after I missed my flight and was delayed by NINE HOURS, I arrived at the Savannah airport to what I thought was my sister picking me up. After we hugged, she turned me around to ALMOST 20 OF MY COUSINS, my nephew, my brother --- ALL THERE TO GREET ME and say IT’S OKAY that you missed Aunt Goldie’s funeral. “You’re here now…and we’re all together,” they offered me to off-set my frustration and disappointment. Love my FAMILY!.... Xoxoxoxo p.s. As I'd just returned from saying FAREWELL to my beloved Aunt Beatrice Riley Mars this past weekend in Savannah, I had to jump into the week's demands - including preps for Billie's Black presents ALL STAR KARAOKE with Patrick L. Riley and a meet-and-greet with my former client and boss circa 2009: MONICA beforehand. En route, word that my first cousin Cathy Everett passed away. The show(s) had to go on, but I had to take a moment to honor them: MEMORY, LEGACY, and ENDLESS LOVE: https://www.facebook.com/patrick.l.riley/videos/10153421944903737/?l=4278426340364746660. Special TRIBUTE to my AUNT GOLDIE: My cup of LIFE runneth over with AMAZING AUNTS and I SPEAK ALL OF THEIR NAMES: Mom’s only sister and sibling, Auntee Mary Lee; and two of my Dad’s sisters Charlie May Riley Arvinger and Dorothy Lee Riley Ponder. And then there’s their baby sister GOLDIE BEATRICE MARS. AUNT GOLDIE we call her! She passed away yesterday morning… and I’m FULL of TEARS for ALL SHE’S BEEN TO ME; her beautiful, extended family; and the members of the family from which we come: THE RILEYS. I’m FULL of JOY for the MANY LAUGHS she presented – informing my own humorous gene and entertaining family gatherings since the beginning of my time. I’m FULL of GRATITUDE for the open-ended generosity she bestowed upon my cousins, siblings, and me – from birthday cards with money in them to care packages to those of us who went off to college or to the military or just away from home (and can I tell you that the contents of Cinammon Rolls and other sweet goodies that came from AUNT GOLDIE made them the best care packages EVER!). I am also TOO FULL to say much more without window-shield wipers for my weepy eyes and an interpreter to appraise what I have been trying to say from being choked up! But RIGHT HERE AND RIGHT NOW – though virtually so – I SPEAK THE NAME OF: GOLDIE BEATRICE MARS – one of MY PERSONAL LEGENDS who made such a BIG DIFFERENCE in my life – simply for showing UNCONDITIONAL LOVE and COUNTLESS JOY that – though she’s dead now – will NEVER DIE! It will LIVE FOREVER as will my ENDLESS LOVE for AUNT GOLDIE! A FACEBOOK FRIEND once wrote this to me about one of the many holiday pictures I’ve shared of AUNT GOLDIE and me over the years. The poster writes: “Patrick, you take incredible photos constantly, but this one with this precious lady in red [AUNT GOLDIE], she looks like the description of what "love" means. An incredible treasure, I'm sure. I would love to have someone that made me feel that strong sense of "home and family": https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10153408991298737&type=1&l=fa173e8110. INDEED. And AMEN!

 HOLIDAY PARTIES

1. SHOUT OUT to GMA Correspondent Mara Schiavocampo and her hubby Tommie Porter for a FAB tree-trimming set that kicked off the HOLIDAY PARTY SEASON! Plus, we toasted Ant's and my 10TH ANNIVERSARY together!

2. From there FAB FETE to MISS JESSIE'S! Was really excited to celebrate THE HOLIDAYS with friend and CEO/Co-Founder of MISS JESSIE'S, MIKO BRANCH, a CLASS ACT and endearingly known by me as #THEBOSS! So glad our year of partnership has been a major success - from Billie's Black presents All Star Karaoke with Patrick L. Riley to#NABJ40 to #TITIBRANCH TRIBUTE: https://www.facebook.com/patrick.l.riley/videos/10153400518588737/?l=4351585039571061562, it has been a blessing to consult with MISS JESSIE's on select bookings and press; donation opportunities; and appearances… and have the village that has very much been a part of this movement in the house: Derrick Hemphill, Bernice Wooden, Carl Nelson, Lamar Johnson, Shenna Vaughn, and more! BEST TO YOU AND YOURS DURING THESE HOLIDAYS AND IN THE YEAR TO COME! We're looking to 2016 for more WIN-WIN WORK! #missjessies #happyholidays#allstarkaraoke #billiesblack

3. My SIDRA then threw her own tree-trimming set at her home! AGAIN, a well-curated guest list of our NEW YORK CITY family! SIDRA is the HOSTESS with the MOST!

STUFF TO SEE

1. MOTHER COURAGE: Shout out to Walk Tall Girl Production's own Marcia Pendelton for inviting me out for the first preview of MOTHER COURAGE AND HER CHILDREN -#CSMOTHERCOURAGE - in previews at Classic Stage Company on 13th Street between 3rd Ave and 4th Ave. It opens top of Jan 2016 and currently runs through end of Jan. Stay tuned via @classicstage. Discount Code for over 40% off: MC35. MOTHER COURAGE AND HER CHILDREN starsTony Award winner TONYA PINKINS, who as always, is AWESOME! But I'd be remiss if I didn't hip you that Broadway Fela's own Kevin Mambo and Cosby Show's Elvin - as in Sondra Huxtable's husband and father of Nelson and Winnie: Geoffrey Owens are but two SHINING performers in this play with music's stellar cast. RUN! DON'T WALK...to experience MOTHER COURAGE AND HER CHILDREN!

2. THE HATEFUL EIGHT: SHOOT 'EM UP BANG BANGs are not my favorite genre of film. Yet, THE HATEFUL EIGHT is the 8TH FILM I've seen by renowned filmmaker QUENTIN TARANTINO because the mashup of cinematic genius and mad man wonder that has become his signature is just hard to resist experiencing - at least once. True to form, this flick stars my Morehouse brother Samuel Jackson who wasn't in the house for last night's PREMIERE at The Ziegfeld Theater (Filming in Hawaii, I believe they said). Still, the other SEVEN of the EIGHT HATEFULS were in the house - including KURT RUSSELL! CHANNING TATUM is featured in the project as well - exclusively presented in 70MM, which makes the experience even more than 3-D! NOTWITHSTANDING ad nauseum inclusion of the N-WORD ----- a TARANTINO staple ----- I did manage to stay awake and - overall - enjoy the OVER THREE HOUR FLICK, which has an OVERTURE and an INTERMISSION. GREAT WAY TO EXPERIENCE IT ALL - and with Ant and Miss Flo Anthony nearby as well as Arise Entertainment 360 colleague Shannon Lanier, what was there to do but eat that free popcorn and Coke (and Peanut M&Ms)... and YOU SHOULD EXPERIENCE IT YOURSELF: THE HATEFUL EIGHT is being released in North America on Christmas Day, EXCLUSIVELY in theaters equipped to project 70MM FILM. This MOVIE PALACE EXPERIENCE will live again in 98 theaters with an exclusive roadshow in the largest 70mm release in over 20 years. ENJOY, FOLKS! #THEHATEFULEIGHT #HATEFUL8#QUENTINTARANTINO #THENWORD

3. STREET TALK: You folks know I’m helping the producers over at Wendy Williams produce Metro PCS STREET TALK. Our first installment for the season was Thanksgiving. Take a look at it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3uwBc_wEzTE.  Our December Holiday edition is out this week. ENJOY! LINK:

https://youtu.be/EGI3agscKDA.

AMERICA MEDITATING RADIO SHOW

I was invited this week to join Sister Jenna on the America Meditating Radio Show. Wonderful synergy! The interview broadcast this morning at 8 am ET and remains available via this link: http://tobtr.com/8165845. Though we spoke via the lens of SPIRITUALITY, I did mention some of my latest freelance work. GREAT INTERVIEW!