A DAY IN "THE LIFE OF RILEY"

Jody Watley EXPLODED

Miss Jody Watley invited Anthony Harper and me out on a Saturday date night TO JODY WATLEY - SHALAMAR RELOADED at B.B. King Blues Club & Grill #TimeSquare!! Jody Watley, Nate, Rosero, and the whole Shalamar Reloaded crew SERVED and DELIVERED! New music and TWO rare gems for me: her "Makeover" Ross cover LOVE HANGOVER: a 72nd birthday homage to THE SUPREME DIANA! Also, she did my EVERYTHING which I asked that she do the next time she was in town! JODY is a WOMAN of her WORD! And a GORGEOUS ONE, might I add! SHE'S FOREVER YOUNG & FOREVER FABULOUS!Along with all the great hits and one upcoming SMASH they performed for the first time, ORIGINAL - an ode to the social media trolls, cyber bullies, and flat-out haters out there, JODY WATLEY commanded the room LEGENDARILY SO - with LOVE and FLAIR:

https://www.facebook.com/ShalamarReloaded/videos/919602521493810/?pnref=story! And SHALAMAR RELOADED took us "back" to the "future" to know pointedly that this LEGACY of MUSIC, DANCE, and STYLE is FOREVER! And never before has it been more relevant than RIGHT NOW! BRAVO, MISS JODY! LOVE YOU SO! #JodyWatley #ShalamarReloaded#nightlife #saturdaynightexperience #itsinthemusic#concerts 

#music #dance #style #MusicMonday#Entertainment #Easterweekend #MissRoss#DianaRoss 

#LoveHangover #TheMakeover

BILLIE'S BLACKOUT

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DIANA ROSS! MARIAH CAREY! CHAKA KHAN! ARETHA FRANKLIN! ALL THE ARIES DIVAS! WE/I sing them at Billie’s Black presents All Star Karaoke with Patrick L. Riley whenever I can! SAVE THE DATE: Thursday, April 14th... and LOOK OUT FOR OUR PROMO TOP OF NEXT WEEK: Billie's Black Gourmet Soul is going under renovation from mid-April for a couple of months. So, SEASON 5 of Billie's Black presents ALL STAR KARAOKE with Patrick L. Riley will be back in the FALL 2016! BUT on THURSDAY, APRIL 14TH from 7p-11p, we will do a ONE NIGHT ONLY All Star Karaoke followed by an 11p-3am AFTER SET that we'll call BILLIE'S BLACKOUT!

THURSDAY, APRIL 14TH. 
Event Time: ALL STAR KARAOKE: 7pm - 11pm Full menu
Billie's Blackout after set: 11pm - 3am Appetizers will be served 
Drink Specials: $5 Well Drinks/ $3 Shots RESERVATIONS HIGHLY RECOMMENDED for seating and dining during ALL STAR KARAOKE: 212.280.2248.‪#‎billiesblack‬#allstarkaraoke#billiesblackout 

P.S. When we're back up, come and DANCE & SING with us:https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10152166354908737#getready#motownthemusical 

#BILLIESBLACK‪ #‎ALLSTARKARAOKE‬ ‪#‎NBCBLK‬

P.P.S. GIVEAWAYS will include:
A. MISS JESSIE'S giveaways

B. BLACK ENTERPRISE magazine with MISS JESSIE'S Co-Founder & CEO Miko Branch on the cover

C. BILLIE'S BLACK ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCE - presented by ALL STAR KARAOKE (December 2015 - extended through February 2016): Contemporary Artist Shenna Vaughn will have SMALL ITEMS available for sell (SHENNA: "I Create Soulful Funk On Canvas to Create A Mind Blowing Experience").

D. ANOTHER featured sponsor that we introduced during SEASON 4 of ALL STAR KARAOKE: SHOO NAIL POLISH - via its Founder and CEO Shawanda Vickers - is donating 20 gift bags. 

E. TICKET GIVEAWAYS for BROADWAY/OFF-BROADWAY SHOWS – from Walk Tall Girl Productions and Walker International Communications Group, Inc  (limited supply for ALL STAR KARAOKE participants)

F. HARLEM SKIN & LASER CLINIC GIFT CARD

HATEFUL 8

SHOUT OUT TO ARIES DIVO Quentin Tarantino! His The Hateful Eight's DVD street date is March 29th. Can't wait Tagan Lee and Anna Fuson! #THEHATEFUL8

I was too excited to introduce MIKO BRANCH to Elise Durham at last year's NABJ Convention. With that has come some wonderful synergies at‪ #‎MOREHOUSECOLLEGE‬ and now ‪#‎FAMU‬! FOR 2016 WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH, Florida A&M University has invited my fab client, CEO & CO-FOUNDER of Miss Jessie's Miko Branch, to participate in the second annual ‪#‎SacredSelf‬ – a celebration of remarkable women from the community and beyond:http://youtu.be/R0GuUCl9nss. And what a wonderful event it was.This empowering day WAS full of professional and personal development opportunities at Florida A&M University Department of Music's Foster Tanner Art Building:www.FAMU.EDU/WomensHistoryMonth. Special shout out to FAMU’s own Elise Durham (for the invite)! None of this would have been possible without her. And Dean Ann Wead Kimbrough, my personal/NABJ/FAMU fam for the LOVE she showed MIKO while she was there! Miko had a WONDERFUL TIME!

I am doing some Brand Ambassador work for Miss Jessie's and ‪#‎MikoBranch‬. She was in Houston this past weekend headlining the ‪#‎Metamorphosis‬Empowerment Conference. Shout out to my NABJ and SAVANNAH fam who showed Miko such LOVE while she was there! Special shout out to Savannah homegirl Barbara Jackson Hudson Esq who hosted Miko at an awesome operation she co-owns Urban Houston Network. Miko did “The Antoinette Roberson Show”. FOX 26’s Melinda Spaulding also did an interview with Miko at the station. The WASH ALLEN SHOW also had Miko on. And THANKS to so many of you who were in the cut with support – including NABJ sister friends Lyndsay Christian and Cindy George; Savannah/Spelman big sister Venice Hunter Richardson, Houston Chronicle Beauty Editor Joy Sewing; etc. MIKO is MAKING MORE THAN CURLS: WAVES! As a Morehouse man myself, I am too thrilled to announce that my alma mater, a Historically Black College, has invited Miss Jessie's CEO & Co-Founder Miko Branch to participate in its Morehouse Innovation Expo for 2016: http://www.morehouseinnovates.com/This news comes in the wake of Miss Jessie's donating product to Morehouse and Spelman for Homecoming 2015. Appearances the like are fueling much of Miko's next chapter for her life and the brand of Miss Jessie's. Miko is still promoting her 2015 Best Seller "Miss Jessie's - Creating a Successful Business from Scratch...NATURALLY". MIAMI is on her map for later in the season as well! MISS JESSIE’s is also the official sponsor of Billie’s Black presents ALL STAR KARAOKE with Patrick L. Riley. Stay tuned for spring/summer dates…. XOXOXOXO ‪#‎miss_jessies‬‪#‎missjessies‬ ‪#‎titibranch‬ ‪#‎billiesblack‬

#allstarkaraoke‪#‎missjessiesFAMU  ‪#‎missjessiesMOREHOUSE

‬‪#‎missjessiesSACREDSELF‬ ‪#‎TellItOnTuesday ‬‪#‎FAMUSacredSelf‬

 ... and TALK ABOUT A BURIED LEAD:

THIS JUST IN: Her Black Enterprise COVER STORY! She will join a panel of other black-owned hair and beauty business owners to discuss“Making Big Bucks in Specialized Markets,” at the

http://www.blackenterprise.com/events/entrepreneurs-summit/. 

"You don’t need money to transform an industry. You don’t even need privileges or degrees. Titi and I didn’t have MBAs and we didn’t get bank loans or find angel investors. We had a seed of an idea and a solid foundation of family and influences to learn from and observe. If we could do it, you can do it too.” - Miko Branch

I am honored and humbled to cover the March issue of Black Enterprise Magazine. My sister Titi Branch and I always admired the Black Enterprise family business that shined a light on other African-American businesses. I am truly honored and I say thank you to Earl Graves and the entire Black Enterprise group. 

To our customers, I say thank you as well. The loyalty and support you have given us has been tremendous and without you, we could not have realized so many of our dreams. 

I could not have achieved the level of success that I have without Titi’s love, tutelage and support. Titi, our business will be my tribute to your memory, and I will live to make you proud. 

I am Titi Branch and together we are Miss Jessie’s. 


Love,
Miko & Miss Jessie's
Hands Down, the Proven Expert in Curls. Period! 

AND ONE MORE THING: Our beloved @MikoBranch on Career and Family. Watch the full clip here: https://t.co/4KkzBPoylR https://t.co/hig2oIVtqB

DOT

SHOUT OUT to my friend Colman Domingo on his "'DOT' called "UPROARIOUSLY FUNNY! DEEPLY MOVING!", by the NY TIMES! Anthony Harper and I surely enjoyed and DailyCommune's Derrick Hemphill did a slamming review:http://dailycommune.com/domingo/ - Spread the Word! The show has received wonderful reviews and has been extended until March 24th. You can purchase tickets for only $59 by using Special Offer code - DOTWC. SEE DOT! USE SPECIAL OFFER CODE - DOTWC for $59 Tickets. Call 212-353-0303 or visit www.VineyardTheatre.org and put in the code. Ant and I love it! Colman Domingo,CHERINE ANDERSON, Richard E Pelzer II! THANKS FOR HAVING US OUT!

 morehouse college glee club this SUNDAY in NYC

LOVE ME SOME Forest Whitaker! Got to interview him for recurring client NBCBLK in the summer of last year as he was promoting SOUTHPAW: http://www.nbcnews.com/news/nbcblk/forest-whitaker-knockout-southpaw-n399381! Now, he makes his Broadway debut in HUGHIE. Ant and I saw it in previews and highly recommend you see this Hollywood Star Power on the Great White Way. PLUS, it’s a one-act play with no intermission. Tell them LIFE OF RILEY sent you. Use special offer code - HUDWK203 to purchase. Click below and enter the code. http://hughiebroadway.com/ ‪#‎HughieonBroadway ‪#‎HughieBroadway ‪#‎WICG 

Hi folks,

See LIFE OF RILEY in pictures via the FACEBOOK link below signature. But let me highlight this week a special video DAILY COMMUNE & LIFE OF RILEY produced – presented by MISS JESSIE’s.

Meet the Director, Playwright, and Cast of SMART PEOPLE here:

Story WITH video - http://dailycommune.com/smart-people/

Video ONLY - http://bit.ly/smartpeople-video

As always, THANKS to each and every one of you for your support.

Best and LOVE,

Patrick L. Riley

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF RILEY: pop culture & possibilities

P.S. SOME LIFE OF RILEY LATEST IN PICTURES AND CAPTIONS: https://www.facebook.com/patrick.l.riley/media_set?set=a.10153520770523737.1073741969.662073736&type=3

P.P.S TESSA THOMPSON on THE OSCARS – presented by MISS JESSIE’S

https://www.facebook.com/patrick.l.riley/videos/10153491349763737/?l=3404659370660713019

VALENTINE’S DAY BRUNCH

RESERVE YOUR SPACE HERE:  https://valentines-brunch-and-karaoke.eventbrite.com/ 

FOR MORE INFORMATION, CLICK HERE: http://thelifeofriley.squarespace.com/rilys-blog/2016/1/24/all-star-karaoke-special-on-valentines-day-sunday-21416.html

SUSAN TAYLOR

THIS IS Edward Lewis - The Man from Essence! Edward Lewis is a Co-Founder of the iconic magazine that found a MUSE in Susan Taylor! Want to also speak the names of friends Michaela angela Davis and Gordon Chambers who each shared their history with Susan Taylor with me. Each of them – and so many in the room – were ESSENCE alums who worked under Susan Taylor. In fact, a host of legends and industry insiders gathered at swanky event space 583 PARK AVENUE as we toasted the 70th birthday of the icon Susan Taylor. Millions were also raised as awareness was shed on the organization she Founded to mentor the children of the world: the National CARES Mentoring Movement - National Office. The star-studded For the Love of Our Children gala kicked off a major fundraising campaign to support the national roll-out of transformative mentoring initiatives aimed at providing the nation’s most vulnerable youth with crucial support. Eddie and C. Sylvia Brown were honored for their extensive philanthropic support of education indicatives through the Brown Family Foundation. I even have an anecdote or two on my resume with Susan Taylor: LIFE OF RILEY has been invited and covered Miss Taylor's events in years gone by - one she did featuring one of my main and most lucrative clients as a freelance field producer: Oprah Winfrey - in 2008: http://thelifeofriley.squarespace.com/rilys-blog/2008/12/21/what-a-day-for-a-daydream.html. Also worth noting: I got to field produce Susan Taylor for a couple of REMEMBERING YOUR SPIRIT installments that ran on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" in 1998. GREAT TIMES! As an independent producer/personality/writer, I still credit OWN a client as I am a freelance field producer for "Oprah, Where Are They Now?" - including one of my latest on DL HUGHLEY: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8JV9iIMbao. I have a half dozen or so pieces coming up in the current season of the show, including updates on Iman, The Chew’s Carla Hall, and Carol Daughter’s Lisa Price. SHOUT OUT TO MY Sidra Smith and her team for producing with Susan Taylor an awesome and elegant night - including a palpable script written by my personal icon in the business Stanley Bennett Clay! susantaylor #essence #nationalCARES #mentoring #fortheloveofourchildren

STARS ALIGN FOR BLACK HISTORY MONTH

Yoko Ono, Danny Glover, Dionne Warwick, Malcolm Jamal Warner, Reverend Jesse Jackson, and Esperanza Spalding are among a diverse group of stars, civil rights icons, and religious leaders challenging all Americans to ring a historic church bell in Colonial Williamsburg during Black History Month as a call for racial healing, hope, and justice nationwide.

The "Let Freedom Ring Challenge" launches February 1st with a star-studded ceremony and concert in Williamsburg, Virginia on February 1st to celebrate the 240th anniversary of the First Baptist Church of Williamsburg, one of the country’s oldest African-American houses of worship. Founded in 1776 by enslaved men and women, the church's bell has been silent since the days of segregation, but has been newly restored by historians from the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation in honor of this historic occasion.

The event will honor America’s civil rights heroes and activists, including Dr. Bernard Lafayette, the leader of the Selma Voting Rights Movement and launch a challenge to the nation to play a part in history by ringing the restored bell throughout the day — every day — during Black History Month. A national broadcast and social media #LetFreedomRing campaign, featuring videos from Yoko Ono, Malcolm Jamal Warner, and other artists, dignitaries, and social activists, will also be undertaken throughout the month.

MISS JESSIE'S

 SHOUT OUT to MISS JESSIE'S CEO and CO-FOUNDER MIKO BRANCH. I'm doing Brand Ambassador work with Miss Jessie's who sponsors my Billie's Black presents All Star Karaoke with Patrick L. Riley, a popular open mic night I host in Harlem. Her book is 2015 best seller Miss Jessie's: Creating a Successful Business from Scratch-Naturally (Amistad; Hardcover; $24.99) which we promote at ALL STAR KARAOKE: https://youtu.be/RL-EqYvCAeI.