WELCOME to "The Life of Riley" which will include periodic chronicles of pop culture and possibilities that flow out of Patrick L. Riley's day. That's me!!! Through blogging (and soon some other technological features on which I'll keep you posted as they launch), I will pull experiences from my busy life to entertain and inspire all of you. Through this site, I will share my observations and insights. Some features to look forward to:
1.) "PATRICK'S POP UP(DATES)" will feature stories from pop culture, music, theater, fashion, and the entertainment industry at large.
2.) "The Life of Riley" will also introduce a "take-a-look-at-your-life" section (READ: sort of an advice column), where I will help readers come up with their own questions and answers around what "ways of being" are working (or not working) to have them acheive their respective goals and live their best lives. This section is called "WHO YOU BE?".
3.) Additonally, there will be a free-flowing, organic section called "TESTIFY" from which I will pull from my own life's journey to share and hopefully inspire. Some of the fare may be new musings and experiences. Other times, I may pull from my journals and past sharings to shed light on some uncomfortable truths that I've experienced and that may perhaps play a role in healing someone else's wounds as the real-life experience did for me. From my experience of covering 9/11 as a freelance journalist to courageously coming out (as gay) to my family, "TESTIFY" promises to move those who choose to read it.
4.) And a section titled "PR" (like my initials, but also like "public relations") will include press clips from any coverage I get.
Entries in Da Sweet Blood of Jesus (2)
standing next to goddess
miss watley is everything
MISS Jody Watley made it a "Night to Remember" for 'Life of Riley' (and childhood friend Ernest Maynor's BDAY + NJ BFF TATA met her "DIVA" in person).
B.B. King Blues Club's was the place to be as MISS Watley sang from her Shalamar AND solo repertoire.
She was in AWESOME VOICE and her performance gave everything her loyal fans (and the sold-out audience) hunger to experience:
the HITS; the MOVES; the DRAG; the DRAMA; and the DIVA! I was on my feet through most of the highly-charged set... and on my knees -BOWING DOWN - for the rest! LOL! SO WAS THE REST OF HER LOYAL FOLLOWING! 
She did 'Most' of the material but not 'everything'! BACKSTORY: So, I have loved MISS Jody Watley since she was a teenager – dancing on Soul Train before she joined the group Shalamar – at which time I was a footloose and fancy-free Air Force Brat of six-years old in San Bernadino, CA on Norton Air Force Base --- with a blow-out of dusty dark brown and the inevitable bell bottoms! LOL! 
Well, fast forward through many years in which she brought me only the FIERCEST brand of JOY - from the balance of her SHALAMAR years through to the launch and lift-off of her SOLO career... and stop for a moment on July 1995. Philadelphia. And MISS Jody Watley was headlining a concert for the National Association of Black Journalists' annual convention. She called me on stage to dance with her. Talk about A NIGHT TO REMEMBER! 
Though I’d seen her fabulous solo show a couple of years ago at B.B. KINGS, I got another opportunity to be an audience with MISS Jody Watley (album) back in September 2013. 
Her publicist Juanita Stephens is a mutual friend and led MISS JODY WATLEY to my blog A DAY IN THE LIFE OF RILEY as a vehicle to – via phone and an on-line Q&A - update folks on her latest release "PARADISE" – quite the global dance senastion: iTunes Digitally (as well as other select digital outlets) –
https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/paradise/id901587446?uo=4 [EXCLUSIVE CD, includes 'Everlasting' not available digital: http://jodywatley.bigcartel.com/]. What a GREAT PHONE CHAT:
http://thelifeofriley.squarespace.com/rilys-blog/2013/9/10/a-nightlife-to-remember.html. 
SO LAST NIGHT: MISS JODY WATLEY was back at B.B. King Blues Club accompanied by her new and reloaded Shalamar… and we ENJOYED THE SHOW; CELEBRATED BFF (since 7th grade), Ernest Maynor’s birthday; and – afterwards – got some LIFE OF RILEY & JODY WATLEY time and - FINALLY - my posed photo op (though LOVE NABJ bestie and Morehouse brother Michael K. Watts captured MISS WATLEY and me on stage in Philly). Was great to catch with MISS JODY WATLEY on all she's got going: her upcoming shows - including one in NYC this summer (TBA; Stay tuned...); 
how she came to re-incorporate the SHALAMAR legacy into her SOLO shows - now that she OWNS THE NAME & BRAND! YOU GO, MISS JODY!; and – because #itsinthemusic – she shared that her upcoming music release plans, which include forthcoming single “DANCER”: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/paradise/id901587446?uo=4. AND we're excited to hear some of what we didn't hear this go around THE NEXT TIME - including: "Most of All"; "Everything";
"All Begins With You" (MY REQUEST FOR NEXT! LOL!); "When A Man Loves A Woman"; "Off The Hook"; and WHAT ELSE? Shalamar’s “I Don’t Wanna Be The Last” and the MOTOWN REVUE song! LOL! OH, WE JUST LOVE YOU, JODY WATLEY! And could listen to you and DANCE WITH YOU ALL NIGHT LONG! SHOUT OUT to MR. WALLACE who works with JODY... and Editor in Chief of UPTOWN MAGAZINE, my brother friend Isoul Harris! XOXOXOXO 
#JodyWatley#itsinthemusic #dancer #paradise #nightlife#lifeofriley#allstarkaraoke #billiesblack #motownmay#ARISETV360 #NBCBLK#COZITV #OWNTV #TVONE#CENTRICTV #BET
more arise
In the wake of doing a freelance interview with Lee Daniels for recurring client NBCBLK:
YOU can watch them (and me from time to time) - now on Time Warner, Verizon Fios, and On Demand... www.YouTube.com/AriseENT360. As always, THANKS FOR YOUR SUPPORT! Here are a few of the segments we did this week:
Author of "The Work" Wes Moore!
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghEXbewLspY
The Authors of "Single Man Married Man!"
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0hbvDBYlCJs
Author of "MelloYello" Walker Smith!
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oHd0HBPTpQ4
T.S. MONK (Thelonious Monk III)
BRIAN WATKINS (jeweler)
Zaraah Abrahams (from Spike Lee's "Da Sweet Blood of Jesus")
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YOIm5qqeIdE
#arise360 #ariseTV360 #allstarkaraoke #billiesblack #wesmoore #thework #singlemanmarriedman #pervistaylor #melloyello #jacktherapper #walkersmith #brianwatkins #ritani #theloniousmonkIII
vivica a. fox
Shout out to my friends from SavvyMarketing Entertainment Group LLc for inviting us out to the Unsung HOLLYWOOD premiere of Vivica A. Fox which is airing on TV One! IT'S GOOD!!!!!!
And was good to see my peeps Savoy Walker; Mark A Forrest; Cynna Gorham; Tasha Lynch; Jamar Dunn; Deborah Gregory; and MISS Vivica A Fox herself!
3 the hard way comedy
Shout out to my BET colleague and sister in CREATIVITY, Thembisa Mshaka, for hipping me to some work she's doing with an amazing comic named Jabari Baraka Davis, whose definitely on the rise in standup. He produces an event called 3 The Hard Way Comedy--the goal being to diversify comedy in NYC with talented women and people of color taking the often segregated stages of Manhattan.
He considers himself a product of both philosophy and hip hop, and his comedy reflects this in unexpected ways. He's also a former substitute teacher, so the jokes are smart and street.The BHM edition has 3 Black comedians: Seaton C. Smith and Janelle James join Jabari Davis on 2/24 at 8pm at Stand Up NY LabsY. There will also be shows March 6 and 31 - so look for my updated accordingly and know that I'll likely be at one of the shows. SO, PLEASE SAY HI, if you come. Here's a link to Jabari's bio: http://jabaridavis.site.socxs.com/home CONGRATS!
get focused on reading
Shout out to my brother friend Goldin Martinez, Founder of Get Focused - www.getfocused.org - introducing its newest initiative called Get Focused On Reading, which will be the focus of an event on Saturday, March 21st, 2015 at Inwood Academy to commemorate National Reading Month.
They want to increase their impact with Get Focused On Reading… and to give you a chance to help:
1. Organize a book collection with your network. They accept all books from poetry, biographies, children books, and more, and can arrange a pick-up. This will help us reach our goal of 1,000 books.
2. Make a personal monetary donation to our cause. This will help us with transportation, storage, t-shirts, marketing material, etc. Our goal is to raise $2,000 to help pay for expenses.
Go to www.getfocused.org for more information.
standing next to God
He's much like a nephew!
Mr. Myles and his mom Tracey Moore are producing his documentary "Standing Next to God" about his recovery from traumatic brain injury. Please make a Love Donation and share this link in your network. Thank you!
This is the fundraising campaign for Standing Next to God -Myles Marable: http://de.gofund.me/StandingNextToGod #StandingNextToGod
precious queen
MY LATE, GREAT MOM QUEEN ELIZABETH BELLINGER RILEY - a social media SENSATION! LOL! With all the controversy over Beyonce and Ledisi and "Take My Hand, Precious Lord" and the Grammys, I'd been having an internal dialogue with myself about MY LATE, GREAT MOM QUEEN ELIZABETH BELLINGER RILEY.
My self-chat goes something like this: "Thank you, Thomas Dorsey for the song! Thank you, Mahalia for sharing it with the world! Thank you, Ledisi for your recording on SELMA! Thank you, Beyonce for your performance on the THE GRAMMYS! But NO ONE SANG "TAKE MY HAND, PRECIOUS LORD" LIKE MY MOTHER!!!!!!!!"
Well, I'd told many of you my mother could sing and did often in The House of Prayer (our family church) as well as in all our travels - from Germany to Japan to California to Valdosta, GA, etc.
I've even compared her to Mahalia Jackson with a little Tamala Mann to boot! LOL! Well, via FACEBOOK, it seems we're not the only ones thinking this. A FACEBOOK note from my sister's childhood friend from our mid-to-late-'70s days in San Bernadino, Califonia on Norton Air Force Base underscored what we always knew (How’d she remember, after all these years?):
February 10 at 7:05am · Edited ·
Janice, I don't care what anyone says "Queen" is still my winner when it comes to singing "Take my hand". Everytime I hear it I remember her singing it at Norton! — feeling blessed.
MY FIRST DIVA! LOL! #RIP #QUEENELIZABETHBELLINGERRILEY
THE LIFE OF RILEY
in Arise Entertainment 360, Da Sweet Blood of Jesus, Empire, JODY WATLEY, PATRICK'S POP(UP)DATES/TESTIFY/PR, SPIKE LEE, TVOne, Vivica A. Fox, shalamar
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beyond the cray
mo’ better arise
I guest co-hosted this week on Arise Entertainment 360 – filling in for my friend Shannon Lanier and rejoining Sharon Carpenter who is filling in for our beloved Lola Ogunnaike.
YOU can watch them (and me from time to time) - now on Time Warner, Verizon Fios, and On Demand... www.YouTube.com/AriseENT360. 
As always, THANKS FOR YOUR SUPPORT! Here are a few of the segments we did this week:
Author of "The Work" Wes Moore!
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghEXbewLspY
The Authors of "Single Man Married Man!"
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0hbvDBYlCJs
Author of "MelloYello" Walker Smith!
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oHd0HBPTpQ4
T.S. MONK (Thelonious Monk III)
BRIAN WATKINS (jeweler)
- http://youtu.be/T4dNgHuqxa4.
#arise360 #ariseTV360 #allstarkaraoke #billiesblack #wesmoore #thework #singlemanmarriedman #pervistaylor #melloyello #jacktherapper #walkersmith
cindy crawford
Shout out to my dear friend Kiwan Michael Anderson, Special Events Manager at Ω OMEGA Watches (Division of The Swatch Group (U.S.), Inc.): www.omegawatches.com/corbis.
He made sure Anthony Harper and I were in the house at The NY Historical Society to celebrate the screening of a special documentary OMEGA produced with iconic Supermodel and businesswoman Cindy Crawford and Orbis (the flying eye hospital). 
Crawford narrates the compelling doc. Nice to pop by my friends Mario and Randall’s Thursday night set in HARLEM: NABE. FUN TIMES! #omegaorbisteddy
beyond the lights
Shout out to Tagan Lee and Anna Fuson for getting me out to the Parker Meridian Hotel-Bar to see Director SUPREME Gina Prince-Bythewood whose Beyond the Lights is now available on Digital HD via iTunes and Amazon digital – just in time for Valentine’s Day!
It will release on Blu-ray™ & DVD Feb 24. The PG-13 film – called by some a modern-day The Bodyguard – stars Gugu Mbatha-Raw (also from Belle – the premiere of which I got to attend and meet Gugu);
my buddy Nate Parker (who I recently saw in L.A. while out there Executive Producing NBCUniversal’s The More You Know campaign for 2015-16);
Minnie Driver; Richard Colson Baker (MGK); and Danny Glover.
I got to interview Gina Prince-Bythewood and Nate Parker in Chicago in 2008 at the National Association of Black Journalists' annual convention where they were promoting The Secret Life of Bees (film) - also directed by Gina: http://thelifeofriley.squarespace.com/rilys-blog/2008/7/29/like-i-never-left.html.
#beyondthelightsfilm #nateparker#belle #BeyondTheLights
between riverside and crazy
ALSO: Shouting out my friend Marcia Pendelton for getting Anthony Harper, Marlynn Snyder, Derrick Hemphill, and more out to see one of several off-Broadway productions she’s marketing where the lives of African-Americans unfold in front of the audience in bold, diverse strokes. 
Our latest treat from her repository of HOT SHOWS was Between Riverside and Crazy by Stephen Adly Guirgis starring Stephen McKinley Henderson and Ron Cephas Jones, now playing at Second Stage Theatre, through March 22…and inside its very NYC-centric narrative, the two-act play is nothing short of spectacular! MUST-CHECK-OUT
#SecondStageTheatre#BetweenRiversideandCrazy 
loud 100
Shout out to David Bridgeforth for including me on your Loud 100 LGBT PEOPLE OF COLOR OF 2014 LIST http://dbqmag.com/loud100.html. 
Go see who else made the list! CONGRATS to all of my brethren and sisters! #dbq #loud100 #lgbt
blackbird
A few months ago, I shared with all of your that I attended Film Life Presents the 18th annual American Black Film Festival in NYC: www.abff.com - at which my friend Patrik-Ian Polk PREMIERED his NEW FILM “BLACKBIRD – Executive Produced by and Starring Academy Award winner Mo’Nique.
Well, the distribution deal is done and the theatrical release date is April 24th: http://blogs.indiewire.com/shadowandact/exclusive-umc-sets-theatrical-date-for-patrik-ian-polks-blackbird-new-release-poster-trailer-20150210. 
Here is the trailer:
https://vimeo.com/86641697 #blkbirdthefilm #abff
lesbe real radio talk
Shout out to Jazz Gray-Sadler, Producer and Host of LesBe Real Radio Talk! She popped into New York City for her birthday and squeezed me in for a FAB TALK that she'll be sharing via her airwaves very soon. Stay tuned for those details. 
Meanwhile, please take a few minutes to check out this video & article to learn more about her journey: http://www.newsworks.org/index.php/speak-easy/speak-easy-feature/item/75910-a-live-mic-for-lgbt-philadelphias-most-disenfranchised. ALSO: Check out What's New @ LesBe Real on Pinterest! Adventure, Lovers, Travel, Wellness & more...www.pinterest.com/lesbereal1/ THANKS JAZZ! Looking forward to seeing/hearing our CHAT! #lesberealradiotalk
THE LIFE OF RILEY
in Beyond The Lights, Cindy Crawford, Da Sweet Blood of Jesus, Gina Prince Blythewood, Oscars, PATRICK'S POP(UP)DATES/TESTIFY/PR, SPIKE LEE, T.S. Monk, Thelonious Monk
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