A DAY IN "THE LIFE OF RILEY"

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.  

DIONNE WARWICK

Got to talk to LEGEND-ary Dionne Warwick at a press conference and preview of "Ain't Nothing Like The Real Thing".

This Smithsonian-co-organized exhibit about the iconic Apollo Theater is running here in New York City at the Museum of the City of New York (www.mcny.org): 1220 Fifth Ave at 103rd Street.

It runs from Feb. 8 through May 1. APOLLO LEGEND Chuck Jackson was also on-hand.

And as “… the life of Riley…” goes, I’m always turning the camera around to see my fellow journalists. This, as there's more to my stories than what's inside the framing of the cameras that are all facing in the same direction. I try to break a bit of the fourth wall in my sharings as it's all par for the course (my course, at least).

This time, my fellow National Association of Black Journalists’ buddies (and fellow journalists of color) were in the house (www.nabj.org):

NBC 4’s Demarco Morgan (talking to Chuck Jackson);

New York Daily News’ Mike Feeney (whose latest contribution to NY Daily News’ UPTOWN NEWS can be experienced when it launches 2.10.11). CONGRATS FEENZ!; NYABJ’s own Bruce Williams; Reuters TV’s Showbiz Producer Alicia Powell; Harlem’s own radio diva Jean Parnell; etc. Thanks to the Apollo’s Nina Flowers – my friend – for keeping me in the loop on all things “pop culture” & “possibilities”. And much will continue to be said about my LOVE of MISS ROSS and before KENNEDY CENTER; CENTRAL PARK; and concert venues all over the world, she too earned her SUPREME stripes via the royal, chitlin'-circuit rite of passage that is the APOLLO Theater.

By the way, there are lots of MJ/APOLLO memories inside the exhibit. ANYWAY! All of that to say: I LOVE ME SOME DIONNE WARWICK... and have for as long as I have loved MISS ROSS! In my heart, there's room for them both... and a galaxy of many other DIVAS and STARS I hold dear and deep.

). And Suzanne was just in town per my last entry? http://thelifeofriley.squarespace.com/rilys-blog/2011/1/27/live-out-louder.html: 

MEANWHILE, I know that singer JOI would say she stands on the shoulders of MISS WARWICK. http://www.apollotheater.org/programs/2011-apollo-artists/149-joi

 Maybe she'll say so this weekend when she performs on The Apollo Theater stage (Friday & Saturday).  

LAMMAN RUCKER

My friend Lamman Rucker is back in NYC for a minute. (You know, he splits his time between Atlanta and L.A. as well). He,'The Black Gents of Hollywood' & the cast of "BLACK ANGELS OVER TUSKEGEE" are celebrating their 1-Year Anniversary Off-Broadway. Lamman says to be sure to tell all of you to see the show (www.BlackAngelsOverTuskegee.com).  He’s back in it for a while as well.

NORWOOD

While I was working in L.A. (on “Monica: Still Standing”), my friend Ed Roebuck invited me to his going away party where I met Norwood Young (pictured in L.A. in 2009). He and I knew we had many friends in common. Buddy Diaz threw a launch party for Norwood and his new book "GETTING BACK TO MY ME". Ashford & Simpson’s Sugar Bar was the venue.

FRIENDS

• ·       We always manage to get some quality time in with friends – including our boy Jamar who just celebrated his BDAY. HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JAMAR!
• ·       We recently joined Manivone for a fun Saturday. Our girl Cy and Manivone's man Taha joined us. We did a little karaoke. We did “foh” in the East Village. This, after some hang time in Chinatown.
• ·       New friends J’Nara (actress: “Friends & Lovers”; model; etc.) and Clay (pop culture analyst i.e. “Life After”; BET; etc.) decided to come out and play. They joined us for karaoke on the same night (“Sing Sing” - also in the East Village – is a new spot for us).
• ·       Our buddies Irma & Gisele hosted a FAB Super Bowl set. Great food, great people, and – oh yeah! – the game! CONGRATS to Green Bay! It was Gisele's birthday, too! A lot of chat about Christina Aguilera flubbing the National Anthem and what some called an underwhelming performance by “The Black Eyed Peas”. A few missed words notwithstanding, I thought Christina did a fine job. And “The Black Eyed Peas” were a visual fiesta to behold, if just. But remember this one? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mgZF551KrLE MISS ROSS’ 1996 SUPERBOWL TOUR DE FORCE – at the 30 year mark of her career and the annual game – was SIMPLY SUPREME! I’m just sayin’ (again!) LOL!

ALL-STAR KARAOKE THURSDAY NIGHT

So technical difficulties with the karaoke equipment prevented us from going in – like we do - at ALL-STAR KARAOKE THURSDAY NIGHT last week. But it didn’t stop our ALL-STAR KARAOKE REGULARS & FRIENDS from having an a cappella blast (including the also-called Kelis song). Our FAB folks at NATIVE say all will be repaired for next week’s ALL-STAR KARAOKE THURSDAY NIGHT. Hopefully with less ice, we can all come out and enjoy! We hope to see ALL OF YOU at our beloved NATIVE RESTAURANT on Lenox Avenue at 118^th Street from 9pm until midnight! More than karaoke, we eat, drink, and enjoy the company of an always-GREAT room of GREAT folks! And in addition to our neighborhood regulars, we never know who might pop by. So far, since our August 2010 launch, guest singers have included: songstress Tichina Arnold; R&B divas Alyson Williams & Monifah; actress Napiera Groves; the artist formerly known as TONEX, B. Slade; Mariah Carey's long-standing background singer Melony Daniels - an artist her own right; Broadway baby Brenda Braxton; singer/author David Nathan; and so many more! PLEASE COME OUT SOME TIME... and BRING YOUR FRIENDS; HOST A DINNER PARTY; etc. It's ALWAYS a BLAST!