A Day In "The Life Of Riley"

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.

5.) And anytime pictures or video can support an entry (in the blog, and perhaps in the subsequent podcasts, my space, and website), those visuals will keep things aesthetically enrolling. That section will be called "MY TUBE".

PLAYING TO THE POP IN POSSIBILITIES!

Patrick L. Riley

Entries in Tank (1)

dream boy

Many of my ALL STAR KARAOKE FAITHFULS have been requesting my take on “DREAMGIRLS” – THE EFFIE SONGS – since we began! Well, I got in “I AM CHANGING” this week at Billie's Black Gourmet Soul's Black Gourmet Soul! CHECK IT OUT!

http://bit.ly/mm_patrick

See below for FUN EXCERPTS from MOTOWN MAY - TUESDAY NIGHT 1! PLEASE SHARE - using:

#motownmay

#allstarkaraoke

#billiesblack

Though it was #MOTOWNMAY (and a FABULOUS LAUNCH WE HAD), we too had a FABULOUS ALL STAR APPEARANCE: Xosha Roquemore! My ALL STAR KARAOKE producer and friend Derrick is the #1 FAN of "The Mindy Project". So, you must know this was the BIGGEST TREAT FOR HIM! LOL! I hope I get this right, but Xosha (pronounced Zo-sha) Roquemore plays no-nonsense, if not always tactful, Tamra! Xosha made a FAB ALL STAR KARAOKE appearance - enjoying the night from her seat and eventually hitting the stage for Nicky Minaj's superbass! SUPER SWEET LADY: http://bit.ly/mm_xosha! We'd received word that Tank and LaTavia Roberson would TRY to pop by. They didn't make it, but WE'LL KEEP OUR MICS HOT FOR YOU TWO... AND EVERYBODY! THANKS TO EVERYBODY FOR YOUR SUPPORT!

Our ALL STAR KARAOKE FAITHFULS have been COMING OUT and TURNING IT OUT! THANKS TO ALL OF YOU!

Billie's Black presents ALL STAR KARAOKE with Patrick L. Riley is TOO EXCITED to be partnering with MOTOWN: THE MUSICAL! We are having a BLAST! MOTOWN REVUE PART 1 of 3 (before 5/27's GRAND FINALE) was AWESOME! "Jules" won THIS WEEK on Teena Marie's "I Need Your Lovin'" - http://bit.ly/mm_jules - and Hussain ran right up with Stevie Wonder's "Superstition": https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10152195389718737&set=vb.662073736&type=3&theater. TWO MORE WEEKS TO QUALIFY FOR OUR GRAND FINALE;

meanwhile, EVERYBODY CAN SEE MOTOWN: THE MUSICAL for a discount by using the discount code: ABC123 #billiesblack #allstarkaraoke #motownmay

RULES: Rules and prizes: Sign up is 1st come - 1st serve, starting at 7 pm each night (a maximum of 10 competitors per preliminary round). Competition takes place from 9 – 10 pm each night of prelims. All competitors must sing a song from the MOTOWN record label. 1st and 2nd place winners from the prelim rounds each compete in the GRAND FINALE. The GRAND PRIZE is 1) a pair of tickets to see MOTOWN THE MUSICAL during Black Music Month in June. 2) an opportunity to do an on-stage walk-on for that performance. 3) dinner for two at Billie’s Black. The 2nd PLACE GRAND PRIZE is 1) a MOTOWN THE MUSICAL gift bag with a signed Playbill, a MOTOWN THE MUSICAL CD, poster, coffee table, etc.

Audience members will ALSO have a chance to win Motown the Musical merchandise through MOTOWN Q&A trivia. FOR MORE INFORMATION: http://thelifeofriley.squarespace.com/rilys-blog/2014/4/23/soul-out-loud.html

IN OTHER LIFE OF RILEY NEWS….

WENDY WILLIAMS

HOW YOU DOIN’? Was COOL to work on a quick turnaround project for recurring client The Wendy Williams Show with organizing expert Julie Morgenstern via Julie Morgenstern Enterprises for the My Healthy campaign. Check it out HERE: VIDEO: http://youtu.be/RgCMC_6UjAA and visit www.MyHealthy.com for more info. THANKS for all the LIFE OF RILEY LOVE! FOR MORE INFORMATION: http://thelifeofriley.squarespace.com/rilys-blog/. I’ll be with recurring client BET this week (I just wrapped BET UPFRONT 2014). p.s. I got to produce recurring client Wendy Williams as she discovered her Disney Side on a recent family vacation to Walt Disney World ® Resort when she tasted food and drinks from around the world at Epcot - Walt Disney World Center! http://youtu.be/76FBGNfZ7vQ; Wendy discovered her Disney Side when she became a Princess for a Day: VIDEO: http://youtu.be/n0nWYUq_3KQ; There was the Thrill Ride piece from Disney's Hollywood Studios: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fNMeClGC828#t=0; and our FINALE: Safari at Disney's Animal Kingdom: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gRc0POz-C10#t=0. I had the privilege of producing her down there and working with her show’s team to put these special pieces together. A JOY! Thanks ALL for your support! XO Though I've produced several integrations for the show, this DISNEY project WAS A GREAT ENCORE to our British Virgin Islands integration a couple of years ago: PART 1 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ZJZDNu3ztM and PART 2 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8sm2Z1CqJr0

TANIKA RAY

P. FRANK WILLIAMS

My Spelman sister Tanika Ray's NYC baby shower just took place at 44 1/2.Fun, well appointed room of Spelman sisters with whom I went to school, associates from the business, and the dad of Tanika's bundle of joy, my industry brother P. Frank Williams whose production company produces a lot of hit shows like "Unsung", "Unsung Hollywood", and Centric's "BEING". CONGRATS TO THE BEAUTIFUL NEW FAMILY! Ant and I may consider some babysitting - next time you all are east!

MARA SCHIAVOCAMPO

After Tanika and Frank’s event, it was CINQO DE MARA time! BFF Mara Schiavocampo and hubby Tommie Porter hosted a fight party that kept us all in a joyous mood. P. Frank joined us. Sidra was in the house as well as Derrick, buddies Will and Joe, and a host of the FAB usual suspects that make CASA PORTER the place to be! Then to BOBBY ROACHE's birthday set in Union Square. HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BOBBY!

MAURICE MARABLE

I continue to be proud and thrilled for high school BFF/brother for life, Maurice Marable. This, for his latest milestone. Mo directed the short film that introduced the President this past Saturday at the White House Correspondents' Dinner. The spot follows Julia Louis-Dreyfus (of HBO's VEEP) and VP Joe Biden as they skip the dinner and hang out for the day, featuring cameos by FLOTUS Michelle Obama, Nancy Pelosi and John Boehner. Mo shot the top-secret project (written by VEEP writers) in a day and a half. #savannahintheWHITEhouse http://youtu.be/da5tjfpKyac

STEPHANIE GUERILUS

SHOUT OUT to NABJ little sister, Stephanie Guerilus, who booked me for one of NABJ’s fabulous panels – this particular one held in NYC! She’s been between project and harnessing her energy in the direction of a self-published novel, “By Any Means Necessary”. It centers on a teenage girl who wants to be the next big superstar. However, she encounters some issues on her way to greatness: http://www.amazon.com/dp/1497442672/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_ClCytb0D96HRVFYN I told her I would tell you folks to check it out! SUMMER READING TIME! CONGRATS, STEPHANIE!