By Bill Vaughan
Entertainment Writer
Grammy and Emmy Award-winning singer, Oscar-nominated actress and legendary Queen of Hip Hop Soul Mary J. Blige will be recognized as the prestigious Entertainment Icon Honoree at this year’s “Urban One Honors.”
The ceremony to be taped at the Roxy in Atlanta on Jan. 20 is the official kickoff celebration for TV One’s 20th anniversary, marking two decades of excellence in entertainment. The network, along with CLEO TV, will simulcast the two-hour “Best in Black” event during Black History Month Feb. 25 at 8 p.m.
Blige joins the previously announced Dionne Warwick, recognized as the Lifetime Achievement Honoree; Chlöe, celebrated as the Generation Next Honoree; Frankie Beverly, honored as a Living Legend, and Donald Lawrence, acclaimed for his Inspirational Impact.
Teyana Taylor, Bebe Winans, Damon Little, Angie Stone, October London, alongside a “R&B Divas” reunion featuring KeKe Wyatt, Chanté Moore and Nicci Gilbert round out the star-studded lineup of performers and presenters.
Grammy Award-winning singer and actress LeToya Luckett will return to host the event’s “Backstage Pass,” featuring exclusive interviews with the show’s honorees, performers and presenters.
TICKET WATCH: The Los Angeles Philharmonic Association has announced the initial line-up for the 2024 Hollywood Bowl Jazz Festival as Jodeci, Kamasi Washington and Robert Glasper with special guest Yebba. Celebrating 44 years, the fest curated by Washington and Herbie Hancock, takes place on June 15 and 16.
Also revealed was a concert series of nine Kraftwerk performances at Walt Disney Concert Hall in May, celebrating the 50th anniversary of the legendary German electronic music pioneers’ album “Autobahn.” Each night will feature one complete album plus additional compositions from their catalog spanning five decades. For more info on both events, visit: laphil.com.
TASTY QUIP: “I didn’t start acting until my junior year of college. I was a political science major, so that’s a different type of theater. My first movie was called ‘Jumpin’ at the Boneyard.’ The first significant thing that I booked was ‘Separate but Equal,’ and Sidney Poitier played Thurgood Marshall, the Supreme Court justice. My first shot was opposite [him], and I had no clue what I was doing.” – JEFFREY WRIGHT (“American Fiction”) to W Magazine
CLIPPETTES: Kevin Hart is executive producing and co-starring with Samuel L. Jackson in the limited series “Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist” for Peacock. In partnership with Will Packer Media and with Craig Brewer (“Dolemite Is My Name,” “Hustle & Flow”) directing, the limited series tells the true story of a robbery that coincided with the 1970s Atlanta comeback fight of Muhammad Ali vs. Jerry Quarry …
The Eagles’ The Long Goodbye Tour has two nights left at The Forum beginning Jan. 12, while Ozomatli does their Friday thing at The Venice West, Paul Anka croons at The Saban, Tolliver performs from his alt-R&B songbook at Lodge Room, LA-based multi-instrumentalist and composer Nailah Hunter (with Henry Solomon & Jean-Luc Eldenwood) has an album release show at Zebulon Café, and “MJ The Musical” plays another week at The Pantages …
Meanwhile at the Wallis Center, Camille A. Brown (who made history last year as the first Black director in the history of the MET opera and as the first Black female to be nominated for a Tony Award as both director and choreographer for the Broadway play “For Colored Girls”) begins two evenings with her dancers in “INK,” weaving social dance, African, tap, jazz, modern and hip-hop movement to lift up and celebrate Black lives, resilience and superpowers …
“I’ve heard you …and I am back, bigger, bolder, freer!,” wrote former CNN anchor Don Lemon on X in announcing an upcoming show on the site formerly known as Twitter …
Catch You On The Rebound: The Last Tour, featuring Benton Wood, Barbara Mason, The Miracles, The Moments, GQ, Delfonics, Dee Dee Sharp, MC Magic, Baby Bash, Frankie J., and Latasha Lee is set for Toyota Arena on Jan. 13. Additionally, “The World Is My Home: The Life of Paul Robeson” is being staged at Santa Monica Playhouse …
Fans are going crazy over the news that “Purple Rain,” the movie that catapulted Prince to superstardom is being adapted as a Broadway-bound musical …
Leslie McCurdy’s one-woman show “The Spirit of Harriet Tubman” comes to the Cerritos Center Jan. 14 as Onyx is at The Eagle LA, and Carolyn Ratteray’s “Both and (A Play About Laughing While Black”) deeply investigates the nucleus of Black Joy at the Wallis Center through Jan. 28 …
Spend an “Intimate Evening” with Grammy winning singer/songwriter Siedah Garrett (“Man in the Mirror,” recorded by Michael Jackson which became the No. 1 Ringtone in the world & the duet with Dennis Edwards – “Don’t Look Any Further”) on Jan. 16 at the William Agee Inglewood Playhouse …
While over at The Social List, a special listening session of the 1993 album “Doggystyle” by Snoop Doggy Dogg is happening with a special set by DJ/producer Battlecat, a Q&A with Kelvin Anderson of VIP Records and photos taken by Duke Givens …
SRT consisting of studio aces Andrew Synowiec, Mitch Town and drumming legend John “J.R.” Robinson (who played on No. 1 hits by Whitney Houston, Lionel Richie, Steve Winwood and more) are at Catalina Jazz Club on Jan. 18 in support of a new album, “Vanguards of Groove.”
TASTY QUIP: “I did get a little jealous. Katt [Wililams on ‘Club Shay Shay’] broke the Internet and didn’t say my name, good or bad. I need the press, too! Say something about me in there, man! Say something bad about me, I don’t care. I got a special coming out, I need the press!” – MIKE EPPS
TC ON TV: Jan. 12 – “Lift” (Netflix): Kevin Hart leads this airborne caper with Gugu Mbatha-Raw directed by F. Gary Gray (“Straight Outta Compton,” “Set It Off”). “Killers of the Flower Moon (Apple TV+): The critically acclaimed Martin Scorsese-directed period drama with Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert De Niro and Lily Gladstone (who has been racking up awards for her portrayal) comes to the streamer. “Role Play” (Prime): Kaley Cuoco is a married woman whose husband David Oyelowo is about to find out about her secret life in this comedy. “Self Reliance” (Hulu): Jake Johnson stars as a man who opts to participate in a life-or-death reality game show. With Wayne Brady and Andy Samberg. “The Traitors” (Peacock): If you know who Phaedra & Shereé from “RHOA,” “C.T.” & “Johnny Bananas” from “The Challenge,” and Parvati & Sandra from “Survivor” are, this spinoff of a popular UK game is for you. “Ready To Love” (OWN): Thomas “Nephew Tommy“ Miles is back for a ninth season of matchmaking this time based out of Fort Worth, Texas.
Jan. 13 – “75th Creative Arts Emmy Awards” (FXX): An edited version of the ceremony which gave awards to Jasmine Guy, Barack Obama, Keke Palmer and other worthy artists. “Girl In The Video” (Lifetime): A film inspired by real events exploring the dark underworld of catfishing and exploitive videos on the dark web starring Cush Jumbo (“The Good Fight”). “OWN Spotlight” (OWN): Oprah & Fantasia Barrino
Jan. 14 – “Delicious Miss Brown” (Food): Kardea Brown closes this season with “Couples Date Night In.” “29th Critics Choice Awards” (CW): Chelsea Handler hosts live from Santa Monica’s Barker Hangar. “True Detective” (HBO): The mystical procedural anthology drama returns with Jodie Foster and Kali Reis as investigators based in Ennis, Alaska.
Jan. 15 – “MLK/FBI” (AMC+): Sam Pollard’s 2020 documentary on bureau director J. Edgar Hoover’s obsession in investigating Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. is presented this holiday. “75th Primetime Emmy Awards” (Fox): Anthony Anderson hosts live from the Peacock Theater. “Celebrity IOU” (HGTV): “Fran Drescher’s Fabulous Thank You”
Jan. 16 – “Finding Your Roots” (PBS): Henry Louis Gates Jr. meets actors LeVar Burton and Wes Studi, two men who grew up without their fathers, haunted by questions about entire branches of their family trees. “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” (ABC): Danielle Brooks, John Oliver
Jan. 17 – “I Can See Your Voice” (Fox): “Divas Night” with Dionne Warwick, Todrick Hall, Adrienne Bailon-Houghton and Ron Funches.
Jan. 18 – “On The Roam” (MAX): an eight-part cinematic documentary series following Jason Momoa as he travels the country chasing art, adventure and friendship through the lens of craftsmanship.
END QUOTE: “At 63, I know I can bike better than I ever did, and Pilates ain’t easy, but I give it to Madonna for pushing the bars. Flavor Flav is taking Pilates too and he’s 64. So, ageism sometimes gets like racism both ways if you let it. For anyone over 50, the rule is either you do the songs, or the songs do you.” – CHUCK D on IG
As featured in the Los Angeles Wave and Independent, Tasty Clips is one of the leading entertainment columns in the nation, serving nearly one million weekly readers. Bill Vaughan may be reached at tastyclips@yahoo.com, via Twitter @tastyclips, or Instagram @tasty_clips.
