I don’t want to write this post. I don’t want to write about losing Whitney Houston. I’ve written recent RIP tribute posts for Etta James and Don Cornelius, but this loss cuts deeper. It’s too sad. There’s an ache of deep, disappointed sadness that has been over my shoulders like a shroud since Saturday….
Lost Ones
Amy Winehouse’s New Video Makes Me Happy/Sad
The sudden death of Amy Winehouse still remains such a study of conflict in my mind. It simultaneously seems like a long time ago, and like just yesterday. Although the news wasn’t altogether shocking, it was still so tragic and heartbreaking. A posthumous album of previously unreleased Amy Winehouse tracks is about to be released…
Donyale Luna – Forever Fascinating
If I had to look back on all the posts I’ve written in these past four years and choose the top five most popular…the Donyale Luna: Lost Ones post would definitely rank high on the list. I wrote it in 2007 and to this day I still get occasional comments on it. I’ve had comments…
Marvin Gaye – Gone But Never Forgotten
Marvin Gaye – musical innovator, truth teller, soul singer, Trouble Man. Today marks 26 years since Marvin passed away. Tomorrow would have been his 71st birthday. I paid homage to Marvin in this Lost Ones post — I gave up writing that series because it ached to work on it. That post in particular got…
Alexander The Great
The word “icon” gets tossed around too lightly, too quickly. This month the world lost a true fashion icon, and under unbelievably tragic circumstances. This week it was confirmed that Alexander McQueen took his own life. He left behind a note, the contents of which are yet to be revealed. It’s hard to imagine the…
Oh, Michael
I was an Eighties baby but the last of the family. So many of my childhood memories are Seventies leftovers from my sister and brothers. And like so, so many black families around the world, the Jackson 5 were a part of our lives. I don’t recall exactly when my love affair began, but it…
Marilyn’s Memorabilia
She’s been deceased for almost half a century now, but still the image of Marilyn Monroe looms large in Hollywood. She remains — and forever will be — the ultimate blond bombshell. Generations of starlets who have probably never even sat through one of her films beginning to end claim her as their idol. Lilo…
Say It Ain’t So, El
This might seem a bit off topic and random, but I gotta get into some sadness I read on the celebrity blogs today. Apparently my childhood crush, Eldra “El” DeBarge, has been arrested. And the dude is now 5’9″ and 130 pounds. He was always lean, but that’s extra lean. The mugshot is heartbreaking. Oh,…
Friday Teaser
OK, I had a very long and very controversial post in the works, but I need more time to craft my words carefully, and also I gotta confess… last night I wound up going to a crazy party in Miami’s Design District. I must say, it really sets the tone for the evening when you…
Lost Ones: Marvin Gaye
He was so handsome, so incredibly talented. He had so much potential left, and a career that could have continued on for so much longer — if only. Who did it bigger or better than Marvin Gaye? I have a hard time thinking of any contemporary artist that’s even in his league. Marvin Pentz Gay…