"Show these women a whole lot of respect" Jennifer Hudson stars as Aretha Franklin August 13th

 

Jennifer Hudson and Aretha Franklin

I love these photos personality it's like a great art piece to have Jennifer is killing this look.

Aretha receiving her Grammy awards

Hey Ms. Franklin! I took this photo of Aretha Spring (April 2016) she was staying at the Plaza Hotel on 57th street in New York City with her boyfriend and her security guards. Was so good to see her she was cool wearing her converses and jeans waving to the fans.

These ladies both are multitalented and multi-facted when it comes to their lives but they always remain true to who they are as women and remind us through their contributions and their song lyrics RESPECT is deserved by everyone. 

International superstar, The Queen of Soul, legendary songwriter, composer, a fashion icon, a diva in her own right. She worked so hard for everything that was given to her including her dynamic and powerful voice. Aretha’s story is coming to big screen this isn’t the first time she’s been acknowledged on the big screen. She is an actress remember she made a cameo in “Blues Brothers” and her documentary, “Amazing Grace” was a snapshot into Aretha’s gospel and church roots. She has been singing since she was seven or eight years old in her father’s choir. So to see her become this phenomenal songstress and legend in the music industry and pop culture. It became a full circle moment with her documentary. Franklin’s story was told earlier this year in April with National Geographic’s “Genius” mini television series a nine-part of her Aretha’s life until adulthood.

 She was played by Broadway and now film actress, Cynthia Erivo. Displaying the full scope and story of Aretha’s upbringing, her family life, and how she discovered she had so much soul even as a little girl. Aretha’s story is inspirational on many levels as a human being, a recording artist, songwriter, producer, an African- American woman, and how she connected to her fans in a 6-decade career. Franklin chose Jennifer Hudson specifically in 2006 after Jennifer’s Oscar winning performance in “Dreamgirls” before her passing it in August of 2018 was written before that she would play Aretha in a biographical featured film.

 The Queen of Soul & R&B knew how to choose her music, her lyrics, and knows what to do when it comes to what exactly she wants. She was precise in her storytelling and lyrics. I had the pleasure of meeting her in person briefly before she passed. There were people walking up to her who just wanted to meet her and be in her presence. She had a regality, yet she was down to earth. She loved and adored everyone who appreciated great music and how they used her music. There are so many ways I can see Aretha’s songs still touch our lives today. I was just listening to “Pride (A Deeper Love)” that song hits me in the gut the part where she sings, “People let me tell you I work hard every day/I get up because I have bills to pay”, “A Rose is still a rose”, “Ain’t No Way”, “ It Hurts like Hell”, “Chain of Fools” these songs you hear and she hits you in your ears, your mind, and your soul like “Yes you understand me and this situation”. 

Aretha had the kind of voice that takes away all of the pain in that moment. Then she would hit you with a life lesson wrapped up in the cadence of her voice too. Jennifer’s performance has been leading up to this moment for 15 years since she first selected her for this role and was pre-destined she auditioned in 2003 at 21 for American Idol and that changed her life. Opening doors and her whole entire career in music, television, film, and acting. Jennifer’s career has taken off like a lightning rod and to have Aretha not only as the woman she would one portray she had her as a friend and mentor to assist her along the way. The day she chose Jennifer to play her in this film was the day she passed the torch to her saying, “I select and choose you…you will represent me, and your voice carries the weight, depth, the sassiness, sultry, pain, and the range”. I can imagine that first meeting was not only a life defining moment for her but one that made her realize her purpose and her calling had been reached too. Jennifer’s role in this film is going to take her from Oscar Supporting Actress winner to the best actress role in 2022 next Award season. She studied for over a decade this role and knew it to the bone, the soul, and essence of Aretha’s legacy, her life story, and her musical story. Make sure you take your friends, family to go see “Respect” in theaters August 13th Friday worldwide.

Visit http://www.jenniferhudsononline.com for more information on tours, new music, and her upcoming films, and projects.

MTV's all grown up 40 years of music television celebrates August 2021

 

I am a huge fan of MTV I have early memories as a pre-teen and teenager getting ready to head to Catholic school in my middle school and high school years watching MTV early in the wee hours of the morning. Catching up on my latest favorite pop stars videos. The video to me was always the icing on the cake when you have a recording artist who is successful or just starting out in the music industry. You want to find a way to get your artist to connect with their future fans right away. The song on the radio may catch your attention but the video captivates you. It’s what you’re going to remember right away when you first see this new person on the music scene. I think my earliest videos I remember during my era growing up is the 1990s. I am an eighties baby but a nineties kid so my era was the Michael Jackson, Madonna, Prince, David Bowie era when I was born and when I came into my pre-teen years it was the pop explosion and Latin explosion. 

I was watching N’SYNC, Backstreet Boys, Britney Spears, Enrique Iglesias, Jennifer Lopez, Marc Anthony when I was growing up this was when we went from the pop explosion to crossing over into Latin Pop and then we were also finding a new era of R&B/Hip Hop as well. This was an amazing time with music the late 1990s into the early 2000s because people were writing songs and coming out with videos frequently showing their creative and visual expression of videos. This was also during a time when technology was booming so not only could you see the videos on television but now online on MTV’s website and other platforms. The mid-2000s is when we all began the crossover into the digital age and videos were shown on what is now social media sites, websites, and on television. MTV has evolved from its infancy with just videos focusing only the artist and a bright green screen. Now it’s developed and evolved into a fully-grown adult with diversity, with social consciousness, some integrity, some rawness, and chutzpah. MTV’s development has changed many lives of its viewers and the recording artists, television personalities, radio personalities, VJs, producers, actors, actresses, reality television stars, and more. It now has reality television shows, featuring lifestyles across the globe, can communicate with all of their viewers around the globe, and acknowledges other continents like Europe, Asia, Australia, and more.

 This television network doesn’t discriminate they make sure to keep the inclusivity with every artist or person featured on their television series and more. Every time a new artist  whose video is submitted to the producers and staff ‘behind the scenes. What would we do without this amazing network that taught us about new fashion, sneakers, sunglasses, dance crazes, celebrity lifestyle shows like Cribs, or how the video was actually made by our favorite singers, rappers, producers, directors, and bands? What they had to do while they were on the set of the video and how when that director said “Cut and it’s a wrap”. You got a chance to see the world premiere of the video for the first time. I used to get excited about seeing that. Now fast forward we don’t just see the video and sit around the living room

to watch it. Now we see the music videos on our cell phones and laptops even rapidly . We are able to connect to our favorite celebrities instantly through social media and social media promotion quickly, effectively, and see what they are coming out with right away. I am sure many of the stars who have graced us with their television presence in the past 40 years through (1981-2021) can definitely tell us some stories of what was happening behind the scenes, at events, parties, spring break sessions, trips, and more. You have to do a whole series on MTV itself just to see what happens daily from the past to the present. They have redefined spring break culture, music culture, lifestyle, fashion, homes, and more. They have opened doors created opportunities many of us probably never even imagined. A little imagination can open up a world of possibilities and MTV created not only careers they created a brand that will stand the test of time and beyond. Happy Birthday to one of my favorite television networks breaking barriers and created the MTV generation. MTV Networks celebrates it's fortieth anniversary this year on August 1st, 2021. Here are a few videos as we go down memory lane. 

Visit http://www.mtv.com and http://www.viacom.com  for more information and follow them on all social media platforms.