EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH ACTOR LEON.. LOVE IS A BEAUTIFUL THING

LEON
LOVE IS A BEAUTIFUL THING
BY BELINDA TROTTER JAMES

You know you are definitely an A-Lister in Hollywood if someone can Google you by only your first name and get results.  I'm talking about the one, the only Leon. True fans know his full name is Leon Preston Robinson, born March 18 and raised in The Bronx.  He has been in the business we know as entertainment since 1982 and has appeared in well over 30 films and theater productions. My favorite films are "The Five Heart Beats", "Above the Rim", "Waiting To Exhale", "The Temptations", "The Woman of Brewster Place" and who can forget his memorable role in "Little Richard".  

As an actor you have to embody the characters and become one with them. Leon has played some heavy, meaty characters to the point where you no longer recognized Leon; you only see the character he portrayed. It takes a skilled actor a few years to perfect becoming unrecognizable as yourself as you become the character.  "It makes me feel really good when someone comes up to me and remembers a line from one of my films", says Leon.  "They will try to imitate the way I said the line in the movie and that's a great compliment to me. The Five Heartbeats is fictitious story however; The Temptations and the Little Richard story were real, breathing people. They have family and friends who know them. Therefore, I have to embody that person by studying how they lived", explains Leon.  "It's a great complement to me when family and friends say that I bought the person to life."  Leon’s talent was so undeniable that he earned a best actor nomination from the NAACP.

 Actors tend to become natural directors and producers of movies because they understand the role of the actor and how to communicate with them. Leon challenged himself by putting on a producer's hat while also starring in the romantic drama, "The Price Of Kissing". "It was natural for me to produce because I have my own production company and I have been producing my own projects for years," says Leon.

Some say it's a small world and that is true within the directing/producing world in Hollywood as well. Leon has worked with major directors such as Forest Whitaker, Robert Townsend in his web series "Diary Of A Single Mom" and Bill Duke in "Cover". You would think it might be a little intimidating for him to work with such great minds however, Leon said it was actually very easy to work with them because they are all actors.  This is one of the reasons why the communication between the actor and director can flow with ease on a set.  "It's a little challenging for an actor to work with a director who has never been an actor. The communication sometimes gets lost and can become a little frustrating.  This is true especially for new directors", says Leon.

When you see people become successful at what they love doing, you wonder if they always knew it as a child growing up. Leon responds, "As a child I wanted to be a priest. I attended parochial schools most of my life and saw that the priest was always the only one talking and I thought, 'I could do that'.”  He laughs and says, “That may have been my introduction to being onstage."

There are some actors who sleep, eat and breathe their craft.  They will tell you without hesitation that their first love is always the theater. "Theater is the mother of acting", explains Leon.  "You get an immediate response from the audience when you're on stage. You don't have to wait to see how it's doing at the box office to know if your audience likes your performance or not."  Well, if his sellout shows night after night is any indication, then Leon knows exactly how his audience feels after his performances.   Leon headlined three national theater tours with sold out performances at the Hollywood's Kodak Theater, New York City's Beacon Theater, Detroit's Fox Theater, and the Warner Theater in DC.  The feeling you get when you take your curtain call is indescribable to an actor and it can become addicting. This may be one of the reasons why actors love theater so much.  You appreciate your audience and send out such a serge of energy and love that the audience can feel it and will give it right back to you in the form of applause and a standing ovation.

Not only does Leon have his own production film company, but he also has a band as well, which he calls, Leon And The Peoples.  Only Leon's trusted loyal fans knew that he was such a talented vocalist and songwriter. The band is so good that they received an international reggae and world music award nomination plus they also completed a 36 city US tour with reggae's greatest bands.  The bands single entitled, Love Is A Beautiful Thing is so inspiring as well as a hot, feel-good tune that they created a reggae version. At first I thought Leon And The Peoples was a reggae band until I heard the single. It is a fun love song that just makes you feel good all over.  "I am always fascinated by love and how people love each other,” says Leon.   “The reggae version is doing better than the original version.”  The music video to the song can be seen exclusively on his websites http://www.JustLeon.com and http://www.Leonandthepeoples.net If you look closely at the music video of Love Is A Beautiful Thing, you will be able to get a glimpse of Leon's daughter, Noelle who also makes a guest appearance in the music video.

Speaking of his daughter I asked if she showed any signs of following in his footsteps or her mother’s footsteps, Cynthia 'supermodel' Bailey.  "Of course she wants to be a model because of her mother and she is showing little signs of wanting to act however, I want her to do the things that she wants to do," says Leon.  Viewers got a chance to see Leon when he appeared on an episode of Atlanta Housewives because Cynthia Bailey is one of the main cast members. We got a glimpse into how wonderful they are able to co-parent even though they are not together. It was also nice to see Leon and Peter, Cynthia's husband interact with each other. It was a breath of fresh air to see everyone getting along and there was no arguing. I asked Leon if Cynthia had to twist his arm to be on the show and he replied, "I want to know the person who is in my child's life. I will support Cynthia in whatever she is doing. I want people to know that I take care of my child. I want people to know that Cynthia and I are raising our daughter together. Most people know I am Noelle’s father so to not appear on the show would make it look like I don't have an active role in my daughters life and I do."  

We talked a little bit more about how people fall out of love with each other and will tend to not get along even though they have children together. We both tried to explain to each other why relationships get to the point where you don't like each other anymore. Leon said, "It doesn't make sense to not be friends with someone you had a child with. You are bonded together for life because of this child. How can you be mad with the woman who gave birth to your child?" We were silent for a moment because you can't really speak for other people or begin to know their journey.  It’s just like that age-old question… How many licks does it take to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop? The world may never know.

 There are a lot of projects and movie roles that Leon has cooking in the fire. One is with Troy Byer who will be directing him in a romantic comedy entitled, “I really Hate My Ex”.  Other upcoming film projects include, “Soul Ties” and “And Then There Was You”.  With Leon’s production company, movie roles and touring with his band, he is definitely not an actor who is sitting on the couch doing nothing.  He explained to me that even though you don't see some actors it doesn't mean they're sitting on the couch.  "The public doesn't get to see a lot of things that happened behind the scenes,” says Leon. “Actors could be working on a sitcom that never gets picked up or you may see a show that is only on the air for three episodes and then it's cancelled.  So just because you don't see them doesn't mean they aren't working."

You can get your copy of Love Is A Beautiful Thing on iTunes now and also visit his website where you can own a Love Is A Beautiful Thing tee shirt.  I love the tee because is looks cute and girly; not like those standard boxy mannish tees.  Leon adds, “I made sure to use the nice, soft cotton that fits all body types.”

Get your t shirt today http://justleon.com/store/

As we came to the close of the interview, I just had to tell Leon that he looks like he has not aged one second.  After all he was voted one of the sexiest actors of all time.  “I just stay consistent with everything that I do.  I play tennis, I moisturize and I try to be stress free,” says Leon.  “If there are people around me who are stressed out, I just stay away.”

   All rights reserved -- no part of this website may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic or mechanical including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system without permission from Who's That Lady Entertainment.

Wendy Williams Presents "How You Laughing" Ft Luenell & Others! New Jersey 11/15

GET YOUR TICKETS TODAY  http://frontrowtickets.com/184-421-3-468.asp

Follow Luenell on twitter https://twitter.com/Luenell and Wendy Williams https://twitter.com/WendyWilliams

Actor Leon! Now Meet Singer Leon & The People (New Music)

Have you seen Leon's music video, "Love Is A Beautiful Thing"?  Performed with his band, LEON AND THE PEOPLES this is a feel good video. We can see and feel why Leon knows that love is a beautiful thing. Stay tuned for our exclusive interview. In the meantime, enjoy this amazing video exclusively at http://www.justleon.com  and get your copy for your listening pleasure. Tell your friends!!

 

Boxing Legend Leon Spinks Hospitalized!

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Former heavyweight champion Leon Spinks is in a Las Vegas hospital after a second operation for abdominal problems.
The 61-year-old boxer, who catapulted to fame by beating Muhammad Ali in 1978, had the second surgery in recent days after complications from the first emergency surgery, his wife said.
"It's going to be a long road ahead, but he's strong and he's starting to recover," Brenda Spinks told The Associated Press.

Brenda Spinks said she doesn't know how long her husband will be hospitalized, but that she's optimistic about his recovery.

"There were complications after his first surgery, but everything has been fixed," she said.
Earlier, singer Tony Orlando sent out a tweet asking people to pray for Spinks, a good friend of his. Orlando wrote that Spinks was "facing the greatest fight of his life."
Spinks and younger brother Michael both won Olympic gold medals in 1976 in different weight classes and went on to become heavyweight champions. Leon's rise was meteoric — he got a shot at Ali and the heavyweight title on Feb. 15, 1978, after just seven pro fights.
Few in boxing — including Ali — gave Spinks any chance in the fight, but he used his energy and awkward style to frustrate Ali and win a 15-round split decision at the Las Vegas Hilton. But he lost the title back to Ali in their rematch seven months later before more than 60,000 people at the Superdome in New Orleans.

TO READ MORE CLICK HERE
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/10/13/boxing-legend-leon-spinks_n_5980388.html?utm_hp_ref=black-voices&ir=Black%20Voices

Exclusive Interview with Icon Melba Moore.. Still Standing (New Music)

Melba Moore… Still Standing  

 By Vin Taylor

Melba Moore, Icon, Diva, Actress, Songstress, Talent. All of these don’t even come close to describing this Living Legend. Melba Moore, as she has become know to us, was born Beatrice Melba Hill, to a then single mom Gertrude Melba Smith, known to the R&B world as singer Bonnie Davis.

Ms. Moore has had over seventy singles, nineteen albums, made over fourteen compilations, appeared in numerous TV shows, movies, Broadway shows, even voiced animated characters, and Ms. Moore isn’t stopping there. She has a new Cd  coming out in 2015 called,"Forever Moore", Check out her new single "Just Dance"
 which is her first in more than twenty years. So where did we start the interview? At the beginning of course.

WTLE: “Your mother was a singer, your father a saxophonist, your step father a pianist. What was it like growing up around so much music?”

MM: “My natural father never married my mother, so I didn’t really have a relationship with him. I found out that he was a very famous musician… When my mother married my stepfather who is also a musician… who still plays at ninety eight… they pay him to still play… he’s amazing… that’s when the real songs, passion and influence of music came into my life. I was about nine years old at that time.  My stepfather had been married before, so he had a son and a daughter… He was a piano player so he made us all take piano lessons… and that was the beginning of really starting to get enmeshed in music and having it be the center of our lives.”

WTLE: “You were born in New York. Grew up in Harlem, and then at age 9 or 10 moved to Newark New Jersey. Later you went to The High School for Performing Arts in Newark where you studied piano and voice, and then you went on to Montclair State College in New Jersey, and received a bachelor's degree in music education. For a while you became a music teacher, but you really wanted to perform, is that true?”

MM: “That’s true, yes… It was in my blood by then, of course… I just seemed to really focus… on voice. I played piano, but I was really better at singing.”

WTLE: “You sang with Ashford & Simpson, Dionne Warwick and Aretha Franklin. What was that experience like?”

MM: “We were colleagues and when I stopped teaching school, my stepdad tried to get me into the industry. I just inadvertently met Valerie Simpson. At the time she was singing back up… She ushered me into the industry as a back up singer with her… We did all the top dates, so we sang behind Dionne Warwick, Aretha Franklin, we sang behind everybody.”

WTLE: “During a recording session back in 1967 you met Galt McDermott, composer of the musical Hair and he asked you to join the cast?”

 MM: “He’s a keyboardist. So he was doing his album of the music of Hair that he had composed and we were hired as back up singers on the date. When the date finished, Galt, Jim Rado and Jerry Ragni who of course wrote the lyrics for all the music and the book for Hair and he (Galt)… invited Valerie, myself and all the rest of the singers to come down and audition for the director and the producer, who was Tom O'Horgan at the time, if we wanted to be in the Broadway production of Hair.”

 WTLE: “…And then you replaced Diane Keaton?”

MM: “Eventually… I wound up auditioning for the part and getting the lead, replacing Diane Keaton… To have been in the same shoes with her is a great, great, great honor.”

WTLE: “You were the first African-American actress to replace a white actress in a lead role on Broadway?”

MM: “That was an important thing to have happened, period. Even if Diane hadn’t been who she became.”

WTLE: “A short time later in 1970, you were cast as Lutiebelle Gussie Mae Jenkins, opposite Cleavon Little, in my favorite musical Purlie, written by the late great Ossie Davis. You had no acting training at the time. How did you get through that?”

 MM: ”It was very… scary. It wasn’t too difficult because the part seemed to be natural for me, but being on the stage, in front of people, not really knowing… having no technical background… you always feel like your not going to make it… You don’t think anybody wants you to be yourself… You’re supposed to be acting.”

WTLE: “In 1981, you did the TV Movie Purlie, starring Robert Guillaume, Sherman Hemsley, Linda Hopkins, Clarice Taylor, Suzzanne Douglas, Ted Ross. Pauletta Pearson now Pauletta Washington (Denzel’s wife) and my friend Brenda Braxton (Smokey Joe’s Café). What was that like reliving it all over again?”

 MM: “I was just at Ruby Dee’s memorial service… she was the original Lutiebelle (in Purlie Victorious)… My now ex husband… and I were kind of forced to fill rolls to put it on tape… It was a video production… I realized that we were ahead of our time… putting theatre pieces on tape… It was just Déjà vu baby, but this time it wasn’t scary, it was just fun.”

WTLE: “You sang ‘Purlie”, “The Harder They Fall”, “I Got Love”, my favorite “He Can Do It” with Novella Nelson. What was your favorite song?”

MM: “I think my favorite song is Purlie… Because its hokey, it kind of tells the story, it gives me a chance to hit the high notes… and play the joyful, country, silly character. I still enjoy singing that. (starts singing) ‘I love to sit and hear him dream…’ It is so cute.” (we laughed).

WTLE: “In 1970 you received a Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical, a Theatre World Award, and a Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Performance, but you really just wanted to be a singer?”

MM: ”I wanted to be anything! I didn’t know that there was any future or any thought about theatre or anything else for me. I mean music was all we knew or cared about and it wasn’t musical! (deep laugh). I was just really, really happy with being in music, and then having the extended aspect of having theatre added to it… it was surprising… I didn’t know that it would be part of my future ”

WTLE: “Wow. Then you received a Grammy nomination as Best New Artist in 1971 for your debut album with Mercury Records I Got Love. Then you did Look What You're Doing To The Man 1971, you did Melba Moore Live!  in 1972. You became an ever present guest on television, The Ed Sullivan Show, David Frost, Mike Douglas, Dick Cavett, The Carol Burnett Show, my favorite The Flip Wilson Show, and thirteen appearances on Johnny Carson’s The Tonight Show and then in the summer of 1972, you and actor Clifton Davis co-starred in your own television series. What was that experience like?”

MM: “Once again, breaking new territory, developing as an actress in a persona in the TV industry… with comedy that’s about our afro centric culture as well as showbiz and contemporary life… there were no guidelines… it was very difficult… we had to help come up with concepts… especially comedy ideas and guests and stuff… we weren’t writers… it was very strenuous and stressful. Plus, Clifton and I were a couple, we were trying to have a love affair at the same time, (laugh) so it was very difficult, but I gotta say very exciting. You don’t come into this industry to sit home and watch TV! We had a very exciting time.”

WTLE: “Did he write Never Can Say Goodbye about you?”

MM: “I’m not sure if he wrote it for me or Michael Jackson. He probably told me it was for me. (big laugh).

WTLE: “I want to get to your present day career, but first, I want to ask you about a couple of things. So I want you to say the first thing that comes to your mind. In 1974 you performed at The Apollo Theatre…”

MM: “I’m not sure I remember Vinny. I have been there so many times… I can remember thinking… please don’t let it close before I can get on the stage!... Every time I’ve been there it’s always been an honor… something special to me… I was there maybe about a year ago and it was still very special to me… we had a special theme of contemporary African American women… I think it was called the Sisterhood Experience.  So now I… could be an example for younger singers that we sang with… like Allison Williams, Monifah, Miki Howard, Melissa Morgan… Many times I’ve been there it was a special theme… I probably remember those better than the first time I performed there.”

WTLE: “OK. Now, Lost in the Stars, opposite Brock Peters and Raymond St. Jacques. How was that?”

MM: “Once again, it was an extension of acting. It was… classic… I was pleased to do that… a very sad movie… a quality piece.”

WTLE: “Timbuktu, with Eartha Kitt.”

MM: “Now that was a unique experience for a couple of reasons. I had never worked with Geoffrey Holder before… He was a wonderful dancer, choreographer. He designed the costumes and the sets. He was always like a genie that popped out of the bottle honey. Which was bigger than life!... And working opposite Eartha Kitt was like working opposite the Iconic Diva of the age. She came back there with the tough girls like Pearl Bailey… They were very strong, well skilled… and they made their own deals, they were good business women! They were something to be around… they were a force!”

WTLE: “Appearing on The Love Boat.”

MM: “I’m just gonna chuckle right now, because they were always enjoyable, fun, funny. The cast and directors and the people were always sweet… I was just laughing till I laughed myself silly… I loved doing it… Nothing scary about that… I had a good manager by that time, I had a good structure in my life.”

WTLE: “Just A Little Bit More with Freddie Jackson.”

MM: “Very exiting… It was my first duet… It was interesting working on stage… coordinating costumes… you’re used to working as a solo artist, he’s a solo artist and getting to know each other, doing interviews together, it was a whole new learning experience, but the great thing about myself and Freddie, I think that we are both just naturally joyful types of people… We loved each other. It was always enjoyable though it might have been a little awkward sometimes.”

WTLE: “You did what I would call the first We Are The World, when you performed on "Lift Every Voice and Sing," which featured many well known artists such as Freddie Jackson, Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin, Jeffrey Osborne, Anita Baker, and Stephanie Mills among others. The song was entered into the Congressional Record as the African American National Anthem. Was this a great moment for you?”

MM: “ABSOLUTLY! Yes, because it’s part of our African American history, and one of the things that is unique and important about us is we have had a very oppressive… depressive… suppressive existence. Trying to be first class citizens. Trying to get our education. Trying not to be profiled; trying not to be racially prejudice against… that struggle has made us a nation within a nation, because we came here as slaves and everybody else came here a immigrants... Every nation has a song that identifies them. We have the Star Spangled Banner, but we had another struggle, and out of that struggle came Lift Every Voice And Sing, and what was important to me was that many of us were not aware of that and so for me it was a great moment to bring it to everybody’s attention.”

WTLE: “You toured in Michael Matthews’s Gospel Play Mama I'm Sorry and began to perform your one-woman musical autobiography, that went through a few title changes that became Sweet Songs of the Soul. Why did you settle on that title?

MM: “It’s now called Still Standing, The Melba Moore Story… it’s been evolving, I haven’t really settled on anything, it may change again (we laugh). It’s a work in progress.”

WTLE: “You have done so much in your life. TV, plays, musicals, albums, the list goes on. I just heard Just Dance as well as What Can I Do To Survive. What is the inspiration behind those songs?”

 MM: “Well, they’re contemporary music, and I’m a singer, so I have to have something out now, and I think it kind of represents a good message for somebody in my stage of life and in the industry… the song writer and the producer are the ones who came up with the inspiration… I just said, Yeah that’s great, I think I could sing that… Not too much techno… sounds natural… That’s important to me now because it’s time to have something fresh out… you want to compete with the market, but you don’t wanna jump on the band wagon… have your own identity… I like to present something that makes you feel good and it’s happy... has a good strong positive message… I think both of them do that.”

WTLE: “ You’re here, you’re still standing and I know you will be standing for a long time, but how do you want people to remember you?”

MM: “Ah… strong, talented, positive… never give up. Surviving… Not just surviving but thriving! Put that on my tombstone, you can’t just survive you’ve got to thrive! 

You can visit Melba Moore website http://www.melbamoore.com/  and follow her on twitter https://twitter.com/MelbaMoore1 for her latest music, videos and updates

  All rights reserved -- no part of this website may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic or mechanical including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system without permission from Who's That Lady Entertainment.

#MyBlackFather Dispels Stereotype Of Absent Fathers In The Black Community

The media's attack on the image of black fatherhood is nothing new.
In response to reports about the myth surrounding black fatherhood, we wanted to share family photos that display love and integrity of devoted fathers in the black community. Our Black Voices Twitter callout asked readers to submit photos using the hashtag #MyBlackFather. And what we got in response was a cargo of heartwarming pictures of the black men that raised our readers.
Want to be a part of the lovefest? It’s not too late! Just tweet us a photo of your father using #MyBlackFather and we’ll continue to update the story with new submissions. 

TO SEE THE BEAUTIFUL PHOTOS OF DAD AND THEIR KIDS CLICK THIS LINK
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/10/10/stereotype-absent-fathers-black-community_n_5968030.html?utm_hp_ref=mostpopular

America's Next Top Model Eliminee. Triple Threat Ben

America's Next Top Model Eliminee...
Triple Threat Ben
By Belinda Trotter James

If you are a fan of the show, you know that Ben is tall with dark features and handsome.  I did not believe he was the next to be eliminated from the show. I asked him what the heck happened? He is a triple threat with singing, acting and dancing under his belt.  However a blonde wig was his downfall. Ben laughed and said,  "Did you see that dirty mop on my head? It was easy to see that dirt mop on my head is the reason why I got eliminated".  He went on to say that if he would've had a black wig on his head instead of that blonde wig, he would have done much better. However, if you're an actor, you put on whatever costume you are given and you become that character.

Before Ben joined the top model cast he was in New York.  Believe it or not he won a modeling and acting competition. "I won most sought after talent and male model of the year", says Ben.  By winning the competition he got manager out of it and went to LA to pursue his career further. He also got his bachelors degree in communication. He booked a Nike commercial with LeBron James, landed some acting gigs, but not a whole lot of modeling jobs plus he's working on a music career right now to see which one is the best fit. Ben is still working on his modeling craft and just finished shooting some of the best modeling photos of his career.

Ben never actually meant to audition for the show.  It was a friend of his that he met at a catering job. He remembered Ben and called him eight months later to say he should audition for America's Next Top Model. At first Ben thought it was not a good idea, but after his friend told him about the prizes he decided to go through with it. He was hesitant because it was a reality show.

"Nah! I'm an actor", says Ben. "I don't need to be doing a reality show, but after my friend told me I could win 100 grand, a modeling contract and it's such a big platform, I figured he was right; I should do it. I figured if I stay true to myself even if it's a lot of drama around me, the sky is the limit for opportunities that could come after the show".  So he auditioned and the rest is history.

With all Ben's experience his advice to those preparing for a photo shoot is to have confidence. "The number one thing you should have at a photo shoot is confidence.  You also want to find the light. Make sure the lighting is good on your body and face. You do need to know a little bit about modeling, but at the end of the day even if you know how to do all the poses or how to move your body, if you don't have confidence it will show. If you think too much about what you are doing, it's not going to look good. You need to just go with the flow. Get in your inner element and just let your heart shine through.  Embrace your surroundings and get in the mood. Think of a mood or character you want to show.  Maybe you want to show a sensual side or a lost puppy side or angry or a very enduring side.  There are so many things that could be going on in your mind. Just pick one and go with it. If it doesn't work, do a different one. Whatever you pick be confident with it.

Ben seems to be surviving a little better than others because he has triple threat skills in singing, acting, dancing and he can add modeling to his set of skills for success. His advice in pursuing this business is to say humble.  "It's a struggle. You have to stay humble and hungry. It would be easy for me to have a big head being on America's Next Top Model. So you have to stay humble and hungry and just keep hustling because it is a hustle. There are so many other people out there working harder than you.  In order to keep up you have to match that and bring more to the table. Take a step back to look at your stengths and focus.  No matter what you believe in I think we all are blessed and you should focus on being a good person. Be a helpful, encouraging person which will bring good karma. If everyone can do that, then everyone could be successful along with a lot of luck and timing".

Who will be eliminated next and lose a chance at being America's Next Top Model. Stay tuned! 

 All rights reserved -- no part of this website may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic or mechanical including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system without permission from Who's That Lady Entertainment.