MONTGOMERY – Sophomore linebacker Kourtney Berry has been named The Sporting News FCS Co-Defensive Player of the Week.
The Merrillville, Ind., native had a career-high 18 tackles (12 solo) in ASU’s upset win at Grambling State. Berry’s career game didn’t start and stop with just tackles, as he forced a fumble and recovered two. One of his fumbles resulted in a Hornet touchdown.
For the second consecutive season Berry has recorded over 100 tackles. After recording 105 during his first year as a Hornet, he has already surpassed that amount with 119 this season, with one game left.
It is Berry’s second honor of the week as he was named the SWAC’s Defensive Player of the Week as well.
MONTGOMERY – Alabama State University’s DeMarcus Robinson has been named the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) Player of the Week after the first weekend of basketball action.
The senior from Jonesboro, Ga., paced the Hornets during their first two games to open the season averaging 22 points per game while shooting a blistering 65 percent from the field and an even better 67 percent on his three point attempts.
Robinson opened the season with 23 points in the win over Auburn Montgomery. He was eight-of-14 from the field and hit five of his eight three point attempts.
When the Hornets traveled to Fayetteville, Ark., to face the Razorbacks, he started the game out hitting his first seven field goals which included five three point field goals. He finished that game with 21 points.
Robinson also averaged two rebounds, 2.5 assists and one steal per game to open the season.
They’re the same age, of similar height, and come from different backgrounds from around the country.
When the Alabama State University women’s volleyball front row hitting lineup of Amber Bennett, Rachel Smith, Myla Marshall and Chelsey Scott stepped onto the court together as freshmen in 2012, it was an ongoing learning process as to how the four would mesh with such differing personalities and roots.
With personalities ranging from strong and vocal to more carefree and laid back, and with mixing backgrounds from city versus rural lifestyles, it took some time for each to understand one another and embrace what makes each unique.
Now, admittedly a much more mature bunch, the four players affectionately refer to one another as “sisters” and carry an unyielding, fierce determination when it comes to winning volleyball games and doing whatever it takes to claim another Southwestern Athletic Conference Championship.
“We all had a bit of culture shock,” Marshall said. “It’s funny now because we’ve all rubbed off on each other so much that it’s almost like we’re from the same place now. But originally, that was one of those crosses we all had to cross when we were ready. With Chelsey being from around here and with me being from [Memphis] Tennessee, it was very different. Oh boy. City versus country was a huge difference.”
Sharing the ball on the court among four players whom all are around six feet tall and possess the springs in their jump for prime volleyball skills was the other challenge with so many mouths to feed.
But, these players remained focused on winning and instead let their opponents worry about who is going to be heavy on the attack. It has all added up to the Lady Hornets’ (14-17 overall, 8-0 SWAC) second straight SWAC East Division title and a number one seed heading into Saturday’s SWAC Tournament in Baton Rouge, La.
Now all in their junior seasons, the concept of sharing has made them one of the most dominating front rows in the SWAC and one of the trickiest to defend because the offense can come from so many different players.
“We’re a really unpredictable set of individuals, so when we come together as a team, we’re really hard to stop,” Bennett said. “We can play different positions and give different looks. When coach puts us in complex situations to confuse our opponents, they don’t know where the ball is coming from and who is hitting it. As an opponent, you have to respect all four of us. If you don’t, then we’re going to burn you.”
The numbers left in their blazing trails speak for themselves. The quartet has now all passed the 600-kill threshold with potential to add to their totals with this year’s postseason and another full season next year.
Marshall became member of the 500 club on Sept. 11 vs. Southeast Missouri State. Two days later, Scott became a member of the club versus Southern Miss. Since, Marshall has hit the 600 mark on Oct. 17 against Mississippi Valley State. Scott went over 600 kills after getting nine in a 3-0 win against Alcorn State on Nov. 14.
Bennett and Smith began the season having already cleared the 500 mark. Each has been able to reach the 700 kill plateau during the season. Bennett got to 700 on Oct. 10 at Alcorn State while Smith followed up by hitting the 700 mark on Nov. 6 vs. Alabama A&M.
Another junior in Tiara Kelley is closing in on 500 kills. She has 451 kills heading into the SWAC Tournament.
“The goal is always to have a spread attack,” said Head Coach Penny Lucas-White, who was a right side hitter as a player at LSU. “I bounced right and left. I mastered middle hitting, but I believe in having diversity. For me, that’s why we were so dominant last year. It was a matter of molding players to play both outside and middle. When your production is coming from four or five players, it’s hard to commit a block against them. My outside could have a good swinging day if you commit in the middle, and vice versa. It has to come to fruition where all the kids can commit to playing in different ways.”
It’s been a trade off as to which players will rise up and show out with the big numbers.
In 2012, it was Scott and Smith who enjoyed eye-popping seasonal numbers. Scott put down a career-best 301 kills while Smith threw down her single-season best of 288 kills.
In 2013, the roles were reversed as Bennett soared to new heights with a conference-best 388 kills. Marshall emerged as well with a career-best 273 kills.
“Freshman year, it was Chelsey and Rachel,” Marshall said. “We were an outside heavy team. I believe Coach White was still trying to mold Amber and I into what she thought the middle should be. So that’s where you saw Amber and I picked it up and got results. Now, it’s a complete team on the middle and the outside, so I think that’s why the numbers are so spread out. I think it’s become a lot easier this year because it’s good to know that someone is there to have your back.”
In 2014, the quartet has alternated who receives the most attacks on any given day. Instead of a season-to-season basis, it’s developed into more of a game-to-game basis. They all hover around the 200-kill mark this season. Of the team’s 1,203 kills, the four have accounted for 847 kills.
Of the 37 times that an ASU player has either led the team in kills or shared a team-high in kills, Scott and Marshall each have done it on 11 occasions, Smith has led in five games and Bennett has led three times. In total, the quartet has led in kills 30 out of a possible 37 times.
“I think it takes the pressure off of us a lot because we know that we can all deliver and bring something different on the court,” Smith said. “We have grown not only as a team, but as a family. It makes it a lot easier when it comes to games because we trust each other.”
Family is the common theme with the Lady Hornets. It’s a term the players and the coaching staff will often use in a preference to calling it a team.
“When you call a timeout, you hear them encourage one another,” said Lucas-White. “We celebrate each other’s differences. We’re not all alike, but we have the same goals. We’re all a family. It’s an amazing journey that they have all arrived at the same place. When you’re talking about spending so much time together and getting up at 5 a.m. for practice, with that grind, they can celebrate the victories and remember the losses.”
All in the name of becoming a better team, and, a stronger family.
“Our freshman year was our struggle year in my opinion,” Bennett said. “I remember we had a talk during our sophomore year that we just decided that we’re not finishing second or third as long as we are here. And, once you decide internally, and the people around you understand it, it’s hard to stop. We carried over that goal to the rest of the team. You have to have that killer mentality. That’s when we really became sisters.”
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!! CELEBRATE NATIVE AMERICAN MONTH!!
Enjoy the Holiday Season with family and friends!
This is the weekend for a few great things.
And, here are a few things to do….
NEW FOR THE HOLIDAYS!!
There are so many new things this season… YO’ MAMA’S RESTAURANT –A great place to get your meats and vegetables… Yo’ Mama’s Restaurant, downtown Birmingham, opened at 2328 Second Avenue North, 35203. Yo’ Mama’s started as Jazzy Fish & Chicken down at the famous Seabreeze Jazz Festival in Destin and Panama City, Florida in 2007. Each year it was the most popular vendor with a fast-moving and seemingly endless line serving an average of 600 plates a day. Jazzy Fish & Chicken eventually became a restaurant reality starting in downtown Birmingham, Alabama as Yo’ Mama’s Restaurant, serving fresh meals made from scratch. Get a Taste of Home, everyday at Yo’ Mama’s when in downtown Birmingham. (I haven’t been yet but will tell you my favorite meal, so look for more about Yo’ Mama’s soon.) They have gluten free options such as (GF bun, GF tortilla, etc.). Their chefs are educated and have specific gluten-free stations to avoid cross-contamination. They are unable to guarantee that any menu item can be completely free of allergens. They want you to know that manufacturing processes and ingredients change frequently, so it is up to the customer to confirm ingredients with the manufacturer. While serving great food every day, they want you to know that they have a Thanksgiving Day ‘Meal of the Day’ this coming Monday/Tuesday. Call (205) 957-6545 for more. CHICKEN SALAD CHICK – Chicken Salad Chick, the nation’s newest fast-casual restaurant concept, is scheduled to open its second Birmingham area restaurant in Homewood on December 10. The new restaurant will be located in SoHo Square at 1830 29th Avenue South, Homewood, Ala. 35209. The company’s first area location opened in the Village at Lee Branch in September, and an additional location downtown is set to open early next year. Born In Alabama — The Chicken Salad Chick concept was established in Auburn, AL in 2008 in the kitchen of founder, Stacy Brown and her future husband/fellow founder, Kevin Brown. Together, they opened a small takeout restaurant, which quickly grew to enormous demand and additional locations. LAUGHTER IN DA HOOD EVERY THURSDAY – Comedians from all walks of life will be at TIDE AND TIGER for ‘Laugher in Da Hood’ every Thursday, 7 p.m. with a chance to win concert tickets, gift certificates, gift cards, t-shirts, drinks, food and more. Call (205) 503-3880 for more. COMEDIANS INTERESTED IN BEING DISCOVERED… AND SEEN….Email me at thelewisgroup@birminghamtimes.com and also gwenderu@yahoo.com. TODAY…LINE DANCE INTO THANKSGIVING – Join Birmingham Council President Johnathan Austin and burn those pre-Thanksgiving calories at the “LINE DANCE FOR FITNESS” extravaganza at the Fountain Heights Recreation Center located at 1101 15th Avenue North, from 5:30 -7 p.m. Learn the latest line dances while burning calories and jamming to fitness just in time for the holidays. This event is “FREE” and open to the public. Instructors suggest that all participants wear comfortable clothes and rubber bottom shoes. Bottled water and healthy refreshments will be provided. Call (205) 254-2679 for more. NEW (and old) ALABAMA STATE PARKS EVENTS – The Alabama State Parks has plenty new things planned for this month as we celebrate Native American Month and during the holiday season.
Here are a few…. MOVIES IN THE PARK – Take your blanket and your camp chair to enjoy a movie in the crisp, cool, fall mountain air under a starlit night sky, Friday, at Cheaha State Park in Campfire Ring (next to the observation tower at 7 p.m. (Look for more events in the Alabama State Parks especially regarding the Native Americans such as pottery, jewelry, tools and weapons, finger weaving, pine needle basketry and more. JOE WHEELER’S SATURDAY NIGHT SEAFOOD BUFFET – The Alabama State Parks is hosting a Saturday Night Seafood Buffet–served every Saturday night year-round (except Parade of Lights) at the Joe Wheeler State Park featuring All-you-can-eat crab legs, shrimp, fish and more. Hours are seasonal but open at 5p.m. Call (256) 247-5461 for more. (Tell them Gwen sent you.) OAK MOUNTAIN FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS – The Oak Mountain Festival of Lights opens Thanksgiving night through December 28. The nights are November 27-30, December 4-6, December 11-14 and December 18-28. Experience a true Winter Wonderland with a Trail of Lights over a mile long featuring millions of twinkling lights in dazzling holiday displays featuring a Live Nativity and Real Snow that you can enjoy from the comfort of your own car. At the end of the Trail of Lights, families can enjoy Bud’s Best Cookies Holiday Village with free samples of cookies and milk, with complimentary popcorn, hot cocoa, arts and crafts, vendors, train rides, live entertainment and more. Take the entire family and get into the holiday spirit while indulging your inner Clark Griswold. Special priced advance tickets on sale at participating Walgreens for $15 per car through December 18. For more go to: www.Oakmountainfestivaloflights.com.
39th ANNUAL PARADE OF LIGHTS – Enjoy the festivities of the season with a Boat Parade, 6 p.m. and a holiday buffet in Daniella’s in the Joe Wheeler State Park beginning at 4 p.m. Call (256) 247-5461 for reservations and more info. (Check out the Alabama State Parks website: www.alapark.com for more activities)
BIRMNGHAM ZOO – The Birmingham Zoo invites the entire community to give back to those in need this holiday season. On Saturday and Sunday, Zoo visitors can enjoy half-price admission by bringing any canned or non-perishable food item. to donate to the United Way Food Bank. The United Way Community Food Bank of Central Alabama serves people in need by securing and storing surplus food and household items to distribute these items through local partnering service agencies. For more information about the Birmingham Zoo and the United Way Food Drive, please visit www.birminghamzoo.com.
CATCH A RISING STAR WITH OPERA BIRMINGHAM – The curtain goes up on the season and the spotlight focuses on the winner of the 36th Annual Opera Birmingham Competition! Alabama’s own “Opera Idol”, soprano Alison King, takes the stage in a magnificent recital and begins the season on a high note! You can say you heard her when! Opera Birmingham opens the 2014-2015 60th Anniversary Diamond Season with a dazzling recital featuring Soprano Alison King, at Brock Recital Hall, Samford University, on Sunday, at 2:30 p.m. Kevin Chance will accompany her on the piano. Roles include Anne Trulove in The Rake’s Progress, and Rosina in Il Barbiere di Siviglia at Music Academy of the West, Giulietta in I Capuleti e I Montecchi, Musetta in La Bohème and Clorinda in La Cenerentola and Brigitta in Iolanta with Yale Opera as well as Second Niece in Peter Grimes at Chautauqua Opera. Alison King is a star on the rise, so catch her in concert while you have the chance! Season ticket packages for the upcoming 2014-15 season (featuring Hamlet, Home for the Holidays & La Bohème) are available. For more information visit OperaBirmingham.org or call 205-322-6737. CHRISTMAS CAROL SERVICE – Join others at the 79th annual BSC Carol Service to help ring in the Christmas season. One of Birmingham-Southern College’s oldest traditions, the Service of Lessons and Carols, will be held Friday, Dec. 5, at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, Dec. 7, at 4:30 p.m., by the Concert Choir, Southern Chorale, and BSC Alumni Choir. Profs. Jeff Kensmoe and Lester Seigel are leading the choirs, Rev. Jack Hinnen is serving as liturgist, and Prof. Leon Couch is organist. Child care is available by advance reservation for the Sunday service by calling 874-1546 by Dec. 5 at noon. The 90-minute services will be held at Canterbury United Methodist Church, located at 350 Overbrook Road in Mountain Brook. The event is free and open to the public. For more information, call (205) 226-4957.
ART AT BETA PICTORIS GALLERY – This month the beta pictoris gallery is hosting art by Susana Solano, Jarrod Beck, Steven Bindemagel, Jacques Charlier, Willie Cole, Clayton Colvin, Mark Flood, Sharon louden, Eugene James Martin, Leslie Smith III, Travis Somerville and Melissa Vandenberg now through the 2015 year in the gallery located at 2411-Second Avenue North, downtown.
WATCH AND FEEL THE FIGHT WITH THE EA SPORTS™ UFC® COLLEGE TOUR – The EA SPORTS™ UFC College Tour will be stopping in Tuscaloosa, Ala. at Buffalo Wild Wings for UFC Pay-Per-View event, Saturday, December 6th, 10 p.m. ET /7 p.m. PT: UFC 181 Hendricks vs. Lawler. The EA SPORTS™ UFC College Tour will be hitting 30 college campuses across the United States to give college fans the chance to play EA SPORTS™ UFC on the PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system while watching UFC Pay-Per-View events at local sports bar/restaurant. Want to get your hands on EA SPORTS UFC and watch some UFC Pay-Per-View events this fall? Love to compete against other students for awesome prizes and merchandise? Look no further, EA SPORTS UFC is bringing you all the action to your campus with the UFC College Tour sponsored by MusclePharm. Win Bragging Rights with EA SPORTS™ UFC! Come out early to get in the game and feel the fight with EA SPORTS™ UFC. For more visit the official EA SPORTS UFC website. WATCH AND FEEL THE FIGHT for yourself.
(Photo Credit: rottentomatoes.com) FOR LOVE OF LAUGHTER…THIS WEEKEND… Or coming soon….Don’t miss any of the LAUGHTER AT THE STARDOME COMEDY CLUB… Check out, LAVELL CRAWFORD, this weekend. Fresh off his one-hour special LAVELL CRAWFORD: CAN A BROTHER GET SOME LOVE for Comedy Central, his second for the network, we are looking to fill a few open dates in his schedule. In addition to his recent televised stand up specials, LAVELL is a regular guest on CHELSEA LATELY and TOSH.O, go to guest host for THE STEVE HARVEY SHOW, and currently recurring for his third season on the award winning series BREAKING BAD. Lavell first gained huge national exposure on NBC’s hit reality series LAST COMIC STANDING.FOR MORE LAUGHTER…NEXT WEEK, check out, JONATHAN SLOCUMB …AND MUCH MORE… January 2-4 – GARY OWEN, and February 7 – MIRANDA SINGS. Tell Bruce that Gwen sent you!! Call (205) 444-0008 for more.
ENJOY THE WEEKEND…and ‘every’ day as much as you can!! I WILL!!
NOW…. a BIRTHDAY SHOUT OUT FOR NOVEMBER! HAPPY BIRTHDAY SAMUETTA DREW, TODD CODER, DEL DAVIS, HELEN OLAKETI MARIAH SHISTE-PETTAWAY, STATE REPRESENTATIVE ROD SCOTT, VANEATRIA McKINNON and KATHY TIMES. HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ALL CELEBRATING!! THIS MEANS YOU… HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ALL YOU BIRTHDAY BALLERS…MANY, MANY MORE HAPPY BIRTHDAYS!! ENJOY!!
Get outdoors, laugh and enjoy the time with family and friends! Check out our ‘What’s Happening Travel and Tourism Guide’… whenever you can.
Well, that’s it. Tell you more ‘next’ time.
(People, Places and Things by Gwen DeRu is a weekly column. Send comments to my emails: thelewisgroup@birminghamtimes.com or gwenderu@yahoo.com)
2014 Governor’s Luncheon: (from left to right) Birmingham Mayor William Bell; Jefferson County Commission President Jimmie Stephens; Governor Robert Bentley; John Hoffmire, chairman of Oxford Pharmaceuticals; Grayson Hall, CEO of Regions Financial Corp.; Alabama Secretary of Commerce Greg Canfield; and Brian Hilson, president and CEO of the Birmingham Business Alliance
2014 Governor’s Luncheon: (from left to right) Birmingham Mayor William Bell; Jefferson County Commission President Jimmie Stephens; Governor Robert Bentley; John Hoffmire, chairman of Oxford Pharmaceuticals; Grayson Hall, CEO of Regions Financial Corp.; Alabama Secretary of Commerce Greg Canfield; and Brian Hilson, president and CEO of the Birmingham Business Alliance
Special to The Times
Birmingham beat out Nashville, Tennessee and Huntsville to land a new $30 million pharmaceutical manufacturing company that is projected to employee about 200 people and bring millions in revenue to the region.
Governor Robert Bentley, joined by Mayor William Bell and Jefferson County Commission President Jimmie Stephens, made the announcement Tuesday during the Governor’s Luncheon hosted by the Birmingham Business Alliance at The Club.
Mayor Bell said the city was able to attract Oxford Pharmaceuticals through collaboration with state, county and other entities, such as UAB. He looks to have more economic development announcements in the future with collaborative efforts underway.
“We see this as a gateway,” Bell said in a press conference following the announcement. Just as the development of the Mercedes plant more than 20 years ago led to other automotive manufacturing companies and related businesses, the region can benefit by attracting other pharmaceutical manufacturers, he said.
John Shultz, president of Oxford Pharmaceuticals, said they were attracted to Birmingham by the incentives offered and the spirit of cooperation among the area’s leaders. The region’s reputation as a center for medicine, research and development was a significant factor in the decision to locate in Birmingham, Shultz said.
The company will start-up in the Innovation Depot and move into its new facility in an industrial park in the Oxmoor Valley once it’s completed, Shultz said. It has several hurdles to cross with regulatory agencies; however he looks to begin production and distribution of generic drugs by 2016.
Ginuwine felt the need to clarify a few things following reports of his divorce from Sole following 10 years of marriage.
The news first broke Monday in a New York Daily News story about the singer being too broke to pay up in a lawsuit against him. The singer’s lawyer, Bruce Beckner, mentioned the divorce during a pretrial hearing in the lawsuit filed by the executive producer of Ginuwine’s debut album, Robert Reives. He’s seeking $250,000 in what he says are back royalties from the soul singer’s five-album deal with Sony.
“Mr. Lumpkin is very close to declaring bankruptcy,” said Beckner in court, using his client’s given name, Elgin Lumpkin. “He owes my firm a ton of money and a bunch of other people a ton of money. He owes Uncle Sam 300-odd thousand dollars in back income taxes.” Beckner, according to the Daily News, penned the money woes to Ginuwine’s recent divorce.
After the divorce hit the gossip blogs, Ginuwine decided to address the rumors via Instagram:
“We are NOT yet divorced, but we ARE currently separated and working towards coming to our own agreement, without lawyers, to amicably and fairly divorce,” he wrote Tuesday in the caption of an inspirational quote (“Quitting is just NOT an option”). He went on to explain that rumors that Solé (real name Tonya Lumpkin) had left the singer broke were untrue. He blamed the split on his “poor choices and actions over many years.”
Per the Washington Post’s Helena Andrews:
By all accounts the Lumpkins led an ordinary life in a six-bedroom 5,000 square foot home in Brandywyne, Md. The pair, who married in 2003, have two daughters together, Story, 13, and Dream, 12. Dad Ginuwine chauffeured the girls to ballet lessons, showed up at parent-teacher conferences and in church on Sundays. Solé, whose one and only album was released in 1999, is a vegan yoga-enthusiast. A source described the family as “one hundred percent normal.”
According to property records, the Prince George’s estate is still Ginuwine’s primary residence. As of May, Sole’s current resident is a home in Bowie, some 25 miles away.
“They’re really good people,” continued the source, “it’s sad they’re not working out.”
Solange Knowles is known for her fashion as much as her music, and her weekend wedding didn’t disappoint.
Her publicist confirmed Sunday that the 28-year-old singer (and sister of Beyoncé) wed 51-year-old video director Alan Ferguson over the weekend.
The bride and groom both wore ivory, a color also worn by key attendees, including the bride’s mother, Tina; brother-in-law Jay Z and niece Blue Ivy.
This is the second marriage for Knowles, who has a 10-year-old son, Daniel. She told Vogue that the nuptials, in New Orleans, were a labor of love.
Knowles made headlines earlier this year when leaked video footage showed her attacking Jay-Z, with Beyoncé standing nearby. The trio told The Associated
Press in a statement the incident was “unfortunate” but they stressed they loved each other.
The Queen Mary J. Blige traveled across the Atlantic to record her new album, The London Sessions, but she’s back home and ready to share her new music and the story behind the album. She will perform at the 2014 American Music Awards, airing live on Sunday, November 23, on ABC, and has been honored with a nomination for Favorite Female Artist – Soul/R&B. Blige will also appear on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” on December 1 and on “A Very GRAMMY Christmas,” a one-hour entertainment special that will air on December 5 on CBS.
With The London Sessions, her 13th studio album and first for Capitol Records, the legendary artist took a leap of faith and ventured far out of her comfort zone, both geographically and musically. The album was born in a whirlwind 20 days – 10 days writing and 10 days recording – and finds Blige forging vital creative connections with some of today’s most celebrated U.K. musical talent, including Disclosure, Eg White, Emile Sandé, Jimmy Napes, Naughty Boy, SAM ROMANS and Sam Smith. Many of the artists she had not even met prior to their sessions together. The album will be released on December 2.
After teaming up with Disclosure in early 2014 for a remix of “F for You,” which became a Top 10 dance hit in the U.K., Blige made plans to record an EP with the acclaimed house music duo. Happily, she found the scope of the project widening as introductions were made and London’s vibrant musical community embraced her, excited about playing a role in her evolution as an artist. Longtime collaborator Rodney Jenkins also joined Mary in the studio and produced several tracks.
“I was never expected to do more, jump further, go the extra mile,” recalls Blige. “But breaking boundaries happened for me the minute I left Yonkers…And I won’t stop as long as I live.”
Blige takes in London by night in the official video for “Right Now.” Produced by Disclosure, the song is one of four that Mary wrote with Sam Smith, who can be heard on background vocals.
Fans who pre-order The London Sessions digitally will instantly receive the following four tracks: “Therapy,” “Right Now,” “Whole Damn Year” and “When You’re Gone.”
“Vocally, Blige has never sounded better,” said SPIN while Complex observed, “Mary once again proves why she is a legend in the game.” “This new album has a distinctively fresh sound that is new for Blige, but it still keeps the emotive soul that we love from her,” noted Idolator.com. Vulture,com hailed lead single “Therapy,” which Blige co-wrote with Smith and Eg White, as “gorgeous” and named it as one of the “Best Songs of the Week.” Rolling Stone’s “In The Studio” piece on The London Sessions introduces fans to the new music and features interviews with Mary and her collaborators.
With a track record of eight multi-platinum albums, nine GRAMMY Awards (and a staggering 31 nominations), a 2012 Golden Globe nomination and four American Music Awards, Blige is a global superstar. Over the years, the singer/songwriter has attracted an intensely loyal fan base – responsible for propelling worldwide sales of more than 50 million albums.
Track Listing:
1. Therapy
2. Doubt
3. Not Loving You
4. When You’re Gone
5. Right Now
6. My Loving
7. Long Hard Look
8. Whole Damn Year
9. Nobody But You
10. Pick Me Up
11. Follow
12. Worth My Time
With a bold, confident voice that commanded listeners to take notice and a body of work boasting some of the most upbeat and romantic recordings of the past three decades, Whitney Houston has long solidified her place as one of the 20th century’s most significant performers. But her ability to stun live audiences with her powerful vocal gifts has never been documented on an official release until now. Whitney Houston Live: Her Greatest Performances will capture decades of live recordings and unforgettable memories of a true music legend. From the moment Clive Davis introduced a 19-year-old Houston on The Merv Griffin Show, audiences knew this was more than your average talented voice. Whitney Houston Live: Her Greatest Performances includes that seminal performance, plus others from three decades of stellar live appearances, from talk shows like The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson and The Oprah Winfrey Show, to awards ceremonies like the American Music Awards and all the extra special performances in between including 1994’s Concert For A New South Africa.
CD/DVD Tracks:
1. Home (The Merv Griffin Show, 1983)
2. You Give Good Love (The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, 1985)
3. How Will I Know (The Brit Awards, 1987)
4. One Moment In Time (The 31st Annual Grammy Awards, 1989)
5. Greatest Love Of All (That s What Friends Are For: Arista Records 15th Anniversary Concert, 1990
6. I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me) (That’s What Friends Are For: Arista Records 15th
Anniversary Concert, 1990)
7. The Star Spangled Banner (Super Bowl XXV, 1991)
8. All The Man That I Need (Welcome Home Heroes, 1991)
9. I’m Your Baby Tonight (Welcome Home Heroes, 1991)
10. A Song For You (Welcome Home Heroes, 1991)
11. Medley: I Loves You, Porgy/And I Am Telling You Im Not Going/I Have Nothing (The 21st Annual
American Music Awards, 1994)
12. I’m Every Woman (The Concert For A New South Africa, 1994)
13. I Will Always Love You (The Concert For A New South Africa, 1994)
14. My Love Is Your Love (Music Video BONUS DVD-ONLY MUSIC VIDEO)
15. My Love Is Your Love (Late Show With David Letterman, 1998)
16. When You Believe (with Mariah Carey) (The 71st Annual Academy Awards, 1999 BONUS DVD-
ONLY DUET PERFORMANCE)
17. I Believe In You And Me (The 16th Annual World Music Awards, 2004)
18. I Didn’t Know My Own Strength (The Oprah Winfrey Show, 2009)
The number of war heroes that transitioned before their story could be told is incalculable. Thus said –Andrew Davidson, noted author, has made available an amazing book that provides a look at the some of the men of World War I. With A Doctor In The Great War (Atria/Marble Arch Press), Davidson has remarkably captured the everyday activities of the soldiers.
Utilizing countless photographs, he has given today’s generation an invaluable history lesson.
A Doctor In The Great War contains over 250 never before seen photos. The photographer was a 25-year- old medical officer named Fred Davidson – Andrew’s grandfather. Fred was a decorated veteran as he was one of the first doctors to receive a Military Cross. While in service, he, along with his friend Lieutenant Robert Money and others, photographed the varying shades of war. Andrew Davidson studied the images and gave a voice to the stories the pictures told.
What was revealed was a myriad of emotions. Some of them are good, while others are painful. Among the many included portraits are some from the barracks, battlefield, infirmary and scenes “From the parade ground of Glasgow’s Maryhill to the brothels of Armentieres.”
It is stated that a picture is worth a thousand words –perhaps more when perusing Andrew Davidson’s book. He has given a hardcore look at the cold reality of war. Author’s bio: Andrew Davidson was born in South London in the late ’50s. He began working in journalism in the early ’80s. Previously he worked at the Sunday Times, Financial Times and Management Today periodicals. The Works Foundation Magazine Writer of the Year and Periodicals Publishers Associations Business Writer of the Year are two of the awards he has won. Bloodlines (structure of daily life at St. Thomas Hospital), Smart Luck (interviews with entrepreneurs) and Under The Hammer (story of the 1990 British TV franchise auction) are his previous titles.
