Tag: addiction

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Divabetic Salutes Natalie Cole

“I think that I am a walking testimony to you can have scars. You can go through turbulent times and still have victory in your life,” Natalie Cole said.


When she was a girl, Natalie Cole started singing with her father, crooner Nat King Cole. She made her first recording at age 6; by 11, she was performing on TV alongside her dad.

She won two Grammy Awards, Best New Artist and Best Female R&B Performance, for her debut album, “Inseparable” in 1975. 

Her third — and first platinum — album, “Unpredictable,” spawned another No. 1 R&B hit: “I’ve Got Love on My Mind.”

Her fourth album, “Thankful,” features one of my favorite songs, the smooth and sultry ballad “Our Love.” It was written by Cole’s regular team of Chuck Jackson and Marvin Yancy, both former members of the R&B group the Independents.

In 1979, Natalie Cole received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, signifying and solidifying her prowess as a performer.

But her ongoing recreational use of substances turned into a heavy, crippling drug addiction. 

In her autobiography, “Angel on my Shoulder,” she wrote, “I never got to make the transition from little girl to young woman … and that really screws you up.”

Her addiction became so prominent in her life that, on more than one occasion, it nearly killed her. She overcame her addiction after checking into rehab. 

Our friend, Jennifer Jacobs, who worked with Natalie Cole on several of her music tours, shares her memories of working with this extraordinary woman on Divabetic’s Diabetes Late Nite podcast inspired by Adele.

After becoming sober, Natalie Cole returned in the 1990s with “Unforgettable… with Love”, featuring renditions of songs previously sung by her father. 

When Natalie Cole began her career, she admitted she was determined not to capitalize on her father’s name and wanted to forge her separate identity. In an interview, she said, “My father led by example. He wasn’t much of a talker—he walked life.” For many years, she also found the prospect of recording her late father’s songs too painful on a personal level. But overcoming her fears certainly paid off. 

The album’s breakout single, “Unforgettable,” features a track dubbed over a previous Nat King Cole recording to create a father-daughter duet. The album sold over 11 million copies and garnered several honors, including seven Grammys, Record of the Year, Album of the Year, and Song of the Year.

One of my other favorite moments from Natalie Cole’s career is when you replaced Whitney Houston at the Oscars and performed “Run To You” and “I Have Nothing” from the Bodyguard soundtrack. 

In 2008, Natalie Cole was diagnosed with hepatitis C, a disease of the liver. She received a kidney transplant after her kidneys began to fail. 

I just wanted to say a big thank you for checking out my Women & Music series for Women’s History Month. I had a blast creating artwork for each of my favorite performers and learning more about their amazing lives. I hope you had as much fun reading it as I did creating it!

Join us for our Luther Vandross: Never Too Much birthday celebration featuring a Music Panel, Fashion Show, Luther Trivia Games, Live Performances, Style Vendors, and a Live DJ on Wednesday, April 17, 2024.

Come dressed in your Big 80s Bling!

Luther Vandross was known for wearing rhinestones, silk tuxedos, and tailcoats on stage and Versace, Gucci, Dolce & Gabbana, and Tom Ford off-stage! He wasn’t afraid of bright colors, animal prints, geometric patterns, and fringe. His style and incredible showmanship brought him legions of fans worldwide.

We’re celebrating the Glitz, Glamour, and Romantic Elegance that made his concerts memorable and set him apart from other entertainers.

MUSIC PANEL: Luther’s Vocalist, Cindy Mizelle, Luther’s Choreographer, James Ervin, and Graffiti Glamour Makeup Artistry Founder Alicia Mitchell give us a closer look into the Shine of the Rhinestones, Big Luscious Hairstyles, Bold Makeup, Graceful Moves, and Tight Harmonies comprising Luther’s iconic stage shows. Hosted by Max Szadek.

FASHION SHOW: Designers showcase their gorgeous creations inspired by Luther Vandross’s romantic elegance. See the latest styles from Harlem’s Heaven and Modafleur, among others! Hosted by Catherine Schuller.

LIVE PERFORMANCE: Luther’s most iconic songs performed by Luther’s most iconic songs by vocalist Keith Anthony Fluitt.

STYLISH VENDORS: Shop for apparel, jewelry, and teas from a dazzling array of small entrepreneurs.

COCKTAILS & LITE BITES: Enjoy signature cocktails and delicious appetizers.

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Divabetic Salutes Teena Marie

Teena Marie was an R&B singer, songwriter, musician, and producer. She was known by her childhood nickname Tina before taking the stage name Teena Marie, and later, Rick James nicknamed her Lady T.

During her lifetime, she made music that shattered narrow-minded marketing categories and gender roles. Teena Marie was the rare woman in charge of her material. She wrote, produced, and performed her records for much of her career, which took off in 1979.

Early in her career, Teena Marie told Dick Clark on American Bandstand that from the time she was eight years old, she dreamed of being on Motown Records. She said, “I used to look at the blue label and say, Oh, God, it (Motown) must be the most fabulous place’.”

After several creative delays at Motown, she caught the attention of Rick James, who was establishing himself in 1970s soul funk music.

In his autobiography Memoirs Of A Super Freak, Rick James describes his first encounter with Teena Marie as, “Never in my life had I heard such a range with so much passion in a white voice.”

With Rick’s help, Teena’s first single, ‘I’m A Sucker For Your Love,’ conceived initially as a potential duet for Rick James and Diana Ross, exploded into the Top Ten of Billboard’s R&B charts. “We deliberately didn’t put her picture on the album cover,” said Rick James, “because we wanted to confuse people and make them wonder whether Teena was black or white.” The song spent six months on the charts.

Looking back at that time, Teena Marie said, “Black people would always say, “I didn’t know you were White.” But people like good music,” She added, “At the end of the day, you have to sing what’s in your own soul.”

After Rick James passed, Teena Marie became addicted to Vicodin, initially diagnosed for her physical pain from a series of accidents. “Once I realized that those pills not only took away my physical agony by masking my emotional pain, I really became addicted,” she told Essense Magazine.

For Teena, Losing Rick James meant losing her musical soulmate, and her grief was unbearable. “We were like an extension of each other. I miss all our talks. We were like family; only family can talk about family, not anyone else.”


I am grateful to Teena Marie for paving the way for people like me. I was one of a handful of white men working for R&B performers in the 1990s. I traveled my path by following Teena Marie’s footprints.

 On this Divabetic podcast, we’re talking about BLUES, Addiction, and Diabetes with musical inspiration from Etta James. Etta James is a Grammy Award-winning singer best known for her iconic hits “At Last.” Guests include Poet Lorraine Brooks, the Charlie’s Angels of Outreach, Dr. Monique Renee Rolle DPM, Catherine Schuller, Susan Greenberg Weiner MS, RDN, CDE, CDN, and Mama Rose Marie. Prize giveaways courtesy of Earth Brand Shoes, Dr. Greenfield’s Diabetic Foot Creams, Cabot Cheese, and Nu Naturals.
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What’s The Deal With Magic Mushrooms?

Magic mushrooms have gained notoriety in Hollywood for their capacity to enhance mental health, reduce anxiety and depression, and improve cognitive function. 

What Are Magic Mushrooms?

Magic mushrooms are a type of mushroom that contains the chemicals psilocybin or psilocin. These chemicals cause you to see, hear, and feel things that are not real (hallucinations). They come in fresh, dried, or powder form. Powdered psilocybin can be inhaled (snorted) or injected (with a needle). Magic mushrooms are also taken as tea, cooked with food, or added to fruit juice.
But before adding magic mushrooms to your self-care for managing diabetes, you should talk to your healthcare collaborators.
Although the Food and Drug Administration is still conducting trials to study the effects of psilocybin on people with severe depression, most users agree that the results of micro-dosing with mushrooms are helpful.

Don’t Listen To A Trend, Listen To Your Healthcare Collaborators

Many celebrities like Kristen Bell and other over-stressed mothers are singing their praises.”I really wanted to try some psilocybin [the technical term for hallucinogenic mushrooms] and feel what kind of doors open, have a trip that was my own,” she explained.
It’s easy to be swayed by celebrities and media stories. A quick Google search found that the beta-glucans in magic mushrooms may improve insulin sensitivity and how glucose is used in the body. These mushrooms also have enzymes, vitamins, and potassium, which can help control blood pressure and reduce the risk of heart disease.
If you’re concerned about your use of substances or a loved one’s, don’t hesitate to contact the SAMSHA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) National Helpline: 1-800-662-4357. It’s a free, confidential, 24/7, 365-day-a-year treatment referral and information service (in English and Spanish.

Diabetes and menopause can team up to have various effects on your body. Knowing what to expect and how to manage it is what we will be discussing in Divabetic’s Menopause & Diabetes Panel Discussion  & Sugar-Free Baking Demonstration on Zoom in honor of World Menopause Day on Wednesday, October 18, 2023, from 7 – 8:30 PM.

Catherine Schuller moderates a panel featuring Dr. Julianne Arena, MD, FACOG, ABAARM, Sweet Romance: A Woman’s Guide to Love And Intimacy With Diabetesco-author, COO for Diabetes Sisters Donna Rice MBA, BSN, RN, CDCES, FADCES, and photographer, Amparo.  Amparo discovered, quite unexpectedly, in the ER, that she has diabetes after doctors told her her glucose level was over 800! Over the past six months, she’s been taking charge of managing her diabetes while facing hormonal changes during menopause – it’s a true Divabetic Victory story.

After our panel, Stacey Harris, The Diabetic Pastry Chef, demonstrates how to make her popular Sugar-Free Rum Cake Recipe.

One lucky winner will win a Divabetic Prize at the end of the program.
The purpose of World Menopause Day is to raise awareness of menopause and the support options = for improving health and wellness.

FREE – REGISTER NOW

 

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André Leon Tally: “I’ve always associated food with love.”

André Leon Talley admits his weight has long been a battle in his memoir, The Chiffon Trenches. 

https://www.instagram.com/p/BsYiPwtAGYV/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

“Food was always a part of my life,” he told PEOPLE magazine, “and a source of comfort.” Beginning as a child secretly suffering from sexual abuse, he escaped into the pages of Vogue and his grandmother’s biscuits.

 

Talley never told anyone he was sexually abused as a child – not the therapists he has seen, not even his beloved pastor.

Because of the abuse, Talley says he has never really had an intimate relationship.

Although he was trim when he was first hired at Vogue in 1983, he began to gain weight when he entered his mid 40s. “I began to realize I had a problem.” 

In 2004, there was an intervention. He was sent to Duke University Diet and Fitness Center  for a several-week stint. “I lost 55 lbs. But I did not follow the rules.” He would return two more times — “It’s the same with alcohol, I’d often say ‘I’ve fallen off the wagon,’ when I’d go back to Duke — and have an unsuccessful Lap Band surgery.

“The experience for me is always very daunting in the beginning,” he told PEOPLE magazine in 2017. You certainly have to reboot your skills in weight-loss and I think it’s one of the best places to do that.”

His battle continues today. “I cannot control this addiction,” he says. “I am obese.”

In his book, André Leon Tally also writes about  his friend, designer Karl Lagerfeld’s food issues. Apparently the designer liked to travel with a suitcase packed full of his favorite bread. Bread was Lagerfeld’s “one craving” while dieting, Talley writes. “He would chew the bread, savoring every bite, and then spit it out into a napkin,” Talley continues. “That seemed like a lot of trouble, but it worked for him, apparently, as he eventually lost one hundred pounds.”

André Leon Talley admits he still struggles every day. 

 

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