Divabetic Salutes Regina Belle

“I want to be who I am now. I rock my gray hair because it is a blessing,” says Regina Belle. “I colored mine for many years, but I’ve gotten compliments from so many men and women about being brave enough to sport the gray. I even wear it on the cover of my record. I am comfortable in my skin and I want listeners to feel that as well.”

Regina Belle began performing at a young age at Englewood’s Mount Calvary Baptist Church in New Jersey. She studied opera and jazz at Rutgers University, with a combined major in Africana Studies and Music. She learned to play trombone, tuba, and steel pans before leaving college to purse a music career.

Her debut album, All by Myself, had her first hits, “So Many Tears” and “Show Me the Way.”

Regina, “If I cannot identify with the songs, and if the music does not move my soul, make me feel better, take me up when I’m down or higher when I’m up, then I don’t want to record it, play it or sing it!”

A few years later, her duets with Peabo Bryson, “I Can’t Imagine,” “Without You,” and “A Whole New World,” solidified her pop music success. “A Whole New World, from the soundtrack to the 1992 Disney film Aladdin, peaked at no.1 on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles chart and received a Grammy Award in 1993 for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal and the Academy Award for Best Song of the Year.

I saw Regina Belle perform at B.B. King’s in New York City a few years ago. So many of Regina Belle’s songs are embedded in my soul, and I was excited about her concert.

Sadly, Regina Belle was still grieving over the loss of her brother, who passed away a few days before the concert. She admitted she wasn’t really in the right frame of mind. Her show underwhelmed me. I was frustrated when she melodied many of her biggest hits, “Make It Like It Was,” “Show Me,” “So Many Tears,””Baby Come To Me,” and “All I Want Is Forever.” I loved these songs, and a medley was not cutting it.

My disappointment got the better of me, and I took to social media to express my displeasure. Would you believe she responded? Regina Belle apologized and admitted that her brother’s recent death had affected her performance. So much for social media anonymity!

Thirty years after leaving Rutgers and 10 albums later, Belle started taking online courses, which earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Africana Studies and a Minor in Music. Belle walked the stage with her ‘new class’ from Rutgers in May 2015. She states, “This achievement of finishing my degree, which I started almost 30 years ago and finally being done, was a bittersweet moment and rates as high as my Grammy Awards.”

Her life was eventful, the journey purposeful but not without misfortune. After releasing her first Gospel album, Love Forever Shines, she was diagnosed with a brain tumor. Regina Belle returned to performing after two surgeries, health challenges, and 10 months of rehabilitation.

“I’m amazingly blessed. I will never ever say that I’ve lived the perfect life to be shown such favor with God or the people but here I am,” declares Regina Belle.

I wanted to create this series for Women’s History Month because many artists who made music in the 80s and 90s are no longer with us, or they’re not promoted as prominently as I had hoped. Once hip-hop took center stage, the lush, elegant songs I loved were being pushed aside. Sadly, most of these artists are no longer with us or aren’t actively performing.

I chose artists whom I greatly admired, and their music touched my soul and shaped my ideas about love and romance.

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 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.

Register at Eventbrite.

Divabetic Pays Tribute to Regina Belle

“I want to be who I am now. So I rock my gray hair because it is a blessing,” says Regina Belle.

Today, the Grammy Award-winning singer Regina Belle celebrates her 59th Birthday. 

“I colored mine for many years, but I’ve gotten compliments from many men and women about being brave enough to sport the gray,” she adds. “I even wear it on the cover of my record. I am comfortable in my skin and want listeners to feel that.”

Regina Belle was diagnosed with a brain tumor in 2009 and underwent an eight-hour surgery. The Grammy Award-winning singer said, “I had to learn humility because I couldn’t do anything for myself, and I needed help with everything that I wanted to do; everything that I could think of.”

It had to be a shock as well as scary for Regina. The emotional strain and burden of experiencing a health crisis and setback are undoubtedly challenging. Many of us struggle with disappointment and depression relating to thoughts of our body letting us down. It’s incredible to After being signed to Columbia Records in 1987, 

Regina Belle skyrocketed to fame after her debut album, All by Myself, was released in 1987. A string of hits, “So Many Tears” and “Show Me the Way,” paved the way for her iconic duet, “A Whole New World,” with Peabo Bryson from Disney’s animated film, Aladdin.

Sadly, Regina Belle’s chat-topping success didn’t make her invincible to disappointment. She was dropped from her record label, triggering a string of challenges that would nearly take her life. After 25 years in the business, she almost lost everything after being diagnosed with a brain tumor.

“I went to emergency surgery, and the surgery was supposed to take a couple of hours. It took eight. I bled so badly they had to close me up and finish it six months later; they had to open my head back up,” she recalled on Unsung.

Thankfully, Regina Belle is in good health, celebrating her 59th Birthday. “God was telling me I was blessed. He was putting me in a position to understand that I don’t have control over everything and that he can still work some stuff out.”

Regina has something to say about growing older and being invisible. 

“I want to get the word out that I am still relevant and have something to say.”

If you’re feeling invisible, instead of hoping someone else will do the legwork for you, work on loving yourself. It takes time but learning to accept yourself and feel at ease with who you are, makes you charismatic. Your mannerisms, and the way you smile, laugh, talk, and interact help comprise your style. Set a goal! Goals we were achieving.

Doing something complicated when you’re over a certain age increases your self-esteem and makes you more visible to others too.