“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.
“I learned a lot about discipline when I was a backup singer,” Meli’sa Morgan recalled in an interview with the Los Angeles Times. “You really need discipline and control. You have to know what your voice can do and know how to use it just right.”
Singer-songwriter Meli’sa Morgan is perhaps best known for her #1 hit in the eighties: “Do Me, Baby,” an original recording by Prince. She has sung backup and collaborated with Chaka Khan, Kashif, and Whitney Houston.
“I idolized Chaka Khan; she was the ultimate, so cute, feathery, big hair, leather-wearing singer of all times. I wore my style after how she presented herself, and what she had that was becoming legendary,” she told Chocolate Voice. “Every Black female singer in America sang “Sweet Thing” at a talent show somewhere.”
She studied music theory at the Julliard School of Music.“I do lyrics and melodies,” she told the Los Angeles Times.
Her vocal ability landed her a record deal at Capitol Records in the 1980s. She took the music industry by storm, releasing hit after hit, including “Do You Still Love Me,” “Fools Paradise,” and “Love Changes,” a duet with Award-winning singer-songwriter Kashif.
Music critics mention her knack for saturating a song with passion and sensuality. Whether she sings up-tempo funk or a silky smooth slow jam, she pours her soul into a song.
Years ago, I saw her electrifying performance when she opened for Freddie Jackson in Rochester, New York. Her trademark hair was on full display. She admits she loved Chaka’s Big Hair and gave it her twist.
But let’s go way back to her amazing vocals on the dance hit “Keep In Touch (Body To Body) by Shades of Love. This New York City group of stelllar vocalists included Meli’sa Morgan, Lisa Fischer, Claudette Polite and Jean Steals.
About a decade later, Junior Vasquez and Johnny Vicious dominated the dancefloors in Gay clubs with her monster remix of this song. I still get up to dance every time I hear it.
Two years ago, the scarlet-red-haired singer released the single “Footprints Of An Angel” on her independent record label, Asilem Productions. The song is a movie theme with the same title. Meli’sa Morgan co-stars as a mother who loses her daughter to cancer. “Footprints of An Angel” was a solid hit on the UK Soul Charts and the Independent Urban Influencer R & B/Soul Charts.
I had the chance to interview Meli’sa Morgan for Divabetic’s Studio d podcast. If given the chance, she admitted that she would love to cover Luther’s “Bad Boy/Having a Party” song. Meli’sa Morgan maintains her health by following a strict diet and making time for herself.
When asked about the challenges of navigating a five-decade career in the music industry, Meli’sa Morgan said, “The easiest part of the business is, once you’re there, performing for your fans is the fun part. You embrace them, and they embrace you. But getting to the stage is the hardest—the political games, getting the gigs, promotion, the money, and all of that.”
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.
“I always want to associate myself with any piece of music that feels good and sounds good. And a good song can come from anywhere,” says Randy Crawford.
Randy Crawford is an exceptional artist with a remarkable ability to connect with her audience through her soulful and emotional performances. Her pure, warm tone and emotional vibrato can transform any music she selects, creating mesmerizing light and breezy jazz and funk arrangements.
Born in Macon, GA, she started singing in Ohio nightclubs at 15. “Everyone was encouraging me to sing,” Randy Crawford told the BBC. Her collaboration on “Street Life” offered her a chance to join the Crusaders for a tour that gained her international recognition, and she remained more popular overseas than in America. “Street Life was a musical challenge to learn,” Randy Crawford told the BBC. “But it’s still a fun song because people related to it. It gets everybody up and happy.”
Her consequent albums were geared toward a more smooth jazz audience and played well overseas. She wrote the love about two political refugees from Eritrea, entitled “Almaz.” Randy Crawford witnessed an older man’s love and commitment to a younger woman. In the season of love, no song touches the heartstrings quite like Randy Crawford’s ‘Almaz’ wrote Justice B. Hill for Cleveland.com. “The song speaks of love surviving,” she said when discussing the song.
Since then, Randy Crawford has released over 15 albums and had several international multi-platinum hits. And if she still goes relatively unrecognized in her native land, she has become one of the world’s most successful popular singers.
“I hope I will always sing. I don’t want to do anything else.”
Randy Crawford’s music can transform any music she selects, creating light and breezy jazz and funk arrangements that are mesmerizing. She has won numerous awards and accolades, including being named the ‘Most Outstanding Performer’ at the 1980 Tokyo Music Festival. With over 15 albums and several international multi-platinum hits, Randy Crawford has become one of the world’s most successful popular singers. She is truly a remarkable artist, and her music will continue to inspire and touch the hearts of listeners for years to come.
Deniece Williams is an incredibly talented singer, songwriter, and producer making hit music for over 50 years. Her voice is enchanting, with a distinctive coloratura soprano and a four-octave range. She is a two-time inductee into The SoulMusic Hall Of Fame in the categories’ Female Artist’ and ‘Lifetime Achievement.’In the early 1970s, Deniece began her career working in a record store and then as a backup singer. She went on to become part of the female vocal trio Honeycone. In 1976, she released her debut solo album “This Is Niecy,” produced by Maurice White of Earth, Wind & Fire and Charles Stepney.
“I met Maurice through a mutual friend. I had some songs on tape that I wanted him to hear,” she said in an interview with Classic Soul 1976. “We had a conversation, and he told me that he thought that I should sing them myself rather than letting them go to everyone else.” Deniece went on to explain she’d been concentrating on writing and getting her songs recorded. “I felt that I should get into one area — publishing — and then concentrate on others. Which is why I waited until I was ready to record.”
She said of Charles Stepney, “He’s probably one of the most incredibly talented arrangers that the music industry ever had. He was a very integral part of my music and the whole production and arrangement of my music and my voice. There’s only been one other person in my musical life who has understood my music the way Charles Stepney did as an arranger, and he is Thom Bell.”
The album featured the hit single “Free,” which rose to #4 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and was certified gold by the RIAA.
“It’s amazing when you can write a lyric, and you think you’re the only person that’s having this experience,” she said about writing “Free.” “Then you put it out there, and you find out that millions and millions of people feel the same way. I think that is what happened with Free. People really do want the freedom to be themselves and to have self-expression. Also somebody told me that I was the first woman that they heard in music that told those women at that time that ‘you don’t have to stay’.”
Deniece is also known as a prolific songwriter, with Merry Clayton, the Whispers, Frankie Valli, Billy Preston, the Emotions, and Johnny Mathis recording her songs. One of the biggest songs in her career is the infectious dance song “Let’s Hear It for the Boy” from the motion picture “Footloose.” The single hit #1 on Billboard’s Pop and Black charts and went platinum.
Throughout her illustrious career, including 12 Grammy nominations and four wins, Deniece Williams has become known as a singer of catchy, powerful anthems of love and romance. Her music is spiritual, and she considers it an essential part of her life. Deniece’s music has touched millions worldwide, inspiring new generations of musicians and music lovers alike.
Jean Carne has captivated the hearts of jazz and soul enthusiasts alike. Her Philadelphia International recordings are a testament to her unmatched talent, incorporating smooth instrumentation, soulful lyrics, and her remarkable vocal range and versatility.
Jean Carne’s first showbiz exposure was singing “Misty” on a morning radio show as a teenager in Atlanta, GA.
After meeting her husband, she joined his jazz fusion band as a vocalist, and they recorded three albums. Their recordings caught the attention of Earth, Wind & Fire, which Jean Carne joined as a backup vocalist on their first two albums.
Jean’s vocal interpretations of instrumental classics brought by Jazz greats such as John Coltrane, Miles Davis, McCoy Tyner, and Horace Silver expanded the display of her musical abilities to Jazz Lovers worldwide.
While Carne is still called a jazz vocalist in many circles, the label no longer applies to her musical legacy.” That’s how I started out, and I guess a lot of people will always think of me that way,” she told the Chicago Tribune.” Actually, I didn’t start out singing jazz at all. I guess I knew I would be involved in music in some manner. My parents told me I started singing with songs on the radio when I was 3. I joined the church choir when I was 4; I had to stand on a box. My parents thought I would teach music or possibly become an opera singer.” After leaving Earth, Wind & Fire, she toured with Duke Ellington and signed with Buddah Records.
She teamed up with Norman Connors on the top-ten single “Valentine Love” in 1975. Throughout the rest of the 1970s, Carne continued to record and tour, releasing popular singles like “Was That All It Was?” “Free Love?” “Don’t Let It Go To Your Head?” and her number-one hit, “Closer Than Close,” in 1986.
In an interview with Soul & Jazz & Funk, she spoke about her recording experience with Philadelphia International Sound. She said, “Sometimes I would put down a scratch vocal while they did the rhythm tracks, and then the arranger would come in and sweeten it with horns and strings, and then I would come in and do the true vocal. Sometimes, I would stack my own backgrounds, and, sometimes, they were done by ‘The Sweeties’.”
Although she had multiple hits, she never liked to tour. ” I usually don’t enjoy touring. I’m a teetotaler, I don’t smoke, and I don’t party. So on the road, I usually feel out of place.”
Over the years, Jean Carne has worked with some of the most influential soul and jazz artists, producers, and songwriters, including Dizzy Gillespie, Norman Connors, The Temptations, Glenn Jones, and Phyllis Hyman. Her creativity and talent have never waned.
Jean Carne is a true icon in the music industry, and her distinctive voice and impressive body of work will continue to inspire generations to come.
Singer and actress Phyllis Hyman was best known for her soulful music from the late 1970s through the early 1990s, including the songs “You Know How To Love Me” (1979), “Living All Alone” (1986), and “Old Friend” (1991).
Deep-voiced and statuesque, Phyllis Hyman’s power, skill, and versatility as a performer enthralled her audiences.
She earned a Theatre World Award and a Tony Award nomination for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical for her work in the 1981 musical Sophisticated Ladies, which was based on Duke Ellington’s music and ran from 1981 until 1983.
Born in Pittsburgh in 1950, Phyllis Hyman was the eldest of seven children. She grew up in Philadelphia, listening to a wide range of music from James Brown and Nina Simone to Karen Carpenter and Minnie Ripperton.
Her big break came when she gained the attention of jazz drummer Norman Connors, who had a reputation for discovering female vocalists such as Jean Carne. Norman Connors produced Phyllis Hyman’s sultry rendition of The Stylistics’ “Betcha By Golly Wow,” which proved a favorite on R&B radio stations in the United States.
She signed to the New York-based Buddha Record label and cut several fine tracks, which became staple fare on an emerging radio format, the “Quiet Storm,” soul ballads played late into the night.
Later, she signed with Arista Records, reaching an international audience with her albums “Somewhere In My Lifetime,” “Can’t We Fall in Love Again,” and the album that bears the title of one of her biggest hit singles, “You Know How To Love Me.”
1986 she returned to Philadelphia and signed with Kenny Gamble at Philadelphia International Records. Their hit album, “Living All Alone,” included the now-classic single “Old Friend.” This song was a comfort for many of us during the AIDS epidemic. She visited New York City hospices and performed at countless benefits. Phyllis mentioned her own loss made it difficult for her to perform the song. It’s still one of the most beautiful songs ever recorded, filled with sadness and a heartfelt plea to reunite with a lost love.
Phyllis was often plagued with self-criticism. In a 1991 interview with David Nathan, she said, “Up until 5 years ago, I didn’t listen that much to myself… When people would say they loved my voice, I’d wonder, ‘Why are they moved?’ Now, I’m beginning to understand how people can be turned on by my singing… I’ve been told that people can feel a lot more love and calm coming from me these days.”
When she should have been soaring like the songbird she was, Phyllis Hyman’s mental health issues took over her life. She was diagnosed as being “bipolar,” a medical term for someone who suffers from the disease of manic-depression.
As she got older, her disease became more and more challenging t for her to manage. She chose not to use pharmaceutical medication and instead self-medicate. Her self-medication distorted her disease more and more until she felt helpless about ever being able to recover from it. Her self-destructive behavior and problems became more evident to her family, friends, and music industry peers. She attempted suicide twice before she took her life a few days before her 45th birthday and only a few hours before she was due to appear at the Apollo Theatre in Harlem.
“As an artist, she sang her desperation. She has a song that is a soundtrack of her entire life, ‘You Just Don’t Know What I’ve Been Going Through,’ ” said Frank Sheffield, Hyman’s long-time friend who managed the jazz station at Hampton (Va.) University, where Hyman often appeared.
After Phyllis’ passing, Roberta Flack said, “Phyllis’ voice, at once breathy and resonant, will sing in my heart and spirit forever.”
We’re talking about ‘Diabetes, Sleep & Mental Health Issues’ on Diabetes Late Nite with musical inspiration from the iconic Phyllis Hyman.
Podcast guests include Alyson Williams, Queen Diva, Patricia Farrell, PhD, Kristina Wolfe, ‘Tabouli: The Story of a Heart-Driven Diabetes Alert Dog’ Author Matt Pelicano, Elizabeth Vaughan Gallagher, Stacie Shonkwiler, and the Charlie’s Angels of Outreach with Patricia Addie-Gentle.
Throughout the podcast, we will feature music from “The Essential Phyllis Hyman” album courtesy of SONY Music.
Vesta Wiliams was an American singer-songwriter who started her artistic career.
In her teens, she was a member of her cousin, a former member of the 60’s & 70’s supergroup ‘5th Dimension, Ron Townsend’s group, ‘Wild Honey’. She was a sought-after session singer providing background vocals for Anita Baker (‘Rapture’), Jermaine Jackson (‘Precious Moments’), Jeffrey Osborne (‘Emotional’), Stephanie Mills (‘If I Were Your Woman’), Gladys Knight (‘Good Woman’), and Sting (‘Nothing Like The Sun’) among others. This exposure led her to be signed by A&M Records label. She released her first album in 1986 called “Vesta,” which spawned the hit single “Once Bitten, Twice Shy.”
She was disappointed with her first album. She told Donny Simpson that it could have been better if there had been better energy between her team of e-producers. She said, “You have to let some butterflies be free, and I have to be free.”
On her follow-up album, one of our favorites, “Vesta 4 U”, she showed a flair for dramatics. Working with Attala Zane Giles, Eric Daniels, Tena Clark, Gary Prim, and Billy Osbourne, Vesta poured her heart and soul into every lyric. “I always felt that to deliver a song successfully, you have to be an actress,” she said. “A good actress becomes the part, just as a good singer becomes the song.”
The first single, “Sweet, Sweet Love,” reached #4 on the Billboard R&B chart before she released what I consider her signature song, the mega-hit “Congratulations,” a rollercoaster of emotions and frothy camp perfection! The song’s video is like a soap opera on steroids! The song tells the story of a woman mistakenly congratulated by her old friend on her wedding day, but it’s not her wedding. Her boyfriend is marrying another woman. What? Plot twist!
The song tells the story of a woman mistakenly congratulated by her old friend on her wedding day, but little does she know that her soulmate is marrying another woman. What? Plot twist! Vesta, decked out in 80’s fashion staples, runs to the church with her shopping bags, ready to stop the wedding. She arrives just in time with her red lacquered nails and opens the church door. We can only imagine the sound she must have made because several people turned around to notice her. Why didn’t the director didn’t let her drop to her knees, roll on the ground, and crawl to the altar?
Vesta, decked out in 80’s fashion staples, initially laughs off her old friend’s assumption, but then she is completely gobsmacked at the realization. The next thing you know, she takes off like a freight train to head to the church. She doesn’t even put down her shopping bags or throw them in the trunk of her car; Vesta is determined to stop the wedding. Her shady old friend must have given her the address, or there is only one church in town because Vesta knows exactly where to go. Of course, she arrives just in time. Her glossy red lacquered nails open the church door as the couple exchange vows at the altar.
We can only imagine the sound she must have made, like a wolf howling at the moon, because several people turned around to notice her. Won’t you know one of them who catches Vesta throwing daggers at the altar is her old friend? Okay, so if the old friend received a wedding invitation, why did she ask Vesta if she was getting married? Vesta’s cold-hearted old friend set her up. BFF’s?? No, I didn’t think so! I almost expect the old friend to pull out a bag of popcorn, kick off her shoes, and settle in, getting ready to enjoy the show.
Sadly, brokenhearted Vesta sulks in the back of the church and casts a mean shadow. Why didn’t the director let Vesta drop to her knees, roll on the ground, and crawl to the altar instead of standing at the back of the church looking like the Grim Reaper?
Still in the shadows, Vesta reminisces about the ups and downs of her relationship with the groom before having a crazy fantasy about being the bride. It’s like watching a telenovela but with sassy mermaid-style wedding dresses and fluffy tulle veils with lots of bodacious bows. Why Vesta is so verclemped is puzzling, too. In one of her ‘between the sheets’ flashbacks, we see the groom for who he really is – a dirty dog. After passionately making love, the couple is in the kitchen wearing satin robes. Vesta catches the groom on the phone talking to someone and scowls at him. Was he talking to Vesta’s old friend? I don’t think so.
Back at the church, Vesta faces the hateful hand of cards she’s been dealt. Once the service is over, the newlyweds drive off in a limousine. A disgusted Vesta crosses the street and, I assume, heads to the closest dive bar. Ultimately, we learn that Vesta needs therapy and a new friend. Her old friend knew exactly what button she was pushing when she dropped the bomb of life on Vesta. She didn’t even get up to console Vesta when she saw her lurking in the back of the church. But hey, at least we got an epic song out of a backhanded slap in the face.
The big payoff is listening to Vesta repeatedly deliver the word “congratulations” throughout the video. She flexes, stretches, and marinates in every syllable like she’s getting paid per “congratulations.” It requires repeated listening, but trust me, it’s worth it.
I’m not the only one who loved this song or the video.”Congratulations” received massive airplay, and Vesta‘s popularity soared as a singer and songwriter. I found she co-wrote the song with Tena Clark and Gary Prim, too.
Of “Congratulations,” Vesta said “Tena wanted a situation where ‘congratulations’ is the last word you’d expect to hear. And so we came up with a concept about having it be about a woman who lost her love. She runs into the church and the only thing she could say is congratulations – unless she ran in and blew up the place, which would have ended the song rather abruptly.” Vesta’s performance of the song on “The Arsenio Hall Show” earned Vesta a standing ovation, one of a handful of ovations in the show’s history. When asked during an appearance on the Arsenio Hall show if she had written “Congratulations” based on a personal experience, the songstress replied, “Oh No Honey, if that ever happened to me, I’d probably burn the church down, or something.”
Vesta’s stage show featured much more than music. She liked to tell jokes, make funny quips, and was a gifted impressionist of famous singers like Tina Turner during her live performances. “A lot of people called me the black Bette Midler, and I regard that as a compliment, “she said.
During her music career, Vesta Williams recorded songs for films, including Soul Man and Mississippi Burning, and the theme from the television mini-series Women Of Brewster Place. Sadly, Vesta Williams’s unexpected and untimely death left a hole in our hearts. She became a folk heroine for R&B fans because she beautifully conveyed betrayal and loss, which we laughed along with, not at her. This self-proclaimed diva with a four-octave range is a part of the soundtrack of my life. She epitomizes all the emotions between heartbreak, love, and romance in The Quiet Storm, and we thank her for that.
If you’re living with, at risk of, or affected by diabetes, planning, or attending a wedding, this inside guide to one of life’s most important celebrations is for you! Join Mr. Divabetic as he officiates a full hour featuring a guest list of wedding, food, and fashion experts with tips and suggestions for brides, grooms, attendants, and attendees. Guests include Jessica Issler and Judi Wilcox, certified diabetes educators; Christine Campanelli, wedding cake designer; Holly Clegg, celebrity cookbook author; Catherine Schuller, fashion stylist and a group of former brides.
Sadly, Vesta remains restrained throughout the ceremony, reminiscing about their awkward relationship with the groom and fantasizing about being the bride. It’s like watching a telenovela but with more mermaid-style wedding dresses and fluffy tulle veils with lots of big bows. The big payoff is listening to how Vesta delivers the word “congratulations” repeatedly throughout the video. She flexes, stretches, and marinates in every syllable like she’s getting paid per “congratulations.” It requires repeated listening, but trust me, it’s worth it. Ultimately, we learn that Vesta needs therapy and a new friend. Her old friend knew exactly what button she was pushing and dropped the bomb of life on her. But hey, at least we got an epic song out of it!
Sadly, Vesta Williams’s unexpected and untimely death left a hole in our hearts. She became a folk heroine for R&B fans because she beautifully conveyed betrayal and loss. She was gifted at doing impressions of famous singers like Tina Turner, often telling jokes and making quips during her live performances. “If you got it, flaunt it; if you don’t, cover it up,” is how she defended wearing low-cut dresses. We laughed along with the self-proclaimed diva with a four-octave range, not at her.
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.
Millie Jackson is a bold, brash, and bawdy entertainer called “The Original Bad Girl” by Vibe Magazine. She is known for her unfiltered and explicit lyrical content. Her live performances are known for her storytelling and jokes woven into her songs.
‘I guess the reason I sing about certain thing is because I’m outspoken,” she said. “There are some things that have to be said, and it seems like I’m the only woman saying them right now. In fact, a lot of times, people don’t compare me with other female singers but with my male counterparts! I guess I ought to regard that as a compliment!”
This trailblazer for female recording artists has earned her fans from all backgrounds. It is also rumored that Bette Midler and Roseanne drew inspiration from Millie’s high-voltage approach to sex in their respective careers.
Although her music has been kept off radio playlists due to its gritty R&B style, Millie Jackson added a new dimension to her career by creating, financing, directing, and starring in a hit musical stage play based on her r “Young Man, Older Woman” song. During the play’s touring years, audiences discovered Millie Jackson was equally talented as an actress.
We love her song, “Love Is A Dangerous Game,” from her album, “An Imitation Of Love,” released in 1986.
We love her song, “Love Is A Dangerous Game,” from her album, “An Imitation Of Love,” released in 1986.
At the height of the AIDS crisis, Millie Jackson would stop the music and urge her female fans to practice safe sex at her live shows. She would encourage them to buy and carry condoms rather than rely on their men to take the necessary precautions.
Throughout her career, Millie Jackson released 28 albums that sold 40 million copies, making her one of the most successful female artists of the 20th century. She is most well-known for her hit albums “Get It Out Cha System,” “Hard Times,” “A Moment’s Pleasure,” “Live and Uncensored,” “For Men Only,” “I Had To Say It,” “A Little Bit Country,” and “Live and Outrageous.”
Recently, she has been running her record label, Weird Wreckuds, and has released a single called “Butt-A-Cize” and an album entitled “Not For Church Folk!”
Diabetes is one of the most common chronic diseases in nearly all countries. People with diabetes experience sexual dysfunction more often than the general public. Dr. Janis Roszler PhD, LMFT, RDN, LD/N, CDCES, FAND, and Donna Rice, MBA, BSN, RN, CDCES, FADCES, the co-authors of Divabetic’s new e-book, Sweet Romance: A Woman’s Guide to Love and Intimacy with Diabetes, available on Amazon, offer advice.
The happy healthcare host, Mr. Divabetic explores issues of love, intimacy and diabetes on this one-hour podcast. Both type 1 and type 2 diabetes can lead to sexual health complications including vaginal dryness, sensation and performance. Up to 50% of men and 25% of women may experience some sexual problem or a loss of sex drive.
Don’t equate sexual performance with love or a fulfilling relationship; focus on letting your partner know you care and want to give pleasure as part of your relationship.
Mr. Divabetic’s Guests include Best-Selling Author Lisa Eugene, Jennifer Martsolf from Trigg Laboratories (the makers of Wet Lubricants) and Janis Roszler MS, RD, LD/N, CDE, FAND (2008-2009 Diabetes Educator of the Year (AADE).
Just imagine what positive self-talk and powerful affirmations could do to your diabetes life.
Self-talk is the practice of talking to oneself, either aloud or silently. It can be positive or negative depending on your thoughts and external influences.
My good friend, Kathie Dolgin, professionally known as ‘High Voltage,’ uses affirmations daily to manage her health by avoiding added sugars.
According the American Heart Association reports American adults consume an average of 17 teaspoons of added sugar every day, more than 2-3 times the recommended amount for men and women respectively. This adds up to around 60 pounds of added sugar consumed annually.
To keep all of this in perspective, it’s helpful to remember the American Heart Association’s recommendations for sugar intake.
Men should consume no more than 9 teaspoons (36 grams or 150 calories) of added sugar per day.
Women, the number is lower: 6 teaspoons (25 grams or 100 calories) per day. Consider that one 12-ounce can of soda contains 8 teaspoons (32 grams) of added sugar! There goes your whole day’s allotment in one slurp.
We’re talking about ‘THE SWEETEST TABOO’ aka ‘SUGAR’ with musical inspiration from Sade on this episode of Divabetic’s podcast.
Often, High Voltage starts her day by saying, “I am happy! I am healthy! I am the best, and I deserve the best!”
My friend Paulette McWilliams offers this beautiful rendition of Luther Vandross’s song, “So Amazing”, arranged by Grammy winner ( Gregory Porter) Kamau Kenyatta.
Whatever the case, self-talk is the most potent form of communication because it either empowers you or defeats you.
Join us for our Luther Vandross: Never Too Much celebration featuring a Panel discussion, Fashion Show, Luther Games, Live Performances, and Live DJ on Wednesday, April 17, 2024 at Thread Lounge in New York City. Come dressed in your Big 80s Bling!
Luther Vandross was known for wearing rhinestones, tuxedos, and tailcoats on stage. He wore Versace, Gucci, Dolce & Gabbana, and Tom Ford off-stage! He wasn’t afraid of wearing bright colors, animal prints, geometric patterns, and/or fringe. His style and incredible showmanship brought him legions of fans worldwide.
We’re celebrating the glitz and glamour that made his concerts more memorable and set him apart from other entertainers.
PANEL: How the Magic on Stage happened! Luther’s Vocalist, Cindy Mizelle, Luther’s Choreographer, James Ervin, and Graffiti Glamour Makeup Artistry Founder Alicia Mitchell help us get a closer look at the Shine of the Rhinestones, Big Luscious Hairstyles, and Bold Makeup to the Graceful Moves and Tight Harmonies. Hosted by Max Szadek.
FASHION SHOW: Designers showcase their gorgeous creations inspired by the romance and elegance of Luther Vandross. See the latest styles from Harlem’s Heaven and Modafleur, and more! Hosted by
PERFORMANCE: Luther’s most iconic songs performed by Luther’s most iconic songs by vocalist Keith Anthony Fluitt.
