Divabetic Salutes Marlena Shaw

“When I sing, I want people to feel something,” Marlena Shaw said. “I don’t care if it’s jazz or pop.”


Celebrated soul and jazz vocalist Marlena Shaw, known for her hits ‘California Soul’ and ‘Woman of the Ghetto’ but it was her unforgettable recording of “Go Away Little Boy,” that caught my ear and captured my heart.  I was hooked on Marlena Shaw after one listen.

Her incredible spoken section: “I figure if I’ve got to get up and go to work every day, then every able-bodied in the household is supposed to get up and go … If for some reason you feel that you can no longer be the man you were at the beginning of our relationship, then I’ve got this one thing to lay on you, my sweet. Go away, little boy …” 

“Go Away Little Boy” became one of her most popular songs in live performance, the prefatory rap acquiring extra twists, turns, and layers of sardonic saltiness.

Sadly, I never could see her perform it live, but the live recording is so good that it doesn’t matter. 


She embodied the type of entertainer I adore. With her commanding presence, humor, and incredible vocals, I assume she, like Luther Vandross, knew who to put on a show. 

Marlena Shaw began her music career in the 1960s by singing in jazz clubs and continued to perform live into the 2000s. According to Variety, she released 17 albums with eight different record labels.

According to the 5th Dimension Forever website, the vivacious singer’s lyrics often communicated the strength of the Black American community and Black women at a time when there was a great racial divide in the country and its politics. 
 

According to CBS News, the musician who influenced music in the jazz, soul, disco, and R&B genres “spanned generations and was often featured and sampled in popular media, TV commercials, and other songs.


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.


New York Fashion Week: Meet Hat Designer Evetta Petty

Evetta Petty, the owner and designer of New York City’s Harlem’s Heaven Hats, shares how she stays on track with type 2 diabetes while running a successful small fashion business.

She is known for her big and bold hat pins, and her hats have humor, whimsy, rhythm, and fantasy. Evetta’s motto is, “I’ll make a hat out of anything.” Her hats have captured worldwide attention and have been worn to the Kentucky Derby and Royal Ascot in England.

Evetta designs an extensive line of hats and accessories. She travels to cities like Tokyo, Rome, Hong Kong, and New Delhi, looking for unusual textiles to create a more global headwear experience.

Her hats have been worn by many celebrities such as Patti LaBelle and Star Jones, and featured on TV shows like Anderson Cooper Live and The View. She has created hats for movies, fashion magazine covers, and editorials such as Essence, Jet, and Italian Vogue, it, Mujer Unica, Vibe, Fashion Affair, and The New York Times.

Get a sneak peek at Evetta Petty’s 30th Year Retrospective Fashion Show during New York Fashion Week and hear how she’s living with type 2 diabetes in style in this video.

New York Fashion Week (NYFW) provides leading designers worldwide with an unrivaled global platform to showcase their collections bi-annually every February and September.

For several years, Harlem’s Heaven and Divabetic partnered on a successful faith-based diabetes outreach program, Hat Boxing. Participants enjoyed a Diva Hat Fashion Show, Guest Speakers and a Hat Boxing Decorating Contest. Competitors entered their decorated hat boxes with messages about diabetes and diabetes self-care to win a crown from Harlem’s Heaven Hat.

Help Us Light the Way During National Diabetes Awareness Month (November)

Approximately 96 million American adults—more than 1 in 3—have prediabetes. Did you know that over 80% don’t know they have it? Prediabetes increases your risk of developing type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and stroke.

Join Divabetic’s Blue Candle initiative and encourage your friends, co-workers, and family members to be screened for pre-diabetes. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) offers a quick, easy online Pre-Diabetes risk test.

Prediabetes Risk Test

Be by their side when they check, and share your successes and struggles of living with diabetes so they can see that living well with diabetes is possible.

Coming Soon! Divabetic’s first e-book, Sweet Romance: A Woman’s Guide to Love and Intimacy with Diabetes, by co-authors Dr. Janis Roszler PhD, LMFT, RDN, CDCES, FAND, and Donna Rice MBA, BSN, RN, CDCES, FADCES, available on Kindle.

 

Divabetic Presents Virtual Diabetes Outreach with Dazzle!

Since 2005, Divabetic (Divabetic.Org) has pioneered efforts in outreach to take diabetes education out of the clinical setting and present it in a more appealing and easier to understand ways. Our first national outreach program, Divabetic – Makeover Your Diabetes, presented personalized diabetes education (loosely based on AADE’s 7 Self-Care Behaviors) with free makeover services (makeup application, safe manicures, and mini massages) in eight major US cities.

Two years ago, we presented diabetes and heart health education in  New York City’s #1 Escape Room experience called Clued Inn on National Diabetes Alert Day.

Nationally Recognized Registered Dietitian, Certified Diabetes Educator and Best-Selling Author Jill Weisenberger MS, RDN, CDE, FAND, CHWC joined us for Divabetic’s recent free virtual Cooking Party on Zoom.

Enjoy some GLAM MORE, FEAR LESS highlights from Divabetic’s recent virtual outreach event featuring Harlem’s Heaven Hats‘ Hats & Masks Fashion Show and Poetry by Diabetes Late Nite podcast contributor Lorraine Brooks.

The happy healthcare host, Mr. Divabetic talks with Rachel Zinman about how yoga and meditation practices can help you to manage the mental health aspects of living with diabetes.

 

Divabetic’s Diabetes Late Nite podcast guests include Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDE, Pendulum Therapeutics CEO and Co-Founder Colleen Cutcliffe, Ph. D., (the maker of Pendulum Glucose Control), Virginia Valentine, APRN, BC-ADM, CDE, FAADE, Dr. Darren Wayne from MealBetix and Yoga For Diabetes Author Rachel Zinman.

Throughout the podcast we will be featuring music from Aaliyah’s Age Ain’t Nothing But A Number album courtesy of SONY Music.

Divabetic Tea Time Poem by Lorraine Brooks

Last night, the happy healthcare host, Mr. Divabetic hosted Divabetic’s free, fun Tea Party in celebration of National Diabetes Awareness Month with special guests: Divabetic Image & Style Advisor Catherine SchullerTessie’s Teas’ owner Rose Hall and Harlem Heaven’s Hats owner Evetta Petty.

To everyone’s delight Poet Lorraine Brooks shared a poem about each of our guests after their presentation. Enjoy!

Divabetic Tea Time Poem by Lorraine Brooks

Showing hats to cover our heads

Whether we’re sporting a crewcut or dreads

Many styles to make us happier

Looking cool and looking dapper

Plaids and checks and stripes and such

Fabric lovely to the touch

So get your canes and gloves and spats

And visit Harlem’s Heaven Hats!

Join us in a cup of tea

Chamomile or lemon-y

Ways to heal for young and old

Meditate and heal the soul

Sit and think and leave your strife

Breathe and cleanse your spirit life

Only teas can can lift you up

So come and join us in a cup.

Fashion style and a little blush

Make you look exotic and lush

Sport a scarf or wear a tie

A little shadow for the eye

Tweeze the eyebrows and the chin

If you look good you will grin

We all want to look much cooler

So take a tip from Catherine Schuller

Divabetic’s virtual outreach event kicked off with a live Harlem Heaven’s Hat show featuring model Jennifer Lui at the Harlem’s Heaven’s pop up shop in Bryant Park ‘s Winter Village Shops in New York City.  Harlem’s Heaven Hat shop specializes in providing the right head wear and face mask for the right occasions.

Rose Hall, the owner of Tessie’s Teas, shared how simple daily meditations can help relieve stress, anxiety and even reduce your blood pressure over a cup of tea.  Tessie’s Teas are all natural caffeine-free, chemical-free instant crystallized teas that meet all of your healthy-living needs.

Divabetic Image & Style Advisor Catherine Schuller, who is a fashion curator, former plus model, coach, speaker, writer, producer, and image consultant, demonstrated eight different and divine ways to wear a scarf in honor of Dr. Deborah Birx. Dr. Birx’s ever-changing scarves captivate the internet in her daily White House Coronavirus Task Force briefings. One popular scarf was by Hermès, or, to be precise, Hermès’ “Retour à la Terre”, in peach. We know this because there is an Instagram account devoted to Dr Birx’s scarves!

 

Are you interested in learning how to bake with sugar substitutes? Join the happy healthcare host, Mr. Divabetic for this free, fun Virtual Baking Party with special guest, Stacey Harris aka The Diabetic Pastry Chef on Thursday, December 10, 2020, 7 – 8 PM, EST on Zoom.

FREE REGISTRATION 

Join us for Fandross ’80’s Fashion Brunch on Sunday, May 13, 2018

Join us for the inaugural Fandross Festival presented by the Vandross Family Estate and Divabetic celebrating the musical legacy of Luther Vandross and raising awareness for the prevention of diabetes health-related complications such as stroke.

New York City’s liveliest brunch spotlights ’80’s ‘GLAM’ Fashions as a tribute to Luther Vandross and his love of all things Gianni Versace. $45 Brunch SpecialCome and enjoy a Fun-Filled Sunday afternoon featuring:

‘80’s FASHION SHOW: Our inclusive catwalk features innovative integration with all sizes, shapes, heights, genders, ages, ethnicities, nationalities, persuasions and orientations on the same runway.

DIABETES DISCUSSION: Diabetes by the Decades Spotlights the ’80’s: A Dynasty of Self-Care Discoveries with Dr. Beverly S. Adler, PhD, CDE known as ‘Dr. Bev’. Dr. Bev is a Clinical Psychologist and Certified Diabetes Educator who has been living well with type 1 diabetes for over 40 years. Moderated by Max ‘Mr. Divabetic’ Szadek

DIVA RAFFLES: Win a copy of one of Dr. Beverly S. Adler’s books, MY SWEET LIFE: Successful Men Living with Diabetes and ‘MY SWEET LIFE: Successful Women Living with Diabetes’ and the ’80’s Dress of Your Choice!

’80’s DRESS AUCTION: Bid for your favorites over a Bloody Mary or Mimosa and help raise funding for America’s leading women’s diabetes outreach organization, Divabetic.

SPECIAL GUEST PERFORMERS!

Hosted by Divabetic Image & Style Advisor, Catherine Schuller AICI, CIP and Max ‘Mr. Divabetic’ Szadek.

Reservations Required: (212) 505-0005

ADMISSION: $45.00 (Includes Brunch Entree, one Mimosa or Bloody Mary and Gratuity. Tax not included)

EARLY BIRD SPECIAL TICKETS: Receive 2 Free Raffle Prize Tickets & Goody Bag before 4/20/18

The Vandross Family Estate and the national diabetes nonprofit organization, Divabetic (divabetic.org), proudly present Fandross Festival. “Keep your House a Home” and learn how to prevent diabetes health-related complications (such as stroke) from occurring.

We invite Luther fans of all ages to attend and celebrate Luther’s “so amazing” contributions to music, arts, and culture from Thursday, March 10 – Sunday, March 13, 2018 in New York City.

Fandross Calendar of Events: Fandross Kick-Off Party at Ashford & Simpson’s Sugar Bar on 5/10/18, Lisa Fischer & Grand Baton at the Blue Note on 5/11/18, Fandross Festival at SVA Theater on 5/12/18, Fandross Sunday Brunch at Casa de Femme on 5/13/18. All tickets sold separately on Eventbrite. More event details at Divabetic.org

Fandross Festival 2018 Hotel Accommodations:

Vandross Family Estate and Divabetic have secured a discounted room rate ($239.00) per night at the New York Marriott East Side located at 525 Lexington Avenue at 49th Street, New York, NY 10017.

Call: (212) 755-4000 mentioned ‘Luther Vandross Fan Club’. Hotel’s room rates are subject to applicable state and local taxes.