Jody Watley – Divabetic

09/20/2023

Karyn White Spreads Joy At City Winery

Last night, I saw Karyn White at City Winery in New York.

For those too young to remember, there was a moment in the late 80s when Karyn White was right up there with the best of Janet Jackson, Jody Watley, and Miki Howard. She became the first female artist to have her first three solo releases hit #1.

Her iconic R&B singles: “Superwoman,” “Secret Rendezvous,” “The Way You Love Me,” and the Billboard Hot 100 number one single “Romantic” are part of the soundtrack of my life.

I was looking forward to the concert, but I was a bit hesitant. Karyn White disappeared from the music industry as quickly as she arrived.

Her career took off like a rocket after signing to Warner Bros. Records, where she was paired with Babyface and LA Reid on her debut album. Karyn White hit the jackpot.

Her platinum-selling debut made her a star right out of the gate, quickly becoming recognized as one of the best releases of the New Jack Swing era.

She worked with Jimmy Jam and future husband Terry Lewis on her sophomore album, Ritual of Love.

Sadly, lOL reports her absence from the industry was partly due to a terrible divorce from the love of her life and icon, Terry Lewis, and her mother’s death. On the upside, she started an acting career.

Back to seeing the show. I arrived at City Winery feeling a bit apprehensive. Recent lackluster Miki Howard and Regina Belle performances will do that to you.

However, I’m happy to say that from the moment Karyn White stepped on stage, she had me. She was so exuberant and enthusiastic about being in New York and performing. I couldn’t help but feel her joy even though I was sitting in the back row. Her voice was strong, vibrant, and full of emotion, And at 60, “The Queen of New Jack Swing” held her own with two much younger backup vocalists. New Jack music isn’t kind to the knees of people over 50, but she turned it out.

I yelled, “YASS, QUEEN!”

I’d love to restructure her setlist, add a few cover songs, let go of her dancers and dress her in a fabulous gown.

If Karyn. White’s in town, I recommend going to see her!

We’re celebrating Divabetic’s 12th Year Anniversary of Podcasting with musical inspiration from Babyface and music from his A Closer Look album courtesy of SONY Music. Guests include Poet Lorraine Brooks, Susan Weiner MS, RDN, CDCES, FADCES, Ivan Hampden Jr., and Collage Artist Tom Cocotos. Hosted by Max “Mr. Divabetic” Szadek.

Our musical inspiration, Kenneth Edmonds, known professionally as Babyface, has written over 250 top-10 R&B and pop hits, working with Beyoncé, Aretha Franklin, Celine Dion, Luther Vandross, and Whitney Houston.

“The blessing of being able to write music and let the music speak for itself is you let the melodies and the lyrics and the groove talk to people instead of me talking to people,” says Babyface.

What makes Babyface so great? His ability to craft a song that touches our emotions captivates our ears and perfectly harmonizes every word. It’s a rare gift that not many people have in music.

“I would say that I’ve been lucky. Being blessed and not really ever giving up,” says Babyface.

Thank you for allowing us to be part of your diabetes wellness journey! We’re looking forward to sharing more insight and advice on diabetes self-care from experts and peers, along with more great music in the next year!

06/22/2023

Divabetic Dances to Jody Watley’s Beat

“If I’ve learned anything in this business, it’s that you have to be fearless,” says Grammy winner Jody Watley.

Let Jody Watley’s music and attitude inspire you to live your best diabetes life. She’s guaranteed to make you get up and move with many of her iconic hit songs.

A former Soul Train dancer, Jody Watley started as part of the Los Angeles-based vocal trio Shalamar, which scored a Top 10 single with The Second Time Around in 1979 and continued charting into the mid-’80s. Her first solo hit was Looking for a New Love.

When asked about her musical influences at the beginning of her career, she said, “Starting out, it was the music of Motown and of course, Diana Ross & The Supremes, The Temptations, Stevie Wonder and Marvin Gaye.”

Many people have speculated about what caused the group, Shalamar to break up. According to Howard Hewitt, “There was a point right when we were breaking up and [Benny Medina] said, ‘[Watley] said you guys got into an argument in front of this hotel in the UK, in London where you used to stay.’”

During this argument, Jody remembers that Howard told her, “that she would never be s–t without Shalamar.’”

Those hurtful words are partly responsible for why Jody decided to distance herself from Shalamar while embarking on her own solo career.

“The music business is very hard on women over 22. You really have to prove yourself every time you make a record,” she said. “Are you as vibrant as you used to be? Are you as sexy? So I really want to prove that a woman in her 30s can be all those things and more.”

She released a Number One Fitness video, Dance to Fitness 1999. Jody directs this workout to the beat of her own music, reminding viewers to complete street-style choreographed steps with a few positive reinforcements.. She considered the project more of a breakthrough than a marketing move. “There wasn’t one black person in a fitness video,” she recalls, “and I thought it would be great if I opened that door.”

When traveling, Jody says finding healthy options can be challenging. However, it is on her show riders that she can make these requests, mainly because of the variety of dietary lifestyles her band members have.

“My dad was a big salad person, and I love salads to this day. My love of vegetables and salads comes from my dad,” she said.

“If I wasn’t traveling, I would cook because I have never been a big fast food person. I cooked meals,” says the mother of two.

In the face of adversity, Jody Watley has overcome obstacles and succeeded. Her career spans over forty years, with nine solo studio albums, four worldwide tours, and several accolades, including a Grammy for Best New Artist in 1988, a Lifetime Achievement Award from Billboard Music Awards in 2008, and seven Billboard Hot 100 Top 10 hits.

This year, Jody Watley’s sixth album, Flower album celebrates the 25th Anniversary of its release. The album departed from the typical music her fans expected her to release. Reflecting on her new musical direction, she said, “I didn’t want to make another record that felt specifically more R&B at that point,” in a Fly Global Music interview fifteen years ago. “I felt happy and wanted something groovy to reflect where I was, as always. I (had) wanted to make a cutting-edge, international dance record, with soul and excitement, modern! But, I said, ‘perhaps you should compromise more,’ and subsequently, the A&R (of Atlantic Records) had more of its way. Flower wasn’t the record I wanted to make at all, but I did the best with what I was presented with

She chose to work with select members of Organized Noize (Ivan Matias), Masters at Work (Louie Vega, Kenny Gonzalez), Tony! Toni! Toné! (D’Wayne Wiggins and Randall Wiggins) and Groove Theory (Bryce Wilson) as well as Rahsaan Patterson, Malik Pendleton, Cassandra Lucas, Phil Galdston, Deric Angelettie, and Derrick Edmonson to get down to the business of record making.

Our favorite song from her Flower album is Rahsaan Patterson’s Lovin’ You So.

Currently, Jody Watley hosts The Jody Watley Show, a 2-hour monthly show airs every second Sunday exclusively on SiriusXM’s The Groove at 6 PM (EST) / 3 PM (PST) and on the SiriusXM app on smartphones and other connected devices as well as online. Enjoy contemporary R&B and classics from the ’70s and ’80s, including Michael Jackson, Luther Vandross, Janet Jackson, Earth, Wind & Fire, Isley Brothers, the Gap Band, along with host Jody Watley, and more.

Jody Watley’s story is one of overcoming the odds, the power of positivity, and defying expectations. She recently added a line of candles and an interior fragrance to her product line, Sanctuary, inspired by the song of the same name on her Paradise album. She is also exploring a wellness box that complements her focus on self-care and well-being.

Need some inspiration to get back on track with your diabetes health goals? Tune in to Divabetic’s latest podcast on Healthy Swap suggestions.

With a few simple swaps, you can help live your best life while managing your diabetes. Our experts offer straightforward, simple, and fun swap ideas for drinks, medications, self-care, and fashion. Plus, we share style tips and words of inspiration to help you maintain a healthy habit.

Developing these habits isn’t always easy. Adapting to a new routine can be tricky, and it’s often tempting to want to return to old ways if we don’t see immediate results. One of the biggest mistakes people make when forming a new habit is taking on too much too quickly. Focus on what’s working in your diabetes self-care plan before overhauling diabetes management. Instead of decluttering the entire house, why not focus on one room or closet? Why not focus on the calories you drink rather than everything you eat? If you want to eat healthier, try replacing one dessert daily with a piece of fruit rather than cutting out sugar completely. If you’re going to get into hiking, start with a walk at lunchtime. Setting small goals you can achieve will help keep you motivated along the way.

Guests include Catherine Schuller, Poet Lorraine Brooks, Patricia Addie-Gentle RD, CDCES, MaryAnn Horst Nicolay, MEd, NDTR, and Mama Rose Marie. Hosted by Mr. Divabetic.

02/06/2021

Madonna And Jody Watley Inspired Us To Push Past Borderline Diabetes

‘Borderline diabetes’ is a throwback term describing impaired fasting glucose or glucose intolerance that’s older than Madonna’s song, Borderline, from the 80’s.

Don’t be old school when talking about your diabetes health

Recently the term ‘borderline diabetes’ has been replaced with the term ‘prediabetes’.

Prediabetes is a condition that develops before a person is diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. It basically means your blood sugar levels are higher than normal, but they’re not quite high enough to be considered a sign of diabetes. You may not have a diabetes diagnosis but having prediabetes still puts you at increased risk of developing heart disease and stroke

Approximately 88 million American adults—more than 1 in 3—have prediabetes. Of those with prediabetes, more than 84% don’t know they have it.

What are the warning signs of prediabetes?

One possible sign of prediabetes is darkened skin on certain parts of the body. Affected areas can include the neck, armpits, elbows, knees and knuckles. Other symptoms include increased thirst, frequent urination, excess hunger, fatigue and blurred vision.

Remember, borderline diabetes, or prediabetes, doesn’t guarantee that you’ll develop type 2 diabetes. Take small steps to make any healthy changes to your diet or activity habits under the guidance of your healthcare team.

Jody Watley’s ninth solo album, The Makeover features a remake of Madonna’s Borderline.

“It was going to be a remix project. The project evolved and moved away from that, and that really came from doing live concerts, “ Jody Watley told NPR. “And I every now and again would do a cover of a favorite song of mine. And I did a series of shows in San Francisco called Songs in the Key of My Life.”

Let Jody Watley’s version of Madonna’s iconic song, Borderline push you past any hesitations to take this quick prediabetes risk test.

TAKE THE PREDIABETES RISK TEST

If your doctor is concerned you may have prediabetes, they’ll most likely give you a A1c(hbA1c) test.

HbA1c is an indicator of your blood sugar patterns over the last two to three months, so it’s often a better overall picture than a single fasting blood sugar check. An HbA1c level between 5.7 and 6.4 indicates prediabetes.

“My message would be to never lose sight of who you really are. Because when all is said and done, you have to be able to look at yourself and remember and recognize that, you know, I am who I am,” said Jody Watley.