First of all, to everyone reading this, I would like to wish you a HAPPY NEW YEAR from me, Elle Shanice!!!!!
I did not plan to start off my 2014 blog posts on such a somber note, but the man who played a character on one of my favorite shows passed away.
I hoped that it was just another internet hoax but unfortunately James Avery, known as "Uncle Phil" from the iconic show "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" died on December 31st from complications after heart surgery. He was 68 years old.
"The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" is not only one of the best black shows ever, it's one of the best shows PERIOD in my opinion. Avery's character, Uncle Phil, was one of those central characters that transcended the show. My memories of the show and of his character align with those of my own life and with my own father.
Uncle Phil was a no-nonsence father who provided the best for his family; he was strict but open enough for his family to feel comfortable talking to him. He withstood jokes about his weight from Will & Geoffrey, but I loved how he was a lawyer & his wife was a professor. This continued the trend of positive black families and characters in sitcoms of the 90's.
I've seen the Uncle Phil character listed with other great TV dads such as Cliff Huxtable & Mike Brady. I know that he just portrayed the character but it was still hard to hear that he had passed away, especially when it wasn't announced that he was sick or having surgery.
The same thing happened last year when Lou Myers, who played loveable Mr. Gaines on "A Different World" (another one of my favorite shows) passed away.
Rest in peace Mr. James Avery (1948-2013)...You will be missed!
Watch one of my favorite scenes below from an early episode of Fresh Prince when Uncle Phil gets Will & Carlton out of jail:
I find myself struggling to write this blog post, given the sudden and shocking circumstances surrounding the untimely death of one of the greatest recording artists of all time.
Whitney Houston was only 48 years old but was one of the best voices that I have ever heard. She was such a staple at the top of the charts in the 80's and 90's, with a series of consecutive #1 hits that include "Greatest Love of All", "Saving All My Love For You" and "How Will I Know". Her vocal range was incomparable and she was such an inspiration to so many other artists that I love. Not only was she one of the best-selling artists of all time, selling hundreds of millions of records, but she was an actress whose movies were few but classic, such as The Bodyguard, The Preacher's Wife, and my personal favorite, Waiting to Exhale. That movie is part of my collection & I was hoping that they could get the orignal four women back together for the sequel :-(
I first heard the news when it popped up on my iPhone's screen via the CNN app and my jaw immediately dropped. There was no news of an illness or that she was even rushed to the hospital. Nothing leading up to her death & nothing to prepare the music world for such a loss, just one day before the 2012 Grammy Awards, of which Houston had won 6.
Despite her personal problems and bouts with drug & alcohol addiction, I always rooted for her and prayed that she could make a comeback. She recently finished the remake of Sparkle, which would have served as the "sparkle" of such a resurgence. I have always said in my blog posts that I don't get concerned with celebrities' personal lives and the same can be said about Whitney Houston. Yes, she had a tumultuous marriage to Bobby Brown which may have led to her drug problems. However, what I do know is that her career is one of the greatest in history and that is what we should remember her by.
We all probably have a memory of Whitney and her music. I remember watching The Bodyguard and then being a fanatic of the soundtrack, which included my JAMS "Queen of the Night", "I'm Every Woman" and the epic hit "I Will Always Love You". The impact of such a loss as this outweighs the circumstances, because there will NEVER be a voice like Whitney's. Not Mariah, Beyonce', Christina Aguilera, Jennifer Hudson...NOBODY. Yes, they all come close but the fact that they were all inspired by her makes her legacy that much greater.
Rest in Peace Ms. Whitney Houston
August 9, 1963-February 11, 2012
Below are the videos for my 3 favorite Whitney Houston songs, "I'm Your Baby Tonight" & "All The Man That I Need" and "I'm Every Woman". The first one is a song that I can play at ANY time & has been on repeat in the past 48 hours. The second is the song that I want to sing to my husband at our wedding ("sing" used LOOSELY lol). The last one features my ALL-TIME favorite group TLC.
I was shocked and immediately saddened today when I heard the news that one of my favorite singers had died.
Amy Winehouse, only 27 years old, was found dead in her apartment in London. While everyone suspects an overdose, the cause of death remains unknown at the moment. She is just the latest artist with limitless talent but died young because of personal demons that get the best of them.
I remember when I first heard her album, Back To Black, during my freshman year of college in 2006. I immediately added her to my iPod. Songs like "Love is a Losing Game" and "Some Unholy War" became favorites of mine and I played them over and over.
If my man was fighting
Some unholy war
I would be behind him
Straight shook up beside him
With strength he didn't know
It's you I'm fighting for
He can't lose with me in tow
I refuse to let him go
At his side and drunk on pride
We wait for the blow
Her soulful delivery and lyrics would not make you think that she was a white girl from the UK, but despite that she had me as an instant fan. I have always said that I am a fan of music and not of individuals, and that a musician's personal problems were none of my business as long as they made great music. While she was not perfect in the least bit, I supported her music and will have it to remember her by.
She only released two albums in her career, and I was waiting for new material from her but obviously we will never hear it. It is sad to say that she will never be able to reach her full potential because of her drug and alcohol problem, but I'm still happy to have been exposed to her talent while she was alive and call myself a fan.
R.I.P. Amy Winehouse 1983-2011 :-(
Here is a video of her from 2007 performing my favorite song of hers, "Some Unholy War" in London...
I love this because you can feel her love for this man, and the soul of her voice is extraordinary.
