entertainment
Todd Bridges
each other’s work, of course, and it was cool to meet some- one else who could relate to what it was like to have all the privileges and pressures that went along with being famous at such a young age.”
Drugs were also in the mix. “There was always a party
at someone’s house, and drugs were very much out in the open,” he says. “So there was always coke and booze, and we all had a good time. Un- fortunately, a lot of us ended up in serious trouble because of that, and several of those friends ended up dead from drug overdoses.”
There was plenty of unpro-
tected sex as well. As his career nosedived,
so did Todd Bridges’ personal life.
“My whole world soon re-
volved around crack,” he says bluntly. “I was a crack addict, plain and simple. I had gotten rid of almost everything and everyone from my old life. I didn’t want to be reminded of the days when I had lived my dreams.So I was ‘killing Willis,’ cutting all ties to the people who remembered how full of possibilities that time had been.”
JUST AS HIS career was
beginning to take off
(TV
shows, commercials, etc.) after his family moved to Los Ange- les from San Francisco, young Todd developed a close rela-
Reflections
Kind of reminiscent of
the time opera legend Le- ontyne Price said she loved the sound of her voice, and when another legend, blues- jazz-pop diva Dinah Washing- ton, said her favorite female vocalist was — you guessed it — Dinah Washington.
Whitney Houston recently
commented on some of today’s hottest artists, saying they are largely relying on gimmicks “instead of really displaying their gifts.” Well, if she has artists such as Lady Gaga in mind, we are inclined to agree. The wacky clothes overshadow the art.
However, considering how
she has been singing lately, and certain personal issues, it might be a good idea for Houston to hold back on the commentary.
Mary Wilson, whose book
“Dreamgirl: My Life As A Supreme,” was one of the big- gest selling celebrity memoirs of all time, is putting together a coffee table book on her traveling exhibit featuring about 50 of the gowns, plus accessories, worn by the Su- premes.
BETCHA DIDN’T KNOW…
that songstresses Pebbles and Cherrelle, both hitmakers in the ’80s, are cousins.
MEMORIES: “After the
Love Has Gone” (Earth, Wind & Fire), “(Every Time I Turn Around) Back in Love Again” (L.T.D.), “Nightshift” (the Commodores), “Just the Two of Us” (Grover Washington Jr. with Bill Withers), “Stop to Love” (Luther Vandross), “Out of Sight” (James Brown), “You Brought the Sunshine
tionship with a family friend, Ronald Rayton, who not only became his publicist but also a father figure.
Todd had a father of his own
but, as he put it, “He (Rayton) gave me all of the affection that I had never received from my own father. I wanted so badly for my dad to be proud of me, or even just to take an in- terest in me. But my dad just didn’t have the capacity to be a good father. Spending time with Ronald quickly became the next best thing.”
His real father was also
violent, a heavy drinker and jealous of his son, or for that matter, any Black male doing better than he was.
However, one day Rayton
performed a sex act on his young friend/client, result- ing in a confused 13-year-old Todd thereafter “being ner- vous around Ronald because I never knew if he was going to do that to me again.”
He did.
BUT IT WASN’T all bad
times during the run of the show. For example, there was a puppy love affair with Janet Jackson, who had been cast as Willis’ girlfriend, Charlene DuPrey. A couple of months later, they were also dating in real life.
“It was a really sweet rela-
tionship,” he recalls. “We used to talk on the phone for hours
From page D-1
(Into My Life)” (the Clark Sis- ters), “Wrap My Body Tight” (Johnny Gill), “Too Much Heaven” (the Bee Gees), “Ms.” (David Oliver).
BLESSINGS to Ruth Ben-
nett, Phil Smith, Larry Robin- son, Wanda Keys, Sandra “Lil’ Queen” Steinberg, William F. Andrews Jr., Linda A. Hardy, Theresa Hill, Henry Fam- brough, Norma Fambrough, Rogers Foster and Jasmine DuBois.
WORDS OF THE WEEK,
from John F. Kennedy: “Conformity is the jailer of freedom and the enemy of growth.”
Let the music play!
(Steve Holsey can be
Svh517@aol.com and PO Box 02843, Detroit, MI 48202.)
and hours, until our parents finally told us to hang up and go to bed.
“Even though we were
acting together on a hit TV show, we were regular kids. When I got my license, I would pick her up for dates. I really cared about Janet, and I always did my best to treat her with respect.”
It was different with his co-
star Dana Plato. As hormones raged, Todd accepted an offer: “My friend wants to have sex with you and me at the same time,” she said boldly.
“Dana and I were so close.
Everything we tried together had sort of an innocent quality to it; we were two good friends eager to have crazy new ex- periences,” writes Bridges. “Dana may have been partying harder than I was, but it didn’t get really dark for either of us until after the show was can- celled.”
Despite his life sinking
about as low as possible, even- tually Bridges managed to pull himself up.
“With sixteen years of so-
briety, a happy marriage and two beautiful children who are growing up to be strong and in- dependent young people, I can definitely say that I’ve made a lot of progress,” he states.
“On average, I now have six days of happiness. And the
seventh day is turmoil as I fight my same old inner fight and work on trying to love myself and forgive myself for my past.
“But that’s okay because I
THE MICHIGAN CHRONICLE
March 31 – April 6, 2010 Page D-2
From page D-1
know that even the bad days don’t last forever. And with God’s grace and a whole lot of patience, we all get to where we’re supposed to be in the end.”
Haygood & Company
Seventh Annual Mother’s Day Celebration/Cabaret
On Saturday, May 8, Bert’s
Warehouse, 2739 Russell (inside Eastern Marketplace), will be the site for the 7th Annual Mother’s Day Celebration cabaret, pre- sented by Haygood & Company, Graystone, Arcadia and 20 Grand Productions. It runs from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. and with old school sounds by Ronnie Bailey “The Love Train,” a 50-50 raffle, photos by the Legendary Arthur Baby and Rockin’ Roy, plus cash giveaways of $100, $50 and $25. Food and setups will be available. The cost is $15 in advance, $20 at the door.
Tickets can be picked up at
Sonny’s Clothing, Grand River and Greenfield; Jeff’s Clean- ers, Livernois and Fullerton; and Bert’s Marketplace, Eastern Market. Also, for tickets and more information, call Kenny Haygood (313.318.2301), Frank Haygood (248.238.6026), Loretta DeLouch (248.559.5215), Lillian Brantley (313.535.7679), Myrlin Moore (313.897.2149), Styx Williams (313.268.2523), Raina Smith (313.933.4335), Gregory Booker (313.454.8862), Sheri McClen- don (313.933.4701), Margaret Henderson (313.893.9377), Miles Adolph (313.283.4721) or Aureo Larkin (313.272.6278). —ADV.
www.michronicle.com
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21st-Century Dizzy
DANILO PEREZ
Thu, Apr 8 | 8 PM
HILL AUDITORIUM • ANN ARBOR
Danilo Perez, fi rst-call pianist in Wayne Shorter’s blockbuster quartet, brings Dizzy Gillespie’s United Nations Orchestra into the new millennium, with musicians of Iraqi, Lebonese, and Indian heritage, among others. This new band will perform arrangements of classic Gillespie tunes alongside new compositions for a totally fun evening that harkens back to the early days of Afro-Cuban jazz.
Call 734-763-3100 and mention the code word “Community” to receive a 25% discount on tickets!
734.764.2538 | www.ums.org
outside the 734 area code, call toll-free 800.221.1229
Ad #7 — Michigan Chronicle Size: 5.75 x 4
Featuring
Danilo Perez piano |David Sanchez tenor saxophone
Rudresh Mahanthappa alto saxophone
Amir ElSaff ar trumpet and vocals |Jamey Haddad percussion Ben Street bass |Adam Cruz drums
Legendary saxophone player
Sonny Rollins
ONE NIGHT ONLY!
April 6, 2010 at 8 pm
Orchestra Hall 3711 Woodward Ave. Detroit, MI 48201
Box Office: (313) 576-5111 www.detroitsymphony.com
131st Season
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