SECTION D


August 18-24, 2010


Reflections By Steve Holsey


Another star headed for bookshelves


Rap superstar and business tycoon Jay-Z,


at age 40, has decided that this is the right time to write his autobiography. “Decoded” is expected to be ready for sale in November.


Jay-Z (real


name: Shawn Carter) joins a long list of celebri- ties who felt motivated to share their life story with the public.


Among Jay-Z and Beyoncé.


them are LL Cool J, Queen Latifah, Mal- colm Jamal Warner, Aretha Frank-


lin, Miles Davis, Smokey Robinson, Eminem, Patti LaBelle, Chaka Khan, Martha Reeves, Quincy Jones, Michael Jackson and Diahann Carroll.


Also, Mary Wilson, Gloria Gaynor, Lena


Horne, B.B. King, Sammy Davis Jr., Gladys Knight, Sidney Poitier, La Toya Jackson, Little Richard, Nina Simone, Diana Ross, Ray Charles, Tina Turner, Ethel Waters and Eartha Kitt.


Jay-Z is very talented and creative. Now if he


would just declare a “permanent moratorium” on use of the word “nigger.”


Perhaps it is also a good time for Jay-Z’s


wife, Beyoncé, to write a memoir. SPEAKING of beautiful ladies, whatever


Cherrelle has been doing, she should keep on doing because she looks fantas- tic from head to toe. It is so hard to believe that she is 51 years old.


Cherrelle came to promi-


nence in the ’80s with hits like “Everything I Miss at Home” (which is my favor- ite), “I Didn’t Mean to Turn You On,” “Artificial Heart” and, of course, the duets with Alexander O’Neal, “Saturday Love” and “Never Knew Love Like This.”


Cherrelle She and another hitmaker from that era,


Pebbles, are cousins. Here’s something different: John Legend


has joined forces with the Roots (seen nightly as the house band on Jimmy Fallon’s TV show) to record an album of socially conscious songs from the ’60s and ’70s titled “Wake Up!” Legend has described it as “raw and soul- ful.” It is expected to be released in September.


Amazingly, Chris John Legend


Tucker is in trouble for owing $11 million in back taxes. Why would


anyone let it get to that point? Have you noticed how many more White


people can dance these days? ERYKAH BADU, who is famous for being


over the top in everything, is making her “Funktional Art” jewelry available in boutiques in select cities.


She explained, “I’m


working with designers to come up with things that fit me and fit the fans who support me — and fit the women who feel free and can fly!”


Just the kind of thing


you would expect Erykah Badu to say.


Meanwhile, Mary J.


Blige’s “My Life” perfume (named after one of her albums) has turned out to be a huge success and is, in fact, the top-selling fragrance on the Home Shopping Network.


Erykah Badu Sorry to hear about the passing of Robert


Wilson from the Gap Band. He was the young- est of the three Wilson brothers, the others being Charlie and Ronnie.


Hopefully, Fantasia will use better judgment


in the future when it comes to choosing part- ners.


No doubt you’ve heard about a woman


named Paula Cook filing a lawsuit based on Fantasia having had an affair with her hus- band, Antwaun Cook. Totally stressed out, Fantasia took an overdose of a sleep aid and aspirin.


The guy told Fantasia he was separated and


available, and she believed him. This should come under the heading of “A


Lesson Learned.” Those who have tried to view Prince’s videos


on YouTube, or make a legal copy, as I did with “Raspberry Beret,” have received this tersely worded message: “Original song blocked by Prince because he doesn’t want his music on


See Reflections Page D-2


Alicia Keys The ascension


of


By Steve Holsey In 2001, when the debut album of


Alicia Keys, “Songs In A Minor” fea- turing the No. 1 hit “Fallin’,” was re- leased, the industry and the public took more than casual notice. The assumption was that a new star had arrived, one who would have staying power.


That assumption proved to be cor-


rect because Keys — singer, pianist, songwriter, producer, actress — is now firmly entrenched along with the other superdivas of the day, includ- ing Mary J. Blige, Beyoncé Knowles, Erykah Badu and Rihanna.


Some wondered why she chose that


particular, rather usual title, which certainly was not identifying her as “a minor.”


Keys (born Alicia Augello Cook)


was happy to explain. “One of my favorite keys to play


in is A minor,” she said. “It’s a very moody key. It is also the first letter of my name. It just represents the songs through my eyes.”


EVERYTHING she sings, writes


and plays has to come from a place deep within.


“I would hate to make music and


have people love me for something that isn’t me,” she said. “If I don’t love it, I will not record it.”


It’s called truth in art. Born in New York City, Keys began


playing piano at the early age of 7. She had fallen in love with the piano, noting, “I knew it was me. I was dying to play.”


Fittingly, her mother (Terri Aug-


ello, a single parent), recognizing the gift, enrolled her prodigy daughter in Professional Performing Arts School in New York. There she became pro- ficient at classical piano, a good foun- dation to build upon as her career pro- gressed.


Graduating at age 16, she then


moved on to Columbia University. However, Keys, who recalls writing her first song at 13, decided to drop out and work full time on her career. It was big chance, but she felt compelled to take it.


Like most recording artist hope-


fuls, Keys sent out demo tapes to the major record companies, envisioning wide exposure for her music and, of course, acceptance.


She needn’t have worried because


“Songs In A Minor” was one of the most successful debut albums of all time, sell- ing well not only in the United States but several other countries as well. In the US it sold a very impressive 236,000 copies within a week of its release. That was a definite confidence builder.


THE FOLLOW-UP album, “The Diary of


Alicia Keys,” released in 2003, picked up where “Songs In A Minor” had left off.


The lovely Keys had won an amazing


five Grammy Awards for her introductory album, and for “The Diary of Alicia Keys” she received four more. Sales were given a boost by the back-to-back No. 1 singles, “You Don’t Know My Name” and “If I Ain’t Got You.”


Once again, there was specific reason-


ing behind the title: She is an avid diary keeper, describing it as a place where she can be “brutally honest,” which is because, as she put it, “I have to be peaceful, I have to be happy.” And she doesn’t believe that is possible with anything in the place of being real.


Following the release of a live album in


2005 (“Unplugged,” which also reached the apex of the charts), Keys opened her own recording studio in New York. It was de- signed by John Storyk, who also designed Jimi Hendrix’s famous Electric Lady Studio.


THE SUCCESS of her fourth album, “As I Am,” in 2007 proved that Keys’ cre-


See Alicia Keys Page D-2


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