Sunday, February 19, 2012

RIP: Don Cornelius & Whitney Houston

Hey family,

I know I've been missing like Montel Jordan, but I've been busy these past few months. Law school, trying to survive day to day, among other things have been keeping me preoccupied. I told y'all I was going to do a story on blacks and suicide, that has not changed. I'll have it done by Fat Tuesday (NOLA slang for Mardi Gras). It is unfortunate though that I have to talk about blacks and suicide and not focus on a pioneer we lost as a result of it: Mr. Don Cornelius. Don Cornelius, the creator of Soul Train, helped launch the careers of many artists including, Teena Marie, LeVert, The O Jays, The Miracles without Smokey Robinson, and more. Not to mention, rap stars like Snoop Dog, Kurtis Blow and the Fat Boys were able to get on and perform live music, when MTV wouldn't have blacks on their shows. For the first time ever, we had a show that was for us and buy us for all the world to see.

Rumor has it that Cornelius was going to work on a Soul Train movie before this passing. I would have been one of the many that would go see this project, with the hopes it would bring the show back on the air. Personally, I love the Christmas specials Soul Train that would come on that second Saturday Before Christmas. Maybe his sons will take the engine and guide the hippest ride in television.

I would be ashamed of myself if I didn't mention the passing of Ms. Whitney Houston. While she had her faults, no one can deny that she was a ray of talent and beauty, with a voice that would shake your intestines. I'm listening to her sing the National Anthem now. When I hear Whitney sing the National Anthem from Super Bowl 25 on youtube, I hope that bubble I feel in my stomach is just gas and nothing more..(Oh, wait a second..yeah it is). As a comedian, we crack jokes all the time about celebrities. It's part of the job. But there's a time to laugh, and a time to cry. Right now, my heart aches because we lost these two greats. But the legacy that they leave behind, will continue to live on.

RIP DON & WHITNEY: "WE WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOU. BUT UNTIL THAT TIME, I WISH YOU LOVE, PEACE AND SOUL!!!!"