Whats Buzzing in the Streets – Page 10

DJ Scott La Rock

Scott Monroe Sterling (March 2, 1962 – August 27, 1987), known by the stage name DJ Scott La Rock, was an American hip-hop disc jockey and music producer from the Bronx, New York. He was a founding member of the East Coast hip hop group Boogie Down Productions.

Sterling’s death in August 1987 is said to be the first murder of a major hip hop artist.

Scott Sterling was born on March 2, 1962, in the Bronx, New York City. His parents separated when he was four years old, so he was raised by his mother, Carolyn Morant, a municipal employee. They moved from Queens, New York City, to the Bronx: first Morrisania and then Morris Heights.

He excelled in both academics and sports at Our Saviour Lutheran High School, graduating in 1980. He attended Castleton State College in Vermont and earned a varsity letter in basketball there.

La Rock returned to New York City in hopes of finding work and making inroads to the music industry. Through a connection of his mother’s, La Rock landed a job as a social worker at Franklin Armory Men’s Shelter on 166th Street in the Bronx. At night, though, he spun records at the hip hop hot spot the Broadway Repertoire Theatre.

During his time as a social worker, La Rock met rapper KRS-One in 1986 at Franklin Men’s Shelter where KRS resided. The pair formed Boogie Down Productions (BDP) with DJ Derrick “D-Nice” Jones, a cousin of the shelter’s security guard, Floyd Payne. The group’s 1987 debut album, Criminal Minded, is considered a hip hop classic.

On August 27, 1987, D-Nice was assaulted by men upset that he had been talking to one of their ex-girlfriends. D-Nice asked La Rock to help defuse the situation. Later that day, La Rock, Scotty “Manager Moe” Morris, DJ McBooo, D-Nice and BDP bodyguard Darrell rode a Jeep CJ-7 to the Highbridge Homes Projects building on University Avenue in the South Bronx. As they were leaving, bullets were fired through the side and top of the Jeep. La Rock struck his head on the dashboard, not realizing at the time he had been struck by a bullet in the back of his head. He was driven to Lincoln Hospital. He was conscious as he was wheeled into the emergency department, telling doctors he was feeling cold and tired. He died in the operating room.

Two men were arrested and charged with La Rock’s murder, but they were acquitted at the trial.

Written Dianne Washington

Arsenio Hall

Arsenio Cheron Hall, Sr. (born February 12, 1956) is an American comedian and talk show host. He is best known for hosting The Arsenio Hall Show, a late-night talk show that ran from 1989 until 1994, and a revival of the same show from 2013-2014.

Other television shows and films Hall has appeared in are Martial Law, Star Search (host), Coming to America (1988) and Harlem Nights (1989). Hall is also known for his appearance as Alan Thicke’s sidekick on the talk show Thicke of the Night.

In 2012, Hall was the winning contestant on NBC’s reality-competition game show Celebrity Apprentice 5.

Arsenio was born in Cleveland, Ohio, the son of Fred and Anne Hall. His father is a Baptist minister. Hall performed as a magician when he was a child. He graduated from Warrensville Heights High School in Warrensville Heights, Ohio in 1973. After he graduated, he attended Ohio University, where he was on the speech team with Nancy Cartwright and Leon Harris. He then transferred to and graduated from Kent State University in 1977.

Hall later moved to Chicago, and then Los Angeles, to pursue a career in comedy, making a couple of appearances on Soul Train. In 1984, he was the announcer/sidekick for Alan Thicke during the short-lived talk show Thicke of the Night (a role for which he has on occasion noted his confusion with Monty Hall). Arsenio was the original voice of Winston Zeddemore in the cartoon The Real Ghostbusters from 1986–1987. In 1988, he co-starred in the comedy film Coming to America with Eddie Murphy.

In 1986, the Fox network introduced The Late Show Starring Joan Rivers, created to directly challenge The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. After a moderate start, ratings for the show sagged. Behind-the-scenes relations between Rivers and network executives at Fox quickly eroded, and Rivers left in 1987. The series was subsequently renamed The Late Show, and featured several hosts, including Ross Shafer, Suzanne Somers, Richard Belzer and Robert Townsend before it was cancelled in 1988. Hall was also chosen to host the show in the fall of 1987, and his stint proved to be immensely popular, developing a cult following which eventually led to Hall landing his own show in syndication.

From January 2, 1989 until May 27, 1994, he had a Paramount contract to host a nationwide syndicated late night talk show, The Arsenio Hall Show. The show became a breakout, late-night success, especially rating high among the coveted younger demographic and known for its audience’s distinctive alternative to applause: chanting “Roo, Roo, Roo!,” while pumping their fists. The practice soon became such a ritual that by 1991 had become a “pop culture stamp of approval” — one that Hall said had become “so popular it’s getting on people’s nerves.” The gesture made it into films of the time: the title character played by Julia Roberts did it in a polo scene in Pretty Woman (1990), and characters played by Penny Marshall and Michael J. Fox did it in The Hard Way. In Disney’s Aladdin (1992), the Genie character voiced by Robin Williams performs the gesture while mimicking the physical appearance of Hall. This popular gesture can also be found in the 1993 Mel Brooks’ comedy, Robin Hood: Men in Tights. It was also seen in the movie Passenger 57, in which an old woman confuses the character played by Wesley Snipes with Arsenio Hall. After saving the day, the passengers on the hijacked plane do the gesture toward the protagonist.

He also had a rivalry with Jay Leno, after the latter was named host of The Tonight Show, during which time Hall said that he would “kick Jay’s ass” in ratings.

Hall used his fame during this period to help fight worldwide prejudice against HIV/AIDS, after Magic Johnson contracted the disease. Hall and Johnson filmed a PSA about the disease that aired in the early 1990s.

Between 1988—1991, Hall hosted the MTV Video Music Awards. Over the years, he has appeared as a guest on numerous talk shows, in special features, as a voice actor, on game shows and other award shows. Since The Arsenio Hall Show ended, Hall had a leading role on television shows such as the short-lived sitcom Arsenio (1997) and Martial Law with Sammo Hung (1999—2000), as well as hosted the revival of Star Search (2003—2004). While hosting Star Search, he popularized the catchphrase “Hit me with the digits!”.

Hall appeared as himself in Chappelle’s Show in March 2004, when Chappelle was imagining “what Arsenio is doing right now” in a dinner scene. Hall has guest co-hosted Wednesday evenings on The Tim Conway Jr. Show on KLSX 97.1 FM radio. Hall also hosted MyNetworkTV’s comedic web video show The World’s Funniest Moments and TV One’s 100 Greatest Black Power Moves. Hall also appeared on Real Time with Bill Maher in May 2012, in a discussion commemorating the 1992 Los Angeles riots.

Hall was considered to be the host of the syndicated version of Deal or No Deal and filmed a pilot (there were six taped). However, by the time the syndicated series began on September 8, 2008, Howie Mandel was chosen as the host.

He also appeared regularly on The Jay Leno Show, and was a guest on Lopez Tonight. George Lopez credits Arsenio for being the reason he had a late night show; Lopez appeared on The Arsenio Hall Show more times than any other comedian. Lopez requested Hall be a co-host on Lopez Tonight (November 25, 2009) since he regarded Hall as his inspiration and the first “late night party show host”. Hall has filled-in as guest host for NBC’s Access Hollywood Live (2011) and CNN’s evening talk/interview program Piers Morgan Tonight in 2012.

In 2012, Hall was a contestant on the fifth edition of The Celebrity Apprentice, which began airing February 19, 2012. Hall represented his charity, the Magic Johnson Foundation, which is dedicated to advancing economic and social equality by engaging minorities in every aspect of their communities; increasing academic and innovative achievement; and raising HIV/AIDS awareness, treatment and prevention. While Hall clashed with Aubrey O’Day, he befriended a majority of the cast. On May 20, 2012, in the live season finale, Hall was chosen as the Celebrity Apprentice winner, being “hired” by billionaire real estate investor Donald Trump over the other celebrity finalist, singer Clay Aiken. For winning The Celebrity Apprentice, Hall won the $250,000 grand prize for his charity, in addition to any money he won for his charity for tasks he and his team won when he was a team leader on the show.

A revival of Hall’s syndicated late-night talk show, The Arsenio Hall Show, premiered September 9, 2013 on Tribune owned stations and other networks via CBS Television Distribution. It was cancelled after one season due to low ratings.

According to reports in 2009, Arsenio made it public that he had dated Paula Abdul in the past, dating back to more than 20 years earlier.

When asked about his charity selection on The Celebrity Apprentice, Hall said that about a month or so before he agreed to be on the show, his cousin died due to HIV/AIDS.

In 1997, after being out of the public eye for three years, Hall took an interview to dispel rumors regarding what had driven him off stage stating, “I went on the Internet and read I was in detox at Betty Ford, I got on line under a fake name and typed in, “I know Arsenio better than anyone else and he’s not in detox, you idiots!”

Hall has one son, born in 1999. Since his birth, Hall mostly took time off to raise his son before resuming The Arsenio Hall Show in 2013. Hall had an interest in returning to the business eventually, but his decision wasn’t confirmed until he appeared on Lopez Tonight in 2009 (although he initially considered a weekend show because he didn’t want to compete in ratings against his friend George Lopez).

On September 4, 2014, Hall had lost legendary comedian, mentor and longtime friend Joan Rivers to anoxic encephalopathy. Prior to her death, he said it was her that “put me on The Tonight Show first! And it was her apprentice victory, that motivated me to give it one hundred!”

On May 5, 2016, Hall filed a $5 million defamation lawsuit against Sinéad O’Connor after she claimed he had fueled Prince’s drug habit.

In July 2016, Hall became the host of the ABC television program Greatest Hits. As of that same month, he is scheduled to appear in the telefilm Sandy Wexler.

Written Dianne Washington

Tim Conway

Thomas Daniel “Tim” Conway (December 15, 1933 – May 14, 2019) was an American actor, comedian, writer, and director. From 1966 to 2012 he appeared in more than 100 TV shows, TV series and films. Among his more notable roles, he portrayed the inept Ensign Parker in the 1960s World War II TV situation comedy McHale’s Navy, was a regular cast member (1975–1978) on the TV comedy The Carol Burnett Show where he portrayed his recurrent iconic characters Mister Tudball, the Oldest Man and the Dumb Private, co-starred with Don Knotts in several films (1975–80), was the title character in the Dorf series of eight sports comedy direct-to-video films (1987–1996), and provided the voice of Barnacle Boy in the animated series SpongeBob SquarePants (1999–2012). Twice, in 1970 and in 1980–1981, he had his own TV series.

He passed away in 2019 at the age of 85 from dementia and a host of other health issues.

Trugoy,of De La Soul, dead at 54

Trugoy born David Jolicoeur co-founder of the legendary rap group De La Soul has died. A cause of death has not been disclosed at this time. Story developing..

Camille Winbush

Camille Simoine Winbush (born February 9, 1990)[1] is an American actress and recording artist best known for her roles as Emma Aimes on short-lived sitcom Minor Adjustments, Vanessa Thomkins on The Bernie Mac Show and as Lauren Treacy on the popular teen drama The Secret Life of the American Teenager. Her work in television has earned her three Image Awards and a Young Artist Award.

Winbush was born in Los Angeles, California on February 9, 1990, the only child of Anthony and Alice Winbush.[2] She never attended public school, having been homeschooled and educated by an on-set tutor while acting as a child.[2] Winbush was a competitive gymnast during her childhood.[2]

Winbush made her acting debut on television series Viper in 1994,[3] playing the role of Lucy Wilkes.[4] The following year, she acted in her first film, Dangerous Minds. She appeared regularly on sitcom Minor Adjustments (1995−96) as Emma Aimes, the daughter of Rondell Sheridan’s character.[5] Winbush reprised her role of Emma on Brotherly Love in a Halloween episode.[6]

She portrayed a young girl named Camille in Eraser (1996)[7] and appeared as Pearline, a bookworm, in Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai (1999).[8] Winbush had a recurring role on 7th Heaven[2] and provided the voice of Ashley Tomossian on the Disney cartoon Recess.[9]

Winbush’s big break came in 2001 when she was cast as Vanessa Thomkins on The Bernie Mac Show,[10][11] a role she would play until the series ended in 2006. During her run on the show Winbush earned numerous award nominations for her role, winning three NAACP Image Awards for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series and a Young Artist Award for Best Performance in a TV Series (Comedy or Drama) – Leading Young Actress in 2006.

She has guest starred on Strong Medicine,[12] Criminal Minds, That’s Life, The Norm Show, NYPD Blue, and Any Day Now. In 2007, she appeared in an episode of Grey’s Anatomy.[citation needed] Winbush acted in Disney’s musical production of Geppetto.

From 2008 to 2013, Winbush played Lauren Treacy, a recurring character in The Secret Life of the American Teenager.[13] Winbush was cast as Miriam in the web series The Choir, replacing Idara Victor in the role. She provided the voice of Rhonda in Children of Ether and portrayed Syrena in Cannon Busters,[14] both productions by animator LeSean Thomas.

In 2002, Winbush recorded “One Small Voice” featuring singers Myra and Taylor Momsen and “The Night Before Christmas Song” for the compilation album School’s Out! Christmas. She also sang on the soundtrack of the Disney musical production of Geppetto.

As a teenager, Winbush operated an ice cream shop she named Baked Ice, located in Pasadena, California.[12] It opened in 2003 and an aunt supervised the store when Winbush was unavailable.[12] She received a Teenpreneur Award from Black Enterprise in 2004.[15] The business was still extant as of 2005.[16

Chris Rock

Christopher Julius Rock III (born February 7, 1965) is an American comedian, actor, writer, producer, and director.

After working as a standup comic and appearing in small film roles, Rock came to wider prominence as a cast member of Saturday Night Live in the early 1990s. He went on to more prominent film appearances, with starring roles in Down to Earth (2001), Head of State (2003), the Madagascar film series (2005–2012), Grown Ups (2010), its sequel Grown Ups 2 (2013), Top Five (2014), and a series of acclaimed comedy specials for HBO. He developed, wrote, and narrated the sitcom Everybody Hates Chris (2005–2009), which was based on his early life.

Rock hosted the 77th Academy Awards in 2005 and the 88th in 2016. He has won four Emmy Awards and three Grammy Awards. He was voted the fifth-greatest stand-up comedian in a poll conducted by Comedy Central. He was also voted in the United Kingdom as the ninth-greatest stand-up comic on Channel 4’s 100 Greatest Stand-Ups in 2007, and again in the updated 2010 list as the eighth-greatest stand-up comic.

Christopher Julius Rock III was born in Andrews, South Carolina on February 7, 1965. Shortly after his birth, his parents moved to the Crown Heights neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York. A few years later, they relocated and settled in the working-class area of Bedford–Stuyvesant. His mother, Rosalie (née Tingman), was a teacher and social worker for the mentally handicapped; his father, Christopher Julius Rock II, was a truck driver and newspaper deliveryman. Julius died in 1988 after ulcer surgery. Rock’s younger brothers Tony, Kenny, and Jordan are also in the entertainment business. His older half-brother, Charles, died in 2006 after a long struggle with alcoholism. Rock has said that he was influenced by the performing style of his paternal grandfather, Allen Rock, a preacher. At eighteen while performing at New York’s Comedy Strip, he met Eddie Murphy, who was so impressed with the scathing young comedian that he cast him in Beverly Hills Cop II (1987). From there Rock went on to play a small supporting role with the Not Ready for Primetime Players on the NBC sketch comedy series and Saturday Night Live (SNL), both in 1990.

He remained with SNL for three years, periodically drifting over to In Living Color as a guest performer. Rock also found time to make more film appearances, with his character a crack head/informant in New Jack City (1991) attracting a favorable attention. Rock made his screenwriting debut in 1993 with CB4. In 1996 he married Malaak Compton who is a publicist. On television, he found particular success with the 1997 HBO comedy special Bring the Pain! During that time he earned two Emmy awards. That same year, he also received an Emmy nomination for his work as a writer and correspondent on Comedy Central’s Politically Incorrect with Bill Maher. Rock went on to entertain with The Chris Rock Show.

In 1997 Rock recorded and received a Grammy nomination for his comedy album Roll With The New. Two years later he did it again with his album Bigger and Blacker. In 1998 and 1999 he won both Emmy, Cable/ACE and NAACP Image Award nominations for the Chris Rock Show. Other films include Lethal Weapon 4 and Kevin Smith’s Dogma, in 1998. Also that year, Rock published a book Rock This! In 2002 Rock starred in the film Bad Company.

In early 2005, Rock hosted the 77th Academy Awards ceremony. The decision to have Rock host the awards was seen by some as a chance to bring an “edge” to the ceremony, and to make it more relevant or appealing to younger audiences. Jokingly, Rock opened by saying “Welcome to the 77th and LAST Academy Awards!” During one segment Rock asked, “Who is this guy?” in reference to actor Jude Law seemingly appearing in every movie Rock had seen that year and implied Law was a low-rent Tom Cruise (he made a joke about filmmakers rushing production when unable to get the actors they want: “If you want Tom Cruise and all you can get is Jude Law, wait [to make the film]!”). Subsequently, a defensive Sean Penn took the stage to present and said, “In answer to our host’s question, Jude Law is one of our finest young actors.” (At the time, Penn and Law were shooting All the King’s Men.) Law was not the only actor that Rock poked fun at that evening, however—he turned the joke on himself at one point, saying, “If you want Denzel [Washington] and all you can get is me, wait!” Older Oscar officials were reportedly displeased with Rock’s performance, which did not elevate ratings for the ceremony. Rock was also criticized for referring to the Oscars as “idiotic”, and asserting that heterosexual men do not watch them, in an interview prior to Oscar night.

Rock’s family history was profiled on the PBS series African American Lives 2 in 2008. A DNA test showed that he is of Cameroonian descent, specifically from the Udeme people of northern Cameroon. Rock’s great, great grandfather, Julius Caesar Tingman, was a slave for 21 years before serving in the American Civil War as part of the United States Colored Troops. During the 1940s, Rock’s paternal grandfather moved from South Carolina to New York City to become a taxicab driver and preacher.

On October 21, 2015 the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced Rock would host the 88th Academy Awards. When the subsequent acting nominations turned out to include no racial minorities, Rock was called upon to join a boycott of the ceremony. Rock declined however, stating at the ceremony that it would have accomplished little since the show would have proceeded anyway, with him simply replaced. Instead, Rock spoke of his concerns about the lack of diversity in AMPAS at various times during the show, closing by saying “Black Lives Matter.”

Written by Dianne Washington

Help Hotline

Domestic Violence or intimate partner violence can happen to anyone. There is no race, color or age criteria. The girl working on the register at your local supermarket can be a battered woman. The nurse treating your wounds in the emergency room could be a victim of intimate partner violence. It can even happen to the coach of your son’s basketball team.

According to The CDC’s National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey, Intimate partner violence alone affects more than twelve million people each year. On average, twenty four people per minute are survivors of rape, physical violence and stalking by an intimate partner in the United States (twelve million men and women) during the course of a year. Nearly one in four women and one in seven men have experienced severe physical violence by intimate partner in their lifetime. About one in five women and seven in five men who have experienced some form of domestic violence had their first experience between the ages of eleven and seventeen years old.A child has witnessed domestic violence in twenty two percent of intimate partner violence cases filed in state courts.

In the commercial Faces of Domestic Violence Bobbi Cordero portrays a young mother who has been abused by her partner in the presence of her young son. Jalen Hemphill portrays an adolescent in search of help. He is a victim of domestic violence that has ended up homeless because he rather run away than continue to be abused. Seven Overton plays a woman whose husband has taken all of her worldly possessions after abusing her. Ricardo Cordero portrays a victim of domestic violence that has to come to terms with the fact that although he is a man, he is also a victim. Regina Alston is the social worker who is trying so desperately to help all of these victims out of these terrible situations, all while covering up the fact that she is a victim of domestic violence herself. She covers the bruises given to her by her husband, portrayed by Karine “Sho-Time” Thornton with concealer and foundation.

If you or anyone you know is the victim of domestic violence speak up and get help. A simple phone call can change your life.

Numbers to Call

The National Domestic Violence Hotline (800) 787-3224

Safe Horizons (800) 621-HOPE

Charles Dutton

Charles Stanley Dutton (born January 30, 1951) is an American actor, director and producer. He is best known for his roles in the television series Roc (1991–1994) and the television film The Piano Lesson (1995), the latter of which earned him a Golden Globe Award nomination. His other accolades include three Primetime Emmy Awards and three NAACP Image Awards.

Dutton has also appeared in many feature films such as Alien 3 (1992), Rudy (1993), A Time to Kill (1996) and Gothika (2003).

Dutton was born January 30, 1951, on the East side of Baltimore, Maryland. His father was a truck driver. His parents divorced when he was 4. He grew up in Baltimore’s Latrobe Homes public housing. In his youth, Dutton dropped out of school before finishing middle school. He had a short-lived stint as an amateur boxer with the nickname “Roc”, a nickname derived from “Rockhead” from childhood rock-throwing battles.

In 1967, when he was 16, Dutton got into a fight which resulted in the death of a man Dutton claimed had attacked him with a knife.

After the knife fight, Dutton plead guilty in 1967 to manslaughter and was sentenced to five years which were begun at the Maryland House of Correction in Jessup, Maryland. Out on parole after 18 or 20 months, he was arrested on robbery and handgun charges. He was sentenced on the handgun violation and sent to the Maryland Penitentiary, right near his boyhood home, for three more years. A fight with a guard added on another eight years. In reference to this, Dutton later said, “I got three years for killing a black man and eight for punching a white man.”

During his prison term, Dutton was stabbed by another prisoner and nearly died. He become interested in radical movements and the Black Panther Party.

Several months into his second prison term, Dutton was sentenced to six days of solitary confinement for refusing to clean toilets. Prisoners were allowed to take one book and, by accident, he grabbed an anthology of black playwrights. He enjoyed the book so much that upon release he petitioned the warden to start a drama group for the winter talent show. The warden agreed on the condition that Dutton go back to school and get his GED. Dutton accomplished that and went on to eventually complete a two-year college program at Hagerstown Junior College (now Hagerstown Community College) in Hagerstown, Maryland, graduating with an Associate of Arts degree in 1976.

Dutton was paroled on August 20, 1976.

After his release from prision, he enrolled as a drama major at Towson State University (now Towson University) in the Baltimore suburb of Towson, Maryland, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1978. After his time at Towson, Dutton earned a master’s degree in acting from the Yale School of Drama in 1983.

In 1984, Dutton made his Broadway debut in August Wilson’s Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, winning a Theatre World Award and a Tony Award nomination for Best Actor. In 1988, Dutton played a killer in the television miniseries The Murder of Mary Phagan opposite Jack Lemmon and Kevin Spacey. In 1990, Charles earned a second Best Actor Tony nomination for his role in another Wilson play, The Piano Lesson. From 1991-1994, he starred in the Fox television series Roc. Dutton co-starred in Alien 3, the debut film of director David Fincher, then co-starred in 1993’s Rudy. Other films he has appeared in include Get on the Bus; A Time to Kill; Cookie’s Fortune; Crocodile Dundee II; Cry, the Beloved Country; Surviving the Game, Menace II Society, Secret Window and A Low Down Dirty Shame.

Dutton won Outstanding Guest Actor Emmy Awards in 2002 and 2003 for his roles in The Practice and Without a Trace. He was previously nominated in 1999, for his guest-starring role as Alvah Case in the HBO prison drama Oz in its second-season premiere episode. For this role, he was also nominated for an NAACP Image Award. Also in 1999, he starred in an ensemble cast in Aftershock: Earthquake in New York in which he played the Mayor of New York City. Dutton gained acclaim for his comedy show Roc shown on FOX television (but produced by HBO) from 1991–1994, especially mid-run when the show was broadcast live. His work in this role won him an NAACP Image Award. He co-starred in the popular but short-lived 2005 CBS science fiction series, Threshold.

In 2000, Dutton directed the HBO miniseries The Corner. The miniseries was close to his heart for Dutton grew up on the streets of East Baltimore. It was adapted from The Corner: A Year in the Life of an Inner-City Neighborhood (Broadway Books, 1997) by David Simon (a reporter for the Baltimore Sun) and Ed Burns (a retired Baltimore homicide detective). The Corner won several Emmys in 2000, including Best Miniseries. Dutton won for his direction of the miniseries. He worked with Simon previously in a 1996 episode of Homicide: Life on the Street.

He starred as Montgomery County, Maryland Police Chief Charles Moose in the 2003 made-for-TV movie D.C. Sniper: 23 Days of Fear, and appears in Season 2 of The L Word. Dutton also appeared in “Another Toothpick,” an episode of The Sopranos. He guest starred on House M.D. as the father of Doctor Eric Foreman (Omar Epps) and on Sleeper Cell: American Terror as the father of undercover FBI agent Darwyn Al-Sayeed. He also directed two episodes of Sleeper Cell.

On October 9, 2007, HBO announced that it had arranged a deal with Dutton where he would develop, direct and star in series and movies for the network. He also appeared in the 2007 film Honeydripper. On February 14, 2013 Dutton returned to TV in Zero Hour playing the role of a priest. In 2013, Dutton played Detective Margolis in the horror film The Monkey’s Paw.

Written by Dianne Washington

John Witherspoon

John Witherspoon (born John Weatherspoon; January 27, 1942 – October 29, 2019) is an American comedian and actor who has performed in many television shows and films.

Best known for his role as Willie Jones for the Friday series, Witherspoon has also starred in films such as Hollywood Shuffle (1987) and Boomerang (1992). He has also made appearances on television shows such as The Wayans Bros. (1995–99), The Tracy Morgan Show (2003), Barnaby Jones (1973), The Boondocks (2005), The Five Heartbeats and Black Jesus (2014). He wrote a film, From the Old School, in which he played an elderly working man who tries to prevent a neighborhood convenience store from being developed into a strip club.

Mostly known for the Friday series, he has starred in films such as Hollywood Shuffle (1987) and Boomerang (1992). He has also made appearances on television shows such as The Wayans Bros. (1995–99), The Tracy Morgan Show (2003), Barnaby Jones (1973), The Boondocks (2005), and “Black Jesus” (2014). He has also written the film From the Old School where he takes the role as an elderly working man who tries to prevent a neighborhood convenience store from being developed into a strip club.

Witherspoon was born John Weatherspoon in Detroit, Michigan. John Witherspoon was born to the last name Weatherspoon but later changed it to Witherspoon. He also goes by the nicknames of Johnny Witherspoon and “Mexico” John Witherspoon. John is one of 11 children. One of his older siblings, William Weatherspoon, went on to become a songwriter in Detroit for Motown. He is best known for his work “What Becomes of the Brokenhearted.” Another sibling, Cato Weatherspoon, was a longtime director of the PBS-TV Network/CH56 in Detroit, Michigan that span almost four decades. John Witherspoon is also related to Lamont Dozier who was a songwriter and record producer well known for hits coming from Martha & the Vandellas, The Supremes, The Four Tops, and The Isley Brothers. John Witherspoon and his brother William grew up enjoying music. The young John continued his passion for music and learned how to play the trumpet and French Horn. Also during his childhood, Witherspoon did occasional work as a model.

During the 1960s and 1970s, Witherspoon began to take a liking towards comedy. During that time he began his stand up comedy career. While doing stand up comedy he made many friends in the business. This included Tim Reid (while he was working on WKRP in Cincinnati and The Richard Pryor Show), Robin Williams (also on The Richard Pryor Show), Jay Leno, and David Letterman. David Letterman and John Witherspoon became such good friends that Witherspoon asked Letterman to be the Godfather to both his children, John David and Alexander. Letterman would accept the privilege. Witherspoon’s stand up comedy career led to his comedian film career. His comical character was seen in his movies, TV shows, and now once again in his comedy tour. In 1988, he married Angela Robinson. They have two children, John David and Alexander.

John Witherspoon’s career as a stand up comedian made the transition into acting very easy. His first television appearance was on the 1970s CBS television show Barnaby Jones, which was about a father and daughter-in-law that ran a private detective and investigation firm in Los Angeles. In the episode he appeared in, he played the role of a camp counselor for kids who are drug addicts. The episode he was in was also Sean Penn’s first acting job. Sean played the role of one of the kids that Witherspoon counseled in the camp.

After his appearance in Barnaby Jones, Witherspoon appeared in Good Times as a detective, What’s Happening!! as a D.J., and The Incredible Hulk as Tommy.

In 1977, Witherspoon became a regular on the series The Richard Pryor Show, an NBC American comedy series.

This then led to his appearance in WKRP In Cincinnati in 1978 in the fourth season, episode 84. Witherspoon played Detective Davies.

In 1981, he appeared in Hill Street Blues, an NBC police drama, as a businessman who tries to buy a hotdog from an undercover Detective Belker. In 1981, he had an appearance on L.A. Law, an NBC legal drama, in the episode “On Your Honor” as Mark Steadman.

In 1986, he was on the television series You Again? as Osborne.

Next Witherspoon was seen on Frank’s Place (1987). Also in 1987 he made a guest appearance on 227, which was an NBC comedy about women who lived in a majority black apartment complex. The final show Witherspoon was in 1987 was What’s Happening Now!!, the sequel to What’s Happening!!.

A year later Witherspoon was in Amen (1988), an American television sitcom that ran on NBC, as the bailiff. The show was known for being one of the shows during the 1980s that featured an almost entirely black cast. Other shows with this feature included The Cosby Show and 227, which Witherspoon was also in.

Witherspoon became known for his over the top characters in films like Boomerang with Eddie Murphy where he plays Mr Jackson, the ill-mannered father of Murphy’s best friend. During a hilarious dinner scene, he tells Murphy’s “Marcus” to take the upper hand in his relationship with Robin Givens’s character “Jacqueline” simulating aggressive sex pumping his hips under the dinner table yelling “Bang bang…bang bang bang”. The line has become a signature for Witherspoon and is often heard during his stand up routines. Witherspoon’s official website is bangbangbangbang.com.

Next came spots on Townsend Television (1993), Cosmic Slop (1994), and Murder Was The Case (1994) as a drunk. Also in 1994, Witherspoon was in the NBC’s Fresh Prince of Bel Air and played Augusteus in the episode “The Harder They Fall”. Augusteus is the father of Lisa, the girl Will falls in love with, who is seen as stern and almost psychotic. In order scare of Will,[clarification needed] he takes him on a plane ride where the two end up crashing and getting stuck in the wild.

Next in line in his television career, Witherspoon was in Fox’s Living Single (1997) episode “Three Men and a Buckeye” as Smoke Eye Howard who was the protagonist Overton’s uncle, who had a son who was the Buckeyes’ quarterback.

After this, John Witherspoon played his biggest role in a television series in The Wayans Bros. (1995–1999). The series, which aired on The WB, starred Shawn Wayans and Marlon Wayans, who played brothers Shawn and Marlon Williams, and Witherspoon as their dad, John “Pops” Williams. In the first season, Shawn worked as a courier driver, while Marlon worked in his father’s diner. The series was somewhat re-tooled starting in the second season, where Shawn and Marlon operated a newspaper stand in the lobby of a Manhattan office building, while Pops’ Diner was located in the same building, across the way. The show aired for five seasons and now can be seen as re-runs on BET and MTV2. Also during that time, Witherspoon was on the Kids’ WB animation series Waynehead, which was about a young boy who grew up in poor in the Harlem neighborhood of New York. The show was aired on Saturday mornings and was based on creator Damon Wayans’ own life.

In 2003, Witherspoon made a showing on NBC’s Last Comic Standing, a reality television show that selected the comedian out of a group and gave him a contract, in the Las Vegas finals. The show still airs today. Next in 2003 he was seen in The Proud Family, an animation that aired on Disney Channel, as Oran Jones in the episode “Adventures in Bebe Sitting.” Finally in 2003 he starred in the comedy show The Tracy Morgan Show as Spoon. Witherspoon was seen in all 18 episodes of the show.

In 2004, he made a guest appearance on the Disney Channel’s Kim Possible, which was an animation series about a teenage girl crime fighter who not only has to worrying about worldwide challenges but also family and school issues. He was the voice of Wayne, who was Wade’s uncle who was in the episode of rewriting history. Also in 2004 he was in Pryor Offenses, a television movie and played Willie the Wino.

In 2005, he was seen in the Comedy Central talk show Weekends at the D.L. where he played the character of Michael Johnson. The next year he was on another television movie called Thugaboo: A Miracle on D-Roc’s Street, a story about a group of kids who find the true meaning of Christmas. In the movie he plays Real Santa, a Christmas singer on the radio.

His next appearance was on The Super Rumble Mixshow in 2008.

His latest television appearance was in Aaron Mcgruder’s new show, “Black Jesus,” portraying Lloyd, a homeless man. In 2011 he starred in a Final Destination spoof with Shane Dawson on YouTube.

In May 2013 he featured on a track entitled “Saturday” of rapper Logic on his latest mixtape “Young Sinatra: Welcome To Forever.”

Witherspoon married Angela Robinson in 1988. They have two children, John David (“J.D.”) and Alexander. J.D. is known for making skits and gameplay videos on YouTube, and currently hosts the mobile game show Confetti on Facebook Watch. David Letterman was Witherspoon’s best friend and is the godfather to his two sons.

Witherspoon died of a heart attack at his home in Sherman Oaks, California on October 29, 2019. He was 77 years old. His funeral was held on November 5, 2019 and he was buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Hollywood Hills, California.

Written by Dianne Washington

Abbott and Costello

Abbott and Costello were an American comedy duo composed of comedians Bud Abbott and Lou Costello, whose work on radio and in film and television made them the most popular comedy team of the 1940s and early 1950s and the highest-paid entertainers in the world during World War II. Their patter routine “Who’s on First?” is considered one of the best-known comedy routines of all time.

Their popularity waned in the early 1950s due to overexposure and changing tastes in comedy, and their film and television contracts lapsed. The partnership ended soon afterwards.

While they had crossed paths a few times previously, the two comedians first worked together in 1935 at the Eltinge Burlesque Theater on 42nd Street in New York City, which is now the lobby of an AMC Theatres movie complex. Their first performance resulted from Costello’s regular partner becoming ill. Decades later, when AMC moved the old theater 168 ft (51 m) further west on 42nd Street to its current location, giant balloons of Abbott and Costello were rigged to appear to pull it.

Other performers in the show, including Abbott’s wife, encouraged a permanent pairing. The duo built an act by refining and reworking numerous burlesque sketches with Abbott as the devious straight man and Costello as the dimwitted comic.

The team’s first known radio broadcast was on The Kate Smith Hour on February 3, 1938. At first, the similarities between their voices made it difficult for radio listeners (as opposed to stage audiences) to tell them apart during their rapid-fire repartee. As a result, Costello affected a high-pitched, childish voice. “Who’s on First?” was first performed for a national radio audience the following month. They performed on the program as regulars for two years, while also landing roles in a Broadway revue, The Streets of Paris, in 1939.

After debuting their own program, The Abbott and Costello Show, as Fred Allen’s summer replacement in 1940, Abbott and Costello joined Edgar Bergen and Charlie McCarthy on The Chase and Sanborn Hour in 1941. Two of their films (Buck Privates and Hold That Ghost) were adapted for Lux Radio Theater that year. Their program returned in its own weekly time slot starting on October 8, 1942 with Camel cigarettes as sponsor.

Who’s on First?” is Abbott and Costello’s signature routine. Time magazine (December 26, 1999) named it the best comedy routine of the 20th century. The sketch was based on other earlier burlesque wordplay routines. They began honing the routine shortly after teaming up in 1936, and performed it in vaudeville in 1937 and 1938. It was first heard by a national radio audience on March 24, 1938 when the team were regulars on the Kate Smith radio show. By then, John Grant had been writing or adapting other sketches for the team and may have helped expand “Who’s on First?” prior to its radio debut. He stayed on as their head writer into the 1950s.

Depending upon the version, Abbott has either organized a new baseball team and the players have nicknames, or he points out the proliferation of nicknames in baseball (citing St. Louis Cardinals sibling pitchers Dizzy and Daffy Dean) before launching into the routine. The infielders’ nicknames are Who (first base), What (second base) and I Don’t Know (third base). The key to the routine is Costello’s mounting frustration set against Abbott’s unyielding formality. Audio recordings are readily available on the Internet.

Abbott and Costello both married performers they met in burlesque. Abbott wed Betty Smith, a dancer and comedienne, in 1918, and Costello married a chorus girl, Anne Battler, in 1934. The Costellos had four children; the Abbotts adopted two. Abbott and Costello faced personal demons at times. Both were inveterate gamblers and had serious health problems. Abbott suffered from epilepsy and turned to alcohol for seizure management. Costello had occasional, near-fatal bouts with rheumatic fever.

In the 1950s, Abbott and Costello’s popularity waned with the emergence of Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis. Another reason for their decline was overexposure. Each year they made two new films, while Realart Pictures re-issued their older hits; their filmed television series was widely syndicated, and the same routines appeared frequently on the Colgate program. (Writer Parke Levy told Jordan R. Young, in The Laugh Crafters: Comedy Writing in Radio and TV’s Golden Age, that he was stunned to learn that Bud and Lou were afraid to perform new material.)

Universal dropped the comedy team in 1955 after they could not agree on contract terms. In the early 1950s, the Internal Revenue Service charged them for back taxes, forcing them to sell their homes and most of their assets, including the rights to most of their films.

In 1956 they made one independent film, Dance with Me, Henry, and Lou was the subject of the television program This Is Your Life, then formally dissolved their partnership in 1957. In his posthumously-published 1959 autobiography, My Wicked, Wicked Ways, Errol Flynn claims that he triggered the breakup. Flynn, a chronic practical joker, invited them, along with their wives and children, to his house for dinner, and afterwards, he commenced to show a home movie that “accidentally” turned out to be hard-core pornography. While Flynn pretended to be baffled, Costello and Abbott each blamed the other for the film’s substitution.

In his last years, Costello made about ten solo appearances on The Steve Allen Show doing many of the old routines without Abbott. Costello performed stand-up in Las Vegas, and appeared in episodes of GE Theater and Wagon Train. On March 3, 1959, not long after completing his lone solo film, The 30 Foot Bride of Candy Rock, he died of a heart attack three days short of his 53rd birthday.

Abbott attempted a comeback in 1960 with Candy Candido. Although the new act received good reviews, Bud quit, saying, “No one could ever live up to Lou.” Abbott made a solo, dramatic appearance on an episode of General Electric Theater in 1961. In 1966, Abbott voiced his character in a series of 156 five-minute Abbott and Costello cartoons made by Hanna-Barbera. Lou’s character was voiced by Stan Irwin. Bud Abbott died of cancer on April 24, 1974.

Written by Dianne Washington