Whats Buzzing in the Streets – Page 69

Michael Wright

Michael Wright (born April 30, 1956) is an American film and television actor, who is best known for his role as Eddie King Jr., in the 1991 Robert Townsend film The Five Heartbeats.
Wright’s body of work in television includes the 1983 NBC science fiction miniseries V, the 1984 sequel V: The Final Battle and on V: The Series as Elias Taylor, TV series Miami Vice 1987 episode “The Savage”, and on the 1997 HBO series Oz as Omar White from 2001-2003. He also played “Clinton”, the leader of The Del Bombers gang in the cult film The Wanderers.
Wright’s film roles include the 1987 drama The Principal as Victor Duncan, also starring James Belushi, and the 1994 film Sugar Hill with Wesley Snipes, his most recent film is 2005’s The Interpreter.
He has also made guest appearances on other TV shows including New York Undercover.
He is currently in Los Angeles working on various projects.

Sly and the Family Stone

Sly Stone (born Sylvester Stewart, March 15, 1943, Denton, Texas) is an American musician, songwriter, and record producer, most famous for his role as frontman for Sly and the Family Stone, a band which played a critical role in the development of soul, funk, rock, and psychedelia in the 1960s and 1970s. In 1993, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the group.
The Stewart family was a deeply religious middle-class household from Denton, Texas. Born March 15, 1943, before the family had moved from Denton, Texas to Vallejo, California in the North Bay of the San Francisco Bay Area, Sylvester was the second of the family’s five children.
As part of the doctrines of the Church of God in Christ (COGIC), to which the Stewart family belonged, the parents – K.C and Alpha Stewart – encouraged musical expression in the household. Sylvester and his brother Freddie along with their sisters Rose and Vaetta formed “The Stewart Four” as children, performing gospel music in the Church of God in Christ and even recording a single local release 78 rpm single, “On the Battlefield” b/w “Walking in Jesus’ Name”, in 1952. The eldest sister, Loretta, was the only Stewart child not to pursue a musical career. All of the other Stewart children would later adopt the surname “Stone” and become members of Sly & the Family Stone.
Sylvester was identified as a musical prodigy. By the time he was seven, Sylvester had already become proficient on the keyboards, and by the age of eleven, he had mastered the guitar, bass, and drums as well. While still in high school, Sylvester had settled primarily on the guitar, and joined a number of high school bands. One of these was the Viscaynes, a doo-wop group in which Sylvester and his friend Frank Arellano—who was Filipino—were the only non-white members. The fact that the group was integrated made the Viscaynes “hip” in the eyes of their audiences, and would later inspire Sylvester’s idea of the multicultural Family Stone. The Viscaynes released a few local singles, including “Yellow Moon” and “Stop What You Are”; during the same period, Sylvester also recorded a few solo singles under the name Danny Stewart. With his brother, Fred, he formed several short-lived groups, like the Stewart Bros.
The nickname Sly was a common one for Sylvester throughout his years in grade school. Early on, a classmate misspelled his name “Slyvester,” and ever since, the nickname followed him.
In the mid-1960s, Stone worked as a disc jockey for San Francisco, California soul radio station KSOL, where he included white performers such as The Beatles and The Rolling Stones in his playlists. During the same period, he worked as a staff record producer for Autumn Records, producing for San Francisco-area bands such as The Beau Brummels, The Mojo Men, Bobby Freeman, and Grace Slick’s first band, The Great Society.
Adopting the stage name “Sly Stone,” he then formed “The Stoners” in 1966 which included Cynthia Robinson on trumpet. With her he started his next band, Sly and the Family Stone. Stone, Robinson, and Fred Stewart were joined by Larry Graham, Greg Errico, and Jerry Martini, all of whom had studied music and worked in numerous amateur groups. Working around the Bay Area in 1967, this multiracial band made a strong impression. On the first recordings Little Sister’s Vet Stone, Mary McCreary, and Elva Mouton did backup vocals. In 1968 sister Rosie Stone (piano and vocals) joined the band.
Stone was influential in guiding KSOL-AM into soul music and started calling the station K-SOUL. The second was a popular soul music station (sans the K-SOUL moniker), at 107.7 FM (now known as KSAN). The current KSOL has a different format and is unrelated to the previous two stations. While still providing “music for your mind, body, and your soul” on KSOL, Sly Stone played keyboard for dozens of major performers including Dionne Warwick, Righteous Brothers, Ronettes, Bobby Freeman, George & Teddy, Freddy Cannon, Marvin Gaye, Dick & Dee Dee, Jan & Dean, Gene Chandler, MANY more, and at least one of the three Twist Party concerts by then chart topper Chubby Checker held at the Cow Palace in San Francisco in 1962 and 1963. The concerts were put together by “Big Daddy” Tom Donohue and Bobby Mitchell from the then infamous KYA 1260 AM radio station and largely choreographed by Jerry Marcellino and Mel Larson who went on to produce many Motown artists including Michael Jackson, Diana Ross, and some of the top artists of the day.
Written by Dianne Washington

Tammi Terrell

Tammi Terrell (born Thomasina Winifred Montgomery; April 29, 1945 – March 16, 1970) was an American recording artist, best known as a star singer for Motown Records during the 1960s, most notably for a series of duets with singer Marvin Gaye.
Terrell’s career began as a teenager, first recording for Scepter/Wand Records, before spending nearly two years as a member of James Brown’s Revue, recording for Brown’s Try Me label. After a period attending college, Terrell recorded briefly for Checker Records, before signing with Motown in 1965.
With Gaye, Terrell scored seven Top 40 singles on the Billboard Hot 100, including “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough”, “Ain’t Nothing Like the Real Thing” and “You’re All I Need to Get By”. Terrell’s career was interrupted when she collapsed into Gaye’s arms as the two performed at a concert at Hampden-Sydney College on October 14, 1967, with Terrell later being diagnosed with a brain tumor. She had eight unsuccessful operations before succumbing to the illness on March 16, 1970 at the age of 24.
Terrell was born as Thomasina Montgomery in Philadelphia to Jennie (née Graham) and Thomas Montgomery. Jennie was an actress and Thomas was a barbershop owner and local politician. Tammi was the eldest of two. According to the Unsung documentary, her younger sister Ludie Marianna said that they had thought Terrell would be a boy and therefore she would be named after her father. However, when she was born, the parents settled on the name Thomasina, nicknaming her “Tommie”. She later changed it to “Tammy” after seeing the film, Tammy and the Bachelor, and hearing its theme song, “Tammy”, at the age of 12. Starting around this time, Terrell started to have migraine headaches. While it was not thought to be of significance at the time, family members would later state that these headaches might have been related to her later diagnosis of brain cancer. According to her sister, Terrell’s mother suffered from mental illness.
Before turning 15, Terrell signed under the Wand subsidiary of Scepter Records after being discovered by Luther Dixon, recording the ballad, “If You See Bill”, under the name Tammy Montgomery and doing demos for The Shirelles. After another single, Terrell left the label and, after being introduced to James Brown, signed a contract with him and began singing backup for his Revue concert tours. In 1963, she recorded the song “I Cried”. Released on Brown’s Try Me Records, it became her first charting single, reaching #99 on the Billboard Hot 100.
After this tenure ended, Terrell signed with Checker Records and released the Bert Berns produced duet, “If I Would Marry You” with Jimmy Radcliffe, in which Terrell co-composed herself. Following this relative failure, Terrell announced a semi-retirement from the music business and enrolled in the University of Pennsylvania where she majored in pre-med, staying at the school for two years. In the middle of this, Terrell was asked by Jerry Butler to sing with him in a series of shows in nightclubs. After an arrangement was made by Butler to assure Terrell that she could continue her schooling, she began touring with Butler.
In April 1965, during a performance at the Twenty Grand Club in Detroit, she was spotted by Motown CEO Berry Gordy, who promised to sign her to Motown.[4] Terrell agreed and signed with the label on April 29, her 20th birthday. Before releasing her first single with Motown’s Tamla subsidiary, “I Can’t Believe You Love Me”, Gordy suggested a name change. Figuring “Tammy Montgomery” was too long of a name to put on a single, Gordy changed it to “Tammi Terrell”. He felt this name screamed “sex appeal”. “I Can’t Believe You Love Me” became Terrell’s first R&B top forty single, followed almost immediately by “Come On and See Me”. In 1966, Terrell recorded two future classics, Stevie Wonder’s “All I Do (Is Think About You)” and The Isley Brothers’ “This Old Heart of Mine (Is Weak for You)”. Terrell joined the Motortown Revue after the release of her first single. During a tour in which she opened for The Temptations, Terrell met the band’s lead singer David Ruffin and embarked on a torrid romance.
In early 1967, Motown hired Terrell to sing duets with Marvin Gaye, who had achieved duet success with Mary Wells and Kim Weston as well as having recorded duets with Oma Heard. During recording sessions, Gaye would recall later that he didn’t know how gifted Terrell was until they began singing together.
At first the duets were recorded separately. For sessions of their first recording, the Ashford & Simpson composition, “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough”, both Gaye and Terrell recorded separate versions. Motown remixed the vocals and edited out the background vocals, giving just Gaye and Terrell vocal dominance. The song became a crossover pop hit in the spring of 1967, reaching number nineteen on the Billboard Hot 100 and number three on the R&B charts, making Terrell a star. Their follow-up, “Your Precious Love”, became an even bigger hit reaching number five on the pop chart, and number-two on the R&B chart. At the end of the year, the duo scored another top ten single with “If I Could Build My Whole World Around You”, which peaked at number ten on the pop chart and number-two on the R&B chart. The song’s B-side, the Marvin Gaye composition, “If This World Were Mine”, became a modest hit on both charts, reaching number sixty-eight on the pop chart and number twenty-seven on the R&B chart. Gaye would later cite the song as “one of Tammi’s favorites”.
All four songs were included on Gaye and Terrell’s first duet album, United, released in the late summer of 1967. Throughout that year, Gaye and Terrell began performing together and Terrell became a vocal and performance inspiration for the shy and laid-back Gaye, who hated live performing. The duo even performed together on TV shows to their hits. While Terrell was finally being established as a star, the migraines and headaches that she suffered with as a child were becoming more constant. While she complained of pains, she insisted to people close to her that she was well enough to perform. However, on October 14, 1967, while performing with Gaye at Hampden-Sydney College, just outside the town of Farmville, Virginia, Terrell fell and buckled onstage; Gaye quickly responded by grabbing her by the arms and helping her offstage. Shortly after returning from Virginia, doctors diagnosed a malignant tumor on the right side of her brain.
After recovering from her first operation, Terrell returned to Hitsville studios in Detroit and recorded “You’re All I Need to Get By”. Both that song and “Ain’t Nothing Like the Real Thing”, reached number-one on the R&B charts. Despite Terrell’s optimism, her tumor got worse requiring more operations. By 1969, Terrell had retired from live performances as she had been ordered by doctors not to perform due to her tumors. Motown issued Terrell’s first and only solo album, Irresistible, in early 1969. Terrell was too ill and sick to promote the recordings.
Both Marvin Gaye and Valerie Simpson gave different stories on how the production of Terrell’s and Gaye’s third album together, Easy, went about. According to reports, Terrell had gotten so ill from her operations that she couldn’t record, and Motown opted to have Valerie Simpson sub in for Terrell, a report that was repeated in the book Marvin Gaye: What’s Going On and the Last Days of the Motown Sound. Gaye would later say the move was “another moneymaking scheme on BG’s part”. Valerie Simpson, on the other hand, stated that the ailing Terrell was brought into the studio when she was strong enough to record over Simpson’s guide vocals, insisting Terrell had sung on the album. Easy produced the singles “Good Lovin’ Ain’t Easy to Come By”, “What You Gave Me”, “California Soul” and the UK top ten hit, “The Onion Song”.
Late in 1969, Terrell made her final public appearance at the Apollo Theater where Marvin Gaye was headlining the bill. As soon as Terrell was spotted by Gaye, he rushed to her side and the duo began singing “You’re All I Need to Get By” together.
In her memoirs about her famous sister, Ludie Montgomery writes that Terrell was the victim of sexual molestation by three boys after leaving a neighborhood party at the age of eleven. The boys were arrested and convicted on a rape charge. The incident led to a change in Terrell’s behavior. During her early career, Terrell dated many men both in the music business and out. Though they never dated, Terrell had been romantically interested in singer Sam Cooke and she had a budding friendship with Gene Chandler. In 1962, at 17, she signed with James Brown and the two engaged in a sexual relationship. However, this relationship turned out to be abusive. After a horrific incident with Brown backstage after a show, Terrell asked Chandler, who witnessed the incident first hand, to take her to the bus station, so she could go home. He later called Terrell’s mother to pick her up. This ended Terrell’s two-year affair with Brown.
In 1965, Terrell forged a romance with then-Temptations singer David Ruffin. The following year, Ruffin surprised Terrell with a marriage proposal. However, Terrell was devastated once she learned that Ruffin had a wife and three children and another girlfriend, also living in Detroit. This led to the couple having public fights. Though it was later claimed that Ruffin had hit Terrell with a hammer and a machete, these claims were denied by Terrell’s family and her Motown label mates, though Ludie Montgomery confirmed a story that Terrell was hit on the side of her face by Ruffin’s motorcycle helmet, leading to the end of their relationship in 1967.
After signing with Motown, she forged friendships with some of the label’s artists. One of her closest was with her duet partner, Marvin Gaye, with whom she had a close platonic relationship. Though it’s often alleged their relationship grew into a brief romance, those close to the singers denied this claim. Ashford & Simpson, and Gaye in later years, stated the relationship was almost sibling-like. Nevertheless they were reported as having opposite personalities: Gaye being shy and introvert, Terrell being streetwise and extrovert. What they shared was their charisma as a performing couple and their sense of humour. Gaye would later call Terrell “sweet” and “misunderstood” and stated that Terrell was his “perfect [musical] partner”. At the time of her death, she was engaged to be married to Ernest Garrett, who was a doctor at Terrell’s hospital but not her personal doctor.
By early 1970 Terrell was confined to a wheelchair, suffered from blindness and hair loss, and weighed a scant 93 lb. Following her eighth and final operation on January 25, 1970, Terrell went into a coma for the remaining month and a half of her life.
On March 16, Terrell died of complications from brain cancer. She was six weeks short of her 25th birthday. Her funeral was held at the Jane Methodist Church in Philadelphia. At the funeral, Gaye delivered a final eulogy while “You’re All I Need to Get By” was playing. According to Terrell’s fiancé, Dr. Garrett, who knew Gaye, her mother angrily barred everyone at Motown but Gaye from her funeral.
Already depressed from the first diagnosis of her illness back in late 1967 and from her onstage collapse, Marvin Gaye further withdrew from performing following Terrell’s death, re-emerging two years later performing during a benefit concert at the then newly-opened Kennedy Center at Washington, D.C. in May 1972. Terrell’s mother criticized Motown for not helping with Terrell’s illness accusing the label for covering up the singer’s condition releasing albums of Terrell’s work without her consent. Gaye had also contended that he felt Motown was taking advantage of Terrell’s illness and refused to promote the Easy album despite Motown telling him it would cover Terrell’s health expenses.
Gaye never fully got over Terrell’s death, according to several biographers who have stated that Terrell’s death led Gaye to depression and drug abuse. In addition, Gaye’s classic album What’s Going On, an introspective, low-key work which dealt with mature themes released in 1971, was in part a reaction to Terrell’s death. In July 1970, four months after Terrell’s untimely passing, a dramatic rearrangement of “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough”, was released by Diana Ross, becoming a number-one hit and one of Ross’ signature songs.
On October 8, 2010, Hip-O Select released Come On And See Me: The Complete Solo Collection, a collection of all of Terrell’s solo work dating back to high school, plus never before released songs and 13 minutes of the only known live stage recordings.
Written by Dianne Washington

Master P

Percy Robert Miller (born April 29, 1970), known by his stage name Master P or his business name P. Miller is an American rapper, actor, businessman, record producer, philanthropist, and former basketball player. He is the founder of the record label No Limit Records, which was relaunched as New No Limit Records through Universal Records and Koch Records, then again as Guttar Music Entertainment, and finally, currently, No Limit Forever Records. He is the founder and CEO of P. Miller Enterprises and Better Black Television, which was a short-lived online television network.
Miller gained fame in the mid-1990s with the success of his hip hop music group TRU as well as his fifth solo rap album Ice Cream Man, which contained his first single “Mr. Ice Cream Man”. In 1997, after the success of one of his biggest singles to date, “Make ‘Em Say Uhh!”, went double platinum, Miller grew further in popularity. Then Miller released his second platinum album Ghetto D. He starred in his own street film, mostly based on his life, I’m Bout It.
In 1998, P. Miller released his most successful album to date, MP Da Last Don. The album was also based on a film that Miller produced, which came out earlier that year with the same name. The album hit number 1 on the Billboard Top 200 chart, selling over 400,000 copies in a week. The album was certified 4× platinum, with over four million copies sold, making it Miller’s highest selling album.
In 1999, Miller released his eighth album, Only God Can Judge Me. It was not as successful as his previous album, though it reached a gold certification. Miller also starred in the movie I Got the Hook Up, with A. J. Johnson, and created the soundtrack of the same name. On November 28, 2000, he released his ninth album, Ghetto Postage, which sold 500,000 copies, but it did not compare to his earlier more successful releases.
In the early 2000s, as No Limit Records popularity was slowly declining, so was Miller’s. Miller re-launched No Limit Records as New No Limit Records. In 2001 Miller released his tenth album titled Game Face. In 2003, Miller starred in the film Lockdown. In 2004, Miller released his eleventh album, Good Side, Bad Side; it charted number 1 on the Billboard Independent Albums chart and sold 300,000 copies. The same year, Miller released his first independent album Living Legend: Certified D-Boy on his new label Guttar Music.
In 2013 Forbes estimated Miller’s net worth at nearly $350 million, which put him as the third-richest figure in hip hop at the time. On December 6, 2013, Miller released his thirteenth studio album The Gift on his newly founded label No Limit Forever Records. On November 27, 2015, Miller released his fourteenth album, titled Empire, from the Hood to Hollywood.
Written by Dianne Washington

Capital Punishment: The 20th Anniversary

If you’re a true Bronx native, you see this man all the time on the classic mural on the corner of 163rd Street and Intervale Avenue across the street from White Castle. On top of the mural is the sentence that sums up this man’s legacy in hip hop and in The Bronx. Known as the first Latin artist to go platinum is a definitive spot in the “GOAT” discussions with the homies in the barbershop but of course the lyrical ability and word play is also a conversation topic as well. Christopher Rios aka Big Pun released his debut album “Capital Punishment” on April 28th, 1998. Pun started off in a underground hip hop group called “Full-A-Clips” with the name Big Moon Dawg and then later on became Big Punisher. After meeting another fellow Bronx native, already known artist named Fat Joe, in 1995, he appeared on the track “Watch Out.” He also appeared on The Beatnut’s “Off The Books”, which was a success. Then comes the debut single “I’m Not a Player” with the O’Jay’s sample which was an underground success and then a remixed version came along, featuring the singer Joe, which became Pun’s debut successful single and took him to another level. On April 28th, 1998, Pun then released his debut album which went #5 on the Billboard charts and then eventually making Pun the first Latin artist to go Platinum. Pun then became a part of the infamous Terror Squad and then he tragically died due to a weight problem. Still one of the greatest to ever touch a mic, Big Pun’s legacy will always remain.

Avengers Infinity War is better than Black Panther

Marvel Comic has done it again. If you were one of the many children growing up in the comic book era with that favorite Marvel character, then this is the movie for you. The intense and complex storylines of each superhero is introduced to you with ease in a comical way, especially for those who weren’t able to stomach certain graphic scenes in several Marvel Comics. The writers give each character the power to intrigue the audience not just with the individual’s strengths, yet also with the growth of character development seen through the long list of Marvel movies that portray each character, even in the case if you may have forgotten who they were or never heard of them. After delightfully watching Avengers: Infinity War, it felt like Marvel has found the secret to not just grab the attention of all different types of audience groups without considering age or personal background. It felt like this recent Avengers movie had some spectacle “force” of it’s own, as such as myself, were able to engage with all the superhero having you to cheer and develop a new liking to all.
The movie is for all ages. Beyond the superficial powers of each hero and villain, you cannot ignore the magnificent theractial music that easily separates this film from the previous films of the same series, as even just listening to the explosions of beats will be well enough to lift you from your seat for more.
Every moment is filled with action and suspense. Did I mentioned unity? From one movie to another, Marvel has brought together casts from different sets and even cult like audience members to join up with fans of different superheroes. What began with just Captain America meeting Iron Man, brings you the cast of Guardian of the Galaxy and Black Panther all in one huge event. The audience is reminded of each superhero strengths and shown of their weakness, even the villain Thanos will captivate you with his hideous charm and army.
The graphics and special effects were so unbelievably amazing. In short: the directors made it seem like it was real and that everything was happening in real time. Taking the audience to different worlds and explaining its connection made the two hour and 40 minutes worth your while. Twist and turns of the film made everyone stay for the the rolling credits craving for more of the action flick, which Marvel is greatly known for. Did I mention there will also be a part two? From observing the claps and the stomps of excitement, you can best believe fans would reserve seats a year in advance just to see the thrilling conclusion of the Infinity War Saga. If you haven’t seen this movie, it is a must. Don’t be surprised if this movie gives you ideas to cosplay as characters this upcoming halloween later this year as young and old will become their favorite marvel character. Which one are you? Street Line gives Avengers Infinity War a rating of 11 out of 10.

Written Vera Edwards

Bill Cosby found Guilty

Bill Cosby’s retrial for sexual assault has just ended, and the jury found the once legendary TV dad guilty on all 3 counts of aggravated indecent assault.
The jury of 7 men and 5 women deliberated a full day before reaching their verdict and finding Cosby guilty of drugging and molesting Andrea Constand in 2004 at his home.
The 80-year-old faces a maximum of 10 years in prison for each charge.
The verdict comes after the jurors spent 13 days in the courtroom hearing lawyers’ arguments and testimony from witnesses, including Constand and 5 other women who claim they were also drugged and sexually assaulted by Cosby.

Giancarlo Esposito

Giancarlo Giuseppe Alessandro Esposito (born April 26, 1958) is an American actor and director. He has played Gustavo “Gus” Fring on the AMC shows Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul, a role for which he won the Best Supporting Actor in a Drama award at the 2012 Critics’ Choice Television Awards and was nominated for an Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series award at the 2012 Primetime Emmy Awards.
He has appeared in Spike Lee films such as Do the Right Thing, School Daze, and Mo’ Better Blues. His other film appearances include Fresh, Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man, The Usual Suspects and King of New York. He has portrayed Sidney Glass/the Magic Mirror on ABC’s Once Upon a Time and Major Tom Neville in the NBC series Revolution. He has had roles in two Netflix original series: The Get Down, wherein he portrays Pastor Ramon Cruz, and Dear White People, which he narrates. He also voiced “The Dentist” in the video game Payday 2.
Giancarlo Giuseppe Alessandro Esposito was born in Copenhagen, the son of Giovanni Esposito, an Italian stagehand and carpenter from Naples, and Elizabeth Foster, an African American opera and nightclub singer from Alabama.
Esposito was raised in Europe until the age of 6, when his family settled in Manhattan, New York. He attended Elizabeth Seton College in New York and earned a two-year degree in radio and television communications.
Esposito made his Broadway debut (1966) at age 8 playing a slave child opposite Shirley Jones in the short-lived musical Maggie Flynn (1968), set during the New York Draft Riots of 1863.
During the 1980s, Esposito appeared in films such as Taps, Maximum Overdrive, King of New York, and Trading Places. He also performed in TV shows such as Miami Vice and Spenser: For Hire. He played J. C. Pierce, a cadet in the 1981 movie Taps.
In 1988 he landed his breakout role as the leader (“Dean Big Brother Almighty”) of the black fraternity “Gamma Phi Gamma” in director Spike Lee’s film School Daze, exploring color relations at black colleges. Over the next four years, Esposito and Lee collaborated on three other movies: Do the Right Thing, Mo’ Better Blues, and Malcolm X. During the 1990s Esposito appeared in the acclaimed indie films Night on Earth, Fresh and Smoke, as well as its sequel Blue in the Face. He also appeared in the mainstream film Reckless with Mia Farrow, and Waiting to Exhale starring Whitney Houston and Angela Bassett.
Esposito played FBI agent Mike Giardello on the TV crime drama Homicide: Life on the Street. That role drew from both his African American and Italian ancestry. He played this character during the show’s seventh and final season. Mike’s estranged father, shift lieutenant Al Giardello, is portrayed as subject to racism, something Esposito’s character practiced in School Daze. Another multiracial role was as Sergeant Paul Gigante in the television comedy series, Bakersfield P.D. (Fox Broadcasting Company, 1993–94).
In 1997 Esposito played the film roles of Darryl in Trouble on the Corner and Charlie Dunt in Nothing to Lose. Other TV credits include NYPD Blue, Law & Order, The Practice, New York Undercover, and Fallen Angels: Fearless.
Esposito has portrayed drug dealers (Fresh, Breaking Bad, King of New York, Better Call Saul), policemen (The Usual Suspects, Derailed), political radicals (Bob Roberts, Do the Right Thing), and a demonic version of the Greek God of Sleep Hypnos from another dimension (Monkeybone). In 2001, he played Cassius Marcellus Clay, Sr. in Ali, and Miguel Algarín, friend and collaborator of Nuyorican poet Miguel Piñero, in Piñero.
In 2006 Esposito starred in Last Holiday as Senator Dillings, alongside Queen Latifah and Timothy Hutton. Also in 2006, he played an unsympathetic detective named Esposito in the 2005 film, Hate Crime. The film explores homophobia.
Esposito played Robert Fuentes, a Miami businessman with shady connections, on the UPN television series South Beach. He has appeared in New Amsterdam and CSI: Miami. In Feel the Noise (2007), he played ex-musician Roberto, the Puerto Rican father of Omarion Grandberry’s character, aspiring rap star “Rob”.
He made his directorial debut with Gospel Hill (2008); he also produced the film and starred in it.
New York theatre credits for Esposito include The Me Nobody Knows, Lost in the Stars, Seesaw, and Merrily We Roll Along. In 2008 he appeared on Broadway as Gooper in an African American production of Tennessee Williams’ Pulitzer Prize-winning drama Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, directed by Debbie Allen and starring James Earl Jones, Phylicia Rashad, Anika Noni Rose, and Terrence Howard.
From 2009 to 2011, Esposito appeared in seasons 2 through 4 of the AMC drama Breaking Bad, as Gus Fring, the head of a New Mexico-based methamphetamine drug ring. In the fourth season, he was the show’s primary antagonist. He received critical acclaim for this role. He won the Best Supporting Actor in a Drama award at the 2012 Critics’ Choice Television Awards and was nominated for an Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series award at the 2012 Primetime Emmy Awards, but lost to co-star Aaron Paul.
He appeared in the film Rabbit Hole (2010).
Esposito appeared in the first season of the ABC program Once Upon a Time, which debuted in October 2011. He portrayed the split role of Sidney, a reporter for The Daily Mirror in the town of Storybrooke, Maine, who is the Magic Mirror, possessed by The Evil Queen in a parallel fairy tale world.
Esposito appeared in Revolution as Major Tom Neville, a central character who kills Ben Matheson in the pilot. He escorts a captured Danny to the capital Philadelphia of the Monroe Republic.
Esposito also appeared in Community as a guest star for the episode entitled “Digital Estate Planning”. He performed again in the fourth season, in the episode titled “Paranormal Parentage”. Esposito has additionally appeared in a video of the action role-playing sci-fi first-person shooter game Destiny, as well as plays The Dentist, a non-playable story character, in the game Payday 2.
He has joined the DC Universe Animated Original Movies series. He played Ra’s al Ghul in Son of Batman and Black Spider in Batman: Assault on Arkham. He had a recurring role in the first season of The Get Down on Netflix. In 2017, Esposito reprised his role as Gus Fring in the Breaking Bad prequel series, Better Call Saul. In the show’s second season, an anagram of the first letters of every episode name spelled out “FRING’S BACK”, which was revealed to be intentional by showrunners Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould. Esposito appeared in a teaser for the third season portraying Gus as the Los Pollos Hermanos owner, officially confirming Esposito’s involvement in season 3.
Esposito married Joy McManigal in 1995; they later divorced. He has four daughters.

Written by Dianne Washington

Verne Troyer Dead at 49

Verne Troyer, the actor best known for playing Mini-Me in the Austin Powers franchise, has died at the age of 49. The actor’s team confirmed the sad news with a statement on his Facebook account.Verne was taken to the hospital last week and was treated for possible alcohol poisoning. He has struggled with alcoholism for several years. R.I.P. Verne Troyer. Posted By Persist

Luther Vandross

LV, YOU DON’T KNOW HOW MUCH YOU ARE MISSED. CONTINUE CROONING IN THE COSMOS UNTIL WE MEET AGAIN. HAPPY BIRTHDAY SON.

Luther Ronzoni Vandross, Jr. (April 20, 1951 – July 1, 2005) was an American singer, songwriter and record producer. Throughout his career, Vandross was an in-demand background vocalist for several different artists including Judy Collins, Chaka Khan, Bette Midler, Diana Ross, David Bowie, Janet Jackson, Barbra Streisand, Ben E. King, and Donna Summer. He later became a lead singer of the group Change, which released its gold-certified debut album, The Glow of Love, in 1980 on Warner Bros. Records. After Vandross left the group, he was signed to Epic Records as a solo artist and released his debut solo album, Never Too Much, in 1981.

His hit songs include “Never Too Much”, “Here and Now”, “Any Love”, “Power of Love/Love Power”, “I Can Make It Better” and “For You to Love”. Many of his songs were covers of original music by other artists such as “If This World Were Mine” (duet with Cheryl Lynn), “Since I Lost My Baby”, “Superstar” and “Always and Forever”. Duets such as “The Closer I Get to You” with Beyoncé, “Endless Love” with Mariah Carey and “The Best Things in Life Are Free” with Janet Jackson were all hit songs in his career.

During his career, Vandross sold over 35 million records worldwide,[1] and received eight Grammy Awards[2] including Best Male R&B Vocal Performance four different times. He won a total of four Grammy Awards in 2004 including the Grammy Award for Song of the Year for a song recorded not long before his death, “Dance with My Father”.

Luther Ronzoni Vandross was born on April 20, 1951 at Bellevue Hospital in Manhattan, New York City, United States. He was the fourth child and second son of Mary Ida Vandross and Luther Vandross, Sr.

Vandross was raised on Manhattan’s Lower East Side in the NYCHA Alfred E. Smith Houses public housing development. His father was a crooner and his mother, a nurse, was singing gospel. At the age of three, having his own phonograph, he taught himself to play the piano by ear. His family moved to the Bronx when he was thirteen. His sisters, Patricia “Pat” and Ann began taking Vandross to the Apollo Theater and to a theater in Brooklyn to see Dionne Warwick or Aretha Franklin. Pat Vandross sang with the vocal group The Crests, which had a number two hit in 1958/59 with “16 Candles”, although she left the group before the song was recorded.

Vandross’ father died of diabetes when Vandross was eight years old. In high school, Vandross performed in a group, Shades of Jade, that once played at the Apollo Theater in Harlem. He was also a member of a theater workshop, “Listen My Brother”, which released the singles “Only Love Can Make a Better World” and “Listen My Brother”. He also appeared in the second and fifth episodes of Sesame Street in November 1969.

Vandross attended Western Michigan University for a year before dropping out to continue pursuing a career in music.

His next hit credit was on an album by Roberta Flack in 1972.

Vandross founded the first-ever Patti LaBelle fan club.

Vandross sang on Delores Hall’s Hall-Mark album (1973). He sang with her on the song “Who’s Gonna Make It Easier for Me”, which he wrote, and he contributed another song, “In This Lonely Hour”. Having co-written “Fascination” (1974) for David Bowie’s Young Americans (1975), he went on to tour with him as a back-up vocalist in September 1974.[citation needed] Vandross wrote “Everybody Rejoice” for the 1975 Broadway musical The Wiz and appeared as a choir member in the movie.

Vandross also sang backing vocals for artists including Roberta Flack, Chaka Khan, Ben E. King, Bette Midler, Diana Ross, Carly Simon, Barbra Streisand, and Donna Summer, and for the bands Chic and Todd Rundgren’s Utopia.

Vandross sang on Delores Hall’s Hall-Mark album (1973). He sang with her on the song “Who’s Gonna Make It Easier for Me”, which he wrote, and he contributed another song, “In This Lonely Hour”. Having co-written “Fascination” (1974) for David Bowie’s Young Americans (1975), he went on to tour with him as a back-up vocalist in September 1974. Vandross wrote “Everybody Rejoice” for the 1975 Broadway musical The Wiz and appeared as a choir member in the movie.

Before his solo breakthrough, Vandross was part of a singing quintet in the late ’70s named Luther, consisting of former Shades of Jade members Anthony Hinton and Diane Sumler, as well as Theresa V. Reed, and Christine Wiltshire, signed to Cotillion Records. Although the singles “It’s Good for the Soul”, “Funky Music (Is a Part of Me)”, and “The Second Time Around” were relatively successful, their two albums, the self-titled Luther (1976) and This Close to You (1977), didn’t sell enough to make the charts. Vandross bought back the rights to those albums after Cotillion dropped the group, preventing their later re-release.

Vandross also wrote and sang commercial jingles during the late 1970s and early 1980s, and continued his successful career as a popular session singer during the late 1970s.

In 1978, Vandross sang lead vocals for a disco band called Greg Diamond’s Bionic Boogie on the song titled “Hot Butterfly”.[citation needed] Also in 1978, he appeared on Quincy Jones’s Sounds…and Stuff Like That!!, most notably on the song “I’m Gonna Miss You In The Morning” along with Patti Austin. Luther also sang with the band Soirée and was the lead vocalist on the track “You Are the Sunshine of My Life”; he also contributed background vocals to the album along with Jocelyn Brown and Sharon Redd, each of whom also saw solo success. Additionally, he sang the lead vocals on the group Mascara’s LP title song “See You in L.A.” released in 1979. Vandross also appeared on the group Charme’s 1979 album Let It In, most notably on a remake of Toto’s hit single “Georgy Porgy”.

Vandross impressed Bowie and was invited to arrange vocals and sing background vocals for the album. Bowie’s US tour also featured Vandross as the opening act. His vocal talent was recognized and session credits with Chaka Khan, Ringo Starr, Barbra Streisand, Donna Summer and others prompted Cotillion records to sign him. His albums Luther and This Close To You (1976) both flopped, partly due to the disco backing as opposed to allowing Vandross to express his romantic, soul style. He drifted back to session work for Quincy Jones, Patti Austin, Gwen Guthrie, Chic, and Sister Sledge.

Composing advertising jingles also financed this work. His performance with the group Change on 1980’s The Glow Of Love earned him two UK Top 20 hits in Glow Of Love and Searching. This led to a solo career with Epic/CBS Records. Never Too Much earned him an R&B number 1, while singles, including duets with Cheryl Lynn (If This World Were Mine) and Dionne Warwick (How Many Times Can We Say Goodbye), strengthened his popularity. Then came Stop To Love (1986) and There’s Nothing Better Than Love (1987). Later releases included Here And Now (1989), Power Of Love/Love Power and Don’t Want To Be A Fool (1991).

In 1992 Vandross collaborated with Janet Jackson, BBD, and Ralph Tresvant on The Best Things In Life Are Free. Endless Love, a duet with Mariah Carey, reached UK number 3 in September 1994. Vandross has won countless awards and he has worked with Dionne Warwick, Diana Ross and Whitney Houston. Grammy-winner Luther Vandross had a stroke in April 2003.

Vandross suffered from diabetes and hypertension, both of which may have been brought on by family genetics as well as lifestyle and nutrition. He had just finished the final vocals for the album Dance with My Father when on April 16, 2003, he suffered a severe stroke at his home in New York City. The stroke left him in a coma for nearly two months, during which time he also had to fight both meningitis and pneumonia (which required a tracheotomy). The stroke also left Vandross with difficulty speaking and singing, as well as confined to a wheelchair.

On February 8, 2004, at the Grammy Awards held at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, Vandross appeared in a pre-taped video segment to accept his Song of the Year Award for “Dance with My Father”. In addition to thanking his fans for their support throughout his illness and recovery, he said, “When I say goodbye it’s never for long, because I believe in the power of love” (Vandross sang the last six words). His mother, Mary (1922–2008), accepted the award in person on his behalf. Following a May 6, 2004 appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show, he was never seen in public again. Vandross died on July 1, 2005, at the JFK Medical Center in Edison, New Jersey, at the age of 54.

After two days of viewing at the Frank E. Campbell Funeral Chapel, his funeral was held at Riverside Church in New York City on July 8, 2005. Cissy Houston, founding member of The Sweet Inspirations and mother of Whitney Houston, delivered a heartfelt rendition of “Deep River” at the funeral service. Vandross was buried at the George Washington Memorial Park in Paramus, New Jersey. He was survived by his mother, Mary Ida Vandross, who died in 2008. Vandross’s estate left an undisclosed major gift to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

Written by Dianne Washington