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Solid Gold Soul

June 28, 2007

Welcome to Solid Gold Soul

About Freddie Bell

Freddie Bell, velvet morning voice talent is a mellifluous voice actor, broadcast-journalist, speaker and National Voice Actor. His vast voice over credits, include hosting several radio programs including the Tom Joyner Morning Show, The Love Train, It’s The Gospel in Tampa, The Freddie Bell Morning Show in radio on KSGS - 950AM, Solid Gold Soul in Minneapolis, plus This is Music, The Freddie Bell Countdown Show and The Minneapolis NAACP Community Affairs television Programs in Minneapolis.
Invite Freddie to your next event or seminar as a Keynote Speaker, covering topics including You Gotta Have H.E.A.R.T., Tuning In to R.A.D.I.O, Maximizing Your Potential, Imagination, The Secret Key To Success, Winning Through Community Service, Dreaming Your Way to Success and a variety of topics related to sales and sales management. Freddie shares ideas and techniques he used to propel Solid Gold Soul Radio into a household name.
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BEYONCÉ AND JENNIFER HUDSON REIGN SUPREME

The BET AWARDS ‘07, the annual mega-salute to music, film and sports from BET Networks, delivered a knock-out night full of performances, surprises and memorable moments live from the Shrine Auditorium.

Mega-star Beyoncé and first-time BET Awards nominee Jennifer Hudson each walked away with two awards. Beyoncé was named Best Female R&B Artist and won for Video of the Year for the female- empowering “Irreplaceable,” while Hudson won Best New Artist and Best Female Actress. Rapper T.I. repeated his win from last year’s awards for Best Hip Hop Artist, and Kirk Franklin also came through with a repeat win for Best Gospel Artist. Ludacris and Mary J. Blige were awarded Best Song Collaboration for “Runaway Love,” and Gnarls Barkley was named Best Group.

Actress/comedienne Mo’Nique hosted the “Main Event” for an unprecedented third time, with sizzling performances by T.I., 50 Cent, Ciara, Diddy, Keyshia Cole, Robin Thicke, Eve, Kelly Rowland and Ne-Yo. The BET Awards also honored legendary songstress Diana Ross with the Lifetime Achievement Award, and award-winning actor Don Cheadle was presented with the Humanitarian Award for his efforts to raise awareness about the genocide in Darfur.

A star-studded list of Hollywood heavyweights also made appearances at the show, including: Chaka Khan, Queen Latifah, Rihanna, Erykah Badu, Nelly, Alicia Keys, Nick Cannon, Michael Clark Duncan and Tyler Perry.

BET Networks also paid tribute to the late James Brown and Gerald Levert, with performances by Bootsy Collins, Public Enemy (Chuck D, Flavor Flav, Prof. Griffin and DJ Lord), Gladys Knight, and Yolanda Adams.

Encore telecasts of the BET AWARDS ‘07 are set for: Friday, June 29 from 8 - 11 p.m. ET/PT Sunday, July 1 from 8 - 11 p.m. ET/PT; Wednesday, July 4 from 8 - 11 p.m. ET/PT; Friday, July 6 from 8 - 11 p.m. ET/PT; Sunday, July 8 from 8 - 11 p.m. ET/PT; and Saturday, July 14 from 8 - 11 p.m. ET/PT.

The following is a complete list of winners from the BET AWARDS ‘07 (**Note - Viewers’ Choice winner not listed since voting continues real-time during live telecast):

Best Female R&B
Beyoncé

Best Male R&B
Ne-Yo

Best Group
Gnarls Barkley

Best Gospel Artist
Kirk Franklin

Best Hip Hop Artist
T.I.

Best New Artist
Jennifer Hudson

Best Collaboration (Song Title)
Ludacris f/Mary J. Blige (Runaway Love)

Video of the Year (Song Title)
Beyoncé (Irreplaceable) - directed by Anthony Mandler

Best Actor
Forest Whitaker

Best Actress
Jennifer Hudson

Male Athlete of the Year
LeBron James (Basketball)

Female Athlete of the Year
Serena Williams (Tennis)

BET J Cool Like That
Gerald Levert

Viewers’ Choice Award Nominees (Song Title)
Beyonce’ (Irreplaceable)
Birdman & Lil Wayne (Stuntin’ Like My Daddy)
Bow Wow f/Chris Brown (Shortie Like Mine)
Ciara (Promises)
Ne-Yo (Because of You)
Robin Thicke (Lost Without U)
UNK (Walk It Out)

LUDACRIS’ MANAGER ISSUES STATEMENT ABOUT FIGHT WITH T.I.

Ludacris’ manager Chaka Zulu was involved in an altercation with rapper T.I. during a special luncheon in honor of Warner music executive Kevin Liles. According to published reports, T.I. punched Chaka Zulu in the face and a physical confrontation erupted at the event. Zulu issued the following statement in regard to the incident. He said, “It’s a shame that things like this continue to happen especially with the backdrop of an event that was about benevolence and charitable works. I’m thankful that all issues have been resolved.”

The beef between T.I. and Zulu stems from a longstanding rivalry between T.I. and Ludacris. The two men have dissed each other on records and recently T.I. publicly stated that he believes he should have won the album of the year Grammy for King. Ludacris took home the award earlier this year for his album, Release Therapy.

FOXY BROWN’S MANAGER SAYS HE GOT ALL OF HER BELONGINGS BACK

Rapper Foxy Brown still isn’t sharing the details of what exactly transpired early Saturday morning (June 23rd) in a Brooklyn, New York housing project. According to law enforcement authorities, Brown went to a party at the Louis H. Pink Houses in Brooklyn with her boyfriend. After discovering that he was a pimp, Brown attempted to break up with him. The disgruntled ex-boyfriend called three women friends over who robbed and assaulted Brown. The women took the rapper’s $500 handbag, necklaces and her hearing aid.

Brown later went to a police precinct and helped to identify one of her alleged attackers, Roshawn Anthony, who is currently being held on $50,000 bail on assault charges.

Brown’s manager, Chaz Williams of Black Hand Entertainment, stopped Brown from fully cooperating with the police. He said, “Black Hand has never used or needed the police to solve anything. As soon as I heard she was at the police station, I immediately went there and stopped the interview and she immediately stopped cooperating with their questioning.”

Williams, who used to manage 50 Cent, added, “We called the lawyers and I got her the f**k out of there. Two hours after I got her home, we had all her property back. Foxy ain’t going to no courthouse, we don’t know anything about any robbery, pimps, or boyfriends. Her bag was missing and we got it back. I got homies, friends, and family in the Pink Houses. Getting her s**t back was elementary.”

T.I. SKIPS ALBUM RELEASE PART

Rapper T.I. was scheduled to celebrate the forthcoming release of his new album, T.I. v T.I.P, at the Republic nightclub in Los Angeles on Monday night (June 25th). While Tyrese, Tank, DJ Drama, DJ Clue, 106 & Park’s Terrence, and others partied at the Courvoisier hosted event, the guest of honor was a no show. T.I., who was scheduled to perform a brief set, may have been saving his energy for the BET Awards, which were scheduled for last night (Tuesday, June 26th), at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles.

T.I. recently defended BET, which in the past has been attacked for its music video heavy programming. The rapper said: “The BET network is Black Entertainment Television. That means its TV for entertaining black folks okay.” The rapper added: “Now if you’re looking to be educated, you should look for some forms of an educational network, you know what I’m sayin’? You shouldn’t look at a cat and expect it to bark.”

T.I. v T.I.P. hits stores next Tuesday, July 3rd.

EVE SHOOTS NEW VIDEO

Rapper and actress Eve will release her new album, Here I Am, on August 7th. The first single from the project is “Tambourine” and the rapper recently shot a video in Brooklyn for the set’s second single and video, “Give It To You” featuring Sean Paul. Eve told MTV.com, “That’s my favorite song on the album. It’s definitely upbeat like ‘Tambourine.’ It’s reggae, the beat is Spanish, it’s a nice collaboration of sound. Another summer joint. It’s a club song. Working with Sean, I’ve known him for years, but for some reason we never got to do a song together. It looked like we weren’t going to get to do this song either ’cause he’s so busy, but we talk on the phone and e-mail.”

Eve also collaborated with Robin Thicke on the new album. She said, “The Robin song is called ‘Fantasy.’ My lyrics are basically talking about ladies — how when guys see you in a club but (aren’t) ready to talk to you. Like a guy who sees you in a club and he wants to do all these things to you. … You’re his fantasy. It’s real. A guy might be looking out from across the club like, ‘Oh my God, I love her,’ but you might not even know he’s looking at you.”

One person who isn’t all over the album is Dr. Dre. Eve returned to Dr. Dre’s Aftermath label in 2005 but the producer only contributed one song, “Fire,” to the new project. Eve explained, “The decision was to have Dre start off the album, but Dre is kinda busy. Swizz (Beatz) is my brother. He knows how to work with me. What was supposed to happen, (Swizz) was just going to do a couple (of tracks), but once we get together, we can’t stop working. He knows me really well. We decided he might as well be one of the executive producers.”

Eve added, “Dre likes when projects are done when you come to him. He’d rather it that way, so it’s cool.”

MELINDA DOOLITTLE JOINS LAURA BUSH FOR MALARIA NET CAMPAIGN IN AFRICA

Third-place American Idol finalist Melinda Doolittle will join First Lady Laura Bush in Zambia on today (June 28th), to participate in the Malaria No More malaria prevention program. During a four-day tour of the African nation, Doolittle will see the impact of malaria on the continent firsthand and help hand out some 500,000 mosquito nets in the Zambian city of Lusaka.

The bed-net distribution is the first program made possible by funds contributed to Malaria No More by viewers of American Idol’s special two-day charity TV special, Idol Gives Back. The all- star show raised more than $70 million dollars for programs aiding children in Africa and America.

Malaria is the number one killer of children under five in Africa and claims more than 1 million lives a year worldwide.

“Traveling to Africa has always been a life- long dream of mine,” stated Doolittle, who will help load bed nets onto the bicycles of community health workers who will deliver them to remote communities. “I am very excited to travel with the First Lady and Malaria No More and to show the impact the viewers of American Idol have had through their help and support during Idol Gives Back.”

Doolittle’s visit is a part of the First Lady’s five-day tour through Mali, Mozambique, Senegal, and Zambia to highlight the Bush administration’s work on HIV/AIDS, malaria, and education in Africa.

RIHANNA, NE-YO, JOHN LEGEND, SHAKIRA TO CELEBRATE ABOLITION IN NIGERIA

Top pop performers Rihanna, Ne-Yo, John Legend, Kelly Rowland, and Shakira will travel to Nigeria next month for a concert commemorating the 200th anniversary of the abolition of slavery in the country. The ThisDay Festival takes place July 14th and 15th in Lagos.

This will be the second annual ThisDay Fest. Last year Beyonce, Jay-Z, Snoop Dogg, Missy Elliot, Ciara and Busta Rhymes performed at the inaugural event.

Some of the artists, including Ne-Yo, have never been to Nigeria and are looking forward to the experience. “I’ve heard nothing but good things and can’t wait to get over there and give back some of the love that I’ve been given from over there,” Ne-Yo said in a statement. “It’s an honor and a pleasure to even get the opportunity to visit, let alone perform.”

Ne-Yo is currently promoting his sophomore CD Because Of You, featuring the hit single of the same name. He says he had to stretch out a little more on the new project: “You know, once you do something that people enjoy, they want you to keep doing that, you know? So people expected songs like ‘Sexy Love,’ songs like ‘So Sick,’ that was the expectation for the second album. They wanted In My Own Words Part Two. But me being an artist I can’t keep doing the same thing over and over and over again. I just can’t.

PARIS HILTON GETS HAIR EXTENSIONS ON FIRST DAY OF FREEDOM

What does a party girl like Paris Hilton do on her first day out of jail? Get her hair done, of course! A van carrying stylists from Dream Catchers Hair Extensions stopped by the Hilton compound yesterday (June 26th) to give the hotel heiress extensions. Balloons, a pink cake, and about a dozen visitors also made it past the heavily fortified gates of Hilton’s grandfather’s mansion, where she’s staying for a while.

Hilton also managed to put in an order to one of her favorite fast food haunts, Taco Bell. When the delivery from the Mexican chain arrived, it was handed out to reporters and police gathered outside of the Hilton home.

Hilton was released from L.A. County Jail just after midnight on Monday (June 25th). She changed into a $450 designer jacket and $300 heels before walking past reporters and into her parents’ SUV.

She will now be on probation until March 2009. That term could be reduced by 12 months if she performs community service. She went to prison for violating probation on an alcohol-related driving charge.

Officials say the media interest in Hilton outdid the frenzy over high profile cases involving O.J. Simpson and Charles Manson.

MO’NIQUE SAYS SHE CHAMPIONS THE N-WORD

Comedienne and actress Mo’Nique is enjoying popularity on multiple levels. The host of BET Awards ‘07 as well as TV’s Flavor Of Love: Charm School and Mo’Nique’s Fat Chance is known for her outrageous comedy, but lately she has been raising more eyebrows for her defense of the N-word. The Baltimore-based actress used the racial slur and defended it on stage as host of the TP 25 Gala celebrating Teddy Pendergrass in Philadelphia earlier this month, and again at the recent Jill Scott concert at Radio City Music Hall in New York City. Many felt her use of the word was inappropriate, particularly in light of the recent Don Imus controversy about who can say what, but Mo’Nique doesn’t feel that way.

Asked about it in a special Q&A on Essence.com, Mo’Nique said, “I love that word because that is who our ancestors are. When we get to heaven and we meet those group of people they won’t know to call us African-Americans, they won’t know to call us the Blacks, they going to know to call us N—–. And when they say, ‘Hey N—–,’ I’m going to respond, ‘Hey N—–. Look at all the great things the n—–s did.’ “Her name is Oprah Winfrey; his name is Jay-Z. Come on, let’s take pride in our accomplishments.”

Mo’Nique continued, “If the White people say, ‘Hey n—–,’ say ‘Hey!’ Learn how to take the power back, just like the word fat. Like, ‘Mo’Nique you’re fat.’ You’re right, now what?’”

While Black Americans nationwide voiced disgust when now-fired radio host Don Imus called the Rutgers University women’s basketball team a bunch of “nappy headed ‘hos,” Mo’Nique says there are bigger issues at stake.

“We’ve become too sensitive and are concentrating on the wrong things instead of focusing on our inner city schools and why they are pushing our kids who can’t read or write through the system,” she added. “Why aren’t we writing articles and making noise about that? But we’d rather scream, protest and have town meetings about someone calling us a name. Come on y’all, let’s start to focus on the important things.”

‘AMERICAN IDOL’ AUDITION CITIES ANNOUNCED

Auditions for the seventh season of American Idol will kick off on July 30th. Hopeful singers will have their first shot at stardom in San Diego; Dallas; Omaha; Atlanta; Charleston, South Carolina; Miami; and Philadelphia. The Fox megahit is bypassing the entertainment capitols of Los Angeles and New York City in favor of smaller cities similar to those that have produced past Idols. (Season Six finalists Jordin Sparks and Blake Lewis both auditioned in Seattle.)

Here is a list of the seven 2007 audition cities:

San Diego: July 30th at Qualcomm Stadium
Dallas: August 6th at Texas Stadium
Omaha: August 10th at Qwest Center
Atlanta: August 14th at a location to be announced
Charleston, SC: August 18th at N. Charleston Coliseum
Miami: August 22nd at American Airlines Arena
Philadelphia: August 27th at Wachovia Center

Black History Fact

In 1960, “Mack The Knife” by Ella Fitzgerald peaked at Number 27 on the pop chart.
In 1965, “I Can’t Help Myself” by the Four Tops started a nine-week run at Number One on Billboard’s R&B chart.
In 1970, “Ball Of Confusion (That’s What The World Is Today)” by the Temptations peaked at Number Three on the pop chart.
In 1970, “Spirit In The Dark” by Aretha Franklin peaked at Number 23 on the pop chart.
In 1970, “The Love You Save” by Jackson 5 peaked at Number One on the pop chart.
In 1979, the Supreme Court ruled that black employees could be promoted ahead of whites with greater work experience, providing the move is part of an affirmative action program.
In 1979, the album Best Of Nat “King” Cole was certified gold.
In 1986, Winner In You by Patti LaBelle was certified gold and platinum.
In 1987, Whitney Houston became the first woman to simultaneously enter and top the Billboard album chart with her second album, which was titled Whitney.
In 1987, “I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me)” by Whitney Houston peaked at Number One on the pop chart.
In 1988, over 21,000 fans at the Atlantic City Convention Hall paid up to $1,500 to witness one of the shortest heavyweight title fights in boxing history. Mike Tyson knocked out Michael Spinks in 91 seconds with a solid right hand to the chin to retain the crown.

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Celebrity Birthdays

Robby Rosa, member of Menudo, 37 Laterrian Wallace, cast member of MTV’s Road Rules, 30
Taimak, actor (The Last Dragon, Third Watch), 43

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Words To the Wise

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Contact InformationFreddie Bell
PO Box 390521
Minneapolis, MN 55439
fbellsolidgoldsoul@gmail.com
888-639-9738