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Morning Show Update
March 15, 2007
Welcome to the Update
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 and the launch of Totally Gospel radio in the Twin Cities. Call today for booking details. 888-639-9738.
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WHITNEY HOUSTON IN RECORDING MODE
While there has been much talk about the comeback recording project for singer Whitney Houston, it seems the troubled diva is now on a regular recording schedule, working on seven songs handpicked by Arista honcho Clive Davis. Fox 411 reports that Houston went into the studio Tuesday with hit making writer Johnta Austin, who won a Grammy for collaborating on Mariah Carey’s “We Belong Together.”
Davis, who launched Houston’s chart-topping career in 1985, has reportedly chosen songs by R. Kelly, Diane Warren and other big-name producers for the new project. Houston may also try a cover of “Angel Without Wings” by singer-songwriter Julia Fordham.
The question everybody’s asking is whether Houston still has the soaring vocal chops that made her a star, after years of drug abuse and smoking. The singer, who has spent about a year in a Southern California rehab facility, has also reportedly been working with a vocal coach.
OMARION’S NEW ‘ICE BOX’ REMIX FEATURES USHER
Omarion has announced that his new remix of “Ice Box” features Usher. Last Thursday (March 8th), Omarion performed the original song at a New York radio station event at the Hammerstein Ballroom — and after singing the original he unveiled the new remix, which featured new verses by Usher, MTV.com reports. Unofficial remixes of the song have also appeared, featuring Jim Jones and Busta Rhymes. You can listen to a remix here.
Omarion co-wrote the song with a team that includes track producer Timbaland.
Omarion will perform a mini-concert this Thursday (March 15th) in Los Angeles as part of the Jimmy Kimmel Live show appearance.
The singer has some other live concert appearances coming up this weekend. He’ll perform March 16th in Annapolis, Maryland; March 17th in Atlanta; and March 18th in Hampton, Virginia. Check out omariononline.com for more details.
JOE DECLARES ‘AIN’T NOTHING LIKE ME’ IN MAY
Singer and songwriter Joe has moved back and re-titled his long-awaited new album. The Jive set will be called Ain’t Nothing Like Me, and is due April 24th. The first single is “If I Were Your Man,” which has already gained airplay. The album is Joe’s sixth and features Papoose and Yung Joc with production from Jermaine Dupri, Dre & Vidal, Tim & Bob, Brian Michael Cox, Stargate and Sean Garrett.
The collection is said to be another look at romance and the singer’s own experiences. “At this point in my life, after being in the industry since I was 19 years old, this is more like a reflection of me and all the things I’ve seen in life. This album really captures my own journey,” said Joe in a press release.
The album was previously titled Ambassador, with a March 27th release date.
His previous studio album was 2003’s And Then… featuring the single “More & More.”
AKON IS DOUBLE PLATINUM
Senegalese singer Akon, who is featured on the April cover of Vibe magazine, has earned his first double platinum album. The RIAA recently certified the singer’s album Konvicted double platinum for sales of two million copies. Akon was also recently honored by Cingular Wireless for being the top-selling ringtone artist ever. The singer’s “Smack That” and “I Wanna Love You” were both double platinum-selling ringtones.
Akon is currently rehearsing for the Sweet Escape Tour with Gwen Stefani. His first date with her is on April 22nd in San Diego, California at the Coors Amphitheatre and he finishes his dates on June 23rd in Irvine, California, at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater.
Akon collaborated with Stefani on the song, “The Sweet Escape,” from her latest album.
The latest single from Konvicted is “Don’t Matter.”
CHRIS ROCK GROWS UP IN ‘I THINK I LOVE MY WIFE’
Chris Rock may be 42 years old but he says his new movie is the first time he’s played an adult. Rock stars in I Think I Love My Wife as a married New York banker who lives in the suburbs, is capable at work, and fights off the advances of an old friend.
Rock wasn’t exactly playing a teen in movies like Nurse Betty and Bad Company but he wasn’t portraying a guy with a mortgage and kids to worry about either. Rock said he took on I Think I Love My Wife because he felt it was time to grow up on screen: “I knew at some point I just had to play an adult, ’cause I’m kind of a ‘tweener. There’s a part of me that looks too young to play an adult and I’m too old to play a kid. You know, you get into that weird spot. So I had to make myself an adult because no one was going to do it for me. You know, adults, that’s where the good parts are.”
I Think I Love My Wife is loosely based on the French film Chloe In The Afternoon. It opens nationwide Friday (March 16th).
SIMON COWELL UNIMPRESSED BY ‘IDOL’ TOP 12
This week was the first time that male and female contestants on American Idol got to sing on the same evening. They chose songs from the Supremes or Diana Ross’ solo catalogue and worked with the wild-haired diva in the days leading up to their performances.
Ross herself sang on Idol last night which is also the first elimination round for the Top 12 contestants. The results were revealed at the end of the episode, but judge Simon Cowell said it’ll be an easy choice because some of the Top 12 don’t deserve to be there: “You know, you’ve got an interesting mix. You know, I think the fact that there are people in there who shouldn’t be there makes it interesting in a strange way. Right now I think you’ve got the battle of the divas going on, Melinda and Lakisha, and that’s kind of interesting.”
In other Idol news, the producers have finally responded to Rosie O’Donnell’s criticism that Antonella Barba was treated better than former contestant Frenchie Davis during her mini-scandal because she was thin and white. Executive Nigel Lythgoe said in a statement, “I feel as though I must refute Ms. O’Donnell’s absurd and ridiculous claims that American Idol is racist and/or weightist. Viewers need only look at the show tonight to realize that American Idol consistently confirms to America that talent has nothing to do with weight or color.”
DANNY GLOVER ROUGHS UP PHOTOGRAPHER
Dreamgirls actor Danny Glover mixed it up with reporters outside a Brooklyn courthouse on Monday (March 12th). He had originally come for a meeting with Lennox and Lester Parris about a movie project, but left a short time after arriving when he discovered that the brothers were actually on trial for stock fraud.
Glover told reporters waiting outside the court that he had been lured there under false pretenses, and that’s when he reportedly lost his cool. New York Post photographer Gary He said Glover shouted, “What gives you the right to come out here and photograph me and have your camera up in my face?” and then took a swing at him. The punch grazed He’s chin, and he doesn’t plan on pressing charges.
Glover plays a colonel in the upcoming Mark Wahlberg movie Shooter, which was directed by Training Day’s Antoine Fuqua.
STAR JONES OFFERED FREE SHOES FOR LIFE
Star Jones has been offered a gig that will pay her in free shoes for life. Trendy Hamptons shoe boutique Hampton Shoe Vixens, on Long Island in New York, has offered the former Payless Shoe Source pitchwoman a job as a national spokesperson, if she will take payment in shoes for life instead of cash, reports TMZ.com.
Owner Todd Shapiro said, “Although we can’t pay what Payless did, we can pay her in shoes.”
It has recently been announced that Jones, a former View co-host, will start a new show on Court TV.
NAOMI CAMPBELL TAMING TEMPER WITH THERAPY, YOGA
Phone-throwing model Naomi Campbell is mellowing her famous temper with therapy and yoga. The British catwalker started practicing yoga three months ago to try “to stay at a peaceful place inside” and she spent her Saturday (March 10th) in a court-ordered anger management class, where she learned about preventing volatile situations and taking responsibilities for her actions. Campbell told the New York, Daily News “If someone does something to me, I have to stop and ask myself, ‘Is it worth the bother?’ I learned I just have to step away from the situation.”
Campbell has one more anger management class to go as part of her sentence for tagging her housekeeper with her Blackberry last year. She also has to do five days of community service, which she’ll begin next week by sweeping floors at a New York City sanitation department warehouse.
Surprisingly, Campbell doesn’t have a problem with her upcoming duties because she’s had a history of cleaning up after people. She said, “I’m from a Caribbean family. My grandmother raised all of us. I had to wash my underwear and my socks after school. I had to clean the table, I have to Hoover.”
STEVIE WONDER HONORED ON CAPITOL HILL BY ASCAP
Last night Capitol Hill in Washington hosted the first- ever ASCAP American Troubadour Award, with an all- star event honoring Stevie Wonder.
Performers of a tribute to Wonder included Tony Bennett, Dianne Reeves, trumpeter Jon Faddis, Smokey Robinson, Ashford & Simpson, India Arie, Wyclef Jean, Wynonna Judd, Chaka Khan, Brian McKnight and Joan Osborne. The invitation-only event was attended by members of Congress and administration officials.
This is Wonder’s second recent visit to Capitol Hill — last July 4th he appeared at A Capitol Fourth, a concert and fireworks event at the Capitol Building, hosted by Jason Alexander.
JUDGE PREVENTS O.J. SIMPSON FROM COLLECTING MONEY FROM CANCELED BOOK DEAL
O.J. Simpson cannot receive any further compensation from a canceled book deal and TV interview, a judge ruled Tuesday. Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Gerald Rosenberg ordered the auction for the bundled book rights to If I Did It, in which the former NFL star hypothetically explains how he might have killed Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman. The book and TV interview were not released after a huge public backlash. The proceeds from the auction and any subsequent book profits will be turned over to Goldman’s family. “This is a guarantee that if they ever publish this thing, Mr. Simpson won’t see a dime from it,” Goldman family attorney Jonathan Polak said.
The Goldman’s have been trying to collect a $33.5 million award after winning the wrongful death lawsuit against Simpson.
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Black History Fact
In 1794, Eli Whitney patented the cotton gin, which made cotton king and increased the demand for slave labor.
1838, Blacks held a mass meeting in Philadelphia to protest the action of the Pennsylvania Reform Convention of 1837, which denied them the right to vote.
In 1960, Sam Cooke kicked off his first tour of the West Indies with a concert in Montego Bay, Jamaica. In the next two weeks, Cooke set attendance records everywhere he appeared. He would influence the new reggae movement in Jamaica, especially on future Caribbean stars like Jimmy Cliff and Bob Marley.
In 1964, “Good News” by Sam Cooke peaked at Number 11 on the pop singles chart.
In 1964, “Oh Baby Don’t You Weep (Part 1)” by James Brown peaked at Number 23 on the pop singles chart.
In 1965, “Shotgun” by Jr. Walker & the All Stars began a three-week run at Number One on Billboard’s R&B chart.
In 1970, “Up The Ladder To The Roof” by the Supremes entered the Top 40 chart.
In 1980, as Quincy Jones turned 47, he received a star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame.
In 1986, “Greatest Love Of All” by Whitney Houston was released.
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Celebrity Birthdays
• Quincy Jones, conductor/composer, music producer, arranger, jazz trumpeter, pianist, 74
• Elise Neal, actress (All Of Us, The Hughleys), 41
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Words To the Wise
See it through
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Contact Information
Freddie Bell
PO Box 390521
Minneapolis, MN 55439
fbellsolidgoldsoul@gmail.com
888-639-9738
Freddie Bell's Morning Show Update 