Category: ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

NEW YORK (AP) — Dozens of people are dancing in Times Square as a tribute to “Soul Train” creator Don Cornelius. The dancers say they are recreating one of the “Soul Train lines” that were a popular feature of the music show. Dancers would line up and take turns dancing toward the camera with new […]

NEW YORK (AP) — Fans of “Soul Train” boogied down Broadway wearing afro wigs and bell bottoms on Saturday while others recounted their favorite episodes at a Harlem meeting hall in tribute to the show’s late creator, Don Cornelius. About 100 dancers descended on Times Square in a “flash mob” organized through the Internet. As […]

The British edition of GQ magazine has named Chris Brown the “worst dressed man of the year.” The magazine, which releases its best and worse lists annually, labeled Brown in their March issue. “For someone who seems to have so much disposable income-he boasts on one track about spending ’15 grand on a phone’ and […]

One half of the dynamic 5th L duo that has rocked stages for more than a decade nationwide, Baltimore City native David “Native Son” Ross has officially struck out on his own with his first solo effort, In Late Bloom. A mixture of pensive tracks that tap into the brain of the seasoned artist and […]

The emotional trials and tribulations of Black taxi cab drivers during the post civil rights era will come alive on Feb. 9 as Morgan State University’s Theatre Morgan presents “Jitney.” The play explores the lives of several African-American taxi drivers living in Pittsburgh during the 1970s. Dwelling in an era fresh off the Civil Rights […]

NEW YORK (AP) — The Rev. Jesse Jackson is entering the fray over The Recording Academy’s cuts to its Grammy categories: He’s asking to meet with the president of the organization and has raised the possibility of protests with the awards less than two weeks away. The civil rights activist sent a letter to Neil […]

Don Cornelius, music industry icon and creator of the seminal TV show “Soul Train,” is dead, the victim of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound, according to police and the Los Angeles coroner’s office. Chris No, a police spokesman, told reporters that police received a call from someone in Cornelius’ Sherman Oaks home shortly before 4 […]

GARDENA, Calif. (AP) — Etta James was remembered at a service Saturday attended by hundreds of friends, family and fans as a woman who triumphed against all odds to break down cultural and musical barriers in a style that was unfailingly honest. The Rev. Al Sharpton eulogized James in a rousing speech, describing her remarkable […]

R&B star Ne-Yo has left Def Jam and signed a new deal with Motown , where he will not only continue to make his own music but serve as an executive for the label as well. “His track record of success at Def Jam will always be a benchmark,” Universal Republic and Island Def Jam […]

Shaffer Chimere Smith, aka Ne-Yo, was born in Camden, Ark., but raised in Las Vegas, Nev. by his mom, a musician of Chinese and African-American descent. He began making a name for himself as a singer/songwriter in 1999, going on to compose hits for Mary J. Blige, Faith Evans, Christina Milian, B2K, Mario and others, […]

It looks like soul singer Aretha Franklin isn’t getting married after all. According to the Associated Press, her representative recently released a statement saying the singer and her beaux Willie Wilkerson had decided to call off their engagement. It’s not clear whether the two are still romantically involved. “Will and I have decided we were […]

Entertainment mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs reportedly plans to launch his own music-themed cable network. According to Broadcast and Cable magazine, the network will be called Revolt and will serve as a music and news channel with an urban twist. Sources have described the channel as classic MTV, but for an African-American audience. Comcast and Time […]