By Lauren Walker

Posted July 28th 2010

We already know the brother can sing, with the way he set the R&B scene on fire with his hits “Customer” and “Woman.”  He is back on the scene with his latest hit “Bulletproof”, and released his much anticipated double disk album ‘Love & War’ at the top of this year.

Raheem DeVaughn sits down with Singersroom and take us on a tour of himself, his insight into the government and even his thought process behind why he creates his music and the message he wants to convey to the world. You may have thought you knew, but it’s so much deeper this is the mind of Raheem Devaughn.

Singersroom:You went to the left when everybody is making club songs and inventing sex, why did you write “Bulletproof”? What was your inspiration?

Raheem Devaughn: I’m a different kind of dude…I marched to the beat of a different drum. I feel like balance is important. I have songs, even from my first album I’ve always been on some, socially conscience/love whatever music you know? I just wanted to write the soundtrack to the times: Where we are, where I am as a black man, just some things that I see…I’ve seen. Where we are as a country, where we are globally…Like music and songs, what we do, we can capture history, as artists, so that’s what I really try to do. It’s like a painting with a canvas. We capturing like a moment, that’s what my attempt to do, not only with the single but with the album. Half of the album is on a “Bulletproof” vibe, like socially conscience, touching on different issues and half of the album is “love.” So, I get a chance to get my message across and but I also get a chance to do what I’m blessed to be able to do.

Singersroom: On “A Wing and Prayer” & “Bulletproof” you discuss the social problem of your neighborhood and “God” is this the overall storyline on the album?

Raheem Devaughn: Yeah, everyone I’m not just talking about the same thing. “Bulletproof” is more like these are the problems; this is what we facing…almost like it’s a warning. Then “A Wing and a Prayer” is like okay, we know these are the problems, but I still believe in the power of prayer. Regardless of your faith or whatever your religion is, you got to believe in a higher power, of something positive and living for a will of good, living for a will of God. You can’t be afraid to talk about that in your music. I feel like that could be one of the biggest sins or one of the biggest contradictions, is not acknowledging his name and say his name. Some people don’t…we live in some strange times. There aren’t people that always feel like I feel…they going to talk about who they want to talk about, so I’m going to talk about what I want to talk about.

Singersroom: That’s true and very important that you touch on the fact that we need to pray to God. So are you very spiritual?

Raheem Devaughn: Oh, definitely. Yep! Now is definitely a time to be it. Like, people don’t pay attention and understand that it’s a spiritual war going on…like right now, we in it. So, you gotta pick your side wisely…Like people daily are picking their side, you gotta draw your line in the sand and hold your ground because that’s just where we at. It’s no time to be like sugarcoating nothing, like this is my rawest album yet. I’m going in on the “War” side and I’m going in on the “Love” side too. This is going to be yet another chapter, of some real music from a real dude.

Singersroom: “BulletProof” is fits with the times now with the announcement from President Obama to send 30,000 more troops into Afghanistan. What are your thoughts about the war?

Raheem Devaughn: Let me just say this, the record “Bulletproof” could have easily been on my last album…Most of this stuff I’m putting out now has been sitting, it’s been recorded and it’s been sitting for like two years. So, all this that’s coming out was fresh through the years. “Bulletproof” could have easily been on my last album, “Cocaine Dreams” which was on my mixtape, could have been on my last album. I pay attention to the history, where we are and what’s going on, like we just in the thick of it, we ain’t seen the worst yet. Although I love [President] Obama, I voted for Obama and all of that. Certain things just have to happen…it’s just the way it is. He only has a certain level of control. What people don’t know a lot of time or realize a lot of time, is [President] Obama has to answer to somebody too.

That’s just the bottom line. He’s in a situation that was already initiated and created; he was just like thrown into the frying pan, but the flame was already on, the grease was already there, the other ingredients were already there, you know? He has to maintain, so I pray for the brother. I try to be as supportive as I can as an American citizen you know? I’m going to do my part. At the end of the day people can knock and say what they want about him. But he has a job to do, and I can’t do his job. I’m not skilled to do his job I’m skilled to do my job, which is what I do. We got to all do like he says we got to all do our parts, so I’m doing my part musically.

Singersroom: You discuss (in your songs) how the government is “big brother” what type of programs would you like the government do?

Raheem Devaughn: (Chuckles) Wow, I don’t know. I don’t know how I feel about that one. Because I don’t feel like the government is necessarily designed to help me. I can’t really speak on that one. I would LOVE to see the school system be more developed. See the teachers be paid more. I would love to see the government contribute to employment being on the rise. I could go on and on and on with things I would love to see the government do. But at the end of the day I don’t feel like the government is necessarily designed to help me. I believe that we live in a system; we live in a world where we got to help ourselves. I’m not looking for them to help me. You know? They have a list of rules that we need to live by and I adhere to those, but I’m going to help my self.

That’s the thing that I try to instill to the youth when I go out and speak to the schools: “ain’t nobody going to give you nothing!” So, if you’re waiting for the government to help you and give you something, they’re not going to do that.  It’s a system and a program that they have to run, it’s been in place since forever and it’ll continue to be in place, so you got to help yourself.

Singersroom: Has fatherhood changed what you want to create for the public?

Raheem Devaughn: Yeah, it definitely plays a factor. It’s not just fatherhood though, just me being a black man. All the stigmas we have on us anyway. And just for what we had to fight for as a people. Why pay all those dues just to set myself and my people back 20-30 years? Like speaking about women in a disrespectful manner or stuff like that, I feel like that’s the set up to be set back. That’s why I make records like “Woman” and “Black and Blue” that’s going to be on my new album, or a record like “Greatness” which is on my new album, it’s like “Woman” part 2, it’s called “The Greatness.”  That’s why I make records like those in particular, to show women in another light.

Singersroom: What issue or cause are you most passionate about?

Raheem Devaughn: These days…Domestic violence, I got a song on my album called “Black and Blue” that’s quickly becoming the new domestic violence fight anthem song. I’m days away from being, from signing a contract for being the official spokesperson for the CDC (Center for Disease Control) to help bring awareness to HIV/AIDS to the country as well as other STDs. So, I’m like days away from inking that as well.

Singersroom: With you having such a versatile way of storytelling in your music. What mark do you want to leave on the music game when it’s all said and done?

Raheem Devaughn: You know that I did it my way…That I had music with a message and music with a purpose. That I made music that was timeless, and I love performing. I think those are the things I want people to understand.

RAHEEM DEVAUGHN WILL PERFORM AT THE MACY’S MUSIC FESTIVAL IN CINCINNATI OHIO THIS WEEKEND JULY 30TH & JULY 31ST!

Posted July 28th 2010

The 157th Ohio State Fair kicks off today Wednesday, July 28th and will run through Sunday, August 8th. BabyFace, George Duke, David Sanborn, Heart and many more are on the concert line-up!  There are many, many more events also.  Just added this year is the Mixed Martial Arts Competition. There is are over (300) exhibitors for your shopping pleasures! Heyyyyy check it out yourself at the OHIO STATE FAIR website!  Here’s your link: OHIO STATE FAIR WEBSITE

For the full concert line-up click here:

OHIO STATE FAIR CONCERT LINE-UP

OHIO STATE FAIR FACTS

COLUMBUS – The 157th Ohio State Fair is nearly here. This year’s event offers new attractions, agricultural exhibits, sports competitions, great Fair food and a variety of shopping opportunities you won’t want to miss.

Dates:  July 28 – Aug. 8, 2010

Hours of Operation

Fair admission gates open:  9 am – 10 pm, except Aug. 8 (9 a.m. – 8 p.m.)

Commercial exhibit buildings:  10 am – 9 pm

Youth Center:  8 am – 8 pm

Janis Center:  9 am – 7 pm

Other exhibit buildings:  9 am – 9 pm

Gate Admission Prices

Adults (13 – 59):  $10

Youth (5 – 12):  $8

Senior (60+):  $8

Children under five:  Free

Mountain Dew Midway

Sunday – Thursday:  10 am – 11 pm

Friday and Saturday:  10 am – midnight

Rides

$1 coupons Special ride-all-day wristbands are available for $22.

Kiddie – 1 coupon

Super Kiddie – 2 coupons

Spectacular – 2 coupons

Super Spectacular – 3 coupons

Discounts on Admission and Ride Wristbands

Save on gate admission prices with $6 tickets available through August 8 at Kroger, participating AAA locations and Ticketmaster outlets. Purchase ride-all-day wristband vouchers (to be redeemed at the Fair for a wristband) for only $19 at Kroger Stores and Ticketmaster outlets through July 27.

Special Discount Days

Wednesday, July 28

Ohio Lottery Day

WBNS 10 TV & ONN Opening Day

$3 admission until 3 pm.

Thursday, July 29

Kroger Day

Kroger Plus card members: Present your card at a booth outside entrance gates to receive $4 admission vouchers for every member in your party.

Friday, July 30

Ohio Lottery Admission Discount

Present a non-winning Ohio Lottery ticket at a booth outside entrance gates to receive a $4 admission voucher.

Sunday, August 1

Time Warner Cable Day

Veterans & Military Day

Free admission for veterans and active military with appropriate identification.

Monday, August 2

NBC4 Family Value Day

Until 6 pm, adults will be admitted for the kids’ admission price of $8, and kids 12 and under will be admitted free. With the purchase of one wristband, a second rider can ride free until 6 pm with a handstamp. After 6 pm, all riders will need either a wristband or vouchers to ride.

Wednesday, August 4

QFM 96 Fair Attitude Wednesday

Fairgoers will enjoy $5 admission all day.

Thursday, August 5

AAA “Show Your Card and Save” Day

AAA members: Show your membership card at a booth outside entrance gates to receive $4 admission vouchers for every member in your party.

Friday, August 6

Meijer Day

Meijer customers: Purchase $25 or more in Falls Creek merchandise in Fashions at Meijer and receive a voucher in store good for $4 gate admission at the Ohio State Fair to be used on Friday, August 6, 2010 only. Offer available in-store 7/22 – 8/5/10.

Saturday, August 7

AEP Ohio Day

Sunday, August 8

Printer’s Day

Pepsi-Cola Day

Bring your specially marked Pepsi-Cola can or any Pepsi-Cola product to a booth outside entrance gates for a $3 admission voucher for every member in your party before 3 pm.

All special days and discounts are not valid with other offers.

Stroller, Wagon, Wheelchair and Locker Rentals

Stroller, wagon, wheelchair and locker rentals are available at the Cardinal and OHIO gates only (these are the two main entrance gates). Strollers, wagons, wheelchairs, electric wheelchairs and lockers will be available for rent on a first-come, first-served basis.

Stroller:  $9 per day

Wagon:  $13 per day

Manual Wheelchair:  $15 per day

Electric Wheelchair:  $50 per day, or $30 after 5 pm

Lockers:  $1.00 per locker per day

(12″ wide x 12″ high x 15″ deep)

Parking

$5 per vehicle. Easy access to AAA Parking Lots from I-71 at the 17th Avenue exit and the Hudson Street exit at Silver Drive. Handicapped parking available. Ride the AAA Road Service Shuttles to and from the main entrance gate and your vehicle.

On-grounds Shuttle

Makes frequent stops around the perimeter of the grounds, 10 am – 8 pm Sunday – Thursday, 10 am – 10 pm Fridays and Saturdays. Free.

Fair Information and Special Services

Address

Ohio State Fair

717 E. 17th Ave.

Columbus, OH 43211

Contact

614-644-3247 (Recorded Information Line), 1-888-OHO-EXPO (646-3976), TDD: 614-644-4009

Edition

157th Ohio State Fair

Website / e-mail OhioStateFair.com; info@expo.state.oh.us This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

For more information, call 1-888-OHO-EXPO or 1-614-644-FAIR. On the Web, visit us at OhioStateFair.com.

The Ohio Expo Center is proud to host the Ohio State Fair. With a spectacular midway, big-name entertainment, hundreds of exhibits and one of the largest junior fair shows in the nation, the 2010 Ohio State Fair will run July 28 – Aug. 8.

By Jamesetta Walker

Posted July 26th 2010

JUNE 26, 2010: Teena Marie can hold onto clothes for a long time. So long that the singer’s 18-year-old daughter this week did a photo shoot in the dress her mother wore on the cover of her pivotal 1981 album, “It Must Be Magic.”

“Rick brought me that dress, and I saved it all these years,” Teena Marie said by phone Thursday afternoon from her home in Pasadena, Calif.

The Rick she refers to is the indomitable Rick James, her late musical mentor, one-time love interest and a pioneer of punk-funk music.

Her daughter, who records under the name Rose Le Beau, is picking up the musical torch and completing a solo project. Teena Marie also is wrapping up what she said will be the last major music project of her 31-year career.

But before she winds down, fans can catch one of the Ivory Queen of Soul’s performances tonight at the Hampton Jazz Festival.

Teena Marie said she’s always been on tour, which has contributed to her longevity.

“My concerts are off the chain,” she said. “People don’t ever really get a chance to miss you if you’re there all the time.”

She indeed has a cult following. Her first album, “Wild and Peaceful,” was released in 1979, and she has fans today who fell in love with her then.

Perhaps most known for her monster hit “Lovergirl,” Teena Marie enjoyed a string of hits before that single and in the 2½ decades since. They include “I’m a Sucker for Your Love” (duet with James), “Square Biz,” “It Must Be Magic,” “Fire and Desire” (duet with James), “Out on a Limb,” “Behind the Groove,” “Dear Lover,” “Work It,” “Ooo La La La,” “If I Were a Bell” and “Still in Love.”

Her most recent CD, “Congo Square,” was released in June 2009 and included the single “Can’t Last a Day.”

“La Doña,” her first album of original music in 10 years when it was released in 2004, spawned three singles and earned her a third Grammy nomination. It was followed two years later with the acclaimed “Sapphire,” which included the single “Ooo Wee.”

But Hurricane Katrina indirectly affected the release of subsequent singles from “Sapphire.”

“All the plans for that album went in another direction,” she said. Her label at the time, Cash Money Classics, is based in New Orleans, and its founders had to spend much of their time coping with the storm’s effects. She remains close with the Cash Money family, she said.

Timing, again, was not on Lady Tee’s side after she signed to Stax Records and it released “Congo Square” last summer. That same week, the King of Pop died.

“Everybody went into Michael Jackson mode,” she said.

Teena Marie is that rare artist – her fans say Prince is her only possible contemporary – who can sing, play multiple instruments, write, produce and arrange music in several genres while remaining original.

Singer-musician Alicia Keys and hip-hop artist and producer Missy Elliott, a Portsmouth native, are modern incarnations of Teena Marie. Elliott has paid homage by including an interpolation of the rap from “Square Biz” into her rap on Ciara’s “1, 2 Step.” She also tapped Teena Marie to be a judge on her one-season reality talent show “The Road to Stardom With Missy Elliott.”

Teena Marie, 54, also a prolific poet, is a free-thinker. She has been known to nurture talents, often including lesser-known artists on her albums along with A-listers.

No guest singers are planned on her forthcoming project, though. “I decided to stand on my own this time,” she said. Teena Marie said the album also will include the single “Wild Horses,”  which originally appeared on her CD “Passion Play” that was released on her own label in 1994.

Then she plans to kick back.

“I’m going to retire. It’s my last real R&B album as far as a major label,” she said. “I’m just tired, tired, tired.

“I’ve probably done about 25 shows this year with another 15 to come.”

She said she’ll sporadically release jazz and inspirational music, along the lines of her Hurricane Katrina tribute song, “Resilient,” via her website.

That kind of music is needed, she said.

“It’s very sad what’s going on in the country, politically, economically, environmentally, even the lyrical content in music. It’s really just saddening.”

Her last project is upbeat, she said, “because we’re living in some really hard times.”

No release date has been set for the album, which would be her 14th.

Said Teena: “I do my projects how I want to do them, and then I get the deal.”

We’ll be holding on.

Jamesetta M. Walker, (757) 446-2211, jamesetta.walker@pilotonline.com

TEENA MARIE WILL PERFORM AT THE MACY’S MUSIC FESTIVAL IN CINCINNATI OHIO THIS WEEKEND JULY30TH & JULY 31ST!

By Gina Hobbs

Posted July 25th 2010

Cleveland, OH –  As the Temptations song goes, “Get Ready cause here I come.” Youngstown native, and talk show host, Debor’ah Benton, is making her way to Cleveland via “The Debor’ah Show” on Time Warner Cable, Local On Demand (LOD) Channel 411, as part of the Entertainment category lineup, beginning July 28, 2010.

“The Debor’ah Show” (formerly called “The Valley Gold Show with Debor’ah Benton”) is now in its 5th year of broadcasting.  The live broadcast, which is currently based out of Youngstown, is filled with family-friendly fare, audience participation, hearty laughter, sometimes tears, and just enough spontaneity.  Benton conducts in-depth interviews with celebrities, including music performances by award-winning artists from around the world.   Past artists who have graced the stage of her studio include classic R&B groups, The Temptations (members), The Whispers, The Stylistics, The Chi-Lites, and more.

“I’m extremely happy for Debor’ah,” says Glenn Leonard, former member of The Temptations.  “I met Debor’ah several years ago when I was looking for a publicist, and we’ve been friends ever since.  She’s a great communicator, a great interviewer.  She’s very good at getting people to open up.  I’m really glad that she’s broadening her boundaries.  I think the move to Time Warner is great.  Oprah is getting ready to retire, so somebody’s got to step in.  Why not her?”

Benton spent many years getting to this point, but not intentionally.  “I used to listen to Edie Gourmet, Brook Benton, and Lou Rawls.  By the time I was five, I could sing several octaves including Baritone.  By 15 or 16, I started singing as a local artist in bands.  By the time I was 19, I started doing solo concerts and writing music.  Then I went away to Bowling Green and earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Communications, specializing in Radio-TV-Film. When I returned to Youngstown, I began working in a TV ministry and doing freelance work.  All the while, I was trying to produce somebody trying to produce something original.  Finally, in 2004, my husband and daughter said ‘you keep coaching other people for on-camera work and you really need to consider doing your own show’ – and the rest is history.”

Originally, Benton conducted interviews with community locals.  “But one day,” she said, “Glenn Leonard from the Temptations asked to be on the show.  That was the start of my new entertainment format.”  George Aubrey, who has also appeared on the show with his group,  The Whispers, feels Benton is going to have a lot of success in Cleveland.  “Personally, I think she’s the greatest, as far as her craft and personality.  Debor’ah is too good not to be noticed.  She’s top shelf.”

Benton says she has good reason to welcome Cleveland into her live studio.  “I’m really genuinely excited about expanding into the Cleveland market.  I have a lot of fans from Cleveland, so it’s an opportunity to make the show available to them.  It’s not so much what I’m bringing to Cleveland, as much as what Cleveland brings to me.  They’ve opened their arms to me, have traveled in all kinds of weather to get to my show.  So, they’ve given me so much.  Plus, Cleveland is a town with a wealth of culture and entertainment.  And Time Warner has been so gracious.”

“Deborah brings a unique and refreshing perspective and we look forward to adding “The Deborah Show” on Time Warner Cable’s

Local On Demand Channel 411,” said Don Vavrus, Community Relations Manager for Time Warner Cable.

For more information, visit www.thedeborahshow.com or Time Warner Cable’s website, www.twcneon.com.

By Terius Nash

Posted July 23rd 2010

Christina Milian and her husband The-Dream announced their split amidst rumors he cheated on her with his assistant. Now The-Dream is blogging about how the breakup drove him to attempt suicide.

In a rambling blog post, The-Dream writes that cheating was not the reason their marriage failed, even though he was snapped with his assistant straddling him in the Caribbean. He also shares some thoughts on life, love and failure:

First I want to thank God for the trials of life, without them we can’t know purpose!

I would love to tell the truth as to why my relationship wasn’t successful, but today that is between me and Christina. Its easy to say that it’s because of another woman or a new relationship but truthfully, IT’S NOT.

I take FULL RESPONSIBILITY for misleading everyone into thinking everything was fine and okay when we knew problems existed for awhile! I wanted to speak up but we decided it wasn’t for anyone to know. I would NEVER intentionally hurt a soul and everyone around me knows that! There was so much going on in me and Christina’s personal world that I tried to deal with it as delicately as I could and tried to regain my footing. Instead of being direct in order not to cause even more hurt or hurt someone’s feelings, I carried the weight in secret!

I am Human and people fall in and out of Love all the time… This is Life. Nothing’s promised or perfect, neither am I. I am not proud that I lost something we once had…LOVE! I’ve always been a Loving Father, Hard Worker, Generous, Stern and Eager to prove myself. My faults are I can be irresponsible and an ass sometimes, but I HAVE NEVER and WILL NEVER be a malicious person or wish harm to anyone, especially those I love or the mother of my child. I’m sorry for the embarrassment to everyone involved! If there’s anyone to blame and you can’t fathom this happening, please blame me and me alone for not being upfront! Even though we were trying to overcome personal things between us, I was just simply scared and embarrassed to let everyone know we WERE FAILING and HAVE NOW FAILED!

This is not to justify anything, it’s true emotion! It’s a real thing that involves real people! I’ve cried about this for months, after interviews, after prayer and I’ve tried to take my own life at a point because of the failure that was looming.

But I was reminded by my MOTHER that I am not “Superman” and its okay to lose sometimes…

This too shall pass! And everything will be fine!

By Dana Roberts

Posted July 23rd 2010

VALID THROUGH JULY 25TH!

Haven’t seen the latest box office blockbuster? This Sunday, July 25, AMC Lowes is giving movie fans a break at the concession stand. You can buy any size fountain drink and popcorn for just one dollar each. Just click on the “claim coupon” button, enter your information and print your individual coupons for soda and popcorn, which can be used together, but not with any other offers. The coupons are valid for one moviegoer only, so if you’re going with a group, make sure to pass this deal on to them before you meet up. AMC Glendale 12, AMC Olde Town 14, and all Canadian locations are not participating in this offer. Now sit back, enjoy the show and know you got a great deal!

RIDGE PARK SQUARES IS AN AMC LOWES THEATER

By KaruF. Daniels

Posted July 18th 2010

Vonetta McGee, an actress who scaled the ranks of black Hollywood during blaxploitation film era of the 1970s, died after experiencing cardiac arrest and being on life support for two days. She was 65, though some have her year of birth listed as 1940.

McGee appeared opposite Fred Williamson in the black action movie ‘Hammer’ in 1972 and had starring roles in the crime drama ‘Melinda’ and the popular horror film ‘Blacula.’

One Los Angeles Times movie reviewer once considered McGee “one of the busiest and most beautiful black actresses.”

The San Francisco native also appeared with Richard Roundtree in ‘Shaft in Africa’ (1973), and co-starred with her lover, Max Julien, in ‘Thomasine & Bushrod’ (1974).

McGee also appeared alongside Clint Eastwood in the 1975 action-thriller ‘The Eiger Sanction,’ which was considered a coup for a black actress during that period.

“I was pleased to see her get a role with Clint Eastwood,” Williamson told the Los Angeles Times. “Not many black actors had that opportunity to be in a movie where color doesn’t matter.”

“Vonetta McGee was like a lot of actors and actresses at that time, like myself, Jim Brown, Richard Roundtree, Billy Dee Williams and Pam Grier, in that we had more talent than we were allowed to show because everything was perceived as a black project. Once they categorize you, your marketability becomes limited,” he added.

Known to be outspoken herself, McGee didn’t care too much for the blaxploitation label that was attached to many of the films of her heyday. The label, she said, was used “like racism, so you don’t have to think of the individual elements, just the whole. If you study propaganda, you understand how this works.”

On a segment of ‘Soul Train’ in 1974, McGee joked that she had to go through a “lot of pain” to get her acting career started. In actuality, she attended San Francisco State college when she got involved with a local acting group. McGee launched her film career in 1968 in Italy, where she debuted in ‘The Great Silence’ and played the title role in the comedy ‘Faustina.’
While starring in several episodes of the 1980s drama series ‘Cagney & Lacey,’ alongside Carl Lumbly, McGee fell in love with the dashing actor.

“I still remember the first day she came on the set — it was August 21,1984 — and we were scheduled to do a bedroom scene,” Lumbly reflected in a 1989 Ebony magazine profile on celebrity couples. “Later, when we left the set, I realized we were holding hands. … We married two years later.”

The couple had a son, Brandon, in 1988.

According to family spokeswoman Kelley Nayo, McGee had been diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma at age 17, but her July 9 death was not related to the disease.

In addition to her husband and son, she is survived by her mother, Alma McGee; three brothers, Donald, Richard and Ronald McGee; and a sister, Alma McGee.

“She was a brilliant actor, with a distinctive style and grace,” Pam Grier told BV Newswire upon hearing about McGee’s death. “I hope everyone revisits her films and enjoy. I wish peace and love to Carl, her husband, her son and and her family.”

By Ulrica Wihlborg

Posted July 14th 2010

Martin Lawrence and his longtime girlfriend, Shamicka Gibbs, were married in an intimate wedding on Saturday at the actor’s home in Beverly Hills, PEOPLE confirms.

Lawrence, 45, and Gibbs, 35, exchanged Christian vows in the backyard in front of 120 guests, including Eddie Murphy and Barry Bonds. Their daughters Amara, 7, and Iyana, 9, and Lawrence’s daughter Jasmine, 14, from a previous marriage were flower girls.

After the ceremony, the newlyweds joined their guests under a tent for a reception. For the family-style celebration, event designer Diann Valentine arranged for two long tables in the shape of an “X” for all the guests to sit together.

The four-course sit-down dinner, catered by Tres LA, included salad, fried chicken, crab cakes and salmon, Lawrence’s favorite dish. The four-tiered wedding cake was by Rosebud Cakes in Beverly Hills.

“They wanted an intimate celebration,” says a source. “This wedding was all about family.

Lawrence was last seen in this year’s comedy Death at a Funeral. He recently wrapped Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son.

By John S. Marshall

Posted July 12th 2010

RIPON, Calif. — Walter Hawkins, a Grammy Award-winning gospel singer, composer and pastor from Oakland, died Sunday. He was 61.

Hawkins, who was battling pancreatic cancer, passed away at his home in Ripon, Calif., his older brother Edwin Hawkins said.

“Today, I lost my brother, my pastor, and my best friend,” said Edwin Hawkins. “Bishop Hawkins suffered bravely but now he will suffer no more and he will be greatly missed.”

Born in Oakland, Hawkins studied for his divinity degree at the University of California, Berkeley.

While at the university, he recorded his first album titled “Do Your Best” in 1972

The next year, Hawkins became a pastor and founded the Love Center Church in Oakland, where he also formed a choir.

In the 1980s, Hawkins recorded a number of albums and earned nine Grammy Award nominations, according to friend and family representative, Bill Carpenter.

His “The Lord’s Prayer” won a Grammy in 1980 and he also performed on the televised Grammy Awards ceremony that year.

In 1990, Hawkins released “Love Alive III” which spent 34 weeks at the top on the Billboard gospel album sales chart, while going on to sell more than a million copies, according to Carpenter.

In 1993 his next album, “Love Alive IV,” also hit the top spot on the album sales chart. Between work on the two albums, Hawkins was ordained a bishop in October 1992.

At the time of his death, Hawkins was planning a new “Love Alive” CD concert recording for this fall.

Besides his brother Walter, Hawkins is survived by two children, two grandchildren and a number of nieces and nephews.

Funeral arrangements were pending.

Posted July 6th 2010

Drake can­cels the Euro­pean leg of his Away From Home tour to be with his fam­ily while his mother under­goes surgery.