Entertainment

The Late Jackie Wilson to Finally Receive a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame

Published

4 years ago

August 27, 2019

Editor

The Presentation of a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and release of a 50-song compilation album, “The Definitive Jackie Wilson,” coincides with the bereavement of Jackie Wilson’s Widow Harlean Harris Wilson

Nationwide — Harlean Harris Wilson, 81, was scheduled to make the acceptance speech at the presentation of a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for her late husband, the legendary Detroit-born singer Jackie Wilson, September 4, 2019 in Hollywood. However, she passed away unexpectedly this past Saturday and in her place their son John Wilson will accepted the award for his father.

peakers and guests set for the ceremony include Berry Gordy, Smokey Robinson, Marshall Thompson of the Chi-Lites, and Jackie’s Goddaughter Jody Watley will be among those attending.

“Though we are deeply saddened that Harlean will not be with us physically to accept Jackie’s star on September 4th, we are certain that she will be there with Jackie in spirit. Harlean Wilson was a beautiful woman inside and out who lived her life with tremendous grace and dignity and was loved by us all,” said Paul Tarnopol of Brunswick Records.

Prior to her unfortunate death, Harlean was involved with a forthcoming authorized biography and a documentary film about Wilson, a two-time Grammy Hall of Fame Inductee, a winner of the Rhythm and Blues Foundation’s special Legacy Tribute Award and Roll Hall of Fame recipient. She was very excited about the release of a 50-track compilation of remastered hits, The Definitive Jackie Wilson, available on Spotify, Apple Music, Pandora, and all other major digital platforms.

Less than two weeks ago, esteemed music journalist Jeff Tamarkin spoke with Harlean about her life, the forthcoming projects and Jackie Wilson’s legacy. Following is her story:
More than 35 years after his death, Jackie Wilson—one of the greatest soul singers of all-time and a second-year inductee into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame—is getting some overdue recognition, and no one could be more pleased about that than his widow, Harlean Wilson. On September 4, 2019, Jackie—known in the music business as “Mr. Excitement”—will be recognized with a star on Hollywood’s fabled Walk of Fame. For Harlean, the honor is the culmination of decades of tireless work keeping the late entertainer’s name in front of the public—and protecting both his legacy and her own.

“I’m so elated for him, so ecstatic about my husband getting this star,” says Harlean. “That title Mr. Excitement wasn’t just given to him; he worked for it.”

Harlean Harris—her maiden name—was only a teenager in the early 1950s when she first came across the name Jackie Wilson. Born in White Plains, New York, in 1937, she had been serving as the president of the Billy Ward and the Dominoes Fan Club when the rhythm and blues vocal group announced that its lead singer, Clyde McPhatter, was leaving to join the Drifters. Harlean, along with many other fans, was upset by the news that a young unknown named Jackie Wilson would be taking his place.

Then Harlean went to Harlem’s famous Apollo Theater, where she heard Jackie sing. “I had never heard a black entertainer sing on Jackie’s level, at all,” she says. “Nobody had.” At first she remained solely a fan but then one day she received a call from Jackie, who had seen her picture on the cover of Ebony magazine—Harlean was modeling at the time—and remembered her from the fan club. Jackie and Harlean (who had previously dated Sam Cooke and Sammy Davis Jr.) became a couple and several years later, in May 1967, they were married.

By that time Jackie Wilson had long ago launched a solo career and logged hit after hit, both uptempo numbers and ballads, including such timeless smashes as “Lonely Teardrops,” “That’s Why I Love You So,” “Night” and “Baby Workout.” Just months after the wedding, he scored his final Top 10 single, “(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher.” In a business that chewed up artists and spit them out, Jackie Wilson’s popularity never flagged—onstage he was a virtual dynamo, as charismatic a performer as any, while in the studio he was capable, says Harlean, of “singing anything.”

Jackie, she adds, owed much of his commercial success in the music business to his dedicated producer at Brunswick Records, Nat Tarnopol, who was also the head of the label and had originally brought Jackie to New York from their shared native city of Detroit. Unlike many other African-American entertainers of the day, Wilson was treated fairly by Brunswick and Tarnopol, says Harlean, but outside of the confines of the company, that wasn’t always so: The singer and his wife were often subjected to painful, vicious rumors and untruths, legal entanglements and other indignities, including women who claimed to be linked with Jackie romantically and, later, both men and women claiming to be his children. One crazy, completely fabricated story that persisted for some time had Jackie being held outside of an upper story of a building upside down by thugs until he agreed to sign a contract.

Reality did hit them hard one evening in 1961 though, when the couple experienced a horrific close call: Jackie had been shot by a woman who was reportedly jealous of his relationship with Harlean. “Jackie had stepped outside of our apartment to get the mail and I heard what sounded like two firecrackers going off,” says Harlean. She went to investigate the noise, and found Jackie grimacing and screaming, “She shot me,” while a woman stood nearby claiming she hadn’t meant to do so. Jackie summoned enough strength to hobble outside the building, where a patrol car happened to be passing by. But rather than take the victim to a hospital, the officers chased down the shooter inside the apartment building. Fortunately, Jackie’s injuries were not fatal, but it took more than a year before he felt ready to resume his career.

Rumors aside, Jackie and Harlean did produce one child together, a son they named John, known as Petie throughout his life. The young boy’s world was shattered irrevocably when, on September 29, 1975, Jackie Wilson suffered a massive heart attack while performing at a nightclub in New Jersey. Jackie, in a coma, was rushed to a nearby hospital, where Harlean (then separated from him) and Petie were denied visitation until they were able to produce paperwork proving that they were his legitimate family.

Jackie Wilson never fully regained his ability to function; he remained in the care of others, his career cut short unexpectedly and permanently. Harlean became his caretaker, simultaneously entering into a never-ending series of legal situations that would linger long past the death of Jackie Wilson on January 21, 1984, nearly a decade after he collapsed onstage. “I was the administrator of the estate because I was his court-appointed guardian,” says Harlean, “and everybody wanted to take the estate from me, with all kinds of excuses. Everybody came out of the woodwork. The whole matter went into federal court when it first happened and it’s still going on. Jackie wasn’t a businessman.”

Despite all of the hardships she has been through, Harlean Wilson retains nothing but admiration for the man she met more than six decades ago. While she is the first to admit that there were difficulties in their marriage—“I have eyes, I could see what was going on,” Harlean says—she remembers Jackie as a man who was “very vibrant, very effervescent, generous to a fault. He loved to sing and he loved life.”

Harlean Wilson has spent a lifetime doing her best to make sure that the world remembers and knows the truth about Jackie Wilson. Now, finally, with the unveiling of his Hollywood star and other high-profile projects soon to be announced, she will have accomplished her goal.

More information at www.JackieWilsonMusic.com

Community

75 Years of Providing Worldwide Service as Zetas and Friends

Published

1 week ago

May 22, 2023

Editor

Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated, “The Mighty” Southern Region is hosting its 94th Southern Regional Leadership Conference and 55th Southern Regional Amicae Leadership Workshop from June 8 – June 10, 2023. The conference site is the Marriott Rivercenter, located on the River Walk at 101 Bowie Street, San Antonio, Texas 78205.

The theme,“Celebrating 75 Years of Providing Worldwide Service as Zetas and Friends,” is aligned to Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated’s efforts to address and bring awareness to health disparities and social determinants in Texas and Louisiana. The Southern Regional Leadership Conference is hosting two events that are open for the public to attend: a Health Justice Townhall and a Public Program that includes a Night of Performing Arts.

The Southern Regional Health Justice Townhall is June 8, 2023, from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., and will be moderated by Dr. Stacie NC Grant, International President and CEO of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated. The town hall will provide a platform for open and honest dialogue on health justice, healthcare, health disparities, and social determinants. The panel will consist of experts in the fields of health, civic and social advocates and leaders who serve as Champions for health justice and equity.

“The Mighty” Southern Regional Public Program is June 9, 2023, from 7:30 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. It will consist of recognition of San Antonio community leaders who are Embracing the Extraordinary with Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated, and a Night of Performing Arts featuring Billy Ray Shepard.

Entertainment

SeaWorld Honors Military Appreciation Month – Free Admission for Military

Published

4 weeks ago

May 7, 2023

Editor

SeaWorld parks in Orlando, San Antonio, and San Diego provide complimentary one-day admission to military veterans and their families
Active-duty military members and their guests continue to enjoy one-day complimentary admission all year long
SeaWorld has offered free admission to U.S. military for more than 20 years
More than 10 million U.S. military guests and their families have visited the park at no charge through the Waves of Honor program

SeaWorld will honor Military Appreciation Month with free one-day admission for U.S. military veterans and up to three guests to its SeaWorld Orlando, SeaWorld San Antonio, and SeaWorld San Diego parks. Veterans can register for this offer through May 14^th and have until July 9^th to visit the parks with their free tickets.

Active-duty military and their guests continue to enjoy one-day complimentary admission all year long. The offers are part of SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment’s Waves of Honor program, a longstanding partnership saluting active-duty military members, veterans, and their families by offering special pricing and promotions throughout the year.

For more than 20 years, SeaWorld has been proud to provide complimentary park access to members of the United States military. More than 10 million guests – active-duty military members, veterans, and their families – have enjoyed free admission to the company’s parks through the Waves of Honor program. Whether it’s educational animal experiences or thrilling attractions, SeaWorld invites military families for a day of family fun on us.

“We are proud to honor active-duty military, veterans and their families with a complimentary visit to one of our parks,” said Marc Swanson, chief executive officer of SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment. “The Waves of Honor program extends a small token of our appreciation to members of our military for their commitment and dedication to serving our county. We welcome all military families for a fun-filled day as a thank you for their continued sacrifice and service.”

Eligible U.S military veterans and retirees can register for complimentary single-day ticket(s) for themselves and up to three dependents before May 14 at www.WavesofHonor.com. After registering, all tickets must be redeemed by July 9. Service members and their direct dependents must have a valid active military ID to participate.

Any U.S. active-duty military activated or drilling reservist, or National Guardsman can also take advantage of one complimentary admission for themselves and up to three dependents per year to SeaWorld. Additional discounts and offers are available for active military and veterans through MWR and ITT offices on U.S. military bases and online at www.WavesofHonor.com. These offers are available year-round and may differ by park.

Entertainment

Grown Men, Queens, and Mermaids

Published

4 weeks ago

May 5, 2023

avista

I know what you’re thinking. Grown men, Queens, and Mermaids, what the heck is Caleb talking about now? Well, I’ll give you three guesses, and the first two don’t count. No, I’m not talking about a wild night at The Bonham. No, I’m not talking about a party at our local city councilman’s house either. What I am talking about is a bunch of grown men still upset that Disney chose a young Black woman to portray a fictitious character. Folks, mermaids are not real.

This controversy has resurfaced due to Jada “Get ‘em Will” Pinkett Smith deciding to portray Cleopatra VII as a mulatto woman in her Netflix series “African Queens.” Cleopatra is the second installment of the series, which already produced a segment chronicling the life of the beautiful bold, heroic Black Queen, Nzinga Mbande. And Cleopatra’s portrayal as being mulatto has all the armchair historians, pseudo-Egyptologist, and new-minted anthropologists that constitute the highly educated MAGA crowd up in arms. The comment section became so outrageous that Netflix had to suspend the comment section. And part of the outrage comes from the people who currently occupy Egypt.

A couple of things. First thing first, let’s get this quick fact out of the way. The people who currently live in Egypt are NOT the ancient Egyptians. They are Arabs, plain and simple. They are the progeny and product of the Arab conquest of Egypt in 640 AD. An Arab army under the command of Arabian general Amr ibn al As marched into a weak and tired Egypt, and the rest is history. The Arabs swarmed into the newly conquered land, took it over, and claimed all of it, including its rich history, as their own. They are the first, worst, and most notorious cultural appropriators in all of history.

The second thing is the MAGA crowd. I hate to admit it, and it deeply pains my soul to begrudgingly admit this, but on this one thing, their crying and whining are correct. Cleopatra VII was indeed Macedonian. So, yeah, they are right. Like my grandma used to say, “Even a trash can gets lucky every once in a while and gets a steak.” Of course, most of the MAGA crowd didn’t even know there were eight Cleopatras, and they couldn’t even begin to tell you where Macedonia was, even if you placed their finger on a map right on top of present-day Greece. But I digress. Folks, she was Macedonian, and please, let them have her. Please, I beg you.

The reason we don’t want to claim this woman or her people is because they were a historically insignificant incestuous bunch. She was part of the Ptolemaic Dynasty, a dynasty founded by one of Alexander, the Great’s generals after the death of the Macedonian ruler. The Ptolemaic dynasty lasted less than 300 years; America has been around longer than that dynasty lasted. And the ONLY reason it’s even talked about in a historical context is because of Cleopatra’s affairs with Roman Emperors Julius Cesar and Mark Anthony. That’s it. She played a role in Roman history. As far as Egyptian history, they were not even a blip on the radar.

The Ptolemies set up their capital not in Memphis, the traditional capital of Egypt, but in the Greek city of Alexandria. They rarely left the palace and never traveled outside of Alexandria. None of them, with the exception of Cleopatra VII, even spoke Egyptian. Not a single Ptolemy ever went to Gebal Barkal to be crowned, and none of them ever ventured to Karnak to pay homage to the Gods of Egypt. They did nothing to show that they were ordained by the Gods to rule over the Egyptian people, and religion in Egypt was everything. The truth about the Ptolemies is that they ruled Alexandria, period. Thebes and the regions in the south that were under Thebian control broke away from them. In fact, two of the Ptolemaic rulers were killed by the Egyptian people! The last three Ptolemaic rulers had to get the Roman Empire to help them stay on the throne. They were so weak that they gave Egypt to Rome in exchange for being able to rule in Rome’s name. At the time of Cleopatra’s birth, the Romans ruled Egypt, not the Ptolemy’s. She was nothing more than a glorified Roman Provincial Governor. To call her the Queen of Egypt would be a stretch, to call her an African Queen would be an affront.

The other reason I say they can have her is that out of the first 15 rulers in the Ptolemaic dynasty, 13 of them were in brother-sister marriages, and the other two were uncles marrying their nieces. This was definitely not a dynasty of Black folks! And then you had sons marrying their aunts, who were also their father’s second wives, and you have a couple of first-cousin marriages. This family was more inbred than a MAGA rally in West Virginia. So please, let them have this entire dynasty. When someone says that Cleopatra was Macedonian, you should say, “Damn right she was!” We want no part of that. And for those who think that sibling marriage was commonplace, it occurred primarily in the later dynasties after Egypt’s conquest by several Western powers. I challenge anyone to show proof of sibling marriage in any Kushite Dynasty, Ethiopian Dynasty, or any sub-Saharan Black African dynasty.

My final thought on the matter is why Jada Pinkett-Smith decided to showcase Cleopatra in this series. She is not a Black African Queen and really was not an African Queen or Egyptian Queen, but rather a Roman Governor. There were so many other truly magnificent African Queens that she could have chosen instead of an inbred Macedonian from an insignificant inbred dynasty whose only claim to fame was being a Roman bed wench. I wonder if Jada Pinkett-Smith’s team consists of anyone who truly knows African history. Let me help them out by throwing out some names: Nandi, Amina, Yaa Asantewaa, Hatshepsut, Nefertiti, Tiye, Sobekneferu, Nefertari, Makeda, and one of my all-time favorites, Amanirenas. And there are hundreds more to choose from.