R.I.P. Davy Jones

David Thomas Jones (December 30, 1945 – February 29, 2012) was an English recording artist, actor, and businessman, best known as a member of the musical group The Monkees and star of the TV series of the same name. His acting credits include a Tony-nominated role as the Artful Dodger in Oliver, as well as roles in The Brady Bunch film and television shows Love American Style and My Two Dads. Jones is considered to be one of the greatest teen idols of all time.

"Glee" Tribute To Whitney Houston

Mercedes, You Go, Girl!

If you missed Tuesday night's Valentine's Day episode of "Glee" which featured the character, Mercedes Jones (Amber Riley), singing Whitney Houston's signature song, "I Will Always Love You", you indeed missed a stellar performance!

In response to the music industry's profound loss, the show's producers decided to dedicate Tuesday night's show to the late singer and they only had a little over 48 hours to pull it all together. Amber has a VOICE on her and, believe me... she maybe young, but she can stand her ground w/ the best of 'em.

I love Jennifer Hudson and she did a good job on the song at the Grammy's, given the circumstances. But, after I heard this, I have to give the nodd to Amber for nailing this song in a way that Jennifer wasn't able to that evening, probably because of her grief. Amber was much more focused and kept her emotions under control.

Please take a minute to view the video and listen to Amber's delivery of the same song. You will clearly see that this young lady has an extraordinary voice that many people maybe "sleeping" on. If you've never watched "Glee", by all means tune in and check it out on Tuesday evenings at 8:00pm on FOX. There are many talented young people on the show, but Mercedes is by far our shining star in this episode!

"We Will Always Love You, Whitney!"

Ironically, I posted this song by Whitney during the Christmas holidays on my Facebook page. She has sang many, many songs over the years that made me experience a number of different emotions, but this was by far her most "powerful" performance for me. Whitney, I hope you have found peace and rest in His arms. You have been a constant in my prayers for restoration over the years because your situation weighed very heavily on my heart... so much so, that I did a previous blog post about it. You will be greatly missed and my prayers go out to your family.

"Love, Peace, & Soul!"

R.I.P. Donald Cortez Cornelius

September 27, 1936 - February 2, 2012

I was 13 years old when this show hit the air waves in 1971 and I was a loyal fan for many years. In its 35 year history, the show primarily featured performances by rhythm and blues, soul, and hip-hop artists, although jazz musicians and gospel singers also appeared on the show. It was known for its animated opening titles and sequences between musical performances featuring the popular cartoon train created by various cartoon studios.

As a nod to Soul Train's longevity, the show's opening sequence during later seasons also contained a claim that it was the "longest-running, first-run, nationally-syndicated program in television history," with over 1,100 episodes produced from the show's debut through the 2005-2006 season. The series was created by Don Cornelius, who also served as the host and executive producer. The show aired first-run episodes from 1971 to 2006. Production was suspended following the 2005-2006 season, with a rerun package known as The Best of Soul Train airing for two years after that.

The show lives on to this day in the hearts of many people in the form of the "Soul Train Line", which spotlighted all of the individual dancers on the show in each episode. No cabaret, family gathering, wedding reception, etc. is considered complete without the formation of a Soul Train Line... and that tradition will more than likely continue for many, many years to come.

Don, whether you know it or not, you helped raise me... each and every Saturday, without fail, I was in front of the TV watching Soul Train. You were appreciated and loved more than you could ever know and you will live on in my heart and mind forever!