Among the many tragic deaths this year, one that struck a cord within the Jazz community was the passing of singer-songwriter Abbey Lincoln. Lincoln's distinctive voice has spawned comparisons from Billie Holiday to Chaka Khan.
"She was one of the last of the Billie [Holiday], Sarah [Vaughan] and Carmen [McRae] generations," proclaimed R&B singer Ledisi. "Her legacy will live on like all the great ones. I hear them all in voices such as Patti Austin, Dianne Reeves and, of course, Chaka Khan." See what else the four-time Grammy Award-nominee had to say about Lincoln's legacy.
2010 had its share of exciting entertainment news. From the GOOD (Chris Brown's moving tribute to Michael Jackson), the BAD (T.I.'s return to jail after making a career comeback) and the UGLY (Keith Washington recording a private phone call with an ailing Aretha Franklin), there was no shortage of events to talk about. Here's a look back at The Top 30 Entertainment Stories of 2010.
The Good, The Bad & The Ugly
The Good, The Bad & The Ugly Year
2010 had its share of exciting entertainment news. From the GOOD (Chris Brown's moving tribute to Michael Jackson), the BAD (T.I.'s return to jail after making a career comeback) and the UGLY (Keith Washington recording a private phone call with an ailing Aretha Franklin), there was no shortage of events to talk about. Here's a look back at The Top 30 Entertainment Stories of 2010.
'Precious' Times
Mo'Nique was deemed the front runner for best supporting actress at this year's Academy Awards, and on March 7, she took home her first Oscar for a moving performance as the violent mother Mary Jones in 'Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire.' The comedienne addressed her refusal to promote the film in the early rounds of Oscar campaigning and during her acceptance speech, saying, "I would like to thank the Academy for showing that it can be about the performance and not the politics." Though the Queen of Comedy was a shoo-in to take home the award, screenwriter Geoffrey Fletcher was not. Fletcher became the first African American to win an Academy Award for best adapted screenplay for his work on the film.
Kanye'd At The Oscars
No one could have guessed that it was possible to be Kanye'd at the Academy Awards. But that's exactly what happened to Roger Ross Williams, an African American filmmaker who won best short documentary for 'Music By Prudence,' the story of a Zimbabwean singer who suffers from a debilitating condition called arthrogryposis. One of the film's producers, Elinor Burkett, bum-rushed the stage while Ross Williams was accepting his Oscar, because she felt that her "role in this has been denigrated again and again and it wasn't going to happen this time." All of America felt sorry for Williams, including Larry King, who gave the Easton, Penn., native a do-over on his popular CNN talk show the day after the Oscars.
Big Girls Don't Cry
Howard Stern and his side kick Robin Quivers had a few choice words for Academy Award nominee Gabourey Sidibe. The duo took to their popular satellite radio program to taunt the actress for being too black and too overweight to succeed in comedy, and the audio clips from the broadcast made their way to YouTube and around the Web. Jamie Foxx jumped on the bandwagon, likening Sidibe to "The Notorious Precious," suggesting that the star resembled rapper Notorious B.I.G. The 27-year-old New York native ended up having the last laugh with a role in the Showtime series 'The Big C' and singing on for other major gigs.
The Bitch Is B(l)ack
Don't call it a comeback! Grammy Award winner Vanessa Williams has continued to evolve her career on Broadway, television and in Hollywood, but the beginning of 2010 was a rough one for the former Miss America. Her role as Wilhemina Slater on the ABC dramedy 'Ugly Betty' ended in April, but she bounced back just one month later and booked another high-profile television gig. The 47-year-old Emmy Award nominee became just the second black woman, after Alfre Woodard, to join the cast of 'Desperate Housewives' as Renee Perry. Earlier this year, Williams also earned a Drama League nomination for her performance in Broadway's 'Sonheim on Sonheim.'
$500 Booty
Somebody should've called Tyrone and told him to bring some clothes for Erykah Badu. The 39-year-old Grammy Award winner made headlines for her controversial video 'Window Seat' this year. The guerilla-style clip for the lead single, from her latest album 'New Amerykah Part 2 (Return of the Ankh),' was shot by Creative Control duo Coodie and Chike and followed the mother of three as she walked through her hometown of Dallas shedding her clothes. Though Badu, whose real name is Erica Abi Wright, was faced with disorderly conduct charges and up to one year in jail following the video's Internet debut, she got off with a $500 fine and probation.
A Long & Beautiful Life Lived
Beloved entertainer Lena Horne died at age 92 in May of reported heart failure at New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center. The Brooklyn native is best known for being the first black performer signed to a long-term contract by a major Hollywood studio. The 'Stormy Weather' star had been a recluse since appearing in a 1997 Gap Jeans commercial. A Broadway musical version of 'Stormy Weather' and an Oprah Winfrey-produced biopic about the Grammy Award-winning chanteuse are in the works.
Climbing 'Fences'
The 64th annual Tony Awards proved a big night for two talented actors and one acclaimed choreographer. Denzel Washington and Viola Davis, who starred as husband and wife in a revival of August Wilson's play 'Fences,' took home best actor and best actress awards at the New York City celebration of Broadway's best. Washington became the first black man to snag best actor since James Earl Jones won in 1987 for the same role in the original 'Fences.' 2010 became the first time in Tony history that black performers won top honors during the same theater season. Also taking home a Tony for best choreography in 'Fela!' was the musical's director, Bill T. Jones.
No Need No Hateration
'The Boondocks' creator Aaron McGruder isn't afraid of making fun of pop culture in his satirical television show adapted from the comic strip of the same name. McGruder parodied Tyler Perry in a June 20 episode of the Cartoon Network series, titled 'Pause.' The Chicago native created a character named Winston Jerome, a religious playwright-director-actor who also cross-dresses as a grandmother character named Ma Dukes. Rumors surfaced that Perry was upset about the episode since the Cartoon Network is owned by Turner Broadcasting, the parent company of TBS, which is home to his top-rated sitcoms. "There is absolutely no truth to the rumor that I'm suing 'The Boondocks.' Those are all lies. I'm not suing anybody over that." Perry said, showing he's a good sport after all.
The Sins of the Daughter
After she learned that becoming a big-name Hollywood celebrity wasn't as easy as she thought, Laurence Fishburne's daughter, Montana, decided to take matters in her own hands. The 18-year-old decided that she'd become an adult entertainment star and teamed with Vivid Entertainment to release her self-titled debut DVD. Her Tony Award-winning father did not approve, saying he wouldn't talk to her until she got her life together. But Montana stuck by her decision, claiming she was following in Kim Kardashian's footsteps. She even told BlackVoices.com that her pappy would eventually approve of her new career path. In an exclusive interview, she noted, "This is something I wanted to do; it's a goal that I had. I think he'll be proud that I accomplished one of my goals."