Aug. 28, 2006

Soul Survivor

Life after ‘Soul Food’ is going pretty well for actor/entrepreneur-/choreographer Darrin Henson. The 34-year-old, Bronx, New York-bred talent said he knew that he and his cast members would all be successful beyond the acclaimed Showtime drama.

“First of all, it was such an honest show. I think it’s very difficult to typecast cast members of ‘Soul Food.’ Normally people who get typecast into roles are usually in half-hour or one hour comedy slots. For example, Jimmie “J.J.” Walker, the guy that played Gilligan (the late Bob Denver) on ‘Gilligan’s Island,’ and the guy who played Steve Urkel (Jaleel White). Those are all comedies. Dramas are a little bit more difficult to get typecast into unless you’re a really good villain or bad boy,” he told me while en route to the airport in New Jersey.

Now Henson has a reality series in the U.K. (‘Bump and Grind’ on Sky’s Trouble channel), a bestselling DVD (‘Darrin’s Dance Grooves’) and several film projects on the horizon (‘Steppin’/‘The Salon’/‘Life Support’/‘The Last Stand’). Despite all of that, he said now that ‘Soul Food’ is airing on BET, a whole new audience recognizes the work he and his former cast was doing. “The transition for the actors that were on ‘Soul Food’ was such a powerful transition because we did five years of the show and then it was said to be discontinued. By it being on BET, it’s given it a much broader and wider audience where people who didn’t have Showtime can sit and enjoy the life of Black people and what Black love and commitment is like,” he explained.

Before getting his breakthrough role in Hollywood with ‘Soul Food,’ Henson spent many years touring with and choreographing routines for everyone from Michael Jackson to N’Sync to Britney Spears and Prince. Having spent so much time working to make others successful, Henson decided to focus on his own endeavors. Fresh from having taped his forthcoming ‘Darrin’s Dance Grooves 2’ DVD, Henson has put his choreography career on hold to focus on acting, and the end result is four movies being released within the next year.

First up for Henson is the Sept. release of ‘The Salon’—the independently shot adaptation of the ‘Barbershop’ series that caused MGM to sue producer-director Mark Brown for creating an unauthorized spin-off. Produced by Vivica A. Fox, the film also stars Kym E. Whitley, Terrence Howard, Monica Calhoun and Dondre Whitfield.

Henson is adamant that despite movies like ‘Beauty Shop’ and ‘Hair Show’ having already been released, ‘The Salon’ is a film that you haven’t seen before. “I think the different dynamic in ‘The Salon’ is that it’s a story that everybody can relate to in a way. A lot of people say that, but this is. We either go through situations of gentrification or we go through situations of imminent domain, which is what Vivica’s character goes through in the movie,” he offered. “Then, you have your very, very feminine kind of stereotypical salon men beauticians in there. This one is dynamic because it gives information about what they go through mentally and how people really attack them. Whether or not their sexuality has anything to do with it, they’re people. I think this movie is based more upon the educational aspect of what goes on in salons as well.”

Henson is equally as passionate about ‘Steppin,’ a film set to bow in January 2007. “It’s a movie that I’m anticipating and once people see the trailers, people are gonna go crazy over this film! It’s done by Sony Screen Gems and Rainforest Films, who are known for the ‘Trois’ films and ‘The Gospel.’ It’s a dynamic story about coming of age and adulthood for a young cat out of South Central who actually gets sent to Georgia to live because his brother gets killed. In trying to live a better life, he comes against some of the growing pains of having to be an individual who has to have rules and regulations in his life,” he said about the film.

Despite having four films coming down the pike, Henson still has interest in television as well. He said if he could add himself to any current series on TV, it would definitely be ‘E.R.’ “It’s just a dope show, and it’s just a platform to show that African-Americans are also involved in the medical field and are helping save lives as opposed to what people think which is that we are always taking lives,” he added.

Sounds like Henson is vying for Samuel L. Jackson’s title of the “Hardest Working Man in Hollywood!”

Sound Bites

Since our Music Notes story two weeks ago, BV Buzz has learned of many other new developments within the recording industry. In addition to crooner Brian McKnight being among the professional singers who are a part of 'American Idol' judge-producer Simon Cowell's 'Celebrity Duets' show, I hear that McKnight has inked a new recording contract with Warner Bros. Records. The singer was previously signed to Motown Records.

In other Warner Bros. Records news, singer Jaheim is no longer on the label. After a long tumultuous relationship with Warner Bros., Jaheim has left the label and will apparently now record for its sister company Atlantic Records.

Veteran R&B trio Next is rumored to have inked a new recording contract with Mathew Knowles' Music World Music label. The group released two albums on Arista Records and one on J Records before a bitter breakup. Several dis records targeted at each other and a few nasty interviews later, Robert "R.L." Huggar, Terry "T-Low" Brown and Raphael "Tweety" Brown have reconciled and are ready to make new music. Music World Music recently announced the signing of "Heard It All Before" singer Sunshine Anderson.

Jeryl Busby has a new label situation at Universal/Motown. I'm told Busby's first release will be a gospel CD by Patti LaBelle. In addition, I hear that the veteran record executive has also signed former Bad Boy Entertainment artist Carl Thomas as well.

Gospel dynamo Kim Burrell's much anticipated new album is getting another delay. Though initially slated to be a studio album, Sony Gospel president Tara Griggs-McGee told me that the label is now gearing up for a live recording on Burrell. No date has been set as of yet. Additionally, the album will likely feature several of the studio tracks already recorded by Burrell. In the meantime, you can hear Burrell and her other guests at her Ephesians 4 Conference in Houston Aug. 31-Sept. 2.

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