May 21, 2007

Horsing Around

Anyone who knows me knows that the Kentucky Derby has become one of my favorite events of the year to attend. I jokingly tell people that the crowd that the NBA All-Star Weekend attracts would be shell-shocked by the sophistication and class offered at the Kentucky Derby.

I was a guest of Grand Gala and the 828 Foundation during this year's Derby weekend. That organization has not only worked to diversify the Derby by bringing in African-American celebrities, athletes and business leaders, but they're also a humanitarian organization involved in a lot of philanthropic endeavors.

In addition to myself, Grand Gala played host to Michael Jordan, Star Jones Reynolds and husband Al Reynolds, Tichina Arnold ('Everybody Hates Chris'), John Salley ('Best Damn Sports Show Period'), Regina King('Ray'), producer Jimmy Jam, Gabrielle Union, Mychael Knight ('Project Runway'), Essence Atkins ('Half & Half'), Michael Strahan (New York Giants), Shaun Robinson ('Access Hollywood'), TV chef G. Garvin, Lynn Whitfield ('Madea's Family Reunion'), basketball legend Julius "Dr. J" Erving, Keith Robinson ('Dreamgirls'), Neicy Nash ('Reno 911'), Antwone Fisher, Warrick Dunn (Atlanta Falcons), nationally syndicated radio host Tom Joyner, Byron Leftwich (Jacksonville Jaguars), Jamal Munnerlyn ('Access Hollywood'), Black Entertainment Television founder Robert Johnson and former NBA star Charles Oakley.

The festivities kicked off with an opening ceremony at the Muhammad Ali Center, where there was an original art auction and a performance by jazz harmonica musician Frederic Yonnet. G. Garvin, accompanied by a lady friend, was still a hit with most women in attendance. The resident chef on TV One's 'Turn Up the Heat with G. Garvin' had a receiving line of women offering him praises…among other things. "I think I'm in the wrong line of business! I should have been a chef," joked Al Reynolds, a financial advisor and husband of Star Jones Reynolds.

Most jetted over to 'Stereo at Derby' at Louisville's club Felt for Nick Lachey and Vanessa Minillo's party presented by PAMA Pomegranate Liqueur. The Reynolds had an exclusive VIP area where champagne flowed and Jones Reynolds, Neicy Nash and Shaun Robinson posed for photos as if they were the 'Dreamgirls.' I about fell in the floor when I turned around at one point and saw 54-year-old Lynn Whitfield shaking it like a salt shaker to Ying Yang Twins' crunk tune "Shake It Like a Salt Shaker." While me and every other man in the vicinity was in awe, I laughed to myself thinking how upset the women of Spelman College that were on 'Oprah' would be if they were there.

There was an all-white party at the Galt House Hotel, where we all stayed, that Neicy Nash and I stopped past on our way to our rooms. Comic Rickey Smiley was in the hallway holding court when we arrived. Smiley, who recently cut his hair off, told me that his Dallas-based morning radio show is about to be nationally syndicated. Inside the actual party, I ran into a still-svelte R&B singer KeKe Wyatt, whose album, 'Ghetto Rose' is slated to his stores in August on TVT Records.

On Saturday when we arrived at Churchill Downs for the actual Derby, Neicy Nash was a hit with her feathered hat. (It was very Church of God in Christ!) One news outlet declared her the "best hat of the Derby." As an escort walked the cavalcade of celebrities to our private suites at the venue, one fan yelled out: "Look, John Salley brought Whitney Houston with him!" Uh, no! He was talking about Neicy Nash!

Once the races began, Tichina Arnold griped after loosing some money off of a horse that Michael Jordan told her to bet on. She griped so much that the basketball great gave the actress $1,000 of his own money to gamble for the rest of the day. Speaking of Jordan, photos of the soon-to-be divorced athlete partying with Eddie Murphy's ex-wife Nicole in Cabo San Lucas surfaced online days before the Kentucky Derby. Rumors had spread that the former Mrs. Murphy would be Jordan's date for the weekend, but he had a beautiful super-tanned blonde named Yvette on his arm instead.

I won $308.20 by betting on Street Sense, the number seven horse that won the main race at the Derby. (Yes, I paid my tithes off of it too!) At a post-race dinner at Jeff Ruby's Steakhouse I was introduced to KISS rocker Gene Simmons by Jones Reynolds. While Arnold and I posed for pictures with Simmons, who performed one of a kind tongue tricks for our table, the singer issued a request to me. "Make sure you don't touch my ass," he ordered. I assured Simmons "the only white man's butt I'll ever touch will be Rosie O'Donnell's," and Simmons responded by actually groping my butt. I was scandalized! I told him: "You better be glad I'm not Isaiah Washington!"

Jeff Ruby himself came over to introduce himself to us while we dined at his steakhouse and was very gracious. Who knew that the gentleman, who looked like an older version of actor Kevin Costner, would be the same man that would refuse to serve O.J. Simpson later that evening? "I didn't want to serve him because of my convictions of what he's done to those families," Ruby told the press afterwards. Simpson has said the issue was a "matter of race" and plans to pursue legal action.

The event capped off with a black tie gala at the Galt House Hotel where Peabo Bryson and Charlie Wilson performed. (Everyone should experience Charlie Wilson live before they go to heaven!) I chatted with designer Mychael Knight, an ATL-loyalist who received a lot of accolades from guests for showing a positive portrayal of Black men on reality television. Knight has a new unisex fragrance called Magic set to hit stores soon.

Special thanks again to Grand Gala and the 828 Foundation for a great Kentucky Derby weekend. Special thanks to Rohena Miller of Niche Marketing for amazing hospitality and immaculate professionalism. She should teach a 'How To' course for marketing executives and public relations professionals!

Done Deal

Star Jones Reynolds is proving life after 'The View' is looking pretty good. Jones Reynolds, whose deal with Court TV was announced in March, signed the final paperwork for her new daytime show on network while in Louisville for the Kentucky Derby. According to a source, the hotel manager brought Star a folder with her final documents to a lounge at the Galt House Hotel where she celebrated the finalized deal with a champagne toast with friends. The slender TV talent signed her documents and the hotel manager took them and faxed them back.

Court TV is making major changes to the network since signing Jones Reynolds to a lucrative deal. The channel is ditching the name Court TV for something new beginning Jan. 1, 2008. Court TV canceled the legal analysis show 'Catherine Crier Live' last month, a show that had a seven-year run on the network. It was also announced a few weeks ago that the controversial Nancy Grace is leaving the network after more than a decade. Grace is bolting her two-hour Court TV show, 'Nancy Grace: Closing Arguments,' and will now host a self-titled show for CNN Headline News.

Buzzworthy

Though her camp isn't talking, I can confirm speculation about singer Solange Knowles' newly-single status. Rumors that Knowles had quietly divorced from her husband Daniel Smith are true. The couple wed in a beach-front ceremony in the Bahamas in March of 2004 and Knowles gave birth to their son, Daniel Juelz Smith Jr, in October of that year. I actually broke the news in the New York Daily News in March 2004 that Knowles, then 17, was pregnant after interviewing her for 'Johnson Family Vacation.' Since then, Knowles, who will turn 21 on June 24, has been romantically linked to rapper Lil' Wayne, though her reps at the time called the rumors "completely unfounded." When asked about her divorce, Knowles rep offered: "We don't comment on our clients' personal lives."

Atlantic Records released 'The Best of Me: Yolanda Adams Greatest Hits' on May 8. Adams fought to get out of her contract with Atlantic after her last album, 'Day By Day' only had mediocre success. Looks like the statuesque gospel superstar got her way, as I can report exclusively that she's signed a deal with Columbia Records. Her first effort for the Sony imprint will be a holiday album out this fall.

Former 'Moesha' star and Kevin Federline's babies mama Shar Jackson will be a part of fashion maven Jayneoni Moore's first 'Children's Fund Big Baby Shower' on June 9, at The Beverly Hills Hotel in Beverly Hills, Calif. The event will benefit 10 teenage moms living in a Los Angeles shelters and group homes. "There are over 1 million teenage mothers living in the USA and sadly over 75 percent of teenage mothers do not have adequate resources to provide a healthy lifestyle for their newborn children. With your help and support we can offer life-changing tools to low-income teenage mothers who normally could not afford the basics such as bottles, pampers, stroller or car seats," said Moore. For details visit www.Jayneoni.com or to help a young mother for the event, go to www.BabiesRUs.com and use registry info "Registrant: TJMCF Baby Shower/Jayneoni Moore - Registry #: 46404852 - Location: BEVERLY HILLS, CA" to assist.

After appearing on the soundtrack for Tyler Perry's 'Daddy's Little Girls' with the song "Fallen In Love," singer Darlene McCoy had released her self-titled debut on EMI Gospel. The soulful, contemporary gospel offering is executive produced by Dallas Austin and features a remake of the disco hit, 'I Wanna Thank You.'

Can't Say Names…

A chart-topping R&B stud is supporting a child he originally believed to be his, despite having learned the child isn't. Said singer had grown attached to the child in question-he even posed in pictures with the baby that appeared online-and has continued to provide emotional and financial support for the child despite the results of a paternity test proving he was not the father.