Sept. 20, 2005

Vocalist Kelly Price barely escaped the wrath of Hurricane Katrina. The song stylist was in New Orleans taping an appearance for 'Gospel Dream,' the 'American Idol'-like reality series she judges for the Gospel Music Channel.

"My husband and I could not get out of the city because there were no flights, every rental car had been taken, no buses, no trains -- having money meant nothing. You couldn't buy or sell anything. Even if you had a car, if you didn't have gas you were out of it. Gas wasn't available for at least 100 miles outside of New Orleans," explained Price.

The Atlanta-based artist thanks New Orleans minister Bishop Darryl Brister for making her escape from the city possible. Only a few months ago, Price had sung during a revival at Brister's Beacon Light International Baptist Cathedral, which is now under water.

"It was Sunday morning, and we had already received instructions, there were survival instructions that the hotel had slipped under every occupied room on what to do when the winds got so high they busted your windows open. They anticipated that! We were running water in bathtubs and trying to get our personals and essentials together," she remembered.

Price continued: "The Lord really showed us what it meant to have favor on that weekend! The Lord touched the heart of the man of God, and he called us on Sunday morning and he told us, 'Get your things together and meet me in the lobby of your hotel in 15 minutes.' He put the keys of one of his personal vehicles in our hands and he told my husband, 'Take your wife and get out of the city.' "

Price said their journey from New Orleans to Atlanta wasn't an easy one. "Literally, by the time we got on the road, we were dodging tornados. We had to pull over in Mobile, Ala. and sit for a while because there were three tornados on three different sides of us. The National Weather Service interrupted all radio and said that if you were in a car, to ditch your car and go find a hole and get in it if you couldn't find a building and get in a closet and away from windows. A drive that normally would have taken seven hours took sixteen hours because of evacuation traffic, but God was really merciful to us," said Price.

The singer hopes that fellow hurricane survivors will take this opportunity to strengthen their relationship with God. "They need to know they were spared for a reason. God could have allowed them to perish but He didn't," she said. "My message to the people is that God has not forgotten you! Know and understand that in everything we are to give thanks. There is a greatness that I think is going to come on the back end of this!"

Clean Slate

BV Buzz learned some good news recently from John Salley. The former NBA star pointed out that the sexual assault and battery charges filed against him had been dropped more than a month ago.

In the suit, a woman, Laura Azevedo, claimed Salley subjected her to a "possessive, jealous, controlling and abusive" extra-marital relationship and eventually assaulted her violently, leading to serious injuries. In addition she claimed the abusive treatment caused her to have an MRI, which revealed a torn knee ligament that required surgery, all allegedly paid for by Salley.

"People were quick to report about the bad news, but news of the case being dropped went out on the wire a month ago, and I haven't heard anyone talk about that," griped Salley.

Well, we just did!

G Code

Hollywood vet Blair Underwood stars opposite Richard T. Jones ('The Wood'), Andre Royo ('The Wire') and Chenoa Maxwell ('Hav Plenty') in the movie 'G.' While the film is inspired by the classic F. Scott Fitzgerald story 'The Great Gatsby,' Underwood confessed to BV Buzz that Jay-Z, Russell Simmons and Sean (now known as Diddy) Combs were his inspirations for the film.

"They all vacation in The Hamptons and have homes in The Hamptons," he explained.

The independent feature, produced by Andrew Lauren, son of fashion designer Ralph Lauren, opened in limited release on Sept. 16, and Underwood hopes it offers a varied look at African-American life. "It's very different! This film allowed us to show some kind of balance in what is provided to the audience," he said.

Can't Say Names ...

... Which occasionally not-so-nice neo-soul siren held up a concert performance an hour and half after feuding with organizers about who'd headline the show? The sometimes-caftan-covered candle burner was upset that a veteran R&B quintet was slated to close the show and demanded a switch-a-roo. When organizers balked at the request and punished everyone by making the opening act go last, the thirtysomething songstress hid out in her dressing room until she was good and ready, causing the show to go overtime by more than 90 minutes.

Buzzworthy

... For whatever reason, there's some beef with sound-alike rappers Mase and Loon. Both are former Bad Boy Entertainment acts who bolted from the label. Mase ditched Diddy to first find God and to most recently join G-Unit. Loon left for alleged creative differences. Apparently the two rappers have a long rocky history, though things had been pleasant in recent months. But after Mase supposedly recorded a track for G-Unit taking shots at Loon, he retaliated with a series of his own dis tracks. On one, an almost-three minute track titled 'You Heard,' Loon lyrically assaults Mase with rhymes like: "Yo pastor, I thought you seen light?/ It just don't seem right/ The world thought you had an epiphany/ All you doing is spending church money in Tiffany's." This is bound to get messier!

... Brian McKnight will star in a new stage play called 'Cheaters.' The production, based on the Eric Jerome Dickey book of the same name, will also star Lou Gossett Jr., Michael Jai White and Tammy Townsend. The play premieres Oct. 8 in Raleigh, N.C., and has scheduled dates in New York, Detroit, Philadelphia and Houston.

... The Congressional Black Caucus Foundation's annual fashion show is highly anticipated this year thanks to Diddy's baby's mother, Kim Porter. The part-time model and Three Brown Girls (Porter's partners Eboni Elektra and Nicole Johnson) are overseeing the show. Vivica A. Fox, Outkast's Big Boi, Tichina Arnold, Malik Yoba, BET News' Jacque Reid and the ubiquitous Fonzworth Bentley are among the celebrity models for the show. Diddy himself will be honored with the 2005 Fashion Ambassador Award. The show will also feature performances by R&B veterans Guy, jazz artist Eric Lewis and Carl Thomas. Proceeds from the fashion show will go toward the CBC Spouses College Scholarship Fund

... Veteran R&B crooner Freddie Jackson is set to release an album of covers called 'Personal Reflections' Nov. 1 on Artemis Records/Media World Entertainment. The collection will feature Jackson's renditions of hits including Norah Jones' 'Don't Know Why,' Vanessa L. Williams' 'Save the Best for Last,' Larry Graham's 'One In A Million' and Captain & Tenille's 'Do That To Me One More Time.' The first single from 'Personal Reflections' is 'Back Together Again,' a duet with Meli'sa Morgan, that was originally recorded by Donnie Hathaway and Roberta Flack.

... I attended the Capitol File launch party in Washington, D.C. for my colleagues at the New York Daily News. I wasn't going to attend -- the upstart glossy's New York-based publicity firm was some kind of rude to me on the phone -- but after my big-time bosses at the Daily News scolded them, and threatened never work with them again, the apologies wouldn't stop. Nonetheless, cover girl Ashley Judd (I was featured on her 'Love Chain' special on E! Entertainment) showed up with a small entourage of people. Except for model Frederique van der Wal and a few congressmen, the evening really lacked any bold-faced names. Capitol File's next big event, called the Launch of Luxury, will be held at the luxurious Four Seasons Hotel Washington. Rev. Al Sharpton is among the guests expected to attend.