Entertainment: Black Celebrities Turning 50 In 2008

The Big 5-0

Angela Bassett
The Harlem, New York native, born August 16, 1958, has played a bevy of prominent women throughout her career, most notably Tina Tuner (in 1993's 'What's Love Got To Do With It?'), but as she turns the Big five-oh, the Yale Drama School alum is showing no signs of slowing down. A recent 'Hollywood Walk of Fame' honoree, the married mother of two has major movies in the pike; including the hip-hop biopic 'Notorious,' and the historic action epic, 'Toussaint.'


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Michael Jackson
The Gary, Indiana native, born August 29, 1958, is one of the most famous people, not only in the world, but in history. While his recording career has been dodgy lately, nothing can take away from his rich and diverse musical legacy. Though his tabloid-prone lifestyle continues to permeate publicly, his 1982 'Thriller' opus is still the best-selling album of all time.


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Anita Baker
The Toledo, Ohio native, born January 26, 1958, became one of the premier vocalists of the 1980s R&B scene when her major label debut, 'Rapture,' which featured a string of chart-topping singles including the Grammy Award winning classic, 'Sweet Love.' Today, the recently divorced mother of two is still thrilling audiences with her illustrious Grammy caliber songbook in between sporadic recordings.


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Prince
The Minneapolis, Minnesota native, born June 7, 1958, continues to personify the term "musical genius" with a successful career that has spanned four decades. From his 'Do Me Baby' days to the 'Purple Rain' haze, the pint-sized musician legally known as Prince Rogers Nelson is still riding the cusp of cutting edge R&B/funk. One of the first acts to do music digitally, the former major record company "slave" stays true to form. At 50, he's still wowing audiences worldwide with sold-out, big ticket shows. (His 2007 21 London concerts in 21 nights reportedly grossed $22 million.) He also is breaking new ground in the literary community, with his first tome, a $50 coffee table book, '21 Nights,' chronicling his latest musical journey.


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Lisa Fischer
The Brooklyn, New York native, born December 1, 1958, became a R&B chart sensation with her early 1990s hit song, 'How Can I Ease The Pain,' which scored her a Grammy Award (tied with Patti LaBelle that year). The former Luther Vandross background singer soon grew weary of music industry politics and went back to her roots, providing backing support to legendary acts such as Tina Turner and The Rolling Stones.


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Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds
The Indianapolis native, born April 10, 1958, transformed the music industry during a chart-topping reign in the 1990s. As a singer, the 'Whip Appeal' crooner held his own and garnered a cult following that's still very much alive today. As a producer, Babyface has crafted a multitude of number 1 hit songs for the likes of Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston, Madonna, Mary J. Blige, TLC, Bobby Brown, Toni Braxton, Johnny Gill and the list goes on. At 50, he's still relevant most recently appearing on this year's biggest selling album; Lil' Wayne's 'The Carter III.'


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Grandmaster Flash
The Barbados- native, born January 1, 1958, will always be remembered as a true hip-hop pioneer. After battling substance abuse and other miseries, the mix-master bounced back with a notable stint on Chris Rock's Emmy Award winning HBO show, a satellite radio show, and an acclaimed memoir. Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five were the very first rap act to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame last year.


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Keenan Ivory Wayans
The New York City native, born June 5, 1958, has come a long way from playing Jheri Curl in the slapstick flick, 'Hollywood Shuffle.' Lately, the single father of five who created the groundbreaking sketch comedy show 'In Living Color' has taken a seat behind the camera, creating, directing and producing a bevy of projects. His most recent was the 2006 comedy 'Little Man.'


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Ice-T
The Newark, New Jersey native, born February 16, 1958, made history when his heavy metal-meets-gangsta-rap track 'Cop Killer' sparked a cultural war between conservative pundits and hip-hop music. With that aside, when moviegoers saw the man (legally known as Tracy Lauren Morrow) playing a hard-edged detective in the gritty urban drama, 'New Jack City,' in 1991, we knew he had a certain je nais quoi that he could parlay into a Hollywood career. But nearly 20 years later, no one could've predicted him standing the test of time and holding his own among some of the best actors in the business via his longtime role on the NBC hit drama series 'Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.'


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