Shea Diamond Nominated For A GLAAD Media Award!

I'm not the only Black trans person who will be watching and waiting to see if I get a GLAAD Media Award when those shows happen in LA and New York.

My BTAC sister Shea Diamond has been nominated for a GLAAD Media Award in the Best Music Artist category for her album Seen It All. |

Here's her website if you wish to check out her music.   Of course, Shea would also deeply appreciate it if you buy it as well and add it to your music collection.

My fave songs on the album are American Pie and I Am Her.



Just like my Outstanding Blogger category, it's a stacked field.   She is part of a ten person nominee field that includes another trans music artist in Kim Petras, Janelle Monae, Troye Sivan and Hayley Kiyoko just to name a few of the folks she's competing with for the honor..

Congrats Shea!   Here;'s hoping that you get to make some history of your own when they announce the winner of this highly competitive category. ,

The Queen of Soul Has Joined The Ancestors

Was saddened to hear the news that Aretha Franklin has passed away moments ago at age 76 in her hometown of Detroit.

The iconic singer was known as the Queen of Soul and her career spanned seven decades.   She won 18 Grammy awards and had a string of 20 number one R&B hits from 1967 to 1985.  She sang at the inaugurations of three presidents, Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton and Barack Obama, and was presented with the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President George W Bush in 2005. 



And oh yes, out of the three versions of the theme song for the iconic TV show A Different World, my fave is Aretha's version (sorry not sorry Boyz II Men)

Aretha also lent her talents to raising funds for the African American Civil Rights Movement, and sang at the Rev. Dr Martin Luther King, Jr's funeral 

In 1987 she became the first woman inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

She had announced her intention to retire last year and only perform at selected events   Franklin had been ill in recent years from an undisclosed illness, and in the past week her health worsened to the point where she was reportedly in hospice care at her home

She is considered by music critics to undeniably be one of the greatest singers of all time, and she will be missed by her family, friends and her fans. 

Rest in power and peace, Aretha.   Our ancestors are waiting with open arms for you. 

Prince, His Royal Badness Is Dead

Just heard the sad and shocking news that Prince has died at his Paisley Park estate at age 57.

According to local and multiple news sources, a medical response call coming from Prince's Paisley Park compound in Chanhassen, MN was received at 9:43 AM CDT.  After attempts to revive him by first responders failed, he was declared dead at 10:07 AM CDT.

He has been having health issues recently, and reportedly was hospitalized in Moline, Illinois after his plane was diverted while flying back to Minneapolis from a concert in Atlanta Friday night that was blamed on flu-like symptoms

Cause of death has not been determined at the time I write this..

The enigmatic Grammy and Oscar Award winning Prince was acclaimed as one of the most gifted and inventive musicians of our era   You could see the James Brown, The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, Little Richard and other influences in his music and stage performances that fused R&B, soul and funk with rock, and the Minneapolis Sound as it grew to be called was heard in groups and artists like The Time, Vanity/Appolonia 6, Mint Condition, Alexander O'Neal, Cherrelle, Sheila E and because of super producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis who were The Time members, Janet Jackson and New Edition.  .

He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004, and much of the music soundtrack of my late teens and twenties is dominated by Prince songs. I still chuckle when I think about my late high school friend Joel Anderson who resembled the late 70's Prince complete with the big Afro he was rocking then, bristling when me and my godbrother Brent Warren teased him about it.

Some of my fondest concert memories involve going to his Dirty Mind, Controversy, 1999, and Purple Rain tours at  Hofheinz Pavilion and The Summit in the early 80's.  I stood in line at the Almeda 8 with my brother and other Prince fans in my 1999 concert T-shirt to buy tickets for the opening weekend of the movie Purple Rain when it.came out.  And when a Prince album or CD came out, I was at Soundwaves and Sound Warehouse eagerly snatching them up.

I knew that with many of my fave musical artists being in their late 50's, 60's and 70's that 2016 could be one of those years where we witnessed many of them leave this plane of existence for various reasons.  But I can't help thinking after hearing today's news that another musical piece of my childhood, my life and the lives my Baby Boomer and Gen X peers is gone.

His Royal Badness may be gone, but his towering musical legacy will endure forever.

Rest in power and peace, Prince.   The concerts in Heaven just got a little more funkier.  

Tona Brown To Carnegie Hall Campaign Update

In case you're wondering where our sis Tona Brown's indiegogo campaign is in terms of raising the $3,500 she needs to get to Carnegie Hall this June, she's more than halfway to her goal.

She has as of this writing raised $2,685, but let's keep the positive momentum going.  Even if you can only spare $1, that one dollar closer to her goal.   Of course if you can do $5, $10, $20 or more that would be deeply appreciated, too

Help Tona make some more history.     And to understand why this is important to me and other transwomen, here's Dane Figueroa Edidi to explain why.

 

Tona Plays Amazing Grace

Just a reminder of how awesome Tona Brown is and how such awesomeness needs to be on the stage of Carnegie Hall.  This video is from the Baltimore TDOR.   Tona is playing 'Amazing Grace' accompanied by cellist Kevin Jones of the Aida Strings

Tona is an advocate for transgender issues and the arts.  She founded the Aida Strings in 2005 with the goal of showcasing the talent of classical artists in African American and LGBT communities who have a harder time getting the same exposure or opportunities as others.

So enjoy this duet and pull out a dollar or two (or $5, $10, $20...) to help get Tona to New York.

George Duke Passes Away

Was stunned to hear the news via the TJMS that another fave musician I grew up with passed away August 5, a year after his wife Corine died of cancer on July 18.

Legendary keyboardist, composer, producer, jazz artist, R&B and soul funkmeister and versatile musician across a wide variety of musical genres George Duke passed away in Los Angeles at age 67.  

As a matter of fact, Duke had recently released a new album called DreamWeaver on July 13 that was a tribute to his departed wife.

The Grammy award winning artist was born in San Rafael, CA on January 12, 1946 and starting from his 1967 graduation from the San Francisco Conservatory he played with a who's who of legendary musicians from a number of genres including Miles Davis, Frank Zappa, Cannonball Adderley, Michael Jackson, Jean-Luc Ponty, Billy Cobham, Jill Scott, his cousin Dianne Reeves, Anita Baker,  Deniece Williams, George Clinton, Jeffrey Osborne, Joe Sample, Rachelle Farrell and Sheila E. over his six decades in the music business.

I was introduced to him via the 1977 album Reach For It but it was his chart topping song 'Dukey Stick' on his 1978 LP 'Don't Let Go' and the 1981 release of The Clarke/Duke Project album that permanently solidified my love for his music and made him a 'must buy' artist for me when I wanted to add to my expansive music collection.   I still love the songs 'Sweet Baby' and 'Winners' from that album and 'Dukey Stick' to this day.

Cause of death as of this writing hasn't been determined, but to borrow the words of jazz flutist Bobbi Humphrey, "Heaven just got a little funkier."

Rest in peace and power, George Duke.

Nona Hendryx Ain't Playing MichFest

Well well, the Michigan Transphobic Womyn's Music Festival has one more artist not coming to The Land this year, and it's one of my favorite singers.

I have loved Nona Hendryx since her days with LaBelle and when she became a solo artist in the late 70's.   In 1983 she wrote a song called 'Transformation' which got me through some rough times during the mid-80's when I was wrestling with the 'should I or should I not transition?' dilemma and the early part of my transition in 1994.     

Today I have an even bigger reason to love her. She became the third artist to announce she wasn't playing MichFest this year due to their anti-trans policy.

'I will not play the Mich Fest this year.   My head and heart can't exclude fans or friends who are transgender & the policy of this festival hasn't changed.  "The only constant in life is...change"
XO, Nona

Nona, on behalf of myself and other #girlslikeus who share your ethnic heritage and out entire trans community, thank you. 

So we now have three artists that definitely aren't coming, two that said this is their last year performing on The Land if they don't change their transphobic policy, and four more who said they would make a statement from the stage

Donna Summer Posthumously Inducted Into Rock And Roll Hall of Fame

The 2013 Class for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame was announced, and after six nominations Donna Summer FINALLY made it in.  

Would have been nice if you could have done so while she was still on the planet.

In addition to the Queen of Disco making it in, Public Enemy was inducted in their first year of eligibility (yeah, boyeeee) along with fellow Class of 2013 inductees Albert King, Rush and Randy Newman.


While I'm happy for Donna Summer, Albert King and Public Enemy, still pissed that Chic, who should have been in with Summer a long time ago is getting the Susan Lucci treatment. 

This was Chic's seventh time being nominated and once again they missed getting inducted.   

The induction ceremony for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Class of 2013 will be held at the Nokia Theater in Los Angeles on April 18.

Chic, Donna Summer Nominated Again For Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame

The nominations for the 2013 inductee class for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame have been announced, and I have several of my fave groups nominated this year.

Chic and the late Donna Summer were nominated once again along with N.W.A., Public Enemy, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, The Meters, Albert King, The Paul Butterfield Blues Band, Kraftwerk, Randy Newman, Procol Harum, Rush, the Marvellettes, and Deep Purple 

New this year is the ability to vote on the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame website for your fave artists starting today and through December 3.   Top five artists in the fan balloting will be tallied along with the other ballot that select the 2013 inductees.

The 28th annual Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will be held in Los Angeles at the Nokia Theater on April 18th, 2013.

I'm tired of Chic and Donna Summer getting passed over for induction.   This is Chic's seventh nomination since 2003 and Donna Summer's sixth. I'm sure Nile Edwards and the members of Chic are starting to feel like Susan Lucci at this point and it would have been nice for Donna to have been inducted before she passed away a few months ago from lung cancer.. 

In the fan balloting I made sure I voted for both of them because rap and hip hop wouldn't exist without Chic's 'Good Times'. and Donna Summer crossed several musical genres in addition to being the Queen of Disco. . 

So I hope that they finally get in, and Public Enemy definitely deserves it as well.   

Happy Birthday, George!

The George I'm giving a TransGriot birthday shoutout to is probably looking for the Mothership to land instead of a birthday cake.   

Funkateers, raise those hands high and flash the P-funk sign in honor of George Clinton, who was born on this date back in 1941.

Couldn't let this day pass with giving a shout out to the man who kept me and my peers dancing through our  high school and college years. 

He also wrote some lyrics and songs that while sounding nonsensical to the peeps who were faking the funk, were dropping serious knowledge on those of us who knew how to spell psychoalphadiscobetabioaquadoloop and were on the alert for any appearances of Sir Nose D'voidoffunk.

My high school class considers Parliament's Flash Light it's unofficial class song.

And I can't count how many step shows in the early 80's I attended that didn't have the local Omega Psi Phi chapter doing their step routine to the Que Dog National Anthem, AKA Atomic Dog.



Happy birthday, George.

It's Janet..Producing A Trans Documentary.

Janet Jackson that is (although y'all know how much love, admiration and respect I have for Ms. Mock)

It's old news, but wanted to point out how happy I was to hear that one of my favorite artists is planning to executive produce a documentary on the lives of trans people.around the wold called 'Truth' that is set to begin production later this summer.

Jackson hopes the documentary that will reportedly include stories from North America, Europe, Australia and Latin America will help stop discrimination against the transgender community.

It will be directed by Robert Jason, who directed the Style Network's trans documentary Style Exposed: Born Male, Living Female that featured four trans New Yorkers.


"All people are very important to me. I've been fortunate to make friends and learn about very different lives," Jackson is quoted as saying. "'Truth' is our small chance to ask that you try and understand someone who lives their life in a way that is a little bit different from yours, even though all of our hearts are the same. We want to stop the hate and find understanding."

There's also word that Janet may also conduct some interviews in the soon to be produced documentary as well. 

It's always nice to hear that one of your favorite artists supports your community.  If Janet executive producing it has the effect of getting more curious eyeballs on the finished product to watch it, and the vfinished product is well done and informative on top of that, then that's all good as well.

MJ's Been Gone Three Years

Been three years ago today since the news broke about Michael Jackson's shocking death in Los Angeles.  This celebrity death hit me pretty hard since I had a personal connection with it.  

I'd had the pleasure of meeting him and his brothers during a 1973 tour stop in Houston and like a lot of kids who grew up during the 70's I was a huge Jackson Five fan. 




You can also go back in the Womanist Musings radio show archives and check out what me and Renee had to say at the time about the King of Pop's death.

RIP King of Pop, you are still missed.

Whitney Houston 1963-2012

This is shaping up to be a Black History Month we'll never forget and in a sad way.  We've lost in this month Etta James, Don Cornelius and now the 'Queen of Pop' Whitney Elizabeth Houston.

Was shocked to learn that the 48 year old Houston was found in her hotel room in Los Angeles and pronounced dead at 5:55 PM CST after paramedics performed 20 minutes of CPR on her  

Cause of death as I write this is still unknown.

Whitney not only was an iconic singer and actress who came from a musical family, but was a modeling trailblazer as well.  She was the first African-American woman to grace the cover of Seventeen magazine.

Her mother was R&B and gospel singer Cissy Houston, her cousins were Dionne and Dee Dee Warwick and her godmother was none other than the 'Queen of Soul' Aretha Franklin.   

She sold 170 million records, won 2 Emmys, 6 Grammys, 22 American Music Awards and 30 Billboard Music Awards just to name some of the over 400 awards she's won for starters.

She was also in the midst of a comeback and had completed the remake of the movie Sparkle that will be released later this year.

You know like everyone else who enjoyed her music I have all her CDs in my expansive collection and one of those songs, her remake of Chaka Khan's classic song 'I'm Every Woman' she recorded for The Bodyguard movie soundtrack got me through some rough patches during my transition.


The heavenly choir has just gained another singer, and those of us left here on Planet Earth are mourning the loss of a trailblazing musical icon on the eve of the Grammy Awards and pondering her ginormous legacy.

RIP Whitney.  You've left us way too soon.

PETA's Hatin' On Janet Jackson Again

At least PETA tried to do a better job of masking their racism this time when they named their 'Grinches of the Year.'  They tried to cover it up by taking swipes at Kim Kardashian and Cameron Crowe.   

Jackson launched a collection last year with furrier Blackglama which of course set the PETAoid's off.  They gave her their 'Grinch of the Year' award . 

Blackglama furs have had as their spokepersons the late Lena Horne, the late Audrey Hepburn and Sophia Loren and now Janet is part of that legacy. 


Basically it's PETA crawling out from under their rocks and issuing a press release slamming celebs who wear fur and who don't give a rats anus what the out of control fools at PETA have to say about it.

This also wasn't the first time PETA has aimed their nastiness at Janet. They did so last year, and now fresh for 2K11, here's what the PETAoid's had to say about Miss Jackson this time.:.

"When Janet Jackson had her infamous 'wardrobe malfunction' during the Super Bowl, at least the flesh that popped into view was her own - unlike the stolen animal skins that she drapes herself with, which are as dead as her taste in fashion (not to mention her career),"

“Ms. Jackson, you’re just plan nasty.”

Really PETA?   That was the best y'all could do?  

Janet Jackson is a recording legend and icon almost as big as her late brother. Y'all wish her career was dead. 

Somehow I don't think she, her fans or many people cares what you people have to say since you over the years have pissed many people off who would have been sympathetic to the animal cruelty message.

But your over the top racist, sexist, transphobic, homophobic, abelist, fill in the blank antics over the years overshadow it.  The fact that PETA head Ingrid Newkirk hangs out with Bill O'Reilly makes me even less inclined to care about whatever they have to say as well.

Besides, you fools dissed the Queen of Soul.  I loved what she, Kelis and a long line of fur wearing Black female celebs have had to say about your trifling asses and more than a few bloggers.  

I also noted that y'all haven't tried to throw paint on any fur Mary J. Blige owns either after she warned y'all what you happen to anyone who attempted it.  . .

Might be fun to watch one of your peeps have to get Mary J's designer pumps surgically extracted from their colon after they attempted to throw paint on her coat.  . 

But back to your latest escapades.  Janet's looking good and rocking that black fur isn't she?    

On that note, I think I'll head to KFC for lunch later today and during the drive I'll be cranking up the volume on my Janet Jackson CD's .