Sly Stone
Sly & the Family Stone came on very strong in the late 1960s. No one had seen or heard of a group like this one. To borrow the title of their first album, this colorful (in more ways than one) ensemble was “a whole new thing.”

Before personal demons took their toll on Sly Stone (real name: Sylvester Stewart), he wrote some of the most exuberant, life-affirming songs of all time. The lyrics are still relevant, some of which we are recalling this week.

“Stand! In the end you’ll still be you, one who’s done all the things you set out to do.”

“I am no better and neither are you. We are the same whatever we do.”

“You might get angry sometimes, but don’t let it turn you around.”

“Ever stop to think about a downfall? Happens at the end of every line. Just when you think you’ve pulled a fast one. Happens to the foolish all the time. Somebody’s watching you.”

“Don’t hate the Black, don’t hate the White. If you get bitten, just hate the bite.”

“I love you for who you are, not the one you feel you need to be.”

“Stand! Don’t you know that you are free? Well, at least in your mind if you want to be.”

NAOMI CAMPBELL is a person whose achievements I admire, but her over-the-top diva temperament is really annoying. Seems every time you turn around the supermodel is in trouble for yet another temper tantrum — throwing a phone at someone, slapping someone, spitting on someone, etc.

Campbell seems to have a misguided sense of “entitlement.” She needs to be brought down a few pegs.

Vibe magazine has an interesting feature this month titled “Must-See TV.” No. 2 on the list is “In Living Color.” In the history of television, it is doubtful than any show, with the likely exception of “Laugh-In,” has produced so many stars. Think about it: Keenen Ivory Wayans, Jim Carrey, David Alan Grier, Damon Wayans, Jamie Foxx, Tommy Davidson, Shawn Wayans, Jennifer Lopez (she was a “Fly Girl” dancer), Kim Coles, Kim Wayans, T’Keyah Keymah, Kelly Coffield and Marlon Wayans.

Did you know that Whoopi Goldberg — who has never been fully appreciated by the Black community — is the only African American to have won an Oscar, a Tony, a Grammy and an Emmy?

JUST FOR fun, the other day a co-worker and I (Cornelius Fortune who is, like yours truly, a staunch believer in correct grammar) came to the conclusion that proper English would ruin the titles of some classic songs, specifically the word “ain’t.”

Imagine: “There Is No Mountain High Enough” (Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell), “I Am Not Too Proud to Beg” (the Temptations), “There Is No Sunshine” (Bill Withers), “Isn’t That Peculiar” (Marvin Gaye), “There Is No Woman (Like the One I Have)” (the Four Tops), etc.

Fantasia is busy at work on her third album, as yet untitled. The first two, “Free Yourself” and “Fantasia,” did very well.

When Aretha Franklin performed recently at Radio City Music Hall, in New York City, she was introduced as “the empress of music.” The assumption is that this was in response to Beyoncé introducing Tina Turner as “the queen” on the Grammy show.

That was truly an overreaction on Franklin’s part. If Beyoncé had said “queen of soul” that would have been quite different. Hey! Tina Turner is a queen, as are Diana Ross, Gladys Knight, Patti LaBelle, Dionne Warwick and a select few others.

Have to say it: Monica Conyers’ outburst at that Detroit City Council meeting — which CNN picked up and sent around the world — is one of the most embarrassing things I have ever heard or seen.

At a time when we are still reeling from the “bad deeds” of Kwame Kilpatrick, Christine Beatty and others, this “ghetto-tinged” performance was yet another black eye for a city with a future that looks increasingly doubtful.

This was “entertainment” in the worst sense of the word. Hopefully, in the future Conyers, who is an intelligent woman with much potential, will use a lot more discretion.

How much abuse — much of it self-inflicted — can Detroit take?

BETCHA DIDN’T KNOW…that Jill Scott’s original plan was to become a high school English teacher. She studied secondary education at Temple University. But in time she realized that teaching was not her calling.

MEMORIES: “Hey You! Get Off My Mountain” (the Dramatics), “Yes, I’m Ready” (Barbara Mason), “I Wanna Be Your Lover” (Prince), “The Sweeter He Is” (the Soul Children), “The Cisco Kid” (War), “Leave It Alone” (the Dynamic Superiors), “Gigolos Get Lonely Too” (the Time), “I Can’t Stand the Rain” (Ann Peebles), “Love Is Life” (Earth, Wind & Fire), “The Greatest Love of All” (George Benson).

BLESSINGS to Richard Tyler, Deborah Culp, Ivan Cotman, Sandra Milhouse, Dennis Archer (thanks for the kind words!), Ron Banks, Charles Davis, Maxine Powell, Rita Griffin, Ted Talbert, Brian Spears, Bud McQueen, Jo Thompson and Michael Fuqua.

WORDS OF THE WEEK, from one of our readers, Greg Hendricks: “The harder you try to deny who you are, the more you set yourself up for so much pain.”

Let the music play!

(Steve Holsey can be reached at Svh517@aol.com and P.O. Box 02843, Detroit, MI 48202.)