Son of Ellis

I was fortunate enough to have two of my Diana Pieces featured in the video  for Black Artist's News.

Loleatta Holloway  (November 5, 1946 – March 21, 2011) was an American singer, mainly known for disco songs such as "Hit and Run" and "Love Sensation", both of which have been sampled extensively. Holloway began singing gospel with her mother in the Holloway Community Singers and recorded with Albertina Walker in the Caravans gospel group. Holloway was also a cast member of the Chicago troupe of Don't Bother Me, I Can't Cope . Around this time, she met her future producer, manager, and husband Floyd Smith, and recorded "Rainbow ’71" in 1971, a Curtis Mayfield song that Gene Chandler had recorded in 1963. It was initially released on the tiny Apache label, but shortly thereafter, it got picked up for national distribution by Galaxy Records. In the early 1970s, Holloway signed a recording contract with the Atlanta-based soul music label Aware, part ...

Dynasty is an American prime time television soap opera that aired on ABC from January 12, 1981 to May 11, 1989. It was created by Richard and Esther Shapiro and produced by Aaron Spelling , and revolved around the Carringtons , a wealthy oil family living in Denver , Colorado . Starring John Forsythe and Linda Evans as oil magnate Blake Carrington and his new wife Krystle , Dynasty was ABC's competitor to CBS 's prime time series Dallas . The show's ratings for the first season were unremarkable, but the second season arrival of Joan Collins as Blake's scheming first wife Alexis heralded Dynasty ' s rise into the Top 20. By 1984, it was a top ten show and by 1985, it was the #1 series on television. Dynasty was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best TV Drama Series every year from 1981 to 1986, winning in 1984. Dynasty spawned a successful line of fashion and luxury products, and even a spin-off series called The Colbys . Dynasty dropped...

Sister Sledge is an American musical group from Philadelphia , Pennsylvania , formed in 1972 and consisting of four sisters: Kim Sledge (born August 21, 1958), Debbie Sledge (born July 9, 1954), Joni Sledge (born September 13, 1957), and Kathy Sledge (born January 6, 1959). All the sisters are granddaughters of the former opera singer Viola Williams . The sisters used to perform under the name of 'Mrs. Williams' Grandchildren'. Sister Sledge were born and raised in North Philadelphia and began singing in local Philadelphia churches like the Second Macedonia Baptist Church. They were discovered by Charles Simmons and entered the UK Singles Chart in 1975 with "Mama Never Told Me". They released their first two albums "Circle Of Love" and "Together" in 1975 and 1977 garnering moderate sales. Their career went into decline before it revived under the production skills of Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards of Chic . This associatio...

Dorothy Parker (August 22, 1893 – June 7, 1967) was an American poet and satirist, best known for her wit, wisecracks, and sharp eye for 20th century urban foibles. From a conflicted and unhappy childhood, Parker rose to acclaim, both for her literary output in such venues as The New Yorker and as a founding member of the Algonquin Round Table. Following the breakup of the circle, Parker traveled to Hollywood to pursue screenwriting. Her successes there, including two Academy Award nominations, were curtailed as her involvement in left-wing politics led to a place on the infamous Hollywood blacklist. Parker went through three marriages (two to the same man) and survived several suicide attempts, but grew increasingly dependent on alcohol. Dismissive of her own talents, she deplored her reputation as a "wisecracker". Nevertheless, her literary output and her sparkling wit have endured.

Miki Howard (born Alicia Michelle Howard , September 30, 1960, Chicago , Illinois ) is an American singer and actress who had a string of Top Ten hits in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The daughter of gospel singer Josephine Howard of The Caravans , and Clay Graham of Pilgrim Jubilees , Howard was discovered by R&B group Side Effect at age 16. About 1985, Howard decided she was ready to begin a solo career. A demo landed a recording contract at Atlantic Records . Her first hit for Atlantic was the Billboard R&B top ten single "Come Share My Love". She followed that with a cover version of Glenn Miller 's 1940 tune "Imagination". Her success continued with two more top ten singles, "Baby Be Mine" and "That's What Love Is". The latter was a duet with hit-making R&B crooner Gerald Levert . The pair later became romantically involved, and that romance spawned one of Howard's biggest hits, "Love Und...

Whoopi Goldberg ( born Caryn Elaine Johnson ; November 13, 1955) is an American comedian , actor, singer-songwriter , political activist , and talk show host . Goldberg made her film debut in The Color Purple (1985) playing Celie, a mistreated black woman in the Deep South. She received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actress and won her first Golden Globe Award for her role in the film. In 1990, she starred as Oda Mae Brown, a psychic helping a slain man ( Patrick Swayze ) find his killer in the blockbuster film Ghost . This performance won her a second Golden Globe and an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress . Notable later films include Sister Act and Sister Act 2 , The Lion King , Made in America , How Stella Got Her Groove Back , Girl, Interrupted and Rat Race . She is also acclaimed for her roles as the bartender Guinan in Star Trek: The Next Generation and as Terry Dolittle in Jumpin' Jack Flash . Her latest role is the voice of "Stretch" ...