Author Archives: Sonya's Spotlight
← Older posts Newer posts →Read SHAYLA’S CATCH – Chapter 9 – Ahhh Sookie Sookie Now
December 25, 2016SHAYLA’S CATCH Adult, Urban Fiction – Sexual Content & Language SHAYLA’S CATCH is a work of fiction. NFL team names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental. Copyright © 2015 by Sonya Jenkins. Any use, reproduction or divulgence of the contents of this material without prior consent is strictly prohibited. Chapter 9 Chapter Nine Ahhh Sookie Sookie Now! 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 . . . Happy New Year!” I shouted to the top of my lungs and raised my champagne glass high, as I watched the Times Square crowd in New York go wild. I couldn’t believe that I was actually celebrating New Year’s Eve alone – watching Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rock & Eve hosted by Ryan Seacrest. I had worked all day long at Saks and had hurried home after work to take down my Christmas tree and holiday decoration before the New Year rolled in. Connie had always stressed the importance of taking down Christmas decoration before the New Year as a way of releasing the old and bringing in the new. Her mother, Granny Tula, had brainwashed her to believe that if you left your Christmas tree up into the New Year, you’d have the same problems from the previous year. Call me superstitious, but I definitely wanted to rid myself of all of the calamities I had experienced in 2011. I was ready for a fresh start. I had made it through the week by going home with Connie to Macon for four days after Christmas. Although I felt as though I was running away from my problems, I also knew that …
Posted in BLACK MUSIC HONORS 2024, In The Spotlight | Leave a commentLION BABE’S JILLIAN HERVEY (Daughter of Vanessa Williams) GRACES COVER OF ESSENCE MAGAZINE
December 11, 2016LION BABE’S JILLIAN HERVEY COVERS ESSENCE MAGAZINE’S JANUARY 2017 ISSUE ISSUE INCLUDES 3 SEPARATE COVERS, INCLUDING ONE WITH HER MOTHER, VANESSA WILLIAMS For sensational singer and actress Vanessa Williams and her gorgeous daughter, Lion Babe’s Jillian Hervey, fierceness runs in the family—but so does staying true to who you are at any age. In the cover story, Vanessa + Jillian, the stunning duo chat with Essence about being in the business, the sacredness of family and loving the skin you’re in. Plus, visit Essence.com to see a bonus solo cover for each star! QUOTES: Vanessa Williams: ON HER UPCOMING “DAYTIME DIVAS” CHARACTER [BASED ON STAR JONES’ BOOK, SATAN’S SISTERS]: “She’s no joke. She’s smart, she’s connected, she’s witty. She’s dynamic. She gets things done. There are a lot of parallels with Star’s life…” KEYS TO HER SUCCESSFUL 30-YEAR CAREER: “When they yell, ‘Cameras ready!’ I am the first one there. The director and producer notice. I take whatever I’m doing seriously…” ON DEALING WITH PAIN: “You have to go through the fire. Avoiding the pain is why most people never resolve it. You have to dig deep, sit in it and ugly-cry. Pretending it’s not there and keeping busy are a way of avoiding it…” Jillian Hervey: ON EMBRACING HER HAIR AT AN EARLY AGE: “Once I claimed my natural hair, I was like, ‘Okay, now I feel much more open to try singing and other ways of performing…’ ON STANDING UP FOR HERSELF…AND HER LOOK [EXCERPT]: “I never saw myself as always having that hair. Ever. That wasn’t the plan. That was the label. They were like, ‘You need the hair, you need the hair, you need the hair!…” When the duo signed to Interscope Records, the label loved her video look so much that it insisted she …
Posted in Music | Leave a commentSTAR on Fox Wednesdays at 9PM
November 30, 2016The debut of FOX’s original series STAR starring Queen Latfah, Lenny Kravitz and Tyrese aired after Empire on Wednesday, December 14th at 9PM with 6.7 million viewers . To kick off 2017 right, STAR returned January 4th. Just in case you missed the early episodes, check out clips from the show along with a few images. Sonya’s Spotlight will update weekly on STAR. #STAR
Posted in Inspirational, In The Spotlight | Leave a commentHIDDEN FIGURES VIP SCREENING & SOUNDTRACK LISTENING PARTY W/PHARRELL & JANELLE MONAE
November 23, 2016In celebration of HIDDEN FIGURES, celebrities and social influencers attended HIDDEN FIGURES Screening & Soundtrack Listening Party at Means Street Studio in Atlanta hosted by DJ Drama, Don Cannon and DJ Senseon Wednesday, November 16th. The event was attended by celebrities including: Pharrell, Janelle Monae, Usher, Ludacris, Big Krit, DC Young Fly, Jasmine Guy and many more. _________________________________________________________ Janelle Monáe Private Dinner x Spelman College Convocation In celebration of HIDDEN FIGURES, Janelle Monáe hosted a private dinner with Stem Leaders on Tuesday, November 15th in Atlanta at Livingston Restaurant + Bar. Janelle also spoke to students at Spelman Convocation at Spelman College for a special HIDDEN FIGURES Q&A Discussion on Thursday, November 17th. Photo Credit by Paras Griffin/Getty Images for 20th Century Fox #HiddenFigures
Posted in Streaming, In The Spotlight | Leave a commentFENCES starring DENZEL WASHINTON and VIOLA DAVIS in theaters on CHRISTMAS DAY
November 22, 2016FENCES Paramount Studios In Theaters December 25, 2016 Directed By: Denzel Washington Produced By: Todd Black, Scott Rudin, Denzel Washington Written By: August Wilson (screenplay), Executive Producers: Molly Allen, Eli Bush, Jason Cloth, Aaron L. Gilbert, Charles King, Kim Roth Starring: Denzel Washington, Viola Davis, Mykelti Williamson, Russel Hornsby & many more. Synopsis: African American father struggles with race relations in the United State while trying to raise his family in the 1950s and coming to term with the events of his life. #FencesMovie
Posted in Cinema | Leave a comment“ALMOST CHRISTMAS” Red Carpet Screening in Atlanta
November 2, 2016In celebration of the release of Universal Pictures’ highly anticipated new film ALMOST CHRISTMAS, local Atlanta celebrities and influencers attended a red carpet screening on Wednesday, October 26th at Regal Atlantic Station hosted by WVEE-FM radio host, Ryan Cameron. The screening featured an introduction by Mayor Kasim Reed and the film’s outstanding cast including: Danny Glover, Mo’Nique, Gabrielle Union, Omar Epps, DC Young Fly, Keri Hilson with filmmakers Will Packer and David E. Talbert. The screening included a packed house with local influencers such as: Usher (R&B Singer), Queen Latifah (Actress), Tyrese (R&B Singer/Actor), Dwight Howard (Atlanta Hawks), Jasmine Guy (Actress), Chris Hicks (City Official), Ceasar Mitchell (Director, Atlanta Film Office), Towanda Braxton (WeTV’s Braxton Family Values), Andrelton Simmons (Los Angeles Angels Player), Ricardo Allen (Atlanta Falcons Player), Courtney Upshaw (Atlanta Falcons Player) , Zaytoven (Music Producer), Lenny Santiago (ROC Nation Executive), Wanda Smith (WVEE-FM), Frank Ski (WVEE-FM), Jazzy McBee (WSTR-HD3-FM), Rock City (Music Duo), Ben Tankard (Bravo’s Thicker Than Water), Keith Neal (Bounce TV Producer), Vanessa Bell Calloway (Actress), Christian Keyes (Bounce TV’s Saints & Sinners), Dawn Halfkenny (Bounce TV’s Saints & Sinners) and BJ Britt (BET’s Being Mary Jane) – just to name a few. A Look Inside: Go behind the scenes with cast and filmmakers to get an inside look at the hilarity and genuineness that created the magic of ALMOST CHRISTMAS. Check out the photos from the ALMOST CHRISTMAS red carpet screening below: Photo Credit: Paras Griffin/Getty for Universal Pictures Covered by Sonya Jenkins #AlmostChristmas
Posted in Photos, In The Spotlight | Leave a commentPharrell Williams Releases New Songs from ‘Hidden Figures’ Soundtrack
October 25, 2016Producer and key composer of the upcoming film, ‘Hidden Figures’, Pharrell Williams releases two new tracks, “Runnin” and “Surrender” featuring Lalah Hathaway from the movie soundtrack. Make sure to check out “I See A Victory” featuring Pharrell Williams and Kim Burrell releasing on iTunes on Friday, October 28th. Look for ‘Hidden Figures’ to arrive in theaters on Christmas Day! Hear “Surrender” below: Hear “Runnin” below: #HiddenFigures
Posted in Streaming | Leave a commentHOWARD UNIVERSITY HONORS RADIO ONE, INC. FOUNDER AND CHAIRPERSON CATHY HUGHES
October 24, 2016HOWARD UNIVERSITY HONORS RADIO ONE, INC. FOUNDER AND CHAIRPERSON CATHY HUGHES AS NEW NAMESAKE FOR ITS SCHOOL OF COMMUNICATIONS WITH STAR-STUDDED UNVEILING CEREMONY AND CELEBRATION Hosted by Anthony Anderson, Celebratory Program Featured Newsmakers and Entertainers Rev. Al Sharpton, Debbie Allen, Joe, Donald Lawrence, Vashawn Mitchell, Richard Smallwood, Russ Parr, Denise Boutte, Chrystee Pharris and More Howard University honored Cathy Hughes, founder and chairperson of Radio One, Inc., the largest Black-owned multi-media company in the country, with the unveiling of the Cathy Hughes School of Communications today. During an exclusive, star-studded extravaganza, the prestigious university commemorated her lifetime commitment to excellence. University and public officials Dr. Wayne A. I. Frederick, President, Howard University; Congressman Elijah E. Cummings (D-MD 7th District); Gracie Lawson-Borders, Ph.D., Dean of Cathy Hughes School of Communications; Congressman Chris Van Hollen (D-MD 8th District); and Civil Rights Leader Rev. Al Sharpton recognized Hughes for blazing the path for African Americans in the media and communications industry. “She took the mute off of Black America,” said Rev. Sharpton. “We were on mute, we couldn’t talk. She made talk radio stations. She preserved our culture; she gave us TV One. We can speak for ourselves, to ourselves, and [that] is an enormous contribution to our people.” Hughes remarked that she was humbled to be honored by the institution that helped her find her voice as an educator and entrepreneur with a passion for her community. “My whole goal in life has been to get pertinent information to my community that they can use to uplift and improve the quality of their lives and their lifestyle,” said Hughes. “Becoming the namesake for Howard University’s School of Communicationsand having my life’s work celebrated – it’s like a dream! Hosted by Emmy-nominated actor Anthony Anderson (Black-ish), along with narration from radio host and film director Russ Parr, the three-hour celebration featured keynote speeches and performances from a variety of award-winning and notable entertainers, including writer/director/choreographer Debbie Allen representing Howard’s Board of Trustees; R&B artist Joe; and Gospel artists Donald Lawrence, …
Posted in R&B Pop Culture, In The Spotlight | Leave a commentAlmost CHRISTMAS in theaters November 11
October 24, 2016A new comedy from writer/director David E. Talbert (Baggage Claim) and producer Will Packer (Ride Along, Think Like a Man series, This Christmas), Almost Christmas tells the festive story of a beloved patriarch who asks his family for one gift this holiday season: to get along. If they can honor that wish and spend five days under the same roof without killing one another, it will be a Christmas miracle. The all-star cast of Almost Christmas is led by Kimberly Elise, Danny Glover, John Michael Higgins, Romany Malco, Mo’Nique, JB Smoove, Gabrielle Union, Omar Epps, Nicole Ari Parker, Jessie T. Usher and DC Young Fly. Check out Red Carpet Premiere photos from #AlmostChristmas here: http://sonyasspotlight.com/almost-christmas-red-carpet-screening-in-atlanta/ The 12 Days of Almost Christmas Music Video: The Meyers mix it up this year as they deliver exotic foods, kitchen dance parties and pure dysfunction for the holidays! #AlmostChristmas
Posted in Movie News | Leave a commentTYLER PERRY’S BOO! A MADEA HALLOWEEN in theaters October 21
October 9, 2016SYNOPSIS In TYLER PERRY’S BOO! A MADEA HALLOWEEN, Madea winds up in the middle of mayhem when she spends a hilarious, haunted Halloween fending off killers, paranormal poltergeists, ghosts, ghouls, and zombies while keeping a watchful eye on a group of misbehaving teens. Tyler Perry plays the roles of “Madea,” in addition to the roles of “Joe” and “Brian.” The film also stars Bella Thorne as “Rain,” Cassi Davis as “Aunt Bam,” Patrice Lovely as “Hattie,” Andre Hall as “Quinton,” Yousef Erakat as “Jonathan,” Lexy Panterra as “Leah,” Diamond White as “Tiffany,” Liza Koshy as “Aday,” Brock O’Hurn as “Horse,” Jimmy Tatro as “Sean,” JC Caylen as “Mikey,” Kian Lawley as “Bean Boy,” and Mike Tornabene as “Dino.” Official site: www.Boo.movie Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/MadeaHalloween Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/MadeaHalloween Hashtag: #MadeaHalloween
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