A DAY IN "THE LIFE OF RILEY"

So glad Ant was in the house to grab some special moments at BILLIE’S BLACK PRESENTS ALL STAR KARAOKE with Patrick L. Riley! #allstarkaraoke #billiesblack

NIGHT ONE was amazing!

http://thelifeofriley.squarespace.com/rilys-blog/2014/4/2/something-to-talk-about.html

WAS A GREAT NIGHT TWO – highlight for me being the SING-A-LONG of Natalie Cole’s “OUR LOVE”!

VIDEO EXCERPT 1:

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10152135753883737&set=vb.662073736&type=2&theater

VIDEO EXCERPT 2: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10152135603883737&set=vb.662073736&type=2&theater

THANKS to ALL our ALL-STARS who came out to celebrate Kevin Anthony’s birthday:

VIDEO EXCERPT:

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10152135734368737&set=vb.662073736&type=2&theater

Kenneth Carr - hubby of my boo Shareen King Carr. Kenny Carr our first ALL-STAR KARAOKE instrumentalist (His “Don’t Stop Believing” made us ALL believe!):

VIDEO EXCERPT:

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10152135694263737&set=vb.662073736&type=2&theater

our regulars oh-the-day – including Ephraim, the FABULOUS Belinda Munro who sang her Belinda Munro FACE OFF:

VIDEO EXCERPT:

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10152135740083737&set=vb.662073736&type=2&theater

ALSO IN THE HOUSE:  

karaoke buddy with the most Jamar Dunn

and was that my friend, New York Association of Black Journalists (NYABJ) President Michael J. Feeney? IT WAS!

And Penwah Phynjuar came back and inspired a fun group to round out the ALL-STAR vocals – including my “Our Love” (SEE THE CLIP); their “Poison” by BBD; and a number of other great tunes.

EXCERPT:

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10152135689228737&set=vb.662073736&type=2&theater

 Yes! That was Gwendolyn Quinn! And Toni Seawright’s “Earth Song” was nothing short of stunning.  

EXCERPT:

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10152135717973737&set=vb.662073736&type=2&theater

We are so humbled, Toni Seawright!

Lisa Bonner made everybody “Happy”.

We were anyway, hence the “Happy Birthday” we did for Kevin Anthony II (Stevie-style).  

And we get DRUNK IN LOVE with the help of Harlem’s and the APOLLO’s own Nina Flowers!

VIDEO EXCERPT:

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10152135752783737&set=vb.662073736&type=2&theater

Cousin Shantay even got in on the FUN – singing Pink’s “Glitter in the Air”!

VIDEO EXCERPT:

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10152135746008737&set=vb.662073736&type=2&theater

And there were just too many fabulous moments on our second night – another packed house one week after TV-One’s R&B Divas’ Monifah Carter and Terez Mychelle; “Fashon Queens” Bevy Smith; and many more! HAPPY BIRTHDAY, KEVIN-ANTHONY! HOPE TO SEE YOU ALL NEXT TUESDAY! For those who want to celebrate their birthdays - "All Star Karaoke" style with Patrick L. Riley - please tell Kevin Anthony LIFE OF RILEY sent you - so you can find out how you can celebrate with us at Billie's Black Gourmet Soul. 7-10pm. Tuesday. Hope to see you there. #allstarkaraoke #billiesblack

OMARI BANKS

My friend Michelle Sanchez Boyce is a long-standing music exec - from A&R to Management from Jamie Foxx to Miguel! She's currently representing new reggae artist, Omari Banks. Omari Banks – 2014 Anguillan Artist of the Year – has a unique Caribbean sound. The accomplished cricket player is the son of legendary Anguillan reggae artist Bankie Banx; his recording of “Unafraid” was the number one music video in the Caribbean in 2013 and remained in the top 10 of Tempo’s Cross Caribbean Countdown for seventeen weeks. The video for his recently released second single, “Jehovah Message,” garnered over 20,000 hits in the first week. (See it yourself at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zZnktBaaa-M)

 AND SHE INVITED Ant and me out last night to PARK 112 to meet Omari and some other players who are supporting his AMERICA TAKE-OVER – including Meatpacking’s own Brian Gold (Owner, GRIFFIN and SUGAR FACTORY) and MS. BODEGA (https://www.facebook.com/MissBodega). Check out Omari’s ARISE ENTERTAINMENT 360 interview: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qfkk5FqY27E.

SPEAKING OF MS. BODEGA

 Shout out to that FABULOUS ARTIST and PRODUCER MS. BODEGA and her brother Jon Levy. They invited Ant and me up to their Upper Westside "Influencers Dinner" after-set

 (They are the adult kids of famed fine artist Benjamin Levy).

Fav pianist and friend ELEW is in the house!! As always, he turns it out!
Special shout out to our special host "Ms. Bodega". Her new single that she's putting out with LalaBela and Commissioner Gordon is a Dance track. "FLY SO HIGH" is a socially empowering music track. Follow her:

Facebook: Batsheva Ms.Bodega
Facebook Fanpage: Ms.Bodega
Twitter: Batsheva@Ms_Bodega
Instagram: MsBodegaaa

About The Bodega Movement & Mission:

Bodega World Music,LLC is a company that attempts to carry the message of Ms.Bodega as an artist and hopes to fulfill projects that represent unity, peace and the blending of cultures through music, fashion and dance. Its vision is to take on projects that have the ability to break down boundaries and stereotypes between people of different countries, religions and political backgrounds as a catalyst for celebrating each others cultures,for unity and for the realization that humanity comes first.

Ms.Bodega as a music artist is coming out with a New Campaign led by recorded music, live performances, Fashion and product integration to be marketed in the world of the New Digital Wave. These days we often see Music artists having a Bigger influence than politicians do. They can reach the youth with a word or a song in a way nobody else can. This is True Power of Influence. Ms. Bodega is about Positive Power and believes in using Power to move people, spread Light and inspire those who think they Can't.

Ms. Bodega and Bodega World Music is currently partnering up with Lalabela Entertainment Group/Alliance, 7-time Grammy Award Winner "Comissioner Gordon" WIlliams, The Manhattan Center and Leading Top Digital Media Marketing Technologists in order to reach a GLOBAL audience.

EPK
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I915o5cXAMs&list=PL64835B6FD83A6F5C

Ms.Bodega Live (Show Reel)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OLwQcqnz3dM&list=PL64835B6FD83A6F5C

Interview on Fit n' Fine Show (Public Access TV -100,000 Viewers)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CLsN8GT-nZA

Top Of The World (Music Video)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VpGZvvb3UdE&feature=c4-overview-vl&list=PL64835B6FD83A6F5C

Ms.Bodega Interviews Ky-mani Marley and Rohan Marley at Live show (Barbi,Telaviv)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zgDsSM9i2g&list=PL64835B6FD83A6F5C

Ms. Bodega Youtube Search (videoes,interviews,live performances etc..)
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=ms+bodega&sm=12

VANESSA WILLIAMS

In Jan 1995, Ernest Maynor and I flew up from ATL to see Vanessa Williams on Broadway in Kiss of the Spider Woman. Apr 2014, BFFs see her in After Midnight on Broadway! FULL CIRCLE! p.s. I got to interview Fran Drescher this week. She's on Broadway in "Cinderella". More from this later...

AS ALWAYS, THANKS FOR YOUR SUPPORT!