Disney+ and National Geographic’s anthology series has found the ensemble cast of its upcoming “Genius: MLK/X.” Portraying the pioneering leaders of the Civil Rights Movement are Kelvin Harrison Jr. (“Waves,” “Elvis”) as Dr.
09.09.2022 - 05:49 / thefader.com
Four years ago, after Aretha Franklin passed away at 76, reporter Jen Dize submitted a Freedom of Information Act request to unseal the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s file on the late soul queen. The contents of the 270-page file were finally published late morning in a report by Dize on her investigative journalism substack, Courage News. (Dize had posted what she felt were the most relevant documents hours earlier in a Twitter thread.) They detail a complicated relationship between the Bureau and the legendary singer that found them acting as her harasser, protector, and legal advocate at different points in her life.
Early on in Franklin’s career, the FBI kept tabs on her friendships with Martin Luther King, Jr. and, later, Angela Davis. The newly unsealed file refers her 1967 and 1968 performances at Dr.
King’s Southern Christian Leadership Conference meetings as “communist infiltration” events. It also mentions her involvement in a memorial show in honor of Dr. King alongside Sammy Davis Jr.
and others. “Of this group, some have supported militant Black power concept,” a Bureau source warned. “[The concert] would provide emotional spark which could ignite racial disturbance in this area.” A similar note was made on her performance at a fundraiser for the Angela Davis Legal Defense Fund.
Disney+ and National Geographic’s anthology series has found the ensemble cast of its upcoming “Genius: MLK/X.” Portraying the pioneering leaders of the Civil Rights Movement are Kelvin Harrison Jr. (“Waves,” “Elvis”) as Dr.
Helen Skelton has said she is 'trying to be sexy' while showing off her blistered feet on social media. The Countryfile host is currently in training for week two of Strictly Come Dancing which will be on screens this coming Saturday.
Will.i.am has claimed he was the inspiration behind Beyoncé’s ‘Break My Soul’ remix EP.Earlier this year, Beyoncé released a four-track EP featuring remixes of the ‘Renaissance’ track from the likes of Honey Dijon, Terry Hunter and Nita Aviance.According to will.i.am though, the whole thing would never have happened without him. Speaking to Metro, he said: “I was in France and her song (‘Break My Soul’) came out and I’m like, ‘I wish the beat did this.’ So I called my collab partner and we did it remotely on FYI, a collaboration tool.”The Black-Eyed Peas singer then claimed “they weren’t thinking about remixes until I sent it.”“They put out a remix EP and my song’s first one on it – and I inspired it,” he continued.
Gorka Marquez and former Blue Peter presenter Helen Skelton were highly praised as they made their dancefloor debut together on Saturday night. The pair floated across the floor on Strictly Come Dancing as they performed the American Smooth to Aretha Franklin's You Send Me.
Strictly Come Dancing stars are getting ready for week one of the 2022 competition. Following Friday's launch show, which saw the celebrities paired up with their professional partners, they are getting ready to perform their first dance. Some stars have taken to their social media to show what they are getting up to in the final hours before they perform in the live show.
Week one of Strictly Come Dancing 2022 is upon us, with this year's contestants set to take to the dance floor for the very first live show this evening. The show airs tonight, Saturday 24 September, following Friday's launch show where it was revealed which celebrity has been paired with which professional dancer.
Aretha Franklin and Tony Bennett, and performed at the 1995 state dinner that President Clinton hosted for President Fernando Henrique Cardoso of Brazil. Hard-nosed jazz fans might have shrugged him off as a pop-jazz quisling who spent much of his time on gospel-powered covers and catchy funk anthems. Yet he gracefully drew on all manner of influences, interweaving jazz, classical and pop with a sureness of touch that defied classification.
Michael Keaton has become the first actor to scoop a whopping five major TV awards for the same role after winning his first ever Emmy Award. The actor, 71, was awarded Leading Actor in a Miniseries or TV Movie for his role as Dr. Samuel Finnix in Disney Plus series Dopesick during the awards ceremony.
“Kellyoke” is back to soothe your hearts.
“The Kelly Clarkson Show” returns with an electrifying start.
Aretha Franklin has proven that the bureau extensively tracked the late singer’s civil rights activism.The 270-page document features reports on the singer from more than 12 US states, and focuses on her friendship with Martin Luther King as well as death threats made against her and a copyright case involving a Yahoo! Groups fan site.The document, which is available to view here, shows that Franklin was monitored ahead of and around her appearances at civil rights movement events, including the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference.The events took place in the late 1960s in Atlanta, Georgia and Memphis, Tennessee respectively, and were referred to by the FBI in the document as “communist infiltration” events.Elsewhere, Franklin was referenced in a note titled: “Assassination of Martin Luther King. Racial matters,” and notes were made of her involvement in a planned memorial concert for the famous activist.
Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent Rolling off a banner world premiere of Andrew Dominik’s “Blonde” at the Venice Film Festival, Ana de Armas’s next stop was the Deauville Film Festival in France where she received the Hollywood Rising-Star Award on Friday (Sept. 9) in the jam-packed Palais des Congres. Attended by Dominik and the film’s producers, the ceremony was followed by the French premiere of the Netflix movie, in which de Armas delivers a riveting performance as Marilyn Monroe. De Armas, who notably starred in “Knives Out,” “No Time to Die” and “Grey Man,” succeeds Dylan Penn, Sophie Turner, Elle Fanning and Shailene Woodley as recent recipients of the Hollywood Rising Star Award.
The FBI extensively tracked Aretha Franklin in the 1960s and 1970s, according to newly declassified files. The documents show that the US intelligence agency took particular interest in Franklin’s civil rights activism, and paid close attention to her performances for Martin Luther King Jr’s Southern Christian Leadership Conference.The files were unsealed as the result of a Freedom Of Information request that journalist Jenn Dize filed all the way back in 2018.
Adele is celebrating her first Emmy Award! The iconic singer is now one step closer to becoming an EGOT winner, after receiving an Emmy over the weekend for the Outstanding Variety Special (Pre-Recorded) category for her CBS special Adele: One Night Only. The talented singer, who recently talked about her plans for marriage and having more kids, was not able to attend the ceremony in Los Angeles, however she took to social media to show her excitement.“Bloody hell I’m pleased as punch! Thank you @mrbenwinston for dropping this round to me this afternoon!! Trust me to officially have an EGO,” she wrote.Adele posted a make-up free selfie with her new achievement.