Something for the Children

Food for Thought


All around the world there are children who need our help. La Casa Rosada is just one of them. Located in the Dominican Republic, this special home for children with HIV/AIDS is a wonderful example of pure love. Run by the Sisters and volunteers, this is a true gem. What they need most is food. Thank God due to a grant from some good people they now have the drugs they need.

For more information on La Casa Rosada click here.

Farewell to a Friend

I just found out yesterday that Calvert had died. What a sweet man. Even when he was at the top of his game he was pleasant and kind to his fans. I had the opportunity to work on his management teams 15 years ago while he was working on the David Letterman Show and in the feature film "Kingpin." We traveled many places around the country making television appearances.

Three weeks ago me and another great comedianne friend of his, Marilyn Dobrin, tried to look him up to check on him. We contacted his manager but couldn't get any information of his whereabouts. The unfortunate thing is that he didn't need to die alone. Rest well my "Bud"

Bio below provided by Wikipedia
Calvert DeForest (July 23, 1921 - March 19, 2007), also known by his character Larry "Bud" Melman, was an American actor and comedian.
He is credited for four films from 1972 to 1982 and, after his first appearance with David Letterman, appeared in fifteen other films or television shows.[1] While he was working as a file clerk at a drug rehabilitation facility, he was "discovered" by Stephen Winer and Karl Tiedemann, writers for David Letterman's show, when he appeared in their New York University student film, KING of the Zs.[2] Later he worked as a drug rehabilitation counselor. However, his job was mentioned on air and he said it made it more difficult for him to work effectively as a counselor, forcing his retirement. However, he continued to make appearances with David Letterman. One of DeForest's "advertisements" on Late Night was "Toast On A Stick".
DeForest later appeared under his own name, but as essentially the same character, when Letterman moved from NBC to CBS in 1993 to do The Late Show with David Letterman. This change was made because the character of "Larry 'Bud' Melman" was considered the intellectual property of NBC, even though David Letterman gave him the name. He continued to appear on Letterman's show until 2002, before retiring from acting.
DeForest died at a hospital in West Islip, New York, on Long Island on March 19, 2007.[3] As per his request, there will be no funeral services held.

Last week was action packed with special events and regular real estate business. Pictured here is me delivering an address to future homeowners about "Working With Brokers." My co-worker Danni Tyson or Halstead Property, LLC did an excellent job bringing out great presenters from Credit Companies, PM Mortgage Bankers and my friend August Capone, buyers who one the housing lottery, brownstone owners and an attorney. You can't buy that type of information. Guess what. It rained that day so the turnout was well under there expectations. Community Board 10 is very active in meeting the needs of the community of Central Harlem. Hopefully next time, rain or shine, more people will come out.



The week started at the Kick Off reception for the Host Committee for the upcoming Living Beyond Belief Awards. The event was held at Slate with open bar and lots of food. Yummy. Anyway, they also showed PSA's that will be shown on TV.

The 5th Annual Butterfly Awards will be held at the Hiro Ballroom at the Maritime Hotel in Chelsea, NYC. Email me for ticket information.

Housing Our Dream Seminar

Thinking about how you can buy instead of rent. Don't miss out on this unique opportunity to hear from the best. Real Estate professionals will be at this seminar to speak about how you can own a home or apartment. I will be there speaking about "Working with Brokers" also speaking will be a real estate attorney, mortgage bankers, recent homeowners, credit specialist and more.

If you live in NYC don't miss this one. It's free. Get there early because this is in the State Office Building. President Clinton works there so security is tight.

You too can live your dream. Do something about it today.

Presented by Community Board 10
Thursday - March 15, 2007 at 6:30PM
Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. State Building
163 W. 125th St - Gallery - 2nd Floor

Back at It

Yeah I know it's been awhile. Things are going great so I had to take a break from writing. I promise to do better. This edition is about television.

• If you haven't seen City of Men check it out on the Sundance Channel. It is an inspirational show about how people with little to nothing make it through life. Center around two young men in Rio de Janiro who live in the favelas yet they stay out of trouble by going to school and working. Yes, it is in Portuguese but it has subtitles and it is well worth watching.
City of Men (all 19 episodes) are available on DVD which I own. Here are some links where I shop very commonly where people can order it with confidence. Please check out these links to buy the DVD series.
http://www.deepdiscount.com/viewproduct.htm?productId=5780346

http://www.dvdplanet.com/details.cfm?info=PLM003141





• Did you catch the "One Night Only" series about the kids from New Orleans that mounted a production of Dreamgirls. What a wonderful series about survival and reselience. It is great to see industry heavyweights like George Faison, Blair Underwood and Jennifer Hudson come together to help these kids in need. If you get to catch it on repeat, please do. Who says we can't work together. Hat's off to BET Television. They are starting to turn the corner on good programming.

• Oprah has given us two outstanding programs this month. The first was on her leadership academy in South Africa. If you didn't see the special you should try and catch it on reruns or someplace. It was an inspiration to see how a dream can come true for both the rich and poor at the same time. This is a call to action. Education is the key.

The second tip I got from O was the information on "The Secret" ... It has opened so many doors. I took time out to watch the movie online and was blown away. It made so much sense to me perhaps you will also find it useful. Let me know.

Dare to Dream - Part I

This Dare to Dream series will spotlight various periods in my life that hold special inspiration for me. It is a journal of moments during my professional life that shaped my sucesses and disappointments.

Just a boy...then a teen

Growing up in North Philadelphia in the 70's wasn't easy. My street was a haven from the madness that bordered our little community. The block had a mix of different multi-racial families who got along well together and looked out for each other. There were the Greens, two elderly white sisters who never married that lived next door. Their house was right out of the early 1900's and then there were the Butts, the Collins, The Pendletons, The Clements, The Williams, The Summies, The Nocho's and on and on. It is funny how after all these years I still remember their names. We had block parties and great Halloween memories. The cub scouts, street ball games and early evenings of playing "cars" were among the many activities on our block. Although my street was peaceful for the most part we were surrounded by some on the meanest gangs in the city. They had "zip guns" back then that could kill you just like a regular gun and the boys were not afraid to use them either. My brother, sister and I got by because both of our parents were teachers who were held in high esteem by many of these gang people. One guy told me that his life was saved more than once when my father put him on the floor of the back of his car and drove him home so the competing gang wouldn't shoot him. Hmmm ... memories.

Remembering those times were bittersweet for many reasons but everything changed when I turned 15. I started to drive and my status with my peers was immediately elevated. It also didn't hurt that I was playing saxophone in one of the cities most popular bands at the time. Back then, Motown, Philly International and other black record companies were on the rise and bands had many places to play. Our group was the Phoenix Band...it was like Kool & the Gang with horns, bass, drummer, two guitars, two keyboards and two excellent singers. We played everywhere from weddings, street parties, school dances and bars. Yep..even at 15. Our manager was a cop so you know we always got our money. What I did notice early on was that I didn't really like being on stage. I was intriqued by the drama that went on backstage...the politics if you will. After reading books on J P Getty, Howard Hughes and Berry Gordy I knew I wanted to be on the business side of things.

I read everything I could on the music business and would beg people to let me volunteer to work with them. My first stop was at Society Hill Sound Studios when I was 16 years old. The studio was recording some of the hottest groups in the city and I wanted to be where they were. Michael Nice...yes that was his name allowed me to try and book studio time on commission. I guess I was good at that because I worked there after school for two years. Watching the hopefuls come and go with the burning desire to succeed was entoxicating.

I can't exactly remember the moment but at some point during that time I met a singing group called Sister Sledge. They were a new sister group on Atlantic Records and they had it going on. Their mother, Flo was there manager and she sure knew how to handle her business. She got those teenagers through some tough times and all of them came out okay without being on drugs or pregnant. Many people didn't like Flo because she didn't play. She was okay with me because I told her I wanted to learn the business and wanted to help. I told her I would work for free...even though she was skeptical she took me with them on several gigs around town but my big break came when I showed up at Radio City Music Hall in NYC where they were performing with the legendary Marvin Gaye. I buzzed the backstage door and announced that I worked with Sister Sledge. When I got up to the dressing room they all looked at me and shook their heads in disbelief that I would come all the way from Philly on my own and at my own expense to work for free. Anyway, that isn't the best part...so I start walking around the stage at Radio City totally amazed at how big it was. The stage was almost as big as a football field. The union stage hands were not use to seeing many black people that were not performing on the stage but they were kind and were showing me all the things that the stage could do. They showed me how the stage was made up of a series of elevators that could lift performers up to the stage from below. I got so excited when they told me that if I wanted I could have the girls rise up out of the stage in a cloud of smoke. Running up to the dressing room I was smiling with anticipation of how excited they would be. The girls loved the idea but Flo thought I didn't know what I was talking about. Long story short...they rose from the stage after the curtain when up and the audience went bananas. Once Sister Sledge finished their set a road manager for Marvin Gaye came up to us and told us we could do the same production for the second show. I asked why and they just walked away. Well, I soon found out because during Marvin Gaye's second set he came out on a podium from the floor with the smoke. Lesson one in show business. Headliners rule.

Next up...off to college and concert promotion business.

Long Time Coming

I am so thankful for today. It has been awhile since my last entry because I have been so focused on other things. You know, many bloggers talk about how easy it is to stop writing because it often appears that there is no one reading. Well thanks to many of the readers who have complained about my lack of entries, I am back. Actually I was being productive in other places. I started a myspace page for my real estate business and have acquired many new friends and customers. www.myspace.com/bestbroker It is amazing how many people are out there still looking for property even though the news says the market is crashing. Not in NYC where prices seem to be going up. Harlem, Brooklyn, Lower East Side...seems like everyone wants to be in the city now.

I was asked to write an article for a new magazine entitled "UNeQ Magazine" which will be launched this Friday. I can't wait to see it. My submission is on vacationing in Salvador Bahia Brazil. This is not my first freelance article but I am happy to be a part of such a exciting venture. I want to thank my friend Anthony Montgomery who proofread the article for me. He has the advantage of being in the warm Dominican Republic sipping blended drinks. If you are looking for a place to stay in Santo Domingo check out his apartments.

Great things are coming. Stay tuned.