Entertainment
James Earl Jones, the man behind the voice for all time, has died at the age of 93
Famed for his distinctive deep, resonant baritone, James Earl Jones was an enormous on stage and screen.
Jones’s profession spanned greater than six many years, and he has been described as “one of America’s most distinguished and versatile” actors. He was one of the few performers to receive an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony (EGOT) Award. His award-winning performances included a job in Howard Sackler’s play “The Great White Hope”, which was loosely based on the life of the first black American heavyweight boxer, Jack Johnson.
But it was his distinctive voice — described in Washington Post as “a moving basso profundo that added grit and seriousness” — which sets him apart. Younger generations will recognize him as Darth Vader from the “Star Wars” series and Mufasa from “The Lion King.”
The famous star died at the age of 93 on Monday, September 9, at his home in Dutchess County, New York, Deadline reports.
But Jones’ voice will continue to exist for the world to listen to. Every day, his baritone carries the words, “This is… CNN.”
Overcoming adversity
Jones was born on January 17, 1931, in Arkabutla, Mississippi. His father, Robert Earl Jones, was a boxer, valet, and chauffeur, and his mother, Ruth, was a teacher and maid. The couple separated just before he was born. Robert left to pursue an acting profession, appearing on each stage and in movies. (Father and son didn’t meet or reconcile until the Fifties.)
From the age of 5, Jones’ grandparents raised him on a farm in rural Michigan that had been in the family since Reconstruction. The move to Michigan proved traumatic, and Jones developed a debilitating stutter. At a young age, he decided not to talk. and he once said in an interview“My first year of school was my first year of muteness, and then those years of muteness continued until high school.”
Jones’ English teacher, Donald Crouch, helped him overcome his challenges and end his years of silence through poetry. Crouch encouraged Jones to read his poems aloud to his class. Jones was soon competing in debates and oratory competitions in highschool, winning a public speaking competition in his senior 12 months.
Jones also received a scholarship to the University of Michigan, where he hoped to review medicine. But drama and theater caught his attention and he soon modified his focus. He graduated in 1953 with a bachelor’s degree in drama and served for two years as a U.S. Army Ranger during the Korean War.
After his military service, Jones moved to New York City to pursue acting, studying at the American Theater Wing with famed theater director and actor Lee Strasberg. To make ends meet, he worked as a janitor, polishing floors.
Broadway debut
Jones made his Broadway debut in two small roles, the first as an understudy in Lloyd Richards’ The Egghead in 1957, and the following 12 months he played the lead in Dore Schary’s Sunrise at Campobello. He then appeared in several Shakespearean plays, including Othello, Hamlet, Coriolanus, and King Lear.
In the Nineteen Sixties, Jones gained the attention of critics and audiences, earning critical praise and awards for his work in quite a few off-Broadway plays. In 1961, he joined an organization of unknown actors to star in French playwright Jean Genet’s “The Blacks.” The provocative play also starred Cicely Tyson, Maya Angelou, Louis Gossett Jr., Roscoe Lee-Browne, Godfrey Cambridge, Raymond St. Jacques, and Charles Gordone. The following 12 months, he appeared in “Moon on a Rainbow Shawl,” for which he won several awards. He won an Obie Award for Best Actor for his role in “Clandestine on the Morning Line.” In 1965, he won two Obie Awards for his performances in Bertolt Brecht’s “Othello” and “Baal.”
In 1968, he won his first Tony Award for his critically acclaimed performance in “The Great White Hope.” He reprised the role in the 1970 film version, earning an Oscar nomination for Best Actor.
Leaving his mark on film and tv
Over the next many years, Jones not only made his mark on the stage, but additionally on film and tv. His film debut got here in 1964 as Lieutenant Lothar Zogg in Dr. Strangelove
In total, he has appeared in over 70 movies and tv series. Among his most memorable roles were the role of Alex Haley in the television series Roots II and the role of a South African Anglican priest in the film Cry, My Beloved Country. He also had a recurring role as Admiral Greer in the film series based on Tom Clancy’s novels, The Hunt for Red October (1990), Patriot Games (1992) and Clear and Present Danger (1994).
In 1991, he became the first actor to win two Emmy Awards in the same 12 months: for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for his role in Gabriel’s Fire and Best Supporting Actor for the television movie Heat Wave.
Jones received the National Medal of Arts for his contribution to American culture in 1992. His peers at the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) honored him with a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2009. Two years later, he received an Oscar for Lifetime Achievement from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, making him technically one of the few EGOT recipients.
In 2017, Jones received a special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in Theatre.
He is survived by his son Flynn, whom he shared along with his wife and actress Cecilia Hart. Hart died of ovarian cancer in 2016.
(*93*) Stories
Entertainment
Jussie Smollett’s 2019 Self-Attack Conviction Overturned – Andscape
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — The Illinois Supreme Court on Thursday overturned the choice to fireside an actor Jussie Smollett conviction on charges of organizing a racist and anti-gay attack on himself in downtown Chicago in 2019 and lying to police.
The the state’s highest court ruled that the special prosecutor shouldn’t have been allowed to intervene after the Cook County state’s attorney initially dropped charges against Smollett in exchange for waiving $10,000 bail and performing community service. The ruling and appeal didn’t address Smollett’s continued claim of innocence.
Smollett, who’s black and gay, claims two men attacked him, hurled racist and anti-gay slurs and placed a noose around his neck, resulting in an enormous seek for suspects by Chicago police and sparking a world uproar. Smollett was starring in a television drama that was filmed in Chicago, and prosecutors alleged that he organized the attack because he was unhappy with the studio’s response to hate mail he received.
“We are aware that this case has generated significant public interest and that many people were dissatisfied with the resolution of the original case and considered it unfair,” Justice Elizabeth Rochford wrote in a 5-0 decision. “Nevertheless, more unfair than the resolution of any single criminal case would be for this court to find that the state is not obliged to honor agreements on which people have relied to their detriment.”
Smollett’s attorneys argued that the case ended with Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx’s office dropped initially 16 counts of disorderly conduct. A grand jury reinstated the fees after a special prosecutor took over the case. The jury convicted Smollett of five counts of disorderly conduct in 2021
Emails searching for comment were sent Thursday to Foxx’s office and Smollett’s attorney, who argued that Smollett was the victim of a racist and politicized justice system.
Testimony at trial showed that Smollett paid $3,500 to 2 men he knew to perform the attack. Prosecutors said he told them what insults to shout and shout that Smollett was in “MAGA country,” an apparent reference to Donald Trump’s presidential campaign slogan.
Smollett testified that “there was no fraud” and that he was the victim of a hate crime in his downtown Chicago neighborhood.
He was sentenced to 150 days in prison, six of which he had already served released pending further notice — 30 months probation and ordered to pay roughly $130,000 in restitution.
The state appeals court’s ruling upheld Smollett’s conviction, declaring that nobody promised Smollett that he would not face a brand new charge after accepting the unique deal.
Illinois Supreme Court Justice Mary Jane Theis and Justice Joy Cunningham didn’t take part in Thursday’s decision.
Entertainment
Lil Baby didn’t just rap about change – he went to Harvard to achieve it – Essence
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – JUNE 27: Songwriter of the Year Award winner Lil Baby speaks on stage on the ASCAP R&S Music Celebration on the London Hotel on June 27, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Lester Cohen/Getty Images for ASCAP)
Lil Baby will not be only considered one of the most important names in hip-hop – he can also be an aspiring entrepreneur who’s serious about taking his business knowledge to the subsequent level.
The GRAMMY Award-winning rapper recently participated in Harvard Business School’s “Launching New Ventures” program, a prestigious short course designed to help entrepreneurs grow their ventures through modern strategies. The program, which will not be a level-granting initiative, focuses on key entrepreneurial tools, including opportunity assessment, competitive evaluation and developing sustainable business models, – we read on this system’s website.
For Lil Baby, born Dominique Armani Jones, the move was greater than just earning bragging rights. Known for hits like and , the Atlanta native has all the time been open about his desire to construct a legacy beyond music. As head of his record label 4PF (Four Pockets Full), he is committed to creating opportunities for artists and running a business that will not be only profitable, but in addition influential. However, he realized that running a successful label required honing his skills, and Harvard was the right place for this.
Movie shared on X On Wednesday, we got to see Lil Baby participating within the show. The clip ended on a touching note as he was presented together with his certificate of completion, followed by a surprise ceremony organized by his family.
While critics were quick to indicate that he didn’t “graduate” from Harvard – despite misleading headlines – his decision to commit to this system is critical in itself. Shows like “Launching New Ventures” offer insights that may transform corporations and help entrepreneurs overcome challenges, and Lil Baby’s presence signals his commitment to constructing a legacy that goes far beyond music. For Lil Baby, the move is an element of a broader commitment to securing his position not only as a rapper, but in addition as a mogul. His commitment to self-improvement reflects the values he promotes through his music: perseverance, resilience and development.
It’s also value noting that Lil Baby’s decision to attend Harvard sends a powerful message to his community, especially Black entrepreneurs. In a world where barriers to business education still exist, his decision to pursue higher education shows that it’s never too late – or too unconventional – to take what you are promoting seriously.
As Lil Baby grows, one thing is obvious: his diligence knows no limits. Whether he’s behind the microphone or within the classroom, he proves that the important thing to success is to continually strive for more.
Entertainment
More proof that you’re old: Mary J. Blige’s “My Life” album debuted 30 years ago
I actually remember November 1994. I used to be a sophomore in highschool and was still very clumsy and goofy. I hadn’t yet experienced what anyone would call a growth spurt, as evidenced by the very fact that my younger sister (three years younger) was taller than me. At this point in my life, I assumed I used to be destined to be certain I had a terrific personality that would give me a romantic future. I used to be told about one young student who was in love with me, but being 15 and never big, I didn’t really trust in my ability to pursue a dating life. In 1994, I saw myself because the Steve Urkel with no unreachable neighbor.
In 1994, I had a real love: music. I kept buying cassettes and compact discs; there was at all times music around me. Listening to the newest music from anyone and everybody was my hobby. Mary J. Blige was one in every of those artists that I used to be an enormous fan of. I mean, everyone really was. Her album “What’s the 411?” was released in July 1992, so when school began in August, it was one in every of those albums that everyone was talking about. “True Love” and him one other hip-hop remix the most popular songs were on fire and you can start an impromptu jam session in my middle school dining room by simply saying “true love” out loud.
To say that the anticipation for Mary’s second album was enormous can be the understatement of the yr. I still remember being blown away by the music video for the primary single “Be Happy” on MTV and BET’s “Video Soul”. I remember this mainly because I used to be so frightened about Mary’s life standing on those rocks. Of course she survived the video session, but I used to be very concerned for her safety. I could not imagine life without Mary. I purchased this single and mainly burned a hole in it.
Then got here the monster single “I’m Goin’ Down.” The remake of Rose Royce’s single from the movie “Car Wash” (titled “I’m Going Down”) had all of the black girls in my highschool able to break up with their boyfriends so that they too could sing about it lost love – teenage hormones cause strange problems. Let me just say this for the record: Mary’s version of this song is totally amazing. Her performance on the album is known; you can hear all the experience through her vocals.
If Mary stopped making music at this point, she would already be a legend, I actually consider that. But this whole album is a radiator from start to complete. Even today, once I hearken to “My Life”, my search ends in failure; “My Life” is largely a consolation at this point in my life. From “You Bring Me Joy” to the title track to the ultimate minute of “I Never Wanna Live Without You,” this album is a portal back in time to a version of me that was interested by what life had to supply. I used to be given the vocal type of Mary J. Blige to soundtrack this journey.
It’s also crazy to think about it this manner: “My Life” got here out at a time in my life once I was already driving a automotive. Sure, I used to be 15, but my father also let me drive himself, my siblings, and my friends wherever we would have liked to go because he got bored with running errands. We just agreed that if I got pulled over, he would not know I used to be taking the automotive. Coincidentally, although I used to be in a position to use the automotive at no cost for a solid yr before I could even apply for a driving license, I failed my driving test the primary time I took it on my sixteenth birthday. You’ve never seen a father more lost and upset in his son than my father was that day. We now call my father’s facial expressions “core memory.”
If you’re reading this because you’ve got seen the words of Mary J. Blige and “My Life,” you then, like me, are in a phase of life where you’re continually reminded that you’re not only getting old, but you might actually be old. I will not be old as hell, but I’m too old to be within the club, you realize?
Fortunately, nonetheless, my journey so far in my life includes a number of the best works of musical art in existence, similar to Mary J. Blige’s 1994 album “My Life.” This album – just like the profession of its lead voice, Mary J. Blige – brings me joy.
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