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James Earl Jones, the man behind the voice for all time, has died at the age of 93

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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.

American actor James Earl Jones looks at himself in a dressing room mirror before happening stage on December 10, 1968, to star in “The Great White Hope” as Jack Jefferson on Broadway in New York City. (Photo by Harry Benson/Daily Express/Getty Images)

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.”

Gala Dinner and Awards Ceremony at the Kennedy Center
(From left to right) Actress Elizabeth Taylor, actor James Earl Jones, First Lady Laura Bush, U.S. President George W. Bush, actress Chita Rivera, conductor James Levine and singer Paul Simon pose for a photograph after the presentation of the 2002 Kennedy Center Honors at the White House on December 8, 2002 in Washington, D.C. Each 12 months, the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts honors a select group of artists for a lifetime of achievement and influence on American culture. (Photo by Eric Draper/White House/Getty Images)

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

James Earl Jones (center) and the forged of “You Can’t Take It With You” during the final curtain call at the Longacre Theatre on February 22, 2015 in New York City. (Photo by Grant Lamos IV/Getty Images)

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

This article was originally published on : thegrio.com
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Gayle King is releasing a shocking bombshell about her bedroom habits, months after revealing her efforts to woo a man

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Gayle King invites fans to her bedroom.

The “CBS Mornings” co-host sat down with Drew Barrymore on her eponymous talk show, where the 2 talked about their sleep habits.

The discussion led to the women wondering whether or not they were going to bed with any clothes on or not. In King’s case, she said she was wearing some sleepwear, but preferred not to wear underwear.

Gayle King talks candidly with Drew Barrymore about why she goes commando when it’s bedtime (Photo: @gayleking/Instagram)

“I always sleep in a big, old, worn-out T-shirt, but I don’t like wearing underwear,” she said. “Because I like feeling the breeze there. At night, yes.”

Barrymore agreed with King’s views that he wanted to “feel the breeze there”. The mother of two claimed she taught her daughters the identical lesson.

“I used to tell the girls they would be terrified of it, but I thought, ‘You’ve got to let it breathe.’ Let’s take a break to breathe. In those diapers all the time? Nuh-uh. We’ll just go for a walk and whatever happens, happens. And yes, women should feel the breeze.”

One person commented “tmi” on Decyder’s Instagram post clip.

When it comes to sleeping naked, King may not feel prefer it, but she says there was a time when she felt comfortable enough to pose nude for a college boy.

The 69-year-old gave a virtual interview on the now-finished “Ellen Degeneres Show” by which she told Ellen Degeneres how this moment in 2020 got here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KZ5XzqUozBA

“Ellen, now listen,” King began. “I would not do it today, but I used to be dating a guy. He was a photographer, so I taught myself photography. So you realize… you are in your dorm room and he said let’s take some photos. I used to be naked on the time, my hair was in rollers – pink foam rollers – so yes, I did a photo shoot.

But apparently King was sensible enough to keep her future in mind. “But you realize what I did? I went with him to a dark room to develop them. I took the negatives, they are going to never see the sunshine of day,” she continued. “I destroyed them since it may very well be blackmail material in the event that they still existed, but I do know they do not because I physically destroyed them. You know whenever you’re young you do cool things.

Unlike King, Barrymore said she doesn’t actually mind being completely naked if she’s home alone.

She said, “This is how I roll. If no one is home, including the kids – they go and stay the night at dad’s – I will sleep naked. Love it. I lock all the doors and just parade around like little J Bird.”

King doesn’t have to worry an excessive amount of about this because her two children are actually adults and he or she hasn’t remarried since divorcing their dad, her ex William Bumpus, in 1993.

They split up after a television journalist caught her then-husband in bed with one other woman after a trip with the youngsters. They now appear to have a warm, friendly relationship, but many believed he wanted to return to that old style after gracing the duvet of King’s Sports Illustrated.

“Well, I can check one more item off my wish list that will probably never happen!” Bumpus said Page six in May. “My teenage fantasy of hooking up with a Sports Illustrated model finally came true. WOW! Good for you Gayle… You look fantastic! Kudos to Sports Illustrated for choosing YOU,” he further exclaimed.

When it comes to dating, King recently it opened about her struggles to find the fitting man for Tamron Hall. Although she claimed to be “alert and available”, she found it “difficult” to find what she truly wanted in a partner.

“It’s not really about the money, guys. It’s about someone who has his own business, his own affairs. They are very confident in their own skin,” she told Hall and her audience. “You know, I remember my ex once telling me, ‘I’m going to be tired when this Gayle King beeping stops.’ So you want someone who celebrates you, who is excited about you, and who is comfortable in their own skin. And this is very difficult. But no mercy for me. I feel really good.”


This article was originally published on : atlantablackstar.com
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Whoopi Goldberg launches the first online sports network for women – Essence

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NEW YORK, NEW YORK – JULY 23: Whoopi Goldberg visits SiriusXM Studios on July 23, 2024 in New York City. (Photo: Cindy Ord/Getty Images)

For the first time, female athletes, teams and leagues around the world could have a dedicated platform to rejoice their achievements in a way often reserved for male-dominated sports. It’s all thanks partly to the incomparable Whoopi Goldberg.

The Oscar-winning actress, renowned comedian and outspoken social justice advocate has long been a cultural force, and now she’s extending her influence to sports with the launch of a movie All Women’s Sports Network (AWSN).

“It will be a place where women’s sporting events from around the world will be broadcast live,” Goldberg said last week on the show.

Launched in partnership with international streaming company JungoTV, the network is now available in the United States via VIZIO WatchFree+, in addition to globally via Jio TV in India, Evision in the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, and Jungo Pinoy in the Philippines. The network’s mission is straightforward yet groundbreaking: to offer a platform where female athletes, sporting leagues and events gain unparalleled visibility and celebration.

“Our goal is to have the world’s largest distributed women’s sports network, digital or broadcast.” Goldberg said.

The launch of AWSN is timely. Despite a big increase in interest in women’s sports, opportunities for media presence remain limited. All Women’s Sports Network goals to fill this gap, providing over 2,000 hours of live programming from the first broadcasts of sports similar to UEFA football, FIBA ​​basketball and field hockey.

Thanks to its partnership with CommonSpirit Health, the network’s primary brand sponsor in the US, AWSN already has good contacts with entities supporting holistic representation and health in sports. Goldberg, who has long used her platform to advocate for social justice and social representation, shared her enthusiasm for the initiative. “The world is finally recognizing the amazing female athletes who have always been here but didn’t get the attention they deserved,” Goldberg said. “Making these athletes, teams and leagues available to over 2 billion people is a historic event.”

The network’s founding team also includes CEO George Chung, who emphasized the huge need for a dedicated space for women’s sports coverage. “Women’s track and field is growing exponentially and there is not a single platform that showcases these incredible stories, athletes and events year-round,” Chung noted.

AWSN’s unique programming offering covers a formidable range of sports, making it a groundbreaking destination for viewers and fans of women’s sports around the world. From the coverage of the International Basketball Federation and the Women’s Football Association to the field hockey and football leagues of OBOS Damallsvenskan – the network’s offer reflects the diversity and dynamics of women’s sport. To follow AWSN’s progress and access its live programming, viewers can tune into the platform’s appropriate streams or visit AWSN.television.

This article was originally published on : www.essence.com
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Craig Melvin will replace Hoda Kotb on the Today show.

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Craig Melvin, Today show, Hoda Kotb, Black broadcasters, Black newscasters, Black in media, theGrio.com

As Hoda Kotb’s departure from the Today show nears, more changes are on the horizon. Longtime host Craig Melvin is preparing to replace Kotb as co-host.

Melvin, 45, who’s already hosting his third hour of “Today” alongside Al Roker, Sheinelle Jones and Dylan Dreyer, made the announcement during Thursday broadcast. The announcement comes roughly two months after Kotb announced that she was leaving the show after nearly twenty years to focus on her family.

“I’m extremely excited and grateful,” Melvin said, getting emotional during the broadcast. “I have enjoyed blessings all my life, and this is the latest in a long list of blessings.”

In an interview with Kotb, Melvin said: “It means a lot to me to inherit this from you. You have been the heart of this place for a long time. You helped save this program.”

Roker, who joined the show via Zoom to congratulate Melvin, said: “I knew this day would come. I watched you grow up. “I saw you as a journalist, but more importantly, I saw you as a dad, a son and all the things that make you who you are,” he said. “I’m so proud and happy for you right now because you’re worth it.”

Starting Monday, January 13, Melvin will host for 3 straight hours. Kotb’s last day on the program is scheduled for Friday, January 10.

The two-time Emmy winner from South Carolina has worked at NBC News for 14 years and have become the anchor of “Today” in 2018. His coverage includes breaking news, meetings with presidents and other outstanding figures, multiple Olympics and Super Bowls, and more. In 2011, he married sports presenter Lindsay Czarniak; together they’ve two children.

An anonymous source reported People Magazine“Craig is an incredibly talented presenter. It is very versatile. It has everything you need to fill this role. Hoda has two really important jobs, and they take them step by step, thinking about everything.”

Other upcoming programming changes include changing the fourth hour of the show to “TONIGHT with Jenna and Friends.” The recent hour, which debuts on January 13, will feature a rotating addition of co-hosts until a everlasting host is chosen.

This article was originally published on : thegrio.com
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