The Chocolate Pages Show

Sparkle starring the late Whitney Houston and Jordin Sparks, hits theaters on Aug. 17 and fans of the cult film classic can see at least one of the original film's stars in concert.

Our guest today,  Lonette McKee, was born in Motown.

She will perform in concert with vocalist & bass player Michael Henders on on 11/2 at New York City's Aaron Davis Hall.

McKee's career began in music in Detroit as a child prodigy, where she started writing music/lyrics, singing, playing keyboards & performing at 7. At 14, she recorded her 1st record, which became an instant regional pop/R&B hit. McKee wrote the title song for the film Quadroon when she was 15.

Her career has included leading roles on stage, screen & TV. McKee made a highly praised film debut as the drug-addicted lead singer of a Supremes-like pop group in "Sparkle" (1976) and even has won a Tony nomination on Broadway.

McKee has since appeared in some 40 TV & film projects, including a number of Spike Lee movies, such as Jungle Fever, Malcolm X and She Hate Me.

She currently teaches at the City College of New York, has a lot of upcoming music, film and TV projects, including an urban tragedy, Dream Street, which will serve as her directorial debut.

She was "Sister"  in the original Sparkle and is still shining. Hear her talk about her career & "Sparkle, a Night to Remember."  LonetteMcKee.com

Stop being average at so many things, and become extraordinary at One Big Thing.

What were you born to accomplish with your life? in this interview, Phil Cooke, the author of One Big Thing will help you discover what you were born to do and allow it to revolutionize your business, your ministry, and your life.

In today's distracted, digital culture, it's harder than ever to identify your calling, get your voice heard, and achieve your dreams.  Phil Cooke will talk about the secrets of living a life-on-purpose that rises above the noise and leaves a lasting mark on the world.

Bio: Phil Cooke is changing the way business and non-profit leaders influence and engage the culture. A writer, speaker & filmmaker,  reporter Paula Zahn called him "Rare - a working producer in Hollywood with an earned Ph.D." Phil has produced programming in more than 40 countries around the world. He produced and directed "The Better Hour" -on PBS that told the story of William Wilberforce leading the campaign to abolish the slave trade.

His company, Cooke Pictures (cookepictures.com) advises many of the largest non-profit and religious organizations on how to engage today's culture effectively through media.

His books and online blog at philcooke.com are changing the way non-profit & religious organizations tell their story.

DREAMS DO COME TRUE! I Imported from Detroit's Cass Tech to college boutique-owner to celebrity publicist to publisher to motivational speaker to teens to beauty product  inventor and NOW to the owner of The Socialite Beauty Bar.

Arian Simone  is CEO of Arian Simone Enterprises, Publisher of FEARLESS MAGAZINE, Executive Director of Live Your Dreams Foundation.   Not only a magazine publisher, but a public relations and event pro, Simone is credited with doing publicity work on films such as Takers, Quantam of Solace, Hancock, Seven Pounds, This Christmas, Limitless and many more. She was also the Head Women in Charge, planning Lil Wayne’s and Braylon Edwards 25th birthday parties, Chris Brown’s MTV My Super Sweet 18 and a plethora of other  entertainment industry events.  This multi-faceted business woman was listed as one of Ebony Magazine’s top 30 business leaders under 30 and has been featured in various media publications and top blogs. See www.ariansimone.com

Her story on video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zUc5icKg0B4

The Socialite Beauty Bar Opens June 15.  VIP reception,  rsvp to [email protected]. It's located in downtown Birmingham, Mich.

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/TheSocialiteBeauty

Leroy Scott is on a mission to help heal people from heart ache and heart break. He wants to show them why they must forgive and show them HOW easy it really is.

Leroy Scott, MS, MDiv is a nationally recognized Christian Counselor with over 15 years of private practice experience. He is the owner of several community based behavioral health organizations. Licensed in both the State of Florida and the State of Louisiana as a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) and a Professional Counselor (LPC), Leroy now spends the majority of his time doing speaking engagements and providing coaching services to Christian leaders, athletes and business people. He is the author of many books including Unbreaking the Heart.

See www.LeroyScott.com

This lady is living her dreams! Dorothy Tene' Redmond is a freelance journalist/writer and playwright. Mahogany Dreams was her first play and has been returning back to DETROIT for years because of the rave reviews.   (This year it is all BRAND New and better than ever) www.mahoganydreams.com

Mahogany Dreams follows the adventures of Dream Johnson as she chronicles her days at the legendary Cafe Mahogany coffehouse.

Written and produced by Dorothy Tene' Redmond, the fictional story set in the late 90's takes the audience on an artistic journey of poetry, jazz and dance.

From set design to stage Detroiters of past and present have collaborated to showcase Detroit talent at its best.

For more information visit: www.mahoganydreams.com

or by calling: (202) 480-9469

Special guest poets:

Kahn Davidson

Frenchi Davis

Joel Fluent Green (3 year host of Cafe Mahogany)

Tyora Moody is an author and entrepreneur. Her debut novel, When Rain Falls, was released March 1, 2012 (Urban Christian/Kensington).

This is the first book in the Victory Gospel series. She is working on the second book in the Victory Gospel Series. When Memories Fade will be released March 2013.

A showering of faith, love, and mystery. When Rain Falls proves that when life is cloudy, God will soon bring his sunshine. Make room on your bookshelf for the entire Victory Gospel Series.~  Tia McCollors, author of Steppin' Into The Good Life

http://www.tyoramoody.com/ - Author of WHEN RAIN FALLS and WHEN MEMORIES FADE (March 2013)

Personal Information: Tyora is A cat lover. Loves cookies and coffee. Not necessarily together. Snoopy fan. Total geek. Loving my natural hair. Likes action movies over sappy romance.

Free webinar on how to launch like a superstar: www.perrywilliamson.com

Devon Franklin is also the author of Produced by Faith: Enjoy Real Success without Losing Your True Self

STRAIGHT FROM HOLLYWOOD comes a dynamic business model for building a thriving career without compromising your faith. DeVon Franklin, vice president of production for Columbia Pictures, shares how being bold about his Christian faith while being driven and ambitious has actually helped him to excel in a high-profile, fast-paced, competitive industry.

http://www.producedbyfaith.com/

“It takes faith to step out from obscurity into the glaring lights of Hollywood particularly as a man of faith. Not only does DeVon Franklin detail his astonishing ascension to the top of his craft, he shares how he did it to the glory of God and to the delight of blockbuster audiences around the globe. This book is a must-read for anyone seeking to strike that quintessential balance between faith and function. Hollywood, like life, is a walk of faith.” —Bishop T. D. Jakes

The IT blog: ConcreteLoop.com. And now we have Angel's Laws of Blogging: What You Need to Know if You Want to Have a Successful and Profitable Blog

Hear How can you get paid to blog? Learn the secret from the creator of ConcreteLoop.com

Self-taught Angel Laws, the founder of ConcreteLoop.com, created a successful and profitable blog, one that receives more than 500,000 unique hits a day.

Hear her simple, step-by-step advice on how to turn a blog into a career—or at the very least a money maker—Laws will help anyone with an interest in this field. 

She got SOCIAL MEDIA SWAG

Even as a young child, Odeen Eccleston knew she was destined for success. This she attributed to God’s blessings, a wonderful family, and a strong belief in herself.  Now, at 26, the Toronto native is embarking on her third career as an author and all-around life guru with the release of her first book, Be More Than Just A Dime: A Guide for Beautiful Women & Girls to Live a Beautiful Life & World. 

The book focuses on how women can harness their outer and inner beauty to realize their dreams and become the best version of themselves. 

Get ready to be extraordinary. Odeen Rocks! 

www.morethanjustadime.com

NY Times Bestselling Author Kimberla Lawson Roby has published 16 novels: SECRET OBSESSION, LOVE, HONOR, and BETRAY, BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU PRAY FOR, A DEEP DARK SECRET, THE BEST OF EVERYTHING, ONE IN A MILLION, SIN NO MORE, LOVE & LIES, CHANGING FACES, THE BEST-KEPT SECRET, TOO MUCH OF A GOOD THING, A TASTE OF REALITY, IT’S A THIN LINE, CASTING THE FIRST STONE, HERE AND NOW & her debut title, BEHIND CLOSED DOORS, and which was originally self-published. Her novels have frequented numerous bestseller lists including USA Today, Essence, Washington Post, Amazon.Twitter http://twitter.com/KimberlaLRoby