- Page 88-Ttre Chronicle, Thursday, SepierriDer 21 > 3? ?x*T * ' ' ** ^ !? ' 'Sr.. ' v s?'^ * BM li^ ^1 ^1 b; I ^ 4pff^*kSf v^v ^ c 'P*.'*Y/ xv i^R vr* *.' t^ ^BPj/^w ^py ^^p* I K J( W fr 9 Br "mb Mf^BBBL >t; *^IhLw^< <,i*>v ^0 v B?? v ?xr>. xk 7 ^^ ^ Play Mates Diahann Carroll and Billy DeeH/ViflVams form a TV's "Dynasty." But in real life, Williams is no Spotlight For Phyllis St. J "Ain't No Turnin' Back" may be the debut Moto> singer - songwriter Phyllis St. James, but the lady troduction to the music industry. As as a background sion contractor^songwriter and arranger. St. James with some of the biggest names in pop music, from th to the Jacksons. Considering her background, it's littli during her debut album project, produced by Velto with Benny Medina and Kerry Ashby serving as e ducers, St. James contributed six of the nine songs, g; cians for the sessions, even had a hand in the album cept. "I'm so excited about the whole thing," St. James j thought the day would come. After you've worked ii as long as l nave, you see plenty of deserving talent th< chance. I've definitely been blessed." Despite her musical experience, ironically, St. Jam* raised in Oakland, Calif. ? originally pursued a cai tress. Tainsure.success in thefield^sheattained abaci in dramatic arts at the University of California, I parents weren't professional musicians - her mother the house," and father simply manned the hous However, the music she heard came out of thos assorted jazz, and pop, like Johnny Mathis, Barbra : later the Motown sound - coupled with her earli school and church choirs, obviously sparked a flame die. In the Bay area, St. James sang with many gospel , including friends like the Hawkins Family and Andre tackling her first pop gig in 1976, with Boz Scaggs < claimed "Silk Degrees" LP. Since then, the projec Hollywood Today Pry0r writes t By VINCENT TUBBS C/tlnmnlat Richard Pryor ($41 million, y' remember) has i tionalized biographical movie titled 44Jo Jo Dancer filming in January, covering the low days of the accic the high, clean days he's now enjoying. The carrion birds are swooping down on Jeannie B< her?) to write a book about her idyllic days with the Burton, who met her while filming Black filmmak ander's 4 The Klansman" and took her to Switzerland You know, of course, that both of our Miss A 4 ft r," 1$64 tVeel The Arts, Leisure, #v jfis ,j \ . jtvTm 1m | 1 -Jfcj^SSBjffjmH iilisa Eg?2?oll jRk^if y*4p ' k^C*SB ^ui^^Wfi^-^Biv^PQviHfc^l I * ' flr^^ C 4 ^#j V ? ^Mj . **W2 T #/'? ^K^Ii^BkMi^fei??Mtffe^l *' "~* 4 * ? handsome couple as they make sparks fly on match for Carroll's new love. antes, it's only the bi nx\ album for stopped coming and her credits r needs no in- eluding Ray Charles, Tina Tum< vocalist, ses- Reddy. She has appeared on m \ has worked "SQlid^GolcL" "Merv Griffin^ e Beach Boys her voice augments national com e wonder that Jack In The Box, Haggar Jeans, C n Ray Bunch the next mountain left to conquei xecutive pro- Teaming with producer Velton athered musi- Motown Records A&R executives t cover s con- Medina and Ashby liked what th a ; went into the studio, says. "I never i the business ^"he result- No Turnir it never gets a culmination of her pop mfluenci pth ? r 1 Lr a *U a J t. 1 - i i ^ l^vauivsiia iiis.t inc uailtCclUlC V^an M born-and of "Livin' ?n The Border' eer as an ac- "Phonemate" all pose to natural" helor's degree ~just why ber-tafcms we so in Hrma ierkeley Her " -jeach.trarlr its own identity, xocall] "sang around ~ during another. ehold stereo. "To me, the album is a reflecti e speakers - an artist,'' St. James says. "Wh Streisand and because this is only the beginning er activity in accomplished. It can only get bet that wouldn't St. James says she's got a whole cupy her future. "I've got plenty aggregations, to write a book and screenplay a Crouch, until like to get back to my acting." during his ac- In any case, it's clear to see; fc ts have never "Ain't No Turnin' Back." took on accident; struck it rich in Hollywood: Var are snikering would not wear a b written a fic- mcnt of "Love Boat," has been *? tKat Crime." Suzette will be doina e lent as well as "Loving' in October, playing ai ell (remember Millionaire Michael Jackson Y *, late Richard Rain.*' Naturally, he made no coi :er Bill Alex- has also not done about her new i and France. Adrian Lyne, describes it as 44j mericas have about a white doctor who gets ca % " " * t"*"-"" *" "" ' " * ginning ^Bfl ead like a Top 10 who's who in- I ;r, The Commodores and Helen any television shows, including md "Saturday Night-Live," and ~ mercials for products including )lde English. Her own album was r Ray Bunch, the two approached Benny Medina and Kerry Ashby. tey heard, and the four of them r Back," not suprisingly, is a ;s over the years. St. James comdlelight Afternoon," the passion and the downright funky , rop 40 flair. Vocally, she exhibits f nd behind the scenes, as she gives BHBK ^.caressing-one^ong^letting loose - I K on of most of my experiences as o's to say if it is my best work, ^ , but I'm very proud of what we ' ter from here." i file cabinet full of projects to oc- . ?n| of songs already written. I'd like Hicnara uirr nd after a couple of albums, I'd i Cneatin on i >r Phyllis St. James, there simply Saturday, S?| former queen g( tessa, who some detracting locals and is shelte ikini when she appeared in a segset for a nick titled "Partners in *ftcr c? ight episodes of ABC-TV's soap Shootout i exotic European model. can { dance party oy doi las seen Prince's movie, "Purple Meanwhili nment. Which is what Diana Ross University a film, "Silence", whose director, students in i mother strange love story." It's on the lot, v lught up in the Chicago race riots movie pictui "N ie's her real love even sooner. As Mr. T stretched himself out on the ground to pick up the action after the hearse had "hit" him, his heavy jewelry swung around* and tangled around his throat. He sat bold upright, gasping and sweating, and fumbled frantically with his chains. George was at his side instantly, untangling the chains and soothing his ovcr-neaiea, out-oi-oreatn co-star.... "Break Out," the second RCA-Planet LP by the Pointer Sisters, was recently certified platinum, signifying sales of more than one million unitfejhe current single from the album is the chart-mover "I'm So Excited," previously released on the Pointers' debut RCA-Planet LP, "So Excited." With the success of the top-10 hit "Jump (For My Love)" from "Break Out" and its highlyacclaimed video, interest in "I'm So Excited" was rekihdled on the radio, retail and club levels, so RCA repackaged "Break Out" to include "I'm So Excited" and the album sales soared. Meanwhile, The Pointer Sisters' videos -- "I'm So Excited" and "Jump (For My Love)" - are being seen on MTV, other major music-oriented TV programs and in video clubs around the country. In live performances, Pointer Sisters June, Ruth and Anita have just completed a highly successful summer tour of major U.S. venues.... Sigmund's estrainged wife Enid dropped the $660,000 bombshell three weeks after Sigmund, better known as Jackie Jackson, secretly filed for a divorce. Enid, 30, estimates her lead vocalist hushnnrl 'c ^arninoc ii/itki ? o vui niii^j "mi uit jnvAAMii jiu^crs at $264,000 a month. As part of her $52,800 monthly claim she says she needs $3,036 a month for clothes and $1,300 a month for entertainment.... Lovely Lena Home set attendance records on ^ Broadway with her one-woman show -- but she once married a man she didn't love just to further her fledgling career. Now taking London by storm, the lady says she owes her distinct musicaj style to second husband Lennie Hay ton, a, music director at IVJOM -?and.a,white maq,.^/\t ,first | became involved with him soM could break into white society," she confesses. I thought Lennie ^ would be useful to my career." And indeed as a manager he could get her into more places