/
Page 12A - THE CHARLOTTE POST - Thursday, February 2, 1989
HnllvwnnH'c; NA ATP Hall At Soul Train Music Awards Comes to TV
VV wVJvJ. O X > y iXCtiX X Chicago - Renowned singer tor on NBC Sports’ "NFL Live" tions between January 1, i
Odds Over Hiring Of Blacks
By SHBENA A. LESTER
and GENE C. JOHNSON
Reprinted From The
Los Angeles Sentinel
The controversy that has lo
cal black entertainment figures
running in circles came to a
head this week amid allegations
of extortion, name-calling and
all-around chaos.
Actor-comedian Arsenlo Hall,
who had come under fire re
cently for allegedly falling to
hire blacks in top positions for
his new late-night television
program, "The Arsenlo Hall
Shaw," said in an Interview that
those allegations were totally
false, and deliberately spurred
by WlUls Eklwards, president of
the beverly Hills/Hollywood
NAACP, who said he tried to ex
tort $40,000 from him.
"We're not dealing with an Is
sue of hiring blacks, we dealing
with two black men who have
differences,” Hall said in an In
terview last Thursday at the
Paramount studio where his
show Is taped.
"What saddens me is that two
black men are battling and air
ing their grievances In public
when we have a larger picture
that we're trying to draw," he
said.
According to reports, mem
bers of the Beverly Hills/
Hollywood NAACP met with
Hall and representatives from
Paramount Television during
the last week In November to
discuss possible Inequities In
the number of blacks on the
progrjun's staff.
Sources from the branch told
the Sentinel last week that Hall
expressed In the meeting that
there were "no qualified blacks"
to fill key positions on the pro
duction staff of 'The Arsenlo
Hall Show."
Hall said the charges were
"appalling” and "Insulting," but
maintained that the civil rights
association is not the source of
his troubles, but Its leader Is.
"My battle Is not with the
NAACP. 1 think the NAACP Is a
great organization. I wouldn't be
where I am today if it weren't for
men like Benjamin Hooks," Hall
said. "My battle Is with an Indi
vidual — WlUls Edwards."
That meeting — which. Hall
said, ended on a good note —
was followed by a conversation
Arsenlo Hall
that took place between Hall,
his managers and Eklwards, he
said.
What transpired, HaU asserts.
Is the direct cause of the con
troversy.
At that time, after all other
NAACP representatives had left
the room, Hcill said, the NAACP
president attempted to extort
$40,000 from him for his
branch.
"He (Edwards) was leaving the
room (after the meeting) and he
turns to my manager Bob Wax
and says, 'I'm going to think
about this whole situation and
do what I feel In my heart Is
right,"' Hall said.
According to Hall, Edwards
then said, "You know, the
NAACP could use a donation,"
Implying that If he complied,
the NAACP would halt Its pro
tests.
Wax could not believe his ears,
HaU said, and neither could he.
"My manager just looked at
him and said, 'A donation?' and
he said, "Yeah, $40,000,“' the en
tertainer claimed.
But, In a telephone interview
Tuesday night, Edwards denied
the charge and called Hall "a
boldface liar."
"1 never asked Arsenlo for a
thing at that meeting or at any
other time," he said. "Everybody
who knows me knows that I'm
not for sale. I cannot be bought."
But, according to HaU, money
was on Edwards' mind on the
afternoon In question.
"He gets a lot of 'donations'
from people. I think he's an ex
tortionist and I think he uses
his position to take advantage
of a lot of people who are afraid
of the pressure that he'll bring
down," he said.
Edwards dismissed Hall's
statements, calling them
"ridiculous."
"He doesn't even have enough
respect for the NAACP to pay
for a $10 membership and join
it," he said. "How could I expect
to get $40,000 from him?'
Edwards said HaU did indeed
assert at their meeting that
there were "no qualified blacks"
for key posts on his production
staff.
"He made that statement, and
he knows he made It," Edwards
said. "Nobody black Is getting
any jobs down there. The show
Is aimed at the urban market —
why watch something on TV
That you can't get a job at?"
But, HaU said, he Is hiring
blacks, at a rate unmatched by
any other late-night host.
In fact. Hall read off a list of
more than 20 blacks who work
In key positions for 'The Arse
nlo HaU Show."
People on that list Include
black talent coordinator Kim
Swann, whom he recruited from
Burt and Elert, an entertainment
company run by Burt Reynolds
and Bert Convy.
Hall's assistant lighting tech
nician, chief prop master and
announcer are all black, as weU
as some of the pages, the war
drobe director and his produc
tion manager. Corky Lee, he
said.
"Nothing happens on Stage 29
(where the show Is taped) with
out Corkey's permission,” he
said.Hall idso hired black fe
male drummer Terri Lynn .
His talent executive and his
assistant are black, as are two
of the four cameramen, he said.
"These aren't people that
came here and appUed," he said.
"I went and found them."
"1 have people who are mad at
me (for example) at Entertain
ment Tonight and in the execu
tive building on this Paramount
lot because I've gone into plac
es stealln' folk," he said.
"Not only do 1 have more than
six blacks, but I have blacks In
key positions. Not only do 1
have blacks In key positions,
but the baddest (expletive delet
ed) in this building (show) Is
Chicago - Renowned singer
Dionne Warwick and television
commentator Ahmad Rashad
have been named to co-host the
1989 "Soul Train Music Awards,"
according to co-executive pro
ducer Don ComeUus.
The two-hour natlonaUy syn
dicated television special
moves into the Los Angeles
Shrine Auditorium on Wednes
day, April 12, 1989, and will be
telecast live before a black tie
audience.
The "Soul Train Music Awards"
annualty celebrates the best re
corded performances In
Rhythm & Blues, Urban Con
temporary, Gospel, Jazz and
Rap music; the top new artist
and best music video are also
honored, along with a special
Heritage Award presented an
nually to a pioneer member of
the R&B/Urban Contemporary
music community.
"We're extremely delighted to
have Dionne on board again
this year," said Cornelius. She
has been brilliant as host of our
first two awards specials and
deserves a great deal of credit
for the show's continuing suc
cess."
Of Rashad's selection as a co
host Cornelius said, "Ahmad
Rashad has become one of the
most likable and articulate per
sonalities on television, and we
feel his overall charm and
somewhat jocular style will
complement both Dionne and
our program perfectly."
Rashad, a former National
Football League standout, ap-
peeu's regularly as a commenta
ADVEBTISEMENT
Jesus said, "Judge not,
that ye be not judged".
St. Matthew 7:1
For with what judgment
ye judge, ye shall be
judged: and with what
measure ye mete, it shall
be measured to you
again.
St. Matthew 7:2
PRAY FOR AMERICA!
tor on NBC Sports’ "NFL Live"
and NBC's "Sports World."
Rashad also hosts special re
ports for "Entertainment To
night." He will be making his de
but as a host of a major music
special.
All recording artists on R&B/
Urban Contemporary, Rap, Jazz
or Gospel recordings which
charted In either or all of the
leading music trade publica
tions between January 1, 1988
and December 31, 1988 are eli^ r
gible for a Soul Train Mujif"j|_
Award. Nominees will be select^ ^
ed on voting ballots mailed !ti-i
eligible recording artists, radW '
station music and program
rectors and managers or reprq^ f
sentatlves of appropriate retail
outlets. The top four nominees
In each category will be an
nounced early In 1989.
CONCRETE
All types, 35 years experience ,
•Driveways ;;
•Garage Slabs
Call •Porches T
A "D •Patios
*^*^*^* sGarafies Built toiy Low Pricj^s
567-0819 ^ FREE Estimated
Are Drunk Drivers
In North Carolina
Getting An^ With
Murder?
ivJ
m
I o.
Many people feel that North Carolina's
drunk driving laws are not strict enough. They argue that too many repeat
offenders ai'e on the road.
Reporter Chris Clackum takes a sobering look at
“DRIVING ON THE ROCKSf a special series this
February 7, 8, and 9 at (i p.m.
WBTV^NEWS
lets'
h%r»/ ilVA
J iilU
K
ip,( rri
rj , +
—
THE Don Cody SHOW - TV 15
Cameo
FEATURING:
SINGERS
DANCERS
RAPPERS
COMEDIANS
MAGICIANS
CHARLOTTE^S HOTTEST
ENTERTAINMENT
VARIETY SHOW!!!
Friday 9-10 PM
Sunday 5-6 PM
LOCAL AND NATIONAL ENTERTAINMENT
AT ITS VERY BEST
Kurils Blow
FEATURING:
BANDS
MODELS
VENTRILOQUISTS
HIT MUSIC VIDEOS
AND MORE,,.
MUCH MORE.....
*
/r>M
Tease
DuoRockin
Jesse Johnson
Members
of Don Cody Crew