Page 8 A
ENTERTAINMENT
^E{)e Charlotte ^oat
Thursday, March 9,1989
with Lisa Collins
Amos 'n' Andy To Surface On Broadway? A New York feder
al appeals has set the stage for "Amos 'n' Andy" to open on Broad
way. The decision overturned a lower court's ruling, thus grant
ing playwright Stephen Silverman permission to create a
musical based on "Amos 'n' Andy" radio programs aired before
1948. In Its ruling, the court declared pre-1948 "Amos 'n' Andy"
shows to be public domain. Silverman has already enlisted a di
rector and has a full-blown musical score for the Broadway ver
sion, which is now tentatively titled "Fresh Air Taxi", named after
the taxi Amos and Andy operated. At It's peak (on radio), "Amos
'n' Andy" drew an estimated 40 million listeners. Widely criticized
for Its racist sterotypes, the show was condemned by civil rights
groups in the 60's, and stored away from view In a CBS vault.
Miles Davis Management Denies Reports That The Trum
peter Has AIDS: 'Totally unfounded and untrue" was the re
sponse of Peter Shukat, who serves as manager for jazz legend
Miles Davis, with regards to a recent report that surfaced In a
leading supermarket tabloid. Contrary to the report, Shukat
maintained that the performer was In the hospit^ to battle a
mild case of pneumonia and to have benign polyps removed from
his vocal chords. Now, recuperating In Los Angeles, the 62-year
old performer Is set to begin a world-wide tour in April.
Packed House At Brewster's Place Screeming: Oprah
looked smashing the other night (without Stedman) at a screen
ing for her upcoming four-hour TV pic—'The Women Of Brew
ster's Place", slated to air the latter part of this month. Almost all
the cast were on hand—Lonette McKee, Jackee, Lynn Whitfield, —
all with the exception of Robin Givens & Cicely Tyson, who were
well cast as mother and daughter in the TV pic. Others on hand
to see the three and one-h^f hour screening Included Amen's
Anna Maria Horsford.
They're doing it again: Bill Cosby and Sidney Polter will team
up once again—for the fourth time—In a film comedy for Univer
sal, called "Ghost Dad:. However, Poltier's part In this film will be
strictly behind the scenes in the role of director.
Life At 2B For Vanessa Williams: Vanessa Williams was
more than a little Irked about how they promoted and packaged
the TV-movie, 'The Sex Tapes Scandal", (her first major network
exposure) — "considering that I got fourth-billing movie and they
changed the title on me before it came out, but there's nothing I
can do about It. It was sweeps-week. I knew they were going to
give It some attention. I didn't know they were going to go abso
lutely crazy." Williams has come a long way since the scandal
that cost her the Miss America crown, but she definitely In an
other space. I'm doing what I want to do, which Is loeing married,
having a wonderful family, and a great career." Williams seems to
have found her niche in recording, and while she would have
liked for her debut LP, "The Right Stuff, (which Is still stuggllng at
gold), to have done better salewlse, she Is most pisased with the
critical attention that it's gotten,--what with ani NAACP Image
Award and two Grammy nominations, said Williams, "I think it
was a good start. People probably didn't expect anything and for
It to come out this well. . . The next one will be even better". As
far as the future, Williams just wants to"keep putting out jome al
bums that I think are reflective of where I'm coming from, and be
coming more Involved In theatrical projects,”
Short Takes: Word Is there Is a movie In the making for Mo-
town's singing sensation, "The Boys". . . R&B recording artist Ka-
ryn White Is set to begin a national tour with Bobby Brown and
Levert Later this month . , , Neict Week: The latest on El De-
Barge.
The Piety
Of Prince?
Special To The Post
By Debbie Selinsky
DURHAM, NC - People who are
familiar with some of the I3TICS
of songs by rock star Prince or
have watched his sexually ex
plicit gyrating on stage might be
surprised to hear that a Duke
Divinity School scholar views
the popular singer as a
"preacher" of sorts with his own
brand of theology.
"People tend to think of Prince
as the personification of human
pornography, and yet his music
also deals with some matters of
religious Importance,"/said Jon
Michael Spencer, a visiting as
sistant professor of music and
black church studies in the Di
vinity School. "He explicitly
talks about the necessity of lov
ing God. He instructs 'boys and
girls LOVE God above' in 'Anna
Stesla' on his 'Lovesexy' album.
Other songs on the same album
deal with issues like war, nucle
ar arms, drugs, AIDS and pover
ty-
"Prince is clearly somebody
who Is spiritual, who is religious,
and who embodies the contra
dictions of being human. He
highlights what It means to be
both spiritual and carnal."
Spencer. 31, believes the
Christian church can better
evangelize today's youth and
minister to the needs of society
If It understands the theology of
American popular culture.
That's why Spencer has coined
a new term — theomuslcology —
to refer to his scholarly efforts
to examine the music of popular
culture from a theological point
of view.
Those pioneering attempts to
decode the ideas about God and
humanity that various popular
musicians and lyricists "preach"
will be the focal point of an up
coming conference at Duke.
'Theomuslcology examines the
theology of both sacred and sec
ular music, and the primary em
phasis of this conference is to
demonstrate that popular mu
sic, while secular. Is often theo
logical and addresses issues of
ultimate concern. Studying pop
ular music Is probably the most
effective means of decoding the
theology of the nation's vast
popular culture," Spencer said.
The theomuslcology confer
ence, which Is being co
sponsored by the Mary Duke
Biddle Foundation, will be held
at the divinity School April 7-8.
Registration is still being ac
cepted for the conference, which
will feature lectures by visiting
scholars and Divinity School
students.
Speakers, who will focus on
the music of people like Thelo-
nlous Monk, James Brown, Mar
vin Gaye, Prince, Michael Jack-
son, Stevie Wonder, Run-DMC
and A1 Green, will include
Spencer, ethiclst Michael Eric
Dyson of Hartford Seminary,
Prince's songs will be studied In "theomuslcology."
and sociologists Harold Dean
Trulear of Eastern Baptist The
ological Seminary and Alton B.
Pollard III of Wake Forest Uni
versity.
Spencer, who taught a class on
his new Ideas last semester at
the Divinity School, said the
speakers are all young enough
to recall their youthful attitudes
about popular music and are ac
tive In the field of sociology of
religion.
They also all have children, he
added. "So they're becoming ever
aware that eventually they have
to deal with 'Raising PG Kids in
an X-Rated Society,'" Spencer
said, referring to the title of the
book by Tennessee housewife
Tipper Gore.
"Gore's book dealt only with
the negative Impact popular
music has on today's youth. We
won't be making those kinds of
judgments. Instead our goal will
be to, form a Christian point of
view, tiy to help the church un
derstand the society that sur
rounds IL"
That lack of insight and under
standing could be one reason
why the church hasn't generally
done the best job of
"evangelizing society," Spencer
said.
"What's happening Is the re
verse — that society Is evangel
izing the church. We hope
through the work of theomusl
cology to bring those two worlds
-- the church and society —
closer together without having
either of them necessarily evan
gelize the other."
The proceedings of the confer
ence will be compiled In a spe
cial fall Issue of the Journal of
Black Sacred Music, edited by
Spencer and published by Duke
University Press.
In his Introduction for the Is
sue, Spencer argues that blues -
- "the forerunner of jazz, rhythm
and blues, soul and rap" — Is
basically religious In nature. "If I
can prove that, then It's a short
step to saying that all of Its off
spring are also religious,"
Spencer said.
A music graduate of Hampton
University, Spencer earned his
M.A. and Ph.D. from W^ishlngton
University In St. Louis. The au
thor of numerous publications
on black sacred music, he re
cently completed a book enti
tled "Praise and Protest: The Sa
cred Music of Black Religion" to
be published, call Spencer at
919-684-3234.
For more Information or to
register for the theomuslcology
conference, call Spencer at 919-
684-3234.
New Music Awards Event Announces Nominations For 1989
BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. (AP) —
Michael Jackson, Anita Baker,
Bobby Brown and the recording
group Guy shared the limelight
last Thursday when nomina
tions for the 1989 South Train
Music Awards were announced.
Each has a shot at three of the
awards during presentation cer
emonies scheduled April 12 at
the Los Angeles Shrine Auditori
um. Dionne Warwick, Patti La-
Belle and Ahmad Rashad will
co-host the live, two-hour show.
Music and program directors at
rhythm and blues and urban
contemporary radio stations
and record stores, as well as the
artists themselves were asked to
nominate four choices — In or
der of preference — In each of 12
categories.
The nominations, announced
at the Beverly Hills Hotel, con
sisted of the top four choices In
each category. The top vote-
getters will be honored during
the April telecast with bronze
trophies.
TTie nominations are:
Best Rhythm and Blues, Uihan
Contemporary Single, Female:
• "Where Do Broken Hearts Go?"
Whitney Houston.
• "The Right Stuff," Vanessa
Williams.
■ • "Giving You The Best That I
^t," Anita Baker.
; • "Superwoman," Karyn White.
Best Rhythm and Blues, Urban
Contemporary Single, Male:
Michael Jackson
• "Man In The Mirror," Michael
Jackson.
• "Just Got Paid." Johnny Kemp.
• "Make It Last Forever," Keith
Sweat, Jaccl McGhee.
• "My Prerogative," Bobby
Brown.
Best Rhythm and Blues, Urban
Contemporary Single, Group or
Band:
• "DaButt,”E.U.
• "Groove Me," Guy.
• "It Takes Two." Rob Base &
^A(((S(CC
D.J. E-Z Rock.
• "Can You Stand The Rain,"
New Edition.
Best Jazz Album:
• "Simple Pleasures," Bobby
McFerrin.
• "Stronger Than Pride," Sade.
• "Day By Day," Najee.
• "Silhouette," Kenny G.
Best Gospel Album:
• "Inspired," James Cleveland.
• "Live In Chicago," Shirley
Caesar.
Bobby McFerrin
• 'Take Six," Take Six.
• "Conqueror," The Clark Sis
ters.
Best Rap Album:
• "It Takes A Nation Of Millions
To Hold Us Back," Public Ene
my.
• "It Takes Two," Rob Base &
D.J. E-Z Rock.
• "He's The D.J., I'm The Rap
per," D.J. Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh
Prince.
• "A Salt With A Deadly Pepa,"
Al. B. Siuet
Salt-N-Pepa.
Best New Rhythm and Blues,
Urban Contemporary Artist:
• "Off On Your own (Girl)," Al B.
Sure!
• "Heaven," BeBe & Cece Wlnans.
• "Groove Me," Guy.
• "Superwoman." Karyn White.
Best Rhythm and Blues, Urban
Contemporary Music tfideo:
• "Skeletons," Steve Wonder.
• "Man In The Mirror," Michael
Jackson.
• 'Wild, Wild West,” Kool Moe
Dee.
• "Parents Just Don't Under
stand," D.J. Jazzy Jeff & The
Fresh Prince.
Rhythm and Blues, Urban Con
temporary Song of the Year:
• "Giving You The Best That I
Got," Anita Baker.
• "Don't Be Cruel," Bobby
Brown.
• "1 Want Her," Keith Sweat
• "Man In The Mirror," Michael
Jackson.
Rhythm and Blues, Urban Con
temporary Album of the Year,
Female:
• "Stronger Than Pride," Sade.
• "Tracy Chapman," Tracy
Chapman.
• 'The Right Stuff," Vanessa
Williams.
• "Giving You The Best That I
Got," Anita Baker.
Rhythm and Blues, Urban Con
temporary Album of the Year,
Male:
• "Simple Pleasures," Bobby
McFerrin.
• "In Effect Mode," Al B. Surel
• "Don't Be Cruel," Bobby
Brown.
• "Any Love," Luther Vandross.
Rhythm and Blues, Urban Con
temporary Album of the Year,
Group or Band:
• Who?" Tony! Toni! Tone!
• "Heart Break," New Eklltlon.
• 'Guy," Giy.
• "Just Coolin'," LeVert