Skip to main content

CYNTHIA ERIVO IS ARETHAFRANKLIN IN HIGHLY ANTICIPATED NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC PICTURE, 'GENIUS: ARETHA'



(The Slice): Oscar nominated Actress Cynthia Erivo is a woman with respect to both give and gain. For her lead role in the musical The Color Purple she won a Tony Award, a Drama Desk Award and a Daytime Emmy Award. Aretha Franklin saw that performance, met Erivo backstage to compliment her -- singing a line from one of the lead numbers -- and remembered her when she saw her at the Kennedy Center Honors.

Later Erivo was most lauded for her singing and acting ability in "Harriet." To prepare for her latest, Erivo told Rolling Stone she studied Aretha Franklin's documentary "Amazing Grace": "Watching Amazing Grace was eye-opening for me, because it’s so strange — when she’s singing “Amazing Grace,” she looks like she’s going to take flight. It’s coming through her. And then she opens her eyes, and something disappears. I felt a sadness. Something left her for a second, and it only comes back when she’s in the music, singing."

Will the London-born talent prove herself once again in another iconic role? Watch her portray the late Queen of Soul in "Genius: Aretha" presented by the National Geographic Channel at 9/8 Central.
Labels:

Popular posts from this blog

Alabama Pastor Shot and Killed in Domestic Incident

Pastor Da’Quarius Green , a 31-year-old leader of Elba Zion Missionary Baptist Church in Alabama, was shot on Dec. 23, 2025 and died several days later in the hospital after a domestic dispute at his home in Level Plains . Authorities have described the shooting as a “domestic incident” involving his wife,  𝐐𝐮𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐚 𝐌𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐲. Local news station WTVY reported "c ourt records show that Green was arrested on misdemeanor domestic violence charges 3 times in Houston County last year, with each of those cases dismissed. Also in 2024, a woman filed a protection order against Green in Houston County in which she believed him to be a danger," but did not confirm Mrs. Massey as the suspect.    Various reports indicate the couple's children were present when he was shot in the head.   In one instance, a woman who shared children with Green alleged that he repeatedly struck her , including once when she was pregnant. The sitution appears to be shaping int...
Read more

NEWLYWEDS: Bishop Marvin Winans weds after 30 years

  By Mona Austin One of the most eligible bacherlors in Christianity has tied the knot - Marvin Winans remarries After being single for almost 30 years, legendary gospel singer and Bishop Marvin L. Winans, Sr. has wed his long time girlfriend Deneen R. Carter. Carter is a 57-year-old physical therapist and minister at Perfecting Church in Detroit, founded by Winans. Little is known about the bride publicly. The gospel legend introduced the now Mrs. Winans as his fiance to the congregants of Perfecting in October of 2021. The couple had been in a relationship for 15 years. Pastor Winans was previously married to fellow gospel singer Vicki Winans (with whom he has two sons) for 16 years before they divorced in 1995. Held at the Colony Club in Detroit, MI, on April 22, the wedding was officiated by fellow COGIC Bishop Darrell Hines. "Let their lives be full of joy as they live according to your word," he prayed. If we are judging by floral count, this could be one of th...
Read more

U.S. Murder Offenders by Race: 2023 FBI Data

  Data on murders (homicides) committed by race in the United States primarily comes from the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program, which relies on reports from law enforcement agencies. The most recent detailed breakdown available is for 2023, but due to the FBI's transition to a new reporting system (NIBRS), not all agencies submitted complete data—only about 70-80% of the population was covered, so totals are undercounts. These figures represent known offenders (where race was identified), not arrests or convictions, and include single-offender and multi-offender incidents. In 2023, there were approximately 15,708 known murder offenders with identified race. Here's the breakdown: Race Number of Offenders Percentage of Known Offenders Rate per 100,000 Population White 8,842 56.3% 3.51 Black or African American 6,405 40.8% 14.00 Other (American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian, Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander) 461 2.9% 1.31 Notes on the...
Read more