My Publicist Note Book

Here's another comprehensive spin on the Children of Ray Charles and their battle to honor, protect and defend their fathers legacy that you may find, a good read: In Dispute Over Ray Charles Songs, Family Gains Victory in Court By BEN SISARIO A dispute between the children of Ray Charles and the foundation to which he left most of his money is the latest battleground in one of the entertainment industry’s most contentious issues: the “termination rights” that allow artists and their families to recover the copyrights to their work from third parties like record companies or publishers. Last week a federal judge in California ruled that the Ray Charles Foundation cannot interfere with the efforts of seven of Charles’s 12 surviving children to recover the music publishing rights to about 60 of his classic songs, like “I Got a Woman,” “Hallelujah I Love Her So” and “Mary Ann.” The foundation, a nonprofit charitable organization founded by Charles in 1986, curre...

The latest salvo in the copyright lawsuit between the Ray Charles Foundation and seven of the late singer's children finds the court ruling in favor of the children. The ruling allows them to reclaim copyrights on about 60 of Charles' classic songs, including " I Got a Woman," "A Fool for You," "Hallelujah I Love Her So" and "Mary Ann ." In a statement issued today (Jan. 29), the Ray Charles Foundation plans to appeal the U.S. District Court's decision. “The very clear and unmistakable intention of both Ray Charles and all  his children was that, in exchange for a substantial payment, the  children were not to raise any claims against their father’s estate," states Ray Charles Foundation president Valerie Ervin. "The children who filed  these termination notices violated the sacred  promise they made. They took their father’s money and now come back  for more. The law is very unsettled in these matters and...

        Fans can catch Alternative Quartet Live on TV6 Morning Edition this Thursday, 31st January at 6:15am.   Be sure to tune in an support this talented group of young artist as they discuss plans for their very active and bright future.       ___________________________________________________________________________ About Alternative Quartet: Andre Donawa on Violin is brainchild and founding member Andre Donawa of “AQ” along with Andre Comeau on Violin, Nariba Herbert on Viola, Wasia Ward on Cello, make up a revolutionary string ensemble that offers a distinctively unique musical experience to the Caribbean region, guided by the versatility and strength of electric instruments and the raw emotion that their charged strings provide, the members of the Alternative Quartet harmoniously fuse the violin, viola and cello to give a rich and resounding performance. Visit the AQ's official YOUTUBE Channel ...

 [Seven of Ray Charles’ children have prevailed against the Ray Charles Foundation’s legal effort to prevent them from reclaiming copyrights on about 60 of his best-known compositions]  Here's the report from Variety's deputy editor, Ted Johnson ; Mon., Jan. 28, 2013, 12:30pm PT A group of Ray Charles' children have prevailed against the Ray Charles Foundation's legal effort to prevent them from reclaiming copyrights on about 60 of his best-known compositions. U.S. District Judge Audrey Collins threw out a number of claims that the legendary singer's namesake foundation had filed against the children after they filed termination notices in 2010 to reclaim ownership of the works from Warner/Chappell Music. Warner/Chappell has not challenged the validity of the termination notices, but the Ray Charles Foundation did, as it reaps royalties from the copyrighted music. But Collins ruled that the foundation lacked standing to challenge the children...

Awards season rolled on Sunday evening with the 2013 Screen Actors Guild Awards honoring the best actors on film and television, and the 2013 Screen Actors Guild Awards ceremony was no different. Daniel Day-Lewis, Hugh Jackman, Anne Hathaway, Jessica Chastain and Jennifer Lawrence were among those nominated at the 19th annual ceremony but it was Ben Affleck who stole the show. Despite those wins, "30 Rock" lost to "Modern Family" for Outstanding Ensemble in a Comedy Series. "Modern Family" star Jesse Tyler Ferguson thanked the casts of "30 Rock" and "The Office" for inspiration and general awesomeness, as both shows are going off the air after this season. Affleck's Argo took home the Outstanding Ensemble in a Motion Picture, upsetting both Lincoln and Silver Linings Playbook to win the award. After a flurry of early awards, the host, Alic Baldwin came back out on stage to announce Dick Van Dyke's Screen Acto...

AQ member spotlight on: Wasia Ward is newest member to the AQ family. She is a dedicated and diligent cellist and has been involved in music for most of her life as a Pannist, Singer and Pianist. She started playing the cello at the age of 16 and quickly became the best in her field. Wasia serves as the principal cellist of the Trinidad and Tobago Youth Philharmonic and the St. Augustine Chamber Orchestra. Wasia Big Ups! Model Wasia Model Wasia Wasia completed her ABRSM grade 8 where she received her certificate of merit. Wasia has also won first place in competition category of open cello solo for 2010’s Music Festival and has attended workshops in Venezuela, receiving master classes from some of the best cellists where her skill was even more enhanced. Apart from being an outstanding player, Wasia mentors younger...

After three long years of trying to sell his home, Tyler Perry finally unloaded his Hollywood Hills mansion. The Actor and writer sold his tricked-out home in the celebrity-coveted Bird Streets area of Hollywood Hills West for $11.25 million. The mansion, located in the desirable “Bird Streets” neighborhood of the Hollywood Hills, has four bedrooms, six bathrooms and spans about 8,700 square feet of living space, according to the listing. The home also features a screening room, gym and a nightclub.  He originally listed in the home in June 2010, but was having a hard time trying to find a buyer in the struggling housing market. Photographer Ben Bacall took some sexy photos of the home for a listing, which may have something to do with the sale, given the scantily clad women cleverly posted up around the home. One of the photos helps depict a cutout in the pool, which can be viewed from inside the billiards room, giving you a sexy view of the people swimming by. ...

More than three decades into his career, Prince is still selling out arenas, recording amazing music -- and fighting as hard as he can for the ownership of his songs.  Prince: The (New) Billboard Cover    Prince is rehearsing with this trio for performances that he cryptically says will begin in two days. H e announces six last-minute shows at Minneapolis' Dakota Jazz Club. Tickets for all six, ranging from $70 to $250, sell out in one morning. The ever-slender Prince-a strikingly ever-youthful advertisement for the maxim "black don't crack"-is garbed in yellow pants and a long, oversized button-front white-and-yellow jersey emblazoned with "MPLS" on the front. His Afro is covered by an incongruous hat in the shape of a lion. His other eye-catching accessory: wedged silver shoes adorned with periodically flashing red lights. A full-fledged rock star, even in rehearsal. Prince alternates between guitar and keyboards, and the songs ...

You’ve probably heard by now, 9-year-old Louisiana native Quvenzhané Wallis is the youngest person ever to be nominated for a Best Actress Oscar for her role as Hushpuppy in Beasts of the Southern Wild. Here, are nine things to know about the talented tike 1) Her first name, Quvenzhané, is pronounced Kwuh-VIN-juh-nay. It’s a combination of her parents’ first names (Qulyndreia and Venjie) and the Swahili word “zhané,” which means “fairy.” Too much of a mouthful? You can always call her “Nazie” (pronounced NAY-zy).   2) She was too young to audition. Casting directors were looking for a 6 to 9-year-old. At age 5, Nazie (her nickname) knocked their socks off. she and her mother kept mum about her age, so they fib about her age to audition for her very first acting job--the starring role in Beasts of the Southern Wild (2012) because the minimum age to be considered was six. She eventually beat out some 4,000 other local kids to ...

Robin Roberts made a much anticipated return to the Times Square Studio of "Good Morning America" for a behind-the-scenes test run this morning.  Roberts arrived at the studio at 5 a.m. after waking at 3:45 a.m. It was her first time back on set since undergoing a bone marrow transplant last September. "What a thrill to be back at ' GMA ''s Times Square Studio this morning and see the best folks in the world, my ‘ GMA ’ family,” Roberts said. “I can’t wait to get back to the anchor chair in a few weeks.” During a live interview from her New York City home last week, Roberts explained that she would be doing a series of “dry runs” that her doctors had approved as the next step in her recovery and on her road to returning to “ GMA ." "My doctors want me to see how many people I actually come in contact with.  How my body reacts to the stimulation, that's code word for stress, of being in the studio environment," she ...

** DATE CHANGE NOTICE...DUE TO STATION CHANGES, THE ALTERNATIVE QUARTET WILL NOT APPEAR ON JANUARY 23 BUT RATHER JANUARY 31, 2013 AT THE SAME TIME. January 23, 2013Trinidad and Tobago-- Alternative Quartet will make a very special guest appearance on CTV's " Wired" today, Thursday January 31, 2013 beginning at 8pm tt/time C Television (C TV) is the flagship television station of the Caribbean New Media Group, a state-owned media company in Trinidad and Tobago. C Television broadcasts from studios at 11 A Maraval Road, Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago which was the home of TTT. The station boasts that its facilities are the most technologically advanced of its kind in the Caribbean region.  All member of Alternative Quartet will appear promoting their new single  entitled " I Am Paradise,"which was released this past week along with world premiere and artistic video. The AQ will discuss what's next as well as how far they have come as a ...