Radio/TV Personality Bo Griffin Remembered (1959-2010)

It’s with a very sad heart, we report the untimely death due to intestinal cancer of radio personality Bontia “Bo” Griffin, recipient of BRE Magazine’s first Shannon Dell Breaking the Glass Ceiling Drummer Award. She was one of the greats. Bo was one of the first female personalities to be the lead on a major market morning show, and that was WPOW-FM (Power 96) in Miami. She was No. 1 and also did stints on WEDR-FM (99 Jamz) and WHQT-FM (Hot 105) as well as entertainment reporter for local TV. Let me tell you, if you didn’t know Bo, then you didn’t know…personality radio. She lit up your radio with her wit, a sparkling laugh and knowledge of her community, the world. If it was hot, Bo was on it! She was funny, she could be provocative and she was beautiful to listen to. She was also one of the first radio personalities to segue into television. I know because I introduced her to the great Don Brown of NBC News, who immediately saw her vivacious personality, and she began doing double duty on Power 96 and NBC 6 in Miami as the TV station’s entertainment reporter. Originally from Greenville, South Carolina where she also launched her own clothing boutique, Griffin went on to the television show “Good Day Live,” guest host of the Game Show Network’s “GSN Live,” host of the travel series “Blue Ribbon” on Turner South as well as the home makeover show, “The Big Reveal” for HGTV. That was her dream, to be in front of the camera.

God bless her…she was my friend, she was a shining example of a professional, of a person who loved what she did, and she did it well. May she rest in peace, but I know she won’t. She’s already up there, lighting up that big radio station in the sky!

Krave: Upfront and Ready To Take The Lead

It’s been awhile since a girl group graced radio airwaves and the music industry the caliber of TLC and Destiny’s Child. But now, thanks to platinum producer, entrepreneur and BRE Man of the Year DeVyne Stephens, there is such a blessing. This tantalizing trio goes by the name of Krave, and that you will… once you hear their blend of sexy sonatas, midtempo ménage a trios melodies and bangin’ club grooves.

Hot already on the charts is the voracious track “Girls Go Crazy” with Flo Rida. Another scintillating, pulsating single, “Up & Down,” featuring Akon, Nelly and Twista, has also been released.

Beautiful, stylish and talented are just a few of the ways to describe Krave. Each of the ladies has musical talent beyond the obvious and each has a distinct personality, yet they operate as a unit, a team, finishing each other’s sentences and complementing their individual styles.

Chanel, 20, is one of the vocalists, with a distinct almost raspy, definitely sexy sound. “I have a certain twang,” she confides. She does more than sing. Coming up, she learned piano and flute and recently began guitar lessons. Beyond the vivacious smile and bubbly personality, this is a deep, young sister. Chanel keeps a journal and is very observant of the world around her.

Shan Q, 21, is the hip-hop head of the group. Bold and vibrant, she also learned to play musical instruments–the flute and piccolo. In school, she was with the marching band, but she didn’t like marching and playing, so she switched up and became a dancer. Although a sweet thing, she has a bit of the rebellious side and writes her own raps.

Jazz, 21, also sings, describing herself as having a soprano pitch. She’s the “old” member of the group. “I love anything vintage,” she tells BRE, adding that sometimes her band mates call her “Gramma.” Don’t let her old skool flavor fool you, though…she won’t hesitate to say what’s on her mind. And Jazz also has musical roots, having played the trumpet and cello in school.

Krave came together…they weren’t put together as a lot of groups these days often are. The ladies met while in school and vibed. Music industry guru DeVyne Stephens saw them at a talent show and did the smart thing–scooped them up under his multi-level firm, Upfront Megatainment.

What Stephens saw is obvious: Chanel, Shan Q and Jazz, aka Krave, have chemistry, charisma and a charm that is undeniable. Now throw in their vocals skills, musical prowess, effervescent energy and an urban chic look and the result is a winning combination, ready to dominate the music scene.

Krave’s debut album, on Upfront/Geffen/Interscope, boasts a bevy of bodacious beats and beautiful ballads, including production from Jazze Pha, Akon, Rodney Jerkins and J. Mizzle. Stephens defines it as “ghetto pop” and foresees these talented and bubblicious young ladies setting a new standard for urban and pop music.

Krave’s debut CD will be in stores in early 2010.

Chrisette Michele On How To Say Good-Bye ‘And It Comes To Me…Like An Epiphany’

 

The room is abuzz with industry chatter, as record label executives and staff, retailers, press and some other chosen few enjoy libations and each other’s company. They are patiently waiting for a rarity in today’s fickle music industry: an artist with a sophomore album. She is Chrisette Michele and her new Def Jam album is called Epiphany.
Debuting at #1 with her new album on Soundscan with first week sales of more than 83,000, the Grammy Award-winning songbird proves label head Antonio “L.A.” Reid right: she has staying power. She’s a keeper. Her single, “Epiphany,” had already been the precursor of this fact, topping both UAC and Urban playlists and charts.
Indeed, as she elegantly takes the stage, the room comes alive with the sudden realization that this is a star. There is something about this young lady and the way she wraps her rainy-day voice around a song, soaking it with a fresh yet old school flavor. Her live performance draws you into an intimacy with her that is compounded by her voice of experience that knows how to elevate each note into its own choir of recognition. That’s her magic: she compels you to listen and, inevitably, to enjoy.
The debut single, “Epiphany,” showcases her unique style inside a springy tune with precocious percussion and a compelling rhythm that allows her festive voice to shine in ‘spring forward’ sparkly colors. Star songman Ne-Yo produces and writes a variety of the album’s cuts, but Michele is without question the star of this show, as she takes cuts like “Playing My Song” and bounces them along with a sweetness while at the same time filling them with passion and fervor. Her style is different than the current crunch of lightweights driven by hip beats – it’s not ‘churchy’, it’s not urban… it’s very sexy and laid back. Sometimes scintillating, sometimes sad.
And she’s not afraid to take chances, as on “Blame It On Me,” where the story she so gracefully weaves takes a journey into heartbreak. That song is actually an amazing collaboration between Claude Kelly and Michele writing, with Chuck Harmony producing. A producer/songwriter who is part of Ne-Yo’s production collective Compound Entertainment, Harmony has worked on projects with Mary J. Blige, Janet Jackson and Celine Dion.
Michele’s debut album, I Am, earned her a Grammy and was certified Gold. Despite its success, Michele felt she needed to step up more for her next LP. “I felt like I was a little too shy and laidback my first time out. On my new project, I wanted to raise the bar and step out of my comfort zone. I wanted to make songs that were more edgy, youthful and urban.”
Encouraging her to stretch her vocals as well as the topics in her lyrics, Ne-Yo and Harmony provided the right combination of keyboards and beats to set off the LP at a perky pace. “Ne-Yo took out time from his crazy schedule to talk about direction for some of the songs, including the pain of break-ups and the joys of new love,” she explains, adding the significance of the title track. “That word ‘epiphany’ just meant so much to me because it was during the time that I was preparing to record that something clicked in my spirit.”
Singing the praises of her collaborators, Michele identifies her favorite song on the album. “Another One,” also written by Ne-Yo and Harmony, opens with a lovely and languid acoustic guitar. “That is my favorite song on the album,” she admits. “Nobody captures New American music like Ne-Yo and the Compound crew.”
Epiphany continues where I Am left off, laying out the organic evolution of this artist whose talents promise much more depth and longevity.  Super producers Rodney Jerkins and Claude Kelly (Kelly Clarkson, Britney Spears, Leona Lewis) started that evolution with I Am, and Ne-Yo and Harmony elevate Epiphany with new pop wizardry that further establishes Michele as a career artist.
On top of a media blitz on television in May that had her appearing on the top three networks from CBS’s “The Late Show with David Letterman” where she performed her single “Blame It On Me.” to NBC’s “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon” (5/22) and CBS’ “Early Show” (5/23), she was also featured in a first of its kind intimate concert on VH1-Soul And VH-1 Soulstages called “Chrisette Michele Presented by Infiniti,” which re-aired May 18 and May 21.
Having gained valuable experience touring with a live band and fellow singers Raheem DeVaughn and Solange Knowles, Michele says she loves performing live because it allows her to feel feedback from fans. “To me, nothing is more important than touring. Communicating with the audience through song can be magical. Singing in the studio is one thing, but you must be able to bring it to the stage, too.” And she kicks off a new tour with soulmates Anthony Hamilton and Musiq Soulchild on May 28th in Houston at the Reliant Arena that promises to feed that hunger for communicating directly with her audiences. At a recent two-evening special at the King of Prussia Mall outside Philadelphia, presented by leading beauty retailer Sephora, Michele proved she’s ready to bring her brand of beautiful music to soulstages across America.
Also interested in an acting career, Michele says she caught the bug after appearing on an episode of “Girlfriends.”  “That experience was amazing because they allowed me to have so much input and led me to write my own scenes.”
Fans, both old and new, are logging in with such declarations as “fan for life” (tpearson) and  “blown away!” (ChocLitFactory). “It’s this album that is getting me through my situations,” blogs ChynaBlack, “Keep doing it girl!” For the artist who initially turned down “Irreplaceable” that Beyoncé later blew off the charts, Michele is now espousing the new female empowerment anthems for 2009: “I think I’m just about over being your girlfriend.” Bringing both elegance and edge to her new ‘epiphany,’ she coos good-bye with the touch of an iron hand in a velvet glove.

Where to Find Chrisette Michele On Tour
With Anthony Hamilton and Musiq Soulchild

M a y 2 8    H o u s t o n ,   T X            Reliantt   A r e n a
2 9    Dallas ,   T X            Nokia Live   G r a n d   P r airie
3 0     S o u t h a v e n ,   M S         D e S o t o   C e n t e r
3 1    S t .   L o u i s ,   M O        F o x   T h e a t r e
J u n e 0 4    L o s   A n g e l e s ,   C A        Nokia  Live Theater
0 6      O a k l a n d ,   C A              P a r a m o u n t   Theater
11    C o l u m b u s ,   O H        Palace   T h e a t r e
1 2    Detroit ,   M I              O p e r a   H o u s e
1 3     Chicago ,   I L            Arie  C r o w n   T h e a t r e
1 6    Newark,  N J             N e w   J e r s e y   Performing   A r t s
1 8    N e w   Y o r k ,   N Y        W a M u   T h e a t r e   a t   M S G
1 9      Washington ,   D C        D A R   Constitution Hall
2 1    Baltimore ,   M D        Pier Six Pavilion
2 5     A t l a n t a ,   G A              F o x   T h e a t r e
2 6     A u g u s t a ,   G A             Ball Auditorium
2 7    Birmingham ,   A           B J CC Concert Hall
2 8      Charlotte ,   N C         O v e n s  Auditorium