RAHSAAN PATTERSON HEADLINES THE HBCU INAUGURAL GALA BALL  Critically acclaimed soul vocalist and songwriter Rahsaan Patterson is another in the line of new-school R&B singers with a bit more integrity than most of the chart-toppers during the 1990s. After singing in church from the age of six, Patterson
moved with his family from New York to California to star in the
children's show KIDS Incorporated. He later moved back to the East
Coast, resuming his career with small TV roles and assorted
commercials, but returned to Los Angeles in the early '90s to record
demos and contribute backing vocals to albums by Martika and Brandy, among others. Patterson proved himself a more than competent songwriter as well, penning hits like Tevin Campbell's "Back to the World" and Brandy's
"Baby." Those successes finally earned him a recording contract with
MCA, which issued his self-titled debut album in early 1997. Love in
Stereo followed two years later. After a hiatus from the performance
spotlight, he released After Hours in August of 2005 and Wines &
Spirits in September 2007. These two albums placed him near -- or at --
the top of the R&B underground. ~ John Bush & Andy Kellman, All
Music Guide. http://www.artistrymusic.net/mediaserve/rp/ http://www.not-of-this-world.com/site.html HOST...DEBBI MORGAN  Emmy Award winner Debbi Morgan returned to All My Children in
January 2008, reprising the role of Dr. Angela Hubbard, a role she originated in 1982. Originally from Dunn, North Carolina, Ms. Morgan's acting career began in 1976, with her first recurring role on the television series What's Happening. In 1979, she went on to play the role of Elizabeth Harvey in Alex Haley's miniseries, Roots: The Next Generation. Her list of television credits include; Soul Food, Generations, Charmed, Boston Public, The Bold and the Beautiful, Strong Medicine, General Hospital, and Port Charles to name a few. Her film credits include; Coach Carter, Back in the Day, Women Thou Art Loosed, Love & Basketball, The Hurricane, She's All That, Asunder, and Eve's Bayou for which she won the Chicago Film Critics Association Award and the Independent Spirit Award. SPECIAL GUEST DR. LEONARD L. HAYNES III  HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES Secretary Margaret Spellings named Leonard L. Haynes III—a veteran of
many top education posts—as executive director of the White House
Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities on Oct. 22,
2007. In this position, he implements Executive Order 13256, which
supports the work of the nation's Historically Black Colleges and
Universities (HBCUs). He also serves as an adviser to the secretary and
is the executive branch's liaison to these institutions, working
closely with the President's Board of Advisers for HBCUs and more than
30 federal agencies that award grants and contracts to HBCUs in support
of their operations. Dr. Haynes grew
up in Louisiana and earned his bachelor's degree in history from Southern University in
1968. He received his masters in American History from Carnegie Mellon University on a
fellowship and a doctorate in higher education administration from Ohio State University. Ohio State has twice honored Haynes: in 1990, with an honorary doctor
of laws degree, and again in 2006, with a John Glenn award for
excellence in public service. Father of four and grandfather of three with one on the way, Haynes and his wife, Mary, live in Silver Spring, Md. SULTRY JAZZ SINGER ALYSON WILLAMS OPENS THE HBCU GALA BALL  An immensely talented vocalist able to sing new jack swing tunes or old-time soul ballads with equal skill, Alyson Williams spent awhile on the edge of stardom. The daughter of trumpeter and bandleader Bobby Booker, Williams did background vocals for Curtis Hairston, Melba Moore, Bobby Brown, and Barbara Mitchell before joining High Fashion in 1982. Her first album release and the first R&B female singer signed to Def Jam, she released the album Raw in 1989. The album produced the singles "My Love is So Raw" and "Sleep Talk". In addition, the single "Just Call My Name" was a hit on the Billboard R&B charts reaching number #4. The song, picked up by many "Quiet storm" formats is now considered a cult classic and is still played. The album included a duet with the Blue Magic vocalist Ted Mills on "We're Gonna Make It". Her single "I Need Your Lovin'" was also a #8 success in the UK, as well as another R&B hit for her. |