My Columbus Homecoming Was No 'Joke'

Me and Fort Hayes Principal Dr. Milton Ruffin on the
Ohio Theatre stage as the Fort Hayes graduation
concluded on June 4 (Photo By Terry Anderson).

Being recognized as an alumnus at Fort Hayes Metropolitan Education Center's graduation ceremony on June 4 at the Ohio Theatre in my hometown of Columbus was the culmination of a busy month of activities related to the new book "All Jokes Aside: Comedy Is a Phunny Business."

The book, which I co-wrote with Raymond Lambert, tells Raymond's story, from humble beginnings as the son of teenage parents,  to working in high finance for Chris Gardner (whose life was the subject of the blockbuster movie "The Pursuit of Happyness" starring Will Smith), to opening the legendary Chicago comedy club All Jokes Aside.

I have to give a huge shout-out to Raymond's Morehouse classmate, Eficioando President and CEO Eric J. Troy, who organized the "All Jokes Aside" promotional events in my hometown. 

In just over a month, Eric pulled together of an amazing series of events, including author talks and book signings at the Funny Bone comedy club and the Barnes and Noble bookstore at the Easton Town Center. He also arranged great press coverage - one of the most effective ways to boost book sales. I'll be forever indebted to Eric - he did everything but hire a pilot to write my name in the sky!
 

The events began on May 10 with a pizza lunch at the Funny Bone with a group of about 20 students from Mifflin High School. Mifflin is in close proximity to the Easton Town Center, where the Funny Bone is located. The Mifflin students asked insightful questions about writing and life, in general.

Me (crouching, center) with Mifflin High School students at the Funny Bone.
Also pictured: Steiner Director of Community Affairs Ben Tyson (crouching, left)
and Eficionado President and CEO Eric J. Troy.

The evening of May 10 was our big debut at the Funny Bone. Emmy-winning WBNS-10TV anchor Jerry Revish led a question-and-answer session with Raymond and I.

Dr. August Parker III, left, Eric J. Troy, me, Raymond Lambert,
Greater Columbus Arts Council CEO Tom Katzmeyer,
WBNS-10TV anchor Jerry Revish and Matt Habash, president
of the Mid-Ohio Foodbank and former Columbus City Councilman. (Photo By Shellee Fisher) 

Before the Q & A, the evening kicked off with remarks by Dr. Augustus Parker III, who sponsored the event with Eficionado; Gahanna Mayor Tom Kneeland; and Greater Columbus Arts Council President Tom Katzenmeyer. Columbus City Councilman Shannon Hardin presented Raymond and I with resolutions recognizing our contributions - glad my mom and dad were there to see that!

Eficionado President and CEO Eric J. Troy, left, me holding
the Columbus City Council resolution and Columbus City
Councilman Shannon Hardin. (Photo By Shellee Fisher)

The next day, on May 11, Raymond and I spoke to students at my alma mater, Fort Hayes Metropolitan Education Center. Once again, we spoke to a group of about 20 students who have expressed an interest in creative writing. And, once more, I was bowled over by the students' insightful questions and willingness to open up and engage in a dialogue.

One of the many highlights of the Fort Hayes visit was being recognized as an alumnus by Columbus City Schools Superintendent Dr. Dan Good and Fort Hayes Principal Milton Ruffin.

Raymond and I (center, standing) with the Fort Hayes students.

That evening, the "All Jokes" events culminated with the Barnes and Noble Easton Town Center appearance. Raymond and I discussed the book with an intimate group of family, friends and a few bookstore patrons who gathered to hear us talk and have their books signed. Being featured at a major bookstore like Barnes and Noble was a dream come true.

Raymond and I at our author talk at the  Barnes and
Noble bookstore at the Easton Town Center.

One really cool thing that happened was that after I posted my photo next to the Barnes and Noble poster on social  media and commented that it was cool sharing a bookstore poster with best-selling author David Baldacci, Mr. Baldacci was kind enough to return the favor! As it turns out, Baldacci, like Raymond, is an alumnus of the University of Virginia. Small world!

Best-selling author David Baldacci tweeted
a photo of him standing next to the poster
featuring me and co-author Raymond Lambert.

On May 27, I returned to Fort Hayes to speak to another group of students who missed the May 11 session. A week later, I joined the members of the Class of 2016 for graduation, placing cords around the graduates' necks as they walked across the stage of the Ohio Theatre. 

I was impressed by the wide array of talent that the Fort Hayes students showcased at the graduation. The ceremony included music and dance performances. In addition to displaying world-class talent, these young people are gifted at expressing themselves in front of an audience - much more so than I was at their age!

I was born and raised in Columbus, and I've always appreciated my hometown as a place where the arts flourish.

The Challenges Of Collaborating Long Distance

During a recent visit to my high school alma mater, Fort Hayes Metropolitan Education Center in Columbus, Ohio, my "All Jokes Aside" co-author, Raymond Lambert, and I spoke with a group of students who have expressed an interest in the arts.

The students asked insightful questions. One young lady's question, in particular, stood out: What was the biggest challenge of writing the book?

"This is going to sound silly," I said, "but actually the biggest challenge, from my perspective, was the time difference between Columbus and Chicago, where Raymond lives. As you know, Columbus is on Eastern Time and Chicago is on Central Time and they're an hour behind us.

"If Raymond and I had an appointment to talk at 1 p.m. on a Sunday, for example, I always had to figure out if I was supposed to call him at noon or 2 p.m. I've always been terrible at math and I often had to 'Google' to confirm what time it was in Chicago."

My co-author Raymond Lambert and I working in
a Chicago coffee shop on one of the weekends
that I commuted to Chicago.

My exchange with this student emphasizes an important point: there are pros and cons to writers - or any type of artist, for that matter - collaborating long-distance on a project.

On the one hand, if an inspiration came to me out of the blue early in the morning, I couldn't just pick up the phone and call Raymond because I knew it was too early in Chicago and I didn't want to jar him out of a sound sleep.

On the other hand, not immediately being able to reach your writing partner forces you to plan out and prioritize what's most important to discuss. And, heaven forbid, if the two of you ever disagree on something, the distance creates an automatic cooling-off period. You can't just jump in your car and give someone a piece of your mind off without enduring a long, tedious road trip.

I remember as a teen watching BET's "Video Soul" music show and learning that the 1986 chart-topping duet "On My Own" with Patti LaBelle and Michael McDonald was recorded by the singers in two separate studios on opposite coasts. The split-screen music video reflects the separation and actually makes sense since it's a breakup song.

At the time, I remember thinking how strange it was that two artists could produce such a heartfelt and soulful piece of work without even having been in the same room.

But having completed the book project with my buddy Raymond, I now know that two or more creative people who happen to be in different places can, indeed, seamlessly blended voices and ideas.

Remembering Prince On His Birthday

Today would have been Prince's 58th birthday. Like millions of fans around the world who continue to mourn The Purple One's untimely death, I'm reflecting on everything he meant to me.

I'm literally a lifelong Prince fan. I was 11 going on 12 in the summer of '84 when my Aunt Cathy took me and my cousins Darlene and Stacy to see "Purple Rain." From the moment that the opening scene of The Revolution performing "Let's Go Crazy" came onscreen, I was an instant convert.

It's ironic that Prince - a clean-living vegan who shunned all recreational drugs - reportedly died of an overdose of opioid medication that was originally prescribed for hip injuries. To paraphrase one Rolling Stone reporter: Prince personified complexity and contradiction. 

There are numerous anti-drug messages in Prince's music that made young people like me who grew up idolizing him adopt drug-free lifestyles:

"What you puttin' in your nose?/Is that where all your money goes/The river of addiction flows," Prince sings in a chastising tone in "Pop Life" from the '85 "Around the World in a Day" album.

At the beginning of '88's "Lovesexy" album he declares, "The reason why my voice is so clear is because there's no smack in my brain."

Prince's alleged addiction to prescription painkillers doesn't make me think any less of him. We all have compulsive behaviors and habits we can't seem to shake.

The older I get, the more I realize that my heroes aren't superhuman. But Prince seemed like the closest thing to it: energetic, slim and fit, and rocking a full head of hair - not a fleck of gray - up until the day he died.

I was privileged to see Prince perform many times. The last time I saw him was in July 2014 at the Essence Festival in New Orleans to mark the 30th anniversary of "Purple Rain." Even then, he was a seemingly inexhaustible spark plug of funk. He wasn't doing the splits or jumping off pianos anymore, but he still played a mean guitar and worked the stage with the youthful exuberance of a teenager.

A selfie I took in the New Orleans Superdome
during Prince's July 2014 concert.

I'm hoping that Prince's abrupt death will spark not only a dialogue, but some kind of legislative action about the need for better alternatives for those dealing with chronic pain. In the meantime, we'll continue to jam to his music and party like it's 1999.

It's a cliché, but Prince's music has truly been the soundtrack of my life. There are so many things in my life

and work that Prince has influenced. As Questlove said in a moving tribute, I modeled my entire life after Prince.

When I was preparing to release my debut novel "The Chloe Chronicles" and found model Veronica Seitz to pose for the cover, I mused that Veronica is like a "Prince girl": an exotically beautiful woman whom Prince would groom for stardom, hand a microphone and place onstage in a lacy outfit. 

"Chloe" cover girl Veronica Seitz.

And I've buried Prince-inspired "Easter eggs" (hidden messages) in several of my other works. In the final scene of my play, "The Springtime of Our Lives," when the Bennett family is about to attend Easter Sunday church service, the character Denise comments on the beautiful weather: "Springtime's always been my favorite time of year."

That line is taken directly from Prince's haunting ballad "Sometimes It Snows In April" from the '86 "Parade" album.

There were several occasions when I almost met Prince. In the summer of 2002, I attended a fan gathering at his Paisley Park compound in Minneapolis. After a typically mind-blowing jam session that extended into the wee hours of the morning, Prince announced from the stage that the entire audience was invited to join him to see the Tom Cruise movie "Minority Report" at a local movie theater.

I figured this was one of Prince's infamous practical jokes and instead went back to my hotel room to crash. But the news later reported that Prince did, indeed, treat 200 people to see the movie and bought everyone popcorn, candy and soda pop.

On another occasion in the early 2000s, I was standing in line outside Paisley Park, waiting to get in to see the Minneapolis Mozart perform. I looked up to see a shadowy figure that resembled the mysterious Mr. Nelson overlooking the crowd from a second-story window. Prince noticed me spying him in a private moment and turned and walked away.

On yet another occasion, Prince came to perform in my hometown of Columbus, Ohio, in 1998. As was his wont, he invited the audience to an after-party at a nightclub. I happened to be standing near the backstage area at the now-defunct downtown nightclub Mecca as Prince approached the stage. I smiled at him and he smiled back.

And there was the time in March 2005  when I was covering the NAACP Image Awards in Los Angeles for the Call and Post Newspaper. I was in line to pick up my press pass when I noticed a short man dressed in a mustard-colored suit getting out of a limo - none other than His Royal Badness!

As Prince sauntered by me in his trademark heels, we made eye contact. I could have offered my hand and simply said, "Hi. My name's Chris and I'm a huge fan." But I was too shy and afraid one of his bodyguards would have had me thrown out for approaching the notoriously enigmatic star.

Although I didn't get an opportunity to meet Prince, I've been blessed to meet people who knew him well, including Sheila E., Wendy and Lisa and Revolution band mates Brown Mark, Matt Fink and Bobby Rivkin, and "Purple Rain" co-stars Apollonia Kotero and Jill Jones (who has a great new dance album titled "I Am").

The Purpose Magazine cover story I wrote on Denise "Vanity" Matthews.

I also interviewed Vanity 6 lead singer Denise Matthews (aka Vanity), who passed away in February, not long before Prince, her former boyfriend. I wrote a cover story on Denise's transformation from "vamp" to Christian evangelist in Purpose Magazine. When speaking with Prince's ex, I reverted to a middle-school fanboy, later boasting to friends and family that Vanity called me at home!

Me, Sheila E. and her dad Pete Escovedo at the Conga Room nightclub
 in L.A. in March 2002.

All of Prince's "subjects" whom I've had the pleasure of interacting with have been warm, friendly and accessible. I'd like to think Prince would have been the same if I'd had the chance to know him. 

Since Prince's death, radio stations and music lovers all over the world have been rediscovering his classic hits. But as for me and other lifelong fans, we've never stopped playing his music.

Hardly a day has gone by since that fateful summer of 1984 when I first saw "Purple Rain" that I haven't played a song Prince wrote and produced for himself or someone else.

This past Sunday, June 5, realizing Prince's birthday was coming up, I decided to start listening to all of his 39 albums in sequential order, starting with his 1978 debut, "For You." So far, I'm up to 1980's "Dirty Mind."

What is my favorite Prince album? I'd have to say "Lovesexy." Maybe it's because the theatrical "Lovesexy" tour was the first time I saw him live, journeying to Cincinnati's Riverfront Coliseum with my high school friend Michele Burr (whom I'm happy to call a close friend to this day).

The song "Anna Stesia" from "Lovesexy" is one of my all-time favorite Prince songs. The lyrics of the dramatic ballad depict Prince's lifelong struggle to reconcile his sexuality and his spirituality. The song also documents his brave decision to take the road less traveled and follow his heart in a fickle industry where you're only as good as your last hit.

These lyrics from "Anna Stesia" represent what Prince's genius means to me: "Music late/nothing great/no way to differentiate/I took a chance..."

Prince was a once-in-a-lifetime artist and human being who will never be forgotten. One of his favorite sayings - written in that unique symbol language that he adopted long before texting was invented - was "May u live 2 see the dawn." 

For myself and the millions of others who will continue to adore and treasure him, the dawn has broken. Prince's spirit, his music and his legacy will live on.

Come To Paisha's Place

I'm so proud of my friend and "dream-releasing buddy" Paisha Thomas. She just released her debut CD, "Paisha," and will be performing selections from the album during the  "Cover Me Session Two: Come Together" concert on Friday, June 3, at 7 p.m. at 300 E. Long St. in my hometown of Columbus, Ohio.

 

Paisha helped me realize a dream I've had since I became a music fan as a preteen: having my name listed in the liner notes of an album. I'm credited as a co-writer of the song "Love Don't Stand a Chance (Big Mama's Song)" on Paisha's album - a true honor.  

Paisha played the leading role of "Big Mama" in "The Springtime of Our Lives," a play I wrote, produced and directed in 2013.

There's a scene in which Big Mama, her granddaughter Myra (played by the phenomenally talented Sufiy James) and teenage granddaughter-in-law Denise (played by Paisha's amazingly talented daughter, Christian Cooper) clean house while Big Mama belts out a gospel-flavored number. When I was writing the scene, I envisioned The Pointer Sisters' "Neutron Dance" - venting frustration about all the chaos going in the world.

Me (center, front row) and Paisha Thomas (center, back row) with
"The Springtime of Our Lives" cast, clockwise from left: Nancy Niki Penn,
Helen Price-Outlaw, Sufiy James, Keith "Speak" Williams,
Christian Cooper, Jerry Weekly and David Holland.

I jotted down a few lyrics, including a phrase that kept rattling around in my head for some odd reason: "They keep raising the price of stamps." I gave the lyrics to Paisha and Brian Szuch, who co-produced Paisha's album and played in the "Springtime" band when we put on shows in Columbus in October 2013 and March 2014 and Cleveland in June 2014. 

I was amazed when, in a very short amount of time, Paisha and Brian took my scribblings and fleshed them out into a full-length song that really captures Big Mama's world-weary mood yet steadfast faith that God will work everything out.

"Love Don't Stand a Chance (Big Mama's Song)" is just one of the gems on Paisha's album. I love all of the 13 tracks, and here's a look at a few of the highlights:

"Courage" is an upbeat song about exercising the inner strength to leave a situation that's holding you back and realize your full potential. I heard an early version of this song that Paisha recorded a few years ago during one of her band rehearsals, and it's always been one of my favorites. 

"Water Wash" is a moving ballad about the strength of the human spirit to survive unimaginable hardships. The song was inspired by Lupita Nyong'o's Oscar-winning performance in "12 Years a Slave," which Paisha and I saw together.

"Seventeen Suns" is a mellow tune that reminds me of strolling along in the park, enjoying the sunshine and the beauty of nature. 

"Inside Out" is a powerful exploration about all the good things that can result when you have the fortitude to take a look inside and discover your true self and go after what you really want in life.

Each of the songs showcases Paisha's rich, soulful voice. Her music is a unique fusion of R&B, rock, folk and her gospel roots. Like another of my favorite artists - the late, great Prince - Paisha Thomas is an artist who defies categorization in the best way possible.

Paisha will be selling the album at the "Cover Me Session Two: Come Together" concert on June 3. The show will feature Paisha and a variety of awesome Columbus singers and musicians raising money for art and music education for public school students. For tickets and more information, visit Eventbrite by clicking this link.