Happy MLK Day!

Happy Monday! Today, we acknowledge and honor the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. He was one of the greatest leaders of all time who fought for equity for all. He showed the world that one person can make a difference!

Rest in Peace: Aretha Franklin

Aretha Franklin - The Queen of Soul

Rest in Peace: I am heartbroken to hear the news that we lost the beautiful Aretha Franklin recently.

I can tell you the impact she's had on my life as a singer is tremendous. I can remember in college when I was a voice major singing Aretha's songs in the practice room when I should have been singing opera. Driving my fellow musicians crazy but making my soul happy.

She paved the way for so many singers throughout the years. She was a true diva in every sense of the word!  Aretha's music will live on and inspire generations to come.

This is a devastating loss but I'm so glad she's at peace now. Her beautiful voice lives on to give us comfort. My thoughts and prayers are with her loved ones and fans.

Aretha Franklin tribute concert at Chene Park - The People's Concert for the Queen: 
https://www.facebook.com/wxyzdetroit/videos/321474625273027/

Benita Charles' tribute to Aretha:

Happy MLK Day 2018!

Today, we acknowledge and honor the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. He was one of the greatest leaders of all time who fought for equity for all. He showed the world that one person can make a difference!

http://www.cnn.com/2018/01/12/us/mlk-relevance-today/index.html

Singing Tips by Benita Charles (A Special Prince Tribute) - #3

From sorrow to celebration: Singing Tips by Benita Charles Music (A special Prince tribute)

On the 3rd show, NY-Vocalist shares her thoughts on the recent passing of one of the greatest artist of our time, Prince.

Prince is the perfect example of the type of artist we should all strive to be.  He inspired the world through his music with hard work, talent, a dynamic stage show and a savvy business skills. His accomplishments include winning 7 Grammy's, releasing 39 albums, released 104 singles and sold over $100 millions. To show you the fruits of his labor, his fortune was worth over $300 million at his death. He lived an incredible life and he shared his journey through his music.  I am so grateful that we have his music to hear his journey.

As artists and musicians, we have a duty to share our gifts and inspire the world.  That's exactly what Prince did and that's why I am honoring him on this week's Singing Tips by Benita Charles Show!

We love you, Prince!

Much Love,

Benita Charles Music

"Singing Diva spreading love through music for your inspiration and entertainment!"

http://benitacharles.com

 Singing Tips by Benita Charles Music (A special Prince tribute)




A special vocal tribute to Prince by Benita Charles

From sorrow to celebration: Harlem concert for Prince - 4/25/16

 From sorrow to celebration: Harlem celebrates the life and music of Prince

 Exactly one week ago, I learned of the untimely death of the music icon, Prince.

When I first heard the news, I was devastated like millions of his fans around the world.  I took his death exceptionally hard. Prince always seemed larger than life to me - almost invincible. It was a reminder that life is fragile.  You can't take it for granted and that you must live your legacy.  That's exactly what Prince did.  He left such an impact on the world that his life and music is celebrated all over the world. I have a friend from the UK who said he listened to Prince's Purple Rain album during his childhood.  That's just one example of how much of an influence his music had on the world.

My sadness turned to joy when I stopped by the Apollo Theater in Harlem on Friday, April 22nd (the day after his death). There was a spirit of love in the air. With Prince's music blasting through the speakers, there was nothing but sheer bliss that was felt by all.  We sang and danced to all his greatest hits.  There were large posters with Prince's image to sign.  They were littered with various signatures from fans from all over the world.  It was a beautiful site.

The celebration continued on Monday, April 25th on 125th Street, when the Harlem community presented a star-studded concert at the Plaza at the State Office Building on Adam Clayton Powell Blvd. at 125th from 5:30 pm - 8:30 pm. It was a grandiose affair with many DJs from Hot 97 and WBLS, local politicians and thousands of fans. It was a site to behold.

One of the highlights for me was a special performance by R&B Diva, Melissa Morgan who sang her hit (written by Prince), "Do Me, Baby!"  She did not disappoint!! She led the crowd with a sing-a-long and then she took the song to another level when she deviated from the crowd with her ad lib. She was incredible. 

Another great highlight, Cake Man Raven presented his red-velvet Prince cake (an exact replica of  Prince's famous purple guitar).  It was spectacular and delicious at the same time! It was a pleasant surprise when he served us the cake at the end of the program!!

I met so many great people during the concert who was celebrating Prince which made the whole experience even more enriching! I even met a Prince impersonator who embodied Prince's spirit and his dance moves!

After the concert, we were treated to various awesome performances of Prince at various stages of his career on a Jumbotron on the side of the concert area.  It allowed the audience to see his greatness and what he brought the world.  We danced and sang along as Prince wowed us from the big screen.  It was a perfect way to end what was a beautiful affair.

Wednesday night (April 27th), I was thrilled to see the movie, Purple Rain on the big screen.  It was incredible and the music really filled my soul.  After the movie, we all applauded and cheered at it's brilliance. It was so wonderful.

I am full now and my sorrow has turned to gratitude that we were blessed with such a great soul who touched the world with his love and music.  Prince once said in an interview with Larry King that he would describe his music as "inspirational." It truly was and still is inspirational. He expressed our humanity - the good, the bad, the ugly and the beauty of life. What an incredible journey he had and that he expressed in his music.  I am so grateful that we can still hear his journey.

May he forever, Rest in Peace!

A beautiful evening at The Apollo Friday night - April 22nd!

A beautiful evening: There was an awesome tribute to Prince at The Apollo night! I met so many great people. The energy and love was incredible. I really needed this tonight. I haven't been great since I heard the news of Prince's death. His music just washed the pain away. That was the power of his music!! It was so much great music. The announced on the news today that he has a vault of unreleased music.  I hope we're able to hear it. He has so much great music available to us. It's so incredible! His music truly gave me comfort tonight. He will truly be missed! WE LOVE YOU, PRINCE!!

Rest in Peace: Maurice White of Earth, Wind & Fire

1941-2016

Rest in Peace: I'm sorry to hear of the passing of Maurice White, founder and leader of Earth, Wind and Fire (one of my all time favorite bands) on February 3, 2016. His music will continue to inspire generations to come. USA Today has a nice video tribute of his life. Sending my prayers to his family, friends and his fans. ‪

Rest in peace: Glenn Frey of The Eagles

Rest in peace: I'm so sad to hear of the death of Glenn Frey, one of the founding members of the great rock band, The Eagles.

There was a great documentary on Showtime called "The History of The Eagles." It chronicled the band's rise to fame and not to mention all the great music they produced.

Sending my thoughts and prayers to his family, friends and all his fans.


CNN article: http://www.cnn.com/2016/01/18/entertainment/glenn-frey-obit-feat/

Here's a song co-written by Glen Frey to show you some of his great songwriting. The Eagles posted this on their website.

“It's Your World Now”

Written by Glenn Frey and Jack Tempchin
From the Eagles’ Long Road Out of Eden album

A perfect day, the sun is sinkin' low
As evening falls, the gentle breezes blow
The time we shared went by so fast
Just like a dream, we knew it couldn't last
But I'd do it all again
If I could, somehow
But I must be leavin' soon
It's your world now
It's your world now
My race is run
I'm moving on
Like the setting sun
No sad goodbyes
No tears allowed
You'll be alright
It's your world now
Even when we are apart
You'll always be in my heart
When dark clouds appear in the sky
Remember true love never dies
But first a kiss, one glass of wine
Just one more dance while there's still time
My one last wish: someday, you'll see
How hard I tried and how much you meant to me
It's your world now
Use well your time
Be part of something good
Leave something good behind
The curtain falls
I take my bow
That's how it's meant to be
It's your world now
It's your world now
It's your world now

 

A special Happy Birthday to Michael Jackson!

A special Happy Birthday to one of the greatest singers/entertainers of all time - Michael Jackson! 

His music will continue to inspire us forever!

‪#‎RIP‬ ‪#‎lovehim‬ ‪#‎kingofpop‬ ‪#‎music‬ ‪#‎legend‬

Remembering Bobby Womack

Rest in Peace: Today we lost one of the greatest soul singers of our time, Mr. Bobby Womack.

What he brought to his music is nothing short of brilliance. He was an incredible talent and this is a huge loss to the music community. He inspired and influenced so many singers. I'm so happy we have his music so that we can always experience his genius..

Sending my prayers to his family and friends.

Remembering the legendary Ruby Dee

Rest In Peace: I am sorry to hear of the death of the legendary actress Ruby Dee. She was an incredible actress and person. She lived her purpose and lived by example. She truly left a positive impact to the world. She will be greatly missed. I send my thoughts and prayers to her family and friends.

http://www.ebony.com/photos/black-history/ruby-dee-an-ebony-collection-look-back-333#ixzz34SUZcUQn

Remembering Dr. Maya Angelou

I'm so sorry to hear of the recent passing of Dr. Maya Angelou. 

We are so blessed to have witnessed her share her gift of words to the world. She was truly an example of what we are all striving for: to use your gifts to heal the world. She was a beautiful wordsmith and a phenomenal woman. She lived her purpose.

Her words have touched and inspired millions through the years. Her pen is now silenced and still but her words will live on for eternity and will reach future generations. Her life is a testament of how one person can truly change the world.

I pray for her family and friends for comfort. May she R.I.P.

Dr. Maya Angelou

1928 - 2014

Sad news in music: Robin Gibb of The Bee Gees dead at 62

The music business as lost another legend on May 20th. Robin Gibb of The Bee Gees lost his battle with cancer. My thoughts and prayers are with his family. R.I.P.


http://www.billboard.com/news/robin-gibb

Remembering Whitney Houston

I am so shocked and saddened to hear of the sudden death of Whitney Houston. She is definitely one of my all time favorite singers and had one of the greatest voices of all time. She inspired me to be a singer. Her voice will go down in history as one of the greatest.

I send my heartfelt prayers to her family.

It's such a tragic loss that words can't express how I feel. I really thought she would pull through. I really didn't think her life would end this way.

We have so many beautiful memories to remember her by. I will focus on those memories and recordings of her gift.

No more suffering, Whitney. You can rest in peace now.

Breaking News - 2/11/12:
Singing superstar Whitney Houston dies at 48: http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/46355482