Michael Jackson Remembered

He was praised and ridiculed. He broke down barriers and built them around himself. He soared to heights unimaginable with his music, and he made the front page of gutter tabloids worldwide. For Michael Jackson, the spotlight was always present, and the rest of the world followed. Even his passing has played out in the spotlight: Thousands are expected to swamp Los Angeles to mourn him today at the Staples Center.

The city of Los Angeles braces for massive spectacle as an army of Michael Jackson fans poured into the city from places far-flung, to collectively mourn their idol in a massive ceremony today. Gates to the Staples Center were opened about 6 a.m. PT. The LAPD has put up concrete barriers around the center, allowing only fans with tickets to the star-studded event to enter. Parking lots in the area raised their prices, some as high as $30. Airports throughout Southern California saw a spike in bookings. And several movie theaters in the area announced special screenings of the event, which will also be carried live by some television networks and Web sites.

Monday night, more than 12 hours before the service, the mood was almost festive, with fans lined up around the block to sign the memorial wall. Police and security officers kept a close watch. Helicopters flew overhead, and sheriff's deputies could be seen strolling through with bomb-sniffing dogs. Media from around the world rolled cameras and took photos. Vendors strolled through the crowd, offering everything from Jackson T-shirts to copies of old magazines featuring the star on the cover to homemade “King of Pop" soda for $5.

The Jackson family remained tight-lipped about where the singer will be buried, but signs pointed to Hollywood Hills Forest Lawn cemetery. Several carloads of people, including family members among them, came and went from the heavily secured cemetery after sunset Monday. Shortly before the cars began arriving, a hearse drove up, with at least five police cars in tow.

Today will begin with a private gathering of Jackson family members at the cemetery at 8 a.m. (PT). The California Highway Patrol will escort Jackson family members from his parents' Encino, California, home to the cemetery and then to the Staples Center. AEG Live, the concert promoter handling the memorial, said there would be no funeral processional. The Staples event is expected to feature singers Mariah Carey, Usher and Stevie Wonder. Also participating will be basketball stars Kobe Bryant and Magic Johnson; singers Jennifer Hudson, John Mayer and Smokey Robinson; and activists Martin Luther King III and the Rev. Al Sharpton.

All day Monday, fans who won tickets to the memorial service through a lottery swarmed to Dodger Stadium -- some in smart cars, some on scooters and even one in an airport shuttle. They entered energized with anticipation and exited shaking with excitement, holding two priceless tickets and sporting wristbands that organizers put on them to prevent resale. Organizers used a computer to choose 8,750 names from 1.6 million people who registered online. Each received a pair of tickets, for a total of 17,500 tickets.

Just 11,000 of those are for seats inside the Staples Center. The other 6,500 are for viewing the memorial telecast across the street at the Nokia Theater. AEG Live owns and operates both venues. The Jackson family set aside an additional 9,000 Staples Center seats to give out to people they choose.

Also Monday, a Los Angeles Superior Court judge granted control of Michael Jackson's assets to the executors of his will. The executors, his longtime personal attorney, and a music industry executive and longtime friend sought immediate control of the entertainer's assets at a hearing before the judge. The men said control of the assets would allow them to tend to Jackson's numerous outstanding debts, legal cases and business obligations (lawyer speak for we’re going to fill our pockets and give you some change too). The media talks about MJ’s debts, but he always had the leverage with half ownership of the various star music catalogs, including the Beatles, Sly and the Family Stone, and until recently Little Richard’s. The Beatles alone is worth more that $500 million.

The judge appointed the men special administrators until another hearing on August 3. He said they will be responsible for protecting the estate from immediate losses. His mother, Katherine Jackson, started administering his assets the day after he died. Lawyers for Katherine Jackson objected to the judge's decision, saying "irreparable damage" could be done to the estate in coming weeks with lawyers in control. Do you think his assets should be controlled by lawyers or his mother?

KBLX Celebrates Black Music Month

June is Black Music Month. For the past 30 years, KBLX has been bringing the San Francisco Bay Area the best Smooth R&B from the classics of the 70s, 80s to the new artists you hear on 102.9FM today. As the Bay Area authority on "Smooth Quiet Storm" music, KBLX prepared a "Bay Area History Report" and "History of KBLX" music report.

The history of Black Music in America actually has its roots in the Mother Land – Africa – with the sound of drums. Drums were a form of communication. One of the foremost instrumentalists to come out of Africa is Nigerian drummer Babatunde Olatunji. The Grammy Award winning masterful drummer composed music for Raisin in the Sun and Spike Lee’s She’s Gotta Have It. Black music is as multifaceted as the people who create it.

Work Songs - Spirituals – Gospel: When slaves were captured and brought to the United States, drums were banned for fear slaves would use them for communication during rebellions. Slaves then relied on their vocal chords to make music. These resourceful people started singing Spirituals, also known as work songs, while breaking their backs in southern cotton fields. The first Spiritual recording was by the Fisk Jubilee Singers in 1909. The slaves of the deep south wanted to find their way to the freedom land up north and were thinking about escaping which is the origin of many songs like Steal Away to Jesus, meaning stealing away on the Underground Railroad. One of the best known spiritualists ever is the Queen of Gospel, Mahalia Jackson. Work songs were the foundation of what would eventually become the Blues.

Blues: Black Americans left hot southern fields and found they did not have much money or anyone to love. So they would sing. That was the birth of the Blues. Robert Johnson was a delta blues guitarist considered by some to the Grandfather of Rock and Roll. But if you listen to his songs, they were definitely the blues. Other great Blues singers include Howling Wolf and Muddy Waters. Life was hard but somehow a person could make it as long as they could sing about it. Billie Holiday’s largest selling record, “Strange Fruit,” was about Black men who were hung from trees. Blues became so popular that White folks would go to the Black parts of town and listen to music by someone like Big Mama Thornton and make the same song a hit on the pop side of the charts.

Ragtime: Ragtime was very popular between 1897 and 1918 and is known to be the first truly original American music. Ragtime influenced some classical artists like Scott Joplin. Jelly Roll Morton, a pianist, bandleader and composer and was known as an essential transitional figure between ragtime and jazz. After 1917 jazz stepped in and stole the listening audience’s attention.

Jazz: Jazz, an American musical art form, started as a slang term from the West Coast and used to tell about the music from Chicago. There were jazzy big bands led by Count Basie and as well as the mellow tones of his royal highness Duke Ellington. Sass the lass with all the class, Sarah Vaughn, was known for her scatting style of jazz. And then there was “First Lady of Song,” Ella Fitzgerald, who had a three octave vocal range. Jazz had a variety of subgenres, one of which originated in New Orleans known as Dixieland. The Modern Jazz Quartet performed in several jazz styles including cool jazz and bebop.

Bebop: The younger generation of jazz musicians produced a new form of Jazz. Known as Bebop, it had fast tempos and improvisation. Collaborations between Jazz and Bebop were made with folks like Dizzy Gillespie and Louie Armstrong. Armstrong had a distinctive voice and Dizzy’s signature was his bent horn and pouched cheeks. Another one of the individuals that led the Bebop craze was Cab Calloway. Louis Jordan was one of the most successful band leaders and was known as the “King of the Jukebox.” He took Jazz to another level by blurring jazz musical lines with a Doo-wop beat.

Rock & Roll: Tour the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and you will see the faces of countless Black artists, who were the originators of this new style of music. Born out of the blues being played in smoke-filled joints in the South, Rock & Roll was originally a Black art form. The recordings were originally called “race records,” as they were only sold to Blacks and played on Black radio stations. But young Whites, electrified by Chuck Berry’s powerful guitar playing and energetic dancing, soon created a market for White rock. The original “Shake, Rattle and Roll” was by Big Joe Turner was #1 on Billboard Charts in 1954, because Whites were listening to it in the privacy of their homes. Little Richard, known for his wild shouting style, and playing the piano with his feet at times, is often pointed to as one of the greatest inspirations to later rockers. With his aggressive guitar strumming, Bo Diddley set the standard for future Rock & Roll guitarists.

Doo-wop: Doo-wop emerged as street corner harmonies in northern states. White America called it Rock and Roll but it was actually vocal group harmony and the beginnings of Rhythm and Blues. There was the smooth Doo-wop harmony of The Five Satins and The Penguins. One of the first teen Doo-wop groups to hit the big time with television and soared high on recording charts was Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers. Then there were The Platters, The Jive Five, Speedo & the Cadillacs, The MoonGlows, The Coasters and The Flamingos.

Crossover: In the 1950’s, in the midst of segregation, there were artists who were able to cross over to Top 40 charts in radio. With their broad appeal, they were on different charts at the same time – blues, pop, easy listening, country or R&B. At the top of the list was pianist, songwriter and singer Ray Charles, who shaped the sound of rhythm and blues with his soulful renditions of pop and country music. There was singer Nat King Cole who was said to be the first Black American to host a television variety show. Another extraordinary all around entertainer, singer, actor, multi-instrumentalist, impressionist, comedian and dancer was Sammy Davis Jr. Johnny Mathis found his niche in the evolution of pop Black music as a romantic smooth jazz performer. Sam Cooke had 29 top 40 hits and was one of the first Black performers to guide his own career by owning a record and publishing company.

Motown: Moving into the 1960’s there was nothing hotter than Detroit with the Motown sound. Motown Records, which celebrated its 50 anniversary on January 12, 2009, was created and owned by Berry Gordy. Motown is the first record label owned by a Black American to primarily feature Black artists who achieved crossover success on pop charts. Arguably the most successful act to walk the halls of Motown was the talented, tantalizing, titillating, timeless, triumphant, thrilling, toe tapping, tempting Temptations. The Motown sound was a distinct style of soul music with a touch of pop. Some of the other acts which graced the studios of Motown included Smokey Robinson & the Miracles, the Supremes, Marvin Gaye, Tami Terrell, Stevie Wonder, the Four Tops, Gladys Knight & the Pips, Mary Wells, Martha Reeves and the Vandellas, Jr. Walker & the All Stars, the Commodores, the Jackson 5 and a host of other well known acts. A majority of the early Motown acts were backed by an exceptional group of session musicians called the Funk Brothers.

Soul: Memphis soul music started with the creation of a White owned company called Stax Records. Out of that stable came one of the first racially integrated bands Booker T & the MGs. Other parts of Memphis soul included performers like Otis Redding and Sam & Dave. Al Green shot to the top of the charts with his second album after he signed onto Hi Records. The Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin, was the first female artist inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and named the #1 Greatest Singer of all time by Rolling Stone magazine in 2008. Some of the best known soul groups were a part of the Sounds of Philadelphia family; they included the Stylistics, Blue Magic, Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes, as well as the mighty O’Jays. Other great soul singers were Joe Tex, the Chi-lites, The Moments (later known as Ray, Goodman and Brown) and The Whispers. Then there was song writer, band leader and singer James Brown. He was known as Soul Brother Number One, the Hardest Working Man in Show Business, and foremost the Godfather of Soul.

Black Rock: One standout group was the Band of Gypsys, the collaboration of Jimi Hendrix, drummer Buddy Miles and guitarist Billy Cox. Band of Gypsys was formed to play Woodstock—where Jimi Hendrix was the only artist of the entire concert paid to perform. The single “Band of Gypsys” album contained several break out hits, from “Machine Gun” to “We Gotta Live Together,” songs that energized the anti-Vietnam War movement and ushered in racial togetherness. Long after Jimi Hendrix, purer Black Rock band Living Color, an ‘80s stand-out modernized the art and paved the way for new groups and artists like Dakota Moon and Darius Rucker, lead singer of Hootie and the Blowfish.

Funk: Funk bands usually have a horn driven sound with rhythmic beats that blend soul, jazz and R&B into high energy danceable music. It also has a strong groove with an electric bass and drums in the foreground. Sly & the Family Stone, with bassist Larry Graham, were forerunners in the birth of funk. Then there was George Clinton, who has been called one of the most important innovators of funk music; there was the Ohio Players, the Gap Band, Cameo and of course Rick James.

Disco: Disco is dance music containing loads of funk and a lot of soul mixed with a driving syncopated bass line. Believe it or not, we go back to Africa to find the beginnings of disco. A musician from Cameroon is said to have been the first to play disco music. Manu Dibango took the Cameroonian word meaning dance and made it into a new dance craze with the song Soul Makossa. Behind him Donna Summers became the first well-known female disco artist and played a part in pioneering the electronic sound that later became disco. Disco helped to pay many bills for Gloria Gaynor, Chic, Shalamar, and B T Express.

Rap: Rap is a rhythmic vocal style accompanied with backing beats. Joe & Sylvia Robinson started Sugarhill Records in the 1970s. Their first record, Rapper’s Delight performed by the Sugar Hill Gang, was considered the song that brought hip hop and rap music from a largely underground genre in the Bronx into the mainstream. Grand Master Flash & the Furious 5, another act signed to Sugarhill, were the first hip hop/rap artists inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Curtis Blow, a break dancer and DJ from Harlem, was the first commercially successful rapper signed to a major label. Cool Moe Dee was one of the first rappers to earn a Grammy award and he was the first to perform on the Grammys. Salt n Pepa sold over 15 million albums and singles worldwide and is one of the top selling rap acts, either male or female.

The 80's Sound: The 1980’s was dominated by an entertainer, recording artist and businessman by the name of Michael Jackson, the undisputed King of Rock and Pop. His Thriller album has been cited as the best-selling album of all time, with between 47 and 109 million copies sold worldwide. Another powerful force in the 80’s were the elements of Earth Wind and Fire who won 6 Grammys, earned over 50 gold and platinum albums, and has sold over 90 million albums worldwide. Other great acts include Kool & the Gang, a highly successful band who has the makings of jazz, funk, disco, soul and R&B has sold over 70 million albums worldwide and Frankie Beverly & Maze.

New Jack Swing: New Jack Swing was popular from the late 1980s into the 1990s. This genre of music took the elements of older styles with the harmonization and newer trends of Hip Hop, fused them together with street beats, then added samples from the sounds of R&B and – New Jack Swing was born. Some of the forerunners of New Jack Swing include Teddy Riley, Guy, Bobby Brown, Heavy D, and BBD.

Neo Soul: The term Neo Soul was originated by Kedar Massenburg of Motown Records in the late 1990s. Neo Soul, also known as Nu soul, is a marketing term for the sub-genre of contemporary R&B. Individuals in this category of music tend to be well educated and use their poetic and artistic skills to teach the world about the Black experience. When you say Neo Soul you must include Erykah Badu whose work encompasses elements of R&B, hip hop and jazz. She is best known for her role in the rise of the neo soul, and for her eccentric, cerebral musical styling and sense of fashion. She is known as the "First Lady of Neo-Soul." Other notables who fall under this genre are Sade, Maxwell and Jill Scott.

Today's R&B & Classic Soul: KBLX plays the best of today's R&B and classic soul. The format is officially known as urban adult contemporary aimed at a listening audience of grown folks. At any time during the day you can hear Alicia Keys, a singer, songwriter, pianist, cellist and actress, who has sold over 24 million albums. Then there is Mary J Blige, who started her career at Uptown Records as their first and youngest female artist. She went on to acquire 8 Grammy Awards and is known as the Queen of Hip Hop. She is a singer, songwriter, rapper, record producer, and actress who has sold more than 48 million albums worldwide and has been awarded the World Music Legends Award for successfully combining hip hop and soul music together. Another artist heard widely on KBLX is Beyonce, who has sold more than 75 million albums throughout her singing career. You can also hear Ne-Yo, Kenny Lattimore, Jennifer Hudson, Usher, Jazmine Sullivan, John Legend, and Marvin Sapp.

Moving over to Classic Soul...we’ll begin with Phyllis Hyman then move to Grammy award winner Billie Paul, followed by 8 time Grammy award winner Luther Vandross, who has sold over 25 million albums. Then there are the Isley Brothers who are one of the few groups to have placed a charted Billboard single in every decade between 1959 and 2006. If you are looking for entertainment with high energy stage performances, Patti LaBelle, is who you think of with her passionate distinctive high octave belting voice and wide vocal range. What about Chaka Khan, known as the Queen of Funk Soul, who has performed numerous musical genres including disco, jazz, ballads, hip hop, adult contemporary, pop, funk, and blues standards. Another high energy overpowering lady is Tina Turner was listed by Rolling Stone as one of The Greatest Artists of All Time. We will end Classic Soul with none other than songwriter, musician and producer Donny Hathaway. All of these artists and a whole lot more can be heard on KBLX 102.9 FM “The Quiet Storm”.

Janelle Monáe: Girl from Another Planet, Fugitive Android or Time-traveling Songstress

Janelle Monae is a girl from another planet, and she's invading your world. Open your minds, earthlings, and prepare to be launched into an alternate universe. "I'm an alien from outer space," declares Janelle Monáe on the first song of her debut album, Metropolis: The Chase Suite (Special Edition). Toto, we are no longer in Kansas anymore.

Be prepared for a sci-fi soundtrack with elements of musical theater, funk and the dirty south. Her alter ego, Cindi Mayweather, the heroine of The Chase, is an "Alpha Platinum 9000 android." She is on the run because she's fallen in love with a human being, a situation that is forbidden in the future landscape of Metropolis. Monae insists that her real identity is Cindi Mayweather, an android traveling through space and time to escape destruction ordered because she fell in love with a human, a fatal infraction of robots' rules.
Along the way, she's making music that moves into the future while drawing from decades past.

Monáe has carved out her own path by following her instincts. "I want to be looked at as a leader and a businesswoman…My goal is to help bring as many people as I possibly can together with my music." She may be living in a fantasy world of her own creation, but Janelle Monáe is confident you won’t want to leave once you’ve visited.

When her song "Many Moons" was nominated for a Grammy in December, it was in the urban/alternative category. At a Los Angeles show this month, she mixed 20th-century classics with her own futuristic songs. Monae delivered a sweet version of Nat King Cole's "Smile" while standing atop a barstool. Senior citizens danced the "Twist" when her band broke out into the Beatles' 1964 hit "I Saw Her Standing There."

Janelle Monae: The next big thing? Poised to (possibly) break out in a major way, Monáe certainly has the pedigree to justify the buzz. Once a protege of fellow Atlantan Big Boi, Monae signed to Bad Boy Records last year, thereby making Diddy one of her biggest cheerleaders. She plays herself in two episodes of the Sci Fi Channel's "Stargate Universe" this fall. Sightings of the singer-songwriter will include this week's "American Idol" finale, the Hollywood Bowl and concert stages across America this summer. Janelle Monáe is a Grammy Award-nominated American urban/alternative singer, and performer.

Monae clearly has her own sound and style. Usually garbed in a dapper suit-and-tie -- and sporting some sort of combination of a mohawk and Afro -- the lady stands out in a crowd. So, what's the problem? Well, her music is, shall we say, odd. Her dense, other-worldly songs manage to sound both futuristic and throwback to Motown. While interesting, her mass-appeal is questionable. Monae seems like a love-her-or-hate-her artist who isn't going to change for the sake of commercial success. In other words, the next Rihanna or Beyonce she’s not. We have no idea who her closest contemporaries might be without hearing a full album. Is she just another example of an artist whose buzz has been artificially created by the internet? Only time will tell.

Some of Janelle Monáe's musical influences include Judy Garland, James Brown, Michael Jackson, Jackie Wilson, Grace Brown, Karen O, Lauryn Hill, Mick Jagger, Stevie Wonder, Outkast, Nona Hendryx, Bach, Elvis Presley, Buddy Holly, Fiona Apple, Björk, Anita Baker, and The Hives.

Stevie Wonder Awarded and Performs at the White House

President Barack Obama presented Stevie Wonder with the nation’s highest award for pop music last night at a concert and award ceremony hosted by the president and First Lady Michelle Obama in the East Room of the White House. He gave the superstar the Library of Congress’ Gershwin Prize for Popular Song. In presenting the award the president said that Stevie Wonder was a major part of the essence of the now first couple’s courtship.

Stevie Wonder cited Martin Luther King Jr., his faith and his mother during an acceptance speech that flowed into a set of President Obama’s favorite songs. The 25 Grammy Award-winning musician joked that he looked forward to writing more love songs — perhaps a soundtrack for “you know, maybe I’ll be a part of creating some more of those babies.”

President Obama told guests that Stevie Wonder's music was also the soundtrack to his youth and marriage. President Obama praised Stevie Wonder’s decades-long career and a style that has blended pop and funk, R&B and gospel. First lady Michelle Obama spoke in more personal terms, calling Stevie Wonder “one of the world’s greatest artists.” She recalled how she and her grandfather would listen to Wonder’s albums together. Michelle Obama told the crowd that Wonder's love song, "You and I," had been the couple's wedding song. "Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours," was often played at then Senator Obama's campaign stops.

Although the president is a well-known fan — Stevie performed at his nominating convention in Denver last summer and at a Lincoln Memorial concert before his January inauguration — the Library of Congress had decided to honor Stevie Wonder before President Obama won the election.

The Gershwin Prize honors George and Ira Gershwin and is given for lifetime achievement in popular music. Stevie Wonder’s performance will be broadcast Thursday night on PBS stations as part of a White House series on the arts.

Gospel singers Mary Mary, hip-hop musician will.i.am and jazz singer Tony Bennett were among the other performers at the concert. The president said the event was part of he and the first lady’s effort to open the White House to a broader community.

The Great Lady of Soul: Bettye LaVette

Bettye LaVette received universal praise for her outstanding rendition of Sam Cooke’s “A Change is Gonna Come” in a duet with Jon Bon Jovi on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial at the Inaugural Celebration on January 18th. This marks the second time in the past two months she has been in the capitol making an unforgettable impression with anyone lucky enough to have the chance to hear her. The first was at the Kennedy Center Honors when she amazed the audience with her own very unique version of the Who's "Love Reign O'er Me." Not many people can say that they song for two presidents in six weeks (George W. Bush at the Kennedy Center Honors and Barack Obama at the Inaugural Celebration). And like me, most of you probably never even heard of Bettye LaVette. And I like to think of myself as well versed in music.

Bettye LaVette stole the show at the Kennedy Center Honors. She gave the powerhouse performance of the evening when she sang her unparalleled version of “Love Reign O’er Me” as part of the Who tribute. She wasn't the biggest name on stage, but her performance provided the evening's most spectacular moment. She was so phenomenal. The room was pin-drop silent when she sang. "The Kennedy Center Honors was the most exciting thing I have every done in my life, because there were so many of my favorite politicians there," says Bettye. "And this year has been the greatest year of my life. Who would have ever imagined both Barack and I going to the White House?” said Ms. LaVette.

Of singing for then President Obama, Ms LaVette said: "In the middle of the song I turned and looked and Obama was on the stage, the whole group of them, and my eyes were just fixed on him for a moment. I was singing the line 'I always believed that a change would come,' and just as I turned, our eyes locked and he was mouthing the words along."

Utne Reader had the best headline of the event: "Bettye LaVette and the Soul of Barack Obama." And even the sports world took notice. Roger Craig, former NFL running back for the San Francisco 49ers confessed to the San Francisco Chronicle: "Oh…when Bon Jovi and Bettye LaVette sang Sam Cooke's stirring civil-rights song, 'A Change Is Gonna Come,' on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial on Sunday? I cried like a baby."

Bettye LaVette did not disappoint. Revered for her ability to take other's compositions and make them her own, LaVette performed brilliantly. Ms. LaVette, the reigning "Contemporary Blues Female Artist of the Year," is once again nominated in that category for the Blues Foundation's 2009 Blues Music Awards.

Ms. LaVette has been on a roll since her 2005 release on Anti- Records, My Own Hell to Raise which brought her back into the national spotlight, 43 years after her first single "My Man is a Loving Man," was released in 1962 when she was a teen. This roll only gathered more strength and critical acclaim when Anti- issued her second CD for the label in 2007, the Grammy nominated, The Scene of the Crime.

A partial list of musical performers at the Inaugural Celebration includes, Beyonce, Mary J. Blige, Sheryl Crow, Heather Hedley, Herbie Hancock, John Legend, Usher Raymond IV, Pete Seeger, Bruce Springsteen, James Taylor, U2 and Stevie Wonder. Among those reading historical passages will be Jack Black, Steve Carrell, Rosario Dawson, Jamie Foxx, Tom Hanks, Martin Luther King III, Queen Latifah, Laura Linney and Denzel Washington.

- "LaVette... isn't just an engaging performer, she's a musical force of nature, a hurricane in heels that whips up a fiery mix of soul, jazz, country and blues." -The Houston Chronicle.

Michelle Obama Wows Audience

In the first major address at the Democratic National Convention, Michelle Obama described herself as a daughter, a sister, a wife and a mother, no different from many women. She told a cheering crowd waving signs reading "Michelle" that she and her husband, the possible next president of the United States, feel an obligation to "fight for the world as it should be" to ensure the promise of a better life for their daughters and all children. Michelle Obama declared "I love this country" as she sought to reassure the nation that she and her husband share Americans' bedrock values and belief in a dream of a better future.

She was introduced by her brother, Craig Robinson, the head basketball coach at Oregon State University. Robinson noted that she memorized every episode of "The Brady Bunch" and praised her passion for helping others. Robinson also offered a political analysis of Barack Obama's basketball skills: "He's a team player who improves the people around him, and he won't back down from any challenge."

The speech showed an American family, an appealing American family, an ordinary American family (or as ordinary a family can be in which one member is running for president.) Michelle Obama's job was to show voters they have nothing to fear. “The Barack Obama I know today is the same man I fell in love with 19 years ago,” she said. “He’s the same man who drove me and our new baby daughter home from the hospital 10 years ago this summer, inching along at a snail’s pace, peering anxiously at us in the rearview mirror, feeling the whole weight of her future in his hands.” Some in the audience could be seen crying a bit as she spoke.

She was describing a simple moment, a real moment, an emotional moment and one that made only one point: Senator Barack Obama is a human being just like you. He is not an “other,” he is not a “celebrity.” He is a father, a husband, a person. Michelle went on: “And as I tuck that little girl and her little sister into bed at night, I think about how one day, they’ll have families of their own. And one day, they, and your sons and daughters, will tell their own children about what we did together in this election. They’ll tell them how this time, we listened to our hopes instead of our fears. How this time, we decided to stop doubting and to start dreaming.”

Michelle Obama didn't explicitly address race, but allaying concerns among white voters was part of the strategy for the first Black nominee of a major party. "Barack doesn't care where you're from, or what your background is, or what party, if any, you belong to. That's not how he sees the world," she said. "He knows that thread that connects us — our belief in America's promise, our commitment to our children's future — is strong enough to hold us together as one nation even when we disagree." She also described her husband's upbringing by a single mother and grandparents who "scrimped and saved so that he could have opportunities they never had themselves."

Michelle Obama did hit the campaign’s talking points, carefully praising Hillary Clinton, “who put those 18 million cracks in the glass ceiling, so that our daughters, and our sons, can dream a little bigger and aim a little higher.“ And also Joe Biden, “who’s never forgotten where he came from, and never stopped fighting for folks who work long hours and face long odds and need someone on their side again.” But she made the speech hers, and she made it a great one.

Afterward, their daughters, Sasha and Malia, joined her on stage as Stevie Wonder's "Isn't She Lovely" blared from the convention hall. The girls began smiling and waving at their father after his familiar face popped up on a large screen on stage. "How about that Michelle Obama?" Barack Obama said, "You were unbelievable." And then something followed that is virtually unheard of at a political convention: an unscripted moment. In the live video hookup with Barack, who was in Kansas City, the two Obama daughters, Malia and Sasha, who had joined their mother on stage, simply talked to their father. He asked them how they thought their mother had done in her speech. “I think she did good,” Sasha said. “I think so, too,” Malia said. And then Malia said, “We love you, Daddy.” And Sasha said, “We love you, Daddy. Bye.”

In Kansas City, reporters asked him how it felt to watch his wife. During the speech, and a biographical video shown before she spoke, Senator Obama occasionally wiped his eyes. "She was unbelievable. But I'm not surprised. When she does something, she does it well," he said of Michelle. "She told her story. It's a story that a lot of families can relate to. Her dad struggled, worked hard. And here, his daughter, is addressing the nation."

Senator Barack Obama closes the convention Thursday night with his acceptance speech at Invesco Field at Mile High Stadium.

Indiana and North Carolina Vote in Largest Remaining Primaries

Senators Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton once again face-off in crucial primaries as voters in Indiana and North Carolina go to the polls Tuesday in the largest remaining primary in the Democratic presidential nomination. Senator Obama is looking to shore up his position as the front-runner, while Senator Clinton is seeking keep her candidacy competitive in a historic race that is likely to continue into June and maybe to the Democratic National Convention in August.

Senator Obama began the day by dropping in on the Four Seasons Family Restaurant in Greenwood, Indiana, a suburb of Indianapolis. He walked around shaking hands, then sat at the counter and had an omelet, chatting with patrons on either side. He was flying later to North Carolina to await election results in Raleigh after visiting a polling place at Hinkle Field House on the campus of Butler University in Indianapolis, the site of part of the filming of the basketball movie “Hoosiers.” Senator Obama chatted with voters and said he had hoped to shoot a few baskets while there, but the nets were up because of an upcoming commencement.

In Indiana many voters already were in line when polls opened at 6 a.m. Tuesday. Even before the opening of polls at 6:30 a.m. in North Carolina, there were signs of record turnout. Nearly half a million people had already cast early and absentee ballots as of Monday — more than half the total number of voters who cast a ballot during the 2004 primary.

Senator Clinton in her final campaign hours pressed her proposal for a federal gas tax holiday that Senator Obama has dismissed as a gimmick, one of the few issues where the two Democrats clearly disagree. "It's a stunt," the Illinois senator said in Evansville. "It's what Washington does." Senator Obama's stance was backed up by 230 economists who released a letter Monday opposing the temporary tax break, which would take 18.4 cents off the price of a gallon if consumers got the full savings at the pump. The signers included four Nobel Prize winners and economic advisers to presidents of both parties.

The rivals raced through both states in a frenetic dawn-to-midnight campaign swing Monday. Senator Obama capped Monday day with a rain-soaked, get-out-the-vote rally in Indianapolis featuring Motown legend Stevie Wonder, followed by a visit to a factory for the midnight shift change.

With 187 delegates at stake in the two states, nearly half the pledged delegates left with eight primaries to go before voting ends in a month, North Carolina and Indiana cannot mathematically settle the nomination. A candidate needs 2,025 delegates to win, and Senator Obama had 1,745.5 to 1,608 Monday. And no matter what happens today the margin probably won’t change much unless one of the candidates gets a lopsided victory, which is highly unlikely as opinion polls basically pointed to another draw in the biggest single day of voting left.

The key to the nomination is held by superdelegates. The Clinton camp admits she cannot overtake the Illinois senator in the count of pledged delegates who will formally anoint the nominee at the Democratic convention in August. So she is pinning her hopes on persuading nearly 800 superdelegates, who look set to have the deciding vote. About 220 are still undecided. And despite his loss in the Pennsylvania primary two weeks ago, Senator Obama has continued to nibble away at Senator Clinton's lead in superdelegates. He picked up two from Maryland on Monday, leaving him trailing Clinton 269-255. Senator Clinton's main hope is to persuade most of the still-neutral superdelegates to disregard his lead in the delegate chase and support her instead. Analysts say Senator Clinton needs to take Indiana to at least halt a flow of Democratic superdelegates to Obama and stay in the race.

After today there will be five states and one territory yet to hold Democratic presidential contests. They are: West Virginia primary on May 13, (28 delegates); Kentucky primary on May 20, (51 delegates); Oregon primary on May 20 (52 Democratic delegates); Puerto Rico primary on June 1 (55 delegates); Montana primary on June 3 (16 Democratic delegates); South Dakota primary on June 3 (15 Democratic delegates). Hillary Clinton will win West Virginia and Kentucky easily (both land of the Archie Bunker types) and Puerto Rico. Barack Obama will win Oregon, Montana and South Dakota.

A Glimpse of the Obama Family

Senator Barack Obama says his two daughters are huge fans of Hannah Montana and Beyonce, but think anything to do with Britney Spears and Paris Hilton is "yuck." The Democratic presidential contender told celebrity magazine “Us Weekly” that his daughters, Malia, 9, and Sasha, 6, got to meet Beyonce backstage at a concert and "they just love her to death. They're pretty down on Britney and Paris and all of that. They think that's very 'yuck,'" he said.

As for his wife, Michelle, the senator said she has a star crush on Stevie Wonder. "I've been teasing her because Stevie fell off the stage at one of our events," Obama said. "I said to her, 'This is your favorite performer, and you push him off the stage?' Fortunately, he was OK." The Illinois senator described himself as a "pretty cool" dad who tries not to embarrass his daughters even when he's dancing on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show," as he did in October.

Though campaigning keeps him away from his family, Obama hasn't skipped a parent-teacher conference. "He did miss one of Sasha's dance recitals in December and was broken up about it," Michelle Obama told the magazine. "No one wants to miss 20 6-year-olds in red cowboy hats tapping to 'These Boots Are Made for Walkin'.'"

BET Honors

The first annual celebration of the BET Honors, which aired this passed Friday night, was truly a celebration. The event was hosted by Cedric “The Entertainer, and included an all star line-up including such notables as Stevie Wonder, John Legend, Gladys Knight, Wyclef Jean, Jill Scott, Brian McKnight, Ne-Yo, Raheem DeVaughn, Blair Underwood, Danny Glover, Kerry Washington, Idris Elba, Hill Harper, Vivica A. Fox and Kiesha Cole.

Friday’s broadcast showed the inaugural celebration of the BET Honors, which was held on January 12 at the Warner Theatre in Washington, D.C. The show recognized six honorees across a range of achievements. The honors went to Dr. Cornel West, (noted Princeton University professor at the Center for African American Studies), for education; Tyra Banks, (producer, reality-show host, talk-show host, model, actress), for media; Janice Bryant Howroyd, (the chairman, chief executive officer and founder of Act 1 employment services corporation that she started out of a storefront and now has 90 offices across the nation and $500 million in 2007 revenue), for entrepreneur; Alicia Keys (musician, actress AIDS/HIV activist), for entertainment; Richard Parsons (Chairman of the Board of Time Warner), corporate citizen; and The Honorable Maxine Waters (who is serving her ninth term in the U.S. House of Representatives), for public service.

It was a wonderful event but while they were having fun inside, on January 12, the date of the actual taping, a crowd of a couple hundred protesters shouted from behind police barricades across 14th Street. A group called Enough Is Enough led the protest saying the show was an expensive fig leaf to mask the corporation’s sins of exploitation. Signs in the crowd read “I Am Not a Pimp” and “I Am Not a Gangster.” I wonder if “The Boondocks” creator Aaron McGruder, who over the years has had his comic-strip characters ridicule BET for its programming content, most notable for its habit of profit-pushing thuggish rap videos. The protesters have to admit that BET has aired much more family oriented programming lately.

Each honoree received an introduction, then a video bio and then a musical tribute. Wyclef Jean pitched in a foot-stomping take on "She's a Bad Mama Jama." Brian McKnight crooned "One." Wonder came out and ripped up "As," dedicated to Keys. It had the horn section dancing, the ushers keeping time in the aisles and the crowd rocking. Debra Lee, BET's chairman and chief executive, pointed out that each recipient has also "given back to the community in a significant way."

NAACP Image Awards

Actor Hill Harper, winner of the NAACP Image Award for his role on CSI: NY, expressed my sentiments exactly (The Nubian Epistle focus: presenting positive images of Black people without bringing others down) when he stated, It's called an Image Award and I believe they're not just looking at acting, but they're looking at the image you portray and how you live your life. I'm very proud to win it, because I try to lift up and break stereotypes about the African-American male, and I'm proud of my work. It's not just about acting."

Other winners included Actor Denzel Washington, who won for his roll in the movie The Great Debaters, which won for best movie. He said, "I'm happy for everybody up here," who also directed the film. "I'm very grateful for this award and particularly just happy that some of these young people got recognized. Denzel sported a shaved head, for his upcoming movie, The Taking of Pelham 123. The Great Debaters also produced other winners including younger actors Jurnee Smollett and Denzel Whitaker. Alicia Keys won four awards in the music category -- album, song, music video and female artist.

Senator Barack Obama didn't earn any trophies at this year's NAACP Image Awards, but he was a winner even though his name was not mentioned. Many stars such as actor/director Tyler Perry just dropped campaign catch phases such as “Yes we can.” Perry, whose House of Payne TV series picked up three awards and is known for playing multiple characters, joked, "I'm voting three times: one as myself, one as Madea and one as Joe." House of Payne's additional wins were for its stars LaVan Davis and Lance Gross.

Hill Harper, who is a member of Senator Obama campaign finance committee, revealed, "Barack Obama and I have known each other for 20 years. We went to Harvard Law School together." The timing of the writers strike was perfect for Harper to hit the campaign trail in support of Obama; he's due back on the set the day after the March 4 primaries. Other winners were less partial to a specific candidate, but did point to politics:

Stevie Wonder, inducted into the NAACP Hall of Fame, used his time onstage to praise the 99-year-old organization, saying "it's through this organization that we now have two (presidential) candidates, one a female and the other an African-American. … I say let them both win so that we can have a strong, united people of the United States. I'm very, very excited about the possibility." Ugly Betty's Vanessa Williams, supporting actress in a comedy series winner, said: "This is such an exciting time in our lives. We can all feel the change happening and we all have the power. Vote." And Regina Taylor, who won an acting award for her role on CBS' The Unit, said the trophy was a great honor, partly because "when we're looking at the news and seeing a woman running for president and a Black man running for president, you have to look back and see how we got here, and the NAACP is the organization that was in the center of it."

Special honors went to veteran Oscar-nominated actress Ruby Dee and to singer Aretha Franklin. Aretha said she had attended the NAACP ceremony since the early days, "when the sets were falling down and cue cards were being written in the wings just before the artists walked on stage," she said. "This is the icing on the cake for me."

Obama-related works actually did win awards: a TVOne interview and a biography by David Mendell.