Jody Watley – LGBT Music Festival Vanguard Award Honoree 2019

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Gregory Douglas Presents LGBT Music Festival. Fabulous Memorial Day Weekend destination event and Vanguard Award ceremony presented on All White Wear Night – perfect for the oceanside setting.

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Arrival  – hotel lobby.

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Morning arrival

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..and the eagle continues to soar.. love this capture.

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In the distance..a rainbow you just have to pay attention and look – just like life!

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Enjoying an oceanside mimosa – just taking it all in.

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A positive affirmation  – getting morning coffee.

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Jody Watley – Saying hello to contemporary R&B artist Monifah.

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Jody Watley with renowned choreographer (En Vogue, Beyonce, and more) Frank Gatson – we had such a great time talking and hanging out oceanside.

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Met so many wonderful people – and received nothing but love.

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Jody Watley with – Honoree Designer and former stylist Ty Hunter, author and host Patrick L. Riley and Honoree Shanice Wilson ready for evening of fashion.

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Ty Hunter and Jody Watley, LGBT Music, Culture & Arts Festival 2019. Cancun, Mexico.

Fashion and Music Night, snippets of  Frank Gatson’s June’s Diary and Frenchie Davis.

 

Vanguard Awards Night.

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Frank Gatson, Keke Palmer Gregory Douglas Presents, Frenchie Davis, Shanice Wilson, TS Madison, Jody Watley, Ty Hunter, Host and Author Patrick Riley

 

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Two authentic spirited and talented Chicagoans – Honorees Jody Watley and KeKe Palmer after Vanguard Awards.

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Host and Los Angeles Event Producer Ivan Daniel, Jody Watley and Frank Gatson

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Honorees Frank Gatson and Jody Watley

 

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From Monifah who presented my Vanguard Woman of Excellence Award in her Instagram post:  “With the iconic & legendary @jodywatley  What an honor to present her with the 2019 Women of Excellence Lifetime Achievement Award this year! We MUST give OURS their flowers while they can enjoy them in this life!! Musically, she is an integral part of most of my generation’s childhood and teen years! From her intro on the music scene as  one-third of the legendary R&B group Shalamar to becoming a Grammy award-winning, multi-platinum selling, cultural style icon solo artist who used her massive platform to shine light on the issues of a marginalized and underrepresented community. She was an advocate for and an ally of the LGBT community, human rights, AIDS awareness when it wasn’t easy or fashionable to do so. Thank you @jodywatley for your indelible contribution to music, fashion & advocacy. We love & honor you!! #lgbtmusicfest #vanguardawards #jodywatley #monifah #cancunmexico ”

 

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I lost my other earring.. but didn’t notice it being in the moment -enjoying to evening breeze.

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Living my life like it’s golden – and always in gratitude!

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Jody Watley “Woman of Excellence” – Honoree Vanguard Award – LGBT Music Festival Cancun 2019

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Video of full speech to come for my YouTube Channel Friday post  – it was truly a night to remember full of real love!

Thanks again to Gregory Douglas and the LGBT Film Festival for the honor, author host Patrick L. Riley, Monifah who presented the award as well and congratulations to all of honorees; as well to the LGBT community who have always been my strongest supporters. As I wrote in the 90’s in my song “Affection” – “..it don’t matter if you’re young or old, it don’t matter if you’re straight or gay – everybody needs to feel loved.”

 

“…always find and live in your best light your inner Wattage..and encourage others to do so as well..” – Jody Watley

 

The fight for equality will continue amidst a climate of division and hate, and hate crimes on the LGBT community and often overlooked black LGBT community.

 

Monday Musings and Wattage.

Wishing you all a positive and productive start to the week. Go out and kick some ass!

Get Tickets:

June 22 – Blue Note Napa “An Evening Of Love, Jazz, and Soul” Tickets and Info

July 19 – Staten Island NYC Summerstage Stage Corporal Thompson Park (Free City Sponsored Event)

July 20 – Bethesda Blues and Jazz Supper Club :: Celebrating 30 Years of Real Love

August 17 – Mable House Barnes Amphitheater Atlanta with Jeffrey Osborne

August 31 – Rewind Funk and Soul

Sacramento CA Thunder Valley Casino Amphitheater with Morris Day & The Time and more!

September 7 – Blue Note Hawaii Unplugged

October 13 – Detroit, Soundboard Motor City Casino with Tony! Toni! Tone!

More dates TBA!

The current single “Good Good Reason” Brian Power featuring Jody Watley Out Now!

Just Announced. Concert Updates.

Versatile and never disappoints in any format.

Just announced: Jody Watley returns to Bethesda Blues and Jazz Supper Club July 20, 2019 – Celebrating 30 Years of Real Love!  Tickets

 

Blue Note Hawaii: Blue Note Hawaii September 7, 2019 “Jody Watley – Unplugged”

Get Tickets & Info: Blue Note Hawaii

Jody Watley Blue Note Hawaii Unplugged

 

Tickets on Sale:

Blue Note Napa: An Evening of Love Jazz & Soul : Napa

Jody Watley Art Appreciation Friday

Jody Watley Abstract Art by Milo Bosh from Chicago, Illinois.

Wattage!

Upcoming concerts:

March 9 Philadelphia Keswick Theater

March 23 San Diego Pala Resort & Casino

April 19 – London Under The Bridge

April 20 – Amsterdam The Melkweg

April 27 – Los Angeles Microsoft Theater Freestyle 15

May 27 – Cancun Honoree Woman of Excellence Award LGBTQ Music & Film Festival

June 22 – Blue Note Napa “An Evening Of Love, Jazz and Soul”

Just Announced: Jeffrey Osborne with Jody Watley “An Evening Of Soul” August 17 / Atlanta Mable Barnes House Amphitheater

New, Current and Classic Hit music releases available at digital outlets worldwide.

Jody Watley – Like A Holiday on The BBC

Jody Watley and Alex Di Cio’ with holiday love with John Leech, BBC radio.

Video also viewable on Jody Watley Official YouTube Channel

Jody Watley – The David White Show BBC

Listen Live Now : Jody Watley Guest with The David White Show

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p06mmhk7

Jody Watley to Chat With Ronnie Herel on Mi-Soul Radio UK.

Tune in today!

You’ll also be able to hear the new Brian Power Remix.

Visuals by Shawn West.

Jody Watley Austin Pride Appearance Poster

A longtime advocate of the LGBTQ community Jody Watley will make her first appearance in Austin Texas for their Pride celebration on August 3, 2018 to perform a highlight set of some of her signature solo hits.

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Jody Watley’s Waiting In Vain Top 10 With Smooth Jazz Global Listeners

This is very exciting news. “Waiting In Vain” after making it into the Smooth Jazz Top 10, Billboard Top 25 remains in rotation on various stations. We go this exciting news today that it’s Top 10 with global listeners.

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Check out the Top 50: Here – Download the single today and please tell a friend! “Waiting In Vain” is the perfect musical companion for a chillaxing summer evening or weekend.

 

 

Jody Watley A Monumental Look Back To Still A Thrill

The gears below the Paris Opera House (Le Palais Garnier)

Being the first artist or entity at all to be allowed to film a video in the then called Opera de Paris (Palais Garnier) in Paris, France for my video “Still A Thrill” in 1989 is something that was quietly monumental at the time – and probably beyond my devoted fans few know this. When most “urban” artists were primarily relegated to basic in studio videos. I thought about the significance as Beyonce made headlines with her video filmed at the prestigious Louvre museum another landmark in Paris. As one of my fans noted..”if you released this today, you would have broken the internet..it was ahead of the times.” I agree.

Directed by Brian Grant, the 2nd of 3 videos we filmed together – I sashayed all over the streets of Paris (thank you to my former label for supporting my vision) – I worked the historic setting with no choreography or rehearsals. There’s also a scene in one of the night shots on the streets of Paris where graffiti notes “Gay Color, Say Cool Say What?” that makes it’s own statement and my support of the LGBTQ community without batting a cat-eyed eyelash that I’ve never been asked about.

This included the basement so to speak working the gears with Tyrone “The Bone” Procter, former ST alum like me – freestyle, waacking, just making it up as we went along. I styled myself (a bit of Jean Paul Gaultier mixed in) as well as Tyrone (in a Jean Paul Gaultier T-shirt).  It was about the edgy style against the opulent setting and getting in the music. Creating art outside the box especially for a black girl at the time dealing with industry politics among other things – quietly opening doors and raising the bar for myself and others to follow has always been important to me – before social media.

You don’t have to do what everyone else is doing-that’s usually how artists make a mark.

Classic.

Paris By Night was the theme and concept of the video – totally enjoyed collaborating and working with Brian Grant.