Reflections: The unexpected

One of the strangest news items to surface recently is Tina Campbell, one half of the gospel music superduo Mary Mary, telling a national publication that she was at one time considering “killing” her husband, Teddy, because he was cheating. Let’s hope she didn’t really mean that.

Sometimes you expect more (not a lot more) from people who are always singing and/or talking about “the Lord,” but I guess being a human being supersedes anything else in many respects.

“Once I became aware, I initially wanted to kill my husband,” said Campbell. “I did physically try to stab him. Several times.”

Wow!

But then again, such things can happen anywhere. Back in 2007, Prophetess Juanita Bynum was physically attacked on an Atlanta hotel parking lot by her husband — Bishop Thomas Weeks.

If Bynum is truly a prophetess, as I said at the time, seems she would have been able to “prophesize” that her husband, the good bishop, was likely to jump on her — and then stay away from him or have the police on stand by if she did decide to meet with him.

I guess the bottom line is that people are people, with all of our shortcomings and periodic unexpected behavior, but with some people it goes to extremes.

KEITH SWEAT has been a successful recording artist since 1987 but, surprisingly, has only received one major award, a Favorite Male R&B/Soul Artist award at the 1997 American Music Awards. You’d think he would surely have one or more Soul Train Awards.

By the way, time sure flies. Keith Sweat will be 52 in July.

If you’re in the market for an apartment in Los Angeles, you might want to get in touch with famed record company executive, producer and songwriter Antonio “L.A.” Reid. He is selling his six-bedroom apartment and the asking price is only $18.9 million!

Some artists take something like ten years to make a new album (Stevie Wonder, Sade, Anita Baker, Maxwell), but Justin Timberlake’s “20/20 Experience, Part 2” is scheduled for late September release. The first “20/20” came out in March.

FLAVOR FLAV (William Drayton, Jr.) the annoying rapper from Public Enemy, goes to trial in September for chasing and threatening his girlfriend’s son with a butcher knife. Officially it’s a “weapon and child endangerment” charge. He could get up to 12 years.

Meanwhile, another rap star, Ja Rule (Jeffrey Atkins), got out of federal prison early this month. He had gotten two years for illegal gun possession.

These rap stars sure set a good example for young people!

Usher will portray famed boxer Sugar Ray Leonard in the soon-coming movie “Hands of Stone” which is about another famous boxer, Roberto Duran. Usher said, “I think my dancing skills will make it easier for me to pick up his moves.”

Usher has been in several movies: “The Faculty,” “Light It Up” and “In the Mix.” And in addition to that, he was a smash on Broadway in “Chicago,” being responsible for a significant boost at the box office.

Kudos to Harry Connick Jr. whose new album, “Every Man Should Know,” consisting entirely of songs he wrote, will be released June 11. Jokingly yet with a large element of seriousness, he said, “I’m tired of being a slave to the record company. I’m just going to sing music that I like to sing, and I’m just going to write and create.”

HAD TO chuckle when I got to the part of Cissy Houston’s fascinating book, “Remembering Whitney,” where she talks about the time when, as a little girl, Whitney blackmailed her brother, Michael.

He had been taking their father’s car and Whitney said if he didn’t let her drive, she was “gonna tell.” He let her do it (her feet barely reached the pedals) but Michael, seated next to her, was understandably terrified.

Cissy Houston just found out about this very recently when Michael, the oldest of her two sons, confessed.

She said, “If I had known about this then, Michael’s butt would still be sore!”

Here is an interesting quote from the always outspoken Cher: “If you’re Black in this country, if you’re a woman in this country, if you are any minority in this country, what could possibly possess you to vote Republican?”

BETCHA DIDN’T KNOW…that when she was very young, Whitney Houston “wanted to marry Michael Jackson.”

MEMORIES: “We’re in This Love Together” (Al Jarreau), “Breaking Up Somebody’s Home” (Ann Peebles), “Silly” (Deniece Williams), “On the Wings of Love” (Jeffrey Osborne), “Don’t Let Go” (Isaac Hayes), “You’re the First, the Last, My Everything” (Barry White), “The Whole World is a Stage” (the Fantastic Four), “Native New Yorker” (Odyssey), “She Works Hard For the Money” (Donna Summer).

BLESSINGS to anyone reading this column at this very moment.

WORDS OF THE WEEK, from Queen Latifah: “Do things your way and surround yourself with positive people.”

Let the music play!

Steve Holsey can be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and PO Box 02843, Detroit, MI 48202.