Michael Jordan's Emotional Speech Makes Me Proud to Live in Charlotte

The G.O.A.T. and Charlotte Hornets team owner Michael Jordan delivered an emotional speech last evening when he accepted the Charlotte Business Journal Business Person of the Year award. In his nine-minute-long remarks, he spoke from the heart--wiping tears from his face--and made you feel proud to live in Charlotte and North Carolina, saying specifically that when he bought the team five years ago it gave him the chance to come home.

Photo credit: @DavidHeadCLT

We all know that M.J. was raised in North Carolina and went on to be a college star at UNC, but he admitted that many people will always associate him with Chicago, understandably, because it was his years and accomplishments with the Bulls that made him a household name. But he elaborated on his many ties to Charlotte, one of which was that his parents moved to the Charlotte area when he got drafted by the Bulls in 1984, and was something I didn't know.

Luckily, someone recorded Jordan's speech and has posted it to YouTube, which you can watch below.

READ FULL STORY

Heck Yeah, I'm Bragging... Go Cocks! Year of Highlights

I received an email this afternoon from the University of South Carolina Athletics, with the subject line: Brag on your Gamecocks‏. The email contained the link to a video of highlights from several USC sports from the 2013-2014 seasons, and a list of the "Gamecock Top 10" from the year. As a proud alum, I nearly busted out into a "Gaaaaaaaammmmmmme ... Cocccccccckkkkkkks," fascinated by how much our talented student-athletes have accomplished.

My view at the Gamecocks homecoming game last year. Photo by Jarvis Holliday

Here's the list, verbatim:

2013-14 GAMECOCK TOP 10
1. Two SEC Champions (Women’s Basketball and Equestrian).
2. Capital One Bowl Champions.
3. Two National Coaches of the Year (Boo Major, Equestrian, and Dawn Staley, Women’s Basketball).
4. Eight teams finished the season ranked in the top 25 nationally in latest poll or national championship of their respective sports (Equestrian - 2nd, Football – 4th, Women’s Golf – 6th, Women’s Basketball – 8th, Men’s Golf – 9th, Women’s Soccer – 15th, Women’s Indoor Track & Field, 19th, Baseball – 23rd).
5. 28 All-America and 20 All-SEC selections.
6. One of only four schools in the nation to have its men’s and women’s golf, men's and women's tennis, softball, and baseball teams all invited to play in their NCAA Championships.
7. Leader in SEC Academic Honor Roll Selections.
8. 59 Student-Athletes earned a 4.0 GPA and 300 Student-Athletes earned a 3.0 GPA.
9. Student-Athletes performed more than 5,000 hours of community service.
10. THANK YOU to the more than 1.16 million fans who attended Gamecock home athletic events last season!

And there was also this line: "What would you add to this list? Tweet it to us @GamecocksOnline."

Since they asked, I would've added Jadeveon Clowney being selected as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft to the list. Perhaps they wanted to highlight team and overall accomplishments first, but that fact would've been on my list considering that's the first time a Gamecock football player has ever been the top draft pick, and it represents how strong our football program has become in that these are the caliber of players we now successfully recruit.

Below is the highlight reel.

I'm even more excited about what the 2014-15 sports seasons will bring... forever to thee!

READ FULL STORY

Deltas Legacy Film Showcase, Pride Awards, Special Museum Events Take Place this MLK Weekend

As the nation honors the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., here are a couple of annual Charlotte cultural events that celebrate African-American achievement.

11th Annual Legacy of Black Women Short Film Showcase
Friday, January 17, 6:30 p.m. | McGlohon Theater at Spirit Square, 345 N. College St.
The Deltas of Charlotte Foundation, the nonprofit fundraising partner of the Charlotte Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., presents this annual showcase of films written, directed, and featuring African-Americans. This year's event is themed "As the QC Turns" and will begin with a light reception at 6:30 p.m., followed by the films starting at 7:30 p.m. Proceeds will benefit DST's scholarships. Tickets are $30 and can be purchased at the door or online at carolinatix.org.

2014 Lowe's Pride Awards
Saturday, January 18, 6 p.m. | The Westin Charlotte, 601 S. College St.
Pride Magazine presents its 21st annual awards gala. This year's black-tie event, themed "Changing the Game with Business Diversity," will honor an outstanding minority-owned business, a youth entrepreneur, and an organization for its business diversity best practices. Pride has collaborated with the Charlotte Knights for the event--hence the baseball theme. And Queen City Forward, an innovative hub for social entrepreneurs, is the nonprofit beneficiary of the evening. The event will begin with a reception at 6 p.m., followed by the dinner and awards beginning at 7 p.m. Tickets are $212.50, and can be purchased by calling 704-375-955. Visit prideawards.net for more details.

Credit: prideawards.net

And on MLK Day itself, two of Uptown Charlotte's leading museums are holding special events in honor of Dr. King.

MLK Day 2014 - The Legacy is the Blueprint
Monday, January 20, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. | The Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts + Culture, 551 S. Tryon St., ganttcenter.org
Activities include: the museum's galleries, an interactive exchange with The Possibility Project, mentoring fair, Buttons & Protest Signs: A Drop-In Crafts Workshop, a film screening of The Fade & Discussion, panel discussions, performances, and more. Free and open to the public with suggested $5 donation. Click here for the complete schedule.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Celebration 2014
Monday, January 20, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. | Levine Museum of the New South, 200 E. Seventh St., museumofthenewsouth.org
Activities include: the museum's galleries, film screenings of The Children's March, Viva La Causa, and Freedom Riders; Sunprint workshops, story time sessions; drumming, dance, and musical performances, and more. Free admission. Click here for the complete schedule, and Levine Museum will also hold MLK activities on Sunday afternoon.

Credit: facebook.com/LevineMuseum

By the way, if you're looking for parties and social events during this holiday weekend, just check my Dusk Till Dawn blog.

READ FULL STORY

William Wilson Clothing Opens Charlotte Showroom

William Wilson, CEO of William Wilson Clothing, has opened a new showroom for his custom clothing line. The Charlotte-based designer makes custom men's suits, shirts, and neckties for his namesake brand, which he launched in 2008. I met William about two years ago and have seen his brand and notoriety grow tremendously during that time. I attended the private grand opening event he held on Monday.

William Wilson shows merchandise at his new showroom. Photos by Marissa Carter. See more.

His new showroom, located in a great storefront space in the Coffey & Thompson building (near the corner of West Morehead and South Tryon streets, where Uptown meets South End), represents the growth of his company. It's not easy getting a clothing line off the ground--all of his custom label suits are handmade--but William has managed to make suits for several professional athletes, including Carolina Panthers players and NASCAR drivers. In fact, he now designs the jackets for the winners of three NASCAR Sprint Cup series races--the Coca-Cola 600, Bank of America 500, and Sprint All-Star Race--as well as the Chiquita Classic golf tournament, and the Bronko Nagurski Trophy (presented by the Charlotte Touchdown Club to the best college football defensive player in the nation; 2013 award is being given out December 9).

At the showroom grand opening, I learned that William has recently launched William Everette, his first ready-to-wear collection of business suits. As he explained, this allows him to serve clients who can't afford to pay thousands of dollars for a custom suit, but he can still make quality suits they can buy off the rack for a few hundred dollars.

Another thing I'm impressed by is the humbleness that comes across from William when you're talking to him. At Monday's event, he repeatedly thanked and gave credit to the people he says have helped him along the way and have been instrumental to his success. He also talked a lot about the role God plays in his life.

I never hear Donald Trump talking like that!

William Wilson Clothing, 109 W. Morehead St., williamwilsonclothing.com. Follow William on Twitter @TheClothier.

READ FULL STORY

Final Weekend to Vote for Robin Emmons to Be CNN Hero of the Year

Robin Emmons, the Charlotte woman who is founder and executive director of Sow Much Good, not only was selected as a 2013 CNN Hero in September, but a month later she was announced as one of the 10 finalists for CNN Hero of the Year. As a finalist, she gets $50,000 to continue the great efforts of her nonprofit organization, Sow Much Good, which works to eliminate urban food deserts in the Charlotte area by providing access to fresh fruits and vegetables (72,000 people in Charlotte lack access to fresh produce), and educating people about healthy lifestyles.

If Robin is chosen as the CNN Hero of the Year, she'll win an additional $250,000 to support her cause. This is the final weekend to vote, which you can do once each day--voting ends this Sunday, November 17 at 11:59 p.m. Visit cnnheroes.com and you'll find details on all of the finalists as well as the "Vote Now" tab (or click here to vote).

Click here to see more photos of Robin in the CNN Heroes Facebook album. 

The 10 finalists will appear on the internationally televised Seventh Annual CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute, premiering Sunday, December 1, 8 p.m. on the CNN networks. The Hero of the Year will be announced at that time.

READ FULL STORY

You Should Know: All We Want Is LOVE

A few weeks ago, I received an email with details on an upcoming event that sounded like it would be a good fit to include on my Dusk Till Dawn blog's list of weekend events, so I did (it took place last Friday). The event, held at Bubble, was a fundraiser, and I especially like to help spread the word on events that support good causes. I'd never heard of the organization the event was supporting, called All We Want Is LOVE, but the brief details I read about it showed it to be a noble cause. All We Want Is LOVE (Liberation Of Victims Everywhere) is a nonprofit organization, based in Charlotte, that works to end human trafficking and sex slavery. Last night, the organization's founder, Jillian Mourning, appeared at the 2013 Do Something! Awards, broadcast live on VH1.

VH1 partnered with DoSomething.org, the country’s largest not-for-profit for young people and social change, to present the awards ceremony. Jillian was one of five finalists up for the Do Something Award Grand Prize, a $100,000 grant for the winner's community project or organization. They are "five 'do-gooders,' 25 and under, who are in the trenches, creating substantial change in our world," the organizers said. The five finalists each represent incredible organizations and important causes: Sasha Fisher (Spark Microgrants), Daniel Maree (Millionhoodies Movement for Justice), Jillian Mourning (All We Want Is LOVE), Lorella Praeli (United We Dream), and Ben Simon (Food Recovery Network).

The two-hour Do Something! Awards show, hosted by Sophia Bush and featuring performances by Sara Bareilles and J. Cole, was attended by numerous celebrities. It also honored stars Patrick Dempsey, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Jennifer Hudson, LL Cool J, and Kelly Osbourne for their charitable work. But the show closed out with the presentation of the $100,000 prize winner, with each of the five finalists on stage. After millions of votes by the public, Daniel Maree was announced as the winner for his Millionhoodies Movement. The other four finalists will each receive a grant of $10,000. Watch the video below of the award presentation.

Last night's award show should go a long way to helping these great organizations get the recognition and support they deserve. It's what propelled me to write this blog post, and to hopefully lead more people to support All We Want Is LOVE, in particular.

The organization, according to their website, combats human trafficking in all forms, but their main objective is on sex trafficking, by focusing their efforts on the physical liberation, emotional liberation and rehabilitation, and aiding the victims back into society, as well as increasing global awareness on the issue. They fund established groups with parallel goals in liberating and rescuing victims from modern day slavery. These include groups that are rescuing victims from brothels, offering them shelter and safety, providing them with basic education, and aiding in reintegration into society.

All We Want Is LOVE founder Jillian Mourning. Photos credit: facebook.com/AllWeWantIsLove

Jillian, a Charlotte resident, model, and graduate of UNC Charlotte, has an incredible story of her own. When she was 19, she was raped and became a victim of sex trafficking for six months. Not only is she brave for sharing her story, but she turned tragedy into triumph when she started this organization in July 2012.

A lot of people tend to view human trafficking as something that's only a problem in foreign countries, but it happens more in the U.S. than you might think, particularly the sex trafficking of teenage girls and young women.

Visit All We Want Is LOVE online for more details on this great organization and how you can get involved: www.allwewantislove.org, facebook.com/AllWeWantIsLove, twitter.com/WeWantL_O_V_E.

READ FULL STORY

Anthony Hamilton's Got Them J's, Up for Two GRAMMYs

Charlotte-native and platinum-selling recording artist Anthony Hamilton was stuntin' on 'em this week. He celebrated his 42nd birthday a few days ago and took to Instagram to show off the gifts he received from Jordan Brand, the lucrative division of Nike, run by Michael Jordan, and maker of the forever-popular Air Jordan sneaker. A-Ham has had a friendship with MJ for several years now, something he attributes to their "North Carolina connection." Jordan's company sent over a dozen pairs of retro Air Jordans, or J's as they're known in the streets, as well as a nice watch for Anthony's birthday. The company has also thrown parties for him in the past (see here and here).

That watch reminds me of one of my favorite lyrics from rapper Sauce Money, years ago: "Since my watch was a gift, there's no better time than the present."

The good times continue for A-Ham. He's nominated for two GRAMMY Awards this year: Best R&B Song for "Pray for Me" and Best R&B Album for Back To Love. He's up against R. Kelly, Robert Glasper, Tamia, and Tyrese in the album category. The 55th GRAMMY Awards air live Sunday, February 10, 8 p.m. on CBS.

Photos credit: instagram.com/anthonyhamiltonofficial

READ FULL STORY

Cam Knows

What do Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton and rappers Wiz Khalifa and Cam'ron have in common? They're all named Cameron (Cameron Newton, Cameron Thomaz, and Cameron Giles, respectively). Wiz just released the video for his new song "The Bluff," featuring Cam'ron. In his verse, Cam'ron says: "Put up y'all like we gambling. Next time we out here scrambling. / I'm Killa, he Wiz, but all our checks say Cameron."

Also in the video, Cam'ron takes advantage of his football namesake by wearing a "Cam Knows" Carolina Panthers Nike T-shirt. As for the football Cam, perhaps people are beginning to believe again that he does know, after a great performance against the Philadelphia Eagles in the nationally televised game Monday night. This morning, the NFL named Cam Newton NFC Offensive Player of the Week.

READ FULL STORY

Nominate Your Colleagues for the Engage Charlotte Young Professional Awards

I meet young professionals in this city all the time who are doing great things--advancing in their careers while creating opportunities for others, giving back to their community, creating avenues for people to be entertained and get to know each other, and helping make Charlotte an all-around more vibrant city. Charlotte regularly ranks near the top of national studies of cities that appeal to young professionals, including last year's fourth-place ranking on the Forbes list of Happiest Cities for Young Professionals.

Now, there's a new way for some of these deserving local people to be recognized.

Engage Charlotte, the Charlotte Chamber’s young professionals’ initiative, is planning its inaugural awards gala: the Engage Charlotte Young Professional Awards (The YPs). The awards will honor Charlotte-area professionals between the ages of 21 and 39 who exemplify excellence in business, leadership, and community service. More details about the gala itself are to come, and Engage Charlotte is currently accepting nominations for four distinguished awards:

• Young Professional Newcomer of the Year
• Young Professional Entrepreneur of the Year
• Young Professional Non-Profit Leader of the Year
• Young Professional Business Leader of the Year

Attendees at a recent Engage Charlotte event. Credit: Facebook

“As Charlotte’s premier business organization, the Chamber’s YPs is an important step in elevating the profile of young professionals within the Charlotte business community,” says Rod Garvin, director of member engagement for the Charlotte Chamber.

"The Charlotte Chamber Young Professional Awards stands to recognize the very best YPs in our community for their outstanding achievements," adds Ollie Chandhok, chair of Engage Charlotte and a business development consultant for Charlotte Business Journal. "We are excited to host this inaugural event and create a benchmark for success in Charlotte."

The deadline for nominations is November 9. Visit engagecharlotte.com for more details.

READ FULL STORY

'Homeland' Is Living Life Like It's Golden

Homeland, the Showtime series that debuted in the fall and was filmed largely throughout the Charlotte area, won two awards last night at the Golden Globes. It won the award for Best Television Series - Drama and its star, Claire Danes, won Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series - Drama.

Executive Producer Howard Gordon and the cast of Homeland accept their award.

Winning the award for best TV drama, obviously, is a big deal for the show, and it beat out two other great series that were nominated that I'm a fan of: Game of Thrones and Boardwalk Empire, both on HBO. American Horror Story (FX) and Boss (Starz) were also nominated in that category, but I've never seen either of those shows. And, I'm ashamed to admit, that I haven't watched Homeland yet either. I recorded the series on my DVR and, week to week, I was never able to make time to watch the hour-long episodes--I feel like I watch too much TV as it is. But I plan to watch Homeland soon, whose season finale aired about a month ago. I'll probably do like I've done with new series in the past after a full season has aired--watch all 12 episodes over the span of a lazy, indoor weekend. I'm sure many other people will get caught up on the show now that it's won the coveted award.

In this video below, the Homeland cast discuss their Golden Globe win with Access Hollywood.

READ FULL STORY

One Week Left to Nominate for Charlotte Web Awards

Creative Loafing is accepting nominations for its 2nd Annual Charlotte Web Awards. And May 31 is the deadline to submit your entries.

The Charlotte Web Awards honor the city's best homegrown websites, blogs, tweeters and commenters, and more. Categories include: Charlotte's best food blog, music blog, arts blog, restaurant website, retail website, event website, photo website, etc. And cool categories like best Twitterer, Facebook friend, and mobile app.

Click here to submit your nominations. Feel free to consider yours truly when voting (Grown People Talking | Dusk Till Dawn).

READ FULL STORY

Urban League to Honor Leaders on May 21

The Urban League of Central Carolinas will hold its 2011 Leadership Awards on Saturday, May 21, 8 p.m. at The Omni Hotel (132 E. Trade St.). The recipients, who are being honored by the ULCC's Young Professionals Auxiliary, are Nepherterra Estrada, partner and director of public relations at Pride Public Relations; Anthony Foxx, mayor of Charlotte; and Rod Garvin, consultant, business development, and marketing. The event will be hosted by Rahman Khan, of GoodWorks TV, and feature entertainment by R&B/jazz band Innertywned.

Click on flyer for larger view.

I've witnessed firsthand the work of each of the three people being honored, and they've all contributed to Charlotte becoming a more vibrant, inclusive, and progressive city.

Tickets can be purchased in advance for $35 or two for $60. The price will be $45 at the door. Click here for more details, including bios on the recipients, and to purchase tickets.

READ FULL STORY

J. Cole Wins 'Who's Got Next' Award

Fayetteville rapper J. Cole won the "Who's Got Next" award, presented yesterday during the first-ever Sucker Free Summit on MTV2. Cole had also been nominated for the "Hottest Breakthrough MC 2010" award, but that was won by Pittsburgh rapper Wiz Khalifa, whose music I haven't really listened to but will definitely be checking out now. I feel that Cole is more deserving of the "Who's Got Next" award than anything else because he's on his way to making a huge impact on the hip-hop scene, especially if he releases his debut album this fall as he's said he hopes to.

Below is a video clip of Cole winning the award.



You can see J. Cole live in Charlotte on Saturday, August 7 at Power 98 Summerfest at Bojangles' Coliseum. Other scheduled performers include Lloyd, Dorrough, Mystikal, Bobby Valentino, K. Michelle, Rocko, G-Unit's Lloyd Banks and Tony Yayo, and local rapper Bettie Grind.

READ FULL STORY

Happy Birthday Anthony Hamilton; Good Luck at the Grammys!

R&B singer Anthony Hamilton is celebrating his birthday today and he has a lot to be thankful for. I sent A-Ham a text this morning wishing him a happy b-day and asking him how things are going.

"This is an amazing day for me," he replied. "It's my birthday and I'm in L.A. readying for my party tonight that Brand Jordan and Michael are throwing for me. God is great."

So not only is Michael Jordan throwing a party tonight for Hamilton, 39, but this is a busy week for the Charlotte native. This is Grammy Week, which means there are tons of celebrity and music industry events going on in Los Angeles leading up to Sunday's show (8 p.m., CBS).


Hamilton, who won his first ever Grammy last year after receiving several nominations over the years, is nominated for three Grammy Awards this year:

-Best Male R&B Vocal Performance for "The Point Of It All," the title track from his latest album.

-Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance for "Soul Music," the song he performed on the Soul Men Original Motion Picture Soundtrack.

-Best R&B Album for The Point Of It All.

You can see a full list of Grammy categories and nominations by visiting www.grammy.com/nominees.

READ FULL STORY

Events for the Weekend: December 11-13

Your best weekly list for parties, nightlife, social, and cultural events in Charlotte. This isn’t intended to be a complete list of everything that's going on, but instead are the events GPT recommends.

Friday, December 11

Party for NEXTAID
This charity event is in recognition of World Aids Day and all proceeds will go toward the creation of an ecological multipurpose facility for the Kawangware Street Children and Youth Project in Nairobi, Kenya. Sounds by house music DJ Mr. V. 9 p.m. $10 donation suggested. Dharma Lounge, 1440 S. Tryon St., Suite 105 (entrance faces W. Summit Ave). www.dharmacharlotte.com.

5th Annual Red and Black Affair
Your best red and black attire is requested at this annual holiday party that draws hundreds of young professionals each year. VIP and bottle service will be available. Presented by CharlotteVibe and Six Figure Entertainment. 10 p.m. $10 in advance; more at the door. The Sunset Club, 1820 South Blvd. www.charlottevibe.com.

Kickin It on the Southside (weekly event)
Digital Divas presents this weekly Friday night event for those who live or want to party in south Charlotte. Enjoy a great crowd, drink specials, and a DJ spinning hip-hop and R&B. 10 p.m. Free. On the Roxx, 14021 Conlan Circle (Ballantyne). www.ontheroxx.com.

Saturday, December 12

3rd Annual Queen City Awards
This year’s ceremony will present 26 awards in a variety of music and entertainment categories including: R&B group/band of the year, rock group/band of the year, country group/band of the year, and even a Poetry in Motion award. Hosted by Big Pat and Melinda Medina. QCA will also honor the life of the late Nate Quick, and will donate a portion of proceeds to Amped 4-A-Cure. Doors open 5:30 p.m.; show starts 6:30 p.m. Cost varies. Skandolos, 5317 Independence Blvd. www.queencityawards.com.

One Love Fest: Unity of Art and Music
This event will feature a performance by reggae act Middle Passage X, as well as spoken word via open mike, arts and crafts, and art on display by local and visiting artists. A portion of the proceeds will go to Toys for Tots and domestic violence victims. Presented by The Art House; sponsored by Pynk Chocolate Events, JazzUndaground, and The W.E. Foundation, Inc. 8 p.m.-12 a.m. $15-$20. The Art House, 3103 Cullman Ave. www.pynkchocolateevents.com.

Swank!
Talk of the Town is promising a stylish night out, featuring live music by Uptown Swagga, DJ Shogun on the turntables, and a 2010 fashion preview with styles by Frederick LaMont. The attire is swanky. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to 25 Dreams Foundation, a suicide prevention organization. 9:30 p.m.-2:30 a.m. $15. Grand Central, 1000 Central Avenue. www.talkofthetownent.com.

Holiday Nouveau
It’s a party at Ballantyne’s posh movie theater. Complimentary wine and champagne served in VIP. Music by DJ Paradime. Suggested dress code is “cosmopolitan.” Presented by The A List. 10 p.m.-3 a.m. $15 and up. Ballantyne Village Theater, 14825 Ballantyne Village Way. www.alistnextevent.com.

Sunday, December 13

Special Blend (weekly event)
Special Blend presents genres of artistry, music, visual, and humor. Experience it while relaxing in a trendy lounge. Music by DJ Justice. 7 p.m.-12 a.m. Free. PJ’s Coffee & Lounge, 210 E. Trade St. (inside the EpiCentre). www.pjscharlotte.com.

8-Track Flash Back 70s Party
Celebrate this phenomenal era with music and themes from yesteryear. Come dressed in your best 70s ensembles and get down with the get down. 9:30 p.m. $10. Allure Lounge, 1508 S. Mint St. www.allurerestaurant.com.

READ FULL STORY

Sadie's Wins a 'Hoodie'

Sadie's Soulful Southern Experience brought home the award for Best Soul Food at the 2009 Hoodie Awards held over the weekend at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas. The awards, which were created by radio personality/comedian/actor/author Steve Harvey, are in their seventh year.

The Hoodies recognize small businesses and community leaders from neighborhoods around the country with categories like best car wash, soul food, nail shop, barbershop, fried chicken, high school teacher, beauty salon, church choir, and community leader. There's only one winner chosen nationally for each category.

A Charlotte restaurant has won Best Soul Food three years in a row--Sadie's won this year and in 2008, while La'Wan's Soul Food brought home the award in 2007. This year Sadie's beat out the other finalists: Delta’s in New Brunswick, New Jersey; Mama Nems’ in Orlando, Florida; and Bite Your Tongue Cajun Restaurant, which is also located in Charlotte (relocating here from New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina).

Plenty of Charlotteans were on hand for the weekend celebration in Las Vegas, including Q92.7's Chirl Girl; Damian and Jermaine Johnson, owners of the No Grease Barbershop chain; and singer Anthony Hamilton, who was an award presenter (pictured below with Nephew Tommy).


There were lots of other celebrities in attendance--many as performers and presenters--such as Terrence J and Rocsi, Sherri Shepard, Mo'Nique, Jazmine Sullivan, Tyler Perry, and, of course, Steve Harvey and his wife Marjorie (pictured below).


Sadie's Soulful Southern Experience is located at 5708 North Sharon Amity Road. Visit www.sadiesoul.com for more info. Click here for the full list of Hoodie Award winners.

READ FULL STORY

Nominate for Queen City Music Awards

Nominations have begun for the 2009 Queen City Music Awards. Now in its third year, this annual awards event allows you to choose Charlotte's top musical artists, DJs, songs, models, and poets. In the past, the Queen City Music Awards have had primarily a hip-hop and R&B focus. But this year it has expanded to include rock, country, and gospel. Visit www.queencityawards.com to nominate your favorite Charlotte artists. The awards show is scheduled for December.

READ FULL STORY