| The Vine… Entertainment News & Views |
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| Written by WI Staff | |||
| Thursday, 29 July 2010 10:03 | |||
 Multiple Grammy Award winning entertainer Tina Turner, 71, is still touring to record audiences and is considering a world tour. When Tina Turner hit the stage at the 2008 Grammys, little did she know it would set in motion the comeback of a lifetime. Although it was in fact, perhaps the third musical comeback of her career, at 68, Turner performed for a wide-eyed audience of new and longtime fans holding their collective breaths as she went through a medley of songs. Now just months shy of her 71st birthday, rumors have begun to swirl about a possible world tour that would allow older fans and new enthusiasts the chance to party alongside one another. While some argue that a woman who has been saturated in the cult of domesticity, with her boyfriend for nearly thirty years should leave well enough along, others believe if Turner can still do it, she should. Turner’s management and record label put the rumors to rest, just as fans began saving up for what would promise to be $500 tickets. But what Turner’s possible tour invited was an examination of ageism in the music industry. Unlike other rock and some alternative genres, R&B, rap and jazz artists are rarely let out to pasture. The question: As pivotal African American performers reach a certain age, is it best for them to leave the stage gracefully? If the enthusiasm for the artists is purely physical – (that was a 40+ year old breast caught up in Janet Jackson’s wardrobe malfunction a few years ago) – then perhaps looking at younger, often less-talented performers is the way. However, a concert season with no Patti Labelle, Frankie Beverly & Maze, or … the hometown favorite Chuck Brown, who cruising through his seventies is likely insight a panic! Consider that even the term “old” in Old School rapper can very nearly be applied to a group of middle-aged men and women. LL Cool J still looks the part, but he turns forty-two this year. Maybe the saying Black don’t crack applies as much to talent as it does to appearance… Here’s to Beyonce at 50! ---  Debbi Morgan and Darnell Williams. Courtesy PhotoThe network first reunited the couple after a 20-year-hiatus in the storyline, and allowed them to rekindle one of the most celebrated romances in Daytime history. Beginning this week, (SPOILER ALERT) the Hubbards will face Angela’s mysterious illness… along with becoming middle-aged parents. Morgan and Williams have already delivered masterful performances as the storyline opens several weeks ago. Keep and eye for them and be sure to let ABC know how you feel about the writing and performances at http://abc.go.com/shows/all-my-children ---
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