Entertainment
Ms. Lauryn Hill, Stevie Wonder & Valerie Simpson Among Those Celebrating Roberta Flack’s Legacy at Harlem Memorial

An unexpected appearance by Ms. Lauryn Hill and Wyclef Jean was just one of the many riveting moments at the celebration of life honoring the legendary Roberta Flack inside Harlem, New York’s Abyssinian Baptist Church on Monday (March 10).
Among the additional stars, executives, friends and family lifting up their voices in tribute to the pioneering singer-songwriter-musician-activist were Stevie Wonder, Valerie Simpson, Phylicia Rashad, Dionne Warwick, Alicia Keys, India.Arie, Peabo Bryson and Clive Davis. Flack died on Feb. 24 at age 88.
Before segueing into a beautiful and measured take on the Flack classic “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face,” an emotional Hill sniffled her way through reflections about her late idol. “We weren’t formally asked to do this because I think they were a little shy in asking us to attend,” Hill began. “So we kind of bum-rushed the service because it really wouldn’t be possible for us to just stand by and not participate.
“The artistry of Ms. Roberta Flack was beyond trailblazing,” Hill continued in part. “Like Nina Simone, she carved out for me a pathway of soulful Black intellectual sublime beauty that not only spoke to Black resistance directly in lyric and statement, but was Black resistance to racism, bigotry and limitations by virtue of its existence. … She didn’t just write about the beauty; she was the beauty. She didn’t just write about resistance; her existence was a form of resistance. She wrote our stories in forms the established authorities of the time could not deny; compositions wrapped with graceful classical forms and nuances that would not nor could not be dismissed. … I thank my parents for introducing me to her masterful music. Thank you to our Father in Heaven, to our God on high for blessing and enriching all of our lives with her presence and undeniable gifts. Roberta Flack is legend.”
Met with resounding applause, cheers and a standing ovation inside the packed church, Hill and Jean — accompanied by a pianist and three backing vocalists — launched into a sing-along of the Fugees’ hit reinterpretation of the Flack gem “Killing Me Softly With His Song.” Adding an extra touch to the performance: Wonder standing in the church aisle playing the harmonica.
Following next on the program, Wonder prefaced his musical contribution with insightful comments that touched on Flack’s artistry as well as her commitment to activism. “The great thing about not having the ability to see with your eyes is the great opportunity in being able to see even better with your heart,” he shared. “So I knew how beautiful Roberta was. I celebrate that because I see that so much of the world and yes, this nation too, must be blind at this point … and it breaks my heart. And Roberta, I want to just say to you in spirit, I thank you for letting me hear your voice, letting me know your spirit, letting me know your heart and letting me be able to share with you songs that I was writing.”
One of those songs was “If It’s Magic.” Accompanied solely by a harpist, Wonder delivered a piercing take on the track, which is featured on his award-winning double album Songs in the Key of Life. Joined afterwards by the harpist and a conga player as he sat at the piano, Wonder performed a song that he wrote for Flack, “I Can See the Sun.” Noted Wonder at the end, “She spread love all over this world.’
Songwriter Hall of Fame member Valerie Simpson (along with late husband Nick Ashford) also sat down at the piano for an improvised take on one of Ashford & Simpson’s signature hits “Ain’t Nothing Like the Real Thing,” in salute to Flack’s artistic authenticity. Among the other memorable performances was famed backing vocalist Lisa Fischer’s searing and soaring version of “Somewhere (There’s a Place for Us)” from West Side Story. Also sharing their reflections and memories were actress Phylicia Rashad, Flack’s cousin Carol Flack, Flack’s longtime manager/friend Suzanne Koga and family friend Santita Jackson. Jackson, a singer who once toured with Flack, said her father Rev. Jesse Jackson wanted her to remind attendees of one important fact: that Flack “was the perfect blend of soul and science; she put her ego to the side and just sang the song. A pure genius.”
Rounding out Flack’s celebration of life were video clips featuring reflections from a diverse range of artists and industry personages such as Clive Davis (“There will never be another Roberta Flack”), Oprah Winfrey, Alicia Keys, India.Arie, Peabo Bryson, Dionne Warwick, Les McCann and Yoko Ono. Letters from former vp Kamala Harris and Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason jr. were read as well. Rev. Al Sharpton delivered the eulogy; presiding over the memorial service was Abyssinian Baptist Church’s Rev. Dr. Kevin Johnson. The celebration program also noted that donations in Flack’s memory can be sent to the RobertaFlackFoundation.org.
Entertainment
Jelly Roll Brings Grit & Heart to In-Ring Debut at WWE SummerSlam 2025

Jelly Roll made his WWE in-ring debut this weekend, and teamed up with Randy Orton to battle Drew McIntyre and Logan Paul at SummerSlam 2025. Jelly didn’t disappoint, as the brute country force rattled McIntyre and Paul with a series of slams and elbow drops, before ultimately falling short in his Saturday night (Aug. 2) WWE match.
Ahead of the match, Jelly introduced tag partner Orton and performed his entrance theme song, “Voices,” electrifying the MetLife Stadium crowd in East Rutherford, N.J.
Kicking off the match against Paul, Jelly impressed early. Not only did he deliver some offense, including an impressive shoulder tackle on Paul, but he absorbed a flurry of attacks. The defining moment came when Paul sent Jelly crashing through the announcer’s table with a high-flying splash. Despite the setback, a hobbled Jelly Roll delivered a clinical performance: first chokeslamming Paul before issuing a punishing bodyslam. But Paul had the last laugh, connecting with a frog splash and scoring the 1-2-3.
Jelly, a lifelong wrestling fan, trained rigorously at WWE’s Performance Center ahead of his match, which contributed to his 230-pound weight loss.
“This is about belief — believing in myself — and wanting to selfishly be a part of a beautiful moment,” Jelly said earlier this week in an interview with WWE’s Jackie Redmond. “I love this business. I just wanna bring value. I’m not here to take nothing away. I’m not here to take nobody’s spot. I want to bring value. I think this is one of the greatest ages of storytelling I’ve seen in wrestling this decade.”
See clips of Jelly’s SummerSlam in-ring debut below.
Entertainment
Jerry Garcia Has Childhood Street Named for Him in San Francisco

A few hundred people gathered Friday (Aug. 1) to name a tiny San Francisco street after legendary Grateful Dead guitarist Jerry Garcia on what would have been his 83rd birthday, and as part of a citywide celebration to mark the band’s 60th anniversary.
Harrington Street, which is one block long, will also be called “Jerry Garcia Street.” Garcia died in 1995, but the band’s popularity has only grown as younger generations discover the Dead’s improvisational music, which blended rock, blues, folk and other styles.
Garcia spent part of his childhood in a modest home in the city’s diverse Excelsior neighborhood. He lived with his grandparents after the death of his father, Jose Ramon “Joe” Garcia.
“I hope that you all get a chance to enjoy the music, dance, hug, smile,” said daughter Trixie Garcia, growing emotional during her brief remarks. “Cherish what’s valuable, what’s significant in life.”
Tens of thousands of fans are in San Francisco to commemorate the Grateful Dead’s 60th anniversary with concerts and other activities throughout the city.
The latest iteration of the band, Dead & Company, with original Grateful Dead members Bob Weir and Mickey Hart, play Golden Gate Park’s Polo Field for three days this weekend (beginning with Friday’s show), with an estimated 60,000 attendees expected each day.
Formed in 1965, the Grateful Dead played often and for free in their early years while living in a cheap Victorian home in the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood. The band later became a significant part of 1967’s Summer of Love, and the Grateful Dead has become synonymous with San Francisco and its bohemian counterculture.
On Friday, fans in rainbow tie-dye and Grateful Dead T-shirts whooped and cheered as the sign was unveiled. Nonfans with shopping bags and some using walking canes maneuvered around the crowd on what was for them just another foggy day in the working-class neighborhood.
Afterward, devotees peeled off to pose for photos in front of Garcia’s childhood home.
Jared Yankee, 23, got the crowd to join him in singing “Happy Birthday.” Yankee said he flew in from Rhode Island for the shows. He got into the music about a decade ago.
“It’s a human thing,” he said of his impromptu singing. “I figure everyone knows the words to ‘Happy Birthday.’”
Entertainment
Fans Choose Mariah The Scientist & Kali Uchis’ ‘Is It a Crime’ as This Week’s Favorite New Music

“Is It a Crime,” the new duet from Mariah The Scientist and Kali Uchis, tops this week’s fan-voted music poll.
Music fans voted in a poll published Friday (Aug. 1) on Billboard, choosing the pair’s fresh collaboration as their favorite new release of the past week.
“Is It a Crime” rose above a plethora of new releases — among them, songs from hitmakers like Demi Lovato, Chappell Roan, Reneé Rapp and more. Mariah and Kali’s collab track topped the poll by a landslide, bringing in more than 57% of the vote.
“Is It a Crime,” a slow jam that has the two artists singing about the return of a past love — and defending the relationship if anyone’s got anything to say about it — dropped on July 31, with spicy, jail-themed single art. (“very intentional, very grown woman,” Uchis commented of their shoot on Instagram.)
The chorus of the song says it all: “And so what? I fell, you fell in love a couple times/ Tell me, what’s it to ya? Tell me, is it a crime/ To fall, to fall in love, in love a couple times?/ Tell me, what’s it to ya? Tell me, is it a crime to fall?”
Among the new releases trailing behind “Is It a Crime” on this week’s poll are Demi Lovato’s “Fast,” coming in with 17% of the vote; Chappell Roan’s “The Subway,” with 16% of the vote, and Reneé Rapp’s “Bite Me,” with 2% of the vote.
See the final results of this week’s poll below.
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