Living legend, Jayne Kennedy-Overton, was recently honored by her look-alike daughters for her 70th orbit around the sun. The former beauty pageant queen-turned actress officially turned 70 on October 27, 2021. However, it wasn’t until early November that her daughters shared photos of the surprise Jayne-Kennedy-themed party they’d given her.

The party was the most adorable thing ever because Jayne’s three biological daughters, Savannah, Zaire, and Kopper; along with her stepdaughter, Cheyenne, were each dressed in outfits that represented an iconic era of Jayne Kennedy.

We all remember when Jayne was known as the actress who had an on-screen battle with “Wonder Woman” on the hit ’80s series, or Jayne’s “NFL Today” stint as a sports reporter. And we can’t forget about Jayne’s 80s workout video, where she rocked the sexy bodysuit with the leotards and leg warmers. The list can go on and on, but it’s evident that Jayne’s kids understood the assignment. Check out the b-day photos below…

Daughter, Zaire, dressed as her mom in this TV moment…

Jayne with Zaire at her 70th b-day party…

Jayne’s daughter, Kopper, dressed as Jayne in this classic work-out moment…

Jayne loved it…

The step-daughter of Jayne, Cheyenne  (who refers to Jayne as “Mom #2”), was dressed as Jayne during her infamous “NFL Today” sports reporter days…

Here’s Cheyenne’s version of her stepmom’s TV reporter era…

And of course a Jayne-Kennedy-tribute just wouldn’t have been right without including her legendary Tab drink endorsement era, which is what her eldest daughter, Savannah, paid homage to…

Mama Jayne thinks Savannah nailed her Tab era…

Last, but not least, came the group photo of Jayne Kennedy-Overton with her three babies, her stepdaughter, and an unnamed loved one who showed up and showed out for the legend…

Jayne Kennedy’s Debilitating Health Diagnosis Didn’t Stop Her

Jayne Kennedy-Overton couldn’t be more grateful to celebrate another year of life. As we previously reported, during the height of her career, Jane was one of the most known faces in sports broadcasting, but all of that changed when she was diagnosed with endometriosis. During a previous interview with USA Today, Jayne opened up about the illness she suffered, which ultimately led to abrupt changes in her career.

“In the early ’80s, I had an exercise video called Love Your Body with music by the Commodores, which was third in the market after Jane Fonda and Richard Simmons. I had a contract with Coke for Tab and Diet Coke. We did the tie-in with fitness and diet drinks,” she recalled. “Everything was going so well. Then quickly, it got to a point where I couldn’t even do a sit-up. The pain was so debilitating.”

Then, she discovered what the problem really was. “Finally, my doctor said, ‘I’m going to have you tested for endometriosis. Don’t worry about it, you probably don’t have it, but let’s run the test anyway,'” she says. “We did an ultrasound and he said, ‘Yup, you have it.’ That was the first time I heard of endometriosis.” At the age of 28, she was diagnosed with the debilitating illness.

Despite the diagnosis, Jayne has managed to persevere. Wishing this queen many more birthdays to come!!

The post Beautiful: Jayne Kennedy’s Daughters Threw Surprise 70th Birthday Party Honoring Her Legacy appeared first on I Love Old School Music.

Remember the bum who fell down the stairs in the movie, Coming To America? He was the one who the landlord was screaming at saying “Your rent due mothaf%*ka…you conscious!” That scene probably had all of us rolling and although his camera time was about 40 seconds, it still became a memorable part of the movie.

It turns out that the “bum” actor has a famous nephew who is said to be worth approximately $200 million now. So it’s safe to assume that the “bum” was actually no bum in real life, but was instead probably well taken care of because he and his nephew were always extremely close. Take a good look at the “bum” up top, and see if you can figure out who his nephew is before gettin’ your scroll on to find out…

His Nephew Is Eddie Murphy

The actor who played the “bum” in Coming to America is Ray Murphy and his nephew is none other than “the Prince of Zamunda,” Eddie Murphy! Did you get this one right ILOSM fam?’

“Harlem Nights” Is Based On The Life Of Eddie’s Uncle Ray

Here’s what Ray Murphy said about how the Harlem Nights movie came about: (via Crazy Al Cayne TV)

“I owned a bar in Brooklyn called Sugar Ray’s and I used to tell Eddie the stories about when I ran with the mafia that Donnie Brascoe and all of that. In three weeks, Eddie wrote that movie Harlem Nights. That movie was like real, what really happened back in those days. I’m proud to say that my nephew has immortalized me between the movies and all the people I’ve met in Hollywood. I think it’s the most wonderful thing that could ever happen to somebody who comes from the projects.”

Ray Murphy’s Interview

Details In Ray Murphy’s Passing

Uncle Ray passed away in 2013 and he was a very talented comedian who was still performing late in life. So it looks like Eddie and his beloved late brother, Charlie Murphy, were basically bred to be comedic stars. That’s evident when we see the history of their Uncle Ray, because Ray’s entertainment history dates back to the 1940’s. According to Uncle Ray’s obituary, his mother had an epiphany when he and his siblings were very young that someone in the fam’ would be stars:

‘Almost immediately, her children Henry Roosevelt, William Leroy, James Earl, Virginia Mae, Raymond “Ray” Leon and Charles Edward began applying their varied talents – singing, tap dancing and comedy. In anticipation of becoming that superstar, Ray teamed up with his brother Leroy, and formed “The Comedy of Roy and Ray.” Challenges preceded them. Blacks were systematically barred from performing without a partner and minstrel shows represented the only performing opportunities of any kind. However, taking on the racial inequalities on the comedy circuit, Ray remained optimistic about his future in entertainment and formed the Doo Wop group “The Akrons.”’

Fast forward to the 80’s and it was Eddie who became the world-famous star of the fam,’ but he opened up the doors for several of his other family members to walk through, Uncle Ray included. Ray became the head of Eddie’s security at one point. Then he began to open up for Eddie’s and Charlie’s comedy shows and the rest is history. He would go one to perform off and on after that.

And there you have it family, like we always say, we learn something new around here everyday! Check out Uncle Ray’s comedy reel below. Beware: Uncle Ray cusses up a storm, just like his nephews.

The post The ‘Bum’ Who Fell In “Coming To America” Has A Famous Nephew Worth $200 Million appeared first on I Love Old School Music.

We have heartbreaking news to share I Love Old School Music fam.’ Actress, Marion Ramsey, has passed away unexpectedly, at the age of 73. Marion is best known for her role as “Officer Laverne Hooks,” the squeaky voiced, timid police officer from the classic “Police Academy” movies.

Her agency confirmed that she died in her Los Angeles, CA home on Thursday, January 7, 2020. Variety also reported the following details:

Roger Paul of Roger Paul Inc., the agency that managed Ramsey, confirmed the news to Variety. Ramsey had recently fallen ill, but her exact cause of death is currently undetermined.

Though Marion’s passing is incredibly tragic and heartbreaking, we’re forever grateful for the many laughs she brought to millions throughout the years. Remember how Ramsey used to have us rollin’ on the floor laughing every time she would speak, or rather, whisper? And when “Captain Harris” would get fed up with her voice, it was hilarious.

It wasn’t until “Officer Hooks” finally belted out “Don’t move dirt bag!” in one of the “Police Academy” installments, that we really got to see her true aggression surface. Now that we took that trip back down 1980’s memory lane, let’s take a look at what Marion Ramsey is looking like these days.

We’d recently reported how well Marion Ramsey was doing in recent years, which is now another reminder that none of us know what tomorrow will bring, so lets all do our best to cherish each day and every one of our loved ones.

In case you missed our prior report, below are the pics and info we shared about Ms Ramsey…

In recent years, Marion Ramsey had largely stepped away from the glitz and limelight of Hollywood, but a while back she revealed that there was going to be a “Police Academy” in the works, though there was no further info provided on that project. Throughout the years since we last saw her on the big screen, Marion had also starred in several musical stage plays, such as “Cinderella,” “Grind,” “Little Shop of Horrors,” “Eubie” and “Scarlett/Gone With the Wind.” Her first non-musical stage play was in 2011 when she was the main star in a theatrical play centered around the Iraq war called “Operation Counter Men.”

Although she’d somewhat backed away from the big screen, she hadn’t backed away from the mic. Many people didn’t know that Marion was also a singer and she was always up for the challenge when it came to singing a song. That is exactly what happened when she was put up to the challenge and asked to sing at a venue where she nailed Tina Turner’s “What’s Love Got To Do With It” and “Simply The Best.” Most were not expecting her high pitched voice to sound like this…

The post R.I.P.: “Police Academy” Legend, Marion Ramsey, Passes Away At 73 appeared first on I Love Old School Music.

Do you remember Geoffrey Holder? Although most remember the Trinidadian actor for his role in Boomerang and Annie there’s so much more about him that many probably never knew. The highly talented actor was also a choreographer, dancer, painter and singer, as well as a Tony Award–winning stage director and costume designer.

Needless to say, the brotha had an amazing career with much to show for his talents. However, most don’t know that his life-long legacy also led to a theatrical ending like NO OTHER! What his son revealed after his death proves Geoffrey really was the epitome of theatrics, in a good way.

THE WAY HE PASSED AWAY WAS LIKE SOMETHING YOU’D SEE IN A MOVIE, SEE WHAT HIS SON REVEALED…

Geoffrey Holder passed away on October 5, 2014 from pneumonia, at 84 years young. According to NPR.org, Geoffrey’s son, Leo (pictured above), wrote a beautiful story about his father’s touching final moments, recounting everything down to his final breath. Leo revealed his father died doing something he absolutely loved: choreographing. They knew October 5th would be his last day, so after Geoffrey’s wife of 59 years, Carmen, gave an emotional goodbye to him, she exited the room overwhelmed, and allowed their son to usher his Pops into his transitioning process. Geoffrey had already planned to ‘dance his way’ into death:

Leo Holder: “‘You good?’ Nod & faint smile. ‘You ready?’ He is. I have asked the doctors to not start the morphine drip right away, because I want him to have his solo on his own time. Knowing him, he might stop breathing right after his finale. For dramatic effect. He’s still Geoffrey Holder. They remove the tube that has imprisoned him for the past nine days and robbed this great communicator of the ability to speak. I remove the mittens that prevent his hands from moving freely.”

“I start the music, take his hands and start leading him, swaying them back and forth. And he lets go of me. He’s gonna wing it as he was prone to do when he was younger. Breathing on his own for the last time, Geoffrey Holder, eyes closed, performs his last solo…From his deathbed. The arms take flight, his beautiful hands articulate through the air, with grace. I whisper “shoulders” and they go into an undulating shimmy, rolling like waves…he stretches out his right arm to deliver his trademark finger gesture, which once meant “you can’t afford this.” […] His musical timing still impeccable […]. Come the finale, he doesn’t lift himself off the bed as he planned; instead, one last gentle rock of the torso, crosses his arms and turns his head to the side in a pose worthy of Pavlova. All with a faint, gentile smile The orchestra finishes when he does. I lose it.”

BUT WHAT HAPPENED NEXT WAS EVEN MORE INCREDIBLE. THAT WAS NOT THE END FOR GEOFFREY HOLDER…

Geoffrey’s son, Leo, continued:

“You’re not gonna believe this. He’s got a morphine drip, going on over half an hour, an oxygen mask on, his eyes closed, AND HE’S CHOREOGRAPHING!”Leo wrote. “I ask the doctor if this is normal. As she begins to explain to me about the process, his closed eyes burst open, focused straight on us like lasers, and he roars with all his might: “SHUT UUUUUUUUUUUUUP!!! YOU’RE BREAKING MY CONCENTRATION!!!!!!!”

Leo went on to detail the remarkable final moments of his father’s life:

“We freeze with our mouths open. He stares us down. Long and hard. Then he closes his eyes again, “Arms, two, three … Turn, two, three … Swing, two, three … Down, two, three … ” Leo explained. “He continued counting ’til it faded out, leaving only the sound of faint breathing, slowing down to his very last breath at 9:25 p.m.”

Many of Geoffrey Holder’s friends and family had already visited him in the days prior, to say their goodbyes. Geoffrey was in great spirits the hold time and told his son that he was “not afraid.” There couldn’t have been a more perfect way for Geoffrey to make his grand exit after a remarkable job done here on earth. Rest well Geoffrey.

The post Beautiful Transition: Son Of “Boomerang” Actor Shares Incredible Last Moments On His Death Bed appeared first on I Love Old School Music.

If you’re from the Old School, you probably remember actor/dancer, Gene Anthony Ray, from the popular 80’s TV show, Fame. He played the tough, street dancer name “Leroy,” who had a love for dancing, but a slight problem with authority.

Gene’s Fame character was not that far off from who he was in real life. Just like his character, “Leroy,” Gene was an untrained dancer who learned how to dance, by battling at neighborhood block parties. He grew up in a then rough neighborhood in Harlem, NY and was in the streets a lot.

His Family’s Crime Ring Arrest

When he landed the role on Fame, that was when his life began taking a great turn. The only problem was some of his family didn’t make that transition with him and instead, chose to stay behind and indulge in a life of crime. We’re talking about Gene’s mother, uncles, grandmother, aunts…they were all living that life and here’s what they ultimately got busted for doing while Gene was at the height of his career…

In 1984, Ray’s mother was arrested in a drug raid along with 14 others, including his grandmother, three aunts, and three uncles. Ray’s mother, 46-year-old Jean Ray, was charged with dealing heroin and cocaine. His grandmother, 66-year-old Viola (Lilly) Ward, was carrying six ounces of cocaine and a loaded .38-caliber pistol when she was taken into custody. In March 1984, after a two-week trial, Ray’s mother was convicted. According to police, she sold heroin and cocaine to undercover officers in several buys in 1983 that took place in Harlem bars. In April 1984 she was sentenced to at least 15 years, with parole eligibility in 1999. [Source: biography.jrank]

That’s not all though, unfortunately seeing his mother locked up, along with the rest of his fam,’ began to take a serious toll on Gene and he began to lose focus and indulge in illegal activities.

His Legal Problems & Addictions

Ray made attempts to revive his career and had brief success in theatrical stage plays, but unfortunately, his struggles left him jobless. Then came his brush with the law:

Although Ray, who remained very loyal to his mother, was never implicated in the drug dealings, he was under tremendous stress. After failing to show up for Fame rehearsals 100 times and self-admittedly using drugs between shoots, he was fired from the show in 1984. Ray’s use of drugs and alcohol continued unabated.  In 1992, with his use of alcohol out of control, Ray stole a bottle of wine from a Milan supermarket and used it to attack two men who were taunting him. He was arrested, although the charges were later dropped. Having squandered his wealth to feed his drug habit, Ray was unemployed. [Source: biography.jrank]

He Passed Away With Little Fanfare

In 1995 there were several rumors circulating that Gene had passed away from AIDS. While his Mother once confirmed that Gene was HIV positive, it is not true that he actually died from HIV, nor AIDS in ’95.

Sadly, Gene did, in fact, pass away on November 14, 2003 from complications he’d suffered from a stroke in June of that year. He was only 41 years old.

Gene died with little fanfare. There were no mainstream media reports covering his death, there weren’t thousands of fans lining the streets as his casket rolled by in his funeral procession. There were just his close friends and family who knew Gene Anthony Riley- the person, the actor, the dancer, the shattered soul, and the man.

That’s a stark contrast to what life once was for him: The guy who at just 20 years old, had to hire two secretaries to answer the thousands of fan letters he received daily; The actor who was featured on a TV show that, although it didn’t air as long in the U.S., it gained 11 million regular viewers in the UK.

Life Is Like A Board Game

It’s almost painfully funny how life works. The choices we make and the consequences we get as a result, can oftentimes smother our accomplishments and almost bury them as if they never existed. Life is like a board game of Chutes and Ladders. You’ll get the opportunity to roll the dice, navigate through life, but along the way, your journey to the top may become complicated by virtues (ladders) or vices (chutes), it happens, but don’t quit, keep playing the game.

The post “Fame” Actor’s Family Was Caught In A Huge Crime Ring & He Sadly Died Far Too Young appeared first on I Love Old School Music.

Actress, Isabel Sanford a.k.a. “Weezy” from “The Jeffersons” had a side hustle that she started after becoming a big time TV superstar on and let’s just say, she was determined to keep her “piece of the Pi-i-ie” (I couldn’t resist singing that one). Scroll down to peep “Weezy’s” business savvy…

Isabelle Sanford’s Side Hustle Was Highly Inspired By “The Jeffersons”

After The Jeffersons became a huge success, Isabel Sanford moved on up to her very own $200,000.00 Los Angeles condo “in the sky.” Then she capitalized off of her TV fame, by opening up the exact same type of business that earned “Weezy” and “George Jefferson” that high rise Manhattan, N.Y. condo and plush lifestyle on the show. Isabel Sanford owned a dry-cleaning business. And get this – the name of it was “Weezy’s!” Smart move, right? Isabel’s marketing skills and business sense were on point.

Her Family Owned Operation

Her son, Sanford K. Sanford, ran “Weezy’s Dry Cleaning,” while his mother sat back, invested and collected those checks. Word on the Old School curb is that business was booming for Sanford and her family back then…Cha-ching!

More Facts Many Didn’t Know About Isabel Sanford:

1. She had a rough marriage- her husband, William Edward “Sonny” Richmond, at a young age and they had a really rocky relationship and separated soon after their three children were born. Here’s what was reported in an interview she did with People:

Marriage to a house painter shortly after high school graduation resulted in three children in quick succession, Pamela, Eric and Sanford—”I felt like an assembly line”—and a separation after only a few years. “The children didn’t miss him much, and I just let it go at that,” she shrugs. “He was weak and I was an ambitious young woman.” She proved it by acting at night in church groups while working as a $49-a-week keypunch operator at a welfare office.

After leaving her husband in New York and moving to Cali with her three kids, her husband William Edward “Sonny” Richmond, passed away after he was involved in an altercation with someone.

2. She’s the only one of her siblings to survive–  Isabel Sanford was the only one of her parents’- James Edward and Josephine Sanford- 7 children to actually survive past infancy. She was the last born and her other siblings reportedly were not healthy enough to make it. So sad.

3. Isabel’s mother did not want her to become an actress- Her mother was extremely religious and made her daughter go to church every Sunday and sometimes on weeknights. When Isabel was a teen, she told her Mom that she wanted to become an actress. However, her Mother was not having that, and forbade her to follow her dream because she believed that a career in entertainment was “the road to degradation,” according to “The Jeffersons” star. Isabel still followed her own mind, pursued her dream and got her start performing in local clubs…even working her way up to the Apollo Theater.

Disobeying Her Parent Paid Off

Usually parents know what’s best for their child, but we’re glad Isabel Sanford actually disobeyed her Mom’s rules that one time, or else we would’ve never known the loving Mother TV figure that we came to love as “Weezy.” We also would have never gotten to hear her yell in her signature raspy voice, “George!”

Isabel Sanford passed away on July 9, 2004 at the age of 87, after falling ill from a neck surgery she had a week prior. In the end, her life came full circle and it was well fulfilled. Job well done Ms. Sanford, continue to rest well.

The post ‘Weezy’ Actress Had A Clever Real Life Side Hustle That Fans Applauded Her For appeared first on I Love Old School Music.

The cost of fame sometimes challenges entertainers to weigh their moral compass and make sure their center is in a place that allows them to rest easy at night and awake to a reflection they still respect in the morning. For actress/choreographer, Rosie Perez, her personal morals were tested during her days as the character, “Tina,” the ’round the way Puerto Rican girlfriend of Spike Lee’s character, “Mookie,” in Do The Right Thing.

The year was 1989, when Rosie became the one of the breakthrough stars in the film. Two dynamic scenes helped solidify her spot – (1) her FIRE dancing in the opening credits of Spike Lee’s joint and (2) the unforgettable intimate scene where “Mookie” dripped ice cubes over her bare breasts on a hot summer New York day.

Those scenes helped garner Rosie the titles of ‘bold,’ ‘beautiful,’ ‘fearless,’ ‘relatable,’ ‘talented,’ and so one. Unfortunately for Rosie, she hated the bare breasts scene. In fact, she hated it so much that she cried throughout the entire shooting of it.

Rosie Perez Tells Why She Cried During Filming

In a prior interview with New York Times, the Soul Train veteran admitted she felt violated, even though she was the one who actually agreed to shoot the nude scene. Rosie also stated that she finally spoke publicly about it, because her then 14 year old stepdaughter informed her that she’d seen her nude screenshots, from the movie, online. That’s when Rosie began to question whether, or not, she felt comfortable standing behind her work 100%…apparently she does not:

Rosie Perez- “My first experience [with doing nude scenes] was Do the Right Thing. And I had a big problem with it, mainly because I was afraid of what my family would think — that’s what was really bothering me. It wasn’t really about taking off my clothes. But I also didn’t feel good about it because the atmosphere wasn’t correct. And when Spike Lee puts ice cubes on my nipples, the reason you don’t see my head is because I’m crying. I was like, I don’t want to do this. I felt like Irene Cara in ”Fame.” It was like, Wait a minute, I feel so wimpy, this is not who I am. So that was my first experience, and it was horrible. But then I went and took my clothes off again for ”White Men Can’t Jump”! But that was because it was totally my decision, I felt totally comfortable, the director was so cool and Woody Harrelson was like, Well, whatever you want is cool with me. So there I felt empowered by it. But with ”Do the Right Thing” it was like, ‘Now I’m the object, here’s the shot.’ And the reason why I cried was not so much because I felt violated as because I was angry at myself, because I wanted to say: ”Say something! Get up!” So that’s how I felt violated. I felt like I violated myself.”

Embed from Getty Images

Her Brother Brought Machete To Meet With Spike?

Even though she felt “violated,” in all fairness to Spike Lee, it’s important to note that Rosie Perez previously admitted that she was not threatened, nor forced to film her nude scene in Do the Right Thing. According to Daily News, she recalled in her memoir, Handbook For An Unpredictable Life, bringing her knife-wielding brother to set to ensure Spike Lee didn’t try any funny stuff during her nude scene negotiation:

Via DN: [Rosie] Perez fought Lee over the naked scenes, and later charged him with exploiting her. She actually had her brother-in-law, a drug dealer who came to the meeting with a machete in hand, negotiate that there would be “no ass-crack, nothing close to the vagina.”

Wow…gotta luv Rosie for making sure she was protected by any means, and much respect to Spike for still keepin’ it professional in the midst of tense hurdles they faced behind the scenes at that time.

The post Rosie Perez Felt Violated In “Do The Right Thing,” Says Her Brother Took Knife To Set For Spike appeared first on I Love Old School Music.

The beloved actress/singer, Nell Carter, most known for being the star of the 80’s hit show, “Gimme A Break,” was living through a life of hell, while simultaneously making America crack up with laughter every week on TV. She passed away on January 23, 2003, but prior to her death she displayed just how much of a survivor she was after going through things, no one should ever have to endure.

After reading Nell tell her story, we all had to let out a collective “Whew!” because she revealed a mouthful, but wait ’til you see the details of what she lived through while she was in demand at the height of her career…

NELL CARTER DETAILS THE NIGHT SHE WAS RAPED...

"On the night of July 4, 1965, I went with a group to one of the clubs where I sang, way out in the woods. Afterward I got a ride back with this guy I knew, and on the way he stopped the car and told me to get out. He pointed a shotgun at me. Then he look me to the trees and raped me. When I sot home, I was numb. I told my sister Willie. She tried to console me, told me that we'd get through it. My brother Bernard, who was always so wise, told me what had happened was terrible but that not all people acted like that and I couldn't lose hope. But my mother didn't give me much reason to hope. When I told her I'd been raped, she called me a hurtful name. I remember thinking, "What did I do? Am I a slut?"

-ILoveOldSchoolMusic, Old School news with a new point of view

The post Nell Carter Made Us Laugh But Who Knew She Was Living w/THESE Horrors? appeared first on I Love Old School Music.