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Forums > Music: Non-Prince > REMEMBER HARLEMM LEE FROM FAME?
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Thread started 05/06/05 11:55pm

Janfriend

REMEMBER HARLEMM LEE FROM FAME?

This from www.harlemmlee.com


Harlemm Lee's Personal Message to His Fans, June 2004:

Thank you so much everybody for your support, encouragement, good wishes, and prayers!!! I am very glad you found my personal web page, and please forgive me as I attempt to get this thing up and running…I know that things have been very quiet since I won the show, and I apologize to all my fans for not being more visible. Now, please bear with me as I address this issue and get a couple of things off my chest…

While I Thank God everyday for the wonderful opportunity I had to perform on the "FAME" TV Show, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't disappointed at how things have turned out since I won the show.

I would have wanted nothing more than to be able to take advantage of my hard-earned winnings from the show and have the opportunity to perform every day, whether it be on a concert tour, live on Broadway, doing TV appearances, or being brought in to do commercial endorsements.

The truth is, already one year after the "FAME" airings, I have been unable to do any of these things. This is because as of now, I have yet to receive the bulk of the career-enhancing prizes promised to the winner (the "Fast Track to Fame" Prize Package, as it was announced weekly on the show). While I am still in the process of working to have the prizes delivered to me, I am very confused and flabbergasted at this state of affairs, and why it is taking so long to collect my winnings.

My biggest disappointment comes from having been denied the most basic resources needed for promotion, marketing, and distribution which would have enabled me to start a decent entertainment career. The meager and minimal efforts that have been put forth up until this point come across as purely cosmetic and symbolic gestures; it is very clear that there was never any true intent to reach meaningful marketing or promotional objectives which would have helped to establish my career. One need only look at the past year as evidence of this fact.

A year later, the damage is done. I have been completely invisible since winning FAME, and unable to capitalize from all my hard work and national exposure gained from the show. If it weren't for my unemployment checks and my year-long stay at the W Hotel (which I am very grateful for, but ends in August), I would be completely penniless and homeless.

***The justification given to me for all this has been that my story was not "compelling enough" (their own words) to warrant the high-profile TV appearances and marketing resources that would have given me a decent shot at capitalizing on my national "FAME" exposure. I find it very hard to believe or accept this reasoning, especially after being validated by millions of viewers from all over America who watched my performances on NBC-TV Primetime and voted me in as a Finalist week after week. The bottom line is that if the powers that be decide for themselves that an Artist is not "compelling enough" to be marketed properly, it is a guarantee that without their machinery behind you, you will definitely not be seen nor heard.***

This mess is the reason why you all have not seen much of me since winning the FAME show. To complicate matters further, the contractual nature of the FAME Prize Package has immobilized me from regaining control of my career, until some kind of legal resolution can be finalized to allow me to move on and start to make my own career decisions. There are many more details to my predicament that I wish to share with you. However, they will remain private and confidential for now, while I make an attempt to work out some reasonable way to resolve or remedy the situation.

Please understand my message is not meant to "rile up the troops"; I just felt the time was right to let you all know why you haven't been seeing very much of me. The last thing I want to have happen is to have angry fans storm some office somewhere and demand "justice" for Harlemm Lee. My true fans will not raise a ruckus, but will be patient and sit tight as I attempt to sort things out in an amicable and thoughtful manner. Even though this is a challenging and discouraging time for me, I am determined to remain fearless in working to keep my dreams alive and make them a reality. For fans that want to help, the best way to do so right now is to continue to pray for me to stay strong as I attempt to resolve this situation and pick up the pieces to build my career. The bottom line is that I am alive and well and in good spirits (in spite of it all). I have the utmost faith that all of this will be resolved fairly, and I strive daily to cultivate the patience and understanding that everything is happening exactly as it should.

Before I go, I want you to know what my music and performing means to me. It is a life force that has become my sole vehicle for self-expression, self-realization, and empowerment in a world/society that continues to make me feel invisible. This is my unique personal journey, and in spite of the difficulties, it is a road that I gladly travel. I trust that the diehard fans who follow my performances will continue to stand by me as I make creative and business decisions that might not please everyone (as much I want to). Thank you for your love and for your prayers; it is what keeps me strong. I would love to hear from you; please send any correspondence or requests to P.O. Box 3255 in Los Angeles, CA 90078.

Thank you for reading my message. For better or for worse, it was important for me to take a stand, and tell my story. To my fans, thank you for supporting me and I love you all very much!!! Remember, keep believing and never give up!!! Stay tuned, and I will keep you posted with any new news as it happens…

Very truly yours,

Harlemm Lee

P.S. My endless thanks go to Mr. Corky Pasquil for having the foresight to secure my domain name early on during the FAME show, and for being so generous with his time to post my message and maintain the site. You're the BEST!!!


You can buy his album: http://www.amazon.com/exe...5?v=glance
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Reply #1 posted 05/07/05 6:36am

Nick715

Poor guy. It sucks that he won on that show, and they didn't do sh*t for him.
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Reply #2 posted 05/07/05 2:47pm

sosgemini

avatar

just get into gay porn already and be done with it...
Space for sale...
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Forums > Music: Non-Prince > REMEMBER HARLEMM LEE FROM FAME?