from the Chaka Khan board...

Chakaholics,

Yesterday,I decided to call BET-programing to find out who if anybody was getting the Annual Walk of Fame Tribute...Normally the special airs in October and they usually show Promos in Aug-Sep..

I spoke to the programing Director and she stated the 'Walk of Fame' is a No-Go this year and they are focusing on the BET 25th Anniversary Special that will air in November or December...

I then asked would the Annual 'Walk of Fame' tribute return during the Fall of Oct-2006 season..The Director then stated there's no guarantee that it will...

I did advise that The 'Walk of Fame' special was the MAIN highlight that the BET subscribers look forward to. I then stated that BET's competing Cable-Networks do not Honor our legendary Black Icons,& BET subscribers had come to rely on the Black Entertainment Network to Celebrate the Contributions made by the Greats with its Annual 'Walk of Fame'...

After that the Director did not have too many words to say..Basically the 25th Anniversary is the main focus this season...

As we all know Chaka is MORE than deserving of a Tribute and should have gotten it this year.

For those of you that subscribe to BET via Cable/Satellite,I would encourage you to call the BET programing Department if you would like to see the Annual 'Walk of Fame' brought back to the Fall Line-up in the future...

For those of you that could care less due to BET's current state of BAD programing I understand your view-point...However,I pay for Satellite service and I PAY to have BET in my viewing Package..As a paying subscriber i have a Right to voice my opinion when it comes to PROGRAMING and so do ALL paying Cable/Satellite subscribers..

BET 1-800-626-1990

i barley even watched the "walk of fame" cememonies when they did have them, so I really wouldn't be missing anything..

LoveAlive said:

I figured they were going to pull some shit like this.

missfee said:

i watched the stevie wonder one...parts of it were good, parts were painful.

Anxiety said:

Anxiety, am with ya on this one. It's crime to see certain individuals butcher up Steve classics. Actually, its quite dreadful.

MadameS said:

Yes and those so called singers do such a great job butching up Stevie's songs. It annoys me to no end when I hear someone do that to a song like Superstition or Higher Ground.

I want them to still do it, BUT they could do it in another fashion. Presenting it like on the BET Awards as a side "lifetime achievement / walk of fame" award, and a per4mance of course.

purplecam said:

When crimes against good music are commited, it makes you feel like going on the tele. Somebody needs to be slapped and for their ignorance.
[Edited 9/1/05 1:48am]

MadameS said:

Just goes to show that

Black
Entertainment
Television

is not about good music.
[Edited 9/1/05 1:49am]

Housequake2K2 said:

Precisely.

I actually did look forward to the walk of fame shows-- but I feel what HQ and Madame are sying about the performers but it was definitely entertaining to me -ecspecially when they let the honoree perform at the end- "Like let me show you people how it's done" LOL [color=indigo][/color]
[Edited 9/1/05 7:48am]

purplecam said:

You guys have COMPLETELY missed the point to why they should have it. Stop being selfish by saying "I don't like the way they did Stevie's song" and realize it's a tribute TO THE ARTIST HIMSELF/HERSELF.

TheCrucialExperience said:

I think everyone realizes that, but a bad performance is still a bad performance, which does not translate well in a tribute.

Housequake2K2 said:

Well, that's opinion if it's a bad performance. Some liked it.

TheCrucialExperience said:

Some people liked Ashlee Simpson's lip-synch performance that got her booed. Does the fact that some people liked it make a good performance? No.

You're sayin a bad performance is an opinion is that, but can also be true due to the subjectivity of it all. Just because a person sings Higher Ground or Superstition in a Stevie Wonder tribute doesnt make it a great performance. Nor does the bad performance take away from Stevie Wonder in any way. It shows how high a standard he set throughout his career that the 'so-called' it singers of today couldn't blow a candle to.

Housequake2K2 said:

Uh.,..yeah...Thanx. I think? LOL! ?

My opinion is as follows..
who cares how the performers sounded...we always talk about the young people not knowing about the pioneers. This annual show was a way for the young people to learn about the pioneers while at the same time, acknowledging the relevance and accomplishments of the pioneers in the overall landscape of music. The cancellation of this show on BET is a TRAVESTY!

LoveAlive said:

BINGO! You cats hung up on how the performers sounded have lost sight of what the award is really about. Get over the weak performances and be mature enough to credit the pioneers.

TheCrucialExperience said:[quote]

LoveAlive said:

BINGO! You cats hung up on how the performers sounded have lost sight of what the award is really about.

Excuse me, I am not 'hung up' on how the performers sounded in relation to a legendary performer being recognized. Just because someone says they don't like a particular performance or (gasp!) thinks it's bad does not denote immaturity. It shows your personal taste/like/dislike. How many times has Prince been criticized down to the second of every performance he does on this site? Makes for healthy & intelligent debate. Now a couple of people mention how they don't like a particular 'tribute' performance and people want to criticize that? Who says anyone's lost sight of what the award is about? You? Maybe every fan of Stevie Wonder should send him an award for appreciating his music; it was certainly be
better than the lackluster performances that were supposed to be 'tributes' to the man.

Get over the weak performances and be mature enough to credit the pioneers.

In your own words, you acknowledge that the performances are weak. Thank you.
How does sayin a tribute performance sucks make you hate on the original artist?
Do I now have to like Joey McIntyre's version of ICNTTPOYM simply because Prince created it? Or Melisa Morgan's version of Do Me Baby? Or even worse, Genuwine's crapfest version of When Doves Cry? If I have to say I like those 3 covers of Prince songs to be a Prince fan, u been drinkin too much purple koolaid.
Seems to me some people can't separate appreciation for an artist deserving of accolades from someone who couldn't do a decent tribute performance, and the only way they can defend it is by sayin 'be mature enough to credit the pioneers' when no one on this thread has discredited the pioneers. I'll stand by what I said before--a crappy performance is a crappy performance. Very few artists do good covers of Prince songs, and the same is true people tryin to perform a Stevie Wonder song.
Come correct or not at all.
[Edited 9/1/05 17:13pm]

and for the record, just because i think some of the tribute performances were painfully bad doesn't mean i think the tribute shows overall were bad, or that the bad performances were in any way disrespectful.

doesn't make the bad performances any better, but...

Housequake2K2 said:[quote]

TheCrucialExperience said:

Uh...maybe YOU should scroll up and read the earlier posts when people said that they didn't care if the tribute show returned BECAUSE the performances were weak. THAT'S IMMATURE AND SHORTSIGHTED. Period.

Now if YOU don't fall under that category, then cool, but I was referring to the IMMATURE people that wanted the show gone BECAUSE of the weak performances.

Also, I wasn't agreeing that the performances were weak, I was saying that to the people who FELT those performances were just that.

TheCrucialExperience said:

LoveAlive said:

MadameS said:

Legs?

i enjoyed the concept of the walk of fame. however i do agree that some of the performers were horrible. last year wanya's fat ass came out with shorts on during the boys II men performance. my boys new edition represented with there performance. jaheim was horrible the year before that. i got tired of seeing gerald levert every year. remember when aretha took her fake hair off or something like that..... i do agree that the older artist should be honored. where is the 25th anniversary going to be held? i wish it was in dc so i could try to get tickets. i'm assuming it will be in LA or NY.