Has Beyonce/Destiny's Child ever publicly credited Jody Watley? They did cover her penned Sweet Sixteen and a lot of her video visuals were the inspiration behind some of her music videos though we know Beyonce gets ideas from all decades before Jody's solo career too.

Perhaps we need to look up the definition of the word "Icon" and see if it coincides.

EVERYONE has it wrong, including Jody. The show should have featured a "Jody Watley" honor/performance bringing out Howard and Jeffrey at the end for a number or two, setting up a reunion tour or Shalamar honor in the future. I remember Patti doing this with Nona and Sarah at a few shows in the 90s. I love Howard's voice and solo records, but Jody's act/brand was much more popular and influential than he or Shalamar ever were and she does deserve that respect. The video for "Still A Thrill" alone is a work of art. As with The Revolution, a successful reunion ship may have already sailed though.

[Edited 7/15/14 11:15am]

^^^^ this is what she wanted during the shalamar segment so each member had a chance to shine solo as well as the group collectively.

missfee said:

kitbradley said:

Jody really has an over-inflated ego. Don't nobody care (or remember) that she won a Grammy in 1987! Go do the performance, make your bread and go home! A Shalamar reunion does not call for a Jody Watley or Howard Hewitt solo spotlight. Why is she making such a big deal? Yeah, Howard was the star of the group so he would get most of the leads so maybe that's why she has her bloomers in a bunch. Unless it's Beyonce or Miley Cirus acting like prostitutes, people generally forget about those Award Show performances a couple of days after they occur so why is she even making it an issue? And, I'm sorry, but the majority of people who watch the BET Awards aren't even going to have the slightest idea who Shalamar is so what the hell difference does it make?

[Edited 7/6/14 17:56pm]

Exactly.

one thing that Jody should keep in mind: None of them are getting any younger.If they don't do a reunion SOON,they may not ever get the chance again.Look what happened with the Commodores.Years and years of reunion rumors and then one of the members died A missed opportunity.This is Shalamar's last chance to do some kind of reunion.Now or never.

I'm on Jody's side. Shalamar was obviously an attempt to launch the solo career of Howard Hewett the same way the Pussycat Dolls was meant to springboard Nicole (yet in both cases, the plan ultimately failed.) He was basically put on a pedestal, propped and pampered like the favorite son -- while Jody and Jeffrey were treated like paupers to make him look even better. And from what I heard, Howard ate it up, didn't even pretend to be humble and often behaved like an SOB.

Now 30 years after breaking away from that oppressive set up and making a name for herself, she's supposed to step right back into that humiliating scenario for a Shalamar "reunion" where Hewett would again hog the spotlight and praised over the other two, which would ultimately garner him the most prestigue and power...even though of the three, she's been the most successful and needs this reunion the least?

Say what you will about Jody's time as a pop star, and how "brief" it may have been...but there's obviously a reason why her not agreeing to this has basically kept a reunion in limbo for decades, as opposed to them just grabbing her replacement and doing it without her. They know that Jody has enough name value to make her non participation in it a total bust. But despite that, if she agreed to come back, they most likely wouldn't give her the respect she deserves. Jody sees the trap that a Shalamar reunion is. She knows that despite all that she's worked for and accomplished by herself, reuniting with them in any real capacity would again reduce her to being just Howard Hewett's backup singer who would be callously exploited, outvoted, overlooked and dismissed every time she said anything.

Unless there was some kind of extra perk involved, I wouldn't do it either. There'd be little to gain, while all that 1982 angst and oppression would instantly come back. I think BET should have let Jody do a minute or so of "Looking For a New Love," give Howard his minute solo, let Jeffrey moonwalk and then it could've concluded with "A Night to Remember" or whatever. That would have been fair.

[Edited 7/15/14 22:30pm]

Qazz said:

I'm on Jody's side. Shalamar was obviously an attempt to launch the solo career of Howard Hewett the same way the Pussycat Dolls was meant to springboard Nicole (yet in both cases, the plan ultimately failed.) While the group was in process, he was basically put on a pedestal, propped like the pampered son while -- while Jody and Jeffrey were treated like paupers to make him look good. And from what I heard, Howard didn't even pretend to be humble.

Now 30 years after breaking away from that oppressive set up and making a name for herself, she's supposed to step right back into his humiliating shadow for a Shalamar "reunion" where he would again be praised, spotlighted over the other two, which would ultimately garner him the most prestigue and power...even though of the three, she's been the most successful and needs this reunion the least? I don't think so. Jody sees the trap that a Shalamar reunion is. She knows that despite all that she's worked for, reuniting with them in any real capacity would reduce her to being just Howard Hewett's backup singer who would be callously exploited, outvoted, overlooked and dismissed every time said anything. I wouldn't do it either. There'd be little to gain but a whole lot more to angst.

I think BET should have let Jody do a minute or so of "Looking For a New Love," give Howard his minute solo, let Jeffrey moonwalk and then it could've concluded with "A Night to Remember" or whatever. That would have been fair.

I disagree.I think things would be different this time.As you pointed out,Jody had alot of solo success and she proved that she is much more than just someone's "backup singer".I think the other guys would respect that and appreciate what she brings to the table.So many years have passed,I bet we wouldn't see the tension and drama that existed before.This time,things could be worked out beforehand,with each member getting the same amount of money and spotlight.Howard and especially Jeffrey don't have too much going on these days (career-wise),so it would be to their benefit to "act right" and not cause any drama,lol.A reunion can happen.They just have to work at it.

something else: a Jody Watley solo spotlight for the BET Awards might have been a bad idea,but that's not an outrageous request if they were doing an actual reunion tour.Let Jody do a solo segment featuring two or three of her hits....let Howard do the same....and then let Jeffrey have some kind of solo segment,too (maybe a dance segment to show off his popping skills?).I think all three of them would agree to this and everyone would be happy.

SoulAlive said:

something else: a Jody Watley solo spotlight for the BET Awards might have been a bad idea,but that's not an outrageous request if they were doing an actual reunion tour.Let Jody do a solo segment featuring two or three of her hits....let Howard do the same....and then let Jeffrey have some kind of solo segment,too (maybe a dance segment to show off his popping skills?).I think all three of them would agree to this and everyone would be happy.

Remember a few years ago when El Debarge had like 3 different freaking segments...I got tired of seeing him but BET gave him much propers that night. With a 4hr Awards ceremony all 3 couldve done their Solo-bits then closed with "A night to remember".....Has any R&B Group ever gotten along besides The O'Jays? .....here's a side note... am I the only one who thought El Debarge was Puerto Rican? He's Black & French Canadian...

Jody explained already... she knows her worth.

I just hope one day Shalamar get their s*** together.

jackson35 said:

TD3 said:

: True!

An open letter to Howy and Jeff, don't demand shit... are you really in that type of postition. HELL NO. Give her whatever she wants and then if she says no.... This is how we know she is holding things up!

Maybe just maybe the three of them should have fessed-up to the bullshit, harm, and violence they caused one another. If Howard and jeffery had told the truth and aplologized years ago maybe things would have turn out differently. Walty was hurt and scared by her experience when she was a member of that group, it ain't happen'.

Hell I wanted The Supremes to reunited too, look how that turned out.

dick griffney was the reason for the chaos that the group has had. he is no longer with us, so they can get together and make it happen. it will take a skill person to put them together.

Mr. Griffney played his part but those three were fighting like cats and dogs with out Griffney help in stirring the drama- pot. Watley and Jeffery were known to have an abusiverelationship prior to joining Shalamar.

SoulAlive said:

It's sad when,for various reasons,groups can't reunite.Remember in 2000 when Diana Ross planned that Supremes reunion tour? They had a disagreement over money,Mary Wilson backed out of it and Diana hired two "fake" Supremes to tour with her.Of course,the tour flopped and it was cancelled after just a few shows

but I remember something that Diana said at the same."We're not getting any younger,you know.If we don't do this reunion tour now,we may not be able to do it in the future".

just something to think about

I'm not sure who had control or say on what percentage each woman would receive but Diana Ross should have demanded they all be paid the same amount. In the preliminary stages Mr. Ross should have stated, we' must be paid the samething or there will be no reunion/tour. Ross could not have been surprised when Wilson balked at the uneven take. Honestly Soul, if Ross had made that happen, Wilson would have found fault in something else. There's too much bitternes and ego to gulf; a Supremes tour will never happen either. Oh, well...

TD3 said:

jackson35 said:

Watley and Jeffery were known to have an abusiverelationship prior to joining Shalamar.

SO NOT TRUE.... Jeff and Jody never dated. Jeff was abused Stephanie Mills when he married her.

TD3 said:

SoulAlive said:

It's sad when,for various reasons,groups can't reunite.Remember in 2000 when Diana Ross planned that Supremes reunion tour? They had a disagreement over money,Mary Wilson backed out of it and Diana hired two "fake" Supremes to tour with her.Of course,the tour flopped and it was cancelled after just a few shows

but I remember something that Diana said at the same."We're not getting any younger,you know.If we don't do this reunion tour now,we may not be able to do it in the future".

just something to think about

I'm not sure who had control or say on what percentage each woman would receive but Diana Ross should have demanded they all be paid the same amount. In the preliminary stages Mr. Ross should have stated, we' must be paid the samething or there will be no reunion/tour. Ross could not have been surprised when Wilson balked at the uneven take. Honestly Soul, if Ross had made that happen, Wilson would have found fault in something else. There's too much bitternes and ego to gulf; a Supremes tour will never happen either. Oh, well...

here's a breakdown on how much money was involved in that ill-fated Supremes reunion:

Negotiations began to crumble when Wilson was told that she would have no input into the show and was offered at first $500,000 and then later increased to $2 million. Wilson, who felt herself, Ross and Birdsong should be paid equally, did not accept the first offer. Ross agreed to add an additional $2 million from her own personal finances to the original $2 million that TNA/SFX proposed to Wilson for a total of $4 million. Ross stipulated that all of the others artists' fees were guaranteed, meaning they'd receive the full amount of their contracts, regardless of how many performances actually took place. Birdsong was offered less than $1 million (most likely the $500,000 that Wilson was originally offered as well) for the tour whereas Ross was to receive a percentage of the profits from the tour. Wilson erroneously stated Ross was to receive between $15 to 20 million when, in fact, Ross, as the tour's co-producer, was receiving $500,000 per night from TNA/SFX to cover the tour's expenses. When the expenses exceeded the allotment, Ross covered the overages.

Wilson's final offer of $4 million and Birdsong's offer of $1 million came with a deadline of early 2000 (in order to begin production of the sets, costume fittings, hiring of staff, etc., and an on-schedule commencement of the tour). Birdsong had aligned herself with Wilson regarding the negotiations. Wilson did not respond to the final offer. The deadline passed. Wilson and Birdsong were now no longer in negotiations with the tour. With Wilson and Birdsong no longer participating in the tour, Ross began to question whether to continue the tour. Berry Gordy, after being contacted by Ross for advice, reportedly told her to continue "if it's something she'd have fun doing". She decided to continue. TNA/SFX approached Laurence and Payne, both of whom tour the European cabaret circuit with their show, "Former Ladies of the Supremes", who agreed to participate in the tour. Payne and Laurence performed much of the post-Ross Supremes material in solo sets in the show.

getxxxx said:

TD3 said:

SO NOT TRUE.... Jeff and Jody never dated. Jeff was abused Stephanie Mills when he married her.

Jody has indicated that Jeffrey was indeed,physically abusive to her.She said that sometimes,they would be fighting just minutes before they were to go onstage and perform.

I'm kind of late on this, but I was trolling the threads and saw this. I'm shocked.

First, I could barely get through that diatribe that she wrote. I like all members of Shalamar but my God, comparing yourself to the success and status of Justin Timberlake and Beyonce, is just, well, ludicrous. Beyonce is filling stadiums, even without her husband. Is Jody doing that?

Alot of ya'll defending her position and I can understand that, especially if you are a stan. Because we have to admit, unless you were there, you really don't know exactly what happened. You have Jody's side only. From what I can tell, neither Jeffrey nor Howard have responded to her YouTube series. I think someone was putting comments in when she first published it and people thought it was Jeffrey. Then she made the comments private. If that was him, that was a coward move from his part to use a catfish name. She was brave enough to come out with her opinion, they should be brave enough to respond. But only if they wanted to.

I'm really, really sorry to say, but I do disagree with her over-the-top description of her success, her status and what impact she thinks she has had on other artists, and on the music industry itself. She was dropped from her label so she started her own. Good for her. She's still going and still churning out music. Good for her. She looks great. Good for her.

BUT!! I just asked my neighbors son, who is 23, has he ever heard of Jody Wately. The answer what a resounding 'WHO?' He turned to his friends all under 30. Same answer. One of them is a DJ and just returned from Ibiza and next week is going to Mykonos to host and DJ. These kids really should know (maybe) who she is. But I asked about Shalamar, and they all know 'A Night to Remember'. But the song has been used in so many commericals worldwide. That's how they know it.

I'm searching for articles on her peers, artists who were out at the time, to see if they refer to themselves as icons, legends or trendsetters, innovators or fashionistas. The press refer to them as that, but I can't find any of them.

If she were a good business woman, she would have taken the opportunity to reach a younger audience, perform 3 hits (someone suggested earlier in the comments), then post the video on all her social media with a link to her new album, thanking everyone for the opportunity. Humble, kind, grateful and smart move.

If you go through life feeling like a victim, you'll continue to try to 'get' people and make others victims. I suppose she feels 'in control' that she is the one holding out. She thinks they need her. For a proper reunion and the one fans want to see, Yes, she's right. But last time I checked, she was not listed as a producer on the BET payroll. Artists have say in how they perform, but the show has a say in the content.

If she's not careful, she will end up alienating people who won't have time to deal with this kind constant public shaming of past colleagues and giving people a real life glimpse into who she really is.

However, I think this woman needs a reality show. Oprah, where you at?

PS. I apologise and if I could I would buy you all chocolates for my long post, as long as Watley's. Sorry.

Also, I previewed my post before posting and I cannot get it to seperate paragraphs.

[Edited 8/16/14 16:15pm]

avasdad said:

avasdad said:

News flash Jody... Your career has been fucking dead for almost 25 years! You should be on a "where are they now" show with your old washed up, grey elephant ass! You are a flash in the pan here today gone tomorrow artist, you ungrateful bitch!

Ouch!

I hadn't commented on this thread before, but Ms. Watley made it sound like she sang co-lead vocals when she was with Shalamar, yet if I remember correctly, she only sang co-lead on a handful of tracks, only one of which was an R&B hit ("I Don't Want To Be The Last To Know"). Granted, she had a very successful solo career in the late 1980's, but Howard Hewett did most of the heavy lifting vocally for Shalamar when she was in the group. So it doesn't really make sense to me that she demand her own segement of the reunion bit for the BET awards when she mostly sang as backup/hook girl for the group.

728huey said:

if I remember correctly, she only sang co-lead on a handful of tracks, only one of which was an R&B hit ("I Don't Want To Be The Last To Know").

"A Night To Remember" (which she also sang co-lead on) was a Top 10 R&B hit,as was "Take That To The Bank" (another song which featured a co-lead vocal by Jody).

728huey said:

SoulAlive said:

728huey said:

if I remember correctly, she only sang co-lead on a handful of tracks, only one of which was an R&B hit ("I Don't Want To Be The Last To Know").

"A Night To Remember" (which she also sang co-lead on) was a Top 10 R&B hit,as was "Take That To The Bank" (another song which featured a co-lead vocal by Jody).

Yeah, two great hits and they sounded great. As a threesome, they had leverage. And some of those songs were beautiful. But in my opinion, it was also the combination of Sylvers producing and the visuals of Jody & Jeffrey and if Howard happened to catch a beat, that worked too.

Performing Second Time Around

I keep forgetting to mention I just read that she made sure she bought the rights to the name 'SHALAMAR'. So now everything has to go through her. So this will just contribute to her insisting on having things her way. Let's see how that works for her. HMMM.

And actually, considering that YouTube post outing Jeffrey as being abusive and Howard as being everything else, I'm shocked, dumbfounded and amazed that they would even consider working with her again. But that's good business sense from their part. Looks like they want to put that aside and just do business, get on stage and capitalise on it.

Really? Wow,I didn't know that.I know that Howard and Jeffrey still tour as Shalamar,with another female vocalist,billing themselves as 'Shalamar'.

blue22 said:

I keep forgetting to mention I just read that she made sure she bought the rights to the name 'SHALAMAR'. So now everything has to go through her.

SoulAlive said:

Really? Wow,I didn't know that.I know that Howard and Jeffrey still tour as Shalamar,with another female vocalist,billing themselves as 'Shalamar'.

blue22 said:

I keep forgetting to mention I just read that she made sure she bought the rights to the name 'SHALAMAR'. So now everything has to go through her.

Yeah, she even mentions it in her post at the beginning of the thread. I remember a couple of years ago, Shalamar had used a picture of the awesome 3: Jeffrey, Jody and Howard to promote a show in the UK. Jody was all hot and bothered and threatened legal action. So I guess she went ahead and bought the name. I'm not an expert in the legalities, so I don't really know that that means, other than she owns the name, I guess.

See this is where I think her bitterness could ruin things. Because if they really get fed up with her, they could say, you know what, forget it. They could probably tour as 'The artists formerly known as Shalamar'? I don't know. But she can't tour alone as Shalamar because people want to see Jeffrey moonwalk and hear Howard's falsetto. See they could tour without her and they did, but I don't think she could get 2 guys and tour as Shalamar without them.

Interesting!!

getxxxx said:

TD3 said:

SO NOT TRUE.... Jeff and Jody never dated. Jeff was abused Stephanie Mills when he married her.

I'm afraid you got that wrong my friend. Did you not see Jody's Youtube series? She herself admits that she and Jeffrey were boyfriend and girlfriend and how it was a 'love mess'. She also talks about how messed up she was when Jeffrey started seeing Mills and how hurt she was. Her Youtube series is still up and it's good.