NOW…

…that I have written about never giving up (Did I Miss The Revolution?), gotta—or GOT TO write about picking up and moving on after failure. Singer and actor Chris Brown made a horrible mistake last year and people have been trying to crucify him, almost literally, for it ever since. And one of my favorite singers, El DeBarge has had recurring, serious trouble with the law, plus a dependency issue for several years. Neither of these men—brothers, had nothing to lose when they performed on Black Entertainment Television’s 10th Annual Awards show. Absolutely nothing. Still they rocked the house and reminded us—quite passionately, why we loved them in the first place.

For Brown, it was tribute to the Late Michael Jackson (first time I written “late” next to Mike’s name; perhaps my denial is slowly starting to wane…). Though I was a little disappointed that the multi-talented singer could not pack the pain away for a few minutes to at least start and try to make his way through, “Man In The Mirror,” I still had goose bumps watching him. It was amazing. The crowd loved him. Sure, that’s cliché, but there is no other way to phrase it. They were giving him his due—something he had been begging for since February 2009.

I KNOW he would have rocked the song, yet I believe that Mike was there on stage in spirit, giving Chris a magic moment to “be one with the audience,” as MJ himself had probably done on occasion. Brown was so moved by the love that he could not even speak, let alone sing. I look forward to Chris keeping his public promise (not to let anyone down); although, the reason his transgression has been dragged out is because people are looking to judge, hold a grudge and be hypocritical. We all need to mind our damn business, let this young man go back to making a living and entertaining us in the process.



But it was El. I say again, it was El. Eldra to those who know what it’s really all about—“I Like It,” “All This Love,” “Stay With Me,” “Time Will Reveal,” “Love Me In A Special Way,” “A Dream (say what?)” and “Rhythm of the Night.” Mr. DeBarge, “still fine and he can call me any time,” let us know that he had been truly bent, but not broken. Down, but not out; shattered, but now most definitely self-assured. As El turned to face the audience singing “All This Love,” and began the lines, “I’ve had some problems…,” he had a look in his eyes that let us know he was testifying.

And while he performed, “Second Chance” (new cut from forthcoming CD), he had such a confidence about him that the lyrics very well could have said, “I’m back and I’m ready.” His crisp, seductive falsetto voice has not changed a bit; that’s a blessing given that he’s been to prison and the struggled with drugs for quite some time (listen to Whitney’s chops post-rehab…). It may have seemed a little cheesy or degrading that his second performance fell into one of the “Music Matters,” segments. MM is BET’s way of showcasing new artists who have not had much time in the spotlight yet. But in essence, El has got to pay dues all and work his way back into the hearts and souls of folks. And it might be my imagination, but to me, he seemed to enjoy singing in the same category with the “unknowns.”

And did anyone else peep the teeny tiny ironies surrounding El’s return? The fact that Jermaine Jackson was present to introduce Chris Brown, who paid tribute to MJ and that Brown himself was making a comeback of sorts? See, when DeBarge blazed the scene, people sorta-kinda compared the group to the Jackson 5 and sorta-kinda said El was the next MJ (in retrospect, though, I’d have to say, “not so much.”). And that it was Jermaine, in fact, who was already producing the older DeBarges in the group Switch and then introduced the younger DeBarges (Bunny, El, Mark, Randy and James) to Berry Gordy.

Nevertheless, with or without these coincidences, El knows he is ready to do what he does best. I find the whole thing inspiring, and my heart is so full with hope it almost weeps. Everyday folks complain about their lives and what we “go through.” Here is a person who has “been there” and back, yet still able to stand and say, “I can make it.” That’s nothing short of awesome. El almost personifies Donnie McClurkin’s, “We Fall Down.”

Axe.

P.S.: Maxwell, El thanks you for holding it down (and well!); you can take a breather…

Currently Reading: Some of Everthing (SOE) ("spring cleaning")
Currently Listening To: Just letting the iTunes play...