Ever since Brandon Flowers, was able to hold anything in his hands he began pounding on anything hard enough to bring out the sound of percussion.
The son of a Gospel singer and Minister, Brandon was born in Willingboro, New Jersey. But at an early age his mother relocated to Huntsville Alabama where at the age of 14, Brandon obtained his first opportunity to highlight his talent, when he was hired by several churches to play drums.
In a phone interview below, Brandon tells an amazing story of his journey on how he has evolved throughout the years focusing on his craft and creating his own Brand.
Brandon is the founder of Tailor Made Committee. He says his Record Label and Brand evolved in 2010 from an idea he came up with. “I wanted my brand to be different,” he said.
Brandon says his Team started the idea of selling T-Shirts to promote the Brand in 2014. “We had some printed up for when we go on the road and do shows and stuff like that, so people know who we are,” he said. “Then people started asking how they could get a shirt,” he added.
Brandon said they started with a mere 20 T-Shirts with the TMC Logo and sold out in less than a week.
TMC promotes their Brand through T-Shirts
Brandon says his number one fan has always been his finance’ Jessica Thompson who he recently became engaged to. He is the father of a teenage daughter, Karis Flowers and a 5 year-old Son, Brandon Flowers Jr. yet he says what he desires most, is to leave a legacy for his children and the other future generations of children to come.
Brandon’s daughter, Karis and son, Brandon Jr.Brandon and his Fiance’ Jessica.
Although he has mastered the drums and has a great talent for Rapping, Brandon says he doesn’t plan on stopping at that. He is embarking on a new venture he has been honing for a while now, writing. “I would like to start bringing my stories to life,” said Brandon.
TMC is currently working on a new CD soon to be released. His latest release “Back 2 It”, is now available on iTunes. The TMC Fan T-Shirts can be ordered online through his Facebookpage.
As we near the end of the year, I would like to take this time out and thank everyone who shared so much of my life’s experiences during the year of 2016. From Our Home To Yours Happy New Year photo:cnewsbuzz
Charlotte’s News Buzz came to life as I was studying for my Masters Degree in New Media Journalism in 2015 and 2016 at Full Sail University. During those months of working hard in my schoolwork, publishing multimedia articles became a major part of my courses requirements. It was as much fun as it was exciting getting out and developing stories and presenting them to you my friends and viewers in the way that only I can do.
From interesting to exciting and entertaining, CNEWSBUZZ has aimed to please its’ readers and viewers. And I hope we have done just that.
In September I graduated with my Masters In New Media Journalism from Full Sail University. It was one of the most proud moments of my life, yet there is so much more to come.
My goals for the upcoming year include, changing the face of how this country and the world view our news. There are far greater stories to tell. And we here at CNEWSBUZZ take pride in reporting factually based and honest news to our viewers.
In 2017 I hope to bring you many more fun and exciting stories using various forms of multimedia elements to tell interesting and compelling stories.
We will continue our series on TRENTON’S OWN MUSCIANS TELL THEIR STORIES as well as other stories that will bring awareness to the good in mankind.
I feel we are at a crossroad in our lives where we need to focus more on the positive in everything as opposed to so much of the negative.
This year has been a year of many stories including an unpredictable shocking election outcome, multiple shootings of unarmed individuals by police officers, nightclub massacres, and numerous terror attacks. Then there was the good news; The National Museum of African American History and Culture opened, Astronomers found new evidence of a ninth planet, Obama banded solitary confinement for juveniles in federal prisons, A terminally ill boy received 28,000 Christmas cards from the public, Tim Peake ran a marathon in space and so much more. I cannot wait to see what 2017 will bring.
As this year ends and the New Year begins I want to wish all of you my friends a sincerely great new year filled with love, joy, excitement, many blessings and fun.
Progress and change will be my focus this coming year, bringing good news to you my viewers and friends. Thank you again for supporting CNEWSBUZZ.
For news tips and submission ideas please email charlottesnewsbuzz@gmail.com.
Songstress Kimberly Covington
Ever since Kimberly “Kim” Covington was old enough to speak she loved to sing. As A young girl she loved to listen and watch her mother lift her voice, singing the Gospel throughout her native hometown of Trenton, New Jersey, with a local famous female gospel group, The Trenton Gospelettes. As she got older, Kim knew she was destined to travel the world.
Kim’s mother Marjorie Burnet( 4th from left 2nd row) sang with Trenton Gospelettes. photo credit: Kim Covington
Kim said it was her Great Uncle, Reverend Daniel Evans, founder of The Wayne Avenue Baptist Church in Trenton who inspired her and a community of other Christians, including her mother to sing.
Watching her mother sing for the glory of the Lord gave Kim the desire to follow in her footsteps. Kim began her singing career singing Gospel. However she had bigger aspirations for herself. She wanted to travel the world. She was taught by her mother that through her strong faith in God, and her willingness to push beyond the limits, there was nothing she could not accomplish in life. Kim believed that with all her heart and pursued a music career that many could only dream of.
Kim remembers training hard every weekend with her vocal coach, Mrs. Olga, and for Kim classical music was not easy nor flexible enough to her liking. “You must sing what is written”, she said. Kim also said it is why she became more influenced by Jazz music. “I was more free in my interpretation”, she said.
While attending Trenton Central High School, Kim performed as Billy Holiday and sang “Good Morning Heartache” in a school play. Trenton High’s music teacher, Mr. Thomas Grice, saw the 16 year-old’s performance and saw a talent he knew would blossom into a perfected artist one day. He took her to Philadelphia where she met the great saxophonist Mr. Tony Williams and the Stanton Diner Teenage Jazz Band, who’s leader had invested much of his time and money into artists such as, Grover Washington Jr., along with other musicians from German Town.
Teacher Thomas Grice, holding Sax. Tom Pass on keyboard. Photo credit: Karen Hilton
“We were all between the ages of 14 and 18”, said Kim. “And that’s when a different class became a part of my life at 16. And I worked every weekend while going to Trenton Central High”. Kim said she even missed her High School Prom that year because she chose to sing in Philadelphia that weekend. “I kind of regret I missed that experience though, she said through her chuckles.”But that was the choice”, she said.
That trip to Philadelphia led Kim on a three month tour to Singapore. After touring Singapore, Kim said the band returned back to the United States. “I did a couple records with, Philadelphia International”, she said. “Things weren’t working so well. The group was kind of slow, records were slowing down”, she said.
Some of Kim’s influence came from great artists like,Donna Summer and Whitney Houston, who sadly passed away on Kim’s birthday.
Just when she thought her singing career was at a halt, Kim received a telephone call offering her an amazing opportunity to travel abroad, and of course she took it, straight to France. That is where she met her first husband and got married.
After a decade long marriage that sadly ended, Kim continued to stay in Paris and traveled to and from Italy to perform as well as other various places like, Hawaii, Marrecessh Morracco, Tel Aviv and Dubai. More often, Kim performed at private affairs in London.
Kim met her second husband on a plane traveling back to Italy to perform. After talking to him for three straight months in French, she was hooked.
Kim has performed with several musicians throughout Paris and France, along with lead orchestras. She has focused more on producing her own music than music of other people. Although she admits she has been a bit silent recently, she does have projects in the works. She sings fluently in French and Italian and says she fills gifted to be able to communicate through her songs. “Because I sing in French and Italian too, when I take them to a ‘Kimberly Show Evening’, I take them through Gospel, I take them through also a traditional song, a song in French and Italian to let them know that I can also communicate the music to them through their language. And I take them to the Whitney and to the Tina side”.
Kim performs Tina Turner’s “Simply The Best” with, F. Fattizzo band -Premio Mediterraneo in 2006
Kim gives her mother much credit and respect for being one of her biggest supporters throughout her singing career. “She looks at me and she says, mmm, I made you, so I know what you’re made of”.
Kim with her mother. Photo credit: Kim Covington
Kim sings one song, “Sur Les Musique Noire” in two different languages, French and English. Although she sings it to perfection, Kim says it wasn’t easy learning the song. “It was very difficult, but because I studied French in high school and Douglas College, made learning my songs easier”, she said.
Here Kim sings the same song in English
What is next for Kimberly Covington? “Working with honest people who know how to get the job done. I speak three languages, I would love to share my mother country USA with Italy & France. What will happen? God Knows. I will step out on faith”, said Kim.
One things is for certain, Kim will always honor and glorify God in all that she pursues and achieve.
“It has been a long road, changing countries. If God had told me the future I would have locked myself in a closet and said, I can’t do this! How great God is. So smart not to tell us the journey before we trust him and jump out on faith”, said Kim.
Kim performing at: Concerto Gospel in memoria di S.S. Papa Giovanni Paolo II with the Brotherhood Gospel Choir.
Bass Guitarist: Keith W. Williamson photo: courtesy K.W.
He was born and raised in Trenton, New Jersey, where most of those years were spent living in a housing development on the west side of town. He began performing at the age of 10 with the Fabulous Cavalier Drill Team. That and playing the congas were his strongest entertainment talents, until his brother persuaded him to try the electric Bass Guitar, and with each pluck of the string, he realized, there was something far greater musically that had to be exposed. After spending time with his brother’s music group, the Black Truth Band he left his hometown and headed across the country.
3rd from right Keith Williamson photo: courtesy K.W.
It has been a few decades since Keith ” Keefer ” Williamson has stepped onto American soil. Yet he says his roots are still here. Keith says he was living in Santa Monica California when his stepsister approached him with some information that would set the stage for a career in music that took him from America to Asia.
Keith said going to Asia and spending time in Tokyo was an eye opening experience. “To see something different, to smell something different, to feel something different, this was total alienated” he said. “But it was beautiful at the same time because these people are very warm and kind,” he added.
Keith with Mr. Bobby Taylor and Hong Kong Band Members photo: courtesy K.W.
After returning to America he continued to gig up and around California, Nevada, Oregon and Washington State, which also landed the opportunity to work in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, which became home base for a few years before returning back to Asia to work the club scene and the USO, PACAF tours for the American Armed Forces.
Keith with the Colonel & Captain receiving the award for entertainment appreciation Photo: courtesy K.W.
Keith with Mr. Philip Woo in Tokyo Photo: courtesy K.W.
Although he did not speak or understand the language, Keith said he communicated with the Japanese people through music. He said the music is what saved his life. “It kept me off the streets gave me something nice to give to somebody whose world is totally different then mine, who dress totally different then I do,” he said.
Keith says the Japanese embrace R & B, Funk and Soul music. “If there’s anything you want, old R & B music, old soul music and you can’t find it in the United States, I guarantee you, you will find it here for sure,” said Keith. “They really appreciated the music we did back then.” However, Keith says, the Japanese view American music much differently now. “I can’t say it’s sad, because that’s just the way it became, but it’s not like it was back in the day where record companies or the artists themselves nurtured what they did, took pride in what they did, and practiced and rehearsed, then went out there and entertained folks and was satisfied,” said Keith. “These days it’s much different.” keith Haines Presents R&B Pop Nite Volume Two @ Crocodile, Tokyo, Japan, 2012/09/09 ý2012 Shinichiro Sugama All Rights Reserved. shinichirosugama.com photo: courtesy K.W.
Keith has performed with many great artists in the past such as Mr. Wanya Morris (boyz to Men), Ashanti, Mariah Carey, Rebbie Jackson, The late Mr. Ollie Woodson (Temptations), Mr. Bobby Taylor (founder of the Jackson Five), and a slew of local artist in Tokyo like,Glynis Martin Argie Phine, Davinchio,Keith R. Haines,Chizuko, Yoshihiro and, The Gospel Truth Sangers.
Keith now lives in Tokyo and continues to tour Japan and throughout Asia.
Keith with Curt Pulliam Tokyo Photo: courtesy K.W.
In spite of no recent changes in the Factors Influencing The Rate Of Adoption in Arkansas, An Angel’s Choice Adoption Agency continues to unite families through its’ private agency. Michelle Oglesby, Owner and Operator of the adoption agency says she has united five families with new born babies since April of this year, making that a total of 24 since her business opened.
Oglesby shares a heart warming story of how two birth mothers ended up having their babies on the same day at the same time, making two couples very happy.
Arkansas is in a crisis in how it cares for its children. That’s according to a study done in 2001 by the Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families. To date there are nearly a thousand children in Arkansas waiting to be adopted. However, new laws and procedures have made it more difficult and even impossible for some couples and individuals to adopt through the state agency Department of Human Services. There are only a few private adoption agencies in Arkansas. However the evidence is in the numbers and by them you can clearly see that there is a great need for more.
Many couples and individuals are still searching for children within the United Sates and internationally to adopt. Although there has been a reported increase in the number of women desiring to adopt in the United States, that is not the case in Arkansas. The number of children placed in permanent homes there has declined nearly 50% since 2002
In 2008, Arkansas approved a legislative measure meant to prevent gay couples from adopting or raising children. This legislation had an overwhelming impact on adoptions. Unknowingly the measure prevented unmarried cohabitating couples from adopting or fostering children. Many believed this was because of Arkansas’ strong disapproval to the candidacy of future President Barrack Obama. The Arkansas Chapter Of The American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit on behalf of dozens of families in a Pulaski County Circuit Court disputing the new ban.
Michelle Oglesby, Adoption Coordinator – Owner and Operator of An Angel’s Choice Adoption Agency located in Sherwood, Arkansas was placed in foster care, along with her twin brother, at 13 months before being adopted. She and her brother were adopted. This inspired her to choose a career in adoption placement.
Currently there are 4900 children waiting to find foster homes in Arkansas. “We lack homes, beds, and people willing to help,” said Dawn Scott of KTHV11 News in a KTVH11 Special: Foster Care Crisis that aired May 26th to bring awareness to this problem.
Oglesby says her mission is to fight to help pregnant women make the right choice. “We work with birth moms that are seeking to make a plan of adoption when they realize they cannot parent their child,” said Oglesby. “Instead of having a client relationship, we have a personal relationship that we get to know the birth mom, love on them, care about them, encourage them and help them through the adoption process,” she said.
Some women frown upon adoption. “Many women have the misconception that adoption means foster care,” said Oglesby.
It is much harder to find a family to foster a child than it is to adopt because of the way fostering is viewed over adoption. Some fear they will become too attached to a foster child knowing that it is only a temporary setting, while others take into consideration like what the child’s prior life was like.
Although there are several adoption agencies listed with local numbers in Arkansas, Oglesby said these agencies are physically located in Texas, Iowa, and Utah. “If there’s more local adoption agencies to help fight against abortion I think the decision of having an abortion will change,” said Oglesby. Oglesby says there is a definite need for more adoption agencies in Arkansas. She says that one way of getting information about her agency to the women facing the unplanned pregnancy is to stand in front of the Little Rock Family Planning Services Center and tell the women about the option of adoption.
Aneisha Nolen is a Career Coach/Therapist for LAUNCH in Huntsville, Alabama. Although Nolen is not in direct contact with the adoption or foster care procedures in Arkansas she does work closely in her state with organizations affiliated with the two and agrees there is a misconception between adoption and foster care and, offer an explanation of the differences between the two.
Nolan says one program she has seen become very successful in her town of Huntsville, is called RiahRose Home for Children Inc.. A program created based on a philosophy by the woman who created it was established in 2008 with the intent to ease the hardship many teenagers experience when they are left to care for the child on their own. Originally created as a program for teens, RiahRose now assist mothers beyond the teenage years. Nolan believes programs like this one could be just as successful in Arkansas.
Oglesby believes children’s waiting for adoption in the State system is prolonged because private adoption agencies are prohibited from working with the Arkansas Division of Children and Family Services. Oglesby said she would like to see both agencies work together in an effort to decrease the number of children without homes by finding forever families for all of them.
“If we gave that mother who has lost her child to the system because of something she did, an option to place her child up for adoption, she would at least know that there is a greater likelihood that her child is in a stable environment. She would not have to worry about her child being tossed from family to family, which is often what happens to children in foster care,” said Oglesby.
There are currently 777 foster children awaiting adoption in Arkansas. There are on an average 30-40 abortions performed at Little Rock Family Services each week.
There are few programs in Arkansas that assist children in the foster care system and fewer programs to educate women about Family Planning.
Arkansas has the largest surgical abortion clinic, located in Little Rock, where up to thirty to forty abortions can be performed in one day, and in many cases it is the only solution that many women in Arkansas feel they have. Therefore there remains a crisis where the children are concerned.
Protesters like Mary Pate says she is saddened to see the number of girls that go into the Little Rock Family Planning Services center where up to 40 abortions are performed a week.
“With news laws that were passed in the last session, there are improved informed consent laws. They are supposed to get information about the risk, they are supposed to tell them about their options, including adoption and point them to different facilities that can help them, “ said Pate.
Some women who find themselves in a situation where they are facing an unplanned pregnancy may want to choose adoption as their alternative but may not know how to go about it.
Agencies like, An Angel’s Choice Adoption Agency are there to help and assist these women through the entire adoption process. “With the current way adoptions are done the birth mother can choose who they want to be their babies adoptive parents,” said Oglesby.
“We’ve been in business since three years. And since that time we have placed 19 babies in loving homes,” said Oglesby. The main requirement needed to acquire a license to adopt is to have a Home Study performed with a Social Worker.
A valuable resource center available to pregnant women and is opened for services daily is, the Arkansas Pregnancy Resource Center, located directly across the street from the abortion clinic.
Nicole Lashbrook is the Executive Director of the center and says they welcome in women who suspect that they are pregnant and offer free services for pregnancy confirmation and to inform them of their pregnancy options by doing a free pregnancy options consultation.
The resource center is a great place for women who are pregnant and wish to keep their baby because the center provides a variety of services, including information on adoption. However, with only a few private adoption agencies in now in Arkansas there is a much greater need for more.
Fewer adoption agencies exist now because many have shut their doors or have been forced to because of criminal activity. Shara Rickett said her first adoption agency experience became a nightmare due to some of these criminal acts.
“Back in 2004 my husband and I decided to start a family. We went through infertility for about four years. And then, finally decided in 2007 that we wanted to proceed through adoption,” said Shara. Ricketts said she and her husband consulted with several adoption agencies before settling on one.
“We ended up with a Christian agency we thought was great and wonderful. So in 2007 we signed on with this agency, got a home mortgage loan, and paid them a significant amount of money,” said Shara.
The Ricketts paid $24,000 to the agency. That amount of money was supposed to cover the cost of the entire adoption, according to Shara. However things didn’t quite turn out that way. The Ricketts were basically scammed by this agency, no longer in business and unreachable for comment.
Nonetheless, things did eventually turn out great for the Ricketts. They took an unconventional route and ended up with two beautiful daughters, from two separate adoptions.
Rhonda Miller’s adoption story is different than Shara’s. She, an African American woman in her forties, with no children, adopted a beautiful African American baby who’s mother was in her early teens. Although she had to do a home study, Miller said her experience was fairly easy.
“I knew the family and heard about the young lady being pregnant. So I did the Home Study and that was it. That’s all I had to do,” said Miller. Miller did not wish to reveal too much of her story because her daughter is not aware of the adoption. She is only four years old. She was adopted at birth.
These three beautiful innocent girls all got adopted by loving families. Yet, that does not put a dent in the number of children still waiting for that day to come.
Arkansas is in much need of adoption agencies, but also more programs that will inform women of their options and on how the process of adoption has differed from the way it was decades ago. Also as stated earlier, seminars in family planning would probably help more young couples and young women who find themselves in an unplanned pregnancy become more mindful of the consequences that could have lasting affects on the child and the birth mother.
While 777 children wait for the day to have a permanent home, law makers and legislators in Arkansas continue to battle child advocates and the concerned constituents on these important issues that are even more important to the emotional and physical health of what is the generations to come. Nevertheless, in light of what Arkansas is facing, help in not only necessary it seems imperative.
Many consumer products are on the shelves today because they are manufactured for a specific use. However, in recent years those same products are now being used for other purposes. For instance, Baking Soda, originally manufactured as an antacid has many other uses from cleaning teeth to sweetening tomatoes, and keeping flowers fresh longer.
Nell Barnes was raised on a farm in Doddridge, Arkansas. She said she grew up using baking soda for many purposes, including putting it in her and her sibling’s shoes to kill sweaty feet odor.
A year ago, Nell began to create her own deodorant using essential oils and baking soda. “I learned that using antisperperant deodorant was beginning to cause problems for women under their arms clogging their lymph nodes, which according to research, leads to breast cancer,” said Barnes.
Like many products baking soda, if misused can be harmful when ingested. In one study conducted on 192 patients who reported to the California Poison Control System, found that misuse of baking soda could have a significant impact on electrolyte and acid/base imbalances.
I am Charlotte Flowers-Weston, a creative writer with a sense of humor. I have a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Full Sail University, and I am currently working on my Master of Arts Degree in New Media Journalism.
I have written and published multiple articles and short stories. I am a former writer for J.A.C.E. Film’s web series Western Heights, produced by Joey Ashley. I also worked on a Hollywood feature film, Rosewood, directed by John Singleton.
I created CNewsBuzz to bring information to the residents of Cabot, Arkansas, which is also the community that I reside in. Some of the topics that I have covered include, ribbon-cutting ceremonies, the new library opening, and culinary delights.
In my spare time, I enjoy traveling with my husband, and our two pet Yorkies Beaux and Abby. One of my favorite places to travel and write about is Hawaii.
In a recent health report, it’s states that strawberries are a natural health benefit and today at the McCain Mall in North Little Rock,4 Your Time Ltd proved that with their exquisite delicately made strawberries dipped in white chocolate and original flavored chocolate.
Billie Woods, The owner of 4 Your Time Catering says her business not only sells chocolate strawberries, but are also a catering business.”4 Your Time Ltd is also an event planning design small catering business.” Said Woods.
The business was established in 2008 in Little Rock Arkansas. Wood’s company is an online company that offers services such as small catering, signature’s BJ Berries that comes in various flavors of chocolates.
Woods said her company also does charitable events like supporting the Ronald McDonald house, in Little Rock, and the Junior League, of Little Rock Holiday House. Woods says that since her company is online she travels to many malls. Today they were at the McCain Mall serving samples of their delicious sweet chocolate covered mouth watering strawberries and the crowd was there to purchase the delicious sweet treats.
Woods says you can always look for her to bring her business to a mall near you. For more information on 4 Your Time Catering Ltd visit the website at: http://www.4yourtimeltd.com/
