HEROES & LEGENDS AWARD @ The Beverly Hills Hotel, September 25th, 2005
By Freelance Writer Eugenia Wright
The Heroes & Legends Awards better known as HAL Awards is the brain child of Janie Bradford, a product of the legendary Motown Sound who co-wrote several hits for the company. Chart toppers such as (That's What I Want, Thinking About My Baby, Contract on Love) and others were some of her hits. Ms. Branford in an effort to help young people develop their creative gifts developed HAL to give young talented individuals performing art scholarships and a leg up into the music industry.
This year theannual Heroes & Legends Awards was held at the ultra glamorous Beverly Hills Hotel.
Malcolm Jamal Warner from The Cosby show was among the honorees. He was the recipient of the Outstanding Achievement Award. He shared some thoughts about being a child star and the importance of having positive influences in the early stages of life.
Q. What does it feel like to receive your award today?
M. It is definitely an honor. Whenever you are honored by a reputable organization it always feels good. More so than receiving the award I am more proud of what Heroes & Legends Award is all about in terms of encouraging young people to get into the arts as an alternative to getting into trouble. Which is how I started out. I’m proud to be recognized by an organization like this which is actively doing things for young people.
Q. Are you saying you were in trouble when you were young?
M. My mother always found things for me to do to keep me out of trouble to keep her foot out of my A@&
Q. TV has changed since you were a young kid on the Cosby show. How has it changed? Is it for the better?
M. I’m not sure. I think on one hand the benefit is that there are more people of color working in front of and behind the camera however at the same time a lot of the roles that we are relegated to playing are still rehashed stereotypes. So yes we’ve come a long way but we still have a long way to go. One of the frustrating things, after the success of Cosby after those 8 years and Cosby went off the air it was almost as if like television didn’t learn anything. So, although people of color may have professional jobs, the behavior is still the rehashed stereotypical behavior of people of color.
Q. What are some of the pitfalls of being a young actor? What are the things that someone should look out for?
M. Well I think for anyone living in the public eye, it can be a daunting experience. Coming into more money than you have ever seen in your life can be a daunting experience. So, I think for young people in particular it is importance to have people in your life that can give you direction and give you guidance. I think one of the common things about young actors that get into trouble is that they don’t have the parenting that is needed to keep them out of trouble. Often times if the parent goes Hollywood first, then there is no one to give the kid guidance and I think that’s an incredible disadvantage to a young person living in the public eye without having that parental direction.
Q. Should one find a mentor?
M. Find a mentor. Find someone who can guide you. It’s an individual journey so to be able to have a tangible person that you can touch and have someone’s brain you can pick is important.
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The Heroes and Legends Awards is just the vehicle to help our talented youth find direction.
This year a young lady, who was directly influenced by the Heroes & Legends Awards four years ago, attended the event. Her name is DVYNE. She started out as a volunteer. Each year her involvement grew. Last year she was an interviewer and interviewed music icon Smokey Robinson. This year she returned as a bonafide star with a new CD entitled “Feel Me” and her own record label. Her mother Barbara Whitfield, DVYNE’s role model, attended with her. DVYNE is the perfect example of what the Heroes & Legends Award is all about.
Many illustrious stars attended the event including Claudette Robinson, Berry Gordy, JoMarie Payton (Mistress of Ceremony), Iris Gordy and Bobby Taylor.
Awardees
Unsung Hero – Regina Belle
Pioneer – Greg Sill
Leadership – Tracey Jordan
Outstanding Achievement Theatre – Cleavant Derrick
Outstanding Achievement Music – New Birth
Outstanding Achievement TV/Film – Malcolm Jamal Warner
The Smokey Robinson Legacy Award – Johnny Gill
Scholarship Recipients : Deiry Beas, Benedict Periera and Laicah Castillo |
