When I see Coleen on the ice it brings tears to my eyes Tuesday, Nov 17 2009

EXCLUSIVE Hubby Ray on the agony and ecstasy of seeing her skate COLEEN SAYS DAILY Mirror BEST FOR WEEKEND TV

Even bluff Yorkshiremen are not immune to shedding the odd tear – just ask Coleen Nolan’s husband. He’s been welling up every week just watching her glide around on Dancing on Ice.

Ray Fensome has felt so proud of what Loose Women star and Mirror columnist Coleen has achieved on the hit ITV1 skating contest that it has been hard keeping his emotions in check.

“The cameras keep catching me with tears in my eyes,” confesses 50-year-old Ray. “But the feeling I get when I see Coleen take to the ice is incredible. I feel so proud of her.

“I am an emotional man and I cry, I am not ashamed to admit it. I have never been so proud in my life. It is overwhelming.”

The Leeds United supporter has been getting stick from friends and family for wearing his heart on his sleeve. But is he bothered? Not a bit of it.

“My mates were ribbing me for having tears in my eyes,” says Ray. “The kids take the mickey out of me for getting so emotional as well. Jake and Shane, my stepsons, rib me all the time. They say, ‘Oh Ray’s going to cry again’.

“But when they announce her name and she comes on the ice it just overwhelms me.

“I get a lot of stick but I have always been an emotional person – I cry at films. And since we’ve had Ciara I’ve become even more emotional.”

Ray has been yelling himself hoarse for his wife every Sunday night. And, along with their seven-year-old daughter Ciara, he can claim to be her most loyal fan. But the devoted hubby fears there is only one clear winner of the show. And it’s not his missus but his namesake – Ray Quinn.

“I want Coleen to win,” insists music promoter Ray. “But everyone’s saying Ray Quinn’s the best skater to ever be on this show at the moment. So I guess I’d feel bad for him if he didn’t win – but I want Coleen to take the trophy.

“I would love her to win, to improve that much that she could beat Ray would be amazing.

“That is going to take some doing but Coleen is going for it with everything she’s got.

“Ray is unbelievable. The professionals are looking at him and learning off him, he has got that much style.

“It would be a shame if this was a one-horse race from day one but with a public vote anything can happen. Look at last year with Chris Fountain. He had practically won it before it started but Suzanne Shaw pinched it off him at the final.”

Ray’s biggest fear is that Coleen might end up on the Dancing on Ice injury list – another celeb with bruised ribs, needing hospital treatment.

He remembers how scary it was when the family went skating in Blackpool a few years ago.

“It is so dangerous,” says Ray, a session guitarist who has toured the world. “I ripped all the ligaments in my arm when a kid cut across me and I went flying. My arm was out of operation for six months.

“Coleen was the same as everyone then – cling on to the side and try to get round, like Bambi on ice. So to see her come so far has been amazing.

“I have seen her fall – your heart is in your mouth when it happens. But I haven’t seen her take a really bad one yet.”

Ray is not worried about his wife getting cosy with her skating partner Stuart Widdall. He knows she only has eyes for, er, Olympic champion Christopher Dean.

“I have no worries with Stuart,” he laughs. “She’s in love with Christopher Dean, so I can’t do owt about that.

“If she runs off with him I can’t blame her. He is a legend.

“She said on last week’s show she had a crush on him… I have a bit of a crush on him myself!”

Ray is just loving the show although I have to admit he’s now turned into Jason Gardiner.

It’s so bad it’s like I’m actually living with Jason.

Advertisement – article continues below »

He tells me everything I do wrong.

He says things like “no you’re great, you’ve just got to bend those legs, get more speed and sometimes you look really scared”.

So I’m like, “Ray, I AM scared. I can’t bend my knees because my knees are knackered and I can’t get more speed because I might fall and I don’t want to.”

I had a crafty idea what to do to even things up a bit and stop all his criticisms. I decided to take Ray and our seven-year-old daughter Ciara skating today.

The last time Ray went was years ago and he could just about stay up on his feet.

So I said to him “OK Mr Know-It-All.

Now do a backward crossover.” He couldn’t even imagine it.

It’s great because he said “God, it’s only when you get on the ice you realise how difficult it is.”

The thing is, the pros and Ray make it look easy – Ray Quinn that is, not my Ray.

Anyway usually my Ray is pretty helpful around the house but he’s really helping now.

He cleans the house, looks after Ciara, even answers my fan-mail and brings me photos to sign.

I mean, obviously I come home and think “well you don’t quite do it like a woman but at least you try”.

Then when I get home he cooks me food and he’s great… apart from when he criticises me. Then I just want to kill him. But I’ve been amazed how emotional he’s been watching me dance – even shedding a few tears as he gets into it.

Maybe all the household chores have made him get in touch with his sensitive side.

And oh my God, have I made him cry. I think he gets frustrated with me because I am a different person to how I am on a Sunday.

The nerves just kill me in the lead-up to the show and Ray knows I’m not usually like that.

The thing is, I thought I’d be out in the first week. I’ve even had people tell me that women in their 40s don’t win these programmes. But here I am in week seven – thank the Lord for the public – but I still get so nervous.

My poor old legs are literally knocking together they’re shaking so much.

Also Ray’s not getting a lot of sleep which can’t help.

Apparently I’ve been screaming and crying in my sleep since Dancing on Ice started. I don’t know I am, but even the kids have said, “Mum will you stop screaming in your sleep?”

And even though he’s so sympathetic there are limits to what I can ask Ray to do to ease my many aches and pains.

He doesn’t give me any back massages or foot rubs though. I think that’d be too much. He’d probably divorce me if I asked him to!

Leave a Response »

 

Flushing students learn black history through music and other creative projects Friday, Nov 13 2009

FLUSHING TOWNSHIP, Michigan — Flushing Middle School teacher Robert Filter has found a unique way for children to learn black history — through music.

The eighth-grade history teacher’s students are writing a research paper and making a 10-slide PowerPoint presentation about legendary black musicians, including from Michigan natives Thad Jones and Berry Gordy. Each student will give a presentation to the class.

Filter said the class usually studies U.S. history from the 1600s to 1900.

“It’s important that we take about three weeks out in February and add this to the curriculum,” he said.

Black History Month is part of the curriculum for every grade level throughout the school district.

The musical aspect has engaged students.

“I think a lot of what happens in a culture comes from music,” said Carson Smith, 14, who is researching jazz singer and trumpet player Louis Armstrong in Filter’s class.

Carson, also a trumpet player, said he didn’t know much about Armstrong before the project.

“He was a really charismatic person, a real show person,” Carson said. “He worked really hard, and he got out of it what he put into it. He had to live through segregated New Orleans and he was still successful — that was amazing.”

Sheania Bacon, 13, is researching Patricia Louise Holte, better known as soul singer Patti LaBelle.

She said most students probably don’t know anything about LaBelle and will learn from her presentation.

“It’s nice because kids can learn more about people through history,” she said of the class project.

Chelsea Thomas, 13, now has more “respect” for the woman who sings the song by the same name. Chelsea learned that Aretha Franklin had a child at age 13 and another at 15 before she persevered to become the queen of soul.

Tyler Snover, 14, was enthusiastic about studying Robert Johnson, a blues artist from the 1930s.

“He’s considered the grandfather of rock ‘n’ roll,” Tyler said. “He inspired Eric Clapton and Angus Young.”

He is taking away something personal from the project.

“I play guitar, and he inspires me to write,” Tyler said.

Learning about black history starts in kindergarten in Flushing, when teachers read books about Black History Month to students.

At Central, Elms, Springview and Seymour elementary schools, children are making PowerPoint presentations, writing essays and watching videos about famous leaders, such as the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.

Middle school students start their days with black history trivia during morning announcements, and along with class projects, some students have gone on educational field trips, including the Opportunity for All Conference on Jan. 30 in Detroit.

Along with several class projects, high school students created a wall of quotes made by famous black people.

Ciara Hunter, 16, paused in front of the wall outside the cafeteria and pointed out her favorite quote: “If you want to lift yourself up, lift someone else up,” said Booker T. Washington.

Shelby Brooks, 17, liked, “Hold fast to your dreams, for if dreams die, life is a broken winged bird that cannot fly,” by Langston Hughes.

“You need to do what you want to do — life isn’t life unless you fulfill your dreams,” she said.

Shannon Lee, 18, liked President Barack Obama’s quote, “Change will not come if we wait for some other time. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for. We are the change we seek.”

“Everyone said we needed a change, but we needed to help him make the change,” she said.

Leave a Response »

 

Ciara Says There’ll Be Fewer Guests On Fantasy Ride Follow-Up Tuesday, Nov 10 2009

Ciara must have liked what she heard on Fantasy Ride this year. After working with producer Christopher “Tricky” Stewart on four of her album’s 13 tracks, the singer has given Tricky and his songwriting partner The-Dream domain over the entirety of her follow-up disc. But what we heard a lot on Fantasy — and what we likely won’t be hearing much on the new album — are Ciara’s high-profile collaborations with other artists.

“At this point in my career, it’s important for my fans to get to know more about me and to really feel me,” she told MTV News on the red carpet Saturday at Justin Timberlake’s charity event. “I’ve done a lot of features over the course of my career. I’m not saying that I won’t do any, but I want really my fans to come into my world. I’ve been very blessed to work with a lot of cool people, but this time it is about knowing me more and hearing more of me.”

Of course, Fantasy featured Ludacris, Chris Brown, Young Jeezy, Missy Elliott and Timberlake. The video for “Love Sex Magic,” which featured JT, nabbed a Best Choreography nomination at this year’s Video Music Awards.

Tricky recently told Rap-Up.com the name of two records they’ve recorded — “Gifted” and “Speechless,” which actually features Ciara with The-Dream — but Ciara said those two tracks are only the beginning of the “really crazy, really fun” album they’re putting together.

“I got on Tricky because he was spilling all the beans,” she laughed. “Those two records that he named are definitely awesome records, and there are some cool ones that I’ve done lately that are just even more amazing.

“It’s kind of reminding me of how it was for me at the beginning of my career,” she explained, “which is a really good feeling.”

One Response »

 

Ciara Biography Saturday, Nov 7 2009

The title of her much-anticipated sophomore album says it all and as Grammy winning young superstar Ciara declares, “My second record is called “The Evolution” because I feel like I’m graduating to a whole new level creatively and musically. I co-wrote every song and co-produced many of the tracks on this record so it really reflects where I am as an artist. I had fun making my first album: with “The Evolution,” I had an actual plan of what I wanted to hear and the sounds I wanted on the record.”

Working with key hit-makers such as Pharrell Williams, will.i.am, Lil Jon, Dallas Austin, Rodney Jerkins, Polow and new players like Calvo and Brian Kennedy, Ciara - whose 2004 debut album Goodies sold over three million copies worldwide – was involved in the selection of producers for The Evolution as well as the development of the songs, a couple of which (such as “Do It,” produced by wil.i.am and “Crush,” a Lil Jon jam) were written on the spot in the studio. “What was really cool was that a lot of the producers I wanted to work with felt the same way about working with me,” Ciara says. “Pharrell (Williams) said he had a song for me but when we got in the studio, we ended up writing a song from scratch which was “I Proceed,” a track with a lot of energy. A lot of the tracks on this album are energetic like “Make It Last Forever,” a real cool dance/party cut that Rodney (Jerkins) produced. He also did “Can’t Leave ‘Em Alone” which features 50 Cent. I toured with him so it was great having him on this record with me.”

The many music fans Ciara established worldwide through hit singles such as the three No. 1 singles – “Goodies,” and “1,2 Step,” and “Oh” – from Goodies, her Grammy-nominated debut CD – have been eagerly awaiting her new CD, The Evolution, which includes chart and radio hit “Get Up” (from the “Step Up” soundtrack) and “Promise,” the Ciara-penned first single – with its steamy hot video directed by Diane Martel – another immediate hit for the singer/songwriter. “A lot of the music on this album was inspired by old school records. There was a way music used to feel and I wanted to capture that,” Ciara states. “I felt the inspiration from artists like Michael Jackson, Prince, TLC, Jodeci, Madonna: there was a certain groove I wanted to have and I think we got it on The Evolution. All I know is, it feels good with my soul!”

Other standouts on The Evolution include “Like A Boy,” produced by newcomer Calvo and co-produced by Ciara; “Crush,” a song co-written with Lil Jon (who played a key role in Ciara’s career by producing her massive 2003 hit single “Goodies”); “My Love,” co-produced by Brian Kennedy and Ciara which she describes as “a different kind of ballad, a song that speaks to the situation where a woman is basically telling a guy that she wishes he would have worked harder to keep the relationship going, that he didn’t make the effort. It’s hard when you’re giving 100% in a relationship but the other person is only giving 50%,” she says with the kind of honesty and realness that comes from someone who has had the experience herself. “That’s Right,” another Lil Jon production – which Ciara says “took me forever to write!” – has another message meant for the men: “You know, women have a tendency to alter their whole schedules for guys! This song is saying, ‘hey, I’m going to look out for me!’ and it’s real energetic like so many other tracks on this album.”

The Evolution caps an amazing two years for the Atlanta native who celebrated her 21st birthday on October 25, 2006, the same day the video for “Promise” made its debut on BET’s Access Granted: since the release of the Goodies album in 2004, Ciara has earned four Grammy nominations (including Best New Artist), five Ascap Awards for Songwriting, three Teen Choice Awards, two BET Awards, two MTV Video Music Awards, Two Lady of Soul Awards, a Vibe award and was given the prestigious “Entertainer of the Year Award” at the Soul Train Awards in 2005 (CHECK DATE). As a featured artist, Ciara has had the magic touch lending her vocal talents to Bow Wow’s “Like You,” Field Mob’s “So What” and Missy Elliott’s “Lose Control” which won the two a 2005 Grammy for “Best Short Form Music Video.”

“There have been a lot of emotional highpoints,” Ciara says of her meteoric rise to become one of today’s most popular young female artists. “I’ve been living my dream. Everything has been so great – winning a Grammy, having my first single go to No. 1, being named “Entertainer Of The Year” at the Soul Train Awards. It’s all made me even more motivated.” Certainly, motivation to find success in music was there from early days when Ciara – a self-proclaimed ‘military brat’ Ciara who lived in Germany, New York, California, Arizona and Nevada before settling in Atlanta in her mid-teens – set her sights on her dream and went after it. “I wrote down on paper that I had a goal to be a professional singer….I watched my peers around me and they were worried about who’s wearing what, going to school, trying to talk to somebody and I was like ‘I’m trying to be somebody. What can I do to get there as soon as possible?’ I had to sacrifice a lotta things and I think that was the key thing to get me there. I cut out going to the movies, I cut out hanging with my friends, I actually told some of my friends ‘This month we’re not gonna hang out or talk on the phone’ and I even cut out the boyfriend because I was really like, ‘I’m ‘bout to do this. I’m ‘bout to be on top.’”

After joining a girl group, Ciara left to go solo, nabbed a publishing deal and eventually hooked up with hot Atlanta producer Jazze Pha and Lil Jon, the ‘king of crunk’ who produced “Goodies,” the Ciara-Sean Garrett-penned song that would establish her as an instant hit-maker with music fans worldwide. The album Goodies – filled with songs that dealt with real life issues as lyrical themes – became a best-seller in the U.S. and throughout Europe and Asia, spawning hits with ““1,2 Step” and “Oh” alongside key album cuts like “Thugstyle” (co-written with Johnta Austin), “Looking at You,” Pick up the Phone,” “And I,” and “Ooh Baby.”

With impressive videos that also displayed Ciara’s skills as a dancer, the Goodies album caught fire leading to shows in the U.K., Germany, Japan and Nigeria (where Ciara appeared alongside Beyonce and Jay-Z in 2006); Ciara also toured with Gwen Stefani (which Ciara says was “really cool getting exposed to her audience”) as well as being the only female artist on the 50 Cent, Lil Jon and Ludacris ‘The Massacre’ 2005 tour. “It’s been really cool to have all this happen on my first time around and I want to tour so much more in 2007. Being on the road, I’ve met people who tell me that my music inspired them in some way. When I think about the last few years, I think one of the greatest accomplishments I’ve had so far is being able to touch people with my music…”

With the release of The Evolution, that’s something Ciara intends to continue to do: “I want people to feel my energy! With this record, it’s about bringing people into my world a little more. That’s why it’s more personal than the first album. I’ve been fortunate because I’ve been able to be really involved and have responsibility for this record from all aspects. I feel like I have had no limits or boundaries as an artist with The Evolution…and now there’s so much more I want to do!” Ask the upbeat young entertainer just what she wants to achieve and she quickly reels off a list of goals: “Of course, I want to have longevity, become an icon!” she laughs. “I want to start my own label, have my own clothing line, get into movies. I just started my own dance agency. Oh…and I want to sell millions of records!”

Ciara – who credits Michael Jackson as her “ultimate inspiration” and his sister Janet Jackson as another key artist for whom she expresses “so much respect for all she’s done and whose level of success is something I want to have doing my own thing” – already has had a pretty good start with the millions of sales she’s had with Goodies! Now with The Evolution, spurred on by the response to “Promise,” Ciara can expect an even greater response: “I’ve learned so much and I feel like I’ve continued to get better with everything I’ve done in the last two years. I’ve been blessed to have friends and family who have been so supportive. I appreciate all that has happened and now I feel like I’m going to a whole new place with my evolution in fashion, dance and in my music.”

Leave a Response »

 

Ciara’s Not Naming Names On Who ‘Never Ever’ Is About Wednesday, Nov 4 2009

It’s been a rough few months for Ciara. First, there was her rather odd flap with the editors of Vibe magazine over their October 2008 cover, which either did or did not feature her nude on the cover. Then, she changed management and struggled to put the finishing touches on her Fantasy Ride album, which has been in the works since at least last spring.

Still, she’s made it through the drama. And with Fantasy Ride finally slated to see the light of day on April 7, she’s getting down to the business of promoting the first single, “Never Ever,” a song that, to hear her tell it, is all about heartbreaks she’s endured. Seems she’s looking to give her fans a taste of her pain.

“The record’s just a real record. I can relate to it myself. I’ve been in a relationship before where I’ve given 100 percent, and I feel like I was given 80 percent,” she told on the set of the “Never Ever” video. “I fought so long to try and keep it up — keep it afloat and to keep it together, and you got to realize that if somebody’s not going to want to — and the key word is ‘want to’ — love you the same way you love them, then it shouldn’t be.

“I can definitely relate to that scenario myself. It’s a real situation, and it seems to be very common nowadays in conversations about love and relationships,” she continued. “A lot of times, it seems, it’s always one person giving 100 percent and the other person gives 80. So, it’s just real — something real that I definitely know should be talked about, and I’ve experienced it before.”

Ciara split from her longtime boyfriend Bow Wow in 2006, and rumors had her romantically linked to 50 Cent, but she won’t divulge who “Never Ever” is actually about. Instead, she prefers to let the song, and the video — directed by vet Chris Robinson — do the talking for her.

“The video, like the record, is about confusion,” she smiled. ” ‘Never Ever’ is talking about the confusion of love and that’s just the little story [within the video]: We tell the many angles of love … or of the love confusion.”

2 Responses »

 

Ciara – Biography Saturday, Apr 11 2009

Born:

October 25, 1985 – Austin, Texas.

Quote From Ciara:

“I remember watching Destiny’s Child perform on TV one day. That’s when I made up my mind: Hey! I wanna do this.”

Trivia Fact About Ciara:

Growing up as an army brat, Ciara lived in Germany, New York, California, Arizona, and Nevada.

Early Years:

Ciara decided at the age of 14 to pursue a career in music. She auditioned for and joined a vocal group called Hearsay. After differences with the group emerged, she left and at age 15 signed a music publishing deal. Soon after she met producer Jazze Pha, the man Ciara refers to as her “musical soul mate.”

One Thing Leading To Another:

Jazze Pha signed Ciara to his Sho’ Nuff record label. After 5 days in the studio they had already put together 5 solid tracks. She co-wrote a song called “Goodies” with Sean Garrett, co-writer of Usher’s hit “Yeah!” “Goodies” found its way to the ears of crunk star Lil’ Jon, and he agreed to produce the record for release on the LaFace label.

“Goodies”:

Released in the summer of 2004, “Goodies” was soon everywhere in pop and r&b music circles. It climbed to the top of both the pop and r&b singles charts. It is a simple, grinding, breathy answer song to Petey Pablo’s male posturing on “Freek-a-Leek.”

The success of Ciara’s first single prompted quick production of a debut album. Jazze Pha hooked Ciara up with Missy Elliott for collaboration on “1,2 Step.” “Goodies,” the album version, reached #2 on the pop chart as did the single “1,2 Step.” A third single, “Oh,” climbed the charts to #2 as well.

Goodies

Goodies (Japanese Release Bonus)

Goodies featuring Ti and Jazze Pha

Goodies Wrexxshop Hype Break

Goodies featuring Petey Pablo

Goodies (Mask Remixes Single)

Goodies Delinquent remixes

Ciara Victim of Controversy:

Soon Ciara had to pay a price for the sudden exposure to the glaring spotlights of pop stardom. Rumors began to circulate that Ciara was born male and had sexual reassignment surgery. Additional rumors also circulated that she was lesbian. All of these rumors are believed to be false and have been debunked.

Ciara’s Pop Stardom:

In the spring of 2005 Ciara collaborated once again with Missy Elliott on “Lose Control,” the first single off Elliott’s The Cookbook album. She also contributed vocals to “Like You,” a single off the album Wanted by her boyfriend Bow Wow. By late summer “And I,” a 4th single from Goodies had been released.

The romantic relationship between Ciara and Bow Wow came to an end in the spring of 2006. In December, 2006, Ciara released her second solo album The Evolution. It included the hit singles “Promise” and “Like a Boy.”

Ciara’s third studio album Fantasy Ride will be in stores in the spring of 2009. It includes the single “Love Sex Magic,” a collaboration with Justin Timberlake.

Leave a Response »