Brandy
R&B star, actress, producer and “Dancing with the Stars” contestant Brandy will headline Traxx Atlanta and Traxx Girls “Pure Heat” celebration with live performances on Saturday, Sept. 3.
She will perform for Traxx Girls at the Georgia Freight Depot and for the guys of Traxx Atlanta at Traxx, 1287 Columbia Drive. More than 4,000 women are expected to pack the Depot and even more men will pack Traxx for these performances.
Brandy competed in season 11 of “Dancing with the Stars,” had her own TV show, “Moesha,” from 1995-2000 on UPN and also recorded her debut album as a teenager, earning her a Grammy nomination in 1996 for the song, “Baby.” In 1999, she won a Grammy for the song “The Boy Is Mine.”
Brandy recently signed a recording deal with RCA Records and is now in the studio working on a new album.
Brandy has appeared at other Gay Pride fests around the country. In 2005, she talked to ChicagoPride.com about her gay fan base as well as gay marriage.
CP: Now, let’s talk about your fans, specifically your gay fan base. Does it seem to you that you have a lot of gay fans?
Brandy: Yes, it does. It’s funny, recently I was in a parking lot, and one of my gay fans came to the car and knocked on the window. He said, “Oh my God, Brandy, you’re so beautiful, I want to be straight!” It was the funniest thing. I knew that he was just playing with me, but that was his way of saying I was beautiful to him, and I was really flattered by that.
CP: Do you have an opinion about gay marriage?
Brandy: I just think that love is free, that’s what I think. I feel like if people want to be committed to each other, I don’t think there should be any problem with that. I don’t judge people on what they do. I just know that love is free, and anybody can feel it, whether it be with someone of the same sex or the opposite sex.
Marsha Ambrosius
Once one-half of the popular British duo Floetry and also a well-known songwriter pursuing a solo career, Marsha Ambrosius is set to perform on Sunday, Sept. 4, at the Mansion Elan night club.
Ambrosius’ new album, “Late Nights & Early Mornings,” includes the song “Far Away,” written after a close friend attempted suicide. The video for the song confronts anti-gay prejudice and bullying and how it can lead to suicide.
In a February interview with AfterEllen.com, Ambrosius talked about “Far Away,” the video and what inspired her to write the song.
“I wasn’t thinking about it being targeted to the African-American community or thought about gay relationships….
“A friend of mine had problems not being accepted for being in an open and loving relationship and had the world beat down on him because of it. And attempted suicide. That’s the black and white of the story.”
V.I.C.
In 2008, the renowned rapper Soulja Boy produced V.I.C.’s debut album titled “Beast.” It spawned the single “Get Silly” that peaked at No. 29 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. This Atlanta-based rapper made more waves in the hip hop world with his catchy song “Wobble.”
V.I.C will perform for some 5,000 men at the Georgia Freight Depot as part of Wassup N ATL’s “Manual Labor” celebration as well as for Girls in the Night’s “All Black Affair” at Compound on Friday, Sept. 2.
Ameriie
Grammy-nominated singer Ameriie performs for the Girls in the Night “All Black Affair” on Friday, Sept. 2, at Compound. Ameriie garnered Grammy nods in 2005 for her second album that also produced the hit single, “1 Thing.” She is currently working on a new album.
Chrisette Michele
Chrisette Michele performs for Girls in the Night as well on Saturday, Sept. 3, as part of the Hershebar party at the Museum Bar. Michele won a Grammy for her song “Be OK” off the critically acclaimed 2007 album “I Am.” In 2010, she released “Let Freedom Reign.”
B. Scott
Hosting this year’s Girls in the Night “FemmeNomenon” events will be the openly gay, gender-bending B. Scott, a “multimedia maven” who is a TV personality, radio show host and internet celebrity. His YouTube video blogs garner millions of hits and his website, www.lovebscott.com, is the place to go for a “positive spin” on pop culture and entertainment.
To photo: Brandy (publicity photo)