13 minute read

Ordinary People Living Extra-ordinary Lives

from TurningPoint: Your Lifestyle, Your Well-Being - Celebrating the Spirit of Excellence

by TurningPoint Music and Lifestyle Magazine

This picture was given to Esther Austin Global, by William Mickey Stevenson exclusively. It's a picture taken at Motown's 60th celebration in February 2019. In the picture we see: Valerie Simpson, Eddie Holland, Smokey Robinson, Lamont Dozier, Brian Holland and William 'Mickey' Stevenson. Six of the Greatest Writers from Motown in the world

April 2019

Welcome, Welcome, Welcome

I felt the need to present a ‘tripple’

Welcome to you because I have been so tremendously inspired working on this issue of the magazine. Each magazine has granted me a greater insight not only into myself, but through the eyes of others and their humanity. The interviews, conversations and contributions shared in here have certainly opened up so much in me and I hope it will do the same to you, our readers.

I decided to theme this magazine: Celebrating the Spirit of Excellence. This came about because during many of my interviews there was always a thread of being excellent, being prepared and aiming to be the best. This therefore got me wondering what drove this spirit of excellence in people, how did this afect, inluence or even inlict and pressurise individuals.

For many artists, their parents instilled the message of excellence into them as a child, mostly because of their circumstances, and where they came from and what they had and were going through. That message to be the best, to expect the best was driven from a desire for their children to have a better life, for them to strive to have a diferent experience, for them to KNOW that they were SOMEBODY in a society that most times than not was saying YOU ARE NOTHING, YOUR LIFE DOES NOT MATTER. Many of these artists were from impoverished environments, they faced segregation, racism, simply because of the colour of their skin which means they were already at a disadvantage. However, realising and discovering they had a talent and wanting to share that with the world, to boast about it, to deliver it, to enjoy it was another reason to stand in the face of adversity to say ‘I am Somebody, and I will become the best in order to pursue my dreams.’ This was a group of people who honoured their craft and talent and who grafted hard to be and become the best. So therefore, we now have the privilege of standing on the shoulders of some incredibly instrumental individuals who paved

the way, in more ways than one, for us all and as you read through the following pages, you will see how pivotal and solid Motown was for artists to hone their craft. It was a place that protected those who came through the door and a place that embraced them as a family and that was where their strength lay.

Therefore, to this end, this magazine’s issue will be celebrating 60 years of Motown which actually was celebrated in January 2019. In here you will read of the experiences of many of these stalwart artists. TurningPoint Magazine arranged a Motown Photoshoot in LA on 3rd and 4th April and everyone who attended had an absolutely fabulous time. Randi Childs, Street and Studio Photographer from New York kindly popped to LA to conduct the photoshoot. Randi has become a real treasure at TurningPoint Magazine and you will see her stunning work throughout the following pages. A big thank you also goes out to Maria Silva, MUA who styled hair at the photoshoot along-with Hunter Zieske Randi’s Technical Assistant. A huge thanks to them both for being so incredibly supportive to make the photoshoot the success it was.

So, keeping my piece short, I just want to encourage you to always look to be the best that you can be for yourself. That may simply be that you learn to put you irst, that you learn to get to know who you are, that you nurture yourself and have more fun. The Spirit of excellence means diferent things to diferent people, however at the end of the day, I personally feel, it’s about honouring who we are as individuals and knowing that we all deserve the best and in that vein, we will experience that spirit of excellence which is about honouring and aiming for the best.

I would like to say a big thank you to everyone who took part in the photoshoot, to everyone who contributed and to everyone who allowed themselves to be interviewed. As always I give thanks to The Universe, to my ancestors, to my children and my partner for what they bring to my life.

Have your say? What are your thoughts about the magazine? Is there anything you would like to see here?

Email l into: i o: turningpointmagazine@gmail.com turningPoint@estheraustinglobal.com t ngPoi nt ne2019@gmai l .

CONTENTS

EXCLUSIVES Martha Reeves is Still Dancing in the Streets and Loving It

Woody Wilson, America’s top Bespoke Fashion Designer Once Dared to Dream

William ‘Mickey’ Stevenson, Motown’s First A & R Man Tells it All

TRUE LIFE STORIES Veronique Back to the Essence of Nature: Jewellery that Speaks to the Soul

Kwamme McPherson Pays a Caribbean Homage to the Music of Motown

Daphne Maxwell Reid - Driving Excellence through Creativity and Passion

Priestess Eurekah Gives Spiritual Insight into The Spirit of At-tom

Helen Rogers, Renowned UK Singer/ Songwriter on – The Love Remains

HEALTH AND WELL-BEING Dr Miriam Stoppard – Getting Comfortable in our Skin as we Get Older

SistahintheRaw in the Raw – – Plant New Health Seeds In Spring

A MATTER OF TRUTH David Mills ‘Dear Kids: You Didn’t’ Come Here to Pay the Bills’

Amira Whitaker – It’s Not Personal, It’s Business

FINE DINING L’Escargot Review by Tony Jazz

ART, ACCEPTANCE, DIVERSITY, CREATIVITY Randi Child, Childs, Street Photographer Captures Motown

Motown n for TurningPoint Magazine

PERSPECTIVE Rebecca W Weef eef-Sm Smith cracks open the Myth of of Aim Aiming ing ing for Brilliance

ENTERTAINMENT Janie Bradford, Recently named ‘Queen of Motown’ talks…well… Motown

John Wilson - Sly, Slick and Wicked talks Rhythm & Blues and Motown

Actor Kirk Taylor’s Words of Wisdom: A Man on a Mission

The Former Supremes - Unconditional Love, Motown & Living a Life of Dreams and Fun

Lloyd G Williams – Still ‘Shout..ing’ but now to his own Music

Cornelius Grant - Known as The 6th Temp: Keeps the Voices of Legends Alive

Mary Wilson on Finding Herself, Enjoying Life and Still Superbly Supreme

HUMOUR Esther Austin

FRONT COVER PHOTO CREDITS: Woody Wilson and William ‘Mickey’ Stevenson by Randi Childs Photography. Martha Reeves by Jenny Risher.

DISCLAIMER All rights reserved. The views expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the publisher. The publisher cannot accept responsibility for any errors or omissions relating to advertising or editorial. The publisher reserves the right to change or amend any competitions or prizes ofered. No part of this publication may be reproduced without prior written consent from the publishers. No responsibility is taken for unsolicited materials or the return of these materials whilst in transit. TurningPoint Magazine is owned and published by Esther Austin Global Publishing.

The opinion expressed in each article is the opinion of its author and does not necessarily relect the opinion of TurningPoint Magazine Inc. Therefore, TurningPoint Magazine. carries no responsibility for the opinion expressed thereon.

Loving It

record ‘You got what it takes’ made it to number one. It was an up and coming record company and I was very impressed that the A and R Director chose me on my amateur status to come to this company, Motown, and I went there the next morning.

Esther: It's interesting because I've been reading Motown's First A and R Man by William ‘Mickey’ Stevenson where he shares about meeting you, and your sheer conidence and persistence, how did that happen?

And what is it about the drive you had and still have for life, for what you do, to be persistent to simply

own your craft?

Martha: William ‘Mickey’ Stevenson discovered me. I wasn’t just hanging around Motown, as is quoted in his book. I was at Motown every day from 9am to 9pm working as the A and R secretary until they gave me a salary. I did a lot of demos and a lot of singing with the writers and producers that were there in the workshop. It was 24 hours a day opening and work being done, creating music at all times; so I was glad to be a part of that growing industry.

Esther: You’ve had the privilege of working with many artists throughout your career, and this

may be a diicult question for you to answer because you've worked with so many, but can you name two Motown artists who really blew your mind, and why?

Martha: I can't say that any of the artists ever blew my mind because I was in the A and R Department and an artist and working with them and from from their amateur status to their top status. It was a joy to meet Stevie Wonder when he was irst brought to Motown; he had been discovered by Ronnie White, one of the Miracles, in a Pentecostal Church conducting an adult choir. He played the hennan organ and conducted a

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EXCLUSIVE FEATURES

WOODY WILSON

AMERICA’S TOP BESPOKE FASHION DESIGNER ONCE DARED TO DREAM

Woody Wilson came highly recommended by a mutual friend

PHOTO CREDI CREDITS: RANDI CHILD LDS PHOTOGRAPHY

of ours, so we are both being obedient to the calling, to meet and have that conversation (laughter). So Woody I usually ask my guests in a nutshell, a crab shell, a peanut shell who is Woody Wilson?

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Helen Rogers, RENOWNED UK SINGER/SONGWRITER ON THE LOVE REMAINS

Helen is a British

Singer/Songwriter.

She has performed with the likes of Brit Funk band Direct Dave, funk band 7th Heaven, Co-wrote and sang lead and backing vocals on Paul Hardcastle’s project The Jazzmasters, Recorded an album of reggae covers of 1970s pop hits with Black Steel and more. Here Helen shares a very poignant take on loosing her father and the emotional journey she went on, reminding herself at the end of the tunnel that truly on the love remains.

Like Jamaican Reggae band The Heptones, I feel immersed in a Sea of Love and music when I think about my childhood. I was fortunate enough to have been a cherished only child and also lucky that listening to music was a big part of our family life! My Mum had a beautiful, rich singing voice and would lullaby me to sleep whilst Dad (aka Pops), although not a singer, really loved music.

My parents met after both running away to join the army. As WW2 children

their education had been cut short and career opportunities were thin on the ground. Although she didn’t take them up on it, Mum had an ofer to join a professional Jazz band in the army but despite Pops encouraging her on she didn’t have the conidence.

Pops himself got the chance to write in the army becoming a Sports Correspondent for the forces radio, also a boxer and PT Instructor amongst other things.

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