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Equating singing to breathing is completely reasonable, when it's coming from Beth Griffith-Manley, singer, songwriter, actress and daughter of Johnny Griffith, the legendary and Multi-GrammyÂŽ Award-winning pianist/keyboardist. He was an original member of the Funk Brothers, Motown's in-house studio band that created the famous 'Motown Sound .'
https ://www.bethalwayssings.com/
Gifted International Intuitive Consultant Esther Austin
TELEPHONE/SKYPE CONSULTATIONS/FACE-TO-FACE An Intuitive Reading offers clarity and guidance supporting clients to recognise
and solve life problems in order to make empowering decisions. VIP FACE TO FACE INTUITIVE DAYS OR HALF DAY SESSIONS ALSO AVAILABLE
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CONTENT
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EXCLUSIVE
I 04
John Wilson of Sly, Slick and Wicked, Rock n Roll Hall of Fame Inductees
ENTERTAINMENT
I 10
Gregg Austin Receives Lifetime Achievement Award for his Services to Music
Florence LaRue from The 5th Dimension: 50 Years on Still Performing Inaya Day Talks above Love, Her Latest Single and her take on Champions of Change
FINE DINING
I 29
Tony Jackson TurningPoint's Very Own Mr TopHat Reviews Tuttons Restaurant & Bar
COMMUNITY I 33 Carrie Brown, 'Queen of Las Vegas.' Talks about Her Anti- Bullying Work
Mary Maycock, Fighting to be Viewed as a Vital and Valuable Person, Despite having Terminal Cancer Janie Bradford, Celebrated Songwriter and Motown Alumna talks about Purpose and the HAL Awards
ALTERNATIVE EDUCATION
A Fresh Approach to Education: A Vision of the Future Beyond Schooling By David Mills
LIFESTYLE
I 62
Tony Jazz, A Man of Class and High Integrity talks 'Bespoke'
ART, ACCEPTANCE, DIVERSITY, CREATIVITY I 66 Randi Childs, Street Photographer Creates Magic
What Does it Take to be a Change Agent by Dr Gwen Rose Karen Burke, An Intrepid Life Adventurer Talks Mind, Body and Soul
1 I OCTOBER 2018
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PERSPECTIVE
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Rebecca Weef-Smith
TURNINGPOINT YOUR LIFESTYLE, YOUR WELL -BEING
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{}-reetings to One and All Well , phew is all I can say. The past few months since the last issue have been incredible on so many different levels. I've had the most amazing breakthroughs and experiences and also the most incredible challenges which in hindsight feeds into the theme of this issue 'Champions of Change.'
Recently, I've come across individuals who are driven to make changes in their lives, environments, their communities and in society as a whole . I wanted to understand what it takes to champion an idea. I wanted to understand what gives birth to the desire to make a stand sometimes at the detriment of ones well-being or being obstracised . What was it that made one person feel like a victor, to take responsibility and leadership of a situation, to keep going with hell-bent purpose, while someone else would approach the situation from the perspective of being a victim or sit back and blame yet take no action?
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In August this year, something happened in my household in the UK. There were a series of incidents one which involved a fire being deliberately started at my front door. I was in the States at the time promoting my business and I must say I had the most amazing response and support out there . Doors really opened for me and I was on a roll. Often times you've just got to go where the opportunities are at. Even though my trip was incredibly productive it was also incredibly challenging at times . However, I love what I do and am passionate, so I approached the challenges as a Rottweiler, as I've been called . Just get things done . So when I heard about the fire , I had just finished doing an energy healing session on someone, and a part of me was like 'What Now?' I was not going to cut my trip short for anything or anyone at that moment. Therefore , I remember going down on the floor and 'planked' for a few minutes. I needed to breathe deep and strong; I needed to come out of my head for one brief moment, so that I could assimilate what was going on with my family back in the UK.
TURNINGPOINT YOUR LIFESTYLE, YOUR WELL -BEING
We are all accountable for our actions. Cause and effect and there was a part of me that knew that what I was being told was part of a much deeper issue , which had somehow escalated. However, I found myself going into solution mode. What was it that I needed to do at this moment in time? After speaking to my boys, there transpired several stressful days talking to various agencies who had become involved in this situation predominantly about my family's safety. Yet, I remained in the US, because there was a part of me that knew I needed to remain . There were things that I needed to complete that would support me in the future and those opportunities would not come around again . Therefore my boys would have to manage what they could in the interim . By now the publication of this magazine was running late, and I had to prioritise. However, I did eventually cut my journey short by five days because but by then I was too mentally and physically tired to do anything more, however, my stay ended in a rather beautiful way. I had the opportunity to cover The HAL Awards at The Beverly Hills Hilton which is hosted by Janie Bradford , who you can read about this in the following pages. I got to meet even more great legends Mary Wilson and Susaye Green from The Supremes, Freda Payne , remember 'Band of Gold'? Bill Duke , big time actor from Predator etc. However, the conversation around champions of change struck me as I went through my own process and continued to watch that of others. What was it in me that kept me going, determined , un-relentless even in the midst of what was happening in my world? To say this situation created a lot of stress is an understatement. I could have lost my family that night, and I was glad my granddaughter was not staying at the flat at the time only my eldest son . Yet this situation also made me realise, that change was happening whether OCTOBER 201812
I liked it or not and sometimes dynamics are presented to us in a way we would never consider. In spite of and despite of situations that may seem to want to thwart ones progress, there is that depth of human resilience , that part of us that recogises that we need to keep things moving and the challenges we are going through mean there is a bigger purpose or picture around the corner. I had to hone into my intuition and allow myself to be so deeply guided , because I knew ultimately that things would have to work themselves out, how that would happen I didn't know. In the midst of this all there were lessons to be learned or even wakeup calls . I'm still having to deal with the aftermath of this situation, along with life, yet as Dr Maya Angelou said in her infamous poem "Still I Rise ." So today, I'd like to ask you? Is there something you feel so passionate about, is there injustice being played out even in your own world and life? Is there something you have put up with for so long that it has almost broken your soul? Is there something more you want to do with your life but you find it hard to summon the motivation and strength to keep going? Then I hope you will find inspiration in the articles and stories in this issue of TurningPoint. As you know TurningPoint is all about supporting you if you are at the cross-roads of your life as you consider where to go and what to do with your life . I've created a motto recently "It's not Easy, But It's Possible." I'd like to thank all those who have shared their stories in this magazine . I would like to thank my son Cameron for designing many of the flyers, to Patrica L Locche who has provided many of the images in the magazine , to Monty who keeps me inspired and supports me with his love, his integrity and authenticity. To all the artists who authentically gave me their time to interview them and to you the reader who continually inspires me to produce content to support YOU on your journey of change .
ESTHER AUSTIN EDITOR
@J @estheraustinglobal
@) @estheraustin
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EstherAustin1965
@) turningpoint@estheraustinglobal.com
I would love to hear your comments and suggestions about the magazine and any suggestions you may have . Please email to turningpoint@estheraustinglobal.com
31 OCTOBER 2018
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EXCLUSIVE
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JOHN WILSON OF SLY, SLICK AND WICKED- ROCK NROLL . HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES I
cJ
had the privilege of meeting John Wilson from Sly, Slick and Wicked in August this year. John kindly ~owed me to into his home where we spent a wonderful afternoon talking about so many things . John was certainly a connoisseur of historical facts especially around the music industry. He is a member of legendary group Sly, Slick and Wicked an American Rhythm and Blues band from Cleveland, Ohio. I came away knowing so much more than I did when I initially entered his home. By the time I left my head was full and I was still curious about so much more, however, for purposes of this interview I walked away with a potpourri of information that would make sure this interview was rich and meaningful. John's place was spacious filled with memorabilia and I felt privileged to have been invited into his personal space. With John's easy going temperament it was not long before I was comfortable enough to start the interview. Esther: John, you kindly showed me around your
home and shared your accolades. So in a nutshell who is Sly, Slick and Wicked? John: We originally were the Mod Squad and a guy
named Kenny Brown , who went to school with us, he'd came out of a group called the Bell TelePhunk which became the Dazz Band. We all went to school together and so he told Paramount records about us. They flew in and recorded a song and said we love the TURNINGPOINT YOUR LIFESTYLE, YOUR WELL -BEING
sound , but we don't like your name. Then we were told 'you look Sly, you look Slick, and you look wicked' and that's how we got our name (John Wilson (Sly) , Charles Still (Slick) and Mark Saxton (Wicked) (was replaced by Terry Stubbs in 1972). From there we signed with Paramount, then we went to James Brown's label and then to the O'Jays label for one single , then we went to Motown and then to Epic OCTOBER 201814
EXCLUSIVE
Esther:
John:
So how did those kind of experiences impact on you? As they could have had quite a traumatic impact on you and on you moving forward and on how you view wider society? Even as we're doing this interview, Mrs Aretha Franklin's funeral is happening , and she could also tell you of the same type of experiences. However, I think it made you complete . We grew up faster, all of us were kids on the road . We were barely 20 , some of us were younger, so those experiences made me stronger but also opened my eyes. I said there were two things I could do; I could take this and really start hating people or I could look at this and say listen, we're all on the same planet as a speck of dust maybe I can make a difference and try to bring people together. So that's what I did . I carried those experiences overseas i.e Japan and China and other places because I've had people say to me about the artists I produce in other countries , that they never thought I was like that, meaning that they had a different perception of me as an African American .
Esther:
What do think they meant by that?
John:
Well, society portrays us as being violent, yelling and screaming all the time even though they appreciate our music and everything but they thought that we were always fighting . But I broke it down by saying that I was the first to take gospel to Japan . Then they started seeing that I was a human being . I have great friends from around the world in all types of countries and all different colors because I was determined to teach that we're all a speck of dust in this tiny corner of the Universe that God has made .
Therefore, it didn't make me a bitter man, it made me a better man to go out there and try to cure some of the madness. Hopefully before I leave here, I'll be successful with it. Esther: Brilliant. John, what is it that you can leave people with that can inspire them further, motivate them , even galvanize them to maybe stop in their tracks to say Wow! maybe I can be somebody different, maybe I can be somebody better. John:
Well, the way you can be better is this . I always say you can't know where you're going until you know where you've been. Learn your history, because now with the internet, there's all things out there. So learn your history and bring that with you .
Also my father used to say when a man's word is no good, how good is the man? Always keep that with you, always keep your word.
November 2018 - Full interview with John Wilson will be found at The VIP Section of Esther Austin Global: http://estheraustinglobal.com/members/
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ENTERTAINMENT
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TURNINGPOINT YOUR LIFESTYLE, YOUR WELL-BEING
OCTOBER 2018110
You can't serve two masters and I decided I was going to do this and for the past 30 years, that's all I've done.
Gregg Austin recently received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the ROYAL VIP Anti-Bullying Awards organized by Carrie Brown on 29th September 2018 Further Details can be found at: https://www.facebook.com/GreggAustinsmag icofmotown/ Video interview with Gregg Austin will shortly be at: www.estheraustinglobal.com
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ENTERTAINMENT
FLORENCE LARUE FROM THE 5TH DIMENSION: 50 YEARS ON STILL PERFORMING
TURNINGPOINT YOUR LIFESTYLE, YOUR WELL -BEING
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ENTERTAINMENT
INAYA DAY TALKS ABOUT LOVE, HER LATEST SINGLE AND HER TAKE ON CHAMPIONS OF CHANGE
ENTERTAINMENT
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had the pleasure of interviewing lnaya Day who has been ~ning heads on the international scene for decades. lnaya released her brand new single 'Special Love' on 7th June 2018 . Below she talks about her journey creating the album giving us a brief insight into the theme of the track.
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Hailed an icon within the dance and progressive house scene, lnaya has teamed up with renowned producer Guy Scheiman for 'Special Love' a track about security, love and unrelenting assurance that has been put together despite both artists living in separate continents. lnaya's track is catchy, energetic and full of authentic sentiments.
Your latest track 'Special Love' has been described as a track about security, love and unrelenting assurance - I'm particularly interested about the mention of "unrelenting assurance" - can you explain about this in more depth? I find that, at some time or another, we all need to be reassured that we're loved . We can "know it", but it's always wonderful to be told , and to be shown that we're loved without fear of it ever being taken back, changed, or lost. There's comfort in knowing that the ones whom we love will always assure us so there is no room for doubt.
What was it like working with Guy as the track is very poignant and energetic, therefore how were you able to combine both moods whilst still getting over the message about the theme of having a Special Love? It's easy for me to work with Guy. I love that he creates around the songs that I've already written . So many times, I'm given a ready-made track with which to write and that can be limiting . Guy's method leaves more room for me to express myself as a writer without having to operate within the confines of a static structure . Big ups to Guy for that!
Why did you choose renowned producer Guy to work with you on this project? Actually, Guy chose me for this track. Ultra Nate and I had him do a remix for our Frankie Knuckles/Eric Kupper Director's Cut single, "OVER ME". So in the interest of reciprocity, I've done a song with Guy and now plan do more. I think we're a great combo .
I love your energy. It comes through in all your music, where do you go when you perform a track? What does it do to you as a person? When I perform, it's like I go to another plane. It's hypnotic, therapeutic, exhilarating self-fulfilling; the same feeling that I used to get when I ran track back in the day. There was God , the wind , and me. With music, there is God , the air, and me.
TURNINGPOINT YOUR LIFESTYLE, YOUR WELL -BEING
OCTOBER 2018122
ENTERTAINMENT
I wrote this song at a time when I needed to hear the words laid throughout the song. They remind me that I have a special love always looking after me and wanting the best for me. Helping me, pushing me, encouraging me and guiding me.
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ENTERTAINMENT
□□□ This track is also a very personal track and you share the experience of it so passionately, however, can you expand further about this Special Love? Is it a physical or spiritual experience? Or both? What was it like writing this track? Was it a cathartic process? The "Special Love" to which I refer is specifically, GOD; though others can and may apply it to the loves in their lives. It is totally a spiritual experience for me. I wrote this at a time when I was going through a fresh break-up so it was definitely a cathartic process and these lyrics express what I believe God says to us all. Good or bad , happy or sad ... you're never truly alone.
Share a bit about the experience you sing about? Sometimes, when we lose a loved one because of loss-of-life or loss-of-relationship, we can feel very alone and dejected : hopeless and unloved or unloveable. At the time of my break-up I was simply, but deeply, sad and hurt. One day, during my routine Morning Prayer and meditation , I felt these words come from God to my heart. So I wrote about those things that I felt that morning.
Which artists have inspired and influenced you on your journey? My vocal inspirations and influences are Ella Fitzgerald , Karen Clark Sheard , Chaka Khan , and Jocelyn Brown.
What is it about the genres of music you perform that called you in? Why Progressive House and dance? I've loved House Music from the first day that I heard it as a kid in the 80's. Progressive House was added to my list of dance music sub-genres when my friend , rapper MC LYTE , suggested that our mutual friend, actress Tichina Arnold, and I join forces with producer DJ Mike Cruz to make what became my first Progressive House single , "MOVIN' UP" (Take My Problems to the Dancefloor). That song is now a major dance floor favourite and classic. So, in came the follow-ups and requests for more.
TURNINGPOINT YOUR LIFESTYLE, YOUR WELL -BEING
You are a huge industry name, even an icon within the dance and progressive house scene and it still feels as if you are still enjoying yourself, and on an adventure with your music. What are some of the attributes you have had to adopt that you feel have made you so successful? I've been performing professionally since the age of 12 and was taught the old adage, "the show must go on ." This came first from my experiences in musical theatre . So, by the time I had to travel solo to promote my music, I knew that inclement weather, head colds , hayfever/allergies, pains, and feelings had nothing to do with my obligation to those hundreds,and many times thousands , of people who have come to be entertained and lifted. I learned early on that I have a job to do. Performers share the courier's motto; "Neither snow, nor rain, nor heat, nor gloom of night, stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds." I've gotta keep it poppin for the people.
How do you keep grounded in an industry such as this? The people around me and God keep me grounded . I think all good performers, (and some bad ones haha!), go through a period of "the big head"; thinking we're the best to ever do it. Luckily, my moment was brief and happened in my early teens . Not everyone is so lucky. It's also very easy to get caught up in the so-called glamour of it all .. . ya know... sex, drugs, rock and roll. I cannot tell you how many times people have offered hard drugs to me and my dancers. Even some people I know have tried to put hard drugs in my hand as a "gift". Thank God , I kindly refused. It's important to have a firm foundation and a strong resolve .
What's the craziest thing you have ever done and what are some of your favourite comfort foods? The craziest thing I've ever done is something that I keep between myself, some family, and some friends . But let's just say that I was a somewhat fearless teen who has faced death head-on more than once , 4 times actually. Some of my favourite comfort foods are chocolate ice cream, sour cream and cheddar chips with French onion dip or cream cheese , popcorn , Pecan Turtles / caramel nut clusters , and popcorn .
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TURNINGPOINT YOUR LIFESTYLE, YOUR WELL -BEING
Butlers Of Mayfair Bespoke Events & Consultancy L. td Date: October 2018 Dear Esther, We will like to donate a private Bespoke tour " Burlington Arcade & Bond Street as a prize gift on behalf of Turning Point Magazine Celebration . The Tour is a personal tour of this historic area with narration from Mr Jackson who gives a small insight into exclusive history of the buildings area and characters of its period . The Tour will last up to two hours maximize and will conclude with a set menu late lunch of a restaurant of our choice which will be included . The tour availability will commence from the date of notification of the winner to a period of not more than six consecutive months after that as to which it would be invalid . We would like to share the copyrights with Turning Point Magazine along with the consent of the prize winner to use his/her image in our own social media/ websites and promotional material. I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for this unique collaboration and look forward to working on this exciting Project. Kind Regards Tony Jackson
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