Recording Artist Johnny Gill: After 16 Years, Still Winning

by Cyrus Webb

It had been 16 years since recording artist Johnny Gill released an album. Many have gotten to know him for his hit singles like "My, My, My","Rub You the Right Way" and "Where Do We Go from Here" (with Stacy Lattisaw) as well as his involvement with the popular groups New Edition and LSG, however, there seems to be no substitute for the man himself.

Well, with the new project STILL WINNING the wait for Johnny Gill fans is over. Giving music lovers his heart in each and every track, he is letting it be known that he's not done yet---and there is much more to come.

The single JUST THE WAY YOU ARE conjures up all of the reasons why Johnny Gill fans can't get enough of his voice and the message he sings about, and it is that loyalty that keeps him moving forward. In our conversation I had a chance to ask about his journey in music, the lessons and what he has to say to his fans.

"I have been blessed with a gift from God that is magical. You can't design it," Johnny said to me. "I think about my career and how my music has touched people. It is beyond a miracle and a blessing. To have people to connect with you is a gift."

Like many other soulful singers before him Johnny Gill began singing in the church and blossomed from there. He believes the main reason he is still able to do what he loves is because he understands the importance of staying consistent. "I stay true to me and my music," he says. "If you look at my body of work you'll see that I'm open to trying new things. At the end of the day my biggest goal is to always stay focused and be careful that I don't lose who I am. I set out to make great music, songs I can identify with and connect with and do it justice." Remaining true has given him the confidence to say that in spite of it all, he has put his heart and soul into each and every project. "I have something to hold my head up about and be proud," he says. That comes from walking in his musical truth. 

His beginnings were not so full of pride. Johnny relayed to me how when he first started in the business at the age of 15 he was not always the best of himself. "There was no blueprint about how you are supposed to be and act," he told me. "All the things you have to learn growing up in this business---the ups and downs that come with it---now make me blessed that I have my fans there for support." He understands that it is all a process, a machine that brings it all to life. The process that gets his music to the masses is something he feels more connected with, and he knows it's important not to take any of it lightly. 

To his fans, Johnny says this: "Thank you. Know that I don't take you or my success for granted. I couldn't have done this without you. "

Johnny Gill's music is available through online retailers like itunes and Amazon.com. Stay in contact with him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/realjohnnygill. His website is currently under construction but you can find it at www.johnnygill.com. 

Ricky Whittle: Finding Success By Being True to Himself

by Cyrus Webb

We have all heard the saying "To thine own self be true." For many that might not resonate, but for Ricky Whittle there could not be a truer saying that explains the success he has been able to have.

Many in the United States have gotten to know him from his role as Charles on VH1's hit show SINGLE LADIES, but the U.K.-born model and actor had already made a name for himself on shows like Dream Team and Hollyoaks and now he is ready to conquer the world.

"It's always a pleasure and an honor to be doing something that you love," Whittle told me during our conversation. When I mentioned his growing fan base through through SINGLE LADIES he told me he saw it as an amazing opportunity. "For starters it's fantastic. For them (the fans) to appreciate it is a job well done for me. " He says that his start in the states is "a great start" for him in expanding his based. "It's onward and upward from here."

The internet has been a large part of how the word has spread about this talented actor. Whittle says it's taken some getting used to, but he is adapting to how people are getting their information about him. "The world is ever changing," he says. "It really is becoming a technological place. It can be scary, but I am enjoying the opportunity to have that instant connection with my fans. That part is fantastic. I definitely like to reach out."

As much as Ricky Whittle loves what he does, acting and modeling weren't his first choices for a career, but it quickly became the only thing he wanted to do. "I didn't know until I stepped on the set of the show the Dream Team that this is what I wanted to do. I fell into acting. I wanted to be a soccer player, but being on that show changed everything. I learned from the director, cameraman, everyone I could. I am still learning. One of the best lessons came from Terence Maynard. He told me 'Don't act it just feel it. Don't try to act it because that is when it is going to look fake' That is by far the best advice I got,  and I never looked back. Now I honestly can't see myself doing anything else. I'm like Peter Pan. I get to play make believe for a living."

Though he has been fortunate, Whittle realizes that the business is not all glitz and glamour. "Some just see an easy way in or a quick buck," he says. "It's a very competitive and aggressive industry. You have to be patient and understanding. You're not going to get the chance to be seen in a lot of jobs. You have to never give up and believe in yourself, following your heart's desire."

His belief for all of is that the key to finding success is being the best form of who you can be. "You shouldn't try to imitate anyone else," he says. "Just be you. Don't be disheartened. If you're not being true to yourself you might miss out on your opportunity. Stay faithful to yourself and what you want. What's meant to be will be."

Stay in contact with Ricky Whittle on his website at www.rickywhittle.com and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/mrrickywhittle.

Photo Credit: JAIPHOTO

Actor Michael Rooker: Making Every Moment Count

by Cyrus Webb

Sometimes things just come together in such a way that you know it was just meant to be. For some it seems to be an accident or luck, but you know different. You know that where you have come from has led to this moment and that adds to the gratitude. I think this is the perfect description of the man that is Michael Rooker.

I had seen him in several movies over the years including Mississippi Burning, Replicant and one of my favorites Jumper. But it would be his role as Merle Dixon on the hit AMC show The Walking Dead that would introduce him to the world and a legion of loyal admirers.

How did this happen you might ask? The answer is simple. For almost 30 years Rooker has been tilling the ground, getting himself ready for that moment when he could show the world who he was and what he could do. That moment seems to have come.

In this frank conversation we touch on topics that not only give a glimpse of the world that Michael Rooker built but what we can do to make every moment count.

MICHAEL ROOKER ON THE WALKING DEAD:
"I am and have always been a fan of the show. I was there very early in the beginning of Season 1. I got into the show sort of a la carte, thinking I would do one or two episodes perhaps and then move on. I ended up doing a lot more. The rest is history. The whole journey is one I am very fortunate and blessed to have had because look at what's happened because of it."

MICHAEL ROOKER ON ACTING:
"I didn't know acting was going to be my thing, but I was always critical early on about what commercials I liked. I've been that guy that could pick out the phony situation. This sort of eventually through me into acting. I didn't get involved until junior college. I said to myself I know I'm good at acting. I began wondering if I could actually do what they do. I took a few classes and really enjoyed myself. 'Til this day I don't know if I was that great in the beginning, but i dug it. I honed my craft and got out and started working."

MICHAEL ROOKER ON BRINGING THE PASSION:
"This is what I do: I bring passion to roles. The authenticity I feel is picked up on by the people. "The authenticity and the passion are what I pride myself on. I try to find the truth and make it as real as possible for myself. If it feels real to me then my audience will believe it."

(NOTE: When talking about passion Michael brings up the talented cast that worked with him on The Walking Dead. "It's those sorts of experiences with other actors that make it all worth it," he says. "When I work with actors that stimulate, challenge and move your performance forward it's almost magical. I still call it our show. The actors bring it every time.")

MICHAEL ROOKER ON THE FANS:
"I'm amazed and appreciative for the fans. The love I've been showered with is phenomenal. There's not a lot I can say about that. Every time I think about it I saw 'Wow!' I've been in the business since 1982, and I have never experienced anything like this. It's really wild. I'm definitely amazed at it. Not completely used to it yet, but I don't know how you can get completely ever get used to it."

MICHAEL ROOKER ON PUSHING FORWARD:
"You can't give it up. You can always find a job to make money. The key is to be stubborn. I've always been stubborn, and it has paid off in aces. If this is really what you find joy in it's worth giving up a lot of other things for it. I work my butt off. You've just got to. My lines I know them backwards and forward. I don't try to memorize the lines. I'm concerned about what's underneath them and between them. Find what you love and just stick to it."

MICHAEL ROOKER ON THE MOMENT:
"I landed so many gigs from my first movie. What stood out was a 90 second scene, and that 90 seconds has gotten me at least a half dozen film projects. It got me started, almost like prime real estate. The lesson there is this: No matter what time you have make it count."

What a great piece of advice for all of us. No matter what the profession or how some might view the outcome, it's up to us to bring it each and every time.

Michael is still on the road, meeting fans and working on new projects. You can visit him online at www.michaelrookeronline.com. You can also stay in touch with him online through Twitter at www.twitter.com/michael_rooker.

Actor IronE Singleton: Finding His Purpose By Helping Others Identify Their Own

by Cyrus Webb

Regardless of the challenge that we face or the difficulty before us we all have the opportunity to do something great with our lives. A great example of this comes from IronE Singleton. I haven't been able to stop talking about him and his book BLINDSIDED BY THE WALKING DEAD all year.

For many who know the journey of IronE Singleton growing up you might have believed that nothing good could ever come his way. If you had bet against him, however, you would have lost big time. Today the Atlanta native has achieved his dream of being not just a working actor but one that has starred in some of the biggest television shows and movies of the past three years. Most notably he was the thug Alton alongside Sandra Bullock in The Blind Side and then in 2011 he brought to life the character T-Dog in the hit AMC show The Walking Dead. Both experiences shaped him in ways you wouldn't imagine, and he has chronicled his experiences in his memoir BLINDSIDED BY THE WALKING DEAD. It's a book that I was so impressed with that I made it one of my Top 50 Non-Fiction reads of 2013.

In the book we read that IronE knew he wanted to head to Hollywood and be known, but he could have never imagined the journey over the past few years. "I  didn't know when it was going to happen," he told me during our interview. "I just knew it was going to happen. Now that I'm living it, it's a little surreal."

Ironically, though we look at the character T-Dog as a zombie fighting machine in The Walking Dead, IronE says that he learned quite a bit about himself from the character. "The fact that T-Dog came together with so many different people to help one another, to survive....that is ultimately what it's like on this earth," he explained. "We're supposed to be looking out for each other. We can't just make it alone. We are all one. We come from the same source. That is what I realized when I was playing the character.  It's a lot bigger than the walking dead. It's more than just a tv show. It's an extreme form of reality, but it is something that people could really relate to and take their minds off of their real life situations and enjoy."

Along with his own journey IronE's book takes us into the underbelly of his community, a world that would eventually claim many of his friends and even his own mother. I asked if it was difficult to share so much of his truth that way with the world. "It wasn't difficult to share at all," he told me. "I think I needed to share it all in order to cleanse myself in order for my rebirth to take place. I had skeletons that I was dealing with. In order for me to become the person I am today I had to share with the rest of humanity." Instead of regret, IronE experienced a release. "When I did let it out things seem to flow more easily in the universe.

"My mother was a crack addict and alcoholic and died from HIV complications. Just seeing what that life (doing drugs) could do to a person told me that I didn't want to go down that road." He became strengthened in his resolve to change things around. "I was determined to never do drugs and once I had a family I talked with them about the dangers of that life. It's a hard thing to make a change," he told me. "It's a lot easier to just say you will never go down that path. It's a road of nightmares, one that's very difficult to come back from."

Ironically it was acting that also caused IronE to examine the way he was treating himself and women as well. While filming a project called Secrets which dealt with a character that was HIV positive, he says he began to do a self-evaluation. "It took me back to growing up in the inner city," he explained. "My big fear was thinking of all the women I had slept with, some of them unprotected. I started to reflect on all that I had done in my life. During the filming of the movie he was tested for HIV. When it came back negative he saw it as a message from God. "My purpose hadn't been fulfilled yet," he told me. He began setting out looking for ways to fulfill that very purpose. In 2009 that opportunity presented itself in a big way.

That year IronE Singleton began working on the movie The Blindside, and his character would become part of some of the most memorable scenes of the Academy-nominated film. After the taping he was approached by the show's star Sandra Bullock, chronicling it in his book:

"She threw her arms around me and gave me a big hug, commending me for my performance, saying I had genuinely wowed her and creeped her out at the same time. Sandy told me she panicked a little when she saw what I was putting out there, wondering how she'd be able to respond in kind. She looked forward to seeing me in Hollywood and hoped we would have the chance to work together again in the future."

When I asked him how that encounter made him feel, IronE says it was "affirmation that everything happens for a reason. This was my time. Everything I had gone through in my life had come full circle."

The same can be said about the show The Walking Dead. "My hope is that everybody uses their experiences in life to realize that there is always a better day as long as we continue to work hard and never give up. Always have truth and love in your heart, and you'll be alright."

When it comes to the message he wants his fans to take away from his career it is this: "Your purpose is to help others search for theirs and on that journey you will find yours. The only thing I have to do on this planet is to love. Do everything to where God would appreciate it. No matter what you are going through stay optimistic. Use the negative as fuel for the positive. Let it inspire you."

To stay abreast of all the new projects and appearance for IronE, visit www.ironesingleton.com and make sure to follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/ironesingleton.

To You, From Me: Walk By Faith... How?

"We walk by faith, not by sight."

Those words found in the Bible at 2 Corinthians 5:7 have really been the basis for the way I have lived my life over the past 6 years. It says to me that though things are not where you want them to be now it doesn't mean it won't get there.

When you look at your life and the decisions you have made or delayed do you see your faith in action? It's a personal and reflective question, but one that we have to ask if we truly want to move forward in our lives and in our relationships with God and others.

As you look at your year have you allowed the fear of what might go wrong stop you from pursuing all that you believe and want for yourself? Have you acted on that passion that burns within you or sought out ways to go beyond what man says you can or cannot do?

In this issue you will find amazing examples of individuals who have learned what it means to truly walk by faith. Highlighted on the cover is Jackie Carpenter. The two of us were introduced to each other in 2010. She is the author of THE BRIDGE and GEORGIA JUSTICE as well as an individual who has seen what walking by faith can do. Her journey and that of her family is the basis of the new film STAND YOUR GROUND which debuts in theaters in January 2014.

Jackie's faith and the belief that God could do what man couldn't is what she literally based her life on. How did she do it? It wasn't that she didn't try to handle situations herself. The breakthrough came when she was able to see that God was in control and that meant turning it all over to Him. It became about surrender. She could go no further for her son. She had to truly entrust him into God's arms of protection. That was all it took. God did the rest.

Jackie never intended to write a book, but the events in her life and the lessons she learned were meant for others to benefit from. Listening to God and putting her faith in action she was able to publish not one but two books about her experiences and God's victory in her life---and now a movie chronicling the events is on the way. Details can be found at www.standyourgroundmovie.com.

Do you find yourself stalled or in a place where the answer doesn't seem to be available? Ask yourself this: 'Have I surrendered? Have I given all that I am and all that I have to the One that cannot fail?' If the answer to these questions is no then you realize what has to be done. If the answer is yes, then you can be at peace that God will do what He has always said He would, and that is whatever is in His will.

May we all get to a place where we can find the peace of God that surpasses all understanding (Phil. 4:7) and be able to show others what it means to allow our faith to guide us.

Happy Reading!




Cyrus Webb, Editor-In-Chief
Conversations Magazine

Polly Campbell's Imperfect Spirituality

by Cyrus Webb

In 2013 I read hundreds of books, but I have to say that those that really stuck with me (both fiction and non-fiction) were the ones that included something that I could see pieces of myself in. A perfect example of such a title is IMPERFECT SPIRITUALITY by Polly Campbell. This book was just the kind of resource I and others need to realize the importance of who we are today and the many reasons we have to love ourselves.

Thankfully I was able to connect with the author and during our conversation we discussed not just the book but how it is making a difference in the lives of others by just stating this basic truth: You are enough.

"It's been inspiring and gratifying for me," Campbell says when I asked her about the response. "This message resonates with them but they're teaching me as well. Many of us are saddled with this concept that we need to live up to some ideal, that we have to be somehow different than how we are to be accepted." She admits that this was a part of how she lived but something changed. "I don't do that anymore. I decided that I'm imperfect. I got all this stuff, good and bad, within me. When I found my way through imperfect spirituality I really became free and liberated to live a whole life." It is that message that is also speaking to people around the world.

One of the big lessons that I learned in IMPERFECT SPIRITUALITY is the importance of realizing your value and where you can find real happiness. "People are realizing that the solution to these things is not outside of us any more," Polly says. "That's not working. It's within us, and when we realize that we are good enough to handle whatever comes we are free to do it." The process can be scary but it's necessary. "Often we have outgrown our value systems," she explains. In order to move forward we have to reexamine where we are and where we want to go. "When we know our values we can move towards them."

A great deal of this process of not just loving yourself for who you are but recognizing the gifts you bring has a great deal to do with being one within yourself. "I think a lot of times our mind and our heart are separate," Polly says. "I want to bring those things back into alignment." To do that, however, takes courage, something that she writes about a great deal in IMPERFECT SPIRITUALITY. "Courage is the thing that gives us movement. Without it we are stuck. Anytime you step into a transition in your life it requires some courage. It's an innate quality. The rest can be developed. The best way to learn is to practice it."

When you are thinking about this and the transformation in the way you think and react to life it can be a little overwhelming. The great thing to remember, though, is that you don't have to try to change everything all at once. "Take a baby step. Take a stand when the stakes are low. It's the best way to practice courage and develop more of it. When the stakes are higher it shows up for you in those moments."

Polly told me that in just reading the book IMPERFECT SPIRITUALITY readers are showing they have the courage necessary to go further. This means that you have to be open to what can be and be willing to surrender when you believe you can't go any further.

"Surrender is about being aware of myself both as a marvel and something that is so small and minute that I can't manage the entire universe by myself," she says. "When I am able to give up that element of control there is nothing but peace because then there's room for optimism and faith to push in. I make space for the larger possibility."

In the book she talks about the various ways we can show this courage and surrender. It can be as easy as stepping out of your comfort zone. "The reason I was saying no was because I was fearful.  It was easier to say no. What I realized is that my life became really restrictive. It's our nature to be creative and expansive. The energy of yes is different than the energy of no.

"When we say yes the energy in our life shifts where we attract greater possibilities and people to us. The energy of yes pushes us towards our passions and purposes and makes space for things to arrive."

Are you ready to see where you can go in the New Year? If so it begins with a decision. Find out more about Polly Campbell's own transformation and how you can begin your own at www.imperfectspirituality.com.

The Rise and Grind of Actor Vincent M. Ward

by Cyrus Webb

He has appeared on hit shows such as Everybody Hates Chris, The Starter Wife, Desperate Housewives and even Hot In Cleveland,however in 2012 fans of the hit television show The Walking Dead on AMC got to know actor Vincent M. Ward as Oscar. Regardless of when you were first introduced to him, it is evident at this very moment that the man who has been bringing characters to life for more than a decade isn't going anywhere anytime soon.

"I'm honored to be here," Ward told me during our conversation together. "I'm accomplishing stuff that I never dreamed of. I look at myself as being a normal person that just happens to be on some of the shows that people like."

And like him and the show The Walking Dead fans do! I asked Vincent if he thought that where he is right now is really a result of the hard work he has put in over the years paying off. "Most definitely," he replied, but he went on to add that it required some changes in him as well. "God had to humble me in some things," he explained. "I always tell people the best is yet to come. When I am walking out on faith then more doors are going to open. That's why I try to stay in a place where I can do what God has put me here to do."

Vincent is definitely eclectic in his interest, even last year releasing an erotic spoken word cd called Eargasms. When I asked him about it he says he was encouraged to do it because of his voice but is going to "leave that for the professionals." "I told myself that I'm going to stay in my lane and stick to acting," he told me. The decision to be careful with what he puts out he says 'comes with the walk.' "I'm trying my best not to straddle the fence." We would talk more about that fence and his responsibility to his fans a little later.

I went on to ask Vincent when he looked at what he's been able to do does it really feel as though he has found his place when it comes to acting. "I believe this is where I belong," he told me. "I didn't choose acting. It chose me. I tell this story all the time how I walked in a theater in Ohio for my first play and fell in love with it. To be here now and to get up and rise and grind is a blessing. I tell myself that you're going to be one of the best in this industry, and that is what I expect to do. Anytime you stick with something it's bound to pay off sooner or later. People would ask me if it doesn't work out with acting what are you going to fall back on. I told them I don't have anything to fall back on because I'm going to fall on what I love, and that's acting."

That positive attitude and that passion is a key to why he has become so popular, even after his time on the show ended. Vincent M. Ward literally has fans around the world that attend events or communicate with him online. I asked him about that layer of his success. "I've gotten used to the fans," he says, "but I'm just a regular guy. The biggest thing I have going for me is my personality." Vincent told me he doesn't understand some in the public eye distancing themselves from their fans and their base. To him it is a privilege to have them and spend time with them. "It can be taken away just as quickly as it was given to me," he says. "I don't like to even call them fans. To me they are people who support what I do, and I love them for that. I'm probably just as excited to meet them as they are to meet me."

Probably one of the most poignant times during our conversation was when I asked Vincent what it was like to be a part of a show like The Walking Dead. His answer surprised me. "To be honest two years ago I didn't even know what The Walking Dead was. I was asked about being on their and I said 'Why would I want to be on a show about zombies.' I found out, though, it's more than just zombies. It's the actors and the writing that make the show. It's the best cast and crew I've ever worked with and that's saying a lot. We all came to it with the thought 'let's make greatness.' In reality the character Oscar is not too far from who I am in real life." Vincent went on to say that he knew the show was a hit when he would call his mom and she would start reciting his lines.

Picking up on his point about the show being more than just about zombies I asked Vincent about the commentary that the show The Walking Dead presented when it comes to mankind, how even in times of trouble we can't all band together. "It's just like Katrina," he told me. "As bad as it was then people were still raping and stealing from each other. You're always going to have a bad person no matter what is going on. That's one of the reasons the show definitely hits home. There is always going to be someone who lives their life the way they want to live it."

Earlier in our talk Vincent had mentioned the importance of not straddling the fence. I asked him what responsibility did he feel to those who do admire and look up to him. "It starts at home with your parents and your teachers," he began. "Our fans have to remember that we're normal people too. We're going to make mistakes, and you have to remember that when you see us on a show we're playing a role. It's all fake. When we shoot someone on set and the director yells 'Cut!', they get up. In the real world when you shoot someone on the street they're not getting up. You have to be wise about the decisions you make in life. Life is about choices. You make that wrong choice and that could be the end of your life. You have to think about the people that are there for you to support you. When you mess us we all have to pay for it."

No matter what your calling in life Vincent says his advice to you would be the same as for himself: "Rise and grind. Get up everyday and do something to better your life or somebody else's life. Be ready so you don't have to get ready. If you're looking to break into the entertainment industry have your head shot and your business cards. No matter what have a good attitude. Make the people want to work with you."

Vincent is preparing for the release of new movies and plays in the near future. To stay abreast with his projects and upcoming appearances visit his website www.vincentmward.com and stay in touch with his Twitter updates at www.twitter.com/vincentmward.