VELVET CHAIR EXPERIENCE AT THE SYMPHONY!

 "THE ULTIMATE SHARED EXPERIENCE!"

(Chattanooga, Tennessee)--There are moments when you can feel something special taking shape… and last night the stars were aligned.

I had the privilege of sitting in on the dress rehearsal for the 4th-season opener of The Velvet Chair Experience, and this time, Karen Collins has elevated the vision to new heights.

Hearing classics like “Unforgettable” with the full power of the Chattanooga Symphony Orchestra… it honestly brought me to tears.

Karen Collins, this is what it looks like to believe the dream all the way through. And tonight, you’re giving Chattanooga the ultimate shared experience!

Tennessee Valley, don't miss out on this enchanted evening!

ACTRESS TEYANA TAYLOR TAKES THE "BOSSES CHAIR" AT ESSENCE FEST 2026!

 FRESH FROM THE OSCARS STAGE IN HOLLYWOOD!

(March 20, 2026) Singer, songwriter, actress, and entrepreneur Teyana Taylor sits at the helm of one of the largest music festivals in the country.

Fresh off the Oscars stage in Hollywood, Teyana and her creative company, The Aunties, as Chief Curator for 2026, will change the weekend in ways organizers proclaim you will feel from the first day to the last.

She Is Not Just a Name on a Press Release...

She's more than the entry on an awards ceremony envelope.

The Essence Black Women in Hollywood honoree. Golden Globe winner. Oscar-nominated actress and GRAMMY-nominated singer. We have watched her build The Aunties into one of the most intentional creative companies working right now. What she does, across music, film, fashion, and stage design, is exactly what will shape the full Festival of Culture experience from the moment you walk through the doors on July 3 to the moment the lights come up on July 5.

In her words: "ESSENCE has always been more than a festival — it is a reunion. I'm a true Auntie. The one in your corner, cheering you on, telling you the truth with love, and making sure every room you walk into knows you belong there. That's what I'm bringing to this programming."

That is the energy we are coming with this summer. Teyana and The Aunties work directly with our programming, talent, and community teams, shaping the mainstage, the daytime experiences, and the moments in between so the entire weekend tells one cohesive and uplifting story.

So don't miss the high-energy presence that was the talk of the awards season this year in one of the "sauciest cities in the world," New Orleans.

Teyana Taylor is not new to this; she's "true to this!" This time she's gracing the stage as a "real boss!"

For more ticket information, visit: https://www.essence.com/essencefestival2026/...

PROUD SPONSOR: BEHIND THE MASK CONFERENCE 2026

💜 PROUD SPONSOR ANNOUNCEMENT 💜

Walton and Associates is honored to sponsor the Behind the Mask Conference 2026, "Reimagined, Rebuilt, and Ready to Reclaim!"

This purpose-driven experience continues to create the ultimate safe space for women to heal, grow, and thrive. We’re proud to stand alongside this powerful movement of restoration and renewal.

Join us March 6–7, 2026, in North Augusta, South Carolina.

👉 Registration is now open!

Visit: BEHIND THE MASK WEBSITE

REMEMBERING A LIFE WELL LIVED: ACTOR DEMOND WILSON DIED AT 79.

 

(January 31, 2026)  To generations of television viewers in the 70s, Demond Wilson was simply known as Lamont, the contract son of Red Foxx's Fred Sanford in the NBC hit "Sanford and Son."  Wilson, who left the bright lights of Hollywood to become a minister, has died. He was 79.

Mark Goldman, a spokesperson for the family, confirmed that Wilson passed peacefully on Friday following complications from cancer.