11th Annual Birmingham Heritage Festival
Rain dampens kickoff
The Birmingham News
The 11th annual Birmingham Heritage Festival began amid rain Friday night but organizer
Larry Allen insisted that precipitation equaled inspiration.
"It was perfect timing," Allen said. "It was God's blessings and anointings anew." But when the gates opened, the event's staff was staring at empty streets, and Allen gave a dry prediction for this weekend's attendance: "At least 200 to 300 people."
Soon the rain stopped and about 8 p.m. people began to trickle in. R&B act Lisa & the Elusions cranked up the music and Lisa herself strutted the stage sporting a red sequined vest and big, black cowgirl hat. Midfield resident Crystal Crum and her sister, Erica Moore, stood among the crowd slumping and listening as Lisa worked her heart out. "I'm waiting on Dave Hollister," Ms. Crum said, referring to the R&B singer whose big hit was "Baby Mama Drama."
With fewer stages - three music stages and a poetry stage - the weekend Heritage Festival appeared to have shrunk since last year. real deal is we have to work within our budget," Allen said. He said he didn't get as much sponsorship as he had hoped for because many dollars went to the financially troubled City Stages. "Where is the justice in that?" he said.
But with acts such as the Isley Brothers and Spyro Gyra, Allen said he was expecting a success. Yvonne Bowie of Knoxville was visiting the Civil Rights District with friends when she and her husband, Stan Bowie, stumbled upon the festival. They decided to buy tickets and stay. "I want to hear some reggae," Mrs. Bowie shrieked. She's from Jamaica. Sitting on the porch of the Freedom Manor retirement home on Fifth Avenue, about 15 elderly women were warding off the steamy heat with paper fans and watching people walk by. "We want to hear the gospel stage," Lucille Jackson said.
Dozens of vendors lined the streets selling everything from fish to CDs to sunglasses. Some had loudspeakers from which they blared hip-hop and reggae tunes.
David Primus and his daughter, Samesha Jones, were selling shaved ice in 21 flavors ranging from tutti-frutti to the perhaps appetizing Tiger's Blood. Primus feared that requiring a separate ticket for the R. Kelly concert Sunday at Boutwell Auditorium would hurt business.
"Many people can't pay $30 for the festival then another $35 for a concert," he said. The Heritage Festival "could have 20,000 more people at the concert." Allen disagreed. "It's all one event," he said. "How could part of it hurt the Heritage Festival? It's all the Heritage Festival." Allen said he always has planned to hold indoor concerts to complement the outdoor festival. When he heard R.Kelly was bringing his sex-suffused self to Birmingham on that date he jumped on the opportunity to sponsor the concert, he said.
Ms. Crum said she will definitely attend the festival and the concert both on Sunday. "R. Kelly? "Girl, yeah." The festival will continue today and Sunday from 2 p.m. to midnight. Today's headliners are R&B singer Musiq Soulchild, rap group UGK and blues maven Koko Taylor. Daily tickets are $15, and weekend passes are $30.
MARIE A. JONES News staff writer
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Calhoun, of Calhoun Enterprises joined forces
Lisa & E-lusion and Titanium Entertainment
Westside Weekly
MONTGOMERY - Mr. Gregory Calhoun of Calhoun Enterprises joined forces with Lisa Perkins and Lisa & The E-Lusion and Titanium Entertainment early last month. Ms Perkins was performing at "The Rose Supper Club" with here brother Eric, for a re-election campaign for Mr. John Knight, when in walks Mr. Calhoun, whom was mesmerized by the silky vocals of Ms. Perkins, and the dynamic instrumentation of her brother Eric.
"I've heard some other bands around here, but none of them seem to have their act together like you guys do." said Calhoun.
"As soon as I exited the stage, Mr. Calhoun called me over, and asked if we were busy on Saturday." said Ms. Perkins. "We did have a date scheduled, but he said if I could get out of our gig on Saturday, that he would like to fly us out to Atlantic to perform for the after party for
Evander Holyfield. Needless to say, I canceled Saturday's show, and we hopped a plane to New Jersey early that Saturday morning," she said.
Everyone was impressed with the band's performance in Atlantic City, especially the big superstars such as Jay-zee, Julius Erving, Donald Trump, O.J. Simpson and many others that were in attendance. "We thank God for sending Greg Calhoun to us. He is truly a blessing!" Ms. Perkins said.
Titanium Entertainment currently has a "New Music" CD, featuring Eric & Lisa Perkins already in record stores in Montgomery.
Copyright 2002, WALTERS & COMPANY
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Local R&B act hangs out with former champ
The Montgomery Advertiser
MONTGOMERY, AL - Finally, Montgomery's own R&B group, Lisa & The E-Lusion, was invited to perform at a party thrown for Evander Holyfield earlier this month after his fight with Haseem Rahman.
Lisa Perkins (the Lisa of Lisa and The E-Lusion) and her brother Eric Perkins (who both performs with his sister and separatly as Eric P) were flown to Atlantic City, where they performed at the Trump Taj Mahal. They not only played for but got to meet Holyfield, Donald Trump and other celebrities.
The E-Lusion was created by Perkins in 1999. Perkins, who has been singing before audiences since she was 12, plans to release the recording "At Last" under the name Lisa P in about a month on her and her brother's Titanium Entertainment label.
Eric's album will be released before then. His "Hoodrat" by Eric P is expected out within the next few weeks.
Rick Harmon is features editor for the Montgomery Advertiser.
Copyright 2002, WALTERS & COMPANY
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Lisa and The E-Lusion Performs
at Fall Music Festival ASU Sept.22
Westside Weekly
MONTGOMERY - There are many musical organization, but none like Lisa & "The E-Lusion". This band consists of six Montgomery natives, well known entertaining audiences of all ages with an incredibly wide variety of musical styles.
Lisa & "The E-Lusion" was created by Lisa Perkins of Montgomery, Alabama. Seventeen year of musical experience has given Lisa the privilege of working with such bands as The "Accent" band, The "Style" band, Passion, Xtreme Caution, Celebration, and "The Perkins Band".
The Ultimate goal of Lisa & "The E-Lusion" is to be Top-Notch recording artist, whom will take the music industry by storm. They provide music for your soul.
Copyright 2002, WALTERS & COMPANY
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Music executive plays what she promotes
Lisa Perkins-Jackson is in the music business.
The Montgomery Advertiser
The business of entertainment management and the business of making music. Perkins co-owns Titanium Entertainment – a Montgomery-based recording, production, management and publishing company.
The Wetumpka resident, also leads and manages her band, Lisa The E-Lusions.
In addition, she holds a full-time job as the County Veterans Affairs assistant for Autauga and Elmore counties. In this position, she assists and counsels veterans and their dependents on the various VA benefits available to them. Perkins operates the Elmore County office alone in a county that has more than 7,500 veterans.
During her 13 years of employment with the State of Alabama, Perkins has risen from a receptionist to her current position, which requires her to manage an office.
"Balancing two full-time careers with three children in tow, it is simply amazing to watch her handle it all," her Leading 40 under 40 nomination read.
She has sang for just about everyone from Gov. Don Siegelman to Donald Trump.
If that is not enough, she is also very active in her church, Resurrection Catholic Church, where she is a member of the choir, and in the community, where she holds a number of positions. She is a member of the advisory board for the Central Alabama Aging Consortium for Autauga and Elmore counties and president of the Autauga County Chapter of Alabama State Employees Association.
Perkins said her goal is to see her entertainment company reach the levels of Columbia, Arista or Bad Boy Entertainment.
"And I feel that we are off to a very good start," Perkins added.
In the three short years since Perkins created Lisa The E-Lusions, the band has been approached by Columbia Records and will soon begin negotiating a recording contract with Real Deal Records -- a company owned by Evander Holyfield.
Ambitious and talented are the remarks that one Central Alabama Business Journal judge used to describe the up and coming musical talent who is currently in negotiations with the Commodores to be the opening act for the legendary pop music band during an upcoming Las Vegas show.
Lisa and the E-Lusions have already opened for such legendary acts as The Isley Brothers, The Bar Kays, Confunction and Dave Hollister.
With more than 10 years of experience in managing and promoting bands, artists development, counseling and public relations, Perkins plans to release her debut CD in early January 2003. Her ultimate goal is to win a Grammy award.
"As long as you put God first and foremost in your life, anything is possible," Perkins said. "You have to also know what you want and go after it, accepting nothing less than the best, and always, no matter what, be professional.
"The music industry is a very tough business. You have to take the good with the bad, the bitter with the sweet. Just realize your dream, and turn it into a reality," she said.
When asked what she thinks is the most critical economic development issue facing central Alabama, Perkins said it is that there are not nearly enough large businesses in this area to help the economy grow as strongly as it is in larger cities.
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Montgomery band meets Donald Trump
Montgomery Advertiser
On June 1, Montgomerians Lisa, Todd and Eric Perkins experienced a celebrity sighting of the wealthy kind when they spotted and met Donald Trump at the Taj Mahal in
Atlantic City, N.J.
Lisa and her brothers make up part of a seven-piece band called Lisa and the E-Lusion. They were in Atlantic City entertaining the guests at an after-party following boxer
Evander Holyfield's last fight.
"We were performing at the Rose Supper Club in Montgomery that prior Wednesday, and in walks one of the sponsors of Evander Holyfield," Lisa said. "He asked if we
were booked for Saturday night. We were, but he said if we could get out of it, he wanted to fly us out to Atlantic City to perform at the after-party."
Needless to say, they dropped everything, hopped a plane to New Jersey and apparently blew the crowd at the Trump Taj Nahal away. Lisa was just notified that the band
has been invited to play at Holyfield's home for the Fourth of July.
"I guessed he liked us," Lisa said.
Aside from Trump, who Lisa said was really nice but always in a hurry, several other VIPs were there, including basketball great Julius Irving and musicians L.A. Reid and
Jay Z.
Jennifer Kornegay is a freelance writer who covers social events for the Montgomery Advertiser.
Copyright 2002, TERS & COMPANYWAL
