Ebony Pre-Oscar Celebration

Ebony, May, 2008 by Bryan Monroe

More than 800 celebrities, business leaders and Hollywood luminaries braved a damp Los Angeles evening to help EBONY magazine mark its 4th Pre-Oscar Celebration at the Boulevard 3 nightclub ill Hollywood.

The event honored four legends in the film and entertainment world--Denzel Washington, Ruby Dee, Quincy Jones and Dana (Queen Latifah) Owens--and brought together stars in music, films, fashion and television.

In front of flashing cameras and paparazzi, talk show host Star Jones, in a short, elegant black dress, graced the red carpet while for mer ER actor Eriq La Salle, sporting a lavender tie, chatted with Montel Williams.

Inside, on the second-floor landing, music legend Quincy Jones swapped stories with former Motown executive Clarence Avant as singer Natalie Cole, in a gorgeous blue outfit, laughed in the background with Johnson Publishing Company CEO Linda Johnson Rice, sporting a floral print cocktail dress designed by b michael. In the cabana next door, Washington admired one of the dozen special commemorative satin pillows emblazoned with covers of EBONY magazine while his wife, Pauletta, browsed through the VIP gifting suite downstairs.

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Jazz icon Al Jarreau, sporting his signature beret, talked to TV reporters about his latest CD of love songs. Meanwhile, actress Tracee Ellis Ross turned heads and floated past celebrity stylist Phillip Bloch as she traded hugs with friends.

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Co-emcee Kevin Frazier, joined on the stage by Shaun Robinson, kicked off the event by showing off one of the commemorative pillows featuring the March EBONY cover of Barack Obama. "It just made me think back to [EBONY founder John H. Johnson] and starting this magazine and the strides this country has made and how proud he would be," Frazier said. "If he could be here this evening, to see this moment, and have this magazine in his hands. Congratulations to EBONY, and congratulations to this country."

Denzel, in accepting his award, echoed sentiments about the role EBONY played in his life. "Like many of you all, I grew up reading EBONY and Jet, and, as a child, imagining and dreaming about the house that James Brown lived in on Long Island, Teddy Pendergrass and everybody else who were on the covers. Never in my wildest imagination, some 40 years later, did I ever think that I would be able to grace the cover of EBONY and be recognized."

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Quincy Jones recalled how John H. Johnson was one of his first mentors. "This is very personal to me. He used to tell me, 'Brothers always looking to fill somebody else's shoes. There ain't no brains in your shoes!'"

Academy Award-nominee Ruby Dee summed it up: "I can't imagine what a world would be like had John Johnson not been here on this earth, to celebrate so much of what so many of us are struggling for and have become. Thank You, Dear EBONY, I am honored."

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1. Honoree Denzel Washington 2. Baseball great Dave Winfield 3. Tracee Ellis Ross and Eriq La Salle 4. Al Jarreau and son Ryan 5. Tyrese Gibson 6. Suzanne de Passe and Dolores Robinson 7. Frenchie Davis 8. Sheryl Lee Ralph and Natalie Cole 9. Rolanda Watts 10. Danny Bakewell and Holly Robinson Peete 11. Kelly Perine 12. Honoree Quincy Jones 13. Rockmond Dunbar 14. Salli Richardson and Dondre Whitfield 15. Tonya Lewis Lee, Cookie Johnson, LaTanya Richardson, Vanessa Bell Calloway 16. Star Jones and Kevin Hooks 17. Richard Roundtree 18. Prince's backup singers, The Twinz (Nandy and Maya McClean) 19. Margaret Avery 20. Honoree Ruby Dee 21. Karrine Steffans 22. George Fuller, LisaRaye, Reggie Wells 23. Niecy Nash 24. Omarosa Manigault-Stallworth 25. A full house at the 2008 EBONY Pre-Oscar Celebration 26. George Daniels 27. Shaun Robinson 28. Mark Curry 29. Freda Payne

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30. Quincy Jones: Linda Johnson Rice: Marc Perry Multicultural Marketing Manager. Lincoln Motor Division 31. Roy Brannon. Managing Director Camelot Communications: Marian Thompson. Multicultural Marketing Specialist, Southwest Airlines: David Barr, Midwest Associate Advertising Manager. EBONY 32. Customized EBONY pillows and decor greeted guests 33. Event was hosted by Kevin FrazJer of Entertainment Tonight and Shaun Robinson of Access Hollywood 34. Linda Johnson Rice and Johnny Furr Jr. Vice President, Urban Marketing & Community Affairs. Anheuser-Busch. making a donation for JHJ School of Communications at Howard University 35. Linda Johnson Rice and Chandra Coleman. Assistant Brand Manager. Cover Girl Queen Collection making a donation for the JHJ School of Communications at Howard University 36. (L to R) Hoyett Owens. Chairman. OwensMorris Communications: Faith Morris. President/Chief Strategist OwensMorris Communications: Rose Catherine Pinkney EVP. Programming & Production. TV One: Toni Judkins. VR Programming & Production. TV One: Michelle Rice. SVR Distribution & Strategy. TV One: Nikki Webber. Director. Talent TV One: Bernard Bell, SVE Office of the President. TV One 37. Linda Johnson Rice with Roberto Cristobal. Partner Black Ice Fine Jewelry presenting Quincy Jones with a watch from the Black Ice Fine Jewelry collection.