So after Pepsi’s latest commercial dropped with Beyonce, I happened to overhear a coworker exclaim, “that was the best commercial I’ve ever seen.” Umm, it was a good commercial and all — great maybe — but the best? I wasn’t so sure. So, I had to dip back into my Pepsi inventory and recall some of the cola brand’s spokespersons over the years and after checking out a few videos, I have to say there have been a lot of commercials that could give this latest a run for its money — not that this is a competition or anything. But Pepsi has had some excellent commercials over the years. Here are 10 of the best.

Ray Charles performing in 2003. AP Photo/Winslow Townson

For the past 25 years Morehouse College has held the “A Candle in the Dark” gala, the largest fundraiser for the historically black college. During this year’s event, The Ray Charles Foundation bestowed a $3 million gift on the only all-male historically black institution of higher learning in the United States.

According to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the gift will go towards the naming of the academic wing of the Ray Charles Performing Arts Center at the college after Charles’ mother, Aretha Robinson.

“I know that Ray Charles had a long-standing relationship with Morehouse based on professionalism, integrity and honesty,” Valerie Ervin, president of the foundation, said in a statement. “He genuinely valued the education and preparation that Morehouse provides to young men.”

In the past, Charles had been invited to perform with the college’s jazz ensemble. It was actually Charles’ long-time manager, Joe Adams, who introduced the music legend to Morehouse. Adams was an avid contributor to Morehouse, having given a personal gift in support of the construction of the performing arts center now named for Charles, reports the newspaper.

“Morehouse is fortunate to have been able to forge a relationship with Mr. Charles. More important, we are grateful to him, Ms. Ervin, and The Ray Charles Foundation for all they have done to promote appreciation of the arts and humanities and to further music education at the College,” said Morehouse president John Silvanus Wilson Jr. in a press statement.

This isn’t the first monetary gift that has been made in the singer’s name. In 2001 after receiving an honorary degree from Morehouse, Charles made two $1 million gifts to the school.  Morehouse was not actually the first choice for a performing arts center in his name. That would be Albany State University.  But, according to AJC, late last year the foundation reclaimed $1.2 million of $3 million in donations to Albany State because the school did not use the money to build a performing arts center. Charles, who died in 2004, made gifts totaling $3 million to Albany State in 2001 and 2002 to build a performing arts center named in honor of his mother. The building was never built.

When the foundation asked that the university return the money, the Georgia Attorney General Sam Olens even stepped in. Albany State President Everette J. Freeman said that returning the money “brings to a close negotiations with the Ray Charles Foundation,” reports AJC.

Hopefully, Morehouse will go forward with their plans to build the performing arts center. The Ray Charles Foundation will obviously hold Morehouse to its promise.

Before 2004, Jamie Foxx was a comedian, known for his standup and his role as “Wanda” on “In Living Color.” Sure, he’d been in a couple of movies; but he’d only really flexed his acting chops in Any Given Sunday. Booty Call won’t necessarily go down in history as a classic. But all of that changed in 2004, when Jamie Foxx landed the role of a lifetime, portraying legendary musician Ray Charles. From that moment on Jamie was an actor, a true thespian. You saw the movie, you were amazed by the performances but we bet you don’t know these behind the scenes secrets. Check them out.

R&B singer Ne-Yo made headlines recently when he revealed that he turned down the chance to play Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. because he didn’t want to gain 30 pounds. He may have passed on a career defining opportunity, but after his role in Red Tails, maybe not…

In the acting world, getting the chance to play someone famous in a biopic is sure to take a career to the next level, and these days, everybody is doing it. Usher has already spoken out about the high expectations he has for his upcoming role as Sugar Ray Leonard. He wants an Oscar. He’d be following in the footsteps of fellow entertainers and actors who have stepped into the shoes of iconic public figures and created a path towards podiums in doing so.

Source: totallytop10.com

Denzel Washington
Denzel was robbed of an Oscar for his portrayal of slain civil rights activist Malcolm X in 1993. Denzel assumed the identity of the complex man with ease and grace. He spoke the way Malcolm spoke. He carried himself the way Malcolm did and he made people feel as passionately about the Nation of Islam as the leader did with his nuanced performance. Denzel thoroughly inhabited the role of Malcolm through his cadence, posture and every inflection to the point where it felt he was no longer acting. He became Malcolm Little turned unconventional hero. Denzel may not have won the Oscar for the biopic, but the universal praise for his performance should be a fitting consolation.

Source: neorepublica.com

Source: hellobeautiful.com

From hellobeautiful.com

R. Kelly taps into the past and takes a lot of what set Ray Charles apart from his competition and used it in his latest track, “All Rounds On Me.” The always-inspired Kelly used funk, soul and R&B to create a song that’s as soulful as it is funky.

Read more at hellobeautiful.com

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(Reuters) — Ray Charles is a music publisher’s dream. Not only did he write songs that stand the test of time, but his interpretations of other songwriters’ tunes could turn them into royalty-generating goldmines. Charles wrote classics like “What’d I Say?” and made other songwriters’ tunes into hits as well. His version of “Georgia On My Mind,” written by Hoagy Carmichael and Stuart Gorrel, went to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1960, even though it had been recorded by plenty of well-known performers before then.

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