St8 of Grace Gives It Straightforward on 'Hereafter'

Courtesy of St8 of Grace

To some it might sound like divine intervention that the members of St8 of Grace came to be a band. But anyone who listens to the music created by the Chicago-based rock group will quickly see that they were destined to perform with each other.

In a recent conference call lead vocalist and guitar player Lemoyne Alexander (aka L.A.), bassist and vocalist Ben Sticklen and guitarist Dave Moreno talked about how the band they formed with keyboardist Rio Colone and drummer Parker Slade.

As Sticklen recounted, "L.A. actually came in as a producer to produce a project that I was working on called Black Thumb. They were a heavier rock band and that project ended up that the pieces didn't work out… So L.A. pulled me aside and said, 'I really like your ethic and I think we could make some good songs together if we put our two heads together. He went and got a guy and I got a guy, and we started writing our first album. And that's how it started."

Charlie McDermott Takes Axl to College on The Middle

Photo by ABC/Bob D'Amico

It's that time of year. The temperature is cooling down. The holiday conversations are heating up. And the kids have all gone back to school. Well, almost all of the kids. Tonight, on the season premiere of The Middle, Axl Heck is actually finally heading off on his big college adventure. Of course, in true The Middle fashion it wouldn't be a road trip if the whole Heck family didn't tag along. Needless to say that's sure to cause a whole lot of trouble. 

In a recent interview, the man behind Axl, Charlie McDermott, confirmed that wackiness will ensue on the opener. According to Charlie, "Axl wants just his dad to bring him to college, drop him off and leave him there but it becomes a family event. The road to college is plagued with lots of detours by Sue, which drives him nuts."

But it seems that Axl isn't going to be able to blame all of his troubles on his younger sister. The hippest Heck isn't necessarily going to be the big man on campus according to Charlie. As he explained, "Axl arrives to a very cold, unfriendly roommate. He's optimistic at first but that optimism quickly changes and becomes a slight panic when he realizes that his cool from high school has worn off and has no effect on this new land he's encountering."

There's Double the Girl Power in the 'Shark Tank' This Season

Photo courtesy of ABC/Bob D'Amico

Each year five brilliant, if not always friendly, business moguls have taken a dip in the Shark Tank to lure would be entrepreneurs into their nets. Viewers have become accustomed to seeing either Barbara Corcoran or Lori Greiner seated alongside the four male Sharks — Mark Cuban, Daymond John, Robert Herjavec and Kevin O'Leary. But this year things are going to be different. For the first time the ladies will be on the panel at the same time.

Fans aren't the only ones who have been dying to see the female Sharks in the Tank simultaneously. As Corcoran pointed out, "It's been maybe two years over due, in my opinion. But we're happy we're here."

Just because they're both women doesn't mean they're predisposed to making deals with each other right off the bat. When asked if they've automatically joined forces to enlist would be entrepreneurs, Corcoran said, "Not yet. Not by design. We're almost gender blind. It's just like business as usual."

Greiner agreed that they don't make deals based on the fact that they're girls. "We're Sharks. I don't go into the Tank and think I'm a woman in the Shark Tank. I don't think I'm a woman in business. I think I'm a person in business."

The inventor and QVC icon continued, "I do not see myself as a woman in business and I didn't grow up thinking that way. I thought I can do anything that I put my mind to doing. And so as I'm sitting up there, I'm just making the right decisions, the smart decisions and my gender has nothing to do with it for me."

Not surprisingly, their male counterparts don't underestimate them just because they're female either. In fact, John admitted he might have dodged a bullet by not sharing the stage with them, saying, "They're really brilliant and they have different ways of negotiating. Lori is very rigid and very laser focused. Barbara is, too, but she goes about her negotiation very, very like the wandering Columbo, Mr. Magoo. And then all of a sudden she comes back and she nails you. And Barbara always does the girl power thing. Fascinating negotiators and I'm not certain if I wanted to be on that panel with both of them because I tend to lose a lot of deals to both of them. So two of them, I would probably really not get a deal done."

Of course, many fans will be eagerly watching to see if there's any fur flying this season but they might not get what they're looking for. According to Barbara, "On the set we have no contention really. But we really should. It would be better for the show because everybody would like to see at least one Shark fight between the girls."

Greiner agreed, "Barbara and I, we get along. We're strong, smart women. We have to respect each other for being where we are. And also, we have fun together."

She added, "A lot of people in the audience, if they're girls, they're rooting for the girls. They want to see that camaraderie."

For his part, Herjavec admitted that he has witnessed that positive vibe at play. "I would have thought it would be a lot more confrontational but they get along well and they bring a different perspective."

But Cuban had a different perspective. "I think it's more confrontational… They go at it. They're both so competitive. And I'll be honest, everybody realizes, now that some Sharks are on and off, that you've got to be at the top of your game or you might be replaced. We have guest Sharks and everything, so that's also raised the game of all the Sharks."

Perhaps there's even more at stake for the ladies. As Greiner noted, "Women have had a long way to go and it's harder for women. It still is. We're in a world today where it still is harder for women."

Yet having the two female business powerhouses on the panel together is certainly a major step forward. As Corcoran acknowledged, "The minority has doubled, so it's less of a minority. But back to when we were the token woman on the set, it sends a very bad message. It sends a bad message — I don’t want to say to the young girls at home — some of them want to be Miss America, some of them really want to be in business. So you open that channel. You see two females on a set of guys, looking like they're smart like the guys and right away that is half the power of having two women on the set, before they open their mouths because it sends a visual message."

At that, Greiner chimed in, "Women are equal to men." Not according to Barbara, who declared, "No, women are better than men."

Tune in to watch the battle of the sexes unfold when the new season of Shark Tank premieres on Friday, September 20 at 9 p.m. EST/8 p.m. Central on ABC. And get advice from the experts in the new book Shark Tank: Jump Start Your Business, featuring contributions by the stars of the show.

Steve Roberts and Sandy Moore Shine a Light on Indie Filmmakers

Every day, kids all around the world dream of a future in Hollywood. Some hope of being stars. Others imagine what it would be like to be a big time director. That was not the case decades ago for Steve Roberts or Sandy Moore. But not only did they end up in the film industry, they have become champions for independent filmmakers everywhere.

In reality, a young Roberts never imagined he would end up in the entertainment business. After all he grew up in Nebraska, which he joking called the "film Mecca of the world" in a recent exclusive interview.

Still, he was a film fan growing up. In college he developed an interest in photography and majored in Business Administration. Those skills made him the perfect candidate to be a field rep for a video wholesaler in the early days of home video. His work in that arena led to a job with Paramount Pictures' home entertainment sales team.

After 18 years with the company and a promotion to Vice President of sales for their retail and distribution team along the way, Roberts finally decided to hang his own shingle with Moore.

The Cast of For Better or Worse Inspires

Photo courtesy of OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network

We always love going to the OWN offices for press events. The staff could not possibly be any nicer or more welcoming, the food never disappoints and we always leave feeling uplifted. Last week’s visit of an event supporting Tyler Perry’s For Better of Worse was no exception. They are clearly a cast who love to work and thrive on inspiring others.

To begin with as we rounded the corner to enter the event, we almost literally, walked right into Ms. Winfrey herself. And then before the cast of For Better of Worse took the stage, Oprah came out and welcomed the press and thanked us all for our support we have provided her as she builds the network.

Next the cast of For Better of Worse were welcomed to the stage. Kent Faulcon (Richard Ellington), Kiki Haynes (Keisha), Michael Jai White (Marcus Williams), Tasha Smith (Angela Williams), Brad James (Todd) and Cocoa Brown (Jennifer) all spoke about what it means to be on OWN and what it means to be inspiring other African-Americans.

This is the third season of For Better of Worse, which aired for two years on TBS and is making the move to OWN for its third go around. The show focuses on three couples as they navigate the joys and pitfalls of relationships.

The cast is thrilled to be at OWN and feel completely welcomed into the family. Tasha Smith commented, “First of all, we all love Miss Oprah… We’re at OWN and we’re excited about it. And we have high expectations and we have nothing but faith and belief that the same people who loved the show before are going to continue to love the show and we will also gain a whole new audience, that’s going to love the show even more. We’re very grateful and excited for the opportunity and for Oprah to believe in us enough to allow us to be part of this fantastic network. We expect nothing but the best.”

They are also hopeful that being on OWN will help them influence audiences that tune into the show. Tasha said, “Images inspire and provoke people to dream, to pursue them dreams and to believe in themselves. So I feel as African American people, it’s important for us to be able to put positive images on the screen that our daughters, our granddaughters and our children to come will be inspired by so that they can purse a dream and believe that they can come true regardless of what obstacles are in front of them.”

She added, “For all of the characters to be smart, to be educated, to be beautiful, I feel it’s much needed because we’ve seen enough negative images of ourselves and they have discouraged that young black man or that young black woman… It’s important for us to do this... Anything that’s going to empower that race of young people coming behind to live a great life because they really are our future.”

Brad James added, “Everybody knows it’s easier to make something that’s purely entertaining. It’s actually more work to make something that teaches and inspires. So to work with people like Mr. Perry and Ms. Winfrey that know it’s going to take more work to do, but we’re still going to do a quality product. It’s a benefit.”

Tune in to the Season 3 premiere on For Better of Worse on OWN on Wednesday, September 18, with two back-to-back episodes starting at 9 p.m. EST/8 p.m. Central. And join the conversation during the show on Twitter using #ForBetter.

For related stories check out:
This Week's Inspiring Pop Culture Moment: Kym Whitley
Paige Davis on Home Made Simple, Emmys and Gifts for Dad

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Broadcaster Sheldon Eskin Made a Career by Asking Questions

Photo courtesy of Sheldon Eskin

As interviewers, it's always a pleasure to talk to someone who truly loves what they do. We found that when we spoke to Sheldon Eskin — broadcaster, author and photographer. In a recent exclusive interview he told us, "I've been very fortunate… Part of everything is realizing that, having fun with what you do is the most important part."

When we asked Sheldon when he started in the entertainment business he answered "call it birth." He grew up in Hollywood and was surrounded by show business. A curious ten-year-old Sheldon would stop in at the KFAC in Los Angeles just to ask questions. And they answered, setting him down a life long path of talking to people for a living. Today he hosts three radio shows — Sheldon Eskin and Friends, The Route 66 Mother Road Hour and The Voice of the Blues.

Along the road Sheldon was a tour guide at 20th Century Fox studios and had the opportunity to work with Herb Alpert and Jerry Moss at A&M Records. He stated, "Herb Alpert and Jerry Moss were very good to me. They let me do a lot of things. I was able to go to different sessions and ask questions." Are you seeing the recurring theme yet?

Sheldon studied advertising in college and needed some information for a paper he was writing. So he did what any resourceful college student would do, he called the local radio station KPPC, the first Underground Station in Los Angeles in the '60s. When he inquired if could ask them some questions about their advertising process, they invited him to lunch and proposed that he become their new ad salesman. He sold a contract to a haberdashery on Santa Monica Boulevard even before he was hired, which sealed the deal. Sheldon recalls, "So I wound up working at KPPC selling advertising, but I really wanted to be on air."

Eventually he got his license and began broadcasting the commercials he had sold, which led to more on air work. He remembers, "I did the spots. I did the announcements, I did relief work. I did other work. I did anything I could. I would have washed the floors.  It was great place to be."