Grammy-winning singers Brandy and Mary J. Blige are headlining Black Gay Pride in Atlanta in early September, offering three live performances for gay fans.
The battle of the Black Gay Pride divas begins on Saturday, Sept. 3 when Brandy (top photo) makes two appearances — first for the women at the Traxx Girls Big Bang Event at the Georgia Freight Depot in downtown Atlanta. After that, it’s a stop for the men at Traxx in Decatur. Brandy will appear with hip hop artist Nicki Minaj during the second event.
“That is who it will be,” says Phillip Boone, the founding owner of Traxx Atlanta. “She’ll do the girls first and then she’ll do the guys after.”
Blige (second photo) is scheduled to appear on Sunday, Sept. 4 for Wassup N ATL’s Grown & Sexy Sundays event at Park Tavern in Midtown.
Sunday, Wassup N ATL is turning it all the way out at Park Tavern located next to Piedmont Park with a very special and first time ever Pride performance by Grammy Award winning and Queen of Hip-Hop & R&B MARY J BLIGE which could draw in over 4000+ attendees!
Mary has been putting the finishing touches on her 10th studio album “My Life : Part II” and gearing up for a Fall/Winter release. The queen also just wrapped up filming for the soon to be motion picture “Rock of Ages” featuring Tom Cruise, Gwyneth Paltrow, Alec Baldwin, and others. Mary also was featured on the lead soundtrack single for the Novel adapatation turned motion picture “The Help”.
Boone says Brandy helps make Black Gay Pride “a big holiday weekend.”
“I will let everyone else be excited. We are trying to get these events laid out for people so they can have a good time when they get here,” he says.
Brandy just inked a deal with RCA Records and expects her debut album to drop in early 2012.
What about those gay fans that rank her among their favorite glam divas? Brandy loves them right back.
CP: Now, let’s talk about your fans, specifically your gay fan base. Does it seem to you that you have a lot of gay fans?
Brandy: Yes, it does. It’s funny, recently I was in a parking lot, and one of my gay fans came to the car and knocked on the window. He said, “Oh my God, Brandy, you’re so beautiful, I want to be straight!” It was the funniest thing. I knew that he was just playing with me, but that was his way of saying I was beautiful to him, and I was really flattered by that.
CP: A lot of gay men seem to like glamorous, larger-than-life singers. Do you have an idea why?
Brandy: I do get that sense, I don’t know why that is. I mean, I like glamorous divas too!
Black Gay Pride also offers a serious side that includes the State of Black Gay America Summit on Sept. 3. The 2011 theme, “Revitalizing Our Commitment to Leadership, Diversity, and Community,” will be bolstered by keynote speaker Earl Fowlkes, president and CEO of the International Federation of Black Gay Prides.
