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industryLIFE: From Riches to Homeless: The Story of Phil

When I met him he was homeless, living in an abandon car. By the way that he spoke I could tell he hadn't been homeless his whole life. We met when I hired him to do some light chores around my house. A few weeks passed and things were working out. He was an immaculate house keeper! To my surprise one day I walked into the kitchen and he was singing a classic disco song that I loved. When I jokingly asked what he knew about that song he said, "Honey, I mixed that song in the 80s." Wait what did you say? So he repeated it. Of course I was intrigued how did this man who had the voice of a singing saint with music production credits become homeless?

The story goes that he was young and working with another producer whom became his lover. He and his lover were a team who worked with some of the bigger names of that time but wouldn't you know it, love had nothing to do with it. Phil as he was known around 4th Ward Atlanta, told me they guy was well versed in the business of music but he wasn't and that's where the drama came. Seems dude was making millions on the records they were producing and mixing but since Phil was only a hired hand, he was simply paid a flat fee for his work. His name was listed in the production credits of a few records but not knowing about that infamous points system had crippled him. Sure there were times where he would walk into the studio there would be checks waiting for him, some as high as $25,000 but not knowing that he should have received royalties for his work that money went to his lover.

After years of riding high in the music business it wasn't long before the lure of drugs came into play. Since it was the 80s and no one knew just how harmful crack cocaine was, he happily partied and continued to live the high life. Then one day he learned about the amounts of money that his lover was getting and that's when things hit the fan. He and his lover fought about the money but legally there was nothing he could do to regain the money that he had lost. He soon slipped further into the drug culture and found himself without money or a home. Although his life was what people considered rock bottom at this point, he told me had no regrets. He says he lived a good life, made some bad decisions but in order to move on, he had to just let it go.

Sadly a few years later we moved from that house and lost contact with Phil. As of this writing he is believed to still be living as a homeless man while the music he helped to create continues to play on the air waves. (Phil we love you and hope that you are okay where ever you are!)

industryLIFE: The PA Did What?

I got a call to work a three month gig with a veteran female rapper who was releasing her next album. The label was putting a lot of money and effort behind the project as she was the top selling female rapper to date. The project would consist of capturing the behind the scenes adventures of the artist and present "a day in the life" video with the album. I put a team together that consisted of several cameramen and myself as the producer. We started the project by capturing video of her writing and recording in studios in LA and Atlanta, shopping with friends and the finale' would be capturing the making of her first music video from the album. The project ran smoothly and the label seemed to be happy.

The last month of the project I was called to personally accompany her to Miami where she would be shooting the video. It was a much needed get away and when you can get away and make money you go! I got in contact with the video production crew and found out where they were staying and made the hotel and flight arrangements. About a week later I was in Miami. I had spoken to the production coordinator on the video and she informed me that she could send the production van to pick me up from the airport so I gave her my flight info and moved along. The day that my flight arrived, I went outside looking for my ride only to find there was NO ride. I called the production office and was told something had happened to the van and that I would have to get there on my own, so I called a cab. When I arrived at the hotel, it was busy with the production crew, talent and extras all preparing for shooting over the next day. I settled in my room and went to check in with the production crew. When I entered the room I introduced myself. The crew, professional and very accommodating, asked that I wait and they would get me a copy of the shoot schedule, so I did. As I sat the producer asked how I had gotten to the hotel, I told her that I had taken a cab. Then quiet feel over the room so of course I asked what was going on? To my surprise I was told the reason I had to take a cab was because the production van was MISSING! (WTF)

Seems the production crew had arrived in town a few days earlier to hire local crew for the shoot. They had hired a man to work as a PA (Production Assistant) and driver. They had completed all the necessary paperwork, given him unlimited access to the van and his per diem and that was the last time he had been seen. At this point that was 3 days ago. As we worked over the next few days, the inside joke on the set became, Dude, where is the van? We still didn't know.

On the last day of shooting we were tired but the joke was only gaining steam. We still had not heard from the driver and the shoot was done. Since it was the last day and no one knew where this guy or the van was, they filed a police report and we all went back to our respective cities. A few weeks later I ran into the production coordinator back in Atlanta. We talked for a bit and I asked if the van was ever recovered?To my surprise she said, "yes". Apparently the van was found several days after we left (via cabs and another rental van), in a notorious drug area but the driver was never seen again.

Goes to show you just never know whose been hired to work with you!

industryLIFE: The Casting Director Who Never...

I'd heard about her through friends and was especially excited to meet her. When the day came for us to meet, I arrived and introductions were made.

She invited me into her home where she shared with me the glory and the pain of working in "the business". She shared the good times first and then she shared the bad. She was a woman who had worked on films such as “Which Way Is Up” and “Greased Lighting” with the legendary comedian Richard Pryor. It was during a time where people of color had just started to get into show business so she didn't complain when a Caucasian woman was brought in to be her supervisor. Sure she had found countless extras, been in the trenches from day one but again those were the times so she worked with out complaining, she was happy to be involved! As we sat in her dining room of her East Atlanta home, she told me of how she had been hired to cast the films via a relationship with other crew members who knew of her skills. She showed me pictures from the set with the cast and crew and even had pictures of her children as actors in the films. 

As she talked I could sense that even though time had passed she was still scarred from the experience. As she switched directions and began to tell me how it all fell apart, she realized she still could not place an absolute reason as to why she was never given any credit (on-screen or otherwise) for working on those films. Could it be that the powers that be decided she was not the right fit or maybe she did something to piss them off but whatever the reason, when the movie came out, she was NOT credited for any involvement in the projects what so ever!

To say she was upset was an understatement. Even after all those years you could still tell that the experience had left her jaded about the whole industry. Now when I say she wasn’t credited I don’t mean she wasn’t paid…she had been paid for her services but as any hard working professional in media, music or entertainment will tell you, the credits are the end all!!! Because even when the money is gone, your credits remain.

After that major disappointment, heated debates with the staff and major frustration, she realized there was nothing left to be done so she left the business and quietly raised her children. Now fast forward to her children as adults and wouldn’t you know it the “bug” had bitten her daughter. Although mom tried to make her aware of all the trapping in the business, she moved to New York and went into the television field. What happened to her mother was years ago so she worked hard to make sure the same thing did not happen to her. She did fair better than her mother as she was able to work on some highly rated TV shows but after a few years she began to see what her mother had warned her of and she too left the business because of other shady dealings.

Seems some things never change.

industryLIFE Book Series: Who's In Vol. I?

Vol. I featured some well known faces, places & things.  Can you name them all? Get ready, Vol. II is coming!

industryLIFE: The Hype Man's Sticky Fingers

He said he was a rapper when he landed on our doorstep. He arrived with a mutual acquaintance and at first he seemed cool but there was something he wasn't telling us and I wanted to know. Having close ties to the group he was suppose to be apart of, we launched a full investigation into this person. When ever his name was brought up, many would not talk about it but shortly after he left something surfaced...Yes he had been a possibility to "fill in" after a group member left but he was a problem!! Seems he wanted more money than what he was being paid. See he thought he was in the group however he was only working as a hype man for spot gigs. Sure he had been featured on their album but again he had been HIRED as a hype man and that is what he was being paid, not to shabbily, to do, nothing more nothing less.

The final straw came when one member of the group discovered a very valuable chain missing. Going over the facts he realized the hype man was the person who stole it and so he was fired! (That's how he ended up on our doorstep.) At the time we had access to several properties so we put him up for a few. After a few days he told us he decided he was going back home so we paid for him to get there, no questions asked, no money to pay back. Once he was gone, we lost contact for a few years and then one day he sends a friend request on Facebook. I was happy to hear from him and when we did speak he told me he was doing well, working and being a family man. Well we managed to visit with this guy and his "family" and boy were we not prepared. See this guy, who was now pushing forty, was still trying to launch a rap career. His "wife" a woman that he said he had been dating for seven years, was approaching her 22nd birthday. (Yep, dude started dating a teenager in his 30s! (WTF). Now who knows how this all came "together" but at this point there were children involved and a lot of drama. Since the guy hadn't quite capitalized on the opportunity in his youth, he was eager to do it now and show "them haters"!

No one took him serious except his mom. Whenever someone tried to get him to see it from a different perspective he referenced...Jay Z. (Sure Jay Z is the forty plus rapper but he started working way before he got to forty and at forty he is reaping the fruits of his labor) but this guy was hyping himself up with the idea that he could launch a rap career at forty with no music registered with the creative agencies, no high school education (WTF) and no money. How was he going to do it you ask? Via social media. He spent his days posting random camera phone videos of himself saying the album was coming soon but dude was living in the past, what he had done was over 10 years ago and at this point no one was listening.

Then as luck would have it, he met a guy while doing his regular job of moving furniture, who wanted to listen to what he had. The guy a popular television actor and musician entertained the idea of maybe working with dude so they exchanged information. For a few days the hype man tried to connect with the guy but could never get him on the phone until one night about a week later. When the guy answered, the hype man began rattling off his ideas. The guy stopped him in his tracks and said "I would never work with you because you are thief!" and then hung up. Seems the rapper had gotten himself into another situation where his sticky fingers would cost him an opportunity. Apparently while the hype man was moving the guy's furniture a ipod, computer and gun among other things had come up missing. To say dude was pissed is just redundant!

The actor reported his missing property to the company and needless to say they never worked together. The company via its insurance took care of the missing items and the hype man is dealing with it all via social media posts about his phantom album.