Category Archives: Oprah Winfrey

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‘Greenleaf’ Star Deborah Joy Winans Shares About New ‘Greenleaf’ Gospel Album, Her TV Husband & Her Aunt CeCe: My Interview (With Audio)

Charity Greenleaf

Hello World,

So my favorite new show is OWN’s Greenleaf which I’ve been faithfully recapping each week! I’m especially excited about tonight’s episode because it looks like Charity is finally going to confront Kevin about why he is on that dang phone so much! But I’m even more excited that I recently had the opportunity to interview Deborah Joy Winans (yes, of the dynamic Winans family) about release of Greenleaf – The Gospel Companion Soundtrack Volume 1 in conjunction with Lionsgate (the full 14-track album will be released on CD and digital on August 26), having a TV husband and a real life husband, controversy in the church, playing her Aunt CeCe in the stage play Born for This: The BeBe Winans Story and more! Read and or take a listen below!

greenleaf soundtrack

1. I know that you are primarily an actress, but I wanted to find out with this new gospel album coming out, is this your first album?

Absolutely. It is absolutely my first album. I’ve never even recorded a song before I did Greenleaf.

So what was it like to make this album considering that you’ve never sung on an album before and yet you have this powerhouse musical family?

It was very daunting. It was very challenging. It was exciting. It was definitely fun to find another way to give Charity a voice as a character, you know, not just in different scenes speaking, but she could actually show you who she was through her music. So that was fun to kind of uncover that and see where that could lead. So it’s been a lot of things – challenging but amazing.

Did you get any advice for your family members about singing?

Oh absolutely! BeBe actually Uncle BeBe was executive music producer on the show so the first time I had to record it was with him. And he gave me quite a few pointers and was just really helpful and really boosted my confidence and taught me how to work the studio so it was really great.

Did you get a chance to meet anyone else on the album?

No, I did not. I know Melinda Doolittle, and we are pretty cool. And Desiree Ross who sings one song that’s on the record she sings it in the show. I think it was last week’s episode where she sang. You know we’re cast mates and so I know her very well. But nobody else I think that worked on the record.

2. What is it like to play Charity Greenleaf-Satterlee, a minister of music?

It’s very exciting! It’s not extremely far from my own life where I was surrounded by music. I grew up in church. I love the Lord. My dad was an elder in the church so it’s not too, too far from my own life but with Charity, it’s been fun to not just watch other people sing but for that to be more of the core of who she is. I’ve been able to learn a lot about that. Praise and worship is my favorite part of service anyway. And so being able to be the leader of our worship was really, really cool. And just bringing her to life in all aspects. She’s married on the show. I’m married in real life. So it was really exciting to see the similarities and also the differences and how to make it work. It’s been incredible.

Did you even have to audition considering you come from such a powerhouse musical family?

Oh, absolutely because it wasn’t necessarily about the singing, and I think that’s just been a really, really cool by-product of working on the show and being able to sing. I’ve been able to sing a lot of things through the course of the show so it’s been really cool. But I definitely had to audition you know because Charity is more than singing.

3. Obviously, Kevin, your TV husband, has a big secret that has yet to be revealed. What can we expect from Kevin and Charity in future episodes? I know you probably don’t want to give everything away but just kind of give us a little teaser.

I can’t give everything away, but I think through all of the little things that are kind of being shown to the audience, I think the bigger picture is that he really loves her. And she really loves him. So I think you will continue to see their love story but also the trying…He’s complicated. He’s very complicated and so you’ll see that unfold but you’ll also see the love they share unfold and how that’s going to work. Will it work? Will it not work? We’ll see.

4. You mentioned that you are you married in real life. What is it like to have a TV husband and a real husband?

(Laughter) Well, you know the real husband always wins! My husband is amazing. He’s so supportive and just incredible. He’s smart. I definitely feel I have the best husband in the world. But it’s been fun because we talk about being married for three years on the show, and I’ve actually been married for just a little over three years in real life and so I’ve learned quite a bit. I’m sure that there is quite a bit more to learn but being able to have that background and bring it into the show where I’m working with Tye who plays Kevin was just really fun. When we did our research and our homework, I was able to tell him some things about how married life works. It’s really a great parallel to have for working on this specific character.

And now you’re pregnant on the show, do you have any children in real life?

I do not. I’ve got two nieces and three nephews so that’s about all of the kids I have right now. I spoil them rotten and send them back home. Hopefully, in the future if the Lord blesses us to have kids of our own, that would be awesome.

5. Considering all of the drama on the show, do you think the show is casting a negative light on megachurches, the church in general or even faith and Christianity? I’ve heard some feedback regarding those issues so what do you think about it?

I don’t think so. First, I think we have to recognize is that it is a show written for TV. So it’s drama. And it’s not based on any real life scenario. It’s a show about family, but church is really the backdrop. It’s a show about a family and all of their flaws. I think that people relate to the show. And I think that they like it because they see real people and they see real people dealing with real problems. And they see how they deal with it. Sometimes, they deal with it the right way and sometimes they deal with it the wrong way. But that’s life. And I think that’s the attraction to the show. It’s real life. You see this beautiful family and all of their flaws and how they handle it. It’s about them. It’s about their family. They just happen to run a church.

6. And you mentioned that it’s entertainment and so with all of the issues the show has already addressed from greed, child molestation, the Black Lives Matter movement, what do you feel or what has been communicated to you is the intent of the show beyond entertainment? Is it supposed to be an exposé type of thing or what do you think?

I don’t think so. I just think that it hits on certain things that touch people whether it be bad or good. If we were all in a room and we had to show every flaw that we had, who would want to do that? What human would want to do that? I think it sheds a light on human life whether that is the good stuff that we go through or the bad stuff because we go through it all. And we have to figure it all out. And sometimes we don’t always make the right choice. And sometimes we don’t have the right motivation. And then sometimes we do. And I think that ultimately, it shows you that love wins. It doesn’t promote anything crazy. It’s just a show. It’s a well-written show. And I think it’s a show that shows people that you can make a mistake and get back up.

7. I know you’re currently starring in Born For This: The Bebe Winans Story.What is like to play your Aunt CeCe in the stage play? And you do look a lot like her.

I know. It’s crazy. It’s been such a wonderful and humbling experience. I think she’s incredible. Clearly nobody can be her but her, but it’s been really beautiful to try to fill those shoes every night and give people this person that they’ve loved for so long. Just touch a little bit on some of the music and a little bit of who she is. I think she is one of the most incredible people in the world. I call her Mama C because she’s been like a mother to me. And it’s a real honor. And for her to tell me that if anyone was going to play her, she hoped that it would be me. That just made it all the more exciting to do.

 

Audio Player

 

For more information about Greenleaf – The Gospel Companion Soundtrack Volume 1, see below…

Malaco Records, the legendary Jackson, Mississippi-based soul/blues/gospel label, has announced the release of Greenleaf – The Gospel Companion Soundtrack Volume 1 in conjunction with Lionsgate, a premier next generation global content leader. The album is a musical reflection of the hit OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network original drama series Greenleaf.  Malaco’s dominant role in the gospel music field led the series’ producers to join forces for the creation and release of this very special album. The album’s tracks, produced by Tim Lauer, Russell Ziecker and BeBe Winans, are rolling out digitally on a track-by-track basis. 

Greenleaf – The Gospel Companion Soundtrack Vol. 1 track listing is as follows:

1)    The Root (feat. Mavis Staples) (Greenleaf Main title)

2)    Ring Them Bells (feat. McCrary Sisters)

3)    (God Bless the) Broken Road (feat. Deborah Joy Winans)

4)    Testimony (feat. Deborah Joy Winans)

5)    Say Something (feat. Melinda Doolittle)

6)    Satan, We’re Gonna Tear Your Kingdom Down (feat. Shirley Caesar)

7)    Let Love Find a Way (feat. Deborah Joy Winans)

8)    The Master’s Calling (feat. Deborah Joy Winans)

9)    Battle Hymn of the Republic (feat. Deborah Joy Winans)

10) Get Your House In Order (feat. Dottie Peoples & The Peoples

 Choice Chorale)

11) Take Me To the Water (feat. Deborah Joy Winans)

12) Blessed (feat. Deborah Joy Winans)

13) River (feat. Deborah Joy Winans)

14) (We’ll Understand It Better) By and By (feat. Desiree Ross)

Click HERE to hear The Master’s Calling (which is beautiful) featuring the voice of Deborah Joy Winans who portrays Charity Greenleaf-Satterlee in the series.

Greenleaf – The Gospel Companion Soundtrack Volume 1 is executive produced by Oprah Winfrey, Craig Wright and Russell Ziecker. Ziecker and Tim Lauer are soundtrack producers.

Any thoughts?

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Greenleaf Recap Season 1 Episode 8: The Whole Book…

lady mae

Hello World,

So, this Greenleaf episode was sooo explosive, I’m tempted to start this Greenleaf recap from the end of the episode and write back to the beginning….but that would ultimately spoil everything so here I go from the beginning…

Wedded Bliss?

In the opening scene, Isabel is nearly drowning in the minutia that is wedding planning. She asks her fiancé Noah to decide whether he wants napkins with the words “Noah & Isabel” or the words “Mr. & Mrs.” on them? (Aside: As a kinda newlywed since I was married three years ago next month, I know the game she was playing. The truth is a typical bride pretty much wants to plan everything and just have the groom show up and say, “I do.” But to demonstrate egalitarianism since marriages are supposed to be about two equals coming together, a bride occasionally asks for the input from the groom although she really doesn’t want it…Marriage is about  egalitarianism. Weddings are not…LOL…)So Noah picks the first option while Isabel was hoping for the second. And before they can get into why they haven’t really agreed on very much when it comes to wedding planning, in walks Grace. I see why Isabel is pushing for “Mr. & Mrs.” because when Grace is around, Noah isn’t really thinking about Isabel. Isabel knows that too which is why she asks Grace who will be her plus one at the wedding. When Grace replies her daughter Sophia will be her date, she offers to pray for her in a condescending but yet not entirely confident tone…

Security Breach

With every episode, we’re getting closer to knowing why Grace really came to town. I think her main goal is to bring Uncle Mac down and prove that his actions led to Faith’s death and if things fall apart in the process so be it. In this episode, Grace approaches Noah about hacking into her uncle’s computer. Noah says it’s no problem as the security team had to do something similar when a church employee was thought to be downloading porn onto a computer…smh…Noah has a revelation for Grace as well. He tells her that after the wedding, he and Isabel are moving to Denver, Colorado.

Pre-Wedding Jitters

While Noah and Grace are getting their digital I SPY on, Lady Mae and Isabel walk the grounds of the Greenleaf estate. As the First Lady is paying for the wedding, she explains how lavish it will be. She says the cherry trees will be like a white tunnel of love. That sounds divine, doesn’t it? Despite the fact that Lady Mae is paying for the wedding, Isabel isn’t entirely sure that her wedding day will go as planned. She confesses to Lady Mae that she is worried that Noah “is still holding a torch for Grace,” particularly since they nearly married 20 years ago. Lady Mae, however, assures her that Noah and Grace are in the past and says that all men seem to be indecisive as the wedding day gets closer. She says, “All men, Bishop included, think as their wedding approaches, is she the one?” She concludes with, “You mark my words. Noah loves you.” Hmmm….Noah may love Isabel, but that doesn’t mean that he doesn’t love Grace more…As they say, you never forget your first love…

Black Lives Matter

Just when I thought this episode would focus on Noah, Isabel & Grace with a side of Mac (which is already a full course meal), the town of Memphis becomes incensed when it is announced on television that David Nelson, the police officer who shot an unarmed, 16-year-old boy Kenneth Collins, will not face criminal charges. Calvary is blamed for having influence in the city as Nelson is a member of the megachurch. Of course the Bishop is none too happy about being brought into the controversy.

Televangelism

Still trying to convince his father that he is a worthy partner in ministry, Jacob convinces his father to take a meeting with the Christian television network executive. Rather than to convince the Bishop that more people need to hear of the gospel of Jesus Christ through the reach of television, he emphasizes the material wealth that can be gained. He says, “I never thought I would own a Jaguar, and now I have three.” That is such a despicable reason to get on television if you are supposed to be a true preacher of the gospel. To me, there is nothing wrong with wanting to have nice things, but things should not be the aim of a ministry on television or otherwise…Okay, off the soapbox and back to the Greenleaf recap…Curiously, the Bishop shuts down the executive with the words, “I will not the hawk the gospel like a ginsu knife” and then tells him to “Get out!” If only I believed the Bishop because I do believe that he has no problem hawking the gospel…Jacob is understandably puzzled about his father’s strong reaction…

Black Lives Matter v. Blue Lives Matter

After the city erupts following the announcement that no charges will be filed against David Nelson, Grace is concerned about his safety and goes to see him in his hotel room. He tells her that he plans to move far, far away to escape it all, but she tries to convince him that he needs to stay and be a part of healing that needs to happen in the city. He listens but tells her he will send her a postcard from Delaware. I know that’s right!

Pastor to Pastor

The Bishop ventures off of the gilded campus of Calvary and into the city to see a more humble pastor who has been publicly calling out the Bishop for his support of David Nelson. This pastor is involved in the Black Lives Matter movement and is showing hanging protest signs. But instead of squashing the situation, the pastor tells the Bishop that he will “long for the days when all I did was call you out.” Okay…what does that mean?

What Happens in Nashville

As Grace requested, Noah delivers the contents of Mac’s computer to her on a hard drive. She discovers that he had appointment in Nashville presumably at an abortion clinic. With this knowledge, Grace tries to get Danielle to tell the truth about what happened with her and Mac. Danielle still denies that anything happened until Grace tells she knows what happened in Nashville. Danielle then reveals how Mac came seduced her. He took her to school when her mother wasn’t available, brought them dinner, etc. Finally, Mac took to the church camp to teach her how to “fish” and then she comes up pregnant. They go to Nashville where the abortion is performed. She ask Grace, “Am I going to hell for killing my baby?” Danielle is also concerned that her revelation would put her mom’s scholarship that she is receiving from Calvary in jeopardy. She also tells Grace that she will come forward if she is not the only one. It seems that Mac targets the daughters of single parents…Faith wasn’t the daughter of a single parent, but her parents are obviously distracted by Calvary business…just sayin’…

After doing more digging, Grace realizes that many women/girls have received scholarships over the years courtesy of Mac. They are given out at an scholarship reception that Lady Mae holds each year. Grace confronts her assistant about a scholarship that her daughter received without having to go through the usual application process. The assistant realizes then Grace knows her daughter’s secret and when Grace asks her why she didn’t go after Mac, she says that Calvary is her church and, “the Bible says don’t look back.” Grace also realizes that is if she reveals the scholarship payoffs she will end up wrongly implicating the church when Mac is the sole culprit.

The Secret

So the Bishop and Lady Mae have an intimate discussion in their bathroom. I would guess that all discussions in the bathroom are intimate…LOL…Anywho, as the Bishop is brushing his teeth or dentures (I’m not sure), they fall out or something like that…Obviously, he is sick….Lady Mae asks him when he is going to tell the children what is going on him…Apparently, the real reason he doesn’t want to be on television has to do with some sort of illness…That’s all I’ve got at this point….

First Love

When Grace goes to Noah’s home to tell him what she found out after speaking with Danielle, she expresses remorse that Mac is the reason why they broke up all of those years ago. Noah tells Grace that he always thought she would end up with someone more exciting than him anyway, but Grace says that when she was with Noah, she always felt like “you were home to me.” So that line got to me. Very good one OWN! And just like that, their clothes fall off. LOL

Grace does the walk of shame the next day back up to the Greenleaf mansion as Noah lives on the property and hope that no one notices. Unfortunately, her archenemy Lady Mae is up and confronts her with the words, “You look like you’ve been rolled hard and put away wet.” And that’s a GREAT line OWN! I will have to remember that line…She also says, “You won’t be satisfied until you’ve burned this place to the ground.”

Sunday Mourning

So Noah and Grace sneak looks at each other as they travel through the parking lot to get to the church building. Noah is walking with Isabel while Grace is with Sofia. In the midst of that, David Nelson shows up, walks up to Grace and tells her that he decided to stay in town after all. Right then, the brother of Kenneth Collins approaches Officer Nelson and shoots him in front of everybody!!!

And that was THE END…

Yeah, that was A LOT for one episode…So I’m thinking that the title of this Greenleaf episode comes the gruesome story that Sophia is telling her mother about throughout the episode. Sophia tells her about a Levite in the book of Judges who cut his concubine into 12 pieces. Sophia was puzzled by such a story being in the Bible and I think Grace told her to read the whole book….I think….Also, I think the fact this story came from Judges is about Calvary being judged….

We will see…We will see…We will see…

Any thoughts?

Check out the confrontation between Grace and Lady Mae below…

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Greenleaf Recap Season 1 Episode 6: Good Morning, Calvary

grace

Hello World,

Yes, I am writing recaps for each episode of “Greenleaf” for this first season at least and yes, I know I missed last week’s episode. But I have a great reason why I was unable to do so last week. I was getting my hair done and the appointment ran late. Yes, that late…smh…

Anywhow, I swear Oprah, her team of “Greenleaf” writers and OWN are determined to unearth every issue that has ever happened at somebody’s church throughout these not-so United States (right now, anyway). You will see what I mean…

Sisters of Tamar (not Tamar Braxton although she was named after the biblical Tamar I’m sure)…

This episode begins with a meeting of a sexual abuse survivors group that Grace formed. During this meeting, a woman named Stacy shares how her life seemed doomed from the moment she was born as her father felt he couldn’t afford another child. After her parents divorced, her mother began dating a man who became a father figure and began sexually abusing her. When Stacy’s husband comes to get her after the meeting is over, his aggressive tone suggests that although Stacy may no longer be abused by mother’s boyfriend, her husband has taken his place.

Jacob’s Ladder…

When you think of a ladder, you typically think about using it to climb higher, but if you’re already high, you can use a ladder to go lower even if you would rather not do so. That is the position that Jacob finds himself in during this episode. After Kerissa reveals that Jacob was getting it on with Alexa, Bishop Greenleaf’s assistant, in last week’s episode, the Bishop is now ready to deliver his punishment. Jacob will be relieved of all of his ministerial duties for 90 days.  Oh, by the way, the Bishop has fired Alexa as well. Jacob accuses his father as using his infidelity as a reason to make GiGi (Grace), obviously his favorite, a preaching pastor rather than just a pastor on the Calvary staff.

When the Bishop tells his wife Lady Mae that Jacob is on punishment, she says that Jacob is only human and it’s not like the Bishop hasn’t been human before. Was she insinuating that the Bishop has cheated on Lady Mae before? Could be….But I’m not sure at the moment. Like Jacob, Lady Mae is afraid that this is the Bishop’s chance to get Grace in the pulpit as he obviously wants.

The Bishop wastes no time in approaching Grace about preaching to the 4,000 people that come to Calvary’s Memphis location the following Sunday as he will be preaching in Calvary’s Birmingham location. Apparently, they have churches in Birmingham, Alabama; Little Rock, Arkansas; and Knoxville Tennessee. She says so, but then he commands, “You’re going to do it.”

When Lady Mae realizes that Bishop has convinced Grace to preach on Sunday, she goes to see her daughter privately and asks that she does not use her sermon as a “switch to punish us publicly.” I wonder why Lady Mae is so threatened by her daughter’s presence. I’m thinking she is uneasy with how much influence Grace has over her father and the fact that Gigi tells the truth whether or not church folk approve…

Trapped in the Closet…

Charity Greenleaf continues to clash with Greenleaf choir director Nigel so much so that she complains to her husband. I’m surprised that Kevin is able to tear himself away from his phone, as he obsessively peruses various gay dating sites, long enough to give her advice, but he does.  He suggests that he simply fire Nigel and find a suitable replacement. When she takes his advice, she is overwhelmed by the number of applicants. Kevin suggests that she treat the process like dating and simply and quickly subtract the applicants she knows she is not interested in and interview the remaining applicants. He should know since it seems he may be dating someone and not his wife in the near future. She bonds with one applicant so much that after they sing an impromptu rendition of “Jesus Be a Fence Around Me” (Jesus be a fence around your husband because he is going to get out…), she offers him the job during the interview. However, before he accepts her offer, he tells her he is openly gay and will be bringing his partner to church. Charity doesn’t mind his candor she says and he accepts her offer.

However, once Kevin learns of Charity’s selection, he does not approve as the choir director’s openness with his sexuality demonstrates how closeted he is…

Swing Out Sister…

With his sister poised to be hottest new preacher pastor at Greenleaf, Jacob realizes that he must have a plan B to secure his position. He meets some sort of business executive who could potentially guarantee that Calvary becomes a televised ministry. I’m surprised that as big as it is, the church is not already televised but maybe I’m missing something…Anywho, Jacob invites the business executive, whom he has bonded with over fantasy football, to the Greenleaf estate so the business executive and his wife can spend some time with Jacob and his wife. Well, the wife starts throwing herself at Jacob while her husband makes a play for Kerissa. When the evening is over, the flirty couple invites Jacob and Kerissa to enjoy their hot tub in a cabin as a foursome. Yes, they swing like that…

Once they leave, Jacob asks Kerissa if she is down for what this couple is proposing. She answers, “Who knows what your stock is going to be once [Grace] closes that Bible on Sunday?” Kerissa is such a team player! And Jacob appreciates her willingness to be on his team so much so that he tries to start something with his wife (hey Alexa is gone), but she is not trying to do that…In other words, Kerissa is willing to get down with another man for her husband but not actually with her husband…That’s deep and even Jacob realizes that…

So on the night that they are supposed to get together with The Swingers (since I don’t know their name) with Kerissa in a strappy little purple number, Jacob decides that he longer wants to meet them. He tells Kerissa he doesn’t want another man touching his wife and says, “You’re mine.” And just like that, Kerissa happily dissolves in her husband’s arms…Great scene!

Sermons on Demand…

As Gigi never wanted to preach a sermon in the first place, she is stumped about what what she will say on Sunday. Zora, Jacob’s daughter, says when her father doesn’t know what to say, he buys a sermon online and reads it in front of the church. Gigi doesn’t believe her and decides to google buying sermons. To her surprise, she finds a site where she can download a sermon on demand for a small fee of course. But before she can continue to think about her sermon, she gets word that Stacy was beaten up by her husband and needs a place for her and her daughters to stay for a while. When she cannot find a suitable location, she puts them up at a hotel. She is surprised to discover that Stacy doesn’t intend on staying away from her husband forever as she wants her daughters to have a father as she didn’t have one. Still Grace continues to hope that Stacy will have the strength to be able to stay away from him anyway.

At church on Sunday, Lady Mae, who is happy to see Jacob and his wife smiling and happy together, tells him that Grace will not be able to get the upper hand although she is preaching. She says, “Let not your heart be troubled. Believe in God and believe in me.” So that is a Bible verse: John 14:1 and refers to Jesus, but it seems that Lady Mae was referring to herself…So obviously, she has got a scheme planned. Her husband may be the head, but she is the neck which is how she was able to get Deaconess Connie Sykes back on as the head of the deacon board in this episode after the new head of the deacon board would not approve of the purchase of a new plane that the Bishop plans to buy…

So when Grace gets up in the pulpit, she begins to preach what seems to be a rather innocuous sermon she bought based on Matthew 6:28, but when she sees Stacy, donning sunglasses, sitting next to her abusive husband in the pews, she backs away from the New Testament and heads back to the Old Testament with Job 3:26.

I was not in safety, neither had I rest, neither was I quiet; yet trouble came.

Yes, Lady Mae has every reason to be scared of her daughter Grace which is why the Bishop met with Grace’s favorite aunt Mavis. He believes she can tell him why Grace really came back to town, but instead of answering his question, she tells him he already knows the answer to her question…What happens at night is always revealed in the morning….my words not her words…Good Morning, Calvary…

Check out Aunt Mavis and Bishop Greenleaf discussing Grace below…

I cannot wait until next week…

Any thoughts?