When a US friend of Helen's comes for a visit, it results in one of the most memorable and hilarious times for both of them.
It all started when Helen was checking her e-mail and discovered that an old friend of hers named Tamara Baxter was coming for a visit. She was an exchange student in the 1980's, who did a year of independent study who was coming to London to speak at a seminar as well as do some research.
Since Helen didn't tell her about "Nikki", they both agreed that Helen would spend some time with her old friend "alone.
On Saturday afternoon, Helen arrived at the Hotel that Tamara was staying in and after getting the room number and the okay to go upstairs, Helen did so.
She knocked at the door and Tamara greeted her old friend warmly.
She was 5'6 and had dark wavy brown hair and the color of medium chocolate.
"Well, aren't you a pleasant sight for these sore eyes!" declared Tamara with a smile as she gave Helen a hug.
"Same here." smiled Helen.
So after Helen entered the doorway, Tamara asked if she wanted anything to drink. Helen asked for some Tea and Tamara called Room Service to order it.
After the tea was poured and they ate some biscuits, they caught up on their lives.
Unlike Helen who went into the prison service, Tamara became a successful rock journalist who interviewed some of the world's biggest artists many of which looked at her as a confidante as well as a reporter.
Although it had been her first visit in nearly twenty years, she kept an eagle eye on British Music, as well as the reality shows many of which made it to US Soil.
The purpose of this visit was to lead a seminar for a group of young ladies who were contestants on the "POPSINGERS" TV Show, in which five would create a new girl group.
She was also here to do some research for an upcoming story about the impact that British Culture had on R & B Artists.
They even talked about old "Boyfriends" including a guy named John that Helen used to date, not to mention a guy named Stevie that Tamara dated back in the day.
Yet when Helen "Came Out" and admitted that she was in a relationship with another woman, Tamara's jaw dropped.
"Are you serious?" asked Tamara.
"Yeah, hard to believe isn't it?" admitted Helen with a sigh.
"I don't understand, when we were in school, all the guys were completely crazy about you." Tamara declared. "Now you're into "women", is this becoming a new trend or something."
"No, not at all." replied Helen softly. "I'll explain the whole thing to you, if you have time."
"Yeah, this should be interesting." replied Tamara.
So Helen told her "everything" about meeting Nikki in Prison, breaking off her relationship with Sean, her ex-boyfriend, Sean burning the suit in the prison yard in front of the other inmates as well as her colleagues.
She even told her about how Nikki escaped to be with her, and how she was caught and blackmailed into resigning by her biggest enemy who had a history of "crossing the line" with inmates.
"Dear God, you mean to tell me that you gave up your career at this Prison because of that SOB!" shrieked Tamara.
"Yeah, I didn't have a choice, either admit what I did, have Nikki lose her appeal because of me, and even suffer the possibility of being thrown in Prison myself." admitted Helen.
"Dayam, that was some brave thing to do, if Nikki came on my doorstep, I think I would have had a heart attack or something." admitted Tamara. "The bottom line is "Are You Happy?"
"Yes, very much so." replied Helen. "I really want you to meet her and I want you both to get along with each other."
"Sure, I'd love to, she sounds mighty special for you to give up what you did, and besides people have given up much more in the name of love." replied Tamara.
So after returning home, Helen asked Nikki if she'd like to have brunch with Tamara at a cafe to which Nikki replies yes.
The next day they meet and they go and have brunch. Nikki has a Fruit Salad Special, Tamara has Pancakes & Sausages, while Helen has Bacon & Eggs Benedict.
Although Nikki & Tamara say few words to each other at first, it's only because the food is so delicious. Tamara hasn't had a English Country Breakfast in years while Nikki is still getting used to "Outside" food and not Larkhall Food.
After the bill is paid courtesy of Tamara, they go back to the flat where the three women get to talk to each other.
"So Helen tells me you're a Rock Journalist, how did you get into that?" asked Nikki.
"When I was a teenager, I used to love reading Teen Magazines, many of which are out of business like 16, Teen Beat & Superteen amongst others, but there was one magazine that I really loved reading called Tattletales (which is a subdivision of 16)."
"I also loved reading Right On which was the first African American Teen Magazine that used to feature The Jackson Five in it's early years and even then, I knew that's what I wanted to do."
"Yet with the exception of Tattletales, I felt that these "Kids" were glamourized too much so even at a young age I wanted to be a Journalist that made a difference." she explained.
"Yeah, it's only after the fame and the money runs out do you realize that their lives weren't as "glamorous" as you thought it was." replied Nikki.
"I know what you mean." replied Tamara. "When I see what's happening with the "Kids" back home, my heart breaks." "That's why I was so honored to come here for the seminar."
"Exactly what kind of "seminar" is it going to be?" asked Helen.
"Oh, just to teach them how to handle their impending fame, being responsible, etc." replied Tamara. "It's next Saturday, you wanna come see me do my thing."
"Sure, if it's okay." replied Helen.
During the rest of the afternoon, Tamara & Helen had Nikki in stiches when Tamara talked about her "first" visit to Europe.
"Remember, I wouldnt' go in your car because the steering wheel was on the right and not left like I was used to." replied Tamara.
"Oh yeah, and then having to teach you how to do everything like use a stove, and the telephone, not to mention what certain things meant." replied Helen.
"Yeah, that was a riot, realizing that Lunch was called Dinner, and Dinner was called Tea, and that Potato Chips were Crisps and that French Fries were Chips, and that Cigarettes were called "Fags", I wasn't ready for that." replied Tamara.
"Boy that must have been hilarious." laughed Nikki.
"Yeah, and then discovering that people drank tea more than coffee, and that a popular snack was Fish & Chips, which I insisted on trying out myself, I figured if The Supremes could enjoy it, why couldn't I." Tamara giggled.
"Oh, did you get to see Dreamgirls?" asked Helen.
"Yeah, I got an advance screening and I see "Oscar" for Jennifer Hudson, who was a contestant on American Idol a couple of years ago." replied Tamara.
"We saw it a couple of days after Xmas ourselves." replied Helen. "I'm telling you, I nearly cried when I saw it."
"Yeah, I know what you mean, the best thing about being in London is that I don't cover any singing stars death, the past couple of years all I've done is cover a R & B singer's death."
"It's so sad to know so many of them are gone now." replied Nikki. "I was shocked to discover that James Brown had died on Xmas day."
"I know, his death sent a shockwave throughout the industry, but I feel so sad when I think of all of the others who died, Billy Preston, Barry White, Lou Rawls, The Pointer Sister June, and Luther Vandross." replied Tamara.
"Did you cover James Brown's funeral?" asked Helen.
"Yeah, I flew from L.A. to New York, and it was like a grand procession fit for royalty which he was musically." "People from LL Cool J, to Michael Jackson attended the memorial service and when his wife "Tomi" tried to sing, alot of people shot her dirty looks."
"Why, would they do that?" asked Helen.
"According to insiders, she wasn't "legally" his wife because she never had her "other" marriage annulled to her ex-husband, and although they got "married" in a lavish ceremony and they have a son together, there are many who feel she shouldn't get "anything" from his estate if there's anything left at all." explained Tamara.
"Why wouldn't there be anything?" asked Nikki. "I know his songs are just as popular today as they were yesterday."
"James comes from what is known as the "Old School" of performing, he like alot of R & B singers from the 1950's and 1960's, didn't sign solid contracts, money was mismanaged, and managers sometimes "stole" from them." replied Tamara.
"Jeez, that's horrible." replied Helen.
"I know, and some of them don't seem to understand that the more you make, the more the Taxman takes so many of them end up penniless, and because Wills aren't updated, sometimes family members lose big time." answered Tamara.
"God that's horrible." replied Nikki.
"Yeah, a good example is Marvin Gaye, he's been dead for twenty three years and when he died he owed nearly 7 Million Dollars in European Funds and although his songs are still heard all over the world, his family gets nothing." explained Tamara.
"Wow, I didn't know that." replied Helen.
"Another example is the late Dennis Wilson of The Beach Boys, when he celebrated his 39th Birthday in 1983, he lost it all, he was kicked out of the group, he was homeless, broke, drunk, a drug addict, and estranged from his last wife who was the daughter of his cousin Mike Love." replied Tamara.
"Christ, that's horrible." answered Nikki.
"It got worse because when he died, he left behind four ex-wives one of which he married twice named Karen, five children and an estate worth Two Million American which is peanuts considering that Beach Boys had sold 100 Million Albums at that time."
"So what happened to his estate?" asked Helen.
"The money was divided amongst his children, and the wives got nothing but they didn't care because they just wanted their children to be taken care of, but they didn't get anything "extra" because Dennis didn't "Write" any of their hit records which meant that he didn't get "Writer's Royalties". explained Tamara. "His last wife Shawn contested the will which she got "something" but she died about ten years later of stomach cancer."
"Wow, it's not as "fun" as it is?" replied Nikki.
"Yeah, that's why I get so mad at today's generation for being so damned greedy, and showing off their bling bling, and letting these "freeloaders" take advantage of them, that's why I hope that the lecture will help some of them." replied Tamara.
"Now enough about me, tell me about you, Nikki." asked Tamara.
Nikki told her all about her Nightclub called Chix that was located across town whose patrons are a "diversified" amount of people from younger ladies to older ladies.
"Hey, sounds great to have a business like that, good for you." smiled Tamara.
"Have you ever been in a Gay Bar?" asked Helen.
"Oh yeah, in June in the US, it's Black History Month as well as Gay Pride Month, so I did a story about the impact that Gay Culture has had on Black Music, profiling the late singer Sylvester and his former backing vocalists who would eventually be The Weather Girls." explained Tamara. "When I go to a club and I don't hear a old school song by Diana Ross or Patti Labelle, I feel strange." Tamara laughed.
Helen & Nikki also had a good laugh.
"Even today, if you're a artist, chances are you're designer, make-up artist, hair dresser, etc is gay so if you're homophobic, you might as well leave the business." she explained.
So for the next week, Tamara did her own research, she had a tour guide who took her to Record Shops, Old School Clubs, and Bookstores for her research that she would faithfully type on her laptop computer.
Helen & Nikki also worked hard during the week and when Tamara was a "guest" at Chix, she had blast not knowing that the Club had it's own family history tied to Tamara.
On Saturday, Tamara picked Nikki & Helen up in a Limo arranged especially for her, and she began her lecture.
"Ladies, I'd like you to meet one of America's top rock journalists who was a student abroad in the 1980's, please welcome Tamara Baxter."
As Tamara walked on stage, she was greeted with a warm welcome and applause.
"First of all ladies, it's a pleasure to be here, London has many wonderful memories for me." she smiled as she looked at the top 26.
"I want you to do something for me, look at the person on your left then on your right, give yourself a pat on the back and the person next to you a pat on the back." Tamara instructed.
As the girls did so, they couldn't understand why Tamara wanted them to do this.
"Each and every one of you should be very proud of yourself, you managed to get here while so many others "didn't", now getting here is one thing "staying" here is another." explained Tamara.
"Before the week ends, twenty one of you will have your hearts broken, and although hearing the word no will be a very hard thing to accept, it's the name of the game, but if you can't handle the rejection of this business, you may as well quit, because lots of people heard the word no." she explained.
"To make my point across, I'll give you an example starting in the 1950's, when Elvis auditioned at The Grande Ole Opry where some of the biggest Country Acts performed, they told him to go back and drive a truck, but it didn't stop him did it?"
"Another person who heard the word no was Smokey Robinson who along with his partners and former first wife Claudette auditioned to be the opening act for Jackie Wilson, they were told no because they were too much like The Platters, but the best thing for Smokey was meeting Berry Gordy Jr., the President of Motown Records, and he's a music legend."
"Other acts who were rejected were The Beatles by Decca Records as well as Swan Records then owned by Dick Clark, a US Icon whose show American Bandstand is still the longest running Variety Show in TV History."
"Yet, right now I can name over ten singing groups that didn't have the same people they started out with before they hit the big time, they are as follows:
The Backstreet Boys
The Beach Boys
The Beatles
Dixie Chicks
Duran Duran
New Kids On The Block
N'Sync
The Miracles (Smokey Robinson's Group)
The Spice Girls
The Supremes
The Temptations
"Now for many of these people, not being part of Rock History was a very bitter pill to swallow, no more than Eldridge Bryant aka Al. who was in the Temptations group from 1959-1963."
"He got fired at a New Year's Eve Party and he thought the group wasn't going anywhere after being signed to Motown after four years, but when David Ruffin joined, they finally had their first hit record "The Way You Do The Things You Do", and the rest was history."
"He was crushed at not being part of the group and in 1968, Otis Williams who fired him in the first place saw him. His clothes were a mess, his hair was a mess, he had alcohol on his breath, he was a bum, to put it mildly and then he died of liver disease due to his drinking in the first place."
"If you don't get chosen, it could be for many reasons, maybe you still have to work hard on your singing and dancing, or better yet, you're more of a solo act and you don't even realize it."
"I'll give you another example, one of my favorite singers was the late Luther Vandross, who like a lot of R & B Singers got his start singing in the church, he was on the very first episode of a classic US Show called Sesame Street for kids."
"He eventually left the choir and became a backing vocalist working with David Bowie and Dionne Warwick, he sang commercial jingles for McDonalds amongst others, he joined a group called "Change" who had a hit record called "A Lover's Holiday" in 1980 but was more successful as a solo artist and "Here and Now" is one of the most popular songs for a Wedding Couple's first dance as Man & Wife."
"Other folks were David Bowie, Rod Stewart, Olivia Newton-John, Missy Elliot, and even Usher, who started out in groups but were more destined for solo stardom." replied Tamara.
"Now for the five who will make this group, in advance "congratulations", but the hard work still has yet to be done, your life is going to be so busy, choreography, vocal training, styling, public relations amongst others, you're going to feel like a hamster on a treadmill, always going around and around."
As Nikki and Helen watched Tamara they were very impressed that she knew exactly what to say to these girls.
"Please remember also, that your first hit record will either make you or break you." warned Tamara. "Also, please don't think that because you have a hit record, you're on easy street because you're not."
"The reason why I say this was because I've seen people get self-righteous over just "One Hit Record", like a Motown Girl Group called 702 who had a hit called "Where My Girls At", they got petty, nasty, which resulted in being dropped from the label, and now they're not in the business anymore."
"Also, as women there's going to be alot of bitchiness, cruelty, ego clashing amongst other things but remember here today, gone tomorrow, The Spice Girls are still Millionaires but not one of them has had a career as successful as Beyonce, have you noticed that?"
The girls all nodded, and even Helen and Nikki couldn't help but agree.
"Another reminder is that whatever you do will affect your partners, Gerri Halliwell quit The Spice Girls and didn't tell her partners directly, The Late Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes of TLC burned her boyfriend's house down in Atlanta, GA., and many people thought they were finished, and although the girls survived bankruptcy, the minute Lisa died, they had to face facts, they were "finished" in the eyes of the fans." explained Tamara.
"Just to get my point across, they made an appearance at the US MTV Video Awards, and they said it was very hard for them to be on stage without their partner but they also knew that without Lisa, going on would be next to impossible." Tamara continued.
"Other words of caution is "Own The Rights To Your Name", because if you don't you will have problems later on or have some say so in using the name. At Motown, The "Other" Supremes, The Miracles, The Temptations, & even The Jackson Five all found out the hard way that their name is in many ways their bread and butter."
"To give you an example, Eddie Kendricks, David Ruffin & Dennis Edwards did a tour in Europe with the marquis saying They were Former Temptations and performed and although Eddie & David are dead, Dennis continues to perform with another group of guys while Otis Williams, the only "original" member that is still alive, still performs with his group."
"Another example is Al Jardine of The Beach Boys, who has a bittersweet history with the group. In 1960, his mother lent him $300.00 to rent equipment for a group that he was starting with his College Friend Brian Wilson."
"Brian used $100.00 that is mother left behind for him and his brothers Dennis & Carl, and did a demo record called "Surfin'", the released the song on a small label called Candix, hardly made any money and although Al quit and came back, he was without a doubt one of the most loyal bandmembers a person could have, sadly in the 1990's after Dennis & Carl died, and Brian quit the group for good, he and Mike Love had a major blowout."
"Al went on tour with Brian's daughters Carnie & Wendy, his son Matthew, and a group of other musicians called "Al Jardine Beach Boys Family & Friends Tour" and got a court order saying he couldn't use the name even though he was in the group from virtually day one."
"He and Mike Love worked out their differences but The Beach Boys are a shell of their former selves." explained Tamara.
As the girls listened, some of them wished that they had notebooks to write down important information.
"Now, the most important thing you're going to have to watch out for are "contracts", I have yet to see anyone who signed a contract that they were satisfied with, from Old School R & B artists to The Beatles, Elton John & even George Michael, they all paid the price for signing bad contracts."
"The best example is The Backstreet Boys & N'Sync, who were all "minors" when they signed with Lou Pearlman, the man who made them famous in the first place." "He was very devious in the sense that he didn't allow any of the "parents" to sign a contract on their children's behalf, and while he made Millions, neither one of the "groups" made what they should have made."
"He lost them both in a bitter court case and if he had played his cards right, he could have still made twice as much now that Justin Timberlake is a Blue Eyed Soul Superstar."
"Now when you get that first Royalty Check, here's a slice of advice. "GO TO THE BANK!!!!!!!" Some of the girls started laughing, but Tamara was serious.
"I mean it ladies, the more you make the more the taxman takes and if you don't put that money aside, you'll regret it later, trust me." "Also, be careful of "how" you spend your money, I know you want your families to be comfortable, but it doesn't always have a happy ending."
"Look at the Carter Family, around five years ago they were the Royal Family of the Teen Market, with Nick in the Backstreet Boys and Aaron being the Pop Star of the Tween Set (For kids Between Youth & Adolescence)."
"They had everything, a beautiful home, cars, clothes, money, boats, an in house recording studio and a tutor for Aaron and then Nick found out he didn't make a fraction of what he thought he made, Aaron found out his mother stole his life savings worth about 77,000 in Euro funds."
"To make matters worse, his parents got a divorce, his mother beat up her ex-husband's "girlfriend" got arrested, and Aaron decided to "divorce" his mother which made headline news., they made up but the damage is done, The Backstreet Boys career is no longer successful, Kevin Richardson left the group and now Aaron is no longer the Wallpaper for young ladies as well as young men."
"To add to the frustration was that when Nick released his solo album, it didn't sell as many copies as Justin Timberlake's first solo album "Justified", which was a bitter pill to swallow, considering that BSB thought that N'Sync were just clones of "them".
"Today, they're on a "Reality Show" in the US called "House Of Carter", which consists of Aaron, Nick, Aaron's Twin Sister Angela who's a Model, Bonnie Jo, a freeloader and leech and Leslie, an aspiring Pop Star sans the talent who is being managed by her mother Joanne."
"So, try to get someone you trust to help you with this transition and know that it's okay to say "no" to a friend, relative or whomever especially if they want you to always pick up the cheque in a Restaurant, etc."
"Also, know that since there is downloading, many of you may not get what you rightfully deserve financially but as the saying goes, why buy the cow when you can get the milk for free, but so long as you believe in yourself, everything will be all right." Tamara concluded.
As she finished, the girls gave her a standing ovation as did Helen & Nikki. After taking some photos, and talking with the judges, she went over and greeted Helen & Nikki.
"So what did you think?" asked Tamara.
"Very eye-opening and fascinating." replied Nikki.
"Yeah, you really know your stuff." replied Helen shaking your head with admiration.
"So you guys wanna get something to eat?" asked Tamara.
"I'd love to but I have to work the club tonight." replied Nikki apologetically.
"How about this, you go to the club, Tamara & I will eat, and then we'll meet up with you later on." suggeested Helen.
"Sounds like a plan." replied Tamara.
So Helen & Tamara went and ate at an Italian Restaurant, washed, changed their clothes and later joined Nikki at Chix.
The bar was crowded, as were the tables but Nikki reserved a table in Tamara's name and she had fun the whole evening.
She didn't drink liquor but met some other patrons, tapped her feet to the music and even danced with one of the "ladies" after explaining that she was "straight".
The one thing that impressed Tamara was the DJ who knew what to play from Nelly Furtado & Timaland, to Beyonce, to a Abba Remix. After the evening was over, Helen drove Tamara to her hotel while Nikki & Trish cleaned up.
Upon returning, Nikki & Helen decided to spend the night in the flat on the third floor since they were both too tired and Helen didn't want to drive. The best thing about the flat was that Nikki & Trish both had a time share where they each took turns to use.
Another thing was that they kept "extra" things from clothes and toilietries, and the minute their heads hit the bed, they were sound asleep.
The next morning, they got washed and after eating at a local cafe, they called Tamara who told them she was doing some research and that she might need their help so when they had some free time to come and see her.
They both agreed that Monday would be a good day so after Helen picked Nikki up from their flat, they went to Tamara's Hotel Room.
She had some pictures and maps showing the part of London that was now the "Gay Village". It seemed that Tamara's Uncle Willie was a WW II Veteran who would patronize the very same neighborhood that Chix was located.
"He also told me about how he was a boarder at a place called "Carnation St., where he paid rent to a Evelyn Turner which she appreciated since money was so "tight" in those days, and how nice she and the other patrons were to the Black Yank Soldiers." she explained.
"I'm sure that in the Neighborhood that Chix was located, was where Uncle Willie used to hang out when he was on "Liberty Call." she explained.
"Did you talk to an architect or an archive specialist?" asked Nikki.
"Yes, and he said that it would be in the neighborhood I described." explained Tamara.
So the three went back to the neighborhood and since Chix was closed, they decided to do their own investigating. Nikki called Trisha to let her know she was there to do some research with Tamara and Helen and then the search began.
In the Office, Nikki & Trish kept flashlights and as Nikki looked at the paperwork left behind by the previous owner, she discovered that there was "history".
Yank Soldiers patronized the neighborhood because things were so cheap in those days, and on a whim went up into the attic. She found the "special" door that lead her to a Box and when she opened it up, she had to make sure that she didn't breathe in the dirt and dust.
In that Box were photos, books, even journals, but the one thing that Nikki saw was a Photo of Twelve Black Men in Uniform dated in 1944.
The names of the fellows weren't acknowledged but Nikki felt that she had a hunch.
As she called Tamara & Helen upstairs, Tamara saw the photo and let out a blood curdling scream.
"My God, I can't believe this, my Uncle Willie's in that Picture!" she shrieked.
As Tamara sat down she pieced together what had happened.
"In 1944, Hitler's people were beginning to slowly lose their power, some of the soldiers in Uncle Willie's regime helped rescue some of the Jewish people from the Concentration Camps, but these were lesser known camps unlike Auschwitz and Bergen Belsen where they sent Anne Frank."
"They were bought here to live upstairs and were quiet as mice, with the money that the soldiers had, they were able to give them access to food and other "extras".
"Fortunately, the soldiers had the trust of the owners and were given "money" for their silence since many of them were against Hitler's ideas, which was a blessing in disguise since Uncle Willie and his men had to go into the fields and were never able to return."
"This is where a very important legacy began, and maybe we can find the people who owned these things." suggested Helen.
"Yeah, you never know." replied Nikki.
So after meeting with Tamara's "Historian", they decided to also contact a reporter to see if he could help. The story made the evening news and people were dumbfounded at the "discovery" of one random act of kindness.
Many of the ladies & gentlemen who worked in the neighborhood in those days recounted stories of the US Soldiers and their bravery against Hitler.
The most touching was when Tamara called her uncle to tell her about her discoveries and that the Club was still alive and kicking after over sixty years.
Because of his heart condition, he couldn't fly but he was happy that his contributions weren't a waste of time or in vain.
"Why would your uncle think such a thing?" asked Nikki.
"Upon returning to the US, they were treated like dirt, not being able to get good paying jobs, sitting on the back of a bus, using facilities that said "Colored" only, etc." Tamara explained.
"Aww, that's horrible, but so true." replied Helen.
So the rest of the week went swiftly for Tamara, she wrote two bestelling
stories, she couldn't thank Nikki & Helen enough for their help and when she returned and told of her adventure to Europe, many other African Americans decided to visit the country that had always treated their ancestors with the utmost respect.
As for Helen & Nikki, they became sheroes (female heroes). Chix got more business than they could ever realize, new people were hired and when Helen & Nikki decided to meet Tamara in LA in the summer for vacation, they were told that Uncle Willie wanted to meet them.
When they went to bed a couple of nights later, they knew that LA wasn't going to be the same for either of them.