Phil Upchurch, Legendary Guitarist For Michael Jackson, Donny Hathaway, And George Benson, Dead At 84
He also worked with artists like Quincy Jones, Etta James, Ramsey Lewis, and Luther Vandross.
Guitarist Phil Upchurch, the session musician who worked with such artists as George Benson, Michael Jackson, and Donny Hathaway, died Nov. 23 in Los Angeles, according to his wife, Sonya Maddox-Upchurch.
A cause of death was not revealed. He was 84.
“Phil Upchurch was my personal gift from God, he was my best friend, my music partner, my life, and my hero,” she said in a written statement, according to Billboard. “Our love was supernatural, endless, timeless and as true as his favorite color blue. He was a master of chords and emotions. Anything that he placed his mind to complete—he did it. Well done, my love. I love you more than words can say and the heart can hold.”
Benson acknowledged Upchurch’s death on his social media account.
“We lost a dear Broadway Tours family member. The great Phil Upchurch. Phil was an integral part of the Breezin’ record having wrote the great song “Six to Four” as well as a key musician on the record Weekend In LA. 🤍🎶🕊️”
Upchurch, born in Chicago on July 19, 1941, played the ukulele at age 13 before turning to the guitar, bass, and drums. After graduating from high school in 1958, he went on tour with The Spaniels, three years before scoring a hit in 1961 with “You Can’t Sit Down.”
During his career as a studio musician, he shared the room with artists such as Ramsey Lewis, the Dells, Etta James, Chaka Khan, Quincy Jones, Luther Vandross, B.B. King, Dizzy Gillespie, Curtis Mayfield, and Stan Getz.
Upchurch also authored two instructional music books and also wrote an autobiography, which will be released posthumously.
Black Santa Is Coming To Town: Here’s Where You Can Catch The Christmas Icon
Black Santa is coming to cities big and small to help families feel pride and joy this holiday season.
The increasingly popular Black Santa is returning to diverse communities nationwide to spread holiday cheer.
The soulful take on Santa Claus has added a jolly representation to the holiday, helping Black families feel seen among the celebration. Many cities have started to embrace the tradition by providing their own sightings of Black Santa.
As a symbol of representation and pride, Black Santa allows diverse families to reclaim Christmas for themselves. Especially amid a federal anti-Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion movement, promoting this Santa has become even more important this holiday season.
This year, states across the nation are hosting Black Santa.
In Fayetteville, North Carolina, one retired Army veteran has become an annual beacon of representation as Black Santa.
According to the Fayetteville Observer, Craig Edwards dons the red suit every Christmas to greet children during the holidays. Inspired by his granddaughter’s innocent question of why Santa did not look like her, the father of three attended Santa Academy to learn the tricks and trade of Saint Nick. Known by the community as “Santa Craig,” he continues to delight families at the local mall for classic pictures.
Photos: Craig Edwards, known as Santa Craig, greets children at the mall https://t.co/iemI7gLb09
In the Midwest, the Progress Center for Black Women hosted its 7th annual Photos with Santa at the Olbrich Botanical Gardens in Madison, Wisconsin, which has grown from a few hundred visitors to over 1,500. Young families to solo adults come and often it’s the first time they have met a Black Mr. Claus, according to Madison 365.
Back in the Carolinas, Wilmington hosts its own Black history tours. Its Christmas-inspired version is guided by “Soul Santa.” The guide, Brandon ‘Bigg B’ Hickman, believes “Santa is who we make Santa out to be,” as his version goes deeper into the tradition to touch on the history of the local community.
In Ohio, The Voice of Black Cincinnati will bring out its Black Santa on Dec. 18. Santa will appear at the Cincinnati Art Museum for the annual tradition, which focuses on promoting holiday cheer that all can take pride in.
The Madam Walker Legacy Center in Indianapolis also has a host of holiday programming, including its Black Santa Extravaganza. Taking place Dec. 13, the free event invites families throughout the Midwest city to snap pictures with Santa as they begin their Christmas celebration. Doing this at The Walker is especially significant, as the center honors the legacy of the Black woman entrepreneur whose ambitions inspired millions.
In Houston, the Black Santa Experience also brings Mrs. Claus to the holiday occasion. Families can head to a local luxury photo studio to snap a pic with the soulful Mr. and Mrs. Claus, allowing them to see themselves in every aspect of the holiday character.
Lastly, the Black Santa 270 program in Paducah, Kentucky, started in 2017. According toWPSD Local 6, its mission aims to give back to local children in need while spreading cheer with a Santa that sparks imagination. On Dec. 20, it will continue the tradition by providing toys, food, and photos for children.
Missouri Defensive End Damon Wilson Sued By Georgia For $390K
The University of Georgia Athletic Association has filed legal paperwork requesting $390,000 in damages from the defensive end.
University of Missouri student-athlete Damon Wilson is being sued by the University of Georgia for more than $300,000 for transferring from the school after signing a name, image, and likeness (NIL) deal two weeks before leaving for Missouri.
According to ESPN, the University of Georgia Athletic Association (UGAAA) has filed legal paperwork requesting $390,000 in damages from the defensive end. The athletic association wants that amount as a buyout fee.
Wilson played two years with Georgia and transferred to Missouri two weeks after signing the new deal with Georgia’s Classic City Collective.
“When the University of Georgia Athletic Association enters binding agreements with student-athletes, we honor our commitments and expect student-athletes to do the same,” athletics spokesperson Steven Drummond said in a written statement to ESPN.
Georgia paid Wilson a total of $30,000 under the contract; the school says Wilson owes $390,000 in a lump sum within 30 days of his nullification of the deal.
The association said that Wilson signed a term sheet for a 14-month contract worth $ 500,000 in December 2024. He was to receive $30,000 monthly with two bonus payments of $40,000. The deal stipulated that if Wilson withdrew from the football team or entered the transfer portal, he would owe a lump-sum payment equal to the remaining money he’d have received if he’d stayed through the end of the deal.
“After all the facts come out, people will be shocked at how the University of Georgia treated a student athlete,” said Bogdan Susan, Wilson’s attorney, who is representing Wilson along with Jeff Jensen. “It has never been about the money for Damon; he just wants to play the game he loves and pursue his dream of playing in the NFL.”
An arbitrator will decide the case.
Georgia did just fine without Wilson, winning the SEC Championship Game, 28-7, against the University of Alabama over the weekend.
U.S. National Parks Remove MLK Day And Juneteenth From Free-Entry List, Replace Them With Trump’s Birthday
The Parks Service did not explain why it opted to remove two prominent holidays promoting civil rights and justice in America.
During the Biden administration, on Juneteenth and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day visitors could enter national parks for free. Now, under President Donald Trump, the holidays celebrating the end of slavery and the life of the civil rights icon have been axed from these special days.
CBS News confirmed a day that will replace them: June 14, Flag Day and more notably, Donald Trump’s birthday.
The list of free admission days includes patriotic days already recognized across America such as Presidents’ Day, Memorial Day, and even Constitution Day. It also celebrates some birthdays, such as the establishment of the Park Service itself and the president who founded it, Theodore Roosevelt.
No other president’s birthday currently stands as a free entry day.
The Parks Service did not explain why it opted to remove two prominent holidays promoting civil rights and justice in America. However, the news shocked many in the Black community.
Particularly, MLK Day has become a day of service. Many volunteers use the free entry opportunity to help clean the parks.
“Not only does it recognize an American hero, it’s also a day when people go into parks to clean them up,” shared Kristen Brengel, a spokesperson for the National Parks Conservation Association, to ABC7. “Martin Luther King Jr. deserves a day of recognition … For some reason, Black history has repeatedly been targeted by this administration, and it shouldn’t be.”
The removal of MLK Day and Juneteenth from this list also aligns with the Trump administration’s crackdown on diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. The administration has already urged agencies, public schools, and departments to put a lesser focus on diverse histories. This update with the National Parks is an apparent part of this push.
The news also adds to the growing controversy surrounding the National Parks, as it previously announced price increases for visitors not identified as American citizens or permanent residents. Even on these free entry days, foreign visitors will have to pay entrance fees and other nonresident fees.
Diddy’s Mother Rejects Abuse Claims in Documentary, Says 1991 Slap Story Never Happened
'The allegations stated by Mr. Kirk Burrows that my son slapped me... are inaccurate and patently false,' she wrote.
The Netflix documentary, “Sean Combs: The Reckoning,” has been in the headlines due to the salacious details about the alleged acts the rap mogul has committed.
According to Deadline, she struck back over what has been stated in several interviews and stories told in the doc about her son, his upbringing, and her role in rearing him.
“I am writing this statement to correct some of the lies presented in the Netflix, Sean Combs: The Reckoning, released on December 2, 2025,” she stated to the media outlet. “These inaccuracies regarding my son Sean’s upbringing and family life is intentionally done to mislead viewers and further harm our reputation.”
She denied accusations that she was an abusive parent and that there was a physical altercation between them.
“The allegations stated by Mr. Kirk Burrows (Diddy’s former business partner) that my son slapped me while we were conversing after the tragic City College events on December 28, 1991, are inaccurate and patently false,” Combs said. “That was a very sad day for all of us.
“For him to use this tragedy and incorporate fake narratives to further his prior failed and current attempt to gain what was never his, Bad Boy Records is wrong, outrageous, and past offensive.”
In the statement, she also disputed what Diddy’s childhood friend, Tim “Dawg” Patterson, said about how she treated her son as a child. Patterson grew up with Diddy and was a close friend of the mogul.
She ended her letter by writing, “I am requesting that these distortions, falsehoods and misleading statements be publicly retracted.”
Diddy is currently serving a 50-month prison term in New Jersey at Fort Dix, after being convicted on two counts of transporting individuals to engage in prostitution under the Mann Act in July.
Ye’s Brazil Concert Canceled Over Nazi Fascination
'No one who promotes Nazism will play or sing any words on public equipment belonging to the City Hall,' said São Paulo Mayor Ricardo Nunes.
Ye, the artist formerly known as Kanye West, recently had a scheduled Brazil concert canceled because of his Nazi fascination.
According to Consequence, officials from São Paulo City Hall made the move because the hip-hop star had previously promoted hate speech and his love of Nazism. The event was planned to take place on Nov. 29 at the Interlagos Racetrack in São Paulo.
Before officials made the decision, São Paulo mayor Ricardo Nunes threatened to arrest the producer if he uttered any of the words or performed any song that promoted Nazism during the show. Metrópoles reported that the São Paulo State Public Prosecutor’s Office (MPSP) told the Riot Police to keep police officers on hand.
Two promoters of the show, Guilherme Cavalcante and Jean Fabrício Ramos (Faublous Fabz), were also threatened with arrest if Ye crossed the line.
“No one who promotes Nazism will play or sing any words on public equipment belonging to the City Hall,” Nunes said. “We do not accept it, and we will do everything necessary to ensure that no one who promotes Nazism has any kind of activity here in the city of São Paulo.”
Ye released a song, “Heil Hitler,” in May that celebrated the divisive German Nazi Party leader Adolf Hitler.
The event organizers are still planning to have a Ye performance in Brazil in 2026, although imost likely not in São Paulo.
Consequence reported that Ye is not welcome in Australia after he released that song. His visa has been revoked, as confirmed by Australia’s Home Affairs Minister, Tony Burke.
Sony is aiming to capitalize on the billion-dollar Sci-Fi action-comedy series. The studio has tapped Chris Bremner, the screenwriter credited with successfully extending the “Bad Boys” franchise, to write the script for the new film.
The most anticipated question about the project is whether Will Smith will return as the iconic “Agent J.” Insiders confirm that once Bremner completes the screenplay, Smith will be among the first to receive it, Deadline reported. Sources say that the 57-year-old actor will not commit in any capacity until he has read the final script.
Bremner’s professional relationship with Smith hints that he is the man for the job, as the writer also penned Smith’s upcoming Netflix actioner, “Fast & Loose.” Hopefully, the screenwriter’s ability to craft a compelling story is enough to draw the mega star back into his tailored black suit and black sunglasses.
A new ‘MEN IN BLACK’ film is in the works.
Will Smith is being eyed to return with his character written into the script in the hope that he signs on
The franchise’s global track record is astounding. All of the films combined have collectively earned nearly $2 billion at the box office. However, the latest attempt to expand the universe, “Men in Black: International,” starring Tessa Thompson, failed to follow the success of its Smith-led predecessors.
Sony’s confidence in the project is also tied to the proven chemistry between Smith and Bremner. Recently, the two collaborated on “Bad Boys for Life.” The film delivered one of the decade’s most durable action-comedy hits. “The Bad Boys” franchise is also a $1 billion franchise, which is holding strong after nearly 30 years.
In a 2020 interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Smith said the movie worked because “we trusted the writing and trusted the comedic rhythm.”
He credits Bremner with sharpening the story’s pace and tone. If the writing, chemistry, and trust remain, the newest addition to the franchise will be excellent.
On Dec. 4, Apple announced that General Counsel Kate Adams and Jackson, vice president for environment, policy, and social initiatives, are retiring. Both reported directly to CEO Tim Cook.
Jackson, who joined Apple in 2013, oversaw the company’s diversity initiatives and much of its policy work in Washington, D.C., following her four-year tenure as an Obama-appointed administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. She will retire in late January 2026, according to Apple.
Her focus on social justice and renewable energy became less central during the second Trump administration, which publicly opposes DEI programs and has criticized climate change initiatives.
The change comes even though Apple shareholders rejected a February proposal to end the company’s diversity, equity, and inclusion program. The conservative think tank, the National Center for Public Policy Research, had urged Apple to follow other major companies in scaling back DEI, which has faced criticism from Republicans and President Donald Trump.
“The vibe shift is clear: DEI is out, and annual merit is in,” Stephen Padfield, executive director of the National Center for Public Policy Research’s Free Enterprise Project, said in a pre-recorded statement played to Apple shareholders at the time.
Jackson’s departure leaves a small number of Black executives—5%, according to Apple. Cynthia Bowman, vice president, global talent and people business planning; Alisha Johnson-Wilder, director of external engagement for environment, policy, and social initiatives; and Wanda Austin, a key board member with extensive science and tech leadership, are among the few that remain.
Companywide, Black employees remain the lowest-represented minority group at Apple, aside from Indigenous staff at just 1% and multiracial employees at 3%. Black representation is stronger in retail and sales than in technical or leadership roles.
Why Black Businesses In SoCal’s Orange County Are Thriving As Trailblazers
With strong support from the community, the small number of Black-owned businesses in Orange County are thriving as pioneers.
Black-owned businesses are limited in Southern California’s Orange County, but growing relocation, community support, and local advocacy have helped those that are open thrive in recent years.
Though Black residents make up only about 1.7% of Orange County’s population—roughly 54,000 people—Black representation in Irvine is small but powerful. From soul food restaurants in bustling shopping districts to the county’s sole Black-owned wine cellar, these entrepreneurs are carving out space and earning strong community support.
Take Lynda’s African Delicacies, for example. The African restaurant in the Airport Business Center often draws long lines of locals eager to grab their orders from the city’s premier African food haven. Founded by Linda Umaru after the success of her hair braiding and beauty business, the ventures have rapidly expanded thanks to the strong support from the Irvine community and popularity on TikTok.
A Nigerian native, Umaru, moved to Irvine in 2005 after marrying her husband. When they welcomed their first child, she chose to stay home rather than pay for daycare and started a hair-braiding business to support the family. As she cooked meals for her clients during appointments, she realized there was a demand for her food as well. What began in a small 1,200-square-foot salon quickly expanded — first to 3,500 square feet, and now to a 5,000-square-foot braiding salon and beauty supply store on Sky Park Circle, just steps from her restaurant.
Lynda’s African Delicacies began in 2019 as a food truck, but after locals consistently flooded the window with orders, Umaru expanded to a brick-and-mortar location in November 2024. Now running a cozy eatery near her braiding salon, she’s already preparing to enlarge the space to welcome more dine-in customers.
“The food is bigger than the hair salon,” Umaru tells BLACK ENTERPRISE. “The traffic, you cannot just imagine, people were asking us how can you bring African food in Orange County, in Irvine. But my first thing that came to my mind is the kind of people coming to my house, and when I was giving them this food, there’s not any barrier for any race that they were eating this food. And that’s how I realized, ‘OK, this can be a business for us.’ And it’s just the crowd that they are coming here, it’s not even close to Africa. It’s just the Orange County people from different kind of race, everybody just love the food.”
With both businesses thriving, Umaru is celebrating and sharing the beauty of the African diaspora in Orange County, supporting protective-style wearers and serving delicious food to a diverse community.
“When you relate with the community, and you offer them something of this nature, they go for it,” Umaru said. “They were able to relate with the food, and the community loves it because of the kind of ingredients we are using in the food is mostly coming from Nigeria. So we cook it just like the way we cook it back in Nigeria, and people love it.”
@ocfeed @lyndasafricandelicacies – 17951 sky park circle bldg 35 suite J, Irvine, California 92614 Authentic African cuisine – right here in Irvine!! This is a unique spot – we only have a few African eateries in OC and Lynda’s is super legit. Lynda’s began in a home kitchen, then turned into a food truck, and now operates as a brick and mortar in a little food center in an office park in Irvine. The menu is simple, and they have all the classics. Do not leave without fufu, it’s kind of the vehicle with which you actually eat the rest of the food, typically made from cassava. It’s starchy, doughy, and not meant to carry much flavor – because the rest of the food packs that punch. https://lyndasafricandelicacies.com/menu They have lots of veggie options, you of course have to get plantains. Get yourself some oxtail, it’s nice and tender. A traditional order for anyone trying it out for the first time seems to be oxtail fufu and egusi. It’s full of spices and flavored right, with a deep and rich earthy hearty taste that I’m gonna bet you haven't encountered before. Jollof fried rice is also a must. And then there’s their red sauce they’re putting on everything. Give me a bottle of that to take around with me wherever I go. SO good. Have you tried African food before? . . #african#africanfood#irvine#orangecounty♬ original sound – Ocfeed
The growing visibility and success of Black-owned businesses in Orange County wouldn’t be possible without the tireless, behind-the-scenes work of the Black Chamber of Orange County. For more than 40 years, the Chamber has championed businesses, education, and veterans across diverse communities, helping ensure the strong representation seen in the region’s business landscape today.
“Orange County has 34 municipalities, Irvine being one of them. Before COVID, the Black Chamber Office was in Irvine,” the Chamber told BLACK ENTERPRISE. “We were located in the Orange County Workforce Solutions facility, where the county was dedicated to helping people and businesses overcome obstacles, reach their goals, fulfill their potential, and contribute to a thriving region.”
The aim is to build on the county’s progress in diversifying its business landscape and remain a reliable resource for future Black-owned ventures in Orange County.
“Access to information is our motto, and we are here to help all in our ethnic communities, to improve, enhance, and grow their business,” the Chamber said.
Consider Georgia’s Restaurant, the only soul food restaurant at the bustling Irvine Spectrum Center. Shoppers from every background line up for its crispy fried chicken, flavorful jambalaya, hearty gumbo, and honey-buttered cornbread—comfort classics that keep guests licking their fingers. Founded by Gretchen Shoemaker, the menu honors her childhood spent cooking alongside her grandmother, crafting dishes with “the whole heart and soul,” as she describes on her website. Now with four Southern California locations, Georgia’s presence in Irvine and nearby Anaheim reflects the growing space for Black-owned businesses in Orange County—and the community support helping them thrive.
Elsewhere, McClain Cellars is making history as the only Black-owned wine cellar in Orange County. Founded by Jason and Sofia McClain, the couple turned their shared passion for wine into a full-fledged emporium that celebrates community, craftsmanship, and their own love story. After two decades in the tech world, Jason felt inspired to create something more personal. In July 2016, he and Sofia set out to craft exceptional wines from California’s best soils—bottles meant to evoke real emotion. Their journey took them up and down the West Coast, scouting vineyards and selecting the perfect wines to build their signature collection, and they found Irvine to be the best location to house one of their four SoCal locations.
“McClain Cellars chose Irvine as its headquarters because of the city’s unique business environment and community,” Jason tells BLACK ENTERPRISE. “As a hub for technology and innovation, Irvine’s corporate landscape provided a perfect fit for our wine blending and team-building events. We saw an opportunity to introduce a new kind of luxury experience to the city, one that combines the craft of winemaking with the corporate culture of Southern California.”
From their award-winning wines to their premier wine-tasting room and unique wine-blending experience that gives patrons the chance to be a winemaker for a day, McClain Cellars has built a sustainable business in a city not known for its Black representation, while showing the success that comes when given space for ownership.
As the only Black-owned wine cellar in Orange County, McClain Cellars could have faced resistance, but Jason says the local community has been nothing but “welcoming and supportive.”
“People have embraced the concept of having a winery tasting room and event space right here in Irvine,” he said. “The feedback on our award-winning wines, our customer service, and the overall atmosphere has been overwhelmingly positive, which has been crucial to our success.”
Now they’re proudly building bridges and bringing Black excellence to the OC. Beyond being the county’s only Black-owned wine cellar, McClain Cellars also expands its cultural impact through its “Black Heroes Collection,” a wine series honoring African American icons such as Frederick Douglass, Harriet Tubman, the Tuskegee Airmen, and Marian Anderson, among others.
“This has been a powerful way to share important stories and history with the Irvine community,” Jason said.
The McClains’ success highlights the growing opportunities for diverse business owners in Orange County, where an increasingly inclusive approach is helping local entrepreneurs introduce new concepts that bring the community together.
“Our thriving business demonstrates that Irvine’s community is open to new ideas and is actively seeking to support diverse businesses,” Jason said. “It shows that when you provide an excellent product and a truly welcoming experience, people will respond with open arms, regardless of the business owners’ background. This support has been crucial and truly highlights Irvine’s commitment to creating a vibrant and inclusive city.”
Michael Jordan Takes The Stand In High-Stakes NASCAR Antitrust Trial, Says Teams Deserve ‘Fair Treatment’
Jordan is the co-owner of the 23XI Racing team.
Michael Jordan stepped into a Charlotte, North Carolina, federal courtroom Dec. 5 not as an NBA legend, but as a NASCAR team owner fighting what he calls an unfair system. Testifying for an hour in the antitrust case brought by his 23XI Racing team and Front Row Motorsports against NASCAR, Jordan argued that the stock car racing organization’s current business model leaves teams without true partnership or economic stability. Jordan owns 23XI Racing with Denny Hamlin.
Jordan opened his testimony with a simple introduction: “My name is Michael Jeffrey Jordan, and I grew up in Wilmington, North Carolina.” He next detailed his lifelong passion for motorsports that began with childhood trips to Talladega Superspeedway. Even today, he told the court, he never misses a race and attends up to a dozen events a year, The New York Times reports.
His testimony centered on why he chose to challenge NASCAR after recent charter negotiations his team participated in broke down. Jordan said team owners have been “browbeaten for so many years” while pushing for structural changes, including permanent charters and improved revenue terms. None of those priorities, he said, were meaningfully addressed.
“I wasn’t afraid” to take legal action, Jordan testified. “It needed to be looked at from a whole different perspective.”
Jordan said he has invested $35 to $40 million into 23XI Racing since launching it with driver Denny Hamlin in 2020. That includes purchasing a charter for $28 million, which has since expired after the team refused to sign a deal they considered unacceptable. He rejected provisions that blocked antitrust challenges and a take-it-or-leave-it structure, he said, undermined teams’ ability to operate sustainably, Fox 8 reports.
His goal, he testified, is for a business model that allows teams and NASCAR to grow together.
“The thing I’m hoping for is you create more of a partnership between two entities,” Jordan said. “If that’s the case, it becomes a more valuable business.”
Jordan also acknowledged that 23XI talked with other teams about the charter terms. He said the goal wasn’t to sway anyone for his own gain, but to make sure every owner understood just how lopsided the economics were.
After Jordan testified, Race Team Association Executive Director Jonathan Marshall took the stand to outline financial models showing NASCAR teams lag behind franchises in leagues like the NBA, NFL, MLB, and MLS. Earlier in the day, NASCAR President Steve O’Donnell and Joe Gibbs Racing Co-Owner Heather Gibbs also testified.
The trial began Dec. 1 and is expected to run about two to three weeks.
