O1LT.COM "HOT AND BLACK" INTERVIEW-WENDY WILLIAMS!!!!
By L.T. Dinwiddie
The illustrious Wendy Williams has solidified her career among the many legends in the broadcasting industry. She's a mother, a wife, and a "friend in their heads" to millions and she’s showing no signs of slowing down anytime soon. On the heels of her highly successful VH1 show —The Wendy Williams Experience, Wendy is striking while the iron is hot, which in her case has been for the past five to six years. While Wendy has been in the radio industry for 20 years now, she almost faced a career homicide when her high-octane antics on the mega popular, at the time, Hot 97 got her extradited to Power 99, in Philadelphia. However, that's all in the rear view mirror of her new White Rolls-Royce Phantom, as Wendy is about to release her second chronicle of the Ritz Harper collection—"Is the Bitch Dead or What". She is also on the cusp of releasing a major motion picture detailing her life and struggle(s) to become the "Queen of All Media".
The Wendy Williams Experience is one of the most successful radio programs in it's time slot from 2pm -6pm (7pm if you're in NYC) but, she will be the first to tell you that she doesn't do it alone. Behind her is a strong team of people that stay on their grind constantly making sure that Wendy remains majestic. From her successful radio program to her numerous literary and business ventures, Wendy has beaten the odds. Wendy is just a woman who is striving to be the best person, wife, and mother she can be, while keeping ahead in the extremely male dominated radio and television industry.
I recently caught up with Wendy in New York for a sit down conversation. If you’re one of her millions of fans then I can tell you that what you hear is certainly what you get...
O1LT: Thank you so much for taking the time to speak with me to day.
O1LT: With the success of your Ritz Harper Chronicles, I understand you’re about to release the second book from that series. Is there going to be a book tour?
Wendy: Yes, there will be a book tour. The book is actually complete — which is great going into the holidays because that’s one less thing I have to think about. That’s one of the advantages of working with a writer as opposed to taking it on yourself. Which I understand why people take in on themselves because: A. you keep all the money for yourself, and B. you have control—absolute creative control. But with me and Karen Hunter, first off all Karen isn’t just a writer, she’s a Pulitzer Prize winning writer. Karen does cost a little bit more but, she’s worth it. Because “Is the Bitch Dead or What” is done!
Karen and my writing sessions are very free flowing. And once my writing session is processed on my end—finished. She goes back to her Lab top and tools it, and connects, and we have a meeting of the mind. And the next thing I know a complete manuscript is in the mail for me. I read through the manuscript and the next thing you know –“boom”, the book is bound ready to go. So I enjoy working with a writer, but that’s also because I have a day job. If I didn’t have a day job then I would probably take the time to write myself.
O1LT: So how many books will there be in this series?
Wendy: There will probably be another Ritz Harper Book. I haven’t decided that yet. This book certainly does end where there could be another one. I like the process of writing. I do want to write children’s books. Children books aren’t really…You don’t do Children’s books for money. I want to do books that cater to young black kids. You know “A Day with Daddy” or “Shaquan and His Father”. There are books out now with Sammy and his daddy – they go play basketball or whatever. But how about Shaquan has a day with daddy and Shaquan and his daddy go to the carwash — and lets be real — they get the rims shined, they get the Armor All on the tires, they go to the barber shop, they talk that talk that the black man talk. Shaquan is getting his hair cut as he watches his daddy get his hair re-braided.
There needs to be books that make sense for today’s black family. Today’s black family is a hip-hop family. I’m a mother and I work, and I can’t be there all the time. I feel guilty as a mother, so let’s stop always trying to always put it out there like its perfect —like you’re always there to read stories to your kids, and put them to bed, and make their food. We’re a mess whether they want to admit it or not. I’m here to admit it, and I want to write books that say it. But I said all that to say that I enjoy the process of writing.
O1LT: You’re a mother and wife. You’re also a “friend in their head’s to millions of fans. How do you juggle it all?
Wendy: I don’t feel as though I bite off more then I can chew. On the outside it might look that way but, by coming here to 3 Park Avenue I get my job done in a five hour period. I service my New York Tri State, which is my heart. I also service a bunch of other markets. I am the national spokesperson for Alize — right now we’re going out on a bunch of tours. My husband, Kevin, is my manager. My job is to keep my brand hot, and his job is to sell my brand to everyone else as manager. As far as our son — he kind of understands but I keep an eye on him and what’s important. I also take my me time and I rest which is separate from family — separate from career.
O1LT: So how involved are you with your show’s “The Wendy Williams Experience” on WBLS and VH1?
Wendy: Very involved! Charlamagne is my cut buddy but, it all rests on me. Prior to having “The Pink Room” and people like Tarin (Producer), Nicole (Booking Agent), Goose (Audio Engineer), Steve Lindsey (Hair and Make-Up Extraordinaire), Trev Hollywood (Production Director), and various interns to help out — I did everything. So I still have that grind experience and I’m constantly looking through my literature to find out what I am going to talk about. If by chance something where to happen with the printers not working or something like that, as you can see here (Wendy showed me mountains of paper work and magazine stories for her show) I have show prep. I also have a column in Life & Style magazine that I write weekly.
The illustrious Wendy Williams has solidified her career among the many legends in the broadcasting industry. She's a mother, a wife, and a "friend in their heads" to millions and she’s showing no signs of slowing down anytime soon. On the heels of her highly successful VH1 show —The Wendy Williams Experience, Wendy is striking while the iron is hot, which in her case has been for the past five to six years. While Wendy has been in the radio industry for 20 years now, she almost faced a career homicide when her high-octane antics on the mega popular, at the time, Hot 97 got her extradited to Power 99, in Philadelphia. However, that's all in the rear view mirror of her new White Rolls-Royce Phantom, as Wendy is about to release her second chronicle of the Ritz Harper collection—"Is the Bitch Dead or What". She is also on the cusp of releasing a major motion picture detailing her life and struggle(s) to become the "Queen of All Media".
The Wendy Williams Experience is one of the most successful radio programs in it's time slot from 2pm -6pm (7pm if you're in NYC) but, she will be the first to tell you that she doesn't do it alone. Behind her is a strong team of people that stay on their grind constantly making sure that Wendy remains majestic. From her successful radio program to her numerous literary and business ventures, Wendy has beaten the odds. Wendy is just a woman who is striving to be the best person, wife, and mother she can be, while keeping ahead in the extremely male dominated radio and television industry.
I recently caught up with Wendy in New York for a sit down conversation. If you’re one of her millions of fans then I can tell you that what you hear is certainly what you get...
O1LT: Thank you so much for taking the time to speak with me to day.
O1LT: With the success of your Ritz Harper Chronicles, I understand you’re about to release the second book from that series. Is there going to be a book tour?
Wendy: Yes, there will be a book tour. The book is actually complete — which is great going into the holidays because that’s one less thing I have to think about. That’s one of the advantages of working with a writer as opposed to taking it on yourself. Which I understand why people take in on themselves because: A. you keep all the money for yourself, and B. you have control—absolute creative control. But with me and Karen Hunter, first off all Karen isn’t just a writer, she’s a Pulitzer Prize winning writer. Karen does cost a little bit more but, she’s worth it. Because “Is the Bitch Dead or What” is done!
Karen and my writing sessions are very free flowing. And once my writing session is processed on my end—finished. She goes back to her Lab top and tools it, and connects, and we have a meeting of the mind. And the next thing I know a complete manuscript is in the mail for me. I read through the manuscript and the next thing you know –“boom”, the book is bound ready to go. So I enjoy working with a writer, but that’s also because I have a day job. If I didn’t have a day job then I would probably take the time to write myself.
O1LT: So how many books will there be in this series?
Wendy: There will probably be another Ritz Harper Book. I haven’t decided that yet. This book certainly does end where there could be another one. I like the process of writing. I do want to write children’s books. Children books aren’t really…You don’t do Children’s books for money. I want to do books that cater to young black kids. You know “A Day with Daddy” or “Shaquan and His Father”. There are books out now with Sammy and his daddy – they go play basketball or whatever. But how about Shaquan has a day with daddy and Shaquan and his daddy go to the carwash — and lets be real — they get the rims shined, they get the Armor All on the tires, they go to the barber shop, they talk that talk that the black man talk. Shaquan is getting his hair cut as he watches his daddy get his hair re-braided.
There needs to be books that make sense for today’s black family. Today’s black family is a hip-hop family. I’m a mother and I work, and I can’t be there all the time. I feel guilty as a mother, so let’s stop always trying to always put it out there like its perfect —like you’re always there to read stories to your kids, and put them to bed, and make their food. We’re a mess whether they want to admit it or not. I’m here to admit it, and I want to write books that say it. But I said all that to say that I enjoy the process of writing.
O1LT: You’re a mother and wife. You’re also a “friend in their head’s to millions of fans. How do you juggle it all?
Wendy: I don’t feel as though I bite off more then I can chew. On the outside it might look that way but, by coming here to 3 Park Avenue I get my job done in a five hour period. I service my New York Tri State, which is my heart. I also service a bunch of other markets. I am the national spokesperson for Alize — right now we’re going out on a bunch of tours. My husband, Kevin, is my manager. My job is to keep my brand hot, and his job is to sell my brand to everyone else as manager. As far as our son — he kind of understands but I keep an eye on him and what’s important. I also take my me time and I rest which is separate from family — separate from career.
O1LT: So how involved are you with your show’s “The Wendy Williams Experience” on WBLS and VH1?
Wendy: Very involved! Charlamagne is my cut buddy but, it all rests on me. Prior to having “The Pink Room” and people like Tarin (Producer), Nicole (Booking Agent), Goose (Audio Engineer), Steve Lindsey (Hair and Make-Up Extraordinaire), Trev Hollywood (Production Director), and various interns to help out — I did everything. So I still have that grind experience and I’m constantly looking through my literature to find out what I am going to talk about. If by chance something where to happen with the printers not working or something like that, as you can see here (Wendy showed me mountains of paper work and magazine stories for her show) I have show prep. I also have a column in Life & Style magazine that I write weekly.
posted by IM OVER IT at 11/19/2006
3 Comments:
Wendy is the bomb & she will always be on fire!!!!
Wendy is one SMART BITCH:)!!!!!!
I look forward to Wendy. She keeps a busy woman in the know of the mainstream. I love her, radio and TV Diva that she is and the way she does the damn thing.
LUUUUV HEEERRRR.
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