R&B veteran Shirley Murdock is on a mission to have a Roger Troutman memorial erected in Dayton, Ohio.

The 'As We Lay' singer, a star student of Troutman's, told BlackVoices.com that the idea to spearhead this campaign came to her about a year ago.

"I was driving toward downtown Dayton, and as I approached the corner of Salem Avenue and Catalpa, I glanced over and saw a newly constructed gateway in the place that once housed the vibrant Troutman Sound Labs. Needless to say, I was overcome with emotion, and my head was flooded with so many wonderful memories from days gone by," she recalled.

Hollywood media maven Tanya Hart narrates 'Ray Charles: The Music Lives On,' the syndicated radio special just licensed to British Airways for their in-flight entertainment starting on April 1.

The three-hour audio special traces the life of the acclaimed late music great, who died on June 10, 2004, from liver cancer.

"We are pleased to share this very special audio documentary with our international audience," Hart told BlackVoices.com. "Ray Charles was loved and respected all over the world, and we are excited about keeping his musical legacy alive!"

Golden Globe-nominated actor Idris Elba has been named the official ambassador for the 4G Competitive Edge Filmmakers Challenge, a short film competition that calls college students to make movies with a smartphone.

Sprint, along with the Thurgood Marshall College Fund and Wells Fargo, tapped the 38-year-old star of 'Takers' and 'Obsessed' to inspire college students to utilize the cell phone technology in their pursuits to become filmmakers.

"We have all heard it a million times before that today's students are tomorrow's leaders. I was told the same thing when I was growing up and it has shaped my beliefs," the former star of 'The Wire' told BlackVoices.com.

R&B star Lil' Mo will join the touring cast of the Broadway musical 'The Color Purple' for an Easter engagement in the Nation's Capital.

The pint-sized vocal powerhouse will guest star as the Church Soloist from April 12 to 24 when the production plays the National Theatre in Washington, DC.

"When I got the call to be part of the production, I was so excited," said Lil' Mo. "This is a dream come true – I'm honored, and most of all, grateful."

Lil' Mo currently hosts 'The Lil' Mo Show' on WPGC 95.5 FM in Washington, DC and is putting the final touches on a forthcoming R&B CD, 'P.S. I Love, Me.'

Reality TV star Omarosa Manigault-Stallworth announced in 2009 that she had enrolled in seminary school.

Now, BlackVoices.com can report that the former television "villain" received her preacher's license on Sunday Feb. 20 and has been named assistant pastor of the Weller Street Missionary Baptist Church in Los Angeles, where she is a member.

"Sunday was a very special day for me in terms of my ministry and spiritual growth," the one-named TV talent told us exclusively. "God is in control and I'm moving in divine direction!"

'90210' star Tristan Wilds is segueing into music.

The 21-year-old actor, who previously starred on HBO's 'The Wire,' has been in the studio working on an upcoming CD.

"I'm really looking forward to showcasing my musical talent," he said to BlackVoices.com. "It's always been a passion and a big part of my life. I love acting, but music has always been in me. I was fortunate to showcase a little of my talent in 'The Secret Life Of Bees' and my character on '90210' is a DJ, so the public got to hear a little of that side of me. But now it's time to really focus on building and making the music I love."

Actress Sheryl Lee Ralph will co-host CNN and HLN's pre and post-show coverage of the 2011 Academy Awards with HLN anchor A.J. Hammer.

"I am so excited," Ralph exclaimed to BlackVoices.com. "I'm that little girl who grew up dreaming about being there where all the world's stars showed up in all their regalia and retinues! And this year I get a chance to be there offering my thoughts and opinions on the worlds network, CNN and HLN!"

Angela M. Brown is a highly acclaimed opera star on a mission to diversify classical music.

With her recital program, 'Opera... from a Sistah's Point of View,' Brown aims to engage people of color with the classical music sound.

"As I was traveling the world and I'm on the stages of the world and I'm looking out in the audience and I'm seeing a sea of monochromatic people. And most of them were older-lots of white hair," she explained to BlackVoices.com. "With me being an African-American woman and not seeing very many people who looked like me in the audience, I needed to be able to step up my game and at least let people know I'm here, especially kids. It's my way of contributing to the cultural atmosphere and letting them know, I'm here and there are people who look like you here."

Hollywood funnyman Sinbad is the latest celebrity to feature his family life on reality television.

The 54-year-old comic has struck a deal with WE TV for a new show tentatively titled 'Sinbad's Family Affair.'

"It's not your run-of-the-mill reality show. I'm looking at this medium to find ways to be creative. If done right, reality TV can be funny," he told Entertainment Weekly.

Star Jones is one of the cast of characters vying to be Donald Trump's new 'Celebrity Apprentice' when the NBC reality show premieres on March 6.

Buzz about the upcoming season is high as media stories surrounding an alleged on-camera feud between the former co-host of 'The View' and NeNe Leakes of the 'Real Housewives of Atlanta' recently made headlines.

BlackVoices.com spoke exclusively with Jones, and the 48-year-old legal eagle not only addressed the rumors surrounding Leakes, but also discussed her new position as editor-at-large for Uptown magazine and Barbara Walters' recent ABC heart surgery special, 'A Matter of Life and Death.'