As we go into the weekend, we’d like to leave you with a little dose of happiness: the viral images and videos from Johnny Gill’s joy-filled Memorial Day birthday cookout.
If you’ve been checking your social media, especially TikTok, chances are you’ve seen one of the many videos shot at the singer’s shindig at his home in Los Angeles, in particular, the outdoor scenes that include impromptu live performances from Jeffrey Osborne, Gill himself, and even riffs from people we didn’t know could sing like Anthony Anderson and Cedric the Entertainer. The guests in the videos could populate an invitation list for the NAACP Image Awards. Along with the aforementioned, there’s Judge Greg Mathis, Stevie Wonder, Tisha Campbell, Nischelle Turner, Kenny Lattimore, and more.
But what is striking is not so much all the fame gathered out on that well-manicured patio, but how these A-listers could be anyone from our own lives or families. They are just regular people enjoying a good time. This is what Black people do, no matter what is happening around them. That notion is particularly underscored for Osborne, 77, who lost his wife of 42 years, Sheri Osborne, just two months ago. Social media followers speculated that the gathering was healing for him.
One can almost smell the charcoal from the grill and hear the guests, some telling jokes, others whispering about business, and still others in the corner, quizzing a toddler with leading questions so they’ll say something funny and precocious.
One can imagine in the middle of all this, someone quietly pulling Osborne from his private conversation, prompting him to sing, and Osborne initially and shyly shooing them off, but ultimately, humbling agreeing to sing a little something, then belting out, “I’m in Love Again,” only to be followed by, “Love Ballad” and other hits while Judge Mathis, wearing shorts, bops his head behind him and everyone pulls out their phones to capture the moment.
Many of the videos shot at the barbecue move from side to side because the people behind the phones are also moving side to side, clearly feeling the music and the vibe.
But the instance that perhaps lets viewers know this could be their own family is when Johnny Gill, brown liquor drink in hand, almost slides out next to Osborne, singing, dancing, and encouraging everybody else to join him. This is when one understands that all those times they may have seen him on stage or watched him in videos, he was having a good time.
Then comes the mashup of joy: seeming extrovert Anthony Anderson, with his red T-shirt that reads “Just a kid from Compton,” singing along on the mic to Luther Vandross’ “Never Too Much,” Cedric the Entertainer, mic in hand, singing the late Luther Vandross’ “Bad Boy/Having a Party,” then trying to sing a hit by Gill and admitting he doesn’t know the words, GIll signing his hits, and Tisha Campbell, wearing a cute matching set of tan top, pants, and headwrap, dancing along in a beautiful world of her own, looking at no one.
With fire and praying hands emojis, Gill commented on Instagram: “We had a freaking blast!”
Nischelle Turner, “Entertainment Tonight” co-host, posted: Johnny called and said I’m having a little get together at the house come on over…. Didn’t know it would turn into a legendary karaoke concert!”
The only difference between these celebrities and regular Black people is they don’t have to clean up after the party, they always have a ride, and their clothes probably cost a lot more.
As I read from someone recently — paraphrasing — the world could be falling apart and Black people will be doing a line dance.
It seems like as good a time as any to remember that we are people who love, laugh, and dance no matter what is happening around us. We are us, no matter whether we’ve won an Oscar or we’re Uncle Eddie around the corner.
Joy is what we are about.
