Journalist, Author & Syndicated Columnist
Jazz pianist Kayla Waters kick-started her career with back-to-back No. 1 singles on Billboard. Her latest release, “Full Bloom” (from her CD “Coevolve”) is zooming up the Smooth Jazz Songs chart as well. Residing in the Capitol Hill area of Washington, D.C., Waters says touring is a perk of her job. But even when she doesn’t have to travel, she enjoys squeezing in a quick visit somewhere.
Dr. Jen Gunter has two New York Times columns dedicated to women’s health, a Canadian docuseries called “Jensplaining” and a very active social media presence where she disseminates medical fallacies in a way that the general public can understand. Her latest project is the book “The Vagina Bible: The Vulva and the Vagina: Separating the Myth from the Medicine” (Citadel, $18.95) — a Publishers Weekly and New York Times bestseller.
Born and raised in Chicago, NCT 127’s John Suh got his first taste of concerts thanks to his mother, who worked for a local radio station. “I was too young to remember who I saw, but I remember myself having a lot of fun,” says Suh, who goes by the stage name of simply Johnny. “(One day), I would love to see Coldplay at Soldier Field. That would be very awesome.” Johnny and some of his band mates took a breather from promoting their EP “We Are Superhuman” to participate in this interview.
Raised by a single mom, “Supernatural” actor, philanthropist and author Misha Collins remembers how hard his mother worked to make sure there was food on the dinner table, even when they were homeless and living off food stamps. “My mom always found a way for us to eat meals together,” says Collins, who resides with his own family in the Pacific Northwest. “We were poor enough that my little brother and I understood how lucky we were to have the food we had and appreciated it accordingly.
November is National Adoption Awareness Month. Journalist, author and adoptee, Seth Berkman, got a taste of his birth country when the New York Times sent him to report on the United Korean women’s hockey team. Consisting of players from both North and South Korea, select players trained and competed together as teammates at the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, South Korea.
Omar J. Dorsey has had parts in critically acclaimed films such as “Selma,” “Django Unchained” and “The Blind Side.” The actor’s latest role is in the Harriet Tubman biopic, “Harriet,” where he plays Bigger Long, a free black man who captures runaway slaves for their white owners.
Jazz vocalist Diana Panton says that when people ask her for travel tips, she recommends visiting Portugal. “I was impressed with the affordability (there),” says the Canadian musician. “It’s a great place to go on a budget. There’s lots of interesting architecture, history, tasty food and natural landscapes at a fraction of the price of most other European countries.”
Siobhan Fahey played her first overseas concert in 1983, when she was part of the trio Bananarama. “It was a weird, impromptu appearance by Bananarama in New York supporting Steel Pulse,” says the Irish-born musician. “(It was) the wrong audience for us — irreverent punky club kids that we were. It utterly confused the crowd — and us. (It was) one of many surreal situations I’ve found myself in my life.”
The Lotte Hotel Busan is a 15-minute cab ride from the train terminal. We drove past the famous Haeundae Beach, where they were setting up for some of the Busan International Film Festival events. It was too cold to go swimming when we were there, but it’s a gorgeous spot to take a walk.
Like other young female musicians such as H.E.R. and Billie Eilish, mxmtoon is making her mark as a singer-songwriter. Her debut album, “the masquerade,” is out and the 19-year-old artist hosts a podcast called “21 Days,” which gives fans insight into her life and her work process. Based out of Oakland, California, mxmtoon says traveling so much for work can be helpful when it comes to creating new songs. She also says she’s looking forward to seeing more of her colleagues on stage.
Trained at the School of Alberta Ballet, Tate McRae finished third on “So You Think You Can Dance: The Next Generation” in 2016. She was a voice actress for the “Lalaloopsy” series. And her YouTube channel, “Create with Tate,” has more than 1.7 million subscribers. Recently signed to RCA Records, the 16-year-old Canadian entertainer is following up her debut single, “tear myself apart,” with “all my friends are fake.”
Best known as the culture vulture on the original version of “Queer Eye for the Straight Guy,” Jai Rodriguez got his start on Broadway portraying Angel in the critically acclaimed musical “RENT.” His post-“Queer Eye” work has included acting roles (“Bones,” “How I Met Your Mother” and “Harry’s Law”), as well as host of “Dance Moms.” Though he travels frequently for work, Rodriguez says, “I actually don’t vacation. However, work has taken me to some exceptional places. I usually extend my work trip by a day or two to enjoy the city. Sydney, Key West and New York City are among my favorites for different reasons. If you’re anything like me, you’ll be in awe of the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney. The park and wildlife there are amazing.”
Amanda Deibert remembers the family vacations she took as a child with fond memories. “When I was a little girl, we only had one vacation,” says the television and comic book writer (“Wonder Woman ‘77,” “DC Super Hero Girls,” “Teen Titans Go!”). “It was road trips from Florida to North Carolina to visit my grandparents. I loved stopping at all the weird roadside attractions.”
“The worst vacation memory was when my wife and I were flying home from Australia and were suddenly forced to land in Hawaii because 9/11 had just happened,” says “Descendants 3” actor Dan Payne. “The pilot didn’t explain much except that the plane was in perfect working order, however, there was an FAA closure of all U.S. airspace. We spent four days there trying to figure out what had just happened to the world before we could go home.”
“Our concert schedule takes us to so many places and we always arrive ready to explore,” says 123 Andrés. “Recently we performed in Lake Jackson, which is south of Houston. We had never heard of this city before, but we ended up having a lot of fun. This is one reason we love being performers — we get to arrive to a new city or town with no plans and get tips from the families who live there. No city, town or neighborhood should be written off as boring or a dump. Every place has something to show us, if you are willing and open to seeing it.”
“I’ve been to Montego Bay several times and absolutely love it there,” says “Ambitions” actress Mara Hall. “The culture, the food, the people — it is such an amazing place. Visit White House. They sell fresh fried fish and bammy (cassava flatbread). It’s absolutely delicious!”
David Archuleta was just 16 years old when he became the runner-up (to David Cook) on “American Idol.” Since then, the singer — now 28 — has released a steady stream of music, including his brand-new single “Paralyzed.” A perk of his career is getting to travel. “I’ve recently gotten to see Russia for my first time for a youth conference,” says Archuleta, who resides in Nashville.
Once best known as MC Mystic in his group Bass is Base, Roger Mooking is recognized by foodies worldwide for his work on television (“Man Fire Food,” “Heat Seekers,” “Everyday Exotic”) and cookbooks. Born in Trinidad and raised in Canada, Mooking is based out of Toronto. The chef and restaurateur says that one of the small pleasures of life is finding ice cream and gelato spots wherever he travels. “I would eat ice cream every single day and after every single meal if I could get away with it, says Mooking, whose latest album is “Eat Your Words.”
It has been a busy year for Jeannie Mai. Besides co-hosting the talk show “The Real,” she is a correspondent on Stephen Curry’s ABC mini-golf competition series, “Holey Moley.” Whenever she can carve out some free time, the on-air talent says she enjoys exploring new cities. One of her favorite memories is a childhood trip she took with her family. “We went to Yosemite and I absolutely loved it,” said Mai, 40. “We lost my little brother for a second and set bear traps, thinking he was bear napped. But that story is for another time.”
Actress Roselyn Sanchez says when she thinks of the perfect vacation destination, Puerto Rico is always on her mind.