-- by DJ Bill Coleman of Peace Bisquit

"Where are my keys?" Ugh, I generally don't like the concept of Black

History Month to be honest - feels so limited, and it occurs during

one of the coldest and shortest months of the year no less! That

said, I greatly appreciate the light it sheds on many unsung heroes

for not only Black or African-Americans but for all Americans.

As far as

iconic performers are concerned - there's been sooo many that have

and continue to influence, inspire and were unquestionably true

pioneers ...

Diahann Carroll, Lola Falana, Dorothy Dandridge, Chaka

Khan, Sammy Davis, Jr., George Clinton, Bootsy Collins, Aretha

Franklin, Bill Cosby, The Emotions, Quincy Jones, The Pointer

Sisters, Pam Grier, Grace Jones, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Donna Summer,

Tina Turner, Salt-N-Pepa, Sister Sledge, Ella Fitzgerald, Michael

Jackson, Run DMC, Sidney Poitier, Biggie, James Brown, Ashford and

Simpson, Richard Roundtree, Richard Pryor, the entire cast of Good

Times, Chic, Nona Hendryx, Prince and the beat goes on ...

I'd like to

give some props to Miss Jody Watley.

From pop locking with fierce teen hair on Soul Train to the synth-etched R&B nuturing of her Solar years in Shalamar to a fashion-forward solo launch in the '80s, Jody constantly enraptured with the

looks, attitude, grace and a wholly distinctive vocal style.

Always

with a 'girl next door' glint, she has consistently kept us

interested and curious. From "Right In The Socket" and "A Night To

Remember" through to "Don't You Want Me" and "Real Love," there's

always been a melancholy smile to her tone - at once familiar and

comforting but also passionate and assured. No one could make a

broken heart sound so good in 4/4 time!

Watley's classic releases

combine good ol' pop songwriting ("Most Of All", "Everything") with

the rhythmic pulse of that era ("Some Kind Of Lover"). Spanning

genres of R&B, adult contemporary, dance and pop, the Chi-town native

conquered the charts and our hearts effortlessly. The introduction of

music videos as a mainstream medium cemented Jody as an icon and

ushered in a Grammy win for Best New Artist.

The vintage clothes! The

freestyle dancing! The empowering lyrics! The chunky beats! And oh,

yeah ... The flaming queens! Whether it was her "fabulous" friends

("Still A Thrill") just working the runway ("Real Love") or inviting

a host of trannies, voguers and scenesters to serve it with rapper

Rakim ("Friends"), Watley always kept us on her radar with her

videoclips and wasn't afraid to let the world know what the 'T' was -

before it was de riguer.

This was unprecedented from an African-American pop performer. Peep her sleek, stylized "I Want You" clip

and you'll see all the seeds of visual inspiration for everyone from

En Vogue and Janet Jackson through to Jennifer Lopez and Beyonce.

Often underrated, Jody has been worked with some of the top fashion

photographers, video directors and stylists before their names were

marquee: Matthew Rolston. David Fincher. Michel Comte. Steven

Meisel...and turned out a larger than life Gap ad long before today's

celebu-tots!

Flash forward as Jody celebrates 30 years in the mix with nine albums

and millions of records sold worldwide, still keeping a pulse on

today touring the world and releasing new music. As a songwriter,

producer, and label owner, our proclaimed "queen of cool" continues

to surprise, delight and hone her talents by collaborating with the

likes of fan favorites Masters At Work, 4 Hero, King Britt and

Dj Spinna. Experimenting with soultronica ("A Bed Of Roses") ,

midnight lounge ("Saturday Night Experience"), club rhythms ("A

Beautiful Life") or putting a fresh makeover on classics ("I Want

Your Love"), Watley quietly breaks ground over and over and over as

she has for the last three decades - with class and purpose.

So the next time one of your new divas poses for the camera, dips it

low, snaps for the kids, says everything's just fine, does the Naomi Campball walk, tells you to let him go or to not stop the music -

please be kind, rewind and remind - JW did it first.

Hasta la vista, baby.

Special thanks to New York DJ and manager BILL COLEMAN of Peace Bisquit for this guest blog!