Written by | Ray Cornelius
Happy Sunday Everyone and Welcome to 2019!
I was a little apprehensive about posting this but felt that I needed to bring all of my readers and supporters up to speed about my website and what’s been happening. I know I haven’t been as consistent with posting stories and updating the site but it’s all been for a good reason.
RayCornelius.com is growing by leaps and bounds. This tiny little brand that I started in 2012 will be celebrating seven years this February 6, 2019. With that said, so much has been happening with me professionally and personally. As you know, I took my love for “arts and entertainment” to a radio platform and created UPFRONT Inside Atlanta’s Entertainment Industry in August of 2016. The 30-minute program airs every Saturday morning at 9 a.m. on Atlanta’s Jazz Station – WCLK 91.9. Since that time, I have been covering and hosting a number of high profile engagements all around the country.
In the fall of 2016, I was invited by my media buddy Ice Cream Conversations to travel to New Orleans for the premiere of the film Deep Water Horizon. I would later return to the crescent city in the summer of 2017 for the Essence Festival. In March of 2018, I was invited with other U.S. media influencers to attend a tour of the famed NBC studios in Hollywood, CA where we interviewed the casts of Marlon, World of Dance and the writers of the award winning series This Is Us. Later on that month, I was invited to attend the New York City Premiere of Tyler Perry’s Acrimony and in June in attended the American Black Film Festival (ABFF) in South Beach Miami where I conducted Black Carpet interviews for ASPIRE TV’s In the Loop. I closed out 2018 by hosting Facebook Live Interviews during the SCAD Savannah Film Festival, the largest film festival presented by a college or university.
In addition to hosting the radio show, I also began producing television programs in 2018 for CAU-TV including a Trumpet Awards Red Carpet Special, a SCAD aTVfest Special, a Living Single 25th Anniversary Special and a SuperFly Red Carpet Special. I was also invited to host and moderate the BronzeLens Film Festival’s Sunday Brunch with the Brothersand moderated a post performance conversation with the cast of Kenny Leon’s True Colors production of Colman Domingo’s DOT.
In addition to my professional advancements, my personal responsibilities also expanded as I took on the role of a caregiver for my mother. I moved her, my sister and my niece from my hometown of Orlando, FL to Atlanta, GA. In other words, I HAVE BEEN VERY, VERY, VERY BUSY. That is why there have been a lot of lapse in postings and updating the site. RC (as I like to call it) is solely operated by me and me only.
As we step into a new year, it is my hope and prayer that you would continue to support the brand and be patient with me. I am looking to refresh the site and format and really make this more interactive for you as readers. This will also become the home base for all of my media entities – print, radio, YouTube and hosting gigs. I am also producing some TV-Film-Web-based series! Yes, Ray Cornelius is currently working on a few film and TV projects. The more I interview actors, writers and directors, the more I realize the content is KING and I have a few stories in me that I’d like to share.
In closing, I wish each and every one of you all the very best this 2019 and let’s continue to grow together. THANK YOU for being patient and I look to forward to bringing you more of the best in “positive” arts and entertainment news, content and happenings.
Much Love,
Ray Cornelius