Muhammad Ali returing to Irish roots

Behind the Scenes

By Antracia Merrill-Moorings

Tracing Family Roots: Boxing legend Muhammad Ali is to visit the Irish town from where his greatgrandfather emigrated to the U.S. in the 1800s, the town’s mayor announced. Ali, 67, has finally agreed to take up a longstanding invitation from the town council to visit Ennis, County Clare, reports Reuters. “We will make him very welcome,” Mayor Frankie Neylon told AFP. “We will be delighted to see him. I would hope to arrange a vote of the council to make him a freeman of Ennis.” Ali will be in Ireland later this month to take part in “An Evening with the Greatest,” a Dublin-based fundraising event for the recently established Alltech- Muhammad Ali Center Global Education and Charitable Fund. The Irish biotechnology firm Alltech established the fund with Ali to promote educational and humanitarian goals. Alltech President and Founder Pearse Lyons said Ali will revisit Dublin—where he fought Al “Blue” Lewis in 1972 in front of a crowd of 25,000—for “a new and equally profound fight, a fight in the name of benevolence.” Research by genealogists found that Ali’s great-grandfather Abe Grady emigrated to Kentucky in the 1860s. Abe married an African American and they had a son called John Grady who was Ali’s grandfather. He in turn had a daughter called Odessa Lee Grady who was Ali’s mother. Ali was originally Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr. but changed his name to Muhammad Ali when he joined the Nation of Islam.

On the Comeback Trail: TV One has provided details of its new reality show following the goings on of actress LisaRaye, who came to Los Angeles from her native Chicago more than a decade ago and launched her career in Ice Cube’s “The Players Club.” After announcing its existence last week at the summer meeting of the Television Critics Association in Pasadena, Calif., the network has revealed that cameras will follow LisaRaye as she attempts to mount an acting comeback while balancing a roller-coaster personal life. The half-hour show’s eight episodes will be shot in both Los Angeles and the island of Turks and Caicos, where she served as the First Lady during her turbulent marriage to former Premier Michael Misick. LisaRaye will be shown focusing on her acting career, helping her 19-year-old daughter Kai transition into adulthood; keeping her incarcerated sister, Da Brat, in line; taking care of her ailing mother, and trying to hold down a love life.

Briefly, Gabrielle Union has joined the cast of ABC’s upcoming drama “FlashForward” in the recurring role of Zoey, a defense lawyer who will also have a “romantic arc” on the show. “We’re thrilled that Gabrielle is joining our cast,” said co-creator David S. Goyer. “When we met with her, we immediately knew she was our Zoey. She’s witty, soulful and beautiful. I’ve been wanting to work with her for a long time.”… David Alan Grier is joining the cast of David Mamet’s Broadway-bound play “Race.” The 53-year-old actor will star in the production along with the previously announced James Spader Richard Thomas and Kerry Washington. “Race” opens Dec. 6 at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre. Preview performances begin Nov. 16.… Chris “Ludacris” Bridges has signed with CAA for representation in all areas, including music, acting, endorsements and philanthropy. He has sold more than 15 million records in the U.S., and he runs the record label and music production company Disturbing Tha Peace Recordings with partners Chaka Zulu and Jeff Dixon.

Finally, Funk originator George Clinton will be named a BMI Icon at the organization’s annual Urban Awards ceremony on Thursday, Sept. 10 at New York’s Jazz at Lincoln Center. The Icon designation is given to BMI influential songwriters and artists.

This is part of the August 19, 2009 online edition of Frost Illustrated.

Have an opinion on this matter? We'd like to hear from you. Click here.