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Morgan Freeman, Blue Angel, Heart Full of Soul, and Jarty Party

Trevor Benitone

A non-Academy Award winner wearing glasses with an Academy Award winner at the Moonshine Ball. Morgan Freeman was a guest at the event, held November 22nd.


It’s always great to see Morgan Freeman at an event. The Academy Award winning actor, who’s been in so many movies, adds more than a touch of class when he attends a party. Freeman, who attended with Dr. Linda Keena, was at Pat Kerr Tigrett’s Moonshine Ball, which was held November 22nd at Graceland Exhibition Center.

I first took Freeman’s name at an event for a newspaper story when former president of South Africa Nelson Mandela was in Memphis to receive the National Civil Rights Museum’s International Freedom Award in November, 2000 at The Peabody.

I’ve run into him at restaurants, including the old Madidi, which he owned in Clarksdale, and Chez Philippe. I was at his Clarksdale club, Ground Zero, which he owns with Bill Luckett, when it opened in 2000.

Tigrett says she’s known Freeman for 10 years. “I’ve known him for quite a while,” she says. “Many years he’s been at our Blues Ball, primarily over at Gibson’s.”

She has “an adorable” photo of Freeman playing the drums at his short-lived second location of Ground Zero, which was across the street from Gibson Guitar Factory.

“He’s been (to the Blues Ball) several times and he’s been up here (Tigrett’s downtown penthouse) for cocktails with friends.”

And, Tigrett says, “We were both on a documentary being done on the Mississippi River.”

Asked how she’d describe him, Tigrett says, “A fun, smart gentleman.”

Moonshine Ball guests would agree. Freeman graciously posed for photographs with fans. He also was served chicken and dressing from The Cupboard at the Moonshine Ball buffet, which featured area restaurants.

And Freeman asked me at one point to give him my hair.

Michael Donahue

Attending the Moonshine Ball: Francine Luckett, Alston Meeks, Dr. Derek Miles, Morgan Freeman, Dr. Linda Keena, and Bill Luckett.

MIchael Donahue

If Blue Angel and I really had just wrestled at the recent La Luche Libra event, they’d still be untangling me from the ring’s ropes.

It was cool getting to interview Blue Angel at the Memphis La Lucha Libre Wrestling event, which was held November 10th at 3766 Ridgeway Road.

And Blue Angel, a Mexican wrestler or luchadore, is cool. And he kept his cool while we talked. This was after he was in two back-to-back matches, where he did backflips, front flips, tossed his opponent, Hijo de Fishman, and was thrown around.

He was fun to watch. And the crowd loved him. “I’m fortunate enough to go over with the crowds,” says Blue Angel as we talked after his second match. “I’ve been told multiple times I have an angel on my side. So, I always come out the fan favorite. And that’s a big boost for me to just come out here and put on a great show.”

La Lucha Libre is fun to watch. (See my cover story in this week’s Memphis Flyer  And there’s a video.)

Mexican wrestlers wear masks. The one Blue Angel wore had a winged design, which was made by Memphis’s own Enrique Reyes.

Reyes, who puts on the Memphis La Lucha Libre Wrestling events in Memphis, made three masks for Blue Angel. “I cherish every one of them,” Blue Angel says. “It’s hard to let go when people want to buy them. But I still have all three.”

Michael Donahue

Heart Full of Soul

Napa Cafe and Stax Music Academy teamed up for another “Heart Full of Soul,” which was held November 11th at the East Memphis restaurant.

Stax students performed during the multi-course wine dinner. So, guests were treated to some Wilson Pickett, Isaac Hayes, David Porter, and Otis Redding with their grilled swordfish and Dusty Springfield, Candi Stratton, and Elvis Presley with their pepper-crusted pork tenderloin.

Owner Glenda Hastings opened Napa Cafe for the eighth-annual Stax Music Academy fundraiser presented by Radians Inc. Bergevin Lane Winery provided the wines.

This year’s Heart Full of Soul was a tribute to the Memphis Horns.


MIchael Donahue

Heart Full of Soul

Michael Donahue

Miles Tamboli at the soft opening of his restaurant, Tamboli’s Pasta & Pizzza.

Those lucky enough to attend the October 30th soft opening of Miles Tamboli’s restaurant, Tamboli’s Pasta & Pizza at 1761 Madison, got to order from the full menu – gratis. And, as his invitation read, “All dishes will be served at full portion size, so come hungry!”

So, guests could order everything from “creamy bucatini with pecorino cheese” to “Tamboli’s famous meat lasagna” to “panna cotta with salted caramel and pistachio brittle crumb.”

Tamboli’s restaurant now is open to the public.

Michael Donahue

Markie Maloof Scott and Dave Scott at Tamboli’s Pasta & Pizza soft opening.

MIchael Donahue

Tamboli’s Pasta & Pizza soft opening.


Michael Donahue

Lindsey Burgess at Jarty Party.

Eric Bourgeois hosted “Jarty Party,” which was held behind his apartment on South Main.

Jarty Party?

They called it a “Jarty Party” because it was “jean/denim themed,” Bourgeois says Everybody was supposed to wear denim.

“We decided on a Jarty Party theme because it would be a fun departure from the normal themes – ‘80s, neon, jersey, etc. – while allowing people to be creative and have fun at the same time with something they likely already had in their wardrobe.”

They usually throw some type of big function at their place, but, Bourgeois says, “This was the first time doing a daytime party outside. My landlord recently redid the back lot behind our building, and this gave us the opportunity to bring in some talented friends for food – Glaze Hardage with the paella – and music – Ryan Haskett as the DJ.”

Hardage’s paella was delicious! And it served as a birthday cake of sorts for Bourgeois, who says the event also served as a party to celebrate his 26th birthday.

MIchael Donahue

Jon Bringle and Eric Bourgeois at Jarty Party.

Michael Donahue

Glaze Hardage at Jarty Party.

Michael Donahue

Logan Landry and Sampson at Jarty Party.

Michael Donahue

Tyler Beard and Shelby Garrison at Jarty Party.

Michael Donahue

Alice Higdon is retiring her red boa – as far as being Red Boa chair – at of this year’s event, which was held Nov. 15th at Memphis Botanic Garden. She is with Daniel Reid at the10th annual Red Boa Ball fundraiser for the American Red Cross of the Mid-South.

Michael Donahue

Red Boa Ball

Michael Donahue

Red Boa Ball

About 320 people attended the Signature Chefs Gala, which was held novz 14…..at the Guest House at Graceland. More than $100,000 was raised at the event, a fundraiser for the March of Dimes.

Lisa Ansley and Holly Mount chaired the event.

Michael Donahue

Lisa Ansley and Holly Mount at Signature Chefs Gala.

Michael Donahue

Sweet Magnolia Ice Cream owner Hugh Balthrop celebrated his birthday at the Signature Chefs Gala.

Michael Donahue

Nick Chamoun at Signature Chefs Gala.

Michael Donahue

Chef Edouardo Jordan of Seattle was guest chef in the Enjoy Aim Guest Chef Series, which was held November 17th at The Gray Canary. With him are restaurant owners Michael Hudman and Andy Ticer.

MIchael Donahue

Spencer McMillin and Kelley English from Restaurant Iris and The Second Line teamed up for the Caritas Community Center & Cafe Chef Partnership Dinner, which was held November 14th.

Michael Donahue

Chef Partnership Dinner at Caritas Community Center & Cafe.

                                        WE SAW YOU AROUND TOWN

Michael Donahue

Jerry Lawler and TorRaunce Echols at Gibson’s Donuts.

MIchael Donahue

Andrea Norsworthy and Trace Austin at Kroger.

Michael Donahue

Brandon Closson and Brantley Martin at Kroger.

Michael Donahue

Jordan Buchanan with his bread pudding at Ave Maria Home’s Assisted Living Fall Dinner sponsored by US Foods, one of its food vendors.

By Michael Donahue

Michael Donahue began his career in 1975 at the now-defunct Memphis Press-Scimitar and moved to The Commercial Appeal in 1984, where he wrote about food and dining, music, and covered social events until early 2017, when he joined Contemporary Media.