In conjunction with Black History Month and the NBA All-Star Weekend held in Cleveland, I was offered the amazing opportunity to perform Feb. 18, in a show organized by Gloria James, mother of our local basketball great,  Lebron James, by singing the Black National Anthem with a professional choir.  

The name of the event was “The House of Glo.”  “House of Glo” was created to celebrate the culture and talent of African Americans and to give back to the community. In addition to our choir performance, “The House of Glo” included a fashion show with celebrity appearances, performances by local high school and college bands, as well as dance performances. The entertainment represented every age group.  There were children as young as five and adults well into their seventies.From start to finish, the crowd was filled with excitement and awe! 

As the rookie singer, I was invited to participate because  I happen to be the daughter of the director of the Cleveland City Worship.” My father, Rodney Hubbard, is a world-renowned musician and is a professor of the Kent State University gospel choir.

After “Cleveland City Worship” kicked off and set the tone of the show,  we were given the opportunity to see the beautiful brands and models. Most of the models and designers were local talent, but there was a featured designer, J. Bolin. J. Bolin has styled many professional actors including Vivica Fox, Keisha Knight Pullium and Morris Chestnut, to name a few.  

I didn’t get to personally talk to Lebron James, but  we were greeted by his mother and performed in front of him, his daughter Zhuri, NBA star Dwyane Wade and other special guests James brought with him.  It was an amazing feeling being able to perform for celebrities.  

Though the actual performance did not begin until 7 p.m., our day began early. Our call time was 11 a.m. We traveled through a snowstorm to go through the first run of the show. We ran through the show three times to make sure everything was perfect. In between those times on stage, we were assigned a dressing room backstage where we enjoyed breakfast, snacks, lunch, dessert etc. 

I got to witness the transition from being a normal person to a performer. The women did their hair, makeup, and got all fancied up, while the men made jokes.  I had a new viewpoint of my father as he was bombarded with interviewers and fans.   

The House of Glo fashion show gave me new experiences with performing and exposure. Between learning the professional side of entertainment or meeting celebrities, it was an enlightening experience. The talent displayed was unmatched. This was an occasion I will never forget! This was the first event of its kind. Ms. James promises to invite us back next year to wherever the next NBA All-Star event is hosted.

More information can be found here: www.theallstarexperience.com.