Celebrating Our Favorite Gay TV Couples
WATCH: Antoine Dodson's Back With A New Single!
Alice Tan Ridley, the mother of 'Precious' star Gabourey Sidibe, is said to be gearing up for her own big break.
The New York subway singer is planning to follow in Susan Boyle's footsteps and audition for the upcoming season of NBC's 'America's Got Talent.' Ridley told Radar Online that she's all set to audition in the Big Apple on March 20.
"I would not be entering the competition if I did not think I could do well," she said. "Singing is what I do and I know I can do this."
Ridley recently spoke out against the harsh comments Howard Stern made about her Academy Award nominated daughter.
"Get a life. He can see, you can see, [and] I can see Gabby is a big girl," she told' Inside Edition.' "So what's wrong with that? She's not like everyone else in the world. He might not hire her, but someone else will."
The former nursery school teacher said she hasn't told her 26 year-old daughter of her plans yet, but adds, "I'm sure she will support me just like I support her as a performer."
"I'm proud of my daughter and hopefully 'America's Got Talent' will give me the chance to shine and I'm really looking forward to the audition and doing well if I get through."
Comments: (7)
Add a comment
By: OOOZZZZZ on 3/19/2010 8:32PM
Quote: "The former nursery school teacher said she hasn't told her 26 year-old daughter of her plans yet, but adds, "I'm sure she will support me just like I support her as a performer."
Momma Ridley, slow your roll.
You daughter just started and hasn't even broken a sweat or the surface of her career and you want to carry out & live your dream through her sudden and unexpected success?
Let your daughter get settled in first and continue to be there in for her in force & spirit when she goes through her ups and downs in this dog eat dog business as you have continued (I guess) throughout her efforts to get to where she is.
Your daughter have achieved a "blip on the screen" level of movie success that may be short lived and tough to maintain or grow upon and you will have time to do your thing is she continues to succeed but first watch her back and fully understand the business that she is in alongside her instead of trying to have a life long drean of a probable career that you could not make possible and takes you away from hers.
Hollywood is full of rats and roaches and will eat her up and she will need you unless you are one of those rats and roaches.
And momma, if you have any past "drama", then she does not need that.
Just slow your roll and take your time.
Reply to this Comment | Report This
By: Truethat on 3/19/2010 11:08PM
Thank You, Thank You and AMEN!
Report This
By: MARY on 3/20/2010 9:14AM
You must be one smart and considerate person. I could not have said it better. Right now, the daughter is being given a chance and the spotlight should be on her. After a year or two, AND WITHOUT MENTIONING EVER SHE IS YOUR DAUGHTER, then sign up for all the shows you want. You both have different last names
Report This
By: Babygirl on 3/20/2010 12:53PM
No, you need to slow your role.
Tan is not riding on her daughters coat-tail. She has had singing contracts thrown at her, but she refused, to put her family first.
Now that Gabby has here place in acting, mind you she may/or may not have another role like "Precious", but she has her foot in the door.
Now, it is time for mom to get her foot in the door, she deserves it. And, for you to equate Tan with rats and roaches, was a very mean- spirited thing to say. She helped Gabby, now she is trying to help herself.
Report This
By: Tonya on 3/20/2010 5:22PM
The lady has had a hard life, however she seems to have been a very good Mom. Even if her opportunity comes only in the form of riding her daughter's coattails, why should she not take that opportunity. I saw the video of her singing in the subway and that lady can sing as well as her daughter can act. I'd love to see much more of her, maybe even a collaboration with her daughter. More talent from them equal two times the enterinment for us. This is viable since they are both extremely talented. The mother is a gracious and hardworking woman and she evidently instilled something wonderful in her child. Does that means she has to take a backseat and sit down and watch the child and stop living herself? Too many young entertainers out here already; we seem to have lost respect and interest in older talent. Older talent is something that conatins real life, real grit, real experience. New talent is still in the growth process. When I saw her Mom singing in that subway, I saw a woman of experience, of emotion, of humility and grace. She is not taking anything away from her daughter, she's just showing us where the girl got it from while, more importantly, she fulfills her own dream. I didn't know here was a quota on how many family members get to make it or if family members who make it afterv the first one mkes headlines have to be a sibling or younger person. If famous parents can drag their kids under the spotlight for unchalleneged celebrity, why can't it be the other way around too?
Here's a list I found:
Miley Cyrus – The daughter of country music star Billy Ray Cyrus.
Kate Hudson – Daughter of actress Goldie Hawn and singer Bill Hudson.
Colin Hanks – Son of actor Tom Hanks.
Liza Minelli – The daughter of actress/singer Judy Garland.
Lorna Luft – The daughter of actress/singer Judy Garland.
MIguel Ferrer – The son of Rosemary Clooney and Jose Ferrer – and incidentally – cousin of George Clooney.
Shooter Jennings – The son of Walylon Jennings
Norah Jones – Daughter of sitarist Ravi Shankar
Matthew & Gunnar Nelson – Twin sons of singer Ricky Nelson.
Bijou Phillips: Daughter of John Phillips
Chynna Phillip: Daughter of John Phillips
MacKenzie Phillips: Daughter of John Phillips
Wendy Wilson: Daughter of Brian Wilson
Carnie Wilson: Daughter of Brian Wilson
Lisa Marie Presley- Daughter of Elvis Presley
Bonnie Raitt: Daughter of John Raitt
Jeff Bridges – Son of actor Lloyd Bridges
Beau Bridges – Son of actor Lloyd Bridges
Nancy Sinatra – Daughter of Frank Sinatra
Robin Thicke – Son of actor Alan Thicke
Kiefer Sutherland – Son of actor Donald Sutherland
Carrie Fisher – Daughter of actress Debbie Reynolds
Mariska Hargitay – Daughter of actress Jayne Mansfield
Jamie Lee Curtis – Daughter of actress Janet Leigh and actor Tony Curtis
Bryce Dallas Howard – Daughter of Ron Howard
Isabella Rossellini – Daughter of actress Ingrid Bergman
Charlie Sheen – Son of actor Martin Sheen
Emilio Estevez – Son of actor Martin Sheen
Michael Douglas – Son of actor Kirk Douglas
Sean Astin – Son of actress Patty Duke and actor John Astin
Angelina Jolie – Daughter of actor John Voigt
Jane Fonda – Daughter of actor Henry Fonda
Peter Fonda – Son of actor Henry Fonda
Bridget Fonda – Daughter of actor Peter Fonda
Melanie Griffith – Daughter of actress Tippi Hedron
John Ritter – Son of Tex Ritter
Jaden Smith – Son of Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith
Freddie Prinze, Jr. Son of the late Chico and the Man star Freddie Prinze.
Ben Stiller – Son of Anne Meara and Jerry Stiller
Joely Richardson- Daughter of actress Vanessa Redgrave
I hope Gabby and her Mom take the whole world by storm and I look forward to seeing what they can produce together and individually....
Reply to this Comment | Report This
By: largedude on 3/20/2010 10:29AM
There's a lot of misunderstanding on the part of those who think Ms. Ridley is auditioning for "Talent" on the coat-tails of her daughter's success. Tan has been performing for decades. I was one of her backup musicians at New York's Cotton Club, and we also played at the Kabila jazz festival in Morocco, among other places.
She's had recording contracts waved in her face, but she said 'no', because her family came first. Besides, Tan has already been a contestant on a Fox talent contest (pre-Idol) and won! It wouldn't be hard to recover the tape for that show.
People seem to forget how Gabby got where she is today... following the example of a bold, strong, talented, intelligent woman. An Ocsar-nominated role, in her first movie, on her first audition as an actress? Her mom had a lot to do with that.
Reply to this Comment | Report This
By: Angeleyes2 on 3/20/2010 2:22PM
The thing is, all that extra weight will shorten her life! Is anything worth that! Will her Mom be alright about having to bury her? She's too fat and that has nothing to do with good looks, and everything to do with being unhealthy. Wake up before she dies Mom! Her poor heart must be struggling to pump. She could drop dead any time, really. It's a very serious matter that seems to not be taken that way by Gabby and her Mom. No insurance company would ever cover her to do a movie, she's too risky carrying all those extra pounds. Howard Stern is a total jerk, knows nothing and became non relevant about 20 years ago. But he is right that she is going nowhere with that weight. She's beyond obese.
Reply to this Comment | Report This