Terrence Howard appeared on the View to promote his new album, “Shine Through It.” He explained that his love of music came first. His agent suggested he act as a way to make getting a record deal more smoothly. That’s when we saw Howard in “The Jacksons: The American Dream” playing Jackie in 1992. In the last sixteen years, Howard has been in movie videos (“Foolish” as Ashanti’s love interest) and more tv shows and movies than I have time to list.

“Shine Through It” is full of beautiful music made by a real band and not the computer generated stuff that a lot of people are putting out these days. His voice, while it’s not strong, it won’t cause pain to your eardrum. His sound is soulful, relaxing, possibly even therapeutic.

Check out his first single, “Sanctuary.”

His most recent struggle has been with the death of his mother around the end of last month. Hoping he can continue to shine through it…

Academy Award nominated actor Terrence Howard has been signed to Columbia Records and is set to release his debut album in September. I have heard a small slice of the pie that is “Shine Through It” and I was pleasantly surprised. This is something to watch out for if you like Terrence or are a fan of Rhythm & Blues / Folk.

Although, I’ve always enjoyed the thespianisms of Meryl Streep, Pierce Brosnan, and Colin Mr. Darcy Firth,  the following is my less than glowing pre-review written in defence of my tender eardrums which are admittedly hypersensitive but are capable of some discrimination left over from my musical childhood plus my life long habit of the rock’n'roll:

Having spent the last several days viewing and listening to clips from the new film, Mama Mia, I can honestly say that avoiding the pain of this movie will be my mission as long as there are those on TV and radio, in print or online review, telling me that this is a watchable celluloid spree, a veritable barrel of musical monkeys that I will absolutely love to swooning distraction.

From the glowing hype on TV, it seems my life will heretofore be timed by Prior M-M and Post M-M and glory be! An epiphany will be reached for the mere price of a movie ticket.

Yet I must say, NO and Non!! Fuggedabowdit.

I’ll pass on this High School Musically inspired frothiness of Broadway-to-Silver-Screen as my fond salute to bygone days of actually liking ABBA music…otherwise my decibel-addled restlessness will overtake me and I’ll run out of the theater like a madwoman, Snickers flying and with a decided chip on my shoulder on behalf of the lost-forever ten bucks I so carelessly tossed away.

And what makes matters worse – this movie ticket would be worth 2 gallons of gas, y’know. Or four bottles of refreshing Sobe Energy Drink (Citrus only please.)

‘Shake the Lizard,’ Sobe says, but my moneymaker? That’s an entirely different activity and I don’t shake it for just any actor-turned-singer being paid big bucks to warble my dwindling time away.

Is it legal to knowingly pummel Terpsichore to a mushy pulp like this? Okay, but is it morally just?

~:~ Disclosure: Whether it’s meant to be teen-targeted  or baby-boomer-targeted (please NO!) this movie pre-review is fraught with my totally unsolicited personal opinions. So you go ahead and shake whatever you want to the music you prefer, Dahlink. Then a refreshing Sobe will hit the spot, I promise.