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2005 NAACP Image Awards: Image is Everything Christopher Amos, 04.04.05 I have spent my share of time in L.A. Perhaps some day, the fam and I will purchase a crib out there -- for leisure of course -- or at least as a playpen for me and my boys on those guy’s weekends away. Typically, however, my trips revolve around work, not play, and much of Tinsel Town’s glitz, glamour and gaudiness have passed me by. Recently, I was blessed to travel to L.A. not just for work, but to indulge in two of my biggest guilty pleasures: Stars and Cars. The weather in L.A. lately has been far from what any East Coast boy like myself would want or expect. With the heavy rains and subsequent mudslides, you might find yourself better off in Seattle or even London. But the soggy environs and unseasonably cold temperatures couldn’t dampen the sizzle and excitement surrounding the 36 th annual NAACP Image Awards weekend. GM was our host, as well as a Platinum Sponsor of the prestigious event, and from start to finish, they set it out in true L.A. style. A fleet of plush GM SUV’s from Escalades and Denalis to Suburbans and Yukon XLs ushered the press corps around town as we covered the pomp and circumstance of what has become a highly anticipated event. To top it all off, the swanky art-deco Viceroy Hotel on Santa Monica’s famed Ocean Avenue strip served as our headquarters, befitting a Hollywood premier or upscale private party. GM Spreads some Good in the Hood Upon my arrival on Friday, I quickly dropped off my bags, hopped in the back seat of the Silver Suburban (Sirius Satellite Radio pumpin’ some BDP, Special Ed and Poor Righteous Teachers) and headed west on the 10 freeway to the Los Angeles Urban League headquarters for GM’s Safe Kids event. The skies opened up a few minutes after I arrived, but the water and chilly 50 degree temps did little to discourage the throngs of local residents who showed up for professional child safety seat installation and in some cases, a free, brand new booster seat. After some good food provided by the kind folks at the Urban League, it was back to the Viceroy for some much needed downtime.                           Stars, Cars…and Juice Bars Saturday brought more of the weather that plagued Friday’s events, but early on, at least the skies stayed dry. L.A. Center Studios, where rumor has it Destiny’s Child had done some recording earlier in the week, played host to GM’s Stars and Cars event. But judging by the beautiful rides and equally beautiful folks in the house, it was hard to know who the real “Stars” of the event were: the whips or the peeps. GM’s hottest new rides were lined up for all to sample, and this kid tasted all that the candy shop had to offer. Since it was cold and damp, I needed something hot and strong to get my blood pumping. I’m not a big coffee drinker, so instead of caffeine, I opted for an adrenaline fix and hopped in a red 6-speed Chevy Corvette Z06. I’ve lusted over Corvettes since I was a skinny sixteen year old and after closing the door I was convinced my love affair wasn’t in vain. I cranked up the push-button start and my GM host took me on a five mile course through downtown L.A., whose sometimes rough, stop-light punctuated streets prevented me from opening the ‘Vette up like I wanted to. I enjoyed the stares from young and old as I pimped this domestic speedster like I owned it. I arrived back at L.A. Center Studios and immediately took flight in the next auto du jour, the Cadillac CTS-V. My version was a silver 5-speed with the notorious Corvette Z06 motor shoehorned into the engine bay. Though the “V” sported a stark interior, a supple ride, ultra-tight handling and stores of power more than made up for it. Now I was feeling it! Next up was another hot Caddy. But before I could close the door of the XLR hardtop convertible, a GM representative informed us that John Salley was on the Blue Carpet – GM’s version of Hollywood’s Red Carpet. After a few snapshots of “Spider” Salley, it was back to the XLR. True, the Z06 engine is a beast, but the XLR’s V8 Northstar didn’t disappoint either. And who could forget this whip’s Bulgari-designed instrument cluster. American luxury at its best. It was noon in downtown L.A. when I returned, but judging by the glamorous crowd that had packed L.A. Center Studios, it felt like midnight on the Sunset Strip. Piles and piles of peel and eat shrimp, tender sliced beef and a coffee and juice bar rivaling anything Starbucks or Jamba could’ve ever thrown together were at my fingertips. And of course, there were the stars. To catch up with them, unfortunately, I missed out on the Pontiac GTO, Chevy SSR and Caddy STS. No doubt, this daytime event was only a warm-up for the star-studded Image Awards later that evening, but the celeb quotient was strong, headlined by NAACP President and civil rights icon, Julian Bond. Image is Everything Saturday evening brought the event that everyone was waiting for. The clouds headed out to sea, the Southern Cal sun rose from its slumber and in an instant, L.A. felt like L.A. again. Black tie gear in tow, we headed downtown again to the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion for the Image Awards. I wasted no time and jumped head first into the celebrity arrival area, where the real stars of the weekend were filing in. Mario Van Peebles, Illinois Senator Barack Obama, Eagles wideout Terrell Owens, Usher, Kanye West, Garcelle Beauvais, Anthony Hamilton, Duane Smith and Tisha Campbell were just a few of the glitterati in the house for the big show. They say it never rains in Southern California. Now I know that’s nothing more than an urban legend, but with GM keeping it hot with events like the Ten Fashion Show and the NAACP Image Awards, who cares?