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. http://www.mlive.com/news/fljournal/index.ssf?/xml/story.ssf/html_standard.xsl?/base/news/10197534043362.xml

Devoted family man dies in auto accident

Thursday, April 25, 2002

By Nick Chiappetta
JOURNAL STAFF WRITER

Millington - Funeral services were scheduled today for a father of three described as a man who loved his family and would do anything for them.

Jeffrey D. Weldon, 24, of Davison died in a car accident near Lansing around 1 p.m. Saturday. He was in the back seat of a car driven by his mother-in-law, Cheryl Taulbee.

His wife of four years, Angela, and three children - Raven, 4; Yasmine, 2; and Javen, 11 months - also were in the car.

The six were attending a Jehovah's Witnesses convention and were returning from lunch when the accident occurred.

"He was a good father," said Weldon's mother, Christine Marzonie-Anderson of Davison. "He loved to watch WWF wrestling with (Yasmine). She was his wrestling buddy."

Angela Weldon, 21, was released from intensive care Tuesday and is listed in serious condition at Sparrow Hospital near Lansing.

Taulbee, Javen, Raven and Yasmine suffered broken bones, cuts and bruises and have been released from the hospital.

Weldon attended Millington High School until the 10th grade and then was home-schooled in the 11th and 12th grades.

He worked at Grabill Door and Windows in Almont, where he was known as a practical joker, Marzonie-Anderson said. Angela is a stay-at-home mom.

Weldon's father, Neil, of North Lake described his son as quiet and easygoing.

"He was a good kid. (People) couldn't say much bad about him," he said. "He was a pretty easygoing guy, never had any bad feelings."

Weldon was particularly close to his brother, Brian, 21, Marzonie-Anderson said.

"I'll remember him most for the wonderful son he was," she said.

Weldon also leaves several uncles, aunts and cousins.

Funeral services were to be held at 11 a.m. at Hanlin Funeral Home in Millington. Memorial gifts may be directed to the family.

Nick Chiappetta can be reached at (810) 766-6302 or [email protected].

THE DIVINE ONE! Oops, maybe an elder meeting in his future....

. http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/artsentertainment/134443058_prince26.html

The divine one: Prince adds a 'Rainbow' of religion to his eclectic musical pot

By Pam Sitt
Seattle Times staff reporter

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Sign o' the times

What to expect when the artist formerly known as The Artist Formerly Known as Prince takes the stage at the Paramount Monday?

Don't ask us. Even the Purple One can't seem to make up his mind.

As Prince, 43, nears the end of a 29-date tour, he continues to keep fans guessing. (So what else is new?) At a sold-out show in Lakeland, Fla., three weeks ago, Prince started things off by announcing, "If you came to get your Purple Rain on, you have come to the wrong place. This is not 1984." He later played the hit song in its entirety. But he's shunned fans in other cities who have shouted requests for the song (and other 1980s classics).

Billed as "a stripped-down show that allows the music to speak for itself," "One Nite Alone with Prince" abandons the backup dancers and pyrotechnics and focuses instead on Prince's latest album, the deeply religious "The Rainbow Children." Reports from other tour stops include sprinklings of classic hits such as "Raspberry Beret" and "When You Were Mine"; at least one city was treated to a medley of hits including "Diamonds and Pearls," "Nothing Compares 2 U" and "How Come U Don't Call Me," a song covered by rising star Alicia Keys in her debut album.

Prince

8 p.m. Monday, Paramount Theatre, 911 Pine St., Seattle; $50-$125, 206-628-0888.

Known for his variety of sounds — rock, funk, soul, blues — Prince, a recently converted Jehovah's Witness, delves into his spirituality in the jazz-oriented "The Rainbow Children." His 23rd album is loaded with religious imagery and has been called by critics everything from "challenging" to "rewarding" to "weird." (Fans count at least 50 Prince songs the artist can no longer perform as a Jehovah's Witness due to their explicit content, including hits such as "Little Red Corvette" and "Cream.")

But don't expect to hear any songs from the new album on the radio. Prince hasn't charted a hit in eight years (his last was 1994's "The Most Beautiful Girl in the World"). Not to say that his new stuff isn't good (on the contrary, some critics laud "The Rainbow Children" as his best work in years), but Prince is in control now, and he just doesn't seem interested in doing things the usual way.

After his well-publicized battles with record label Warner Bros. and a brief stint with Arista Records in the '90s, Prince began his own online society, The New Power Generation Music Club (www.npgmusicclub.com), last year. As members of the NPG clan, fans pay $100 annually plus a monthly fee to download Prince's music before anyone else, buy tickets to shows (that'll be another $100, thank you) and get invites to pre-show sound checks. No more music videos, singles or advertising — seemingly, now, Prince is all about the music.

Expect the same for his show. "Real music by real musicians," Prince has said of the tour, which includes appearances by veteran saxophonist Maceo Parker and drummer John Blackwell. There will be no choreography or lip syncing, and — if previous shows are any indicator — good luck searching for any method to a maddening mix of covers, jams, solos and new tunes.

Pam Sitt: 206-464-2376 or [email protected].

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