by Kim Fields
My grandmother Patsy Styles with Aunt Pat and my mother.
My earliest memory, glorious Harlem.
My mother and I went to Universal Studios for my seventh birthday and Mother’s Day. It was our first splurge trip. This was the special effects van from The Six Million Dollar Man television show.
My original dynamic duo, Aunt Pat and Mommy.
My surprise thirteenth birthday party with Mindy Cohn. She was a part of the all-star talent show.
Mindy and me with Gloria Estefan and Miami Sound Machine for a Dick Clark Disney special.
Battle of the Network Stars, mid ’80s. Yes, tube socks!
My twenty-third birthday in Houston; you can see the cast on my arm from the car accident I was in a few days prior.
Celebrating my husband at his thirtieth birthday party in New York.
At Samuel L. Jackson’s birthday party with Johnny Gill, one of my oldest and dearest friends—with a quasi-photobomb from our friend Eddie Murphy.
THIS! With Winnie and Zindzi Mandela in Ms. Mandela’s garden in Soweto, South Africa, while directing and producing a concert documentary on my friend saxophonist Najee, who took this photo.
Love and laughter always. Chris called my tattoo a supernova when Sebastian was just about to make his entrance.
Firstborn with firstborn—in my beloved St. Nicholas Park days after bringing Sebastian home, Harlem 2007.
Firstborn with firstborn—in my beloved St. Nicholas Park days after bringing Sebastian home, Harlem 2007.
Baby Sebastian got to stay up late to say hi to Robin Thicke in the Caribbean during one of our concert TV specials for BET.
On the set of BET’s Lens on Talent: A Filmmaker’s Challenge in New York City. I truly enjoyed hosting and producing an outlet for budding filmmakers. (Credit: al-karim powell-darensburg)
At the TV Land awards. This photo is very special to me because Regis has known me since the early ’80s and even had me on his talk show in LA when I was a little girl.
Summer with Sebastian, 2009.
Chris and me with D. L. Hughley—my longtime friend and a King of Comedy—at his Atlanta show.
Family for life! Malcolm- Jamal Warner and his amazing mom, Pam, along with Chris and Sebastian in Grand Cayman.
Private time with Ruby Dee, when we got to visit her at her beautiful home.
And then there were two.
Family vacay, February 2014.
Quincy with Mommy and Uncle Fred (Hammond) at a summer concert.
The one and only Mr. Norman Lear, whom I love dearly.
Me and Blair. Y’all already know—nothing but love right here!
The birth of Team KimSha: The first time Sasha and I met and I began to dance.
With Sasha after Good Morning America’s announcement for Dancing with the Stars season twenty-two.
LIVING! Thank you, Dancing with the Stars and ABC. I was gettin’ it filming the opening titles and promos for the show.
Selfie fun at the Dancing with the Stars season finale with Pat Smith, NFL legend Emmitt Smith, and photobomber Tom Bergeron. Fun Fact: Tom and I worked together many moons ago when he hosted Hollywood Squares.
Simply the best, my Alexis. In my DWTS trailer.
Simply the best, my Alexis. In my DWTS trailer.
With their beautiful “Mom-Mom.”
The happy face of life when legendary comedian George Wallace tells you he loves you and would do any project you want to cast him in!
Me with my sisterfriend Erykah Badu at the Megafest screening of A Question of Faith. She was fixing my top, which she had given to me from her closet. Just like a sister to have your back.
With the love of my life at the Mayor’s Masked Ball, Atlanta 2015.
Acknowledgments
It takes a village to raise a celebrity. I have a few mini-villages within my village that deserve acknowledgment, deep gratitude, and praise. Not only would this book not have gotten done, but this life would not be nearly as blessed without them…
Team Kim Village:
Art Rutter, Valerie Enloe, Paul Wright III, Michelle Grant, Kymberlee Norsworthy, Julia McCrank, and Ki Cottrell
Publishing Village:
Dan Strone, Keren Baltzer (you’re amazing, thank you for your role in this process and doing it so beautifully), Nicci Jordan Hubert (thank you for your editing gifts and talents!), Grace Johnson, Patsy Jones, and all of Hachette Book Group
Artists Village:
Erykah Badu; Lalah Hathaway; Maxwell; Yolanda Adams; Malcolm-Jamal Warner; Blair Underwood; Fred Hammond; Israel Houghton; Kels and Hali Johnson; Vincent and Ebony Powell; Yvette Nicole Brown; Najee; Fareed; literary inspirations Pat Conroy, Judy Blume, Langston Hughes, and Brad Thor; Holiday Love family and friends; Curtis King; and The Dee-Davis families
Life Village:
The Hurds; The Morgans; The Jacksons; The Loopers; The Blakes; The Shaltos; The Bells; The Mellinis; Victoria Shaffer; Paula Monette; Erica Strong; The Potts; Joyer; Brianna Robinson; The Bazemores; Carol Kim; Bishop Charles Blake and the Blake Family; The Gross and Perkins Families; every sitter; Lower School’s JB, BW, family and friends; every Glam Squad; every media outlet; every fan
My Voice Village of One:
Todd Gold. What can I possibly say? Your hard work, dedication, gifts, and talents as a writer and biographer are extraordinary. I could not have done this without you. This time of reflection, discovery, revelations, and examination—laced with laughs and tears—has been a glorious journey to be treasured forever. Thank you. Thank you.
If a name is not listed it does not mean your spirit is not strong in my heart or that your presence is not strong in my village…it simply means I did not have enough coffee while writing this.
About the Author
KIM FIELDS had her first job at age seven on the Mrs. Butterworth syrup commercial. She’s spent forty years in the public eye. There were nine years as Dorothy “Tootie” Ramsey on the classic sitcom The Facts of Life, five more in her twenties co-starring on the seminal coming-of-age show Living Single, and most recently she appeared as herself on Real Housewives of Atlanta and Dancing with the Stars. Behind the camera, she directed episodes of Kenan & Kel, Tyler Perry’s Meet the Browns and House of Payne, and BET’s Let’s Stay Together. Between gigs her life has included theater, spoken word, music, and speaking engagements. She is a dedicated wife and proud mom of two boys.
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