Floyd Marshall Jr. Interviews Founder and Host of Studio Q, Quencie Thomas [VIDEO]

I am always the one doing interviews so, when Floyd Marshall Jr. of The Independent Film Association of Philadelphia asked to interview me I was very reluctant! That’s absolutely no shade to Floyd that is always my first response to anyone who wants to interview me.

My first question is always the same, what are we going to talk about? Floyd replied, your interviews of course! And that’s just what we did. I had a great time talking about how I got started interviewing celebrities, how I founded Studio Q and sharing some behind the scene stories.

You can either watch the interview above or listen to it in podcast form by scrolling down below!

Quencie Interviews Singer and Tik Tok Creator, Arleisha Marshall [VIDEO]

Recently, I became obsessed with the Tik Tok app and shared a lot of the videos I ran across to my Studio Q Facebook page. Many of those videos garnered a million views or more in only a few days so, I decided to create a series to interview the creators of these videos on my @StudioQTV Instagram.

When I posted a video by Tik Tok creator, Arleisha Marshall it went viral. Her video garnered over 12 million views on my Facebook page. I was so amazed by the success of her video that she was the first person I reached out to interview.

What’s crazy is Arleisha is an amazing singer who has been posting her talent for years but the video that went viral had nothing to do with her beautiful voice. She has blown up on Tik Tok with over a 1 million followers just by being herself. How awesome! Follow her on Instagram @beauty_by_Arleisha and Tik Tok @arleisham!

Check out our fun chat about her viral content plus so much more below!

Quencie Interviews Tik Tok Creator and Make Up Artist Maya Tee aka "Tink" on Instagram Live [VIDEO]

Over the last couple of months I became obsessed with Tik Tok and shared a lot of the videos I ran across to my Studio Q Facebook page. Many of those videos garnered a million views or more in only a few days. I decided to create a interview series to interview the creators of these videos and Maya was the first Tik Tok creator I interviewed in my live series on Instagram.

Check out our fun conversation below and make sure to follow Maya on Tik Tok @mayatinktee and Instagram @_tinkyrozz

12 Years Ago Today, I was at Barack Obama's Inauguration

My view of The Capitol on Inauguration Day, January 20, 2009

The only inauguration I have ever been to was 12 years ago today for former president, Barack Obama. I am proud to say that I was one of the thousands of people in Washington D.C. to see the first black man be sworn in as president on January 20, 2009. I remember standing in the freezing cold on the phone with my mom and holding a picture of my great grandmother who passed away in 1995. This was so historic that I wanted them both to somehow be there to experience it with me. A phone call and photo would just have to do. It was such an amazing feeling to see a black man become president in these United States.

My great grandmother who passed away in 1995 would have loved to see a black man become president. The best I could do was bring a picture of her with me to witness the historic event. I’m sure her spirit was there.

All the days leading up to the inauguration I wanted to be there but I had no ticket, no money and no intention of going. I was looking forward to watching it on the couch like most of America. What changed was my best friend, Tam, wrote to California Representative Howard Berman’s office for tickets. I dismissed her because there was no way in a million years she was going to actually be able to to secure tickets to an event of this magnitude. I was WRONG! She was placed in a lottery of over 240,000 people and actually won the tickets! What’s even crazier is she gave the tickets back because neither of us was in a financial position to make this trip. I can’t believe we were actually going to allow not having money prevent us from such a historic moment in our lifetime. How could we miss this day when she had won tickets that you couldn’t even buy!

Tam in front of Representative Howard Berman

So, three days later we came to our senses and Tam wrote back to Representative Howard Berman. Unfortunately, they had already given her tickets away to someone else. I mean she did give them back. What did we expect, right? We are talking about the first black president here. The idea that she even won them in the first place is unbelievable. But to give them back and still think they were going to be there waiting was absurd. Unless, that is, you believe in God! You see when God is involved the impossible becomes the possible.

Even though the tickets had indeed been given away, the office said they had until 2 pm to claim them and if they didn't, he would give them back to Tam. At 2:05 pm, they called Tam and said that she could have the tickets back because no one claimed them. Look at God! This trip was meant for us to experience. How do you win two inauguration tickets in a lottery of over 240,000 people, give the tickets back, change your mind and then ask for the tickets back again. The final result being that you actually receive the tickets back! There is no explanation. That ain’t nothing but God.

Now that the inauguration tickets were re-secured we found room on our credit cards and booked our flights to Washington, D.C. The next hurdle was finding somewhere to stay. By this point every hotel was booked and there was no such thing as Airbnb back then. It would have most likely been way out of our price range anyway. Tam knew no one in Washington D.C. so, I immediately began to brainstorm. I have an aunt that lives in Washington D.C., plus a few friends, so I began my outreach for a warm place for us to stay.

My Aunt Ann

The first friend I called said that she wouldn’t been in town and had already offered her condo up to others attending the inauguration. Strike one! When I called my next friend, she invited us before I could even ask. I was shocked, excited and grateful for her kindness. I called my aunt too and we ended up splitting the time between my friend’s and aunt’s house. I was beyond excited that I was able to secure housing for this last minute trip with just a few phone calls. God was definitely at work! This trip was meant to be.

My friend Jocklynn

When we got to Washington D.C., I was about that documentation life. I took photos and videos everywhere to commemorate each step of the journey. I even brought along my Studio Q mic to facilitate random on the spot interviews with people. When we went to the famous Ben’s Chili Bowl, I had so much fun interviewing the guy who waited on Obama. I had him recount the entire exchange with him and Obama like an announcer giving a play by play in a sports game.

The guy who waited on Obama when he dined at Ben’s Chili Bowl.

I even ordered what President Obama had which was the half smoke chili dog and fries. The half smoke is a sausage that is half beef and half pork. It is prepared with chili, onions and mustard. I enjoyed it, but it couldn’t compete with the chili cheese dog I get from The Chili Parlor in my hometown. But at the moment none of that mattered I was having with the President had and so damn happy about it.

My first chili cheese hotdog from Ben’s Chili Bowl in Washington D.C.

We went to Ben’s Chili Bowl twice because the first time the line was just entirely too long. And it was just too cold to wait that long for a hotdog. So our first time around we opted for Quiznos. But when we made our way back with my Aunt Ann, we had the full Chili Bowl experience.

I was so thrilled to have such a once in a lifetime experience. I tear up just thinking about all that black people have had to endure just to arrive at this one amazing moment in time. We stand on the shoulders of giants. I know the spirit of the ancestors was right there with us. You could feel the magic in the air. No one had to say a word. We all knew we were experiencing something our ancestors could never imagine but we would never forget. There were no strangers at this inauguration. I felt everybody I saw was a kind neighbor or friend. We connected with all kind of awesome people while waiting in line to get our inauguration tickets. We even had the opportunity to meet Representative Howard Berman and take a picture with him in his office at The Capital building. It was because of Howard Berman that Tam even had the opportunity to win the tickets so, it was an honor to meet him.

I even met actor Wendell Pierce standing in line to get our inauguration tickets. He was waiting to get his tickets too. On this day, I felt we were all the same, celebrity or not. We all were just happy to witness history together. It was one of the most memorable days of my life!

The only bad parts of the day were the freezing cold weather, overcrowded subways and those nasty porta pottys that we were forced to use since we were all outdoors. Until this trip, I never knew hand warmers even existed! You put them inside of your gloves and it literally warms your hands.. Genius invention for the kind of freezing cold we were in.

Also, I don’t think Washington D.C. was equipped for so many subway riders at one time. They had closed certain stops, so people had to get off and walk further. It was a mess! The people in the subway were screaming, "Let Us Out!" We were stuck in there for at least an hour! And because I worked The Olympic Games when it came to Atlanta in 1996, I had something to compare it to. I was shocked that things didn’t run as smoothly as the Olympics, especially since an inauguration happens like clockwork every four years. Plus the whole world knew this was a historic event so, I expected the transportation system to run a lot smoother than it did. But in retrospect, those were all minor distractions to the monumental history we all witnessed. I felt privileged to be there. And to think that we almost didn’t go, makes me even more grateful.

As we count down the hours to the end of the horrible Trump administration and prepare for the inauguration of Joe Biden as President of The United States and Kamala Harris as the first black woman to be sworn in as Vice President, I was compelled to reflect back on my 2009 inauguration experience.

With the history of slavery in our country you would think that the election of Barack Obama would be what incited violence. But nope! It was a completely peaceful time leading up to his inauguration. It took Donald Trump and his supporters to change all that. Now Washington D.C. has to be surrounded by thousands of armed guards just to ensure a peaceful transfer of power.

When he incited those domestic terrorists and white supremacist to storm the capitol on January 6, 2021, he encouraged the worst of America to rise up and prevail, if only for a moment. This is something that has never happened before. I feel it was a culmination of the worst presidential administration America has ever had to live through. Not to mention this is all going down in the midst of a global pandemic, which has taken the lives of over 400,000 people!

Everyone in this country has either had Coronavirus, knows someone who has had it, or known people who have died from it. I don’t know how we as a country have survived Donald Trump. I’m just glad at 12 noon on January 20, 2021, we don’t have to anymore. This nightmare is officially over.

As I look forward to a new chapter with Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, I am as hopeful as I was during Barack Obama’s inauguration 12 years ago. It’s a new day, again and I’m glad I’m here to see it. Scroll down and press play to relive a video compilation of my inauguration experience on this day 12 years ago. It’s a day I will never forget. Press play and see why.

Quencie Live on @Youtube - Episode 4

On today's episode of Quencie Live I was joined by my Studio Q producer and bestie, Tam Anderson. We discussed the time we attended a taping of The Oprah Winfrey Show back in 2011. Thanks to Tam I even got to ask Oprah a question from the audience that was later featured on her website, oprah.com.   It was during her last season and Oprah gave everyone in the audience a free trip to the Miraval Spa in Arizona, which included air fare, car service and pajamas! Only Oprah would give a gift that included everything like that and we so love her for it. We had a great time at the show and the spa.  Watch as we give our behind the scenes account of our experience. You can also see the question I asked Oprah below. 

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Press play and watch me ask Oprah a question from the audience at Harpo which no longer exists. 

Quencie LIVE on @YouTube - Episode 3

I'm three days in to this live show and there's no stopping me now.  It's cool to talk about the behind the scenes stories of my interviews. In this episode, I talk about my interview with Bishop T.D Jakes during his Instinct Book Tour and a few red carpet events I'm covering this weekend. Subscribe to my Youtube channel and check me out live. Watch the replay below. 

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Check out my Bishop Jakes interview below

Quencie LIVE on @YouTube - Episode 2

Today was day 2 of my Youtube LIVE show and this time I had my Godson, Jayden  joined me as a co-host.  I'm surprised I was able to get through everything I wanted to say. He clearly needs to have his own mic and his own show lol.  I also had some technical difficulties earlier but I didn't let that or Jayden stop me. 

In this episode, I talk about the new Apple Watches, Fantasia and knowing your worth. Watch below. 

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Quencie Interviews Kyanna Simone Simpson Who Played Oprah Winfrey's Younger Character in The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks on HBO

Today, I did a Skype interview with actress Kyanna Simone Simpson who played the younger version of Oprah Winfrey's character in the biopic surrounding Henrietta Lacks life called The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks on HBO. The film tells the true story of Henrietta Lacks, an African-American woman whose cells were used to create the first immortal human cell line. Told through the eyes of her daughter, Deborah Lacks (Oprah Winfrey), the film chronicles her search to learn about the mother she never knew and to understand how the unauthorized harvesting of Lacks’ cancerous cells in 1951 led to unprecedented medical breakthroughs, changing countless lives and the face of medicine forever.

I had so much fun talking to Kyanna about her career, her mentor Latanya Richardson Jackson and what it was like to meet and work with Oprah Winfrey, which was a dream come true for her.  This budding actress who is known for her recurring role on HBO’s miniseries Show Me a Hero is currently working on the film, White Boy Rick starring Matthew McConaughey.  

Check out our fun conversation below. 

Quencie Interviews Sheléa Frazier

I interviewed Sheléa Frazier after experiencing her sing one of the best tributes to Whitney Houston I've ever heard on YouTube first then live at The Grammy Museum alongside super producer Narada Michael Walden.  She's accomplished so many  great things in her career since this interview that it would just blow your mind.  I am super proud of her.  She's living her dream.  Check out my interview with Sheléa below. 

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Quencie Interviews Isaac Singleton Jr.

I interviewed Isaac Singleton Jr. at the Celebrity Connected event honoring the Academy Awards. We talked about Oscar nominated movies and his Marvel voice over super hero roles.  He also shares advice about getting into the business. Check out our conversation below.  

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Quencie Interviews Biz Builder and Social Media Genie, Ashley Ann

I had such an amazing time interviewing Ashley Jones of Ashley Ann’s Events on Skype for Studio Q. She is a talented award winning wedding and event designer who is a rockstar in her field. You can find this late night biz builder @KingAshleyAnn sharing free social media tips to thousands of people every Monday - Thursday at 11:05 pm (CST) on the live-streaming Twitter app called Periscope. She is a social media genie who has been in business for 11 years and is quipped with a with a B.A. in Finance and M.B.A. Ashley has made a name for herself by offering beautiful, unique, professional designs and productions. She inspires creative detail, and modern, elegant atmospheres. She is also an outstanding business woman excelling in social media lead generations, lead magnets, funnels, and return paths.

In the business world, Ashley is known for getting results, and simplifying social media and CVO so that her clients achieve desired outcomes. She pays exquisite attention to every last detail in the boardroom and in the ballroom. Ashley's bright personality and calm demeanor help her clients relax as she creates one-of-a-kind atmospheres. 

In my conversation with Ashley, we discuss business, social media, her overcoming amazing personal obstacles, her thoughts on the Shea Moisture controversy and so much more!  This is a conversation you don't want to miss! Press play below.

Quencie Interviews Donnell Turner

I interviewed Donnell Turner at the Celebrity Connected event honoring The Academy Awards. You can catch him daily on one of the longest running soap operas on TV, General Hospital.  He talked about how he got his role on the show, Oscar movies and shared some amazing advice for those of you who want to step into the acting world.  Check out our conversation below.  

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Quencie Interviews Shanica Knowles

I interviewed Shanica Knowles at the Celebrity Connected event honoring the Academy Awards. We talked about her role in Surviving Compton and her favorite Oscar nominated film Lala Land.  Shanica also shares advice for people who have dreams of becoming and actor/singer like she is. Watch our conversation below. 

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Quencie Interviews Katie Leclerc

I interviewed Katie Leclerc on the red carpet of the Celebrity Connected event that honored the Academy Awards. Katie talked about her show Switched at Birth, Yeezys and Moonlight which won the Oscar for Best Picture. Watch below.  

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Quencie Interviews Raquel Pomplun

I interviewed Raquel Pomplun at the celebrity connected gifting suite right before the 2017 Academy Awards. We talked about Raquel's upcoming projects and favorite Oscar nominated movies. Check out what Raquel said about Manchester by The Sea and Oscar winning actor Casey Affleck. Watch below. 

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Quencie Interviews Bill Duke

I interviewed the great Bill Duke about his Dark Girl Documentary at Roland Martin's TV One launch party in Beverly Hills.  It was great to be able to tell Bill Duke face to face how awesome I thought his documentary was. Check out our conversation below. 

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Quencie Interviews Don B. Welch

I was excited and honored to interview Don B. Welch just days before the film adaptation of his popular inspirational stage play, The Lost Souls Café premiered on TV One. We covered so many topics in our conversation that if you never met him you will really feel like you know him after watching.  He was oozing with positivity and dripping with wisdom.  For those of you who may be unaware, Don B. Welch is an accomplished singer, actor, writer, director, playwright, producer and author. Hailing from Philadelphia, PA, Donald began his professional career as a singer at age 15. As an actor he has had co-starring roles on The Fresh Prince of Bel Air, Cosby, several independent films as well as served as a celebrity judge for The Miss America Pageant 2000 and 2004 for ABC television, co-judging with Judge Judy, and Fox TV’s Greta Van Susseran.

As a playwright, he has written and directed over 27 productions. The most successful being: The Bachelor Party, The Bachelorette Party, My Brothers Keeper, The Divorce and Fight Club.  Noted artists such as: Loretta Devine, Lynn Whitfield, Vanessa Bell Calloway, Dorien Wilson, Marla Gibbs, Ledisi, Kenny Lattimore, Dawnn Lewis, Jackee Harry, Freda Payne, Mary Wilson, Ananda Lewis, Flex Alexander, Shanice Wilson, Ellia English, Ginuwine, Malinda Williams, Keith Robinson, Darius McCrary, Carl Payne, Keith Robinson, Ernest L. Thomas, Judy Pace, Tatyana Ali & Essence Atkins have all been in a Don B. Welch production or film.

In addition, Donald has worked as a writer for superstar friend and fellow Philadelphian, Will Smith. In the year 2000, Donald, at the urging of Will, decided to relocate to Los Angeles to pursue further endeavors in the entertainment industry. Will immediately lent a helping hand by setting up various meetings with industry moguls and introducing Donald to the day-to- day mechanics of television.

Signed by Random House Publishers in New York, Don has written two very successful novels, The Bachelorette Party and In My Sisters House. He is currently working on a 3rd.

His first film, The Bachelor Party, was released nationally by IMAGE Entertainment. His next feature, 24 Hour Love, was released March 19, 2013, while The Divorce was released Feb 2014. TV One feature his newest project The Lost Souls Cafe this past Easter.  

Press Play and enjoy my conversation with Don B. Welch. I've interviewed him several times on the red carpet, but there is nothing like going one on one. He's such a nice, cool fun guy that I didn't think I could like him anymore than I already did, but I was wrong.  After our I interview I liked him even more. Watch below. 

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Quencie Interviews Yvette Nicole Brown

Yvette Nicole Brown played my favorite character Shirley on NBC's Community so it was a thrill to talk to her on the red carpet. This was a Hollywood birthday for actress Kym Whitley and I talked to Yvette about her role in the movie Percy Jackson.  Watch below.  

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