At the NAACP Image Awards...

Things started a little dodgy with having to park in the assigned lot that is a full city block away from The Shrine. It included having to walk under the freeway lugging a laptop and I gotta say, I was royally pissed. I've never covered these awards before and vowed to never do it again. I mean, no shuttles? Then a bottleneck at the entrance to the red carpet. The only cool part was at least I was stuck next to Chandra Wilson of "Grey's Anatomy" (pictured above).

Anyway, the red carpet at the NAACP Image Awards was kinda like watching a NASCAR race: Oh, there went Vanessa Williams. Whoosh! Taye Diggs...whoosh! Stevie Wonder...whoosh! No time to talk to do print inrerviews it seems. People to see, places to go I guess.

But some of the stars I did chat up more than made walking under the freeway well worth it. First of all, there was the divine Loretta Devine who is such a hoot! And right before they closed down the carpet, got to have a chat with Audra MacDonald, the four time Tony winner and star of ABC's "Private Practice." Also great to talk to CCH Pounder from "The Shield" and Regina Taylor of "The Unit" but to me, will always be the star of the sublime "I'll Fly away." Had a nice talk with Denzel Whittaker who was so terrific in "The Great Debaters" and "Everybody Loves Chris" star Tyler James Williams.

Then headed backstage

Well, I'm backstage at the NAACP Awards and the show is just getting started. Janet Jackson has just won the supporting actress prize for "Tyler Perry's Why Did I Get Married" beating out Oscar nominee Ruby Dee. (huh?)

"I was really not expecting this," she said.

Me neither honey.

Host DL Hughley made a crack about Aretha Franklin, making sure to introduce her as "The Queen of Soul" to avoid getting a nasty email from her majesty, She's in the front row and being honored right now and is wearing some kinda crazy of wacky outfit. I like the wig though.

Jordin Sparks at the choir The Sounds of Blackness sing "R-E-S-P-E-C-T" and Tyler Perry introduced her as "the one and only queen of soul." Aretha is clearly having a better night than the one on Sunday when she was dethroned by Beyonce who dared to call Tina Turner the queen.

"This is the icing on the cake for me," Aretha said as she accepted the Vanguard Award. "I've had a wonderful and memorable two weeks out here in Los Angeles and I'm going home in a couple of days with wonderful memories..."