By Fred L. Jones, Jr.
fjones@theoklahomaeage.net
‘Stand by Your Truth: And Then Run For Your Life!’
Rickey Smiley has penned his thoughts in a new book entitled “Stand by Your Truth: And Then Run for Your Life!” Smiley has become an activist in a very passionate fashion, he has turned his huge platform into a very notable means of expressing his many concerns about the problems facing our communities and country today.
Smiley performed in Tulsa in 2013 at The BOK Center, with Rhythm and Blues sensation Fantasia. The show was outstanding and both artists left the crowd asking for more.
Smiley speaking on his passion for his craft stated, “I’m very passionate about everything that I do, and I don’t play any games. I just keep it honest. I don’t put on airs. That’s the only way you can be. If you tell one lie, you’ve got to tell another lie. I’m cool with who I am. What you see is what you get.”
But in between the rapid-fire jokes, hip-hop beats, and celebrity dish are flashes of how Smiley views the world, from the challenges of raising children, to the importance of education, to the need to always stand in your own truth. After more than two decades in the spotlight, Rickey is finally ready to delve more deeply into the opinions he voices ever-so-briefly on the air, riffing on those issues that his listeners, viewers, and fans find most important.
“Stand by Your Truth” is part memoir, part testimonial, and part life guide, mixing Smiley’s down-home humor with the values he learned from being raised by three generations of elders, steeped in the Baptist church, and mentored by some of the most celebrated comics in the entertainment industry today.
Smiley appears at Barnes and Noble located at 71st and Memorial in Tulsa on November 8 at 5:30 p.m. to sign his new book. To purchase his book, go to: www.barnesandnoble.com/rickeysmiley
