ANGELO ELLERBEE: The Public Relations Impresario

Dionne Warwick, Mary J. Blige, Michael Jackson, Alicia Keys, DMX, Kool and the Gang, Shabba Ranks, James Mtume, Ginuwine, and Melba Moore are just a small assemblage of celebrities who share one common element among them. Public relations impresario Angelo Ellerbee has represented their publicity, promotion, and/or management in his 56-year career. His expertise in the entertainment business has been chronicled in his new book, “Before I Let You Go,” with a foreword by long-time client and Grammy-winning icon Dionne Warwick.

“Before I Let You Go” is the fourth book in a series of motivational books written by the celebrity handler who is as captivating as the clients he represents and the organizations he strongly supports. His previous bestsellers, “What’s Your Excuse,” “Ask Angelo: 46 Years of Industry Excellence,” and “The Sense of Success,” generated significant buzz for industry hopefuls and other aspirants.

His current tome is an extension of his personal perspective of a life filled with purpose. “It is a template of my life and career. I went through bankruptcy twice, a series of illnesses, challenges about my sexuality, family drama, you name it,” said Ellerbee. “I was born to a mother with an eighth-grade education, lived in Newark, New Jersey, with my four sisters and a brother, and we went through what we went through as a family. This book allows me to be transparent about my life.”

Ellerbee’s life at sixty-seven has not always been idyllic despite the circle of accessibility he now has to people of influence. Growing up gay and Black in a religious household had its drawbacks. Yet, he credits his faith in God and a strong mother who helped him rise above the pain and ridicule he suffered from those who belittled him. “I would go to my mother with problem after problem, and she would encourage me to pray to God and claim the victory. I believe God has given me so many chances in life. I pray to Him forty-five minutes every day.” He continued, “I believe God will give you challenges, but you have to believe in yourself and fall in love romantically with yourself.”

Ellerbee’s motivation is designed for people of all professions and backgrounds, but he emphasizes his support for LGBTQIA and AIDS communities, homeless individuals, and domestic violence victims as his targeted beneficiaries. “I use my life as a vessel for sharing, and it is important for them and everyone globally to know they are loved. Community is important. Mentoring is important. And so is giving back because you cannot take anything with you. Life is a gift, not a given.”

Remember this: Ellerbee decided to give back to his community at a young age when there were few incentives and programs for Black youth in his urban environment. While in high school, he created a portal of opportunities for himself, such as designing fashions, styling talent, and producing and hosting fashion shows. After high school, he pursued modeling in Paris, graduated from the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT), danced with the Alvin Ailey Company, and appeared in the off-Broadway production of “Bubbling Brown Sugar.”

This eventually led to overseeing the Black music division of a major record label before stepping out on his own as a multi-media and artist development visionary at Double XXposure. At the time, Ellerbee was the first Black man running a PR company on Seventh Avenue in New York City.

“When I worked with Mary J. Blige, Alicia Keys, and others, I gave them the ingredients their mothers didn’t give them. I taught them classes on how to understand the business of music and then the craft of music. I psychoanalyzed their backgrounds, became a therapist to my clients, did damage control, and explained how to have longevity,” stated Ellerbee.

None of his success would have occurred had it not been for the mentorship of the late James Mtume. The Grammy winner took Ellerbee under his tutelage and taught him the ins and outs of the business. “Mtume and I were like father and son. He was such an orator. I would listen to him and learn things I didn’t know. At times, I felt silly, but he believed in me and encouraged me, and I eventually became a tiger in the industry,” mused Ellerbee. “I worked for his artists and his company in the basement of his house until I was ready to make it on my own.”

As a formidable force to be reckoned with, Ellerbee confronted bitter competition, vile business dealings, and, most vehemently, racial and sexual discrimination from hip-hop and reggae artists whose identities would be shocking to the average fan. “I went through Holy Hell! A lot of them would not work with me because I was gay. And this dates back to the end of the ’70s, early ’80s,” Ellerbee reflected.

“There were times when I had to have security and protection wherever I went. Someone once told me that I would be bigger if I kept my sexual preference private. But I say proudly, I am who I am!” “

Ellerbee is who he is for all the right reasons and continues to march to the beat of his own drum. Representing upwards of 5,000 clients throughout his five-decade career puts him in the earned position to be called a consummate media legend. As for the legacy he hopes to instill, Angelo Ellerbee states with conviction, “I want people to know that I gave my all, I loved all people, and I want everyone to have a better chance in life.”

“Before I Let You Go” will be officially published on Saturday, August 24th, with a portion of the proceeds benefiting the Newark-based WOW Community Center. The mission is to help LGBTQIA youth seek housing and employment opportunities.

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