In a recent interview with Miles Davis’ son, Erin Davis, and nephew Vince Wilburn Jr., it was revealed that Antoine Fuqua is set to direct the Miles Davis biopic.  UPDATE 6/27: Don is now set to direct.  I was alerted to this fact via indiewire.com, through an interview they posted from the Wall Street Journal’s Lee Hawkins about the new Miles Davis postage stamp!

Both Davis and Wilburn handle the day to day operations of the Miles Davis Estate.  During the course of the interview, they made it clear that the Miles Davis project they were endorsing, was the one being produced by and starring Don Cheadle.  For several years, there was debate among members of the arts and journalists over which of the proposed projects about Miles should be produced.  The other film that was being talked about being made was to be based on the Davis autobiography by writer Quincy Troupe.  As of late, it’s been all about Don’s project, which may pick up some steam if we keep talking about it… so share, re-post and e-mail this blog.  While talking with Hawkins about the Miles postage stamp, Davis’ son and nephew expressed they would love to have a conversation with him in the future about the long anticipated biopic.

Fuqua directed Denzel Washington in his Oscar Award winning role as a corrupt cop in the movie “Training Day.”  Married to actress Lela Rochon, other films to his credit include: “Bait,” “Tears of the Sun”, “Shooter” and “Brooklyn’s Finest.”  “Brooklyn’s Finest” starred Cheadle opposite Wesley Snipes and Ethan Hawke.  Fuqua is also set to direct the biopic “Escobar” about the notorious drug lord from Columbia, and recently wrapped a documentary about record mogul Suge Knight.  His next release will be “Olympus Has Fallen,” starring Morgan Freeman, Gerard Butler and Angela Bassett.

Taken from cbsnews.com: Davis is paid tribute by America and France in the form of a postage stamp.  The influential jazz trumpeter is depicted on a pair of commemorative stamps along with legendary French singer Edith Piaf, issued on yesterday by both the United States Postal Service and France’s postal agency La Poste.  A first-day ceremony for the stamps was held at New York City’s Rubin Museum of Art, attended by members of Davis’ family and former colleagues.

“He was a man of many facets and I have been blessed to benefit from most of them,” said actress Cicely Tyson, who is Davis’ former wife.  “He was a man who communicated through his music.  Through his music, you knew his physical, mental, emotional and spiritual state. That’s how he spoke to everyone.”

Bassist Ron Carter, who played with Davis as a member of his quintet from the mid to late ’60s, shared his memories of his former bandleader.  “I met Miles in 1960 at a concert, so I’ve known him up until his passing,” he said.  “Miles was a person who always had something else to do.  He and I were kind of the buddies in the band…He never advised Wayne [Shorter] how to write…he never told Tony [Williams] how to play the drums.”  He later added: “He played trumpet and he was my friend.”  END cbs.com insert.

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