The Pulse of Entertainment: Duane Curry, The New General Manager of the Gateway Center Arena in College Park, George
is Focused on Community
by Dr. Eunice Moseley
"That's my normal focus. That's the kind of man I am,"
said Duane Curry, new general manager of the Gateway Center Arena in College Park, Georgia,
when I asked about his history with community outreach - something he seeks to highlight as GM at Gateway. "Community
is big."
Curry has a long history at the Gateway Center Arena working his way up the ranks for
25 years! Duane was Operations Crew Member at the Georgia International Convention Center (GICC), the Operations Crew Leader
at GICC, and then Conversion Manager at Gateway Center Arena. Gateway Center Arena is located on the Gateway Center Campus.
This campus houses the Gateway Center Arena, the Georgia International Convention Center, the Historic College Park Golf Course,
hotels, dinning places, office buildings, and the BMU (Building Maintenance Unit) Training Center.
"We are grateful to be in the position that 9 to 10 months out of the year we are booked already,"
he said when I asked how the seats at a venue (4.800-5,000) are filled. "We're book with (ATL) Dream (WNBA) in the summer,
and Sky Harks (NBA G League) from November to March. We also have the HBCU Conference, the NCAA Tournament and women's volleyball
(ATL Vibe). We are very blessed to be in this position."
I
asked Duane Curry how he handles 5,000 people, at max, at the Gateway Center Arena. I have handled 1,000 with the help of
a small team, and he said, "It's based on the type of event. The process can be different...but we have a protocol in
place...we have security, guest services... Actually, my operations staff...is next door."
That team also includes caterers (Proof of the Pudding) that are at GICC.
As general manager, Duane Curry will oversee the operations of all the components that make the Gateway Center Arena operate.
With a degree from University of West Georgia (masters) and Clayton State University (bachelors), and 25 years working with
and leading operations teams this provides him with the unique ability to take his major milestone in life and move both the
Gateway Center Arena and the community in which it serves to another level.
"They were excited," he said when I asked what his team members thought of him becoming general manager
of the Gateway Center Arena. "They said, well deserved!"
The
College Park native asked when did I bring my Uplifting Minds II Entertainment Conference to Atlanta because I had mentioned
it and how supportive Atlanta was, and I replied, "From 2000 - 2003."
Curry said, "That's when the convention center opened - in 2003."
Every time I went to Atlanta the airport was crazy-busy and I asked about that. I asked if that
was normal and he said, "Yes! Our airport is busiest airport in the world...it's the hub. And our location is minutes
away from the airport (Hartsfield-Jackson). It's a hidden gem...no need for a rental car...take the train."
I asked Duane if the always busy Gateway Center Arena ever hosts concerts, because
that 1000-person event I mentioned was a concert. I was thinking maybe I can bring my clients' concerts there.
Curry replied, "Yes! And during COVID, we hosted concerts in the Parking Lots." www.GatewayCenterArena.com
The Pulse of Entertainment: Two-Time Sammy Award Winning Drummer Bob Holz's
‘Silverthorne' Album Features Grammy Winning Randy Brecker and Grammy Nominated Mike Stern
(September 4, 2026) - "He's a friend of my bass player
in New York - Ralph Armstrong. He played for Aretha Franklin," said drummer Bob Holz (Peter Tosh, Eddie
Money ) when I asked about multi-Grammy winning bass player Stanley Clarke being featured on his last album "Visions:
Coast to Coast Connections" (MVD Audio) as we discussed his currently album "Silverthorne" (MVD
Audio). "Ralph was on the album...and he said Stanley Clarke was a close friend, but he never recorded with him. So,
he brought him in and he did a nice solo. We had lots of fun."
"(Stanley Clarke) He's on the new album ("Next In Line"), the first
one called ‘Jammin Man". It's a simple Reggae song," Holz told me.
I asked Bob about being a drummer. I told him that I've interviewed a lot of musicians who released solo projects
but very few drummers and he said, "I had been a side man in other people's band for a long time...and I started to write
some songs. A friend (Reggae guitarist) had a studio....one thing led to another....I debuted in 2016."
The debut project is titled "A Vision Forward" also on the MVD Audio imprint.
"I tapped on pots and pans...feeling that rhythm," Bob continued as we talked
about how he started drumming. "I'd watch...The Beatles, The Supremes...and gravitated to the drum and my parents put
up with the noise! I started with bongo drums, then drum pads and then snare drums. At 12 my dad broke down and brought me
a drum kit."
Bob Holz did not look back as he started his career as a musician playing
for artists/bands until his clientele were of the legendary caliber like Grammy winning Peter Tosh (The Wailers) and Grammy
nominated Eddie Money ("Baby Hold On To Me"). The "Silverthorne" project offers 10 tracks of original
material that features seven-time Grammy winning Randy Brecker on trumpet and six-time Grammy nominated Mike Stern on guitar.
In addition, he has support on the new project from Ralph Armstrong on bass; Grammy nominated Alex Acuna on percussion; Latin
Grammy Award winning Brandon Fields on saxophone; Jamie Glaser on guitar; Ada Rovatti on saxophone; Grammy winning Billy Steinway
on keyboards; Alex Machacck on guitar, and Andrew Ford on bass. Grammy nominated Dennis Moody (Diana Ross, Missy Elliot) mixed
and recorded the album with Rob Stathis as producer.
Bob Holz is
still cranking out the solo tracks.
"Coming up next is ‘Next
in Line' it's a best of album that will include the song with Stanley Clarke," the two-time Sammy Award winning
drummer pointed out as we ended the interview. www.BobHolzBand.com
SYNDICATED COLUMNIST: Dr. Eunice Moseley has an estimated weekly readership of over one million for her column The
Pulse of Entertainment. She is the publisher of the digital magazine www.ThePulseofEntertainment.com, which has an estimated 160,000 visitors a month. An entrepreneur, Dr. Moseley’s company, Freelance Associates, is
a business management/public relations strategic planning and consulting firm that is celebrating 32 years in 2025. Dr. Eunice
also serves as professor for the School of Business at Stanton University in Anaheim, California and serves as promotions
director (at-large)/journalist and business consultant for The Baltimore Times. Dr. Moseley founded the Uplifting
Minds II Foundation (www.UpliftingMinds.com) in 2023, a 501 C3 with a mission to empower the underserved through three major programs – One Stop Business Shop,
the ULMII Professional Conference and the ULMII Academy (business management and public relations). EVENTS:
"Uplifting Minds II" Entertainment Conference (ULMII), was launched by Dr. Eunice in 1999, to educate
aspiring artists/musicians about the business of entertainment – www.UpliftingMinds2.com. Next ULMII Entertainment Conferences for Baltimore on Saturday April 18, 2026, presented by Security
Square Mall and The Baltimore Times, and for Los Angeles on Saturday, November 7, 2026, presented
by The Pulse of Entertainment and the ULMII Foundation. The ULMII conferences are free with virtual access via Zoom.
ULMII entertainment conference offers a Professional Panel Q&A Session, a Professional Talent Showcase and International Talent Competition where the top three scored acts receive
the ULMII Best Act Award and over $20,000 valued in prizes/product/services and cash!
