"[ Woman ] Theorizing that one could time travel within his own lifetime," "Dr. Sam Beckett stepped into the Quantum Leap accelerator... and vanished." "He awoke to find himself trapped in the past, facing mirror images that were not his own... and driven by an unknown force to change history for the better." "His only guide on this journey is Al, an observer from his own time, who appears in the form of a hologram that only Sam can see and hear." "And so, Dr. Beckett finds himself leaping from life to life, striving to put right what once went wrong... and hoping each time that his next leap... will be the leap home." "* [ Woman Singing ]" "[ Laughing ] [ Audience Applauding ]" "Oh, God, they love us!" "We were bad, girlfriend!" "They want an encore!" "What are we gonna sing?" "[ Man ] Cherea." "Dovettes!" "Dovettes!" "Dovettes!" "Dovettes!" "Dovettes!" " No, no, no." "I don't think so." " Yes!" "No, no, no." "Oh, boy." "[ Audience Applauding ]" "* [ RB ]" "* [ Off-key ]" "Ah." "Sorry." "[ Laughing ]" "* [ Ends ]" "[ Light Applause, Chattering ]" "[ Man ] Who did that hair?" "You must've hit your head a lot harder than you thought." "Yeah, I guess" " I guess I did." "Come on." "Come on." "Come on." "Hurry, hurry, hurry." "Hurry, hurry." "Come on, come on, come on." "[ Woman ] We could've won." "That would've been a hundred dollars, new costumes, plus a shot at the finals." "[ Woman #2 ] Well, Bobby Lee said we could come back and try it again." "The way he was scoping' you, he would've said anything." "* [ Vocalizing ]" "That's not true!" "He just saw that Cherea hurt herself and wanted to give us another chance." "We should've won." "Would you come on, please." "Now what's your problem?" "I just don't think that we should be out walkin' around this late in this neighborhood." "My father would kill me if he knew we were out this late." "And so would yours." "Cherea's old man doesn't stay home long enough to know when she's gone." "Hey, baby, why don't you come over here and talk to me?" "Come on." "Who the heck would want to talk to your ugly behind?" "Paula!" "Ooh, you talkin' to me, Paula?" "Hey, come on." "Why don't you bring your real fine brown body over here?" "I don't talk to night crawlers, so you can just crawl back into whatever cave you came from." "Damn, Paula!" "Just keep on walkin'." "That's all I'm sayin'." "What about you?" "You know I like me some real nice, tall woman there." "Keep walkin'." "Keep goin'." "Look, why don't you and your friend just go back and sit down?" "Yeah, why don't you just come and sit down with me?" "Actually, we were supposed to be home hours ago, and my father get real upset" "Yeah, well, let me give him something to get upset about." "[ Grunting ]" " Hey!" " [ Grunting ]" " Come on, girls." " How'd you do that?" "Let's just get goin' home, okay?" "Cherea." "Huh?" "I think we better get you to a hospital." "I mean, something must've really happened when you hit your head." "We're goin' the wrong way." "We live this way." "Are you crazy?" "I think that bump turned this child into some kind of super girl." "I like this move." "Look, I" " I" " I" "I think we could put it in the act." "I don't know what happened back there." "Look, I do know that girls shouldn't be out at 2:00 in the morning alone." "[ Horn Honks ]" "Now let's go." "On these streets." "Come on." "Get going." "Especially one with a mouth like Paula." "Get-Get goin'." "I can take care of myself." "[ Laughs ] Would you cut it out!" "Get goin'." "[ Both Laughing ]" "Get goin'." "You're trippin' me up." "You're trippin' me up like that." "Get goin'." "What am I gonna" "All I know is, if Cherea hadn't have done whatever she did, you'd be tellin' my daddy about it, 'cause I'd have made sure I was dead." "Are you gonna spend the night?" "No, I don't think I'd better." "Maybe the three of you better get your hides inside... and start doin' some serious explaining on why my 1 5-year-old daughter is out at 2:00 in the morning!" "Inside!" "Let's go!" "[ Dogs Barking ]" "[ Sam Narrating ] Quantum leaping has taught me a lot about people, and I knew right away I liked this man." "You're not old enough- Even with all his blustering and bravado," "Reverend Walters was saying everything that I had wanted to say since this leap had started, and his concern for his daughter's safety and well-being... was grounded in as much reality as the walk wejust took home." "Sit down." "Not to mention that three young girls have absolutely no business... on the streets of Chicago, unescorted, at 2:00 in the morning." "Since you are too foolish to understand the dangers of life in the big city," "I have taken it upon myself to call your parents... and tell them what's been going on and how you children have been lying to us." "We wouldn't have to lie if you'd come hear us, Daddy." "We're really good, Reverend." "I will not support my 1 5-year-old daughter singing in a brothel!" "It's not a brothel!" "Daddy, please!" "Paula, your mother's waitin' up for you." "And, Cherea, since your parents are not at home, you will stay with Lynell and I until they come back." "I don't think you understand how important this is to us, Daddy." "What's important is that you understand that there'll be no more of this nonsense... about singing in nightclubs." "It's not nonsense!" "Not finishing school is nonsense." "Not getting a degree is nonsense." "Not making'something out of yourself is nonsense." " I want people to hear me sing, Daddy." " Don't you understand?" "Don't you understand, baby, that you can sing... for God and for my congregation." "God gave me a voice to do with whatever I want." "Not as long as you're under my roof!" "Then I'll leave!" "Lynell,just a second." "No!" "I won't let him lock me in this miserable house!" "It killed Mama, and I won't let it kill me too!" "Lynell!" "Let her go." "She didn't mean what she said, Reverend." "I swear she didn't." "But she did." "She still misses her mama." "I love her." "I gotta do what I think is right." "[ Sighs ] I know she'll understand it as soon as she grows up." "Well, Paula, I guess I better walk you home." "I know your mother's waiting for you." "I'll walk her home." "You better go upstairs and talk to your daughter." "And who's gonna walk you back here?" "Hmm?" "Oh, Cherea can take care of herself." "You should've seen" "I don't know what I could've been thinking of." "Cherea, get Lynell to give you one of her mother's gowns." "There's a blue one in there I think'll fit you just fine." "And we'll talk later, tomorrow after the services." "Come on, Paula." "[ Al Clears Throat ]" "How long have you been here?" "Well, long enough to hear the fireworks between Lynell and her father." "That's one very angry little girl." "Yeah." "What do you got?" "Well, all Ziggy's got so far is that the mother died five years ago of unknown causes." "Yeah." "From the little we know, apparently shejust went to her bed and then stayed there for six months until she died." " What did the autopsy say?" " No autopsy." "Huh?" "So Ziggy says I'm here to help Lynell deal with her mother's death?" "Is that it?" "Well, we don't know." "There's no data." "Well, okay, what do you know?" "Know about what?" "What do you know." "You still have this old picture of us." "Old?" "[ Scoffs ] Good recovery, Sam." "I just got that printed last week." "Not so good." "Boy, time sure flies when you're having fun, doesn't it?" "Yeah." "You should've quit while you were ahead." "[ Laughs ]" "People are gonna think you're as crazy as I feel." "You're not crazy." "I'm going to be... if I don't get out of this miserable house." "Ziggy says she runs away day after tomorrow." "What happened?" "[ Lynell ] You heard him." " No data." " He's got my life planned for the next 20 years." "It seems to me like your father is just trying to protect you." "He wants to control me." "He loves you." "Yeah, but it's killin' me, Cherea." "The same way that it killed my mother." "Don't look at me." "Ziggy's working on it." "I don't think that your mother's death was your father's fault." "You weren't here, Cherea." "You don't know what it was like." "I mean, she had no friends." "She wasn't allowed out, except to go to church." "And she didn't even- All right, look." "You're just angry right now, okay?" "But if you" "No, I'm not." "And I'm not gonna let him lock me in... and make me shrivel up and die just so he won't be alone." "Look, I'm hungry." "You want some chicken?" "What's gonna happen to her?" "Well, she runs away and tries to become a singer." "Then she gets locked into a slave contract with some guy named Bobby Lee." "Bobby Lee?" "Wait a second." "And then things go downhill after that." " What do you mean, downhill?" " Oh, crummy clubs, drugs, arrests." " And her father?" " [ Man Coughing ]" "Her father dies in '7 2, right after he loses his church to a fire." "He and Lynell never speak to each other again." "Good night, Cherea." "* [ Choir Singing Gospel ]" "* [ Continues ]" "[ Applause, Cheering ] Thank you,Jesus." "Amen!" "Yes!" "Yes, Lord!" "Yes, Lord.!" " Right on." " [ Congregation Shouting ]" "The voices of the children singing the praise of the Lord God Almighty." "[ All ] Amen!" "You know what that means, brothers and sisters?" "[ Woman ] Yes, it does.!" " It means that we are blessed." " [ Congregation Shouting ]" "With that blessing comes..." "dangerous temptation." "Yes, it does!" "Yes, it does!" "Sinful temptation that often leads these pure, sweet, young spirits... to walk in the burning light of Satan himself!" "[ Congregation Shouting ]" "And in that burning light, these innocent children fall... by the wayside." "Brothers and sisters, it is our responsibility" "I said it is our responsibility" "[ Congregation Shouting ] to see that these children stand in the cool- [ Man ] Right on." "refreshing- Come on." "healing light... of Christ our Lord Almighty." "[ Congregation Shouting ] God help us... save those children from damnation!" " Yeah!" " Hallelujah!" " Hallelujah!" " Glory!" "Hallelujah!" " Glory!" "Hallelujah!" " Marchin' on." "All it takes is a good preacher to make you remember... that the devil's out there just waitin' to get you." "[ Congregation ] Amen.!" "Amen.!" "Guess he got you, forgot to let go." "Sister Rose will now lead the choir- What?" "in a soul-stirring hymn- What did you say?" "What do you mean?" "He forgot?" "He forgot to let go of what?" "* [ Piano ] -* [ Singing Hymn ]" "Al, I think I figured out why I'm here." "Well, Ziggy says there's a 90% chance you're here to keep Lynell out of show business." "Wrong." "Wrong?" "Wrong." "I think I'm here to make sure that her father supports her." "And if I can do that, that'll keep their relationship intact." "No, no, no." "Ziggy" " No, no." "Ziggy has been known to be wrong." "Well, we have to trust Ziggy's statistics over yours." "Why?" "Why?" "Well, we- Ziggy keeps better records." "Besides, Ziggy says day after tomorrow, you're gonna sing in some local contest." "The winner gets a hundred bucks and a tryout at the Regal Theater." " Regal Theater?" " Yeah." "It's Chicago's version of the Apollo." "Except Lynell doesn't sing, right?" "Well,yeah, she sings." "She lies to her father, and he traces her to the club, and then he pulls her off the stage right in the middle of the show." "And a big fight breaks out." "Terrible." "And Lynell never forgives him." "Bingo." "[ Sighs ] Then I'm right." "I'm here to help Reverend Walters support his daughter, to-to-to accept her and to understand her." "So how are you gonna do that?" "Eh" " Uh, uh" "Well, I don't know." "I mean, you know, maybe if he heard how good they were" "No, no, no, no." "Then I'd have to sing." "So?" "So first of all, I don't know any of the songs or the routines." "And secondly, I'm a man." "I'm not a 1 6-year-old girl." "That never stopped you before." "Besides, they're gonna be hearing and seeing Cherea." "What does Ziggy say our chances are?" "Well the odds are 50-50." "But I can up the odds with the right music and a few choice steps." "Yeah, well, I don't know a few choice steps." "Well, I do." "I'll teach you some moves." "You'll teach me some moves?" "Hey, I was at the Regal Theater in its heyday." "I remember the Marvelettes, Smokey," "Martha and the Vandellas,James Brown, the hardest-working man in show business." "All you have to do is keep your harmonies tight and remember to say" "* [ RB ]" "* [ Continues ] I don't get these steps." "These moves made the Temptations famous." "They're just a little ahead of their time, that's all, these steps." "They're out of time." "Damn, Cherea, you're movin' like a white girl." "Okay." "What am I gonna do?" "What am I gonna do?" "* [ Continues ]" "Put 'em out straight like this." "Put 'em like that." "Oh, okay, okay." "* [ Continues ]" "* [ Harmonizing ]" "* [ Ends ] [ Laughing ]" "Yes!" "Yes." "We did it." "Yes." "All right." "Now, don't get too happy." "All right." "Don't get too happy." "You still need a lot of work." "We still need a lot of work." "We'll be terrific." "Yeah." "Yeah." "Yeah, but we're doin' the wrong song." "What?" "This was a number one hit." "That's just it." "It was." "We need somethin'- somethin' hot." " Something with a little more fire, you mean?" " What?" ""Mickey's Monkey." Uh, " Mickey's Monkey."" "No, no, no." "What?" "No, no." "Forget that." "Forget it." "No, that wouldn't have been good." "How about "Can I Get A Witness"?" "No, that wasn't out yet." "What?" "What?" "What?" "What's he talkin' about?" "No, no." "Forget it." " What?" "What?" "What?" " What about "Heat Wave"" "By Martha and the Vandellas." "I just so happen to have a pre-release on it." "So who's this giabbone?" "How'd you get in the house, Mr. Lee?" "I told you to call me Bobby." "My father will get upset if he finds you here, Bobby." "Oh, he'll get more than upset, honey." "We're talkin' murder in the first degree." "Well, that's because a young lady would never entertain a gentleman up in her bedroom." "Well, since we all understand that, why don't you go downstairs?" "It's not my fault." "I was just walkin' down the street, minding' my business, and I heard that sweet, sensual voice of yours riding' on a cool breeze." "It made me come and knock on the door." "When nobody answered, I just- Well, I just knocked a little harder, and it came open." "Watch out for this guy, Sam." "He's slicker than spit on a patent leather shoe." " You shouldn't be here." " All right, maybe not." "But Lynell knows I mean no disrespect." "Trust me, Sam." "This guy is a snake." "I'm sure you don't, so why don't you just leave." "All right." "But I meant what I said about this song." "You guys sing this tomorrow night, you're a cinch for first place... and a shot at the Regal." "Especially with a voice as beautiful as Lynell's." "We don't have charts for the band or- Can you learn the song?" "Well, yeah." "All right, well, I'll get Rainey to do up the charts." " He knows your key." " Why?" "Let's just say I, uh- I believe in young talent." "Plus if you girls win, you sign an exclusive deal with me, and I'll take you straight to the top." "More like the bottom." "Get this, Sam." "Robert Z. Lee, small-time businessman, part-time... pimp." " Well, what do you say?" " He's the owner of Bobby's Blues Club, and he ends up doing 20 years in the big house for statutory rape." " Lynell?" " I don't know if we can get it together that fast." "No data." "All right, Mr. Lee, I'll tell you what." "Lynell, Paula and I, we're gonna talk about this." "We're gonna listen to your song." "We'll let you know our intentions." "That's a hellfire grip you got there, darling." "You don't know the half of it." "Daddy!" "What are you doin' in my house?" " He came by to bring us a new record." " That's the God's honest truth, Reverend Walters." "It's so new, it hasn't even been played on the radio yet." "Well, somebody better tell me why this sinner has to deliver records to my daughter's bedroom!" " Daddy!" " I asked a question." "Look, man,just because I don't attend your church doesn't make me a sinner." "Even though you don't attend any church doesn't make you a sinner." "But what you said to Leda Brown's 1 3-year-old daughter does make you a sinner!" "Well, that's just her word against mine, ain't it?" "Now, if you don't mind- [ Ziggy Beeping ]" "I've got nothin', Sam." "Either they never brought charges, or they were dropped." " Your word is about as good as the devil's in this house." "Just stop it!" "Mr. Lee came over to try to be nice to me, not to commit a crime.!" "Lynell, this man will" "Lynell, this man will hurt you." "Don't you know that?" "Does that privilege only belong to you, Daddy?" "How dare you!" " [ Lynell Screams ]" " Now, don't you defy me." "You hear me?" "Now, you go to your room." "No!" "I said go to your room!" "And you-You stay away from my daughter." "Or as God is my judge, I will come down to that... brothel, and I will rip it down with my bare hands." "Let me tell you something." "You step one foot in my club, and God himself won't be able to keep me off of you." "[ Al ] Sam, do something.!" "This could be the start of it." "All right." "All right." "Okay." "I need you to leave now." "[ Muttering ]" "Please." "Please." "Daddy, don't do this." "Lynell, this is for your own good." "All right?" "Now,just close the door and go to your room." " [ Sighs ]" " Lynell." "Lynell, wait just a second." "He's my chance to get outta here!" "There's got to be another way." "What?" "I" " I don't know." "Then let me go talk to him!" "No,just give me a chance to figure out another way." "[ Sighs ] Oh, God." "You better think of something." "Yeah, well, I have." "I want you to get me the name of all the local record companies, okay?" "I'll call every one of them until I can find somebody who will come and hear the Dovettes." "Maybe I can convince Lynell there's somebody out there better than Bobby Lee." "Okay." "What are you doing?" "Lookin' at my feet." "Those are nice feet." "Yep." "And they're nailed down right here at 47 th and Ellis." "Nailed down tighter than a pine coffin." "And I'm runnin' out of air, Cherea." "Oh, come on now." "Everything's gonna be fine." "That's what Mama used to say." "She said, " You'll make it just fine, Lynell." "Just fine."" "[ Sam ] I'm sure she meant it too." "She meant it until the day she decided to die." "People don't decide to die." "Mama did." "And you know what?" "I think she was happy." "Happy to be free." "How could she be happy, Lynell?" "She had to leave behind a daughter that she loved." "She hated him more." "She tried to leave him once." "She took me, and- and she tried to run away." "But he brought us back." "You know why?" "Because he loved you?" "Because he was afraid about what people would say about the righteous reverend... if his wife ran off and left him." "It didn't matter that she was unhappy, that she had no life of her own." "The only thing that mattered... was what other people thought." "That's when she decided to die." "And so will I if we don't sing in this contest tomorrow night." "Now, wait just a second." "Singing in a contest isn't gonna save your life." "Yeah, but Bobby said- Wait." "Wait." "Wait." "Forget about Bobby Lee." "Forget him." "Forget about his contract." "Today I talked to the head of Decca Records." "He said that he would come and hear us sing." "When?" "Well, as soon as I can find us a club." "Well, he can hear us sing at Bobby's club!" "No, no, no, not Bobby's." "Not Bobby's." "Come on!" "We don't have a choice!" "All right." "All right." "We'll sing in the club." "All right!" "Now, wait a second now." "You gotta promise me- no contract with Bobby Lee." "What?" "And you have to finish high school." "Oh, come on, Cherea." "Now, Lynell, Lynell, please." "You gotta trust me on this." "You gotta meet your father halfway." "You finish high school, and I bet that he will let you sing." "I can't change him, Cherea." "Well, I think that's what I'm here for." "What are you gonna do?" "Well, I think, um, we should invite him to hear us sing." "Oh, are you crazy?" "It's the only way." "Once he hears you sing, he will accept your career." "And if you could accept his love- I don't know." "It's the only way." "All right." "All right." "But if this doesn't work, we're gonna have to sign with Bobby." "It doesn't work." "She signs with Bobby, and she has a miserable life." "Well, I can't change history..." "until I talk to her father, right?" "Well, when do you plan on doing that?" "Tomorrow night before the show." "But we need some new choreography, some new steps for that new song we got." "You gotta come up with something for us." "Okay, okay, okay." "But what are you gonna do about the sleaze with the perfect teeth?" "What he doesn't know doesn't matter." "Look, the important thing is to keep Lynell out of his clutches, right?" "Ziggy says this whole thing is gonna be a catastrophe." "Ziggy should have a little more faith in human nature." "Ziggy says that's the problem." "Arms go down..." "and walk 'em up... and a little more." "[ Grunting ] Flick it." "And around and" "[ Laughing ] That felt much better." "Maybe with the chorus this time." "That was pretty smooth, ladies." "[ Laughing ] Thanks, Rainey." "Hey, Bobby." "Bobby?" "Look." "Look at these here, Bobby." "These charts are so hot... that, uh, I hope your girls can handle 'em." "Lynell will do fine." "That's all that matters to me." "Hey, uh, Cherea." "Hmm?" "Raineyjust made a pass on the chord sheet." " Do you wanna take a look at it." " Tell 'em to take five." "Yeah, okay." "Okay." "Uh, take five, everybody." "I read music, right?" "You have a doctorate in it." "That's good." "That's" "Okay, uh, Cherea?" "Mm-hmm." "Here it is." "Now, this is, uh-Yeah, right here is where we do the vamp." "Yeah, that- that looks great." "This is where, uh, we were gonna change it and" "Right here." "All right." "All right." "I see that." "You girls are good." "Yeah, but there's so much to do, and it's already 1 :00." "Ah, don't worry about it." "You'll be perfect." "Come here." "Where are we going?" "Trust me." "I have a surprise for you." "Oh, Bobby!" "They're beautiful!" "Yeah." "I had 'em made for this girl group that I was tryin' to put together, but, well, things didn't work out." "I want you ladies to wear 'em tonight." "Oh, Bobby!" "Now, look, it's just a loan... till, uh, you're under contract with me." "Start making' some real money." "Then you can pay me back." "[ Sighs ] I" " I don't know what to say." "You don't have to say anything." "Right." "Will do." "If there's a big applause from the crowd, have 'em jump right back in." "If we've really got the crowd, we'll come back in here at the bridge, all right?" "Okay." "Smokin'!" "Yeah." "You know, if you ladies pull this one off, ain't nobody to stop you." "That's what I'm countin' on." "Can I keep this for a while?" "Yeah, why don't you do that." "Thanks, Rainey." "Is everything set?" "I don't know about everything, but, uh, these charts are... smokin'." "[ Giggles ]" "Well, we better get our chocolate behinds in motion, or else we're gonna look like a bunch of amateurs from the boonies." "Oh, yeah, okay." "Where's Lynell?" "Hmm?" "Where's Lynell?" "I don't know where Lynell- You seen Lynell?" "No." "Where is Lynell?" "I'll center in on her and, uh, give you a holler." "Lynell?" "Stop, Bobby, please!" "[ Grunting ]" "Hey!" "Hey!" "You keep your hands off her." "This girl is 1 5 years old." "What do you think you're doing?" "Hey!" "Hey!" "Bobby, please!" "Stop, Bobby!" "Sam!" "Get back here right now!" " What?" "What?" " Sam, get this nozzle off of her!" "Damn!" "Bitch, you better not ever put your hands on me again." " And you keep your hands off of her." " I wasn't doin' nothin' she didn't want me to." " You were hurting me." " This is my club." "If you want to sing here, you take whatever I dish out." " We don't need you or your club." " [ Lynell ] Cherea.!" " I want an apology." " [ Laughing ]" "[ Al ] Don't do it." "Don't- Look, we don't need this guy, okay?" "Then get outta here." "But if you wanna sing here tonight, you'll be back here with an apology, or you can forget it." "What have you done?" "Saved your pretty little neck." "What have I done?" " Look, we gotta apologize." " Are you crazy?" "We don't need this guy." "We'll get the guy from the record company to come" "To do what?" "To come see us perform in my bedroom?" "Now, either you apologize with me, or I'm goin' on by myself." " Now what?" " She goes on by herself." "Her father still breaks up the show, and she ends up alone." "But now she- she ends up completely alone." "She's got one last chance, Sam." "You've got to speak to her father." "Sylvia, oh, Sylvia, I miss you so much." "[ Chuckles ]" "I miss the way you used to laugh, the sound of your footsteps, the- the smell of your hair." "Know what I miss most?" "I miss your wisdom." "You always knew the right thing to say to Lynell." "She won't listen to me, you know." "That child" " She's got so much anger inside of her." "I used to think she was mad at you for dying' and mad at me for lettin' you die." "But Lynell is- Mad at herself, Reverend." "[ Sighs ] I should have never, ever let Lynell take care of her mother." "She was too young to see that kind of pain." "My mom used to say that..." "God only gives us what he thinks we can handle." "She blames me, and now I've lost her." "No, you haven't." "No." "Not yet anyway." "If I try to hold on to her, she'll just run away from me." "Like your wife did?" "Sylvia was sick for a long time." "I mean, she- she stopped seeing her friends." "She locked herself away from everybody." "And when she found out she was dying, she tried to run away from me." "But Lynell said that you stopped them." "Them?" "Yeah." "She didn't take Lynell with her." "But Lynell said- That's what Lynell needed to believe." "When her mother left, she cried for weeks." "Ifinally found her in a hotel, and I brought her back home." "Lynell never left her side." "Not until they came and took her away." "She had a right to be angry, because I left them there to face death... while I came and hid in my church." "I couldn't" "And now..." "I've lost my little girl too." "Not if you stand by her." "You tell her you want her to sing tonight, that you want to be there to hear her." "No, I can't." "I can't do that." "She has to finish school so she can become somebody." "You've gotta trust her to find her own reasons to finish school." "Let her make her own choices." "Well, she's 1 5 years old." "She has plenty of time to make her own choices." "I know that, but- Right now..." "I'd like for her to live by mine, okay?" "Thank you." "What now?" "Ziggy says there's a 7 0% chance... that Lynell is going to go back to that club... and apologize to that slime bucket." "She still goes on tonight?" "Yeah, but she goes on alone." "And get this" " She doesn't win, and then she gets even more desperate." "You've got to save her from this pervert, Sam." "[ Paula ] Why are you doing this?" " Doing what?" " Don't play stupid with me, girl." "You're gonna give it up to that creep so you can sing tonight." "I'm not gonna give up nothin'." "I'm gonna apologize so that we can sing." "Don't use me for an excuse." "If you wanna lay down with that old man, do it 'cause you want to, not for me and Cherea." "Bobby's just mad at Cherea." "I'll tell him I'm sorry, and then everything'll be just fine." "But you shouldn't be sorry." "Or did you forget what he tried to do?" "I just wasn't ready for what he wanted." "So are you ready now?" "'Cause if you go down there with a bunch of" I'm sorrys," he's gonna be all over you." " I'm only 1 5." " So what?" "To men like Bobby Lee, 1 5 is woman enough." "You're wrong." "No, she's not." "[ Scoffs ] Don't you start too." "Bobby is a businessman who's trying to help us, and y'all are talking about him like he's a dog." " If the name fits" " Look, some men think they can have whatever they want, and they don't care who they hurt to get it." " Bobby's not like that." " Yes, he is." "He respects my talent." "I respect your talent, but I'm not gonna seduce you to prove it." "You're a girl." "You know what I'm talking about." " Now, you cannot go to Bobby by yourself." " I will if I have to." "[ Sighs ]" "You can't go to Bobby by yourself, but you can go with us." "Then you'll come with me?" "[ Grumbles ]" " You gonna apologize to that fool?" " I'm gonna do whatever Lynell needs me to do." "Now, are you two gonna stare at me, or are you gonna help me win this contest?" "* [ Man Singing ]" "* [ Continues ]" "Fine as they come, baby." "Fine as they come." "You mean as slime as they come.Jerk!" "Mr. Lee?" ""Fine as they come." Huh." "The Dovettes are here." "Good." "Um, make sure they're in the pink sequins." "I want 'em to look good when they come crawling." "[ Laughs ]" "Oh, Sam I hope you know what you're doing." "Mr. Lee?" "Can I talk to you for a second?" "Uh-oh." "Gooshie, center me on Sam." "Reverend, Reverend, Reverend." "You know, you said some pretty ugly things to me the other day in your house." "What I said to you yesterday has nothing to do with why I'm here right now." "Oh, yeah?" "And what is that?" "[ Sighs ] My daughter wants very much to sing in your contest." "Well, that's up to her." "No, that's up to you too." "I want you to tell her no." "[ Laughs ] Tell me something- Why would I do that?" "Because she's 1 5 years old." "Let her grow up." "No, you let her grow up." "Look, man, I-I got kids runnin' in and out of here every year." "Lynell's got the gift." "She'll have that same gift three years from now." "She'll just be able to handle herself." "Now, I'm asking you" "I'm asking you as a father... who loves his daughter very much." "Please help me." "What's in it for me?" "All right." "I'll make a deal with you." "You get my daughter outta here, and I promise you I won't call the police... and tell them that you got minors in your club." "I don't need you to make any deals for me." "Well?" "I'm waiting." "* [ Man Continues Singing ] We want to sing in your club." "Please." "[ Audience Applauding ] And when you win, you sign a seven-year contract." "Lynell, I can't let you do this." "I want to sing, Daddy." "Please understand that." " Lynell" " Trust her, Reverend." "All you have to do is trust her." "[ Man ] Bobby, the Dovettes are up next." "What you want me to do?" "[ Audience Applauding Rhythmically ]" " Sing, baby." "Sing with all your heart." " Oh, thank you, Daddy." " [ Lynell Laughing ]" " I know you have to do it." "[ Bobby ] All right." "Y'all feelin'good?" "I can't hear you." "I said are y'all feelin' good?" "[ Cheering ] Y'all put your hands together... and get ready to party with the fabulous, vivacious Dovettes!" "[ Audience Applauding ]" "Win this for me." "I'll win for me, Bobby." "Me." "* [ RB ]" "You're right, Bobby." "She's a star." "Have her at the Regal tomorrow." "You got it, man." "* [ Ends ]" "[ Audience Applauding, Cheering ]" "[ Lynell Squealing ]" "Man, we were bad!" "Sam!" "Sam!" "Sam!" "You're gonna go to the Regal." "You won." "[ Lynell ] Where's my father?" "Forget him." "Did you hear what I said?" "I'm gonna make you a star." "Dovettes!" "Dovettes!" "Dovettes!" "Dovettes!" "Dovettes!" "Dovettes!" "Dovettes!" "Dovettes!" "She's gone, Cherea." "She's gone for good, you know." "A prophet named Gibran once said," ""Hold your children with open arms, and they will always know they can come home to you."" "No." "No." "Too much has gone on between us." "She'll never forgive me for loving her the only way I knew how." "I'll miss her, Cherea." "I'll miss that angelic face of hers." "I'll miss it." "I'll never hear her sing again." "* [ Singing Gospel, Softly ]" "I love you, Daddy." "[ Sobbing ] I love you too, baby." "I love you too." "[ Gasping ]" "[ Gasping, Stammering ]" "* [ Choir Singing Gospel ]" "* [ Singing Continues ]" "* [ Ends ]"