{blackbabes} Celebrities head to New Orleans for Essence Fest

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Actresses Tempestt Bledsoe and Vanessa Williams are among the celebrities in New Orleans for the Essence Music Festival.

Bledsoe is best known for her role as Vanessa on the long-running hit sitcom "The Cosby Show" and is trying her hand at another television comedy called "Guys With Kids" on NBC this fall. The show, produced by Jimmy Fallon, is about three 30-something new dads trying to hold on to their youth.

Singer and "Desperate Housewives" actress Williams isn't headed to Essence to sing but rather to talk about her relationship with her mom, Helen, during one of a series of free panel discussions on family, love and relationships at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center.

Essence Fest is one of the premier music festivals celebrating black culture and music.