Yaaaayyyy 1 for us!

Tyler Perry made history on Saturday night by becoming the first African-American ever to launch his own major TV and film studio.

Attendees at the opening of "Tyler Perry Studios" including Will Smith, Sidney Poitier, Oprah Winfrey, Forest Whitaker, Hank Aaron and Whitney Houston.

"I spent 56 years making movies and this is the reward that I have that means the most to me," said Poitier, 81, the first African-American to win a Best Actor Oscar, for 1963's Lilies of the Field.

R&B star Mary J Blige preformed at the opening ceremony which took place in the new studio built on 30 acres in southwest Atlanta, Georgia.

"I was thinking about leaving at one point, but this is home for me," Perry told reporters. He also said the old near-downtown studio was "spiritually in the wrong place."

Will Smith was also overwhelmed with emotions.

"This is an American first, and the first in the universe," said the I Am Legend star. "There is something happening in America and in the world that's powerful. He is not letting anyone get in his way.

"Those are the wonderfully naïve, arrogant, humble, powerfully American concepts that make things powerful in this country. It's big."

You know what I love about this man and his projects, the way he mixes real life situations and comedy. I've seen a few of his plays but when I saw this one, this scene hit my heart.  I almost cried right there in the audience.  I swear I've been hearing these words in the back of my head ever since.  One of life's lessons.  It's hard to let go, but sometimes no matter how much it hurts you have to let go and move on.

Madea Goes To Jail

I'm done.
Let the church say, Amen.