tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21935067802546588592024-03-05T01:47:08.099-08:00Dyes Got the Answers 2 Ur ?sThe Beautiful Nights Blog
K Nicola Dyeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11470665347094419495noreply@blogger.comBlogger45125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2193506780254658859.post-765928182100526512016-04-23T01:29:00.003-07:002016-12-16T15:15:13.300-08:00Forever in My Life: The Final Post<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCD5xuS6SYzJ7GElnzNkDBoK57pykfYL7Ui-Ra-GP1hCDki53baFtn6AVhfBHsoNreZB0RFivsZc6n94gBG3ttWTVWnz5d-LemT3F5X-c4Eg7ZTmQSQ-mMuCYaMk131_ei8WhwXt0kVDs1/s1600/Paisley+Park+Photo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCD5xuS6SYzJ7GElnzNkDBoK57pykfYL7Ui-Ra-GP1hCDki53baFtn6AVhfBHsoNreZB0RFivsZc6n94gBG3ttWTVWnz5d-LemT3F5X-c4Eg7ZTmQSQ-mMuCYaMk131_ei8WhwXt0kVDs1/s640/Paisley+Park+Photo.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At the Chanhassen Inn before the Piano & a Microphone Gala at Paisley Park</td></tr>
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<i style="text-indent: 0.5in;">Prince
Rogers Nelson changed my life.</i></div>
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<i>Although
I did not become a fan until I was a teenager, his music had always been in the
background of my everyday life: I heard his music on the radio,
Purple Rain was often on TV and I used to go through my mother’s record
collection and look at her 12” Purple Rain single on vinyl (that was actually
purple and I later had it made into a purse). But, it wasn’t until my best friend, Kamika Wallace, bought the </i>Purple
Rain <i>Soundtrack from Columbia House CD club (when you could get 12 CDs for
$0.01). We played the shit out of that CD, especially “The Beautiful Ones,” “Computer
Blue”,” Darling Nikki” and, of course, “Purple Rain.” But, I went a step
further and bought</i> The Hits/The B-Sides <i>and that changed everything.The first
full-length album that I bought after that was </i>Prince<i> (1979) and from there I
was hooked. Little did I know that Prince's songs would take me on an 18-year musical
odyssey that suddenly came to a halt when he died on April 21.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<b>The Stats<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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Fan since: <i>1998</i></div>
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Favorite Song: <i>Moonbeam
Levels<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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Favorite Album: <i>The
Gold Experience</i></div>
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Least Favorite Song: <i>Sometimes
it Snows in April. I always thought that song was super depressing…now I know
why.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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Least Favorite Album<i>:
Batman Soundtrack…I tried though.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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Favorite Lyric: <i>“Damned
if I don’t hit that, wait right there I’ll be right back.”</i></div>
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What I’ll miss the most: <i>no
more live shows.</i></div>
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<b>The Beginning<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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As corny as it might sound,
listening to Prince’s music made me feel like it was okay to be different. I’ve
always been a person who marched to my own drummer and was always super juiced
about stuff that most people found boring. My interests ran the gamut from
classic movies (including silent ones), old TV sitcoms (shout out to "Bosom
Buddies" and "The Facts of Life") and old show business biographies. I guess I was
trying really hard to stand out, which is difficult when you attend a
performing arts high school, but I did. Yet, Prince’s music spoke to me; it
connected with something deep down in my soul. His lyrics communicated my individuality to
others in a way that I could not. By announcing myself a Prince aficionado (not
a fan, mind you, as I researched The Purple One and his music like I was trying
to earn a degree), I let the world know that I was daring not to downgrade myself to the
musical tastes of my peers. You would never hear Jennifer Lopez, Britney
Spears, The Backstreet Boys, Sisqo, DMX or anyone of that ilk in my Discman. </div>
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This might seem like a no brainer
now, but I became a Prince fan when I was 15, in 1998, and Prince was not really considered universally cool at that time. Don’t get me wrong, people respected his talent
and musicianship, but I think there were many who felt his time had passed. Besides,
a lot of people felt it was hard to take a man seriously who legally changed
his name to an unpronounceable symbol. But, what did they know? I was fiercely
loyal to this man who had touched me—to the point of driving my
friends and family crazy. I did find one kindred spirit at school, Donald, whom
I had known in middle school. He was kind of a loner, but he genuinely
liked Prince just as much as I did. I remember he gave me a birthday card where
he wrote out the lyrics to Nothing Compares 2 U and he even gave me his mom’s
old Controversy poster, (the one where Prince is in the shower in his
bikini underwear with a crucifix in the background) which I still have to this
day. I tried to integrate Prince’s music into every aspect of my life: I did a
presentation on The Time in my music survey class, I tried desperately to get
someone to decorate my high school graduation gown so it said “Lovesexy” down the
right sleeve (and failed) and I used Prince lyrics as my high school yearbook quote. Later, there were times when I had to give Prince’s
music a “break” and I gravitated toward other artists, especially during my
first years of college, but Prince was always lurking in the background.</div>
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<b>The Memories<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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While I was catching the bus to and
from the University of Washington Thursday, I could only smile to myself as
random memories kept popping into my head: I laughed when I thought about my friend
who informed me that I blew out his car speakers when he let me play the
Controversy album when we went out; I remembered how sad I was when my aunt and I went to visit Paisley Park during Prince: A Celebration in 2000 and we could not get inside because all the day
tickets were sold out (and I almost started crying); I cringed when I
remembered how I overdrew my bank account to buy my friend and I tickets to an
aftershow that Prince did in Seattle in 2011…and ended up getting fired from my
job two weeks later. I remember that I flew from Illinois to Minneapolis for the so-called "Purple Olympics" in July 2007, where Prince played three concerts in one day. Before I left, I told my editor at the Daily Herald, Mike Smith, that I was going and he spent a few minutes with me brainstorming on a way for me to cover the concert for the paper. Of course, we could not come up with a legit reason for a Suburban Chicago paper to cover a Prince concert in Minnesota...but we tried.<br />
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<b>The Influences<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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Prince changed the way I listened
to music; once I became a Prince fan, I became an album listener. When I
started liking him, I was buying most of his catalogue at used music store--on tape mind you--and I was able to get albums for very cheap. On top of that,
the bus ride to school was an hour and nobody was trying to sit on MUNI fast forwarding and rewinding a tape, so I just ended up listing to entire albums.
Granted, there were still some songs that I skipped (sorry "Sometimes it Snows in
April" and "When We’re Dancing Close and Slow" fans), but I listened to the albums all the way through at least once. From then on, I decided that if I was going
to buy any album, especially those expensive CDs, there better be some quality
music on at least 80 percent of the album.</div>
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Prince also influenced the <i>type </i>of music I listened to: I became more
partial to singer/songwriter/producers. I also started to lean more toward
R&B that had some rock elements to it; I became avid fans of Teena Marie,
Babyface/The Deele, Klymaxx/Bernadette Cooper, DeBarge (who don’t get enough
credit as talented songwriters), Switch (same as the former), Jesse Johnson and
more recently Billy Joel, Duran Duran and Barry Manilow. I sought
the music of powerhouse singers and entertainers like Barbra Streisand, Donna
Summer and Michael Jackson/The Jacksons/Jermaine Jackson. This is not to mention
all the associated artists albums and bootlegs that I
purchased/borrowed/downloaded over the years. I would go as far to say that
Prince made me enthusiastic about listening to music in general; and I didn’t
just listen to it, I immersed myself in it, analyzed it, digested it and
applied it to every emotional aspect of my life. The amount of song lyrics I
have stored in my head today scares even me.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stage at 2013 Billboard Music Awards</td></tr>
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<b>The Blog<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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I like to say that <a href="http://beautifulnightschitown.blogspot.com/2012/11/dyes-got-answers-2-ur-s.html" target="_blank">Marcus Scott</a> brought me out
of retirement to start this blog. When he called me in 2012, I had not written
anything professionally in more than three years and I was working in the
hospitality industry. The Great Recession had shot down my
dreams of being an entertainment reporter and I was still a little bitter that
my life had not turned out the way I wanted. Marcus said he was starting a new Prince
group, Beautiful Nights, that would have a presence on Facebook and throw
Prince parties in the Chicago area. He wanted it to have an accompanying blog and
he wanted me to be the exclusive writer. He told me that I had to do this and he thought of me after coming across some newspaper clips I
had randomly mailed him a few years before; to sweeten the deal, he told me
that he would even be able to hook me up with an interview with<a href="http://beautifulnightschitown.blogspot.com/2012/11/much-2-hot-2-b-cool-k-nicola-talks-2.html" target="_blank"> The Twinz </a>(Maya
and Nandy McClean, Prince’s former backup singers/dancers). I figured I did not
have anything to lose so I said yes.
Besides, how do you turn down someone who has that much faith in you? I
had limited knowledge about blogging and digital media, but I just had to fake
it until I could make it. </div>
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My first interview actually ended
up being with him, talking about his past as a Prince impersonator and the
Beautiful Nights group. The page views came in a trickle at first—even the
later interview with <a href="http://beautifulnightschitown.blogspot.com/2012/11/much-2-hot-2-b-cool-k-nicola-talks-2.html" target="_blank">The Twinz </a>was not really widely read. Things picked up when I posted a video interview with Seattle-based artist <a href="http://beautifulnightschitown.blogspot.com/2013/01/pop-life-troy-gua-talks-2-beautiful.html" target="_blank">Troy Gua</a> (who
created Le Petit Prince), but it was not until I started sharing my interviews
on Prince.org (shout out) that I started getting a lot more traffic.<b> </b>Things only picked up from there, with
the popular interviews garnering several thousand page views. I got to the
chance to interview (and be interviewed by) the infamous<a href="http://beautifulnightschitown.blogspot.com/2013/04/controversy-candid-interview-with-cj-of_15.html" target="_blank"> C.J.</a> and she also
featured me in her Minneapolis Star Tribune column twice. I remember the thrill
I felt when talking to <a href="http://beautifulnightschitown.blogspot.com/2013/04/miss-understood-in-depth-interview-with.html" target="_blank">Susannah Melvoin</a> on the telephone and her suggesting
that we get together for lunch to do the interview; that was before she
realized I lived in Seattle and she lived in California. I also enjoyed doing
simpler stories where I talked to avid fans: like the four-part "My Love is
Forever" series, where I collected anecdotes from people who had been Prince
fans since he released his first album in 1978; and talking to <a href="http://beautifulnightschitown.blogspot.com/2013/02/what-do-u-want-me-2-do-jesse-jenkins.html" target="_blank">Jesse Jenkins</a>, a young fan who was handpicked
by Prince to premiere the single “Live Out Loud” and was later personally
invited by Prince to attend his SXSW performance and meet him after the show. I
remember<a href="http://beautifulnightschitown.blogspot.com/2013/08/everyday-is-winding-road-st-paul.html" target="_blank"> St. Paul Peterson</a> and<a href="http://beautifulnightschitown.blogspot.com/2013/02/the-question-of-u-jill-jones-talks-2.html" target="_blank"> Jill Jones</a> being hilarious and <a href="http://beautifulnightschitown.blogspot.com/2013/05/sexy-dancer-cat-glover-talks-2.html" target="_blank">Cat Glover </a>being
so open and full of energy. My favorite interview, however, was the
one I did with <a href="http://beautifulnightschitown.blogspot.com/2013/06/true-confessions-tc-ellis-talks-2.html" target="_blank">T.C. Ellis </a>and getting to hear about the High School for Recording
Arts, which he founded in St. Paul. <span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">Another thing that was awe
inspiring was the fact that there were other Prince fans who wanted me to
succeed and volunteered to help me. I would be remiss if I did not mention-- in
addition to Marcus-- Tamiko Umoren, Duane Tudahl, <a href="http://beautifulnightschitown.blogspot.com/2012/12/musicology-in-depth-interview-with.html" target="_blank">Morris Mills</a> and Erica
Thompson—who all helped me procure interviews with people who once
worked with Prince.</span></div>
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I stopped writing on this blog
about a year and a half ago when I went back to school. It was not because I didn’t love doing it
anymore, but trying to procure, schedule and do the interviews (as well as
transcribing the audio and actually writing the stories) just became too time
consuming. In fact, the last interview I
posted with Howard Bloom in 2014 took me more than a month to complete. In the
interim I have received a second Bachelor’s Degree and I am now working on a
Master’s Degree. But, I regularly check the stats on the page, clicking through
old stories and wondering what might have been if I had been able to continue
on. When Prince passed away, however, I finally realized how pointless it is to reflect on what
might have been when I could clearly see what I had actually accomplished: I convinced my friend, Elke Hautala, to take a
road trip to Boise, ID to do a video interview with <a href="http://beautifulnightschitown.blogspot.com/2013/08/the-rest-of-my-life-gayle-chapman-talks.html" target="_blank">Gayle Chapman</a>, which in
turn led to us organizing a concert for her in Seattle six months later. I also
got to write review when Prince's Live Out Loud Tour with 3<sup>rd</sup>
Eye Girl came to Seattle and I was in the house at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas
when he was honored at the Billboard Music Awards. Furthermore, I was told by a
good source that Prince actually read one of the stories on my blog. To think
that this man, whose poster I use to stare at in my bedroom as a teenager and
dream about meeting one day, was actually aware of something that I had done
was incredible. I’m not sure if it is true or not, but it’s a nice thought. I
have been coming back to the Web site regularly the past couple of days, as I
was preparing this story. It went from 75 page views on Wednesday to more than
4,400 views Thursday. It is interesting to see that people are actually reading it
again, but I would trade all those views if it would bring Prince back.</div>
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<o:p> </o:p><b>The Music</b></div>
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It’s funny how certain songs can
take you back to a specific moment in time: Every time I hear "Moonbeam Levels," I’m back in my old car in Sonora, CA and still a newspaper reporter driving
from the office to an interview for some story or other (like when I covered the theatrical
group at a state prison in Jamestown, CA or was it that thrilling story I wrote
about the many uses for zucchini?); when I hear “The Most Beautiful Girl in the
World,” I think about the morning after I slept with this guy I used to really like and he sang this song to me—and in case you were wondering, the falsetto was on point; the entire <i>Planet Earth</i>
album transports me right back to the Western Suburbs of Chicago, particularly
St. Charles, IL. It was my first time away from home and I had just
moved there to do an internship at the now defunct Kane County Bureau of the
Daily Herald. I remember driving to the Super Target near the office when that
bad boy opened at 7 a.m., so I could be one of the first people to have the
album when it was released.</div>
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I still remember when Kamika and I
went to massive Amoeba Records in San Francisco on a Prince album dig and I
found The Black Album on tape. We were still rocking our Walkmans then, but top
of the line ones that actually had rewind buttons on them. We had this thing
where we would each listen to a Prince album on the way home and report back to
each other what the jams were on it. She picked the Black Album and, to this
day, every time I listen to the “Bob George,” I can picture her on the bus,
nodding her head, and pausing the tape to tell me after the song was
over that this joint was the “new Erotic City” (what she really meant was that
the song was hella funky). She turned me on to some gems: “Bambi,” “Eye Hate U”
and she even tried to get me to like “Into the Light” from the often-maligned <i>Chaos and Disorder</i> album (but it took
another ten or so years for that to happen). When I hear “Betcha By Golly Wow”
or “Purple Rain,” I remember that we used to carry around an analog tape
recorder and we used to make copies of us singing Prince songs with her
throwing in spontaneous ad-libs—the best being on “Purple Rain” where she said
“Never wanted to be your weekend lover, I only wanted to be your lover during
the week.” When I hear “Sexy MF,” I remember the time one of my relatives let
me play my Hits Volume II CD while they were setting up at a family barbecue
and when the chorus of the song came on my cousin got incensed and demanded
that I turn it off because of the cursing (despite the fact that the song "Head" had just finished playing not long before and no one said a word). Lastly, I remember that the very first CD I played in the studio apartment I live in now
was <i>LotusFlow3r</i> and how proud I felt at
that moment that I finally had my own place in Downtown Seattle.</div>
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<b>The Gifts</b></div>
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<br />
<span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"> Over the years I have received some
cherished Prince-related gifts from friends:</span><br />
<span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">The first one is a
framed charcoal drawing of Prince that a friend of mine drew for me andwas a
gift on my 29</span><sup style="text-indent: -0.25in;">th</sup><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> birthday. What really made it so cool was that he
gave it to me right before we went to go see a Prince concert at the Tacoma
Dome in December 2011.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "symbol"; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">The summer I did my
internship at the Daily Herald in 2007 was the same year that the Chicago Bears
went to the Super Bowl and Prince did the halftime show. The paper, of course,
sent writers and photographers down to Miami. My going away present at the
end of my stint there was two framed photographs that
Rick, the bureau photo editor, had taken himself during the halftime show. One
was Prince by himself and the other was him with The Twinz.</span><br />
<span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><br />
<span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">My grandmother's late
second husband, Errol, worked as a banquet waiter in some of San Francisco's best
hotels for many years. In the early 1990s, when he was working at the Clift
Hotel, Prince came to town on a tour. When I was in high school (around 1998),
at the height of my Prince madness, he gave me this very small jar of honey
that had a black label with gold letters that said: “Prince, Scandalous Sex
Suite, featuring Kim Basinger.” Errol later told me that someone working with Prince had
given it to him. He had kept it on his dresser all that time until he gave it
to me. I had it on my dresser from that moment all the way through college, when
I left home to accept the internship. I left that jar of honey behind and have
not seen it since. In my Mother’s haste to clean out my old room-- so my
younger brother could move in-- a LOT of things came up missing and that was
one of them. When I came home three months later to get my things, I could not
find it. I asked her about it and she acted like she had no clue what I was
talking about. I eventually forgave her and moved on, but, I am getting a small
twinge of sadness just writing about it now.</span><br />
<span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><br />
<span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">When I
was in high school, my friend and classmate, Salvador Santana gave me a
purple hand towel emblazoned with gold symbols; he said that his father,
Carlos, had gotten it directly from Prince. I loved this towel and it has
hung on the wall in every apartment I have lived in since then. I just
recently bought a frame for it, as I did not think it was getting the
reverence it deserved.</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<o:p></o:p><br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<o:p></o:p><br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<o:p></o:p><br /></div>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
</ul>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3K6-V2o6l5dHYpwfQKrMuRUC-0NPfUVCu7X8A9WWn_8TiPd_962sfIjBqmNUiLx0QvoucHiTmp443ppqLM8Rr3Yz6JkB4WvdMR0Fk7JG473kMALvuPw04XyF4EiL4WoUcmWOvT5WLbNRw/s1600/Marcus+Photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3K6-V2o6l5dHYpwfQKrMuRUC-0NPfUVCu7X8A9WWn_8TiPd_962sfIjBqmNUiLx0QvoucHiTmp443ppqLM8Rr3Yz6JkB4WvdMR0Fk7JG473kMALvuPw04XyF4EiL4WoUcmWOvT5WLbNRw/s640/Marcus+Photo.JPG" width="472" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Marcus Scott and I at a Morris Day and the Time concert</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<b>The Friends<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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There are so many people I would not
have met, but for being Prince fan. There are way too many to name, but these
are some of the most important people:</div>
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<br /></div>
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</div>
<ul>
<li>I met <b>Natasha
White-Smallwood </b>in 1999, when I was 17 years old and we were both working
at Old Navy in San Francisco. She saw me in the break room
one afternoon reading <i>Dance Music Sex
Romance: The First Decade </i>by Per Nilsen. She rushed over to me and wanted
to know where I bought the book. We started talking about Prince and the rest
is history; she has become one of my best friends over the last 17 years and
the first person I called when I found out about Prince.</li>
<li>I met <b>Marcus Scott </b>at
a party thrown by<b> Mone Baker </b>in 2007
in Chicago. This is when I was living in Aurora, IL and working at the Daily
Herald. I got invited to the party because a mutual friend who was living in
California was connected to the Chicago Prince Crew that attended the now-defunct
monthly Prince parties that were held at Club Berlin. I stayed in touch with
Marcus over the years—on and off—which inevitably lead up to him pitching the
blog idea to me. Mone is the one who actually invited me to move up to Seattle
from San Francisco and I stayed with her until I got on my feet. Needless to say,
that move changed the course of my life. </li>
<li>I also got to spend some casual time with some of the people
I interviewed and talk to them about topics other than their work with Prince.
I spent an entire weekend with <b>Gayle
Chapman</b>, when she came to Seattle for the concert Elke and I organized for
her. I also got to be photographed by the fabulous <b>Steve Parke</b> when I took a trip to Baltimore. They were both very
wonderful experiences.<b> </b></li>
</ul>
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<b>The concerts<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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I saw Prince in concert 17 times-- the first time at
the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis when I was 17 years old. We just got
barely got there, as the concert tickets went on sale in Central Time and my stupid
alarm did not go off, resulting me waking up 30 minutes late. I got
my aunt and I two tickets in the very last row (I used to always say that if we
had been any further back we would have been outside). But, we were there. My favorite concert experience took place when I made the trek to the Rio in Las Vegas when Prince was
doing the 3121 residency at the hotel. I went four times, the first time with
my ex-boyfriend, whom I had to beg to go with me for my birthday; but, the
second time I went alone and I since it was a GA show, I got there six hours
early to make sure I got a good spot. </div>
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I ended up right in front of the
stage! I was very enthusiastic and of course I knew the words to <i>all </i>the songs. Let me just say that
there was no moment more thrilling than when, during the show, Prince reached down and grabbed both my hands,
sort of dancing with me from the stage. I’m pretty sure I momentarily lost all
sense of reason because the next thing I knew I had climbed onstage. Luckily,
he did not have security to come tackle me or have me ejected from the venue,
so I guess it was okay; and for two or three magical minutes it was just me and
Prince dancing together onstage. I’m sure it was a curious sight—me at 6’2” and
Prince nearly a foot shorter--doing the Bump. But, being in that close
proximity to Prince is surely a moment that I will never forget. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Immediately after that concert he
did an aftershow at the 3121 Jazz Cuisine, a fine dining restaurant that was
part of the 3121 experience. Since it was January, pretty much everyone was
able to get into the “Jazz Room” an intimate part of the restaurant that only
seated about 50 people. I remember that while his band played a set, he came
out to the seated area and handed out a Jehovah’s Witness publication (I think
it may have been Awake! Magazine, but I’m not sure). It was so interesting to
see Prince proselytizing (or witnessing) at this own show. Then about an hour later, he was
fronting the band and played a funky set for us, right there in that small
room. It was a surreal experience and, honestly, I never told anyone about it,
because I was not sure if people would believe me. I went to another concert
the very next night and I was in the front again, but I stood at a different spot
near the stage. Yet, at one point during the show, he came over to where I was,
playing the guitar, smiled and gave me “the nod.” I remember being so happy
that he actually remembered me. I saw at least ten more concerts after that,
but none of them compared to the feelings I had from those two that weekend. </div>
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<b>The Last Time<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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I did get to see Prince one last
time at the Piano & a Microphone Gala Event at Paisley Park in January. I
almost didn’t go, as it was only announced a few weeks beforehand and I had
just plunked down an ungodly sum of money on a trip to New Orleans and a
Platinum Ticket for a meet and greet with Barry Manilow and front row seats at
his show. But, at the end of last year, I had decided that going to Paisley
Park was on my bucket list and, after that debacle in 2000, I was definitely
going to make it happen in 2016. When the show was announced, I inquired to see
if my co-worker would switch her days off with me and she said she would, no
problem. I booked the hotel and the flight, but a week later, I got cold feet,
worried that I was spending way too much money, and cancelled them. However,
when a video released online showing how they were remodeling Paisley Park for
the big event, I had a charge of heart, fearful that I would be missing
something special. So, I rebooked the hotel and flight (thank God for
Southwest Airlines) and, when the tickets went on sale I was able to get one with ease,
which as my fellow die-hard Prince fans know was not always the case, so I knew this
trip was meant to be.</div>
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The trip to Minnesota was a bit
stressful, but once I got there, I knew I made the right decision. Even up to
that night I was still a little anxious, even more so with the confusion trying
to get into Paisley Park for the second show at 10 p.m. Once I got inside, most
of the people in VIP had already been there for the first show, so they had claimed their spots. The floor immediately in front of the stage was strewn with
pillows, but there was no open spot for me to sit down. Finally, I just decided
that I would sit on the floor. There was kind British gentleman sitting on a
pillow next to the spot I had chosen and moved over a bit to give me room, inviting
me to sit down. </div>
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I sat in front of the edge
of stage right, but since Prince was playing a grand piano and not moving about
the stage, it was hard to see him unless I was standing up. But, it didn’t
matter. It was only important that I was able to <i>hear </i>him. It was wonderful to hear him play “The Ladder,” the
beautifully spiritual ballad that I never thought I would hear live. I
just took advantage of the moment, sitting in the dark on the floor—by this
time I had a pillow—with no lighting except from the back screen and a few lit
candles on the stage. I just closed my eyes and let myself be in the moment,
quietly singing the lyrics from a long-ago Prince favorite to myself. Despite
the fact that I was at a concert, I felt myself transported back in time,
laying in my bed in the dark, listening to the <i>Around the World in a Day</i> album with one lit candle. It was
surreal. But, Prince also had a way of mixing it up, so he alternately had us
stand up while he jammed on "Kiss" and "I Wanna Be Your
Lover." Granted, I did miss
some of the most talked-about moments of the evening (like when he became
overcome with emotion at one point in the evening and briefly left the stage)
because of where I was sitting. But, I was just so happy to be in the house,
after being turned away years earlier, that it didn’t matter. The night flew
by so fast and I was a bit disappointed that he didn’t do an encore, but once I
got back to the hotel, at nearly 2 a.m., I remembered that I was getting old and
I had to fly back to Seattle the following day <i>and </i>work the graveyard shift once I got back home. So, although I
did want more, I was grateful that Prince made it possible for me to get a full
night’s sleep. I woke up glowing and got excited at that the thought that he might bring this tour on the road so I could see it again. There was no way I could have known that was the last time I was ever going to see him. I can only hope that one day I will inspire others as much as Prince inspired me.</div>
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<br />
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<i>Stay Beautiful,</i>
always, <i>Kristi<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i><br /></i></div>
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K Nicola Dyeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11470665347094419495noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2193506780254658859.post-36033630779482483652014-10-26T00:43:00.000-07:002014-11-14T14:13:13.842-08:00 The Truth: Howard Bloom Talks 2 Beautiful Nights<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><br /></i></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i style="line-height: 1.15; text-indent: 36pt;"><br /></i></span>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i style="line-height: 1.15; text-indent: 36pt;"><br /></i></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i style="line-height: 1.15; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">H</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">oward Bloom's search for the truth has taken him on a fascinating journey through the worlds of popular culture and science.</span></i></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i style="line-height: 1.15; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 1.15; text-indent: 36pt;"><i><br /></i></span></span></i></span>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i style="line-height: 1.15; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 1.15; text-indent: 36pt;"><i>He developed his love of science early in life: he built his first computer at 12 years old; in his teens, he discussed scientific theories with a physics professor at University of Buffalo and he worked at the Roswell Park Memorial Research Cancer Institute as a lab assistant. After graduating Magna Cum Laude from NYU,</i></span><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 1.15; text-indent: 36pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><i> he decided to forgo graduate school (turning down four fellowships in the process) and instead chose to informally study the depths of mass human emotions that dictate popular taste. This led him to become editor of Circus, a rock magazine, (where he doubled the its sales during his tenure) and, later, to </i></span><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 1.15; text-indent: 36pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><i>the apex of the music business.</i></span></span></i><i style="line-height: 1.15; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span></i></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i style="line-height: 1.15; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 1.15; text-indent: 36pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i> His scientific approach to public relations--or as he called it finding "gods the inside"-- revolutionized the industry. </i></span><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 1.15; text-indent: 36pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>He founded The Howard Bloom Organization, Ltd. in 1976, which was, arguably, the largest PR firm in the history of the music business. During his career, Bloom worked with some of the biggest stars of the 1970s and 1980s, including Prince (with whom he had one of his longest working relationships), Billy Idol, Billy Joel, Bob Marley, John Mellencamp, Bette Midler, Run DMC, Cyndi Lauper, Michael Jackson and many others. During his PR career he generated approximately $28 billion in earnings for companies such as Sony, Warner Brothers and several others. </i></span><i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18.3999996185303px; text-indent: 36pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Billboard Magazine even dedicated </i><i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18.3999996185303px; text-indent: 36pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">twenty pages to Bloom and his craft in its book "The Billboard Guide to Music Publicity," a</i><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 1.15; text-indent: 36pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>ccording to his Web site (howardbloom.net).</i></span><br />
<i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 1.15; text-indent: 36pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Things changed, however, when he was diagnosed with an illness that was later discovered to be Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, which left him bedridden--and at times unable to speak--for several years. During this setback, he rediscovered his first love: science. Bloom founded two international scientific groups online, while cyberspace was in its infancy, and he also authored three books (as of today he has a total of six, including</i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 1.15; text-indent: 36pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">: The God Problem: How a Godless Cosmos Creates; The Lucifer Principle: A Scientific Expedition into the Forces of History; How I Accidentally Started the Sixties; Global Brain: The Evolution of Mass Mind from the Big Bang Theory to the 21st Century; The Mohammedan Code: Why a Desert Prophet Wants You Dead and The Genius of the Beast: A Radical Re-Vision of Capitalism</span><i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 1.15; text-indent: 36pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">). He also helms the YouTube series "Howard the Humongous."</i><br />
<i style="line-height: 1.15; text-indent: 36pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">K Nicola Dyes conducted a telephone interview with Bloom in September, where, while he enjoyed the afternoon sun at Prospect Park in Brooklyn, NY, he mused about working with Prince, what truly makes someone an icon and the missing element in today's music business:</span></i><br />
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<u><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Childhood</span></u></span></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: large;">G</span>rowing up in Buffalo...everybody hated me. It was a terrible place to me to grow up, or maybe it was the best place to grow up. Growing up in Buffalo there seemed to be no place for me in polite, or even impolite, company</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I was a refugee from science,</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">a person for whom it was the truth or death. By the time I was 12, I built my first algebra computer; in those days computers were the size of (a) building. When I was 16, I worked at a cancer research lab.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 1.15; text-indent: 36pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I was taking off to the University of Buffalo,</span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.15; text-indent: 36pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> meeting with the head of the graduate physics department. We disc</span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.15; text-indent: 36pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">ussed big bang versus steady state theories of the universe (and) theories of cosmology. God knows how my mom got me the meeting. When the head of the philosophy department at an Indian university came into Buffalo, my mom convinced the group organizing hospitality for him that I was the only one in town able to speak his philosophical language; I was something like 15 years old. He was a (Georg Wilhelm Friedrich) Hegel (a German philosopher) </span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.15; text-indent: 36pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">expert, so I sat on a lounge chair in the backyard and cracked open Hegel. I couldn't even understand the first paragraph, the syntax alone floored me. So, I bowed out of meeting the professor. These days, Hegel shows up in my books over and over again. He's become an important provider of my tools of thought. </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 1.15; text-indent: 36pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">I wouldn't have hadn't gotten into any of that if any of the kids had gotten along with me.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: large; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">M</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">y parents, in a sense, were very good</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> to me. But, in a sense, I grew up without parents. The country entered the World War II shortly (before) I was born (and) my father was drafted. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">He was a chief petty officer in the navy</span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">and stationed in San Francisco. My father had apparently started a liquor store business (before leaving for the war), so my mom, in those days (ran the business while he was away). The phrase “au pair” wasn't part of the English language yet. Instead, she hired a cleaning woman. What is a cleaning woman to do? She's not there to take care of the baby; she was there to take care of the vacuum cleaner. The first three years, I was raised without parents.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">My mother was very achievement oriented. In those days if you were a woman and achievement oriented, you did volunteer work. She did get a scholarship to college. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">(Note: Bloom’s mother did receive a partial scholarship to college, but her parents had a limited amount of money and decided to use it to fund her brother’s college education instead). </span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Academic lust was knitted into her bones; the lust to speak the language and have the status of an academic. Because she was omnicompetent, a superwoman at everything she did, academics did, in fact, accept her into one their circles. She acted as secretary for The Board of Jewish Education of the City of Buffalo for decades. That's probably where she befriended whoever wrangled me the meeting with the head of the graduate physics department.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I very seldom got to see my mom, even once my dad got back from the war. But, what was most important was my mom (had) a diabolically good use of the English language. She was diabolically good in everything she applied herself to; absolutely everything she applied herself to, she excelled in. My dad was good-natured and basically profoundly optimistic. It's the only way he could have stood my mom, because, unfortunately, they did not have a good relationship. I think I got that devilishly good use of the English language and being confident in just about anything (I) try from my mom. I got that kind of underlying optimism and underlying ethics from my dad, because he was a good person. He felt that if somebody was in trouble, you did everything you could to save them, even if you risk your life. I ended up with some of the best qualities of my parents. My father wasn't around when I was a kid because he went back to running the liquor store and that was a twelve hour a day, six-and-a-half day a week proposition. My mother was busy achieving and that left me alone to become whatever I was going to become.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I was actually very slow in learning how to read and write. My first grade teacher thought I was mentally retarded. She called my mother in for a consultation and asked my mother to take me for testing; my mother never told me the results of the test. But, in third grade, all of a sudden, I did learn how to read. The people next door to us were both X-ray doctors. The summer after third grade and before fourth grade all the other kids, except me, were away at summer camp. The doctor next door said, "Why don't you come over to my house? There's a reading room, look at the books." Well, I had never really read books before, because I really wasn't capable of reading them. I had heard of the Wizard of Oz, but I didn't realize that L. Frank Baum, the author of the Wizard of Oz, had written 38 books in the Oz series. I picked one of them and read it. I picked another one and read it. During the course of the summer I read all 38 Oz books and I was up and running. From that point on I was reading two books a day. I read under the desk at school (and) my teachers must have hated me, (because) I never paid any attention to anything they said. I was too absorbed in my books and from my books I learned more and more science.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Plus, my mother was very good when I came to her: they were not into (giving) me toys; they were not into sending me to summer camp; but, when I went to her because I wanted a microscope, she took me to a used medical goods store where students bought and sold their stuff when they're finished (with it). She got me a 1920s or 1930s</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Zeiss</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">microscope. One of the best. Very difficult to use, but one of the best. It wasn't a kid's toy microscope. It was for professionals. Later, when I went to her because I wanted to buy a kit, she gave me the money immediately. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The kit was advertised as a computer kit, at a time when computers were the size of a house and had less processing power than your cell phone. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">However, the kit was not binary like computers, in fact, it was a Boolean Algebra machine. So, I built my first Boolean Algebra machine at 12 years old</span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Boolean Algebra, by the way, is a form of symbolic logic. It reduces logic to equations and it's used for the AND, OR, and IF functions you can employ in your super-advanced Google searches.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> So, my parents weren't really around, but they were there to help me with the big stuff when I needed it.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> <span style="font-size: large;"> I</span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> find inspiration in science. I find inspiration in questions, I find inspiration in mysteries. The inspirations in mysteries (are) what ultimately inspired me when I was a kid. The first two-and-a-half or three years in science, theoretical physics and microbiology, I began (to see) there was something else interesting.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The first rule of science: look at things right under your nose as if you've never seen them before and proceed from there. My parents weren't very observant. They were Jewish, but unobservant. The only time they absolutely, with no questions asked, went to synagogue were during the high holiday services, which are Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, which generally fall in September. When I was 12 or 13 I realized I was atheist and I no longer wanted to go to high holiday services with them. But they put me in a suit anyway, they put me in a car (and) they drove off to the synagogue on Richmond Ave. Once they opened the door of the car, I refused to get out. So, my parents were pulling at my ankles to get me out of the car and I was holding on to the door frame with both hands. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In that moment I realized I was an atheist; to me there are no gods in the heavens (and) there are no gods under the earth. Yet, there was something inside my parents, some really potent passion, that (was) getting them to shred my socks trying to get me to this synagogue. So, if there's no God in the heavens and no gods under the earth, where are the gods? They're inside of us. To find the gods, it's not a matter of looking at what's under your nose, it's a matter at looking at what's behind your nose. So, one of my quests in science became to understand the gods inside of us and to understand their relationship to the forces of history. It was the 1950s by (then), but the Holocaust had happened in Europe during World War II and Hitler seemed to be an absolutely amazing artist at arousing mass human emotions. I wanted to understand how Hitler did it. I wanted (to know) what those mass emotions were.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">When I was 14, I heard about a book called </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>The Varieties of Religious Experience</i></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> by</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">William James (1902). At any rate, he is the founder of American Psychology. When I heard of that book—we didn't have Amazon in those days—I scoured the city trying to find it. I finally did (and) it was as if James had written it for me. He said here is a bunch of extreme experiences in human emotions (and) they are categorized as religious experiences. It was as if James was saying to me "I don't have the tools to understand this in my times. I'm leaving you these specimens of extreme human behavior of the gods inside of us, so that you could use the tools of science 50 years down the line to actually understand what I couldn't."</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">That became a lifelong quest and that also led me into a field I knew nothing about: popular culture. (It) led me to found the biggest PR firm in the music industry, possibly the biggest PR firm in the history of the music industry, I'm not sure. (It) ultimately led to working with Prince, who has been dealing with the gods inside of himself. He didn't see it that way in the beginning. But, ultimately, around 1980, he did begin to see it as dealing with the god inside of himself. But, he didn't seem to realize that what he might have regarded as the devil, what drove the first part of his career, was the god inside of him, too.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbucCRwO7Px_b_LoOrYqd853YLlj9g_if5dpWnANgqQA9n4Efz9bIkjDHwsxuaLfC_yyzv6hrSnimDzFOBAtNMkIvc2TbbLRPXtzn3-ShuXAv3l5vQdTDgjrjWxHrz0-LmABRW4RDni3pe/s1600/Howard+and++Prince-+HB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbucCRwO7Px_b_LoOrYqd853YLlj9g_if5dpWnANgqQA9n4Efz9bIkjDHwsxuaLfC_yyzv6hrSnimDzFOBAtNMkIvc2TbbLRPXtzn3-ShuXAv3l5vQdTDgjrjWxHrz0-LmABRW4RDni3pe/s1600/Howard+and++Prince-+HB.jpg" height="267" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Courtesy of The Brooklyn Paper</span></td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><u>Prince</u></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.15; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"><br /></span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.15; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> <span style="font-size: large;"> I</span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.15; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">t all changed... well, the greatest instance of "it all changed" was Prince. It was 1981 when I was first called to work with him Nobody knew who he was, but I did, because I was considered the leading "Black" publicist in the music industry. I worked with more Black acts and I learned more about Black culture than anybody else in the PR field. There was this record that popped up on the R&B charts (</span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.15; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Prince ,1979</span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.15; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">)</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.15; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.15; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">and never left.; It stayed on the R&B charts and it went platinum. It was astonishing to see a record from newcomer go platinum without ever making it off the R&B charts. It was Prince. So, when Bob Cavallo wanted me to work with Prince, I was enthusiastic about it.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="line-height: 1.15; white-space: pre-wrap;">I insisted that I would only work with an artist if that artist would let me spend a day or two with him in his or her own environment. I was looking for the gods inside. </span><span style="line-height: 1.15; white-space: pre-wrap;"> If you're an artist and you sit down at 2 p.m., to write a verse and have a blank piece of paper in front of you, you're absolutely convinced you could never write another lyric again in your life and you have no idea how you've ever written any previous lyrics. On a good day there's a lyric in front of you by the time you hit 4 p.m. On a really, really good day sometimes the lyric feels as if it wrote itself. You have another similar experience when you go on stage. If the eyes of the audience, their pupils, dilate as they're looking at you, if their faces seem to melt, you go into a sort of out-of-body experience. You're danced around onstage by some force bigger than yourself that you don't understand. So my job, as your publicist, would have been to find that self inside of you that writes those lyrics and that dances you onstage and to introduce that “self” to you. That's what I call the gods within.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> In the early days, I was flown off to-- of all places-- Buffalo, New York, to the Shea Theatre, to meet with Prince. Well, it was my home territory! He had taken over a theater where I had gone to see a movie once when I was a kid and he was rehearsing his Dirty Mind Tour. In the 1960s I had accidentally helped found a movement out of the West Coast and then I went off to Israel to live for a year. When I got back from Israel, the group—or the movement-- that I had helped to co-found, had been given a name, it was called the Hippie Movement. Prince was into some of the basic principles from the hippie movement, especially that free love (and) sexuality, in whatever form you wanted, was good; you can have sex instead of violence. If you party like it's 1999, which seemed a long time away and (I'm) not sure Prince had written that song yet, if you have every kind you sex you can possibly imagine, you won't make war. That was the sort of underlying proposition to what Prince was doing, what he was writing. That was what drove him for the next seven years. Then everything changed.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I went to see a show...I've got to keep these things straight... back around 1986 or 1987. It was after "Purple Rain" (and) while he was working on "Under the Cherry Moon." It was at Nassau Coliseum (in Long Island, NY), which is an 18,000 seat (theater). Prince has always been one of the most amazing performers I've ever seen onstage in my life. (Prince), John Mellencamp and Michael Jackson are three of the most amazing performers I've ever seen. Prince was dancing incredibly onstage and the lighting was wonderful-- that's another thing that he has a gift for-- and, all of sudden, a voice came out from the middle of the ceiling, which was probably four to five stories over us, and it was the voice of "God" telling Prince...it didn't even matter what it was saying. Something became very obvious: part of his mind was Prince and part of his mind was his father. The battle had begun between two of Prince's voices. Some would have called it the battle between his ego, id and his superego.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Once upon a time when I was in Indiana with John Mellencamp (he) sat me down to watch a movie called "Hud (starring Paul Newman, released in 1963)." "Hud" is about a young guy who rebels against his dad. John explained to me (that) the underlying pattern of this movie is first Hud rebels against his dad, then Hud becomes his dad. John's point was we all go through that. Well, that's what I saw happening with Prince. The voice of his dad was coming out in him, that was the voice that he would have interpreted as the voice of God. It was taking more and more control; it was asking for more and more control.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">When "Under the Cherry Moon" was finished, I got a call from Bob Cavallo and he said "We're showing the movie tomorrow at our 600 seat theater on Sunset Boulevard." It was a test theater, all the people in the audience had little buttons that they could rotate to show how they're responding to a scene. I watched the movie and it was terrific! I came out and I told them so. I thought it was really good. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Later--it could have been anywhere from two weeks to two months--I got another call from California saying "You've got to be out here tomorrow. Prince has made changes in the film. You're not supposed to see it, but if we hide you in our office at night, could you look at it and tell us what you think?" Well, in the first version that I saw, Prince had a happy ending. It was a ending that Warner Brothers insisted he use. Normally, I'm against outsiders dictating to an artist what he can and cannot do, it’s almost always a disaster. But, in this case, the ending worked. When I saw the second version of "Under the Cherry Moon," Prince had gone in the opposite direction. He killed off his character. Why? Because Prince was identifying with God more strongly than he was identifying with himself. He felt that he had to do what God would have demanded: if he (was) a character who was a scamp, who represented his era of sexual freedom, he had to kill himself off. And he did. The movie was pathetic. It was terrible. There was no point in watching it really, except for Kristin Scott Thomas, who was an amazing discovery. So, that's when it all changed, when the voice of Prince's dad took over who Prince was. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Then in 1988, we all got the word: Bob Cavallo was fired, I was fired, everybody was fired. Prince was taking off in a new direction, dictated by the god inside of him. I've always seen the god inside of us as ecstatic figures, as figures that take a sense of these wild varieties of the religious experience. Prince had discovered a god who, instead, was a disciplinarian; not a God of passions, but who a God who clamps down and controls the passions. So, that's when it all changed. That's when Prince became " the artist formerly known as Prince."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; line-height: 20.4444446563721px; text-indent: 36pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b> </b></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large; line-height: 1.15; text-indent: 36pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">W</span><span style="color: black; line-height: 1.15; text-indent: 36pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">hat is an icon? A person whose posters people put on their walls and they use as a trellis. You know what a trellis is in gardening? It's a framework that's mostly vertical. You put a tomato plant, which has vines, on a trellis and the tomatoes grow upward by attaching (themselves) to the trellis. That's what an icon is. An icon is guide, a trellis, a role model on which to grow. If you have a role model, it goes down to the depths of your passion, unless you are a negative person... in which case it can be a negative role model. Offering your audience that role model, that shelf on which to grow, that is one of the most essential obligations of a superstar. When you achieve it, you achieve a great deal of longevity. But, you have to achieve it by being totally in sync with your deepest passions, meaning the gods inside of you, your soul. I have to find out where you are and I have to build everything off of that.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It was very collaborative in cases like Billy Idol and Prince in particular. Prince was one of the longest relationships that I had. Prince apparently found whatever it was I had given him so useful that every time he came up with a protegee, he would make that protegee either come to New York to meet with me or he would get me to fly to wherever the protegees were. He would always make sure that I put them through the kind of basic process I put him through. (But), none of them had the depth of soul that Prince had. Wendy and Lisa were wonderful, but they were evasive, you couldn't entirely find who they were. They were gay and, at the time, they had to hide it. Morris Day, of The Time, I don't think I ever found out what Morris was all about. Vanity and I became very good friends, I enjoyed spending time with her tremendously, but I was never able to find the essential heart of artists the way I was able to find Prince-- possibly because Prince was using them to get out his own music.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: large; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">T</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">here was a guy, I think his name was Johnny Dagger, and he was brought to me by the people who worked with Billy Joel. I thought he had a terrific story. I mean, he carried a knife with him everywhere, (and) I thought his life story was fascinating. He was a songwriter and a performer. I got the story out of him, I thought it was fabulous, (and) I turned it over to one of my account executives. She never got a single bit of press on him. The way I ran my business, if you got less than 160 press breaks for a client in one month, you were failing as far I was concerned. You get no press breaks? That was inconceivable. Absolutely inconceivable. But, unfortunately, that's what happened.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">There are careers where nothing seems to happen. But, I always wonder if I had done the entire press campaign myself, or if I had gotten one of the people I'd trained from scratch instead of this publicist, if we would've gotten further. This is one of the people I'd hired from corporate publicity, so I assumed she would know a lot more than I knew. But, all the rest of my people were people I'd trained myself.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Bob Oshuller</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> (was) the head of PR and the vice president of public relations at CBS Records. When a person just out of college with a lot of promise came to him and wanted a job, he would say, "Go to work for Howard Bloom and spend two years there. Until you've worked for Howard Bloom, you have not had the training in publicity." Bob backed that up by hiring six of my people. So, he apparently believed in the power of the education I gave my publicists. But, this publicist had not been through that education. I wonder if I had given the case to someone who had been through my training if that person would've succeeded. It's very personally embarrassing when you're able to accomplish nothing for one of your clients. I don't readily accept it--not at all-- and I don't think it's the fault of the client. I think it's the fault of the publicist.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> There are two reasons (Johnny Dagger's career did not ignite): one is the publicist, as I said, possibly not being able to sell a good story and the other is that since nothing was happening...nothing happens. You have to start with something that's </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">happening (</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">emphasis added</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">)</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. Look at Prince: I had a real leg up. He had gone platinum, when nobody had ever heard of him. That was a tremendous leg up. But, no there are no excuses. Ultimately, in the early days at my PR firm, if I put an account executive on a case, and that account executive didn't seem to be delivering up to my expectations, I would jump in and start making phone calls myself. All of a sudden, things would pick up dramatically. But, in this case, by the time the Johnny Dagger thing happened, I was no longer free to do that anymore. So, I never got a chance. To me, if at first you don't succeed, try, try again. Try a hundred times, try a thousand times and if you try a thousand times, something will begin to happen.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjripy4rXlXdaTy774aI13vbUF9SPTKSrNVNB3Vf3RUqAWtFVnq5m1JfUd2uyqKeUoYEAEnU_mCTF6ad2b-5DrvHOXwTvdQVtmUueNm_JABsu8JciF9s8EatxjK06eUBvJ-es2Fa__9n0s0/s1600/MJ-HB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjripy4rXlXdaTy774aI13vbUF9SPTKSrNVNB3Vf3RUqAWtFVnq5m1JfUd2uyqKeUoYEAEnU_mCTF6ad2b-5DrvHOXwTvdQVtmUueNm_JABsu8JciF9s8EatxjK06eUBvJ-es2Fa__9n0s0/s1600/MJ-HB.jpg" height="276" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Courtesy of normanwinter.com</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: large; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">F</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">or people like with John Mellencamp, one of the things I learned is I had go back each year and find (their) soul all over again.Why? Because your soul changes. It grows as you grow. Without somebody to do that, I think that John Mellencamp has sort of gone off and... what is it called when a car goes off a highway and ends up nose first in a ditch? Whatever that it is, that's sort of what happened with John Mellencamp's career. It's never gotten further than it was when I was working with him and I agonize over that.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> I think the fact that Prince, Michael Jackson and others have had the longevity they have is because they do find the gods inside of themselves. Many of these artists were on the right track without me. Prince, I had a seven or eight year relationship with him. It was a whole different matter. I wasn't necessary to help Michael Jackson find that inside of himself, he had had it since the age of 5. It's just that I was called at one point (by Michael Jackson's people) and told "You've got come out, you've got to be in L.A. tonight by 11 p.m., because Michael is cancelling his tour (The Victory Tour), you're the only one he will listen to." Well, the reason I was the only one he would listen to was because I cared about his audience as much as he cared about his audience. And I cared about him. I think that was enormously helpful.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I resisted it for four long months. For four months I called over and over again and said no. I said no, because I do crusades. I do things that are hard. I don't do things that are easy and The Jacksons were too easy. Michael Jackson had become the biggest phenomenon in the history of pop music, selling 36 million albums. Unheard of. I imagined it was so easy there was no reason that they needed me. But, finally they called me and said "Look, we're going to be in New York tomorrow, we want to have a meeting with you." I did not grow up among human beings, it was a very lonely childhood, so I didn't know any of the rituals of normalcy, like let's go have a cup of coffee and stuff like that. (But), the one thing I had heard about my fellow humans was if somebody really wants you, and you want to say no, you have to have the decency to say it face to face.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 1.15; text-indent: 36pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"> I showed up at their suite, at the Helmsley Palace (in New York City), at midnight on a Saturday. They had two suites: one was for sleeping and the other one was for meetings. The minute the door opened an inch, I could see there was trouble in the room. I could see there were these four very profoundly good people who were up against some problem they didn't understand and there was more than publicity to be done here, it was a crusade of some kind. I said yes to them immediately. They (asked me) to start at 11 a.m. on Sunday morning, remember it's one o'clock or two o'clock in the morning. (They said) here our home phone numbers and I had to say yes because they needed me. It took a long time to see what they needed me for. They needed me to save their brother's soul. I did not succeed at it.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> That's my formulation of what the challenge was. I don't think they (his brothers) ever formulated what the challenge was. Michael's the most remarkable person I've ever met in my life. No question about it. Scenes like the one in front of me right now, all this greenery and the park, awed him. It absolutely awed him. He had a capacity for wonder and awe beyond anything I've ever seen, beyond anybody else in my life. If you were looking at an artist's portfolio with him, he'd have the beginning of what seemed like an orgasmic experience, just opening the first square inch of a page. Then, if you opened the next six square inches of a page his knees would start to buckle. If you opened the entire thing, Michael was fully orgasmic-- I mean in a non-sexual way.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The first law (of science) is the law of courage, the second law (of science) is the law of courage and awe. Michael had that wonder and awe that's dictated in the second law of science more than anybody I've ever, ever met in my life. He was also one of the primary exemplars of the first rule of science: the truth at any price, including the price of your life. When you sat down to discuss a difficult issue like him cancelling his tour and convincing him that he couldn't cancel it, it felt as if Michael's chest opened like golden gates and you could see 10,000 fans inside of him. His job was to champion those fans. He felt God had given him a gift. It was this gift of enormous awe and wonder. It was his job to give that gift of awe, wonder and surprise to his audience. His audience were his kids and you could feel them in his chest. It was an astonishing experience and he would give anything that it took to give that audience surprise, wonder and awe.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Michael, because he represented the biggest thing in the music industry, was surrounded by sharks-- at least by one shark--and somebody was busy undercutting his career. Somebody was leaking negative stories about him to the press and leaking documents to back up the negative stories. The documents were phony in the sense that they weren't finished documents, they were lawyer's drafts. Lawyer's drafts are always monstrous. You have to get your lawyers to tone things down. They always think their job is to be an attack dog on your behalf, even if you're not a person who attacks. There had been a string of negative stories about The Jacksons by the time I came on the scene. Remember, Michael's primary obligation was to those 10,000 kids he carried around in the golden gates of his ribs, if you separated Michael from that audience, you were will killing him and negative stories did separate Michael from that audience.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> In addition to doing the press, which (was) a big staff, because we did news conferences in L.A. and New York announcing the tour and there were over 3,400 press people at each event, I was supposed to track down the person responsible for all the negative stories and stop him. The closer I got to figuring out who it was, the more he managed to alienate me from Michael, until he finally got me thrown off The Jacksons' tour. </span><span style="line-height: 1.15; white-space: pre-wrap;">About the struggle for Michael's soul: to my mind Michael was on this earth for 50 years. For 25 of those years he was Michael Jackson. For 25 of those years, he was writhing on the cross. He was crucified in the headlines, over and over again with awful stories, that in all probability were not the least bit true, but sold newspapers. That should never have happened. He was the best person I ever met. He was the closest to a saint I ever met on the face of the earth. So, I didn't succeed. I failed in that particular mission.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-size: large; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A</span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">fter a year of asking me to be Bette Midler’s publicist and hearing me say no, Bonnie Bruckheimer, Bette's assistant, called one day and said “I'm not asking you to be Bette's publicist, I'm telling you that you are Bette's publicist. So, it would be wise for you to be out here in L.A. tomorrow at 10 a.m. to meet your client.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">” It probably wasn't after I'd been working with Bette for four months that I realized what was happening. Bette Midler had moved from music into film. Film people generally hate people from the music world; they don't want to have anything to do with them, so making that transition was extremely difficult. Bette's first film, "The Rose," was tremendously powerful. If you ever get to see it, do, it's a terrific film. Then Bette had signed (on) for her second film ("Jinxed"). Her second film had not only been a turkey, it had been a turkey that made headlines. It made headlines as a failure. Bette had been so humiliated, she had a nervous breakdown and had been out of everything for three years. I didn't know that or, if I did know it, I wasn't registering it. So, bringing Bette back in the world of film was far more of a challenge than I realized. So, sometimes I'm slow. Sometimes it takes me a while to realize when there's trouble and then to figure out how to overcome it.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Courtesy of davidbowie.com</span></td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><u>The Music Business</u></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: large; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">W</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">hen I was a kid, somehow the quest for soul—and I mean soul in the sense of Aretha Franklin-- became essential to my life and Black music was vital to it. One of my clients, Ralph McDonald, was the most brilliant percussionist of the 20th century. He was astonishing. He could outdo the atomic clock on perfect timing and he saw everything around him as a potential rhythm instrument. He was an incredible person. At one point, Alex Haley had his book </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>Roots</i></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, which was a huge success, and he had a TV series based on </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>Roots</i></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, so Ralph decided to trace his musical roots. He traced his family back to Trinidad, well he knew about that, then traced it back to the Yoruba tribe in Nigeria. He explained to me that in the Yoruba tribe there were ecstatic rituals and in those rituals there would be drumming. You would dance to the drumming and you danced until you were invaded-- taken over-- by the god of thunder; the god of thunder's name was Chungo. Ralph showed me the Chungo rhythm that had been used to induce precisely the kinds of varieties of the religious experience that I had been after since I was 13 years old. That kind of trance religion made a transition... it showed (up) in macumba in South America and it showed up as juju or as voodoo in Haiti and it showed up in holy roller churches (in the United States).</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> One of the moments that shaped me was when I was 15 years old and the movie "Black Orpheus" came out. The movie was set in the macumba rituals of South America and I saw people being seized by a god in front of my eyes in this movie. It made a tremendous impression on me. I'd been after this all of my life and Ralph was showed me that I ended up in the right place. Why? I don't know what it is. Black music has, at its best, a connection with the human soul. The rhythmic sensibility is brought in by the Black music and the harmonic sensibility, that is the melodic sensibility, is brought in by the European components. Put the two of them together and you have absolute magic.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> American music had been acknowledging its debt to Black music ever since the 1840s when minstrel shows were going out on the road. You know, white people putting on blackface and doing "Black" music. They couldn't have succeeded with that genre, which lasted over 50 years, if it weren't for the fact that they knew they were exporting black culture across a cultural barrier. They were piping it from the Black community to the white community. Without Black music, you don't have American music; without European melody, you don't have American music. So, it's the two of them combined that makes the astonishment of American popular music. Again, the trance element, the element that gives soul to music-- that is Black music. You never lose trace of the fact that it's two musics miscegenating, if you want to call it that, two musics mating with each other. </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> European music and Black music made it possible for the astonishment of American pop music and that made it possible for anyone to go to record stores and collect every race record they could possibly find. What are race records? Well those are Black records in the days when the record industry was rigidly segregated. It was rigidly segregated until 1980 (and) we worked our asses off in the 1980s to break down that barrier. Look what happened in the 1950s: kids in England started going to record stores where they carried race records. Some of those people got together in a group and later called themselves The Beatles. Another group of people who were obsessed with "pure" Black records from the American south, or Chicago...called themselves The Rolling Stones.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: large; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">M</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">y favorite moments in the music business...that Nassau Coliseum date where Prince was so utterly fantastic on stage and where the gods inside, or where God was coming from the ceiling high above us, was a remarkable experience. Sitting down with John Mellencamp and having him educate me about the mythic dimensions of films like "Hud" and "Cool Hand Luke," those were astonishing experiences. Being on stage and being given the Global Entertainment and Media Summit's Award for Lifetime Achievement and Commitment to Excellence, which they created for me--of all people--that was an out-of-body experience. The very first performing experience of my life when I was 16 years old and went on stage and was incapable of dancing, so I improvised a dance in order to advertise a dance the juniors were giving. I felt the eyes of the audience: their pupils dilate, their faces melt. I had an out-of-body experience on the ceiling watching the whole thing happen. When it was over the audience surged down to the foot of the stage as if they practiced this all their lives, they picked me up and they carried me out of the auditorium and up to the building above where (we) had classes. They had never done that before in my life in that school and they never did it again. They'd had no practice. That's what allowed me to understand my artists, because I had that experience in my performing life, too.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> <span style="font-size: large;">S</span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">omeone I never met, but always wanted to...David Geffen, because he is an absolute master of what he does. I'm not sure I'd feel comfortable with him, but if I did feel comfortable with him it would be remarkable...who else? David Geffen's partner at DreamWorks, Jeffrey Katzenberg, because I knew his assistant, (Jane Rosenthal) and she was extremely good to me. She ended up co-founding TriBeca Films, the whole TriBeca empire with Robert DeNiro, but I never met Jeffrey Katzenberg himself. Most of the people I was interested in, I think I ended up working with one way or another, so I ended up meeting them.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Courtesy of rollingstone.com</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> <span style="font-size: large;">P</span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">op stars today aren't given what I tried to give to my artists. I tried to find the gods inside. I tried to find the very soul of the artist and introduce that soul to the speaking person; the artist, the person that knew how to say "How are you;" that speaking part of yourself that said "Fine, thank you." Well, (I) needed to introduce those two selves to each other.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">When somebody like John Mellencamp would call and say that Heinz Ketchup had just offered him over a million dollars to use his song "Hurts So Good" in their ketchup commercials, I asked John a question: "What do you want to be doing 15 years from now? Do you want to be clipping coupons?" In other words, do you want to be earning the interest off of your investments or do you still want to be making music and still be going in front of audiences? John answered-- and it's the answer of every musician I ever worked with-- is (he) still wanted to be making music. So I said, "Then you have to turn down the ketchup commercial, because right now you stand for the voice of a person who is outside the gates of the establishment, raising your fist and saying (you) have a right to exist. If you enter the gates of the establishment and come to be one of the walls of the establishment yourself, you lose that ability." </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Everybody in the music industry these days is so captivated by words like "branding," "marketing" and "product," that they don't see what they really have in their hands. Music is the deepest expression of the human soul. It is the deepest expression of the gods inside of us and it speaks to the gods inside of others. So, there's a soul exchange and that's what music is really all about. It's not about money. It's not about downloads. It's not about pieces of plastic. It's not about CDs. It is about the conflagration that occurs when the soul of a (musician like) Prince sparks the souls of 18,000 people—in the case of his London appearances, 120,000. If you don't recognize that, you don't know what you're dealing with; you can do more harm than good. The phrases like “marketing” and “branding,” they distract you from what music is all about. They show no comprehension of it.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">People in the business these days think that career development is a matter of setting up a sponsorship with a cola company, a sponsorship with a ginger ale company or a sponsorship with an automobile company. Well, there's nobody out there who stands for the soul of the audience. There need to be people out there who are stands ins for the soul of the audience, who can evoke the spirit of the audience and raise it to higher levels. There's got to be people out there who are icons, not corporate sellouts and there aren't, because people (are) being misguided as to what music is all about.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> I used to call it secular shamanism, a very strange term for a scientist to use, but my goal was to find your soul... (There are) people like Britney Spears, who are immensely talented; her sense of timing is so right on, I (have) very seldom seen somebody who has that precise sense of time and rhythm before. But, nobody was there to help her find out who she was, to help her zero in on it and stay true to it. One result is that she had no idea of who she was or what the value was of what she was achieving. She went through one self-destructive misadventure after another, because she didn't know who she was. She didn't know what she was accomplishing for her fellow human beings. She didn't know what she had to stay true to. I always felt if I were in that situation and I could spend a year or two working with her, that I could help her out of that bind. But, I have my own contributions to make through my books and I'm working on a TV series called the Grand Unified Theory of Everything in the Universe Including The Human Soul. Those are my obligations, so I can't do that (public relations) anymore. But, I think that this soul-finding aspect, finding the gods inside, is deeply, deeply, profoundly needed in the music business these days.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> <span style="font-size: large;">C</span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">hronic Fatigue Syndrome is one of the most understated illnesses you can have, because it isn't fatigue. It's weakness. It's weakness to the point where for five years I could not speak. (I) literally could not use my vocal cords. I didn't have the strength to use my vocal cords. I'd never heard of such a thing. If I hadn't been through it, I wouldn't believe it.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I was so prone to stress that I couldn't have another person in the room with me. My wife at first tried to keep me company and she'd lay on the bed next to me reading the daily news of the New York Post, the great big paper. When she turned the page, the sound of the page would go through me like a cannonball. It (would) feel as if it was ripping me apart. So, I couldn't have anybody else in the room with me. Once, I had two computers set up next to the bed and I had a keyboard jerry-rigged</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">with the kind of foam they put in cushions on couches. It would stand up at an angle so I could see the keys even though I was flat on the bed. But, there were days when I didn't have the strength to lift my forearms to lift my hands to the computer (and) the keyboard. It's dreadful and it disarrays your life, everything that you ever thought you were.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Until you have an illness that serious, you don't realize you have an identity as a human being. You don't realize that identity as a human being consists of a sense of your future, what you're going to be doing, (what) you've delivered to your fellow human beings. When you come down with something this radical, you no longer have a future and when you no longer have a future, you're no longer a human being. You're in state for (which) there are no words, which is about the worst thing you can possibly imagine. (You're) in a state there are no words for, with an illness there are no words for. At any rate, the illness had no name when I first came down with it in 1988. It was 15 years a nightmare and (I) lost my entire sense of identity and humanity.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It took me a long time to realize I could no longer sit up and then I had the computer set up next to the bed. I had to reinvent myself with a whole new group of social contacts and a new identity. I reinvented myself in a place called cyberspace. So, it's as if I was born twice: once in 1943 and once in 1988, when I was reborn into the cyberworld. So, while I was there in bed, while I was too weak to speak, during the course of the 15 years, I wrote three books and</span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I founded two international scientific groups online: The Group Selection Squad (1995) and The International Paleopsychology Project (1997). Since then, I've founded another, the group Buzz Aldrin persuaded me to create, the Space Development Steering Committee (2007). </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Then, thank God, I got better. It was the combination of drugs--at least I believe it was the combination of drugs. For 15 years I just tried things, I kept track of what those things were achieving for me and I had regular help from my doctor. I ended up with a combination of 27-30 different drugs.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">At any rate, I think it's the drugs, but to rattle off the list of the drugs is just utterly too complex.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Gabapentin </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">is an anti convulsive (drug) and I started to use it around 1988. It has incredible healing properties and in the time since 1988, it ‘s been discovered it has powerful mood-lifting effects. It's a powerful anti-depressant, but, it also is a very powerful energizer, for reasons nobody understands. There is another drug called oxytocin, which is a social hormone, it's a bonding hormone.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It makes people trust each other. When mothers lift their newborns to their breast for the first time (and) the baby takes hold of their nipple, many of them go through an oxytocin surge that's almost as enormous as an LSD experience. I take that everyday. In the last two to three months, it been discovered, that one of these things I take, it's not occurring to me at the moment, reverses muscle aging; it doesn't just stop muscle aging, it reverses muscle aging. So, yesterday, I was humiliated, I only did 330 push ups in a row without stopping. Two days after I turned 71, I did 650 push ups in a row without stopping. I think it's a combination of the drugs that I'm taking. So, thank God for the drugs. Thank God for big pharma.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggyFY9HGVD5YZ5U9h5FfHBxaCwDRZnm2Q7OrJbgqCGQQbT93YmZeoG4yiwPqNi2-CFLRSAcxJHRqZa50m6Qsd-GLE4D0x6wQUtcMa3rOVyzHRyPg7xNM1WeIneCifpTzzNbPg-D511xpVU/s1600/bloomjpg.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggyFY9HGVD5YZ5U9h5FfHBxaCwDRZnm2Q7OrJbgqCGQQbT93YmZeoG4yiwPqNi2-CFLRSAcxJHRqZa50m6Qsd-GLE4D0x6wQUtcMa3rOVyzHRyPg7xNM1WeIneCifpTzzNbPg-D511xpVU/s1600/bloomjpg.JPG" height="261" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><u>Life</u></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> <span style="font-size: large;"> I</span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span>was successful in coming up with a theory that predicted dark energy in 1959, 39 years before dark energy was discovered. I was successful at accidentally helping found the hippie movement. I was successful as one of the top students in NYU in my year and graduating Magna Cum Laude and Phi Beta Kappa. I was successful in (attaining) four graduate school scholarships in neurobiology and I was successful at evading grad school, (because) I thought grad school was an Auschwitz for the mind. I was searching for the Gods inside and there was no way (I was) going to find these extreme emotional experiences that make the forces of history in grad school. I really didn't want to go to grad school, but, it's very hard to get out of doing that.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I wanted to go into something that was going to take me into the dark underbelly of the culture where new myths were made. Where new religious experiences were made. Where the gods are. I went strangely into popular culture, which I knew absolutely nothing about. Then I succeeded in having the biggest PR firm in the music industry. Before that, I succeeded in founding a commercial arts studio, which was my periscope position into popular culture, and I ended up on the cover of Art Direction magazine. After I got sickgoing to take me into the dark underbelly of the culture where new myths were made. Where new religious experiences were made. Where the gods are. I went strangely into popular culture, which I knew absolutely nothing about. Then I succeeded in having the biggest PR firm in the music industry. Before that, I succeeded in founding a commercial arts studio, which was my periscope position into popular culture, and I ended up on the cover of Art Direction magazine. After I got sick (with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome), I was successful in founding two international scientific groups (on the Internet). I've written a total of six books at this point and I was tremendously gratified at the end of the 1990s, or around the year 2000, when Channel 4 TV said I was </span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.15; white-space: pre-wrap;">"next in a lineage of seminal thinkers that includes Newton, Darwin, Einstein,[and] Freud." </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Yet, despite all of these things, you wake up feeling worthless and you have to prove your worth all over again for the day. It's through perpetually proving yourself in the face of insecurity that you end up achieving something.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> <span style="font-size: large;">W</span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">hat if I was wrong? Wow. Well, what if I was wrong about Prince? But, I wasn't. I absolutely know that I wasn't. I'm definitely sure that I wasn't. I come into situations every day where I second guess something and I think that it will go a certain way and it doesn't. I have a tremendous track record of predicting certain things. In 1995 when my first book came out, (I) predicted that we were going to have trouble with predicting nuclear Iran. Well, what we are having trouble with right now? A nuclear Iran. Then when next book came out in 2000, it predicted that we would trouble with a guy named Osama Bin Laden and a group called the Taliban. Then came 9/11, right? So, that prediction turned out to be true. I've made a whole bunch of others like them.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">But, the fact is, once upon a time, when I was stuck in bed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, a consultant for the high tech industry, the Silicon Valley people, flew into New York just to see me. I told him that because of all the flaws in Microsoft's software, in the next three years Microsoft was going to find itself up against competition, a Chinese company, and if the Chinese company was more committed to making its product user friendly and getting around the types of problems that Microsoft builds into its software, Microsoft would be out of business... So, (that) was more than ten years ago and Microsoft is still in business. So, I was wrong. Sometimes I make predictions that don't come true.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">But, with my artists, my predictions turned out to be accurate. My sense of when they should be touring and where they should should touring-- which is something I did heavily in the case of John Mellencamp and Billy Idol--turned out to be on target. My sense of what to do in order to build their careers turned out to be on target-- unless it was somebody like Johnny Dagger and somehow I completely missed the mark.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: large; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">T</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">here's always...That's a good question, what is there always? I don't know. Sitting in the park, in the sunshine, there are children all over the place. Life has been on this planet 3.85 billion years now and it just won't quit, no matter what disaster scenarios we humans come up with. Even when a massive meteor wiped out the dinosaurs, they just discovered it was good for the trees. Can you imagine that? So, life is a very persistent thing. Thank God it persists.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">There's some else that there's always and that's death. That is a difficult thing to accept.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Hester Mundes</span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">,</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">one of my friends, wrote all of the comedy for Joan Rivers and when you sit down and have lunch with her, you think that you're having lunch with Joan Rivers herself. The two of them share exactly the same body language, they share exactly the same rhythms of speech and they share exactly the same sense of humor. Not surprising, since my friend Hester wrote the material</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">So, when Joan Rivers died, it was a shock, because everyone thought she was strong as horse and she could endure anything. We're all going to die and that's a very difficult fact to accept. There's so many moments of stress and exaltation in life and, hopefully, they all drive us toward some form of creativity, something we add to other people's lives. That principle-- what's called in my scientific work "opposites joined at the hip"-- the opposition of death and life. The vigor of the two of them, it's what makes things work. We're not quite sure how.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I think Prince is up against these things, too. God knows how he's coping with it. He's in his late 50s, I would imagine. So, his mortality must be something he's aware of, too. Certainly he's lost people around him (whom) he loves. So, we're stuck with (the) bizarre universe of death and life working hand in hand with each other-- death, life and creativity working hand in hand with each other.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Courtesy of howardbloom.net</span></td></tr>
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<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Stay Beautiful, Kristi</span></i><br />
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<b>Lead photo courtesy of howardbloom.net.</b></span></div>
K Nicola Dyeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11470665347094419495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2193506780254658859.post-21373876423266298862014-04-04T22:09:00.000-07:002014-04-14T05:18:05.424-07:00The Voice: Brenda Bennett Talks 2 Beautiful Nights<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRnQUgHxrHKramOquBjP5b4l2NN5sQ2AY3Q1Fp6r_fKITry11nFFehzEAnzltnZNdoys-m7kvEUBpPYFgX0oc68RtP5hsT1bnC9yhnYZiWpvHNwvDdUJDm27xZuD6pAS7ZgdE47c2tGNUO/s1600/Blackstone+River+Theater.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRnQUgHxrHKramOquBjP5b4l2NN5sQ2AY3Q1Fp6r_fKITry11nFFehzEAnzltnZNdoys-m7kvEUBpPYFgX0oc68RtP5hsT1bnC9yhnYZiWpvHNwvDdUJDm27xZuD6pAS7ZgdE47c2tGNUO/s1600/Blackstone+River+Theater.JPG" height="400" width="200" /></span></a></div>
<b id="docs-internal-guid-6a48ac35-1d76-a3b0-b916-09364bab113b" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></b><br />
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<i><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> <i> Brenda Bennett's signature tone stands alone in the cannon of the Minneapolis Sound.</i></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> The singer, best known to Prince fans for her powerhouse lower-register vocals and tough-as-nails image, made her mark on songs like "Blue Limousine," "A Million Miles (I Love You)" and "Bite the Beat." She can also be heard singing lead on the original demo for what later became the classic Prince B-side "17 Days" and on the "Manic Monday" demo, originally intended for the Apollonia 6 album, but later released by The Bangles in 1985 to great acclaim. </span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Bennett was born in Scotland and comes from a musical family: both her parents and her brothers, Brian and Bruce, played instruments. She began her career as a back-up singer with Ken Lyon and the Tombstone Blues Band in 1973 and the band released one album, "Ken Lyon and Tombstone," on CBS Records in 1974. However, the band was dropped by their label before a completed second album was released and their attempts to secure another contract proved unsuccessful. The group disbanded in</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">1975, according to</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">princevault.com. </span></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> She was brought into Prince's camp by then-husband Roy Bennett, who began working as the star's lighting and stage designer during the Dirty Mind Tour in the early 1980s. She worked as the artist's wardrobe mistress for a time before being tapped to join the sexually-charged girl group Vanity 6, along with Susan Moonsie and Vanity. The act was rechristened Apollonia 6 when Vanity departed to pursue a solo career and the revamped trio was featured in the film "Purple Rain" before calling it quits in 1985.</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Bennett took a nearly 20-year hiatus from the music industry to focus on raising her son, Dylan. She returned with the solo album "A Capella" and posted several videos on YouTube to accompany the opus in 2011. She released the single "Guiltier" in 2013 and her newest song, "Private Party," will be released sometime this year.</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> K Nicola Dyes conducted an e-mail interview with Bennett where the singer/songwriter discussed filming the unreleased "Mr. Christian" video project, the artist who inspired her to begin creating music again and one thing Prince always told her:</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> The most important thing I learned from my family</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> was how to be independent and how to survive. I come from a background of very limited financial means. We had to learn to improvise and be creative with stretching the dollar in as many directions as we could.</span></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Pursuing a musical career</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> wasn't something I set out to do. I still feel to this day, that the Lord had his hand on my shoulder and said "Okay, now you're going to go in THIS direction." It was something I fantasized about, but really didn't think was within my reach.</span></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Music was</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> very much a part of my life growing up. A number of people in my family, including my parents and their friends, played an instrument. I can recall joining my parents many times when they got together with their friends on the weekend for good, down-home country jam sessions. There was always a variety of instruments: banjo, washtub bass, spoons, sweet potato and, as always, lots of guitars. My parents were country musicians, although my mom liked to listen to a variety of music. She was the one who exposed me to some light jazz, show tunes, classical and rock n' roll.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> When I joined Ken Lyon and the Tombstone Blues Band</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, I had been hiking Europe on a backpacking trip for nearly six months. When I arrived back in the [United] States I had nothing, but one thin American dime in my pocket--just enough to call my mother collect and tell her I was back and on my way home. Sybilla Hyde, the other female vocalist in Tombstone, was a friend of mine who, as it turned out, was trying to track me down to offer me a position with the band as a back-up singer. The band had landed a recording contract with CBS Records and needed another female vocalist in the lineup. I'd never been in a band before, but had background experience of learning harmonies in the choir at school. I felt I was ready for anything after some eye-opening adventures in Europe. Of course, not having any money, a job or a place to live was a good incentive to give it a try.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYM68XpYZoCnBjeD0Zr80WN1LjbQqIEDrxcPrzDKv2xy3YSreIRb13Ja28iEgLKIvItfLFbBYekLUydB59ZWLYhtdvpT2vczZOY93lFGpO_LiFEdBqD7yhz2wgMxYNOTUt7BUlVYhS3U-t/s1600/BB+and+Sybilla.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYM68XpYZoCnBjeD0Zr80WN1LjbQqIEDrxcPrzDKv2xy3YSreIRb13Ja28iEgLKIvItfLFbBYekLUydB59ZWLYhtdvpT2vczZOY93lFGpO_LiFEdBqD7yhz2wgMxYNOTUt7BUlVYhS3U-t/s1600/BB+and+Sybilla.jpg" height="278" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Sybilla and Brenda on stage live with Tombstone in 1974.</span></td></tr>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> I met Roy Bennett</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> in the fall of 1974. Tombstone had been on tour opening for Mott the Hoople and Queen and I was home during a break before we did our next leg. Some local musician friends of mine had joined a band from the Baltimore/Washington D.C. area--the name of the band was Face Dancer--and they were in town doing a couple of gigs. I was free to go see them and that's where I met this tall, adorable, sexy young man named Roy.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Opening for Queen </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">was an experience I'll never forget. The tour opened in Denver. The record company had sent us there a couple of days ahead of time for rehearsals and to get used to the thin mountain air. I had no idea what to expect having never heard of the group before, but after their first sound check and rehearsal, well, I nearly fell off the bleachers when I heard their vocals-- not to mention their superb musicianship. I became very close to them and still find myself shedding a tear from time to time over Freddie Mercury's demise.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></b>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Growing up, you're always getting advice</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> from one direction or another: from your teachers at school; from church; from your parents. There were some excellent words of advice that came my way that I've never forgotten and have passed down to my son. The one thing that stands out in my mind is when I had the pleasure of meeting and speaking with Keith Urban after a show he did at the Chevrolet Theatre (now the Oakdale Theatre) in Connecticut. I had been toying around with the notion of getting back into music now that my son was older and found I had more time to myself. Also, time had gone by since the untimely passing of my younger brother and later, my mother. I finally felt like I could "stick my toes into the water" again and test it out. Keith very simply said to me "If it's in your heart to do it, baby, then you gotta do it."</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><span style="color: black; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Roy landed his first lighting designer/stage designer gig </span><span style="color: black; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">working for Prince, a new, up-and-coming young Black artist. It was the beginning of the Dirty Mind Tour (and) they were at The Ritz (a famous rock club) in New York City and Roy asked me to join him there. There was something very special about this new artist and Roy wanted me to meet him. The day after my arrival, Roy and I were leaving the hotel to head over to The Ritz when we found out John Lennon had been shot the night before. I felt AWFUL, being The Beatles fan that I was, and I hoped my sorrow wouldn't show when I met Prince. When I laid eyes on Prince for the first time, I remember thinking there indeed </span><span style="color: black; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">was</span><span style="color: black; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> something about him that I felt drawn to. I couldn't put my finger on it. It was very elusive, but attracting all at the same time. Once I saw his show and heard his music, I had to agree with Roy that there was something very special about this man and his music. (I) felt he was going to be tremendously successful.</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: purple; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Recording Reflections:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: purple; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> If a Girl Answers Don't Hang Up:</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: purple; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Don't know if the public is aware of it or not, but "If a Girl Answers" was one of the first rap songs by a girl group.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: purple; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Bite the Beat: </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: purple; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This was in the early days working on the first Vanity 6 album. One of the things that stands out to me was Jesse Johnson, from The Time, playing the high-end organ part on a toy organ pad hooked through the main board. Very humorous and fun times recording that song.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> People always tell me</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> how surprised they are when they hear the sound of my voice. They don't expect so much sound to come out of a little person. Plus, I have a very distinct sound to my voice and people seem to be taken aback by that as well.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> The thing I love about my singing voice</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> is the tone. I have a warm, full, spicy sound to my voice. I've never considered myself a technically great singer. I certainly could never compare to accomplished vocalists like Celine Dion or Mariah Carey, but their music is totally different (from) what I do.</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwwux5Sdx1D19tBO_ExCMRykXpgSkfj8Rai-E3czg7Bh8XGR7kxVzqbXl7hCy6qzQ52Vi3PeWbuQ1MnBsK1xG8risA6h2PFU7egviIuw7eBY5IbrJ7HtK67oWJPLkGD7s2kClpZ6fFb6A8/s1600/BB+at+the+Mill.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwwux5Sdx1D19tBO_ExCMRykXpgSkfj8Rai-E3czg7Bh8XGR7kxVzqbXl7hCy6qzQ52Vi3PeWbuQ1MnBsK1xG8risA6h2PFU7egviIuw7eBY5IbrJ7HtK67oWJPLkGD7s2kClpZ6fFb6A8/s1600/BB+at+the+Mill.jpg" height="320" width="205" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Being in the spotlight: </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">i</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">t's wonderful; it's fun; it's glamorous; it's all of the fantastic things you have ever read or heard. It also is very invasive. For someone like me who values her privacy, being in the spotlight can be very demanding. It's the price you pay for fame. There are a lot of expectations put on you when you're in the spotlight. People tend to have preconceived notions of who YOU are and what you're really like. Sometimes, when you can't live up to their fantasies, when they find you're really only human after all, disappointment sets in. Being in the spotlight is something you better be very sure (you want) if you're going to set your feet on that path.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpIGVqRQwVJWneSfyA0eps5S7prUquV3-vYdYD9UPnnb-IwRuNDQIevzscF4V6T5Rn8QOsJsydtn8JsDSZ2MXFKagqZXwS4iiw05xEp0S0KSowlMO2SpQ_Zmsw_UoIZXQzjbfkBVIe62pd/s1600/V6-Detroit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpIGVqRQwVJWneSfyA0eps5S7prUquV3-vYdYD9UPnnb-IwRuNDQIevzscF4V6T5Rn8QOsJsydtn8JsDSZ2MXFKagqZXwS4iiw05xEp0S0KSowlMO2SpQ_Zmsw_UoIZXQzjbfkBVIe62pd/s1600/V6-Detroit.jpg" height="276" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Vanity 6 in Detroit at a party after a show on the 1999 Tour, with Prince and The Time, at Joe Louis Arena</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Prince and I</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> had planned on working on a solo record, a project away from what I was doing with Apollonia 6, but it never seemed to get off the ground. There was so much going on at that time: The Family (album) coming out; Prince working on more film projects; Apollonia resuming her acting career. With all the changes going on, I started looking in different directions to do a solo project on my own.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></b>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> When we shot the long-form video for the Apollonia 6 album...</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Presumably, you are talking about the "Mr. Christian" video project. The project was a concept of doing an extended EP per se, only in a video format as opposed to an audio EP: take one of the songs from the album ("Happy Birthday, Mr. Christian"); write a story line around the subject of that song and incorporate other songs from the album into the story to create a mini movie. It was a great idea and the project was a lot of work, but fun. I'm just sorry that it didn't get completed and released. Someone out there got their hands on it and released it on YouTube in its unfinished version. It created a lot of cult interest and keeps appearing from time to time.</span></span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj56H2UTAEnrVvBWmzbRUHPlI4wfAaHksZbwhhoyRfgvf3BH-NcmSM34qbHF7fWHoB4R29BRbifMW_sOu1bEb3RPurD7MvQFnO7hptYs9MU3kpOuv9szl3SzGZ9CQhhUgJnlcN0TZdXkpfb/s1600/A6--Pacific+Palisades.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj56H2UTAEnrVvBWmzbRUHPlI4wfAaHksZbwhhoyRfgvf3BH-NcmSM34qbHF7fWHoB4R29BRbifMW_sOu1bEb3RPurD7MvQFnO7hptYs9MU3kpOuv9szl3SzGZ9CQhhUgJnlcN0TZdXkpfb/s1600/A6--Pacific+Palisades.jpg" height="237" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Apollonia 6</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></b>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Prince always told me,</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> "Brenda, you could be singing in a choir of 200 people and I'd still be able to pick out your voice."</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></b>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: purple; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Recording Reflections:</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: purple; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></b>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: purple; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> 17 Days:</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: purple; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Love, love, love the song. I have a recording of it when I did the song for the second Vanity 6 album. I wish that one had come to fruition. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: purple; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></b>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: purple; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Manic Monday</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: purple; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> was never my cup of tea: too "popish" for me. (I'm) glad The Bangles had a hit with it. I don't think Apollonia 6 would have.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSTST6KCPlfUadmZT6oNY16FusokbUGU0ykSzwdyx_ANaSiJgsVEaCxhwr62yusMuijHrJ3ksthVz3byLpyVYGzHuqZUxdN4M6QZJnb3Yuu9z0f4rGYp9NFpDR5TIaM1axpPLvijQ-pYKR/s1600/Dylan+w-armor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSTST6KCPlfUadmZT6oNY16FusokbUGU0ykSzwdyx_ANaSiJgsVEaCxhwr62yusMuijHrJ3ksthVz3byLpyVYGzHuqZUxdN4M6QZJnb3Yuu9z0f4rGYp9NFpDR5TIaM1axpPLvijQ-pYKR/s1600/Dylan+w-armor.jpg" height="275" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Brenda's son, Dylan, at photo session for work he did designing armour at Rhode Island School of Design</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: purple; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></b>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> The inspiration for my "A Capella" CD</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> came from a variety of sources. I had put my music career aside when I found myself pregnant with my son. I didn't want to raise him on the road, so I put my guitar away and became a stay-at-home mom. However, once a singer/songwriter ALWAYS a singer/songwriter. I would still pick up my pen and notebook and jot down my ideas and lyrics. When my son got older, I found I had more time to myself-- for myself. I took my guitar out, started putting some of those ideas and lyrics into action and just worked at it a little bit at a time. When I was approached to join the rest of the old Tombstone band for a concert honoring Ken Lyon and his 40 years in the music business, I thought the Lord had his hand on my shoulders once again. Lori Lacaille was one of the people I worked with on that show. It was through her insistence that I stepped into her WolfBear Studios and started laying some tracks down on the songs I had written. My son, Dylan, is the main source of my inspiration in continuing to write. </span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgun2L1aw1MuFgMERHa2_dGHVUTFlmQuOAeFgjo12Ms27n5DeRZ-1Aqh0i8MlTXzPbbKpLmFYgShQ0WveeQ9KrXMhk0HZqQxGR5gKr0X_gU-DBokcCiDY4rdZX9y-NpgK_lml9D0zrgM_mx/s1600/Acapella+Studio.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgun2L1aw1MuFgMERHa2_dGHVUTFlmQuOAeFgjo12Ms27n5DeRZ-1Aqh0i8MlTXzPbbKpLmFYgShQ0WveeQ9KrXMhk0HZqQxGR5gKr0X_gU-DBokcCiDY4rdZX9y-NpgK_lml9D0zrgM_mx/s1600/Acapella+Studio.jpg" height="260" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Recording session for the "A Capella" album</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></b>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> I would have to say the foremost musical influences</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> in my life, that inspired me to sing and play, are The Beatles. I saw a film clip of them performing for Queen Elizabeth in London about four months before they came to America to do The Ed Sullivan Show. I got chicken skin when I heard their music and I haven't looked back since. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></b>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Contrary to what people may think</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, my "image" in Vanity 6 and Apollonia 6 was a part I played, a character I can identify with. Having grown up a tomboy, I was able to relate and meld into the part of the tough-nut, cigarette-smoking, punk persona I portrayed. But, deep down, I'm just a fuzzy bunny.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></b>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> My experience filming "Purple Rain"</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> is one that stays with me. I'm a movie nut and have aspirations to write, direct and act in a few films--I have fantastic story lines, too. My mom took me with her to see some of the big classics: "Ben-Hur;" "The Ten Commandments;" "Gone with the Wind." It was through her influence that I got hooked on the world of visual storytelling. I was lucky to be part of the "Purple Rain" film and experienced what it was like behind the scenes and how a film was put together. I thought, "Uh-oh, movie over music," she says with a smile. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></b>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Susan Moonsie</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> is very dear to my heart and I feel very blessed to remain close friends with her. She is a beautiful woman, inside and out. Months will go by where we haven't spoken. Yet, when we do, it's still--after all this time--as if we spoke just yesterday. I miss her terribly and wish we saw each other more often.</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgKr72uD60YaNG5Jza0Jg87khxdt26itGDB5Gq7HrvesrBL9K9xbKAGwara31V8QEQTpM9yZ6s9d_vdToukZIjxcUafMwdzPE9RNdlifZ7gTtudv2aC8gszagq9YiXBKZLEAP-bPrSuY_R/s1600/Brenda+Bennett+Private+Party+cover.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgKr72uD60YaNG5Jza0Jg87khxdt26itGDB5Gq7HrvesrBL9K9xbKAGwara31V8QEQTpM9yZ6s9d_vdToukZIjxcUafMwdzPE9RNdlifZ7gTtudv2aC8gszagq9YiXBKZLEAP-bPrSuY_R/s1600/Brenda+Bennett+Private+Party+cover.png" height="400" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></b>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> My new song "Guiltier"</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">...Actually, that's not my newest, but the new one hasn't quite come out yet. "Guiltier" is part of a project I am working on with Charlie Mason, a fine writer from New York. He contacted me through the videos I put on YouTube from the "A Capella" disc and asked me to work with him as a vocalist on some of his songs. I liked what I heard from the mp3 he sent me, but let it ride for quite some time. It wasn't the kind of music I was interested in doing at the time. I had come out with "A Capella," a project with my own songs and, as anyone who listened to the music from that disc would agree, "Guiltier" wasn't something that "matched." Charlie was patient, persistent and finally won me over. I met him in New York and we recorded "Guiltier" in [Greenwich] Village. I had a great time working on it and also on the newest (song) that will be released soon, "Private Party," both of which are on Ninth Wave Records.</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> I've taken taken a hiatus</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">from music</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> at the moment. I have some new songs in the can, but I haven't gotten around to recording them yet. I DO want to do another disc. Out of all that goes into music, I have to say being in the studio recording is my favorite. I enjoy the whole process of writing, creating new stories and performing them live with my favorite musicians, but I'm happiest when I'm in the studio "cooking." I have a couple of projects I'm working on, movie wise, and hope to see some results from those efforts.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></b>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> One of the dream projects</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> I have always had was to write and record with--and these two guys are from different ends of the spectrum--Paul McCartney and Keith Urban. Keith was the spark that lit the flame of my creativity again after all my years of hibernating. Out of the four Beatles, Paul is the one I always wanted to sit down and sing with. I think we'd sound great.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></b>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: purple; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Recording Reflections:</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: purple; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></b>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: purple; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Blue Limousine</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: purple; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> was a bluesy song I liked from the start. (I) loved working with Susannah Melvoin on the vocals to it. The blend and sound of our voices together (was) amazing.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: purple; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></b>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: purple; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> A Million Miles (I Love You) </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: purple; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">and</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: purple; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Some Kind of Lover</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: purple; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">: I found the inspiration for both of these through my love affair and marriage to Roy Bennett.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: purple; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></b>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> People would be surprised to know </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I swam naked in the pond at Max Yasgur's farm during the Woodstock Festival in 1969.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></b>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> I try not to look back</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, always forward. However, when I take a peek, I'm amazed at the life I have been blessed to have and it's not over yet! You're never too old to reinvent yourself. There are some stories and times that will be covered in a biography I have started an outline for--stay tuned for THAT one.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></b>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> In the future</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> I want to continue with my music and art. See if I can't get a film project or two off the ground, continue with the outline of my biography and I'd like to work with my son. He's an amazing talent. I hope and expect that he will go far with his art.</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>Stay Beautiful, Kristi </i></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i> </i></span><br />
<b><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">--</span></b><br />
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<b><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">All photos courtesy of Brenda Bennett. </span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span>K Nicola Dyeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11470665347094419495noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2193506780254658859.post-81435837192718056962013-11-23T16:26:00.000-08:002014-07-07T05:46:42.719-07:00Family Name: Pete Escovedo Talk 2 Beautiful Nights<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i> When Pete Escovedo launched his career nearly 60 years ago, he had no idea he was laying the foundation for a future musical dynasty.</i> </span><br />
<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> The renowned percussionist, who specializes in Latin Jazz, is the patriarch of a illustrious rhythmic family that originally hails from the San Francisco Bay Area. His daughter Sheila, also known as Sheila E. and sons Peter Michael and Juan Escovedo are world-class and in-demand percussionists. His youngest daughter Zina Escovedo, is a dancer, massage therapist, promoter and sells merchandise at family concerts. He has been married to his wife, Juanita Escovedo, for 57 years.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Escovedo is a self-taught musician and has been a mainstay--first on the Bay Area music scene and later on stages around the world--since the 1950s. He began by playing at small clubs and later formed The Escovedo Brothers Latin Jazz Sextet, along with his brothers Coke and Phil in the 1960s. He toured with Carlos Santana in the 1970s--Coke was also in the band-- and played on the musician's albums </span></i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Moonflower</span><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">, </span></i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Oneness</span><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> and </span></i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Inner Secrets<i>, according to his official Web site (<a href="http://peteescovedo.com/">peteescovedo.com</a>)</i></span><br />
<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> After leaving that band, he, again with Coke, formed the Latin Jazz band Azteca and the group recorded two albums</span></i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">: Azteca</span><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> and </span></i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Pyramid of the Moon</span><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">. He later went on to work such musical luminaries as George Duke, Herbie Hancock, Tito Puente, Barry White, Anita Baker, Boz Scaggs, Chick Corea, Al Jarreau and many others, the Web site goes on to say.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> He also often performs with his children: in concert as The E Family Orchestra; they also often perform on each other's albums and in the late 1970s, Pete and Sheila recorded two duet albums, </span></i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Happy Together</span><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> (1977) and </span></i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Solo Two</span><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> (1978).</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> In addition, he has a thriving second career as an artist, a vocation that he is equally passionate about. In fact, in high school, he had already laid plans to become a full-time artist before he switched gears and went into the music business. His art work has been featured in shows, at businesses (such as hotels) and have been sold to private owners, including entertainment business luminaries. </span></i><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i> K Nicola Dyes recently conducted a telephone interview with Escovedo where he discussed being the patriarch of a musical family, his biggest concern and some of his regrets:</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span style="font-size: large;">G</span>rowing up in the Bay Area
is one of the best things I've ever done. I was born in
Pittsburg, Calif., a small town close to Oakland, and I lived there
until I was about 5 or 6 years old. We moved when my dad got a job working at
the army base in Oakland and that's where I
really grew up. I went to school there, started my music career
there, got married there. All my kids were born in Oakland. That's
home base.
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I would say (I've) been living here in Los
Angeles for about 13 years.
We've totally relocated here, (but), I
often go to the Bay Area, as we still have family there.
My oldest son Juan still lives in Marin. My
wife's relatives (and) some of my relatives are there. Not only do I go back to visit, I also
perform. I like performing in the Bay Area. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I celebrate my birthday by playing at Yoshi's Jazz Club in Oakland every year. </span></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> </span></span></b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">I </span>think that</span> I've been very fortunate in my career
that I've been able to perform with a lot of the people that I
admired growing up, when I wanted to be a musician. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> My closest friend and mentor was Tito Puente. I was not only able to perform with him, but, we recorded together. We did a
video together. We became very close friends. It was really blessing to know him. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Then, of course, (there were) my associations with people like Cal Tjader-- (I) recorded with him and he was also a friend of mine--, Willie Bobo, Mongo Santamaria, Armando Peraza, Ray Barretto-- the great, great drummers.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I listened to and learned
from them, in a sense, because, they were the guys that I watched. I studied them, the way they played and that's how I
learned. I didn't have any professional lessons or anything
like that; I'm self taught.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> The instrument that I play now, more than
anything, is the timbales. Of the<b> </b>people that played the timbales, Tito Puente was the best<b>.</b> A lot of people say (to me) “Boy, you
might be a Tito Puente.”<b> </b>I say “Well, I will never be as good as
him, but, I kind of emulate his style of playing.” That's a
good thing. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> My daughter
Sheila and I recorded with Billy Cobham, one of the great jazz fusion drummers. We recorded with him on a couple of his albums and got
to perform with him. (Through that) association, we met other musicians of his caliber
that really helped out in our careers. Sheila went on to
play with George Duke.<b> </b>I also recorded with George Duke.<b> </b>That
association was a highlight. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> But, the blessing of
everything is playing with my kids. They are great, talented (and) we have such a great time playing together.
Sheila, of course, really made a name for herself on her
own. My son Peter Michael, who is the youngest of the boys, actually works more in television than actually performing with other
bands. But, he has toured with Stevie Nicks, Lionel Richie and people
like that. My son Juan has been on tour with a lot of different
bands including with Lionel Richie (and) Patti
LaBelle. They've all accomplished so much ever since they
started out as young kids. I never thought, in my wildest dreams, that
one day we would all be playing together. That's probably been my
greatest thrill. The greatest blessing any father could have is to
play music with his kids.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I would like for them to say “Yeah, I learned (music) from my dad.” I think I had a little something to do with it, but, at the same
time, they were around the music so much as little kids. My brothers and I would rehearse
in my living room and the kids were there. They would listen to
everything. They would sit there all the time just listening to
music. I think their brains just absorbed so much, like sponges. The music was there and they wanted to play. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I think the seed was planted, but, they went on to be so
professional on their own. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I didn't have to stand over them and
say "Don't play this way, play that way.” I wasn't
one who said “No, you can't go out and play baseball until you
practice your lessons.” I never (did) that. I believe that at some point in everyone's
life, God sends you a message as to what he wants you to do. I think
this is what he wanted us to do: to play music (and) be a family in music.
That's our calling, that's our passion and we so love doing it.</span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWjWfm-95pbtBwgi-V2P3_6X0S_Nmk4vCpiin-hivmZnVcbK6WAkFElZyxw7LennYAUOo_9tGivT9XnwrJ05V5mCZXTY2_rEhKIlI8bfhlGef4YahSLWWqNVLTQ_3ZZ50_K8-db_leeTiE/s1600/Coke,+Tito,+Pete.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWjWfm-95pbtBwgi-V2P3_6X0S_Nmk4vCpiin-hivmZnVcbK6WAkFElZyxw7LennYAUOo_9tGivT9XnwrJ05V5mCZXTY2_rEhKIlI8bfhlGef4YahSLWWqNVLTQ_3ZZ50_K8-db_leeTiE/s400/Coke,+Tito,+Pete.jpg" height="387" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Coke Escovedo, Tito Puente and Pete Escovedo. Courtesy of voicesoflatinrock.com</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span style="font-size: large;">W</span>orking with Carlos
Santana was probably a step up the ladder for me. I sort
of was pounding the pavement, so to speak, with my own band. Things
weren't going that well. I wasn't working that much</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">,</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> working in small
little clubs and stuff like that.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> My brother Coke Escovedo is the first one
who joined Santana. I think they went on
tour and when he came back, he came to see me. I was playing at a club
and he said “You know what? One of the percussion players in
Carlos' band is leaving, so, I recommended you and Carlos said 'Yeah' and for me to come get you and take you to New York.” I said
“Great, when do I start?” He said “You start in two days.” I
said “What?!” </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I packed my bag, got on the plane and flew to New
York, just him and I. He played the tape of a (previous) show, which I had to
listen for five hours while we (flew) to New York. That night we opened
up at Madison Square Garden and (played) four nights in a row. That was a
big thrill for me. I never knew what it was like to play in front of
so many people. Carlos always played in large venues with thousands
and thousands of people. I was just used to playing in small clubs,
small dives, little jazz clubs. I was just so overwhelmed.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I
stayed with the band for four years. It was quite a learning
experience and quite a wonderful thing going to so many different
countries. We were on the road so
much, it got to the point I was away from the family much too much. I started to think about how I wanted to get back to my own
music.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I was always on the road and I </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">missed being around my family</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">. When
you're away that much you miss birthdays, graduations and</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">holidays</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">, like</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Thanksgiving</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> and</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Christmas. When you're
away in another country, it's Christmas and you're not
home, </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">y</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">ou get homesick. You want to go home.
It got to a point for me, where, after four years, I thought it best
to just start up my own band again.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">M</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">y association with Carlos has always been one of the highlights of my career. Also, in getting a chance to perform with him, I actually got some gold records (</span><i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">laughs</i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">). It helped to boost my career</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">and</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I really owe him a lot of gratitude for that. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-iny9avYauBahVlkjwRXBJsRlr1454d35kOpPBbEtyUUjSHHzX0TK0TsrUocgtiOnoGEITHhfvL0tQNRFxpYeBz9LW5Y8IHMwPKC_GPC5JAsns-6C22ilMHsFTFDsafthi4BxUA-UViid/s1600/Santana.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-iny9avYauBahVlkjwRXBJsRlr1454d35kOpPBbEtyUUjSHHzX0TK0TsrUocgtiOnoGEITHhfvL0tQNRFxpYeBz9LW5Y8IHMwPKC_GPC5JAsns-6C22ilMHsFTFDsafthi4BxUA-UViid/s640/Santana.jpg" height="268" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Courtesy of santanamigos.psgespero-orange.fr</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span style="font-size: large;"> I </span>formed the band Azteca in 1972 with my brother Coke. We had been on the road touring with Santana
for a while and when we got back my brother Coke
said “Why don't we put a band together and start doing stuff on our
own?” I said “Great.”</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> We started calling up musicians (and) we
had auditions in the Bay Area. We ended up with a pretty large band,
but, it was incredible. We really a great time with that band. The musicians brought so much to the table with arrangements, ideas and by writing music.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> We did all styles of music: instead of just Latin Rock, we took it a step further Latin Jazz; Latin Soul and Latin R&B. We did
just about everything in that band. </span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">We set of pace for
what we were doing.</span> That was the
most exciting thing about the band. We were able to bring in ideas (and) we put all our ideas together.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> Those two albums, <i>Azteca</i> and<i> Pyramid of the
Moon</i> were both (released) on CBS (Records). They're on
vinyl and they're considered collector's items. </span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">If you tried to get
them on vinyl before, it cost you quite an amount of money.</span> But, now, a company
in London bought the rights to both of those (records), so, now they're out as
CDs. You can get them at the stores now. </span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUlsY4gEv3i1JxpJC99-jXe2Oa6XyApPlui6ZQCSDCib63P54jXpMdAFMEKUPQ43yWBg6Dt1KK8BS5OKmlRizsnsQR8-EE5iYccUnVXfJ0r0FgnTzN-Q8wptGxDEfvIhbtmz_QSuR5CB6A/s1600/Azteca+(1973).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUlsY4gEv3i1JxpJC99-jXe2Oa6XyApPlui6ZQCSDCib63P54jXpMdAFMEKUPQ43yWBg6Dt1KK8BS5OKmlRizsnsQR8-EE5iYccUnVXfJ0r0FgnTzN-Q8wptGxDEfvIhbtmz_QSuR5CB6A/s400/Azteca+(1973).jpg" height="272" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Azteca (1973), courtesy of voicesoflatinrock.com</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span style="font-size: large;">T</span>he music
business has been a blessing for me. I started playing as soon
as I left high school and been at it ever since. I've always
looked forward and my motto is to never give up. It has taken me so
long to reach the point of where I am now in my career. I'm
already 78, in my senior “golden” years, they call it, but,
there's still so much more to do music wise.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I
always tell young kids “If you're going to do anything in music, if
this is what you want to do in your life, you really have to stick to
it. You have to be</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> a little selfish, in a sense, because, you have to
dedicate most of your time to your craft. You have to learn your
instrument, you have to study, you really put the shoulder to the
wheel, so to speak. There (are) so many hurdles
to overcome. It's like any other profession: you take one step at a
time; you jump over one hurdle at a time; you climb up the ladder
step by step. It's not an easy process.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Granted, there are people who
become "overnight" successes, especially a lot of young people who are
in the rap business-- people that do their
own CDs and can cover all of everything on their own, all by computers. But, if you really want a lasting career, you have to think: how long do they last? There are so many great
musicians who have played all the music they wanted to play until they passed away. What
better life can you have than that, especially if you can make a
living doing it.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> You can play whatever style of
music you want and it's important that you are successful at it. So,
it's not an easy task. It's not an easy road to travel and the
journey is long and hard. But, it's well worth it. I would say
that my motto for most everyone when they're young is: “Don't give
up. Keep pushing. Keep trying. Just do the best you can."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"> I </span>was so excited the first time I saw my
wife. Talk about love at first sight--I think I got
bit right away (<i>laughs</i>). My friend, who was one of my closest
friends, actually introduced me to (my wife's family), because, they were people who
lived in a different part of town from where I lived. I was brought up "on the other side of the tracks," so to speak. They, of course,
were on the good side of the tracks. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> My wife comes from New Orleans. Her family's all from New Orleans,
they're Creoles and my friend said “Man, you have to meet these
people, they're not Black, they're Creole.” I said “What in the
world is a Creole?” He said “They're from New Orleans. They're
French and they're colored. They're great people and I want you to
meet them.” So, he took me over to their house and that's when I
first saw her and met her. I said “Boy, she's a little cutie pie.
Maybe I could work myself in here.” </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> These were the days when,
if you went to the ice cream places and the drug stores--</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> now this is
really gonna mess up your mind--</span> they always
had a (soda) fountain. That's where all the kids met after school. You're
talking about going back to the 50s (<i>laughs</i>)! That's how it worked, just like a movie set.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I would walk to the soda fountain at the drug store, stand outside and watch the girls go by. She happened to keep walking by; she would come there with a
friend. We eventually struck up a conversation and, of course, I met
her at her house. I finally asked her out. The first
time I asked her out, I took her, of all places, to a jam
session. It was a jazz place and she knew nothing about that,
because, she listened to R&B music. I took her to a
jazz session and she thought it was really something. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> We fell in
love right away and </span></span>we dated for about a year. We actually really made up our minds right away
that we wanted to get married. The bad part was that she told me I
had to ask her father for her hand in marriage. I sure didn't want
to do that, because, he looked at me like I was poison. First of all,
I was a musician. I didn't have a steady job and he was one of those
guys that was a hard worker. He cared for his family by working every
day. That's old school, that's where he came from. There I was, a
young unemployed musician, trying to find work (and) marry his daughter. Add (to that) the fact that I was Mexican American. In
those days, you were supposed to marry within your own race, so, the
strikes were against me <i>(laughs</i>).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> But, I stirred up enough courage, asked her dad for her hand (in marriage) and he said okay. After a few
years of being married, when I started to get a little more
successful, he just loved me to death. We became very close. He was a
great man-- a very stern father-- but, a really great man. I
admired him, respected him and I think, through the years, he really
came to terms with our father-in-law and son-in-law (relationship). It was
really nice.<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> After 57 years of marriage, (my wife and I) are still in love
and we're hanging in there. It's been a wonderful blessing. </span></span><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcdvUnHaUH2CoiG2A82lOefsqsGT9p4LH-8R6eIqpsPU7_Y5pNQFAGGJ4leLJkqcORWM_lHxRYe_gw9UcUuMniNUj4sBA7wM4y8habwdD5EMIE0WpsmEzfBz45tk4Rk7R14PeanYBv9vXj/s1600/Pete+and+Juanita.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcdvUnHaUH2CoiG2A82lOefsqsGT9p4LH-8R6eIqpsPU7_Y5pNQFAGGJ4leLJkqcORWM_lHxRYe_gw9UcUuMniNUj4sBA7wM4y8habwdD5EMIE0WpsmEzfBz45tk4Rk7R14PeanYBv9vXj/s320/Pete+and+Juanita.jpg" height="320" width="290" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pete and Junita Escovedo on their wedding day. Courtesy of peteescovedo.com.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span style="font-size: large;">M</span>y art has been so important to me, because, when I was in school, I actually
thought I was going to be a working artist. I
didn't think I was going to be a musician. I was very fortunate in my
high school years, (because), my art teacher-- a dear old woman, I'll
never forget her-- actually started me on my art career.
She would let me go in the back room and use paints. oils,
whatever I wanted. She gave me freedom in my artwork: she would come in, look at my work, give me ideas and watch over me. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> She told me
when I graduated (that) I could get a scholarship at an art college. She set it all up for me and she also took me to an advertising firm,
where I would be one of the illustrators, when I got out of school. I
was all hooked up: I had a college to go to (and) a job waiting for me
as an apprentice to an illustrator. But, my love for the music took
over and I became a musician instead of an artist. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I know I still have a ways to go, but, I've finally settled in as to what I
create artistically. There are a lot of things in life that
I've been through, (things) that I've witnessed, places I've been, things that
I've done. Emotional things, happy things, sad things, all the
emotions that a human being could go through, I've put on canvas. It
could be a happy thing, it could be a terrible thing. I've painted people dying, I've painted people in death, I've
painted people happy, I've painted people sad. It's just what my mood
is at the time.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I think it is
the emotions within me that create the artwork. I
don't look at something and paint it. I envision it within my mind
and then I paint. I start and, as I work, it
becomes a complete piece. When I stand back and look
at my work, I always question it. I say “Wow, where did that come
from?” It had to come from something I've experienced, something
that I've seen, something that I've witnessed, something that I've
done. The artwork is very special to me; it's a part
of me. <br /> I've gotten older and I know that
eventually, playing (music) will end sooner or later. I
hope that my artwork will continue, because, I enjoy it so
much. I love what I do. I've been fortunate to sell a lot of pieces.
There are people in (the) music and
television industries who have bought my work and have it in
their homes. That's quite a compliment. In fact, I just recently did </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">print paintings, which are in each room</span></span> <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">of a hotel in Cupertino, Calif., which is by San Jose. I'm actually doing (artwork for) another hotel, but,
it's in a ballroom. I haven't started on that one, because, that's
going to be an undertaking for me.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I just
can't believe that my artwork has come full circle. I'm very proud of
the fact that I'm able to do it. There are (other) musicians that paint as
well. Miles Davis painted. Tony Bennett still paints. It's just something that we have within us. I think
it's the artistic sense of us, that we have to create things. If
we're not creating music, then we creating artwork. They go hand in
hand. I give 100 percent to each one of them, so, it's really
something. It's something to behold. </span><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMBFM2ou2Q9m-7xmpJu7N02a2fp4I1FETRq3z3O7dTQzYYenmL5Xa04NqDvG9Wkta96c3L-DeyaZU9ipHhae6MrFfRDOWXQKM75j989dpdnJSFtl2VdpAXMX0jfoMCSHowB0gOtSDqYYU9/s1600/Pete+Escovedo+Artwork+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMBFM2ou2Q9m-7xmpJu7N02a2fp4I1FETRq3z3O7dTQzYYenmL5Xa04NqDvG9Wkta96c3L-DeyaZU9ipHhae6MrFfRDOWXQKM75j989dpdnJSFtl2VdpAXMX0jfoMCSHowB0gOtSDqYYU9/s400/Pete+Escovedo+Artwork+2.jpg" height="400" width="372" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Invitation to one of Pete Escovedo's art shows. Courtesy of andrealotz.com</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"> I</span> sometimes wonder-- and
this is probably the biggest concern I have--</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">but, I often wonder what is going to happen to me when
I die. </span>I must say, I am a religious person, I am a Christian, I do believe in God, I believe in
Jesus Christ. But, I don't know where I'm going. I don't really know if there is a
place that you go. You hear about Heaven and Hell. But, I
don't know anybody who's been there, who've told me they've been
there. You know? So, I can't actually visualize that or see it.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I
wonder about what happens after death. I know that
in most religions, you're supposed to believe (that) if you're a good
person you're going to a good place. In a sense, too, I think when you die, you go to sleep and you never wake up. When this body disappears, what happens after that? I hope your
spirit lives. These are the things I hope everybody believes in, but, I wonder, I question, I think— and it drives me crazy.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I know that we're all going to make that journey.
That's the one we can't avoid. In a sense, we're born to die and
that's it, but, it's what you do in between. I feel that in my life, I've not harmed anyone mentally,
emotionally or physically-- I hope that I have not. I hope that I brought some sort of joy to people who've heard my music, some joy to
people who see my artwork and, most of all, I hope that I have been a
good parent to my kids and a good husband to my wife. Those are some
important things to think about.</span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I was born and baptized a Catholic, because, that's what
most Latin families do. Years ago, I just wanted to be
a (non-denominational) Christian and I wanted to go to churches that allowed anyone to go.
I don't think of “religion,” I think of being a good human being
and a person that believes in important things in life.
</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Everybody should think about what they do with their lives. Do you
waste it? Or do you make something out of it? I think everyone
should, whether you work in a factory or whatever you do in life,
just do your best: do the best that you can do; be the best
person you can be; be kind to people; be considerate; be nice; don't
be angry; don't get mad; don't steal. There is so much out there that
is so tempting. It's hard to go the straight and narrow. But it's
something you have to do. Amen. We just went to church right there, boy (<i>laughs</i>). Pastor Pops! </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">They call me Pastor
Pete.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span style="font-size: large;">A</span>t some point, some of your life has to be
personal. I've sort of been like an open book. When I do
interviews, people ask me questions and I don't say “Well, I can't
answer that” or “I prefer not to answer that question.” I've
always been a person who doesn't mind people knowing about me: my
life, what I've done and what I do.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> But, I think personal things,
such as finances, if someone is sick in the family or if someone
has a disability, I think that those are probably personal
things that people should not know about. It should be a family
affair and it should be within in the family. Other than that, I don't mind what people know about me. </span><b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span></b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span style="font-size: large;">M</span>usic makes me happy.
Music makes me live longer. It makes my family stay together. Music
makes me love the world, because, I think without it, the world would
be such a small thing. I think music reaches so many different kinds
of people: white; brown; yellow; black; whatever color, music reaches
everyone. I don't think you can say that too much about other things.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Music is around the world for everyone to appreciate
and that's a good thing. You have a choice of what style you want to
listen to, what style of music you enjoy and nobody's going to put you
down for what style (of music) you like. It's there to be shared.
Music can make you happy or sad. You think about a loved one or you think
about things you've accomplished. It's just so much apart of being
alive.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span style="font-size: large;">T</span>he greatest thrill and blessing that I've had in my whole career
and life is performing with my family. We have so much fun when we play together. You can feel the
love on the bandstand and I think that love carries into the
audience. It not only sends a message of
music, but, it sends a message of family and how important family is.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> We are so blessed that, as a family, we're able to play music
together. We travel together, we hang
out together, we play together and we talk about music. If you could see a video of what goes on backstage: we laugh;
we joke around; we tell jokes; we kid each other; we rank each other, it's so much fun. Then, when we get up to play there's that
competition--of course, we all want to sound better that the next
one. But, at the same time, we create something totally different
from what other musicians do, because, it's a
family affair. That's what makes it so special.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I've always tried to use
one, some or all of them (on) my CDs. Actually, on some of Sheila
CDs, I'm on one song, Juan's on one song or Peter Michael's on one
song. Even my wife or my other daughter, Zina, might be on
something. We always try to put the family in anything we record. Anytime we record our
CDs, the family is in it one way or another. (It) gives us great joy
to have each of the family members on our CDs.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbj869xaAaNoDWzhAVL5SStbtj0SgTZRxdYwo8g1f048Fq8ER7PfSKin2Yx1H4JF0EccbfbNEQodMQZLJQybXN7dnoTMqdKWWlCLxegjfTvJ2_uQPYpukZv238iuhIhSFJCsK52O5ReeAg/s1600/Pete+Escovedo+75th+Birthday.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbj869xaAaNoDWzhAVL5SStbtj0SgTZRxdYwo8g1f048Fq8ER7PfSKin2Yx1H4JF0EccbfbNEQodMQZLJQybXN7dnoTMqdKWWlCLxegjfTvJ2_uQPYpukZv238iuhIhSFJCsK52O5ReeAg/s400/Pete+Escovedo+75th+Birthday.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span style="font-size: large;"> I</span>'m inspired by my kids,
because, when I watch them play, it makes me thinks about when I was
their age playing music. It just brings back a lot of memories. When I go see them play with their own
bands, I just get so inspired by the way
they perform, the closeness that they have with their audience and the
people that come to see them. I admire them and enjoy what they
do.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I'm definitely inspired by each and every one of
them. They carry on this tradition of music in the family. I know that my grandkids and
my great-grandkids will, because, they're all in the music
business; my nephews, nieces, cousins--all of them are in the music
business. The Escovedo name will carry on before I'm gone. I should say long after I'm gone (<i>laughs</i>).</span><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic7OKEoKJT66SRT28w7r3anCeA5Drzeb5ZY-VK8vd1yb99BhEom0yEMi8zyj99lQmWRA82pNJNc0z78LJmoN0DECiobTHBklkH5UFySW4-TIgs07uBDNm9pE8JwPEUXiehspiDBG0lkCrm/s1600/Juanita+and+Zina.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic7OKEoKJT66SRT28w7r3anCeA5Drzeb5ZY-VK8vd1yb99BhEom0yEMi8zyj99lQmWRA82pNJNc0z78LJmoN0DECiobTHBklkH5UFySW4-TIgs07uBDNm9pE8JwPEUXiehspiDBG0lkCrm/s400/Juanita+and+Zina.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Juanita and Zina Escovedo. Courtesy of Pete Escovedo's Facebook page </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span>T</span>here are some musicians that you meet along the road that you perform with and that you know of. Some become close friends
and some are not-- although, friendships are often very important among all musicians, because, we
respect and admire what each of us does.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I was
fortunate to meet George Duke in San Francisco, because, that's where he
was from. I was playing in a small club called on
Disvisadero Street and he happened to come in while we were sound checking that day. He lived in the neighborhood. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> He
came in, we were practicing and we saw that it
was George Duke. We said “Hey George, how are you doing?” We met and he sat down at the piano and started to play. (He) said
“Let's play something.” I said “Yeah, that would be cool.”
So, we played together and we just kept in touch over the years. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">He moved to Los Angeles and stared doing great by
producing and working with a lot of people. His
accomplishments were enormous. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> We always kept in touch. Sheila toured with him in his band for many years. I
got to record with him on his CD and he recorded with me on my CD.
He's just a guy that was one of those great people that you meet in
the music business (and) down to earth. When someone is that talented and
they don't have to talk about how talented they are, that's a great
thing. He was that way. He would help anyone who asked him for
help. He never said "No" to anybody. “George, can you come and play
on this song that I'm doing?” (He would say) “Sure man, what time? Where at?
I'll be there.” </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> (He) worked hard at his craft and, boy, he was great. (He was) such a
great player and great guy. Everyone loved him, because, he
was that kind of a person. He'll be missed. He'll definitely be
missed.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span style="font-size: large;"> I</span>'m basically not a real songwriter and I've always admired
the people who write music. When I do my CDs, I like to listen to
music and arrangements that people send me. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If I write something and I'm
happy with it, then I'll use it.</span> I'll have
one or two songs that I wrote that will be on the CD, if I'm lucky. A lot of ideas don't
go as far as they should; they just become "ideas" and they're not
finished. There are people that find it so easy to write (music) and
I've never been one of those (people). I find it difficult to write
music. But, who
knows, maybe I'll get better at it (<i>laughs</i>).</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span style="font-size: large;"> M</span>y
daughter Sheila belongs to the National Academy of Recording
Artists-- most of us do. When (the album) <i>Live at Stern Grove</i> (was recorded), it was at a time when the Latin Jazz (category)
was just being brought back (to the Grammys). It was taken out, but, it was reinstated at this
particular time. She said, “You know, you should submit
something in the category.” I said “I havent recorded anything
new.” She said “Well, we have a performance that we're doing at
Stern Grove in San Francisco, why don't we just record the live
show?” </span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I was reluctant to record a
live (album), because, I've already done about three live CDs. I didn't
want to do another one. But, since we were pressed for time I
said “Let's give it a shot.” We recorded the performance at Stern
Grove and, to my surprise, it came out okay. We did submit it, although,
we didn't get a nomination. But, that's okay, Maybe we'll get one
next time. I'm very happy with it.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> When you play live, you
don't get a chance to say “Stop, let's go over this, let's try it
again" No, you can't do that. It it what it is. When I listen to it,
yeah, it definitely is live. There's mistakes and at some point, I
could've played better or some of the guys could've played better. It is what it is and that's what live music is about. But, I was
very surprised that it turned out well enough that we could put it
out on a CD. It's doing okay and it's been on a lot of jazz stations
throughout the United States. I can't complain.</span><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2Ta61LBoxPXilDXAuJyp6fE0kUHqFsIP3c82i1fcxpvH2cMKr1y3x06C9yei2dQFZGOQnkc9pipQYJwYppbG6Yi1M3a4osEDLJTQED9QO9Xq6vZuunCaTJ-MIinl_GUuWfSoDgwYKjSYc/s1600/Life+from+Stern+Grove.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2Ta61LBoxPXilDXAuJyp6fE0kUHqFsIP3c82i1fcxpvH2cMKr1y3x06C9yei2dQFZGOQnkc9pipQYJwYppbG6Yi1M3a4osEDLJTQED9QO9Xq6vZuunCaTJ-MIinl_GUuWfSoDgwYKjSYc/s400/Life+from+Stern+Grove.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Live at Stern Grove</i> album cover</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span style="font-size: large;"> I</span>f I could go back in
time, I wish I had been a
better father. Like I said earlier, being a musician is about being
selfish and that's what it amounts to. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I wish I could
have</span> paid more attention to
the kids when they were growing up. I was so involved in trying to make something of myself, my
music career and get somewhere. I was giving it so much time and it
didn't seem like I spent enough time being a better father.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I
always think about that. I regret that and wish I could go
back in time to when they were small. I should've been
a better father first, then, tried my career secondly. But, I did it
the other way around. That part was not good. If I was to go back in
time, I would be a better father.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span style="font-size: large;"> I</span> spent my last birthday celebrating
at Yoshi's Jazz Club, which I do every year. It's sort of (a) catch-22 day. That date,
July 13, is the same day that my younger brother Coke died.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> My younger
brother Coke and I were closer than anyone else in the family. We
grew up together, most of the time, with my mother. There were six of
us at the time that my mom and dad divorced. My mom
was a single parent and couldn't afford to really take care of all
us, so, two (kids) went to stay with my grandmother, the oldest went
into the service and my brother Coke and I lived with my mom until
she couldn't afford to take care of us any longer. We ended up in
a home for boys.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We did everything together. We were inseparable. </span>We spent most of
our time together as a band. We were the Escovedo Brothers Band (first) and played music
all our lives. I went to Las Vegas to celebrate my birthday (in 1986). I got a call from
my family saying Coke was in the hospital and he was very sick. About
an hour later he passed away. That birthday was not a happy one.<br /> It
took me a while on each (subsequent) birthday, for me to say “Should I celebrate
my birthday or should it be a day of sorrow?" As the years have gone
by, I say "I should celebrate my birthday, because, I should
celebrate not only my life, but, I should celebrate his life." On my last birthday, instead of doing Pete Escovedo Latin
Jazz Orchestra, I did Pete Escovedo: Azteca 2013. I performed all the
music that my brother and I did on the Azteca albums at
Yoshi's Jazz Club and it was incredible. It was so much fun. It had to be one of
the best things that I had done in life. I felt so
good.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> As I played the music, I could just visualize us playing when we
had the band. I could visualize all the guys in the band.
We played everything just as it was recorded on our two albums. It was an amazing time for me. That birthday was really special.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I don't know what
I will do for (my) next birthday. I have a project (and) my next CD is
going to be an Azteca CD. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It'll be a whole different band, with</span> all new music and
different people, because, a lot of the original members have passed away,
retired or a lot of them don't want to come back and do that stuff
anymore. We only recorded two albums, so, I'm going to call it Azteca 3. I hope to have it out before July of next year and if it all gets done,</span> <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I hope to perform that music on my birthday at Yoshi's Jazz Club in
2014. That's something I'm really looking forward to. I'm going to concentrate on getting the music together
and recording the band. It should be great fun.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span style="font-size: large;"> I </span>hope that my legacy is for this
music to keep going. So many of the great Latin Jazz
musicians have passed away and it seems like Latin Jazz has kind
of fallen by the wayside-- just like jazz has. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> All the new music young people are listening to and what (musicians) are doing
now is completely different than the music we had years ago. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I
hope that my legacy would be that I have done the music so
many of the great Latin Jazz players have done and it will continue to grow. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Some young Latin Jazz players are doing that (and) I hope they
continue to respect that style of music. It's always been an underground music to me. It's never been that popular,
because, it's hard to get airplay. You don't hear a lot of Latin Jazz
on the radio and you don't find a lot of Latin Jazz in the
record stores—with record stores being almost completely gone. It's been an awful long struggle trying to get a large audience
that listens to Latin Jazz.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Granted, there is an audience out there
for this music. I do appreciate that. I usually get
good crowds when I play and people come to listen to the music. But, it has to
grow even more. It's got to grow worldwide (and be) more than just home
based. That being said, I hope and pray that my legacy is that what
I've recorded (and) what I've done musically will live on. I hope other young Latin Jazz players (will) carry on that tradition.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_oOWjqHu8LDibn1Daa4mTnstQY-ohGclRioDMRovo8Z_7bFvo6l1mEO_lPrOd6yNwXzOLZQeY89j1dSmCyE7hbAIJ_tGePUXm7qVRiwPBC4nvcBkBsYKYWtHJhu9kxL-8jtj6quLmyTdk/s1600/The+E+Family.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_oOWjqHu8LDibn1Daa4mTnstQY-ohGclRioDMRovo8Z_7bFvo6l1mEO_lPrOd6yNwXzOLZQeY89j1dSmCyE7hbAIJ_tGePUXm7qVRiwPBC4nvcBkBsYKYWtHJhu9kxL-8jtj6quLmyTdk/s400/The+E+Family.jpg" height="282" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Courtesy of thee-family.com</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span style="font-size: large;">T</span>he
future looks really good for me. I have this project with Azteca and I'm so </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> excited about that. I have some more
travelling to do, not only here throughout the (United) states, but, also in
Europe and Japan. I'll be going out for concerts playing with my
orchestra and I'm looking forward to that.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I'm 78 (and) I'm blessed with good health (and) I'm
still able to perform as best I can. I know that I've slowed down
with age. But, I think the music is still there. The Latin Jazz
Orchestra sounds really good. I have some really good musicians in the band. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> The future is really
bright for Sheila. She just did a new CD (<i>Icon)</i> and she'll be
traveling a lot next year. My son Peter Michael is working on some
TV shows and his future looks bright. My son Juan is also recording
his own CD, so his future looks bright. The family, as far as the
wife and the younger daughter, they're both doing well. Our health is
good. I think if we concentrate on staying healthy, spiritually blessed, grateful for what we do and </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">keep our feet
ground-- </span> I think the
future looks bright. Hopefully, we will continue to do what we do.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> In Jesus' name, amen
(<i>laughs</i>).</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Stay Beautiful, Kristi</span></i><br />
<br />
<br />
<b><i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Check out Pete Escovedo's official Web site<a href="http://peteescovedo.com/" target="_blank"> here</a>. </span></i></b><br />
<i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">--</span></i><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Lead photo courtesy of peteescovedo.com.</b></span><br />
<i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">--</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></i><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Like us on Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/BeautifulNightsUSA/" target="_blank">Beautiful Nights USA</a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/DyesGotTheAnswers2UrsTheBeautifulNightsBlog" target="_blank">Dyes Got the Answers 2 Ur ?s</a>.</span>
<i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></i></div>
K Nicola Dyeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11470665347094419495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2193506780254658859.post-28901431594617096112013-11-06T19:14:00.001-08:002013-11-14T22:26:10.528-08:00New Power Soul: Dru Chen Talks 2 Beautiful Nights<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #232323;"><i> </i></span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #232323;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin9HN3duNImDUXv4ni0ItEIjwWVo0-mBOy-8mwX7oLG3Z42NFyPKzQ4LsbvLLIcjn_Fub52W3IFL_xi9QhwGHaugTPg6VlIMpFq9WJ2TaDf2pti6GmnimqPUnCPpMP-fkcg3yNrmbuoCDp/s1600/Dru+Chen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="254" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin9HN3duNImDUXv4ni0ItEIjwWVo0-mBOy-8mwX7oLG3Z42NFyPKzQ4LsbvLLIcjn_Fub52W3IFL_xi9QhwGHaugTPg6VlIMpFq9WJ2TaDf2pti6GmnimqPUnCPpMP-fkcg3yNrmbuoCDp/s400/Dru+Chen.jpg" width="400" /></a></i></span></span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #232323;"><i><br /></i></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #232323;"><i><br /></i></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #232323;"><i> Dru Chen is teaming up with Beautiful Nights USA and Purple Funk Australia to bring his old-school inspired soulful sounds to a new audience. </i></span>
<i style="color: #232323;"> </i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i style="color: #232323;"> Chen was recently been added to the lineup of "The Ultim8 Prince Party," an event hosted by Beautiful Nights USA and Purple Funk Australia at 9 p.m. Nov. 22, Room 680, Melbourne, Australia. The night will also be the official CD release party for Heroine December's new album </i><span style="color: #232323;">Target Practice</span><i style="color: #232323;">-- a band headed by Maya and Nandy McClean, better known as The Twinz. He will serve as the night's opening act and will also be part of the headliners' backing band during their set.</i></span><br />
<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #232323;"><i>He has forged a successful career without the backing of a record label. He released his EP </i>Intentions <i>in</i> <i>February and t</i></span><i style="color: #232323;">he music video for his first single "You Bring Out the Best in Me," posted on YouTube eight months ago has had more than 19,000 page views. He has also been invited to play at music festivals around the world including Mosaic Music Festival in Singapore. </i></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i style="color: #232323;">H</i></span><i style="color: #232323; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">e spent a significant amount of time this year touring Australia and Southeast Asia and will continue playing dates through the end of 2013.</i><br />
<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Chen split his time growing up between Singapore and Australia, which, he said, greatly influenced his musical style. He is a classically-trained musician, plays several instruments (including violin, piano, guitar, bass and drums) and has a degree in music technology, according to his Web site druchen.net. </span></i><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">He discovered R&B, funk and soul music as teen, which, he said, had a tremendous impact on his musical direction.</span></i><br />
<i style="color: #232323;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> K Nicola Dyes did an interview with Chen recently, via e-mail, where he discussed his musical influences, how he became involved with "The Ultim8 Prince Party" and his approach to creating music:</span></i><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #232323;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="color: #232323;"><b> </b></span></span><b style="color: #232323; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">?: How would you say that discovering the R&B, funk and soul genres
as a teen changed your musical direction?</b><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #232323;"> DC:
R&B stands for Rhythm and Blues. It gave me "rhythm,"
which taught me how to be funky and in the pocket. It gave me
"blues," which is the feeling in the "blue notes,"
that gave birth to soul. </span>
</span><br />
<div align="LEFT">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #232323;"> I
think every musician should give R&B, funk and soul (music) a
try. There's just so much music and culture that came from (those)
traditions and (that) lineage: from early Motown (artists) and The
Parliaments (Doo Wop) to Sly & The Family Stone and Funkadelic
(Psychadelic Soul) to Prince and The Revolution and Michael Jackson
(Pop/Rock/Soul) to D'Angelo, (Erykah) Badu, (Raphael) Saadiq, J Dilla
and The Soulquarians (Neo-Soul/Hip Hop) and now all the global,
soulful cats today like DaM-Funk, Miguel and Frank Ocean who keep
pushing and stretching things in all different directions. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="LEFT">
<span style="color: #232323; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I
hope I can, in some way, contribute to this tradition, coming at it
from an Asian-Australian background.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #232323; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b> ?: You have
managed to make quite an impact without being signed to a record
label. What has the been the easiest part of navigating your musical
career? The most difficult?</b></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #232323; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> DC: The easiest
part is having the passion and background to help me do what I do. I
studied music in school and learned the basic skills to analyze
music. From there I studied the "Yodas," all the people I
mentioned above, the people who have paved the way and gave me the
inspiration to fly my inner funky freak flag.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #232323; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I also have
friends in the music industry who mentor and guide me in an informal
way, whom I can trust, I can be truthful with and who also confide in
me. It's a tricky business, but, I am very fortunate to have made
some very good friends in it.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #232323; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> The most
difficult part is keeping control, (being) level headed and not
letting emotions and impulses influence (my) decisions. Everything
takes 10 times longer than you think, which can be a good thing.
(It) gives you time to grow as an artist and ruminate on the
decisions you have to make.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #232323; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b> ?: What is your
approach to songwriting? What inspires you?</b></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #232323; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> DC: A feeling.
A vibe. I think my songwriting gets separated into two categories:
"Confessional" and "Muso." "Confessional"
is pretty self explanatory. "Trainwrecks" from <i>Intentions</i>
EP falls into this category. I have a couple of new songs in this
vein, written about my journey in music and in life. </span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #232323; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> "Muso,"
as I call it, is Australian slang for a "musician's musician."
I'll get inspired by a particular musical phrase or production idea
by another artist and I'll transform that until I come up with my
own thing. A lot of D'Angelo's "Voodoo" was made that
way--like the groove from the ending of Prince's "New Position"
becoming the basis for the drum pattern on D'Angelo's "Africa."</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #232323; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> My song (and
the upcoming single) "Turnaround" from the Intentions EP
falls into this "Muso" category. I was listening to some "sloppy" Sly & The Family Stone while looping a J Dilla-esque beat
(and) I came up with my own cascading vocal harmony canon that turns
around over and over. </span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #232323; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b> ?: How did you
become involved with "The Ultim8 Prince Party" in
Melbourne?</b></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #232323; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> DC: Marcus
Scott, (of Beautiful Nights USA), saw me perform at my CD launch in
Melbourne, Australia (earlier this year). We became fast friends and
shared a passion for Prince and all things Minneapolis. He asked me
if I wanted to be a part of the event. I didn't need to think twice!</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #232323; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b> ?: What are you
most looking forward to at the party?</b></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #232323; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> DC: Meeting
everybody and making new friends! There's such a wonderful music
community here, there and everywhere. For me, it's all about making
the connections and getting to know people. I'm excited about working
with Maya and Nandy from Heroine December. They're so
lovely and down to earth. </span><br />
<span style="color: #232323; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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<span style="color: #232323; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b> ?: How did
splitting your time between Australia and Singapore growing up
influence your life and career?</b></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #232323; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> DC: I lived in
Singapore from the ages of 7 to 16. I started playing in cafes and
bars at 14. Singapore is so small, with a beautifully supportive and
tight music scene, but, I needed to break out and explore the world a
bit more. </span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #232323;"> I
moved to Brisbane in Australia at 17 to pursue a Bachelor's Degree in
Music Technology. The sound and vibe of Australia was so different
from Singapore. It took a while to adjust (and) naturally,
influences from other local bands began to creep into my music. I was
particularly inspired by the DIY (do-it-yourself) work ethic and
musicality of a local songwriter/producer Yeo <a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_478899637">(</a></span><span style="color: #232323;"><a href="http://yeo-yeo.com/" target="_blank">yeo-yeo.com</a>).</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #232323;"> ?:
What was the process for putting together your </span><span style="color: #232323;"><i>Intentions</i></span><span style="color: #232323;">
EP? What inspired it? What do you like about it? In hindsight, is
there anything you would have done differently?</span></span></b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #232323; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> DC:
The <i>Intentions</i> EP was created over the period of time when I moved
from Brisbane, Queensland, a smaller city to Melbourne, Victoria, a
bigger city. A change of scene always inspires me. I guess that's why
I crave traveling and touring so much. </span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #232323; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I created the
entire EP largely by myself, producing, arranging, engineering, and
mixing everything. This DIY way of making music was inspired by
musicians like Yeo, Stevie Wonder and Prince. These musicians have
such a clear vision of what the final product will be like. It takes
a long time for that to develop properly though and I feel I'm just
starting to realize my sound, my vision, my brand, my feel. </span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #232323; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Collaboration
is healthy and, in hindsight, I would have taken more time to bring
in more outside collaborators to help me flesh out my ideas. Having
said that, I did have some help, primarily on the first single, "You
Bring Out The Best In Me" from Graeme Pogson (drummer from
legendary local funk act The Bamboos), Josh Bridges (bassist and long
time friend, from Mustered Courage) and some wonderful horn players.
That definitely brought out the funky vibe of the track.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #232323; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <b> ?: You have
mentioned artists such as Stevie Wonder, Prince and D'Angelo, among many
others, as musical influences. What is it about their music that
speaks to you?</b></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #232323; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> DC: Stevie Wonder
(is) the life affirming, quintessential funk and soul
singer-songwriter. Stevie's grooves absolutely breathe. (He is) the
most natural player. My favorite songs of his would be "Mary
Wants To Be A Superwoman" and "Don't You Worry 'Bout A
Thing."</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #232323; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Prince: (He
is) thought provoking with his vision, scope, visuals, stage shows,
bombast, precision and skill. Prince just brought it so far left,
yet, he still manages to appeal to so many. (He is) the true
chameleon. My favorite album of his is "Sign O' The Times."</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #232323; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> D'Angelo: Very,
very well crafted and curated discography so far. There's not a
single song (of his) I don't like. D'Angelo is a perfectionist to the
100,000th degree. I think he proves that if you take your time and
concentrate on the vibe, the results will be far more rewarding.
Music is spiritual and so much more than words and notes on a page.
D'Angelo's music is testament to that. </span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #232323; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b> ?: What other
genres of music do you play and enjoy listening to? Who are your
favorite artists in those genres?</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #232323; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> DC: Surprisingly, I
like folk and acoustic singer-songwriter stuff, too, mostly from the
1960s and 1970s: like Simon & Garfunkel, James Taylor, Joni
Mitchell and Van Morrison. I like the idiosyncrasies of their writing
styles and and how personal the music is. </span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #232323; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I also have a
soft --or heavy--spot for Metal. I grew up as a guitarist and I
learned through Metallica and Megadeth. The craftsmanship in their
songwriting, particularly the melodies, is so great.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #232323; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> To Paraphrase
Miles Davis, "There are only two kinds of music: good and bad." </span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #232323; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b> ?: Which
artists would you like to collaborate with in the future?</b></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #232323; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> DC:
I would love to work more with Maya and Nandy. I've got a few friends
over in L.A. I'd love to work with as well. Shemika Secrest, whom I
met on tour in the Philippines, has a truly amazing voice. Kimbra is
also a new friend and I'd love to catch up with her. What a funky,
talented lady!</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #232323; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b> ?: What's in
store for your fans as you continue to tour through the end of the
year?</b></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #232323; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> DC: We've been
working hard on our music video for "Turnaround," which
will be the 2nd single from the <i>Intentions</i> EP. We're going to play
some great shows, including a Funk & Soul Christmas Party on Dec.
12 at Ding Dong Lounge in Melbourne.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #232323; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b> ?: Do you have
any plans to tour the United States in the near future?</b></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #232323; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> DC: I am
planning to go to L.A. and a few other places in 2014 (and) would
love to play some shows.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #232323; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b> ?: What do you
hope to achieve in the next five years?</b></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #232323; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> DC: On the live
front, I hope to play more festivals. I feel our funky uplifting
sound suits a festival audience. In the studio, I want to really hone
in on MY sound. Everything is a learning process and I have learned
to take it in my stride and enjoy the journey.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #232323; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> In the end, I
just want to keep making good music and being honest with myself, my
fans and fellow musicians. I am in it for the long run, so, I just
want to grow and keep working at it. </span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #232323; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b> ?: What is your
message for all of your fans and people who may now be discovering
you in regards to your performance at "The Ultim8 Prince Party"
?</b></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #232323; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> DC: Thank you
for your support. Y'all are funky all the way!</span><br />
<span style="color: #232323; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #232323; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Check out Dru's videos:</span><br />
<span style="color: #232323; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #232323; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Turnaround"</span><br />
<span style="color: #232323; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/S-LHDnkZsa4?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<span style="color: #232323; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #232323; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"You Bring Out the Best in Me"</span><br />
<span style="color: #232323; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #232323; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/LGi6Q5WsvtM?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<span style="color: #232323; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #232323; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="color: #232323; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>To purchase tickets for "The Ultim8 Prince Party" visit <a href="http://www.purplefunkaustralia.com/" target="_blank">www.purplefunkaustralia.com.</a></b></span><br />
<i><span style="color: #232323; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-weight: bold;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #232323; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Stay Beautiful, Kristi</span></i></div>
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<span style="color: #232323; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #232323; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">--</span></div>
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<span style="color: #232323; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #232323; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i>All photos courtesy of Dru Chen except where indicated.</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #232323; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #232323; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">--</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #232323; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #232323; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Check out the following Web sites for more information:</b></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #232323;">Official
Web site:<span style="color: #1155cc;"> </span></span><a href="http://druchen.net/" target="_blank">http://druchen.net</a></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #232323;">Facebook:<span style="color: #1155cc;"> </span></span><a href="http://facebook.com/druchenmusic" target="_blank">http://facebook.com/druchenmusic</a></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #232323;">Twitter:<span style="color: #1155cc;"> </span></span><a href="http://twitter.com/druchenmusic" target="_blank">http://twitter.com/druchenmusic</a></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #232323;">Instagram:<span style="color: #1155cc;"> </span></span><a href="http://instagram.com/druchenmusic" target="_blank">http://instagram.com/druchenmusic</a></span></div>
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K Nicola Dyeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11470665347094419495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2193506780254658859.post-73870847871147672192013-10-22T02:00:00.000-07:002013-10-22T04:34:37.134-07:00Wherever U Go, Whatever U Do (Part 2): Steve Parke Talks 2 Beautiful Nights<div style="color: #222222;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i> </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div style="color: #222222;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i> Steve Parke is a true renaissance man.</i></span></div>
<div style="color: #222222;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i> He is best known to Prince fans as the creator of the Grafitti Bridge album cover, designer of the "Glam Slam" music video set and photographer behind many pictures of Prince and associated artists throughout the 1990s. In addition to photography, Parke has also done acting, graphic design, drawing, painting, has past journalism experience and created graphic novels.</i></span></div>
<div style="color: #222222;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i> A chance meeting with Levi Seacer in the late 1980s set Parke on a course of events that culminated with him being hired as art director at Prince's Paisley Park studio complex in Chanhassen, Minn. That opportunity led to various work with artists like Chaka Khan, fDeluxe, Wendy and Lisa and David Bowie, among others.</i></span></div>
<div style="color: #222222;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i> More recently, Parke did the photo illustrations for "Psych's Guide to Crime Fighting for the Totally Unqualified," a companion book to the USA Network TV show "Psych," released earlier this year. "Medusa's Daughter," a graphic novel he created with Jonathon Scott Fuqua, is set for wide release in December, and is currently available at <a href="http://redgiantentertainment.com./">redgiantentertainment.com.</a> He also does freelance photography for corporations and individuals.</i></span></div>
<div style="color: #222222;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i> He is currently working with the band fDeluxe (formerly The Family) on artwork for their new covers album which is tentatively set for release at the end of 2013 and a children's book that will come out sometime next year.</i></span></div>
<div style="color: #222222;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i> K Nicola Dyes conducted an in-depth interview with Parke last month for "Dyes Got the Answers 2 Ur ?s," where the Baltimore resident discussed his original career path, his childhood in the Washington D.C. area and the chain of events that led to him working for Prince:</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><u>Part II</u></b></span><br />
<b><i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></i></b>
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<b><i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></i></b><i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>On photography...</b></i><br />
<br />
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b> W</b>hen
I capture a moment in time, I'm very aware that moment will never
repeat again. I've had a hard time sometimes between being in the moment
and capturing the moment. People say "Oh, you didn't bring your
camera?" No. I actually just wanted to enjoy myself. </span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
I enjoy taking pictures at events, but, honestly, my iPhone camera is
the best thing ever. It's quick and it's easy. It allows you to be in
the moment, capture the moment and then move on. There's no being in the
moment when you've got a couple of cameras, lenses and lights.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> You're
waiting for the opportunity to capture something, so, you're really not
in the moment at all. I think the big thing is that I realized I'm here now, enjoy it now, because, it's going to change into
something else. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It will be a different moment...in just a moment.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <b>I</b>'m
terrible at networking, I'm trying to get better at it. I know all
these people and I never think to myself "Hey, I wonder if they can use
what I do?" I just don't think like that. I think, if they need what I
do, they'll call me. But, sometimes, it's just about keeping
connections.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">think
things are interconnected. They all lead into each other in ways. They
may be small ways, but, they always click together. It's like whatever
path you go down, it could lead back to you. I've been not the best at
not taking advantage of those things. When I worked at Paisley Park, I met a
lot of people and I never thought "I should give them my card." </span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I was at a job I enjoyed at that point. Why ask for more work when I could barely do the work I had to do? </span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
I didn't take advantage of those opportunities (like) I probably should
have. I'm not complaining, because, I continue to get new
opportunities. I just have to keep my eyes open and I'm going make sure
to take advantage of those opportunities.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">
<b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> W</b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">hen
I take pictures of everyday people, I try to make them look like
superstars. I like to give everybody the opportunity to look like a rock
star, but, I understand that's not the goal of every photo.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I
find the mindset in photography is that you're "taking pictures." If
you're shooting doctors, you're just shooting doctors. You make
them look like doctors. I want them to look like "rock-star doctors."
I'm not talking about instruments. I want the person to look the best
they can and I want them to feel happy with the photo when they get it.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
One thing about shooting people who are not in the media, or don't their picture taken all
the time, is that most people hate the way
they look. I think a lot of this perception comes from (their) families.
Somebody, somewhere, told this woman I'm taking a picture of—who's
stunning—that she has a bad smile. I'm like "Really? Let me have you
smile for minute and take a quick picture."</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
I don't get it. But, people get damaged along the way by little
things-- probably just a brother who said "Oh, you shouldn't smile that big,
your teeth are gross," or something like that. They might have been five
years old and they take it to heart. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> When I shoot someone, I want
to bring out the best in them. I don't like taking "ugly" pictures of
people. What I mean by that is that with some photographers, their goal
is take a style of photography; the style is more important than the
person. </span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">T</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">he photograph</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">y is great unto itself, (but), t</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">o
me, the person and having them feel good about themselves in the shot
are the important things. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I do retouch people (in Photoshop), but, I
tell people I retouch them to look like they're having the best day of
their lives. I don't alter people, so, it doesn't look like them. I hate
that, too.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I don't understand how some photography has gotten to the point where
people get airbrushed and sliced up to a point where they don't look
like human beings anymore. What's the point, unless that is truly your
goal-- "I'm going for making people into aliens." Okay, that's cool, I
get that. </span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
I started off drawing when I was a kid. I drew the actors and
musicians that I really liked. I always put them in a positive light. I
like to make people look good, but, still look like themselves. U</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">nless you're going for something dramatic, and even then you can fix things up a little bit.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
Stanley Clarke told me, he said, "Man, you make middle-aged people look
good." I said "Well, because, at this point I am a middle-aged person."
But, I've always had that goal in mind, I don't want someone looking
like crap.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I
see portrait photography, where certain photographers go for a very
grungy look. Again, I don't mind doing (that) occasionally if it calls
for it, but, as a style, I'm never trying to make people look bad. </span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I had a woman tell me when I was showing her some of my work "You know what I love about your work? </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Everything
is beautiful, what you're shooting, it's all pretty. Even some of the darker stuff, it's got some beauty to it... A lot of people don't think like that anymore." </span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> She</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> had previously been an actress and was then married to Art Modell, former owner of the (Baltimore) Ravens, for a long time. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Most people don't necessarily share what they think when we're together. I'm not asking them to, but, she did. </span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
I hadn't really thought about it until then. I realized that's true. I think it influenced my photography and drawing. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I
believe that what I listened to, musically, growing up, determined a
lot how I think about things in other areas; like (my) personal
philosophy and the way I do my work.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I
grew up in a era when the music was very positive, especially R&B.
Even when rap initially kicked in, it was positive, because, it was
social commentary. Or rappers talked about how many
women they had, how much money they had or how many cars they had. It</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> wasn't just saying how bad things were.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<b style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> W</b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">hen I take photographs of women, I'm always amazed at the things
they'll say about their looks. I'm sitting with these absolutely beautiful
women and they will definitely be picky about how they look. It's so funny to
me. But, I think that's society talking a little bit.</span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> I always say guys could
come in there and say "I look great. I look good." They could be just
the slobbiest, nastiest guy in the world. The most beautiful woman in the world
will look in the mirror and see a small pimple that nobody else will see and
say "I cannot go out today." It's an exaggeration, of course, but, it's
kind of like that.</span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> You can't tell someone that
their opinion isn't valid. They see themselves as they see themselves.
That gets into talking to someone and saying "What do you like and what
don't you like about the photo?" and try to look at that when you're
shooting. If someone says "I don't like that angle," you don't shoot
at that angle. Give them what they think makes them look good. </span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span>
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> <span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><b>W</b>hen
I'm doing the graphic novels, I end up being a one-man art department: I
story board them, I costume them and I work with my writer who helps me
cast them. Then when I'm</span><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">photographing</span><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">, it's a lot like directing, because, I have to direct people (to) what I'm looking for emotionally. </span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">
Once I photograph it, I put it all onto your background, then
design it on top of that. I end up wearing a lot of hats. I'd like to
take that into maybe making small films. I think I could do it. I'm
capable as a director. I've worked with people who had no acting skills.
They're not actors and I've managed to make them work in the realm of
graphic novels. I had to pull a lot of emotion out of them for the
stories that I was doing.</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">
<i style="background-color: transparent;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">On working with musicians...</span></b></i></div>
<br />
<b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I</b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">'ve
gotten to meet a lot of people. I shot at a Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
tribute in Washington D.C. that Stevie Wonder hosted. Man, I'm telling you: The
Pointer Sisters, of course Stevie Wonder, Bob Dylan, Jeffrey Osbourne,
Patti LaBelle, I got to meet all those people, it was real cool. </span><br />
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> (I) actually shot Rhonda Smith and Kat Dyson at the same
time, in one of their apartments, I don't remember whose. We just
set it up, shot (photos) and it was really fun. </span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
That's the kind of thing I love sometimes. It's not like you have a
whole studio or anything: you set up in somebody's place, you're just
shooting and you have no specific use for (the photos). You're just
trying to choose any cool shots that you can. That's pretty much what we did.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> They had both been in
the music industry for a while, but, were fairly new working with
Prince. I don't know if they knew what direction he wanted the photos to
go. So, we just tried a lot of stuff.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /><b> I </b>shot
David Bowie live (in concert). I (also) did T-shirt artwork for him.
(After) doing a T-shirt for Prince, I got the opportunity to do T-shirts
for The Grateful Dead, Bob Dylan, Jon Bon Jovi and Bowie's T-shirt for
the </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Sound and Vision" Tour</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> . It was crazy</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I (also) shot the show, which was a lot of fun. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Unfortunately,
I sent (the photos) up to the company that (made) the T-shirts and never saw
them again. (It) happens that way sometimes. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
I did a photo shoot (where) I have shots of someone wearing them (the
T-shirts). There's some hangers with the shirts hanging on them and I
turned the photo black and white, except for the T-shirts, to make them
pop a little bit. I think I might have posted it on Facebook, but, it
was a while back. I have copy of every shirt I've ever done. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> (Bowie) signed an album for me, but, I didn't get a chance to meet him. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b> I </b>was
going to do a tour shirt for (Paul McCartney). His ideas were very much
like (like the work of) the guy who did all The Grateful Dead album
covers. In the long run, Paul McCartney figured he could just hire the
guy that did The Grateful Dead album covers and that's what he did. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> One of the nice things for
me was I could look at a style and replicate things in that style if I
wanted to. It was cool from that perspective. I had the opportunity to show him the drawings. He liked my ideas. It was just "Wait, (I) want
it to look a Grateful Dead album cover, I could just hire that guy." </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Yes he could. He's</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Paul McCartney.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </b><br />
<b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> S</b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">heila
E. and I have still never done a formal photo session. We want to and
what keeps happening is that sometimes I call her and say "Hey, I'm in
L.A." and she says "Hey, I'm in Washington D.C." I'm like "What? How
does that happen?" </span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
We did do a short, fun little shoot when she was performing with the
Dave Koz & Friends Christmas show down at the Strathmore (a venue in
North Bethesda, Maryland), which is 45 minutes away from me. My son and
I went down and shot photos of her in between
sets.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> We actually got some good stuff out of that.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
I still really want to do a straight-up photo session with her. We
were thinking of it on this new album she's got coming out. It ended up
not working out. She said "Tell me what I should be doing." So, I
actually drew it and out, (including the) lighting set up and she
actually got someone to take the pictures. That's art direction right
there. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You
say "Here's what I need" and have somebody else do it. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I really want to
do a shoot with her, she's so much fun as a person. It's funny, she
does a lot of serious work, but, she has such a great smile. I really
want to work her smile.</span><b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </b><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> She knows I want to do pictures with her and she wants to do pictures with me. I think it's just a matter of time.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">
<i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </i><b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">W</b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">hen the
fDeluxe (Gaslight album) came around Paul Peterson (the group's co-lead singer) said "Do you want to do this?"
I said "If I don't get to do this, I will feel very bad about it." </span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
I was one of those people where <i>The Family</i> album was just a great
record for me. When I first heard they doing it, I really wanted to be
involved. Yet, I was a little hesitant in a way, too. How were they
going to make that work? As a fan of the first record I can easily say they made a record as
good and in some ways better. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I could simply say nothing it this wasn't true.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I'm
taking it from a purely musical standpoint. It's hard to beat the
things you grew up with. When you go back and listen to the music you
grew up with, you say "Well, maybe on some levels, it wasn't as good as I
thought it was. But, it's still what I grew up with. I have a
sentimental attachment to it." I definitely had that for that record,
so, I was very worried. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
Those guys are all great. It's hard enough if you've just done a
record, then a year later you're trying to do a second record. But, that
many years later sometimes can be more difficult. They really managed to capture it.
I'm sure not everybody agrees with that, but, that's how I feel. I felt
they did a really great job. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I feel like they listened to what they did and grew.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
Getting an opportunity to do the (album) artwork was great. I really
wanted to do something that complimented the last record, but, not try
to do black and white specifically, because, I thought that would have
been a little cheesy. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I liked that, but, I just really felt like if you're trying to involve your (fans) and also pick up new audiences, you're going to have to move your
look into something contemporary. You can't just bite off something
that's (more than) 25 years old.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
I definitely liked the drama of the initial record, I was trying to
capture some of that and do it in color. I wanted to have a "What's
going on? What's the <span class="il" style="background-color: #ffffcc;">story</span> behind
this?" picture. One of the things about Susannah (Melvoin,
co-lead singer of fDeluxe) being on the cover, is that you can read that
facial expression many different ways. I liked the fact that someone
who didn't know the band, wouldn't necessarily know she was the lead
singer. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
I explained it once and it's true: If you put a woman as art men can
appreciate it and women can appreciate it. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's one of the reasons, artistically why female figures have been very
popular throughout the ages, because, they appeal more broadly. That's a
time-honored thing.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I
felt like I wanted somebody up there, (so) instead of just trying to
promote the band as a band, it was promoting something (where) you didn't know
quite what it was.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> You're going have the
people who will pick up the record no matter what. But, I wanted people
who are maybe on the fence to take a listen
to it. That's sort of what I was going for with that particular image. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> The next
album, the covers record, may be completely different, it might not have any
people on the cover. We haven't set that in stone, but, I took a lot of photos
of different stuff. It might be a little more--I don't know if abstract is
the right word. We'll see how that goes, we don't know
yet.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><b> </b> <b>I </b>shot Wendy and Lisa for the Heroes Soundtrack and it was just a fun day of shooting. I
had a great time with them. I love both of them.</span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> I had a really had a good time photographing them. </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">They are really great people and</span><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> e</span><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">xtremely beautiful women inside and out. </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> It
was a nice collaborative thing where I could talk to them about what I
wanted to get or what I was looking for. Then they could give me ideas
about what they wanted and go for all of those things. It's fun when you
get to collaborate with the artist and bounce ideas off each other.
You're probably noticing that I like to collaborate and it's funny
because, I don't get much opportunity to do it in what I do. But, I </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; text-align: center;">really like it. </span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><b> </b></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><b> </b></span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><b> I</b> grew up
loving Chaka Khan's music and her voice. (It was) another opportunity to shoot somebody I
never thought I would get to shoot-- just like Larry Graham, whom I ended up shooting around the same time. (He was) another one I grew up listening to. It was great. </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Those were cool gifts for me by way of working for Prince.</span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> Chaka was funny, because, she had her stylist and all that stuff. She
came out, we shot and I showed her the stuff. She said "Yeah, I like
it." I
said "Do we need to shoot anymore?" She said "I don't know, do
we need to shoot anymore?" I said "I'm happy with what I got."
She said "Okay. Wow. It took less time to shoot than it took me to get
ready."</span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> I do photograph quickly. I try
to move people through their photo shoots quickly, because, I know most people,
even if they need to get photos, don't want to spend a bunch of time taking
pictures. They want to be done, they have other things to do
and some people simply hate the process. </span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> I've worked with musicians who really
hate that part of it. But, (they) also know an essential part of what they do is to
have that "image."</span><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> That was a case where I made it
quick. </span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">. </span><br />
<b style="color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> G</b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">etting</span><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span>to shoot (Prince) was really fun. As a kid, I
would draw pictures from photographs that other people had taken of him. It's
cool, because, I see people drawing pictures of Prince from photos that I've
taken of him. He was someone that really moved and he knew how to look at the
camera.</span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">
I like the shots I took of him at the Chanhassen Arboretum. They were
outdoors and they were a little outside of what you saw out
of Prince. </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Looking back, there are a lot of photos I
wish we had done: some rawer photos; more casual; more juxtaposed and
things that you would not expect at all: like having him all dressed with his
guitar and everything in a cornfield; or standing with his feet in the ocean; or even in a
lake out in Minneapolis, just to do something different and t</span><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">ake you by surprise</span><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">. </span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> That's probably the only thing I wish I was more vocal about. But, a lot
of times we would shoot very late, at two or three in the morning. You're always
thinking in your head: "You know what would be great? Oh, it's dark
outside, never mind."</span><br />
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<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <b>V</b>ictor
Wooten actually let me sing on his last record, which was kind of fun.
When I was in theater, I did musicals and I actually sing. Once I
stopped doing that, I didn't sing for 20 years, except to my kid
when he was a little baby. That was kind of fun and a nice experience,
too.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> (Wooten)
said "You want to sing on this?" I said "Sure, why not." If it sucked,
worst case scenario, he could just not use it. I said "If this is
terrible, I will not be offended if you don't use it." He (later) said "It came
out great and I put it on the record." </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Opportunity was a huge part of (working with) Prince; Victor Wooten was in that way, too. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">T</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">he big difference between Vic and Prince is that Vic allowed me to express what I wanted a little more. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Vic
definitely took input, which was cool. If I thought something was cool,
he would ask me why I thought so. I won't say he could be talked into
it, but, he would see my point of view and be okay with it. It was not
all about his perspective. It's a different thing. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
Prince definitely worked image with his career. Victor really hadn't
done that to my knowledge. I remember telling him, how come you don't
have posters at your concerts?" He said "Posters of what?" I said
"Posters of you." He said "Man, nobody's gonna buy my picture." I said
"Let's do a poster and find out." We made 1,000 posters, they sold out
in two or three months on tour. He had to get more done. He was
surprised. You know, I didn't get that, but, he never worried about the
image part. </span></div>
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<b><i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></i></b>
<b><i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></i></b>
<b><i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">On Life...</span></i></b></div>
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<div style="color: black;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b> </b><b>B</b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">eing self employed is difficult. When I was (initially) self employed, it was just me and my wife and that was one thing. When you bring a child into the world, you want to provide for them and make sure you give them the best things that you can. </span></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Suddenly, you worry a lot more about the consistency of the money you're making. It kind of puts a fire under your ass, frankly, about making sure you bring in money.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> But, there are definite benefits: I can go pick my son up from school, if he's sick. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I had a shoot the other day and (then) didn't have anything until later in the day, so, I went and saw a movie. If I was in an office situation, I wouldn't be doing that. But, I will admit that's pretty rare.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Self-employed means that if you're not working on a specific project, you're working to know where the next project is coming from. It's like skydiving without a net and sometimes without a parachute. It feels like that. But, I also wouldn't trade it. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I'd like to pick up some teaching gigs or something for a little more income and stability. But, in my heart, I would not trade it for a corporate job. If I had a corporate job where I could make a lot of money in a few years-- I call it "dancing the corporate pole"-- I'd do that for a few years, put money away, then I'd go back out on my own.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> The problem with that is, if you take yourself off the market for a while and people can't get you to work for them, all those contacts dry up. That's a tough thing, too.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> In a way, I had that working for Prince, because, I was on salary. I was out of the pool for a while and I did not have time to take on a lot of other work. When I got back in the world of other things, I had to reestablish myself and that's a lot of work. It's almost like coming up with your second career. But, I was fortunate. I lucked into a whole lot of good things after that.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b> </b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>I</b> listened to music as kid, I was in theater (and) all these things that happened in my life. I was able to walk into a situation like Paisley Park and do a whole bunch of different things. I know I did some things better than others, but, that's just the way it is. I would not have had the capacity to deal with that stuff had I not had all those other experiences.</span></span></div>
<div style="color: black;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I think sometimes people focus on one thing and say "If I focus on one thing, that's a good thing." Well, if you're a musician, you've got to practice, but, does that mean you should sit around, talk music to somebody all day and that's all you do?</span></div>
<div style="color: black;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> If you don't sort of spread yourself out a little bit, so. that you can understand other experiences, you can't communicate.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> When I'm talking to musicians, I have to put something to them in a way that makes sense to their brain about music. I always get this: "Well, I don't know how much effort I want to put into my CD package." I say, "Well, do you want people to be attracted to your product? Let's look at it like this: you put all this effort into your album, (and) you've made it really great. Now all people are going to do is put it on terrible 1960s car speakers. Suddenly, all that effort you put into it will just go away, because, they didn't listen to it the way it should have been (listened to)."</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> This is what it comes down to, especially when you're trying to do something creative or artistic. You have to put it into their area of expertise, so they can equate (it) to something they already know instead of trying to learn a whole new language.</span><br />
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<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <b>T</b>he worst trap you can fall into is negative thinking. My son's behind me saying "No, it's not." </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">He said the worst trap you can fall into involves fire ants, slugs and crocodiles. That's a pretty bad trap. That, however, is a one-time trap.</span></div>
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<div style="color: black;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> T</b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">he best advice is to live life as hard as you can. Just invest in it. (When) I say live hard, I mean do the things you want to; don't hold back. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I think people second guess themselves—I certainly know I have. But, I've also found that through sheer persistence of will, I've gotten to do what I wanted to do, even if it all comes around kind of oddly, (and) maybe it's not a straight shot.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I think some people say "If I think positively, I'll have a straight shot, because, that's what my goals are." </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But, sometimes your goals aren't the right goals. Sometimes what happens to you shows you where you should be-- as far as positive things. I don't want to say somebody should be in a gutter, somewhere, if they end up like that. They should not be in a gutter. What I'm saying is, I think if you live like there's no tomorrow and pursue things as hard as you can-- really put your best foot forward-- it's going work out for you. Like I said, it may not be the way you expected.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> When I was in college, I truly expected (to be) doing Broadway shows, be on television or whatever. That's what my goals were at the time. But, life revealed to me, that's not really where (I was) supposed to be and I still ended up doing really, really good things. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Something in the universe said "No, no, not that. Come over here." I believe that you can learn from failure. Failure is relative. (When) people say they failed at something, did they fail? Or did they come in at 20 percent of what they wanted? I</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">t's not a failure if you learn things. That's a win, because, you learned something now that you can apply later on. I think people forget that. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> The second part of living life hard... is staying connected with people, staying connected with family and friends. Don't lose that connection. I see a lot people who find themselves being very lonely, (for) no reason at all, except for the fact they got very myopic on whatever they were doing. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> You want to live life hard, but, include every part of it. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Don't just do the job hard. You (also) have to do the family connection, friend connection (and) love connection. One day you'll say "What happened to the last twenty years of my life?" It's true.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><b><br /></b></i></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><b>On life now and in the future...</b></i> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> (I</b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
live) in Baltimore, now, which I enjoy. I never thought I'd live in a
more city type of environment. When I first got into Baltimore, it was
like when you see apocalyptic movies: you saw the Waterfront and I was
just waiting for the radioactive creatures to come out. That was
probably what Baltimore was like when I moved here.</span></span><br />
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> It's
a blue collar town and there (was) a lot of industry that (was) very
polluting. I don't think anybody knew that at the time. When you
start to see people in white Hazmat suits and full headgear cleaning the
water of all the green stuff floating around in it, you know there were
some problems. We actually had that, it was actually like some weird
science fiction movie. I will say (that) Baltimore has moved past that.
It's a different city.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span> <span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><b> </b></span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><b> M</b>edusa's Daughter... my
friend Johnathon Scott Fuqua and I came up with (the concept) in 2008. </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">We wanted to do a book that was available in multiple formats, because,
kids read in different ways.</span><br />
<div style="margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> (The books) all have the same basic story, which is about a girl who finds herself in a side show in the 1970s, who can manipulate her hair and make it move. She has been in the sideshow since she was a kid, but, she becomes a teenager and finds out she other powers. S</span><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">he's trying to figure out who she is, where she came from and what her real background is. The guy who owns the sideshow has basically told her lies from birth.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> Teenagers go through this: Who am I? What do I do? Things are changing for them and they don't know how to handle it. (The story) is sort of a corollary between adolescence, but, in a superhuman, or unusual, format. It's something that's slightly outside the norm and more interesting. But, it really deals with issues that teenagers go through. </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">We felt very strongly about a strong female lead character. </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">We wanted to create a strong female character that has bizarre abilities, which would attract boys.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> We designed a prose novel,
which is just like a straight novel with no pictures. Then, there's a
graphic novel, which, of course, has lots of photos and is treated in a
somewhat comic book style-- b</span><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">ut, I'm doing photography instead of drawing. Then
we have a book that looks more like it's painted. I</span><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">t's for kids with dyslexia and reading issues, so, t</span><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">here are individual pages of
painting and less words. </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> We felt (that) what happens to a lot of kids at that age is that they slip through the cracks, because, they have to read down several grades. What happens is the subject matter of the book is not interesting to them at all. But, they are given those books, because, it's at their reading level. It's kind of screwed up. </span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> You're in 8</span><sup style="color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">th</sup><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> grade or 9</span><sup style="color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">th</sup><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> Grade and you're reading something for a 5</span><sup style="color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">th</sup><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> grader. You're not going to want to read. No matter what level you read at, you can read this book. Then, you can discuss it with your friends. It levels the playing field a little bit.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> If a librarian has these books, he or she can target the kids: </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">"Oh, I know this
kid likes to read Harry Potter, so, I can give him this prose book, no
problem" or "This kid I know, he reads Batman, Superman or
Spiderman (comic books). So, he or she might like this."</span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> If a kid who has reading issues, reads through the first book, a
librarian can say to them "The other two books are basically the same
idea, but, there's different information about each of the characters in each of
the formats." You can tell more of the story
or different parts of the story, just by virtue of the type of book it is. </span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> We're hoping a kid who has
reading issues might challenge themselves by
then going to the graphic novel. It has a lot of photos and images in
it. It's an easier read.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> If they get through
that, then they can try and read the novel. We made the novel small on
purpose, so, it doesn't look so daunting. The trick is that the
type is small, so, there's actually a lot of words in there. We want
kids to go through it and feel a sense of accomplishment in their
reading. </span></div>
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<div style="color: #222222;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> On top of that, we simply wanted to make a story that people read and
enjoy. It tries to serve some educational purposes without being an
educational book.</span></div>
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<div style="color: #222222;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> <b> I</b>n
the future, I hope to do more book projects. I hope to see some of the
book projects and graphic novels, take off into movies, games or whatever.
Multimedia all derives from stories and that's what I'm doing. I'm
coming up with all these stories. It's just a matter of finding the time
to get them done. I don't have to hold on to them myself. I'll be happy to find someone who wants to run with a story idea and actually make
it happen, rather than just do it myself.</span></div>
<div style="color: #222222;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">
I'd love to keep working with music. The hard part is, what
does art for music look like in an era where more things are
going digital? </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">You
still have to have a cover, but, you don't necessarily need the rest of
it. I do think that stuff is going to survive, especially, because,
kids are getting into vinyl and things like that. So, there will still
be some of that kind of work. I'd like to keep a hand in that, too.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<i style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br /></i>
<i style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Stay beautiful, Kristi</i></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><i>--</i></span><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Check out Steve Parke's official Web site</span><a href="http://steveparke.com/#" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" target="_blank"> here.</a></b><br />
<b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">All photos courtesy of Steve Parke Photography Facebook Page. Check it out <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Steve-Parke-photography/190503910218" target="_blank">here</a>.</b><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><i>--</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Like us on Facebook: Beautiful Nights USA and Dyes Got the Answers 2 Ur ?s.</span></div>
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<br />K Nicola Dyeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11470665347094419495noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2193506780254658859.post-77792728547751413672013-10-21T19:56:00.000-07:002013-10-22T02:03:22.047-07:00 Wherever U Go, Whatever U Do (Part I): Steve Parke Talks 2 Beautiful Nights<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i> Steve Parke is a true renaissance man.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i> He is best known to Prince fans as the creator of the Grafitti Bridge album cover, designer of the "Glam Slam" music video set and photographer behind many pictures of Prince and associated artists throughout the 1990s. In addition to photography, Parke has also done acting, graphic design, drawing, painting, has past journalism experience and created graphic novels.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i> A chance meeting with Levi Seacer in the late 1980s set Parke on a course of events that culminated with him being hired as art director at Prince's Paisley Park studio complex in Chanhassen, Minn. That opportunity led to various work with artists like Chaka Khan, fDeluxe, Wendy and Lisa and David Bowie, among others.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i> More recently, Parke did the photo illustrations for "Psych's Guide to Crime Fighting for the Totally Unqualified," a companion book to the USA Network TV show "Psych," released earlier this year. "Medusa's Daughter," a graphic novel he created with Jonathon Scott Fuqua, is set for wide release in December, and is currently available at <a href="http://redgiantentertainment.com./">redgiantentertainment.com.</a> He also does freelance photography for corporations and individuals.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i> He is currently working with the band fDeluxe (formerly The Family) on artwork for their new covers album which is tentatively set for release at the end of 2013 and a children's book that will come out sometime next year.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i> K Nicola Dyes conducted an in-depth interview with Parke last month for "Dyes Got the Answers 2 Ur ?s," where the Baltimore resident discussed his original career path, his childhood in the Washington D.C. area and the chain of events that led to him working for Prince:</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><u>Part I</u></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i>On growing up... </i></b></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b> M</b>y childhood in Virginia was really good. I lived in an area where everybody knew each other. I started out going to a separate school from the other kids in my area, because, I got into a gifted and talented program. It's good that I was in it, but, I hated not being in the same school as (the) other kids. That was a little rough in the beginning. Once I got into junior high school, I was put in with everybody else. (I) got to know people had a great experience and great teachers. It was a really nice place to live at that time.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I had access to the Washington D.C. area for going out. I worked in a record shop down in Georgetown. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> The population base (in the town), worked in D.C. My dad was in the military-- he actually worked for the Pentagon at that point. It was interesting being in a political town and I never really thought about that. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Your backyard news was politics, versus, for example, when I would travel. If I was in the Midwest--like Ohio where my grandparents were-- their backyard news (might be) the farm report and that was always weird to me. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You had all kinds of bizarre rumors. It was the 1980s. That was an interesting, political time, to say the least.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> It's so overly populated and traffic heavy now (that) I don't think I'd want to be there again. At the time, it was a pretty ideal place to live.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b> M</b>y mother and father always told me I could do whatever I wanted. They really supported me, but, they were also, conscious of the fact that if you go down certain paths, there are realities.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I was a theater major in college and decided I wanted to be an actor. I thought I was pretty good at it. My dad sat me down one day and said to me "A lot of actors don't work. That's the reality. Or you work (in the theater) at night, (but), you wait tables, you do things like that. It's a hard road.” </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I appreciated him telling me that, even though I’m sure, at the time, I said "Yeah, I'm going to be the one who makes it." </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My father had a military background. He literally got out of high school and into the military. He had a career of it. He and I thought a little differently.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Later, I said "Man, I don't really want to be doing this (theater) now." If you're in school, (you can play) an 80 year old </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">in a school production.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> In the real world, there would be 30 80-year-old (people) fighting you for that part. You wouldn't even be considered for that part.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Ideally, I thought I would go to art school and my dad said "If that's what you want to do, we'll make it happen." (I talked to) the guy you would go in and show your portfolio to. He looked at my portfolio and said "I don't know why you want to go here."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I said "What do you mean?" </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">He said "You already have a strong portfolio and a strong direction. I honestly believe that if you came here, all you would be doing is arguing with the professors."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I'm so grateful for that, because, I'm sure someone's job like that is to pretty much steer you in the direction of coming to the college. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm sure that 90 percent of the time, (he said) "Sure, apply and spend your money."</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> That's what they do. He was nice enough to say Look, you've already got stuff going on, why would you want to spend-- back then, certainly the price of a house-- to go to college? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> The fact is that my parents were willing to say, "If you want to do (this), we'll find a way to make it happen." I think the way to make that happen would have been to get a student loan. I'd still be paying that off.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> My mom and dad have been incredibly supportive. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I owe my parents a lot and I literally owe my parents some money (<i>laughs</i>). </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As a parent myself, I know that you do everything you can for your kid, within reason. You have to let them do their thing sometimes, too. You can't hold their hand. They have to fail or succeed on their own.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> (My parents) really supported (me), so, I could succeed on my own. President Obama said that you don't succeed on your own. You succeed with your own drive, but, you have to have support from somebody, whether it be from parents, teachers or whomever. It's impossible to fight the odds with no support, e</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">specially (from your) parents. I think people forget that sometimes.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> M</b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">y mom was into music. She grew up in Ohio (and) it's interesting to hear about music back in the day. She said "We used to tune the 'race' channel." I said "What are the 'race' channels?" She said "The Black channel... That's what it was called back then. You know, Elvis was actually played on those stations." They assumed Elvis was Black. They had never seen him before. It's kind of cool. These days, there's no questions, there's no ability to have any secrecy in the music industry; no surprises.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> She grew up on a lot of R&B. She exposed me to James Brown, The Spinners, The Crusaders. My dad was never a music listener and when he did listen to music it was like that weird "parent" music--you know that stuff you hear going up in the elevator, like "What is that?" He liked "Saturday Night Fever." I have to give him credit for that. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> My grandfather was a guitar player and he was really into jazz. He exposed me to George Benson and a lot of great guitar players back in the day. George Benson is still a great guitar player. He's just done a lot more vocal stuff.</span><br />
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<b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> F</b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">riday Night Videos...that was a blast. It was another opportunity to go and meet all these people. I would shoot the local concerts to post them at the end of each month, like here's who had been in town.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> This was before MTV took off. A local (TV) station did Friday Night Videos and they wanted to tie in the local things that were going on. That gave me the opportunity to go and photograph, oh...Luther Vandross. I got to photograph so many people. It was so much fun.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> The guys that ran Friday Night Videos also did a show called "Kid's World" when I was a teenager. I hosted a local segment of that TV show. I got to interview Harry Wayne Casey from KC and the Sunshine Band and Muhammad Ali.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> (Ali) was a really fun guy. He was on a tour for the American Dental Association and they had him out fighting tooth decay. You would think it was kind of goofy, but, kids loved it. The kids knew who he was, because, of their parents. They all came and it was a fun event. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I've still got his autograph, somewhere, but, I've got to dig it out.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Meeting those people earlier on set me up for the opportunity to do photo shoots later. You wouldn't necessarily tie those two things together: "If I do this, it's going to open up and opportunity for me to use later." But, it did.</span></div>
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<b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> A</b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">s a college newspaper reporter...I wasn't so much a reporter ... Let's just say this: I used the idea of being a college reporter to shoot shows I really wanted to see. I would also write about the shows.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I found a way to do the thing I loved, which was go see shows, for free. I got to see a ton of shows and I would go see shows (even if) I didn't care about the artist one way or the other.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> My college now has its own stadium and I think it opened up my senior year. I remember photographing (British Musician) Howard Jones. I went to photograph Fishbone and ended up doing an in-depth article with them. I did an interview with The Thompson Twins.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> (I shot) U2, Judas Priest--they were hilarious, by the way. I saw them after I saw "Spinal Tap." I shot Cyndi Lauper at a smaller venue in D.C. and I shot The Firm, which (was) Jimmy Page and Paul Rodgers, the lead singer from Bad Company. That was a weird show. They were totally wasted on stage. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I (later) found a bunch of negatives, when I was moving, from shows I had forgotten that I had shot. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My college experience was great fun. S</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">omebody said "You want to do this?" and I said "Sure, why not?" I try to do that with everything. I say "Why not try this?" Don't </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">say no to stuff you haven't tried, unless you're going to be put in danger.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I think I worked for them for two years.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b> A</b>nother thing about being in the (Washington D.C.) area: BET had just started up. I had met Donnie Simpson a few years earlier and </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I got to hang out at BET a lot, meet people there and, through (the network) I got to see a lot of shows in the area.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I was at a show that (featured) New Edition and one of the promoters said "Hey, I'd like you to airbrush T-shirts for the New Edition guys—just their face on a T-shirt." So, I did all of them. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> (Later), I was in the elevator. Bobby Brown got on the elevator and he had his shirt in his hand. He said "Hey, how's it going?" I said "Hey. I just wanted to let you know I did that shirt." He said "Man, you did this shirt? I'm gonna do the solo thing and it's going to be big. I'll stay in touch with you. Let's do some stuff..." </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I gave him my information and I'm sitting there like "Yeah, right, you're going to do some big stuff." It was interesting to see a kid that age and he had a goal. They</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> were kids at that point in time. I wasn't that much older, but, they were definitely younger than me. It's a shame he overshot his goal-- kind of going in the opposite direction-- but, it was interesting to see a kid that young that driven to succeed. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><b>On Life Changing Events...</b></i></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Levi Seacer, Jr. (l) former guitar and bass player with Prince</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <b>M</b>eeting Levi Seacer was really cool. I met him when I photographing a Lionel Richie and Sheila E. (concert). I met Levi backstage. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> We just got along, started talking and I drew a picture of him on a napkin (<i>laughs</i>). He said "Hey, that's pretty good."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> He kept saying "Hey, keep sending me some of your work and I'll show Prince" and he did. He really did. A lot of people say that and they don't do it. They say "Send me your work and I'll give it Prince." </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What they really mean is "Send me your work and I'll put it on my wall."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> He was definitely instrumental in hooking me up with Prince. (He is) a really great guy and a really good guitar and bass player. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We stay in touch here and there. I would love to do some photos with him. But, it's difficult with him being on one coast (and) me being on the other.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcKf2SHFmqfFwCBKa9IMbB95UIdWthEYJfSeNi15cmUf_CmGSp77kpOcPBq1H9uElkRjFG9u3pkEGaQbCQaqXf7iLsS8jLL-9OQXWnVxz-ico30s_4pJ_8Zqrj2-KLAjX4CwnILMaKLCmJ/s1600/Steve+Parke-Glam+Slam+Drawing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="340" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcKf2SHFmqfFwCBKa9IMbB95UIdWthEYJfSeNi15cmUf_CmGSp77kpOcPBq1H9uElkRjFG9u3pkEGaQbCQaqXf7iLsS8jLL-9OQXWnVxz-ico30s_4pJ_8Zqrj2-KLAjX4CwnILMaKLCmJ/s400/Steve+Parke-Glam+Slam+Drawing.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Original drawing for Glam Slam Music Video Set. Courtesy of Steve Parke</span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><b> T</b>he set for the Glam Slam video...I got a call from Alan Leeds. "You want to come out and paint this set?"</span><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> I thought jokingly "Nah, nah, not me, I'm not the guy for that." I said "Of course." </span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> I got out there (to Paisley Park) and I saw that they had already started it. Levi explained to me someone had started (painting) the set and they were doing it in layers. Prince came in, saw it in layers and I guess he was like "This isn't working for me." I learned from that quick interaction that Prince wants to see stuff finished. I guess that, visually, he doesn't want to see "process." If he's walking in and it's partially finished, he's not going to dig that.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> I just tooled around Paisley Park, looked around and saw what was going on. I (looked in) the wardrobe department and all around the building. I did a drawing (for the set). Prince approved it and then he went away for three days. In that three days, I said "What third of the stage can I get done?" I had two people from Minneapolis Children's Theater help me out. I stayed up three days straight. I'm not joking. These guys helped me out (and) they thought I was crazy. It was insane. I was 25, so, I was okay with doing that.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> I wanted to make sure I had the job when he came back. And I did. He came back and I don't think I heard anything. I said "I didn't hear anything." Somebody told me, I don't know if it was Levi, "Oh, you didn't hear anything? It's good. If it wasn't good, you would hear something." I said "Ah, it works like that, does it?"</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> I was on the set if something needed to be fixed, painted or repaired. I did that over the first three days and then I just painted over the course of the rehearsals. What we would do is paint all night and then seal it with a finish. It was a heavy-duty urethane like they use on bowling lanes. I'd have to seal that by four or five in the morning and let it dry in time for Prince to come rehearse. Prince rehearsed everyday at 1 p.m. and they rehearsed for eight hours, pretty much every day for that Lovesexy Tour.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> I would finish up (painting the set) in the morning, go back to my hotel (to sleep), then get up and go back for rehearsal. Every single day. I was crazy. </span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> Watching the process during the rehearsal was amazing. He was doing it on this giant circular stage, which was basically the template for the final Lovesexy stage. They had a big scaffold built on the side, so, you could see it from above. He was able to see that set like somebody in an arena. </span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> He would choreograph it all and they would rehearse with all the dance moves. I remember when the was car (which was a prop in the show) was finally delivered and built. He would try different things, like surfing on top of it. It was on a track that wasn't the smoothest thing in the world and it would catch. He would hit the top of the car really fast. He'd like get down, like "Uh, oh, I don't want to fall off."</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> I remember once when they were working with the heart in the middle and the riser would come up during "Anna Stesia." It kept going higher and higher. Prince was ducking down, even though it never would've hit the ceiling there-- it was huge-- but, it was really funny. He was kind of shrinking himself further and further down to the ground. It finally stopped.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Final Stage for Glam Slam Music Video Set. Courtesy of Steve Parke</span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> I stayed all the way through to the video shoot and then I came back to do the final Lovesexy stage. I just did the eye next to the little basketball court thing. When they (toured) Europe, they had a very different stage, because, it wasn't in the round. I got flown out to England to paint Prince's "eyes" on some clouds (on the stage). How cool is that? My friend said "You're actually the guys who paints Prince's eyes. They fly you around the world to paint Prince's eyes. I had not thought about it that way. </span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> (Later), I met J.D. Considine, a reviewer for Rolling Stone, (who) also wrote for the Baltimore Sun at one point in time. I told him that I worked for Prince and about the work I did for Lovesexy Tour. He said "Yeah, I Iiked that show. But, I really didn't like how many samples they used. I said "What are you talking about?" </span></div>
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> He said "Well, obviously, they were just samples running in the background." I said "No, man, they triggered all those samples....They were samples, but, they were triggered by the drummer or the keyboard player in appropriate places. It wasn't just a track running behind the whole song." He said "Are you sure?" I said "Yeah, man, I was there." He said "There's no way they could do that." I said "You want to know how they did that? They rehearsed it. Eight hours a day."</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> The original painting that was later used for the Graffiti Bridge Soundtrack. Courtesy of Steve Parke</span></td></tr>
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<b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> T</b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">he Graffiti Bridge album cover actually arose out of my figuring, "I've got to get a job." I'd connected with Prince on the Lovesexy Tour and I was getting bit and pieces of work here and there. But, I hadn't solidified anything. I said well, that was cool, that was a nice ride, time to move on to the next thing. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> One of the things I was trying to do with that painting-- before it got associated with <i>Graffiti Bridge</i>-- (was that) I had a connection with Prince, so, I might as well put Prince in it. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I thought if Prince is going to see this, I thought what hasn't he done? What hasn't been a theme in what he's done?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I just thought of a lot of cool elements that I thought would go well into it. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The weird part was (later) seeing all these elements in the movie. I had no idea. Nobody gave me a script. I was kind of on the same page with him at that time. It </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">was weird.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I sent it off to my friend Levi, who had been showing Prince my work for a while. I sent a transparency, I didn't send the actual painting. The actual painting is double the size, like an big-fold album cover. I just randomly chose that size.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Levi said "You know, Prince has got that transparency sitting at his desk... He kind of looks at it every day." I said "Huh? Okay, well that's good." He said "I think he might want to use it or something." That's what ended up happening. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Prince called me up at one point and told me how much he liked it, which was really cool. The biggest thing was I had to add some things in (the painting): I had to add Morris Day and I had to add Ingrid Chavez. It was just at the edge of digital, so, I literally had to take sandpaper to the painting surface and sandpaper out some of the stuff I had already put in. It wasn't a big deal, it was just background.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I had to get Day and Chavez back into it. I had to make the black and white girl look a little bit more like Jill Jones, but, it wasn't originally set up to be Jill Jones. It was interesting. Prince changed his jacket from red to black on the cover. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> The process for that was as weird as it could be. It was not somebody calling me up and saying "Hey, I want you to do this." I did it and it ended up being used. I was beside myself, to say the least. What a strange way for that to work out, but, I'm certainly not ungrateful.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I always think you can work real hard towards a goal and there are certain of things going on to make it work for you. I feel like all the stars aligned properly for that to happen. Whatever stars those were, I'm happy they aligned. I know I heard back from Levi pretty quickly that Prince kept looking at it (the painting). Maybe I was not aware, but, (the film "Graffiti Bridge") may have been in production at that time. Eventually, I did become aware of it, because, obviously (they said) we'd like this for the movie soundtrack. I don't know where it quite fell into line, but, it must have been in pre-production, because, they knew who was in the cast.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> It (the album cover) wasn't real until I saw it. It seemed sort of surreal. Growing up, I was the kid who looked at all the liner notes (on albums). (I) looked who played on everything and I could name session percussionists, producers and who did the artwork. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> The exciting part was that (the album was released) right at the end of vinyl. It actually came out on vinyl, which was even cooler. Ironically now, I'm working on vinyl again. I worked a long time on that piece, even though it wasn't specifically for anything. It was for me, I wanted it to be right, so, I spent a lot of hours on it. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I look back at it now and the cover has a 1970s vibe to me. That's the kind of album art I grew up with. I wasn't thinking that at the time. When I was done people said "Wow, how did you collage all those photos?" To me, it's photo realistic, but, it doesn't look like photos. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1q3msQ3NOfE-W50qdikwiWASbbg03FGQltGYsk1ubbyUfVCL65Gyc-P8ktoQKPNK5wPVV9GCi3O6Z5nkwkVSBO_S5sngfqj1ke-m4LEoRxo3zKIJIPvF7S45iuhcuJMMAuKLHSpywexDo/s1600/Steve+Park-Grafitti+Bridge+Album+Cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="398" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1q3msQ3NOfE-W50qdikwiWASbbg03FGQltGYsk1ubbyUfVCL65Gyc-P8ktoQKPNK5wPVV9GCi3O6Z5nkwkVSBO_S5sngfqj1ke-m4LEoRxo3zKIJIPvF7S45iuhcuJMMAuKLHSpywexDo/s400/Steve+Park-Grafitti+Bridge+Album+Cover.jpg" width="400" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I absolutely went to the record store. That was the coolest thing."Look, it's my record. Yay!" It wasn't my record, of course, but, the cover was mine. (When) you're proud of your work, you want to see it. It's natural. I understand actors not wanting to see themselves in a movie, that's a little weird. But, I think something you worked on is different type of thing.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I honestly had no thoughts of that becoming anything other than a good portfolio piece (that) showed I could handle a lot of different material.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><b><br /></b></i></span>
<b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </b><br />
<b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></b>
<b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I </b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">painted instruments for (Prince). I painted that one-eyed bass for him. That's a funny </span><span class="il" style="background-color: #ffffcc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">story</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">, because, he wouldn't stop playing it. I painted it and he'd play it without getting it clear coated. He would rehearse and wreck the paint job. Then I'd have to paint it again. His guitar tech finally just took it to get lacquered. </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"></span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"></span><br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">don't know if that made Prince happy, but, in the long run, that painting stood up for a while. His technique on the bass would definitely wear the paint job off. Slapping your bass will wear off paint.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I</b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> just tried to see how well I could fit in to what (Prince's) needs were. I eventually got a computer and learned to use it. I sent some of the things I'd done and they said "Oh, this is really cool."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> He presumed that I totally knew how to use a computer, which wasn't true. The truth is I sort of knew how to use the computer and then I winged it as I went. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I think that was the turning point. I felt like, in my mind, I could meet whatever challenges he needed in art. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> When Prince's in-house art director quit (working at Paisley Park), they said </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Do you want to do this?" I said "I'll give it a shot." It kind of went from there. It was a lot of flying by the seat of my pants.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I was lucky enough to get a partner out there,<i> </i>Michael Van Huffel<i>. </i></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">He's one of those guys who could sit down,read a manual to a program and get it. My eyeballs would falling out of my head. He was great. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">He worked with Prince for many years. I think that's the only reason I survived.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span>
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><b><i>On Working at Paisley Park...</i></b></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><b> </b></i> <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>W</b>hen
I was the art director at Paisley Park, I worked a lot. I handled a lot
of things, learned a lot and wore a lot of hats. Being (the) art
director, I made sure things got out on time, I hired the talent, I kind of managed things. But, I hired myself most of the
time to do things. (<i>Laughs</i>). </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
I thought of myself more as a one-man art department, because, I was my
only resource a lot of time. I didn't necessarily want to be that. I
would loved to have brought people in to do projects, but, (I)
never had time. Nothing was planned.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
I think (Prince) just does music. I don't think he plans it. I think
he just comes in like "I'm going to make some music" and he makes it.
Then, he decides if it's something he wants to make a record project
with. We all know that stuff doesn't all come out. He's constantly making
music. Somewhere along the line it must click, for him, "This would be
good on a record." Which then meant "Hey <span class="il" style="background-color: #ffffcc;">Steve</span>,
we need a cover for this." I would say "Okay. I also have five things
due out to magazines." He would say "Well, I need to get this, too."</span><br />
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
It was as much like fine art as opposed to commercial art that
you can be in a business. It was all so "take it as it comes." There was
planning sometimes; on some releases, we definitely had plans. The
record labels needed certain things by certain dates. But, a lot of the time, it was
"What's going to happen this week? I have no idea."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> There were a few different Prince groups or forums back when I worked
there that friends of mine turned me on to. (They) would tell me "I read
this or that." I would say "How do you know that?" They would say, "I
read it in this Prince forum." </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I
started going to them (and), I swear to God, I don't know how people
knew these things, but, I would then have a better idea of what I was
doing that week. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> (The
forums would say) "Oh, this is happening at Paisley Park this week." Sure enough, what they were talking about impacted what I was going to
do (that) week: "Prince is going to be having a party on Friday. I'll
probably help him do something for that." </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It
was really kind of bizarre that I could do that.</span><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhm0jkjmha5Dbs1YgFlT5RvslGmjEiC8XlIVQ6bj0vZFg9wUPx80oeafAJzOmeyfmL-v5_YL7z4LAGIoWVWoH8Yd7YBaVgHuFd4okx0YlytFPJ8b_OzlSADbEiTiLF-PktiLfP3AYoZtDE/s1600/Steve+Parke-+Prince+on+Swing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhm0jkjmha5Dbs1YgFlT5RvslGmjEiC8XlIVQ6bj0vZFg9wUPx80oeafAJzOmeyfmL-v5_YL7z4LAGIoWVWoH8Yd7YBaVgHuFd4okx0YlytFPJ8b_OzlSADbEiTiLF-PktiLfP3AYoZtDE/s640/Steve+Parke-+Prince+on+Swing.jpg" width="424" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Courtesy of Steve Parke</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><b> </b></i></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <b>W</b>orking
with Prince was always interesting. (<i>Laughs</i>). He was trying to
something different, outside the mainstream and always having you think
on your feet. </span><br />
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> There
were no simple solutions to anything, because, he wanted to push the
boundaries all the time. You had to learn how to not say no. You had to
learn how to say "Yes, we can do that and here's what it takes." Once
you told him what it will take, he would make the decision whether you went forward or not. There was never a time I said "Well, this is
boring." No. (<i>Laughs</i>). Frustrating, yes. It was frustrating sometimes.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
But, quite frankly he gave me opportunities. Prince would see that you
could do something and he would give you opportunities.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> He
asked me at one point "Do you do photography?" I said "Yeah, I used to
shoot back in college." He said "Let's try and do something." </span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
Now, all of a sudden I was shooting under very different conditions,
because, I had to learn studio lighting. I'd never used it. I didn't
know how to use that stuff at all. So, my first shoot with him was not
great: it was in focus and it had a light on it. (<i>Laughs</i>). It had those
two things going for it. But, he gave me that opportunity and I learned as
I went.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
The technology changed and let me tell you, early digital cameras
sucked so bad. They were good for like table food photography,
(but), they really were not great for what I was using them for. I had
to fix stuff a lot back then (during the photo editing process). It
was just an unfortunate reality of the time. </span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Prince</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> liked
(that) digital photography meant you could look, see you had and shoot
some more if you wanted. None of that getting negatives developed and
all that. The digital camera was its own Polaroid camera in a way,
because, you could look at it right away, as opposed to having to check
your light and then go shoot. </span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
He gave me pretty much every opportunity. I went into the studio a
couple times to record some things-- in the background, just some
talking stuff on some of the songs-- which was fun.</span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4I9egcmFx5GognMZQOJwZAyQWdfhRrTu-gR2GJNJ1LV0DyF5CxlZgGJPIj7Nzb1NAH3icUA4RQ9T0qoKgi6R3Y0RYKRnj1Dy2hA34IjmgPDzipmbDCKyYnS1O0yFcTZJQbtTzxZEElJ8S/s1600/Steve+Parke,+Prince+Eyes+Closed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4I9egcmFx5GognMZQOJwZAyQWdfhRrTu-gR2GJNJ1LV0DyF5CxlZgGJPIj7Nzb1NAH3icUA4RQ9T0qoKgi6R3Y0RYKRnj1Dy2hA34IjmgPDzipmbDCKyYnS1O0yFcTZJQbtTzxZEElJ8S/s640/Steve+Parke,+Prince+Eyes+Closed.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Courtesy of Steve Parke</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></div>
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<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b> </b><b>W</b>hat
was interesting with Prince is that we would sometimes shoot these
photos and he was all into them. Then, all of a sudden, he would decide
that wasn't the image he wanted and we went and shot something else. I
didn't think the (newer) photos were as good, from my perspective, but, it was up
to him. It was his product. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But, you would think "Oh man, those other shots were so cool." </span></div>
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<b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </b></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b> </b><b>I</b>
liked the packaging that we did for The Truth as a full CD.
Unfortunately, it never came out, so, that's too bad. There's a cassette
floating around that kind of has the cover on it. It's kind of smashed up
with Prince sitting on a stool playing guitar. But, in the interior, I
took a cue from <i>Purple Rain</i> and actually did typography that was all different for the different songs. We had all these random black and
white (images). </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I liked it because it didn't show Prince's face. I like the interior little poster thing. I thought that was a lot of fun. </span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
<i>New Power Soul</i> was going to be printed on black flocked paper material to make
it look like a black light poster. If you think of that cover as a
black light poster, it's kind of cool. But, when you take it away from
black light poster, it's not quite the same. I was kind of disappointed,
because, that was a cool plan, then it didn't happen. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Ultimately, I was in a job where I was there to make my client happy. You push for your professional opinion or your professional best, but, if they disagree with you, ultimately they're the boss. What are you going to do? That's the way it goes.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOZTJv_9r_H3ChsySHsg6-9OAlN3aU1FklYmXXPxB3jzO10UPH8ONQ3FlabW-aXwRQStuTlrbF8XICk2efLP88L8icS-VVGXKYzZ2JJ2ZSl9T2HDyXGMR4laGUbzWB6wXhdZ5dR52SOsYu/s1600/Steve+Parke-+New+Power+Soul.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOZTJv_9r_H3ChsySHsg6-9OAlN3aU1FklYmXXPxB3jzO10UPH8ONQ3FlabW-aXwRQStuTlrbF8XICk2efLP88L8icS-VVGXKYzZ2JJ2ZSl9T2HDyXGMR4laGUbzWB6wXhdZ5dR52SOsYu/s400/Steve+Parke-+New+Power+Soul.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <b>W</b>e did a party-- I think it was The Gold Experience party-- and I
pretty much art directed how the whole studio was transformed. That was
great fun. I was able to bring people in and work with them. I loved
doing that, because, I could say "Okay, here's what I need. This room's
supposed to be like this," then, those people would give me input,
"Well, how about we do this?" and I would say "Oh, that's really cool,
but, how about we add this?"</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
It was a sharing of ideas. I loved that process, instead of just sort
of having to pull it all out of your own head and have no feedback. The
time you get feedback is when the (project) comes out, then, you don't
have a chance to change anything. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Somebody would later write "Oh, it would've been better if he
had done this." Then you're like "Oh, he's right, it would have been
better." I just didn't have any feedback. That's the other thing: I
couldn't really show stuff I was doing for Prince to people. I couldn't
show it around to my friends and say "Hey, what do you think? Give me
your feedback." That was not the way that worked. I did it and Prince
said yes or no. That's it. It was a very different process.</span><br />
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<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <b> I </b>decided
to leave Paisley Park when my son was born. I was out (at the complex)
about two times after my son was born and I just couldn't imagine being
away that much. I wanted to be there for him. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
I will say that creatively I had done all I could do at Paisley Park. It's
not that I wouldn't have stayed, but, I started to feel like it was the
same routine over and over again. I think that my son's birth and
wanting to be present for his life definitely gave me a kick in the
pants.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
There were a couple of times where I had done some photos (for Prince).
The problem was, I was right in the middle of another job and felt, if I left, </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I would hurt my opportunities outside of Prince.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> If you ever hear </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"He only wants you to come for a day" from that</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> camp,
it's almost never true. There's almost never a point where you go for a
day. A day means a week. (<i>Laughs</i>). I knew that. Anybody else, I would
have said "A day? Okay, fine."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I
knew it wasn't going to be a day and I couldn't afford it. If it was a
day, I would've gone and done it. The first big opportunity I had (after
leaving Paisley Park) was working with DC Comics and I did not want to
lose my forward motion and have them say "Oh, you're behind." </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
I was trying to reestablish myself. I was already rebuilding my
career, (so) people knew who I was and I was available to work. </span><br />
<br />
<br />
<i><b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">To be continued...</span></b></i><br />
--<br />
<b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></b>
<b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Lead photo courtesy of jerseyfestfair.com.</b><br />
<b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Check it out the Steve Parke Photography Facebook <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Steve-Parke-photography/190503910218" target="_blank">here</a>. </b><br />
<b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Check out Steve Parke's official Web site <a href="http://steveparke.com/" target="_blank">here</a>.</b><br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">--</span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></b>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Like us Facebook: Beautiful Nights USA and Dyes Got the Answers 2 Ur ?s.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><i><b> </b></i><b><i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></i></b></div>
K Nicola Dyeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11470665347094419495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2193506780254658859.post-55488224653025441612013-09-25T12:23:00.003-07:002013-09-25T12:38:02.058-07:00Joyful Sound: Footage from 'One Night with Gayle' Concert<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Check out the short video from "One Night with Gayle," a concert hosted by "Dyes Got the Answers 2 Ur ?s," featuring Gayle Chapman, Clayton Ballard and Old Blue. Here are some of the highlights from the show which took place August 9 at The Mix in Seattle in a video produced and edited by Elke Hautala.</span></div>
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K Nicola Dyeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11470665347094419495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2193506780254658859.post-62641395122900730262013-09-10T05:26:00.002-07:002014-04-06T23:58:12.536-07:00Willing and Able: Margaret Cox Talks 2 Beautiful Nights<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
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<i><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><i><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> Margaret Cox has been one of the hardest working women on the Minneapolis music
scene for nearly 40 years.</span></i></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">
She was born in Kenitra, Morocco and her family moved to
Minneapolis when she was 7 years old. Cox began her career in 1975, while still
in her early teens, singing in nightclubs. She worked in several local bands and
was later tapped to join the band Lipps, Inc, along with Melanie Rosales, best known for the massive hit "Funkytown" in 1980, after the departure of
lead singer Cynthia Jonson, for the group's final album<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span></i><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">4<i>.</i></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> Cox
found her greatest success when Jesse Johnson recruited her as the lead singer
for the group Ta Mara and the Seen in the 1980s (along with band members Oliver
Leiber, Gina Fellicetta, Keith Woodson Cox and Jamie Chez). The group found
immediate success in 1985 with their first single "Everybody Dance,"
a Billboard Top 40 pop hit and Top 5 R&B hit.</span></i><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><i>The group released a second album, </i>Blueberry Gossip,<i> in 1988.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> <i>She
recorded several songs in the late 1980s for the MC Flash project, written and produced by Prince, considered
by many hardcore fans as one of the greatest associated artists albums never released. A later Prince-produced song
"Standing at the Altar" was released as a single on the Paisley Park
compilation album</i><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>1-800-NEW-FUNK
in 1994.</span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><i> In addition,</i> s</span></span><i><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">he has
also worked</span></i><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> <i>with
musical legends such as Bonnie Raitt and Mavis Staples. </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><i>Cox independently
released a solo album entitled Margie's Little Demo and her band The Legendary
Combo (formerly known as Dr. Mambo’s Combo) currently has a longstanding gig Sundays
and Mondays at Bunker’s Music Bar and Grill in Minneapolis.</i></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">
K Nicola Dyes recently conducted a telephone interview with Cox
where the singer discussed why plans for a third Ta Mara and the Seen album
fell through, her experiences in the music business</span></i> <i><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">and some things from her past she
would do differently:</span></i></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br />
What I remember of<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Morocco</st1:place></st1:country-region></span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">...I remember I was very young. My
father was in the navy. (I remember) being so happy to be with my mother and
father.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> <span class="apple-converted-space"><b> </b></span><b>When my family moved to<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Minneapolis</st1:place></st1:city></b>...
it was really wonderful. My neighborhood in southeast<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Minneapolis</st1:place></st1:city>
(had people) of every color of the rainbow. It was very liberal. I had a really
nice time, had lots of friends and great schools. I had a nice childhood.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> <span class="apple-converted-space"><b> </b></span><b>I started singing</b><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>in bands in 1975-- mostly nightclubs
and weddings—and my first band was called Perception. We did a lot of late
shows and that always made it tough to go to morning classes.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>We started playing at a club called
Bootlegger Sam's in Dinkytown, a wonderful nightclub and it was really fun.
(The band) played a mixture of Top 40 rock and some old soul, mostly Top 40. I
think we were doing Fleetwood Mac, we did some Sly and the Family Stone and
some hard rock like (songs by)<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><st1:city w:st="on">Boston<span class="apple-converted-space"></span></st1:city> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">and<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><st1:state w:st="on">Kansas</st1:state>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> <span class="apple-converted-space"><b> </b></span><b>My family taught me</b>...to
tell the truth and be true...They taught me to love all races. That was one
really beautiful thing about my family and where I grew up: I loved that I had
friends of every color. I must say that was a good time in my life.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> <span class="apple-converted-space"><b> </b></span><b>The music scene in<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Minneapolis</st1:place></st1:city><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>in the 1980s</b>...that was something.
That was really, really incredible. I joined the Doug Maynard Band and Bonnie
Raitt hired us to be her opening band. We toured with her. That was in 1980,
1981 and 1982.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>I also sang with Lipps, Inc. The band
had a hit with “Funkytown,” (with lead singer Cynthia Johnson). I joined after “Funkytown.” We had some minor
hits (in 1983 on the album 4).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>All this time of course, Prince was
hitting the airwaves. Then Prince and The Time did their movie (“Purple Rain,”
released in 1984).<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>I met Jesse
Johnson in 1985 and I signed with A&M Records. (The first single)
“Everybody Dance” made it to #24 on (Billboard Hot 100) Pop charts and made it
to #3 on the (Billboard) R&B charts.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>We did lots of shows here in<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><st1:city w:st="on">Minneapolis<span class="apple-converted-space"></span></st1:city> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">and we recorded the second
album (Blueberry Gossip) in<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><st1:city w:st="on">L.A.<span class="apple-converted-space"></span></st1:city> in 1988.
Blueberry Gossip did not do that well. It did okay on the R&B charts, but,
did not cross over to the Pop charts.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span> Dr. Mambo's Co</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">mbo got together in
early 1988.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>Margie's Little Demo</span></b><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">(is) something that I'm proud of. I've
always known I was a good songwriter. I wrote a song (“I Need You,” co-written with Jesse Johnson), when he and I were working together for Paula Abdul's
“Forever Your Girl” album.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> I was lucky to get background singers…on some
of my songs (and) I got good guitar players—because, I don't play guitar worth
anything. I play keyboards and I love to program drum machines.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>I'm real proud of (the album),
because, it not only shows my songwriting ability, but, it also shows my
musicianship as well. </span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>I never thought</span></b><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">that I wouldn't be a rock star. I
never thought that I would get this far without a smash hit.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> <span class="apple-converted-space"><b> </b></span><b>The Legendary Combo</b>...just
a smokin', funky, incredible band... We started way back. We are lucky to hold down a house gig for a long
time.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> <b>The
first time I met Prince</b>...I'll never forget it. I was singing with Sue Ann
Carwell and we were opening up for a Prince show here in <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Minneapolis</st1:place></st1:city>.
This was way back-- before I even worked with him-- in 1982.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> Carwell,
Melanie Rosales, another singer that I love dearly, and I were backstage and we
were eating. They had some food for us backstage and we were hanging out
with the guys in Sue Ann's band.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> Prince
came in and sat down with a bodyguard. Sue Ann already knew him. She was chummy
like “Hey, how are you doing?” went up hugged him and talked with him.
I met him and shook his hand. He was sitting down and his bodyguard
was standing next to him and he said “Nice to meet you.” He shook my hand. He
was very nice and quiet… He's always been a quiet dude.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> Then
I went and ate a bunch of food that was on this buffet. I was eating and then I
realized that I was making a pig of myself (<i>laughs</i>).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> I
was a little embarrassed that, after I met him, I went and ate all this food in
front of him. I remember thinking “Oh God, what did I do that for?” But, I'm
sure he understood. I was hungry! (<i>Laughs</i>).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> It
was just a one-off show. He would do a lot of those here in <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Minneapolis</st1:place></st1:city>.
We were lucky to get to see him more often, maybe than the rest of the world,
because, of course, he was from <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Minneapolis</st1:city></st1:place>.
He would do a lot of shows, just out of the blue. I think he has always used
shows as a way to rehearse and write new songs.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> <b>"American
Bandstand..."</b><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>oh man,
yeah. I wore these clothes that were made by Sylvia, a really great dressmaker
in<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><st1:city style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Minneapolis</st1:place></st1:city>, that Jesse (Johnson) knew. She put a
hole in the dress that went over my right thigh--there was a hole with some
lace there-- a see-through area.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>I did my show on "American
Bandstand" and got to talk to Dick Clark. When I was talking to him, he
said “Oh, I like your dress. I like your outfit and your coat.” I said
“Thanks.” I looked down and the hole had moved a little bit to the middle of my
body and it was showing some things. I said “Oh no!” I quickly pulled it over to the side again, but, I was so embarrassed. I don't know how much people saw.
That (part of the) experience was embarrassing…</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>We were ecstatic, we couldn't believe
how much fun we were going to have and we did, we had so much fun. It was
better that I could even imagine. It was really uplifting. I thought “Hey, I
finally made it big!” (<i>Laughs</i>).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">
"<b>Everybody Dance,”</b><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>that
was a great dance groove for the time. The groove was really something and it
was well produced and recorded. My singing was light and airy, because, that
was the style then.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>If I would've sang with my funky Chaka
(Khan) voice or Aretha (Franklin) voice, it wouldn’t have fit the tune. You
know? So, I sang it a little lighter and “airier.” That worked. It went with
the song really well. It was a stylized song. (Jesse Johnson) wrote that by
himself.</span></div>
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<b><span style="color: purple; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br />
</span></b><b><span style="color: purple; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt;"> <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>Margaret Cox
on the single “Affection,” by Ta Mara and The Seen: "I can honestly say that is
my favorite Ta Mara and The Seen song.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span> That's
the best. That was written by Jesse (Johnson) and the bass player for his band,
Gerry Hubbard. He definitely wrote at least 50 percent of that song. He and
Jesse both put that song together. That was wonderful.</span><u1:p></u1:p></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: purple; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt;"> <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>I am an animal lover and that tiger in
the video could sense that about me. He liked me. So, I wasn't afraid of him…
Everybody else was just out of their mind scared. <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>The whole band would leave every time
they would start to shoot scenes (with the tiger). They would just take off.
The place would be empty and I was like “What? He's a pussycat.”</span></b><br />
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<b><span style="color: purple; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> </span></b><b style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">I used to think</b><span class="apple-converted-space" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">you had to be rich to be happy.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><b>The music business<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></b>is tough. You've got to have
a good manager and I never did have a really good manager.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> I always thought</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> that I wouldn't go to college,
because, I would be busy becoming a rock star. I was always an A student. I
always loved school. I have taken some college courses. I took the first one
online.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> </span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">
Being in the limelight</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">...oh,
I love it! I feel like that's where I was born to be. I love it. It's fun.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">“Saturday Night Live”</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">...oh man, was that a blast! I got to
meet all those funny comedians. I wore the shortest dress/skirt known to
womankind. I didn't think I could wear a skirt that short, but, I got away with
it somehow. I guess.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>Prince was just on fire, he put on a
great show. I got to meet Patrice Rushen. She was in Prince's band at that
time. For me to be in his band at the same time Rushen was in his band
was just heavenly.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span><span class="apple-converted-space" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">We were touring Europe right after
that, but, that was kind of the kick-off show before we toured.</span><span class="apple-converted-space" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">I got to tour</span><span class="apple-converted-space" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span><st1:place style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" w:st="on">Europe<span class="apple-converted-space"></span></st1:place><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> with Prince and he had
hired The Combo to be Mavis Staples' band. We played all her songs. I sang background and danced around. She sang the tunes and it was a beautiful thing.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> <b>I took risks<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></b>when
I got out of my contract with Jesse Johnson and got out of my contract with
Prince. I took risks and they were not good risks. Risks can be bad if you
don't know what you're doing.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6acOhkBGEl-_7P00x68tdbtVPiZI1HvISkhu2r5lGx_5NHpZ5otNqb23jtEAijNt1npQX6h9RL7hrgc_KSYPaVaaW_Bq89qFeyO1_F0CV5HOwGU8cyNz7Z3gULV7_v8dkKsbis_r3o-27/s1600/Margie+Cox-Standing+at+the+Altar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6acOhkBGEl-_7P00x68tdbtVPiZI1HvISkhu2r5lGx_5NHpZ5otNqb23jtEAijNt1npQX6h9RL7hrgc_KSYPaVaaW_Bq89qFeyO1_F0CV5HOwGU8cyNz7Z3gULV7_v8dkKsbis_r3o-27/s400/Margie+Cox-Standing+at+the+Altar.jpg" height="347" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> <b>I
always wanted</b><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>to work with
Prince. I recorded the (MC Flash) album in 1990. Why wasn't it released? That's
a mystery to me. I know that Prince was having a hard time with Warner Bros. (Records)
and they were shutting down everything he tried to do. It was shelved and there
it sits --in “The Vault”-- gathering dust. I loved everything on there. I
can't even pick a (favorite) song. He wrote some great tunes, some rockin’
stuff.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> </span></i><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">After the MC Flash album, we (later)
recorded “Standing at the Altar,” which was released on the album
1-800-NEW-FUNK. That's when I was Margie Cox. (I recorded) a few songs, the
main one being “Standing at the Altar.” I thought (the songs) were going to be
for a Margie Cox album. </span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">
He was having troubles with Warner Bros. at that time. He was having his own
trouble with his label and, so, I think that "Standing at the Altar"
was the single that he was hoping to get me a new (record) deal with. It
was only successful as a single and we weren't able to get a new record deal
for me, because, of his problems with Warner Bros. (The song) did pretty
well. I didn't make a whole lot of money, but, I made a few thousand
bucks.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> I
was always under contract to Prince (during the time she recorded with
him). My lawyer said let's just try to get to out of this and move on. Prince
didn't want to let me go. I was happy about that. To this day, I wish I hadn’t,
because, my lawyer wasn't able to get me another (contract).</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>I had a studio in my basement and I
started writing tunes. I put them down on a disc. It took me a few years to get
it all done. I printed 500 copies to see if I could sell them myself and I did.
It's called<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>Margie's Little
Demo</i>. This year I printed up another 500 and I've sold almost all of them.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> <span class="apple-converted-space"><b> </b></span><b>I've learned</b><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>not too act so quickly or to act in
anger or in spite, because, really, when I go back to it, I shouldn't have
broken away from Jesse so quickly... We had a misunderstanding and I wish
we would have resolved it, because, it just ended up kind of fizzling
out. I think we might have been able to put out a third (Ta Mara and The
Seen) CD called<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>Tuff Girl</i>.
It was something we were working on. The first song we did was “Tuff Girl” and
that made it on to (the album)<i> Blueberry Gossip</i>. It was an extra song that we
were thinking of using for a third album.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">
I think if we had of released it, the third time might have been the
charm. </span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>When my contract ended with Prince</span></b><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">was when I began to be fearful. My
lawyer/manager was not moving us forward as I had hoped. That was a mistake. I
have made a couple of big bad ones.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> <span class="apple-converted-space"><b> </b></span><b>My musical influences</b>...I
could narrow it to three or four. When I was a child, The Beatles were a big
influence on me. Stevie Wonder. Sly and the Family Stone. I would say Prince
and Chaka Khan. Good old rock and soul.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span> </span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">
Anything that's funky catches my ear; it's gotta be funky.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>Jesse Johnson and Prince were
definitely funky, so, I was happy to be working with them. Aretha and Chaka had
the kind of voices that just made me so excited. I started singing along and
thinking “Wow, I think I can do this.”</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span> I was so very lucky that I was
raised by a voice teacher. She (Cox's mother) taught voice. She taught at the<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placetype w:st="on">University<span class="apple-converted-space"></span></st1:placetype> </st1:place></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">of<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><st1:placename w:st="on">Minnesota </st1:placename> and all my life she taught at home. So, I got to hear that everyday (when) I went
home.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> <b>Songwriting
is</b> important to me. It's in my blood. Songwriting is an art that I had
as child, but, from working with Jesse Johnson and Prince I was able to really
learn a lot more about songwriting, so, that I was able to make my own CD.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> <b>I
define freedom</b>...I'm lucky to be living <st1:place style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">in America</st1:country-region></st1:place>. I have my own house. I was able to
buy my own home. That, right there, is a big freedom for me. Freedom is
something that I feel lucky to have.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> <b> Musicians
never</b> get up early in the morning. At least not most of the ones I
know. I think that's a pretty true statement for the most part.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> <b> I've
been through</b> poor management. I've been through some poor business
agreements and consequently some poor financial times. But, through
music--maybe music helps-- I've been able to keep happy, basically.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> There's
no limit</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">... I guess
there is no limit to what I can do musically. There's no limit to what The
Legendary Combo can do musically. There's no limit to my strength. I still have
a good strong voice and a good strong body. So, there's really no limit to
me…yet. I can still do it! (<i>Laughs</i>).</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> <b> I
want people to remember</b>...hmmm. That's a hard one. What do I want people to
remember? I guess I want them to remember...boy, oh, boy. That's tough. I want
them to remember Margaret Cox and when they come to <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Minneapolis</st1:place></st1:city>,
look her up sometime, look for her at Bunkers (Music Bar and Grill).</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<b><i><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> The Legendary Combo performs from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m.
Sundays and Mondays at Bunkers Music Bar and Grill,<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><st1:address w:st="on"><st1:street w:st="on">761
Washington Ave. N.</st1:street>,<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><st1:city w:st="on">Minneapolis</st1:city></st1:address>.
For more information call (612) 338-8188 or visit bunkersmusic.com.</span></i></b><br />
<b><i><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span></i></b>
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><b><i> To purchase the album </i>Margie's Little Demo<i>, visit <a href="http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/margaretcox" target="_blank">cdbaby.com</a>.</i></b></span></div>
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<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Stay
Beautiful, Kristi</span></i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">--</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> Like
us on Facebook:<a href="http://www.facebook.com/DyesGotTheAnswers2UrsTheBeautifulNightsBlog?fref=ts" target="_blank"> Dyes Got the Answers 2 Ur ?s</a> and <a href="http://www.facebook.com/groups/367837439968638/?fref=ts" target="_blank">Beautiful Nights</a>.</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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K Nicola Dyeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11470665347094419495noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2193506780254658859.post-42131571651642856032013-08-18T17:16:00.001-07:002013-08-19T22:07:47.148-07:00Every Day is a Winding Road: St. Paul Peterson Talks 2 Beautiful Nights<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></i><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC1-F1Lg_Zw_jLMdhrdVVGHL1EwpmzcKOpmOTyr3C8ySOb60xJ1yBewZfYo5genelNaHlKi0jOcbKQXpa2HfFZlDnLhfuSdJUW-qBmRYFiv0ZAO5DCrx8z38p-BkA1LOFOlRh8Aqgza5tF/s1600/St.+Paul+Lead+Photo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC1-F1Lg_Zw_jLMdhrdVVGHL1EwpmzcKOpmOTyr3C8ySOb60xJ1yBewZfYo5genelNaHlKi0jOcbKQXpa2HfFZlDnLhfuSdJUW-qBmRYFiv0ZAO5DCrx8z38p-BkA1LOFOlRh8Aqgza5tF/s400/St.+Paul+Lead+Photo.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></i></div>
<br />
<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Paul Peterson's life
has been a music-filled journey.</span></i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> The singer,
instrumentalist, writer and producer is best known to Prince fans as
"St. Paul," co-lead singer of fDeluxe, fomerly known as The
Family, along with Susannah Melvoin. The band also includes Jellybean
Johnson on drums and Eric Leeds on saxophone.</span></i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Peterson, like Melvoin,
also comes from a musical dynasty: his late father was an organist
for the Minnesota Twins; his late mother, Jeanne Arland Peterson, was
also a much-celebrated pianist and organist; his sisters Patty and
Linda Peterson are accomplished singers, his brothers Ricky and Billy
Peterson are renowned musicians and producers and his newphew Jason
Peterson (JP) DeLaire is a songrwiter, instumentalist and vocalist. </span></i><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">He has worked extensively
with his family and many other artists including Steve Miller, Oleta
Adams and Donny Osmond.</span></i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Peterson is currently the
program chair for recording and music technology at the Minneapolis
Media Institute and reunited with his fDeluxe bandmates a few years
ago. They recorded the album Gaslight (and a remix album titled
Relit) and done several shows including a Prince tribute concert
at Carnegie Hall in February.</span></i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> The band has three shows
next week: one at 8 p.m., City Winery, Chicago, August 22 and at
7 p.m. and 9 p.m. Dakota Jazz Club, Minneapolis, August 23. They are
also currently in the planning stages of their newest project,
Underneath the Covers, an album of cover songs, in conjunction with
their fans who are making monetary pledges via pledgemusic.com to
help fund the project.</span></i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Peterson got his break at
17 years old in 1983 when he was chosen to be a keyboard player in
The Time, along with Mark Cardenas, replacing former members James
"Jimmy Jam" Harris and Monte Moir. (Terry Lewis, the band's
original bass player, had, along with Jimmy Jam, been let go from the band).</span></i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em> He was later chosen by The
Purple One to head fDeluxe after The Time broke up. He left that
band, after they released their first album in 1985 to pursue a solo career. His
self-titled solo album was released on MCA Records in 1986. He
released later released two more solo albums,</em> Down to the Wire <em>(1990)
and</em> Blue Cadillac <em>(2007).</em></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Peterson took time out from his vacation by the lake last week do an interview for "Dyes
Got the Answers 2 Ur ?s," where he discussed growing up in a
family of musicians, the bond he shares with his fDeluxe bandmates
and teaching the next generation of people entering the music
business:</span></i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <strong>My mother always said</strong> to
do your musical homework and she was right. I always made sure to go
beyond the call of duty when it came to studying my harmony and
musicality. She always made me strive to be a better musician and it
really helped. I feel it helped me be a better musician and a better
person.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <strong> My relationship to music</strong>
is a love relationship. It's a spiritual relationship. It's a living-and-breathing relationship. It's a daily courtship that never seems
to end. It seems to be a deeper relationship as I get older. I seem
to understand that relationship better as time goes on. I have
learned to respect and never take for granted the relationship I have
with music.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <strong>When I was a kid</strong> I
thought everybody in the neighborhood played instruments. I grew up
the youngest of the Peterson family and everybody in my family played
(instruments). So, I figured that everybody else's family played,
too. When I met a new kid on the street, I'd say, "Hey, what do
you play?"
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <strong> My brothers and sisters
</strong>are my teachers. They came up before me, not only in life, but, in
the music business. They taught me so much about music and invited me
into their world, even though I was the little brother they liked to
pick on. They always included me in nearly everything they could
musically. (I am) pretty grateful to them for everything.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <strong>When I auditioned for The
Time</strong>...(laughs faintly) I was scared to death. I'll never forget it.
I was, of all things, on vacation in a place called Breezy Point and
I got the call for the audition.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> (I) went home and I did
not get the cassette tape on time. I got it the night before the
audition and had to learn everything the night before the gig.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I was nervous. I went in
did the best I could, based on all the training I got from my family
and all the gigs I had done prior to that. I guess it turned out
okay. I wish I could remember the exact number (of songs I played),
but, it felt like a million songs. It was probably four or five.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong> I never dreamed</strong>...
(<em>speaking in a very deep voice</em>) I'd be talking to you. I've been
waiting all my life, baby, to talk to you. I've been waiting many
years. (<em>Laughs</em>).
</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Say the question one more
time and I'll give you a real answer!</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I never dreamed a little
white kid from Richfield, Minn. would end up being in the hottest
African-American band in America when he's 17 years old. I never
dreamed that Prince would pick me to be the lead singer of fDeluxe. There's a lot of those. I could go on forever on that. I
never dreamed I'd play music with my sisters, brothers and my mom for
my entire life. I never dreamed I'd finally get on vacation
<em>(laughs</em>).
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong> The first time I met
Prince</strong> was at the first callback—my second audition (with The
Time). He wasn't at the first one. I was nervous. He was this
big rock star.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> He walked into the room
and I think we were picking out swatches for the material we were
going use for the suits in the movie ("Purple Rain"). It
became my orange suit. I had picked out a beautiful black pinstriped
suit and he said "No, you've got to stand out." Then he
picked out an orange one for me. I said "I'm not wearing that."
He said "Yes, you are."
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> So, that was one portion
of our meeting.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <strong> Filming "Purple Rain..."</strong> talk
about being thrown to the wolves, in a good way. My phrase is "Be
ready for the opportunity, because, you don't when it's going to
strike." I was fortunate enough for that to be a pretty
incredible opportunity.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Those guys put me right in
the mix. One minute, I'm auditioning for the band, the next minute
I'm filming for a little film. We didn't know what it was going to
do-- now it's turned into an incredible entity and is part of music
history. It's pretty humbling, but, you never know that going in. You
have to be ready.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I think growing up in that
family of mine prepared me for a lot of different situations. (But),
it couldn't prepare me for what those guys gave to me. It was a whole
new line of education.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> The one and only scene
where I had a line was when we're (The Time) walking through the back
hallways of First Avenue and Morris Day leans back and says "How's
the family?"
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> They had us there quite a
bit, more than you would think. (There were) a lot of club scenes. We
didn't have any major speaking roles, but, we were there a lot. It
was freezing. I remember that.
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: purple; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><strong> Paul Peterson on replacing
departed members of The Time: "I didn't understand the relationship
that those guys who remained had with the leaving members. I was a
little on the oblivious side. I was so green, which was probably a
good thing.</strong></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: purple; font-size: large;"><strong> Looking back, it was
probably hard on them. It wasn't hard on me. I'm sure losing their
best friends was hard on them. They started this band together, now,
they've got some kid from Richfield coming in trying to fill these
shoes. I'll tell you what, I think it took a minute for them to
adjust to it.</strong></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: purple; font-size: large;"><strong> But, Bean (Jellybean Johnson, the band's drummer) and I
have been tight for 30 years. I call him my big brother. No one ever
knew we'd have relationships that would last that long."</strong></span>
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <strong> I love teaching</strong> so much
that I am the program chair for recording and music technology at the
Minneapolis Media Institute. The campus is at the old Flyte Tyme
Studios.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> It's a very interesting
connection that I have with Jimmy (Jam) and Terry (Lewis), taking
their places in The Time and, later, being in their studios teaching
the next generation of producers and engineers how to win in the
music business. It's fulfilling and incredible.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> The building was up for
sale and my friend Tom Tucker bought it with another partner. They
started a school, which became Minneapolis Media Institute. I ended
up heading it (the program) after Tucker passed away. I tour less now. You never know what you're going to get with
teaching. I can tell you that it can be really fufilling and really
frustrating.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> You know and I know what
it takes to make it in the (music) business. Some of these 20 year
olds-- who think they know everything-- don't understand the work
ethic that you need to be able to succeed. I feel that I get paid to
teach them how to be teachable: to try (and) change the culture of
the next generation of producers and engineers so they understand
what it takes to make it in the ever changing music business.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> It's probably harder now
to make it in the music business than it was when I was coming up.
You could sell records when I was coming up. Now you can't sell
records anymore. There are a very select few people who sell records.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> These guys have to figure
it out. It's the wild west. We arm them with as many different skills
as possible so they can have multiple income streams, put them all
together and be able to make a living. It's challenging, but, it's
fun.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I've been teaching for 12
years. I've been the program chair for two or three years. It's
funny, sometimes, I'll just show my students my (music) videos and
give them a little ammunition. They say "That's you? Are you
dancing on the ocean?" I'll say "I'm dancing on the ocean,
yes I am."</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: purple; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: purple; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> <strong> Paul Peterson on filming
the video for his first solo single "Rich Man": "That (music
video) cost more money...I'm still paying for that video! <em>(Laughs</em>).
You know Paula Abdul was the choreographer. Yeah, that was my girl.
(A.J. Johnson, of "House Party "fame, who is also featured in the
video) used to date my drummer Sonny Emory. She was a great friend of
mine.</strong></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: purple; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><strong> I introduced her (Abdul)
to the producer (Oliver Lieber) who wrote "Forever Your Girl,"
"Opposites Attract" and all those tracks. That's my boy.
He's in the band as a matter of fact (as fDeluxe's guitar player).
</strong></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: purple; font-size: large;"><strong> It was fun. I'm not the
greatest dancer in the world. I think she had a struggle with me. I
was long, lanky and didn't grow into my body until about 10 years
after that video. She made me pull it off though. I've got to give it
to her. We spent a whole week on dance steps...and she turned me into
something that I wasn't. That took me out of my comfort zone."</strong></span>
</span><br />
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <strong> fdeluxe's new covers album</strong>
should be incredibly interesting. We are still in the process of
picking out songs. Everybody has their own favorite songs and (we)
want to make sure they fit the fDeluxe style or that we can arrange them
into the style. Lieber's going to produce it and hopefully, if this
pledge comes to fruition, we'll start as early as October and have it
out by Christmas.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> We all have such eclectic
tastes. We're looking at David Bowie, or obvious ones like Bill
Withers and Sly and the Family Stone, to less obvious ones like Red
Hot Chili Peppers.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> It's going to be
interesting. It's all about the song. If you have a good foundation
of a song, you can pretty much go in any direction you want. Leiber
is such a killer producer that if I can just leave it in his hands
and keep my claws off the steering wheel, we'll be fine.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> He wrote "Rich Man"
with me and my brother ended up producing it. He had his hands in the
production as well, but, he didn't get any credit. Sorry
Oliver, I love you.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I haven't looked (at
the pledge percentage) in a couple of days, because, it's like the
stock market: you don't want to keep looking at it. I think we are
past the 50 percent mark with another month to go. (As of this
writing, the fan pledges have reached 59 percent of the goal with
34 days remaining).</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Our fans have been pretty
incredible. There are some great and interesting exclusives on there
and people are taking advantage of them. There are (pledge amounts)
from $12 to $20,000.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong> I'm inspired by</strong> a lot of
different artists, especially Stevie Wonder. It's funny that you
would ask that question, because, sometimes I can into a little bit
of a "Why did I get into this business in the first place?"
attitude. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> The last month has kind of been that way for me. I've been
driving back and forth to the cabin and I've been listening to
incredible artists that I grew up loving: like Wonder-- the early
records, even before Songs in the Key of Life-- George Benson,
Breezin. I got to work with all these guys. That's the cool part.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
But, this is where it all began, where I fell in love with what I do.
Then you go to Earth, Wind and Fire and Steely Dan. The musicality
and the groove that is in all of that music. That inspires me.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> All the inner harmonies
and melodic tensions that are created by groups of musicians just
being in a room with each other, having a conversation, musically, is
so incredibly inspiring. My family inspires me. They kick my ass all
the time. They don't let me slide on anything and that's good. They
made me a better man and musician for it.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong> I've always wanted</strong> to tour
a little more extensively with fDeluxe, my friends. But, that seem to
be a little bit harder to do as we age. Not only because we're 50
years old, but, because, we all have separate lives. No one's banking
their incomes on it; we're doing it more for fun than anything else.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I wish that we could make
it more of a...full-time, making records, making a living situation,
because, we love doing it. It's just that we've got kids--in grade
school and in college. We all have different lives and we come
together when we can. But, I wish we could do it more often.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong> It all changed</strong>...
(<em>speaking in a deep voice</em>) when we started talking on the phone
tonight, baby. (<em>Laughs</em>). It all changed...huh? It all changed when I
got that audition for The Time. Everything changed.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> It led to other things.
When I was done with The Time and done with fDeluxe (in its first
incarnation under Prince), I toured with many different artists like
Steve Miller, David Sanborn, Kenny Loggins, Oleta Adams. Everything
changed when I got the nod. Somebody said "Yeah kid, you got
it."
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> We all look for that one
break. I guess that was it.
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
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</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <strong>My first solo album</strong> was
probably one of my favorite records I've ever done. I learned a lot.
I was frustrated, I was creative, I was green and I didn't know what
I was doing. I got paid to learn. That was my music college right
there. It cost a hell of a lot more than it costs today, though.
(Laughs). MCA Records is probably saying "Yes, it did."
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I learned so much about
songwriting, production, being a solo artist: trying to be a pop act
or an R&B act. You've got to set yourself in that midset and I
could not lean on someone like Prince to do it for me. In fact, (it
was) quite the opposite.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I really learned what it
was like to be a producer, a songwriter and an artist on my own
without the help of someone who is a complete superstar. I'm so proud
of that record. It stands up to this day: great songs; really good
musicians and great interplay. I have no regrets with that.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I was out in L.A. and I
got a call from a gentleman at A&M Records. He wanted me to come
over and talk about doing some production on a kid named Janet
Jackson. Well, I knew who she was. This was before "Control,"
when Jesse Johnson was working with her.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I went over there and he
(the representative for A&M Records) said "I don't want you
to produce Jackson, I want you to leave Prince and come with me."
I said "What? Leave Prince? Are you nuts?" Then he showed
me the dollar figure he was talking about and I said "Oooh, I
could do that!"</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> When you're 18, 19, 20
years old, you think you are invincible and you think you can do
everything. Thank God I had the background with my family --
musically and business wise -- growing up. That's basically how the
ball started and it turned into a bidding war with MCA Records, where
I ultimately ended up. Then, I had to tell Prince I was leaving. That
was not fun.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> It's such a whirlwind when
you're in the middle of it. You have no idea. It was tramatic. My own
family said "Are you sure you want to do this? Are you crazy?"</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: purple; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><strong> Paul Peterson on
recording the song "Feline" : (I was) trying to learn how
to rap, I don't even know if they called it that then. I still
remember that rap to this day for some reason. (Singing lyrics)
"Feline, get my body working..."
</strong></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: purple; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><strong> It was funky, it was nasty
and I was worried about what my mom would think. (Laughs). You know,
(Prince) never talked to me about what the plan was (for that song). He and
I didn't communicate on that level. That was his baby. So, I can't
say for sure.</strong></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong> I've never understood</strong>
racism, because, a lot (of the time), in music, there really are no
racial lines. I was talking with Sinbad about this the other day.
Maybe I am just oblivious, but, I've been playing Black music my
entire life. I've been accepted in that scene, maybe, because, the
culture of musicians are very inclusive. When I see stupid shit that
people do to each other, it just baffles me.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> It may happen in the music
business, but, I believe it's way less prevalent. You're also talking
to a Caucasian here who could be absolutely oblivious to it. But, as
far as I see, where I'm coming from, it's all about the conversation,
the musicality and experience through your instrument.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong> fdeluxe was always</strong> funky.
No matter if you're talking about the first record or the second
record. Nobody expected us to remain friends for 30 years and want to
come together to create new music. We ignored it for a while. We did
a couple of reunions, with Sheila E. and ?uestlove, (but), the stars
were not aligned to take it to the next level. But, when we finally
did this thing with
</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">?uestlove, Susannah and I
looked at each other. We spent the next four years making that record
(<em>Gaslight</em>).</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> We laughed, we had a great
time and we had to find a groove with each other. You know, I'm not
surprised we're still making music today and we'll continue to make
music into the future.
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong> The key to songwriting</strong> is
playing chords that mean something to you: that do something to your
soul; that have an emotional attachment; that you can put into a
phrase for some wordsmith to put their craft on top of.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I've always been a way
better music writer than a lyric writer. I feel my strength is in
harmony and melody. I've been going back to my idols and listening to
all this music. I was listening to Steely Dan on the way up here: all
the musicality, arrangements (and) all the best of the best. That
moves me.
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> As long as something is
moving me, I know I'm doing something right. I believe in it. I
don't just phone it in.
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <strong>Our upcoming concerts</strong> are
going to be great. I can't wait to see my friends again and play some
music with them. We have such a great time. It's really all about the
hang and the music. It's so fun to see our fans. We know that they're
out there. We know that they've been waiting to see us.
</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> We never had an
opportunity to tour as (the first incarnation of fDeluxe); now we're
trying to make up for lost time. We always involve our fans (and)
we're excited to see them; excited to bring the old music and new
music to them. Its gonna be rocking.
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong> The key to success</strong>...work
hard.You have to bring it. You cannot half ass it. You have to always
be 110 percent. Bring it every time and believe in what you're
doing. Otherwise, don't waste your time. And practice. It's no
mystery how people are successful. Work at it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong> Working with Donny
Osmond</strong>...what a blast! One of my favorite people on the planet. You
want to talk about a hard-working guy? He is everything I just
described. The guy never stops.
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> He's an incredible
engineer. He can wire a studio. The guy wins "Dancing with the
Stars," because, he's so freaking competitive. He doesn't want
anyone to beat him-- probably because he's the little brother.
</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> We had a blast with each
other. I warped the poor guy. He has this reputation for being the
sweetest little man ever. Of course, I completely warped him.
(Laughs). I mean, nothing bad or anything, but, we had fun. We
traveled the world together.
</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> When I was doing my second
record (Down to the Wire), his producers ended up producing my
record. They were finishing up his record when we were having some
meetings. Donny and I saw each other... and it was just such a
connection. We were laughing just like little brothers. It was just
weird.
</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> He is an incrediby gifted
man. He really is. Good people. Probably the most unaffected rock
star I've ever worked with.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong> It's been hard</strong> gathering
the members of fDeluxe to finish a record in a timely fashion. It is
very difficult, because, everybody's busy.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong> The Carnegie Hall
Concert</strong>...wow. I think that's all I have to say about that. One of
those life moments you never forget. We rocked
</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">them pretty hard. I'll
never forget that.
</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> When we were done playing
the songs everybody (in the audience) stood up. I was busy trying to
wrap up my bass and get off stage. Wendy Melvoin grabbed my arm and
said "Stop. Look out there. That's for you. Drink it in." I
owe her a lot for that. She really made me look and take that in, you
know?
</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> We've worked a lot of
years to get to a point like that. So, it was pretty incredible to be
recognized like that.
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <strong> The things that matter</strong> are
what I'm doing right now: hanging with my family; being good to your kids, good to your
mate, spending time, being good to one another. That's the most important stuff on the planet. Peace and love, man.
I'm a '60s baby, aren't I? (<em>Laughs</em>). That's true, though.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong><em> Down to the Wire</em>
and <em>Blue Cadillac</em></strong> ...two very different records, but, great
records. I'm proud of both of them.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> (<em>Down to the Wire</em>) is a
little more pop-rock, which was an area that I was encouraged to go
by my managers and my record company. I loved the record, but, it wasn't
necessarily my M.O. I was blue-eyed soul, if that's what you're
going to call it. It was a departure for me, it was an exploration.
</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I think that they were
taking a risk on alienating my fans and finding new ones. I was
trying to take the advice of people who were very successful. It's
not a bad record. I love every song on there. It's just another side
of me. I think that record is very well crafted... There wasn't a lot
of rock-and-roll guitar and straight ahead pop stuff going on in my
earlier records.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <em>Blue Cadillac</em> came back
and was kind of funky. That was me going back in the other direction.
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong> In a family full of
musicians</strong>...I got the best of every possible portion of that. Being
the youngest was the greatest education of my life. Competition? Yes.
But, competition, because, they wanted me to be better. Competition,
because, they wanted me to be great and do great things.
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Being in a family full of
musicians means you play together, you spend Christmas together and
you do gigs together. You hang out with each other. You could be on
tour busses together.
</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I got to tour with my
brothers in The Steve Miller Band, with me playing rock guitar. We
were all on the bus together. It was incredible. My nephew and I toured with Oleta Adams and Donny Osmond. My brother, Ricky Peterson, and I toured with David Sanborn. I've done countless
records with them all in different points in time. It's been an
incredible ride and a blessing.
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <strong> Recording the first
fDeluxe album</strong> (<em>Gaslight</em>) was an exploration to see what we'd come up
with. It was an experimentation. It was the culmination of our life
experiences and musical experiences in the songs that you hear.
</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Susannah Melvoin and I
wrote the bulk of that record. We had not ever written a song
together. We had to find our groove and it took a minute to do that.
We love other and we fought like cats and dogs...We made each other
make a better record than we would have done (individually). That's
what being a band is: you make each other better. That's what I think
we do.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> It took four years,
because, I was on tour most of the time. But, (it is) a great record.
I'm so proud of it.
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <strong> If I could change</strong>...I
wouldn't change anything. Everything I've gone through has made me
who I am. I like who I am.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I wish I could change that
my mom wasn't more famous. She was pretty famous back home, but, she
was a world-class pianist.
</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Nothing for me. I'm
cool. I've done as much as I could ever want to do. I ain't done yet,
either. Plenty more to come. (<em>Speaking in a deep voice</em>) Stay tuned...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong> Click below for more
information on upcoming fDeluxe shows</strong>:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <a href="http://www.citywinery.com/chicago/tickets.html">8 p.m., August 22, City Winery, Chicago</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <a href="http://www.dakotacooks.com/calendar">7 p.m. and 9 p.m., August 23, Dakota Jazz Club, Minneapolis</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"> <b>To make a pledge toward fDeluxe's <i>Underneath the Covers</i> album, click </b><a href="http://www.pledgemusic.com/projects/fdeluxe2013" target="_blank"><b>here</b></a>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i> Stay Beautiful, Kristi</i></span><br />
<em><span style="font-family: Arial;"></span></em><br />
<em><span style="font-family: Arial;">--</span></em><br />
<em><span style="font-family: Arial;"></span></em><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> L<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">ike us on Facebook:</span><a href="http://www.facebook.com/DyesGotTheAnswers2UrsTheBeautifulNightsBlog?fref=ts" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank"> Dyes Got the Answers 2 Ur ?s</a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> and </span><a href="http://www.facebook.com/groups/367837439968638/?fref=ts" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Beautiful Nights</a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">.</span><br />
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K Nicola Dyeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11470665347094419495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2193506780254658859.post-75419826078689239622013-08-05T22:11:00.000-07:002013-09-25T20:37:16.041-07:00The Rest of My Life: Gayle Chapman Talks About Events After Prince<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEissK6KocmuPNL07bA0q79_8Q-NvKSFR9lsMEvUzZEn1xPTP5NH9dK1QBi8U6QhMefA4FyaHWfdWrNCvL9MiRHghNnaJ9fKTFSmqtcQvlRVVECEY92uvsiS0ejckdf9fEbBiKR12Eb_Z46a/s1600/Gayle+Follow+Up+Lead.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEissK6KocmuPNL07bA0q79_8Q-NvKSFR9lsMEvUzZEn1xPTP5NH9dK1QBi8U6QhMefA4FyaHWfdWrNCvL9MiRHghNnaJ9fKTFSmqtcQvlRVVECEY92uvsiS0ejckdf9fEbBiKR12Eb_Z46a/s400/Gayle+Follow+Up+Lead.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /><i><br /> Gayle Chapman has no regrets about her time out of the spotlight.<br /> Chapman, a keyboard player in Prince's first touring band, worked with the artist for two years before she left the band in 1980.</i></span><i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This was only a few years into The Purple One's evolution into a musical icon and before he </i><i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">released a string of wildly popular albums that began with 1999 (1982), accelerated with Purple Rain (1984) and lasted well into the 1990s.</i><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i> Chapman has been active in the music scene in Boise, Idaho, where she has lived for more than 25 years. She is bringing her act to Washington and</i></span><i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> headline an upcoming show at 7 p.m. Aug. 9 at The Mix, 6004 12th Ave. S., Seattle, with special guests Old Blue and Clayton Ballard. She will play original music, as well as three songs from the unreleased album "The Rebels" (1979), recorded during her time with Prince: "If I Love You Tonight, "You" and "Lovin' You."</i><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i> Dyes conducted an interview with Chapman last month, by both phone and e-mail, where the musician discussed why it was hard to leave Prince's band, trying to make a living in New York City in the 1980s and her upcoming album</i>:<br /><b><br /></b></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b> ?: How did you get into Prince's first touring band?</b></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> GC: I was standing in my living room and I was listening to Prince's record (For You), full blast. I was home alone and this still, small voice shot through my mind. (It was) just like an arch from above that went through my head and back out again. It said “In order to tour, he's going to need a band.” </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I turned off the music and looked around. God had spoken to me. (<i>Laughs</i>). I'm not kidding. I mean it was wonderful and spooky at the same time, because, I was home alone and I heard a voice. I was in pursuit of what it would take to be in (his) band from that moment on. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I auditioned (for Prince) and didn't hear from him for three months. One day, I was in my apartment, in bed and it was probably noon. The phone rang. I wasn't expecting a call from Prince. He said “Gayle, this Prince. What are you doing?” I said “Oh, hi. How are you?” He said “I'm good. Can you make it to rehearsal?” I didn't have to think about it at all. I said “Where is it?” and he told me where it was. I said “Yeah, what time?” He said “1 p.m.” It was noon. I was 45 minutes away, had to load all my gear and get dressed. I made it there in probably 35 minutes. (<i>Laughs</i>).</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I had the thought (to be in Prince's band). I went after it and then, I waited. And waited. I basically gave up. Then, the phone rang. I think what happened in the meantime was that he hired Linda Anderson (Andre Cymone's sister). She was there before I was, but, I didn't know about that until last year. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> At one point, in my own frustration in working with him, I asked (Prince) “Why did you hire me?” He said “You have blond hair, blue eyes and you can sing. You're the funkiest white chick I've ever met.” I guess that's a compliment. I'll take it. I'm hard pressed to believe that now, because, there are a lot of funky white chicks out there. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b> ?: Do you remember the moment when you decided to leave Prince's band?</b></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> GC: Do I remember the moment? No, I don't. What was I thinking? God only knows! I realized that I wasn't growing and I needed more. That's about the sum of it...I was in Prince's world and if I stayed, that's where my growth and energies would be and I wanted more. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(People) always ask me “Did you leave, because, of Dirty Mind?” I'd like to roll my eyes and say “No, it wasn't my Dirty Mind, it was his.” Yes, I did tell him that I did not want to sing that song (“Head”) but, I sang “You.” So, what? (<i>Singing lyrics</i>) “You get so hard I don't know what to do.” How stupid was I? “Take your pants off!” (<i>Laughs</i>). No, I really digress...</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I don't know if it was the mother instinct, because, it didn't feel like that. But, I wasn't growing. I was in a band, touring and it was the most fun I had in a long time... But, I needed more and I couldn't put my finger on what it was. I just knew I had to go.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I look back now and I probably would have been wise to stay another couple of years. I could have hung in there. But, I needed to grow. So, I left. And now I wax poetic...</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b> ?: How did you tell Prince that you were leaving?</b></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> GC: We met at his house. He lived on Orono Bay on Lake Minnetonka. I told him I needed to talk to him, because, I was thinking about leaving (the band). I asked if would he have time to sit down with me. He said yes. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I lived about a mile and a half down the road from him in a cabin on a resort. I went over and we sat and talked. He wasn't happy that this white chick was leaving. The last thing he ever said to me was “Gayle, if you ever need my help, you just let me know.” </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b> ?: When you decided to move on was it a tough decision for you?</b></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> GC: It was a very difficult decision to leave. It was a job. If I was going to have “jobs” the rest of my life, there were jobs where I could make a lot more money. I just happened to like that one a lot. That's why it was such a tough decision. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The perks were amazing. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> The perks of working with Prince were that you were paid, whether you performed or not, because, you had to be kept on the payroll. You would continue to practice and rehearse. When Prince got back from L.A. and said “We're rehearsing,” you would rehearse. That would be it. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I flew (on an airplane) every time I traveled and had my own hotel room. There were drivers that would pick me up and take me wherever I needed to go... It was the beginning of what I thought stardom was like. It was work, yeah, but, it was fun. It was attention getting. How many people would show up to a record store to do an interview dressed in their rock-and-roll gear and hop out of a limo. That was me. It's like that to this day. Maybe they show up in minivans, I don't know. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> There was notoriety. There was flamboyance. There were perks. You could go out and eat wherever you wanted, because, there was always money to do that if you wanted to. It wasn't a lot of money, but, it what was you needed to get by. They would have a microwave in my hotel room and instead of spending my money that way, I would go to a grocery store and buy a frozen dinner or something. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Two hundred fifty dollars was more than I had (previously) made in a week. But, it wasn't a lot of money. I just saw that if that was the (salary) cap on what I was doing... I knew that I needed the opportunity to do more and make more (money) if I was going to live the way I wanted to. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I have learned, over the years, that it doesn't matter how much money you make, if you have bad habits, you're never going to have any (money). So, you learn to change your habits with what you do with money. You can make $55,000 or $100,000 a year, (but), if you manage your own money wrong, shame on you!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /><br /> <br /><span style="color: purple; font-size: large;"><b> Gayle Chapman on being an “employed” musician: I think people romanticize how much (money) rock stars make. It's a business like anything else. Unless you're the “star,” you're not going to make as much money. That's the way it is. </b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: purple; font-size: large;"><b> They're going to pay you a wage and take care of you, because, you signed on willingly for what you're getting to be there. So, to complain about it is stupid. </b></span></span><span style="color: purple; font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When you agree to take a job and they offer you a wage, if you're not happy with it, you have say so up front. Otherwise, you're stuck getting that ... If you're not happy, you shouldn't stay. In the negotiation process, some people really aren't happy, but, they stay anyway.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I was happy, because, I didn't have to be a maid in a hotel or a waitress in a cafe. That just wasn't in the cards for me. I had to work with a rock star or look like one. </span></b></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b> ?: When you quit, did you leave the band right away?</b></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> GC: I offered to stay on for a while, (because), he had to take time to go find somebody. He said to me, when he found Lisa, “She's amazing, she can play her ass off, but, she can't sing like you.” I think there was a tug of war there. But, it was what it was. I can't say that I have any regrets, about being there or leaving. I just knew it was time to go. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b> ?: What did you do after you left the band? Where did you go?</b></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> GC: I left in April or May (of 1980). I went to a big festival that August called Rock of Ages in New Knoxville, Ohio. It was part of The Way International (a religious organization that Chapman was a member of at the time). It was a big festival held specially for their outgoing and returning ambassadors. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It was an annual event where 20,000 to 30,000 people came from all over the world and spent a week (together). I went to the Rock of Ages every year. It was amazing...they don't do it anymore. I just found that out. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I met all kinds of amazing musicians there. I met David Girabaldi, Tower of Power's drummer. Nice guy. Really good looking. Amazing drummer. I also met (the late) Skip Mesquite, who was also with Tower of Power for a while. I met them before (leaving Prince's band). We used to sit down and talk about going on the road: what it was about and things that would happen. When I told them I was going to be working with Prince, they advised me on ways to keep my sanity on the road, since they had been at it for so long by that time. I was really glad to have them there. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> After that, I lived in New York City for three years. I “grew” there. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b> ? Did you try to get a recording contract when you moved to New York?</b></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> GC: I learned right away that New York was a different bear. They couldn't have cared less who I had played music with. They would say “Who?” After I left Prince, nobody in New York City knew who he was (then). Then he came and did a concert at the Union Square Theater.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I went to that one. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Morris Day and the Time opened the show. That was my only meeting with Jellybean Johnson and Jimmy Jam. I looked at Day on the stage and said “Wow. That's not the Morris I knew.” When I knew him, (He) was this freckled, light-skinned guy with this big Afro, just like Prince had, and was so shy he could barely carry on a conversation with you—at least that's what it seemed like. Either that or he was just shy around girls.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> He basically was a changed person. Prince taught him everything and brought this character out in him. It was pretty amazing to watch. I literally sat there with the sound guy at the front of the house and my jaw was down like “What? Whoa!”</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I talked to Prince and the band for a little bit. This was the first time they came to New York. They were all growing with the things they were doing. I was living in New York City by myself. I don't know what I was doing. I was a kid. I probably should have gone back to school, but, I didn't. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Prince came back the next year, or a couple years later, and played Radio City Music Hall.There was a girl, Marci Kenon, who was a teenager (at the time) and had been babysitting for Diana Ross. She loved Prince. She knew about me, found me, got my number and called me up. God only knows how back then. She had been writing some songs.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> She called me before that (Radio City Music Hall) concert. She wanted to know if I was going and if I could get her in. I said “Well, actually, I'm not going.” She wanted to know why. I said “Because, I can't afford the tickets.” There was just stunned silence from a teenager on the other end of the phone. I said, “You know, I work as a secretary, I'm not in the rock-and-roll business working with famous people.” She said “Oh. Well, are you still doing any music at all?” I said yes. She asked if I would help her with what she was working on. I told her I would be happy to. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> She came over and... I said “Here's how you're going to get in to the concert: You're going to back of the building, wherever that is, and ask for these people. I had no idea about anything at Radio City Music Hall. Nothing. Except that I had been there to watch The Rockettes and that was really fun.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I didn't go to the Prince concert. But, she went and mentioned all the names I gave her and they let her in. She got to meet the band—Prince, Dez (DIckerson), Cymone, Matt (Fink)-- and they said to her “Who? Gayle Chapman? We thought she was dead. We haven't heard from her at all.” I (later) said “Oh, that's good. At least they're thinking of me.” (<i>Laughs</i>).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b> ?: How did you react when record companies were not more enthusiastic about signing you when you first moved to New York?</b></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> GC: In my mind, I was just the first to quit his first band and I had to get work. So, I did.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b> ?: What did you end up doing?</b></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> GC: I got to New York City and I had to get a job. I was a cashier and a waitress at the Union Circle Cafe for a while. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I later got hired as the cleaning woman at the Cardio Pulmonary Rehab Corporation. Their receptionist wasn't there one day and the phone was ringing. The manager looked at me and said “Our receptionist quit. Can you answer the phone?” I said “Sure.” (<i>Mimics speaking on telephone</i>) “C.P. Rehab Corporation. This is Gayle. How may I direct your call?” She just looked at me and said “You need a job.” So, I got a job. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I went from being the cleaning woman to part-time receptionist while they found somebody. They never did, so, they just kept me. When the office was moved, I moved with it. I became the executive secretary to the president (of the company). I didn't get paid very much. I worked my way up from cleaning woman. Why should they pay me very much? When I left, I think I was making $10.40 a hour.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> What got me out of there was the company's Chief Financial Officer, who was three years older than me, making $44,000 a year and still lived at home. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> We were all working overtime one night, because, we had to get the yearly prospectus out. I had to do all that typing. I had to type anything that anyone gave me, get it done and be accurate. I was able to do that. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I can't remember what started it, but, he came up and made some remark to me (and) I questioned why he said it to me. I think it was something absolutely derogatory and one thing lead to another. I looked at him and said “Look. You're 28 years old, you make $44,000 a year and you live at home. You have the gall to tell me that?” And I just went back to work.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The next thing you know I was on my way out the door. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> He started it, I finished it. That was pretty much it. To this day, I'll never understand people who do things like that. They make a lot of money, but, they can't get out of their mother's basement? I'd be happy to make $44,000 a year now. To be honest, the most I ever made was $55,000 a year and that's when I was flipping houses (in Bosie, Idaho). I did that for a year. I worked with a broker and one of her agents. We (made) just under $500,000 in one year. I want to get back to it, I just have to find people who want to do that.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b> ?:Why did you leave New York?</b></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> GC: I grew up in nature in Minnesota and there is very little nature in New York City. I was very tired of concrete and missed trees. (There was) a lot of consumption going on there. That was when I went into training in The Way Corps.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b> ?: In what capacity did you continue to work with The Way after you left Prince's band? Are you currently a member of that organization?</b></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> GC: I joined the 15th Way Corps leadership training program and stayed with them another five years before leaving. I was married when I graduated. My husband and I moved to Pocatello, Idaho and served there for a while. (We) later moved to Boise, Idaho where we finally parted ways with the ministry and each other. I am not currently a member of that organization.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b> ?: You were always known for being a very spiritual person during your time with Prince. What part have your beliefs played in your life since you have been out of the spotlight?</b></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> GC: I really don't know what folks thought of me then, but, I was definitely a practicing Christian believer in "grow mode.” As with any endeavor in life, if you believe (in) it, you will maintain basics and grow throughout your life. I have never stopped loving God, His word or the power that is in the name of Jesus Christ. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I do not consider myself religious, and I'm certainly not pious. But, I do believe actions speak louder than words. I use every opportunity that arises to help others-- spiritually, through music, or sharing wisdom from my own personal growth. One of my favorite quotes from a minister was "I'd rather see a sermon than hear one any day!"</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b> ?: What do you do to stay active on the music scene in Boise?</b></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> GC: I work with lots of musicians, teach a lot of students, and keep my fingers in the pie by writing. I have occasionally had the opportunity to write with some famous people. I hope to get back on the road and gain more insight for writing, arranging and recording. I love it, (but), I need at least one to three other musicians to work and travel with to complete my vision.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b> ?: Tell me about your self-titled album? What was the process like?</b></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> GC: (My) self-titled album (released in 2003) was my third recording project for myself. The first was called Standard Laments, and although it was finished, it was never released. I still have it stuck on 1/2-inch 16-track recording tape. It's probably no good now, but, if anyone out there wants to help, who has the right equipment, get in touch with me.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> The second was Change of Direction in 1993 (recorded by Black Diamond, an acoustic duo Chapman formed with Lyricist and Folk Guitarist Jan Skurzynski). We worked for seven years playing locally and occasionally touring Idaho and the country playing festivals. (We later) parted ways. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> My self- titled album was a process of sifting through musicians here in town to see who would actually do the work required in the studio. It took lots of time and money to get it done. The first time I tried, I traveled to Hailey, Idaho to record in Big Wood Studios, with Bruce Innes engineering. Unfortunately, he ripped me off, along with a bunch of other people.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I had to start all over in Boise, Idaho at Audio Lab Sound Recording, run by Steve Fulton. It was finished, but, not without more headaches in the process-- like musicians showing up to the studio unprepared and still wanting to get paid. However, most (musicians) learned the material, and did a great job. I was very thankful for the work everyone did at the studio.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b> ?: What will your new album be like?</b></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> GC: I started the new album last April with a guy named Robb Howell, of Robb Howell Music and RH Peace Machine, a great writer and engineer with four gold records. (He) has worked with Ozzy Osbourne, Frank Marino, and lots of others, but, I had to fire him. I didn't figure it out until late in the process that a lot of damage had been done.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I have this great start of fantastic tracks that I'm in the process of musically replicating. (The album) has the “harder” edge I've always wanted, and I'm staying with the feel of it. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The new CD will have lots of new and different stuff, but, it won't come out until I'm satisfied with it.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b> ?: What are you most looking forward to as far as the show is concerned?</b></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> GC: The show is my birthday present this year. Life is happening all around me, so, I will be as prepared as possible, given the circumstances. I'm very busy making a living and this is lots of extra work, but, a real kicker for me. I want to do well and I believe I will. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Even though I can't bring the guys (Sam Lay and Jake Monroe, two of her music students) I was working with, because, they are underage, I will still have fun. I want people to come with an open mind and enjoy the evening. I will give it my all.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b> ?: What do you hope for in the next five years?</b></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> GC: I am looking forward to doing more out-of-state shows, fundraisers, house and theater concerts, working with musicians across the country and going to Europe.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have no interest in remaining a local musician. It just doesn't offer me enough and I need to be working with professionals on a higher level. I want to retire from teaching and focus on writing, arranging, producing, recording and touring. Life is too short to just live for making a buck. You have to do what you love (and) hopefully you make the money you want as well. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Stay Beautiful, Kristi</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>--</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><b>All photos courtesy of Gayle Chapman except where listed.</b></i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><b><br /></b></i></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">--</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 17.27px;"><br /></span><span style="line-height: 17.27px;"></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">L</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">ike us on Facebook:</span><a href="http://www.facebook.com/DyesGotTheAnswers2UrsTheBeautifulNightsBlog?fref=ts" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank"> Dyes Got the Answers 2 Ur ?s</a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> and </span><a href="http://www.facebook.com/groups/367837439968638/?fref=ts" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Beautiful Nights</a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">.</span></div>
K Nicola Dyeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11470665347094419495noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2193506780254658859.post-23247768792704947942013-07-27T18:10:00.000-07:002013-07-31T08:28:18.737-07:00Eye No: Frank J. Morris III Talks 2 Beautiful Nights<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDlS5gbL5FMMum5VQDAD-OL162I9jucg2fjv4gyRkw5KdzwWLmUsVMHKS7MA-w3JhAEWF-4LPX2h0YsW5T-j7q06n_6x6S9mTMypSkjB88bmzvgngzOT0yB8N9vwvgugNGh-L7Vf8GSlXn/s1600/Frank+Lead.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDlS5gbL5FMMum5VQDAD-OL162I9jucg2fjv4gyRkw5KdzwWLmUsVMHKS7MA-w3JhAEWF-4LPX2h0YsW5T-j7q06n_6x6S9mTMypSkjB88bmzvgngzOT0yB8N9vwvgugNGh-L7Vf8GSlXn/s400/Frank+Lead.jpg" width="356" /></span></a></div>
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i> Who is the man with the
wealth of knowledge on Beautiful Nights?</i></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i> Frank J. Morris III, of Southfield, Mich., has been a mainstay on the Facebook group since it started
last fall. He gained popularity on the page by being able to quickly answer fan questions, identify photos and with the infamous Prince-related “Question
of the Day” threads between him and Marcus Scott that were a staple on the page in the spring.</i></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i> K Nicola Dyes conducted an
interview with Morris in May where he discussed how he became a
Prince fan, how he acquired his information and why he
doesn't want people to think he's a “know-it-all” :</i></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b> ?: Tell me about yourself.</b></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> FM3: I was born and raised
in Detroit. I have two kids, a 7-year-old girl and 4-year-old boy. I
work (giving patients) dialisys, but, music is my hobby.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I play guitar, bass and
keyboard. I've played guitar since I was 11 years old and (learned)
the other instruments throughout my teenage years. I do a lot of solo
gigs at coffeehouses and opem mic (nights). I was with a band called
The Spiral Effect for a year and a half.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> ?: When did you discover
Prince?</span></b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> FM3: Like everybody
growing up in the '80s, (I liked) Prince and Michael Jackson. But, it
was more Prince for me. I discovered him when I was three years old,
after I saw "Purple Rain." I can't explain what had me so
mesmerized. Maybe, it was the way he commanded the crowd (in the
film).
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I had a Prince-themed
birthday party when I was five years old. They (my parents) bought me a Prince
birthday cake, a Prince poster and I got my first guitar. Once I got
older and developed an interest in playing music, I leaned more
toward Prince, because, he was an instrumentalist, whereas Jackson
was more of an entertainer.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> What did it for me was
when I read the credits for Prince's (self- titled) second album and
(the liner notes) said he played everything on the album... I
remember my mouth hit the floor. I was going around showing the liner
notes to my family and said “Did you know Prince played all his own
instruments?” They said “Yeah, we knew that.”</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> That just
made me respect him more as a musician; that (he) could be that
disciplined to play all (his) own (instruments) on the record. It
made me respect music more. As I got older, I found
out that people like Stevie Wonder and Paul McCartney had been doing
it for years. But, I guess (there was) something about the way Prince
did it. (He) melded all these different styles and genres (of music)
together, but, made it his own. That just stuck out (for) me.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> For a while, all I
listened to was Prince. I had a conversation with my dad, where he
said, “You know, Prince is great, but, there are other people that
you should get into as well.” It wasn't until my teenage years, I
think I was 12 years old, that I discovered Jimi Hendrix. So, for a
while, all listened to was Prince and Jimi Hendrix. Then, when the
movie “What's Love Got to Do With It?” came out (in 1993), I was
on this kick where all I listened to was Prince, Jimi Hendrix and Ike
and Tina Turner (<i>Laughs</i>).</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I was (later) reading up
on Prince's influences, then that's when I would go back and listen
to the people that he listened to...</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">He does so many different
styles and genres of music. How can you not like rock music if Prince
plays rock? How can you not like funk when he plays funk? I went
back and got into Sly and The Family Stone, Curtis Mayfield and Miles
Davis because of him. My appreciation for this music can all be
traced back to me discovering Prince.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> ?: How did you get into
Prince's unreleased music?</span></b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> FM3: I discovered the
world of unreleased Prince music in 1997, when my mother bought me an
issue of (the now defunct) Uptown Magazine. I had never heard of
that magazine when she bought it for me. I looked on the last page, through the back issues and there was an issue called the
“Bootleg Issue.” I was like “What is a bootleg?” There was
stuff out there that I hadn't heard about?</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I didn't actually hear my
first bootleg song until 1998 when I moved back to Tennessee to live
with my father. When I went down there people already knew that I was
a huge Prince fan. They would see me in the hallways and said “You
need to go see Mr. Brown.” Garland Brown (then a teacher at
Morris' high school) was a huge Prince fan and he (now) posts on
Beautiful Nights. I went and found his classroom. It was immediately
like kindred spirits, like "Oh my God, I never knew somebody as
young as me was into Prince.” Of course, we asked each other “Do
you have this? Have you heard that?” We were going toe to toe.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> He brought me a tape of
some unreleased songs that I had never heard before. I just flipped
out. From then on, I was on this treasure hunt, like “What
else is out there?” It just became a fervor for me.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> It actually came at the
right time, because, for me, personally, the late 1990s for Prince
were kind of musically shaky. I was not really interested in the
stuff he was doing. The experimental wave he rode from the 1980s
into the 1990s had kind of died down. He didn't seem as inspired
anymore. I found myself losing interest, but, when I found those
bootlegs, they kept my interest. I felt that until he found his way
back to being the great artist I knew he could be, this gave me an
opportunity to see all these unreleased concerts and hear all these
unreleased songs. It still kept me interested in him.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I think he (Garland) said
he knew a guy in Nashville. He used to go to Tower Records every
other weekend and just check out what was there. I know they sold
Uptown Magazine up there. I think the guy who worked at Tower
Records was his connection (for unreleased music). A lot of places up here (in Detroit)
didn't sell Uptown. You had to find it at these little mom and pop
record stores. The place (that sold it) here was called The Record
Collector and they ended up getting shut down for selling bootlegs.
There was a raid and the whole thing was shut down. For a while, I
didn't have an outlet to get my magazines. I had to order a
subscription.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> ?: Do you remember the
first unreleased Prince song you ever heard?</span></b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> FM3: I remember he (Garland) gave
me a cassette -- this was back when folks were still listening to
cassettes-- and if I'm not mistaken, I think the first song on there
was “Rebirth of the Flesh.”</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I remember he had been
telling me about that song for a while. I think he had to dig the
tape up out of storage and every day I went to his class and said
“Hey, did you find the tape yet?” and he would say “No, no, not
yet.” He had hyped up “Rebirth of the Flesh” so high, that I
could not wait to hear it.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> When I put the tape in and heard that
first beat of the kick drum...I was just blown away and said
“What the hell have I been missing?” Even some of the first
12-inch singles I heard, I heard from him. I had always known that
there were 12-inch (versions) and remixes for “Pop Life,” “She's
Always in My Hair” and (songs) like that. But, I had never heard
them until he hooked me up with a tape with all that stuff on there.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> One day, I think it was
during winter break (in Detroit), my mother had to go (to work) to pick up her
check. Since me and my brother were out of school, we rode with her. I
said “Can we stop at The Record Collector?” We went in there and
that's when I saw my first Prince concert bootleg, which was the
Detroit birthday show.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> The rest of my collection basically came from trading with people over
the internet. Once I started building up a collection, I was able to
parlay what I had for more stuff.This was during the early days of eBay, around 1998 and 1999. I was on eBay constantly trying
to see what I could find and get my hands on. When I would get
something, I would take it and trade with somebody.
This was before Prince was coming down on Web sites for bootlegs. So,
you could openly ask people “Hey, where can I find this bootleg?
Does anybody have this and can you hook me up?” It was more open.
As a result, you were able to build your collection.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkP3Sl_HvBoS-Gq93hrJkVlTo6dF-raeJBbmwIylCS3c_iIZvM4rtXvusGtfBcTH1jhuyrAMkXdtsl5EEoG3vOxcpXKVPUzSqLfCVeWgGTgbE6oJPId1vdkj-7ib4NA2cl0hIBw3fcOmOR/s1600/Frank+Music+Notes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkP3Sl_HvBoS-Gq93hrJkVlTo6dF-raeJBbmwIylCS3c_iIZvM4rtXvusGtfBcTH1jhuyrAMkXdtsl5EEoG3vOxcpXKVPUzSqLfCVeWgGTgbE6oJPId1vdkj-7ib4NA2cl0hIBw3fcOmOR/s400/Frank+Music+Notes.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> ?: How did you learn all
the information that you know about Prince?</span></b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> FM3: I love reading. I
will read up on and research anything I have an interest in all day
long... It's not enough for me to know something on the surface. I
need to know why this happened, what was going through your mind when
you were doing it and stuff like that. I retained a lot of this
knowledge over the years just by reading so much.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> (It) really goes back to
that first issue of Uptown Magazine I received. (The magazine) had
great attention to detail. When you were reading those magazines, it
wasn't like you were reading a magazine in a supermarket and getting
superficial information. The information they gave you (made) you
feel like you were right there in the studio with Prince and his
personnel while these things were happening. Uptown Magazine had a
really good investigative team that really got down to the bottom of
a lot of things.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I also read the different
forums on Prince.org and Housequake.com, where people asked
questions and somebody who knew about whatever
the person was asking would would come in there and answer the question. A lot of
information came from Prince himself, as far interviews he did, as well as interviews with band members over the years. Another
valuable person was Mr. Brown. He knew a lot of stuff that I didn't
know, because, he knew a lot of people in the industry who knew
“stories behind the story.” He told me information that I had no
access to and no knowledge about. I guess it boils down to me just
paying attention and just making full use of a lot of the information
that was out there.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> This can get annoying to
some people where they would say “Yeah, I remember when this album
came out” or “The first Prince album came out in 1977, I remember
that day.” I would say “Ummm, actually it was 1978.” So, after
that, people just treated me like a stickler for
details. It just came from reading and retaining a lot of that
information.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> ?: What's your favorite
Prince album?</span></b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> FM3: That's a hard
question and I always cheat when I answer this, because, I always say
<i>Parade</i>, <i>Sign o' the Times</i> and <i>Lovesexy</i>. It's hard for me to separate
those three albums. It's almost like the trinity: the Father, the Son
and the Holy Ghost. That's how I feel about those three albums.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I say that, because, I
feel those three albums represent a turning point in his artistry and
career. As great as the albums before and the albums after were,
those three albums represent him at the peak of his powers, where he
was so in touch and in tune with his music that I can't separate
them...Those three albums tell one whole story. You can't have one
without the others.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> ?: What kind of story do
you think those albums tell? What makes you feel like there is one
continuous story?</span></b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> FM3: I'll start with
Parade: That's when he really allowed Wendy and Lisa to have more of
a role in the studio with him and I think the three of them together
just created some the most amazing music. With the Parade album and
that whole time period, I think that's when he allowed himself to
kind of open up and allow other people's influence come into his
music to get across whatever he was trying to get across.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> There was a lot of
experimentation. There are things on that record that you didn't hear
before in his music, period. At that time, it seemed like he was the
only artist adventurous enough to do some of the things he was
doing. I couldn't hear anybody (else) doing a song like “Do U Lie?”
I couldn't hear anybody else doing “Christopher Tracy's Parade.”
“Venus De Milo” is just gorgeous, almost brings you to tears. He was an amazing artist and musician before that, but, with the
<i>Parade</i> album he tapped into something within himself that wasn't
there before.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> He wasn't trying to go
after another hit; he wasn't trying to do a “Purple Rain Part 2,”
it wasn't anything like that. He got to the point where he wanted his
audience to grow with him and he knew after Purple Rain, (some)
people were only buying his music, because, he was the
“flavor of the month.” He
switched it up rather than continue in that vein. He showed people “Okay, I can do that, but, I can
do this as well.” </span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> That gave me tons of respect (for him), because,
he alienated most of those people who bought <i>Purple Rain</i>. You knew
then who his core audience was, because, those were the people who
wanted to be challenged and who wanted see “Well, okay, you've done
<i>Purple</i> <i>Rain</i> already, what else can you do?” He didn't hold back.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I think that the creative wave
he was on lasted through (recording) <i>Sign o' the Times </i>and <i>Lovesexy</i>.
<i>Lovesexy </i>was an even more challenging record than <i>Sign o' the Times</i>,
because, it was more experimental and it had elements of jazz fusion. I
think those three records had things he hadn't done on any of his
previous records. </span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> On some of his records, like <i>1999</i>, <i>Purple Rain</i>
(and) <i>Around the World in a Day</i>, you can pick out certain songs:
“When Doves Cry” and “Paisley Park” had similar elements.
“Paisley Park” has no bass, the drum beats are kind of the same.
I have said “America” almost sounds like “Baby, I'm a Star.”
On each album, I picked out something and said “He's done this
before.” With the albums <i>Parade</i>, <i>Sign o' the Times</i> and <i>Lovesexy</i> he was almost in uncharted territory that he and
his audience had never been in before. He made it work.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> ?: How many times have you
seen Prince in concert?</span></b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> FM3: Last weekend (April
27) in Las Vegas marked my 18<sup>th</sup> concert. (The first time was)
December 27, 1997 on the “Jam of the Year” Tour in Detroit.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> ?: Do you think that growing up in Detroit and your love for Prince's music are linked?</span></b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> FM3: I would say so. I
always wished I was older growing up in the 1980s in Detroit when
Prince was doing his thing.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I don't know how it was in
other cities, but, in Detroit, you couldn't turn on the radio without hearing Prince on some station. Like I said before, when other
stations were playing “Kiss” and “When Doves Cry,” we were
hearing “Automatic,” “Lady Cab Driver” and “Private Joy." I think it made the atmosphere for being a
Prince fan just a little bit different. It seemed like even though he
was from Minneapolis, he was “ours.”</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> That's an interesting
question, because, I think it would've been different if I had grown
up in a different city and been a Prince fan. It's weird to think about
how it could have gone. But, I think that me being in Detroit at that
time does have a lot to do with it.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> There was a radio DJ here called The Eletrifying Mojo and he really helped break in not only Prince, but, other artists of the “Minneapolis Sound.” He wasn't just playing the hits, he was playing the album cuts as well, so, it gave people who were probably on the fence about Prince and some of these other artists a chance to say “Okay we know what the hits sound like, let's hear what else he sounds like.”</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> It gave people a chance to hear who Prince really was outside of the hit maker. As a result, it made people go out and buy the albums. Once (listeners) found out he was a multi-instrumentalist (and) wrote all these songs for people, it gave (listeners) a deeper appreciation for him as an artist.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> One of the examples that I point to is when Prince was doing the “Dirty Mind” Tour (in 1981),.People were used to the cute R&B and Pop hit maker with songs like “Soft and Wet” and “I Wanna Be Your Lover.” <i>DIrty Mind</i>'s shock value alienated a lot of people. As a result, on that tour, he was playing a lot of theaters and small clubs. But, because The Electrifying Mojo spent those two years breaking Prince in, by the time he got to Detroit he sold out Joe Louis Arena, which held about 20,000-30,000 people, whereas in other cities, he could barely sell out 2,000-or-3,000-seat theaters and clubs.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Prince knows that and he's had a great love affair with Detroit, especially throughout the 1980s. Even after “Purple Rain” premiered in Detroit, I don't know how they did it in other cities, but, they gave out posters to the people here. Billy Sparks (who played the club owner in “Purple Rain”) is from Detroit. His two former backup dancers--who started off as bodyguards--- from <i>Parade</i> and<i> Sign o' the Times</i>, Wally Safford and Greg Brooks are from Detroit. A lot of people who were instrumental in his early career, like Quinton Perry, a concert promoter, whom people probably wouldn't if they heard the name, is from Detroit as well. </span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> (Prince) used these Detroit connections and it helped break him in, that's why when he kicked off the “Purple Rain” Tour, he kicked it off here in Detroit with seven concerts, if I'm not mistaken. When he played Detroit for his birthday, he wasn't on an official tour, he would do these different concerts, popping up in different cities and they called it the “Hit and Run” Tour. He said on stage that night “I could have stayed in Uptown (a neighborhood in Minneapolis) and partied, but I wanted to come here and party with ya'll.” </span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> That was his way of giving back to the city for all the love we had shown him over the years. He played the Cobo Arena, but, the ticket demand was so great that he had to play an extra show at a smaller place before (the birthday concert), just to meet the demand. I also think the “Sign o' the Times” movie premiered in Detroit before it played anywhere else.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">?: What's your favorite
live performance by Prince? Which one really strikes you every time
you watch it?</span></b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> FM3: I would say the
concert at First Avenue on August 3, 1983, when he first premeired
five songs from Purple Rain. That's a good one for me. There's
another smaller concert from October 25, 1984 at First Avenue that a
lot of people don't know about. It's only about a half hour long,
but, I love it to death. It shows him in a loose setting and he is
just jamming and having fun. It was an unannounced concert and (the
band) did an impromptu jam session.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> There's a concert from the
“Parade” era in San Francisco in May 1986. I loved the “Parade" Tour as a whole, but, at this particular concert he was in great
mood and he was joking around. He was doing abbreviated versions of a
lot of songs (at other shows), but, at this show he was playing the
full versions of songs. It showed The Revolution at the peak of their
powers. He had added the horn section and it showed what they could
do. On that tour, Bobby Z. didn't rely on the drum machine, he was
actually playing, so, you got to see his chops as a drummer. It was
the beginning of Prince coming into that experimental phase of his
career and it really worked out well on the “Parade” Tour.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> There was a “Lovesexy”
aftershow from 1988 in New York City. A “Sign o' the Times” Tour
warmup show from 1987. In some of the later years there was the “One
Nite Alone” Tour in Chicago, that's one of my all-time favorite
Prince concerts, period. The “Musicology” Tour in San Jose in
2004. One of the warmup shows he did for the “Musicology” Tour at
a place called Club Black is one of his all-time greatest
performances. The list could go on and on.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQVlU-U1ghVCEaA-410G14cIWxgdR-gpBcsIR80SudGRObFc3KEP6EJ-F_pRCkEATuKE8M6ysX8vY0lV8UqOorlYdIS46pPaWGMBpPc9Y7XE-HIBf4cq2E-rZGCGlzawCxfDkN56VswqAK/s1600/Frank+Vegas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQVlU-U1ghVCEaA-410G14cIWxgdR-gpBcsIR80SudGRObFc3KEP6EJ-F_pRCkEATuKE8M6ysX8vY0lV8UqOorlYdIS46pPaWGMBpPc9Y7XE-HIBf4cq2E-rZGCGlzawCxfDkN56VswqAK/s640/Frank+Vegas.jpg" width="379" /></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> ?: How did you end up
being the person with the answers to everyone's questions on
Beautiful Nights?</span></b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> FM3: I think it started
when people would post things: they might post a picture and I might
chime that the picture came from this year or this era. Next thing
you know, I would sign on to Facebook and I would have these alerts
where someone tagged me and said “Hey, Frank. I have a question for
you” or people would debating about something and said “Let's
have Frank settle it.”
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> The first time I saw that,
it kind of threw me for a loop. I don't know anything more than
anyone else. I just do a lot of reading. The same information I can
get my hands on is out there for everyone. To see people leaning on
me and depending on me and saying “Hey, let's ask Frank” trips me out sometimes.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Marcus Scott will tell
you, he came to some Prince parties here in Detroit and they had
trivia contests. If you win the trivia contests you win a prize. They
banned me from playing a few times and said I know too much. They
said “If anything, (I) could help (them) come up with questions that
will stump people.”</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> ?: Is there anything you
don't know about Prince or associated artists?</span></b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> FM3: As much as I know
about Prince, I don't know <i>everything </i>(emphasis added). If anybody
were to ask me about lyrics (to songs) in the NPG Music Club era in
2000 and 2001, I would be stumped. I didn't really care too much for
a lot of that stuff. Somebody has posted lyrics to (a song) and I
said “Wait a minute, which song is that?” Then I would look it up
and find out that it's a song I really didn't care for.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I got into Prince, but, I
didn't really do that with the associated artists. I would say that
the things I know about them is more on the surface. I couldn't tell
you when Morris Day's birthday is. Little stuff like that would trip
me up. The way I can get deep on stuff about Prince, I can't do that
with the associated artists.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Going back to Prince, I
don't really know personal stuff about him. Someone was joking the
other day and they posted a picture of Prince. They said “His skin
is so clear, I wonder how he gets it so clear?” Someone said
“Well, ask Frank!” I don't know stuff like that. They were kind
of being smart about it. When people say stuff like that, I feel
they're kind of coming for me. </span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> That's why I make it known that I'm
not the one going around telling people that I know everything about
Prince, like I'm a walking Prince encyclopedia. I never said that.
It's what people put on me. Even when Scott said you wanted to
interview me, I said “Why? Nobody cares about me!” He said “Your
fans want to know.” I said “Fans? What fans?”</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> ?: How did the “Question
of the Day” feature between you and Scott on Beautiful Nights get
started?</span></b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> FM3: It started when we
got into this big debate about whether there was a colorized version
of “Under the Cherry Moon.” There isn't, as much as fans want to
believe there is. Some people said “No, there is one and I've seen
color pictures from the movie.” I said “Sorry to burst your
bubble, but, there's not.” It became a debate on that one little
topic.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I woke up the next morning
and there was a question of the day. So, I answered that one. Then
the day after that there was another one. And another one. I said
“Wait a minute now!” At first, I thought they were thinking
“This dude thinks he knows everything, let's see what we can trip
him up on.” Like I tell people, I don't know everything, but, I
know what I know. I'm glad it slowed down. I haven't gotten one in a
week or so.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I would dread seeing that
in the morning and said “Oh my God. Now I have to come up with
these longs drawn-out answers. That's why on one or two of them I
said “Feel free to help me out, because, I'm so busy today, I'm
not going to be able to sit here and come up with shit.”</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> One of the questions was
“Name all the people Prince has dated.” I named all the ones I
knew about, but, people said “What about </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sherilynn Fenn?” I said
“Well, okay, dang. You put me up on something I didn't know.”
That shows I don't know everything. Another one was “Name the set
list from every tour he's ever done.” I went and did the old copy
and paste. People were thinking “Oh, he went and typed that whole
thing.” I'm like “Hell no.” I added little notes at the end
with stuff I did know. But, did they think I was about to sit there
and type all of that out. Please!</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> ?: Is there anything you
would to add for your fans on Beautiful Nights?</span></b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> FM3: I'm a cool person.
I'm a humble person. I don't want people to think that I'm a know it
all, that I know more than them or I'm up on this high horse and
things like that.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> There are clearly things I
don't know, that's why I sometimes lean on the Beautiful Nights
people to help me out. The whole Beautiful Nights fan group is cool,
because, we can all learn a lot from each other. I'm learning stuff
from people every day and people are learning from me. As we continue
to grow as a group we will have a wealth of knowledge at our
fingertips.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Stay Beautiful, Kristi</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>--</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><b>All photos courtesy of Frank J. Morris III.</b></i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><b><br /></b></i></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">--</span><br />
<br />
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K Nicola Dyeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11470665347094419495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2193506780254658859.post-29710375705804312172013-07-06T16:45:00.000-07:002013-07-27T18:40:49.543-07:00It's Gonna Be a Beautiful Night: Zina Escovedo To Host Party in Oakland<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 0.18in; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCkEGQv-QZr4FAp5sVlRIUrLgXMmMtKWu-jAw0dCp6VRg7BBcRMtTZpCI6Ee7NUM1cJVmqmmS789-ziYsFKUHYSZL-pQtXikHhrYq2Q6Lpa9f5eN-XgU0b1NqzOmWH6FhbtsMdIpZ02c4r/s1600/ZIna+Escovedo,+Flyer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCkEGQv-QZr4FAp5sVlRIUrLgXMmMtKWu-jAw0dCp6VRg7BBcRMtTZpCI6Ee7NUM1cJVmqmmS789-ziYsFKUHYSZL-pQtXikHhrYq2Q6Lpa9f5eN-XgU0b1NqzOmWH6FhbtsMdIpZ02c4r/s640/ZIna+Escovedo,+Flyer.jpg" width="427" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Zina
Escovedo wants to give Prince fans a night to remember.</span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 0.18in; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Escovedo,
of E Music Party (<a href="http://emusicparty.com/">emusicparty.com</a>), will host “It's Gonna Be a
Beautiful Night,” an event featuring the music and videos of Prince and
associated artists, at 8 p.m., July 14, Club Era, 19 Grand Ave.,
Oakland. Tickets are $20 and can be purchased in advance. If there
are tickets remaining, they will be sold at the door for $25. This is
an 21-and-over event.</span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> She said that the bonuses for guests who already purchased VIP tickets will be a surprise. As of this writing, VIP tickets are sold out.</span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 0.18in; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> DJ Alex
Mejia will spin the night's music and Marcus Scott, of Beautiful
Nights, will be in attendance. Johnny Viramontes, of Boogie
Lights Entertainment will provide special lighting and there will also be surprise performances. Memorabilia from several former members of
Prince's band will be on display throughout the night.</span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 0.18in; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="line-height: 0.18in;"> </span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 0.18in;">“I
have decided to try to bring people a party where they (can) hopefully experience what it felt like to 'feel' Prince's music...”
she said. “So, they can get a taste of what it was like.”</span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 0.18in; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #333333;"> Escovedo
comes from a family of renowned musicians: her father Pete
Escovedo, leads the band Azteca and worked with artists such as Carlos Santana, Tito Puente and Herbie Hancock; her oldest brother, Peter Michael Escovedo, was the musical director for "The Wayne Brady
Show," and has worked with Luther Vandross, Mariah Carey and Lionel
Richie; her brother, Juan Escovedo, heads his own orchestra and has worked with Earth, Wind & Fire, Barry White and Hall and Oates and her sister, Sheila E., collaborated with
Prince as a solo artist and later as a member of his band, has worked with George Duke, Ringo Starr
and Beyonce, led her own band, C.O.E.D., and is still an in-demand session player.</span> </span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 0.18in;">They also all perform together as The E Family Orchestra.</span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 0.18in; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #333333;"> Escovedo
hinted that her event could possibly turn into an after party for her
father who will be celebrating his 78</span><span style="color: #333333;"><sup>th</sup></span><span style="color: #333333;">
birthday (on July 13) by playing a series of concerts, July 12-14</span><span style="color: #333333;"> at Yoshi's in Oakland. She said she chose that weekend to
have the party, because, her entire family will be in town. She added that this
could be the type of bash people talk about for the rest of the year.
</span>
</span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 0.18in; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> “The
Escovedos can party!” she said.</span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3TR4yiZXSPzpE2YpNFYSrGIoHcylxNxFNgPQRF0Rt3vwA7o_p2dyWaVQleZ-qH236ebW2-5OdKduaS0p5ovbJ5YGKiS_RlV6NtEW_aRf0HU4LAK-L5bY5HtjV11b81ubAZPwAtYLqyehO/s1600/Zina+and+Pete+Escovedo+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="381" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3TR4yiZXSPzpE2YpNFYSrGIoHcylxNxFNgPQRF0Rt3vwA7o_p2dyWaVQleZ-qH236ebW2-5OdKduaS0p5ovbJ5YGKiS_RlV6NtEW_aRf0HU4LAK-L5bY5HtjV11b81ubAZPwAtYLqyehO/s400/Zina+and+Pete+Escovedo+2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">ZIna and Pete Escovedo</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 0.18in; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #333333;"> This
will be the first event Escovedo will host through her
new business venture, E Music Party. She said she always wanted to have her own
company and looks forward to bringing people of different backgrounds together through music. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 0.18in; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> The
idea for the party was hatched after she ran into Mejia at a bank about
four months ago and they struck up a conversation about having a
Prince-themed party. During the course of that discussion the two
decided to collaborate on the event. They had several meetings,
because, she is “particular about details” and wanted to make
sure everything was just right before moving forward. She later
brought in Viramontes to assist in further enhancing the party's
atmosphere with his lighting and contacted artists associated
with Prince to see who would be willing to share tokens from their time with
The Purple One, she said.</span><br />
Escovedo<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 0.18in;">
connected with Scott after Maya and </span>Nandy<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 0.18in;"> </span>McClean<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 0.18in;">, better known as
The </span>Twinz<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 0.18in;">, mutual friends of the two, recommended she call
him. The </span>Twinz<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 0.18in;"> told her Scott was very down to earth and she did
not think twice about getting in touch with him.</span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 0.18in; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> “That
boy is crazy!” she said. “I can't wait to meet him.”</span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span>Escovedo<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> said that she although her entire family relocated to Southern California, she never wanted to have the party anywhere but Oakland, her hometown, because, she appreciated all the love and loyalty her family received from their fans in the Bay Area.</span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 0.18in; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="line-height: 0.18in;"> </span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 0.18in;">Fans
may remember her being featured in the music video for Sheila E.'s
single, “The Glamorous Life,” (1984) and she was mentioned in the
song “Yellow" from Romance 1600 (1985). She has also been a mainstay
at many of her family's shows assisting them in any way she can,
including selling merchandise at their concerts. </span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 0.18in; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Most of her life, she was usually
in the background--which was never a bad thing-- and she observed and came into
contact with all kinds of musicians, she said.</span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> She added that she thought
every kid lived like that.</span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHf7bp11OGe1vZsv2ILTLEICjWR6suc567kAJRJWMZkYgikdBLMDUSgIQsUYjUYVY8VN7dqhlBAN92ZnsbK-MMyTzbzwgo_1z0Q7PBxDuP8zhmjGelqcHHoaRPUDumMh9rj3PAnt6jIMY4/s1600/Zina+Escovedo+Profile+Picture.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHf7bp11OGe1vZsv2ILTLEICjWR6suc567kAJRJWMZkYgikdBLMDUSgIQsUYjUYVY8VN7dqhlBAN92ZnsbK-MMyTzbzwgo_1z0Q7PBxDuP8zhmjGelqcHHoaRPUDumMh9rj3PAnt6jIMY4/s640/Zina+Escovedo+Profile+Picture.jpg" width="369" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 0.18in; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> “It
was very normal for me, so I didn't think much of it,” she said.
“But, as I got older I started to realize how special (my) life was and what a blessing God had given me. It should not be taken for
granted.”</span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 0.18in; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> When she got older she said she would get correspondence from fans who
were excited to realize that she was part of the Escovedo
dynasty-- with some people even wondering why she had not told them
that she was Sheila E.'s sister-- but, to her, they were always
family members first, not stars. But, now she wants to share what she realized
was a unique experience with as many people as possible.</span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 0.18in; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> She
said any future parties she hosts may or may not be Prince related-- audience demand will determine what themes her soirees will have and that
she wants to plan events based on what type of emotional experience
people wish to have during the course of a given night.</span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 0.18in; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Escovedo
said that she looks forward to meeting all the people she has
connected with through social media since announcing "It's Gonna Be a Beautiful Night" and had a personal message for everyone planning to attend:</span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 0.18in; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> “Have
fun, expect love (and) experience this special night in all that it
has to bring,” she said. “Bring your dancing shoes and party
like it's 1999!”</span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 0.18in; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 0.18in; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #333333;"><b>Tickets can be purchased on the<a href="http://emusicparty.com/"> E Music Party Web site.</a></b></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 0.18in; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 0.18in; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: #333333;">Check out the “It's Gonna Be a Beautiful Night” Facebook event page </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/search/results.php?q=it's%20gonna%20be%20a%20beautiful%20night&type=events">here</a>.</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>For more information on Pete Escovedo's birthday shows, visit <a href="http://yoshis.com/oakland">yoshis.com.</a></b></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 0.18in; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 0.18in; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Stay beautiful, Kristi</i></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 0.18in; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 0.18in; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">--</span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 0.18in; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 0.18in; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i>All Photos courtesy of Zina Escovedo.</i></b></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 0.18in; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 0.18in; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">--</span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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K Nicola Dyeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11470665347094419495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2193506780254658859.post-31204756764179041792013-07-03T15:57:00.001-07:002013-08-23T17:57:18.888-07:00My Love is Forever (Part IV): Donnie Stearns<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMsTMv3-iBw339PxS-kFXT_tkmOsIB0C0SP6DOoNP5dQ9odZD47OxwLW-46G56LzTdHFGL4yWZwMK6cUrHD9_20r-BahZ-zCOvDq2UtgumlIOuTmjBdK8pmzfNl5UP087Sk37eHmCWwCt0/s720/Donnie+Stearns+Lead.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMsTMv3-iBw339PxS-kFXT_tkmOsIB0C0SP6DOoNP5dQ9odZD47OxwLW-46G56LzTdHFGL4yWZwMK6cUrHD9_20r-BahZ-zCOvDq2UtgumlIOuTmjBdK8pmzfNl5UP087Sk37eHmCWwCt0/s400/Donnie+Stearns+Lead.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div>
<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i> “Dyes
Got the Answers 2 Ur ?s” is celebrating 35 years since the release
of Prince's first studio album “For You,” with a series where we
interview readers who have been fans since the beginning.</i></span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i> It
all began when Warner Brothers Records released “For You,” on
April 7, 1978, with the album's first single, “Soft and Wet”
being released approximately two months later.</i></span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i> Donnie Stearns, of
Somerset, Kentucky agreed to a telephone interview with “Dyes Got
the Answers 2 Ur ?s” in February, where he discussed his favorite
Prince lyric, why he thinks the artist is misunderstood and his near
meeting with The Purple One:</i></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: purple; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><br />
</b></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: purple; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b> “He always gives you
something unexpected in each era of his music. You do more than just
listen with your ears: you listen through your heart; your mind; your
soul.”</b></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> ?: Tell me a bit about
yourself.</span></b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> DS: I live in Somerset,
Kentucky, about 75 miles from Lexington. I grew up on a farm in
Kentucky. My father was a minister and I had eight brothers and
sisters.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> ?: Do you remember you
the first time you saw Prince or heard his music?</span></b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">DS: The first time I heard
Prince, my friend had just gotten a new album (Prince's first album
“For You”) and he wanted me to listen to it. It was captivating;
it demanded your attention. I (later) bought the album when I went
home.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> (Prince's) voice and (his) lyrics, were something
different that set (him) apart from everybody else. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's not really something I can explain.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> You just couldn't
wait to hear what the next song was going to (sound) like.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD1gRDDP60nk5y_65yL-KS17ZOiPjLn27dOTPd-I5BHT5-EXKPo1typdJreJJowETF2XAI0J2rNHr3VeTO0ws98RyssBrkIVCmuY-d5JusC699bRm4alFKj_fASK-r7QRPX9OcxuyM55Xv/s400/For+You+album+cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD1gRDDP60nk5y_65yL-KS17ZOiPjLn27dOTPd-I5BHT5-EXKPo1typdJreJJowETF2XAI0J2rNHr3VeTO0ws98RyssBrkIVCmuY-d5JusC699bRm4alFKj_fASK-r7QRPX9OcxuyM55Xv/s320/For+You+album+cover.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">For You Album Cover</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> ?: How many times have
you seen Prince in concert? When was the first time? The last time?</span></b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> DS: The first time was in
1981. The last time-- I believe it was the
same year that Diamonds and Pearls came out--was in Lexington, Kentucky. I know I've seen him (in
concert) more than 15 times, (but), I 'm going say it's been about 20
times. You ain't seen nothing until you've seen Prince in concert.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> ?: What's your favorite
Prince album and song? Your least favorite?</span></b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> DS: I've really liked all
of them... But, if I had to pick one: <i>Sign o' the Times</i>. My least
favorite album would probably be <i>Planet Earth.</i></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I would say my favorite
song is “Purple Rain,” I requested that it be played at my funeral. (The song's lyrics) are what I would say to my family when I am
gone. I really don't have a least favorite song when it comes to
Prince, but, if I did, it would probably be “Baby” from his very
first album. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That's a very difficult question.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">?: What's your favorite
Prince lyric?</span></b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> DS: It comes from the song
“Free,” (from the <i>1999 </i>album) let me think how it goes: “Be
glad that you are free, there's are many a man who's not.” That
whole song means a lot to me and really brings me down to earth. You
get stuck on yourself, but, there are other people in the world
besides you and there are people who aren't free.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> (That song is) never
outdated.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-weight: bold;">?: Have you ever met
Prince or gotten close to him?</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> DS: I always thought if I
got close enough to him I would just shake his hand. I went to see
him in concert the year Diamonds and Pearls came out (1991). (After
the concert) I walked in the back of the arena and he was coming out.
I was walking toward him and I was going to shake his hand. But, they
(Prince's security guards) surrounded him. I looked at him and he
just nodded at me. We kind of made of eye contact, he nodded and I
nodded. He grinned and I grinned.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> ?: Who is your favorite
associated artist?</span></b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> DS: I like Sheila E.,
Wendy and Lisa, Cat—but, I would lean toward Wendy and Lisa.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> ?: Did the fact that
Prince was often considered “controversial” have any appeal for
you?</span></b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> DS: I think Prince gets a
bad rap. A lot of people don't understand him. He's under a
microscope. The critics are watching him and there are millions of
people watching. He stands on what he believes in. He doesn't care
about what the critics and the rest of the people say (about
him).
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> ?: How has being a
Prince fan influenced your life?</span></b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> DS: The example of his
life taught me not to worry about what other people think and to be
who I am. If (people) don't like me, it's their problem, not mine.
(Prince) stands on what he believes in. He has more pressure on him
than I'll ever have. He gets criticized for this and that, but,
(people) don't know his inner workings. Sometimes, when I'm down,
his music can lift me up.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn2A0qQlyFkPC7yNzUC0hu58ylWpN_dvw08c5qMCHhtW09IK8f34eElgMz6srBCU88HUnKq6pXzI33oLiwhL-oh1fYZKTaquNlqqAYkaBN5uGiFsEK0PcF22fHSUhyphenhyphen9el2_mfooHsHNEVz/s225/Donnie+Stearns+1999+Album+Cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn2A0qQlyFkPC7yNzUC0hu58ylWpN_dvw08c5qMCHhtW09IK8f34eElgMz6srBCU88HUnKq6pXzI33oLiwhL-oh1fYZKTaquNlqqAYkaBN5uGiFsEK0PcF22fHSUhyphenhyphen9el2_mfooHsHNEVz/s320/Donnie+Stearns+1999+Album+Cover.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1999 Album Cover</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> ?: How do your friends
and family feel about you being such an avid fan?</span></b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> DS: Well, to be honest,
it's actually made them Prince fans. At first they could take it or
leave it. But, after a while they would get excited as I got. They
are (fans) now, but, they weren't in the beginning.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> ?: Why do you think
you've been a fan for the last 35 years?</span></b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> DS: It's hard to put into
words, but, I'll do the best I can. He always gives you something
unexpected in each era of his music. You do more than just listen
with your ears: you listen through your heart; your mind; your soul.
It (his music) just touches you in a way that other people's music
can't. His music just makes you feel good about yourself.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> ?: Has Prince done
things that you, as a fan, did not understand?</span></b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> D.S.: I think Prince had
people around him that weren't looking out for him. Not all of them,
but, some of them.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> One thing I also didn't
understand was why Prince made Troy Gua (a Seattle-based artist) stop
making the little guy (Le Petit Prince). (Gua) was bringing a whole
new generation of fans to Prince. I know a few people that saw Le
Petit Prince and it made them go out and buy Prince CDs. (They)
didn't know his music before.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> ?: What are you looking
forward to as a fan this year?</span></b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> D.S.: I'd like to see a
new CD come out. I'd like to see more concerts, a worldwide tour. I'd
like to see him another movie. I really would.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> ?: What would you say
to fans who have recently discovered Prince?</span></b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> DS: I'd say, go back to
the beginning and listen to his music all the way down to really understand him. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If not, it's like you're
walking in on the middle of the movie and you don't really know
what's taking place. Go back to the start if you want to be a Prince
fan for life—and watch his movies, he has some great movies.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Also, don't believe
everything you hear about Prince, because, a lot it isn't true. Just
listen to his music and don't believe anything about him unless it
comes out of his mouth.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> There has never been
another like Prince and there will never be. He is a once-in-a-lifetime deal.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Stay beautiful, Kristi</i></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">--</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i>Lead photo courtesy of
Donnie Stearns.</i></b></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">--</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
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K Nicola Dyeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11470665347094419495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2193506780254658859.post-47583588874146700932013-06-27T19:49:00.000-07:002014-07-07T05:47:34.370-07:00My Love is Forever (Part III): Esther "Elo" Ojeda<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em> </em></span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em> "Dyes Got the Answers 2 Ur ?s” is celebrating 35 years since the release of Prince's first studio album “For You,” with a series where we interview readers who have been fans from the very beginning.</em></span><br />
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em> It all began when Warner Bros. Records released “For You,” on April 7, 1978, with the album's first single, “Soft and Wet” being released approximately two months later.</em></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em> K Nicola Dyes interviewed Esther "Elo" Ojeda, of Gary, Indiana about three months ago and discussed the first time Ojeda was onstage with Prince, why she never thought his music was controversial and how the artist has influenced her life:</em></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: purple;"></span><span style="color: purple; font-size: large;"> "I would've fallen off the bandwagon long ago if he were just another pretty face. But, he's pure genius."</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong> ?: Tell me a little bit about yourself.</strong></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> EO: I was born in Gary, Indiana, home of The Jacksons, and I am the youngest of four kids. My brothers were in their teens when I was born; I was the mistake child. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I was a big fan of Michael Jackson and The Jackson 5. But, a lot of </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">my musical influences came from my brothers and father. My oldest brother really liked rock and roll. I started getting into rock and roll-- The Beatles were my first rock band-- when I was 10 years old. I think that's why I like Prince so much (now), because, he isn't a traditional R&B singer.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><strong> ?: Can you tell me about the first time you saw Prince or heard his music?</strong></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> EO: I remember the very first time I saw Prince. I was in high school and somebody walked by with a<em> Right On!</em> magazine and there was a picture of him—he was light skinned, with hazel eyes and had a big afro. It was his look that first drew me in. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I eventually heard his song, ("Soft and Wet"), on the radio. But, I said "(He) sounds like a girl. I don't like this." I dismissed him, at the time, after hearing his falsetto. However, I would watch all his TV appearances. But, the bikini underwear and trench coat period (during the <em>Dirty Mind</em> era) was my least favorite. I guess my mind wasn't ready for what he was doing. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I (later) had a boyfriend whose youngest sister was always raving about Prince. She was 13 years old, about four years younger than me. I would shake my head and say "Who is this with the panties and the trench coat?" She thought he was so sexy, but, I just didn't see it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> My freshman year of college (1981-1982) I heard the song "Private Joy," which I liked. Also, my college roommate during freshman year had the poster with Prince in the shower (from the Controversy album) in our room. Everyday I came in the room, I had to look at this poster with the man wearing bikini panties. His next album was <i>1999</i> and he just so happened to come to Gary, Indiana on tour, but, I missed out on that. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> The “Purple Rain" Soundtrack came out (in 1984) before the movie. (Prince) was getting more into the rock music field and I really liked that. I went to see the movie with a guy who wanted to be Morris Day. He wore a suit, a tie and he was always saying "Yeeeessss". He thought he was Day. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ever since I saw that movie I have been lost. I fell off the purple cliff. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> When I see people I haven't talked to in a long time, they ask me three things: "How are you? How's your family? You still like Prince?" I am well known as the girl that likes Prince.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Copy of <i>Right On! </i>Magazine</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong> ?: How many times have you seen Prince in concert? When was the first time? The last time?</strong></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> EO: I think I've seen him 16 times. I've been on stage (with Prince and his band) twice.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> My first concert was during the “New Power Soul” Tour with Larry Graham, Chaka Khan and Doug E. Fresh in 1998. My friend's boss gave him the tickets, but, my friend knew I was crazy about Prince, so, he gave them to me. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> He looked just like he did in the pictures, sounded like he did on the records and I was in awe. I came out of that (show) having a better appreciation of his musicianship. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The very first time I was onstage was in 2004, during the "Musicology" Tour. I drove to Champaign, Ill. with two people, one of them was Marcus Scott. He had made these supposed "tour badges" and people thought we were with the band. We went up to a security guard and I asked "How do you pick people to go onstage?" and he said "I missed that meeting."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I got up there, because, Prince's hairstylist was looking out from under the stage. She decided on her own to pick a couple people to go on stage. She poked her head out and I was in the aisle seats. When I noticed one person go up onstage, I made it so I stuck out. I caught her eye, pointed to myself and said “Me?” She motioned to me and I flew in under the stage, where the staircase was. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> My legs were shaking and felt like spaghetti. I said "Wow, I'm here." I was standing there dancing and I looked to my right and saw Scott. He was doing splits, spinning and dancing around the stage. He was eventually taken off, but, he made it over to where I was before that happened. It was hilarious and beyond a happy moment. I was ecstatic.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I remember standing near Prince for the very first time and he walked by me. I thought “Oooh...he's so small.” He was the same size as my son who was then 9 years old, but, a lot of talent came out of a small package.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"> The last concert I went to was (one of) the "Welcome 2 Chicago" shows (at the United Center) in Sept. 2012. He (also) did three nights of aftershows at the House of Blues in Chicago and I went to the second one. Prince tossed his tambourine to me during the show. He came over to me a couple more times and I ended up taking the flower out of my hair and giving it to him. And I did touch his hand.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong> ?: What is your favorite Prince album and song? Your least favorite?</strong></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> EO: My favorite album is his very first, "<i>For You</i>." I have a lot of favorites songs, but, the long version of "Let's Go Crazy," will get me out on the dance floor, without a shadow of a doubt. That's the song where I lost my mind and never looked back. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> My least favorite album is <em>20Ten</em>. My least favorite song... that's hard to say.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong> ?: What is your favorite Prince music video?</strong></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> EO: "Partyman." I loved the concept. I loved the comedy, the dancing and his costume. I just loved the whole song. I remember when "Batman" came out, I stood in a long line to see (the movie).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong> ?: Did the fact that Prince was often considered "controversial" have any appeal for you?</strong></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> EO: Well, you have to remember that I also was coming into myself. I did not look at him as being controversial. The music drew me to him...after I got past the bikini underwear and stuff. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I grew up going to church with my parents and I'm sad to say that I never knew the words to the Lord's Prayer. I learned them through the song "Controversy." </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> You had to understand what Prince saying in order for it to be controversial. But, if you didn't understand it...you also thought it was controversial. Like the song "Cream." From what I remember it's actually a spiritual song. It has spiritual connotations if you really listen. People thought it was something nasty, but, it really wasn't. In a drink the "cream" is the top. He was referring to himself as being the best. It sounded nasty, but, it really wasn't.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong> ?: Has Prince ever done anything that, as a fan, you did not understand?</strong></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> EO: Why doesn't he like being photographed at concerts? Why does he seek legal action against people who do certain things? I don't understand why bands like The Time and The Family could not continue to use those names.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>?: What is your most treasured Prince-related possession?</strong></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> EO: You know, I have my stuff hidden away. I don't even know what I have! But, I do have some of Prince's guitar picks. Those are definitely the most prized possessions.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong> ?: How has Prince's music influenced you?</strong></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> EO: How has it influenced me? Well... that's personal. Hint, hint, hint. Let's just say most guys think that women who listen to Prince are really something. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Every album represents different phases of my life. I am glad to say that Prince's music has always been the main soundtrack of my life.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong> ?: How do your friends and family feel about you being such an avid Prince fan?</strong></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> EO: My son was conceived during a Prince song when I was married. I can tell you the song: "Insatiable." He understands it, but, he thinks it's kind of crazy. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> My friends ask me "You still like him? You haven't gotten over him yet?" I tell them no. What's to get over?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong> ?: What's the best part about being a Prince fan?</strong></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> EO: For a long time, I was alone in my fandom in Gary, Indiana. This is the land of The Jackson 5. It wasn't until 10 years ago that I started going to the (now defunct) Prince parties at Club Berlin (in Chicago). I met great people, partied with them and had all these crazy adventures.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I'm the person that people who know me think of first when they see or hear a song, video or movie with Prince. That happens all the time and still puts a grin on my face.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong> ?: Who is your favorite associated artist? Why?</strong></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> EO: My favorite would have to be Sheila E. due to her longevity.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong> ?: Why do you think you've remained a Prince fan for 35 years?</strong></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> EO: I love his music and his great talent. He has it all when it comes to being creative. (I like) the sound of his voice whether it be speaking or singing. And those eyes! </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #333333;">I've been captivated by him all these years. I would've fallen off the bandwagon long ago if he were just another pretty face. But, he's pure genius.</span> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong> ?: What is your message for fans who may have recently discovered Prince?</strong></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> EO: You picked the perfect person to get into: he's a great musician, a great performer and he's not bad to look at.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em>Stay beautiful, Kristi</em></span><br />
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<em><span style="font-family: Arial;"><strong>All photos courtesy of Esther Ojeda.</strong></span></em><br />
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K Nicola Dyeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11470665347094419495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2193506780254658859.post-18636902339096991692013-06-12T08:18:00.000-07:002013-07-29T20:04:44.163-07:00 Better With Time: 'One Night With Gayle' Official Press Release<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> ”Dyes Got the Answers 2 Ur ?s: The Beautiful Nights Blog" is inviting local music lovers to spend "One Night with Gayle."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">The blog, dedicated to Prince and associated artists, will host a concert featuring Gayle Chapman at 6 p.m. Aug. 9, at The Mix, 6006 12<sup>th</sup> Ave. S., Seattle (<a href="http://themixseattle.com/">themixseattle.com</a>). Local Musicians Clayton Ballard and Old Blue will be the opening acts. Tickets are $8. This is a 21-and-over event.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Chapman (<a href="http://www.reverbnation.com/gaylechapman">www.reverbnation.com/gaylechapman</a>) played keyboards with Prince from 1978-1980 and will perform original material. She will also sing "If I Love You Tonight," "You" and "Lovin' You" songs that were recorded for "The Rebels," an unreleased album from 1979, with music written and performed by Prince and then band members. "If I Love You Tonight" was later covered by Mayte Garcia, of "Hollywood Exes" fame for her 1995 album “Child of the Sun.” Chapman's other cut on the album, "You," was covered by Paula Abdul (as "U") on her 1991 album “Spellbound.” The supporting acts will also play an acoustic version of one of their favorite Prince songs.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br /> Chapman teamed up with "Dyes Got the Answers 2 Ur ?s," Editors K Nicola Dyes and Elke Hautala, of Seattle, (<a href="http://beautifulnightschitown.blogspot.com/">beautifulnightschitown.blogspot.com</a>), to organize the event. She has been very active in the music community in Boise, Idaho, her residence for the last 25 years, but, is looking to expand her fan base by bringing her eclectic sound to Seattle.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">"Living is better than dying, as doing is better than wishing," she said about the show. "We are looking forward to this and know we are going to have a great time...can't wait!" </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> Chapman has a vocal tone that has been compared to Bonnie Raitt and has mastered several musical genres including blues, folk and rock. She will play guitar for the night's performance.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> Ballard (</span><a href="http://www.claytonballard.com/" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">www.claytonballard.com</a><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">) describes his unique sound as "Tom Waits meets Tom Jones," and has a loyal local following. He independently released his newest album "Tragedies to Threnodies" last month.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Old Blue (<a href="http://www.facebook.com/oldbluemusic">www.facebook.com/oldbluemusic</a>), a band that specializes in electric rock and blues will perform a special acoustic set. It will be one of their last performances with the current line up.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> Chapman, was one of the keyboard players (along with "Dr." Matt Fink) in Prince's very first professional band after he released his debut album "For You" on Warner Bros. Records in 1978. She played with him at his first concert as a solo artist at the Capri Theater, Minneapolis, in 1979, his TV appearances on "American Bandstand" and "Midnight Special" and on the "Fire it Up" Tour, where Prince and his band opened for Rick James. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">She left the band in 1980, right before the release of Prince's Dirty Mind album.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">She met Dyes and Hautala when the two traveled to her home in February to produce a video interview chronicling her life and career (<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3PmtCtLpNeY">"In Search of Gayle Chapman"</a>), which was published on the blog and YouTube later that month. So far, it has had a combined total of 1,500 page views. They all kept in touch after the interview and when Chapman proposed a trip to Seattle, she said she would be interested in performing. Dyes and Hautala have worked since March to find the right venue and supporting acts to make this happen.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br /> Chapman was one of the first artists that worked with Prince who agreed to an interview with Dyes since she started the blog six months ago. Others include: Fink; Jill Jones; The Twinz (Maya and Nandy McClean); Lalah Hathaway; Susannah Melvoin; Cat Glover; T.C. Ellis and Pepe Willie.The blog now has more than 22,000 total page views. Other stories include a review of Prince's concert at the Showbox at the Market in Seattle, a review of the Billboard Music Awards where Prince was honored with the 2013 Icon Award, and interviews with fans.</span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Stay beautiful, Kristi </span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i>Lead Photo courtesy of Gayle Chapman. All other photos courtesy of bands listed.</i></b></span><br />
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K Nicola Dyeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11470665347094419495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2193506780254658859.post-72830704201642286592013-06-08T10:11:00.000-07:002013-09-07T13:36:31.755-07:00True Confessions: T.C. Ellis talks 2 Beautiful Nights<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
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<i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is David Ellis' true story.</i><br />
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i> Ellis, better known by his nickname “T.C.” is known to Prince fans for his featured role in “Graffiti Bridge” in 1990 and his album “True Confessions,” the first rap album released on the Paisley Park label in 1991. Before that he had experienced some regional success as part of the burgeoning Twin Cities rap scene in the mid-to-late 1980s with two singles he independently released: "Twin City Rapp," his homage to Prince and the Minneapolis Sound and "Bat Rap," based on scenes from Tim Burton's 1989 movie.</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i> He grew up in the midst of the up-and-coming Minneapolis and St. Paul music scenes in the 1970s and 1980s. He witnessed the ascent of musicians such as Prince, Andre Cymone, The Time and many others. His sister, Sue Ann Carwell, also experienced success in the music business, albeit behind the scenes. He was inspired by the achievements of those around him and pursued a career in the music business first in management and later as a songwriter, producer and artist.</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i> Ellis is now using his love and knowledge of the music business to give back to the community. He is the founder and program director of the High School for Recording Arts, a charter school in St. Paul, Minn., that offers students an opportunity to learn about the music business, operations and production, while earning their high-school diplomas. The students gain real-world experience through a student- operated record label, weekly radio show and marketing company, among other projects, according to the school's Web site.</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i> K Nicola Dyes recently conducted a telephone interview with Ellis where he discussed how his role in “Graffiti Bridge” mirrored real life, the best business advice Prince ever gave him and being asked to present at the Oxford University Round Table:</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span><b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Prologue</b><br />
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"> G</span>rowing up in Minnesota was, in a way, very eclectic. You came from a small Black community, so you're very exposed to the white community. You're not as excluded as when you live in big cities like Chicago.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> That translated musically, too. There were a lot of great musicians coming out of Minnesota that were playing in different types of bands. Bobby Lyle, was one of the most well-known keyboard players in the world. Carl Walker, Willie Weeks, Sonny Thompson -- we were always known for having great musicians. One of them, Rocky Garrity, just passed away, he was famous in this community. He played with everybody.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I could talk to you all day about growing up in Minnesota.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: large;"> I </span>started in the music community at my church. I played the drums. That's how I got started, backing up the choir, playing too loud. We would get in trouble with the choir director Roberta Davis. She would say “You're playing too loud. Turn it down.” </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I played in a couple of different bands from there. Tony Walker was in one of them and we used to rehearse in his father's living room, with Andre and Pierre Lewis (who later formed the band The Lewis Connection, which also featured Thompson, who later played with Prince and the New Power Generation).</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I got away from music for a while. I got involved in aviation. I got my private pilot license's first. Then I went to an aeronautical university and got my commercial pilot's license. I was a commercial instrument pilot and did some flying for a little bit. </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I was a Golden Gloves boxer. I was also a juvenile correction worker.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I used to watch from the sidelines as my friends were getting in the music business. My sister, Sue Ann Carwell, got signed to Warner Bros. and Prince worked on her demo. But, they said it sounded just like him. They were concerned that it sounded so much like him and to them, that didn't make sense. Lo and behold, a few years later, the whole music industry was trying to sound like Prince. It was before its time. I guess all the stuff Prince did (with Carwell) is still in the vault.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> This is before Prince was an icon. He was up and coming and had just released his first record, “For You.” He was very much in the developmental stage of his career.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> He produced quite a few songs with her, but, (Warner Bros.) ended up guiding her in a different direction. She had the same management team as Prince-- Owen Husney and Cliff Siegel. As things developed, there was a rift between Prince and his management. She ended up with working with Pete Bellotte, a pretty well-known producer at the time, who had worked with Donna Summer.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> She also sang background on songs like “Cool” and “Get it Up.” I heard all these songs in the demo phase. She came home and said "David, I made this song with Prince and it says "Get it up, get it up, I'll f*** you all night.” I said “You can't say that on the radio.” Later, when I heard it on the radio it said “Get it up, get it up, I'll funk you all night.”</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> She had more success behind the scenes. She worked with Songwriter Diane Warren for 15 years and has done demos for some of the biggest artists, including Toni Braxton and Celine Dion.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Also, there was “Funkytown,” by Lipps, Inc. featuring Cynthia Johnson on the lead vocals. If the story's told, Carwell was actually the original one chosen to sing that song, but, since she was under contract to Warner Bros., her manager said she couldn't do it.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"> W</span>hen I first met Prince? Shucks, to be honest, I can't even remember. I've known Prince so long...we must have been 11 or 12 years old. The first formidable memory that I have is his when dad brought him to Will's Supervalue, in Minneapolis, to get him a job bagging groceries, we must have been 14 or 15 years old. It was on the north side, over by Cymone's house. I remember that he didn't want to work there and ran off. Not long after, Prince went to live with Cymone. But, I had met him before then, because, I think he was friends with my cousin.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Cymone's mother was like the neighborhood mother. If you were in trouble, you needed somewhere to stay, you needed some food, or whatever it was, that's where you went. Then in St. Paul, it was my mom, almost like the same thing.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> We'd have barbecues many times and Prince would be hanging out at our house. Prince was very introverted. We'd be having a barbecue and I remember going in the house and he'd be sitting in the kitchen talking to my mom while she was washing dishes. He had a mature disposition even when he was young. He was about business. </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">He knew what he wanted to do and he was about it.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> He had that Twin Cities attitude. He was kind of "pimpish," cocky, like “we can do this.” His cousin, Darnell White, was the same way. He was a boss on the street. But, Prince was young. He wasn't down for no real “get down.” </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But, he knew the lingo, he knew the body language, if you watch him, he still uses it today for his shows. He gets cocky, he talks shit, you know? That's a Minnesota thing.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;"> A lot of people don't know this, but, Minnesota is kind of “gangsterish.” Back in the day, a lot of the O.G. hustlers, gamblers and prostitutes, who were really getting money and had experienced some success down south and in Chicago, would move and settle in Minnesota. They would come here and retire, because, it was slow. There was a concentration of people who were real entrepreneurs, real cutting edge hip Black folks. There was that element here. </span> </span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> St. Paul and Minneapolis were always known as gangster havens. John Dillinger and Al Capone lived here; they had homes and hideouts in Minnesota. These neighborhoods have a unique culture.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">n Minnesota, there's Minneapolis and St. Paul, two cities adjacent to each other, although you can hardly tell which city you're in.</span><br />
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> If you were from the Black neighborhood, you knew whether somebody was from St. Paul or Minneapolis. If you crossed over and went in the wrong turf, you could get hurt, beat up or killed. That's just the way it was.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Girls could usually go back and forth without getting jumped. My sister had some girlfriends from Minneapolis. I started liking one of them and I was courting her, so, I would sneak over to Minneapolis to see her. You know how men are, I was getting cocky, and we went to the McDonald's right in the middle of the north side neighborhood, which was the toughest part of town.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> We were in line and a bunch of guys got off the bus coming from the roller skating rink. They were talking behind me saying (referring to T.C.) “Isn't he from St. Paul?" I could hear them talking among each other. One of them came and got right up in my face and he said "Aren't you from St. Paul?" I said no. He said "So, where are you from?" I said "I'm from the Twin Cities." He said "Oh, you're T.C., right?" I said "Yeah." He gave me five. Then, we went and smoked some weed. So, it was cool.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Those guys were the hardcore guys from Minneapolis and I became friends with them. They all called me “T.C.,” so, I kind of had a "visa." That upped my value in the hood, because, I was one of the cats that could go back and forth without getting beat up. I could do business, so, I was kind of like a go-between. I was also a boxer, so, I had a street rep. That's how I got the name “T.C.” and I just kept it for my rap thing.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi29tF4XfsA7xl9K0AqT0Rh07URCUbmYZG6RvKX54WsVgzjRsYP2q0A2JSA8nWixgaZygCK6s7UTmTGNUE4Uui0_B1kdW-43dESq9ZO22aYicfhgniP4vmv7BkJnKJUFI4wpllAjK6x4gCh/s1600/T.C.+Ellis%252C+Rapper%2527s+Delight.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi29tF4XfsA7xl9K0AqT0Rh07URCUbmYZG6RvKX54WsVgzjRsYP2q0A2JSA8nWixgaZygCK6s7UTmTGNUE4Uui0_B1kdW-43dESq9ZO22aYicfhgniP4vmv7BkJnKJUFI4wpllAjK6x4gCh/s400/T.C.+Ellis%252C+Rapper%2527s+Delight.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cover of "Rapper's Delight," by The Sugar Hill Gang</td></tr>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> T</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">he first time I heard rap music was when I was exposed to it by a friend of mine, Troy. He went on a youth trip, to either Chicago or New York and when he came back home to St. Paul, he had this record.</span><br />
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I was always known for having a booming stereo system. I had this Pioneer<i> </i>Technics<i> </i>with AFM speakers in my bedroom. If people wanted to listen to music, they would come over, we'd smoke weed and listen to Herbie Hancock and "Mr. Magic," (by Grover Washington, Jr.), all the latest stuff coming out, mostly jazz fusion.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> He came back and told me “David, I have this record and it's the best record that I've ever heard in my life.” I said “What?!” He said yeah. </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The first thing that came out of my mouth was “Better than Herbie Hancock?” I loved Herbie Hancock. He said yeah. I said “I have to hear this.”</span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I put on the record and it was “Rappers Delight” by The Sugar Hill Gang. It blew me away. It has that bassline by Chic and it was just infectious. It rocked my world. A lot of people said they didn't like it, that they didn't like rap and that it wasn't real music. I said “It sounds like real music to me.”</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I really enjoyed it and that's where it started right there. Once that happened, it just changed my life. It changed the way I thought about music. I knew right away that it was phenomenal. I could tell. People said “Ah, that's a trend, that's a fad.”</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I (later) told Prince “This is the future of the music business.” I even told him “If we work on this together, you'll be able to affect the whole music industry, because, this is what's taking over.”</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> He just didn't see it. He just kept on until it was too late.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> When he finally let me (record), the train had already passed us up. We were trying to catch on to the caboose. He really had a great opportunity to be in the forefront of hip-hop. But, for whatever reason, he didn't see it coming.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> My part in "Graffiti Bridge" is realistic in that I was constantly nagging Prince to let me do the rap thing. But, it wasn't over the course of two weeks, like the movie; it was over the course of five years. I was telling him what was coming way ahead of time.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></b><b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Main Chapter</b><br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">M</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">y experience in the music industry was really more about business than it was as an artist. Around 1979 or 1980 I started managing a group called The Syndicate. The two members of the group, who were also the songwriters, were my cousins David Connover and Gerald Benford. The tracks just blew me away. The group was made up of a “preacher,” a “policeman” and “gangster.” They were very similar to The Time.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Andre Lewis was one of the players in The Syndicate. I think he was the policeman. He and his brother, Pierre, had (previously) had a record called The Lewis Connection (released in 1979). This was before Pepe Willie (the 94 East recordings that Prince played on were not released until the mid-1980s). They have a record company (The Numero Group) courting them right now, because, they want to re-release the record. The Lewis brothers were from St. Paul and they were phenomenal musicians on guitar and keyboards. They were incredible.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I said “I'm going to get this to Prince.” That was always the plan. He was on the Warner Bros. label and that was a major accomplishment in the music business. I had access to him and I had a personal relationship (with him). I wanted to try and make the connection. These guys were very talented and they had a lot of potential. I thought, “If I could get this group cookin', then, with my relationship with Prince, I could get him to at least listen to their work,” which I knew was good. And maybe he could help get them signed.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I was the major investor. I bought the equipment and I rented the rehearsal space. I was the manager and these were all the things they wanted and needed to be successful. But, when it all came together, the chemistry just never worked. Once they started rehearsing, everything just went bad. There were a lot of egos flying around. That was the beginning of my frustration. I could see what was happening.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> After everything just imploded, I just started thinking that I needed an artist that would do what I would tell them to do— like me. That was when I started taking my rap stuff more seriously.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwxitkU-HpZvG-8tJNa4N8y5hv6DmvmPCVMeIQ5XGY4i-TezvL9-mJtRxWgvSgIFHgVXVZd4W4OWv_REomjW6IypUj8k4jGk5Zp_zhnDW8WFfs5DVoKOu6M95KaCP8mhsD9QLG7SXeDPt9/s1600/T.C.+Ellis+Miss+Thang.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwxitkU-HpZvG-8tJNa4N8y5hv6DmvmPCVMeIQ5XGY4i-TezvL9-mJtRxWgvSgIFHgVXVZd4W4OWv_REomjW6IypUj8k4jGk5Zp_zhnDW8WFfs5DVoKOu6M95KaCP8mhsD9QLG7SXeDPt9/s400/T.C.+Ellis+Miss+Thang.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cover of the single "Miss Thang."</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> I</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> had access to Prince and I (later) got a record deal. I had been going after my own project for four years. I was trying to educate Prince about hip-hop. He said “I really don't like rap.” I said “Prince, you're a virtuoso, how can you not like rap? This is the future of the music business.” He kept telling me "nah" and was blowing me off.</span><br />
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I had a good relationship with Miko Weaver, who was Prince's lead guitar player at the time and they were doing a project for Warner Brothers when the very first “Batman” movie came out. So, Weaver and all these guys were seeing the dailies of that movie.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> We would get in his apartment where he had his own studio. He lived in Symphony Place in downtown Minneapolis. It was a real nice luxury condominium. He had built a digital studio in his house. So, whenever I went over, he would tell me about the movie. I wrote this rap called “Bat Rap.” I laid the track, rushed it and put it out. It was the second single I released.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> The first one was "Twin City Rapp," which I had put out a few years before (in 1985). Prince knew about that song and it was what I used to try to get through to him. But, he wasn't budging. It got some regional airplay. The whole rap broke down what was happening on the Minnesota music scene. That was the first project that I put out independently. “Bat Rap” was the second and that was motivated by Weaver.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I would tell Weaver all the old stories about when Prince first got his record deal and how he was messing around with some guy's chick. This guy wanted to beat Prince up. So, I took up for Prince one time at the Fox Trap, this club we all used to go to. I was a Golden Gloves Boxer, so, I was tough. I had a strong reputation in both hoods --Minneapolis and St. Paul-- which is another story. That's how I got my name, T.C., “Twin Cities.”</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> This guy wanted to jump on Prince and I blocked him. Weaver said, "Why don't you remind Prince about that?" He knew I was trying to get a deal. I said," You know, I really don't want to bring that stuff up." This was after “Purple Rain,” so, he's like a superstar. He said, "You knew him back then, I know him now. That's the thing kind of s*** that will get to him. You need to bring that up."</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Sure enough, I saw Prince a couple of days later at The Pacific Club in downtown Minneapolis, which was owned by Walter Payton (the late football player from the Chicago Bears). He actually called me over that night. He said "Hey, T.C., come here."</span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I walked over and he said "You're going to have to quit coming up to me every time you see me out and stop talking about that rap stuff.” I asked why. He said "Because, I'm going to have Gilbert (Davidson) or Hucky (Austin, Prince's former bodyguards) do something to you." </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I laughed and asked "What are they going to do?" He said "You know, like break your legs or something."</span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I said "Man, if I ball up my fist, (Davidson) would break his porch door trying to get in the house." We all grew up together. When we were kids (Davidson) and all these cats knew me from the neighborhood. I grew up a block away from Prince's (then) main bodyguard. I had street juice over him. I was a real thug and he was a kid who played football and grew up in a nice situation.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I said "Come on man, for real? But, Prince, do remember before you had all these bodyguards, who was taking up for you then?" </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">He said "Oh, do I owe you? How much?" I said "You don't owe me anything, just open up the door, I can get in myself." He said "That was then, this is now." He just walked away and did his little Prince walk.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I was kind of pissed off about that. The next time I knew where he was playing he was at this place called Rupert's Club. He was doing a special presentation with Sheila E., a marching band kind of thing where they all came out with drums. I went to the club and I just stood in front of the stage, in the middle, right in front of him. When he came out, I just gave him the finger. I turned around and I walked out. In my hood, if I ball up my fist, that's a warning, but, the finger that means I'm gonna f*** you up.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> After that, I put “Bat Rap” out. Weaver mixed it down and I put it out. Later on, as hood mythology says, Warner Bros. heard the record. KMOJ was playing it on the radio, right next to “Batdance” and they said "Who is the real Batman?" Warner Bros. asked who put out this rap record and knows all about the “Batman” movie? I guess they were asking Prince "Who is this dude? Do you know him?" I guess they were looking for me. So, rather then they get to me without Prince, he called me up and said "Hey, man, why don't you come out here and bring your music. Let's do some tracks." I said "Okay."</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I got my shit together, I went out to Paisley Park and started recording. I went out there and started working on the record. I was introduced to Levi Seacer. I thought I was going to work with Weaver; I was looking forward to it. That was who I really wanted to work with on the production.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> But, Prince has his ways and I think he found out Weaver cut the record for me. So, he kind of took the (project) from Weaver and gave it to Seacer. I didn't really have the chemistry that I wanted with him. But, I went to work, because, it was an opportunity. I've always looked at it as business.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I started putting it down and from there Prince asked me to be in “Graffiti Bridge.”</span></span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">“G</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">raffiti Bridge” was very exciting. It was very intriguing in that it was an attempt to bring the whole clique back together. The Time came back together with Jimmy Jam, Terry Lewis and Jesse Johnson. So, they all were on the set. Prince was on the set. There was a lot of mediation and discussion between everybody, trying to make all the different personalities work together smoothly.</span><br />
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Prince had been checked a little bit by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. He fired those cats and they came back hard as hell. They were giant bosses in the business, so, they were formidable for him. It wasn't like he was just bossing them around and running shit. They were like okay, we're going to do this and it's going to be this way or that way. They were "shot callin' and ballin'" to him.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Prince got through it and he made the movie. But, there was definitely "sibling rivalry" going on. But, it was a lot of fun. In hindsight, when I look at it, this whole movement was part of the neighborhood-- all these people I knew and grew up with. I didn't really realize what was going on while it was happening. Making the movie was a blast, but, we all knew at the time, "This shit is corny as hell."</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> We were trying to bring it together. The Time was trying to do it and Prince was struggling. But, it was still fun, because, Mavis Staples, George Clinton, Tevin Campbell, Jam, Lewis, Morris Day and Jerome Benton were there. It was really like a homecoming. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Prince was trying to expand his horizons: he wanted become a filmmaker and be the star all at the same time. He just couldn't do it. Prince is a remarkable, incredibly connected musician. He can do anything when it comes to music, bringing it together on the stage and in the studio. But, when it comes to making movies, he has as much to learn as everybody else.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHCZ3ggrBsFSw3XWZghFlYD-B2g29X486cn2aX0mlumvtM7_2hQSC7s5Y8IglKXk_z22mZym5N3t1IutJML6KYS39y8yShOMOu4Xib2Fw7Ts5mnVAHk0sXxa94OgItKUvXj7iKIgLpiOwu/s1600/Graffiti+Bridge+Movie+Poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHCZ3ggrBsFSw3XWZghFlYD-B2g29X486cn2aX0mlumvtM7_2hQSC7s5Y8IglKXk_z22mZym5N3t1IutJML6KYS39y8yShOMOu4Xib2Fw7Ts5mnVAHk0sXxa94OgItKUvXj7iKIgLpiOwu/s640/Graffiti+Bridge+Movie+Poster.jpg" width="424" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Graffiti Bridge Movie Poster</td></tr>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"> R</span>ecording “True Confessions” was nothing like I anticipated or wanted it to be. I went to the studio and I was introduced to Seacer. They knew (the title song) was kind of like my signature track; I had recorded it before. They started throwing tracks up on the thing. I think this version was a track that Seacer produced and he wanted me to just try it. I said “That's not the groove for this song” and he said “Yeah, I know, let's just give it a shot.”</span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> So, I went in there and dropped it. I did the best that I could on it. But, it was definitely not what I envisioned or what I had planned for that song. It was really not what I would've produced or even released. I was eventually convinced that it was okay, because, I had Prince and Seacer gassing me up.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> The experience recording the album was mixed. There was some creative stress going on. I already had experience and I knew how I wanted to present myself in the music industry. I think that was kind of blunted, in that Prince, but, more so Seacer, were leading the project musically.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I love live music. I grew up playing live music. But, I had an idea of how it was going to go and they were more choreographed and deliberate with how they produced. That was tough for me. I enjoyed the time working with George Clinton, because, he was more laid back and creative. He said “Let's make it funky.”</span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> So, it had its plusses and minuses. It definitely wasn't what I had in mind. But, at the same time, I was in the midst of making a record and I was working with Prince. I was working with Seacer. There was a lot of stuff going on.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I was looking at it more as a business opportunity than the opportunity to really be creative. I thought I would have another opportunity to really show that I could put it down. It was a compromise.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> It got me paid, though. I was never mad about that. I learned a lot about the music business right then and there. When I cut that album, Warner Bros. wanted to sign me for six more (contract) options. I made the record and they wanted six more albums, so that's seven all together.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I fussing with them about the royalties. At the time CDs were coming out, taking the medium over from vinyl. But, vinyl was still the primary seller. They were very sophisticated in their negotiations with me. They took your eye off what the real picture was. They brought something else into the kitchen that you can't see.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> That's one place where I really credit Prince with helping me out, especially with the business. We were doing the movie and Prince said “I'm trying to wrap this up, did you sign the contract?” I said no. He asked me “What's the problem, what's going on?” I said “I'm negotiating these royalties for Europe and the United States.”</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> He said “Look, don't worry about all that. Just tell them you want a guarantee of three album releases and go along with the rest of it.” I said, “No man, the royalties...” again, I'm thinking about the business. He said “You're not going to get any royalties. Warner Brothers has like five sets of books.” I said “No, you can audit the books.” He said “You're not going to audit anything, they have so many lawyers. Just listen to me. Trust what I'm telling you.” I told him okay. I went back and told my lawyer “Let's just go with the schedules they have, the only thing I want is a three-release guarantee.”</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> He said okay. When I did that, Warner Bros. said it was fine. Then, lo and behold, after the movie came out, it was flop. My record didn't sell. But, they had to pay me for three records that I didn't put out. They had to pay the average production value of what the album cost. Prince spent $370,000 on my first album. That's where I got my come up. If they don't put those three albums out, they have to pay you what it costs to produce those albums. You add $370,000 three times and how much is that? That's a grip. That's how I am able to do what I'm doing now.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I've always been on the cusp of what's coming and what's new.That's how I work myself. We could have controlled the whole rap thing, because, everybody was on Prince's shit then. Anything he would've done would have had a major impact on the hip-hop community and the world. When hip-hop first started, of course, (the artists) were influenced by Prince. One of the biggest records featuring rap was “I Feel For You” by Chaka Khan.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> They were all into Prince. The whole hip-hop community loved Prince. But, he didn't show any love back. Looking at it historically, (the rise of rap) was really the beginning of his decline in regards to his sales in the music industry.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> But, that doesn't have anything to do with him doing a show or performing. I still say he's the baddest MF out here. Nobody can f*** with Prince when it comes to getting on stage and putting it down musically and rocking. He'll f*** up the baddest white boy on the guitar. He's definitely channeling Jimi Hendrix on his latest tour with 3<sup>rd</sup> Eye Girl. He's no joke when it comes to playing that guitar.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaZEQiiMm_-qqo3CxZbKqAT5ymfn9x5JS_hI2owZ6GFoEp3jQ26FCTFU6vF0XEmGCMi7xk9x56C1BuXEJcQQtZBzvhy0k1XGrBV1isFbR4VaVeAU3g7FbQuOMTXqm0IfpPkLEx_ErUMJ8A/s1600/True+Confessions+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaZEQiiMm_-qqo3CxZbKqAT5ymfn9x5JS_hI2owZ6GFoEp3jQ26FCTFU6vF0XEmGCMi7xk9x56C1BuXEJcQQtZBzvhy0k1XGrBV1isFbR4VaVeAU3g7FbQuOMTXqm0IfpPkLEx_ErUMJ8A/s400/True+Confessions+2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cover for True Confessions album </td></tr>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span style="font-size: large;">Y</span>ou know, when Prince would go out on tour, he would come back, people were used to talking to Prince and engaging him. There were times when he would just bow his head, and really not talk or hold conversations. At the time, a lot of people said "What's wrong with him? He's acting all funny, like he can't talk and he's stuck up. What's up with that?" I didn't have a clue. I just said "Yeah, what's up?"</span></span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Then, later on, I was in a situation when I was on tour and performing. My voice out. So, I had to get a shot with steroids or something to bring the swelling down on my vocal chords and the doctor told me "Listen, don't talk to anybody. Don't talk, save your voice."</span></span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I remember going back to my neighborhood and people were coming up to me and they were greeting me and talking to me. But, I couldn't really say anything. I just did what I saw Prince do -- bow my head, smile and keep it moving. They said the same thing about me: "What's wrong with him? Does he have the 'big head''? He can't speak to people anymore?"</span></span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> People don't realize, sometimes, what an artist, or someone who is out performing a lot is going through and one thing or another may be interpreted differently than what the reality is. </span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cover for the single "Pussycat."</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span style="font-size: large;">M</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">y favorite song on True Confessions, that's a hard one. But, just straight up, on the hip-hop tip, it would have to be “Dope.” That was the most spontaneous, natural work I did (on the album). We all came together and just </span>freestyled<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> in the studio that night. There was no writing. It was all kicking it and that's really the style that I like to rap in. It was in the funk style.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I learned so much from Clinton in regards to letting the music take on a life of its own-- keeping some parameters and guidance with it-- but, letting it do its own thing. I really felt that. I loved “Bustin',” too. Really, I like all the songs, they just weren't produced in the manner that I would have liked—except for “Girl o' my Dreams” and “Bambi (Rap).” Those were Prince's songs and they were produced the way they should have been, because, he was involved with it. He did it and he knew what he was trying to do. I was really the “voice.”</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But, the other songs, I wish there had been more collaboration.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9pmg5FYDPQ-vxyBmdgnL-vdi8VU_rFGYeyVIQE8LH8FVzbgopq99Qx1p-Qzyba9Ig5o89JLx1dzEpCKw6VK-vJ0poUpCcXMg_ci1v8yW5AFWiUB1ZlwqqaD87jNIbI0FN6pqVL_fIek_q/s1600/T.C.+Ellis+and+Eric+Leeds.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9pmg5FYDPQ-vxyBmdgnL-vdi8VU_rFGYeyVIQE8LH8FVzbgopq99Qx1p-Qzyba9Ig5o89JLx1dzEpCKw6VK-vJ0poUpCcXMg_ci1v8yW5AFWiUB1ZlwqqaD87jNIbI0FN6pqVL_fIek_q/s400/T.C.+Ellis+and+Eric+Leeds.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">T.C. Ellis and Eric Leeds</td></tr>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span style="font-size: large;">I </span>did a whole record release and played the album at Glam Slam, Prince's (now closed) club in downtown Minneapolis. I had my night. I preformed with Prince and a couple of times with George Clinton—we performed “Bustin'. ”</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It was great, I had fun. There was a lot of excitement. It was too choreographed for me, but, it was still fun. I was working with Prince and it was a fantastic opportunity.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I'm just a b-boy, I grew up gangster in the streets. I wanted to start the show with “Dope.” I had a band and they were dope; they were the bomb. When the show was supposed to start, I wanted the music to start playing while the lights were still on. I was going to come from the back of the venue, walk through the crowd and get up on stage and say “Turn the lights down in here, it's time to get funky and bring out the dope.” Just like it said on the record. But, that was too much for Prince and Seacer at the time.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span style="font-size: large;">I </span>was able to build and maintain a good relationship with George Clinton. He came out to Minnesota and set up shop. I was kind of an emissary between Clinton and Prince. I would take tapes and go to Detroit and set up shop in the studio. There is a track I liked that they did called “Soul Psychodelicide” that was never put out.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> He's a real down-to-earth cat. When I was in Michigan I would stay with him or I would stay in close proximity. I was able to spend a lot of time with him in Minneapolis and Michigan. Clinton produced “Pussycat” and “Bustin'” (on the album True Confessions) I also spent a lot of time with his son, Traylude. He's an incredible songwriter and musician.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"> I</span> always dreamed that I was going to be able to get Prince and Michael Jackson together and I was going to be the executive producer of the record.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;"> I always had that spirit that I could do anything in the music business. I had proximity to Prince and I had proximity to The Jacksons. I got a chance to meet Michael Jackson and I got to meet his brothers. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;"> Eban Kelly (best known for writing “He's Coming Back” for Al Green and as an executive producer on “We're All in the Same Gang” by the West Coast Rap All Stars) was a mentor to me and I did some writing with him in L.A. His studio was in the same building as Warren's. </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Kelly took me to the Jacksons' compound in Encino, Calif. I met Jackie Jackson, Jermaine Jackson and their mother, Katharine Jackson. They were having a showcase for a group that Jackie was producing called Mix. The group had five boys of different races: Asian; Latino; Black and white. We saw where the Jacksons grew up and where they rehearsed. I got to see the whole estate.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;"> I had met Michael long before that in Minnesota, when “Dancing Machine” was out. He came to town with his brothers and after the show his father threw a little party. You know how people always talked about how Joe Jackson was so bad and he was hard on the kids? Well, when The Jackson 5 came to Minnesota, his father had a party for them at the Radisson Hotel in downtown St. Paul. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;"> He wanted all the boys to come down and for it to be “normal,” to just have a regular party with some kids. I remember hearing the conversation. Joe said “I just want the boys to come down here and get a chance to meet the kids and have a normal get together." I always remembered that when I would hear all the bad stuff about him. That's not how I remember him. When I met Joe, he seemed like an engaging father who wanted his kids to have some normal participation with other kids. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;"> Much later, I saw Michael Jackson in L.A. at the Le Parc Suite Hotel. I was there and I ran into him. He knew my sister, because, she used to go out with his security manager. I talked to him. I told him I was out there working with Prince. I always dreamed about being able to produce a record with Prince and Michael. He really admired Prince. </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> It was just something that I was never able to do, but, that was my dream music project. I grew up listening to Michael and The Jackson 5. I grew up with Prince. It was just one of those dream scenarios.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b> Epilogue</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe3_j8y5DaSnyD9wsn7EhMPqdRll-XTqcZAosQccm2fHe3XOohHSmubyd3DwS91dNYxH_l27ZHjBS-MdxIrXUgiipkHePJHU2nRjYkRHNsOkGrjha-_u7r8gN9rfyD0QM98Uc0iWAiqbkn/s1600/T.C.+Ellis%252C+High+School+for+Recording+Arts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe3_j8y5DaSnyD9wsn7EhMPqdRll-XTqcZAosQccm2fHe3XOohHSmubyd3DwS91dNYxH_l27ZHjBS-MdxIrXUgiipkHePJHU2nRjYkRHNsOkGrjha-_u7r8gN9rfyD0QM98Uc0iWAiqbkn/s640/T.C.+Ellis%252C+High+School+for+Recording+Arts.jpg" width="344" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> started High School for the Recording Arts, because, I saw a need in the community. Prince's thing fell apart, he had changed his name to the symbol. He was having troubles with Warner Bros. and he wanted out of the contract. They dropped my deal. So, I went and opened up a recording studio in downtown St. Paul.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> It was on the skywalk level --in Minnesota it's real cold in the winter, so, they have these walkways that bridge all of the buildings together. You don't even have to put on your coat, you can walk all around downtown.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> All the kids that ditched school hung out in the skywalk. They knew I had a studio. They would congregate there and always wanted me to let them in to show me what they could do. I was basically doing them like Prince did me; I was blowing them off, because, I had clients coming in. I said “No, I'm busy, blah, blah, blah.” One time some clients didn't show up and these students said “See, you said you had somebody coming and there's nobody here. We could have made a hit!”</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I said “Okay, come on.” I took them into the studio and I put a beat on. They just immediately blew me away. I said “These cats are the bomb.” What it took me two or three days to do, they could do in 20 minutes. They could listen to the beat, write the rap, stand up go behind the mike and start rapping. So, I was like these kids are awesome.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I asked “So, how come you guys aren't at school?” They said “F*** school, man, we're trying to do this music thing.” They started asking me about the business: “How do you copyright?” “How do you publish?” I explained to them how to do publishing and copyrighting. After that, they were at my studio every day, hounding me about everything I knew about the music business. That's where the idea came from.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I said “These brothers are super smart. They're trying to get their business on and they're high school kids. But, they're not getting any credit for it.” If you can do publishing, copyrighting, go in the studio, write prolifically and perform like that, you're competent as a high school student. I know that, because, I didn't learn what I was teaching them until I was in my late 20s. If you can do all that, you have skills.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I connected it to my own experience growing up. I was the product of an alternative school. I went to the St. Paul Open School. I was a hands-on, entrepreneurial type of leaner myself. So, that's when it all came together and I realized my whole life had really been a training ground for I was going to do for my “life work.”</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> My “life work” was founding this school and continuing to provide opportunities for young people who are motivated and inspired by music, like I was. I thought this was something good. I reached out to some of my mentors who were in education and I told them what I was doing. They said “This is a good idea, we should start a pilot program.”</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I created a a pilot program and partnered with a charter school. In two months there were 50 kids on the waiting list. Then we moved to another facility and we applied for and received our official charter from the State Department of Education. We started working with Verizon Wireless, Exxon Mobile and a whole lot of companies. Recently, we worked with State Farm Insurance where we did a whole campaign called “26 Seconds.”</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> We've been doing a lot of projects in the community and also with companies. Our kids do music for learning for middle school kids. We put together recording projects. It's just inspirational and phenomenal what these young people can do, while at the same time earning their high school diploma.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> We're getting recognition worldwide; people come from all over the world to see this school. We've been acknowledged in the book “Hip Hop Genius,” written by Sam Seidel. He came and spent two years in Minnesota and chronicled the school and told the story of the High School for Recording Arts. NYU has partnered with us, giving us credit for having the first hip-hop project offering a credential. We've also worked with Chris “Kazi” Rolle, of “The Hip Hop Project” a documentary, where Bruce Willis was a executive producer.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;"> It's been very fulfilling and it's given me an understanding of what my life is really about. I grew up tough in the neighborhood and I had a good reputation on the street. Yet, I was blessed enough not to get in any trouble. </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I had a career in the music business with Prince, I've worked with George Clinton, Mavis Staples, Patti LaBelle and Jeff Beck. I've had access to all the biggest stars in the music business. Having this opportunity and the understanding of everything that I went through up to this point was to prepare me for what I'm doing now. You know? I get it. What a blessing.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;"> Sometimes I go on some of those Web sites and it says “T.C. Ellis works at McDonald's.” I think "These people are so damn stupid, do they really understand what life is about?” It's about having the opportunity to be part of a movement. Just to have worked with Prince and now, from that opportunity, have spawned all of this – I'm effecting thousands of young lives. </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">They don't even get that. Sometimes, I get motivated and say “I'm going to write something on there.” But, my inside tells me “Dude, don't even waste your time. It's not worth addressing. Just keep working on what you're doing.”</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I'm having business meetings, I'm raising capital, transforming facilities and dealing with lives. I just stay on track. I feel so blessed to do what I'm doing now. It really feels better than it did when I was working with Prince. This is more fulfilling, more long lasting. I try to keep the focus positive on my latest development rather than rehashing all that old stuff that went down back in the day. But, I try to keep that positive, too.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;"> It was really a miracle for me: growing up being a young black man, beating the odds, having the experiences I had and getting the opportunity to do what I'm doing now. How does that happen? Who does that happen to? I know it's a privilege. </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I've been on the stage and I've been in production in the music studio. So, everything that young people who are striving to be in the industry want to know, I have something to share with them. I can tell them what it's like. I can give them some insight into their dreams and an opportunity to take it beyond where I did. I get to give something back.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"> P</span>eople would be surprised to know I have a little four-year-old son. I'm still getting it in. I'm a boss out here. (<i>Laughs</i>). I have the means and the ability to provide and take care of my family.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"> B</span>eing honored by Oxford University. Wow. That was exciting. That was a trip for me. I didn't even realize what it was all about until I got there and got into the debate hall and the coffee shop.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> About 10 years ago, someone nominated me and (the university) called me up and invited me to come to Oxford and present my hip-hop in education project. I said “Oh yeah, sure, I would like to do that.” But, I didn't realize what Oxford University was.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> For whatever reason, I didn't put two and two together. I told some of my relatives and different people. They asked “Wow, aren't you excited? You get to go over there and do a presentation at Oxford?” I said “Yeah, well, you know, I've been to Europe before. It's not that big of a deal.”</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;"> When I got over there, they assigned this professor to me, some older guy and he was showing me around the campus. He said “You know, this university is four times older than your country.” He started breaking it down: “Penicillin was discovered here. The King James Version of the Bible was interpreted here.” He started telling me about how great Oxford University was. I still didn't catch on.<br /> He took me to the debate hall and said “This is where you're going to do your presentation.” Then he took me to the coffee shop and he showed me a wall that had hundreds of pictures: Martin Luther King, John F. Kennedy, Desmond Tutu, Mother Theresa, all these phenomenally great people.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> They were standing in front of the podium where I was going to do my presentation. That's where they took the picture. He said “These are distinguished people who have all addressed the Oxford Round Table, such as you are going to do.” That's when it finally sank in. I said “Oh, this is Oxford University! Where these great people come and discuss ideas.” Then it hit me, “This is where I'm at. This is what it's all about.”</span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I was there for two or three weeks. I settled down and I worked on my project and, when I did my presentation, I got a standing ovation. It felt really good. Then they gave me a certificate, that said I was an alumni and official member of the Oxford University Round Table. I rolled it up and put it in this tube. (For a long time), I never took it out and I never did anything with it.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Oxford was a blast, the people were incredible, it was just a tremendous learning experience. It was intriguing, because, it wasn't just about me doing my presentation. I was learning there.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I spent a lot of time with a graduate student who was doing a project on Martin Luther King's speeches. I would meet with him in the student hall in the evening and a lot of times we would go to his room or somewhere and we would listen to Martin Luther King's speeches like “Why I Oppose the War in Vietnam” and “I Have a Dream.”</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I got a chance to analyze those speeches and understand the humanity that Martin Luther King represented and where a lot of his ideals came from: like those from Ghandi, about humanity; about being powerful and how to use that to be political and accomplish some righteousness. It was unbelievable. The whole trip was just inspirational to me.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">'ve been recognized by NYU and Cornell University. I consult with their education and teaching departments, because, they are all embracing using and teaching hip-hop for education. They recognized what I have with the High School for Recording Arts. It is the first academic institution that offers a credential that is based around hip-hop. They (the universities) have put us in their archives and Sam Seidel, wrote a book about it called “Hip Hop Genius: Remixing Education.” it's all about the school I started in Minnesota. I have been doing this for 15 years. Without it, I don't know where I would be. It offers me so much.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> It gives me the opportunity to continue to work in the music industry, which I love so much, but, I get to work with the newest, brightest, up-and-coming talent. I'm doing something positive for the community.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I've tried to tell Prince. When I was in Las Vegas with Carwell (for his recent show in April at The Joint in The Hard Rock Hotel). I was trying to reach him. I just got a new facility. This is a nonprofit organization, but, I'm doing a $2 million renovation. I'm basically building a mini Paisley Park that is in the community, that's accessible to our young people. These are the descendants of both our families.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I've been trying to say “Prince, I need you to do a benefit, do a show for the school and help this thing proliferate.” But, he's not making himself accessible. But, that's okay. I'm going to keep doing what I'm doing. I keep my nose to the grindstone and I make it happen. I'm a builder; I'm a businessman.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> People get confused. I read all those stupid blogs about music, Prince and what I did. I say “They don't even have a clue of what I was really all about or how that (album) came about. They're just lost. But, then I look at it like this: small minds sit around and talk about people and great minds get busy doing something.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I try to do something positive in the community and do something that will make a difference. I want to help our young people get where they want to be, because, they have the same dreams and desires that we had as young people. I think it's our responsibility to help them realize that. We had an opportunity and we were able to make it. I don't believe in turning my back on that. I'm dealing with his cousins, his nephews. These are our families; these are the same neighborhoods.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">O</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">ne of my best friends, Charles Crutchfield, is a world-renowned dermatologist. When you go in his office he has like 40 or 50 certificates hanging on the wall; he went to school at The Mayo Clinic; he has degrees for research science; a degree as a medical doctor. He has degrees everywhere.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> So, I was looking at all his degrees one day. I said “I have a degree that you don't have on your wall.” He asked what it was. I said “I got a degree from Oxford University, I'm an alumni of the round table.” He said “Yeah right.” I said “Yeah, I do. For real.” He said “Show it to me.” I said “Well, I have to go find it...I put it away.”</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;"> So, the next Saturday he met me for lunch and I said I was going to bring the degree. I brought it and I showed it to him. We immediately got in the car and drove to the framing shop where he has all his degrees framed. He had my degree framed with the most expensive wood they had. They matted it and put it in cherry maple wood. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;"> I always give him shit. “Yeah, you went to college, you have all those degrees, but, I never graduated from college or anything like that, but, my degree for the Oxford Round Table is the most prestigious.” We tease each other about it all the time. I have one degree that trumps all of his, as far as academia. It's hanging in my office. </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I have one other thing hanging in my office that I really admire. I have this note from the desk of Prince. He wrote all this stuff that he wanted me to say. He wanted me to do some vocals. When they told me what he wanted me to do, I went up to his office. His secretary was reading the note and I grabbed it and looked at it. Then she took it back. She didn't want me to keep it, right? Prince had written it and he doesn't do autographs or anything like that. So, I said okay.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> When I sat down waiting on the side, she called into another meeting somewhere. So, I picked it up and I took it. It said “Would you have T.C. say these things?” and it's written like Prince writes where he puts “4” and “2” rather than writing the word. So, I have that in my office. I have the original and I got it framed. Those are my two little accomplishments.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"> I</span>'ve always wanted...that's deep. It's the same thing I told you before, that I wasn't able to accomplish: I wanted to produce a project with Prince and Michael Jackson. That was my musical coup d'etat. That was what I always aspired to do. I really wanted to do that. It's impossible now; Jackson's dead. But, hey, at least I gave it a shot.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I just talked to Michael and talked to Prince and told them what I wanted to do. I spoke about it one of my raps that I gave to each of them. I used to have some times in the studio where I would just snap out, freestyle and just talk about what I wanted to accomplish. But, they were just disconnected.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"> I</span>n the future I really would like to expand and replicate my High School for Recording Arts project to other cities across the United States and the world. That's my goal for the future, to create something that is going to bring hope and opportunity to young people. Especially young people who are from my culture and my community-- young black men.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I think they are probably the most disenfranchised (group) and have the least amount of opportunity. I really want to change that dynamic and put some resources into connecting with them and demonstrating to them how to be productive humans and citizens. So that they can reach back and do something for their community. I want them to effect a change and take responsibility, so we can really lift ourselves up.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Stay beautiful, Kristi</i></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Check out T.C. Ellis' Twin City Rapp here:</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>For more information on High School for Recording Arts visit <a href="http://hsra.org/">hsra.org</a>.</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><em>Lead Photo courtesy of Warner Bros. (Paisley Park Records)</em></b></span></span></div>
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K Nicola Dyeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11470665347094419495noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2193506780254658859.post-35684437612901389232013-05-29T17:28:00.003-07:002014-10-28T06:23:26.942-07:00Sexy Dancer: Cat Glover Talks 2 Beautiful Nights<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <em>When it comes to dancing, Catherine Glover is definitely the one you want to see.</em></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: italic;">Glover, simply known to Prince fans as Cat, was the artist's first lead female dancer/choreographer. She paved the way for others including Diamond and Pearl (Robia LaMorte and Lori Elle), Mayte, Geneva and, later, The Twinz (Maya and Nandy McClean).</span><br />
<em><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Glover is a self-taught dancer originally from Chicago. She honed her skills in her hometown and, later, on the L.A. club scene. She made it to the finals of the then hugely-popular TV talent show "Star Seach," as part of the duo Pat and Cat-- the first act to receive a "perfect score" on the program-- only to lose. </span></em><br />
<em><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> But, that was only the beginning. Her talents were in demand by the late 1980s: David Bowie and Prince both asked her to work on their respective tours. She chose to work with The Purple One and the rest is history.</span></em><br />
<em><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Her high-energy dancing and singing were prominent on Prince's "Sign o' the Times" Tour, which was filmed and released theatrically, in 1987 and "Lovesexy" Tour in 1988. She also choreographed the music video for Prince and Sheena Easton's single "U Got the Look" and danced alongside Sheila E. in the video for "Koo Koo."</span></em><br />
<em><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> In addition, she sang backing vocals on several Prince songs and was the featured rapper on two Prince cuts: the hit single "Alphabet St." in 1988 --where Prince gave her a memorable introduction-- and "Cindy C," which was recorded in late 1987, but, not officially released until 1994 on The Black Album. </span></em><br />
<em><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> K Nicola Dyes conducted a telephone interview with Glover, on Mother's Day, two days after "Lovesexy 25," the silver anniversary of Prince's groundbreaking album, where she discussed the real reason she left Prince's band, her unreleased solo album and creating the "Cat Scat":</span></em><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong> When I was a kid</strong> I loved to dance. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong> I started dancing</strong> when I was five. Actually, I think I started when I was in my mother's womb. I basically learned (to dance) from the street.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <strong> Chicago is</strong> my hometown. I was born and raised in the Windy City. Love it. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b> I always wanted </b>to be famous. (Laughs). </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong> My approach to choreography</strong> is from the heart: be yourself, let go and just feel the music. The music is the important thing, just feel it. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong> Star Search</strong> was the most amazing thing for me, because, I never thought I would get that far.<br /> When I did Star Search I was working in Beverly Hills at this store called The Beautiful Web on Beverly Drive where I was a salesperson. A friend of mine, Patrick Allen, the Pat of Pat and Cat, used to hang out at a club called The Rhythm Lounge </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">in L.A. on Melrose Avenue</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">. It was filled with breakdancers like Shabba-Doo, Toni Basil, Bugaloo Shrimp and Poppin' Taco. I met him at that club and he asked me "How would you like to audition for Star Search?" I said "Sure!"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> We auditioned and made it on the show. However, there were only seven shows to win in that year. It changed my life, because, I never thought this little girl coming from Chicago would get on Star Search with all these trained dancers. We won the semi-finals, got to the finals and lost. We lost $100,000. <br /> But, it wasn't all that bad. Some of the judges were the best choreographers in the business. One of them was Michael Peters, who worked with Michael Jackson. He couldn't believe we lost. I remember we lost to this couple named Christopher and Snowy. They danced to Prince's song "Baby, I'm a Star." We danced to "You Wear it Well" by DeBarge. After we lost, I wasn't even upset; I went straight to work. I worked in Beverly Hills in the daytime, but, I was a dancer at The Palace in Hollywood on Hollywood Boulevard and Vine at night. No big loss. <br /> As a matter of fact, more people said "Who is this girl? Where did she come from?" People in Chicago signed a petition saying that I should have won. Ed McMahon contacted me. I said the judges chose (the winner), what's fair is fair and that's okay. The thing is I haven't heard about them (Christopher and Snowy) since, just being honest. But, they were really nice people. <br /> We got the first perfect score, which was all "fours" and through the seven shows we did we got three perfect scores. I was shocked. If I could find some of the tapes, I could show you the look on my face. One of the perfect scores came (when we danced) to Diana Ross' song "Eaten Alive." Allen (was dressed) as an alligator hunter who died and I was a lioness. I remember that people looked at me funny, because, I had no shoes on. I had borrowed a friend's lion costume and we did this jungle theme. We had no idea that people were going to love it. I kept saying "Oh my God, are you kidding me? All fours?" I was just this little street dancer.<br /> Allen contacted me a couple of weeks ago. He was doing a show in Venice Beach and invited me. However, I couldn't make it. That was a bummer. When I was signed to Warner Bros. Records, with Steve Fargnoli, I moved to London. When I filmed my first video "Catwoman" I got in contact with Allen and I invited him out to London to be in the video. He's in the beginning of the video with a green suit on. He's a such a sweetheart. I love that guy to death.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong> I met Prince</strong>... the formal introduction was at his house in Beverly Hills. I was invited by Devin DeVasquez, a Playboy Playmate who was also on Star Search (as a spokemodel). She was dating Prince at the time. Prince's father (John L. Nelson) and DeVasquez were good friends. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> She invited me to Prince's house for dinner and I met him when he walked in with a DAT (digital audio tape) or a cassette tape and it was "Housequake." He wanted Fargnoli (Prince's then manager) to come upstairs and hear it. He saw me sitting at the table wearing all purple—suspenders, high-waisted pants—and I had on that chauffeur's hat that I gave him for his birthday. (He wore it singing) "Forever in My Life" in (the concert film) "Sign o' the Times." He said "Who is that sitting at the table?" I was invited there for a friendly dinner by DeVaquez and he popped up, looking cute as ever, I might say. <br /> After dinner we all went to a club. We took different cars and we ended up at a club called Voila in Beverly Hills, a private club, downstairs in a mall. I was sitting there with Fargnoli, DeVaquez, Prince and a couple of other people. Prince said (speaking in a low, raspy voice) "Cat, when a good song comes on will you dance with me?" I said "Sure!"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> The first song came on and he didn't ask to me to dance. The second song came on; he didn't ask me to ask. On the third song, "Simply Irresistible" by Robert Palmer, he asked me to dance. I was wearing cowboy boots and a pair of Levi's jeans. He reached to hold my hands while we were dancing, but, I had leather gloves on, so, I couldn't feel anything.<br /> He started doing dance steps and I started doing them; whatever he did, I did. I think he noticed that, so, he started doing them more and I started doing them more. I think we stayed on the dance floor for two songs. After that, the DJ played some kind of uptempo house music, which I love, being from Chicago. I remember I walked toward the DJ and there was a wall. I put my hands on the wall and started jackin' (a dance move closely associated with house music that originated in Chicago). </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> That's the night it all started.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong> David Bowie's Glass Spider Tour</strong>... It's a funny thing: Prince asked me to join his band on a Friday and David Bowie asked me (to join his tour) on a Saturday -- the same weekend. I said "Oh my God, when it rains, it pours." I love Bowie, because, I grew up in the "neo" days, the punk days and that was the music I danced to. I had a dilemma.<br /> Troy Beyer (the actress/director) was dating Prince at the time and she lived in my (apartment) building. I said "Troy, Prince has called and Bowie just called. I don't know what to do." I was so confused. She said "Cat, do what your heart says." I said "Prince!" <br /> I turned down Bowie and I accepted the job with Prince. But, what I did was I replaced myself on Bowie's tour with one of my best friends, Constance Marie, who played George Lopez's wife on The George Lopez Show. I got her to do the Glass Spider Tour instead of me. I think everything that Marie did as a lead dancer is what I was supposed to do. I actually saw it. It was awesome.<br /> We were on tour at the same time. Bowie was staying across the street from us in Italy. It was really weird. The good thing was that when we were on tour, Bowie and I hooked up. He was in a limo trying to get into a club where we were doing an aftershow. One of the security guards knew I was inside and he said "Bowie wants to see you, he's outside." So, I snuck out the back door and I jumped into his limo. I asked "What's wrong?" He said (speaking with a British accent) "Cat, there's too many bloody people out here. You know me. I just want to bloody get in." I got him in safely through the back door. <br /> We ended up at Paisley Park together about a year later when Prince threw a party. I was with Bowie, Constance Marie and Prince, standing against a wall. Prince said "Yeah, that's my girl" (referring to Cat). Bowie said "No, that's my girl." Prince said "Well, I had her first" and Bowie said " No, she was supposed to be with me first!" It was funny. That was the conversation. It was amazing. Me and Constance Marie are sitting there looking at each other like "Wow, is this really happening?" We were just two little hip-hop dancers from the club. It was pretty cool. It was an awesome feeling. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong> The "Cat Scat"</strong>... Oh my. I've been doing that dance since I was about five years old. I used to go to the library in Chicago, I would I walk up this big hill to get there and I would always check out African albums. I would check out anything with African music. There was a particular artist whose album I had for more than two months. I got in trouble for not bringing that album back to the library. It had these African drums on it. (Mimics drum sounds with voice). I would sit there and do the "Cat Scat" slowly. But, when the drums sped up, I started shaking. (Mimics drum beats faster).<br /> Then, I started renting all these African documentaries, just trying to learn how the African culture came up with the spiritual dances that they do. I became attached to it and I've been doing it ever since—that dance and another dance I called "The Leg," which no one knows about yet. I can't explain it. Not the "Wooden Leg," but, "The Leg." Maybe you'll see it soon. I grew up on the Westside of Chicago --which was really bad-- and I remember the adults used to say "Do 'The Leg,' Catherine!" I basically grew up on African music as far as dancing. But, I listened to rock, heavy metal, punk and ska (music). Weird, right? Strange girl!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong> It all changed</strong>... I don't know. If I stayed into punk and ska (music), I would still be "strange." I would listen to Prince if I got depressed. I had this dream, from the very first time I saw Prince, from the first album he had. I said to myself "I'm going to meet him one day and I'm going to dance with him. Once he sees me, he's going to love me!"<br /> Now mind you, I didn't know about beauty. I always thought I was just a human being; a person. I never looked at the women he worked with and thought "Ooh, I could never be (like) that." I just thought "I'm Cat and I can dance. He'll love me and I'm just like him."<br /> I remember when Vanity 6, The Time and Prince were on tour in Chicago. I was a dancer at this club called Dingbats. They stayed at the Holiday Inn right across the street and I went to his hotel. I had short, curly blue-black hair, I had on this tiger print blue shirt that I cut up and then I sewed zippers in it--don't ask me why-- and I wore leg warmers. I remember standing at the elevator pushing a button. I was trying to get up there to meet Prince. The door opened and he was there, standing with Susan (Moonsie) and couple of other people. I remember that he just stared at me. He looked at me from head to toe. I thought "Wow." But, I still didn't get to "meet" him. <br /> They ended up in our club where Mr. T was the doorman. I had a fake ID. I didn't know how to lie about my age, so, I think my ID said I was 28 years old and I wasn't even 21! I remember that Vanity 6 and The Time came, but, Prince never showed up. I was a go-go dancer there. That club was so funny that I had to control my own disco lights. Ghetto! I was a starving dancer. There were only two of us, the other girl's name was Michelle. <br /> When it was my time to go up, I would flip the switch and put on the strobe light. Then, when I wanted to get really sexy, I'd dance over to the light and flip another switch to make it red. It was hilarious. But, everyone loved it. That's like Flashdance ghetto style broke! But, we did it. Imagine being a dancer and not having a light man. Your lights are onstage and you flip the switch: "I want strobe light now," "I'll have a red light," "I think I want a spotlight." That's how it was. <br /> It was a 28-and-over club with so-called "sophisticated" people. They had no idea I was underage.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong> Sometimes I wonder</strong> why (Prince) chose me. Before me, I saw women like Sheila E. --gorgeous. Apollonia—gorgeous. Vanity—fabulous. Jill Jones—voluptuous. Then here comes me. Why? I literally asked Prince about that one day. I said " On a serious note, Prince, why me?" He said "Why not you?" I said "Because, I'm Black." He said "What? Why do you think I wouldn't like you, because, you're Black?"<br /> I said "Well, let's see: Sheila E., she's mixed. Vanity, she's mixed. I mean, come on. You have Apollonia. You have Jill Jones." Most of us are Black, but, I think I was the "original blackness of Black." I said something like that. But, he was very surprised. He was literally shocked. <br /> I think that also let him know that I was very humble. All I wanted him to do was see me dance and I knew he would love it. I didn't realize that I wasn't that beautiful, so, I was never vain. Even though I grew up in Chicago and have been on my own since I was about 16 years old, I never knew what beauty or ugliness was. I just thought of everybody as a human being. I don't say "Ooh, she's cute," you know? I never knew about insecurities or jealousy. All my friends were of every race in Chicago. But, things have sure changed now.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong> I used to think</strong> that everybody in this industry was exactly what I had imagined them to be. But, (whistles) boy was I wrong. Sometimes, it's nice to admire an artist from afar and love what they do, because, meeting them can be a huge disappointment. I was very naive. Extremely naive.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong> I always wanted to work with</strong> Prince! So simple. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong> Laughter</strong> <strong>is</strong> life. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong> "U Got the Look"</strong>...funny story. Even though I was in Prince's band, he asked me to choreograph the video. I said "Fine, but, you have to pay me. This is not for the 'Sign o' the Times' Tour, this is an extra job." So, I told him the money that I wanted and he agreed to it. He said "We're going to film it in Paris." <br /> I did not speak any French. He had me audition about 300 dancers, and—excuse me for being ignorant or slow—but, I had no idea that Black people there didn't speak English. I was there saying "Hello! Hello!" to all the Black people and they couldn't speak English and I couldn't speak French. Now, this is when I say I was naive. <br /> The best education is to travel the world. There is no book that can teach about cultures. Luckily, there was an interpreter, I can't remember her name, who was Prince's assistant at the time. I was trying to call out their names and stuff like that. I narrowed it down to about a dozen dancers. I did the choreography for everyone and the video came out really well. It was exciting and sexy.<br /> No one knows this, but, Prince and I both edited the "Sign o' the Times" movie together. Even though it has the editor's name (on it), we went picture by picture. We had pictures all over the wall of the editing room. <br /> The "U Got the Look" video was amazing. Sheena Easton was funny. I told her "You have to be sexy and you have to walk backwards." She said "But, I will fall! I will fall down!" I said "Just do it." It was cold and I was freezing. I was about to blow off the stage holding on to Prince's coat and she said "Oh, I can't, I'm scared." I said "Just do it!" It came out really well. I actually enjoyed that video. <br /> Prince's mom came (to the set). That was the first time I met her. She was so beautiful. A doll. Just gorgeous. I met Prince's little brother. He was so cute and he had a crush on me. I was like "Bless your little heart." I can't remember his name, but, he was just adorable. He had green eyes and curly hair. Prince's mom was really short like him and adorable, sweet, kind. Just awesome.</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><strong> Cat Glover on her wardrobe for the "Sign o' the Times" Tour: "That peach dress from "Sign o' the Times," from what I understand, but, I'm not sure, was Prince's own design. But, everything else, those were my own clothes. That's how I used to dress when Prince met me. I wore poodle skirts and bustiers. The only thing that wasn't me was the peach dress. Well, I didn't walk around in the green tutu from "Hot Thing." Let's clear that up now. I didn't wear little tutus at clubs. But, everything else you saw was actually mine. No one dressed me."</strong></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong> Touring </strong>was fabulous. Fun. Exciting. Tiring. It was amazing. It was so much fun. It was just incredible. If you are on tour with the right person, you don't ever want to go home.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong> Filming "Sign o' The Times"</strong>...The reason the movie was put on film was, because, when Prince first exposed the new band, a lot of people in Europe held up signs that said "Where are Wendy and Lisa?" and "Where is The Revolution?" They did, they really did.<br />It was funny, because, I was the new kid on the block. They weren't warm and welcoming to us. Prince got very upset.<br /> We were doing our shows and something drastic happened. I can't remember what country we were in, but, there was a thunderstorm. Mind you, we were performing outside. But, the show must go on. Prince and I were on wireless microphones. There was rain, lightning and thunder. A bolt of thunder struck one of the signs over Boni Boyer's keyboard and it fell. That's when we said "That's it" and Prince decided to put "Sign o' the Times" on film. <br /> I was in my panties. Okay? I was cold. Everyone else was in clothes. You know how my clothes were. I was cold, I was freezing, but, I was professional. When that sign fell and it took a chunk out of Boyer's keyboard, Prince said "That's it." I think God said "I'm going to save you guys." </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> As a responsible person, Prince was really concerned with all of the band members. He didn't want anyone to get hurt. He didn't want any of the fans to get hurt. Water, lightning and mikes, what do they equal? Disaster. The wind was blowing so hard we couldn't even see. We actually performed as long as we could until we stopped. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong> People often ask me</strong> if I ever dated Prince. The answer is no. A lot of women that get with Prince mistake his friendship and his affection as them being his "girlfriend." <br /> Let's put it like this: if you're his girlfriend, you'll know it. I was never his girlfriend. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">it was strictly professional.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Although, we were both attracted to each other.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong> Boni Boyer</strong> was my best friend on tour. We shared dressing rooms together. She was a jokester. She was so funny. During sound checks she always had everyone laughing. She was multi-talented. Boyer was from Oakland. She was from the street. She would have Prince on the floor laughing. When she would walk onstage during sound checks, we would all immediately start laughing, because, we knew she was going to say something funny. <br /> I remember we had a sound check in Europe and Boyer was a little late. Prince had on this green two-piece outfit with the alphabet on it. She was late and Prince said "Boni, you're late" and she had on silk pajamas. He said "Don't come on my stage and sound check with those silk pajamas on." Then, Boyer looked at me and Sheila E. --or me and Levi Seacer-- and she said "Yeah, but, you're wearing green pants with the alphabet on them." <br /> We started laughing and we laughed so hard. She made everyone laugh. She was so confident. She was a great singer and a great musician. She could carry her own; she was awesome, funny and raw. I miss her, she was my best friend. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <b>You should never</b> assume things before you actually see them for yourself.</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><strong> </strong></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>The "Sign o' the Times" single cover</strong>...that was when Prince actually asked me to join his band. I had no idea what was going on. <br /> He asked me to go by his house in Beverly Hills and pick up a dress. I flew to Minneapolis the next day and I had no idea that was the dress I was supposed to wear. But, that dress was supposed to be for Susannah Melvoin, Wendy's twin sister. It just so happened I fit the dress. I came to find out that was the dress he wanted me to wear for the cover and he didn't let me know what it was for. <br /> Earl Jones, Jill Jones' uncle, did my hair. I put on the dress, they gave me Prince's glasses, Prince told me to play the guitar and they started shooting. That how it ended up on the cover. <br /> By the way, that heart you see on the cover, was a thick glass mirror. It was so heavy and that's why you see my muscles. I was shaking holding that heart. I said "Prince, if you were going to make the heart black, you could just drawn a black cardboard heart and it would have been effortless." </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> But, he's smart and he's such a genius, he wanted it to look like him. I got it. If you're holding something heavy, I don't care if you're a baby, girl or woman, your muscles are going to show. Even my dad thought that was Prince. Prince's dad thought that was Prince. Amazing, right?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><strong style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When I created routines for Prince's tours</strong><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I had to make sure everyone could play their instruments and dance at the same time. Seacer and Miko Weaver were so mad at me about some of the stuff I did for the "Lovesexy" Tour. I told Seacer he needed to stick one leg over his bass and hop on one foot to make it funky. In "Sign o' the Times" I said "You guys want to be dogs and go 'woof!' You want to crawl, there's a fire hydrant, open your leg and 'pee' on it." I was really animated.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Some of the band members had a problem with the choreography, especially (for) "Housequake." I made everybody jump and told them to act like they were experiencing an earthquake. That's what "Housequake" is, an earthquake. No, they weren't too pleased.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong> Collaboration means</strong> collaboration. That's it. A lot of people don't under the meaning of wanting to collaborate with you. When you get in the studio they want to take over everything. It's so true. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong> The L.A. club scene in the 1980s</strong> was awesome. What I liked about it was that everybody had a dream and they had a goal. Our goal was just to be famous, be seen and give our best work to whomever was there. Everyone just had fun. The times have changed so much and nowadays it's not like that. <br /> Back then, you went to clubs to have fun, be seen, enjoying yourself wearing crazy outfits: bows in your hair, lace gloves, tore-up fishnet stockings, blue and purple hair, spiked bracelets, you name it. A lot of celebrities and movie producers used to go clubs to find new talent. Prince was one of them.<br /> Everyone knows knows that my club was Vertigo. After I met Prince, I took him to my side of the tracks. The biggest club out here was Vertigo and (there were) a lot celebrities— I'm talking "red carpet," "velvet rope." I had Carte Blanche. I would go to the club, bring 16 people with me and security would let me in. Then, I felt bad for people who were standing in the line and I would say "Let him in or let her in." I just had that power. I had that juice. I had juice in every club out here, you name it. And still do. Yes, I do. (Laughs). But, a lot of those clubs (from the 1980s) are closed now.<br /> The thing about Prince is that when he comes to L.A., he wants people to direct him to the clubs that are not famous. He doesn't like to go to the "bougie" clubs. He likes to go to the clubs where things are happening. I took him to all the underground clubs. It's like when you are in your hometown and other people say "Go here!" But, you say "No, Prince, come here." I was that type of person. You can kind of say I turned him out on the clubs. Yes, I did. He knows I did.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong> <i>The Black Album</i></strong> was the first time Prince got me on tape recording. It was intense. I can't even go into that right now, because, it's too intense. The album didn't really have any production. It was spur of the moment. The Black Album was about personal things he was going through, which is why I don't want to discuss it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <strong> Prince, Madonna and I</strong> were the original lineup for Graffiti Bridge. That movie was strictly written for Prince, Madonna and myself. Period. Exclamation point. <br /> That movie was actually written on the Lovesexy Tour. Everyone in that movie replaced us. Prince actually wrote the movie and most of it was what we experienced on the Lovesexy Tour. Madonna pulled out of the movie and I left Prince; I quit. So, he had to revamp the script.<br /> That's when he got Ingrid Chavez and everyone else. But, Mavis Staples was one person that was originally supposed to be in the movie. She was always part of the movie. Sheila E. was part of the movie. Everyone else was a replacement. I don't mean to say it that way, it sounds kind of harsh and mean, but, I know the original script. <br /> I was in the studio with Madonna and Prince when they were discussing the script. The story was totally different. I remember they were arguing over the script, bragging on each other, talking about each other's shoes and I was laughing. Madonna said to Prince "Cat and I should have a dance battle" and Prince said (speaking in a low raspy voice) "I don't think so. I don't think you want to do that. I don't think you want to dance against Cat." That's just how he said it. I'll never forget it. <br /> That was two powerful people, together, in the same space—and me. I was more like a bystander listening and watching. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> But, the whole movie changed.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <strong> It's a waste of time</strong> answering questions for people who continuously ask the same damn questions over and over when they know the real answer.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong> "Alphabet St."</strong> Do you know what that song is really about? Somebody told me! I was just in the studio singing the song. Honestly, I didn't know. On truth. On the Bible. <br /> I was in the studio with Prince for two or three nights and I was so exhausted. I was tired and he left me. He said "I'm going home now and I want you to record your vocals. When I come back, I want to make sure they sound good." <br /> He knew I loved Salt 'n' Pepa. He said "You better get it right, because, if you don't, Salt 'n' Pepa are going to rag on you!" </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> He left me in Studio A at Paisley Park and showed me just one time how to work the board to record my stuff. I recorded my stuff. Sure did. <br /> Prince is the type of person that if you don't know how to do something, he'll show you one time and he has that much faith in you that you can do it. Of course, you don't want to disappoint him. So, I said "I'm going to do this. He knows I love Salt 'n' Pepa. How dare he throw them up in my face!" If anybody approved of my rapping, I wanted it to be Salt 'n' Pepa. <br /> Actually, their manager (Herbie "Lovebug" Azur), called me up one day and wanted me to choreograph one of their videos, after "Push It" came out. </span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><strong></strong></span><br />
<span style="color: purple; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><strong> Cat Glover on Teena Marie: I was living in London and she was in London working with Producer Jazzie B. He was friends with my ex-boyfriend Tim Simenon, of Bomb The Bass. Bomb The Bass was producing my album and producing Seal's song "Crazy." <br /> So, when Teena Marie got in town, she got in touch with me. She came over to my flat. She, Boyer, a couple of friends and I were there. <br /> The first thing she said was "Cat, we need you to rap!" It was so cool to hear her say that to me and she literally did my whole rap (from "Alphabet St."). All of us are sitting in the house and I'm looking at them and said "No, this is not Teena Marie. No. And she likes my work?" <br /> So, me, her and Boyer were kicking it and I was on my way to the studio. I had my video camera; I used to document everything I did. Boyer and Teena Marie were on camera, so, I'm talking to them being funny and said "So, why are you here?" <br /> Teena Marie said "Well, my record company sent me here to work with an artist that doesn't even know what an eight-bar intro is." You know, after eight bars, you're supposed to sing. Well Jazzie B had her singing on the 16th bar and she wasn't happy about that. So, she and Boyer started joking and sang "Alphabet St."<br /> Both of them came to the studio and sang background on a ballad that I wrote about Prince called "Are You Listening?" It's most beautiful song you'll ever hear in your life. That is one of the songs I would love the public to hear. Simenon has all the music (from Glover's unreleased album) and he's in Sweden right now.<br /> We (Glover and Teena Marie) were never friends before that. But, she was cool. It was like I had known her all my life.</strong> </span><br />
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<strong style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">People would be surprised to know</strong><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> that I'm most insecure person they will ever meet. I always get compliments on my body. I don't think I have a great body. People always say that I'm a great dancer and I think I can be better than I am. It kind of shocks me. But, I'm glad that I'm humble like this, because, I don't see myself as other people see me.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1HjIAHQEUn2XgQpWCXyDylSUkrWeK01BmsvdX6b4PS58pq0Jka3Ib14P3xldQSYV0-xXT8RczZgSSD2lV36MuwVqhwX3fO1oowxpXzNN-h_TIHoPCTXBKEGGW-dX-5p9oTZGYgl5HGVWj/s1600/Cat%252C+Lovesexy+Band.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1HjIAHQEUn2XgQpWCXyDylSUkrWeK01BmsvdX6b4PS58pq0Jka3Ib14P3xldQSYV0-xXT8RczZgSSD2lV36MuwVqhwX3fO1oowxpXzNN-h_TIHoPCTXBKEGGW-dX-5p9oTZGYgl5HGVWj/s640/Cat%252C+Lovesexy+Band.jpg" height="505" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Sign o' the Times/Lovesexy band (L to R): <br />
Top row, Cat; "Dr." Matt Fink; Eric Leeds; Levi Seacer; Atlanta Bliss; Sheila E.<br />
Bottom Row: Boni Boyer; Miko Weaver; Prince</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong> Lovesexy</strong> was a really beautiful experience. We were all in the studio and recorded our parts together; some of us recorded our parts separately. It was was a very humble, spiritual and emotional experience. It was the best experience of anything I ever did with Prince. It was very passionate and very personal. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong> Being in the limelight </strong>has its ups and its downs. People forget that you're human, that you have feelings and that you have a family. You don't know who to trust.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong> I left Prince's band </strong>in 1989 and it was my choice to leave. He did not fire me. I chose to leave, because, I'm mother's child-- I have morals, values and I could make my own decisions.<br /> I was asked to do something I didn't agree with. So, I chose to leave. That was my decision, not Prince's decision. I wasn't offered (an opportunity for) a solo career before I left Prince. I was actually on a retainer while Prince was doing the "Batman" movie. He fired someone—but, he actually wanted me to fire that person-- and that's why I left.</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><strong> Cat Glover on her unreleased solo album <i>I Am Energy</i>: When I moved to London, they wanted me to sign with Warner Bros., or WEA International (now Warner Music International), with Fargnoli. He had started his own (record) label called Red Dot Music. The album's title,<i> I Am Energy</i>, was, because, everyone said when they saw me on stage I had so much energy. Prince called me his endorphin. Most of my clothes (on the Lovesexy Tour) said "Endorphin." <br /> Basically, everyone said "Cat, when you're around me, you give me so much energy." So, I called the album <i>I Am Energy. </i><br /> However, it was never released, because, of a conflict of interest. Fargnoli was my manager, but, he also owned the label. So, it was not working out. I asked to be released from my contract and (the album) never came out. There were no more releases after (the single) "Catwoman." <br /> "Now it Rains" was on the b-side. They asked me out of all the songs, what would I like on the b-side, and that song was something different. I wrote that about Prince. "Now It Rains" is still my favorite song.</strong></span><br />
<span style="color: purple; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><strong> The album was completed. However, Simenon, my producer, actually owns the masters; Warner Bros. never paid him. He has all my masters. He produced everybody: Neneh Cherry, Seal and he did a lot of remixes for Prince. He's a really good friend of mine. <br /> I'm working on releasing<i> I Am Energy </i>with my Business Manger Shawn Carter. We're working on some ideas on how to get that music out there. I wrote and produced everything on it with Tim Simenon. </strong></span><br />
<span style="color: purple; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><strong> But, what I'm looking at is working with my business manager, because, he's connected to a lot of people in the hip-hop Industry: Chuck D., Son of Bazerk, Johnny Juice. I'm going to work with all of those people to get that music out there and do an updated remix on "Alphabet St."</strong></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMDYYmYsCBdlv6sLbFO7ekk9wO9mWTd4RzckW9Wwp861WQd1vCpr5Tqu-ycndz6Qe2-q-VHYGzZYNxwV8c_JW7knez2EAchyphenhyphenV5xVtkBQ8prHATjUl47OX5MS1bVNL0F77Opu_dP7Hs-n5X/s1600/Cat%252C+catwoman+cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMDYYmYsCBdlv6sLbFO7ekk9wO9mWTd4RzckW9Wwp861WQd1vCpr5Tqu-ycndz6Qe2-q-VHYGzZYNxwV8c_JW7knez2EAchyphenhyphenV5xVtkBQ8prHATjUl47OX5MS1bVNL0F77Opu_dP7Hs-n5X/s400/Cat%252C+catwoman+cover.jpg" height="400" width="389" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cover for "Catwoman" single, courtesy of Warner Music International</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong> Songwriting </strong>is a way to release personal things that I couldn't normally express. Sometimes when I write things, they are not for me to sing, they are for other people to sing. Writing to me is a release of emotion and feelings; things that I could never actually say. A lot of musicians write music based on their experiences or other people's experiences. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sometimes when I write music it's based on my experiences, but, I never tell anybody. I'll have someone else sing it.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <b> From my point of view</b> I think a lot of people totally misunderstand Prince.They think that he's this quiet type of control freak. He is a control freak to some point. Prince is shy, but, he's far from quiet. Once you get to know him, sitting in a room with him having a one-on-one conversation, he's totally funny. You would absolutely think you've known him for a long time.<br /> I get it. He is Prince. He can't talk to everyone and there are some crazy fans out there. But, if you ever got the chance to just talk to him and be a normal person around him, you would see he's just as normal as you are. He likes eggs, I like eggs. He's funny, I'm funny. And he doesn't sleep in all his outfits! (Laughs).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong> Family</strong> is the most important thing to me. I don't put my career, finances or anything before family. If my family is not with me at the same time, forget it.<br /> It's like running in a race. When they shoot that gun—you know "on your marks, get set, go!"--you have to run together. My career doesn't come before my family, my family doesn't come before my career. They walk side by side.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong> My biggest regret</strong>... I say that I never regret anything, but, I've got a lot of regrets. I could write a book about regrets. My biggest regret is that I left Prince. He told me about a certain person and I chose to make my own decision. In the long run he was right. That's it. He asked me to do something and what he told me about the person was correct. I didn't listen. </span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><strong> Cat Glover on the proposed "Alphabet St." Remix: "I'm looking forward to that. That's the most exciting thing for me. Prince loves Chuck D. and Public Enemy. He adores them. Johnny Juice has the best beats you could ever hear; he has a vision. Son of Bazerk is off the chain—raw, original hip-hop. That's what I'm focused on right now. That's who I'll be working with in the near, like yesterday, future. <br /> The relationship that Prince and Chuck D. have is very close knit. So, out of respect, when I do the "Alphabet St." Remix, it will be the bomb. Prince is going to love it. </strong></span><br />
<span style="color: purple; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><strong> You know how some people just take his songs or Warner Bros. owns some of his music in his vault and has other artists doing it? Prince is not happy with it. Fans are not happy with it. But, Warner Bros. does not own "Alphabet St." That's called remix! Paisley Park! After the madness! I'm looking forward to that. I'm going to make him proud. <br /> The thing is to have respect. I have all the respect for him. You would never catch me saying anything negative about him. Everyone has their ups and downs. I admire him and I respect him. He treated me so well. I just love the man, he's awesome. He's a good person to be around when you get to know him. He's fabulous. </strong></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong> Nowadays</strong>, I am a little bit more aware of the choices that I make and the people I surround myself with. A lot of the people that I have met are not honest with me or there for me. They are just there because they want something. I've learned a lot and I've grown up a lot. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> It's kind of sad that I'm not the free spirit that I used to be. But, free spirits get burned. You need someone watching your back or you need to watch your own back. I've leaned a lot about that. I'm still learning.<br /> Have you ever put something on Facebook, you could be talking about someone else, and people think you're talking about yourself? They ask "Oh, Cat, are you alright?" I think "Dude, I'm not talking about myself." I could scream. When I put something on Facebook, I'm analyzed. I'm thinking "This is not about me. Everything I put on Facebook is not about me." I hate when people read into that. It really drives me crazy. <br /> You could write everything in black and white. But, they'll pick and choose the words they want and make up their own mind, with their own sentences. I'm always friendly with my fans, but, some of them just go overboard. <br /> I have been known to go off and snap. I'm human and I'm from Chicago. I can only be polite for so long and then Cat Glover will snap. People will say "I didn't know she was like that, she always seemed so sweet." <br /> You didn't know me. You know that image of me. Trust me. Prince knows me. People that know me personally, <i>know me</i> (emphasis added). You pushed those buttons, that's just it.<br />I have feelings and emotions like everyone else. But, I have that streak in me as well. People forget that we're human.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong> The next thing</strong> is my new reality show I'm working on, which, I can't talk about and another TV show coming up really soon on a major network. I can't disclose, yet, but, you'll see me really soon—in the next two or three months. <br /> I'm looking forward to working with Chuck D., Son of Bazerk and the Public Enemy family doing a lot of music. That's my love, my passion. I can't wait to just connect on that level. I'm really excited. There were some projects I was in and I let go for the best. There are some new projects I started and I'm excited about them. You'll see me on a major network sooner than you think with a very famous celebrity. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <strong> The future</strong>...the sky's the limit. I want to build this empire. I also want to help other people get into this business and teach them the right way to do it, the quickest way to do it, the professional way to do it. I want to help other people who have been in this struggle get there the right way. I have so many other projects in my head; bigger dreams than I had with Prince and other things like that.<br /> Another thing I'm going to do is make a documentary. That has been one of my biggest dreams. I'm going to find the right person to do it with. It's going to be black and grainy. It's going to be awesome.<br /> Honestly, I've gotten everything I ever wanted. I had faith in myself. It had nothing to do with how I looked or whatever . I just believed in me. I want to empower people. I don't care who you are, what you look like, if you don't think you're good enough. <br /> The way things are nowadays, people are so into the fake crap they see out there. They think they have to look "like this," dress "like this" or act "like this." I can honestly say everything on my body is real. No lift up, no fake lips, no fake hair, none of that. It's all Cat Glover. So, I just want to make sure that men and women know they don't have to go that other route. I can't wait. There are so many things about Cat Glover that people don't know that I'm going to put out there.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg00sxC1EiKjtbaQ5XFSeo3_YBrwzwzxkArEBJRiKJFwLo8whVFMaoX2FCW3CDc74rC6Aqlqtn4_WhoGyZ7EFL7S-rvF8v2lYc2knuSqm_ZMpi8uhS8LVNE0bdRsc_xe1zk_N1_k2zePiIJ/s1600/Cat,+Lovesexy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg00sxC1EiKjtbaQ5XFSeo3_YBrwzwzxkArEBJRiKJFwLo8whVFMaoX2FCW3CDc74rC6Aqlqtn4_WhoGyZ7EFL7S-rvF8v2lYc2knuSqm_ZMpi8uhS8LVNE0bdRsc_xe1zk_N1_k2zePiIJ/s640/Cat,+Lovesexy.jpg" height="640" width="403" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cat on the Lovesexy Tour</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Stay beautiful, Kristi</span></i><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">--</span><br />
<b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></b><b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Lead Photo: Cat in "SIgn o' the Times" film. Courtesy of Warner Bros.</i></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">--</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>K Nicola Dyeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11470665347094419495noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2193506780254658859.post-64340471032300926812013-05-25T12:31:00.001-07:002013-06-01T18:00:32.799-07:00International Lover: Marcus Scott Goes to Australia<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Beautiful Nights and
Purple Funk (Australia) have teamed up to throw the ultimate Prince
party. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> W2AUS: The Prince
Anniversary Party will take place 9 p.m. to 3 a.m. May 31 at The
Hi-Fi, 125 Swanston St., Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Marcus
Scott, of Beautiful Nights in Chicago, will be the host. DJ Phil K and special
guest DJ Philvester will be featured on the turntables all night
long. Tickets are $25, plus a booking fee (AUD) and this is an 18 and
over event.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> The night's theme will
celebrate the one-year anniversary of Prince's Welcome 2 Australia
Tour stop in Melbourne. Highlights will include, songs, concert footage and
music videos from Prince and related artists; special cocktails; a
“Sexy MF” contest (with three categories including “purple,”
“Princely” and “sexy”), with prizes donated by Seattle Artist
Troy Gua and a special performance by Scott.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> “This is a purple night
that you are never going to forget,” said Party Organizer Sofie
Hendrickse, who has been a Prince fan since 1981. “So 'let's get
crazy! Let's get nuts!”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> The event was the
brainchild of Hendrickse and Karen Parrish, both of Melbourne. The two met last year in Parrish's
“Princepirations” Facebook Group which she started in May 2012
after seeing Prince on the Welcome 2 Australia Tour. This will be the
first Prince party hosted in Melbourne, according to the pair.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxfvkg4ZMiVB4q4rHzqe2lis5BdXp30p_qo_F517Oh8Spj2IeJ17B-8Rjx15409EEDkC40iVn4Ia1TjzMt4sqqoRr3MM4Ikhwf9yfuYGQJVtvoCcKKaEqV6CR-Gr96QFVy5WFdCTgp5opm/s1600/Sofie+Hendrickse.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxfvkg4ZMiVB4q4rHzqe2lis5BdXp30p_qo_F517Oh8Spj2IeJ17B-8Rjx15409EEDkC40iVn4Ia1TjzMt4sqqoRr3MM4Ikhwf9yfuYGQJVtvoCcKKaEqV6CR-Gr96QFVy5WFdCTgp5opm/s400/Sofie+Hendrickse.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sofie Hendrickse</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Hendrickse said the idea was formulated when she made a comment on the page that she thought
someone in Melbourne should throw a Prince party, as a way for local
fans to “cope” with only seeing him in concert intermittently. She added that he
has only been to Australia three times in the last 20 years: The
Diamonds and Pearls Tour (1992); World Tour (2003) and Welcome 2
Australia Tour (2012). </span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> She said Parrish, who has been a Prince fan
for 33 years, joined in the online conversation and assured her that
they could make it happen. The two had never met in person, but, not
long after that exchange, they were on the telephone brainstorming
and discussing ideas. They launched Purple Funk (Australia) as a
business venture and “the rest is history.”
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Hendrickse added that his
last stint in Oz left many fans with what she called “P.P.D.,” or
“Post Prince Depression,” especially since he started touring the
United States earlier this year.
</span></div>
<div lang="en" style="border: none; margin-bottom: 0in; padding: 0in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> “Australia
just can't get enough of Prince and...I was, and still am, on a 'purple high'”
Parrish said. “I felt the best way to bring back the Prince magic
was to gather our purple family together for one special night...”</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span style="color: #222222;">“Melbourne
went into a frenzy”</span> when Prince had his
afterparty at the Hi-Fi last year. More than 5,000 people lined up to
get inside, but, only 900, including Hendrickse, got in.
While he did not perform that night, he did DJ for a bit (with DJ
Rashida) and she got the chance to meet Cassandra O'Neal, who was
then a keyboard player in Prince's band. When the ladies approached
the club with the idea for a Prince party, the booker was very
interested, Hendrickse said.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> They have promoted the
event through the W2AUS Facebook event page, Twitter, the Purple Funk (Australia) Web site <i>(</i><a href="http://purplefunk.org/">purplefunk.org</a>) and press releases
to radio and print media. There has also been strong word of mouth in
their local Prince community.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> In addition, there has also been a whirlwind of planning including
hiring DJs and a photographer, selecting music videos, concert footage and
music for the party, arranging accommodations for Scott and much more,said Hendrickse, who has past experience as an event manager.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Parrish
said it has been “m<span style="color: black;"><span lang="en">onths
of hard work, late nights (and) networking,” but, that the response
has been “fantastic.”</span></span></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgggepaYT5UiDBOIYN60evBU8D-WA57kj4HpVTwqOlWDCKcDaMb-gKunNqlBUb_UYJCn3kjl1ksux5IYXt2hMa5hEYwNSvU3dAgKZpRYUz_YFuTLnSHgX0VnO-3pr_1mWgnO3KkbCrezrLK/s1600/Karen+Parrish.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgggepaYT5UiDBOIYN60evBU8D-WA57kj4HpVTwqOlWDCKcDaMb-gKunNqlBUb_UYJCn3kjl1ksux5IYXt2hMa5hEYwNSvU3dAgKZpRYUz_YFuTLnSHgX0VnO-3pr_1mWgnO3KkbCrezrLK/s400/Karen+Parrish.JPG" width="243" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Karen Parrish</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;"><span lang="en"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> As of this writing more
than 580 people<i> </i>have
responded to their event page to say they will attend the party and
that although that figure does not represent everyone who has already purchased tickets, sales have been moving “very nicely,”
Hendrickse said.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> "The
fun part has been interacting with Prince fans on our event page,
witnessing their excitement and feeling appreciated,” she said.
“It's exciting to know that we are bringing everyone so much 'purple
pleasure.'”</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> The ladies met Scott
online when he joined the Princepirations page, around the time he
was planning the very first Beautiful Nights Prince party in Chicago,
hosted by Maya and Nandy McClean, better known as The Twinz, who
originally hail from Australia. The three began talking and they
asked him if would be interested in hosting their Prince party in Australia. He
readily agreed, Hendrickse said.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Scott
said he is grateful and honored that he was asked to host this party. He arrived on May 23 and will spend two weeks in Melbourne. He is looking forward to meeting a lots of new Prince fans at the party and
sharing music and stories with them. He will perform a couple of
times during the course of the night, but, that it will be “nothing
extravagant.” He will focus on answering questions and taking
pictures for anyone who is interested. His goal is to be a
“respectful American representing Chicago.”</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> He also said he's not going to the party to “be
Prince” and that he hopes people don't expect to see him in ruffled
shirts, high-waisted pants and a purple jacket. In fact, he has
another role model in mind for the night's party --James Bond-- and
said that watching a 007 movie recently inspired him to likely
wear a tuxedo to the event.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> “I
want to be a smooth operator,” he said.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFb799-FOY8qVEAAe_OXc_n8tWCiQZUBNiRz_Svz3Jw0B9w9fDhfRHSc4AEeGwT3ej4frCqaA1rw5988uU9V5uG8VIxBHjvTGxu8GDrrxUuQ-k7uGlMfiPHwrK_QwnPovrdulKEbfwnoGP/s1600/Marcus+Scott,+Welcome+2+Australia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFb799-FOY8qVEAAe_OXc_n8tWCiQZUBNiRz_Svz3Jw0B9w9fDhfRHSc4AEeGwT3ej4frCqaA1rw5988uU9V5uG8VIxBHjvTGxu8GDrrxUuQ-k7uGlMfiPHwrK_QwnPovrdulKEbfwnoGP/s400/Marcus+Scott,+Welcome+2+Australia.jpg" width="265" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Marcus Scott</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> To
add to the festivities, Scott will be celebrating his 36<sup>th</sup>
birthday May 25 and the ladies arranged a gathering for him at the Blue Diamond to celebrate.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> He
said that he is thrilled to spreading the Beautiful Nights
message across the globe, but, he wants to let his stateside fans know
that he hasn't forgotten them.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> “Since
we had the first (Beautiful Nights party last November), I've been in
high demand,” he said. “I'm going constantly going to all these
different parties. I tell people they will just have to wait (for another Beautiful Nights party). There's
only one me, (but), I haven't forgotten about the Chi.”</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> He
added that he hopes this bash will lead to more Prince parties in
Melbourne.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Parrish, on her part, hopes that this event will have even far more reaching
effects.</span></div>
<div lang="en" style="border: none; margin-bottom: 0in; padding: 0in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> “This
party will be so loud and so funky it will wake (Prince) in his boots
wherever he may be,” she said. “We hope he hears us and returns
to Oz. We are waiting!”</span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div lang="en" style="border: none; margin-bottom: 0in; padding: 0in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Tickets are still available at <a href="http://thehifi.com.au/">thehifi.com.au</a>.</b></span></div>
<div lang="en" style="border: none; margin-bottom: 0in; padding: 0in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Visit the W2AUS: The Prince Anniversary Party event page at <a href="http://www.facebook.com/W2AUS">www.facebook.com/W2AUS</a>.</b></span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Stay beautiful, Kristi</i></span></div>
<br />
--<br />
<i><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Lead photo courtesy of Purple Funk (Australia). Design by Troy Gua.</b></span></i></div>
<div lang="en" style="border: none; margin-bottom: 0in; padding: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div lang="en" style="border: none; margin-bottom: 0in; padding: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">--</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div lang="en" style="border: none; margin-bottom: 0in; padding: 0in;">
<div style="border: none; margin-bottom: 0in; padding: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">L</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">ike us on Facebook:</span><a href="http://www.facebook.com/DyesGotTheAnswers2UrsTheBeautifulNightsBlog?fref=ts" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank"> Dyes Got the Answers 2 Ur ?s</a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> and </span><a href="http://www.facebook.com/groups/367837439968638/?fref=ts" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Beautiful Nights</a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">.</span></div>
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K Nicola Dyeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11470665347094419495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2193506780254658859.post-70210120015038940172013-05-20T16:42:00.000-07:002013-06-01T18:01:04.924-07:00Nothing Compares 2 U: Prince Honored at Billboard Music Awards<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH9k4_161iGxUYRYJeOV8D41Hazxzgu6eqq3eMDEY4ikuU05seyVTlxs8BSsigekt-chYWPg-k5iRheqZWkc7D-FDeDevPXGFtQimrYAhf_MJrBFpPn1NpeHnaxvGW-oK7F1KRX6oRMmRI/s1600/Prince,+Billboard+Awards.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="420" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH9k4_161iGxUYRYJeOV8D41Hazxzgu6eqq3eMDEY4ikuU05seyVTlxs8BSsigekt-chYWPg-k5iRheqZWkc7D-FDeDevPXGFtQimrYAhf_MJrBFpPn1NpeHnaxvGW-oK7F1KRX6oRMmRI/s640/Prince,+Billboard+Awards.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I had the pleasure to
attend the Billboard Music Awards where Prince received the
2013 Icon Award.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I was excited to arrive at my very first awards show at the MGM Grand Arena
in Las Vegas May 19. Once I was inside the doors, it felt like I was
attending a concert with several megastars on the bill (think
Budweiser Superfest or the like for all you triple O.G.'s like myself
out there). All the fans were suited up and I think
there were a few women who even busted out some old prom dresses for the occasion. </div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The crowd's buzz was energizing. Besides the usual concession stands for food
and alcohol (where they got me for $8 for a bottle of beer). There
were also places to buy souvenir programs and more practically, rent
binoculars, so us fans in the upper level, also know as the
nosebleeds, could better zoom in on our favorite stars. Pretty
clever. I said to myself "How come I didn't think of that?"</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I flirted with the idea of the renting them (for $10, plus a $25
deposit). But, once I got inside and got to my seat, I realized I didn't need them. I was in the fifth row of the upper level, but, it wasn't
actually a balcony. The only thing separating us from what would be
considered the mezzanine level was the entrance and another
barrier. In fact, the way the arena was set up, there
really wasn't a bad seat in the house.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I could see from my section, that hardly any of the celebrities were seated in their designated chairs
that early (about an hour before the show was supposed to start). I can't say for sure, but, I am fairly certain that Prince was never seated
in the audience at all. The fans in the pit section in front of the
stage could see all the stars being quickly ushered to their seats
right before the show was set to begin and you could hear occasional
cheering from that area.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Finally after many
announcements, the show kicked off when Tracy Morgan made his
entrance from backstage. I'll be honest, I don't really think he's funny, but, that line he said about Wayne Newton being his biological
father was priceless. Personally, I was a bit surprised to see Mr.
Las Vegas at the Billboard Awards.
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWkpBmahCK6-TkdUi6jzQorMKQHil5-yEfBVmqAHHCjrKyAHEaGKwF_0ONdLfQBCEha1nLC4CGv9gpJ7ehVwUKdJlIZ012nwnDeIo2MItMFjQyrpsGbF3D1Xjpv4w5q8tV1538J2CJ4DfT/s1600/Stage,+Billboard+Awards.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWkpBmahCK6-TkdUi6jzQorMKQHil5-yEfBVmqAHHCjrKyAHEaGKwF_0ONdLfQBCEha1nLC4CGv9gpJ7ehVwUKdJlIZ012nwnDeIo2MItMFjQyrpsGbF3D1Xjpv4w5q8tV1538J2CJ4DfT/s640/Stage,+Billboard+Awards.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Courtesy of K Nicola Dyes</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Let me just put out a
disclaimer: Although I am familiar with the majority of the stars
in the night's lineup, I am not familiar with their music, so, it was
all new to me. The show kicked off with Bruno Mars, who sang
"Treasure," and I was very impressed. He and his band (bands were a rare sight during the show) were decked out in their red suits, daringly unbuttoned black
shirts and gold chains. The song was bangin' and the choreography was tight. The set reached back to the days when groups like The Jacksons, Earth Wind & Fire, The Commodores, The Ohio Players, Cameo and so many
other legendary acts ruled the radio airwaves and concert stages. It was a great way to start the show.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The sibling trio, The Band
Perry, performed after Selena Gomez, who was second act of the night. They
sang they their hit "Better Dig Two" and it was
great. They were another live band (note to other performers, it does make a difference) and when they did they their drum solo mid-stage
toward the end of the song, I thought this was a sign of more great
performances to come.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I was wrong.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
While sitting in the
audience, I was not aware Prince
would be the very last act of the night. Most fans have now tagged it on
social media sites as "saving the best for last" and I would agree. Not all of the
following performances were horrible, but, a lot of them
sounded the same. It seemed as if everyone, except me, knew the words
to all these songs. I've never felt so elderly and out of touch. </div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
It sounded like a hodgepodge of electronica/pop/hip-hop where one song was barely distinguishable from the other. The performers included: Icona Pop; Jennifer Lopez;
Christina Aguilera (who sounded great, but, whose song I didn't care for); Chris Brown (doing his best Michael Jackson
impression, but, it was a decent one); David Guetta, Akon and Ne-Yo and Seattle's own Macklemore and Lewis (I loved the shout out to local thrift store chain Value Village), whose performance we viewed by a feed from the Wynn
Resort here in Las Vegas (Why? I don't know). However, it was
interesting to see dancers rehearsing on one side of the stage for
what was later revealed as Taylor Swift's "22" number.
Also, Justin Beiber, performed twice (as well as Pitbull who performed with Aguilera and Lopez), the
second time with will.i.am.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Bieber (who, on a side note, looked like a New Kids on the Block throwback) was booed by
a large section of the audience for several seconds when accepting
his second award. I may have been sitting in the Team Bieber section,
but, the rest of the audience was not having it. I must say, the kid
looked caught off guard. He attempted to give his speech, but, was
stopped midway by the incessant sound of disapproval. There were some
screaming girl fans who tried to counter it, however, the damage had
been done. It was truly surprising.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7n-r1OV393PNAlh7dLIGtfjgHZOSz-7UtA4uWrU_KByQts31S9aB3IUxvGXMg5qp3nwIvoW45ZgrBoDtt2lK97xRYIO09gttAiCegbA8SJ88iuNXAQn9-DMt2l7ZZUUWgLsnci3PIcSfG/s1600/Kristi,+Billboard+Awards.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7n-r1OV393PNAlh7dLIGtfjgHZOSz-7UtA4uWrU_KByQts31S9aB3IUxvGXMg5qp3nwIvoW45ZgrBoDtt2lK97xRYIO09gttAiCegbA8SJ88iuNXAQn9-DMt2l7ZZUUWgLsnci3PIcSfG/s640/Kristi,+Billboard+Awards.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Courtesy of K Nicola Dyes</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
All the musical monotony
was broken up by the occasional award, parade of presenters
(including many ABC TV network stars)
interesting asides (when Kid Rock said "Let's give it up for
performers lip synching to pre-recorded tracks," I swear I
thought I heard him wrong) and occasional epic fail (think Miguel's botched airborne attempt).</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Madonna, whom I hoped would perform, came out to accept her Top Touring Artist Award with an outfit that consisted of little more than
a fitted coat, leotard and stockings and garters. She
wore it with such panache that one could be convinced it was formal
evening wear. However, the
commentary between the two twenty-something girls seated behind me overshadowed her detailed, if meandering, speech: "You
are the queen," "Ummmm...aren't you going to thank your
fans? (This was before she finally did)," and "She must be
at least 68 by now." Dear Lord. It turns out they were sitting
in somebody else's seats, so, they had to kick rocks.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
It even seemed like the
same people were winning all the televised awards (the night belonged
to Taylor Swift). But, there were some pretty cool
interactive moments during the show. When we all entered the venue,
we were given small lights that we were directed to later point at
the stage during Ed Sheeran's performance, that created the effect of
a starry night sky in the darkened theater. Also, fans who downloaded
an app before the Icona Pop set, pointed their smartphones toward the
stage during the set and it created a glow of warm light in the
audience.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Finally, after Nicki Minaj
and Lil Wayne performed "High School" -- I'm
curious to know how much home TV viewers saw of that oh-so-convincing
lap dance-- it was time for the highlight of the evening. Prince was getting his award.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Morgan came out and
introduced Erykah Badu and Janelle Monae (the perfect people to give
this tribute, in my opinion). They were decked out in the most innovative attire
of the evening—Monae's seemingly inspired by Prince, circa 1984 and
Badu's, in my opinion, bought back the very best elements of
Parliament/Funkadelic. Her blond wig prompted also the now forty-something
ladies behind me to wonder aloud if she was actually Mary J. Blige.
Again, Dear Lord.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHmMtktBb2XleqL431hVcP14dwPv5YS8bTpmM09RLqwGe4ohwfzY6SFwMqRxyE7H4LtuJwLJqJ6XCf8febaQTR42iqUPgeJaSB1EA1hCeBE2DE5yZKEGjZm-rEenfPH5wg-fcd2F4oK-CR/s1600/Ticket,+Billboard+Awards.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHmMtktBb2XleqL431hVcP14dwPv5YS8bTpmM09RLqwGe4ohwfzY6SFwMqRxyE7H4LtuJwLJqJ6XCf8febaQTR42iqUPgeJaSB1EA1hCeBE2DE5yZKEGjZm-rEenfPH5wg-fcd2F4oK-CR/s400/Ticket,+Billboard+Awards.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Courtesy of K Nicola Dyes</td></tr>
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Badu and Monae seemed
thrilled to be handling the honors. I was happy to see them.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
They gave a short speech introducing Prince as the recipient of Billboard Music Awards'
2013 Icon Award, which led into a video montage of Prince's
performances, achievements and general impact on the music world. I
enjoyed it and I was looking forward to a speech where Prince might
further expound on these points.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
But, that night, he
decided to let the music speak for him. As soon as the video ended,
the proverbial curtain came up on stage right (there were two individual stages were separated by a platform and short staircase where
presenters descended from backstage to give out the night's awards)
and Prince and 3<sup>rd</sup> Eye Girl—Donna Grantis, Hannah Ford
and Ida Nielsen-- launched right into "Let's Go Crazy
(Reloaded)."
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The audience was instantly
on its feet and Prince began his reign over night's awards. His lime
green ensemble topped with a black fringed jacket was eye catching.
His afro, which caused chatter among fans in the stands-- "Look,
he has a fro!" was shouted several times by some lady nearby-- was perfectly rounded. They rocked
it out and singlehandedly put to shame the artists that
came before him, with the exception of the artists two I singled out
for praise above. The band sounded tight and they flawlessly segued
into their newest single "Fixurlifeup." Then they went back
and wrapped it up with "Let's Go Crazy."</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Then, as soon as the last
note sounded in the perfectly clean rock and roll finish, the
proverbial curtain came down and that was it.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Morgan came out and
thanked everyone for coming out and, like that, the awards ceremony
was over.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The band had come to out
to remind us why Prince deserved the Icon Award. I'm not trying to be snarky, but, Prince and 3<sup>rd</sup> Eye Girl could have come out
and sang the alphabet and it still would have been more inspiring
than some of the acts I saw that night.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I would have loved to
hear a speech from Prince. In all honesty, it would have made my
night. But, he must have had his reasons for not giving one, which I
will not speculate on here.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
But, I will say that maybe
he thought it was a night where actions spoke louder than words.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Let me be the first to say they did.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Stay beautiful, Kristi</span></i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
--<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><b>Lead photo: Prince and 3rd Eye Girl. Courtesy of
billboard.com.</b></i><br />
<b><i><br /></i></b>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">--</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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<br /></div>
K Nicola Dyeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11470665347094419495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2193506780254658859.post-52871098215731113472013-05-12T22:41:00.001-07:002014-07-07T05:49:14.208-07:00The Work Pt. 1: An In-Depth Interview with Pepe Willie<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1SyyP1WivKm6dtMQ-NVQeSRxI-htG_G0JIk0G6OCnhgTgtxfISou9cnfJoivjOa8aILbeQIkTkDr5POth7tofmWzTz1him0ntnIITS38HgwYgVtZaJCOyNaAXmTfyhDClcG2bxIP14sdB/s1600/94+East.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1SyyP1WivKm6dtMQ-NVQeSRxI-htG_G0JIk0G6OCnhgTgtxfISou9cnfJoivjOa8aILbeQIkTkDr5POth7tofmWzTz1him0ntnIITS38HgwYgVtZaJCOyNaAXmTfyhDClcG2bxIP14sdB/s640/94+East.jpg" height="640" width="484" /></a></div>
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i> </i></span><i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Pepe Willie has always been willing to do the work.</i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i> The Brooklyn-born singer/musician/producer began his foray in the music business as a "gopher" for Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductees Little Anthony and the Imperials, of which his uncle, Clarence Collins, is a founding member. He also ran errands for major stars of the day including Dusty Springfield, The Chiffons, The Four Tops, Ray Charles, Diana Ross & The Supremes and Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, just to name a few. It was during the time he spent with rock-and-roll luminaries that he decided he wanted to pursue a career in show business.</i></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i> His path to pursing fame and fortune took a detour to Minneapolis when he married Shauntel Manderville and relocated there. Not long after arriving, Willie worked with his wife's cousin, Prince and his then band, Grand Central (later Champagne or "Shampayne"), that included Andre Anderson (now known as Andre Cymone), Linda Anderson, Morris Day and William Doughty (also known as "Hollywood")-- as well as other local musicians who later found success in the music business -- during their formative teenage years on the burgeoning local music scene.</i></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i> He later formed his own band 94 East -- named after Interstate 94 -- with singers Marcy Ingvoldstad and Kristie Lazenberry. The band later included Wendell Thomas, Dale Alexander, Pierre and Andre Lewis and, after Alexander's departure, Bobby "Z" Rivkin. Prince is featured on several of the band's demos, which have been released by Willie, the first being in 1986, on the compilations Minneapolis Genius, Symbolic Beginnings and, most recently, The Cookhouse Five.</i></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i> Today he is president of Pepe Music, Inc., where he works with Ingvoldstad and Lazenberry. The company handles production, consultation, composing, publishing and recording, according to its Web site. 94 East is also planning to release a new album of new material through their label Reo Deo in late May.</i></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i> K Nicola Dyes recently conducted a telephone interview with Willie where he reminisced about his life, the early days of "Minneapolis Sound" and the state of today's music industry:</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>The Beginning</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span lang="de-DE"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span lang="de-DE"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> <span style="font-size: large;">I</span><span style="font-size: large; font-style: italic;"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">just found out a year and a half ago, when I was researching my history, that my grandfather and grandmother were both in entertainment. My uncle told me that his mother and father had 11 kids. So, I had five aunts and five uncles on my mother's side. One of my aunts, Muriel, sang with Etta James when she had The Coralettes. My other aunt, Dottie, went to school with Wynton Kelly, Miles Davis and Thelonious Monk. They all used to go to my grandfather's house and jam with my grandfather before I was born. I talked to my uncle and he said "Yeah man. Those were the days."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> I </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">used to go to the Murray The K's (an enormously-popular disc jockey in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s) shows (at the Brooklyn Fox Theater) in New York. I used to go to the store (for all the musicians). I mean everybody was there. I was the only 15-year-old dude with $100 in my pocket. I was in love with Mary Wells. I used to stand on the side of the stage and one day, she looked at me and said hi. Then she went on singing "My Guy." </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYx7Gj4F6zmyDHgwc1n1y_qh-2HZ3tZ4XySMVpqz43I50Kgou9VRKxWxQ79xoEnfkG0lW4zvgJwnnSg5F7xQsLy3SzqVsLATbHSMf4AkzzrZiH7tVLMhR0vb_gT7lZSK_l06BdN0OJM56z/s1600/little-anthony-and-the-imperials.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYx7Gj4F6zmyDHgwc1n1y_qh-2HZ3tZ4XySMVpqz43I50Kgou9VRKxWxQ79xoEnfkG0lW4zvgJwnnSg5F7xQsLy3SzqVsLATbHSMf4AkzzrZiH7tVLMhR0vb_gT7lZSK_l06BdN0OJM56z/s400/little-anthony-and-the-imperials.jpg" height="386" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Little Anthony and the Imperials</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">L</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">ittle Anthony and the Imperials were singing at the Copacabana one night. Afterwards, my uncle asked me if I wanted to go to a party. We went to this dingy, dusty building with a freight elevator. When the doors opened up (to the apartment), it was one of the most immaculate (places) I had seen in a long time. </span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> We went, sat down and ordered a couple of drinks. I poked my uncle and said "That's Jimi Hendrix." He asked me where. I pointed to him and my uncle said "Hey, Jimi!" He came over to talk to us. He was talking mainly to my uncle, because, they knew each other and used to hang out years before in Harlem. My uncle was really good friends with Hendrix. There were a lot of cats that hung out in Harlem at this hotel. It wasn't the best hotel. I believe it was the Cecil Hotel.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> My uncle introduced me to Hendrix and I said "I like your music." I noticed how big his hands were wrapped around mine. His hands were so huge and I have big hands. He saw this babe and left us and went over to her. He whispered something in her ear and they left. I wonder what he said.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVkpmUbFayINgwBh7nxKsGxETQ8LKW1W-6F4p5X0u9zAtmGp1gwzsd47U3hE2VdXWX2JMkck733DQ0Ee0DZnZ4_nVChPdiTsDTn2zY6klSCIVLNquilfynAdJX4GCJUao4Or6vZ3he5cDh/s1600/Clarence+Collins.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVkpmUbFayINgwBh7nxKsGxETQ8LKW1W-6F4p5X0u9zAtmGp1gwzsd47U3hE2VdXWX2JMkck733DQ0Ee0DZnZ4_nVChPdiTsDTn2zY6klSCIVLNquilfynAdJX4GCJUao4Or6vZ3he5cDh/s400/Clarence+Collins.jpg" height="349" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Clarence Collins</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(later) lived in Las Vegas with my uncle and I used to hang out all the time with Robert Goulet's ex-wife Louise and his daughter Nikki.</span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> People like that never cooked! I had never heard of that before. They were going to Dunes for breakfast, Circus Circus for lunch and the Sands for dinner -- every single day. You get tired of it after a while. But, it was a lot of fun. A lot of people knew them and we used to get see shows in lot of casino mainrooms. They were good people.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I met Elvis Presley at the Dick Clark show at Circus Circus in Las Vegas. We were sitting in the audience. Jackie Wilson had just finished his set. Clark came out to introduce the next act. He said "Ladies and Gentlemen, The King." The lights went out down and all of a sudden spotlights went to the back of the room. I looked around and it was Presley with two giant bodyguards. He had his white suit on and shades. He snatched his shades off, like "Here I am ladies and gentlemen."</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> He came walking down the aisle to his table and he saw Louise. He stopped. He said "Hi Louise. Hi Nikki" and they started talking. I stood up and he said "Hi." I said "Hi, I'm Pepe. It's nice to meet you." I shook his hand. He said something else to Louise, and then said "See you later" and went to his table.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> By the time I was in Las Vegas, I had already met tons of celebrities-- Ray Charles, Stevie Wonder, Patti LaBelle and the Bluebells, Dionne Warwick and Wayne Newton. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I also met Ike and Tina Turner when I was bringing them up in the elevator at the Copacabana (during Little Anthony and the Imperials' engagement). I drank champagne with Adam Clayton Powell and I met Redd Foxx.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> But, when I saw Elvis, I said, now that man's a star. It was a different kind of thing.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> W</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">hen I was introduced to Sly and the Family Stone's music it just set me off. When I heard their music, I knew that everything was going to be alright. I remembered all of their lyrics, I knew all parts of all of his music and I bought all of his albums.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Then he came to the Fillmore East in New York and I went to see him with my uncle... He was the one who really set off for me as a lyric writer, because, he was writing the kind of (music) that I was writing. I called it "free writing." He was talking about real stuff that was going on.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> He's still the man, I don't care if he is crazy or not. Everybody took after Stone: Prince, Cymone and all those guys loved him. He had the multiracial bands, where everybody was together coming out of that hippie era. I lived by his lyrics.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> T</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">he first time I saw (Singer/Songwriter) Teddy Randazzo was in a rock-and roll-movie. He had on these cool white shoes. Several years later, I was with Little Anthony and the Imperials at the Brooklyn Fox Theater years later. This guy came up to the dressing room with a man on the guitar (Eric Gale, a member of the house band at the Murray the K shows). I supposed the group knew him already. I didn't know him and they told me who he was. It didn't click that it was the same guy that I saw in the movies eight years before.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> He had a song and it was "I'm on the Outside Looking In." They did a<i> </i>little recording of it in the dressing room. They took it around to the other acts' dressing rooms—Smokey Robinson and The Miracles, The Temptations-- and said "This is going to be our new cut" and they played it for them. They needed a hit really bad, because, their last hit was "Shimmy, Shimmy, Ko Ko Bop."</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> It was their comeback song. Then they came back with "Going Out of My Head" right after that. Then "Hurts So Bad" and "Take Me Back," which were both hits for them. Randazzo was the guy. I vacation in Florida every year and I when I found out he was in Orlando, I went to see him. It just brought everything back to light. I loved that guy. He died a few years ago and it broke my heart. He was one of the most generous people and you could tell by the songs he wrote. I used to go to his house in West Nyack, New York. I didn't even have to call him. His doors were always open. I used to bring dates there. I knew people...(Laughing).</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIp9V1C1K0cxhKEzyalZePRSBSm5on1uQrurU2sOPgxetpd-u_9vZPGzPM7OOw5-SxQVGdhaZJLIy5wDeLKWKu98YB-T2aUcsNwLfJDESlB9kNPFqhXzYRDEOscOHvnSP0v1iFDnz8Y8Su/s1600/Teddt+Randazzo+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIp9V1C1K0cxhKEzyalZePRSBSm5on1uQrurU2sOPgxetpd-u_9vZPGzPM7OOw5-SxQVGdhaZJLIy5wDeLKWKu98YB-T2aUcsNwLfJDESlB9kNPFqhXzYRDEOscOHvnSP0v1iFDnz8Y8Su/s400/Teddt+Randazzo+2.jpg" height="241" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Teddy Randazzo</td></tr>
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***<br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> I</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> was influenced by the entertainers that used to hang out with Little Anthony and the Imperials. Everybody used to hang out with them. Priscilla Presley. Barbra Streisand. Lazenberry told me about this story she saw in Rolling Stone (Issue #85, dated June 24, 1971) where Streisand said she got some of the best weed from Little Anthony and the Imperials.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> My uncle dated one of the Supremes, he dated one of (Martha Reeves and) the Vandellas, one of The Chiffons, the list goes on. It was known not to leave your women with Little Anthony and the Imperials. That was the word. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> They were from New York... and they more sophisticated than the other acts that were there. (Members of) The Temptations were from Birmingham, Alabama, you know? They didn't know how to party like us guys from Brooklyn. The girls wanted to have fun and the New York people were more interesting. They could take them to the best spots, the best clubs. They knew all the right people.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> That's how I was introduced to the music industry and I knew it was for me. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I used to make up melodies and the backgrounds in my head. I was taught by some of the best writers. But, they would rip my stuff apart. I stayed up late night, just writing. I had a few songs. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> When I write songs, I'm writing for a hit record. It has to be true, it has to be believable. I believe that people actually feel what I'm writing. Other than that, it's not right. How many babies were made to Barry White's music? He made it real. He made it sexy. I have to get what I have in my head out-- my own experience and what I feel. I try to keep to it real... It could be technically right, but, there (has to be) "feel" to it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> W</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">hen I moved to Minneapolis, I was connected with my ex-wife, Manderville, Prince's first cousin. I didn't know anybody there except for her. I was going to Cookhouse Recording Studios on the weekend by myself. Thomas was a bass player and he was taking me to clubs where I was meeting other musicians. There were a lot of talented musicians here in town, but, they didn't know anything... about the record business. I was the man. I was the guy, because, I knew everything. I just knew it all.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I came in and taught these guys. Prince was like my little brother. I taught these guys what they needed to know. I was from New York, from the big city. I came here and people were even walking slow. (Laughing).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Living in Minneapolis at that time was so much fun. My buddies (from New York) said "Man, what are you doing in Minnesota? There's nothing up there!" But, I saw it. I saw the vision. I thought that Minneapolis was going to become the next Motown. As a matter of fact, they called me "Barely" Gordy (in New York). I wanted that to happen, so, I stayed here. Plus, I loved the place in the summer.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> I</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> was working with the band Grand Central and, once, I asked them to play one of their original songs. They were jamming. (There was) very little singing. They did the lyrics and after that they would jam for like five minutes. I would ask (them), "Well, what's the name of the song?"</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> They didn't have any basic construction of music. How could they go out and play cover (songs) by Earth, Wind and Fire and other groups and not pick up the formula? They needed an intro, a first verse, a hook, a second verse, then another hook, third verse or a bridge and then a hook again-- because, you need to have the hook in there at least three times. That creates this formula and if you use this formula, your songs are going to be three or four minutes long.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> That's how we presented it to these guys. I had them...put down their instruments. I didn't even know how talented Prince was until I was working with these guys for a while. I made them put down their instruments and write their lyrics on a blackboard that we had in the attic, so, that everybody knew the words to the music. These guys were all singing something different. One guy would write a song and he wouldn't explain it to the rest of them. They would just play, then they would start singing and they didn't even know what they were singing... </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> One day at rehearsal, Prince told Cymone's sister, Linda (who played keyboards), "Those are not the chords you're supposed to be playing." </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">He took off his guitar, went over to the keyboard and showed her what to play. I'm watching him and I said, "So, he plays keyboards, huh? Alright, that's cool." Then, Prince gets back on his instrument. The guys start playing again, then he stops again and said "(Cymone), let me hold your bass." I said, "The guy plays bass now?"</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> He holds the bass and starts playing what he wants Cymone to play. So, Cymone gets the bass back and plays verbatim what Prince wanted him to play. So, I'm looking at Cymone and said "This guy's talented, too." Then, that's when I invited Prince to come to the Cookhouse Recording Studios (with 94 East) to play guitar when we did those five tracks.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> He was, and he still is, super talented. People love him, but, they don't know his accomplishments. I mean, he was the first artist ever in the history of music that was on the cover of Keyboard Magazine, the cover of Bass Magazine, the cover of Guitar magazine and the cover of Drum magazine. You have to be great just to be on the cover of those magazines...and he was on all of them. He's absolutely a force.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grand Central members (without Prince), l to r: Morris Day, William Doughty Linda Anderson, Andre Cymone</td></tr>
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<span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> W</span></span><span style="color: purple; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">e (she, Lazenberry and Willie) were driving down the freeway, us girls were sitting in the back seat and started singing. (Willie) said "Oh, you can sing? I need background singers." Then, everything kind of started falling into place. (He) had been going to the studio and recording for a demo all on his own, doing his own thing. Now he started pulling us in for background... Then we kind of went from there...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> 9</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4 East was formed in the back seat of a blue Volkswagen. Did you hear that? In the back seat, baby! I had these girls in the back seat. (Laughing). </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Thomas' brother, Alexander, the guy who later played drums in Madhouse, was the drummer when we formed the group. We also got 17-year-old Pierre Lewis. He was studying Herbie Hancock and he was good. The musicians here were really good. They really studied their music, as far as playing is concerned. But, they didn't have the discipline that they needed. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> W</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">e did The Cookhouse Five (in 1975) and Prince was our guitar player on the sessions. We didn't have an electric guitar player -- I played acoustic -- to play his part (in rehearsals). So, Pierre had a brother named Andre Lewis and I said "Andre, can you play what Prince was playing?" </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I soloed out Prince's guitar tracks and gave him the tracks to learn. It was very difficult for him to play the way that Prince was playing. Prince was playing like a true professional, like he had been playing for 30 years and Lewis was learning. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Prince just had this vibe, this feel; he had everything going for him. So, it never really did match what he was playing. Lewis was playing the same thing, but, it just didn't match... It wasn't the same sound, it wasn't the same feel. Lewis' guitar wasn't like Prince's guitar.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> W</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">e started practicing at Lazenberry's parents' house in St. Paul, in the basement and Alexander kept being late. We had to set an example. We said "If you're late one more time, we're gonna let you go." Low and behold, he was late and we had to fire him. He was good, but, we weren't going to cater to him just, because, he was good...These guys had to learn. So, we let him go. Then we started having auditions for another drummer. We put an ad in the paper and we had people come by...auditioning, playing and everything, including Sonny Thompson (who later played bass for Prince in the New Power Generation).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> So, one day Bobby Z comes in. He starts playing and he could hold his own. I wanted a white drummer, thinking (about) Sly and the Family Stone and we got him. So, we started rehearsing... He didn't play on any of our recordings—The Cookhouse Five or any of that. It was already done. So, all I had to do was mix and put together a show. That's why we were rehearsing with Bobby Z. He had to learn our songs and everything. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> I</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> went to New York after mixing The Cookhouse Five and looked for a label to sign us. My first stop was to Randazzo. He started adding some other parts to the music: some horn lines, some strings, but, it was a little too much. I wound up taking a lot of that out, except on (the song) "Better Than You Think." We kept those strings in, because, they were just magic. He did it on a Melotron, which was kind of like the first synthesizer. It was a machine that had actual tape with recorded string lines, so, when you played it on a keyboard, you could play anything you wanted.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> These were the days when you could just walk into a building. (You could) look on the directory, see the record company, what floor they were on and jump in the elevator and go right up. You would talk to the secretary and say "Hey, I want to see an A&R guy." </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> You can't do that now, because, they have security. You can hardly even get in the building. Thomas went with me and he stayed in New York for about two or three months. He left and came back to Minneapolis. I refused to leave New York until I got a deal. In the meantime, Prince had started working with Owen Husney and Chris Moon. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Randazzo went with me to Polydor Records and we signed with them. Hank Crosby, of the original Funk Brothers from Motown was hired by Polydor (to work with 94 East). He wrote (the song) "Fortune Teller" for us and I wrote "10:15." We were going to put out a single and he visited Minnesota a couple of times. When I got back (to Minneapolis) with a contract from Polydor, the whole group signed. I didn't want to be (the only one) signed.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> We started working on our show. Crosby came in and we were going to do our single (for Polydor). We walked into Sound 80 Recording Studios and as we were going in, Prince and Husney were coming out. Prince looked at us and said "What are you guys doing?" We said "We're getting ready to record our single, what are you doing?" He said, "Well, I just finished my demo. Can I play on your track?" </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I said, "Yeah, man, you know that, come on, let's go!" He let Husney go and followed us into the studio. He played guitar on "Fortune Teller" and did background vocals with Ingvoldstad and Lazenberry. He also played guitar on "10:15."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> After we recorded, Crosby and I went back to New York to mix the songs. He didn't like the drum track, so, he took Bobby Z off and he put in this guy named Buddy Williams. We were in the studio in New York...and I was just feeling for Bobby Z, because, I knew he was going to be upset about his drum part being taken out. We're signed to this label and I said "How am I going to explain this to him?"</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I already knew that these things can happen. I had been removed from being the main lead singer on "Fortune Teller." We brought in Colonel Abrams and produced his vocals (in New York). Crosby had found him somewhere and introduced me to him. I said "This guy's got a great voice." I didn't mind. We were signed to a major label. So, I just said "Hey, come on, Colonel." Whatever it takes. I knew that.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> When I came back to Minneapolis and I had to tell Bobby Z that his drums weren't on (the songs), oh my God...I could just feel the pain. It was a heartbreak. But, I just said to him, "That's part of it. All you have to do is learn the parts that Williams played for when we go out on tour." That's how it's done. It happens all the time in the business. I don't think he really got it. He didn't really accept my explanation. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> So, we kept rehearsing. Then, we found out that Crosby had been let go from Polydor. Then we had a new guy come in and we didn't see eye-to-eye. We were still waiting for our release date. They told us it was going to be released in January. No, it's going to be released in March, now it's going to be released in April. Then in June, we got a letter saying "Oh, we have to let you guys go." (Laughing).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> So, we were no longer with the label. But, we had accomplished something. We had accomplished being signed to a major label. You know, just walking in and knocking on the doors of all of these record labels: RCA, Columbia, Warner Brothers, Polydor. We went to a lot of labels... and we learned how to make things work by the time we got to Polydor. We were full-fledged negotiators. (Laughing). We got the experience.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> So, when we got let go, it was the summer. I was telling Prince and Cymone and we were standing outside somewhere. I told Prince "Yeah man, we got let go from Polydor." He said "What?!" Then he called Cymone over... "94 East got let go from Polydor." He said "What?! Oh man, I don't believe it." Prince said, "We've got to get back in the studio. We have to take Pepe right back into the studio and we're going to do some work." He said "Pepe, book the studio time." </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I thought... where am I going to get the money to pay $100 an hour for studio time? But, I booked it. I just went and booked it. I didn't care. I didn't know where I was going to get the money from.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Prince liked my songs and he loved my writing. So, he and I wrote "Just Another Sucker" together. I wrote "Lovin' Cup" with another friend of mine. I also wrote "Dance to the Music of the World."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> We went to Sound 80 Recording Studios and we recorded two of those tracks. Prince was playing drums and keyboards on those sessions. Cymone played bass. It came out really well. But, then, later on Prince had gotten signed (to Warner Brothers Records) before we could really finish those tracks.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I said "Listen to me. I have these two guys (Prince and Cymone) and this is all you need. You don't need a drummer, a guitar player, a bass player, a keyboard player, but, these two guys." He agreed and he flew us to New York. We went to this studio where he was working on an album for The Imperials--Anthony had left the group-- and he was going use... one of the songs (from the Sound 80 session). </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> He put us up at the Hilton in Manhattan. We went to the studio and started recording. We did some overdubs, we took my two-inch master from the Sound 80 session and we put that on and started working with it. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Everybody had to have their own song. I had "Dance to the Music of the World," Cymone had "Do Me, Baby" and Prince had "I Feel For You" and that was played on piano. We recorded it and I don't even have that recording of "I Feel For You" on piano--I own the copyright of that version. I lost it in Barbados, when I was at Eddy Grant's (of "Electric Avenue" fame) studio doing work for the Minneapolis Genius album. But, we finished that (session) and Sylvester paid them. This was the first time that Cymone had really gotten paid for doing studio work.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Prince</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> W</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">hen Prince got signed, and I wasn't at the time, I said "I'm not going to concentrate on me, I'm going to concentrate on Prince. He's signed. I had my chance." I didn't want to see Prince get screwed. So, I dropped everything that I was doing. I asked Ingvoldstad and Lazenberry (to help me) and said "Let's concentrate on Prince and make sure he has the right backing." We knew how difficult it was as a new artist. So, we did everything possible to help him. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> He started auditioning band members. He was holding auditions at Del's Tire Mart in Minneapolis and people were coming there. One day-- and this is the truth, but, other people might tell you something different -- Prince actually left the door unlocked. That's what happened and they got robbed. Cats came in there and took all this equipment. They couldn't take the speakers, because, the speakers belonged to me and they were huge. You couldn't fit them in car, you had to have a truck to put them in. So, that was the only thing left.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> So, Cymone and I were riding around the north side of Minneapolis looking for the thieves in my Volkswagen and he had his rifle. We were going to kill these suckers! (Laughing). We're looking for somebody who had our equipment and we didn't find anybody. Thank goodness! I didn't see want to see Cymone go to jail. I didn't have a gun! (Laughing). So, we left it at that. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I told Prince, "Look, you guys come and practice at our house--(Lazenberry), (Ingvoldstad) and myself had a house in South Minneapolis-- on Upton Avenue, right off Lake Calhoun. They brought the remaining equipment they had over to our house and into the basement, which was a totally finished basement with a fireplace and everything. They were set up really well and they started having auditions. Gayle Chapman was brought in by Prince's cousin Charles Smith. Prince liked her and liked the way she played. So, he accepted her in the band. Matt Fink, the "doctor," he had auditioned there and made it. Bobby Z was already in, because, he had started doing errands for Prince as soon as he got signed. He was going to the store, doing that, doing this...for the promise of being Prince's drummer. Prince also wanted a white drummer. I remember the day Dez Dickerson came over and auditioned. He made it. Cymone was already in, because, he and Prince were friends and they lived together at Cymone's mom's house. So there was the band.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> T</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">hey practiced in our home from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., 10 hours a day. They worked really hard. Prince gotten a sum of money and he was buying all this new equipment from all the stores. Husney was his manager.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> One day, Prince was at his home after rehearsal. I went over there, because, I couldn't get him on the phone. It was after they had practiced for 10 hours. So, I'm over (at his) house on France—he had just got signed by Warner Brothers, so, he had his own home. I was knocking on the door and he's not answering. I hear this tapping from the back of the house. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> So, I go around to the side of the house, I look in these windows and I can see Prince playing drums. He's kicking drums after 10 hours of rehearsal. So, in between the beats, I'm knocking on the window, so, he can hear me. Then, he finally heard me and I said "Open the door, man!" So, he opens the door. We go down in the basement and we're talking. He was talking about what he needed. I said "Look man, your manager is supposed to be doing this stuff for you" and I said "Well, I'll go talk to (Husney)."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> The next day, I go to (Husney's) office; he had an ad company. I said "Well, Prince needs this and Prince needs that. You're his manager and you're supposed to do this stuff for him." </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Then he said --and these are his exact words-- "What, am I supposed to quit my job here at the ad company for some guy who probably won't make it?" I couldn't make that up...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Then I said, " [T]hen you're out, you're fired." I don't know if I had the right to say it, but, I said it, because, I was protecting my cousin. He said "Well, why don't you be his manager?" </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I said, "Well, I'm not a manager. I can't be his manager. But, I'm not going to let him get screwed out here." Those were my exact words. So, I went back to Prince and let him know what was going on. He and Husney parted ways shortly after that. So, now, Prince needed management. He's signed to Warner Bros. He's got a good record out that's doing well, For You. But, he had no manager. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I knew Don Taylor, manager of Bob Marley and The Wailers, through my connections. I called him and said "I've got a guy who's signed with Warner Bros. His name is Prince and he needs management." He said, "Yeah, I know Mo Ostin (then president of Warner Bros. Records)." He sent Prince and myself two first-class airline tickets to fly to Miami. He got us both hotel rooms. He came over to the hotel and he and Prince went back to his house to talk business. I just stayed out of the way. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I told Prince, "Look, I'm not a manager, but, I'm not going to let you get screwed." But, I did manage him for 30 days. Warner Bros. as sending me all the correspondence and necessary things. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> I </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">went on some radiothons with Prince in North Carolina, when his (first) record was out. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We got to North Carolina and one of the guys from Cameo was also there, they were big at that time. So, we got to this place where there was 2,000 kids and we were on the stage. Prince was signing his albums for all the kids that were coming up. He would ask "What's your name?" and then he would sign his autograph. The guy from Cameo was sitting next to Prince. They would move to him and they would give him an album to sign. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> The security had gotten kind of lax. I knew all about security from working with my uncle in New York. I went to the security person and I said, "Look, we're going to have to get ready to go. Go get the car or have somebody get the car, so, we can get back to hotel." There were people just starting migrate on stage and all of a sudden this guy is standing next to me. I'm looking at him like "Who is this guy?" He said "Don't worry about anything... I got your back." I said "Who is this dude?" So, I went to Prince while he was signing autographs and I whispered in his ear: "Prince, the next time that I come over and say something to you, I want you to get up and we're leaving." He said "Okay" and he was still signing albums. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> After security got their stuff together and they gave me a nod, I said "Prince, it's time to go." He got right up and shot right out of there through a gauntlet of security, jumped in the limo and we went back to the hotel. When we got to the hotel, Prince told me "Man, you know what?...I feel like a piece of meat being carried around." I went "Wow." What a way to feel. But, I knew exactly what he meant.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> It was just that "star thing" that he wasn't used to yet and he was high on it: signing all these autographs, people yelling out they love him...and they don't even know him. He said to me "People (are) saying they love me and we were getting mail from people-- we'd read the fan mail together-- and he said "These people don't even know me, how can they love me?" I said "They love your music. They love what you're doing." </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> By the time we got back to the hotel and he was feeling that way, there are only certain things you can do to bring him back to reality. So, the guy from Cameo had come over, because, he was staying in the same hotel on a different floor. He came over to my room and Prince was there. He started talking to Prince, about how he liked his music. We were saying how we liked his music and then we asked where he lived. He said "I live in New Jersey." Prince said "Oh yeah, my sister lives in New Jersey." The guy from Cameo told us his address and Prince said "Hey, my sister lives in your building!" Come to find out, he lives just one floor over Prince's sister in the same building in New Jersey.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> That brought him back down to reality. (It was) something he could touch, something he could identify with, rather than that "star thing." It brought him back to family, it brought him back to his roots. He came down a little bit and he felt better, you know what I mean? That's what he needed, because, after you come off something like that, you can't go to sleep. It's too exciting...You're gonna go over what you went through: things that you are going through at that moment, what's going through your mind and how you feel emotionally. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">H</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">e did sign with Don Taylor for about a year. Then he moved over to Perry Jones and Tony Winfrey. I think they worked for Bob Cavallo. I remember everybody together at one point. Then </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Cavallo, (Joe) Ruffalo & (Steve) Fargnoli </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">took over once Prince got bigger. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> They wanted me to work with them, for Prince, because, he was getting out of control. I was the only one who could...talk to him on a real-time basis; he was like my little brother. But, I said no, I didn't want to do it. I could see where he was going mentally, kind of like "I'm the baddest thing ever" and I didn't want him to get that way with me, so, I prevented that. They wanted me to "handle" Prince. They wined me, dined me and did everything they could. I said no. Prince and I remained friends. We remained tight for a long time after that. The rest is history.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> W</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">e had a lot of fun then. When Morris Day and those guys got signed to Warner Bros., Day and I would hang out a lot, driving around Minneapolis. We all had the same friends, so, we'd run into Prince. We didn't want run into him, because he was square. Prince was so square, I'm telling you. I mean, we used to laugh at this guy, but, now he's got the last laugh! But, then, we used to laugh at him. He was a good kid, very naive. But, he loved his music. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> We'd run into Prince and we said "Oh no, oh please." (One morning), at 3 a.m., we see Prince and he's running over to the car. He said "Hey, man, hey!" We said "Yo, Prince, what's up, man?" He gave me this cassette and Day put it in the car's cassette player. It's my song "If You See Me," but, he called it "Do Yourself A Favor." Prince had recorded it from memory. He didn't have a copy of The Cookhouse Five. He did his version and it was killing. I didn't even recognize it when I heard it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Day said "Pepe, that's your song." I started listening and I said "Oh yeah, that's right!" Prince said "I'm going to put it out on one of my albums, man." But, he never did it! (Laughing). But, the thought was there. I know that in his heart, he really wanted to do it. His career was really taking off , he just mapped out his albums in certain way and he didn't record it...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> (In 1986) Jesse Johnson called me and he wanted to record "Do Yourself A Favor" and I said "Yeah, man, go ahead and do it." I split the publishing with him on his version, even though I owned the rights to the song. But, he had a hit album out and he was requesting that he get 50 percent of the rights to his version. I said "Okay, fine." I didn't care. So, he put that out and we did some good numbers. It sold more than 400,000 copies. It's on the album Shockadelica, which was just re-released digitally last June. You can get on iTunes or any other digital downloading sites that they have. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I have the Prince version (of "Do Yourself A Favor"). Later, it was stolen out of his house and somebody bootlegged it. I didn't get one penny from that. Prince called me up one day and I asked him "What happened to 'Do Yourself A Favor?'" He said "Man, they stole it out of my house!" I should have made him me pay me for that. (Laughing). But, it was all good.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> A</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">round 1984 or 1985, I knew that Prince was not going to come back and pull us out of whatever we were in. He was not going to come back to help us. I knew it. I've been in this business a long time and I said "I'm doing my own record." Everybody else was just waiting around for Prince to come and get them. I said "He isn't coming back, people. Get it in your head..."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> That's when I started doing Minneapolis Genius (an album of 94 East's previous </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">recordings featuring Prince). We (started work) in New York and then we went to Barbados. We stayed at Grant's house and used his studio for a week. We came back and went to New York to mix (the album). I called Cavallo and told him that I was doing Minneapolis Genius. I wanted Prince to know, because, we were still friends. He said "Well, I don't think that Prince really needs to hear this right now." I said "What?" I didn't even understand that when he said it. I said "Oh, okay, bye" and hung up the phone. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> W</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">e got a licensing deal in 1995 with Charly, a company in Europe. They gave us quite a bit of money in advance. They licensed about 12 or 13 songs that Prince performed with us. Then, they sub-licensed it to other labels and that's why you have so many labels doing the same music. So, everybody was making money off this music. We're still getting licensing from that music. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Our deal was over with Charly in 2000... We thought "We're the ones who own the master recording, so, why don't we release our own version of The Cookhouse Five and put it out?" So we <span lang="de-DE">had Dr. Fink remix those five songs and we put it out (in 2011). </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>The Future</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> I</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">'m writing a book right now...the title is "From Brooklyn to Minneapolis." It's going to have everything in there, from me meeting celebrities and going to the store for them, coming to Minneapolis and starting the "Minneapolis Sound" with Prince, Jimmy Jam, Terry Lewis, Day and Cymone.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> We also helped a few other guys like Rockie Robbins. He was signed with A&M Records and he had a hit record ("You and Me" in 1980). He came to me for advice. I've helped Ricky Peterson and St. Paul Peterson from the famous Peterson family. (Ricky's) a great pianist who played with some the musicians that played with Miles Davis.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> All of that is going to be in my book, as well as other things that I've experienced through the life and times of music. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">T</span>here's a company in Chicago called The Numero Group (<a href="http://numerogroup.com/">numerogroup.com</a>). They came into Minneapolis looking for (musical) groups from 1975 to 1983 that were good, but, didn't "make it." They licensed "If You See Me" and put it on vinyl. Then they do a little coffee table book, with a little history, the vinyl and pictures of the group. That's coming out in the fall.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We also have a label here called Reo Deo. We're doing a new CD and this is the first CD that we're doing without Prince. The tracks are "Dial My Number," which is finished now, "Any o' Time," "Let You Go" and Find Myself." </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> These tracks are hot, I'm telling you. They are just... burning. Just for the hell of it, I took "Dial My Number" and I entered it in the "Song of the Year" contest (<a href="http://songoftheyear.com/">songoftheyear.com</a>). (People enter songs) from all over the world and I was a semifinalist. We got a great congratulations for that. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> (O</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">ur company) helps artists. We protect artists. We do exactly what we did for Prince. The business hasn't changed. The only thing that's changed is the music. You still have to copyright, you have to have that (songwriting) formula, you still need to have publishing and you still have to be part of a performer's rights organization. You've got to be protected out here. This is what we do for our artists.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> We just signed an artist named Monaye Love. She is backed by the Obamas. When President Obama came into Minneapolis, he stopped at Fort Snelling, and he saw her picture and asked one of the generals who it was. (The general) said "Take a look at this video." </span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> He played the video for the president, who said "Oh, Michelle (Obama, first lady of the United States) has to see this." He sent it to her and she said "She (Love) has to be part of the Yellow Ribbon Campaign." You can look Love up, she has a (video) on YouTube called "Finally Home." It's breathtaking and it's really good. </span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> We redid her vocals from the track. The track you hear when you go to YouTube is not one we did. They're matching the video with the new track right now, but, it's the same song. It needed to be a little more professional. Fink and I redid the vocals and fixed it. We've got the master back and Lazenberry's working on the graphics. We're getting ready to release that... along with our music on May 28. </span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5EpCk4drLtVUKJeEzKWnftJbj3aj-u1dbka6h7NLLkjsTJ2jDy5PK7MieHShzsK9YzDLr3HrqkjmQZZ8KHdvZHl6HAgfrCyCZkGBE435klHOf95MiQ6Ppzb65x1KalBuIy23knWPHtGgs/s1600/The+Cookhouse+Five.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5EpCk4drLtVUKJeEzKWnftJbj3aj-u1dbka6h7NLLkjsTJ2jDy5PK7MieHShzsK9YzDLr3HrqkjmQZZ8KHdvZHl6HAgfrCyCZkGBE435klHOf95MiQ6Ppzb65x1KalBuIy23knWPHtGgs/s400/The+Cookhouse+Five.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Cookhouse Five digital release artwork</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> W</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">e work hard all the time and we want to continue working. We want to help the young artists coming out and let them know this is a business. It's easy to write songs for most of us who have the talent. But, the hard part is the business part...You have to get through that.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> You have a lot of artists who are watching TV and they see people like Justin Timberlake, Alicia Keys and Nicki Minaj who released their first record and sold millions. It doesn't happen like that for everyone. Some of us have to work a little harder. </span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I always say that (the music business) is like being in a classroom and studying math: there are some people that are "A" students and they get it the first time. They don't have to study. Then you have your "B" students; they get it, but, they have to study a little bit. Then you have your other students, they are "C" students, because, they don't study enough. But, if they did study they would become "A" and "B" students. Their grades would go up. You have to work hard to get to where you're going. For some people it's easy...for some of us, we have to work a little harder to make sure we get a good grade. That's my analogy.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> W</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">e love working with young people, teaching them, because, they really listen. When they get a little older, they get a little cocky. They don't listen and they screw up their careers...In this world we're in now, (artists) can't afford to make any mistakes. They have to get it right the first time. They have to treat people decently. They always have to pay their bills, pay their lawyer and pay all the people they're supposed to pay. </span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Also, they need to remember...when they do interviews not to only talk about themselves, (but) to talk about the people who came before them, that helped them get into the position they're in right now. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> There are a lot of artists from back before I can remember who helped. Like Little Anthony and the Imperials, Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers, Ben E. King, The Temptations, Stevie Wonder and The Four Tops. These groups struggled. They weren't getting all of their money and they weren't getting paid. Now you have these artists come up, they have one record and they are getting paid automatically. That's because of the hard work and the sacrifices that these other artists made... they have to learn to appreciate that.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> When they talk to the press, even if they've never heard of Dionne Warwick, Pearl Bailey or Mahalia Jackson, (they should) read about them. Study them, because, they're in the same business that we're in. See their struggles. Put their hearts out toward them and say "I have to hand it to all of these minority entertainers who helped make it possible for me to raise my family today." </span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I see it in some of the artists, but, some of these brothers out there, I have to say it, they piss me off. I saw The Game (the rapper/producer) on TV one night pouring out a $1500 bottle of champagne on the street...He asked the cameraman "Do you know what this is?" The cameraman said "No." He said "Feeding the roaches." </span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Now, come on. You don't have to do that. Do you how many people you could have fed for $1500? And you're out there throwing it away in the street. You have some of these other artists going out and "making it rain" in these clubs, gentleman's clubs they call them. "Make it rain" in your mother's house. "Make it rain" in your cousin's house. Throw $10,000 up in their living room and then leave, so, that they can have something. They're doing the wrong thing and it sets the wrong example for all of us. When we go into these records company now, they look at us like that. They have to stop. They have to do business. Jay-Z went out there to do his thing, Beyonce does her thing, Taylor Swift goes out there to do her thing.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Some of these artists come out and make $400,000, $500,000, $1 million, $2 million or $3 million and they think that's it; they've got it made. Next thing they know, they're in bankruptcy court or the I.R.S. is after them, because, they didn't take care of their business... They have to do that. We try to instill that in all the artists who come in for consultation or artists that we sign.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> That's how we are, that's how we've always been and we'll never change. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<i style="font-family: Arial;">Stay beautiful, Kristi</i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial;"><i style="font-weight: bold;">Lead photo: 94 East, courtesy of</i><b> </b></span><b><a href="http://pepemusic.com/" style="font-family: Arial;"><i>pepemusic.com</i></a><span style="font-family: Arial; font-style: italic;">.</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">L</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">ike us on Facebook:</span><a href="http://www.facebook.com/DyesGotTheAnswers2UrsTheBeautifulNightsBlog?fref=ts" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank"> Dyes Got the Answers 2 Ur ?s</a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> and </span><a href="http://www.facebook.com/groups/367837439968638/?fref=ts" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Beautiful Nights</a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">.</span></div>
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K Nicola Dyeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11470665347094419495noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2193506780254658859.post-58492388637400309252013-04-20T17:34:00.003-07:002014-10-21T06:58:32.630-07:00Rock and Roll Love Affair: Prince Slays Seattle at the Showbox<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKaXI6fhwu-z5t_sr0BjIASwGj_Sh2m8qtMTGkwGJRqwnzrbJTefOrWX4wxHe3YQgLO6sHG_6xBS_Je9wq9kcKFWvtfutDkCvlLwTCNtNpGIxzUmYK-O8fBwukDDO5R5CjiBVImxME-Ea1/s1600/Live+Out+Loud+Tour+Ticket.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKaXI6fhwu-z5t_sr0BjIASwGj_Sh2m8qtMTGkwGJRqwnzrbJTefOrWX4wxHe3YQgLO6sHG_6xBS_Je9wq9kcKFWvtfutDkCvlLwTCNtNpGIxzUmYK-O8fBwukDDO5R5CjiBVImxME-Ea1/s400/Live+Out+Loud+Tour+Ticket.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Prince
treated fans to some funky rock and roll last night.</span></div>
<div style="border: none; margin-bottom: 0in; padding: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> That
was how The Purple One described the musical theme for his second, and
closing, show April 19 at Showbox at the Market in Seattle. It was the second stop on his "Live Out Loud Tour" with his band 3<sup>rd</sup> Eye Girl, which includes Hannah Ford on drums, Donna Grantis on guitar and Ida Nielsen on bass.</span></div>
<div style="border: none; margin-bottom: 0in; padding: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> The
show I attended wasn't scheduled to start until 11:30 p.m., but, I was there
promptly at 4:45 p.m., as I only live two blocks away from the venue
and this was a general admission event. This was after working the graveyard shift Thursday night and sleeping for approximately three hours. Alas, two people were already in line when I arrived. I guess they were just as serious about
it as I was.</span></div>
<div style="border: none; margin-bottom: 0in; padding: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> The
Green Room, the house bar for the venue, is a place where all the
early birds can sit, eat or have a drink and wait to be let in for
the show. I got a card for group 1, with first priority to be let into the venue as
a reward for my eagerness (although, I do believe that people were also handpicked from the lines outside to enter early, too). Prince's influence even extended down to the bar, as the bartender informed several patrons that there was a
strictly vegetarian food menu at the artist's request.</span></div>
<div style="border: none; margin-bottom: 0in; padding: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I
could hear most of the 8:30 p.m. show going on upstairs while sipping on my
Negra Modelo with three limes (that's what's up). I recognized familiar guitar strains
from "Colonized Mind" and "Dolphin," the latter
of which he sadly did not play for the second set. I would've slapped
my mama to actually see him play that song live (figuratively speaking, of
course, because, I don't think she would be down for that). But, such
is life.</span></div>
<div style="border: none; margin-bottom: 0in; padding: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> The
sounds of excited fans and slamming guitar licks made the
three-plus hours waiting in The Green Room go by very fast. I could
hardly contain my anticipation.</span></div>
<div style="border: none; margin-bottom: 0in; padding: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> But,
enough about me: I know you want to hear a little less about Kristi and more about Prince.</span></div>
<div style="border: none; margin-bottom: 0in; padding: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> The staff let us in about 10:45 p.m. or so. By the time I got to the main floor, there was already
a small group of people gathered in front of the stage. I was still
able to claim a great spot at stage right near the lights. It was
nice, because, there was a good-sized crowd, but, people were
respectful. Unlike most general admission shows, nobody was trying to aggressively push
their way to the front or standing so close to you that you feel them
breathing down your neck (or back, in my case, since I'm 6'2").</span></div>
<div style="border: none; margin-bottom: 0in; padding: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> The
concert started on time— in fact, I'm pretty sure that it started a
few minutes early—with the new "Let's Go Crazy (Reloaded)." </span></div>
<div style="border: none; margin-bottom: 0in; padding: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> The
show literally started with a bang and blinding flashes of strobe lights.
When Prince's figure became visible out of the darkness, he had on
what looked like a Nehru jacket (but, I could be wrong) with extra
long fringes, yellow bell bottoms, gold boots and a yellow scarf to
accent his afro, a la Jimi Hendrix. I literally felt like I had been
transported in time. Prince and 3<sup>rd</sup> Eye Girl was taking
the audience on a non-stop rock-and-roll journey and he had channeled
the legendary Seattle rocker as an unofficial guide.</span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: purple; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>"We're not in the real universe, we're in the Prince universe. It's pretty scary...and kind of cool. - A bartender at The Green Room</b></span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The
next song was Endorphinmachine, a pulsating, guitar-driven jam that I have been DYING to hear live
since the first time I heard<i> The Gold Experience </i>album in 1999. He changed
a few of the lyrics (referring to his 'fro instead of the dippy, dippy
waves of his 'do in the album version), but that guitar break in the middle of
the song was even more killer than I'm used to.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Next
up was "Screwdriver," which Prince recently recorded with
3</span><sup style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">rd</sup><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Eye Girl, an always fun and bouncy pop-rock cut. The official lyric video, with Prince's pre-recorded vocals, came up on
the screen behind the band. He jokingly asked the crowd if it was okay if
the band did some lip syncing during the show, before, they all
promptly kicked in on the second verse.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Fan
favorite "She's Always in My Hair" quickly followed,
which, in my humble opinion, is the best B-Side he's ever produced. I caught wind of reports that the band played this song at earlier shows and I was hoping to hear it. I was not disappointed.
</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> This
one of those songs that every time the guitar solos kick in on the recorded version, you just
don't want them to stop. They didn't last night. The song turned
into an extended jam where Prince just let all the emotions flow from his fingers and through his guitar.
</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> At
some point I started to feel flashes of heat, which could have come
from the hot-ass lights that I was standing by or the truly
electric energy that was emanating from the stage as the band
executed hit after guitar-shredding hit. I'm convinced it was the
latter.
</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I
have to give it up for Ford, Grantis and Nielsen, who I believe, compliment Prince's current sound very well. Each lady had their chance to
shine, as they all had several solos throughout the evening. Also,
one cool thing of note was that the way the lights were positioned on
the stage, moving from side to side, behind them--especially Nielsen-- it looked light was actually radiating from
them an</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">d their instruments while they were playing. They looked like ethereal rock-and-roll divas.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> We got to hear some funky riffs on "Play That Funky
Music White Boy," by Wild Cherry and "Alphabet St."
Then there was "Dreamer." He slowed it way down on the
third verse of this song, to the point where he almost talking, not singing. It was
like he was having an intimate conservation with the entire audience. This added even more weight to the lyrics and gave the social commentary at the heart of the song an even
deeper meaning. It made me think of this rock
and roll anthem, which I've heard hundreds of times, in a different
way.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> It
was the perfect segue into "Purple Rain," where Prince switched to the keyboards. This closed out
the first part of the set.</span></div>
<div style="border: none; margin-bottom: 0in; padding: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> The
band left stage for a brief interlude, where I just stood in the
darkness and quietly reflected on what I just saw. Oddly, I was able to do this in the middle of a sea of screaming fans who
demanded more.</span></div>
<div style="border: none; margin-bottom: 0in; padding: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> The
band obliged and came back, picking up right where they left off
by launching into "Guitar." Prince had, by now, swapped the
jacket for a sleeveless yellow tunic. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We also got to hear two more numbers from his upcoming album: </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Plectrum
Electrum" and "Fixurlifeup."</span></div>
<div style="border: none; margin-bottom: 0in; padding: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Later, they launched into "I Like it There"
and "Bambi," two older songs from Prince's more overtly
risque songwriting days. Honestly, I was surprised to hear him recite
lyrics like "My emotional ejaculate all over the floor,"
from "I Like it There" (which could be considered
sexual...or not. That's up for debate). Or the more blatant "Baby,
you need to bleed" and "It's better with a man" from "Bambi," where the meaning is</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> impossible to miss. But, I would be lying if I didn't say
I loved every minute of it.</span></div>
<div style="border: none; margin-bottom: 0in; padding: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> In
addition, a gentleman referred to simply as "Joshua"
in the set lists posted on the 3rd Eye Boy Facebook page, joined them for some enthusiastic cowbell
playing during "Bambi." (Insert the Christopher Walken's "more
cowbell" line from the infamous SNL skit here).</span></div>
<div style="border: none; margin-bottom: 0in; padding: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> The
band left the stage once more before returning for their second, and
final, encore. This is where it really got interesting. First, there was "Sign
o' the Times," where he and the band played along to a pre-recorded track, (I think it would be hard to replicate the
specific sound of that song live without a full band, but, that is
purely conjecture). The next few songs, however, were presented as if
they were part a DJ set. That was totally unexpected.</span></div>
<div style="border: none; margin-bottom: 0in; padding: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I
was thrilled to be treated to instrumental snippets of "777-9311,"
(which he actually sang over the track, dear Lord); "Nasty
Girl;" "I Would Die 4 U;" "Housequake;" "17
Days;" "Alphabet St.;" "Shockadelica" and
"Mr. Goodnight." I screamed very loudly when I heard the
last two cuts and the girl standing next to me looked perplexed as to
why I was doing this.</span></div>
<div style="border: none; margin-bottom: 0in; padding: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Finally,
Prince sang "When Doves Cry" and finished up with "Hot
Thing," another one of those very sexy tracks not often heard in
Prince's live performance cannon as of late. Not only did
he sing over the instrumental track, he also closed out the show with
an amazing solo on Nielsen's bass. I think that alone was worth the ticket
price.</span></div>
<div style="border: none; margin-bottom: 0in; padding: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Just
to put into perspective how truly impressive that bass solo was, when I called
my friend Natasha White-Smallwood, who has been a Prince fan since
1978, this morning to recap the concert, I told her about it. She has seen The Purple One live dozens of times and
she said, almost ruefully, that she had never seen him play the bass
in concert.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Toward
the end of his solo, Prince fondly bid Seattle adieu and then wrapped it up with some of the funkiest bass licks I've ever heard. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> He
and 3</span><sup style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">rd</sup><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Eye Girl left the stage-- the ladies waving as they went
off-- and the curtains closed. Our trip was over. We were back. Prince had taken us
on a musical journey and no one had even left the venue.</span></div>
<div style="border: none; margin-bottom: 0in; padding: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> The
crowd lingered long after the house lights came up, not wanting to
believe that it was over. But, once I saw the road crew packing up the
instruments not very far from where I was standing, I knew it was
time to go.</span></div>
<div style="border: none; margin-bottom: 0in; padding: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I
left the building in a daze, along with pleasantly ringing ears, and I
was home within five minutes. I
am happy to have witnessed a show on what promises to be an epic tour.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: italic;">Stay beautiful, Kristi </span></div>
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K Nicola Dyeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11470665347094419495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2193506780254658859.post-90608196601563855242013-04-18T09:29:00.000-07:002013-08-11T18:34:44.647-07:00Miss Understood: An In-Depth Interview with Susannah Melvoin<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1oAx0XSMXyRLYIy13zYfaPr4mLfh-jgsMvUZv8SyZyWbrHM9VTDdwUqqpPci3PvEp3S3ydfFLdb-J-_cxm6I_7CwlR8YIJM_EnvvF0KSMXT7jFwkaDNMUHixy_zP5QEwB3ZZq80FmP0OE/s1600/Susannah+Lead+Photo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="330" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1oAx0XSMXyRLYIy13zYfaPr4mLfh-jgsMvUZv8SyZyWbrHM9VTDdwUqqpPci3PvEp3S3ydfFLdb-J-_cxm6I_7CwlR8YIJM_EnvvF0KSMXT7jFwkaDNMUHixy_zP5QEwB3ZZq80FmP0OE/s400/Susannah+Lead+Photo.jpg" width="400" /></a></i></span></div>
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<i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Music has always been a family affair for Susannah Melvoin.</i></div>
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<em><span style="font-family: Arial;"> The singer/songwriter comes from a musical dynasty: Her late father Michael Melvoin was a jazz musician, arranger and composer who worked with artists such as Frank Sinatra, Barbara Streisand, The Beach Boys and The Jackson 5, to name a few; her twin sister Wendy Melvoin, was a guitar player for Prince and The Revolution and later formed the duo Wendy & Lisa, with Lisa Coleman, who played keyboards for Prince, and her late brother Jonathan Melvoin, also an accomplished musician, worked with Prince, Wendy & Lisa and The Smashing Pumpkins.</span></em></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i> She is best known as the co-lead singer of fDeluxe (formerly known as The Family) who released their first self-titled album in 1985. The record featured the hit “The Screams of Passion” and introduced the song "Nothing Compares 2 U," which was famously covered by Sinead O'Connor in 1990. The band was made up of artists working in Prince's camp at the time: Melvoin, “St." Paul Peterson, Jellybean Johnson, Jerome Benton (who were all members of The Time) and Eric Leeds. The album, which is currently out of print, is a much sought after collector's item and it is considered by many Prince fans to be one of the artist's most ambitious associated artist projects.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i> The band broke up about a year later and a planned second album never materialized. However, after two brief reunions, one for a charity show hosted by Sheila E. and a second at a post-Grammy party hosted by ?uestlove of The Roots, they officially reunited in 2011. The group released its second album, “Gaslight," and have been performing around the world, including a performance at the famed Carnegie Hall in February, according to the group's Facebook page.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i> Melvoin has also appeared on dozens of songs recorded by Prince and associated artists, including “Rock Hard in a Funky Place,” “It's Gonna Be a Beautiful Night” and “Anotherloverholenyohead,” among many others. She has also inspired other songs written by Prince.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i> Furthermore, she has worked with countless other artists including Seal, Madonna, Eric Clapton, Quincy Jones and Doyle Bramhall II, whom she later married.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i> </i></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i> Dyes Got the Answers 2 Ur ?s recently conducted an interview with Melvoin where she discussed fDeluxe, how she started working for Prince and designing covers for the unreleased Dream Factory album:</i></span></div>
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<b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Growing up in a musical family</b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">, it's hard to say that I know anything else, because, I never went to college. I was incredibly fortunate to live in a house where music was on or being played all day. I was amazed when I would go to (other) people's homes or I would be in their cars and nobody was listening to music... It was just completely anathema to how I was brought up...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Looking back, there are musical periods that have complete meaning to me, (because) they were scoring what was going on in my young life. So, music had a huge impact on me. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> In the 1800s, a cobbler might raise his son to also be a cobbler, because, that's what he knows. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(Music) is what I know and I'm fortunate enough to love it as much as I do. I'm blessed in that way, but, I'm kind of cursed at the same time, if I ever have to get a job. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Being a twin</b> is the best joy. (Wendy) is my best friend in the whole world and my climbing ivy. I've always felt that I had the best friend (and) the best sister. Any kind of relationship you could fantasize about being perfect... that's what being a twin is like for me. Even the bumps and the bruises within our life together have always been sorted out. But, they are sorted out in the way that you would hope they would be... </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">All has been worked out and everything has been resolved. It's on to the next: no grudges, no competition, no throwing things at each other's faces... I'm really lucky.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I still have her as my best friend, sister, wife, mother --any role that we need each other to be in... If you're the kind of twins that my sister and I are—so, so close—it's very much like a mother and her newborn. It's so symbiotic and so emphatic. That's good news if you're a mom and a baby. But, obviously there comes a time in life, and it has in certain relationships, where people thought that we were too close. They thought there was no room for them, when we really never felt that way. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> We felt we had the capacity to have really full relationships, because, we learned with each other. But, it's not really easy for others to see it that way. Wendy and I... speak freely and sometimes we can speak too freely with others. That's not always how it should be. But, being a twin has always been a joyous thing for me. I'm the luckiest person in the world. It has its absolute joys and then it has its crosses to bear. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> She's the coolest person in the world. I think that she's amazing in every way. I've never been jealous of her (and) she's never been jealous of me. I've always championed her and I know she feels the same way about me. That's kind of unusual for a lot of relationships...So, it's great being a twin. I wouldn't want it any other way.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b> I've always wanted</b>...that's a loaded question. I think the first thing that comes up is that I've always wanted love in my life -- deep, meaningful love. I suppose that has its own layers in it. It's the umbrella in which everything underneath it exists.</span><br />
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<b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Singing makes me</b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> feel
incredibly insecure and powerful, all at the same time. You let it
all out and sometimes you get to the moment when you become fully
aware that you actually sang and you say, “Oh my god, did anyone
see me or hear me do that?”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I love it and I'm really
petrified of it, all at the same time. But, I love it. I know no
other.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b> When I write songs</b>, I'm at
my most self critical. Songwriting is not easy for me, because, I
have to know exactly how to say something... So, for instance, a
lyric could be as simple as “baby, I love you,” but, I've
probably thought about that “baby, I love you” in such a way that
it had to be sung right. It had to be right for how it was going to
move itself into the next line, for how it would make me envision
things and how it would become fully realized.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I have to be
incredibly focused (and) by myself for a long while before I put it
on paper. Then, once I've started to put it on paper, I </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">realize I've actually
done this really sort of internal experience with it and then written
it (to where) it becomes more pragmatic. Then, I put the puzzle
together.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> It could be incredibly
simple to the listener and maybe that's exactly how I meant it to be.
But, there's depth to the meaning, because, of how I set it up and
how I resolved it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b> People often ask me</b> what
was Prince like or how it feels to be a twin.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b> When I auditioned for
Quincy Jones</b>, I didn't audition in front of him. I sent him a tape
of an Aretha Franklin track (“Until You Come Back to Me”) that I
had recorded with a friend of mine in his studio. I was just 19,
maybe not even 19 yet, and I got the call. (Jones) called my father,
who told me “You got the gig!” and I was like “What?!” There
were only six of us who made it out of a 1,000 people who auditioned
and I was the only white girl. I never felt more proud in my entire
life. I was like “Yes, yes, yes! I am a sister!”
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> (Jones) had known my
father for years...They knew each
other in the early 1950s and then they started playing together in
the 1960s and 1970s in Los Angeles. They had always been close.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> There was a vocal
contractor that worked with (Jones) who was at my father's house and
that's how I found out about it. I had just graduated from high school and I was visiting
my dad. He said, “Oh by the way, Tom is actually looking for
vocalists for this a cappella group that (Jones) is putting together. I
think you should try out for it.” I said okay and that's how that
happened. It came from my father getting the call and also Tom being
there talking on behalf of (Jones). It was kind of like a family thing...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b> I started working for
Prince</b> when I was 19. He had been spending a lot of time at my house,
because, Wendy, Lisa and I were roommates. After high school, we
always lived together. Lisa had gotten the gig with Prince and, when
he would come into town, he would stay with us.
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I was really young, right
out of high school, and I was working for David Geffen as the
receptionist at (Geffen Records). </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I had just done the
audition for (Jones) and Wendy wanted to play Prince my demo of the
Aretha Franklin track. All I could say was “Please don't play it
for him. Oh my God!”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I went into my bedroom. It
was 500 square feet, so, the bedroom wasn't very far from the
kitchen. They were all sitting at the kitchen table listening to my
track. Then the next thing I knew, Prince said “Why don't you come
work with us? You should be with our group of people and you know
this is where you belong.” I said " You know you're
absolutely right.”
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> So, Prince and I had a
long conversation at that point and I said, “You know I'm working
with (Jones) right now. It was hard to get this this gig.”
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> The next thing I knew, I'm
calling (Jones) in the middle of the night. I said, “I just can't
sleep, I don't know what to do. I was offered a gig working with
Prince. I kind of want to do it, my sister's there, my best friend
who I grew up with (is there)...”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Long story short, he said,
“How could you not want to do that? Go, baby. If you can't sleep at
night and that's where you need to be, you need to be there. Don't
think twice about it.” So, I got his graces.
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> From then on, I started
working (for Prince), singing backup and being called in to sing on
this or that track. I was singing on a couple tracks for the Apollonia
6 record when they were filming “Purple Rain.” </span></div>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: purple; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> Susannah Melvoin on
Prince songs that she inspired: The infamous “Wally,” which no
one heard because he destroyed the tape. There's a huge story behind
that. “Strange Relationship;” “Nothing Compares 2 U;” In a
Large Room with No Light;” “If I was Your Girlfriend.” God, you
know there's more and I can't remember...</span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b> My band mates</b> are my big
brothers. We couldn't be more different. We are such different
personalities and it all goes perfectly together. It's a crazy
gumbo.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I'm like their punk-rock girlfriend. I make such trouble. I'm
literally like the girl where they say “Where's Susannah? Where is
she? What's she doing?”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I say “I'm here, I'm
not doing anything.” I always think I'm like the innocent one and they
say, “You're a pain in the ass” and I say, “I am not!”
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I love them, though. But,
they don't carry my luggage very often and I hate them for that. They
leave it up to me to pack the van.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b> “The Screams of Passion”
music video</b> is hard for me to remember... I was so young and I was
inexperienced with that kind of thing. We had been in rehearsals for
such a long time to go on the road. We were rehearsing for a year before we went and did our first gig.
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Doing the music video was
just part of the rehearsal thing, (because), we were in work mode. I
saw it only as a job, but, not a job where I said, “Oh, this is a
pain in the ass to do and I wish I was home by 5 p.m.” No. It was
all part of what we were working on at the time. It was sort of a
package deal in terms of how I felt about it. It was just part of the
plan.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I remember not having any
expectations. Prince let us do a lot, too. There's a lot of people
who think, that we, as The Family, didn't have any influence. But,
that's not the case. He was there for part of the video, but, he
wasn't really there (all the time). He wasn't the little guy dictator
in the background saying “No, they can't do this or this is how it
should be.” It wasn't like that. We had done pre-production for
such a long time. We had fun, but, I wouldn't say that we were in heaven about it. It just wasn't like that. My memory of it was just
working really hard. That's what I remember about it.
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b> fDeluxe's look </b>was
inspired by film noir. It was inspired by mid-to- late 1940s noir
films with smoking jackets, fast dialogue and black-and-white glamour.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> It was Prince's concept
to put us together. The reason (the band) was (previously) called The Family was,
because, we had all been working within the Prince organization: I
was the staff singer; (Peterson) was the keyboard player for The
Time; (Johnson) was the drummer for The Time and (Leeds) was a horn player for Prince.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> When the Time disbanded,
we all felt bad, because, they were a bad-ass band.
But, everybody wanted to play and Prince wanted to hear people play. He was also in a place where he was fertile with music. He said, “We're like a big family here... I'm going
to get (Peterson), because, people don't realize what a bad-ass
singer he is. You guys will be the lead singers in the band. We're
gonna do this, we're gonna play together. How about that?”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> He wanted to sell records
and he believed this band was going to be the way to do it. We were
the first band that he put together and produced with the idea that "this is going to do something." It wasn't a fly-by-night project. It
had weight to him and to us.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b> The 1985 First Avenue
Concert</b>...we had the best time. It was great. I mean I look at it
now--because, I have looked at it-- and I said “Oh my god!” It's
amazing what young kids we were and we just kind of went for it. We
were like crazy puppies on stage. It was a lot of fun and the house
was sold out. We worked really frickin' hard for that show to get out
there and do that... It's great seeing it. I laugh a lot when I watch
it. I can't even believe that's me! My favorite moment was singing
“Nothing Compares 2 U.” It was just a great moment to sing with
(Peterson). It still is for us when we sing it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b> It all changed</b> for fDeluxe when (Peterson) decided he wanted to have a solo career. It was
understandable, because, none of us got paid enough money and he had
a family. He needed to support his family and it was kind of
difficult.
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> As “hired guns” we got
paid weekly. We got paychecks and it wasn't a lot of money. No joke.
I mean, it's embarrassing. But, when we were that young, it was for
the love of the music. I didn't have a family, so, I wasn't worried
about the kids, the mortgage or anything like that. I was along for
the ride. But, it was a really long time before anyone – and it
wasn't with the Prince organization-- made money.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: purple; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Susannah Melvoin on
designing the Dream Factory album cover: Prince and I used to draw
together. He was actually a really great artist. I was really into
it, too. I would always have a pad and I was always drawing. I've
been drawing since I was a kid. We would sit down and we would draw
together. One particular night he couldn't come up with an album
cover (for Dream Factory). I came up with a couple of different ones.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> One of them was
actually a dramatized version of myself, opening up a door into this
dream world, with images that were based on some of the songs. I remember
that there was a lot of white space, because, I couldn't fill up the
background with color... Everything was kind of drawn onto white
paper. But, the doors were very ornate and I'm opening the door into
the Dream Factory.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> The second album cover
didn't have me on it. It just had the name Dream Factory, with some
things hanging off the words.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I used to do murals in
the house where Prince lived, incredible, crazy murals that he
would ask me to paint. We were always into doing stuff like that.</span></span></blockquote>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b> Humor</b>... Oh my god, if
there is no humor, I'd rather stick a hot poker in my eye and pass
away. I have no reason to do anything if I'm not laughing. That's
where I'm not joking. I have to laugh and I have to continue to
laugh. If the laughter stops, I'm done. If the laughing stops, that
means the fat lady sang and we're done. That's the beauty o</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">f being in
my band with these guys, they're the funniest people you have
ever met. </span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b> I'm always surprised</b> by
racism, bigotry and war mongering.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b> My musical influences</b>,
this is a hard one. I had so many life
experiences with different artists. When I was a really little girl,
the biggest influences-- where I would put on the records and try to
sing that way—were Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder and Joni
Mitchell. That was always a given for me. That was really, really
early on. Those were the records that I had in the house, because, of
my parents.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I would say after I
turned 8 years old, I started getting into other listening
experiences. But, the Aretha Franklin and Joni
Mitchell records were the ones I sang to, that the words meant something to me. Every single Joni Mitchell record that I had was
like my growing up as a kid. She said the words I wanted to say.
But, the music moved me with Stevie Wonder and all of his early
records. Those albums had huge impacts on me, in shaping who I am; not the just the music that I love, but, how I think.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b> A common misconception
about me</b>... Well, I've never really heard this from people, but, what
I'm going to guess is how short I am. People always think I'm
incredibly tall, because, I have long arms and long legs. So, when
they meet me they say “Oh, you're just a peanut!”
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> People who come out to the
shows and meet me, they're always surprised that I talk to anybody,
that I am absolutely open to talking to them and that I have an open
heart. Human beings are human beings. I am no better of a species...</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I just happen to do this
and I'm glad they're all there to have fun with me. That really
surprises people. I'm surprised by that myself. How else would I be?
Why would I ostracize anybody that's having a good time with me?
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> If you've been through a
lot of heartache in your life and you are not one of the so-called
privileged, you know what you have and you are grateful. You
become really in touch with things that can be gone in two seconds.
Those are the people you can actually have conversations with,
because, they don't have time to waste time. To be anything
other than real is just a waste of time.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Say what you mean, but,
don't say it mean. I have no fear of talking to people. If you don't
like me, fine, I don't even have a grudge about that. It just is what
it is.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b> Wendy, Lisa and I</b> are
family forever. They happen to be really, really funny. That's why I
stick around (<em>laughs</em>).</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b> John Cusack</b> is very funny
and smart.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: purple; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> Susannah Melvoin on
playing the lead role in “Under the Cherry Moon”: We were on our
way to Paris to hunker down and study the script and get that all
sorted out. Some other things went down and the next we were doing
was me not being in the lead of the film. Which I'm grateful
for. It was a blessing in disguise.</span></blockquote>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvRNKxGlMY5G8k-l04MSCVmUB7q0CrOnxKAIVHdihlFNmlufNoHgpG3Ivt0vnzDEthZQYcFjlH40vaWCRKKVAlSYhmasth70MmmJsrQvn-gISdm9imBngRlSXoaXuG6J3dwrGtPOHMV63R/s1600/Wendy+and+Susannah.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvRNKxGlMY5G8k-l04MSCVmUB7q0CrOnxKAIVHdihlFNmlufNoHgpG3Ivt0vnzDEthZQYcFjlH40vaWCRKKVAlSYhmasth70MmmJsrQvn-gISdm9imBngRlSXoaXuG6J3dwrGtPOHMV63R/s400/Wendy+and+Susannah.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b> Under the Cherry Moon</b>...
The record (Parade) is fantastic. It was a very, very loaded time. There was lots of stuff going on, but, the record was amazing. The
“Girls and Boys” music video was shot in Nice on the set of the
film. It was actually fantastic. I remember it being really grand.
There we were in Nice and it was so beautiful there. It was just kind
of a magical time. I felt like a princess. I think all us
girls did, because of the hair and makeup. We were like “Oh my God,
this is fantastic! Do me!” It was really fun.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b> I want my fans to know
</b>that sadness... is like the clouds. They come in different shapes and
different colors, but, they pass, and somewhere along the line the
light comes out. Then the clouds come again. You should just breathe
deep...and vote!</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br />
</b></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b> “Miss Understood”</b> was
not put on the (first) album, because, I didn't want it to be. I wanted
it for the second record and I wanted to re-cut it. There wasn't time
to re-cut it before it was going to mastering and I said “Prince,
you can't put this on, I'm not happy with it. Let's wait until the
second record.” Then we both decided to just do that.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> But, that never happened.
It's just floating around out there in the ether, totally not the way
I wanted it, but, whatever... </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It was just way too
insincere. I didn't believe myself at all, how would anyone else
believe me? It just wasn't something I was comfortable with. At the time, I sang it so many different times to give it something and
I was sort of given direction on that song by Prince. I was just not
feeling it.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> But, at the end of the
day, once I was done, I said, “Can I just do this again on the next
record? Can I just re-cut it? There's some other ideas that I've come
up with so I can get these words out.” Prince was nice about it. He
was just said “Of course, let's wait for the second one. Let's just put (the album) out as is and we'll redo it the
next time." I said “Great!”</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> There were two tracks that
had been done that were going to be put on the second record. But,
that was all put in the vault, because, (Peterson) left. But, we
definitely had the plan of doing it. (Peterson's) unreleased track
had something to do with a tiger or a jaguar, or something like that.
I can't remember. You would have to ask him. It had to do with some
animal.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b> fDeluxe is </b>a bad ass band.
Come see us live.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipgIQRUimgDX6U-vWP1uwF4RxqHhNi3w-upLfJTaxy9d3QrJB_HokIw3QhqfX9aSr7GG7uSTF5fAP3F8lXkl1z-CkDrsWINaoO04M0WBFX5gPTVuEZNv3cpk5EPoAIha5AgNZ8Jw_w22E4/s1600/Susannah+FDeluxe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipgIQRUimgDX6U-vWP1uwF4RxqHhNi3w-upLfJTaxy9d3QrJB_HokIw3QhqfX9aSr7GG7uSTF5fAP3F8lXkl1z-CkDrsWINaoO04M0WBFX5gPTVuEZNv3cpk5EPoAIha5AgNZ8Jw_w22E4/s640/Susannah+FDeluxe.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b> I wish I could</b> pay my
mortgage.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br />
</b></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b> The music business</b>...
there is no music business. It's just the “ic” business. It's the
I-C of the business...there's no muse, it's just the “ic.”</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> If there is a music
business, whatever business it is, has nothing to do with music. It
has nothing to do with artists, it has nothing remotely to do with
anything I, or my artist friends, do for a living...</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> You certainly can't even
sell music anymore. It's not about even selling music or making
music, because, there is no money in making music. There's only money
in selling...a part of your brand that has nothing to do with the
music. That's a whole new world for artists now. But, that's the
world that I live in and I'm not
even talking about the ones that have no history. Those people have
it even harder.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Luckily, I've had a history
(and) I'm heavily involved in the social media aspect of it. I'm
heavily involved with my fans. I'm very involved in structuring how (my music) is heard. This is all pioneer stuff. Nobody out there has a
clue on how it's going to work. There are some models, which people
are going by, but, even those aren't a guarantee. It's just like work
your ass off and something may stick. Maybe.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> But, hopefully, we can get
out there and play... If you're lucky enough you have an agent who says
“Yeah, we're going to put you out. Even if you have to play shit
clubs, we're going to still put you out.” That's better than
literally being told “There's no room for you out there in the
touring world and you're going to have to figure it out for yourself”
or “You're going to have to pay to play," which is even harder.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> So, in the music business,
there is no muse. The muse is the thing that I was referring to, the
inspiration. That's what a muse does. It's something or someone that
inspires me to write a particular record... There's no muse in the music business
anymore...</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b> I've worked with</b> amazing
people...my dream artists. I've worked with everybody I've ever
wanted to and I feel blessed: Stevie Wonder, Erykah Badu, D'Angelo,
Bilal, my sister and Lisa, the musicians in fDeluxe, Oliver
Leiber, Chaka Khan...</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b> Clare Fisher</b>, talk about
a muse. He was my inspiration for getting the strings on the (first) record. Clare had done work with my father —my father being the
arranger and Clare being the string arranger. So, I had that
“in,” although, that was not how I was thinking about it at the
time.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Prince and I were
listening to a bunch of Rufus records back in the day-- and this was
before we thought about doing strings on the first record. We were talking about how brilliant the strings were on those
albums. I had also been listening to a lot of Claus Ogerman and Bill
Evans. There's one record they did called Symbiosis and it's just
one of the most beautifully arranged records. Ogerman's string
arrangement, and Evans playing the piano over it, is some of the
most beautiful music I have ever heard.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> The only thing that's
ever came close to feeling as perfectly arranged in terms of the
strings was on the Ruficized record. I just said, “Prince, why
don't we get Clare to do the strings on our record?” He said, “Yeah.” I said, “My dad knows him.” I called my dad and said
“Pop, you gotta call Clare and see if he's up for it.” He
was.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> We sent him the 24 track. He got back to us right away and said “Absolutely.” Within a
month we had all the lead sheets and we had the entire score for the
record. We went in and cut it and I couldn't have been happier.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Cut to this record
(Gaslight) and Clare's son, Brent Fischer, who managed him. (Clare
Fischer passed away two years ago). Brent would do all of his
father's transposing, writing, and he would do all the lead sheets
for his dad. Then he started to actually compose. So, I had gotten in
touch with him.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> (Peterson) and I were in
my garage where we recorded my record on Pro Tools. We called Brent
and said, “You know your dad did the first record...Would you be up
for listening to this one and see what you think?” He said, “I
absolutely will.” But, we couldn't afford it, no matter how we
tried to budget it, we just couldn't afford it.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> To make a long story
short...(Peterson) went in on some of my sister's and Lisa's string
programs and with my chirpy little ears, I was that gal who said, “This is beautiful, but, we have to have to make it more
heartbreaking...” Brent actually heard it later and said “My dad
would be so proud. I couldn't have done better.”
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I was in heaven about
that. (Peterson) is really smart. I
just want you to know he's a total savant. He's a dork, too. That makes him even more of
a savant. He's got all those fun qualities.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b> I wasn't always</b>...blonde?</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b> Will I ever</b> make a living being a musician?</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b> The Revolution</b>...best band Prince ever had.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b> I've learned</b> that feelings
aren't facts...and that took me a look time.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b> The response to the fDeluxe reunion</b> was a total surprise and a shot in the arm.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b> The Carnegie Hall concert</b>
was the best night of my life. Playing Carnegie Hall with my most
beloved sister, all those other artists and my band...It was all
good. It's too bad Prince took all the footage off (the Internet).
You can't find footage of that anywhere anymore, but, It was on there for
a while.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh01KL53FQKsWzv0FIyPyO8TGCjuKrqMr1s5g1I1fEEaI9h36yFPX-0IUCz_ltNit3BoImfUmP9fQrG5_FVY5U9CIexMUoCqesZ8YmcFg2o8l4FLUpqcTpaWMAT7PJFg21urBFbkMP3KQhb/s1600/Susannah+Gaslight+Cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh01KL53FQKsWzv0FIyPyO8TGCjuKrqMr1s5g1I1fEEaI9h36yFPX-0IUCz_ltNit3BoImfUmP9fQrG5_FVY5U9CIexMUoCqesZ8YmcFg2o8l4FLUpqcTpaWMAT7PJFg21urBFbkMP3KQhb/s400/Susannah+Gaslight+Cover.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Recording “Gaslight”
</b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">was liberating. A lot people had never heard me sing like that...It
was really satisfying to put my song on there...and show that I could
throw myself into a track like that. It was liberating and absolutely
fantastic. I had written that song years ago.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b> Looking back</b>...I don't do
much of that anymore. But, if I do look back at all, I'm just glad
I'm not there anymore. I'm glad I'm where I'm at. Life goes on. I've
got the best two babies in the world.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b> The future </b>is always
uncertain.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Check out fDeluxe online
at</span><a href="http://fdeluxe.com/" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank"> fdeluxe.com.</a></b><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><i></i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><i> Stay beautiful, Kristi</i></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
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K Nicola Dyeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11470665347094419495noreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2193506780254658859.post-34994781584639657202013-04-15T05:59:00.000-07:002013-08-11T17:53:57.555-07:00Controversy: A Candid Interview with C.J., Minneapolis Star Tribune Columnist<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_DM9CSC4WEO0r-aakxS70dxnjERBFGimkZeJS4Drm21IMhIESUVvwqxLIuuuckdyc4TvdFmBYQGHKPDqDedgQMgb3NAsvGrNFer4QGUOg_n94oC1M9_D57ZEnENcNbZ2-uGcD4mQ8E0Yx/s1600/CJ+Photo.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="245" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_DM9CSC4WEO0r-aakxS70dxnjERBFGimkZeJS4Drm21IMhIESUVvwqxLIuuuckdyc4TvdFmBYQGHKPDqDedgQMgb3NAsvGrNFer4QGUOg_n94oC1M9_D57ZEnENcNbZ2-uGcD4mQ8E0Yx/s400/CJ+Photo.png" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> You thought I was going to call this story “Billy Jack Bitch,” didn't you?</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I thought about it, but, I don't think that really sheds any light on the, shall we say, “differences of opinion,” between C.J., Minneapolis Star Tribune entertainment columnist and her most divisive discussion topic: Prince.</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> She has often made critical observations about the artist in her column and the writer-- as well as most Prince fans-- are sure that The Purple One wrote the song “Billy Jack Bitch,” from his 1995 album The Gold Experience, in her honor. The opus depicts its subject--whomever that might be--in a less-than-flattering light. However, he has never publicly confirmed or denied if the song is about her.</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> C.J. has lived in Minnesota for about 25 years and started writing her column for the Star Tribune in the late 1980s. She also hosts “Buzz,” an entertainment segment included on KMSP (Fox 9) newscasts, for the last 10 years.</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> C.J. said she grew up in the “deep south” and her father was one of the first Black people to receive a doctorate from the University of Oklahoma. She said he was “essentially a poor boy trying to get through school with a wife and two children.” She added that sometimes he had to leave school to go work and he would save money to go back to continue his studies. He later became the first dean of the graduate school at Alabama State University.</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> She received her bachelor's degree from Bennett College, an all-women's Historically Black College, in North Carolina and a master's degree from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Mich. Her first newspaper job was in Flint, Mich. and she later landed a reporting gig with her current employer.</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> C.J. did a telephone interview with “Dyes Got the Answers 2 Ur ?s” about two weeks ago where she discussed her column,“Billy Jack Bitch” and some things she likes about Prince:</span></i></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> ?: How did you start writing this column? What did you cover before that?</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> C.J.: (The paper) said they wanted a local column about people and, one day, I looked in the paper and saw they were promoting it as gossip column.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> (Before that), I covered everything, but, courts was my favorite thing to cover. Actually, at the time I got this job, I had been banished to covering one of the suburbs, because, I was being punished. That's the truth. Ironically, the editor who banished me later apologized...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> We didn't have many celebrities here in Minnesota back when I started this column and (Prince) lived here at the time. Sometimes, he is not the most well-behaved person and I thought, is anybody telling him the truth? He didn't appreciate that because he is only interested in adulation. I'm kind of a no-nonsense personality myself. I guess, some years later, he reportedly wrote a song about me...</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> ?: How did you initially find out about the song “Billy Jack Bitch”?</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> C.J.: I was on vacation at the time and I was not the first person to write about it. One of the local news stations had reported (while I was gone) that Prince had written a song about me. This was before Twitter, e-mail and everything, so, I wasn't really connected to the office. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I called to talk to my editor and I was telling him I wasn't sure if I was going to have anything to write about (upon returning). He said, "Oh, I think that you'll find something to write about" and he told me about the story...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I got back to town, got a copy of the song and I got the lyrics. I wrote a column about it. (It was) very entertaining. I had a lot of fun with that.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> ?: Do you think that people sometimes misunderstand you and your column?</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> C.J.: They most definitely do... One of the most useful elements of my appearances on Fox 9, has been that people can now hear me, so (now) when they read (my column), they don't get as upset as they used to. When I was at the Minnesota State Fair last summer, I was at the Fox 9 booth autographing pictures. This scruffy, older-- I would guess he's kind of conservative-- white man came over to me. He said, “I didn't like you when I read you in the newspaper, but, now that see you on T.V., I get you. You're a smart ass!” And he said he liked me.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> A mouthy black woman is still something kind of hard for America to deal with. Think about how careful Michelle Obama is. I bet you that the First Lady is quite a bit sassier than she lets anybody in the greater public see. I bet you she is a hoot behind closed doors...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> A lot of people think that when Black folks have a (public) profile, they should just be grateful. They shouldn't start acting like White folks and be smart asses.<em> (Laughs).</em> I don't really view myself as (just) a Black person and I don't think about it very much. But, other people remind me all the time that I am... I think I was a white guy in another life, I have to tell you.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> ?: In one of your columns, you wrote about e-mails you have received saying that you should not criticize Prince, because, he's Black and you're Black. What do you think about that?</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> C.J.: I don't do “Black for Black's sake.” I don't operate that way. I can't operate that way. I've never operated that way. I believe there's right behavior and there's wrong behavior. After I had gotten out of graduate school and I was working at my first job in Flint, Mich., one of my brothers asked me, “Are you going to be a journalist first or a Black person first? I told him I was going to be a journalist first. That was the wrong answer, by the way.</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">?: Tell me about the time you met Prince.</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> C.J.: My dear friend Beverly was in town and she was a big Prince fan. She wanted to know where he lived. (Usually), I don't tell people where celebrities live, (because), I don't like to create additional security issues for people. But, I figured she was from out of town, so she wouldn't know where she was.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> (We drove up to the gate) and we were driving by it, then I said, “Here he comes right now.” He was driving his BMW and he was leaving his property. She got so excited. (We were driving away) and he pulled in right behind us. She was trying to take a photograph of him through the back window of my car. She could barely work the camera, (although) her daddy was a famous photographer... </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> So, I slowed down even more and I saw through my driver's side mirror that Prince had wrapped his thumbs around his steering wheel and he was using his fingers to essentially tell us to move along... because, he could tell that he had been made. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Then I told her, "If he's going to Paisley Park, he'll make a series of turns,” and he made those turns. When he got to Paisley Park, he pulled onto the property and I thought he had pulled his car into the garage. I parked my car on the street; having been kicked out of Paisley Park once, I didn't dare park my car on his property. We got out of the car and as she's walking over to take a picture of (the building), I realized that his car was hidden behind a berm. So, he came driving out and pulled out on the street and she was just beside herself. He lowered the window just a little bit, because, the glass was really tinted and he said "No pictures, no pictures." </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> She said "I'll put the camera behind my back" and I was afraid he was going to flee-- he looked very skittish to me-- so, I took the camera from her and I said "Watch, I'll put the camera in the car."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I walked over to the car, so, he could see me. I opened the door and threw the camera in and I said, "See, no camera."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I returned to where Prince was talking with my friend Beverly. She was going on and on about what a genius he is and how incredible he is. To tell you the truth, I was kind of standing there rolling my eyes, because, I never heard her gush like that about anybody. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> They talked for a very long time, before he noticed me kind of rolling my eyes. He said something about me—I can't remember what question he asked. But, it was a question that prompted me to respond: "You don't know me, but, you know who I am."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> He said, "Who are you?"</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I said "I'm C.J.," to which he said, "Billy!" Then, the little devil proceeded to say "Oh, that song is not about you." </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> So, if that song's not about me, why is "Billy!" the first thing you say when you find out it's me? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I asked him why he couldn't behave like a normal human being, like Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, who didn't roll around town with bodyguards, calling additional attention to themselves-- that was back when they still lived here. He told me he wasn't like them. I can't remember all the things (I said), I wrote an article about it...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I thought it was interesting that he said that the song wasn't about me. You know, Prince has worked with a lot of musicians and there are a lot of musicians with whom he does not continue to work. I've been around long enough that I've met one or two of these musicians. One day, I was out covering something at a private recording session and somebody came over to me and said "Oh, I know you. Didn't Prince write a song about you?"</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I said "Yeah, I think he did, but, when I met him, he said he didn't write the song about me." One of the musicians who was at this private recording session turned around and said to me, "It's about you, I was there when he wrote it."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Also, when Prince performed that song out in California a couple of times, he ended it by falling to his knees saying "C.J. Billy Jack Bitch." I had this Prince source who was a member of his inner circle-- clearly someone who has died, because, I haven't heard from this person in a long, long time-- and that person played me a recording of Prince...so, I heard it for myself.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> ?: What would you say to Prince fans who think you are unfairly targeting him?</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> C.J.: I do think Prince is a genius, but, I also think he's a bit of a jackass. I don't think he should be held to a standard as though he is a deity. He is far from a perfect person... (But), I don't have a problem saying nice things about Prince. He does lot of things that are a little bit different and I don't mind calling attention to them...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> He makes some very poor decisions. I mean, throwing that poor guy's guitar recently? Can you imagine? You can throw your own guitar (but), you don't throw somebody else's guitar. Although, I'm told he has now agreed to pay for it... But, I don't think you should throw it to start with.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> ?: So, on that note, what do you like about Prince? You said you thought he was a genius.</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> C.J.: Anybody who can play that many instruments is a genius, no doubt about it. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The one time I met him, he said he thought the reason I wrote negative things about him is that I was one of his old girlfriends-- and this was back when I was actually in shape. But, even when I was in shape, I didn't look like ANY of the women Prince has ever dated. He has spectacular taste in women and there is no day in his life (that) he would've looked at me and thought, “Hmmm, I'd like to take her on a date.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> What else can I say about him? He makes some interesting fashion choices. I admire that he's a trendsetter. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> He really does think of himself as being a very deep thinker and I am assuming that he must have done a fair amount of reading. He enjoys going on television and yammering with Tavis Smiley, who is a very smart guy. And if you're hanging out with (Smiley), I assume you also get to hang out with Cornel West, another very smart man. I'm sure that they love the idea that they're hanging out with Prince...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> (Also) Purple Rain is one of the best albums ever.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> ?: Why do you still insist on calling Prince "Symbolina"?</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> C.J.: Because, it gets a rise out of you guys (<em>laughing</em>) and I created the name. Other people use it, so, why shouldn't the person who coined it get to use it? I've created about eight names for people and that's one of the best...</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> ?: I know that you do columns on other entertainment luminaries, but, a lot of your stories are about Prince. Why?</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> C.J.: He's one of the biggest stars from Minnesota. He is an internationally famous musician and he's from Minnesota... When he does something on national T.V., I write about it.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> ?: Is there anything that people would be surprised to know about you?</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> C.J.: I'm an artist (</span><a href="http://artworkbycj.com/"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">artworkbycj.com</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">) and I've painted some pictures of Prince. One of the pictures is called “Billy Jack This,” where I painted Prince with dreadlocks. I have trouble painting people for whom I don't have some affection. I clearly have some affection for him. I didn't think it was a hairstyle he would ever wear, then he turns up in an afro again! I know one of Prince's former hairdressers and I'm told that nobody does Prince's hair better than he does. I'm told he can do some hair, you hear me?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I had a very good relationship with Prince's brother Duane Nelson... I was very fond of Duane and he liked me... Prince also had a sister named Lorna Nelson. I got along fine with her. She was a nice lady.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> ?: You said that you were once asked to leave Paisley Park. Why?</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> C.J.: Sharon Sayles Belton, a former mayor of Minneapolis, had a fundraiser out at Paisley Park (in January 1995) and it cost $100 to get in. I thought it would be funny for me to show up (and) one of my editors lived out near Paisley Park. I decided that I did not want to take the chance of driving my car over there, because, my car was kind of distinctive. I dropped my little sports car off at my editor's house, took his minivan and drove over... </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I had on a purple dress and some eyeglasses-- which I wore as a disguise-- this was before I had to wear glasses. I sashayed in there and I was amazed that I got past the front door, where they took my $100 bill. I walked through Paisely Park and I was in the audience, enjoying the performance. I'm don't remember how long I was there, but, I was there much longer than I thought I would have been. I was not there for an hour, but, I think it was more than 30 minutes.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Prince was onstage performing and, all of a sudden, somebody taps me on my right shoulder. He said, “I've been asked to ask you to leave.” I thought it was hysterical. I said, “Well, I'll need my money back,” (and) he took out a $100 bill. (Then), I was escorted off the premises.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> It's always more interesting when they kick you out, than when they let you stay. I got a great story and I didn't have to stay there all night long. You can see pretty well from the stage, so, (Prince) might have seen me...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> It must have been something I wrote! </span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> ?: What are the guidelines for who you can write about in your columns?</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> C.J.: I can write about anybody with a Minnesota connection if they are here or if someone else is writing about them. These people in New York are constantly sending me e-mails to write about their people, because, they know I have a column. I tell them when their celebrity gets into Minnesota, (then) I can write about them.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> ?: Do you think that the stories you've written about Prince have raised your notoriety?</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> C.J.: I think him writing a song about raised my notoriety. If I was Prince, I would have never written a song about me. You just ignore me! It kind of suggests that I have gotten under your skin. I wouldn't give (anybody) that kind of satisfaction. When somebody really annoys me, I don't write about them anymore.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> ?: What do you enjoy most about being an entertainment columnist?</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">C.J.: I love observing people, it's always fun. When it comes down to it, if I had my druthers, I wouldn't write about my interactions with celebrities. I'd write about their interactions with other people, because, I think that tells you more. Everybody is on their best behavior when they're talking to me. I also like when someone calls me and tells me about an experience they've had with a celebrity.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> ?: Who's your favorite singer?</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">C.J.: Patti Austin! She doesn't need autotune, she has a wicked since of humor and she is one of the greatest impersonators of other singers. She can do Michael Jackson, Michael McDonald, Anita Baker...I actually got to meet her. She performed at the Dakota Jazz Club in Minneapolis...But, she is not appreciated to the extent that she should be. I wish she get this Ella Fitzgerald stuff out of her system and go back to doing rhythm and blues...She is a really, really good singer.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> ?: What's your favorite Prince song?</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> C.J.: I'm into lyrics, because, I'm a words person. I like songs that tell stories, songs that paint pictures, (like) “Purple Rain.” What I understand of it paints a very good picture. I think I understand the imagery of “When Doves Cry,” that's a very emotional song. I like good lyrics and it's hard to do. I could never write a song. But, I know good songwriting when I hear it.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> ?: Do you have any final thoughts?</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> C.J.: I find it irritating that Prince doesn't have a sense of history. He tore down that purple house. He tore down that other property. He could take Paisley Park, open it as a museum...He could have that place as a museum standing at all times. Every now and then he could say I'm going to do a performance...and you know that Prince fans from all over the country would pour into the Twin Cities for that. Am I right? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> He is missing opportunities to earn money... and also to create a lasting edifice for his legacy. It would be like Graceland. He could open it one day a month and it would constantly be filled with people. They could get their tickets online, only let in 500 people and charge them $50. Do the math...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">-K</span></div>
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<b><br /></b><b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You can read C.J.'s column in the newspaper or online at </span><a href="http://startribune.com./"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">startribune.com</span></a></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>These </b><b>opinions</b><b> are solely those of the interviewee and do not reflect the views</b><b> of "Dyes Got the Answers 2 Ur ?s."</b></span><br />
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<i>Stay beautiful, Kristi</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: italic;"><b>Photo courtesy of the Minneapolis Star Tribune. Photo credit: Bob McNamara (<a href="http://bobmcnamara.com/">bobmcnamara.com</a>). Hair and makeup by Terra H.</b></span><br />
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K Nicola Dyeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11470665347094419495noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2193506780254658859.post-47601018954183520852013-03-26T12:22:00.001-07:002013-08-11T17:47:56.713-07:00Reflection: A Contemplative Interview with Lalah Hathaway<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfXlE6eZG8BfV-mU_0ETdxWsVtbFAlnBWQQ3Sxaod6g7syoKZeK3-tRgf5szEIExn-QHdPafTiilCh-sKXLqHtipVS6Qay4XU12q_tTLjAOjCI8mPEJ5cjWPzbTKeZ8kH1HI_oy82zSfSB/s1600/Lalah+Hathaway+lead.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfXlE6eZG8BfV-mU_0ETdxWsVtbFAlnBWQQ3Sxaod6g7syoKZeK3-tRgf5szEIExn-QHdPafTiilCh-sKXLqHtipVS6Qay4XU12q_tTLjAOjCI8mPEJ5cjWPzbTKeZ8kH1HI_oy82zSfSB/s640/Lalah+Hathaway+lead.jpg" width="512" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i> </i></span><i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Lalah Hathaway recently took a moment to reflect on her musical journey of more than 20 years with “Dyes Got the Answers 2 Ur ?s.”</i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> The</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> classically trained singer and pianist, is a graduate of the renowned Berklee College of Music and</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> daughter of the late Donny Hathaway. Her father was an acclaimed singer/ musician best known for songs like “This Christmas,” and “Someday We'll All Be Free,” as well as hit collaborations with singer/musician Roberta Flack including “Where is the Love?” and “The Closer I Get to You." Her mother, Eulaulah Hathaway, is also an accomplished musician in own right.</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i> Hathway has released six albums during her career:</i> Lalah Hathaway<i> in 1990 --which included the hits “Heaven Knows” and “Baby Don't Cry”-- </i>A Moment<i>; </i>The Song Lives On<i>, a jazz duet album with Joe Sample; </i>Outrun The Sky<i>; </i>Self Portrait<i> and </i>Where it All Begins<i>, the latter being released in 2011.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i> She scored her first #1 R&B hit in 2004 with a cover of the Luther Vandross song “Forever, For Always, For Love,” from his 1982 album of the same name. The song was featured on </i>Forever, For Always, For Luther<i>, a tribute album to the late singer, as well as </i>Outrun The<i> </i>Sky<i>. She has proved herself a versatile artist, recording jazz, R&B, soul and gospel music.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>She also does production work for other artists and has collaborated vocally with Esperanza Spalding, Pete Escovedo, Meshell Ndegeocello and Marcus Miller, among many others.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i> She recently completed an album and currently has concert dates lined up around the country. Fans can next see her at 7 p.m. March 30 at Club Nokia in Los Angeles. </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i> Not long ago, K Nicola Dyes conducted an informal interview with Hathaway where the singer mused about life, the music industry and her love for Prince:</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <b> Growing up</b> is a painful but necessary thing. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b> My father's music</b> means everything to me. It means a lot of things to a lot of people. It's my birthright, my legacy, my everything.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b> Songwriting is</b> really hard. (It is) something that I am working to get better at. It's definitely an art, a craft. I'm definitely working to be a better songwriter.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <b> The music business</b> is an interesting planet all on its own. Unfortunately, it doesn't always have anything to do with music. It's evolving though... (but), it's like a weird Chia Pet. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <b> When I collaborate,</b> I really like to work with the best people possible. It really ups my game and makes me a better musician. That's one of the best parts of being in this industry...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b> My favorite Prince song</b>..."favorite" is a hard (word) for me, period. I can name a few songs I really like: "Diamonds and Pearls;" "Hot Thing;" "Mountains;" “Pink Cashmere;” “The Ballad Of Dorothy Parker;” “Musicology;” “Soft and Wet” and “Dirty Mind. “There's not much Prince (music) I don't love. That's why I hate "favorites," because, you have to pick and (the list) is never complete. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <b> I wish</b> I could have a TV show, that would be nice.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b> My mother</b> is the bees knees. She's awesome. Everybody knows her: she's famous. She travels around with me (and) she keeps me sane, while driving me crazy at the same time. My mother is everything to me.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b> My musical influences</b>... Alright, I'll go slow: Prince; Joni Mitchell; Stevie Wonder; Marcus Miller; Anita Baker; Luther Vandross; Chet Baker; Patti LaBelle; The Donnas; The Motels; Michael Jackson; Jermaine Jackson; Janet Jackson; Dolly Parton; Willie Nelson; Ravi Shankar; my father, of course... I grew up listening to a lot music.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAC3DIM0dxMYAy9uETg7826uoYEkDsbSvGBK9H4rjQ8FtBH4Yd31rZpIj2lGkgt10oGDIV7592C2M77RZIu4N3V-FVI9dXodwzMurnbxFp6tnHQZ5ZwRPp0Jrpb4d9HubVID0DcpNN4LWZ/s1600/Lalah+and+Prince.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAC3DIM0dxMYAy9uETg7826uoYEkDsbSvGBK9H4rjQ8FtBH4Yd31rZpIj2lGkgt10oGDIV7592C2M77RZIu4N3V-FVI9dXodwzMurnbxFp6tnHQZ5ZwRPp0Jrpb4d9HubVID0DcpNN4LWZ/s640/Lalah+and+Prince.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> Onstage with Prince. Courtesy of Lalah Hathaway</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <b>Lalah Hathaway on opening for Prince during the “Welcome 2 America" Tour</b>: (Previously), he had been to a couple of my shows. One day, I was in the studio and his manager called me. She said, “Prince is going to call you in an hour.” I sat in the studio paralyzed for the next hour. Somebody else called, though, and they wanted me to open up a (concert) date for him.</span><span style="color: purple; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> It really fulfilled the most far-out dream that I ever had...</span><span style="color: purple; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I've opened up for him three times. He is one of my absolute idols-- having grown up in the 1970s and 1980s-- and he is absolutely one of my top five artists of all time.</span><span style="color: purple; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> (When you start touring), you get the dose of reality that the clubs are smaller than you imagined. But, to go on that stage opening for Prince and sing in front of 17,000 people, it really did give me boost and a surge of energy.</span></span> <span style="color: purple; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">He's also one of the most musical cats on the planet, so playing with him, you just learn so much. We sang a whole bunch of (songs), like “Sometimes it Snows in April” and “Diamonds and Pearls.” It was almost like a haze; It's almost like it didn't happen.</span> <span style="color: purple; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">If he ever asked me, I would be honored to open up for him again.</span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b> Why do people want to know </b>about everything? Humans have this interesting need for information. I want people to know everything that they can know (about me) by listening to my music.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b> "Forever, For Always, For Love"</b> was my first #1 single. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's such a staple in my (musical) vocabulary. I am really thankful to (Vandross) for that song.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b> My first album</b> came out in 1990. It's a good album. It's funny looking back on it now, I sound like such a baby. I'm very proud of that record. I think it holds up well...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b> The Billboard Charts</b>...am I on them right now? (<i>Laughing</i>). The Billboard Charts are interesting. The charts are a thermometer... but, in another way they are obsolete. If I'm on them ...yay! If I'm not on them this week, then, I'm cool off the Billboard Charts...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <b>Ten years</b> is a decade... That's a broad (question). Ten Years. Let me say this about 10 years: I'm trying to detach myself from the concept of time. The only time is now. I'm sort of working toward that. I hope I'm happy, healthy and I have $18 million in the bank...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b> I strive</b> to be as honest as possible, even when it's dry and uninteresting. I strive to be a good musician. I really strive to be the greatest...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b> I'm inspired by</b> so many things. Inspiration can come from traffic, kids, dogs or a really great car. I'm pretty open in terms of my senses. I'm inspired a lot.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b> At Berklee College of Music </b>I had the best time ever. I learned a lot, not only from my instructors, but, also about the world from my classmates.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b> I want to work with</b> The Neptunes-- which, I always say -- Timbaland and I'd also like to work with Snoop (Lion, formerly known as Snoop Dogg). I'd love to work with Justin Timberlake and John Mayer. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I have had a really great time as a musician and I have worked so many great people. But, there are so many left to work with. This year I was featured on three Grammy-winning records...</span></div>
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<span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-weight: bold;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b> </b><span style="font-size: large;"><b> Lalah Hathaway on Pete Escovedo: </b>I worked with him on a cover of one of my father's songs, “Flying Easy,” in 1996. I am good friends with Sheila E. and she hooked us up. I actually just saw “Pops” the other night. It's always good to see Pops...</span></span></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <b>A Moment</b> is my second record, aptly named, because, it was out for, like, a moment. It's kind of a collector's piece. If you find it on Amazon, buy it... It's another one of my children I sent into the world...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <b> Given a chance</b>, that's a hard one. It's kind of drilling down what you would do if you were given chance. I don't know what I would do, given a chance. I know that I get so many chances to do things all the time, but, I'm always blocked by fear and resistance. Given a chance, I would not be blocked by fear and resistance.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b> Prince's music</b> can probably sustain you for a lifetime.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <b>My current tour</b>... well, I'm not on tour right now, I just finished a record. But, (touring) is my most favorite thing to do.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Courtesy of Lalah Hathaway</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <b>Where it all begins </b>is really with my parents. It's just a reminder to me of where I started. I'm always going to be a musician first.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b> I have evolved</b> in a lot of ways that I really can't put into words (and) all of that informs my art. My instrument has gotten better. There are a lot of things I've learned. I hope I have evolved into "2013 Super Bionic Lalah.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <b> Time will tell,</b> it will absolutely tell. I am staring to feel that the concept of time is just an illusion...</span><br />
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<b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u>Upcoming Lalah Hathaway Shows:</u></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">March 30, <i>Club Nokia</i>, Los Angeles </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">April 6, <i>Meymandi Concert Hall</i>, Raleigh, NC</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">April 7, <i>Berks Jazz Festival</i>, Reading, Pa.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">April 13, <i>Arizona Jazz Festival</i>, Litchfield Park, Ariz.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">April 14, <i>Verizon Hall</i>, Kimmel Center for the Arts, Philadelphia</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">April 19, <i>Seabreeze Jazz Festival</i>, Panama City Beach, Fla.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">May 9-12,<i> Dimitriou's Jazz Alley</i>, Seattle</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">June 8, <i>Capital Jazz Festival</i>, Columbia, Md.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Follow Lalah Hathaway on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/LalahHathaway" target="_blank">Facebook</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/lalahhathaway" target="_blank">Twitter</a>.</b></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Click </span><a href="http://www.lalahhathaway.com/" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">here</a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> to visit Lalah Hathway's official Web site.</span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Stay beautiful, Kristi</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Photos by Derek Blanks except where indicated.</span></div>
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K Nicola Dyeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11470665347094419495noreply@blogger.com2