Sheléa

Clark Sisters. If you know anything about the Clark Sisters, who are gospel music royalty, but to any singer, they are royalty pure. I don't care what religion you are. Um. They had to go, they had to call this young Lake ladies, gentlemen. R B music community makes them no, thank you, thank you that year. Oh, we're gonna start there. We're gonna start there. We're gonna start there. We're just gonna get We're gonna celebrate you from the moment we

start here. You as a singer is just something different different. Appreciate that I really do. And I think for me it's like both of you guys. Um, you might not remember the first time I met you. I know, you know, but you guys have been nothing but supportive and so kind and just so loving and supportable of what I do, and so I just I just gotta thank you guys for that, because you guys were so instrumental in like those earlier years. Yeah, I feel like I'm like the

same classes like Obama. I haven't. I haven't sang doesn't call me personally. Quincy Jones. You know when I saw her at Quincy Jones house, I wasn't invited, but then you took what you took over, No, you literally took over. He started doing a Quincy Jones impersonation that everybody dying over. Can I tell a story because I'm man, I got the video, I got the video. Upset um with my guy you know, um uh comedian. I know you're talking about.

I know his name, I said, okay, Chris Tucker. Yeah, just the money talks himself, Chris Tucker, who was by far one of one of the greatest comedians. Absolutely, Okay, so this is starting, we'll start. There's going to my story. So this is the I mean, no disres back in the indusries. No, I'm not just because he's a nice guy. Mine just comes straight. Yeah, we're having a good time at at Quincy Jones. Yes, it's like you know, anybody who's helped forge the foundation of R and B music,

It's there, right there there. It's it's crazy. And so Chris Tucker gets on the mic and he starts doing this Quincy Jones impersonation and I'm sitting back cut two guys. I wasn't there. I wasn't. I wasn't even you know, it's it's fine, uh as a plus one as I was, I'm standing in watching him do this impersonation. And mind you, I have been studying Quincy and trying to do a Quincy impersonation only because of Jamie Fox, who does people.

So he started made me want to learn, so, you know, I would try to do my quinc impersonation and study how Fox would do it. Liked, And so Tucker started doing this Quincy impersonation that I'm not excited about. That I am not happy with, you know, and he's better than this. So it's like a Michael Jackson Quincy Jacks. I don't know what he's Good's good? H It wasn't authentic. It's a cadence to its all of that, it's all of that and when and I was sitting at the

piano when this was happening. Mind you, I had I don't know what if I had just sang or I was about to sing, and then grab the mic and grab the other mic, the other one, the one that Quincy, the one that Stevie had. Nobody knew I had the mic, and I grabbed the mic and I started talking. You know, you're really not doing me in justice man, you're talking, so he he said, you know, he was like, I was a real quickly listen, I was a real Quincy, right,

So we're going back and forth. And so what happened was Quincy thought when I started doing my impersonation of him, he thought that somebody had started playing a recording my you know what I'm saying, playing just in search from Quincy Jones, because he was saying things that like Quincy would say, you know, you not solid, But they don't happen right so quick quin because he sits in the same so you have to circle around and get in. But when I got to him, he said that that

was you huh got that shut out? He baest that shut out man associates you up. Anyway, that was you know that was. That was that was So that was a really great night. That was a really great night. And listen, I'm for happy to be in that space.

And I know you know you you you frequent those spaces because um, like you just have a different a different kind of gift man, like that's just out of this world and to you know, to the Quincy jones Is and Jimmy jam and musical to some of the biggest people who have ever ever done it on every level, like they look to you, which is I mean, it's crazy. So we we we like to do we like to start at the very beginning, like like when did you know?

Or when did somebody tell you you got something? Let's start there and then work our way up to yeah, overseas, yeah, yeah, the White House, Kennedy forget for a couple of times. You know what I have to say, that's really quick because I think we, I know, we come from from very similar backgrounds. I can't remember what church. I say that, because sometimes it can be very difficult for us to talk about ourselves because we feel like that's not being humble.

And that's how I think we were raised right in a way. And so it's like I have. I had to almost It took a while for me to be able to recognize you have this God's size gift because God gave it to you. So it's okay for you to lean into it as long as you continue to like you know, give it right back. But you can't

like almost diminish your gift because you're diminishing God. So it's I think, Yeah, we weren't always thought to raise our hands and yes, exact mean and so you know, like this platform, like you know, this is for you to raise your hand and say, yeah, this is this is what I do. Okay, So White House twice. You don't look at who might not me? That's fine, fine, Yeah, they're gonna go through your sec yeah the first time. That's why I got the White House the first time.

Literally why somebody else, so many people could not pass the background check. That's literally how it happened the first time. Okay, So black a lot of going but going to the beginning, what do you say a lot of things soups saying, but you have to remember at that time under Obama, it were it's like any any little tiny thing, it's like you know, yeah, yeah, yeah, because they were it. Yeah, that's a whole other conversation. But but yeah, at the beginning,

man the beginning beginning. You know, my earliest memory is music. So, like my mom said, like a two years old, I was harmonizing like and to me, like when I look at somebody who's two years old, I was like, that was scary they could find harmony like that. But I was stay on there, no, you know, I was like, I remember this little wooden piano that that my parents had gotten me, and you know, I'll be making little songs from my sisters around three or four years old.

So my earliest memories were music. But I say all that to say my parents both very musical. Um in the church. I just only saw them use it in church and that was it. So I thought that's what I would do. That was that I didn't really see any you know, me having it as a career. I just thought I would just serving church. And it really wasn't until um, when I went a way to college.

I joined this this girl's group and that was like my first taste of just like being in the student It was it was like the gospel version of uh, Destiny's Child, It's called forgiven and we were all hot. Yeah, what I'm saying like we were, we were cute. We were cute. We were four cute girls. And you know, I say, because we were packaged that way, and um we were we had a little deal on the table for Blackground Records. But the Lord says, anyway, but how

does how does that work in gospel? Right? Because obviously is that a thing where you're like you said, we were packaged as a group that could sing, but also because of what the group look like, is that a thing in gospel of music? It can be, it can be. And I think at that time too, it's like, you know, that was just the and as we know in this industry, people are always looking for the next what argument is, so they're winning, we need a gospel version of that.

And then to me, Mary Mary came and that's what even though it's just the two of them, it was that kind of energy, beautiful, you know, vibrant, actually dressed like sexy, which was like, you know, very difficult, so you know, but but yeah, so that was really my first taste of just being in what I would say the industry of just going to the studio and writing and producing and just that feeling just like Okay, this

is it, but you're not in Los Angeles at this point. No, I'm going to school at this HBCU in Huntsville, Alabama called Oakwood College Oakland University. Now yeah next week. They know, you wouldn't want to feel out so like A and M that whole. Yeah, I'm a product of the Bible Belt. Wow yeah period. Yeah, yeah, that's where my career started.

Like promo shows, yea all through the Bible Belt in a van, in a van staying at motails where you walk into your room from outside were they're quite motels or the hotels, but they don't have an hr M one then you know, yeah, yeah I know the ones you got you get it from outside? Yeah, you go, you go upstairs and you yes, you get your key from from your lady in the window. Yeah, even want

trouble there. Um. It was this the first time that that you felt like you were, um being recognized on that level like this, could you could have a career in this like you were special in this place? It wasn't so Interestingly enough, I always felt like I was special, like my my gift was special. I knew that very very young, but that didn't necessarily mean it had to be a career, you know, but this was the first time where it was like, Okay, there's nothing else I

even want to remotely do. This is it? And so that was that was like a pivotal moment. But to like say, like when I was more settled into like I feel like what I can bring just this industry, that was later on. I don't know if you want me to skip to that moment, but that was that was a little later on where I felt settled like I don't care how long this takes. Already I know where I'm where I'm supposed to be. But that was a little later that there was. That was a pivotal

performance in a pivotal moment. So Forbidden Forgiven, which again I like, I like forbidden Forbid Forgiven. It was four and then given that's all, Hey we all got them. Um, so what is it? What is in between that? Because there's got to be there's a lot. It's a lot. So the girls group didn't work out, you know, Um, I think, you know, we were all super young and had had different interests, and I think kind of looking back in retrospect, I was I was such a intense person.

I think it was like a little overwhelming sometimes like it was, Um, I was like, let's do this, Like forget if I remember calling my mom my mom, and I was like, I don't even want to finish college because I already found it. Like this is it. I don't I don't need to look any further. She was like, no, we're not gonna do that. So I did get my degree. I got my degree in music and this is piano. I got it. I graduated kum lad from from from

Oakla College. Um but I you know it, I just said this, this is it and and for me, I just loved music that I kind of started more off on the writing side, the writing and um so right after I graduate, that's when I, you know, met up with Jimmy Jim and Terror Lewis around the same time that we can I'm trying to figure out how did we connect. I'm not cusking through Harvey and Damon. Were you like at the underdogs back in the day we met.

I'm not sure. I'm not I'm not all a ways sure, but I mean it's possible because obviously I was part of the underdogs with him. So but at that time, I wasn't. I wasn't um, I wasn't working with him at that time. I wasn't working with him at that No, I remember you, you and Ronnie. I actually left the Underdogs the second time because of Little Ronnie. Yeah, they kicked him out. So I was like, yeah, I can't kick my little home ye out because it's my guys

two thousand four. Sorry to that. I'm like, I'm like, if if you're gonna kick him out, he comes with me. Yeah. So literally, like little Ronnie came and lived at my studio house. That was my studio house that used to come to it before, and Ronnie was because he was he wasn't from l a one from California. So I'm like, listen to you figure it out. Yeah, you're with me, you're my guy. So, oh my god, what was that song that we did? What? Wait? What's gonna take to

wake up every day to love? It? Used to be happy? I used to love hate. I'm dreading every day so something to feeling change. Can't go home this way, it's not the way I wanted. Nothing. School and wrong going right? What are we doing wrong? Yeah? Now you're singing that I don't even like the Jill notes, the first funny thing is she sang a song that we wrote together. But what I remember the most was when you came and sang for me the first time you sang in

dr Ready for Love. Oh my god. I never forgot that because I'm like, this is amazing, Like this is amazing, and did I just do it? You played, you played and sang and I was like this, I ain't never seen thating like this, like I don't ever sing that, Sonny to bring that back back, shout out my favorite songs of all time. And I just remember you, you know, because that's how people that don't know the music business.

It's kind of how it goes when you're gonna meet somebody and you know, you showing your gift, you usually just you know. And I think you might have asked me like, okay, so what do you what? What songs? You know? I mean, which is a whole another cheek code that you guys have because you both play and sing to be able to kind of be a little jukebox, right, And I was just like this is insane, Like this is literally insane. I'm going to find a song. You're

just saying I had some magical times. I have it on a drive or somewhere. Yeah, Oh my god, I could literally see your place now, like I remembered the room and everything, like how it was where we would where we would record the vocals. Wow. And then I met you around this, Yes it was it was I didn't know. I don't even know that. Yeah, and then I met you around the same time. Um, underdogs. That that's the thing. The underdogs. They would always just like

just sick me on anybody who would come through. So like he was chewing some up when I started to sing, and he said, I didn't chewt this gun. And then he had assistant and he made him spit the gover in his hand. I love you some stories outside, but it was, oh my god, I would I will never

forget those early boves Greg. You were no different. And um you came in one time and they were like saying sings onthing for tank and I did never felt this way for an at night and this was this was the piano intro and um, I finished singing, and I will never this was like, Member, I told you that there was this pivotal moment for me from what you said and the first thing you said was you're anointed, And I remember thinking, what a weird thing to say

after I seeing what I considered to be a secular song. And because again like the way I grew up, everything is like there's sacred and then there's secular. There's no blurring, no what we're talking. That's what it is, sacred insect and secular. Never knew that, Okay, all right, yeah, we're gonna bring my strether. It's glorious to have a knacker.

But so for me, that was that was like, that's when I kind of had to start that introspection of realizing that my gift was sacred, not what I what song I sang, period, But it was when you said that. I was like, that's such a weird thing for someone to say you're anointed after but it was like you felt the God in me and that's why you said that. And then I realized, okay, this is this is not something where you can turn and even further chicken a

step further. I grew up seventh Day to where you know, you don't sing, you know, any do anything secular, like on Friday night and Saturday. So like in the beginning, I wasn't doing shows during that time. Because of that reason, I thought of a sudden no shows or any nothing shows, but no anything, just anything doing sessions. I would you would, you wouldn't make you would? You would make it around

the other days. And so that was kind of the beginning of when I said, and Kirk Whalem also was was very instrumental in that and just helping me to see that your your gift done. It doesn't turn off the period doesn't it's it's you're a vessel and it's about what you bring that the light through that vessel. Struggle with that early early on because because of the teachings, because of it always being pushed that you know, um, secular music was you know, the gateway to hell. Yeah,

in a sense pretty much. And here I am in this R and B place, you know, with this annoying thing, with this calling on life. What am I doing here? You know what I mean? And so it took a while for me to accept that this was from him and not from anybody else. This opportunity for me to share my gift all over the world and to in essence put my life on paper and then ultimately on record, and it makes room for me. You know, it provides me a place to live, it it provides food for

my family. I was like, that can only come from one place. And it took me a while. I was tormented for a while, you know what I mean. People would say to me, you're a church boy, like you like what you're doing out here, you know what I'm saying, this club, and I didn't. I didn't necessarily fit in, you know what I mean. But at a certain point I just stopped trying to. I just accepted exactly exactly.

I feel the same way becau. You almost don't fit in on either side because you recognize that there's more for me. It was like, there's more that I want to say, Yes, there's more that I want to There's there's more ways that I want to express myself. So it can't only be gospel. To me. Gospel is how I live my life, the way I treat people. And and that would be my response to every time someone say, oh, you know you make sure you never stop singing for Jesus,

I'm like, it's really more about me. Let me, let me, let me, let me, let me, let me right. So it's kind of what I'm getting my own little layman terms like musically mixed. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. So it's like, you know, you meet somebody who has one parent that's one and whatever, and they gotta figure it out because they don't true really fit either side. But when you're

really talented, eventually they all gravitate towards you. It's what I found just watching even with Tank, where it's like I'll see the church and the gospel singers and the pastors be like, yeah, so it can take come perform at the church. What would you like for him to pfor? Um, I don't know if he has that selection, but what

what's wild? They'll ask for the song songs, for the songs like so y'all won't win weak I've been you're doing at the church banquets or where Like, it's like it's just it it's so far away from the traditional thing that has been taught, Like I feel like now, you know, especially for the pastors that I that I performed for man Keith Battles, who was a good friend of mine, and not about a pastor Gray, like they

understand the reality of a thing. Yeah, Like when it's time for them to lay down with their wives, Um, they're not playing for Redhand and we love, we love not for that they're not playing her. Frank, No, you know you know what they're gonna they're some Yeah, they they need you started. Yeah, And so it had to be it's understanding that makes it, yeah, practical, it's human, heavenly found that you're no earthly good understand what's happening

exactly exactly. And there there's and you know, there's been so many people who have started in the church and and to your point, yes, it's kind of mixed where we're on one side and and there's another side. But then there's also the people like us were on the other side, who are people who just had the courage to do more. So we're we I still understand that world.

I still very like when I played, you know, during the Clark Cole, I very much knew that world and just that whole ecosystem, you know, like it's it was. It was very real to me. But I also know the other side. And sometimes it's you having the courage to say I want to do more. And that's why I love Yolanda Adams, who she just does whatever she wants. If they asked her to do a tribute to to you know, Shaka Khan or you know she's gonna do that,

she's gonna do She's gonna do the Ray Charles. She and I both did this my second White House show together. DA is just I don't have a drink because this is you know, but I'm I'm when she sings whenas they actually sing together, I had to I had to take a step back and and let the same Well, we didn't, we didn't do a duet. We were on the same we were on the same bill. So I actually did a duet with Anthony Hamilton's we did the right time that was that was a tribute to Ray Charles.

Yeah so um but yeah, no, I say all that. I don't know what our original point. We've kind of gone around. It's fine, but listen, this is here's here's the other thing. So this is our show. We want I see you as in the comments what they say, they say it's irrelevant, irrelevant, it's not your podcast. So we have whoever and we will talk about whatever we want to. I love that love where we were yeah

about you being great. This is ultimately this is what No, this is why we brought you here because of your gift and what you do. Obviously we've known you for years at this point and you know, throughout the years, but we really we want to put the spotlight on people we believe that are great, appreciate it flat out and really and really talk about it and talk about

that journey of how they got there. I think you were probably at we were getting off off the Girl Group and talking about how we met, and so were you signed to Jimmy Jimmy Terry Lewis. I was a part of their writing camp, so yeah, it was almost like I wasn't technically signed, but we were just I was on all of their projects that they were doing. So that's actually how I got like a lot of

my little you know, movie credits. So I would be on a keeling the Bee and I would be you know, doing backgrounds and my daughter's favorite movie shout out to Kick I Love. She's been saying in the in the in the news. Yeah she's incomparable. So yeah, let's just start there. Um. But but yeah, it's so I got Will and Grays to a lot of a lot of different stuff that during that time, whatever they were on, I was on, you know, whatever they were writing for whatever.

So that's actually when I don't know if you guys remember the movie Jumping the Broom, So that was did you want you wanted to be what character? Because I was gonna ask could you give us what they call it monologue? Is that what they call it? Yeah, okay, my line. I was supposed to be the Ray character. Oh you would have been funny that one. But he

was funny too. He was funny too. But you know so much I'm doing so I'm doing the audition and you know, I'm just being natural, you know what, I'm grapes on the table and I saw like my you know, see the grapes on me us the grapes probably grab a grape to a grape. No no, I started dying of the only men. And what's the that was looking at me? No, no, used to be that was um Um married to baby face. Tracy was looking at me like did you grab my grape? Like not only were

they not community crazy, they were someone else's grapes. Yeah, I'm still too much. Yeah you haven't been. I haven't been in any of her movie. Sorry, I'm now talked to man. Oh my god, you took her grape and she said no thing. The grapes said no, thanks to me. You took that, you took the role. Actually that was like my I was getting more into the writing. Like I said, I just loved I just wanted to be just a part of the process. I didn't have to be,

you know, on stage. It was just writing and producing. And so I learned so much during those years with Jimmy, Jamin Terry and so my kind of like my big I would say, like my big break was when I was on Tick six's album, Um who I considered it be like my brothers, and I was doing this song called someone to Watch Over Me, And of course y'all know Stevie Wonder love some some Take six you said, man, I gotta I gotta accomplish something and stop it. I don't know the guys, so um Stevie heard and he

was like, who is this girl? I want to meet her? Um, you know, And so okay, I'll tell you guys that story. That story's champagne on here because if not, she's probably poured it all over me, all of it. Stee Wonder, Stevie Wonder wants to know girl. It wasn't okay, But I'm just tell you how off I was. Okay, So I'll give a little background. As I told you, guys would being with Jimmy and Terry, everybody would come through there, you know. So I remember when Maurice White was and

I treasured these moments. I didn't realize how special it was. I knew it was special. Teers win in Fire and I remember I played and sings on me and he's like, girl, you've got some chords. And I'm just like, just those kind of moments would happened there all the time. So I'm prefacing the story by saying that. So I go and I meet Stevie and and up Stephanie, who still works with him. I love her to death. I just

talked to her not too long ago. Um she wanted to surprise him with me just showing up to the studio. So I go to the studio and you know, Stevie is he was in the middle of doing something, so he was like recording something else. So I'm just kind of like on the couch or somewhere waiting. So hour goes by, another hour goes by, and I'm just like, yeah, I gotta go, you know, I gotta go, Like I have I got ship to do. Somebody tells Stevie I was here. That's not part Please don't air this part. Okay,

but that's not even it. That's not even the bad part. So so I talked. So I talked to them and I was like, oh god, I was all on God man, he protects babies and food. So so anyway, so I'm like I'm meeting him. I'm just kind of like, okay, cool I met. I met Stevie Wonder and so I was just like they were like, oh. He was like, well, you know, can you come by tomorrow? And I was like, no, okay, yeah, I'm gonna cry. Oh god, Stevie don't work on Friday. Friday. No,

it wasn't even a Friday. That wouldn't make the worst. It wasn't even Friday. So so I called my sister and I'm like, oh, you know, I just met Stevie. You know, he was busy all the time. I just got to say hi, that's it. And she said, well what happened? She said, you know, what do they say? I said, you know, I got some thing to do. I really I could make it back. She was like Leia that she doesn't curse, but she would have said that Stevie Wonder, that's Stevie Wonder. And I was like,

what if my time to borrow? The next day I call, they don't answer. Yeah, So I just showed up. I literally just showed up. I just went to the studio and I will never forget. I can literally see where everybody was sitting, and he was. He wasn't there yet, and so when he came in, somebody must assess something. And I laughed and he was like, you came back. He recognized meeting just meeting me yesterday, and he's like,

you came back. And the rest is history. I mean after that, we just connected so so deeply, and I went I remember going to the piano and we were just singing. And later on that um yere so that was he was about to go on tour. So that Christmas I sang for his House full of Toys, you know the show he does every year. Um and I did. Who could Imagine the King? And I just remember thinking like, oh my god, am I really butt cheeked butt cheek with Stevie Wonder. I'm sitting at the piano, He's like

sitting at the roads. And that was just kind of the startup to be probably one of the most beautiful friendships that I have in this world. And I tell people, like everything that you think about him, you know when you when you hear, like back to what you were saying, how certain songs conjure up certain memories. You know when you hear you know, you are the sunshine of my life from my stree more, how it feels like light. He really is like that, he is that light. And um,

you know I've never heard him we joke. I mean we we talked with each other all the time, just up on stage like just we have the most hilarious let him your nah because it's just like this, there's these rumors. No, well, I don't know. I haven't experienced that with Okay, okay, I have every time we've been that you ain't that close thing because you ain't well

Eve been driven driven now have a drive. We when we had we had Ray Parker Jr. One and he told the story about how like you know, they would let Stevie drive in the open, like all the road that kind of open, but you know, let him drive. I fumbled my Stevie Stevie moment. What was yours? I was so, I was so star struck. Yeah, and I had sing Stevie songs for all sorts of weddings. Course, of course, Stevie Wonder walks into my show I was performing at Universal City Walk. Was there like a people

kings up? What was that up there? Yeah? Yeah it was it was Stevie Wonder shows up and comes on stage with me, and we sit down on my piano and he starts playing and singing my song. And I'm supposed to go back and sing his song with his lyrics and play it, and I blank, I blank, I don't know the words to Ribbing in the Sky. Yeah. Yeah. Times he brought me a gift like a recorder and a microphone and fumble first first football player. You know you play football? I got and I never playing football.

It's crazy. I play football too. Back off in safety on defense where I played in high school and college, I mean, not like professional and you know I played the Inner Murals. Yeah, so you're an athlete. It's putting hands on you out here, just just tackling people. No back, Yeah you're gone. Okay, I respect new rispect to another place. Yeah, back and back and safe and say that means she liked to hear people tap m yeah, click click, last resort you know, yeah, Okay, So what does it ever

come to you? Do you ever? Do you ever sing the lyric? Or does he prompt you like what happened? Let's get off of my stuper because yours is way better. You go from this amazing moment takes six Stevie comes in now friendship and and then I don't hear. Then I don't hear from them for years, from Stevie, from Steve for years. And that's I always tell people, like you don't reach Stevie, Stevie reaches you. And it wasn't until I did, uh when Whitney passed, God rest her soul,

and I did. I literally was just at this one of my dearest friends, Tony Shepard, I was at his house and I was just at the keyboard and I just went through like just some of my favorite songs of hers, and it kind of went like semi viral, like a lot of people like that where her dancers. This is after she passed. Her dancers, singers, best friends, family, they all reached out to me, and even her daughter

reached out Bobby Christina May. She also rest in peace, and she was like, when I hear you sing, I feel my mom's spirit with me and if my if my mom was here, she would be so proud of you. So somebody sent Stevie that and he they were like, there's a there's this girl. She's like singing. Her name is she Sho. He's like Chaliah. They're like, yeah, yeah, that's it. So he calls me, and then after that we just stayed connected, but you know, going through different lives.

He I think he was going through a divorce at that time, you know, just different life, which I just didn't hear from him for a couple of years. I went through it afore, you know what I mean. So I had to also learn to be very specific. I remember Stevie asked me, he said, what do you want me to do for you? Wow? And because I was so afraid of coming off, how do you answer that? Thank you for saying that? How do you answer that?

Because I didn't Hey, I didn't know how to answer that, and be I didn't want to come across like so okay, I need you to do this, this, this, this, and that. I was just like, I just want you to just you know, keep loving me. The way you do and what I'm what I've learned now since then, guys need you to be a little bit more direct and specific. That was that was That wasn't That was weird. That was a weird. But I didn't know what else to say. I just because I didn't want to come across like

what you just said to me? Because he just asked, he asked it, very very direct, what do you want me to do for you? And you know, I think when I look back at some pivotal moments in my career, I'm very happy with where I am right now, but I know a lot of people would have asked me many times like I just don't understand why you're not

a household name or or this or that. I don't know if it's because I answered Stevie that way, but you know, I think sometimes in the past it might have been a mindset that it was coming across, like maybe perhaps I wasn't hungry enough, but I was, But I just was doing it my way. And I still feel confident in the way that I've done things. Um, but I do look at right and left terms and wonder if if I was a little bit more direct,

if that would have made a difference. Who knows. I mean, the question I asked myself most is are you enjoying what you're doing right now? And very yourself? Okay, so before we get to yeah, I'll be seeing you on stage. Yeah, who started off as just a session player. That's just David Foster had a cable car at his house. A

cable car. Yeah, you know what that is? Absolutely so obviously in San Francisco we have cable cars that will take you from down the hill all the way up the hill, and we're kind of known for that in sanc went at his house. He just sounds malible one. Yeah, it'll take it would take you from the grounds to the house. I was I wasn't. I wasn't there during that area that I need to know how that I'm sure he can still know what it's like. It's like

he's kind of like my north Star. He and Ricky Minor are kind of like Ricky Ricky Minor are like kind of like my Norse. So so I meet Stevie through takes It. I meet Ricky Minor through Stevie. Wonder because he was m dying the show. He would always empty all Stevie's Um housepel of Toy Show. Then I meet Quincy Jones through Rickey Minor because he's doing some event,

and then me and q just hit off. I know, I'm like going all over the place, but it's just but that's like kind of like the branching out, like that's how. And so then I met David Foster because David and Stevie were um doing a record together that probably won't see the life day, but it was such a great record. It was like with the London Philmonic Orchestra, like his his songs with the orchestra and um and so I I sang um as I was I was. Stevie brought me into to do that and so and

it's crazy he changed it to sixth eight. No, like they just it. It was cold. It was amazing. I mean I just actually just you know, she starts speaking in language. She went to, we have a lot of discussions in this whole R and B thing about you know, the gifts, you know, who can who can't? Can they really this that together? And then someone like yourself comes on here without saying it, it just fully stamps like okay,

I'm different. Continue if I got to say it then I already lost you know, you gotta you gotta know it for yourself, you know, but damn, like it's it's just incredible. So anyway that they were working on that question. So that's how I met David, and I will never forget. It was like one two in the morning and David

was on as well. You know how David gets when he's about to leave somewhere, it's like you know, and Steve was like, yeah, I wanted to sing something four He's like, hey, well, just just a verse in a chorus. This is Davidster. Just a verse of the chorus. I'm about to go. So I go to the piano, played some song and he was like, okay, very nice. I remember I called my Dad's like, Dad, I just met David, but I don't think I made an impact. And he's like, no,

he made it back. I was like no, Dad, he was just kind of like shrugged me off, like okay, nice. That was cute. That was nice. Ah, that's what you said about maybe seven six seven months later, that's when he called me. And that was at the first event I did with him, and we had been we've been

touring together for years now. You know, he was on my PBS special, I was on his Quincy Jones presentially what you know what this is how I know she's been hanging around all these high levels because this is what they do. It's just it's just it doesn't you know. Yea. I will never forget meeting with David Foston and realizing that he was using a Grammy as a paperweight. Well he's got sixteen of them, so he was using it as a paper don't fly away. Yeah, I'm serious. Put

this somewhere with some lights on it. Oh no, trust he's got he's got He's got all sixteen, all of them all stacked up. But this day randomly, I don't know, but it's literally, yeah, that's David for you. I love him. And you know, just recently he you know, we we had this conversation and he's like, I just see, you know, your star rising. And because now it started getting a little you know how it is with promoters to start

getting a little awkward. Because I was literally performing at the same venues that I was doing with him, David Foster and friends. So it was just like it started getting weird, you know, and so it just meant that it was just I needed to graduate. It was time to graduate, and so we just all love and he you know, he and Cat are doing their Dave and Cat show, and that's I saw that. I saw the problem for that when I was in Vega. Yeah. Yeah, yeah, I was like, yeah, I have to I'm now headlining

my own show. So's it's it's just not working, you know, not in a negative way. Yeah, yeah, right, Okay, Clark sisters, Yeah yeah, let's get into it. Come on, yeah, I want I want first phone call or Clark sisters, give me, give me the whole thing. Well, first of all, I didn't see myself as an actress, you know, at all. So you hadn't done any acting before. Okay, I will

say this. I was I was. Um. I had a small role in this actually very big movie was called All the Way, and um it started Anthony Mackie and he was he was Martin Luther King and Lyndon B. Johnson was Brian Cranston. Actually eight Emmy nominations and all that. But I just had like a little small role where

I was like singing live. I was singing live though, so I was singing, so I kind of looked back at that moment like that was kind of like foreshadow and kind of preparing me for it because like, you know how it is, you absolutely know, I see, you know how it is with all these different takes and stuff, so you know, over and over all these different angles. So I was singing live, so I had to sing live every single time, you know. So that was that was cool. So that was like a small little role.

But again I didn't see myself as like, you know, being really part of an ensemble cast. And so Christine Swanson who was the director UM, she and I were working on a completely different project just musically, and I remember she came and she told me it's like I just got signed on to direct UM the Clerk Sisters, First Ladies of Gospel and UM at that time, well it was called You Brought the Sunshine, and it wasn't

it was that's what it was called. And she was like, you know, I can't make you any promises, but I think you should just put your name in the hat for it, like you know, try to you know, put a self tape and and submit it. So I was like, really you think, So I feel like that's that's like a that's a big role. That's a you know, I don't know, you started thinking of all the other people that could play it instead, who looked more like her, you know, just all of that, and um, she said,

just just do it, just do it. So I did it, and they it wasn't a no, but it wasn't a yes either, you know. So I keep working. I keep working, I keep working, and I work with um Josie Josie Harris. She's a great acting coach. And I remember I was actually on on tour with Dave Kaz at the time, and by the on a side note, twenty seven shows in thirty days. Yeah, seven shows in thirty days cruise. Yeah, but but but not it wasn't it was insane. And so I remember one of the days I was just

so tryed. We were on our way to San Antonio and that was going to be like one of the days off, and Christine is like, I think you should come to Detroit and just meet Karen, meet Kiara, you know, just fill it out, you know, and I was just like damn, like I'm so. I was just like when you just have nothing, like just just fubes. So I make my little ticket, used little my little miles, pay for my way to get there, get my little hotel,

and I meet with him. I go to their church and I meet here and we go to the piano and I don't even know how anything literally came out, but we start. I start playing you Brought the Sunshine or no Miracle? I'm looking for miracle and we do this duet and so Christine sends it to the producers and they're like that that's care, that that's Karen, and

that's Derenda. So that's what says. So I tell people, just on a side note, like you want everybody to invest in you, you want people to take chances on you, you have to bet on yourself first before anybody else, will you know? Yeah, yeah, because I didn't have the role then at all. You know, it wasn't a no, but they weren't. I was, you know, I was really green.

So that's when really the work began. And I worked my ass off, like you know, working with Josie, you know, a couple of times a week for months, and by the time they yelled action, it was more ready in that moment that I've ever been for anything in my life. Do you feel like the acting helped you as far as being a performer as well, just your live performance and just preparation, because obviously acting is a whole another level of study. It's a different muscle. But Tank, I'm

sure you can back me up on it. It comes from the same place because it's just storytelling and that's what really helps happening into his acting. First of all, I'm on TV one here, I'm not going to look at this guy. They they just called me and give me Roy. You know what I'm saying, I Tank, those those movies that they give you the funny haircuts in so down here, down there at the eyebrow, So what I enjoy? Crap? Aren't you having a good time here? I already knew what time it was with you guys,

so so yeah. I mean it literally is she said when you sing, she said, you tell a story. And that's why it's like for me, this is another little site note Like I don't want somebody to say, damn girl, you you you really can sing. I want them to say I felt something. You made me sad, you made me hopeful, You made huge difference, And there's there's a there's a huge difference between being impressive and impactful. A

lot of people want to be impressive. You know, I can do this run, I can sing this note, I can do that, but it's not impactful. You're you're not tapped into the story. There's no truth there. And so that's one thing that I've always felt is what has made me different is that people will always feel and hear the truth in whatever genre I'm singing. And so once I was able to just transfer that to acting, it was like, all you're doing is just telling the

truth whatever is truthful to you in that moment. So she said the first thing, she says, this story isn't about Dorenda. This is a story about Chilia. You know, you have to find, you have to find, you have to find you in Dorinda. And so you know, it was actually very easy to find myself because we have very similar life experiences, blended family, you know, being raised in the church, um, you know, just all of those dynamics, and so it was very easy for me to be

truthful in that that moment. But I think, you know, the wind was so many people that know her will. They were like, I literally felt like I was looking at Dorenda and I know her will and they're like, but you literally became Dorenda did amazing, thank you, thank you we got and then vocally that's a whole other thing. It's like one thing to have her essence, but then her voice is so specific. She's she you know, she there's clarity, but then there's rasp. You know, she almost

sings like a horn player. And their style of run it's jazzy, but then it's but it's it's very unique. It's very unique. Her choices are are very very specific. Yeah. Well, here in the R Money podcast, we want to we want to get into your R and B mind. Want to ask questions. Okay, all right, um, top five R and B artists we need, we need. Don't be political. I know there's everybody doing they're offering. Some people just have a gift that strikes you different than that's true.

And see, and I think that all the people that I really love you wouldn't necessarily say can you be more specific? I mean I think R and B is best I know, but like rmby now or like R and B in THEE forever, what connects with you? Like it's Stevie R and By, you know, And I'm just saying He's everything, the Godfather. But do you feel like it starts in R and B? You feel like it starts Okay, absolutely, Okay, you feel Stevie, but you you feel country artists, you feel you know, but there's a

different place. It is a different place. R and B is a different Do you do you feel like Stevie sings his gospel songs differently? Let me ask you this as a whole other question really quick. Do you feel like you sing gospel songs differently than you sing R and B songs? Like is there a there a conviction that you have when you sing gospel that you know? Well?

I mean every I think every song is different based on the message, right, So I think the texture um, the texture and tone it definitely has to match the moment. You know what I'm saying. So I'm definitely not gonna sing um when we the same as I sing Jesus is the answer, right? You know what I'm saying. There is there is a difference they're in delivery, yeah, you know what I'm saying. And even where your mind is

when you're right right, when you're in that place. So U But then like Whitney, who she would like she would put oh, like in a dance something. You know what I'm saying, just anywhere, so just drop that off. It's very disrespectful, very rude. It's really really perfect, really perfect, really rude. But whatever she disrespected then punched by a Vocal Gifts podcast punch. I just wanted to just show

the illustration. But I you know, I say say, because I question five, it has to be Stevie and to me it also has to be a Retha side note. I'm going to be making my Royal Albert debut in London UM next month, doing a tribute to read the Franklin with a full orchestra. And we wanted you here because because this is this is you are necessary, right and and and and the young girls growing up there

has to be a bar. There has to be a level because what we grew up on, what we all grew up on, there were bars, and those bars were mainstream, yes they were. And now those bars for us or for the coming up generation aren't so mainstream. They have to look that's true for that for those inspirations. And so you're necessary because you're such a gift and such an inspiration that needs major platform display, major you just you deserve it, so that these young ladies coming up

who want to be anything. I'm not even gonna limit it to singing or right or who want to be anything, can see that in you, because you know, keep going Franklin Orchestra next month, next month. It's been sold out for months now. I already don't don't don't play me on this and be like okay, she she like, how you guys do the name drop? They told me to say everything. Okay, don't, don't, don't even do. They're like, I do you want to tell him everything? Yeah? Okay,

I don't even told you everything. Read the Franklin. Okay, this is R and B, R and B of all time for you for me from me. Mm hmm. I know. I want to say Marvin Gay because there's so much deep storytelling the day. Look look at him trying to try to get a part. I'll try to get the part. I could see that, okay, Marvin God, this is so hard because like all these names are like flashing before

my eyes. You know, Anita Baker, I remember, I remember the first time I heard her record because I growing up I could only listen to gospel music, so I remember I was with my aunt in Lane this came on. I was like, what is this? Like, what is this? Yes? And how old were you at this point when the first time you heard like secular music in a sense, Well, what's the craziest? I would we would listen to Stevie though. It was almost like Stevie and Whitney, like if they

were on TV, like we would watch that. But it just wasn't like I don't, I didn't. I had to play catch up. I had to play catch up later on um. So yeah, four. Therefore, I would give a deal. Imagine that people that can't sing and then Whitney, why that's a great? Really, that's not just good, that's a great because there's everyone you know this in my opinion, they don't have any holes in their game. Everybody that you name is legit. They can perform live, Yes, have

great songs, Like the artistry was amazing, Like that's special. Yeah, that's special. There's were quick though, because I want you to get your five first. I wanted to point out because you spoke about going over to London selling out shows, you know, starting off with David Foster and then being

able to do the same venues that he does. I want to point out that that is of pure gift and hard work more so than any kind of backing or any kind of I caught some random song that you know, blew up on TikTok are just caught a wave on a radio like Because the other thing that happens in our business is people think that there's only one way to be successful or to have a career in music, and you are the prime example that you can be very successful going the route that you want

to go and taking the steps that you needed to take for your career and how you want to see

your career. Because on the flip side of that, there are artists who have had massive songs one too, maybe a couple of few records that can't fill out a hunted seater, two seaters, they can't go to London, they're not going to be before warming in these special places, and that just there needs to be a light on that as well, because I think a lot of artists get discouraged that if they don't have this type of record that takes them somewhere, they'll never have a career.

And that's not the case at all. And you're to me, your prime example of that because you're not chasing a record, you're out here having a career, right, Thank you for saying that. Yeah, very different and and just and it should be applauded and it should and like Tank said, there needs to be platforms that shine the light on that. Yeah, hopefully we're hopefully we're one of them. Absolutely not. I

think you absolutely are. And you know, thank you for saying that, because yeah, it's like the Frank's Not song, just part of my head I did in my way, you know, And I tell people all the time, like, figure out what success looks like and feels more more importantly feels like to you because as you said, we can look at a lot of people's careers that it looks very successful. Um. And it might even be successful if you're looking at numbers. Um. But but how does

it feel? You know? I I still feel like that two year old when I first you know, watching Mr Rogers, I want to totally age myself. But watching Mr Rogers, I'm thinking, who then is playing the piano? Who was Mr Rogers? Yes, I was out it was Mr Rogers movie. It was actually Mr Rogers. I heard somebody fact checked me on that. But I'm pretty sure, but I still that same kind of childlike love of for just what I do. I still feel that way, and I'm grateful

for that that after all these years. Yes, do I experience moments of frustration and disappointment. Absolutely, you know, even if I wasn't doing music, we I would feel that at some point. Um. But I love what I do and I've been able to find out what my why is, and it really is to touch people's hearts through music. And so when I get somebody DM me and say you know your song, you are enough. I listened to that every morning before I go to work. I play

it for my kids. Some people even said I wanted to end my life, but I had that own repeat and literally I decided not to. That's the way, That's that's my Grammy, that's that's you know, that's my awards. You know. Do I want those things one day, Absolutely, But that's not the pour of the why. And so I think for that reason, I've been able to stay true to what I do and and not be wavered by any trend because I really love what I'm doing right now. I've been able to find like just the

core of where that joy comes from. And that's something that honestly that that is the highest level of success to me, UM is to be able to do that, and particularly words I'm sick of you, I'm sick of you, okay, premaity sick of me O top five R and B songs or R and B albums you can mix it okay off the top. I already know, like I Want you that album Marvin Gaye, I Want You like to me, there's literally no skin it's it's such a beautiful body

of work. Um. In that same in that same vein, I would have to say Maxwell, the first one Urban Hank sweet to me, there's something so just connected about it. Um. And then of course let's go back to Stevie and I. It's either between Talking Book. Let's see there's okay, there's this one album right before Talking Book. It he wasn't it was like you could you started hearing him really become Stevie. It wasn't that motown sound. And it's an album called where I'm Coming From And that's to me

when he really started like going deep. And that's when Talking Book was right after that. So I always like that was like the pre Talking Book. UM, so I'm gonna, I'm gonna, I'm gonna go out on a limb and put that one because I feel like it was an important album for his development. So where I'm coming from, I don't know. It's top. I'm just trying to be exotic with choices. Um. Okay, let's get some girls in there. Let's see what's like that, like no skips. I don't

know why this one just came to me. Jill Scott like that first album was just like it was just it was so cohesive, you know, and I remember like where I was, Like I always like look at records, like, you know, do you remember where you were like in during that time? Like I can see it. I can so that, I would say, Jill, which I'm sure these are like so not what people would expect me to choose. Um, and then let's get some que in there. But that

was actually the jazz time. So no, it's okay, let's see I'm talking about like his earlier earlier stuff like Quintessential with that's jazz. Um, let's see did you join? Yeah? But I don't know if if that's like my favor but I do love that record that has set timber on that. That's Moodies moved for love Brian and um, yeah, God, I hate this because it really creates anxiety. I don't want to like miss somebody. Okay, who are my top five? I said, Whitney, Yeah, Anita Baker, Marvin Gay, Stevie and

read the Franklin Franklin mhm. Okay, I'm not gonna I'm just gonna say this one because I just feel like I should say and I do remember where I was. Carl Thomas, Wow, I love Summarine. I mean that was a very deep I wish all of those I meant your body. I mean, I feel like that's a very shout out to Carl talk. I wanted to do it for that reason too, you know what I mean? That is my guy. That is my guy. Yeah, I feel like I should have. I feel like I wanted to

like shout that out. Okay, here we're going on R and B Voltron. You're taking a vocal m Um, how are we breaking down jay a vocal vocal performance style? Yeah? If you're if you're putting together the perfect R and B artists, who do you take the vocal from? Who do you take the style from? Who do you take the performance from and put it all together and a performance and damn, dance moves can be different, right because Rick James a great performer to Michael Jackson, dance different,

you know what I mean. Like, so it's like that's a difference in performance too. You know, are how Mary J Blige she get up there? Yeah? Yeah, but then the cranky Baverly ain't doing no dance moves but he performing, So yeah, these are okay. So the vocals I would take from and this is all R and B. I'm just gonna I'm just gonna say, Stevie, because only you

guys are like you, We don't need your explanations. But I'm saying it's the impact because when I would tour with him, I actually didn't mention this, but I toured with him for a couple of years. We did. When he did the songs in the Key of Life tour, he lost one of his uh singers. They had, you know, some health issues. So I stepped in and he was like, I know, this is not what you do. I was actually working on the album. He was like, but can you just come with me, just help me finish this tour.

And so just watching him every night. I mean the show would start with like loves and Need and then he would literally do the whole album and track order everything all the way too. Yeah, another star, So hearing that every night, all of the nuances vocally that he would have to do Summer solved all those key changes and she's gone. You remember, it keeps going up, and so I just feel like the vocal has to start fair because it's it's just so pure and it's so

you know, it's such a universe her soul sound. I haven't heard anybody who really can replicate that. Nobody's else. It's the light, it's but it's not even it's not because if you look, he doesn't really do a lot of runs all the time, like he can't. It's not. He's done that more in later years. It's not run, it's it's the technique and how he attacks skip a note, like just really real. It's subtle. Everything is real, subtle, but it's still very difficult if you don't know placement

and know how to know where to put those little skips. Technician, it's not easy. But he but he doesn't effortlessly. It doesn't because he's not thinking. He's just he's just being step Wonder is a style. He's a vocal Yes, yes, it's his absolutely, which is where you get stokely, where you get then I come along and follow Brian and

all them that that. Yes, yeah, you don't have to explain Steve get I know I don't have, but I just I just wanted to because to me, when you were look in that audience and you would literally see just the world, you know what I mean, like that he's not he doesn't belong to any race. You know, everybody feels like he's there. Yes, yes, those barriers him putting a lines literally saying directly, like speaking directly to

the issues at hand. I mean I was at a show where he was like, yes, yes, all lives matter, yes, but right now black folks lives are in danger. So that's why we have to say black lives matter. And all y'all in here are black, so it should matter to you. And nobody said nothing because Stevie said it. You know, all y'all got a little black in you, so it should matter to you. So that that's who he is, and that's to me, his voice has attracted

literally every person from every walk of life. So That's why I would start with the core voice being him vocal steviemance performance meaning like just how hard they go pormance. Yeah, would you take and put in in your R and B artists, whether it be it doesn't matter whether they dance or don't dance, doesn't matter. You pick the performance. Stop. Okay, this is gonna sound really weird, but there is something

so magnetic and sensual and connected about Shot. The way that she particulates or the way she performs exists, the way but where she performed, it's like it's it's something. It's just so it's mesmerizing. Can you imagine, Like I know it's aware commendations. Stevie was like moving or like but like that's bomb. I'm roll is just with whose style?

Who style? Style? Like what they look like? They're sweat like the energy, So maybe I should have what they wear like Yeah, I would say Leah only because it's complimentary to like the thing, you know what I mean? Very so yeah, yeah, great style. I mean so many girls who followed that look and absolutely yeah wow yeah she's hot right like that artist that R and B artist has that the level of Stevie with like the sensuality and connectedness of shade got the swag like Leah,

I sign it. Sure, that's so, that's so not probably what I would have thought going into it, but that's just what I felt right now. Yeah, what about I just want to know really quickly. I'm sure you guys have thought about it, like, what would you doing? You're not doing it? Curious, Okay, fair enough, fair enough. We have a part of the show. It is, we could sit it to be a pretty important part of the show. Um, it's card. I ain't saying on names. Will you give

us a story? Funnier fucked up? Are both? And the only rule is you can't say the names of the people that are in the story. Now, you can give hints of who they may be. I mean, because you know, you know everyone this is social media. But and it's like I said, it's either funnier up or both. And the only rule is you can't say their names. Okay, you're a musician, you can start off one time a bank. It's been a few band camps. I don't know if it's a story, like it's not like a long drawn

out big story. But I was at Picular Studio and uh, this particular, another artist walked in. I'm there, I'm just chilling and and so this artist walks in and like the whole like energy like shifts right. So I just immediately like walk out. It's clear that, you know, my presence is offending there. So I was told to me later on that they were like, um, you know, who's the I had like a high butt. Who's the girl with the bun in her head? They're like, oh, no,

she's she's like she's an artist. She's not like just some studio ret just chilling around like ittual sing and so they heard. So I was actually walking in right as that conversation was being had, and um, so they tried to complay at all. I just like, oh, I heard you're a great singer. I heard you what you could sing? You know, so you know, sing something for me. Expect to me to be like probably like I what's wrong with you? Who's wrong with you? So? So no,

so I got to it. I gave that bit everything, the whole. It just it just changed change. It was like yeah, and then it was like all is love. It was love, respect, you know, and endless. And I get it. It's competitive, it's competitive and energy is energy if you don't know, and you like your space a certain way, just like who is this who is this girl? To be here right here? I'm saying I need to

know we are not saying. Um. First of all, you are absolutely amazing, um, from head to toe, spirit, everything about you. Man. I just you know, we've we've always been in awe of you, and we will continue to be and prayerfully our platform will give others an opportunity to be in that same awe. Thank you, that is the goal. UM. We give you nothing but flowers. Thank you for um you you had a beverage um, um those other things having a beverage with us, um, and

thank you actually really like it too. Just giving us a moment um of your time, telling us your story, um, and sharing yourself with the world. You're awesome you and I just have to say, just for what you guys are doing, just for the culture, just for just the integrity of music, specifically R and B music, thank you. Thank you for what you're doing, and for just being

such a light in my life. You know, you guys don't realize just how nurturing you were to me in those years, you know, those earlier years and and even now, just just your words of encouragement means something so so deep to me. So thank you for just being who you guys are. And I I want to see this go just as high as it can go, because you guys got something really special and I love your chemistry. You know, I love being here. And I saw it when I was just looking at clips just as well.

I was like, what am I getting myself into? I was like, Oh, this is gonna be a good time. But I've already loved you guys individually went together. You guys have something really You are you are you are, So thank you for giving me this moment just to just share space with you, ladies and gentlemen. Valentine R and B Money is the production of the Black Effect podcast Network. For more podcasts from I Heart Radio, visit the R Heart Radio, Apple Apple Podcast, or wherever you're

listen to your favorite shows. Don't forget to subscribe to and rate our show, and you can connect with us on social media via at R and B Money podcast or at the Real Tank or at j Valentine H