QLS Classic: Stephanie Mills

Quest Love Supreme is a production of iHeartRadio. March is Women's History Month as we celebrate at QLs, and we're going to look back at this plastic episode for twenty twenty one with Stephanie Mills, who talks about her incredible music and theater contributions. I love this episode. Hope you enjoyed. Ladies and gentlemen, Welcome to another episode of Quest Love Supreme. Much love and Team Supreme. We got a lay in the house.

Yes, yes, hello, hello, hello.

We got unpaid unpaid bill? Yeah, you's sorry? All right?

What up?

Man man? Yes, sir and Sugar see my whole childhood right now. Huh, I know, Sugar, Stevie Dare Yeah, I'm here.

I'm very excited.

What can I say, Ladies and gentlemen, our guest today, legendary singer is really putting it lightly before the past five decades, she's never lost a step in her powerful vocal range. Be it as a Broadway sensation that came into our lives in the original cast run of The Whiz to our legendary run of hits. Working with some of the greatest producers ever named Phil Ramone for backrack, how David James and Toomey Lucas, George Duke, David Hawkwazinski,

Yeah, I'm honored to be here. Thank you.

How are you today?

I'm good. I'm good in this crazy world we're living in. I'm good.

That's good. That's good. That's good. Yeah, i'd seen you, like, uh at the airport. Yeah, I was three, three years ago. It is either the airport or the train station one and and I could not believe you knew I was alive.

I was like, Hi, I'm Stephanie, and you said hi.

I was like, wow, you know who I am. Thank you? Of course, that is amazing. Yeah, we have a gajillion questions to ask you. So we're just going to start, Okay, I always start with your your origins. Where are you from?

I'm from Brooklyn, New York, but I make my Charlotte, North Carolina. But I'm from Brooklyn.

Why Charlotte?

I live in Charlotte for the last two eight years.

Oh my god, wow you neighbor. Yeah from me.

So my hometown is Greensboro. That's why I'm I was raised in Greensboro. But home is Raleigh. Me and my family we live in Raleigh now.

Oh yeah, but no, that's home. Oh wow, Okay, Stephan music is playing North Carolina. That's what's up. Yeah, everyone's playing in North Carolina. Man, I feel like that's quiet. It's beyond the not even a retirement town, but just everyone I know is relocating there.

Yeah.

Living is easy.

It's not chaotic, you know, it's just and my family, my mom and my dad were from here, so I spent all my summers here as a child, and I have a lot of family here.

So I like that back when you left the city for the summer to live with grandparents.

Or yeah, like you would come and stay with my aunts and my cousins, and like my cousin was here tonight. Helped putting this all together because I challenge when it comes.

To all this kind of guess what so were we.

I like, you know, being able to call them come over to my house to help me. I have an interview tonight.

So Okay, that's cool, that's cool. What part what part of Brooklyn? Where are you from? Jephst bed sty Okay, in the beginning, I mean I know that you were, you know, practically singing out of the womb put just musically speaking, Like when did you when was that voice fully not fully developed? But like when did you realize that you had something that not many people had? That voice? Like how old were you?

I don't think I realized it even till this day. I just like to sing.

I like, I mean, I went to the Apollo and I won six weeks in a row. And the six weeks that I was there, James Brown performed, ROBERTA.

Flacks as well, correct.

Isley Brothers as well. Yes, and then I got a chance to perform with the Isley Brothers and do shows with them. And then after that I auditioned for Maggie Flynn, which was a Broadway show. I was about eleven years old and that ran on Broadway about nine years. And then after that I recorded I Knew It was Love and that's how they heard about me for the for the Whiz.

Okay, I know of your sister Cassandra in the industry, but like the rest of your family are they musically inclined as well?

Or no?

Well, Cassandra was my sister in law. She was married to my brother.

Oh okay, giant records. Yes, oh wow.

She still keeps the she still keeps the name. But she was married to my brother Alan, who's now deceased, May may God.

Rest his soul.

But she managed her and my brother managed me for a while. Yeah, okay, so best of my family are not musically inclined. No, they would us really involved management wise when I was younger in my career.

So all the talent went to you. Yeah, I see, all the talent went to you. Yeah, So in can you just what was I don't think we've yet to interview someone that was part of Showtime or at least amateur nighted the Apollo in the seventies, at least like was it his? Was it as harrowing as the urban legend will lead you to think it was? At least for people that told me.

What did they say about it?

Well, you know everything brutal? Yeah, man, come out, Yeah it wasn't.

It wasn't brutal for me.

You come out and you rub the stuff and everything, and I sang my song, I sang Who's Loving You by the Jackson five and but once in my life zebe Wonder and you sing those songs every every time you go up.

But it wasn't brutal for me. My whole family was around me, and I.

Was very protective, and I was able to go up on stage and watch like James Brown perform and all of that.

So it was I It wasn't a bad experience for me.

You could sing.

She didn't know to be you can sing, so she had allow okay, not a I see okay, So I guess your your career as a recording artist happened after your first play, that's what you just said, or.

After my first play after Maggie Flynn. Then I was signed to Paramount Records, and I recorded.

A record with.

Burt Back, not back because that was with Motown Bert Keys Okay, and I knew it was love came out was a.

Single and Ken Harper, who was a DJ on A what is It A?

And M?

Not A and M but What's the morning station? Not FM, but but AM radio.

He was a jock on AM radio and they were putting together The Wiz and they heard my single and I had gone up for a lot of different things that I didn't get, so I did not want to.

Audition for the Wiz.

My mother made me go that morning and she went with me, and then I auditioned three times after that and they told me I had to roll up.

I did not want to go. I hate auditions.

I don't.

I wouldn't I if.

Someone called and said we'd like to see you for some I would not go. I'm petrified I cannot audition.

Well, but you chose theater so early in life, I know.

But I love theater. I love the state.

In fact, Melbourne Moore and I are working on something that we're going to do uh next year, and we're excited about it because I love Melbourne. I think she's like the queen she I'm I'm on Broadway because of her.

She paid the way, you know.

We talked to her yesterday.

Actually, yeah, she's just brilliant.

So we've been friends for a long time. In fact, Melbourne gave me my first yellow Bick road party when I was Yeah.

Yeah, And how old were you when you did the Wiz? How old you at that time?

I was actually seventeen, but they said I was fifteen. But I was seventeen.

Gotcha, Oh, gotcha? Yeah, okay, so you're a child. So the whiz Yeah, I saw your run when you did it really well. Yeah, he went deep with it. She has the tattoo on her arm. You still have that. I'm sorry what I wouldn't have said that, nod.

You made me sound like a stalker, very.

Much, a stalker, very much. So I think you know what I got to say out of I mean, you could have been one of those mindless people that just does the you know they do the the Japanese characters, not what it represents. You have one of the most unique I approve of your tattoo.

And admit something to me because, in full disclosure, it missed something to me because I said I wanted something that would mean something for the rest of my life. My godfather's Charlie Smalls. He wrote a lot of the music and Charlie passed, so I actually call this his angel, and that's Charlie.

Charlie Smalls was brilliant. In fact, he was the one who actually sat down with me at the piano.

And taught me my songs.

Wow, yeah, I can't wait, I kind of I don't I just can't wait for you to talk about like the home process.

And that song and we're here already, let's go, let's go.

I mean, first of.

All, I had never that was my first time being around like someone like Andre the Shields, who was a brilliant whiz and Jeffrey.

Holder and.

The original wins yes.

Behold the design, the cost stills, and then he later became the director because they fired Gilbert Moses.

But Gilbert Moses was the original director.

Wait, Jeffrey yeah, Nelson Nelson from Boomerang, we got I'm more Boomerang. I barely remember. He was pun Jabbin' Annie.

Okay, yes, yes, and the colon that.

Yeah, he was there. He was seven he was the seven up guy.

Wow.

Yeah, I forgot yes.

So yeah, so the process, Yeah, can you who? I mean, I knew who you were when I was five, But I mean, what was it like to be in the eye of that storm? And you know, because I feel like the whiz was just something that we've never seen before as as black people.

And it was it was amazing.

It was it because you know, being a black shell and and doing the whiz. Of course, the the what do you call the critics hated us. I mean they hated.

We got terrible, terrible reviews when we first opened.

Because my belonged to a big church, Cornerstone Baptist Church in Brooklyn, and Ken Harper's mother belonged to a big church. Before we actually did our our commercial, they would sit, they would come in bus loads and that helped us until we did our commercial. Once we did the commercial for the Whiz, we were fine. But it was it was there was a lot of things working working against us, but we we prevailed. We really prevailed because they did not want us on Broadway.

Wow, you're saying that it was not critically acclaimed. No, no, you know how the movie wasn't either though I get it now, but I just it was too.

Different, right, and it was it was too different and it was all black.

And you know, Judy Garland was.

Right, Julie chat protective of there. Okay, I get it.

And I used to watch The Wizard every year when it would come on.

Never did I imagine that I would play, you know, Dorothy because that was one of my favorite, uh fairy tales.

So can you tell the people who are listening, because everybody didn't get a chance to see your version of a lot of people have seen the movie version. What are the major like different breakdowns between the two.

Well, first of all, I was a young girl, Diane was a woman, and we basically took version from The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. It's just black cass, you know. But the movie was different. It It went somewhere somewhere else. Even though Michael was was in it, and I felt like he was brilliant, and I felt like Diane was brilliant too, But I always was more like The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.

It was just called the Wiz.

The same musical numbers though right like same song.

It's known because Charlie broke all news. We had all original music. We had these on down the road. They had followed the Yellow Bick road. I had home, and she had Somewhere over the Rainbow.

So it was.

In the movie was the original one. We're comparing the movie in the Broadway version.

I was talking about the yes, what you said, but I do have a.

Question though your second label was Motown. Yes, so I would assume that you were kind of in Barry Gordy's radar. So being as though you were Motown, artists pre whiz. Once you got it, How weird was it? Was it ever up in the air that you might do the movie version at all? Like was it even a discussion or when.

They had a different uh uh, there was a different director first, I forget his name, so not Sidney.

It wasn't Sidney Lamet.

They had a different director and it was coming through twentieth Century Fox and they were going to have a meeting with me. But then once Sidney Lamett took over, it was almost definite that Diana was going to play Dorothy. And she would she would come to the show.

All the time, all the time, all the time to study.

You know show. You knew even in the run of the Broadway show that they were going to do a movie adaptation, and yes it was going to.

Okay, But really do they use the person that does Broadway the same people the same person?

So you took it like it's this business, business business.

I didn't, you know, I was.

Such a fan of Diana Ross and all that. I didn't I didn't look at it as a bad thing.

I just that's the way it goes.

I will say, though, because of how Home is associated with you, and that's known as a show stopper. Uh is there a pressure especially with I mean, how long was your your initial one run was? Was it two years? Three years?

Five years?

Wow? Five years?

Bad? Way? For five years? Now?

Understudy or no understudy? Whatsoever?

Oh?

I did have an understudy?

She went on? Maybe for one week?

Okay, people were met that week. Weren't they in five right? One right? One week and five.

Five years? Yeah? That's all they week?

So is it? I mean? You know, I mean, of course when you think of like the show stopper song along with you know, with Jennifer, where I am telling you like home is sort of the you must do a grand slam every night?

Like?

How much pressure was that to sing like your like no audience life depends on it? How much pressure? How hard or is that on your vocals? Every like? Vocally? How much? How hard is that?

It wasn't hard on me at all?

Really, Because I'm a sleeper, I always get sleep. I know I need a certain amount of sleep. And because I started in theater, it teaches you such discipline that you're doing eight shows a week.

You can't do anything else. You know what I'm saying.

You can't go out, you can't party, no, nothing, no, And I'm not a partier anyway, so you can't. You can't do anything else but physically sometimes when I get a cold, it was hard, you know, to sing above that.

But the show must go on. You're taught that in theater. There's no matter if you're sick.

I've had sprain, ankles and everything, but the show must go on. And that's how I was trained and taught.

So it wasn't that hard for me.

I was just gonna ask, did you ever get a chance to talk to Charlie about the lyrics of that song? My father talks about when he wrote that song, he had like nothing and was like eating apples and was going through the struggle. But I was just curious if he ever walked you through where it came from like lyrically. No, he never did.

But we used to sit at the piano and he taught me that song.

And then he also wrote a song called Opening Night, which was a wonderful song. They didn't put it in the show, but he taught me that song. But sitting with Charlie and watching him play and create that music was just awesome, and I was glad that he taught me my song. He was the one who taught me.

Be a Lion is actually my favorite song because it's so positive.

Everybody thinks home is mine, but be a Lion is is really my favorite song in the show.

Thank You. The original Whiz.

Absolutely Ted Ross and Stuve Gillim was the original Scarecrush Aircraft.

Okay, okay, it wasn't Debbie Allen in the chorus Alita.

She was was she was a munchkin.

Wow.

She was understudy for Glinda's Yeah Glinda and who wow.

Really too little to know?

Okay, Okay. I was going to say, at the height of what New York City was during that time period, how are you able to avoid or did you avoid the trappings of what was starting to unfurl in the summer of nineteen seventy seven. I mean, Studio Wars is like a big thing, and you know, like basically the

My mother sat in the dressing room every night.

That's the answer.

There. You go.

With me every night. When I did go out and I went to Studio fifty four, my brothers and my sisters went with me.

You were allowed to go, But what was it like? I didn't mean you got out the house? All right, Great, tell me what's like.

I was allowed to go. Michael and I would go sometimes together.

That's right.

And if people wait, Michael, yes, you just can't, you said Michael casually. Michael, Michael, Michael.

Michael Peters was in the wits too, he was the wing monkey. Yeah. It was the young Road.

Ah okay, wow. So you and Michael Jackson in Studio fifty four. What is that like?

It's exciting?

You know.

Diant Van Furstenburg was there, and and uh Mick Jagger and Andy Walhole. We went out to dinner with Andy Walhole because Michael was being interviewed with uh mister Walhole, and he wanted me to go with him, so we would go after Studio fifty four and have dinner and he would interview Michael.

Was it any truth to the room that you and Michael were seeing each other or were all just friends?

We were so young and you couldn't have told me that. I wasn't going to marry Michael.

I loved.

We were friends. I would braid his hair and I stayed with him, you know, a big afro.

So that's right, okay.

That join I was like, I want to get a j.

Rad And I asked you, seventy, what was the moment when you knew that you and Michael were gonna be we're gonna be friends? Like I do you remember?

Like you you know, it just sort of happened, you know, because I was always around. I was always around the family. I became friends with Hazel and Jermaine, and then I moved to California and I was always at the home, at Jackson's home and always around. I mean I saw the girls outside the gate crying and just go hi. Because Michael liked to drive. He didn't like to drive on a freeway. He liked to drive like right up

Me in there to get it because he knew I would I would get it. I wouldn't let them tell me.

No.

Damn, my thought was the only human being that did that. Oh, we'll just get popcorn, and I don't want to. I just want to buy some popcorn. Yeah, likeley story, that's still nine ninety nine.

Yeah, when you are you mention your earlier stephan You mentioned earlier about your brothers and sisters.

How many of you of you? Was it?

It was six of us, three girls, and where were you? I'm the youngest girl, so.

I was spoil That's why she stayed in the dressing room.

Wow, I get it now.

Your was really when y'all went to the club, they really was protecting you like they were your auntie.

Absolutely, the Brooklyn Mills.

Yes, absolutely, all right, So.

It takes four years for your follow up album? Well, first of all, you only recorded one album for Midtown and wait, I got it. Yeah, it was whose decision was it to work with uh Bert and how as producers? Because you know the last time that they worked with each other was with Dion Worick.

Right.

You know they had like a kind of a legendary split breakup. So you're the project that brings them back together. Like, what was the whole the decision to.

Work with at that time, you know, everybody was making decisions for me, So I don't really know whose idea it was.

All I know is one day I.

Was at Blackres's apartment learning, you know, songs and how David and then were teaching me songs and I'd go to his apartment.

Did you did you know their legacy at that point or just like these are Dion Worrick guys and I don't know.

I didn't know.

Well, yeah, because didn't they write. They wrote for Oh what's the uh, the Team, the Girl and the Guy.

Team, Carpenters, Carpenters, Yes, for the Well.

Only just Begun.

Yeah, So I knew about that because I love the Carpenters, okay, And I would listen to their songs and you know, I just thought, Okay, this is legendary. These are great writers. They're gonna write. But I think it was that album was definitely ahead.

Of its time.

Who else were you listening to?

Like growing up, we didn't really talk about your influences, like what kind of stuff were you were you damning at that time?

Motown, Jackson Fly See, Wanda, Uh, Diana Ross, I just love I wanted to be Diana Ross, you know people, you know, a slide in the family, Stone, Marvin Gay, you know.

Wow.

So when you hit Motown you must have been in awe of your life, like, oh my god, Yes, I can't believe it.

I'm here.

Yeah yeah wow. So with your your third record, you'll work with the legendary James and Too Ma and Reggie Lucas for the next next four albums. Can you talk about, uh, at least the transition to what I mean, I no, no, no, no of you with what you're going to do with my loving I had my father had the second the Motown album, but I came to know you through your

A half of the Whiz And I was signed to twentieth when Alan Livingston was president of twenty set Box and the guy that was president of the Grammys he was he was vice president. Wow, And so they wanted they loved into Man and Lucas, so they wanted us. They put us together. But I wasn't used to singing like love songs that what in two men?

That?

So we sat down and I was like, well, what am I? How am I gonna sing? What are you gonna do with my love? And what what does that mean?

You know?

Okay, to Waka would sing my demos for me, and then I was gonna ask you about her. Oh to Wa sang all of my demos for me, and she and most of the singers that sang with Luther. In fact, Luther Vandros wrote can you feel a brand new day for the Whiz on Broadway?

Yes?

Yes, I was gonna say, like during that period, like uh that whole crew to Watha Lannie Lannie, uh Nnie Groves sang with stevee Qween Guthrie, like that whole whole crew. Were you sort of immersed in that the background fraternity sorority of what New York was offering at the time or was it sort of like you came after the fact like they I.

Came after the fact, but they all sang on my record and I would be there when they would sing, and to Waker with you know, like I said, sing on my demos for me.

But they all say Okay, all.

The backgrounds, what were into me and Lucas were, What were they like in the studio and kind of what was the division of labor between those two in terms of.

How they worked with you.

Oh my god, it was so loving and positive because you know, they were working with Miles Davis at the time.

They were doing the song with ROBERTA.

Flack and Donnie Hathaway, so they had a lot of things going on at that time. But they were so dedicated and so loving. It was the best experience. In fact, just before Reggie passed away, we were going to get together and write some stuff. He was gonna and I was going to try to get them together.

To do something with me.

But wow, So it was Reggie. Was he more of the lyricists than James was more music?

Or how did that was more music?

They both were music and and and I would say Reggie was more of the lyricists, but there was music.

Yeah, got you, got You? Yeah. Two Hearts is like my favorite. I mean I love that song.

Yeah, and singing with Teddy it was good.

Yeah. What was that session like? Do you remember that day?

It was?

It was well, they because I was still still doing I don't think I was doing the wiz at that time, but I was Teddy and I.

Eighty one.

No, I was in California, so they did my vocal first and then they did his. But we were in the studio together to fill the fire. I was like, uh, in Philly International.

Talk about that, please, I'm just begging you.

Teddy was a piece of work.

Teddy was my brother, and uh, you know, when you're that famous and that good looking and all the women, you know, you, they really had to baby him. I didn't baby Teddy. I'd be like, look, let's do this song, Let's get it over it, Let's do it.

You know.

I really talked to him like a sister. But he was loving and I loved working with with Teddy. We wanted to road for like eight months out of a year back then.

Oh wow, it just hit me that I believe Shep was your manager at the same time, because I was trying to figure out how you two hooked up and Courton yes, and I know that he's connected to Teddy. I was going to say, how how did that pairing happen? Was that through him or just that was through Teddy?

I think I was out on the road with them, and I really liked the way they were handling Teddy and everything, and so I just asked them if they could manage me, and they did.

I know she'd been a part of a lot of historical, legendary things, but I was going through some old fifth pictures and I just remembered that you were at something that just s marked history, and that was, Oh my goodness, Stephanie Mills. I found this picture of you at the White House, President Carter's White House for the first Black Music Month.

I remember that picture.

I know my dad, he's a he's a sneaking photographer. He you know, Wow, I did.

I went to the White House twice.

I went to the White House when Carter was there, and I went to the White House when President Reagan was there.

Wow, what was it like to sit out on the lawn of the White House and him dedicate.

It was wonderful to see, you know, the White House, what we built, and just to be there and and have all those people around us sit and talk, and a lot of historical people.

You know.

I remember being a girl and going to Eberneza in Atlanta and meeting you know, correct King used to come and sing it out church at Cornerstone Baptist Church and do uh uh you know how they have bibles. She used to come and do the Bibles and then Daddy King would come and preach. So I got a chance to go to their house and you know, and and and hang out.

You know.

Uh.

Yolanda King was one of my friends. God rest her soul.

So yeah.

And then you know, with a lot of people coming backstage, like I got a chance to meet Alan McGrath and Steve McQueen and Jacquan on Nassas and you know, so many people came back and said hello and brought flowers and but my favorite was Pearl Bailey Wow.

And Ella Fitzgerald Wow.

But not at the same time because that would be the same time.

But they all said the same thing that they always They all said, there's gonna be some wolves out there, but you're gonna be okay.

Just keep going. That's what they said, you just keep going.

It was just and then Pearl Bailey gave me a gift from Birddoffs and I still have it in the box and everything today.

So for your your twentieth century run with in two Main and Lucas because with the second album with a sweet sensation. I know that that was your first real you know pot I mean even though black radio was playing what You're going to do and put your body in It and all that stuff your breakout with never love like this before. It's how like, can you describe at least the song, not the songwriting process, but at least the choice of songs because that was a major,

Like? It was amazing?

But you know what's so funny is that now being sixty three and looking back at at that I didn't have time to stop and smell the roses, you know what I'm saying. Everything was moving so fast, so fast you didn't have time to really like enjoy it. Like I wasn't at the Grammys.

I was working. Teddy picked up the Grammy for me when I won the American Music Awards. I was there, but everything was just happening so fast. You know, I didn't get a time to like.

Enjoy it and be in the moments. Wow.

At that time, my family I was controlling everything, So I guess they thought it was better for.

Me to be on a road than I got one question. Wait, I gotta get this out. Let me get this out please. All right? So all right, fifty year old Quest Love is not asking this question. Nine year old Amir Thompson is asking this question that kiv nine year Oldimir Thompson. So, nine year Oldimir Thompson has an aunt who owns a beauty salon, and where any beauty salon in America? There is an overabundance of Jet and Ebony magazines, and so that's basically where you get all your information about any

Well, you know, Jeffery and I dated for like six months. Somebody from RCA introduced us. They felt like, oh, Stephanie, you would like Jeffery.

He's so much funny.

Because I was so my family was very guarded with me, okay, and when we Jeffrey and I would go on dates, my brother and my sister had to go with us.

It was that oh wow.

So I was ready to kind of like get out of the house. And Jeffrey was just so much fun. So we got married. You know. He said you want to marry me?

And I said yes, And we thought that I was going to have a big wedding everything, but my family was very.

Much against it.

So how old were you at that time?

I was twenty two, Okay, I knew it wasn't crazy jef So I ran away to uh uh, what's the preacher?

Very nice house? James Cleveland.

Yeah, James Cleveland married us?

Why right now? A little brown black history facts? Oh my god, are you serious?

James Cleveland married us? Yep.

He took us to Beverly Hills, bought our rings, everything, and that night he was preaching at a church and I'm telling you, the god down the street he was teaching.

James Cleveland, James Cleveland, Yes, James, Reverend James leaving the.

Right, I know who that is.

And we went to the church. He stopped the service of what he was doing. He married Jeffrey and I and then we left.

When you said that the castle and stuff, we went out for ice cream and then Michael and then Michael. Right, was Michael there? This is like earlier after Michael, Wow, that is crazy. Yeah, I was saying that I'd never I mean, my my first foray into beauty shop girlfriend talk girl.

Rea, and why I put Jeffrey sent me those wedding pictures and and because one of our friends had had them, so he said, I'm gonna send you because he lives in Nigeria.

Now he just had a beautiful Wow what baby girl?

Yes, dang, when it's still worked, they still use it.

Jeffrey had just had a girl, right. Why I thought, I told you, we won't stop. We can't stop, we can't.

I put it on because I heard that there was so much talk of who actually taught Michael the moonwalks walk that it was Casper and Jeffrey.

Because I was at those rehearsals, so I know I was there.

Wait, I was going to say, I was going to say, and one of your performances of the Medicine song, you actually broke out into the moonwalk.

Yes, I did.

How could I live in.

Hills? How could I live with him and they rehearsal all the time and not know how to do it? Of course? Yes, I need to see that.

I knew thousands of hours of watching the solitary would help me to Wow, that's crazy. Yeah, so okay, I'm just trying to go through everything.

So any questions.

What else did nine year old get into? I'm just interested. Like nine year old a mere at the barbershop.

I just do.

There's nothing to do but sit there and read Jet all the Jets and wait for my my grandmam to get her hair done at at nine pm. Second, go home, I'm impressed and read them.

I just went for the photos of the week.

I would start of at the back. I would start reading them at the back. I always see you jet backwards. Yeah, I want to see the albums. That's what they have read. The first twelve pages of Jet Ever my life fact you starting backwards and then you end after photos of them after after the Jet beauty the week. Right, that's it. That is over.

Not a deep dive, but not the deep dive. But Stephanie, you've been to that. You went to the Ebony and Jet building before?

Right? Oh?

Yes, can you tell people because they have no idea of the layout of the floors, and the colors were kind of like the whiz right where every floor. Yeah, and the kitchen it was a different color every floor.

It was a different color every floor.

And they had big posters of all the jets and the magazines and the covers, and they had lunch.

You would go and have lunch free, soulfuld lunch free.

I had it. I've met a couple of times.

Yeah, there's a I'm on the board the Museum and Modern Art of Food. Well, there's going to be a food museum coming in I thing like twenty twenty five. But they just purchased that kitchen, and that kitchen had to be delivered like in the state that it's always been in sermon you hear of like people like tearing

Because I love the song? I love Prince. I got a chance to meet Prince and go to Paisley Park when Prince was honored at the Soul Train Awards. Somebody else was going to sing how Come you Don't Call Me? And he called me personally and and switched it and wanted me to sing the song on the train Awards.

Yeah, so I I just think Prince is a genius and I wanted to open with that on the album.

There was a producer you worked with on on the Sweet Sensation album that I've We've never had anyone on the show that has been able to talk about him if if you knew herb huber Eves who did all the D train stuff.

Hubert's played piano and stuff for all my stuff on Into May and Lucas.

Yeah, what was he like because I've we've never we've never had anyone that you know, was able to talk to about it.

He was just a cool dude, just with.

Sitting in the studio and just because most of the time when I did all my stuff with Intu May, I was in the studio live with my band with the band Okay God would be in the booth and they would be.

Playing, and he was just a cool He was an easy going, beautiful brother. He was just easy going.

That's what's up.

Because all that D trains though, I mean that was my you know, I was a kid and I played that stuff. My mom used to play that stuff.

All the time.

Yeah, he was cool.

That's what's up.

I know that.

Uh, you worked with uh Hawk was David Hawk was from from Rufus. I have to Okay, So I heard a rumor that were you supposed to be the initial recipient of Ain't Nobody? I know that according to Shaka, that was a last minute like Rufus getting that song was the last minute resort because initially I believe that the talk was that Cimbello, Michael Simbelo and Hawk Wazinski was trying to place it on Thriller didn't make it.

I wasn't offered. I wasn't offered. I wish that I was, though, but I wasn't. I wasn't offered that song. No, okay, but you know Patty was supposed to do I feel Good all over and wowed and took the song. You know, songs are taken from artists every day.

Are you aware of how of hip hop's relationship to something? That way? You made me feel you would cut it up free fat Joe?

I love that, Joe. But yeah, you know they told me about it. Kick Cabre definitely told me about it and.

Fat Joe you finally did it with him, I believe last year like live where he Yes, we were at I was at.

My manager's charity event and uh uh Indianapolis.

Uh yeah, they still got it. Good for them, and uh I.

Did it with him. We went to the there was there's a white party that they had and I got on stage and did it with him.

That's so dope.

We recorded We were going to record it and Teddy Rowley was going to do it, but I don't. I think it kind of just like fell apart. But I was going to sing it over with him and let him do his thing.

So at that time, they were just explaining to you what that song meant to the hip hop nation, like you you were just unaware.

I was unaware of it.

Yeah, so for our listeners, so yeah, for our listeners out there. With the advent of like mixtapes and being a kick, Capri was sort of out the gate as one of the very first like mixtape pioneers or what we know is mixtapes. It was just a radical idea back in the day to take a cappella well, first of all, to fine any a cappella versions of songs

Yeah, kid was smart enough to know that, like you put that vocal under just a raw breakbeat and the key would match because it's just a raw when you had other duties there just be putting may be putting vocals under whatever and I'm like anything, I'm like, this is not match at all.

Yeah.

So yeah, that that became. That was like one of kick Capri's signature mixes. No kick Capre party would be complete without him opening up his For thirty years, he would open up his set with Stephanie Mills and Impeach the President. So wow, yeah to see that happen that was like super legendary. Yeah, yeah, you know, it was super legendary. Stephanie again, like we're also using you as

Like?

What was his position?

He was head of A and R. But he did everything. He did all my mixes. He did the remixes of Power of Love and a lot of songs. I loved working with lol.

Lull had a great ear. I mean he had a great ear. He was working with you know, a New Edition and Bobby Brown and all of that. He put all that stuff together. He put them all all together and worked and and he was the one who chose my songs. And when things didn't work out with one producer, Jerald Buzzby would come and take that song and give it to another producer. Jerald Busby and Lull worked hand in hand.

Yeah, I was going to say he discribed what was what were they like? Because it's hard to find anyone that was really, you know, in proximity to where they were at the time.

I was with them a lot.

I would go up to the to the office a lot. They were just cool guys.

I always had lunch with with Joe Busby and Louel. I would go to the basketball games with him because Lowell later on was dating Cassandra, you know, was a manager at the time. So I was with loll And over Lowell's house all the time. And Joe Busby we became close, very close.

I also know that you uh worked with Richard Rudolph and also with Rod Temperton. Yes, well, I know that he did.

I've working with Rod Templeton. Now. He was a genius with background vocals and making and blending things together. Oh my god. And he was the nicest, nicest, most humble guy.

He was.

So I was going to ask, like, how much of a task master was he with his background vocal stacking, Like, oh, was he super intense?

Yes it was.

It was intense, but he wasn't mean about it. He wasn't like okay, he was very nice about it.

And I was used to working in the studio and as long as you get me in the studio.

Early, I'm good. I don't do night time student because I go to bed early. I get sleepy, but early in the day, I'm good.

So I loved it and I learned so much.

So an average session, how long could your voice last before it's starting to give out? Like are you good? For two hours? And then it's like stop?

But I do I don't.

I don't beat a song. I do one or two takes and that's it because I do my homework at home. So I'm not you know, I'm not gonna sing all day. I've never I've never been one to sing all day. Most of my songs are done in one take.

That takes. That's it. We got to fix with it. But other than that one or two, do it right?

Do it?

I love it? Wow?

Do you do you think do you think that like and of course God given talent is definitely a part of it, but do you think that like your theater background has a lot to do with that?

Oh?

Absolutely absolutely.

My theater background definitely definitely taught me the discipline. You know, I was They knew that when I came in the studio, I was going to be ready.

I was going to know my songs, and that's it.

My theater background and being in theater and and being around those because I was around like Liza Minelli and Rivera and and all these legendary theater people. Broadway was like a community, So I learned, and I and I was the kind that would just sit and watch. I wouldn't talk when other people was working. I'd watch the director because I found that fascinating. So I would just sit and watch and learn. And and Cheetah was became very good friends with me, and and and I did

Me another one. Did you got Eliza?

I had it, but he forgot that Liza gave it to him, and she reminded him, and so then he came to the theater and got it, and then he brought me another one.

Wow, you had a relationship with Liza like y'all have. Actually, I mean, miss Manelli, y'all had a relationship where you were actually speak to you.

Respect, you know, because she was there was nobody bigger on Broadway than Liza Manilla right right, geta Rivera, you know, And and then Pippin and Ben Vereen and all those people.

I just learned from all of them.

I asked about Liza specifically because you remixed the role of her mother. So I was just curious if that that ever came into conversation or she ever lets you know that she was aware.

She was aware, and she felt like I did a good job, and she told me not to worry about what people said.

Yes, we were wanted to know your work with Nick Martinelli was yeah. Was that like were you a fan of the loose end stuff that he had done?

Like before that? Like how did y'all hook up?

I think Louel put that together and then Philadelphia and I went to his house and we talked about it. But Nick allowed me to be free, like the first part of Home. I wrote that I and I told Nick that I wanted Home to be a little bit more urban because I was coming out. You know, I had done the Whiz, but I wanted to be a little bit more urban. And I wanted people to remember.

How great Charlie Small songs were. I didn't want them to forget, you know.

So when we went in the studio and take six, did the backgrounds, Oh, that's them, I didn't.

Let's take six casual flex n Wow, yeah I can.

I can hear you saying it because I well maybe as was because you know, I was thinking particular about if I were your woman, and how that just sounds like nothing that he had done like previously before that.

It sounds nothing like the loosen stuff for like none of that. I was going to say, that's his first parade outside of eight o eight.

Yeah, Jam and Lewis.

DNA talked.

I loved Nick. I mean even when Nick went to prison, I went to visit him there.

Oh he's at the prison. Yeah, that's why we gotta interview Nick Martin. By the way, I missed that. Jimmy Jam actually told me you guys got to interview them and find out why.

I gotta google that. Damn all right, No I.

Didn't know my so yeah, no, we we definitely got to get Nick Martinelli episode out because yeah, it's a story, it's a story. I was going to say, why did you decide to reclaim or recover Home in eighty nine when for the home album?

Because so many of the cast members had passed on and I just wanted people to remember and I wanted to.

Do a tribute, and that was my tribute to the original.

Cast members, to Charlie Smalls and Ken Harper and Charles who was our director, and a lot of people that passed.

On, even Michael Peters, Yes, Michael Peters, Yes.

So okay, after I asked about Angela, well, I mean there's so many other producers. Well, first of all working with Angela Wimbush. I know she wrote those songs, but does she actually produce power love and something that make me feel as well?

Or well, I won't tell you the story about Power Love. I'm not gonna tell that story.

But they started producing it and then Gerald had to come in and take it and give it to have Mercy cursy, cursy, and he finished it. But yes, she wrote Power of Love was originally power of God. Angela wrote and produced something in the Way You Make Me Feel and uh uh another.

Song on my album.

But I think Angela is a brilliant writer and producer. She's one of my good friends.

That's what's up. And she still she's still like like active and stuff.

She's still like helpwise, she's well, yes, going to the church now, but she's still act that.

You know, I get her to do a song and stuff. But she's still active.

Yeah, she sang at a AT's funeral. Oh wow, oh man, I know that was a little weird. Yeah, like me and me and di'angelo were her impromptu band. Oh but we were at the Apollo first of all. I was at the Apollo and then like, oh, we're playing angel Tino Angeli Wick. So we're like winging it. But she's also kind of quasi throwing us under the bus because we know the chord changes. Like I was just here to look at the casket and leave. Now I'm playing drums with you. Okay.

I was gonna ask seventy who are like you mentioned Angelo, you mentioned Twala and Elba, But who are your your sisters and song like the ladies especially you've been catching on during these these times.

Yeah, did you have a crew? Like who were your BFFs? Like people that you could.

Lean on and they're not in the industry though, Wow, that's what I meant. I thought somebody who you were going through it. You're both going through the same, you know.

The only person that probably uh would be Angela. It's hard to be friends with sometimes the women in the business because it's.

A different kind of thing, you know, it's hard. It's hard, oh, Ques.

Who said that?

And you said earlier that the record label and your family kind of controlled a lot of stuff. So I thought about that, and I was like, I wonder if it was at times where it was like pitting against and whatnot, because you know the whole mentality of there can only be one and what.

I never had that mentality, not you, but but I'm saying like there are some artists that really do have that mentality. But I always competed with myself being better for myself. You know, I tried to be better or sing better than anybody else. I just did me and that always worked for me.

That worked because there is no like you know, she just like Stephanie Mills.

There's no no, no, you know there was, now that I think about it, there's a There was a kind of a what do you call it? For Christmas? When they do no no, no, not a Christmas album. But a friend of mine took me to a church in Harlem, and this church it's like six thousand seats. I just remember it was you and Felicia Rashad. I saw is that when they.

Had the real live animals and stuff.

Oh no, that we didn't have real live animals, but we did Black Nativity.

Oh yo, I was going to say, okay the night the night I finished Master in il Adelph Half Life, I got off early, and friends of Mine is like, yo, we're gonna see Stephanie Mills go singing at a church this Nativity thing, and like Felicia Rashad was the narrator, and what was always wanted to know because the thing was they were doing it was the story of Black Nativity scene. But it was a sold out audience, and

Felt like I think I did I feel good all over? And I think I did home or something. I don't think I did feel the fire.

I swear it was like three or four songs, and I was like, Okay, how they going to incorporate this one? But anyway, but yeah, how how did they how did that come to be?

They they wanted they felt like if people came to see it, they'd want to hear me sing something that that people know for right, Okay, that they're more famili we're with then just that and that's how they wanted to sell it.

Okay. I was a board. I was like, okay, to reinterpret all of your songs through the gospel filtering. I thought that was Matt clever. So I wanted to know was that something that you would return to or I didn't know if maybe that point in your life you were just going to do non secular versions of your regular Songho.

I did one.

Gospel album and everybody all thought, oh, she's doing gospel now, But I wanted to do you know, I eventually would love to do a Broadway album.

And sing yeah, oh wow tune. So I want to do that.

That was one of the reasons why I left MCA, because they no longer Well first, I didn't want to record contract anymore. I just wanted to kind of do what I wanted to do, and so I'd love to do a Broadway album.

We got two Broadway show producer and composers right here on this uh we do you you?

That guy?

You? And William Bill that guy.

I was just gonna ask along those lines, Ms Mills, how do you feel about being one of the only that I can think of at the moment or at all like Broadway folk who began as a Broadway person and then graduated into pop star them if there are plenty who are pop stars who take on stunt rolls and musicals, but you're one of the only people I can think of who began as a Broadway person and then became this sort of big pop sensation.

What is that like?

I can't even think of anybody else who's along those lines.

They always reminded me of that. They always like, Stephanie, it's really odd that you came from Broadway. Usually Broadway people don't have the voice to be commercial, and that's me.

It's a different voice.

It's a different It really is a different voice. But I don't really know how I did it. I mean, I get I have to.

Really thank the producers. And I never really left. I never let I never left my soul. Even though I was on Broadway and singing, I still kept my soul. I think I didn't like turn into this Broadway singer.

Did they try to change you though? Like I mean, like Broadways known for vibroadbo and like epic whatever it is, and I don't at.

All then sound. Yeah, you know that whiny kind of sound.

But I uh, they tried to change me later in my career. They wanted me to take some of the soul out of my voice because they wanted me to be so. They would say, you're sounding a little bit too black. I mean, even my videos and things were never played on MTV or v h one because they said I was too black.

Oh, I was gonna say, I remember you did a song that I thought was kind of to me, it felt like a comeback, so to speak, when you did I Just Want Love and it was it was on the Strictly Business soundtrack. I would never get this song soundtrack. It was on the it was on the Strictly Business soundtrack. It's the last song. It's the Streetly Business, the movie with Halle Berry and Tommy Davis and I Can't Home from the Cosby Show, Super classic.

Remember that song, God, literally I can't because we used.

To I just want to from you, I just want you love from you. It was on the it was the first song on the soundtrack, but it's the last jam in the movie.

It sounds nineties very I was in like.

Seventh grade, but but I was. But but the thing was because it was other people on that soundtrack. I think I think like Mary was on that soundtrack, and I just remember Uptown m A.

And you know it was Mary, Patti LaBelle, Jody Watley, myself and we were all on m c A. We would always come out first quarter, second quarter, third quarter, fourth quarter, released by records.

Well at least, yeah, same time.

That's good.

I thought that was just a good way of them kind of uh you know, it was a voice that was familiar to me, and I heard it and I was like, man, they found a way to, you know, make material that puts Stephanie in like a modern day context, you know. And it didn't sound like like you said, you know, it sounded like you were still you were still doing you. You weren't trying to do like what the younger generation was doing. It didn't sound like you

My question is, as as a quote real singer or a singer singer.

How what's your funny.

Not questions even funny?

As a real singer? How hard is it to make sense where we are now? This is not not like to dispara or bring no no, no no.

I love it Stephanie Mills. I love it.

Let's go No Oh wait what am I missing?

Oh?

On Twitter? I forgot?

Oh?

I just.

I just love that she don't hold her tongue.

That's what I forgot. Yes, I totally forgot you bring smoke to Sam about Michael Jackson. I forgot about that. But I mean, just where we where we are now, Where we are now where? I mean, you know what music is now, I don't have to auto tune everything. Yeah,

Well, I think that they've just kind of like killed dur and B. They're trying to but we're trying to hold on to it as you know. No, I think it's very easy for people today to become pop stars, and they use the word legends and icons and things very loosely.

And I think that's why.

A lot of people can't sing live. I mean a lot of shows are taped. A lot of shows, you'd be surprised. I've been on the road with quite a few artists and mostly predominantly.

All their whole show is taped.

Yeah.

So, but I come from theater, you know, and I'm so glad, I'm so thankful every day that you know, I've learned how to sing, whether I can hit that note that night, or point to my background singer and hit it. But what I do before I go on the road is I sing all my songs every day so that I can sound somewhat like I sounded, you know, and people won't be scared to hear me. I do

I don't think that you'll hear this music today. One I don't.

I'm trying to think in my head like you. I'm sorry, I was trying to argue that fact, but okay.

I don't do I don't know. I mean, I love Jasmine Sullivan, but I feel I love her as a vocalist, uh a, Deborah Cox. I think it's a brilliant vocalist.

And but that's still not in this in the next to ten years, in this last years, that's not that's.

Not like immediate, Like do you think that we'll hear Cardi b stuffed ten to fifteen years from now, no man, So you know that.

And that's not to take away from anybody.

I'm not because I don't knock anybody's hustling, But I just don't think that you know their music is going to last ten to fifteen year Miss Stephan.

I was gonna ask so with your jam with hip hop? When hip hop, you know, kind of came into the just into the industry. You know, every episode of Unsung they all have the same story. It's like they they were doing great and then rap and it was over.

You know what I'm saying. How what was it like for you?

You know what I'm saying when you saw the industry kind of starting to shift and you saw what hip hop was becoming.

What was that like for you? And what was your relationship to hip hop? If any I didn't have.

A relationship with hip hop, but I enjoyed it. I mean, I don't know, I guess something different because I just I just keep doing me. I just kept doing what I did.

I didn't try to change and try to adapt, you know, I just I just kept doing another version of me whatever that you know, just keep doing another version of me.

I love hip hop, you know I I would I Oh my Christmas album, I wrapped, I wrapped the Red Bars.

You know, yes, I don't know.

I just I you know, everybody has their thing to do, and I think, you know, hey, you just keep on going and to come back around.

I've seen it, but it didn't bother you like the Unsung bother me.

No.

I didn't freak out about it now because I could always go and do theater. I can do other things. So I didn't. I didn't like, Oh god, No, I didn't want anymore anyway.

If there was a show, what would the show? Is there a show you have in mind that you would love to do as far as a theater.

Yes, Melody and I are going to do run It's woman show Happen. We're writing it now.

Oh yes, I'm here. We're here for that.

We're writing.

Melbourne is just wonderful on stage.

We did a we did a show called If You Had to Talk, and it was just wonderful being on stage with her.

Talk recently and that she was like, let's work together. I said, let's do it. We found a writer. So they're writing it now.

Oh it's good. Get my ears ready, Okay, since I wasn't going to ask the question, but I mine as well. Have you heard back from Sam Smith? Quiet back at him? Oh, I only forgot about that's she brought smoke. I love.

You know what it is? This is really what it is about it.

People don't really know my personality because I've always just been a singer.

And on Broadway. But I'm really just a hood girl from Brooklyn. You know what I'm saying. I'm really just that that girl. And I love Michael.

He's not here to take care of herself and I to speak up for herself. And I get tired of people who I know have copied sounds. I mean, Sam Smith is nothing but Sylvester all over.

Yeah.

So you know when you say you don't like our music, how can you say that? So I really had to.

I felt like I have to say something. And my manager's always like, Okay, I'm gonna let you say this, but you gotta say it like this, because sometimes I just think people need to back off.

I don't like when they they need an education, and they need an.

Education, they need it, And I don't think people should say things about people and they're not here to defend themselves.

I mean, if you wanted to.

It's just like when fifty was talking about Michael and you know, and then his daughter said, please don't talk about my father, and then fifty wanted to, you know, go, she's a child, you know, so I kind of I said, why don't you talk to me? I'm more your speed, I'm older, you know, so I just I just don't like when people are bullies.

I don't like bullies. I don't.

There you go, Stephanie Miles. I'm telling you, Stephie Mills Yon word, they sat in Twitter on fire.

Okay, she doesn't play, Leon does not play. And you know who didn't play, Aretha? Aretha didn't play.

She didn't really. Oh now what was she like? Did you y'all have worked together or anything? Were y'all just colleagues.

I lived in Detroit for a couple of years and she used to come. I did a play there and she used to come and see me, and towards.

The end of her life we would talk.

I talked to her about two months before she passed away, and she told me a lot of things about Motown and how Barry started it and how her sister was involved. And her father, And it's a conversation I could never talk about. But I loved Aretha. But Aretha took no prisoners. When I tell you she didn't, she didn't.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, So I you know, I guess in closing, I would just like to know from this journey you had, like, what is your in a career with so many highlights in it, what is your like, your your favorite what means the most to you of your entire journey, your creative journey, That I'm still.

Here, that I didn't get on drugs.

I didn't, you know, because I think about Whitney, and I think about Michael, and I think about Prince, I think about Gerald and.

So many times as artists, we have so much pressure and wait on us that just destroys us.

And people don't really understand sometimes what an artist is going through.

So I think that I'm still.

Here and somewhat my right mind, and and that I enjoyed it. I'm able to enjoy it and sit back and relax and just enjoy it.

I was going to ask you earlier because you were saying that you know, when you look back over your career and just over your life, it was all kind of going really fast and you never really had a chance taking in in what ways, if any has twenty twenty like with us being kind of locked down with COVID and everything, what has that given you a chance? What is this year giving you a chance to reflect on and you know, kind of change or any shifts that you may be making in your life now?

You know, when I turned forty forty five, I had my son, and I didn't I didn't have a It all changed for me when I separed my ties with MCA because I didn't want to be a fortying artist anymore.

And what year was that around? What time?

Oh my, I was looking the nineties. Okay, the nineties, yeah, and I just I slowed down.

But it wasn't until i'd like hit fifty fifty five and I was like, oh man, you.

Know, I like this.

But my sixth seas have been the best. Really, oh my sixties have. Really. I don't care what I.

Say.

I don't care about nothing.

I can't wait.

So it's like, I don't care what you say about me. I don't care, you know, It's just you don't care. It's but when you're like in the thirties, you're caring about what everybody. The sixties have been just wonderful. My fifties and my sixties have been just wonderful.

Yeah, that's so great. Twenty one. Yeah, I was gonna say, you look amazing, amazing.

Before in March.

You look like that same little lady I saw on stage when I was six.

Yeah, they're all in here.

You and melbur got something going on.

I don't know.

I don't want to hold you a little secrets, but you and Melbourn, they got something going on.

You know what I think it is.

I just think I get a lot of sleep. I don't really smoke or anything. And I just started drinking wine at sixties.

What really?

That's yes, I just.

What they start drowning to me because I just started that, uh earlier this year.

And everyone you're drinking now.

Yes, the rest of the.

Ve been drinking since we was seing.

They I just started.

I just started.

Thank you, you've been missing out.

Wait a minute, wait a minute, this all right, this one, this one thing I gotta know, okay, Senior in concert once Yes, and you're doing if I was your woman, mm hmm, and you always did it. You had a chair as a prop.

Yes, four chairs.

Yeah, okay, this is what I gotta know. I don't know if it was just the Philadelphia air, but you went extra on throwing that chair above your head in a way it was almost like a no look pass from Like I just want to know in performing that

Or I was to throw it but not not probably like that. But sometimes I get so involved and I go to another.

Space on stage.

So that was probably one of the nights that I was in another space. Maybe my boyfriend made me mad or something, I don't know, and I just took it out on the chair.

That was Olympic level of chair throwing, which.

I was like, those chids were really light though, they weren't heavy.

They were really like, what's your sign, Stephanie, I'm ari, Oh yeah, you do that?

Okay?

Can I just.

Ask before we go? Because I asked Melb this, and I think we should probably just get in the habit of doing this, Like for folks that are listening that love you and being a fan and stuff like, where do you tell them, especially in COVID, like how to support you and make sure that they are tuned into how they can support you.

On my I G, I'm on i G, I'm on Twitter and.

Had you for sharing too. On IG you share your story with your son and whatnot.

And I just have my story with my son and I talk about people a little bit, but not too bad. I don't think, you know. I just kind of keep them straight a little bit.

To somebody got to.

Just a little bit. But people kind of get afraid or whatever don't want to talk to me. But that's cool.

Ever, we should have a counsel for this kind of ship. You should have help and tap somebody in.

But I think people should say, I mean, this year has been so tough on everybody. I have crazy faith, you know, my faith has always gotten me through situations and I just think people need to wear their masks and wash their hands and it. You know, I guess some people will take the vaccine. I don't think I'm gonna take the vaccine. I'm gonna wait and see you. I wait and see what they're doing, because I don't trust it.

That's you know, Spring, We cain't, none of us take it right now anyway, Let's just wait for the fourth match to get their second shot, you.

Know, exactly get that iPad never first generation, right, exactly right.

Well, once again, we thank you for doing our show, and I'm happy you said you agreed to do it's.

Going to have you invited me. Thank you so much. I've had a good time.

And you live in North Carolina. I'm so proud I did all this time. Man, Yes, Carolin, I love you.

New York too, but I could never live in New York again.

It's to get too over that ship. Oh I'm too old for it. I'm too old for that ship. A love.

And he rich yet we're not even Just wait till February then I'll join you know. All right, y'all, let me wrap this up. We'll be having Flo and uh unpaid Bill and Sugar Steve Sugar stevens Okay, just thank you for all the music think thank you all right? Uh yeah, thank you once again to our special guest Stephanemils on Quest Love Supreme. We will see you on the next greground. Have a great twenty twenty one people you next time. Thank you, yo, what's up? This is fante.