September Featured User – The Singer
Let’s introduce one of our September featured users…
Meet The Singer. She’s been a member since May 2006.
In the “Singer’s own words”
“This was like receiving an “academy award” in my opinion”
“I was a Christmas baby - born on Wednesday, December 24, 1952, in Bessemer, Alabama. My father was a minister and my mother a teacher and nurse. When I was six months, I was told my dad, searching for better employment, left Alabama and we relocated to Gary, Indiana.”
“I grew up in several neighborhoods and finally settled on Polk Street, not yards from where the Jackson family lived. I attended Garnett Elementary School along with Tito, Jackie, and Jermaine Jackson. They went on to Roosevelt, while I went to Carver. I was nine-years-old and I remember the times when the whole neighborhood would be filled with their music as they practiced. They were not allowed to play with other kids that much. They always kept their heads down and rushed home from school. Eventually, my father and mother separated and my mother took my sister and I back to Alabama, where our grandfather had a ‘family home’.”
Meet The Singer!
“I was shy, but loved music and would come home from church after hearing the spiritual and gospel songs and would repeat what I had heard on our family’s piano. One day, my mother’s piano teacher, Mrs. Willie Emma Smith, heard me, and encouraged my mom to allow me to take music lessons. That was the beginning of my musical career”
“My Uncle was the deacon and janitor of the church. I can still see the deacon standing in the doorway of the church, and asking me “Do you know how to play that thing?” I responded, “No, but I can play some songs”. He said, “Do you want to take some lessons and learn”. My response of course was ‘yes!” He gave me a year’s free lessons with one of the most significant musicians of our town”
“By the age of 12, I was playing organ and leading our Youth Choir and Sunday school. One evening, my aunt brought home some visitors. They were Art Tatum and Lee Morgan. It was a girl’s first love! Lee Morgan was not only handsome, but was a talented horn player with plenty of records to his name. I had no idea of the company I kept. He would sit with me and teach me jazz chords and encourage me to play and sing for myself. He signed his autograph for me and later when I was in college, our family had an opportunity to see him and Art in concert.”
“I continued to play and sing, but during this time, the civil rights movement was at fast pace. One Sunday, we were in church service and on a small transistor radio that one of the members had on IN THE MIDST OF SERVICE, my aunt decided we would leave and make the trek to Selma. Just before approaching the marchers, my aunt, in her Electra 225, slowly pulled up as close as drivers could get and in the midst of soldiers perched in trees with rifles, heavy loaded trucks and other vehicles, opened the doors and told us to get out and walk. Dr. King was surrounded by so many people, but saw my sister and I, and pulled us forward. We walked with him for at least five street blocks. It was like nothing I had ever experienced before”
“While in college, I joined a singing group (SOFTOUCH) and was managed by Billy Henderson, of the Spinners. He prepared us for performing, singing, and taught us all that Motown had been. We were taught to dance by Cholly Atkins, and had musical arrangements and voice lessons by the best. Eventually, we recorded a single entitled “After You Give Your All”…I was the lead vocal. Can you imagine what it was like for four young women to hear their voices on the radio for the firs time? It was like nothing I can even explain now.”
“Eventually, we went on to record an album, “SOFTOUCH’ (you can find our material on YOUTUBE) and I was the lead singer. When the group eventually moved to California, we continued recording and working. We were like the “80′s version of the Supremes. My time in California was wonderful! Because I could play and sing, I was offered positions in the film industry to act, play and perform in several movies.”
Softouch
“After an array of earthquakes, a marriage, a child, I decided that I wanted to turn my attention back to teaching and left California so that I could devote my time to rearing my daughter. I began teaching Middle school Reading and Language Arts and have been happy ever since.”
“In my spare time, I enjoy reading, and playing piano and singing as well as administering advice to the Answers column. My future plans include brushing up my songs list and heading for the shores of Durbin, South Africa to entertain and teach.”
Thanks for reading,
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