1 00:00:09,640 --> 00:00:13,200 Speaker 1: Welcome back to the Bob Leftstitch podcast. I guess today 2 00:00:13,320 --> 00:00:16,639 Speaker 1: is one and only Betty. Looked at Betty, what would 3 00:00:16,640 --> 00:00:19,080 Speaker 1: look like growing up in Detroit of the fifties. 4 00:00:19,520 --> 00:00:22,200 Speaker 2: I didn't necessarily grow up in Detroit. Grew up in 5 00:00:22,360 --> 00:00:26,280 Speaker 2: show business, so it was like when I was young 6 00:00:26,640 --> 00:00:31,440 Speaker 2: in Detroit, I was in show business. My granddaughter right 7 00:00:31,520 --> 00:00:35,479 Speaker 2: now is doing a documentary they're putting together for the 8 00:00:35,600 --> 00:00:39,279 Speaker 2: area that I grew up in Detroit, on the North End. 9 00:00:39,880 --> 00:00:45,559 Speaker 2: It's being declared historical this year. The North End is 10 00:00:45,640 --> 00:00:51,120 Speaker 2: where blacks moved from what was called Black Bottom. Sarah Vaughan, 11 00:00:51,520 --> 00:00:55,920 Speaker 2: Willie John, one of the Temptations, Smokey Robinson lived across 12 00:00:55,960 --> 00:01:00,640 Speaker 2: the alley from man Orrita lived across the street from him. 13 00:01:01,120 --> 00:01:04,360 Speaker 2: One of the biggest black stars of the early forties, 14 00:01:04,600 --> 00:01:09,720 Speaker 2: early fifties and mid fifties, Sugar shild Robinson, lived on 15 00:01:09,760 --> 00:01:13,720 Speaker 2: the next block from me. So it's quite a historical area. 16 00:01:13,880 --> 00:01:21,919 Speaker 2: Jackie Wilson del Reese. So I didn't know those people 17 00:01:22,160 --> 00:01:26,959 Speaker 2: until I started to sing, and the first time that 18 00:01:27,000 --> 00:01:30,520 Speaker 2: I went on stage was the first time I'd ever 19 00:01:30,600 --> 00:01:32,600 Speaker 2: seen the stage. 20 00:01:33,200 --> 00:01:36,120 Speaker 1: Let's go back, So what did your parents do for 21 00:01:36,160 --> 00:01:36,559 Speaker 1: a living. 22 00:01:37,400 --> 00:01:41,440 Speaker 2: Well, everybody's parents worked for General Motors, and so Chrisler's 23 00:01:41,520 --> 00:01:43,800 Speaker 2: I'm a General Motors baby. 24 00:01:45,120 --> 00:01:46,880 Speaker 1: Which company? Did your father work for? 25 00:01:47,280 --> 00:01:51,400 Speaker 2: General Motors? Everybody in my family worked for General Motors, 26 00:01:51,400 --> 00:01:55,720 Speaker 2: And it was almost like a Clannish or Cripson Bloods 27 00:01:55,840 --> 00:01:59,760 Speaker 2: kind of thing. It's like everybody's family worked at the 28 00:02:00,320 --> 00:02:03,880 Speaker 2: place because you could get your relative job if you 29 00:02:04,000 --> 00:02:08,440 Speaker 2: work there. So most of my family worked at all 30 00:02:08,480 --> 00:02:12,520 Speaker 2: of the General Motors companies and the part plants from 31 00:02:12,560 --> 00:02:17,440 Speaker 2: Canada to Muskegon, Michigan, where they made parts, which is 32 00:02:17,440 --> 00:02:21,240 Speaker 2: where my parents came to from Louisiana. 33 00:02:21,480 --> 00:02:24,600 Speaker 1: Tell me about your parents leaving Louisiana come into Muskegan. 34 00:02:25,919 --> 00:02:31,080 Speaker 2: Well, that's where I was born. And in nineteen forty six, 35 00:02:31,639 --> 00:02:35,040 Speaker 2: certainly if you were black, you could not drop in 36 00:02:35,080 --> 00:02:38,240 Speaker 2: on the bar after work and have a drink. You 37 00:02:38,280 --> 00:02:41,600 Speaker 2: had to come to my house and my parents sol 38 00:02:41,680 --> 00:02:45,080 Speaker 2: corn liquor. We had a jukebox in the living room, 39 00:02:45,600 --> 00:02:49,960 Speaker 2: which is how I learned all of my songs until 40 00:02:50,000 --> 00:02:54,080 Speaker 2: I was three, So my repertoire consisted of the songs 41 00:02:54,080 --> 00:02:58,320 Speaker 2: that were on the jukebox until I was three, and 42 00:02:58,440 --> 00:03:00,440 Speaker 2: I had developed my own. 43 00:03:02,280 --> 00:03:04,880 Speaker 1: Do you remember what songs from the jukebox. 44 00:03:04,919 --> 00:03:07,320 Speaker 2: Well, not all of them, but a song that I 45 00:03:07,480 --> 00:03:10,440 Speaker 2: do on my show even now, a song a woman 46 00:03:10,480 --> 00:03:13,320 Speaker 2: whose name was Annie Laurie, and it was called it 47 00:03:13,400 --> 00:03:18,400 Speaker 2: Hurts to Be in Love. And I could when I 48 00:03:18,440 --> 00:03:21,240 Speaker 2: tell the audience when I do it now. They used 49 00:03:21,240 --> 00:03:24,520 Speaker 2: to stand me on top of the jukebox and I 50 00:03:24,560 --> 00:03:26,840 Speaker 2: would sing the song, and I had on just a 51 00:03:26,840 --> 00:03:30,000 Speaker 2: little T shirt and my diaper, and I would roll 52 00:03:30,120 --> 00:03:32,720 Speaker 2: my stomach all the way down in time with the 53 00:03:32,800 --> 00:03:36,280 Speaker 2: music and all the way back. And I always tell 54 00:03:36,400 --> 00:03:39,960 Speaker 2: them I won't be doing that this evening, but that 55 00:03:40,280 --> 00:03:45,040 Speaker 2: is what I did. But there were I had a 56 00:03:45,080 --> 00:03:49,040 Speaker 2: teenage sister. She was thirteen years old, and when I 57 00:03:49,120 --> 00:03:53,240 Speaker 2: was born, and so all the current popular music was 58 00:03:53,280 --> 00:03:56,240 Speaker 2: on the jukebox, which she liked, which was Little Lester 59 00:03:56,680 --> 00:04:02,720 Speaker 2: and BB King and Chuck Willis and I've Hunter and 60 00:04:02,800 --> 00:04:07,360 Speaker 2: all those people. And then my father liked the gospel 61 00:04:07,920 --> 00:04:11,720 Speaker 2: so and blues, so there was all the blues songs. 62 00:04:11,800 --> 00:04:16,039 Speaker 2: And then my mother liked almost anything that white people sung. 63 00:04:16,279 --> 00:04:19,600 Speaker 2: She liked Roy Rogers and Dale Evans, gin Ow Tree, 64 00:04:20,360 --> 00:04:24,200 Speaker 2: read Foley, and I knew the words to all of 65 00:04:24,240 --> 00:04:27,760 Speaker 2: these people's songs. I didn't know they were different. I 66 00:04:27,800 --> 00:04:31,040 Speaker 2: just thought they were all songs. And of course, not 67 00:04:31,120 --> 00:04:34,640 Speaker 2: being able to go anywhere to drink other than my house. 68 00:04:35,360 --> 00:04:38,880 Speaker 2: In nineteen forty six, forty seven, and forty eight, all 69 00:04:38,960 --> 00:04:42,360 Speaker 2: of the five Blind Boys, the Soul Stirs, the Pilgrim 70 00:04:42,440 --> 00:04:46,719 Speaker 2: Travelers all came to my house to eat barbecue sandwiches 71 00:04:46,760 --> 00:04:51,480 Speaker 2: and fried chicken sandwiches and get drunk and sing it. 72 00:04:51,600 --> 00:04:56,559 Speaker 2: They rehearsed there and I heard them. I saw Sam 73 00:04:56,640 --> 00:04:59,360 Speaker 2: Cook the first week he was with the Soul Stirs 74 00:04:59,520 --> 00:05:03,279 Speaker 2: because they had a gig and Muskegon and they came 75 00:05:03,360 --> 00:05:04,799 Speaker 2: to my house see eat and drink. 76 00:05:06,640 --> 00:05:08,200 Speaker 1: How did your parents meet? 77 00:05:09,000 --> 00:05:09,800 Speaker 2: How did they meet? 78 00:05:10,440 --> 00:05:11,200 Speaker 1: Yeah? 79 00:05:11,360 --> 00:05:16,480 Speaker 2: My father was working in Plain dealing, Louisiana, which is 80 00:05:16,520 --> 00:05:20,600 Speaker 2: where he's from, and one of the guys he was 81 00:05:20,640 --> 00:05:26,280 Speaker 2: working with knew my sister, my mother, who had five sisters. 82 00:05:26,800 --> 00:05:30,640 Speaker 2: And the women that like these guys who worked on 83 00:05:30,680 --> 00:05:35,200 Speaker 2: the railroad were they would come and bring them lunches 84 00:05:35,400 --> 00:05:37,400 Speaker 2: every day. You know, if you liked one, and if 85 00:05:37,440 --> 00:05:40,760 Speaker 2: you were hitting on one, that's how you introduced yourself. 86 00:05:40,760 --> 00:05:44,960 Speaker 2: You would come and bring in but lunch, and that's 87 00:05:45,000 --> 00:05:47,440 Speaker 2: how they met. I know, my aunt told me that 88 00:05:48,480 --> 00:05:51,360 Speaker 2: when my mother came and got off the train, she 89 00:05:51,400 --> 00:05:54,599 Speaker 2: had been talking about how fretty my mother was, and 90 00:05:55,000 --> 00:05:57,960 Speaker 2: it was so funny. My aunt said, she said, she 91 00:05:58,160 --> 00:06:08,520 Speaker 2: is pretty pretty, and my daddy certainly saw so. 92 00:06:06,440 --> 00:06:09,120 Speaker 1: Okay, tell me about the corn liquor business. 93 00:06:11,200 --> 00:06:14,480 Speaker 2: Well, that, of course, you know, was prevalent in the South. 94 00:06:15,560 --> 00:06:21,560 Speaker 2: It created the stock car races and everything several other things. 95 00:06:23,400 --> 00:06:27,240 Speaker 2: But all the people who in my family and cousins 96 00:06:27,320 --> 00:06:31,599 Speaker 2: and whatever, who moved to Michigan, they brought the corn 97 00:06:31,680 --> 00:06:36,720 Speaker 2: liquor with them, and they knew each other so they 98 00:06:36,720 --> 00:06:39,400 Speaker 2: could buy it from They didn't have to take a 99 00:06:39,520 --> 00:06:42,600 Speaker 2: chance of trying to go into a liquor store and 100 00:06:43,160 --> 00:06:47,200 Speaker 2: buy something. They all came to my house, so one 101 00:06:47,200 --> 00:06:51,640 Speaker 2: of my cousin's houses in Muskegon, it was. We were 102 00:06:51,680 --> 00:06:55,760 Speaker 2: in the projects that were built for the returning soldiers 103 00:06:55,800 --> 00:06:58,960 Speaker 2: in forty five and forty six. Then they turned them 104 00:06:58,960 --> 00:07:03,159 Speaker 2: into public projects and that's where we lived. And you 105 00:07:03,440 --> 00:07:06,680 Speaker 2: that's almost like living in a huge apartment building, except 106 00:07:06,720 --> 00:07:09,720 Speaker 2: it was all on the same level, so you could 107 00:07:09,760 --> 00:07:12,800 Speaker 2: go right up your back door into somebody else's front door, 108 00:07:13,560 --> 00:07:17,160 Speaker 2: you know, and they all they work together every day 109 00:07:17,360 --> 00:07:20,360 Speaker 2: at the parts plants, and you could run a tab, 110 00:07:20,640 --> 00:07:25,400 Speaker 2: and the half pintes cost fifty cents, and a pine 111 00:07:25,440 --> 00:07:29,560 Speaker 2: cost a dollar, and you could run a tab all 112 00:07:29,600 --> 00:07:32,480 Speaker 2: that week. If you didn't have a family or a wife, 113 00:07:32,640 --> 00:07:36,480 Speaker 2: you could comment. My mother had barbecue and fried chicken 114 00:07:36,560 --> 00:07:41,160 Speaker 2: and fried fish, and so it was. That was the 115 00:07:41,320 --> 00:07:43,480 Speaker 2: environment I actually grew up here. 116 00:07:44,400 --> 00:07:47,560 Speaker 1: Okay, are you a good cook? Can you cook barbecue 117 00:07:47,560 --> 00:07:49,120 Speaker 1: and fried fish? 118 00:07:49,880 --> 00:07:54,360 Speaker 2: Oh? That's what my career has been so up and down. 119 00:07:54,400 --> 00:07:57,760 Speaker 2: You us, I learned to cook. You have to cook 120 00:07:57,800 --> 00:07:59,800 Speaker 2: if you around my mother and the people I grew 121 00:07:59,880 --> 00:08:02,360 Speaker 2: up with, you have to learn that, they say, all 122 00:08:02,520 --> 00:08:05,960 Speaker 2: like women know how to at least fried chicken, fry fish. 123 00:08:06,640 --> 00:08:10,000 Speaker 2: But I learned a lot of the others. And then 124 00:08:10,040 --> 00:08:13,480 Speaker 2: when I started to travel, I started to learn what 125 00:08:13,640 --> 00:08:17,520 Speaker 2: I was having an opportunity to eat. So now we cook. 126 00:08:18,360 --> 00:08:22,440 Speaker 2: I cook everything, and Kevin Nass quite an entertainment with 127 00:08:22,480 --> 00:08:24,360 Speaker 2: eating because I can cook almost anything. 128 00:08:26,400 --> 00:08:30,720 Speaker 1: Okay, it sounds like your father had a big personality 129 00:08:30,760 --> 00:08:33,520 Speaker 1: that everybody gathered at your house. Was that the case? 130 00:08:34,160 --> 00:08:38,400 Speaker 2: Yeah, Well, my mother had the big personality. Ah, she 131 00:08:38,520 --> 00:08:41,800 Speaker 2: had the food food. My father just wanted another drink. 132 00:08:42,440 --> 00:08:46,079 Speaker 2: But of course they all knew each other. As I said, 133 00:08:46,120 --> 00:08:49,520 Speaker 2: they worked on the line together. They saw each other 134 00:08:49,559 --> 00:08:52,960 Speaker 2: all day every day. And the ones that came from 135 00:08:53,000 --> 00:08:58,000 Speaker 2: Louisiana drunk or sober, went to Mass on Sunday, just 136 00:08:58,040 --> 00:09:01,680 Speaker 2: the way they do a New orleance. I always tell 137 00:09:01,760 --> 00:09:05,120 Speaker 2: the joke that in New Orleans and then mouskeige, and 138 00:09:05,640 --> 00:09:09,560 Speaker 2: you know how when the priest the minister said something 139 00:09:09,640 --> 00:09:13,080 Speaker 2: and then the whole congregation answers in some kind of 140 00:09:13,200 --> 00:09:17,800 Speaker 2: singing response, the whole church smells like alcohol for the 141 00:09:20,840 --> 00:09:22,800 Speaker 2: for the first one and then it melts. 142 00:09:24,880 --> 00:09:28,760 Speaker 1: Okay, growing up, I didn't know anybody who had a 143 00:09:28,840 --> 00:09:33,280 Speaker 1: jukebox in their house. That seemed pretty exotic to me. 144 00:09:34,640 --> 00:09:37,640 Speaker 2: Well, we actually brought it to Detroit with us, well, 145 00:09:37,720 --> 00:09:40,360 Speaker 2: not brought it to Detroit with us. We got in 146 00:09:40,440 --> 00:09:43,520 Speaker 2: line with another jukebox company. So we did for a 147 00:09:43,720 --> 00:09:48,720 Speaker 2: while have a juke box in our house in Detroit, 148 00:09:49,200 --> 00:09:53,520 Speaker 2: but then we became more sophisticated and had a record player. 149 00:09:54,960 --> 00:09:59,560 Speaker 1: Okay, So what was responsible for your family moving from 150 00:09:59,640 --> 00:10:00,840 Speaker 1: a squie into Detroit. 151 00:10:02,080 --> 00:10:07,200 Speaker 2: Well, my father his brother worked at General Motors proper 152 00:10:07,320 --> 00:10:10,439 Speaker 2: as they called it in Pontiac, and he got him 153 00:10:10,440 --> 00:10:13,320 Speaker 2: a job there, and so we moved to Pontiac. 154 00:10:14,520 --> 00:10:17,600 Speaker 1: Okay, you're singing it three years old, you're a star, 155 00:10:17,880 --> 00:10:22,800 Speaker 1: your role of your stomach? What happens when you turned four? 156 00:10:23,920 --> 00:10:26,160 Speaker 2: Robert, I was not. I didn't never come a star 157 00:10:26,280 --> 00:10:30,559 Speaker 2: rolling my stomach. Well, I was a start at projects. 158 00:10:31,280 --> 00:10:35,680 Speaker 2: But we were in Detroit by the time I was four. 159 00:10:36,520 --> 00:10:38,720 Speaker 2: We left Detroit when I was maybe like, I mean, 160 00:10:38,840 --> 00:10:40,959 Speaker 2: left Muskegan when I was like maybe three and a 161 00:10:41,040 --> 00:10:44,079 Speaker 2: half and came to Pontiac, where we lived for about 162 00:10:44,080 --> 00:10:48,000 Speaker 2: a year or so, and then we moved to Detroit. 163 00:10:48,600 --> 00:10:55,040 Speaker 2: And I pretty much was always different from everybody else 164 00:10:55,520 --> 00:10:58,880 Speaker 2: their children. I never had a desire, first of all, 165 00:10:58,960 --> 00:11:02,920 Speaker 2: to be a child, so that made me a pretty 166 00:11:02,960 --> 00:11:07,000 Speaker 2: difficult child and a pretty different child. It wasn't that 167 00:11:07,080 --> 00:11:11,240 Speaker 2: I was bad, as they say children are bad. I 168 00:11:11,440 --> 00:11:14,640 Speaker 2: just wanted to do with grown people and that was 169 00:11:14,920 --> 00:11:15,880 Speaker 2: the way I acted. 170 00:11:18,760 --> 00:11:21,000 Speaker 1: Okay, And what was school like? 171 00:11:22,720 --> 00:11:28,160 Speaker 2: I really was never scholastic. I did not. We just 172 00:11:28,240 --> 00:11:33,320 Speaker 2: believe it or not, had our fifth grade reunion and 173 00:11:33,520 --> 00:11:35,520 Speaker 2: all the people that I was in the fifth grade 174 00:11:35,640 --> 00:11:39,960 Speaker 2: with were there, and it was so funny because I 175 00:11:40,000 --> 00:11:44,040 Speaker 2: was voted most likely not to succeed at at all. 176 00:11:45,160 --> 00:11:47,840 Speaker 2: So for me to walk into the room and have 177 00:11:47,960 --> 00:11:51,760 Speaker 2: everybody say that he Joe asked, because I can't believe 178 00:11:51,840 --> 00:12:02,120 Speaker 2: your Betty loved did you finish high school? No, that 179 00:12:02,360 --> 00:12:05,920 Speaker 2: was really I really just didn't want to do what 180 00:12:05,960 --> 00:12:08,040 Speaker 2: they were doing at all, And then I didn't want 181 00:12:08,080 --> 00:12:11,960 Speaker 2: to meet them every morning. At the same time, I 182 00:12:12,040 --> 00:12:15,600 Speaker 2: wasn't interested in anything that they were saying. If Mother 183 00:12:15,640 --> 00:12:18,920 Speaker 2: and Nessa had known I was gonna love history the 184 00:12:18,920 --> 00:12:21,720 Speaker 2: way I do now, she would have just given me 185 00:12:21,840 --> 00:12:30,360 Speaker 2: the A and said she's gonna get better. But I'm 186 00:12:30,559 --> 00:12:32,840 Speaker 2: or the person now that Mother and Nesta would have 187 00:12:32,880 --> 00:12:33,560 Speaker 2: wanted me to be. 188 00:12:35,200 --> 00:12:39,560 Speaker 1: Okay, so tell me where you start singing after you 189 00:12:39,720 --> 00:12:41,840 Speaker 1: moved to a Pontiac in Detroit. 190 00:12:43,120 --> 00:12:46,319 Speaker 2: Well, but Pontiac's still just a little girl who didn't 191 00:12:46,320 --> 00:12:51,960 Speaker 2: go anywhere by herself Detroit up until I was like, 192 00:12:52,280 --> 00:12:56,880 Speaker 2: out this place. I'm telling you that my granddaughter is 193 00:12:56,920 --> 00:13:01,240 Speaker 2: doing the research on the North End. When we moved there, 194 00:13:01,320 --> 00:13:07,800 Speaker 2: I guess I was maybe seven, and so it was like, 195 00:13:08,200 --> 00:13:10,560 Speaker 2: did you know that Liverpool A John that's right up 196 00:13:10,559 --> 00:13:13,920 Speaker 2: the street, And did you know that Jackie Wilson. So 197 00:13:14,040 --> 00:13:17,720 Speaker 2: I knew these people's records, but I never saw them. 198 00:13:17,960 --> 00:13:20,480 Speaker 2: I just heard their names and I knew they were there. 199 00:13:20,880 --> 00:13:23,880 Speaker 2: So then we moved farther up the north end, and 200 00:13:23,960 --> 00:13:28,400 Speaker 2: I was in like the fifth grade, and did you 201 00:13:28,440 --> 00:13:32,400 Speaker 2: know Smoky Robinson lived across the alley from even whatever, 202 00:13:32,400 --> 00:13:36,480 Speaker 2: and they were more real to me then. Before that, 203 00:13:36,720 --> 00:13:41,160 Speaker 2: I had never seen people in person who sung, and 204 00:13:41,200 --> 00:13:43,840 Speaker 2: I had never seen a show. When I went on 205 00:13:43,880 --> 00:13:48,720 Speaker 2: the stage in nineteen sixty three with my man, I 206 00:13:48,760 --> 00:13:51,480 Speaker 2: had never seen a microphone, and I had never been 207 00:13:51,480 --> 00:13:55,520 Speaker 2: on a stage. I had never been to a night club, 208 00:13:56,200 --> 00:14:01,160 Speaker 2: had never I was invented out of all cloth right 209 00:14:01,200 --> 00:14:02,440 Speaker 2: there in one weekend. 210 00:14:03,200 --> 00:14:08,240 Speaker 1: Tell me about your singing career from age three, where 211 00:14:08,280 --> 00:14:12,480 Speaker 1: you're singing along with the jukebox to then ultimately getting 212 00:14:12,520 --> 00:14:15,280 Speaker 1: on the stage for the first time. What is going on? 213 00:14:17,480 --> 00:14:23,000 Speaker 2: Nothing but going to school being what they call bad 214 00:14:23,240 --> 00:14:27,240 Speaker 2: and being difficult because all I did was kind of 215 00:14:27,360 --> 00:14:30,920 Speaker 2: listen to music, and I did come. I found the 216 00:14:31,000 --> 00:14:34,560 Speaker 2: homework not difficult to do, so I did it, but 217 00:14:34,640 --> 00:14:38,120 Speaker 2: I didn't go all still. All I had was the jukebox. 218 00:14:38,560 --> 00:14:41,640 Speaker 2: My parents didn't go out to dinner or go to 219 00:14:41,680 --> 00:14:45,520 Speaker 2: hear people sing they came to our house, so they 220 00:14:45,520 --> 00:14:49,080 Speaker 2: were on the jukebox. So I'd never seen anybody walk 221 00:14:49,200 --> 00:14:54,240 Speaker 2: up on the stage or or anything like that until 222 00:14:54,400 --> 00:15:00,440 Speaker 2: that weekend that I started singing. I met. I wasn't 223 00:15:00,480 --> 00:15:03,080 Speaker 2: supposed to go, but there was a place called the 224 00:15:03,120 --> 00:15:07,720 Speaker 2: Greystone all Woman Detroit, which is where everyone you've ever 225 00:15:07,840 --> 00:15:11,880 Speaker 2: heard of from Detroit had to go and do performances 226 00:15:12,360 --> 00:15:16,760 Speaker 2: for the DJs to get your recording played. And I 227 00:15:16,840 --> 00:15:20,160 Speaker 2: heard about it on the radio every day. The DJs 228 00:15:20,160 --> 00:15:25,880 Speaker 2: were pushing it, and so I just went and I 229 00:15:25,920 --> 00:15:30,440 Speaker 2: met this girl whose name was Ginger and her full 230 00:15:30,520 --> 00:15:34,760 Speaker 2: name was Sure. Her middle name was Lovette, and she 231 00:15:34,960 --> 00:15:42,600 Speaker 2: knew every number man singer. I loved her. I just 232 00:15:42,720 --> 00:15:49,400 Speaker 2: adore her. My mother hated her, but Ginger kind of 233 00:15:49,440 --> 00:15:54,359 Speaker 2: took me under her wing, and I went to Graystone 234 00:15:54,440 --> 00:16:00,840 Speaker 2: for about two months, and I met Timmy Shaw, who 235 00:16:00,920 --> 00:16:05,880 Speaker 2: introduced me to Johnny May Matthews, who recorded My Man 236 00:16:06,240 --> 00:16:08,680 Speaker 2: on Me. And I swear to you all of this 237 00:16:08,800 --> 00:16:10,120 Speaker 2: happened in a month. 238 00:16:11,680 --> 00:16:15,200 Speaker 1: Okay, just going back, were you singing in school? Were 239 00:16:15,200 --> 00:16:17,800 Speaker 1: you singing at church? Were you singing in the living room? 240 00:16:17,880 --> 00:16:18,320 Speaker 1: Before this? 241 00:16:19,000 --> 00:16:23,520 Speaker 2: Everywhere that I ever sung in school. They let me sing. 242 00:16:23,880 --> 00:16:27,120 Speaker 2: They let me in the talent show once, but I 243 00:16:27,240 --> 00:16:30,200 Speaker 2: sung I'm a Hog for you baby, and Mother Nesta 244 00:16:30,280 --> 00:16:33,320 Speaker 2: put me out of the talent show. They put me 245 00:16:33,840 --> 00:16:37,160 Speaker 2: in the Christmas show once, and then I said the 246 00:16:37,240 --> 00:16:40,240 Speaker 2: wrong thing to marry because I wanted to play Mary. 247 00:16:41,160 --> 00:16:43,880 Speaker 2: And then they put me in the choir and I 248 00:16:43,920 --> 00:16:48,640 Speaker 2: wouldn't stop hanging with the boys in their area. So 249 00:16:49,000 --> 00:16:51,480 Speaker 2: I got put out of all the singing things that 250 00:16:51,520 --> 00:16:56,240 Speaker 2: I ever did in school. But now I'm a Hog 251 00:16:56,360 --> 00:16:57,840 Speaker 2: for you baby was good. 252 00:16:59,560 --> 00:17:03,600 Speaker 1: You go to the ballroom. How do you ultimately decide 253 00:17:03,640 --> 00:17:05,600 Speaker 1: to take the stage. 254 00:17:05,880 --> 00:17:09,360 Speaker 2: I wanted to sing, but as I told you, I 255 00:17:09,480 --> 00:17:12,480 Speaker 2: never knew people who could sing. I just knew the 256 00:17:12,480 --> 00:17:14,680 Speaker 2: ones in the jukebox and then the ones that saw 257 00:17:14,720 --> 00:17:18,639 Speaker 2: on television. So then hearing about these people on the radio, 258 00:17:19,720 --> 00:17:23,240 Speaker 2: they were advertising them being at this place every weekend. 259 00:17:23,920 --> 00:17:28,320 Speaker 2: And so when I went and Ginger introduced me to 260 00:17:28,440 --> 00:17:34,119 Speaker 2: Timmy Shaw, well, first I met I was in the hospital, actually, 261 00:17:35,320 --> 00:17:39,520 Speaker 2: and I met a singer who came to see the 262 00:17:39,560 --> 00:17:43,080 Speaker 2: girl in the bed next to me. But she went 263 00:17:43,119 --> 00:17:46,600 Speaker 2: to have some X rays and he came to see 264 00:17:46,640 --> 00:17:51,200 Speaker 2: her and she wasn't there. So I talked to him 265 00:17:51,240 --> 00:17:55,679 Speaker 2: because it was eleven o'clock in the morning, and he 266 00:17:56,000 --> 00:18:00,720 Speaker 2: on a black mohair suit, sleep my care and some 267 00:18:00,920 --> 00:18:06,800 Speaker 2: pat leather shoes, and I was instantly in love. And 268 00:18:06,840 --> 00:18:11,800 Speaker 2: it was Willie Jones, who sung with the Royal Jokers, 269 00:18:11,840 --> 00:18:17,640 Speaker 2: and I'm like a real entertainer that I right here. 270 00:18:18,600 --> 00:18:24,840 Speaker 2: So he and I. I was sixteen, he was twenty four, 271 00:18:24,960 --> 00:18:32,200 Speaker 2: twenty five, but I was really I'm still precocious. I 272 00:18:32,240 --> 00:18:34,439 Speaker 2: don't think you're gonna apply that to an adult at 273 00:18:34,480 --> 00:18:39,600 Speaker 2: this point. But I met him and he wrote a 274 00:18:39,640 --> 00:18:42,520 Speaker 2: song for me. He was singing, and I said I 275 00:18:42,560 --> 00:18:45,560 Speaker 2: can sing, and he said that heres. So I started 276 00:18:45,560 --> 00:18:49,560 Speaker 2: to sing along with him one night when we were out. 277 00:18:49,640 --> 00:18:54,080 Speaker 2: And the reason I was able to go out with 278 00:18:54,160 --> 00:18:57,400 Speaker 2: him was because I had had a child, and usually 279 00:18:57,800 --> 00:19:02,320 Speaker 2: in the at point, if you had a child, you 280 00:19:02,400 --> 00:19:05,920 Speaker 2: were considered glowing. So I was able to go out 281 00:19:06,080 --> 00:19:09,480 Speaker 2: then after nine or ten o'clock or whatever. And when 282 00:19:09,480 --> 00:19:12,160 Speaker 2: I met him, he took me to see the Old 283 00:19:12,200 --> 00:19:16,879 Speaker 2: Jokers perform, and I knew someone then who was actually 284 00:19:17,240 --> 00:19:21,639 Speaker 2: on the stage singing, and he wrote this song for me, 285 00:19:22,280 --> 00:19:25,560 Speaker 2: and then he disappeared. I didn't know that he was 286 00:19:25,640 --> 00:19:29,719 Speaker 2: later white disappeared. But anyway, when I met Timmy and 287 00:19:29,760 --> 00:19:33,320 Speaker 2: he took me to meet Johnny May, I said, well, 288 00:19:34,040 --> 00:19:36,879 Speaker 2: I have a song. I said, A man wrote it 289 00:19:36,920 --> 00:19:40,200 Speaker 2: for me. His name is Willie Jones. She said Willie 290 00:19:40,280 --> 00:19:44,640 Speaker 2: Jones were old jokers. I said, yes, that's him, and 291 00:19:44,680 --> 00:19:47,440 Speaker 2: she said, let me hear it. So I sung the 292 00:19:47,440 --> 00:19:51,119 Speaker 2: something and the song was about a teenage girl. It 293 00:19:51,160 --> 00:19:54,240 Speaker 2: was called shut your mouth and don't talk back, and 294 00:19:54,320 --> 00:19:56,680 Speaker 2: it was about a teenage girl who had stayed out 295 00:19:56,760 --> 00:19:59,000 Speaker 2: later and she was supposed to and her mama met 296 00:19:59,040 --> 00:20:02,359 Speaker 2: her at the door in the whole bit, and she said, 297 00:20:02,359 --> 00:20:05,720 Speaker 2: it's a great song. And I sung it and and 298 00:20:05,800 --> 00:20:11,720 Speaker 2: she introduced me to my Man, which I sung and recorded, 299 00:20:11,840 --> 00:20:14,960 Speaker 2: and that was supposed to be the B side. But 300 00:20:15,080 --> 00:20:19,840 Speaker 2: when the DJ's her recording, which came out that week 301 00:20:20,119 --> 00:20:24,080 Speaker 2: after I recorded it, because they were playing demos and 302 00:20:24,119 --> 00:20:27,280 Speaker 2: you could get you could tell from how many the 303 00:20:27,280 --> 00:20:30,800 Speaker 2: response you got from the demos, how many initial records 304 00:20:30,800 --> 00:20:34,600 Speaker 2: you should have pressed up. People didn't just send it 305 00:20:34,640 --> 00:20:39,760 Speaker 2: to get thousands of records pressed so so the records 306 00:20:39,760 --> 00:20:42,560 Speaker 2: seemed to indicate. The response seemed to indicate that my 307 00:20:42,680 --> 00:20:45,560 Speaker 2: Man was what they wanted to play it, and what 308 00:20:45,640 --> 00:20:48,879 Speaker 2: they did play and put went into the national R 309 00:20:48,920 --> 00:20:52,600 Speaker 2: and B charts and cash box and billboard. All of 310 00:20:52,600 --> 00:20:57,159 Speaker 2: this happened, this started, in all this, This was only 311 00:20:57,320 --> 00:20:59,000 Speaker 2: like the end of September. 312 00:21:08,280 --> 00:21:12,640 Speaker 1: Okay, going back, You'd never been on stage before, you'd 313 00:21:12,680 --> 00:21:15,240 Speaker 1: never been in front of a microphone. You go to 314 00:21:15,280 --> 00:21:18,160 Speaker 1: the ballroom a few times. How do you end up 315 00:21:18,200 --> 00:21:19,520 Speaker 1: on stage. 316 00:21:20,200 --> 00:21:22,040 Speaker 2: When the record came out? 317 00:21:22,359 --> 00:21:25,480 Speaker 1: No? Wait, wait, weren't you on stage before the record 318 00:21:25,560 --> 00:21:25,960 Speaker 1: came out? 319 00:21:27,359 --> 00:21:32,560 Speaker 2: Nope? I just knew that people then who are on 320 00:21:32,600 --> 00:21:37,760 Speaker 2: the stage. And when I recorded, gosh, you have the 321 00:21:37,840 --> 00:21:44,400 Speaker 2: recording studio, I was sixteen and the guitar player who's 322 00:21:44,440 --> 00:21:49,000 Speaker 2: playing the lead lick in my man, Leroy Manuel, was fifteen, 323 00:21:49,760 --> 00:21:53,480 Speaker 2: and they had stuck him out of his bedroom to 324 00:21:53,560 --> 00:21:57,400 Speaker 2: do the recording session. He's a really big person in 325 00:21:57,440 --> 00:22:02,000 Speaker 2: Canada now, and I just I'm so proud of him. 326 00:22:02,160 --> 00:22:04,879 Speaker 2: But he and I were just kids there. But the 327 00:22:04,960 --> 00:22:09,800 Speaker 2: people who were on the recording were grown recording artists 328 00:22:10,040 --> 00:22:14,080 Speaker 2: make grown musicians and whatever. And Johnny May was singing 329 00:22:14,080 --> 00:22:16,440 Speaker 2: in my ear and telling me how to sing the song. 330 00:22:17,200 --> 00:22:20,359 Speaker 2: And then they pressed up some them o's so that 331 00:22:20,840 --> 00:22:24,160 Speaker 2: next weekend, I had to go and do a record hop. 332 00:22:24,960 --> 00:22:29,359 Speaker 2: But we had at that time a new place which 333 00:22:29,640 --> 00:22:33,600 Speaker 2: was having you sing your songs with the band live, 334 00:22:34,320 --> 00:22:37,640 Speaker 2: and I had only done that the week before one 335 00:22:37,760 --> 00:22:41,720 Speaker 2: time when I recorded, so they called my name. I 336 00:22:41,760 --> 00:22:47,920 Speaker 2: went up on the stage and it said out it off, 337 00:22:50,480 --> 00:22:52,720 Speaker 2: and I said. 338 00:22:54,480 --> 00:22:57,960 Speaker 1: And then okay. 339 00:22:57,359 --> 00:23:01,399 Speaker 2: But wait a minute. Marvin Kate had at stubborn kind 340 00:23:01,400 --> 00:23:03,680 Speaker 2: of fell out, thick or chick, whatever it was, came 341 00:23:03,680 --> 00:23:06,960 Speaker 2: out the same day. He's sitting there stage, just kind 342 00:23:06,960 --> 00:23:10,719 Speaker 2: of a step up, and so he's sitting next to 343 00:23:10,800 --> 00:23:16,280 Speaker 2: it and he counts off, and I didn't know how 344 00:23:16,320 --> 00:23:18,160 Speaker 2: to make the man start playing. 345 00:23:21,040 --> 00:23:26,800 Speaker 1: So okay. Do you think from a young age you 346 00:23:26,920 --> 00:23:30,480 Speaker 1: were desperate to be a famous singer? Did you have 347 00:23:30,560 --> 00:23:32,680 Speaker 1: that desire or just have the desire to get out 348 00:23:32,680 --> 00:23:35,560 Speaker 1: of the house or be famous or make money? What 349 00:23:36,119 --> 00:23:36,800 Speaker 1: was in your mind? 350 00:23:37,240 --> 00:23:39,960 Speaker 2: I didn't know that I could be a famous singer. 351 00:23:40,040 --> 00:23:43,440 Speaker 2: I didn't know any famous singers. It was only after 352 00:23:43,480 --> 00:23:47,520 Speaker 2: we got to each White and I knew about Smoking 353 00:23:47,600 --> 00:23:51,719 Speaker 2: Poppinson and these other people. I didn't know. I just 354 00:23:51,960 --> 00:23:56,240 Speaker 2: anybody could do it. I thought these people were special 355 00:23:56,560 --> 00:24:01,439 Speaker 2: people somehow that I didn't know anyone who and I 356 00:24:01,640 --> 00:24:05,320 Speaker 2: never nobody in my family knew anyone who sung, so I, 357 00:24:05,480 --> 00:24:07,840 Speaker 2: you know, than the gospel people, and I didn't want 358 00:24:07,880 --> 00:24:13,000 Speaker 2: to sing in church, and so no, I. After I 359 00:24:13,119 --> 00:24:17,800 Speaker 2: knew them, then all of my thoughts this started if 360 00:24:17,880 --> 00:24:21,320 Speaker 2: like maybe the sixth grade. Then all of my thoughts 361 00:24:21,359 --> 00:24:25,880 Speaker 2: were strictly I want to be a singer, and then 362 00:24:26,400 --> 00:24:29,359 Speaker 2: after a while, I want to be a star. But 363 00:24:30,000 --> 00:24:33,840 Speaker 2: you're Smoky Robinson lived across the alley from me. He 364 00:24:33,960 --> 00:24:37,240 Speaker 2: wasn't a star, so he was just a finger. But 365 00:24:37,359 --> 00:24:39,240 Speaker 2: I liked the way they were doing it. I like 366 00:24:39,320 --> 00:24:42,119 Speaker 2: the way they lived, and I loved shiny suits and 367 00:24:42,200 --> 00:24:45,959 Speaker 2: the shiny hair and the shiny ear rings, and I 368 00:24:46,040 --> 00:24:50,360 Speaker 2: wanted to sing. So then after I got into it, 369 00:24:50,560 --> 00:24:54,080 Speaker 2: the next two weeks, I wanted to be a star. 370 00:24:54,920 --> 00:24:59,760 Speaker 2: And then oh god, after that, I wanted to be rich. 371 00:25:00,960 --> 00:25:02,600 Speaker 2: So it came in increments. 372 00:25:03,880 --> 00:25:09,720 Speaker 1: Okay, the record is ultimately distributed by Atlantic Records. Did 373 00:25:09,760 --> 00:25:13,040 Speaker 1: you have any contact with anybody Atlantic Records? 374 00:25:13,359 --> 00:25:19,479 Speaker 2: Yes, Robert West and Johnny Mae Matthews, because Johnny Maye 375 00:25:19,560 --> 00:25:23,000 Speaker 2: Matthews was one of the only producers in Detroit at 376 00:25:23,040 --> 00:25:27,520 Speaker 2: the time who had Big Contacts, which was at Atlantic. 377 00:25:27,960 --> 00:25:30,359 Speaker 2: I have no idea how that happened. Well, it was 378 00:25:30,400 --> 00:25:33,360 Speaker 2: because of the Falcons. He had the Falcons and they 379 00:25:33,359 --> 00:25:37,240 Speaker 2: had just had a big record, and Robert West knew 380 00:25:37,760 --> 00:25:44,480 Speaker 2: Jerry Wexler and I'm ed Hurdigain, and so when Atlantic 381 00:25:44,680 --> 00:25:48,239 Speaker 2: bought my man, I had the opportunity to talk with 382 00:25:48,320 --> 00:25:52,440 Speaker 2: them on the phone. And Jerry Wexler and I remained 383 00:25:53,600 --> 00:25:59,359 Speaker 2: friends for most of my early career. I used to 384 00:25:59,440 --> 00:26:02,600 Speaker 2: call him on the phone at home in the middle 385 00:26:02,640 --> 00:26:05,080 Speaker 2: of the night and say, mister Weckster, would you send 386 00:26:05,080 --> 00:26:10,960 Speaker 2: me fifty dollars, which was a big deal. Hey, she 387 00:26:11,040 --> 00:26:13,520 Speaker 2: can pick up the phone and call New York and 388 00:26:13,560 --> 00:26:16,919 Speaker 2: give fifty dollars at Western Union and a snap. So 389 00:26:17,119 --> 00:26:22,879 Speaker 2: I had I had the attitude that I've maintained since then. 390 00:26:24,160 --> 00:26:28,720 Speaker 1: Okay, your record is successful and you go on the road. 391 00:26:29,080 --> 00:26:30,160 Speaker 1: Tell me about that. 392 00:26:33,520 --> 00:26:37,840 Speaker 2: It was. Remember now this is this is weeks old. 393 00:26:38,840 --> 00:26:43,440 Speaker 2: So I'm theoretically still my friend Ginger, who is a groofie. 394 00:26:44,840 --> 00:26:48,399 Speaker 2: Every time Clyde makes Fatter opened his dressing room door, 395 00:26:48,600 --> 00:26:53,159 Speaker 2: I was standing there. Every time any can over this 396 00:26:53,400 --> 00:27:00,399 Speaker 2: dressing room door, I was standing here. Barbara Lynne was 397 00:27:00,440 --> 00:27:02,439 Speaker 2: with her, so she had to act nice. 398 00:27:02,800 --> 00:27:04,600 Speaker 1: But I was grown. 399 00:27:05,640 --> 00:27:10,160 Speaker 2: I was just about seventeen, and I had a record. 400 00:27:10,880 --> 00:27:14,080 Speaker 2: I knew all these stars, and I was just doing 401 00:27:14,160 --> 00:27:19,520 Speaker 2: what I wanted to do. But that was the most 402 00:27:19,640 --> 00:27:23,760 Speaker 2: exciting thing. The very first tour I ever went on 403 00:27:24,960 --> 00:27:27,200 Speaker 2: was well, the very first one was kind of a 404 00:27:27,640 --> 00:27:34,440 Speaker 2: regional because Robert West was partners with Herman Griffin, who 405 00:27:34,560 --> 00:27:39,240 Speaker 2: was Mary Wells's husband at the time, and Robert West 406 00:27:39,359 --> 00:27:41,959 Speaker 2: was my manager, so he put a little tour together 407 00:27:42,800 --> 00:27:47,000 Speaker 2: and on that little tour was Mary Wells mac Rice 408 00:27:47,680 --> 00:27:51,080 Speaker 2: who had just left the Falcons and wrote Mustang Sally 409 00:27:51,680 --> 00:27:58,600 Speaker 2: and that's what he was singing and me and I 410 00:27:58,640 --> 00:28:02,119 Speaker 2: think that was it. I think that was it on 411 00:28:02,480 --> 00:28:04,760 Speaker 2: but we didn't go We just went like maybe three 412 00:28:04,840 --> 00:28:09,440 Speaker 2: or four places. Then I came back a full fledged 413 00:28:09,440 --> 00:28:15,080 Speaker 2: star of course by this time that month and the 414 00:28:15,160 --> 00:28:19,359 Speaker 2: Victual with Clide Macpatter and Benny King, Clarence frog Manning, 415 00:28:19,440 --> 00:28:25,760 Speaker 2: Henry Barbara Lynne. The band was. 416 00:28:25,760 --> 00:28:35,119 Speaker 3: The the Royal Jokers, not the Royal Jokers, the Five 417 00:28:35,240 --> 00:28:39,840 Speaker 3: Royals band who was the leader of the fire Rolls. 418 00:28:39,840 --> 00:28:45,600 Speaker 2: It was their ban anyway, El Pauling, it was the 419 00:28:45,720 --> 00:28:50,920 Speaker 2: El Pauling band. So like Robert, I gotta tell you 420 00:28:50,960 --> 00:28:54,480 Speaker 2: twenty years later, when I was madly in love with 421 00:28:54,520 --> 00:28:58,560 Speaker 2: Clarence Paul, I told him. I said, on my first tour, 422 00:28:58,640 --> 00:29:02,600 Speaker 2: I was on the opens band called an orchestra called 423 00:29:02,680 --> 00:29:06,280 Speaker 2: Oh Paul, and he said, that's my brother. 424 00:29:07,560 --> 00:29:15,040 Speaker 1: I was like, Okay, how many days? How long does 425 00:29:15,080 --> 00:29:17,520 Speaker 1: this tour last? This big doer, and how far from 426 00:29:17,520 --> 00:29:18,360 Speaker 1: Detroit do you go? 427 00:29:18,840 --> 00:29:23,160 Speaker 2: Oh gosh. We went from the trua audience that was 428 00:29:23,240 --> 00:29:27,360 Speaker 2: the Chitland Circuit. We did the entire Chipland circuit. Everything 429 00:29:27,480 --> 00:29:31,800 Speaker 2: that the children Circuit consisted of then is where we 430 00:29:31,920 --> 00:29:39,840 Speaker 2: went north and south Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee cities in those 431 00:29:39,920 --> 00:29:45,680 Speaker 2: places as well, maybe three cities in some places Alabama. 432 00:29:47,640 --> 00:29:51,920 Speaker 2: As you got west, the Chidland Circuit didn't go that 433 00:29:52,240 --> 00:29:55,640 Speaker 2: like when you started Arkansas. You were going west, and 434 00:29:56,040 --> 00:29:59,640 Speaker 2: it went that way for some people. Now when we 435 00:29:59,760 --> 00:30:04,240 Speaker 2: came back north looped around to come back and end 436 00:30:04,680 --> 00:30:10,400 Speaker 2: in Ohio, People like clib mcfatter, Benny King, Clarence frog Man, 437 00:30:10,560 --> 00:30:16,560 Speaker 2: Henry went on north to do places that at that 438 00:30:16,760 --> 00:30:20,720 Speaker 2: point weren't doing rhythm and blues. You know, it had 439 00:30:20,760 --> 00:30:25,200 Speaker 2: to have crossed over like the Drifters and Climac Flatter did, 440 00:30:25,360 --> 00:30:28,880 Speaker 2: and like uh frog man Henry had done. Barbara Lynn 441 00:30:28,920 --> 00:30:31,280 Speaker 2: and I turned around and came home. The rest of 442 00:30:31,360 --> 00:30:32,520 Speaker 2: them went north. 443 00:30:33,520 --> 00:30:37,280 Speaker 1: Okay, what kind of venues were you playing on this tour? 444 00:30:38,600 --> 00:30:43,080 Speaker 2: Mostly halls? We went to north in South Carolina. They 445 00:30:43,120 --> 00:30:47,960 Speaker 2: were having the first dancers with their rope in between 446 00:30:48,080 --> 00:30:52,959 Speaker 2: the audience. And I always tell people, now, that's one 447 00:30:53,000 --> 00:30:55,880 Speaker 2: of the ways that I learned to cover the whole stage. 448 00:30:55,920 --> 00:30:59,000 Speaker 2: Because the promoter was saying, please don't look at one 449 00:30:59,680 --> 00:31:02,440 Speaker 2: one up on one side of the rope more than others. 450 00:31:02,760 --> 00:31:05,560 Speaker 2: Please try to go back and forth. And they were pleading, 451 00:31:05,760 --> 00:31:08,320 Speaker 2: please don't stay on one side of the rope. So 452 00:31:08,480 --> 00:31:11,000 Speaker 2: I had to keep going back and forth across the stage. 453 00:31:11,520 --> 00:31:14,760 Speaker 2: And so no, I just do that naturally, which is 454 00:31:14,800 --> 00:31:15,280 Speaker 2: a good thing. 455 00:31:15,960 --> 00:31:19,960 Speaker 1: Okay, you're traveling, what kind of bus? What kind of 456 00:31:20,120 --> 00:31:21,320 Speaker 1: rooms are you staying in? 457 00:31:22,920 --> 00:31:27,040 Speaker 2: Oh, we were saying in only black places along the highway. 458 00:31:27,360 --> 00:31:32,000 Speaker 2: We were peeing along the highway a lot, and going 459 00:31:32,080 --> 00:31:34,480 Speaker 2: to places that they may have. If they had a 460 00:31:34,600 --> 00:31:38,400 Speaker 2: restroom inside, we couldn't use them. But if they were 461 00:31:38,520 --> 00:31:41,880 Speaker 2: nice and kind people, they had an outdoor restroom we 462 00:31:41,920 --> 00:31:50,600 Speaker 2: could use. It was quite everything that you've heard and read. 463 00:31:50,760 --> 00:31:54,600 Speaker 2: I know when we went to Mississippi, my mother was 464 00:31:54,840 --> 00:31:58,320 Speaker 2: who was from Louisiana, was just terrified. She said, you 465 00:31:58,520 --> 00:32:01,200 Speaker 2: keep your big mouth closed and don't be looking those 466 00:32:01,240 --> 00:32:04,920 Speaker 2: white books in their face. I mean, she was very 467 00:32:05,440 --> 00:32:08,680 Speaker 2: serious because she knew I would talk to anyone, and 468 00:32:09,760 --> 00:32:11,840 Speaker 2: she felt that I may step out of my place. 469 00:32:12,800 --> 00:32:16,160 Speaker 2: And she was so nervous so whole while we were there. 470 00:32:18,920 --> 00:32:22,960 Speaker 1: Okay, you know you hear about going on the road. 471 00:32:23,040 --> 00:32:29,320 Speaker 1: You're seventeen years old. They're drugs, alcohol, sex, as grown 472 00:32:29,400 --> 00:32:31,360 Speaker 1: up as you are at the time. Do you grow 473 00:32:31,480 --> 00:32:32,200 Speaker 1: up a lot more? 474 00:32:33,360 --> 00:32:36,640 Speaker 2: Oh? Absolutely. I always tell people there are no children 475 00:32:36,760 --> 00:32:39,800 Speaker 2: in show business. I don't care how cute they are. 476 00:32:40,920 --> 00:32:44,120 Speaker 2: I don't care if their parents up with them. I 477 00:32:44,200 --> 00:32:48,360 Speaker 2: don't care if they're Osmas and their moorings. There are 478 00:32:48,920 --> 00:32:54,640 Speaker 2: no children in show business. And it's probably even worse today. 479 00:32:55,400 --> 00:32:58,760 Speaker 2: But no, that's no, there are no children in show business. 480 00:33:00,200 --> 00:33:03,480 Speaker 1: So you come off the road. Clyde McPhatter continues, But 481 00:33:03,560 --> 00:33:05,600 Speaker 1: you're now back in Detroit. What happens then? 482 00:33:07,600 --> 00:33:13,680 Speaker 2: Nothing? So all my friends told me you should go 483 00:33:13,800 --> 00:33:16,480 Speaker 2: to New York and tell those people you want your 484 00:33:16,720 --> 00:33:20,440 Speaker 2: contract back because they should make another record for you. 485 00:33:21,720 --> 00:33:25,720 Speaker 2: So I went to New York and I erst in 486 00:33:25,800 --> 00:33:29,400 Speaker 2: the Cherry Wexell's office. I said, I want to release 487 00:33:29,480 --> 00:33:33,560 Speaker 2: from my contract. And he said, well why because I 488 00:33:33,680 --> 00:33:35,520 Speaker 2: told you I've been talking to this man on the 489 00:33:35,640 --> 00:33:41,480 Speaker 2: phone at his home in the bedroom and and I said, 490 00:33:41,680 --> 00:33:45,360 Speaker 2: my friends told me that you should have put another 491 00:33:45,520 --> 00:33:53,960 Speaker 2: record out on it by now, like I know. He said, well, 492 00:33:54,400 --> 00:33:56,680 Speaker 2: maybe we intended to do another record. I said, well, 493 00:33:56,880 --> 00:34:00,960 Speaker 2: I need a record now. It's been so many months 494 00:34:01,000 --> 00:34:03,720 Speaker 2: and I didn't even know how many. It's the most 495 00:34:03,800 --> 00:34:07,320 Speaker 2: stupid thing Robert I ever did in my entire career. 496 00:34:08,680 --> 00:34:12,520 Speaker 2: He said that we have we're working with this young 497 00:34:12,680 --> 00:34:18,400 Speaker 2: and who was working with a new singer, Dion Warwick Kenny. 498 00:34:18,400 --> 00:34:23,080 Speaker 2: He's working at what was the name of the record label, Scepter. 499 00:34:24,040 --> 00:34:27,279 Speaker 2: He said, he's working with Scepter. And he said, but 500 00:34:27,520 --> 00:34:32,759 Speaker 2: we're working with him too, and his name is were Back, 501 00:34:33,719 --> 00:34:36,960 Speaker 2: and uh, we're gonna have to we're gonna talk to 502 00:34:37,080 --> 00:34:40,600 Speaker 2: him about you. I ain't never heard of him. I 503 00:34:40,920 --> 00:34:44,960 Speaker 2: don't care. My friend said, I have to get a 504 00:34:45,080 --> 00:34:50,359 Speaker 2: release from this contract. So Jerry said here's one dude, 505 00:34:51,600 --> 00:34:55,120 Speaker 2: I'm gonna write to this check of my own personal 506 00:34:55,280 --> 00:34:58,160 Speaker 2: check for five hundred dollars. I'm gonna give you a 507 00:34:58,239 --> 00:35:01,360 Speaker 2: big ug. You go on and do it, do what 508 00:35:01,520 --> 00:35:06,320 Speaker 2: you think should be done. The most stupid mistake I 509 00:35:06,440 --> 00:35:12,680 Speaker 2: have ever made in my entire life. You know what? 510 00:35:12,840 --> 00:35:18,040 Speaker 2: That left road open for No who was the next biggarist? 511 00:35:20,120 --> 00:35:25,560 Speaker 2: He surprank. But I'm there with the president in love 512 00:35:25,680 --> 00:35:28,640 Speaker 2: with me. I mean not that kind of love, but 513 00:35:28,760 --> 00:35:30,600 Speaker 2: in love with me because she just thought I was 514 00:35:30,680 --> 00:35:32,879 Speaker 2: so cute and that I sung like a grown woman. 515 00:35:33,880 --> 00:35:39,320 Speaker 2: And so No, I got this shit all under my belt. 516 00:35:39,480 --> 00:35:43,440 Speaker 2: Now my friends and I know lots of people in 517 00:35:43,520 --> 00:35:47,560 Speaker 2: show business. Now, now you have to think the reason 518 00:35:47,640 --> 00:35:50,040 Speaker 2: they were available for me to talk to was because 519 00:35:50,040 --> 00:35:52,640 Speaker 2: they weren't doing shit. So they were telling me what 520 00:35:52,840 --> 00:35:58,920 Speaker 2: to do, and I left them. I have no idea 521 00:35:59,160 --> 00:36:06,360 Speaker 2: where I was going or I really just at that point, Robert, 522 00:36:06,400 --> 00:36:11,480 Speaker 2: I thought that I thought that it was they would say, 523 00:36:11,600 --> 00:36:15,040 Speaker 2: oh my goodness, she's cute and she had this record, 524 00:36:15,400 --> 00:36:18,239 Speaker 2: let's make another record with her. And I thought all 525 00:36:18,320 --> 00:36:22,560 Speaker 2: the record companies with me saying that, and then I 526 00:36:22,719 --> 00:36:27,400 Speaker 2: didn't call, So. 527 00:36:29,040 --> 00:36:31,600 Speaker 1: So what happened next, uh something. 528 00:36:31,960 --> 00:36:35,680 Speaker 2: That's when I say now in interviews, I'm grateful, but 529 00:36:35,800 --> 00:36:40,799 Speaker 2: I'm still pissed. But I'm really grateful because I've never 530 00:36:40,960 --> 00:36:45,960 Speaker 2: spent a dime in this business. Not of course, someone 531 00:36:46,360 --> 00:36:52,920 Speaker 2: has always called and asked to record me. So after that, 532 00:36:54,480 --> 00:36:59,880 Speaker 2: my the accountant at Shaw artist who was the booking 533 00:37:00,040 --> 00:37:04,440 Speaker 2: agent for all black artists, then left. They unless they 534 00:37:04,480 --> 00:37:07,120 Speaker 2: got big enough to be that King Cole or that 535 00:37:07,320 --> 00:37:09,759 Speaker 2: was the barrier that you tried to cross at that 536 00:37:09,920 --> 00:37:13,719 Speaker 2: point to give where that King Cole was? If that 537 00:37:14,000 --> 00:37:17,560 Speaker 2: not that you were with Shaw Artists Corporation and they 538 00:37:17,640 --> 00:37:21,040 Speaker 2: booked everybody, and they booked me. They worked all of 539 00:37:21,120 --> 00:37:26,480 Speaker 2: the Atlantic artists and the accountant because I was always 540 00:37:26,600 --> 00:37:31,279 Speaker 2: calling to borrow money, so he and I became very 541 00:37:31,400 --> 00:37:35,280 Speaker 2: close and he started to manage me. Then I introduced 542 00:37:35,360 --> 00:37:40,439 Speaker 2: him to the Falcons, who Robert Weston died and left 543 00:37:40,520 --> 00:37:43,239 Speaker 2: them as well, and so he started to manage me 544 00:37:44,160 --> 00:37:51,800 Speaker 2: and the Falcons, and I that because I stayed in 545 00:37:51,880 --> 00:37:55,000 Speaker 2: New York after I did come without being asked, are 546 00:37:55,080 --> 00:37:58,520 Speaker 2: we're still young people? Now? First, don't get in show 547 00:37:58,600 --> 00:38:02,000 Speaker 2: business first, but then if you do, don't go to 548 00:38:02,120 --> 00:38:08,960 Speaker 2: New York or LA unless they send for you. So 549 00:38:09,840 --> 00:38:12,080 Speaker 2: I've been kicked out of both New York and LA 550 00:38:12,960 --> 00:38:19,520 Speaker 2: but New York five times, but I you know, somebody 551 00:38:19,600 --> 00:38:24,960 Speaker 2: called Cali call that did it's uneasy and each one 552 00:38:25,000 --> 00:38:28,200 Speaker 2: of the times it's was my friends, the manager from 553 00:38:29,440 --> 00:38:34,040 Speaker 2: the accountant from Shaw. Then he made a woman out 554 00:38:34,080 --> 00:38:39,839 Speaker 2: of me. Leland Archers, Kenny Rogers brother. I went back 555 00:38:39,880 --> 00:38:45,120 Speaker 2: to Detroit and recorded for Condition My Condition is In 556 00:38:45,400 --> 00:38:49,920 Speaker 2: for Ali McLaughlin and his record label, which took me 557 00:38:50,040 --> 00:38:58,520 Speaker 2: back to Atlantic briefly. And after that Leland Archers I 558 00:38:58,600 --> 00:39:04,279 Speaker 2: did the show what Condition my Condition is In? And 559 00:39:04,400 --> 00:39:07,640 Speaker 2: Leland Rogers heard it. I'd not heard it. I took 560 00:39:07,680 --> 00:39:10,600 Speaker 2: it to him when he came to Detroite and he 561 00:39:10,760 --> 00:39:15,840 Speaker 2: loved it. And they couldn't poor that they didn't have 562 00:39:16,000 --> 00:39:19,520 Speaker 2: WoT the pitts in at the time. And he loved 563 00:39:19,560 --> 00:39:21,320 Speaker 2: it though, and he said, my brother is starting a 564 00:39:21,400 --> 00:39:25,120 Speaker 2: new record label in Nashville, and he said, I think 565 00:39:25,719 --> 00:39:28,880 Speaker 2: he was, So he sent it to him and Leland 566 00:39:29,000 --> 00:39:31,040 Speaker 2: called me. He said, I know you don't remember me, 567 00:39:32,040 --> 00:39:34,719 Speaker 2: but I was your national promotion man for left me 568 00:39:34,840 --> 00:39:41,840 Speaker 2: down easy. So my career has been just like that 569 00:39:42,160 --> 00:39:45,520 Speaker 2: all the way up till now. It's been just like 570 00:39:45,719 --> 00:39:49,080 Speaker 2: that I met you when this. Now I own this. 571 00:39:49,840 --> 00:39:52,160 Speaker 2: I want to do this for you. I remember when 572 00:39:52,239 --> 00:39:57,200 Speaker 2: we It's everything. It's never been a normal, straight ahead 573 00:39:57,520 --> 00:39:59,399 Speaker 2: kind of flop over hit. 574 00:40:09,680 --> 00:40:13,000 Speaker 1: Okay, what was your state of mind during all this? 575 00:40:14,360 --> 00:40:16,719 Speaker 1: Did you think things were going to work out? Or 576 00:40:16,719 --> 00:40:19,239 Speaker 1: would you think you know that the phone was gonna ring? 577 00:40:19,360 --> 00:40:20,319 Speaker 1: Or do you think it was over? 578 00:40:22,640 --> 00:40:25,160 Speaker 2: Well, every time it ended, I thought it was over. 579 00:40:26,400 --> 00:40:28,839 Speaker 2: But here, get up, I said. The phone always rang, 580 00:40:29,760 --> 00:40:35,279 Speaker 2: somebody always called, and it's still kind of that way, 581 00:40:35,360 --> 00:40:38,560 Speaker 2: except that I'm kind of sick of that now. I'm 582 00:40:38,600 --> 00:40:42,760 Speaker 2: sick of it dying and then me wondering if somebody 583 00:40:42,960 --> 00:40:45,560 Speaker 2: is going to call or what's going to happen. And 584 00:40:45,680 --> 00:40:49,560 Speaker 2: everybody is called. Every time the phone is wronging, it's 585 00:40:49,719 --> 00:40:57,600 Speaker 2: been somebody is something with before and that makes me 586 00:40:57,719 --> 00:41:01,400 Speaker 2: feel good, though to note that anybody it's just like 587 00:41:01,560 --> 00:41:04,160 Speaker 2: when I left it not I can still call Jerry 588 00:41:04,200 --> 00:41:07,399 Speaker 2: Wexler and say send me fifty dollars. I can still 589 00:41:07,480 --> 00:41:11,200 Speaker 2: call any producer I've ever had that is still living 590 00:41:12,000 --> 00:41:15,239 Speaker 2: on the phone today and say send me fifty dollars. Well, 591 00:41:15,280 --> 00:41:21,120 Speaker 2: I'm glad. I don't have to. But I've just never 592 00:41:21,360 --> 00:41:28,880 Speaker 2: been a great record seller. If everyone that has hurt me, 593 00:41:29,040 --> 00:41:32,760 Speaker 2: that likes me can see me, and that hasn't happened. 594 00:41:33,480 --> 00:41:38,799 Speaker 2: Anytime I've been seen, it's been fine. But I don't 595 00:41:38,960 --> 00:41:42,160 Speaker 2: know right now. When you say I think it's over, 596 00:41:43,600 --> 00:41:47,160 Speaker 2: it's always over, because that's the way it seems to me. 597 00:41:48,160 --> 00:41:50,360 Speaker 2: But so I don't know what's gonna happen now. I 598 00:41:50,440 --> 00:41:55,600 Speaker 2: don't know. I want. I'm pissed at this point because 599 00:41:55,640 --> 00:41:59,880 Speaker 2: I shouldn't don't know what's going to happen at a 600 00:42:00,040 --> 00:42:04,399 Speaker 2: even even only paid twenty dollars, I shouldn't know what's 601 00:42:04,520 --> 00:42:05,320 Speaker 2: gonna happen. 602 00:42:05,840 --> 00:42:10,000 Speaker 1: Well, but you have a band and you play live dates. 603 00:42:11,160 --> 00:42:16,480 Speaker 2: Yes, yes, but it at this point, Robert, I had 604 00:42:16,560 --> 00:42:21,040 Speaker 2: thought that I would I call it a Ray Charles 605 00:42:22,520 --> 00:42:28,840 Speaker 2: my career. I have no desire to be Beyonce, but 606 00:42:29,000 --> 00:42:32,840 Speaker 2: I have a raging desire to be Ray Charles. I 607 00:42:33,000 --> 00:42:37,879 Speaker 2: met that lifestyle. I want to go fill an auditorium 608 00:42:37,880 --> 00:42:42,200 Speaker 2: and sing for two hours, them pay a large speed, 609 00:42:42,920 --> 00:42:47,640 Speaker 2: and then I do another one next week, all over 610 00:42:48,120 --> 00:42:48,560 Speaker 2: the world. 611 00:42:48,640 --> 00:42:54,440 Speaker 1: Okay, okay, what's the most important part here? The work 612 00:42:54,640 --> 00:42:59,840 Speaker 1: or getting paid or being known. When you say Ray Charles' career, 613 00:43:00,840 --> 00:43:01,919 Speaker 1: tell me a little bit more. 614 00:43:03,680 --> 00:43:08,760 Speaker 2: I had always thought that I would die broke and unknown, 615 00:43:10,400 --> 00:43:12,399 Speaker 2: and now I know I'm just gonna die broke. 616 00:43:15,160 --> 00:43:18,200 Speaker 1: Okay, when you go on the road with your band, 617 00:43:19,360 --> 00:43:21,000 Speaker 1: that's not profitable. 618 00:43:21,560 --> 00:43:28,799 Speaker 2: Not really. I hire the best musicians available. Now, when 619 00:43:28,800 --> 00:43:30,880 Speaker 2: I was able to have a band, I've been fortunate 620 00:43:31,000 --> 00:43:35,040 Speaker 2: enough in this fifth career I call it, which has 621 00:43:35,120 --> 00:43:37,239 Speaker 2: been going on for the last twenty years, and I 622 00:43:37,360 --> 00:43:41,359 Speaker 2: am extremely grateful for it. Well, twenty five years now, 623 00:43:41,760 --> 00:43:44,120 Speaker 2: I was able to have the same band that I 624 00:43:44,280 --> 00:43:47,759 Speaker 2: went into this fifth career from Detroit, and they were 625 00:43:47,840 --> 00:43:51,040 Speaker 2: with me for twenty years. But naturally, going all over 626 00:43:51,080 --> 00:43:54,560 Speaker 2: the world with me, everybody was looking at them. So 627 00:43:55,719 --> 00:43:58,719 Speaker 2: one went to this star, one went to that star. 628 00:44:00,320 --> 00:44:05,040 Speaker 2: And because we weren't a band, maybe they would have 629 00:44:05,080 --> 00:44:09,480 Speaker 2: felt compelled to be if we were a band. But 630 00:44:09,640 --> 00:44:12,680 Speaker 2: I'm not in a band. I have a man, and 631 00:44:12,840 --> 00:44:18,040 Speaker 2: in that I am unanimous. So that always causes a problem. 632 00:44:18,160 --> 00:44:22,520 Speaker 2: And I certainly can't anybody who's been in my band 633 00:44:22,600 --> 00:44:24,920 Speaker 2: who is left to go to be with someone bigger. 634 00:44:25,440 --> 00:44:30,239 Speaker 2: I can't say anything because I'm they're not. I'm not 635 00:44:30,400 --> 00:44:34,000 Speaker 2: in a band with them. They're my band, and that's 636 00:44:34,040 --> 00:44:36,200 Speaker 2: the way I wanted. That's the way Gambulist told me 637 00:44:36,280 --> 00:44:39,279 Speaker 2: to always keep it, and that's the way I've kept it. 638 00:44:39,840 --> 00:44:44,200 Speaker 2: So I probable I'm going to do some things now, 639 00:44:44,440 --> 00:44:48,160 Speaker 2: just some duos. Those will be profitable because they will 640 00:44:48,239 --> 00:44:53,799 Speaker 2: to be just and my new company at the end. 641 00:44:53,880 --> 00:44:59,120 Speaker 2: Stat Wick and he is very, very good and we're 642 00:44:59,200 --> 00:45:02,200 Speaker 2: kind of kind in spirits. Although he's younger than me, 643 00:45:02,440 --> 00:45:07,759 Speaker 2: although everybody is. But uh that I'm looking forward to you. 644 00:45:07,920 --> 00:45:10,400 Speaker 2: When I do the duet things, I sit and do 645 00:45:10,600 --> 00:45:12,480 Speaker 2: pretty much what you and I are doing now. I 646 00:45:12,600 --> 00:45:17,840 Speaker 2: tell stories about my career about other people that I know. 647 00:45:18,320 --> 00:45:24,319 Speaker 2: I lie on me and everybody and whatever. It's more 648 00:45:24,440 --> 00:45:26,920 Speaker 2: telling you, But it sounds like that. It's because so 649 00:45:27,080 --> 00:45:28,440 Speaker 2: much of it is so amazing. 650 00:45:29,400 --> 00:45:33,480 Speaker 1: You talk about your fifth career. During that time, the 651 00:45:33,640 --> 00:45:35,799 Speaker 1: business has changed dramatically. 652 00:45:36,320 --> 00:45:36,480 Speaker 2: Uh. 653 00:45:36,800 --> 00:45:40,440 Speaker 1: Atlantic you know was an independent company then owned by 654 00:45:40,600 --> 00:45:46,080 Speaker 1: Warner et cetera. So today although there are three major labels, 655 00:45:47,320 --> 00:45:50,399 Speaker 1: everybody's in their own business. You know, you could talk 656 00:45:50,520 --> 00:45:53,280 Speaker 1: you can talk beyond Sy you can talk Taylor Swift, 657 00:45:53,920 --> 00:45:56,120 Speaker 1: And there are plenty of people who don't know the music, 658 00:45:56,360 --> 00:45:58,600 Speaker 1: they might know the name, whereas when you were coming up, 659 00:45:58,680 --> 00:46:00,400 Speaker 1: when I was coming up, if if it was a 660 00:46:00,480 --> 00:46:04,680 Speaker 1: hit on the radio, literally everybody knew yes, yes, okay. 661 00:46:05,320 --> 00:46:12,320 Speaker 1: So the game has changed a little bit. So you 662 00:46:12,600 --> 00:46:18,720 Speaker 1: had this incredible recognition at the Kennedy Center Honors. First, 663 00:46:18,840 --> 00:46:20,040 Speaker 1: how did that come to be? 664 00:46:24,200 --> 00:46:26,640 Speaker 2: But you know Kevin right, well, you know Kevin better. 665 00:46:26,480 --> 00:46:30,160 Speaker 1: Than you do me, right, that's your For those who 666 00:46:30,160 --> 00:46:30,520 Speaker 1: don't know. 667 00:46:30,800 --> 00:46:35,680 Speaker 2: He knows everything everyone who has ever stepped up to 668 00:46:35,800 --> 00:46:39,399 Speaker 2: a microphone. And it really annoys me because he knows 669 00:46:39,480 --> 00:46:46,240 Speaker 2: more black people than I do. But anyway, he called 670 00:46:46,320 --> 00:46:49,800 Speaker 2: the Kennedy Center Honors and he said, my wife is 671 00:46:49,880 --> 00:46:53,439 Speaker 2: Petty Covett. They were honoring George Jones, and he said 672 00:46:53,520 --> 00:46:59,120 Speaker 2: she's as a new recording choices by George soon and 673 00:46:59,280 --> 00:47:02,759 Speaker 2: he sent it to them and they loved it. And 674 00:47:03,560 --> 00:47:07,000 Speaker 2: Michael Stevens, who is the producers that Ken honors, who 675 00:47:07,160 --> 00:47:11,800 Speaker 2: was the son of the movie producer George Stevens, he 676 00:47:12,400 --> 00:47:15,680 Speaker 2: loved it. He said, so many people are coming from 677 00:47:15,760 --> 00:47:19,359 Speaker 2: Nashville to honor George Jones. He said, we just don't 678 00:47:19,480 --> 00:47:24,040 Speaker 2: have anything else. Another song. They said, well, we do 679 00:47:24,200 --> 00:47:31,280 Speaker 2: have songs. One song by the Hoop and I said 680 00:47:32,520 --> 00:47:39,120 Speaker 2: the what of course my husband knew it and he 681 00:47:39,320 --> 00:47:50,480 Speaker 2: played it for me and I said, yeah, but I 682 00:47:51,600 --> 00:47:58,360 Speaker 2: learned the song and I met the music director Rob Mathis, 683 00:47:58,520 --> 00:48:00,160 Speaker 2: talked to him on the phone, told him and I 684 00:48:00,280 --> 00:48:04,200 Speaker 2: wanted to do well. Got a key really is mostly 685 00:48:04,280 --> 00:48:06,719 Speaker 2: what we did. So when we got there for the 686 00:48:06,840 --> 00:48:12,400 Speaker 2: sound check or the rehearsal sound check, I called he 687 00:48:12,600 --> 00:48:16,680 Speaker 2: and Michael's side and I said, I can sing the song, 688 00:48:17,920 --> 00:48:22,359 Speaker 2: but I can't sing it like that and they said, 689 00:48:22,520 --> 00:48:30,239 Speaker 2: like what I said, like it goes. So he said, well, 690 00:48:30,360 --> 00:48:34,240 Speaker 2: can you sing it to me Rob Matthitts, the music director, 691 00:48:34,880 --> 00:48:37,560 Speaker 2: I said, I can sing it to you fuck a 692 00:48:37,640 --> 00:48:40,080 Speaker 2: ball and you can just kind of pick up when 693 00:48:40,200 --> 00:48:42,800 Speaker 2: following because I knew how I wanted to sing it. 694 00:48:43,360 --> 00:48:46,239 Speaker 2: And I sung it to him and he told the 695 00:48:46,400 --> 00:48:50,080 Speaker 2: man he said, we're going to take an our break 696 00:48:50,360 --> 00:48:53,160 Speaker 2: and come back, and he went and sat down and 697 00:48:53,239 --> 00:48:59,440 Speaker 2: bote that arrangement for me in that hour and it 698 00:48:59,600 --> 00:49:04,120 Speaker 2: just went flawlessly. I was nervouses, I don't know what, 699 00:49:04,520 --> 00:49:10,359 Speaker 2: but it just went flawlessly. And when I walked out 700 00:49:10,440 --> 00:49:16,560 Speaker 2: into the stage, Robert it was looking at the stage 701 00:49:16,640 --> 00:49:18,920 Speaker 2: put the stage put to your audience in your mind. 702 00:49:20,320 --> 00:49:25,560 Speaker 2: When I looked out fourth row, Aretha Franklin was sitting 703 00:49:26,560 --> 00:49:33,799 Speaker 2: about halfway the audience. Over from her, like Beyonce. Up 704 00:49:33,880 --> 00:49:38,680 Speaker 2: in the balcony was The Who and Pete Townshend, and 705 00:49:39,280 --> 00:49:46,200 Speaker 2: next to them was Barbara Streisson. So see see where 706 00:49:46,239 --> 00:49:49,880 Speaker 2: you can see this, because it really happened like this. 707 00:49:50,280 --> 00:49:53,440 Speaker 2: I walked out there, I started singing, and after I 708 00:49:53,520 --> 00:50:02,160 Speaker 2: got settled into the song, Aretha's mouth said I thought 709 00:50:02,239 --> 00:50:11,319 Speaker 2: she was here. Then it was Beyonce Who. 710 00:50:13,040 --> 00:50:17,400 Speaker 1: Wait, you're mouthing the words from I know, but but 711 00:50:18,200 --> 00:50:20,720 Speaker 1: but you can say for my audience, what example I'm. 712 00:50:20,600 --> 00:50:22,840 Speaker 2: Telling you after because I want you to see what 713 00:50:23,080 --> 00:50:26,600 Speaker 2: I was saying. Okay, So I'm looking at them. I 714 00:50:26,719 --> 00:50:31,080 Speaker 2: couldn't hear them either, but okay. Then I look up 715 00:50:31,120 --> 00:50:35,120 Speaker 2: in the balcony and Barbara Streisen is looking at She 716 00:50:35,280 --> 00:50:40,080 Speaker 2: pulls Pete Townsend over. She says, did you write that? 717 00:50:41,600 --> 00:50:45,960 Speaker 2: And he was looking at her, perplexed with tears in 718 00:50:46,040 --> 00:50:51,360 Speaker 2: his eyes. And I call it my three Stooges slap. 719 00:50:51,960 --> 00:50:52,840 Speaker 1: It was just a. 720 00:50:54,760 --> 00:51:02,960 Speaker 2: I've never felt so good in my entire career. And 721 00:51:03,120 --> 00:51:06,480 Speaker 2: it went fabulously well and of course, Michael Stevens, the 722 00:51:06,600 --> 00:51:12,120 Speaker 2: music director, became a producer and did that out here. Again, 723 00:51:13,040 --> 00:51:15,960 Speaker 2: I didn't go to the studio. I didn't do anything. 724 00:51:16,560 --> 00:51:22,160 Speaker 2: He produced an album on me. The interpretations out that 725 00:51:22,320 --> 00:51:25,400 Speaker 2: one caused something else to happen. But I've not. 726 00:51:26,200 --> 00:51:29,320 Speaker 1: Wait wait, wait a little bit slower. Okay, you have 727 00:51:29,480 --> 00:51:34,040 Speaker 1: your experience on stage the Kenny Center Kenny Center Honors. 728 00:51:34,680 --> 00:51:39,040 Speaker 1: Certainly prior to the final version we had last year 729 00:51:40,840 --> 00:51:46,239 Speaker 1: was during Christmas. The ratings were unbelievable. Everybody saw you 730 00:51:46,520 --> 00:51:49,879 Speaker 1: and you were the star of the show. Everybody knew 731 00:51:51,239 --> 00:51:56,720 Speaker 1: so other than the moment and then making another label, 732 00:51:57,040 --> 00:51:59,320 Speaker 1: did it change your life in any way where people 733 00:51:59,480 --> 00:52:02,000 Speaker 1: coming out of we want an interview, We want to 734 00:52:02,080 --> 00:52:05,440 Speaker 1: do this. When you walk down the street, did someone recognize? 735 00:52:05,560 --> 00:52:06,840 Speaker 1: Did it change your life? 736 00:52:07,440 --> 00:52:14,600 Speaker 2: That is why this is my fifth career, because every 737 00:52:15,040 --> 00:52:21,560 Speaker 2: time it happened, it changed my life. In other words, 738 00:52:22,080 --> 00:52:27,680 Speaker 2: the sugar always turned to shit, and I've seen more 739 00:52:27,760 --> 00:52:32,480 Speaker 2: of that than most people have. I even think that 740 00:52:32,680 --> 00:52:38,240 Speaker 2: things that's happened so instantaneously. Now, if this fifth career 741 00:52:38,320 --> 00:52:43,600 Speaker 2: had happened right now, it may have had more stick 742 00:52:43,680 --> 00:52:49,440 Speaker 2: to itiveness. But every when my man came out. It 743 00:52:49,800 --> 00:52:52,920 Speaker 2: was in the charts on a major record label. I've 744 00:52:53,000 --> 00:52:57,400 Speaker 2: been singing one month when let Me Down Easy it 745 00:52:57,520 --> 00:53:01,720 Speaker 2: came out. I was on the labels that was owned 746 00:53:02,440 --> 00:53:05,800 Speaker 2: by the mafia. I could do anything I asked for. 747 00:53:06,080 --> 00:53:09,560 Speaker 2: I wanted to be on Shindig and was. I went 748 00:53:10,120 --> 00:53:16,640 Speaker 2: everywhere I showed with James Brown. Then the next time, 749 00:53:17,160 --> 00:53:22,280 Speaker 2: every time it happened, it was the biggest life changing 750 00:53:22,560 --> 00:53:29,080 Speaker 2: thing that had happened to me. Yes, it changed my life. 751 00:53:29,719 --> 00:53:33,880 Speaker 2: When the thing you're talking about after that, it called 752 00:53:33,920 --> 00:53:35,000 Speaker 2: something else to happen. 753 00:53:37,800 --> 00:53:40,280 Speaker 1: Okay, just do a little fill in for a second. 754 00:53:40,360 --> 00:53:41,920 Speaker 1: How did you end up on Broadway? 755 00:53:45,520 --> 00:53:50,680 Speaker 2: My manager Jim Lewis, who told me early on during 756 00:53:50,800 --> 00:53:56,520 Speaker 2: that period between coming back from New York and having 757 00:53:56,560 --> 00:54:00,840 Speaker 2: a lot of local regional records that I did not 758 00:54:01,000 --> 00:54:08,480 Speaker 2: pay for, but he had me learning songs like God 759 00:54:08,560 --> 00:54:13,200 Speaker 2: Bless the Child and Sweet Georgia Brown and it Don't 760 00:54:13,280 --> 00:54:17,960 Speaker 2: Be a Thing. And my band and I, who is sixteen, 761 00:54:18,120 --> 00:54:23,160 Speaker 2: seventeen and eighteen and I was twenty three, we were 762 00:54:23,320 --> 00:54:30,640 Speaker 2: like because we were rehearsing sin Family Stone and whatever 763 00:54:30,640 --> 00:54:33,040 Speaker 2: it was hot at the time. So he made us 764 00:54:33,120 --> 00:54:36,080 Speaker 2: learn these songs. Though and made us work with the 765 00:54:36,160 --> 00:54:38,960 Speaker 2: biggest or the stud air at the time, Jimmy Wilkins 766 00:54:39,520 --> 00:54:44,120 Speaker 2: and he was the biggest man at the Detroit Musicians 767 00:54:44,239 --> 00:54:50,320 Speaker 2: Union Local five, and Jim Lewis. So we were thrown 768 00:54:50,400 --> 00:54:52,800 Speaker 2: into this sing We did all the big gigs. We 769 00:54:52,920 --> 00:54:55,600 Speaker 2: sung at the mirrors and arc roll ball, we did everything. 770 00:54:56,840 --> 00:55:05,960 Speaker 2: So when they called me, Vivian Meade was being replaced. 771 00:55:06,040 --> 00:55:09,920 Speaker 2: The problem was Vivian Red created and won the Tony 772 00:55:10,040 --> 00:55:15,480 Speaker 2: for the lead role in Bubbling Brown Sugar. They called 773 00:55:15,600 --> 00:55:21,840 Speaker 2: me in they knew who I was. Debbie Allen, husband 774 00:55:23,040 --> 00:55:26,640 Speaker 2: had been our bass player when I came to New 775 00:55:26,719 --> 00:55:33,120 Speaker 2: York the first time fifteen years before that, and told 776 00:55:33,400 --> 00:55:39,440 Speaker 2: her to tell them to call me. So if the 777 00:55:39,719 --> 00:55:43,320 Speaker 2: irony of my career it has just been like I 778 00:55:43,400 --> 00:55:46,480 Speaker 2: was saying with Leland Rogers being Kenny Roger's brother, and 779 00:55:46,560 --> 00:55:50,080 Speaker 2: that same thing happened again. So Debbie had them called 780 00:55:50,160 --> 00:55:53,880 Speaker 2: me because Debbie could dance the role, but she couldn't 781 00:55:54,040 --> 00:55:59,200 Speaker 2: sing it, and I couldn't dance. I could sing it, 782 00:55:59,360 --> 00:56:03,400 Speaker 2: and that was most important part. So when the producer 783 00:56:03,520 --> 00:56:07,800 Speaker 2: called me, he said can you dance? I said, of 784 00:56:07,840 --> 00:56:12,120 Speaker 2: course I can dance. Some black and he said, well, 785 00:56:12,440 --> 00:56:15,600 Speaker 2: whatever he's say, can you tap dance? I said no. 786 00:56:17,040 --> 00:56:19,879 Speaker 2: He said, well look at it this way, you learn 787 00:56:20,000 --> 00:56:24,759 Speaker 2: the other dances. It's just another dance you're learning if 788 00:56:24,840 --> 00:56:32,160 Speaker 2: you can dance. So I went to the audition Jim Lewis, 789 00:56:32,239 --> 00:56:35,120 Speaker 2: who had taught me all these songs and had every 790 00:56:35,360 --> 00:56:39,000 Speaker 2: faith in me. He wasn't even thinking about dancer. He 791 00:56:39,160 --> 00:56:41,480 Speaker 2: was thinking, get her an understory and let her dance. 792 00:56:42,400 --> 00:56:44,440 Speaker 2: He was so thrilled that I was going to be 793 00:56:44,560 --> 00:56:47,120 Speaker 2: singing these songs that came out of the era. He 794 00:56:47,320 --> 00:56:51,239 Speaker 2: came from the Duke Kellington Jimmy Lunsword era, and he 795 00:56:51,400 --> 00:56:54,200 Speaker 2: had taught me all these songs. I never had a 796 00:56:54,840 --> 00:56:57,239 Speaker 2: call for these songs, which is why I didn't want 797 00:56:57,280 --> 00:57:00,279 Speaker 2: to learn them. But I had learned them. I went 798 00:57:00,360 --> 00:57:03,080 Speaker 2: up on this stage and a sun God child, I 799 00:57:03,120 --> 00:57:08,440 Speaker 2: had sung Speech Brown. They hired me that day. I 800 00:57:08,560 --> 00:57:11,439 Speaker 2: had to go to rehearsal the next morning. It took 801 00:57:12,520 --> 00:57:15,000 Speaker 2: three weeks for my clothes to catch up with me 802 00:57:15,560 --> 00:57:19,280 Speaker 2: because I went on tour that week. When they left 803 00:57:19,480 --> 00:57:27,240 Speaker 2: New York and Honey Coles was telling that directory, he said, 804 00:57:27,320 --> 00:57:31,000 Speaker 2: she's not a dancer, she's a singer. He said, don't 805 00:57:31,080 --> 00:57:34,280 Speaker 2: count to her, sing to her say ba a bute 806 00:57:34,920 --> 00:57:41,480 Speaker 2: bute bout as opposed to one and two and one 807 00:57:41,640 --> 00:57:44,080 Speaker 2: and two. And I didn't know one and two and 808 00:57:44,200 --> 00:57:47,520 Speaker 2: three went so honey, Coloes put his arm around me 809 00:57:47,880 --> 00:57:50,760 Speaker 2: and sung it to me and talked to me those 810 00:57:50,880 --> 00:57:53,840 Speaker 2: few steps that I had to do to get on 811 00:57:54,040 --> 00:57:59,360 Speaker 2: the stage at the end of that week, the first 812 00:57:59,480 --> 00:58:02,800 Speaker 2: time I had ever been in a show or on 813 00:58:03,000 --> 00:58:07,640 Speaker 2: a Broadway stage of my life. I did that. And 814 00:58:07,720 --> 00:58:10,520 Speaker 2: the next morning I got up and went to rehearsal, 815 00:58:11,000 --> 00:58:17,720 Speaker 2: and he taught me, and I did that all day, 816 00:58:18,200 --> 00:58:21,560 Speaker 2: and I did that that night. Then the next morning 817 00:58:21,880 --> 00:58:24,960 Speaker 2: I got off. And when I learned how to do 818 00:58:25,080 --> 00:58:29,240 Speaker 2: the book and win, every day I went to rehearsal. 819 00:58:29,960 --> 00:58:33,600 Speaker 2: My feet. I had never used all the muscles in 820 00:58:33,760 --> 00:58:36,920 Speaker 2: my feet like that. I danced all night. You know 821 00:58:37,040 --> 00:58:41,320 Speaker 2: how to dance, but I had never done that. Most 822 00:58:41,680 --> 00:58:44,800 Speaker 2: professional dancing is down on you. The balls of your feet, 823 00:58:45,360 --> 00:58:47,600 Speaker 2: the balls of my feet, if you touched them with 824 00:58:47,720 --> 00:58:52,080 Speaker 2: your finger, I would screamed. They were so sore. And 825 00:58:53,000 --> 00:58:56,120 Speaker 2: I got through that week. Then I got through the 826 00:58:56,240 --> 00:58:59,000 Speaker 2: next week, and the songs I was stopped in the show. 827 00:58:59,480 --> 00:59:03,240 Speaker 2: You know songs, So that was keeping the producer police 828 00:59:04,160 --> 00:59:06,200 Speaker 2: and they just had to teach me to dance, and 829 00:59:06,320 --> 00:59:11,280 Speaker 2: that to two weeks, and that's how I wound up 830 00:59:11,320 --> 00:59:11,840 Speaker 2: in the show. 831 00:59:12,080 --> 00:59:15,360 Speaker 1: You're right, but you stayed with the show a long time, right. 832 00:59:15,400 --> 00:59:19,480 Speaker 2: Yeah, because each show the closest like that was getting 833 00:59:19,520 --> 00:59:24,240 Speaker 2: ready to be the Broadway show, which was gonna stay there. 834 00:59:24,880 --> 00:59:29,840 Speaker 2: After the original stars left and went to Europe on 835 00:59:29,960 --> 00:59:34,120 Speaker 2: a Europe show, they made a road show as well. 836 00:59:34,480 --> 00:59:37,440 Speaker 2: The ones that didn't go to Europe, Honey Coals and 837 00:59:37,520 --> 00:59:41,480 Speaker 2: the people that were left with me, we went on 838 00:59:41,800 --> 00:59:47,800 Speaker 2: the road here in America, so we did that for 839 00:59:48,640 --> 00:59:51,320 Speaker 2: I guess. I did that for a year. Then they 840 00:59:51,360 --> 00:59:53,320 Speaker 2: had a bus and truck show. I did that for 841 00:59:53,840 --> 00:59:57,440 Speaker 2: six months. Then they had some old show and I 842 00:59:57,560 --> 01:00:00,560 Speaker 2: did that. So I did wrote three to times in 843 01:00:00,680 --> 01:00:04,200 Speaker 2: three different capacities. They get less and less, you know, 844 01:00:04,480 --> 01:00:07,000 Speaker 2: like when you get down the bus and truck, which 845 01:00:07,080 --> 01:00:10,000 Speaker 2: is what I did with Cab Caliway. It had gotten 846 01:00:10,080 --> 01:00:13,240 Speaker 2: down to where we were all traveling by bus and 847 01:00:13,320 --> 01:00:16,440 Speaker 2: all the equipment was being carried and costumes are being 848 01:00:16,520 --> 01:00:20,200 Speaker 2: carried by truck. And of course had learned more then 849 01:00:20,480 --> 01:00:26,720 Speaker 2: with Mabel Lee and with Cab, Caliway and Cab. When 850 01:00:26,760 --> 01:00:30,760 Speaker 2: I was doing this show, he disliked all the young 851 01:00:30,840 --> 01:00:34,240 Speaker 2: people on the show at first. He got like some 852 01:00:34,400 --> 01:00:37,800 Speaker 2: of them a little bitter. But he liked me because 853 01:00:38,040 --> 01:00:41,120 Speaker 2: of the ethic that Jim Lewis had given me. I 854 01:00:41,240 --> 01:00:43,880 Speaker 2: want make up. Every day when we went to the 855 01:00:44,000 --> 01:00:48,160 Speaker 2: airport to where I was dressed, and he always had 856 01:00:48,240 --> 01:00:51,520 Speaker 2: on an ascot or a tie or whatever. And he said, 857 01:00:51,560 --> 01:00:54,160 Speaker 2: that's the way it starts. It's supposed to look when 858 01:00:54,240 --> 01:00:57,120 Speaker 2: they when they travel, these chicks and these house shoes, 859 01:00:57,240 --> 01:01:01,240 Speaker 2: these rollers in theirs. He would be so mad, but 860 01:01:01,560 --> 01:01:03,640 Speaker 2: he let me ride with him when we were on 861 01:01:03,800 --> 01:01:09,360 Speaker 2: the road in his Lincoln Cottmental and I rode with him, 862 01:01:10,120 --> 01:01:12,520 Speaker 2: and then I told my husband, I said, I think 863 01:01:12,680 --> 01:01:15,200 Speaker 2: secretly the reason he let me ride with him is 864 01:01:15,200 --> 01:01:18,200 Speaker 2: because I would jump out of the car at the 865 01:01:18,400 --> 01:01:22,160 Speaker 2: ATM machines and go and put not ATM machines the 866 01:01:22,240 --> 01:01:27,520 Speaker 2: off track, betting the off track, betting the otb otbs. 867 01:01:28,000 --> 01:01:30,400 Speaker 2: I would run and put his bets in for him, 868 01:01:30,960 --> 01:01:33,440 Speaker 2: because we bet the whole while we were in New England. 869 01:01:33,520 --> 01:01:36,480 Speaker 2: They have in New England they have otv's, So I 870 01:01:36,520 --> 01:01:38,200 Speaker 2: would jump out of the car and go and put 871 01:01:38,240 --> 01:01:40,280 Speaker 2: his betsend for him. I said that was why he 872 01:01:40,400 --> 01:01:43,640 Speaker 2: had me ride with him. He'd have somebody cute who 873 01:01:43,720 --> 01:01:47,040 Speaker 2: could run and do all things he wanted done. But 874 01:01:47,200 --> 01:01:51,120 Speaker 2: I learned so much just in conversation. And since that's 875 01:01:51,280 --> 01:01:54,240 Speaker 2: the show business. I got in show business to be 876 01:01:54,680 --> 01:01:58,560 Speaker 2: in the one I had seen in movies and on television. 877 01:01:59,200 --> 01:01:59,800 Speaker 1: He was it. 878 01:02:00,160 --> 01:02:02,760 Speaker 2: And he just told me so many stories and I 879 01:02:02,960 --> 01:02:03,360 Speaker 2: love them. 880 01:02:11,840 --> 01:02:14,920 Speaker 1: Okay, when you were in the road show, since you 881 01:02:15,040 --> 01:02:18,000 Speaker 1: brought up finances, did you make good money working in 882 01:02:18,120 --> 01:02:18,439 Speaker 1: the show? 883 01:02:18,920 --> 01:02:22,800 Speaker 2: Yes, yes, more money than I had ever made before 884 01:02:24,480 --> 01:02:28,840 Speaker 2: because nothing had lasted that consistently before. But I've never 885 01:02:29,000 --> 01:02:35,320 Speaker 2: made consider just the way this is like. If I 886 01:02:35,440 --> 01:02:40,680 Speaker 2: understand the envy the way it's described, it's wishing that 887 01:02:40,880 --> 01:02:44,280 Speaker 2: the other person didn't have it and you did. And 888 01:02:44,400 --> 01:02:46,680 Speaker 2: I don't feel that way because I'm so glad for 889 01:02:47,480 --> 01:02:49,880 Speaker 2: all of certainly all the people I grew up with. 890 01:02:50,680 --> 01:02:54,000 Speaker 2: But look at who I grew up with. They're all millionaires, 891 01:02:55,360 --> 01:02:58,760 Speaker 2: and I have done the same thing that they don't 892 01:02:59,080 --> 01:03:03,440 Speaker 2: gone the same thing, but things have just fallen differently 893 01:03:03,600 --> 01:03:06,080 Speaker 2: for them than they have for me, And I think 894 01:03:07,000 --> 01:03:09,600 Speaker 2: that is what I mean when I say I'm absolutely 895 01:03:11,920 --> 01:03:17,480 Speaker 2: thrill and grateful because I had done things that no 896 01:03:17,680 --> 01:03:21,040 Speaker 2: one else in my family would ever dreamed of doing. 897 01:03:22,040 --> 01:03:22,120 Speaker 1: But. 898 01:03:23,680 --> 01:03:26,280 Speaker 2: Pissed because I haven't got as much money as. 899 01:03:27,160 --> 01:03:31,280 Speaker 1: Okay, you're living on the north side of Detroit. You 900 01:03:31,440 --> 01:03:37,720 Speaker 1: mentioned all these household names irrelevant of finances. Are those 901 01:03:37,840 --> 01:03:40,400 Speaker 1: people your friends at this point? Do you know that 902 01:03:40,400 --> 01:03:43,800 Speaker 1: it's the ones who are still alive? Are they you say, Oh, 903 01:03:43,840 --> 01:03:46,080 Speaker 1: they're in show business, they used to live in the neighborhood. 904 01:03:46,080 --> 01:03:49,320 Speaker 1: I've crossed paths with them once or twice. Or are 905 01:03:49,400 --> 01:03:51,080 Speaker 1: these people you're friends? 906 01:03:52,000 --> 01:03:54,440 Speaker 2: Oh? No, all of them were. You have to remember 907 01:03:54,880 --> 01:03:56,920 Speaker 2: we have a joke that white people think that all 908 01:03:57,000 --> 01:04:00,160 Speaker 2: black people know each other. In nineteen sixty two, they 909 01:04:00,280 --> 01:04:02,680 Speaker 2: did because they all went to the same church, the 910 01:04:02,760 --> 01:04:07,880 Speaker 2: same supermarket. I know all these people personally. The ones 911 01:04:07,920 --> 01:04:11,880 Speaker 2: who aren't dead or who have not gone to God, 912 01:04:13,560 --> 01:04:17,400 Speaker 2: I'm friends with. I was friends with the Tops Attempts, 913 01:04:18,560 --> 01:04:24,840 Speaker 2: oh until they died. Of so many of them. If 914 01:04:24,880 --> 01:04:27,400 Speaker 2: they aren't dead or having gone to God, I'm still 915 01:04:27,480 --> 01:04:28,040 Speaker 2: friends with them. 916 01:04:29,640 --> 01:04:34,320 Speaker 1: Okay, you have this Broadway run in a show that 917 01:04:34,960 --> 01:04:38,880 Speaker 1: is touring that doesn't lead to another Broadway role. 918 01:04:41,960 --> 01:04:45,120 Speaker 2: I wouldn't do. I'm not. Everybody think it's because I'm 919 01:04:45,160 --> 01:04:48,520 Speaker 2: so animated I can act, But all I can act 920 01:04:48,680 --> 01:04:51,360 Speaker 2: like is me. I can't act like my name is 921 01:04:51,480 --> 01:04:54,560 Speaker 2: Natasha and I have five children a husband who beats me. 922 01:04:55,040 --> 01:05:00,840 Speaker 2: I really think that actors, well, I I like actors 923 01:05:00,920 --> 01:05:03,440 Speaker 2: better than I do singers, because I think that that's 924 01:05:03,520 --> 01:05:06,360 Speaker 2: a either you can saying it's a gift or you've 925 01:05:06,400 --> 01:05:09,200 Speaker 2: got some kind of trick or something that you fool people. 926 01:05:09,760 --> 01:05:15,080 Speaker 2: But acting is you have to believe the person's name 927 01:05:15,280 --> 01:05:20,400 Speaker 2: is Ili May and they kill five people. And I 928 01:05:20,600 --> 01:05:24,440 Speaker 2: think acting is hard and I cannot do it. But 929 01:05:24,600 --> 01:05:28,080 Speaker 2: people think because I'm so animated in my speech and 930 01:05:28,400 --> 01:05:31,520 Speaker 2: just natural me that I can do it. I can't 931 01:05:31,600 --> 01:05:35,520 Speaker 2: remember all those words and assume a whole other attitude 932 01:05:35,600 --> 01:05:38,840 Speaker 2: that isn't me. So when I went to try out 933 01:05:39,080 --> 01:05:42,800 Speaker 2: for and then the dancing, I mean the things you 934 01:05:42,920 --> 01:05:45,400 Speaker 2: have to do in New York to do these shows. 935 01:05:46,080 --> 01:05:50,280 Speaker 2: Unless you've been somebody as a lead actor actress, then 936 01:05:50,280 --> 01:05:53,200 Speaker 2: they want you to come and read things and dance 937 01:05:53,720 --> 01:05:58,280 Speaker 2: and just auditioning itself. I mean, my thing to your 938 01:05:58,320 --> 01:06:03,240 Speaker 2: auditioners are can you say my attitude to be in 939 01:06:03,440 --> 01:06:07,640 Speaker 2: theater is not good. I do the best I can 940 01:06:07,840 --> 01:06:12,920 Speaker 2: to be in the recording industry and working nightclubs with 941 01:06:13,160 --> 01:06:17,240 Speaker 2: theater I could never do. I've done it once and 942 01:06:17,440 --> 01:06:20,040 Speaker 2: that was because they called n. 943 01:06:22,240 --> 01:06:25,040 Speaker 1: Okay, let's go back to the Kennedy Center Honors. 944 01:06:25,560 --> 01:06:31,840 Speaker 2: Let me call Kevin. Kevin. I did not rearrange it. 945 01:06:32,360 --> 01:06:38,640 Speaker 1: You said that you couldn't sing it that way. Do 946 01:06:38,720 --> 01:06:39,480 Speaker 1: you need Kevin? 947 01:06:40,320 --> 01:06:41,040 Speaker 2: No, he's here. 948 01:06:42,440 --> 01:06:44,800 Speaker 1: Well, I was just talking to you. But in any event, 949 01:06:45,360 --> 01:06:47,920 Speaker 1: how did you come up with the way you wanted 950 01:06:48,000 --> 01:06:48,440 Speaker 1: to sing it? 951 01:06:50,960 --> 01:06:55,480 Speaker 2: That is so amazing to me. You don't think it 952 01:06:55,560 --> 01:07:00,560 Speaker 2: would be more difficult for me to sing something like 953 01:07:00,800 --> 01:07:07,320 Speaker 2: someone else then singing it like me. But the way 954 01:07:07,400 --> 01:07:12,880 Speaker 2: people understand it is the wrong way. I don't come 955 01:07:13,560 --> 01:07:17,640 Speaker 2: up with it. That's the way it sounded to me. 956 01:07:20,080 --> 01:07:23,440 Speaker 2: I don't. That was one of the early things with 957 01:07:23,600 --> 01:07:27,520 Speaker 2: Jim when he was teaching me all of these Sarah 958 01:07:27,760 --> 01:07:32,320 Speaker 2: Faun and Billy They songs. I thought I couldn't sing 959 01:07:32,400 --> 01:07:34,320 Speaker 2: them because I knew I couldn't sing them like that. 960 01:07:35,320 --> 01:07:38,720 Speaker 2: So I thought I was singing them wrong because I 961 01:07:38,840 --> 01:07:43,880 Speaker 2: couldn't sing them that way. But Jim said stupid woman. 962 01:07:44,240 --> 01:07:49,080 Speaker 2: That's the idea. You're supposed to sing them and sound different. 963 01:07:50,480 --> 01:07:53,880 Speaker 2: I said, but they only sound good if you sing 964 01:07:54,000 --> 01:07:58,240 Speaker 2: them like that, and he said, no that, no, no, here, 965 01:07:58,840 --> 01:08:03,000 Speaker 2: let's start all over again. Yeah. It was a long 966 01:08:03,160 --> 01:08:06,800 Speaker 2: time before I realized that it was okay for me 967 01:08:06,920 --> 01:08:11,680 Speaker 2: to sound different and sing the songs different. I wanted 968 01:08:11,760 --> 01:08:14,720 Speaker 2: to sing them like the people who sung them. 969 01:08:16,760 --> 01:08:21,880 Speaker 1: Okay, so you've made albums of rock tunes, you've made 970 01:08:21,920 --> 01:08:26,000 Speaker 1: albums of admitting, album of Dylan tunes. You're telling me 971 01:08:26,840 --> 01:08:30,519 Speaker 1: there's not a long process of rearranging how you're going 972 01:08:30,600 --> 01:08:33,200 Speaker 1: to do it. You just hear the song and then 973 01:08:33,240 --> 01:08:34,200 Speaker 1: you do it your way. 974 01:08:37,280 --> 01:08:45,360 Speaker 2: Robert, it's the exact same thing that happens in bed. Okay, 975 01:08:47,640 --> 01:08:51,839 Speaker 2: you don't. You may have seen a sixth film or whatever, 976 01:08:52,000 --> 01:08:55,680 Speaker 2: and let may have given you the initial idea, but 977 01:08:55,960 --> 01:09:00,800 Speaker 2: everybody's different in bed. Credit says, Okay, Henry did this 978 01:09:01,439 --> 01:09:04,759 Speaker 2: just like this, so I'm gonna turn her face around. 979 01:09:05,000 --> 01:09:09,000 Speaker 2: Maybe when you were younger, but everybody's different. And singing 980 01:09:09,640 --> 01:09:14,519 Speaker 2: being a thing that you aren't taught. Either you can sing, 981 01:09:14,880 --> 01:09:19,920 Speaker 2: damn it, or you can't. And I really can't sing. 982 01:09:20,200 --> 01:09:22,840 Speaker 2: But I'm able to present the tunes and present my 983 01:09:23,000 --> 01:09:26,000 Speaker 2: feelings along with them. And my voice doesn't sound awful. 984 01:09:26,840 --> 01:09:29,960 Speaker 2: But when you listen to Louis Armstrong, he can make 985 01:09:30,040 --> 01:09:33,760 Speaker 2: you cry, he can make you laugh. He doesn't sound beautiful. 986 01:09:34,880 --> 01:09:38,519 Speaker 2: But I thought that as a girl, for sure, I 987 01:09:38,680 --> 01:09:42,439 Speaker 2: needed to sound a little more nanse elutionist. And it 988 01:09:42,600 --> 01:09:47,360 Speaker 2: was years before I accepted that the way I sung 989 01:09:47,760 --> 01:09:49,679 Speaker 2: was the way I sung. 990 01:09:52,240 --> 01:09:58,640 Speaker 1: Okay, you said you had a child at sixteen. Sometimes 991 01:10:00,000 --> 01:10:06,280 Speaker 1: I didn't say that I did that well, put was 992 01:10:06,439 --> 01:10:11,160 Speaker 1: that a bump in the road, a tragedy or was 993 01:10:11,320 --> 01:10:13,640 Speaker 1: that you know this? You know I'm pregnant. I have 994 01:10:13,720 --> 01:10:14,479 Speaker 1: a baby. That's it. 995 01:10:16,479 --> 01:10:21,439 Speaker 2: Now. It's pretty bad for my people. They always you 996 01:10:21,520 --> 01:10:24,200 Speaker 2: always want the guy to do right, and you take 997 01:10:24,240 --> 01:10:27,840 Speaker 2: care of the baby. But this thing I'm telling you. 998 01:10:28,240 --> 01:10:31,840 Speaker 2: When I met Lee Jones, my daughter was six months old, 999 01:10:32,760 --> 01:10:35,559 Speaker 2: and I had my sister, who was thirteen years older 1000 01:10:35,560 --> 01:10:38,880 Speaker 2: than me, was still there and my mother and they 1001 01:10:39,080 --> 01:10:43,960 Speaker 2: took the baby. They just took the baby. At one point, 1002 01:10:44,680 --> 01:10:47,760 Speaker 2: I said, I'm leaving and I'm taking my baby. And 1003 01:10:47,920 --> 01:10:50,640 Speaker 2: I always cry about it when I get drunk. It 1004 01:10:50,800 --> 01:10:53,639 Speaker 2: was the first time that, the only time I pushed 1005 01:10:53,800 --> 01:10:57,080 Speaker 2: my sister. She was trying to take the baby. Had 1006 01:10:57,200 --> 01:10:59,840 Speaker 2: she not taken the baby, they probably wouldn't have even 1007 01:11:00,080 --> 01:11:03,080 Speaker 2: been a baby. But they wanted me. I was the 1008 01:11:03,200 --> 01:11:06,160 Speaker 2: first person my family make one hundred dollars in one 1009 01:11:06,640 --> 01:11:11,639 Speaker 2: day in cash money and bring it home. They wanted 1010 01:11:11,960 --> 01:11:16,000 Speaker 2: me to sing. They said, you all these women in 1011 01:11:16,080 --> 01:11:20,160 Speaker 2: this house. My grandson now calls all his women, but 1012 01:11:21,280 --> 01:11:24,400 Speaker 2: he's the first boy in one hundred years. But my 1013 01:11:25,000 --> 01:11:28,599 Speaker 2: mother and my sister wanted me to sing. We've never 1014 01:11:29,400 --> 01:11:34,120 Speaker 2: had anything or done anything. And people were talking about 1015 01:11:34,200 --> 01:11:38,600 Speaker 2: me on a radio and recognizing me in a supermarket 1016 01:11:38,680 --> 01:11:42,080 Speaker 2: and whatever. They didn't say, come home and be a 1017 01:11:42,160 --> 01:11:47,280 Speaker 2: good mother. They said, we got this. You go sing, 1018 01:11:48,360 --> 01:11:49,320 Speaker 2: and they raised her. 1019 01:11:50,960 --> 01:11:52,200 Speaker 1: How many children do you have? 1020 01:11:52,720 --> 01:11:52,760 Speaker 2: What? 1021 01:11:54,479 --> 01:11:54,839 Speaker 1: Okay? 1022 01:11:55,240 --> 01:11:57,000 Speaker 2: And be he's it? 1023 01:11:59,240 --> 01:12:00,960 Speaker 1: And how many times you've been married? 1024 01:12:04,360 --> 01:12:10,599 Speaker 2: Only only the times that were necessary? Three times since 1025 01:12:10,600 --> 01:12:11,719 Speaker 2: it is my third husband. 1026 01:12:12,560 --> 01:12:15,920 Speaker 1: But wait, wait, wait wait wait now you sometimes didn't No, 1027 01:12:17,000 --> 01:12:19,000 Speaker 1: I want to know what you meant, but you said 1028 01:12:19,120 --> 01:12:20,400 Speaker 1: only when necessary? 1029 01:12:20,479 --> 01:12:24,400 Speaker 2: What is that? Like? I just uh you? You you 1030 01:12:24,520 --> 01:12:26,880 Speaker 2: tend to punk out in this business an awful lot, 1031 01:12:27,360 --> 01:12:31,160 Speaker 2: and you just want somebody to share a misery with you. Uh, 1032 01:12:31,439 --> 01:12:34,000 Speaker 2: so I married one time for that, and I married 1033 01:12:34,040 --> 01:12:37,680 Speaker 2: one time because after I was pregnant at sixteen, they 1034 01:12:37,760 --> 01:12:41,120 Speaker 2: said you're supposed to get married, and so we did, 1035 01:12:41,200 --> 01:12:44,760 Speaker 2: and we're together for gosh, the whole six months, I 1036 01:12:44,840 --> 01:12:49,360 Speaker 2: believe it was. But we stayed friends until he died. 1037 01:12:50,040 --> 01:12:53,760 Speaker 2: He actually worked on Kevin's car. He's a mechanic. He 1038 01:12:53,880 --> 01:12:57,759 Speaker 2: actually worked on Kevin's car when Kevin came to detit 1039 01:12:57,920 --> 01:13:02,640 Speaker 2: after I met him and my ex husband was a 1040 01:13:02,760 --> 01:13:09,120 Speaker 2: manager for the Hired hotels, and Kevin actually went with 1041 01:13:09,320 --> 01:13:14,880 Speaker 2: me to his funeral. Every man, every producer that I 1042 01:13:14,960 --> 01:13:19,920 Speaker 2: have ever been, anybody I've ever been involved with, unless 1043 01:13:20,160 --> 01:13:23,120 Speaker 2: I stopped speaking to them, I can pick up the 1044 01:13:23,200 --> 01:13:26,240 Speaker 2: phone and call them right now. 1045 01:13:28,479 --> 01:13:29,599 Speaker 1: How did you meet Kevin? 1046 01:13:34,600 --> 01:13:38,640 Speaker 2: Kevin sent me an email after I've been online for 1047 01:13:39,840 --> 01:13:43,840 Speaker 2: maybe two weeks or weeks, and he said, my name 1048 01:13:44,000 --> 01:13:47,720 Speaker 2: is Kevin Kylie. I've been a fan of yours for 1049 01:13:48,479 --> 01:13:53,080 Speaker 2: eleven years and I found out that you were heading 1050 01:13:53,400 --> 01:13:59,840 Speaker 2: letting Black record you, and I one suggest that you 1051 01:14:00,120 --> 01:14:04,599 Speaker 2: don't do that. It's been years since you've been several 1052 01:14:04,720 --> 01:14:08,720 Speaker 2: years since you've had a record of any note, and 1053 01:14:09,160 --> 01:14:13,800 Speaker 2: everybody he's recorded, it's been bad, and I don't want 1054 01:14:13,880 --> 01:14:19,400 Speaker 2: you to do that. So I sent him a message back, 1055 01:14:20,080 --> 01:14:23,960 Speaker 2: one of the first messages I ever because at first 1056 01:14:24,040 --> 01:14:26,200 Speaker 2: I thought if I touched these keys, I'm gonna blow 1057 01:14:26,320 --> 01:14:29,120 Speaker 2: up mere I say, someone from push the wrong ones. 1058 01:14:29,200 --> 01:14:36,040 Speaker 2: But I said, who the fuck are you if you 1059 01:14:36,120 --> 01:14:38,120 Speaker 2: don't have any money to take me in the studio, 1060 01:14:38,600 --> 01:14:45,679 Speaker 2: sit down somewhere and shut off. And then after Ali 1061 01:14:45,800 --> 01:14:49,040 Speaker 2: sent me one back and he said, I'm an antique 1062 01:14:49,400 --> 01:14:53,160 Speaker 2: glass dealer and I will be doing a show in Leshroit. 1063 01:14:54,560 --> 01:14:57,600 Speaker 2: I would like to take you out to dinner and 1064 01:14:59,160 --> 01:15:05,160 Speaker 2: apologize whatever we were having. And he did, and he 1065 01:15:06,680 --> 01:15:08,760 Speaker 2: took me out to dinner, and then I took him 1066 01:15:08,760 --> 01:15:13,240 Speaker 2: to all the places in our own and that worked well. 1067 01:15:13,640 --> 01:15:17,840 Speaker 2: They frightening. I always have if I have one white 1068 01:15:17,880 --> 01:15:20,720 Speaker 2: person to my own, I always liked to take them 1069 01:15:20,760 --> 01:15:22,920 Speaker 2: into the belly of the music that they say they 1070 01:15:23,040 --> 01:15:27,360 Speaker 2: love so much. So that was what I did Kevin, 1071 01:15:27,479 --> 01:15:32,160 Speaker 2: and he loved it, and he came back to do 1072 01:15:32,240 --> 01:15:35,320 Speaker 2: another show. Then he came back to do another show. 1073 01:15:36,080 --> 01:15:38,880 Speaker 2: Then it came back and he brought this with him. 1074 01:15:40,000 --> 01:15:43,639 Speaker 1: And which was a ring were audio only. 1075 01:15:44,120 --> 01:15:49,000 Speaker 2: Oh I'm sorry, and he asked me and am. Actually 1076 01:15:49,080 --> 01:15:51,760 Speaker 2: I was in the middle of a rehearsal with the 1077 01:15:51,920 --> 01:15:56,599 Speaker 2: band that was going to be this fifth career band, 1078 01:15:57,560 --> 01:16:00,599 Speaker 2: with a record that at the time the record company 1079 01:16:00,640 --> 01:16:05,040 Speaker 2: owner had disappeared. We could not find him, and we 1080 01:16:05,160 --> 01:16:07,840 Speaker 2: were just going to go forward and put the record 1081 01:16:07,880 --> 01:16:12,040 Speaker 2: out and do the songs. So Kevin came into all 1082 01:16:12,120 --> 01:16:14,840 Speaker 2: of that and helped me a lot with all of that, 1083 01:16:15,640 --> 01:16:18,280 Speaker 2: but we thought that it was the best record at 1084 01:16:18,320 --> 01:16:21,280 Speaker 2: that point that I had ever recorded. And in the 1085 01:16:21,360 --> 01:16:25,040 Speaker 2: owner of record company just dispute. 1086 01:16:26,040 --> 01:16:26,960 Speaker 1: That show business. 1087 01:16:30,720 --> 01:16:33,920 Speaker 2: Tell me about it, baby, Okay. 1088 01:16:34,040 --> 01:16:37,920 Speaker 1: You talk about this parapatetic career ups and downs? 1089 01:16:38,200 --> 01:16:39,960 Speaker 2: What how did tarapathetic mean? 1090 01:16:40,280 --> 01:16:43,200 Speaker 1: Well, let's leave that for another thing. That's sort of 1091 01:16:43,320 --> 01:16:47,400 Speaker 1: like a hollowns whatever. How did you survive. 1092 01:16:50,439 --> 01:16:55,679 Speaker 2: Well as somebody? If somebody was always willing to spend 1093 01:16:55,840 --> 01:17:01,080 Speaker 2: thousands of dollars to record me, then other people like 1094 01:17:01,200 --> 01:17:07,200 Speaker 2: I believe it's a line in Streetcar named desire, and 1095 01:17:07,280 --> 01:17:10,760 Speaker 2: girlfriend says, I've always depended upon the kindness of strangers, 1096 01:17:12,400 --> 01:17:15,880 Speaker 2: and I've never met a stranger who didn't like me, 1097 01:17:17,000 --> 01:17:21,160 Speaker 2: and I've never been ashamed to say I need this 1098 01:17:22,479 --> 01:17:25,360 Speaker 2: whole thing here. Will you help me get it, and. 1099 01:17:27,160 --> 01:17:27,439 Speaker 3: They have. 1100 01:17:27,920 --> 01:17:33,920 Speaker 2: I met. The business itself has been kind in one way, 1101 01:17:34,680 --> 01:17:39,840 Speaker 2: and then the other people have helped me stay in 1102 01:17:40,400 --> 01:17:46,439 Speaker 2: the business. But people have the stories, Robert, the things 1103 01:17:46,439 --> 01:17:48,240 Speaker 2: that I've told you this evening. I mean, if we 1104 01:17:48,400 --> 01:17:54,040 Speaker 2: went through it record by record, you could say it 1105 01:17:54,520 --> 01:17:58,280 Speaker 2: really it's just been phenomenal. And that makes it so 1106 01:17:58,439 --> 01:18:02,400 Speaker 2: much more frustrating how all of these people could have 1107 01:18:02,479 --> 01:18:06,519 Speaker 2: spent all of these millions of dollars on me and 1108 01:18:06,680 --> 01:18:09,280 Speaker 2: I still can't get it together work. I don't have 1109 01:18:09,400 --> 01:18:14,360 Speaker 2: to hustle. And when I say hustle, I mean have 1110 01:18:14,560 --> 01:18:18,640 Speaker 2: it doing smaller eggs, or not being able to have 1111 01:18:18,800 --> 01:18:24,439 Speaker 2: the whole band with me, or like the Rolling Stones, 1112 01:18:24,720 --> 01:18:28,320 Speaker 2: not being able being able to work when I choose 1113 01:18:28,840 --> 01:18:33,479 Speaker 2: to work for as long as I choose to work. 1114 01:18:34,720 --> 01:18:37,920 Speaker 2: And I think that is when somebody says you don't 1115 01:18:38,800 --> 01:18:42,760 Speaker 2: I can't imagine anybody saying you don't deserve that. Nick 1116 01:18:42,840 --> 01:18:45,880 Speaker 2: and I of the same age. I sing as well 1117 01:18:45,960 --> 01:18:49,120 Speaker 2: as he does. I've had as many records as he has. 1118 01:18:49,240 --> 01:18:52,439 Speaker 2: The only thing is mine just didn't sell. Like it's 1119 01:18:54,880 --> 01:19:01,720 Speaker 2: so I just I am extremely grateful, but I'm I'm 1120 01:19:01,840 --> 01:19:04,800 Speaker 2: just really pissed. At that. But I mean it's like 1121 01:19:04,920 --> 01:19:07,800 Speaker 2: if you go and get into a crap game. I mean, 1122 01:19:07,880 --> 01:19:12,519 Speaker 2: everybody at the table doesn't win, and I'm just one 1123 01:19:12,560 --> 01:19:15,760 Speaker 2: of the ones who did not have that. But as 1124 01:19:15,840 --> 01:19:20,120 Speaker 2: I said, I'm not going to die obscure. I know 1125 01:19:20,479 --> 01:19:25,280 Speaker 2: that I've done some things that were milestones in this industry. 1126 01:19:25,320 --> 01:19:29,000 Speaker 2: And I know that my granddaughter and my grandson will 1127 01:19:29,080 --> 01:19:33,559 Speaker 2: be able to somebody's gonna want to talk to them 1128 01:19:33,840 --> 01:19:38,439 Speaker 2: about me for all of their lives. Somebody's studying music, 1129 01:19:38,640 --> 01:19:43,320 Speaker 2: somebody's studying black music. So I'm really grateful for all 1130 01:19:43,520 --> 01:19:47,519 Speaker 2: those things. I thought those things weren't gonna happen, you know. 1131 01:19:47,640 --> 01:19:52,519 Speaker 2: I thought it like the first of ten years, and 1132 01:19:52,880 --> 01:19:57,559 Speaker 2: nothing happened from them. Of monument, I thought, I'm going 1133 01:19:57,600 --> 01:19:59,840 Speaker 2: to die obscure. Nobody's gonna even know I was here. 1134 01:20:00,560 --> 01:20:03,719 Speaker 2: Like the people, many of the singers that Jim played 1135 01:20:03,920 --> 01:20:07,880 Speaker 2: recordings for that he listened to when he was a 1136 01:20:07,960 --> 01:20:12,719 Speaker 2: teenager in the thirties, I've never heard of these people before, 1137 01:20:13,880 --> 01:20:17,720 Speaker 2: and they work forever to get these recordings that I said, 1138 01:20:17,760 --> 01:20:21,160 Speaker 2: I'm going to be one of them. But thank goodness, 1139 01:20:21,439 --> 01:20:26,160 Speaker 2: enough things have happened to me. Just you I met 1140 01:20:26,200 --> 01:20:30,200 Speaker 2: the people that know you. So many things have happened 1141 01:20:30,240 --> 01:20:30,439 Speaker 2: to me. 1142 01:20:30,880 --> 01:20:32,240 Speaker 1: I know that. 1143 01:20:34,240 --> 01:20:37,240 Speaker 2: When I get through bugging everybody and die, I know 1144 01:20:37,360 --> 01:20:39,400 Speaker 2: I'm not going to die. I thought I was just 1145 01:20:39,520 --> 01:20:43,040 Speaker 2: going to be dead and broke. 1146 01:20:52,439 --> 01:20:54,599 Speaker 1: Did you ever have to get a street job? 1147 01:20:56,520 --> 01:21:00,160 Speaker 2: Yeah? I invented one the high schools that I went to, 1148 01:21:01,000 --> 01:21:04,320 Speaker 2: I had to take my grandchildren to the school every morning. 1149 01:21:05,439 --> 01:21:07,760 Speaker 2: One of the things that I did while I was 1150 01:21:07,800 --> 01:21:11,320 Speaker 2: waiting for this fifth career. Right before it, my grandchildren 1151 01:21:11,360 --> 01:21:13,720 Speaker 2: were going to school. My daughter was working. She's a 1152 01:21:13,840 --> 01:21:18,479 Speaker 2: Detroit teacher for forty years. She just retired last week. 1153 01:21:19,320 --> 01:21:24,320 Speaker 2: And every morning we'd stand there at the bus stop. 1154 01:21:24,840 --> 01:21:27,040 Speaker 2: I mean where I had stood at the bus stop 1155 01:21:27,200 --> 01:21:30,720 Speaker 2: going to Northern High School, and these young ladies were 1156 01:21:30,720 --> 01:21:33,560 Speaker 2: sitting there, and he's smoking, and if he's sitting on 1157 01:21:33,640 --> 01:21:37,240 Speaker 2: the little stupid they last gapped open. Well, combed it 1158 01:21:37,360 --> 01:21:41,240 Speaker 2: boyfriend's hair or picking it out or whatever. So I 1159 01:21:41,439 --> 01:21:44,280 Speaker 2: went and I went to the office. I dropped them 1160 01:21:44,479 --> 01:21:46,439 Speaker 2: the kids off one morning and I came back to 1161 01:21:46,560 --> 01:21:48,960 Speaker 2: the school and I said, I went to the school. 1162 01:21:49,080 --> 01:21:52,040 Speaker 2: I said, my name is Betty. I'm a recording artist. 1163 01:21:52,600 --> 01:21:54,840 Speaker 2: One of the first time I ever saw was here 1164 01:21:55,200 --> 01:21:58,200 Speaker 2: at the Northern Gym and whatever. And I said, these 1165 01:21:58,240 --> 01:22:02,960 Speaker 2: young ladies are sitting out here. They looked horrible. I said, 1166 01:22:03,200 --> 01:22:06,519 Speaker 2: they looked just like I probably would have looked had 1167 01:22:06,600 --> 01:22:09,880 Speaker 2: show business not saved me. I want to start a 1168 01:22:10,000 --> 01:22:13,960 Speaker 2: class teaching them they can't cuss, they can smoke, or 1169 01:22:14,360 --> 01:22:17,080 Speaker 2: I want to teach them how whole cigarettes, how to 1170 01:22:17,320 --> 01:22:21,120 Speaker 2: cust appropriately, and how to sit up straight and not 1171 01:22:21,439 --> 01:22:24,360 Speaker 2: fix their boyfriend's hair on the side of the street. 1172 01:22:24,840 --> 01:22:31,000 Speaker 2: And they gave me a job doing that, and then 1173 01:22:31,040 --> 01:22:33,080 Speaker 2: I got tired of it. It was boring. 1174 01:22:34,320 --> 01:22:36,040 Speaker 1: Wit did you get paid to do that? 1175 01:22:36,360 --> 01:22:40,240 Speaker 2: Yell? Shit, I am not a philathropist. I do not 1176 01:22:40,880 --> 01:22:44,040 Speaker 2: do volunteer work, I told them, and I told them 1177 01:22:44,080 --> 01:22:47,479 Speaker 2: how much I wanted, and all the other teachers in 1178 01:22:47,560 --> 01:22:50,880 Speaker 2: the school, which was so thrilling to me. I had 1179 01:22:50,920 --> 01:22:53,120 Speaker 2: a little gig. Then I was doing a little local 1180 01:22:53,200 --> 01:22:56,479 Speaker 2: television show and Detroit and I had a little gig 1181 01:22:56,600 --> 01:23:00,439 Speaker 2: which is three pieces, and all the teachers. It's came 1182 01:23:00,479 --> 01:23:00,880 Speaker 2: to see me. 1183 01:23:04,120 --> 01:23:10,920 Speaker 1: Okay, you talk about your word daughter retiring, You're gonna 1184 01:23:10,920 --> 01:23:13,160 Speaker 1: be eighty. You theoretically could retire. 1185 01:23:13,760 --> 01:23:15,960 Speaker 2: No, I can if I need money to live like this. 1186 01:23:16,920 --> 01:23:19,840 Speaker 2: I could retire if I wanted to just live like 1187 01:23:19,920 --> 01:23:23,920 Speaker 2: a normal person. But I don't live like a normal person. 1188 01:23:24,200 --> 01:23:28,599 Speaker 2: I drink lots of champagne. All that stuff costs money, Robert. 1189 01:23:30,640 --> 01:23:33,639 Speaker 2: I have to have my nails, all kinds of stuff, 1190 01:23:34,720 --> 01:23:37,439 Speaker 2: habits I picked up for being in this swilthy business. 1191 01:23:39,040 --> 01:23:42,920 Speaker 1: How much of working is to pay the bills? And 1192 01:23:43,160 --> 01:23:47,200 Speaker 1: how much of you still want that recognition and money 1193 01:23:47,280 --> 01:23:48,839 Speaker 1: beyond what you have already? 1194 01:23:50,920 --> 01:23:55,479 Speaker 2: Oh? I still want. I am still hoping. I always 1195 01:23:55,520 --> 01:23:59,679 Speaker 2: still hope that I have friends in Detroit Worth streets, 1196 01:23:59,800 --> 01:24:02,800 Speaker 2: name at Roma on streets I used to play on. 1197 01:24:03,800 --> 01:24:08,160 Speaker 2: But anyway, I think that that will always be nagging. 1198 01:24:08,640 --> 01:24:11,240 Speaker 2: But I think that if I knew that I could 1199 01:24:11,680 --> 01:24:16,439 Speaker 2: not sing and live the way that I live. I 1200 01:24:16,880 --> 01:24:20,640 Speaker 2: live really comfortably. But it's not because I made so 1201 01:24:20,840 --> 01:24:23,840 Speaker 2: much money. It's because I have to keep making money, 1202 01:24:24,520 --> 01:24:27,280 Speaker 2: and I just wanted to change from I have to 1203 01:24:27,400 --> 01:24:29,880 Speaker 2: keep making money. As I said to you early on, 1204 01:24:30,800 --> 01:24:33,720 Speaker 2: I'm looking for this Rach Charl's life. I can't think 1205 01:24:33,800 --> 01:24:37,479 Speaker 2: of anybody else right off top of my head before 1206 01:24:37,520 --> 01:24:40,800 Speaker 2: they work six months a year at these huge concerts. 1207 01:24:41,280 --> 01:24:45,320 Speaker 2: The last concert ra Charald's did before he died. Now, 1208 01:24:45,479 --> 01:24:49,800 Speaker 2: this is ironic I did, which is in the one 1209 01:24:49,920 --> 01:24:55,160 Speaker 2: hundred most renown on disco records, doing the best that 1210 01:24:55,280 --> 01:24:59,920 Speaker 2: I can the producer of that was eighteen years old 1211 01:25:00,280 --> 01:25:06,639 Speaker 2: at the time, and create it Run DMC and went 1212 01:25:06,800 --> 01:25:10,240 Speaker 2: on to all of that. I left him because I 1213 01:25:10,320 --> 01:25:14,640 Speaker 2: didn't want him involved in that. I told him he 1214 01:25:14,720 --> 01:25:19,680 Speaker 2: could have any money that the record garnered and I'm 1215 01:25:19,840 --> 01:25:23,320 Speaker 2: cool and I love him, and I left. In this 1216 01:25:23,600 --> 01:25:27,719 Speaker 2: fifth career, I was working at the Carlisle Hotel, which 1217 01:25:27,760 --> 01:25:30,879 Speaker 2: I would love to work and just died there on stage. 1218 01:25:32,200 --> 01:25:34,559 Speaker 2: He came to see me, now after all of these 1219 01:25:34,760 --> 01:25:39,880 Speaker 2: years and him being such a success in the beginning 1220 01:25:40,280 --> 01:25:45,040 Speaker 2: of rap, and brought me a check. He said, Now, 1221 01:25:45,080 --> 01:25:47,960 Speaker 2: you know, I don't owe this to you, he said, 1222 01:25:48,080 --> 01:25:50,760 Speaker 2: but because I signed a paper same, you don't owe 1223 01:25:50,840 --> 01:25:54,960 Speaker 2: me anything. But he came and brought me a check. 1224 01:25:55,640 --> 01:26:01,519 Speaker 2: That's how my whole career has been. It's been fans 1225 01:26:01,720 --> 01:26:07,800 Speaker 2: or people who sincerely adored me, that just they I 1226 01:26:07,880 --> 01:26:13,960 Speaker 2: could sing good, they sincerely adored me. And Corey Robbins 1227 01:26:14,080 --> 01:26:17,320 Speaker 2: there the name of his record label. I don't know 1228 01:26:17,520 --> 01:26:19,960 Speaker 2: if you know anything about Run the UFC. You know 1229 01:26:20,000 --> 01:26:21,439 Speaker 2: what the first record label was. 1230 01:26:25,040 --> 01:26:30,040 Speaker 1: Okay, to what degree have you experienced racism and to 1231 01:26:30,160 --> 01:26:33,200 Speaker 1: what degree do you believe it affected your career. 1232 01:26:36,080 --> 01:26:40,800 Speaker 2: Well, I haven't experienced anymore than when I was saying 1233 01:26:40,840 --> 01:26:43,280 Speaker 2: when we were on the uh, I'm not putting this 1234 01:26:43,400 --> 01:26:45,400 Speaker 2: on and look cute for you. I'm looking putting this 1235 01:26:45,680 --> 01:26:47,320 Speaker 2: on so my lips won't be dry. 1236 01:26:48,680 --> 01:26:49,080 Speaker 1: Okay. 1237 01:26:51,160 --> 01:26:57,320 Speaker 2: I experienced it only in the general sense, like when 1238 01:26:57,320 --> 01:27:00,840 Speaker 2: we couldn't stay at hotels and we couldn't go to 1239 01:27:01,040 --> 01:27:07,880 Speaker 2: some of the restaurants. But entertainers have had a much 1240 01:27:08,439 --> 01:27:17,840 Speaker 2: easier time in the business as hardcore segregation went. So 1241 01:27:18,080 --> 01:27:22,479 Speaker 2: I didn't suffer from because I was in show business. 1242 01:27:26,560 --> 01:27:28,640 Speaker 2: You asked me another part to that question, doing what 1243 01:27:28,840 --> 01:27:33,000 Speaker 2: is it? Oh? Okay, I'll give you a perfect example. 1244 01:27:36,680 --> 01:27:43,599 Speaker 2: I recorded or recording which was written for me called 1245 01:27:44,360 --> 01:27:47,040 Speaker 2: He Made a Woman out of Me, which is the 1246 01:27:47,200 --> 01:27:51,719 Speaker 2: recording that I did for Kenny Rogers's brother Leland Rodgers, 1247 01:27:52,800 --> 01:27:57,840 Speaker 2: when he signed me to his label Silver Fox, which 1248 01:27:57,920 --> 01:28:00,280 Speaker 2: belonged to show Bey singled. 1249 01:28:00,000 --> 01:28:01,240 Speaker 1: And she. 1250 01:28:02,840 --> 01:28:07,479 Speaker 2: Started looking for writers to write for me and found 1251 01:28:07,560 --> 01:28:10,400 Speaker 2: some writers who wrote this He Made a Woman out 1252 01:28:10,439 --> 01:28:15,120 Speaker 2: of Me. Re recorded it along with everybody just on 1253 01:28:15,240 --> 01:28:18,040 Speaker 2: the record as somebody who is who has become rich. 1254 01:28:18,600 --> 01:28:25,559 Speaker 2: See those kind of things annoying. But what's her name? 1255 01:28:26,840 --> 01:28:32,679 Speaker 2: Billy Joe Joe mcallis, sir jumped off back out, Okay, 1256 01:28:33,040 --> 01:28:37,840 Speaker 2: what's her name? She recorded it? Hers was in the 1257 01:28:37,960 --> 01:28:43,920 Speaker 2: top five. We didn't I changed. She changed one word. 1258 01:28:45,439 --> 01:28:49,640 Speaker 2: It was suggestive anyway, that's how the lyric went. But 1259 01:28:50,360 --> 01:28:53,880 Speaker 2: I didn't. I didn't say anything that made it any 1260 01:28:53,960 --> 01:28:59,679 Speaker 2: more suggested than she did. And mine could not get 1261 01:29:00,040 --> 01:29:06,160 Speaker 2: any white airplay. I was trying to get some white 1262 01:29:06,280 --> 01:29:12,120 Speaker 2: airplay before for condition. My condition is in so we 1263 01:29:12,360 --> 01:29:18,599 Speaker 2: said before we recorded it, let's do no not for condition. 1264 01:29:18,960 --> 01:29:24,960 Speaker 2: A heart of Gold. Neil Younglook's from Canada, said we 1265 01:29:25,080 --> 01:29:29,040 Speaker 2: can get some play in Canada because Canadians play everything 1266 01:29:29,200 --> 01:29:32,960 Speaker 2: that every artist from Canada makes. They don't care if 1267 01:29:33,000 --> 01:29:37,720 Speaker 2: their orange green I played, I played, I did hard. 1268 01:29:37,880 --> 01:29:42,320 Speaker 2: Gold got a lot of Canadian airplay, but not enough, 1269 01:29:43,840 --> 01:29:47,600 Speaker 2: and it just never caught on in America. But and 1270 01:29:47,840 --> 01:29:52,280 Speaker 2: through the whole sixty five years, Robert, I've collected each 1271 01:29:52,360 --> 01:29:55,280 Speaker 2: one of these things I'm telling you about. I collected 1272 01:29:55,560 --> 01:30:02,519 Speaker 2: about ten thousand and fans, I mean, hope to die 1273 01:30:02,680 --> 01:30:07,519 Speaker 2: fans so I've collected these ten thousand fans at a time, 1274 01:30:09,200 --> 01:30:10,920 Speaker 2: ten thousands at a. 1275 01:30:11,040 --> 01:30:15,960 Speaker 1: Time, you know they can support you. Well, it's been 1276 01:30:16,200 --> 01:30:19,920 Speaker 1: fascinating and the great experience talking to you, Betty. I 1277 01:30:20,000 --> 01:30:22,280 Speaker 1: want to thank you so much for taking this time 1278 01:30:22,320 --> 01:30:23,160 Speaker 1: with my audience. 1279 01:30:23,439 --> 01:30:25,800 Speaker 2: Maybe I want to thank you so much for taking 1280 01:30:25,880 --> 01:30:28,600 Speaker 2: this time to talk to me. It's all time, but 1281 01:30:28,720 --> 01:30:31,880 Speaker 2: I wanted to ask you this. When do you sleep? 1282 01:30:32,520 --> 01:30:35,360 Speaker 2: And do you have like a team of people that 1283 01:30:35,600 --> 01:30:36,080 Speaker 2: worked with you? 1284 01:30:38,080 --> 01:30:41,720 Speaker 1: Two things. I'll answer the second question. First, I do 1285 01:30:41,880 --> 01:30:50,360 Speaker 1: it all myself. Okay, songwriters they will often say the 1286 01:30:50,560 --> 01:30:53,439 Speaker 1: song came to them in five minutes and they wrote it. 1287 01:30:54,600 --> 01:30:58,320 Speaker 1: And then there are other people who might labor over 1288 01:30:58,400 --> 01:31:03,280 Speaker 1: a song Leonard Cohen for over a year. And I 1289 01:31:03,800 --> 01:31:09,840 Speaker 1: write only on inspiration, and when I'm inspired, I lay 1290 01:31:09,920 --> 01:31:13,439 Speaker 1: it all out. It's like being in a trance. And 1291 01:31:13,960 --> 01:31:16,200 Speaker 1: you know, I don't do it the way other people. 1292 01:31:16,520 --> 01:31:20,840 Speaker 1: Most people will tell you two things that they like 1293 01:31:21,000 --> 01:31:25,120 Speaker 1: to have written. They say that writing is achure and 1294 01:31:25,280 --> 01:31:28,960 Speaker 1: they say that writing is about rewriting. I could not 1295 01:31:29,240 --> 01:31:33,439 Speaker 1: disagree more. You know, I lay it out. You know, 1296 01:31:33,479 --> 01:31:35,760 Speaker 1: I'll look for obvious mistakes, but I've learned. I've been 1297 01:31:35,760 --> 01:31:38,639 Speaker 1: doing a long time. If I change anything, I screw 1298 01:31:38,680 --> 01:31:44,120 Speaker 1: it up, so I would not think about it relative 1299 01:31:44,240 --> 01:31:46,800 Speaker 1: to a traditional writer. I would think it more about 1300 01:31:46,840 --> 01:31:48,439 Speaker 1: it compared to a musician. 1301 01:31:48,960 --> 01:31:52,519 Speaker 2: Do you that the label you consider yourself a writer? 1302 01:31:54,120 --> 01:31:56,000 Speaker 1: Yes, first and foremost. 1303 01:31:56,040 --> 01:31:58,519 Speaker 2: More than in the end of view or. 1304 01:32:00,120 --> 01:32:03,880 Speaker 1: Love to get people's stories. This is something I've done, 1305 01:32:04,479 --> 01:32:07,120 Speaker 1: irrelevant of having a podcast. 1306 01:32:07,920 --> 01:32:12,000 Speaker 2: Have you ever read your column? I looked at it. 1307 01:32:12,280 --> 01:32:15,280 Speaker 2: I don't mean before you post it. I mean after 1308 01:32:15,360 --> 01:32:15,840 Speaker 2: you posted. 1309 01:32:16,000 --> 01:32:20,320 Speaker 1: I read, okay, I know, okay. Two things I reread. 1310 01:32:20,880 --> 01:32:26,320 Speaker 1: I check everything twice before I send it. Second, like 1311 01:32:26,439 --> 01:32:32,680 Speaker 1: an artist, I rarely read what I have written, and 1312 01:32:33,280 --> 01:32:38,439 Speaker 1: it's not I guess this is this wild. I can't 1313 01:32:38,439 --> 01:32:42,000 Speaker 1: believe we're talking about this. These things are written in 1314 01:32:42,120 --> 01:32:48,240 Speaker 1: a zone such that when you reread them. I reread them, 1315 01:32:48,800 --> 01:32:51,439 Speaker 1: it reminds me of the zone. But I'm not in 1316 01:32:51,560 --> 01:32:56,639 Speaker 1: that particular zone anymore. As opposed to saying somebody can write. 1317 01:32:57,120 --> 01:33:00,360 Speaker 1: I went to the bookstore, I had a drink, et cetera, 1318 01:33:00,400 --> 01:33:04,559 Speaker 1: et cetera. But if I'm writing about something that truly 1319 01:33:04,680 --> 01:33:09,360 Speaker 1: affects me, I that's a time castle I felt that 1320 01:33:09,560 --> 01:33:14,679 Speaker 1: way exactly. Then sometimes when I reread it, it's like shocking, 1321 01:33:15,200 --> 01:33:16,200 Speaker 1: It's like, is that really? 1322 01:33:18,000 --> 01:33:21,360 Speaker 2: But I ask you that because it seems I can't 1323 01:33:21,400 --> 01:33:25,720 Speaker 2: imagine when you sleep or when or how you could 1324 01:33:25,760 --> 01:33:31,360 Speaker 2: do all this without you. I have often heard something 1325 01:33:31,640 --> 01:33:34,080 Speaker 2: before I went to sleep at one o'clock in the morning. 1326 01:33:34,800 --> 01:33:38,280 Speaker 2: Then I'll get up and I'll maybe not turn on 1327 01:33:38,520 --> 01:33:40,760 Speaker 2: my back that well, sometimes i'll turn it over to 1328 01:33:40,920 --> 01:33:45,920 Speaker 2: be but where I turn it on, it's like almost 1329 01:33:46,000 --> 01:33:50,200 Speaker 2: by the hour everything that happened, you know about it, 1330 01:33:51,400 --> 01:33:55,080 Speaker 2: but you also know what everybody was doing in their 1331 01:33:55,160 --> 01:33:58,240 Speaker 2: leisure time. When I say that, I mean what shows 1332 01:33:58,280 --> 01:34:02,640 Speaker 2: happening whatever, So it's not only everything that happened to 1333 01:34:02,760 --> 01:34:06,559 Speaker 2: the world and everybody that day. And then at seven 1334 01:34:06,600 --> 01:34:10,400 Speaker 2: o'clock Julie met went on and said, I've got something 1335 01:34:10,520 --> 01:34:14,839 Speaker 2: about that. Then after that show, then this it sounds 1336 01:34:15,040 --> 01:34:18,799 Speaker 2: as if you never ever sleep. 1337 01:34:20,400 --> 01:34:24,439 Speaker 1: Okay, actually I do sleep, but I'm not that different 1338 01:34:24,520 --> 01:34:24,840 Speaker 1: from you. 1339 01:34:25,080 --> 01:34:26,360 Speaker 2: How many hours do you sleep? 1340 01:34:27,080 --> 01:34:29,439 Speaker 1: Well, you know I sleep a good eight hours. But 1341 01:34:30,320 --> 01:34:32,599 Speaker 1: because you have to be creative, you have to get 1342 01:34:32,600 --> 01:34:36,479 Speaker 1: a good sleep. But I'm not that different. I don't 1343 01:34:36,640 --> 01:34:38,320 Speaker 1: have any children. 1344 01:34:38,400 --> 01:34:42,360 Speaker 2: But it means like your damn head with bursts. I mean, well, 1345 01:34:43,000 --> 01:34:44,280 Speaker 2: I don't this is what happens. 1346 01:34:44,320 --> 01:34:47,920 Speaker 1: I'm doing this twenty four to seven. 1347 01:34:48,120 --> 01:34:50,360 Speaker 2: That's what it seems like, as why I say, when 1348 01:34:50,439 --> 01:34:53,600 Speaker 2: do you sleep? Okay, listen, you just made the declaration 1349 01:34:54,240 --> 01:34:57,280 Speaker 2: I'm doing this twenty four seven. What was my question? 1350 01:34:59,120 --> 01:35:00,960 Speaker 2: Let me we what was my. 1351 01:35:03,400 --> 01:35:09,400 Speaker 1: That's a that's a term of speech other than when 1352 01:35:09,520 --> 01:35:13,280 Speaker 1: I am sleeping. I am doing this all when I awake. 1353 01:35:13,479 --> 01:35:15,920 Speaker 1: I really I love to know what's going on. I 1354 01:35:16,040 --> 01:35:19,120 Speaker 1: love the pulse I'm reading for the moment I get up. 1355 01:35:19,200 --> 01:35:24,240 Speaker 2: That is, I'm apparent. The only thing that isn't apparent 1356 01:35:24,360 --> 01:35:30,439 Speaker 2: to me is when do you sleep? But you seem 1357 01:35:30,680 --> 01:35:34,400 Speaker 2: as though you have got your favor on the pulse 1358 01:35:34,640 --> 01:35:41,000 Speaker 2: of the entire world, being music, war or gristal gorilla 1359 01:35:41,080 --> 01:35:47,160 Speaker 2: wrestling whatever. I just said. Well, I'm extremely nosy myself. 1360 01:35:47,800 --> 01:35:51,439 Speaker 2: I always want to know everything that everybody is doing 1361 01:35:52,040 --> 01:35:55,120 Speaker 2: and I but I just don't understand how you're able 1362 01:35:55,200 --> 01:35:57,439 Speaker 2: to do it and to do it so eloquently. It 1363 01:35:57,520 --> 01:36:00,960 Speaker 2: doesn't sound like when when you can tell that Donald 1364 01:36:01,000 --> 01:36:04,240 Speaker 2: Trump is watching everything, but he snatches things. His opinion 1365 01:36:04,280 --> 01:36:06,320 Speaker 2: is off there like and blah blah, blah lad about 1366 01:36:06,320 --> 01:36:10,760 Speaker 2: that yours isn't. You always have an actual thing to 1367 01:36:11,040 --> 01:36:17,880 Speaker 2: say about whatever it whatever it is that happened. And 1368 01:36:18,120 --> 01:36:22,559 Speaker 2: I just absolutely find you so got me completely amazing. 1369 01:36:23,280 --> 01:36:26,160 Speaker 2: I talk about you want my husband than you know 1370 01:36:26,320 --> 01:36:29,760 Speaker 2: that I talk about you, But honestly, I am just 1371 01:36:31,560 --> 01:36:35,679 Speaker 2: amazed at the things you know and how well thought 1372 01:36:35,840 --> 01:36:40,639 Speaker 2: out the myriad things you do are. And you would 1373 01:36:40,680 --> 01:36:44,880 Speaker 2: think that with it being so much of everybody else's business, 1374 01:36:45,400 --> 01:36:47,720 Speaker 2: every once knows why you would kind of step up 1375 01:36:48,120 --> 01:36:51,160 Speaker 2: which off, but you never do. You're right on it, 1376 01:36:51,360 --> 01:36:54,080 Speaker 2: like I was right there. Yep, I was over there too, 1377 01:36:54,240 --> 01:36:56,880 Speaker 2: and I was back there and I was up here. 1378 01:36:57,160 --> 01:37:02,920 Speaker 2: And you're an amaze easy individual, you really are. I'm 1379 01:37:03,000 --> 01:37:08,360 Speaker 2: so grateful to you for your interest and your your 1380 01:37:08,520 --> 01:37:12,840 Speaker 2: in factness that you speak about music. I can see 1381 01:37:12,880 --> 01:37:15,639 Speaker 2: where oft times you try to, especially when it gets 1382 01:37:15,680 --> 01:37:18,439 Speaker 2: to somebody you like and you understand what happened to them. 1383 01:37:18,880 --> 01:37:20,880 Speaker 2: I can see where you kind of push what you 1384 01:37:21,040 --> 01:37:23,120 Speaker 2: felt off and try to get to the matter of it. 1385 01:37:23,280 --> 01:37:27,439 Speaker 2: You can't always, but I love what you decide to 1386 01:37:27,680 --> 01:37:32,760 Speaker 2: do in lieu of being able to be I don't 1387 01:37:32,800 --> 01:37:36,360 Speaker 2: care about a matter of factly, but I absolutely love 1388 01:37:36,560 --> 01:37:40,400 Speaker 2: what you do and I'm so grateful that you wrote 1389 01:37:41,040 --> 01:37:44,600 Speaker 2: what you wrote about me. See there again that everybody 1390 01:37:44,800 --> 01:37:49,080 Speaker 2: adores you so much. If they just happen to look 1391 01:37:49,120 --> 01:37:51,960 Speaker 2: at you, they'll see what you see it about me 1392 01:37:52,240 --> 01:37:56,560 Speaker 2: when you wrote about the Interpretations album, so that was 1393 01:37:56,680 --> 01:38:02,160 Speaker 2: one of the biggest boosts that the Interpretation album, and 1394 01:38:02,320 --> 01:38:04,960 Speaker 2: that was I know you think about it when you 1395 01:38:05,080 --> 01:38:08,200 Speaker 2: think in terms of stars anyways, so you're just thinking 1396 01:38:08,360 --> 01:38:11,960 Speaker 2: something else that you somebody else wrote, but that was 1397 01:38:12,680 --> 01:38:17,200 Speaker 2: maybe what you write. Don't help rolling stones. You write 1398 01:38:17,240 --> 01:38:23,479 Speaker 2: about me, that is a tremendous hope to me possibly 1399 01:38:23,640 --> 01:38:25,160 Speaker 2: having a sixth. 1400 01:38:29,320 --> 01:38:33,880 Speaker 1: Well, there's a Yiddish term called kevelling, and that I 1401 01:38:33,960 --> 01:38:34,719 Speaker 1: can't respond. 1402 01:38:34,880 --> 01:38:37,280 Speaker 2: Say it cavelling, cavell. 1403 01:38:37,160 --> 01:38:44,080 Speaker 1: Kvk okay, and the dictionary of what they're given here 1404 01:38:44,160 --> 01:38:47,200 Speaker 1: they say to feel happy and proud. But you know 1405 01:38:47,960 --> 01:38:51,320 Speaker 1: they use an example here My mom was kvelling, bursting 1406 01:38:51,400 --> 01:38:54,679 Speaker 1: with pride. I can't respond. Okay, let me be very clear, 1407 01:38:55,840 --> 01:39:00,200 Speaker 1: I can't respond to what you say. But this is 1408 01:39:00,400 --> 01:39:03,160 Speaker 1: what I'm trying to do now. The fact that you 1409 01:39:03,439 --> 01:39:06,040 Speaker 1: get the fact that you get it is. 1410 01:39:06,160 --> 01:39:09,720 Speaker 2: For you really, are anybody doing it you really really are. 1411 01:39:10,400 --> 01:39:14,240 Speaker 2: They tied me because I was doing like I was 1412 01:39:14,360 --> 01:39:17,519 Speaker 2: talking to students at the University of Texas. It was 1413 01:39:17,600 --> 01:39:19,720 Speaker 2: kind of a gig. Well, no, it was a gig 1414 01:39:19,800 --> 01:39:22,640 Speaker 2: they paid me, but talking to the class, believe it 1415 01:39:22,760 --> 01:39:26,639 Speaker 2: or not, a Bob Dylan class. And I'm like, see, 1416 01:39:26,720 --> 01:39:29,760 Speaker 2: that's ultimuch for me. But they told me, they said, 1417 01:39:29,960 --> 01:39:34,240 Speaker 2: try not to sound like they shouldn't get in show business. 1418 01:39:35,640 --> 01:39:40,760 Speaker 2: I said, I can't do that, because they shouldn't. It's 1419 01:39:40,960 --> 01:39:43,640 Speaker 2: not like you think it is. And I can only 1420 01:39:43,680 --> 01:39:43,920 Speaker 2: tell you. 1421 01:39:44,360 --> 01:39:46,439 Speaker 1: Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. You and me both know 1422 01:39:46,680 --> 01:39:49,760 Speaker 1: in order to be successful, you have to have no 1423 01:39:49,920 --> 01:39:50,599 Speaker 1: other choice. 1424 01:39:51,040 --> 01:39:54,080 Speaker 2: You have to do it well that I try to 1425 01:39:54,240 --> 01:39:57,920 Speaker 2: tell them. For the like being, it's either like being 1426 01:39:58,040 --> 01:40:01,160 Speaker 2: and the husband who beats you, or being strung out 1427 01:40:01,200 --> 01:40:06,519 Speaker 2: on drugs or being a born again Christian. I mean it, 1428 01:40:07,000 --> 01:40:12,320 Speaker 2: it is for everybody in my life. It is Betty 1429 01:40:12,400 --> 01:40:17,759 Speaker 2: Lovette that is the main thing in everybody's life close 1430 01:40:17,960 --> 01:40:21,479 Speaker 2: around me. And then so if I'm going to be 1431 01:40:21,680 --> 01:40:25,800 Speaker 2: true and faithful and friends to them as well, I 1432 01:40:26,040 --> 01:40:29,880 Speaker 2: have to devote my life to the broad too. And 1433 01:40:30,040 --> 01:40:33,160 Speaker 2: that is it. You should hear me cussing hears sometimes 1434 01:40:33,240 --> 01:40:37,640 Speaker 2: I'm like lifting ways like this, bitch, I'm not just 1435 01:40:37,880 --> 01:40:42,320 Speaker 2: gonna die. I mean, but either you have to do 1436 01:40:42,439 --> 01:40:46,719 Speaker 2: it or you have to don't. And you you handle 1437 01:40:46,840 --> 01:40:49,160 Speaker 2: it in such a way I know what it takes. 1438 01:40:49,680 --> 01:40:51,920 Speaker 2: So that's why I wonder when you sleep, because I 1439 01:40:52,000 --> 01:40:54,840 Speaker 2: can tell from what you say that you had to 1440 01:40:54,960 --> 01:40:56,880 Speaker 2: be watching it to know it. 1441 01:40:58,880 --> 01:41:02,120 Speaker 1: Well. You others a soul by ac DC called It's 1442 01:41:02,200 --> 01:41:04,320 Speaker 1: a long way to the top. If you want to 1443 01:41:04,439 --> 01:41:08,120 Speaker 1: rock and roll, and you're talking to me now, it 1444 01:41:08,240 --> 01:41:11,519 Speaker 1: took a long time and a lot of struggle to 1445 01:41:11,640 --> 01:41:14,360 Speaker 1: get here. I'm not going to delineate everything else you do. 1446 01:41:14,479 --> 01:41:20,759 Speaker 1: Before I went to college, I was a starving freestyle skier, 1447 01:41:20,840 --> 01:41:24,479 Speaker 1: and I went to law school. I practiced law for 1448 01:41:24,560 --> 01:41:28,560 Speaker 1: about ten minutes. Then I work for a movie producer. 1449 01:41:29,240 --> 01:41:32,920 Speaker 1: Then I work for an English management company that brings 1450 01:41:33,000 --> 01:41:33,240 Speaker 1: us to. 1451 01:41:33,920 --> 01:41:36,040 Speaker 2: The English management company. 1452 01:41:35,960 --> 01:41:41,519 Speaker 1: They manage Iron Maiden. Oh okay, And then since nineteen 1453 01:41:41,720 --> 01:41:44,160 Speaker 1: eighty six, this is what I've been doing. 1454 01:41:44,600 --> 01:41:47,439 Speaker 2: You talking. When you read your writings, it sounds like 1455 01:41:47,600 --> 01:41:52,559 Speaker 2: something that is a liticit. Did youlyticate everything? It doesn't 1456 01:41:52,640 --> 01:41:55,759 Speaker 2: sound like a regular person talking. 1457 01:41:57,640 --> 01:42:01,280 Speaker 1: I definitely we're talking about office. The most important thing 1458 01:42:01,479 --> 01:42:05,840 Speaker 1: to me is to walk the knife edge, split the hair. 1459 01:42:06,240 --> 01:42:08,400 Speaker 2: What you sound like in a journey? 1460 01:42:09,240 --> 01:42:12,280 Speaker 1: No, but it's I was this person, you know, you know, 1461 01:42:12,560 --> 01:42:16,320 Speaker 1: it's you get older, you're this person now. Well, but 1462 01:42:16,479 --> 01:42:19,400 Speaker 1: you get older and you realize you're your parents. My 1463 01:42:19,680 --> 01:42:24,479 Speaker 1: father was this person. Okay, my father would say, what's 1464 01:42:24,600 --> 01:42:28,479 Speaker 1: the real story here? Like you see somebody driving an 1465 01:42:28,560 --> 01:42:31,920 Speaker 1: expensive car who doesn't have a job, Well, the real 1466 01:42:32,040 --> 01:42:35,800 Speaker 1: story is either it's not their car, they can't afford it, 1467 01:42:36,320 --> 01:42:39,840 Speaker 1: or they inherited money. But they're people. This is just 1468 01:42:39,960 --> 01:42:43,160 Speaker 1: like you talking about your friends saying, go tell Jerry 1469 01:42:43,240 --> 01:42:47,080 Speaker 1: Wexler that you know they don't know what's going on, 1470 01:42:47,840 --> 01:42:50,640 Speaker 1: but they believe they think they do. That's how the 1471 01:42:50,840 --> 01:42:51,960 Speaker 1: average person is. 1472 01:42:52,680 --> 01:42:55,200 Speaker 2: But you look at things. You look at things like 1473 01:42:55,320 --> 01:43:01,000 Speaker 2: a liter literator, You look at them literally. When I 1474 01:43:01,479 --> 01:43:05,280 Speaker 2: read you, you don't talk while I can see the 1475 01:43:05,600 --> 01:43:10,000 Speaker 2: fan is there. That is what we as entertainers look for. 1476 01:43:10,720 --> 01:43:14,679 Speaker 2: But when you start to look at it literally, which 1477 01:43:14,720 --> 01:43:17,240 Speaker 2: is I think something you said made me respond to you, 1478 01:43:17,320 --> 01:43:21,040 Speaker 2: you were looking at it literally, and that commands a 1479 01:43:21,200 --> 01:43:24,439 Speaker 2: different response from me. I know when when I'm being 1480 01:43:24,680 --> 01:43:28,439 Speaker 2: congratulated and when I'm being loved and whatever, well, when 1481 01:43:28,439 --> 01:43:32,000 Speaker 2: I'm being looked at literally, I know that as well. 1482 01:43:32,600 --> 01:43:36,040 Speaker 2: And you look at things literally. I'm glad that you do. 1483 01:43:36,160 --> 01:43:40,440 Speaker 2: I'm glad that you tell people about it more literally 1484 01:43:40,600 --> 01:43:41,760 Speaker 2: than just what they ate. 1485 01:43:42,360 --> 01:43:48,200 Speaker 1: There's that song by Leonard Cohen. Everybody knows, everybody knows 1486 01:43:48,320 --> 01:43:57,760 Speaker 1: the truth. But one Okay, my psychiatrists sometimes sometime, right, 1487 01:43:58,040 --> 01:44:01,200 Speaker 1: you can change one little thing and it changes the 1488 01:44:01,520 --> 01:44:05,960 Speaker 1: entire pictures. And I don't want to give any names here, 1489 01:44:06,160 --> 01:44:10,720 Speaker 1: but a household name musician. I went to a performance 1490 01:44:11,720 --> 01:44:17,519 Speaker 1: and this person likes to get things perfect. And I 1491 01:44:17,680 --> 01:44:20,639 Speaker 1: asked the manager what this person thought of the show, 1492 01:44:21,760 --> 01:44:25,720 Speaker 1: and the manager said, well, the he thought that in 1493 01:44:25,880 --> 01:44:28,920 Speaker 1: ear monitors were screwed up. You heard a little too 1494 01:44:29,000 --> 01:44:34,240 Speaker 1: much of the horn section. This is all real story. 1495 01:44:34,320 --> 01:44:36,000 Speaker 1: I just don't want to mention the name I'm saying. 1496 01:44:36,560 --> 01:44:41,200 Speaker 1: I was at the show and I said, you know 1497 01:44:41,320 --> 01:44:45,920 Speaker 1: what you're talking about. I couldn't hear that, Okay, but 1498 01:44:46,080 --> 01:44:49,800 Speaker 1: I don't think the average person worked. And he said, 1499 01:44:50,840 --> 01:44:57,160 Speaker 1: those little tiny things are the difference between success and failure. 1500 01:44:57,479 --> 01:45:00,839 Speaker 1: The artist I'm talking about is as big as they get. Okay, 1501 01:45:02,040 --> 01:45:05,800 Speaker 1: And now I'm gonna get on my high horse. The 1502 01:45:05,920 --> 01:45:11,479 Speaker 1: average person doesn't want to work that hard and get 1503 01:45:11,560 --> 01:45:16,679 Speaker 1: it right. You're telling me you've only had five careers 1504 01:45:16,800 --> 01:45:21,000 Speaker 1: because you keep trying to do it. Most people don't 1505 01:45:21,080 --> 01:45:25,960 Speaker 1: have five careers. They give up, They give up. And 1506 01:45:26,200 --> 01:45:27,960 Speaker 1: you know as well as I do, there are a 1507 01:45:28,000 --> 01:45:32,120 Speaker 1: lot of talented people who have never had success because 1508 01:45:32,560 --> 01:45:37,680 Speaker 1: talent is at most fifty percent the desire and all that. 1509 01:45:38,120 --> 01:45:42,559 Speaker 1: That's a lot, but people don't want to hear that. Listen, 1510 01:45:42,600 --> 01:45:43,520 Speaker 1: you're a musician. 1511 01:45:44,320 --> 01:45:44,880 Speaker 2: You know that. 1512 01:45:45,000 --> 01:45:48,880 Speaker 1: When you hang out in the dressing room or after 1513 01:45:49,000 --> 01:45:52,680 Speaker 1: the show with musicians, it's a completely different kind of 1514 01:45:52,760 --> 01:45:56,559 Speaker 1: conversation than when you have, you know, with the next 1515 01:45:56,600 --> 01:46:01,840 Speaker 1: door neighbor. Right right, It's like these people they're in 1516 01:46:01,920 --> 01:46:07,160 Speaker 1: a separate club, separate community. They're not judging on money, 1517 01:46:07,400 --> 01:46:10,400 Speaker 1: and they know the system is against them, but they're doing. 1518 01:46:10,280 --> 01:46:11,080 Speaker 2: What they have to. 1519 01:46:11,920 --> 01:46:16,400 Speaker 1: But unless you're in that world, people don't understand that. 1520 01:46:16,720 --> 01:46:21,639 Speaker 2: Oh absolutely absolutely. I really just don't think that people 1521 01:46:21,920 --> 01:46:25,720 Speaker 2: understand how this goes. And I think that we are 1522 01:46:26,080 --> 01:46:28,760 Speaker 2: only two percent of us. It seems like all of 1523 01:46:28,920 --> 01:46:32,160 Speaker 2: us now, but still it said about only two percent 1524 01:46:32,200 --> 01:46:34,800 Speaker 2: of us who walk upon the stage and do this 1525 01:46:35,120 --> 01:46:37,720 Speaker 2: for a living, you know. 1526 01:46:38,040 --> 01:46:41,280 Speaker 1: And well what bothers me now is because the barrier 1527 01:46:41,400 --> 01:46:44,400 Speaker 1: to entry is non existent. Anybody can make a record. 1528 01:46:44,120 --> 01:46:45,480 Speaker 2: Of their bubble. 1529 01:46:46,720 --> 01:46:53,080 Speaker 1: You, but it means that they believe that they're entitled 1530 01:46:53,200 --> 01:46:58,120 Speaker 1: to success. I mean, some of this is very simple. 1531 01:46:58,920 --> 01:47:03,160 Speaker 1: You make it your to like it. Okay, fine, you 1532 01:47:03,320 --> 01:47:06,240 Speaker 1: played it for your friends. They said they like it too. 1533 01:47:06,720 --> 01:47:09,880 Speaker 1: Did they play it for anybody else? Did they turn 1534 01:47:10,000 --> 01:47:10,559 Speaker 1: anybody else? 1535 01:47:10,640 --> 01:47:13,320 Speaker 2: But they told me to stop telling the children. I said, 1536 01:47:13,880 --> 01:47:17,360 Speaker 2: now that if the church and your family and all 1537 01:47:17,400 --> 01:47:19,519 Speaker 2: your friends are the ones that's like you. When I 1538 01:47:19,560 --> 01:47:22,400 Speaker 2: asked him, I said, can you sing? I said, now, 1539 01:47:22,400 --> 01:47:24,920 Speaker 2: I don't want to know the opinion of those people. 1540 01:47:25,680 --> 01:47:31,680 Speaker 2: Has anyone ever given you any money to sing? I said, now, 1541 01:47:31,880 --> 01:47:34,760 Speaker 2: you've got that is one foot if someone has said here, 1542 01:47:35,160 --> 01:47:37,600 Speaker 2: I like the way you're saying, here's some money to 1543 01:47:37,800 --> 01:47:40,840 Speaker 2: do it. Other than that, I don't count any of 1544 01:47:40,920 --> 01:47:43,360 Speaker 2: those opinions. And that was that was one of the 1545 01:47:43,439 --> 01:47:46,200 Speaker 2: things they were telling me to stop telling the kids 1546 01:47:46,400 --> 01:47:50,599 Speaker 2: that I was talking to. I said, I don't know them, though, 1547 01:47:50,680 --> 01:47:53,080 Speaker 2: I have to tell them that because it's the truth. 1548 01:47:53,760 --> 01:47:58,000 Speaker 1: Well, well, I've had this experience many a time, where 1549 01:47:58,080 --> 01:48:03,600 Speaker 1: you speak to clashes and wannabes. I don't want to 1550 01:48:03,680 --> 01:48:09,120 Speaker 1: give them false hope. No, unless this is the only 1551 01:48:09,280 --> 01:48:11,920 Speaker 1: thing you're willing to do, and you're willing to starve, 1552 01:48:12,520 --> 01:48:14,280 Speaker 1: not on a house, not on a car. 1553 01:48:14,600 --> 01:48:18,720 Speaker 2: This is not for you. But when you until it 1554 01:48:19,000 --> 01:48:23,040 Speaker 2: happens to you. Robert, you couldn't have told me. You 1555 01:48:23,160 --> 01:48:27,920 Speaker 2: couldn't have made me not do this by telling me 1556 01:48:28,080 --> 01:48:30,240 Speaker 2: the things that were gonna happen to me. Before I 1557 01:48:30,439 --> 01:48:35,400 Speaker 2: was thirty, I would have said, hey, i'm ow. If 1558 01:48:35,479 --> 01:48:37,680 Speaker 2: you had told if anybody had told me, if they 1559 01:48:37,720 --> 01:48:40,600 Speaker 2: could actual show me, like a video, now this is 1560 01:48:40,720 --> 01:48:43,679 Speaker 2: what's gonna happen, it showed it to me, it would 1561 01:48:43,720 --> 01:48:46,960 Speaker 2: have been different. But I feel an incumbent upon me, 1562 01:48:47,960 --> 01:48:51,640 Speaker 2: you know it, to say, I can't say to you 1563 01:48:52,560 --> 01:48:56,439 Speaker 2: keep trying and try hard. And then I always tell them, 1564 01:48:57,200 --> 01:48:59,760 Speaker 2: especially if it's young females. I'm talking to you, like 1565 01:49:00,000 --> 01:49:03,040 Speaker 2: and I'm doing these group shows, like I've got one 1566 01:49:03,080 --> 01:49:05,960 Speaker 2: coming up at Carnegie Hall, and all these young women 1567 01:49:06,040 --> 01:49:07,880 Speaker 2: they were in my dressing room. They're looking straight in 1568 01:49:07,960 --> 01:49:10,000 Speaker 2: my mouth. I said, the best thing I can tell 1569 01:49:10,080 --> 01:49:14,599 Speaker 2: you is that if you walk into a small place 1570 01:49:14,800 --> 01:49:18,880 Speaker 2: with an acoustic piano and they sang, say sang a 1571 01:49:19,040 --> 01:49:22,280 Speaker 2: real song. I don't care how big your record is, 1572 01:49:22,640 --> 01:49:27,800 Speaker 2: I will kick your ass. It was done to me, 1573 01:49:28,600 --> 01:49:31,639 Speaker 2: big maype Ell did it to me. I was running 1574 01:49:31,840 --> 01:49:36,960 Speaker 2: Small's paradise. My waistline was tiny and my booty was big, 1575 01:49:37,040 --> 01:49:40,800 Speaker 2: and I can holler out, I could say got lots 1576 01:49:41,400 --> 01:49:45,439 Speaker 2: and the people which is screened. Maybe El breathed in 1577 01:49:45,520 --> 01:49:48,720 Speaker 2: there in papal shoes from the hospital she had just 1578 01:49:48,960 --> 01:49:52,360 Speaker 2: escaped from, walked up on the stage, wrapped in a 1579 01:49:52,600 --> 01:49:57,880 Speaker 2: blanket with a some Burrow type hat on, and said God, 1580 01:49:59,760 --> 01:50:02,560 Speaker 2: and and the band knew what kid was in. That 1581 01:50:02,720 --> 01:50:05,240 Speaker 2: still perflects me. I didn't know how the band knew 1582 01:50:05,320 --> 01:50:09,200 Speaker 2: what kid was in. And they didn't talk to me 1583 01:50:09,439 --> 01:50:13,880 Speaker 2: anymore for the whole evening, nobody and I was looking 1584 01:50:14,000 --> 01:50:19,880 Speaker 2: so cute. So that's another thing that I always tell 1585 01:50:19,960 --> 01:50:23,080 Speaker 2: them to beware of me in the middle of the night, 1586 01:50:23,720 --> 01:50:26,360 Speaker 2: in the milial set in a small place. 1587 01:50:28,960 --> 01:50:30,960 Speaker 1: Well, we're on the same page here. 1588 01:50:31,320 --> 01:50:31,560 Speaker 2: I know. 1589 01:50:31,840 --> 01:50:35,320 Speaker 1: I'm gonna tell another story. What I'm heard again said, 1590 01:50:35,400 --> 01:50:38,800 Speaker 1: you know that's Atlantic Records. A hit record is a 1591 01:50:38,920 --> 01:50:41,960 Speaker 1: record that you're lying in bed, you hear on the radio, 1592 01:50:42,439 --> 01:50:45,240 Speaker 1: you have to get up, get dressed, and go to 1593 01:50:45,320 --> 01:50:49,400 Speaker 1: an all night record store to buy You know that 1594 01:50:49,720 --> 01:50:52,840 Speaker 1: is a hit record, right, I don't understand. Well, you 1595 01:50:52,920 --> 01:50:55,560 Speaker 1: know it's like you know it when you hear it. 1596 01:50:55,880 --> 01:50:59,320 Speaker 2: I heard damn your Eyes on my way to a gig. 1597 01:51:00,120 --> 01:51:02,920 Speaker 2: I had my road and just stopped. I went in 1598 01:51:03,040 --> 01:51:06,080 Speaker 2: and audit. I rehearsed it all night in my hotel room, 1599 01:51:06,520 --> 01:51:11,280 Speaker 2: and I sung it the next morning. That's a hit record, yeah, 1600 01:51:11,360 --> 01:51:16,800 Speaker 2: for sure. No, and it's it's it's well here there 1601 01:51:16,920 --> 01:51:21,920 Speaker 2: goes back to that thing with womit again and and uh, 1602 01:51:23,439 --> 01:51:27,720 Speaker 2: Jerry Wexler, Now Jerry West was on my side. But 1603 01:51:28,160 --> 01:51:31,759 Speaker 2: I'm sure that when Jerry Wexler tolhamed what I said, 1604 01:51:32,479 --> 01:51:34,400 Speaker 2: is it that bitch's crazy, let's let her go. 1605 01:51:37,160 --> 01:51:39,080 Speaker 1: Well that's a whole nother thing. 1606 01:51:40,560 --> 01:51:43,000 Speaker 2: Read his name. That's what made me think of it. 1607 01:51:43,640 --> 01:51:47,000 Speaker 2: But no, a hit record. At Motown they used to say, 1608 01:51:47,479 --> 01:51:50,320 Speaker 2: if you don't like it in the first six bars, 1609 01:51:50,960 --> 01:51:54,719 Speaker 2: even before somebody starts singing, it's not a hit record. 1610 01:51:55,160 --> 01:51:59,439 Speaker 2: They looked at it as records at Motown didn't make 1611 01:51:59,479 --> 01:52:01,920 Speaker 2: any different. Willie who was singing if it was a 1612 01:52:02,240 --> 01:52:08,120 Speaker 2: hit record, and they made records over there. They didn't 1613 01:52:08,160 --> 01:52:12,760 Speaker 2: record artists, they made records. I know how many of 1614 01:52:12,840 --> 01:52:18,439 Speaker 2: these people sound in the shower, you know what. I'm 1615 01:52:18,560 --> 01:52:22,080 Speaker 2: sure that if you and I'm Kevin would have to 1616 01:52:22,160 --> 01:52:25,160 Speaker 2: separate us. But well, yes, it separates me from you 1617 01:52:25,320 --> 01:52:30,640 Speaker 2: on the little beautif thing. What I said, finally a 1618 01:52:30,800 --> 01:52:32,080 Speaker 2: man that I can argue with. 1619 01:52:32,160 --> 01:52:38,080 Speaker 1: Who agrees with me, as I say, I don't like 1620 01:52:38,160 --> 01:52:41,320 Speaker 1: to argue for the sake of arguing, but the little points. 1621 01:52:42,080 --> 01:52:45,559 Speaker 1: Argue all day, and it makes people makes people crazy. 1622 01:52:45,640 --> 01:52:46,519 Speaker 1: They say, get over it. 1623 01:52:46,600 --> 01:52:52,639 Speaker 2: So this is important. You four? When is your birthday? 1624 01:52:54,400 --> 01:52:54,799 Speaker 1: April? 1625 01:52:56,080 --> 01:52:59,439 Speaker 2: And Aries and Aries? 1626 01:53:00,720 --> 01:53:01,519 Speaker 1: No, no, Taurus. 1627 01:53:02,360 --> 01:53:05,720 Speaker 2: Well they've all liked me, and we've never looked me, 1628 01:53:06,840 --> 01:53:12,439 Speaker 2: but we were usually arguing about the same thing. But you, 1629 01:53:12,840 --> 01:53:15,880 Speaker 2: I really just I get a chance to bounce you 1630 01:53:16,240 --> 01:53:18,880 Speaker 2: off of me more than you do me off you, 1631 01:53:19,080 --> 01:53:21,160 Speaker 2: because I get a chance to read your column and 1632 01:53:22,080 --> 01:53:25,120 Speaker 2: you know off see how I feel about it. Whatever. 1633 01:53:25,400 --> 01:53:28,920 Speaker 2: But I think if you and I talked all day, 1634 01:53:29,520 --> 01:53:32,280 Speaker 2: we were straightened out the entire problems with a whole 1635 01:53:32,360 --> 01:53:34,640 Speaker 2: goddamn world. They would just listen to us. 1636 01:53:36,360 --> 01:53:38,160 Speaker 1: That goes to the next one that goes to the 1637 01:53:38,280 --> 01:53:42,240 Speaker 1: Jack Nicholson point. People can't you know that Jack Nicholson 1638 01:53:42,320 --> 01:53:45,040 Speaker 1: in that movie A Few good Men. People can't handle 1639 01:53:45,120 --> 01:53:45,479 Speaker 1: the truth? 1640 01:53:45,720 --> 01:53:53,280 Speaker 2: No, oh oh honey, oh oh, they really really can't. 1641 01:53:53,520 --> 01:53:56,880 Speaker 2: I mean I know that there were some truths that 1642 01:53:57,120 --> 01:54:00,280 Speaker 2: I could not handle, but I was begging for and 1643 01:54:00,400 --> 01:54:02,800 Speaker 2: I crawled up into that little hole and found out 1644 01:54:02,840 --> 01:54:06,880 Speaker 2: the truth and it said PLoP. But people can they 1645 01:54:06,920 --> 01:54:09,439 Speaker 2: can't stand and slap. It's gonna come with that truth. 1646 01:54:10,280 --> 01:54:13,000 Speaker 2: But I don't know. You've seen to be that same 1647 01:54:13,160 --> 01:54:17,840 Speaker 2: kind of idiot, like curious, crazy than I am. And 1648 01:54:17,960 --> 01:54:23,640 Speaker 2: you just say, well, why is that you said you 1649 01:54:23,720 --> 01:54:24,360 Speaker 2: aren't married? 1650 01:54:24,800 --> 01:54:26,080 Speaker 1: That's exactly who I am. 1651 01:54:26,200 --> 01:54:29,759 Speaker 2: You are married. You aren't married. 1652 01:54:31,920 --> 01:54:35,920 Speaker 1: I was married once. I am now with the same 1653 01:54:36,080 --> 01:54:38,400 Speaker 1: girlfriend for twenty years. We lived together. 1654 01:54:38,840 --> 01:54:41,600 Speaker 2: Oh, you should definitely keep her if you were fortunate 1655 01:54:41,760 --> 01:54:44,960 Speaker 2: enough to find her and she's willing to stay for you, 1656 01:54:45,240 --> 01:54:48,560 Speaker 2: with you for that long. Always considered that because you 1657 01:54:48,840 --> 01:54:54,080 Speaker 2: really are an exceptionally unusual individual. 1658 01:54:54,200 --> 01:54:56,800 Speaker 1: And she also play this for her. 1659 01:54:58,000 --> 01:55:02,080 Speaker 2: But she has to be that kind of individual too, 1660 01:55:02,320 --> 01:55:06,080 Speaker 2: can so accept that person? Like Kevin, I'm very much 1661 01:55:06,480 --> 01:55:10,320 Speaker 2: like you Kevin. A man has to live with a 1662 01:55:10,440 --> 01:55:16,120 Speaker 2: woman who he doesn't feel constantly disrespected by. Every word 1663 01:55:16,240 --> 01:55:19,600 Speaker 2: I say doesn't make him, doesn't offend him. You know, 1664 01:55:19,840 --> 01:55:22,240 Speaker 2: he has to get over all of that because this 1665 01:55:22,480 --> 01:55:25,880 Speaker 2: is how I am. And he's accepted the fact that 1666 01:55:25,880 --> 01:55:28,800 Speaker 2: I'm willing to lay down with him every night, who 1667 01:55:29,080 --> 01:55:31,440 Speaker 2: all day for him, do all the one hundred when 1668 01:55:31,440 --> 01:55:34,440 Speaker 2: I'm here. If I say something, I'm not saying it 1669 01:55:34,560 --> 01:55:37,920 Speaker 2: to disrespect you. I'm saying it because that's what happened. 1670 01:55:40,800 --> 01:55:43,240 Speaker 2: And I'm not a housewife. 1671 01:55:44,200 --> 01:55:45,880 Speaker 1: We're on the same page, I know. 1672 01:55:46,080 --> 01:55:50,120 Speaker 2: And that's how come nobody likes us. Wait a minute, 1673 01:55:50,160 --> 01:55:52,240 Speaker 2: but everybody wants to know what we've got to say. 1674 01:55:53,360 --> 01:55:57,720 Speaker 1: Well, you know, there's a lot in therapy. God, I 1675 01:55:57,800 --> 01:56:01,240 Speaker 1: can't believe going on about this. This is really the 1676 01:56:01,400 --> 01:56:04,320 Speaker 1: only thing I can do what other people can do. 1677 01:56:04,960 --> 01:56:09,200 Speaker 1: I can't do what other people do really well, is 1678 01:56:09,680 --> 01:56:13,000 Speaker 1: be a member of the group, get along and make 1679 01:56:13,040 --> 01:56:13,400 Speaker 1: it work. 1680 01:56:13,480 --> 01:56:15,360 Speaker 2: Didn't I tell you to put me out at a choir? 1681 01:56:16,400 --> 01:56:16,560 Speaker 1: Right? 1682 01:56:17,560 --> 01:56:17,600 Speaker 2: So? 1683 01:56:18,240 --> 01:56:22,480 Speaker 1: I mean, God bless them. I've worked in these organizations 1684 01:56:23,080 --> 01:56:26,320 Speaker 1: and you know, I don't have the personality where I'm 1685 01:56:26,320 --> 01:56:29,360 Speaker 1: gonna move up in the organization. They don't want somebody 1686 01:56:29,520 --> 01:56:32,360 Speaker 1: like me. They want somebody who kisses ass and you know, 1687 01:56:32,840 --> 01:56:35,160 Speaker 1: can have fun and you can help owe each other. 1688 01:56:35,800 --> 01:56:39,000 Speaker 1: But you know, I'm lucky enough to know that people 1689 01:56:39,040 --> 01:56:40,400 Speaker 1: are hungry for the truth. 1690 01:56:40,960 --> 01:56:44,680 Speaker 2: They absolutely are. But not having ever seen anything, I 1691 01:56:44,800 --> 01:56:48,200 Speaker 2: think it comes maybe natural to us, so it doesn't 1692 01:56:48,680 --> 01:56:52,560 Speaker 2: frighten us. It just comes so natural. But if you've 1693 01:56:52,760 --> 01:56:56,480 Speaker 2: never heard it, if you've never heard it before, and 1694 01:56:56,840 --> 01:57:01,600 Speaker 2: it's standing there before you, it I have to sometimes 1695 01:57:01,680 --> 01:57:04,240 Speaker 2: look at the things I believe and the things I say, 1696 01:57:05,520 --> 01:57:11,720 Speaker 2: and I try and understand how it floored people. And 1697 01:57:12,720 --> 01:57:15,040 Speaker 2: I've never had to go back to anyone and apologize 1698 01:57:15,320 --> 01:57:19,200 Speaker 2: apologize so because I said exactly what I meant if 1699 01:57:19,280 --> 01:57:21,879 Speaker 2: I come back to you is to make you understand 1700 01:57:21,960 --> 01:57:24,440 Speaker 2: why I said it. But it's not to apologize. 1701 01:57:25,360 --> 01:57:31,400 Speaker 1: Well, I will say I was in a really bad 1702 01:57:31,600 --> 01:57:36,040 Speaker 1: spot and I got hooked up with this psychiatrist and 1703 01:57:37,560 --> 01:57:40,720 Speaker 1: he he would never tell me what to do, and 1704 01:57:40,800 --> 01:57:44,520 Speaker 1: he barely speaks. It's like psychoanalysis. But through this process 1705 01:57:45,520 --> 01:57:49,720 Speaker 1: I've learned, you know, I've learned a lot of things 1706 01:57:49,800 --> 01:57:53,440 Speaker 1: how to get along, to make it work. And without that, 1707 01:57:53,560 --> 01:57:56,200 Speaker 1: it probably wouldn't happen because I was a prisoner of 1708 01:57:56,240 --> 01:58:00,760 Speaker 1: my upbringing. That that's not you know, the lessons I 1709 01:58:00,920 --> 01:58:06,040 Speaker 1: didn't learn. But it's still a struggle. But like you, 1710 01:58:07,160 --> 01:58:08,520 Speaker 1: I'm continuing to do it. 1711 01:58:09,200 --> 01:58:12,440 Speaker 2: Well, I get exasperated at this point because I've done 1712 01:58:12,480 --> 01:58:18,240 Speaker 2: the psychiatrist thing and it's just almost everything that anyone 1713 01:58:19,280 --> 01:58:25,360 Speaker 2: would advise I've done. And it's being in show business 1714 01:58:25,600 --> 01:58:32,240 Speaker 2: over seventy years. Is I mean, there just isn't anything 1715 01:58:32,520 --> 01:58:34,400 Speaker 2: that's happened to me. Everything that happened to you in 1716 01:58:34,520 --> 01:58:37,440 Speaker 2: school had already happened to me as a MIDI levet. 1717 01:58:38,240 --> 01:58:39,720 Speaker 2: I just how old are you? 1718 01:58:40,640 --> 01:58:44,960 Speaker 1: Well, the thing is bout seven. I'm seventy two. 1719 01:58:45,800 --> 01:58:50,600 Speaker 2: Well, we age actually in groups of five, so you're eight. 1720 01:58:51,520 --> 01:58:57,760 Speaker 1: Let's flip the story over, okay, And I'm not blowing smoke. Yes, 1721 01:58:58,640 --> 01:59:03,920 Speaker 1: you were not happy that you don't have this financial status, okay, 1722 01:59:04,840 --> 01:59:10,720 Speaker 1: but what you've achieved almost no one has achieved. In addition, 1723 01:59:13,200 --> 01:59:14,760 Speaker 1: I say this about myself. 1724 01:59:16,520 --> 01:59:18,680 Speaker 2: You can like me or not like me. 1725 01:59:18,960 --> 01:59:22,040 Speaker 1: But if you like me, I'm the only place you 1726 01:59:22,160 --> 01:59:26,880 Speaker 1: can get what I do exactly exactly like you. If 1727 01:59:26,920 --> 01:59:29,600 Speaker 1: you like Betty Levette, no one can say, oh, they 1728 01:59:29,680 --> 01:59:31,960 Speaker 1: had a hit record and had the same producer the 1729 01:59:32,040 --> 01:59:35,960 Speaker 1: right way. They say, that's a unique thing. You may 1730 01:59:36,040 --> 01:59:38,120 Speaker 1: not like it, but if you like it, it's the 1731 01:59:38,400 --> 01:59:41,000 Speaker 1: only place you can get it. And it's worked for you. 1732 01:59:42,000 --> 01:59:46,839 Speaker 2: Robert, that is why two of us in this whole business. 1733 01:59:46,960 --> 01:59:55,400 Speaker 2: It's too much. I honestly, really you are. It's this 1734 01:59:56,240 --> 01:59:59,760 Speaker 2: child who wrote all the songs in this last album, 1735 02:00:00,080 --> 02:00:04,920 Speaker 2: Randall Bramblett. He has this tune. I'm just trying to 1736 02:00:05,000 --> 02:00:11,080 Speaker 2: see someone exactly like me. Maybe one day I'll run 1737 02:00:11,240 --> 02:00:12,360 Speaker 2: into myself. 1738 02:00:15,400 --> 02:00:18,640 Speaker 1: Well, we're all looking to be known and understood. 1739 02:00:19,160 --> 02:00:24,560 Speaker 2: Absolutely. I would rather have understanding than anything else. If 1740 02:00:24,600 --> 02:00:27,000 Speaker 2: you want, if you hate me and you are understanding, 1741 02:00:27,120 --> 02:00:32,480 Speaker 2: at least sure why Oh I agree with that. Yeah, 1742 02:00:32,800 --> 02:00:38,200 Speaker 2: I really know that. That that's it, Kevin. When I 1743 02:00:38,280 --> 02:00:41,400 Speaker 2: met him, I said, I will when I am not 1744 02:00:41,560 --> 02:00:45,520 Speaker 2: being Betty Lovett, I will certainly gladly be Missus Kyley. 1745 02:00:45,800 --> 02:00:48,920 Speaker 2: That's the way I was raised. I keep this house clean. 1746 02:00:49,360 --> 02:00:51,760 Speaker 2: I could have a housekeeper, but I don't want another 1747 02:00:51,800 --> 02:00:55,360 Speaker 2: bro walking all over my house and looking my underwear 1748 02:00:55,440 --> 02:00:58,640 Speaker 2: and dirty clothes and stuff. So I cleaned this house. 1749 02:00:58,760 --> 02:01:02,120 Speaker 2: It may take me a longer time n cleaning. I 1750 02:01:02,280 --> 02:01:06,320 Speaker 2: do everything here myself, I say, I will be drunk, 1751 02:01:07,160 --> 02:01:10,520 Speaker 2: I will have to have marijuana every day. I will 1752 02:01:10,640 --> 02:01:14,280 Speaker 2: never miss a show, I will never be late, and 1753 02:01:15,440 --> 02:01:17,960 Speaker 2: none of the self. I mean. I will never look 1754 02:01:18,000 --> 02:01:21,760 Speaker 2: in your wallet or ask you where you've been, or 1755 02:01:21,920 --> 02:01:25,080 Speaker 2: ask you why you weren't here. I laid everything that 1756 02:01:25,200 --> 02:01:28,280 Speaker 2: I am out and that's how I am, I said, 1757 02:01:28,320 --> 02:01:31,160 Speaker 2: and that is the reason I have all my husbands, 1758 02:01:31,360 --> 02:01:38,920 Speaker 2: all my boyfriends, and all of my producers cool. Honestly, 1759 02:01:39,240 --> 02:01:41,440 Speaker 2: I could take you, you know they my mother used 1760 02:01:41,440 --> 02:01:44,520 Speaker 2: to say a thing in New Orleans, Well, in Louisiana, 1761 02:01:44,640 --> 02:01:46,520 Speaker 2: you know, the houses used to be way up off 1762 02:01:46,600 --> 02:01:49,880 Speaker 2: the ground because of the water, right, And when you 1763 02:01:50,240 --> 02:01:52,720 Speaker 2: like something in the summertime of whatever, if you like 1764 02:01:52,960 --> 02:01:54,480 Speaker 2: you take it and go up under the house with 1765 02:01:54,640 --> 02:02:00,680 Speaker 2: it and got a hide there. Will I could take 1766 02:02:00,760 --> 02:02:02,800 Speaker 2: you and run up under the house with you. 1767 02:02:04,960 --> 02:02:09,839 Speaker 1: I can't. We gotta stop now because I can't respond 1768 02:02:10,000 --> 02:02:13,200 Speaker 1: to that and run up in the house with you. Okay, 1769 02:02:13,360 --> 02:02:15,880 Speaker 1: you've been listening to me with Betty Levette, the one 1770 02:02:15,960 --> 02:02:18,800 Speaker 1: and only Betty. I want to thank you so much 1771 02:02:18,880 --> 02:02:21,640 Speaker 1: for taking the time with my audience. Kill me next time. 1772 02:02:22,920 --> 02:02:24,400 Speaker 1: This is Bob left set