A DAY IN "THE LIFE OF RILEY"

JODY WATLEY

I got a call from my industry buddy of 15 or more years, legendary PR exec Juanita Stephens who I’ve known since BFF Chandra Jones worked as her publicity associate at Warner Brothers Records in the mid-‘90s. Juanita is now Atlanta-based and independent – clients including “Uncle Charlie Wilson” and many more! Juanita represented one of my favorites Jody Watley when she first came on the scene at MCA – “Looking for a New Love”. I’ve adored Miss Watley since her days as a Soul Train dancer; then as a member of the iconic SHALAMAR; and all of the years since then – as her solo career has reached the highest levels – from Grammy to MULTI-PLATINUM. And unlike many of her contemporaries, she’s maintained a youthful zest (loving THE KIDS), a sensuality unparalleled (even today), and an enterprising ambition which keeps fans – like me – continually fulfilled with new music(In 1995, she called me on stage to dance with her as the National Association of Black Journalists convened in Philadelphia where she headlined “A Night of Dazzling Divas”. Also on the bill: the late, great Vesta Williams and Regina Belle).As she prepares for another fun ride of new material and promotion around it – global and underground, Juanita told Jody Watley about ‘a friend of hers named Patrick Riley who blogs and LOVES pop culture, divas, good music….’. Miss Watley, I understand, interrupted “…You mean ‘DAY IN THE LIFE OF RILEY’? I follow that guy…” AND VOILA! Jody Watley and I are now following each other into her NIGHTLIFE. She - for sure - gave me MY LIFE!

Here’s a little from our chat this week: 

LIFE OF RILEY: Hi Miss Watley! What a total honor for me to take this few minutes with you!

JODY: HELLO! HELLO!

LIFE OF RILEY: Because I follow you religiously on FACEBOOK and via social media, I know where you are many minutes of the day or – at least – what’s on your sharing heart, which – may I add – inspires and encourages me every day! My current blog’s name “A DAY IN THE LIFE OF RILEY” has a second-line “pop culture and possibilities” and you are quite an exemplar of that with your posts. So, I just want to - in this moment - THANK YOU FOR THAT!

JODY WATLEY:  Oh, Cool! That means the world because I’m mindful of that and I always think that this platform is not just for keeping everyone up-to-date with what I’m doing and everything. I wouldn’t feel right if I weren’t putting things up and out there to inspire people. So, THANK YOU!

LIFE OF RILEY: With that, you have NEW MUSIC! So, ‘tell us about your new single “Nightlife” and what inspired you to release this one and what we can expect from it? POUR THE TEA, PLEASE! LOL!

JODY WATLEY: (LAUGHS) “NIGHTLIFE” is a song I started working on maybe two years ago. Was traveling with it – taking it on the road. Perfecting it. People loved it right away. It has opened my show which is very bold to perform a song – open the show – and people don’t know it but they respond to it as if they already knew it. So, coming up towards this year’s Essence Festival, I said it’s time to finish it and go on and put it out. It’s inspired from my love of dance music. I love different types of music. But I wanted to do something that still has that soulfulness. As dance music became more commercial, but it was a certain type of dance music that wasn’t so soulful – more Euro-pop and that wasn’t something that I wanted to experiment in of the different incarnations and evolutions of my writing and my artistry. So, the classic Disco soul I thought that I’d go there with it but in a modern way. Not in a retro way. But playing homage to that because I started out doing that as a Soul Train dancer and – of course – with Shalamar obviously.

LIFE OF RILEY: And how profound that the universe has identified a way for SHALAMAR to come off of your tongue without having to re-hash the controversies of the past with Howard Hewett and Jeffrey Daniels. Many don’t know or choose to remember that there was a singer before Howard: Gerald Brown. Can you explain that history and then jump right into – after all these years – how you came to reconnect with Gerald?

JODY WATLEY: I’d reconnected with Gerald Brown after Unsung. He got left out of it. So, I did “Unfiltered” on my YOU TUBE Channel (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDWhuwbYtIM). Because fans wanted to know what happened with Gerald Brown. I hadn’t seen him since I was 18-years-old. And he was always a great guy. I thought to bring “NIGHTLIFE” --- really bring that sound full circle --- that it would be nice to add that special, surprise touch. So, I asked Gerald to sing on “NIGHTLIFE”. So, he’s thrilled and people are loving it! And it makes people happy!”

And also, I wanted to do something that was about being glamorous because that’s missing in music.

LIFE OF RILEY: Yazzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz! I agree! And the iconography, may I add, that I’ve seen thus far with “NIGHTLIFE”. I know it’s a work-in-progress campaign. But the images are just amazing. Your looks. Your glamour. Your drag.

JODY WATLEY: THANK YOU! And I want to inspire others to be FABULOUS! HAIR DONE! NAILS DONE! GET YOUR DRAG ON! So, with NIGHTLIFE, you get the music and the soul. But you also get the message that reminds people that times are hard, but it’s okay to LIVE  a little. When people say “Oh! These days are so hard! And I’m not this! And I miss the good ol’ days!” I say “The good ol’ days are now! It’s what you make of them!” So, BE FABULOUS NOW! Hanging with your friends! NIGHTLIFE is an uplifting song!

LIFE OF RILEY: I heard about another funky dance jam “The Don” inside of a forthcoming album “PARADISE”.

JODY WATLEY: I did that one at the Essence Festival and some other shows – including The Howard Theater, which was amazing! People love that one, too! It was produced by Mark de Clive-Lowe, a really cool DJ and musician. And the album is called “PARADISE”. It will be out after the first of the year. So, these are songs from “PARADISE” which represents the feeling I’ve always gotten and continue to get from music. Where music can take you is a feeling of paradise. There’s a club I used to go to often called Paradise.  So, there are many elements to it: soulful, funky, fabulous, and another step in my journey and evolution as a singer and a songwriter and a producer and a DIVA! (laughs)

LIFE OF RILEY:  I know you’ve gone on the record as being a fan of MISS DIANA ROSS! I know that along with you, she is high up in my galaxy of divas. Her first rotation at disco and dance music gave us the innovative “LOVE HANGOVER” (which you remade recently) and soon-thereafter “LOVIN’ LIVIN’ GIVIN” from THANK GOD IT’S FRIDAY (a film that starred Donna Summer). You were dancing or about to be dancing on SOUL TRAIN at that time and beginning to create your own version of grandness. What were little Jody Watley’s ears hearing and seeing (when you perhaps saw Miss Ross and the disco contemporaries of the time)? Did you have a sense that this was a muse you were going to connect to as an artist?

JODY WATLEY: DIANA ROSS is the first definite influence I had as a little girl and she’s someone for whom I continue to have a tremendous amount of respect and admiration. She’s raised wonderful children in a crazy business. That’s not easy to do and juggle! I have two kids in college myself. So, to have them be grounded, MISS ROSS is IT! And so, she’s definitely there. And as a child, I also LOVED jazz singers like Nancy Wilson, Ella Fitzgerald, and those singers. My parents were big jazz collectors. And the vibe they had on TV was glamorous and classy. And so, that’s ingrained in me. And my mom was an early influence. I tell her that my long-going, love affair with dolman sleeves actually started with my mom BEFORE DIANA ROSS! And I love them to this day! Give me a dolman sleeve and I’m happy!

LIFE OF RILEY: YESSSSSSS! I LOVE THAT! [Life of Riley EDITOR NOTE: I TOO LOVE A DOLMAN SLEEVE! LMAO!]

JODY WATLEY: Donna Summer was another influence during my dancing time on Soul Train. And like Diana Ross, the presentation. It was the music, it was the presentation, but it was also the album covers that were intriguing. There was a sense of mystique about them. And from the beginning of my solo career, I’ve always been big on the visuals and the photography. That’s been very influential to me. Grace Jones I’ve also gone on the record for being so bold and totally unique and not caring. And just being fabulously Grace Jones. Individuality and that’s something that I’ve been about – everything I put out should be like anyone else. But ultimately, people try to be like me. The divas – the ones who really stand out – have something they brought that was very fresh and unique. And uniquely them into the music business. So, as an artist, that’s always been and continues to be important to me. And to not lose that quality and integrity – it’s very key. And all of those ladies have never lost that. Even if commercial popularity wanes (as it does for everyone), your quality, your integrity, and your fabulousness doesn’t diminish if you are real. You don’t drop your standards. You continue to be high. And you continue to want to do great work. That is JODY WATLEY! THAT’S ME! “NIGHTLIFE” is another representation of that. And I have an eternal, youthful passion for what I do. And not in a way that I’m trying to be 15 again. It’s my youthful exuberance in a grown woman’s artistry. You get older but you don’t have to get old.  

LIFE OF RILEY: That’s the perfect transition to my last question because there are a few things at play here: this full-circle moment for you musically – even nostalgically. But as an industry, we’re also observing a retro-dance movement on the charts. What do you make of what’s going on now and where are you in that? Twerking a la Miley Cyrus is now in the dictionary and a house-hold name, but it doesn’t look too unlike something from the Soul Train line. No judgment on my part, but would you even want the credit, association, homage? What do you make of the little divas who are finding their way and who is standing on your shoulder pads in a way that you applaud?

JODY WATLEY: Anyone who is out there pursuing their dreams, I say GO DO IT! I think that – for me personally – I’ve always been conscious. Maybe as a songwriter, I think this way. But I say “When I turn 60, am I going to be able to sing these songs?” Or “Will I look back and be ashamed?” Now, I look back at “Real Love” and say “You Betta WORK!” (laughter) I’ve always been conscious of being timeless and having a classic approach. That’s what I do. That’s me. And the fashion element comes from models. And when I look at artists like Rihanna, Janelle Monae, Beyonce, Solange, and some of these women, I see that they stand on my shoulders the way that I stand on the shoulders of Diana Ross and the artists before me. At that time, Black or White artists weren’t being featured in fashion magazines. That’s a door I opened and don’t often get credit for.

LIFE OF RILEY: And that’s ALL YOU! From my corner of the world, I shout and sing your praises on that front when I’m in diva debates with my friends. They do forget.

JODY WATLEY: THANK YOU! So, I see what is going on. And I’m proud of it. Six pages in Harper’s Bazaar is what I asked for. Some wondered what that had to do with selling records? When you’re innovative and trendsetting and pushing those around you to get you in VOGUE or Harper’s or when I said I wanted to do a song with Rakim (FRIENDS, which became one of the first rap/singing duets). And the questions were “Why do you want do that?” or “How does that work: pop and R&B?” And I asked that they just let me do it. Today, when hearing “Get Lucky” or Justin T’s “Take Back The Night”, “Blurred Lines”, etc., it confirmed I’d been on the right track with the music I wanted to do (“Nightlife”). So, I’m continuing to grow and push myself. But I definitely see (the influence of) JODY WATLEY all the time in the industry now. And everybody has their thing and I still have mine.

LIFE OF RILEY: And another of my dreams have come true! THANK YOU, MISS JODY WATLEY!

JODY WATLEY: Thank you, Patrick! See you on Facebook and TWITTER!

FINAL NOTES:

• ·        JODY WATLEY says “NIGHTLIFE” can be mixed straight into Phyllis Hyman’s "You Know How to Love Me" - one of her inspirational, soulful dance classics.  
• ·        JODY WATLEY says “NIGHTLIFE” is a great tune for working out or even walking.
• ·        The NEW single “NIGHTLIFE” from the forthcoming new EP “Paradise” due early 2014. Available now at digital outlets worldwide, including the “Classic Glamour Extended” EP. BUY “NIGHTLIFE” –  Limited edition vinyl coming mid September!
• ·        The NEW Single "NIGHTLIFE" - 'It's In The Music!" http://youtu.be/4j64kkLwerI
• ·        Official Artist Site / Style Blog: http://www.jodywatley.net
• ·        Follow on Twitter! http://www.twitter.com/jodywatley
• ·        Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/jodywatleyofficial

LIFE AFTER

Hi folks, PLEASE SHARE/TWEET/INSTAGRAM/FORWARD: I mentioned in prior “…Life of Riley…” entry that my “LIFE AFTER” debut on TV ONE premieres TOMORROW, Wednesday, September 11^th at 8:30 pm (CLIFTON DAVIS). AND SET YOUR DVR, FOLKS! I am EXCITED that K2 Pictures (http://www.k2pictures.com/) invited me to weigh in (as pop culture analyst) on about a half-dozen pop culture subjects for TV ONE’s “LIFE AFTER” (http://www.tvone.tv/shows/life_after.html) i.e. Clifton Davis, Jimmie Walker, LeVar Burton, Maia Campbell, and Shereé Whitfield. I am THRILLED to be featured in the upcoming season with other “LIFE AFTER” regulars – including friends Clay Cane; Flo Anthony; and SouLeO. Here’s the season’s fantastic line-up of Life After: https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Life-After/266689690047:

September 11 at 8pm - Sheryl Lee Ralph

AND MY FIRST: ALSO, September 11 at 8:30pm - Clifton Davis

September 18 at 8pm - Shirley Murdock

September 25 at 8pm -  Jimmie Walker

October 2 at 8pm - Adina Howard

October 9 at 8pm - LeVar Burton

October 16 at 8pm - Maia Campbell

October 23 at 8pm - Shereé Whitfield

Please tune into this season of Life After and let me know your thoughts!

TWITTER: @patarack @tvonetv

TAMAR

Shout out to Nathan Hale Williams for having us out tonight to meet and greet with TAMAR BRAXTON who performed; signed CDs; posed; and proved to be a LIGHT OF GRATITUDE and APPRECIATION for the LOVE – most recently demonstrated by her chart-topping debut. Download "Love and War" on iTunes! http://smarturl.it/loveandwar-album. One of Ant’s childhood BFFs Brina Milton; Derrick Hemphill; Carl Nelson; Kevin-Anthony (Billie’s Black); and a host of others enjoyed CLUB ESCOS for the EPIC affair! #TamartianLoveandWar SPECIAL SHOUT OUT to our friend Ruthy Valdez – surrealist fine artist who unveiled her anticipated new art series, “Embryonic Codes” at Harlem’s speakeasy 67 Orange Street – ‘a link between the abstract spiritual realities and the real forms of the material world’. CONGRATS, RUTHY! We – of course – had more fun with Brina as the weekend progressed! Always a pleasure to see you, Brina! AND ONE MORE TIME: TAMAR DID THAT! LOL!

LATOYA

What a GREAT SUNDAY ! My buddy Karu Daniels invited me to accompany him to “TOM D’ANGORA presents NEWSical: THE MUSICAL” (WWW.NEWSICALTHEMUSICAL.COM and WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/NEWSICAL). Its celebrity guest star: LATOYA JACKSON who was absolutely wonderful and charming in her varied segments – including an impressive and satirical spin on her brother’s BFF MISS DIANA ROSS! CUTE! Special shout-out to LaToya’s manager Jeffre Phillips for making it possible for Karu and I to chat with Miss Jackson after the show. They both were so gracious and generous with their time. As you know, my long-standing client Oprah Winfrey’s OWN network commissioned a reality TV series, “Life With LaToya”, which premiered in April 2013. Its been picked up for a second season with new episodes premiering Dec. 2013. JOB WELL DONE, LATOYA! And may I say the rest of the CAST is WONDERFUL – including Kristen Megelkoch; Susan Mosher; Christine Pedi; Dylan Thompson; Tommy Walker; and Michael West. #NEWSical #lifewithlatoya #OWN #oprah

BROADWAY GIVEWAY!!!

Off-Broadway with LATOYA to Broadway with LIFE OF RILEY: ONE PAIR OF COMP TICKETS FOR THE “…LIFE OF RILEY…” READER WHO WANTS TO SEE the forthcoming Broadway production of A TIME TO KILL (www.ATimeToKillOnBroadway.com). Tony® Award-winning playwright Rupert Holmes’ stage adaptation of the John Grisham bestselling novel holds the distinction of being the first-ever John Grisham property adapted to the stage. The production, directed by Ethan McSweeny, features Sebastian Arcelus, Chike Johnson, Patrick Page, Tony Award® winner Tonya Pinkins, Emmy Award® winner Tom Skerritt, Fred Dalton Thompson, John Douglas Thompson, and Ashley Williams.

ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS:

SEND AN EMAIL TO: patarack@hotmail.com NO LATER THAN THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 12^TH AT MIDNIGHT.

On FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 13TH (no later than NOON), I’ll choose – RANDOMLY – a name from that batch of emails and will – in turn – send the WINNER a ticket voucher for you to select a performance date that works for you).

You will EMAIL that form to the box office which will confirm and hold tickets for you at will call. EASY, RIGHT?

Let me hear from you at patarack@hotmail.com. GOOD LUCK… and SEE YOU AT THE THEATER!

A TIME TO KILL begins performances September 28 at The John Golden Theatre.

As always, FOLKS: THANKS FOR YOUR SUPPORT!