| |
|
| Ms. Linda Clifford and I have been in touch with each other for a few years now via "My Space" and then "Facebook".
The first time I heard Ms. Clifford's voice was at a disco club called the "Buttermiik Bottom", in Greenwich Village, NYC.
|
|
| It was like the parting of the red sea, the dance floor cleared, as the intro to "Runaway Love" began to play. First the soft moan, then I heard Ms. Clifford's soulful roar; immediately she began to speak, "Hey baby, where you going?" "Wait a minute, you can't leave me now, again", she had captured my attention.
She didn't sound like anyone else that I could compare. Yes she's been compared to Ms. Tina Turner and Ms. Freda Payne. I understand the comparisons but to tell you the truth, no one sounds like Ms. Linda Clifford.
|
| The following day I couldn't wait to get to the record store. It was then that I discovered she was the voice I had heard at some of the other discos I had attended, "From Now On", was a big club favorite but nothing like "Runaway Love".
Now in the mostly white dance clubs, "If My Friends Could See Me Now" was burning up the dance floors. What I found interesting was that the song, "If My Friends Could See Me Now", is from the Broadway play and movie, "Sweet Charity" of which Ms. Clifford was one of the featured actresses opposite legend, Ms. Shirley MacLaine. She also appeared in the Tony Curtis flick, "The Boston Strangler" and also in "Rosemary's Baby" with Mia Farrow, but the huge success came after signing with "Curtom" records.
The interesting thing about Linda's voice is that she can go from a whisper to a scream; she can give you the power of Aretha or
|
give you the tenderness of early Dionne Warwick. Proof of this, is when Linda covered Simon & Garfunkel's "Bridge over Troubled Waters".
Not many people will redo a song that Aretha Franklin has made her own, yet Ms. Clifford was able to take this song to a different level and owe it.
On one of Linda's later album's, "I'll Keep On Loving You", there's a song, titled, "Only the Angels Know", that could have been a part of Dionne's songbook. Another hidden treasurer is her album, "My Heart's On Fire", it's classic R&B, my favorite's on this album are: "If You Want My Love To Last", "Real Love" which the Staple Singers could have done, "Here Comes The Night" and "First Offense", which has Linda pleading for her lover to give her a second chance. But to be honest with you, this album has number one written all over it.
|
| |
| On her album, "Sneakin Out", not only is the cover and back of the CD beautiful, but the title cut speaks for itself. "A Night With The Boys" was definitely recorded for her gay fans and in this video, Ms. Clifford is dancing, doing her thing. And she hasn't stopped dancing, as she's a huge of rapper, Flo-rida.
Yes, Linda can sing it all. She's not just a singer; she's an actress that becomes the character when she sings a song. Again, it's proven on "Don't Let Me Have Another Bad Dream Tonight". (The die-hart fans will know which album this is from.)
This is why you believe what she's singing. And when you hear her sing, it's like she's singing it for the first time, she keeps it fresh, new and exciting. In recent years, she's released club hits "Ride the Storm", "Back to My Roots" "Changin", and "How Long?" What we, the fans, need from Ms. Clifford is a complete CD. It's long overdue.
She's been nominated for American Music awards, Grammy's, among others
|
and has worked with legends like the late Mr. Curtis Mayfield and Mr. Isaac Hayes.
To tell you the truth, Ms. Clifford's life is mindboggling, she done everything, from singing commercial jingles, modeling, singing on variety and nighttime television shows, performing on the Jerry Lewis Telethon's, to lending her talents in the gay community and to many other charitable events.
One of my personal favorite "Linda Clifford" moments is hearing her sing the theme for a nighttime television drama in the 1980's called "Chicago". It was awesome. The first time I heard it, I screamed so loud, they could hear me from New York City to China.
In 2005 Ms. Clifford received a "Lifetime Achievement Award at the Chicago Music Awards yet she hasn't slowed down, she's just getting started.
Interviewing Ms. Linda Clifford is another dream come true.
|
| |
| |
| INTERVIEW |
John: Wow, I can't believe that we are finally speaking to each other. I'm so excited and grateful that you've taken the time to speak with me.
Linda: It's my pleasure. (I could hear the smile in her voice)
John: How old were you when you realized that you had the gift to sing?
Linda: Now dear, (laughing) that's a tough one, right out of the shoot. I don't know if I ever recognized that I was gifted as far as voice talent as much as entertaining, performing. A lot of times, people get these things mixed up. I started performing when I was maybe 4 years old. By the time I was half way through kindergarten, the teachers were sending for me to perform in different classes, they would put me up on top of the desk and have me sing, act out scenes and just do crazy stuff, that was my thing. So everyone kind of knew me as the little girl who could sing. I guess the answer to that would be five years old, I knew from that time; it was what I wanted to do.
John: I understand that you are originally from Brooklyn, New York do you still feel that you are a Brooklyn girl at heart? |
Linda: Oh yeah! You know once you from Brooklyn child, you always from Brooklyn. (We both were laughing as she used a Brooklyn accent) Some things don't change, home is home, it doesn't matter where you travel to or what you do. I'm a Brooklyn girl.
John: Do you still go to Brooklyn?
Linda: Of course I do, I have family there and I do go and visit. In fact, I'm going to my high school reunion in Brooklyn, I will, probably, while I'm there, my husband and I, visit cousins and family that we haven't seen for a while. I still go.
John: Do you have any siblings and if you do, can they sing?
Linda: Yes, I have a younger sister and yes, she can sing, but she chose to go into the banking business, which is probably pretty smart. (laughing) But I also had two brothers who are both deceased, so they were four of us all together. Neither of the boys were singers, they tried but no, they couldn't sing. |
| |
John: You've done a few movie films and have worked with movie stars like Shirley MacLaine and Tony Curtis, are you still interested in working in film?
Linda: You know I think, when I did it as a much younger person, I felt that it was not my thing because there's a whole lot of hurry up and wait when you're shooting a movie. I, just, and even now I've never been a very patient person. I like to keep moving, but I find as I get older, I hate to use that term, as I age gracefully, I think I wouldn't mind trying it again, I wouldn't mind playing somebody's mama, I would do that, but it's not my first love.
John: And your first love is music.
Linda: My first love is music and performing, a live audience with a live band, there's nothing like it.
John: "If My Friends Could See Me Now", is from the Broadway and movie, "Sweet Charity" of which you were one of the featured players in the film, during the huge success of your recording of "If My Friends Could See Me Now", did you hear from Shirley MacLaine?
Linda: You know I did not hear from Shirley. During the filming of the movie, we got to be friends on the set, we spent our breaks together, but I did not hear from Shirley. I don't know that she even realized that it was the same person. Shirley has done so much since then.
During the filming, I smoked a pipe and so did she. We found ourselves sitting together, smoking a pipe, asking, "What type of tobacco are you using?" that was kind of fun. However, I did hear from Cy Coleman, who was the gentleman who wrote the music for Sweet Charity,
I was in the middle of doing an interview on WGN, and he actually called in to thanked me for doing his song, which I thought, "Oh my God, that's Cy Coleman". That was pretty awesome!
John: Would you be able to share what that feeling was like to hear your music on the radio for the first time?
|
Linda: Child I screamed, I literally screamed. (Other recording artist) Everyone tries to be really cool, but…. First the president of the record company called me while I was mopping the kitchen floor and said. "Have you seen Billboard?" I said, "No". "He said, "You're number one!" I said, "Yeah, right", and I hung up on him.
He called back and said, "No, no, go get Billboard!" So I ran out, got Billboard, and no sooner when I got back in the house, I always keep music on, it came on the radio. I thought, "Oh my God, it's real!" I let loose for real and did a happy dance. It was wonderful, very exciting.
|
 |
John: and also what was it like to become known worldwide?
Linda: It was very difficult for me to believe it, first of all. To see the response and the reaction of people when the song came on, I thought, "Is this a dream?" I couldn't believe it. I was doing a tour in Europe, and I saw the same kind of reaction to my songs, it made people insane and happy, there's what I enjoy about that kind of music, it makes people happy. I was overjoyed.
Even though I'd been performing for years, it seemed like it had happened overnight, it happened very quickly. (Reality set in after she'd been traveling for a few months.)
|
| |
|
John: You are a mother of two. Was it difficult to have the career, a husband and children?
Linda: No, I was very blessed I had it all; I think there were some very difficult decisions to be made and I feel in my heart that I made the right decisions, when the time came. I stopped touring when my children became ready for school. I wanted to put them on that bus and I wanted to be there to pick them up from that bus, it was very very important.
So what I did, I started working only on weekends. And during that time everyone started to use "tracks", since no one wanted to pay for a live band, it made it easy for me to travel with a cassette. I would perform; fly out on Sunday and be ready for Monday morning, to put my kids on the bus.
It was important for me to raise them to be people that I would be proud, of course I would always love them, but I wanted the best for them. My husband is also in the industry, a drummer, percussionist. He's primarily a jazz artist but he's worked with everyone in the business.
It was decided since both, she and her husband, are in the entertainment industry, when one parent had a gig, an engagement, the other would stay home with the children. Both were/are hands-on parents and very much in love as they will be celebrating 32 years of marriage this coming November 2010, to quote Ms. Linda, "It's still going strong". What makes this a beautiful love story is that the two of them started out as very good friends.
John: Have you recorded any songs that you later heard released by another artist, and thought, "Wow I knew I should have released a single on that?"
Linda: Well, it's funny you should mention that, "All the Man That I Need", recorded by Whitney Houston was written for my husband and I. I did record that song, however, a lot of the times it's the record company that decides on what should be released, especially back in the day, this was very common. Also a lot of the time, your management also worked for the record company, a double whammy.
Linda's manager also managed the late great Mr. Curtis Mayfield.
|
When she signed with the label, Curtom, they weren't sure of what to do with her, in regard to marketing.
They felt that she was too light, which is ironic, since her nickname was "Blackie". She was the darkest of her parent's four children. Complexion, skin color has never been an issue for Ms. Clifford, who recalls the race problems of the 1960's. Her father was American Indian & African American and her mother, African American.
She and her siblings were raised to be proud Black American's. Unfortunately, the record company had their own idea of what they thought would work and what would sell.
As we continued our "chit chat", Linda expressed her concerns in regard to skin color issues within our Black community and she also shared her experience when she was crowned Miss New York State.
As for our black community, it's the same old story of being too dark or too light, she feels that we are all the same and should move on from that slave mentality. She believes that we are so much greater than that.
When she was crowned Miss New York State, this was in the 1960's, it was discovered that there was an error, as it was originally believed that the new Miss New York State winner was a white girl. As Linda and her parents were about to leave, they were stopped by the head judge of the pageant who informed them that she was indeed the new Miss New York State, and not the white young lady announced prior. Within seconds, flashbulbs and reporters were in her face.
This was the first time that a woman of color had won this high honor. Sadly, also the death threats and hate mail followed. The Ku Klux Klan even sent hate mail, questioning "Who do you think you are, to compete against a white girl?" The Clifford family had to relocate since it wasn't safe after it was known where they lived. Instead of a happy experience, it was a horrible one. Even though this happened years ago, Ms. Clifford feels that this problem is still very present in this day and age.
Ms. Linda Clifford was the first African American, to win a beauty pageant that included white contestants. This was before Broadway and recording artist; Ms. Vanessa Williams won the title of Miss America.
|
| |
John: Are you working on anything new in the studio?
Linda: I'm going into the studio next week with Georgie Porgie. (They've lived in the same city for years but had never met. They met at a fundraiser for battered women who needed clothes, shelter etc. At the first meeting, they clicked and a friendship was born.
Linda called him and commented that she was surprised that they had not done any work together. The two got together for lunch and it was decided that it was time for the two to go into the studio to make some music.) "I'm excited about that!"
John: When you aren't recording or working how do you spend your down time?
Linda: (She laughed) Let me give you an idea, yesterday I was cleaning the closet, I was getting my clothes ready for spring. And I worked on my music. I just got back from San Francisco from doing a show; it was a benefit for the Red Cross/ Haiti Relief Fund. Jeannie Tracy, Mariliu Henner, Merry Clayton, Miki Howard, myself, Edna Wright of the Honey Cone, and my girl, Sheryl Lee Ralph, we did the show for that cause. Besides the disco stuff, I still love to work with a live band. I like to spend time working on music for my cabaret engagements.
I do like to lend myself to different causes, since they're others who have less than I do; I want to try to help as much as I possibly can. I do write, I've written for Gloria Gaynor, Martha Wash, I have a couple of songs that I wrote that Cher was considering, I've written for Gladys Knight, so I keep busy.
John: So you write and play?
Linda: I don't play, how crazy is that? I don't play an instrument. I hear things in my head, I sing it and have someone write the music for me.
John: When you were a kid, who were your musically influences?
Linda: You know they were all over the place, most people because I'm a woman, except me to say a woman right away. (Her favorites) Nat King Cole loved that man. Nancy Wilson, Johnny Mathis, those are people, I really looked up to, I love theater, I was really into theater, I love theater.
Theater was huge for me; I would love to do theater. I have to make a point of looking more into that. (Then Linda remembered another one of her favorite things to do and that's to spend time with her granddaughter.
|
She sounded like the extremely proud grandmother; I could tell that her granddaughter is the apple of her eye. Her grandchild is the baby of her son and daughter in-law.) I do have a beautiful granddaughter; she just turned two years old. (Then Linda continue to name some of her musical influences) Aretha, so many wonderful people. |
 |
| John: Another one of my favorite albums recorded by you, is "Shoot Your Best Shot", produced and written by Mr. Isaac Hayes. I thought the combination of you and Mr. Hayes was perfect. I recall a close friend had a party, I was spinning the music, I played, "It Don't Hurt No More", and the floor got jam packed, the crowd loved that song. Many from the party wanted to know, "Who is that?" "Lover's Holiday", another favorite from the same album, I can play over and play again. What was that experience like, to create magic with Mr. Isaac Hayes?
Linda: You know it was so much fun, we laughed in that studio, and we talked about everything on the planet. I just wished we could have worked together more. He and my hubby got along fine, if I showed up to the studio without my husband, he would say, "Where's Nicky?"
|
| |
John: You sound the same, vocally, as you did when you recorded, "From Now On", how do you protect your voice?
Linda: I use it a lot. I do sing with an orchestra here in Chicago. It's great because I get a chance to sing other people's song. I do the Emotions, "Best of My Love", Mary J. Blige, I do the girls, some Tina Turner every now and then, so my voice gets a great workout. (laughing)
John: Do you ever listen to your own music?
Linda: My daughter uploaded my music on my I.pod. She said, "I can't believe you don't have your own music on your I.pod. I said, "Oh well, what could I say?" (laughing) Every now and then a song will come on and I will say, "That sounds familiar (we were both laughing).
John: I remember one of the notes you sent me, you said, "Go for Obama!" What was that feeling like for you, when he was elected President?
Linda: Oh dear, I'm going to cry just thinking about it. I spent a couple of years in the South, after I left home, singing, working in clubs. To me the South is Florida, in a town called, Titusville. They use to wear their Klan's outfits; George Wallace was running for President. (In the club where she was working, had a lily white audience. One day Linda asked the bartender a question, "Are there any black people in the area?" He answered, "There are across the tracks", you know what I did? I went, literally, across the tracks, went from door to door, and introduced myself to people, told them where I was singing, and said, please come and see me, and they came in droves, they were people who didn't like it so much (the racist).
So to say that I've experienced turbulent times is an understatement. So to see this educated man, to see for the first time that we really had a chance to have our first Afro American President run this country, to have him win that election, I couldn't stop myself, I just busted into tears, I'm crying now. (I could hear her crying, it was extremely emotional) I had heard him speak when he was the senator here (in Chicago), I didn't know him personally, but I would hear him speak, I would be a part of benefits that he would show up, and I thought, "Wow, there's something about him".
|
He's just incredible. We've had leaders in the past who have run for office and I'd thought, "I would love to throw my support behind you but I just can't. I can't understand a sentence that you let come out of your mouth. I can't imagine that the white portion of this country will vote for you.
There are certain things you need to do, to further yourself in this country, and it's not about talking black or talking white, or any of that, its talking educated. It's showing that you have the ability to do the job that you're running for and that's what he had that no one else had ever shown.
John: Will you ever write your life story?
Linda: You know I actually have thought about that. And I wondered, "Who wants to read it?" (laughing)
John: I do, I do, I do. (we were both laughing)
Linda: My husband has said I should write some things down, "write it down, write it down." I think I'm kind of interested. (We spoke about different options and hopefully a book is in the works)
John: During the height of your career, which famous celebrity were you star struck by?
Linda: mmmm, let me think? (she was thinking….. then she recalled) I will tell you something struck me recently, They were interviewing Rebecca Romijn in "Style" magazine, one of the things that they do, during the interview they will ask what book are you reading or what music are you listening to now, Rebecca Romijn was listening to "Red Light", I was like, "No, you didn't say that!" (We were laughing again). I was so in shock, I could not believe it. She said that song gets her going when she's about to work out, that's her work out song. And I thought, "Wow, that's so awesome!"
John: When you're in concert, what is your most requested song?
Linda: I would say that it's a tie, it's "Runaway Love" and "If My Friends Could See Me Now", that's here in the states. Now if I'm in Europe, it's "Bridge over Troubled Waters", it's the one that they love the most. |
| |
John: Why do you think you have such a huge gay following?
Linda: If there's a fundraising and they need me I'm there. They love me and I love them too. Both of my brothers died of AIDS. I lost them both to AIDS. Then years later and many many more friends have died from this. My older brother was gay, my younger brother was a drug user. My older brother and I spoke to each other at least twice a week. Then the hospital called, they asked, "Are you are relative to………. Well he's here in the hospital in a coma. I said, "Not my brother, I spoke to him earlier this week. I hopped on a plane at 5:30 in the morning to get to him.
I diagnosed him, the hospital didn't know what was wrong with him, I asked, "Have you tested him for HIV/AIDS?" He was in a coma. He loved to spend time on the beach in Puerto Rico, so I spoke to him about the dogs, the beach in Puerto Rico. I told her him to squeeze my hand, if he could hear me, and he did. I ran to tell the doctors, who didn't believe me, but my brother proved me right and the doctor's wrong. I'm so grateful that I had another few weeks to be with him.
During this time, I was informed that my other brother was also fighting for his life, due to AIDS. (Now she was about to lose two of her own family members to this disease. She had already lost many dear friends from AIDS, and now it had hit home.) Many people may think that I'm a part of the benefits because of my brothers, but I was a part of it way before when it was misdiagnosed as cancer, and I've lost a lot of dear friends.
John: Were your brothers able to enjoy your success; were they able to see you perform?
Linda: Yeah, they would come to my shows, sit right up front, screaming (I could tell that the memory is lovely and yet painful.) That was really a blessing. My dad also got a chance to see me perform but my mom didn't, she died very young, she did not get a chance to see that. My father was a tall, very handsome man, people would see us together and say, "Linda's stepping out on her man", I would say, "No, this is my father", (laughing, as she recalled)
John: What would your fans be surprised to know about you?
Linda: I'm kind of a dork; my kids say that I'm dorky, I like slapstick. (Now she laughing uncontrollably and I'm laughing with her) I have a goofy sense of humor, I feel like I'm 25, I love to go dancing, love me some Flo-Rida (the rapper). And of course being out there with my fans, my audience, performing.
John: What's your favorite "Linda Clifford" song?
Linda: Oh dear, I think it's "Only the Angels Know", that album ("I'll Keep on Loving You") I really love. Then of course "All the Man That I Need".
John: And lastly, what would you like to tell your fans?
Linda: I would like to tell them how I appreciate all the love that they shown me, I love them, and I will never stop loving them. I will always always love them for that. I just hope that they stick with me, cause I'm there for them whenever they need me. And before I forget, I'm a huge fan of "Dancing with the Stars", I love to dance, I would love to do that show!
Well fans, we have work to do, lets demand that ABC invite Ms. Linda Clifford for next season. This has truly been a blessing. To our readers, beware of what you ask for, you just might get it.
Thank you so much Ms. Linda Clifford for spending a little time to "chit chat" with me.
For more information on Linda Clifford, click below:
http://www.myspace.com/thelindaclifford
http://www.thelindaclifford.com/store.html
|
| |
|
|
