Celebrity Interview | Entertainment Industry - Finding Voice Through Music: Shelea's Musical Journey

Greg Staffa 0:00

You're listening to the Staffa Corner Podcast a Staffatarian look at entertainment and life with your host Greg Staffa.

Shelea 0:10

Greg Staffa 0:14

My guest. This episode is Grammy-nominated singer, songwriter, pianist, producer and actress. Her song Never Give Up on Love dropped recently, on April 25th, on all streaming platforms, and she has an upcoming PBS special, aretha with Shalaya and the Pacific Symphony a tribute to the legendary Queen of Soul, aretha Franklin, which premieres on PBS Friday, may 30th. Shalaya, thanks for joining us today.

Shelea 0:42

Thank you so much for having me.

Greg Staffa 0:44

That is a mouthful of stuff that you got going on, so congratulations to that and thanks for coming on. Thank, you.

Shelea 0:51

Yes, it's a really fun time.

Greg Staffa 0:53

You have an amazing history. I really want to go back to your roots. So what got you started in singing?

Shelea 1:00

Yes, yes, Everybody has an origin story and you know mine is very simple. I came from a really musical family. My mom sings, actually plays beautifully. My father's self-taught pianist and songwriter he's actually a really great songwriter but it was just something that they did in church. That's what I grew up watching them just use their talents, their musical talents, in church. And so when I had a very strong musical sensibility, you know, really starting from age two, my mom said I was harmonizing, finding harmony.

Shelea 1:39

At age two, you know playing piano around three, four, you know picking out melodies, I thought I would do the same. I never thought I would be doing it as a career. I thought I would just kind of serve in the church as I watched my parents do. And by 12 years old I was the church musician for my little church in Bakersfield, California. And it wasn't until I went away to college that I joined this girls group called Forgiven, and that's when I kind of got my first taste of really being in the industry and doing it as a career and going to the studio and writing and producing, and I knew that's when I had really found what I wanted to do.

Greg Staffa 2:22

Was there anyone at that young age that really drew you to music? Was there someone that you kind of mimicked their style or sense of presence?

Shelea 2:32

I don't think I was mimicking. There was obviously so many influences. To be honest, my very first influence was my mother, who is an incredible singer. I would watch her and my dad. I remember what seemed know what seemed like a late night. You know, I remember us having a home with stairs and the piano was downstairs in the living room and I would be kind of at that, that, that stair banister looking at them, going over songs. You know a song that he would wrote, he had written and she was kind of his muse and you know was singing these songs. So, yeah, she had a very big influence on me.

Shelea 3:09

But I grew up in a Christian household where I could only really listen to gospel sacred music. So I listened to a lot of gospel greats the Winans, yolanda Adams Commission, a lot of people from Detroit, the Clark sisters, which, if we talk about later on, I ended up portraying Dorinda Clark Cole in the really big television biopic that came out in 2020. It was the number one television movie of that year. But, yeah, a lot of gospel music.

Shelea 3:40

Take Six, bb&cc, win know, all of those people I listened to Aretha Franklin, obviously, who had such a big influence over me, that Amazing Grace album we would play every weekend as we were on our way to church, you know. So, yeah, those were some of the people I listened to and was definitely greatly influenced by Vanessa. Bill Armstrong, Again, all these big, strong Detroit gospel music presence and you know it's funny because, as I said, I could only listen to gospel music but there were two people who would come on TV that we would always watch them, and that was Stevie Wonder, who became such a wonderful, who has become such a wonderful friend and mentor, and Whitney Houston may she rest in peace who also had a really, really big influence on just my approach to phrasing and tone quality.

Greg Staffa 4:41

So, yeah, those are some of the influences so so yeah, those are some of the influences. One of the things that surprised me in doing this and I don't mean to impose anything on you necessarily, I'm just curious if you fit the the mold that I've kind of seen, uh, in talking to actors and actresses and musicians is their persona as a child growing up is a lot different than the stage presence that they found comfort in. Was singing for you an escape that kind of? Maybe you were a little bit more of a quiet child growing up that singing allowed you to take on this kind of persona, or is that not the case?

Shelea 5:19

You know, that is a really, really incredible question and observation. You know, I don't think I've ever been asked it this way. I am naturally shy. Yes, I've always been a little bit more shy. If you meet me, you won't think that, because when you're in this industry you kind of aren't allowed to be shy. You know, you have to kind of put yourself out there and as I'm getting older I feel like I'm getting more of a comfort meeting new people and, you know, just kind of putting myself out there, just becoming comfortable in your own skin. But naturally, yeah, I feel like my first instinct is to kind of like be shy. But when you do have this gift at a really young age, it's funny.

Shelea 6:05

My very first time singing was for a stage in church was at two years old, and so I was, you know, singing around the house just so freely, and so they, you know, put me in the program. My mom bought me a new dress and I guess got my uncle who was a photographer, and and I guess got, uh, my uncle who was a photographer, and he was there to take pictures, and and it was this, this little song called sweet Jesus, what a wonder you are. And and, as the story goes, I go up front and I go, I get the mic and I look out there and I just say the word sweet, and that was it. That was all I could get out, and so it really would be several years before I would ever do a solo again. I was in the children's choir so there was safety in, you know, a whole bunch of kids up there, so I didn't have a problem with that. But I don't think I did a solo again until about eight, about eight or nine.

Shelea 7:12

But I will say I think being in church, being up front, there were other things. If we would read scripture aloud, it definitely helped develop my stage presence. And you know, when I would sing solos I remember I wouldn't be nervous to sing the song. It would be more that little speech you had to do before you sang the song. So you had to say you know, good morning, and I grew up Seventh Day, so we would say happy Sabbath.

Shelea 7:39

You know, happy morning, and I grew up Seventh Day, so we would say happy Sabbath. You know, happy Sabbath everyone. You know I want to sing us this song about you know, trusting God, or you know. So that would be more of what I was nervous about and then, once I started singing, everything would just kind of melt away. But yeah, I do think that singing has almost made me develop that outgoing personality, because you know, after you sing at you know these concerts or events, you know people want to talk to you and they want to share what you know you mean to them. And even during the show you know you want to connect with the audience. So you want to show your personality, you want to have this stage presence, and so I do feel like that. Without having that, I

Finding Her Voice Through Shyness

Shelea 8:31

probably would have been a more kind of shy, quiet person naturally Formed with some amazing talent, I mean, the story could go on forever.

Greg Staffa 8:43

But it wasn't until 2013 that you debuted your first album, Love Fell on Me. Yeah, Was there a particular reason that you stayed? I don't want to say in the shadows, but you worked alongside many talents. What was the reasoning to kind of take so long to branch out onto your own?

Shelea 9:04

That is such a great question. You know, when I first started in the industry, you know, I kind of was trying to find my way, trying to find where I fit in, and in the beginning I was really more so on the songwriter path. The beginning I was really more so on the songwriter path and I ended up writing a song for Vanessa Williams called I Fell In with an incredible songwriter, phil Galston. I had connected with who they have now become my musical godfathers, jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, and so I so I had, you know, joined their flight time family camp.

Shelea 9:45

Writing as a writer? Yeah, I would do. You know, I would sing demos for them and sing backgrounds for a lot of projects. In fact, that's how I got a lot of my little credits, you know, being on soundtracks like Hotel Rwanda, shark's Tale, the Will and Grace soundtrack. You know all of these amazing projects, but more in the background, as the songwriter or the background singer. And my friends and family they said Shalaya, you have this incredible voice. There's absolutely no way that you could just be in the background. I just love music and so I was equally fulfilled writing songs and seeing singers bring them to life. I wrote and produced songs for Shantay Moore. In fact, her first single it Ain't Supposed to Be this Way was a song that I had written and was her first single did very, very well.

Shelea 10:52

She chose that song along with two other songs I wrote First, kiss and Love Fell on Me. She has a version which later on became the title of the main theme song to a motion picture, jumping the Broom. So those were, you know, those are songs that I had just written and were getting placed in film and with other artists and, like I said, I was really happy. But I feel, like you know, my belief system is that, you know, my gift comes from God and so I do believe that, you know, god had other plans for me and I kind of kept getting put in positions to where I was more out front. And so I remember when Sherri Shepherd talk show host but she was an actress and she was on the View at the time she was getting married and she had heard this song that I had written, called I'm Sure it's you, and she wanted it to be in her wedding, and so I did that.

Shelea 11:54

And then, when I had this chance opportunity to sing, someone to Watch Over Me with this incredible vocal group called Take Six. I now call them my brothers. They kind of gave me my first break in being on that Grammy-nominated album, and Stevie Wonder, who was a huge fan of theirs, heard their album, of course, and then, in turn, heard me singing, someone to Watch Over Me and immediately wanted to meet me, connect with me, and it was this instant connection and I ended up singing with him on his House Full of Toys annual Christmas show he does and that was the beginning of a beautiful relationship. And so, you know, years later, when you know Hal David and Burt Bacharach were being honored with the Gershwin Prize at the White House you know Stevie mentioned me as someone they should look into.

Shelea 12:54

That's a longer story, but you know I ended up paying tribute to Burt Bacharach and Hal David, to um, back when you held david, and around that same time I they end up you, uh, I ended up getting the song that I had written, love fell on me, ended up being used for the motion picture jumping the broom, and so I ended up using that as my title track to my first album, love fell on me. And so, yeah, it just kind of happened where I was almost, you know, pushed into this, and it's been a beautiful journey ever since.

Greg Staffa 13:32

Many songwriters draw on inspiration, draw on life experiences, draw on their own personal things that they've dealt with, things that they've dealt with as a songwriter. Is it hard to kind of incorporate or draw from your own life and then hand that song over to someone else and does it feel like a part of you? Is you know, when you hear that song that's a part of you? Is it easy to give up a song like that to someone else?

Shelea 14:02

Wow, you know, I definitely have experienced that moment where, you know, because these songs are like your babies, you know, and you're, you're giving your babies away and so, um, I remember when Shanti Moore really, really wanted, uh, love Fell on Me and you know, she went on to record the song and it ended up being produced by the late, great George Duke. So, you know, now, in retrospect, I'm just like wow, I have a song that was produced by George Duke and he played on it, you know, played it as a solo, and you know, and he played on it, he played it as a solo and you know, that's that's just incredible. But initially it was like, oh my God, ok, well, that's that was. That was a song I held close to my chest, but I've always kind of had that big picture mentality and at the time Shante Moore was and is the star. Moore was and is the star and if she's going to be able to, you know, take my song and take it, you know, all over the country, then I think that's a good decision.

Shelea 15:16

Now, of course, later on I couldn't have the song nominated for an Oscar because they used my version in the Jumping the Broom soundtrack, but that was the only, you know caveat.

Becoming a Songwriter First

Shelea 15:31

They said oh man, if I hadn't given that song away, then, you know, it would have been able to be eligible because your song can't have been previously released. Yeah, so, yeah. So that was the only thing with that. But no, I, I always, I, I'm, I'm just kind of like that, I'm, I'm, I'm very, uh, I consider myself to be a very, uh, realistic person, person. You know, I'm a Virgo, I'm a middle child. You know there's, there's, a way of thinking you know, like, okay, let's, let's be logical about this. You know I'm who. I can get, you know, a hundred percent of you know, very little to nothing. Or I can get you know someone else takes the reins of this song, but you know it still has, you know, my name on it and this is something that I've written. And now I get to see their perspective and their song.

Shelea 16:28

And it's really amazing because, you know, in my career, I have done, particularly in my live performances, so many different covers of people that you know I have, you know, reimagined. You know, whether it be if I'm touring with David Foster and I'm doing, you know, whitney, or if I'm, you know, touring with Quincy and I've, you know done, his arrangement of Misty, which Sarah Vaughan made popular. And now, you know, doing this, this tribute to Aretha Franklin you know this is this is me, Shalaya reimagining, you know, these songs that they have done, and so I think that's a beautiful thing. I think that's the power of a song, that's the magic of you can have all of these different versions and interpretations of one song. That's kind of one of my favorite things to do, especially if I'm going to pay tribute to something.

Shelea 17:26

I remember when I I was doing the tribute to Burt Bacharach and Hal David Anyone who had a Heart. So I listened to Luther Vandross' Anyone who had a Heart. I listened to their muse, whitney's aunt Of course I see her face right now she did all of Burt Bacharach. What do you get when you fall in love? I can't believe I'm drawing a blank on her name right now, but I listened to all of those incredible versions and that's how I found mine. You know it was doing that, and so I think, as you know, kind of going back to what you said, as a songwriter, you know you want to see all these different interpretations, and so it's an honor when somebody wants to sing a song that you know came from your heart I want to detour slightly from my initial questioning, because you have name dropped, uh, this person several times and that is stevie wonder.

Greg Staffa 18:28

Uh, just curious as a I mean anyone, anyone. I'm 50. We all know who Stevie Wonder is, his music, but for me personally it actually wasn't until he did the Cosby show, where you got to see the human side of Stevie Wonder. I don't know if you remember that episode?

Greg Staffa 18:48

Yeah, yes, His vehicle hit one of the kids' vehicles vehicles and we got to see a side At least I did got to see a side of Stevie wonder that you never cause all you hear, you know here's his latest you know single or whatever. You heard as soon as music, but it wasn't until then that I think audiences, at least on my perspective, got to see him as a funny human being recording with and you can say what you want about the series and all that stuff, but as far as the individual seeing him on that episode really humanized him and I'm wondering you know you've mentioned him a lot Tell us a little bit about him.

Shelea 19:34

Oh, my goodness, I love that episode because he was, he was, he had that, that, that singing device, right, he was like Rudy, he was yeah, he was doing all those cool things and, by the way, the name that I was searching for was Dionne Warwick.

Shelea 19:49

So, I just had to put that out there. Yes, all the different versions of anyone who had a heart. But you know I'm so glad that you brought Stevie up, the human side of Stevie, because he is. There's so many facets to who. He is humanitarian, he is the singer, he is the most prolific songwriter and producer and artist. He belongs to the world. He is a global phenomenon. His name to or talk about, my relationship with everyone has this beautiful connection to him, to where he inspired them to play an instrument. He inspired them to you know to do whatever they did musically. You know there's so many artists that we have um that there that have been so great, but there's like an asterisk. You know they got in trouble in this way or this was a challenging thing. There is no asterisk with Stevie that he is nothing but light and joy and he just has made you. He's been the soundtrack to all our lives.

Shelea 21:10

I remember when President Obama was was elected. You know I will always remember now. I will always forever associate sign seal delivers. You know I remember that moment. You know every wedding song. You know you and I. Or Ribbon in the Sky, every beautiful moment you know musically has. You know you can. There's a beautiful Stevie Wonder song tied to it. And I tell people all the time, when you have that much light in music, there's no way that there can't be that same light from the human, from the person, that same light from the human, from the person, from the individual. You know, because I believe it's a channel and I think that God has given him this extra portion of light and love to be able to create these songs, to make the world, at least for a moment, a better place. And when I'm with him on these tours I just toured with him this past fall and you know, the world is in such a difficult place right now where, you know, there's so much that is trying to divide us, then connect us, and he gets on stage and for at least three and a half hours we're all all connected, we are one, you know. And so he is hilarious, as we saw on that very small occasion on the Cosby show.

Shelea 22:44

But he's, you know, he loves to joke.

The Human Side of Stevie Wonder

Shelea 22:47

I'll be honest, when we're on stage we cut up really bad and we're saying all kinds of hilarious and inappropriate curse words sometimes, because it just makes us laugh and we're up front and we're just cutting up, but that's just our relationship and that's our nature. We just love to laugh, we love to joke, but we, we talk about everything, you know. We talk about the state of the world. We talk about you know politics. We talk about, you know music. We, you know, there's, there's, there's not one thing that we don't discuss. And he has such a heart for humanity and I think it shows. And if there's one person on the planet who can almost say anything, it's Stevie Wonder, because I think people know his heart and he speaks his mind, but he always does it with love and um, there's times where I can't believe he's my friend. You know that he's, he's my true friend, um, and that's he's one of my greatest blessings, truly thanks for sharing that.

Greg Staffa 24:08

like I said, I wasn't planning on going down that route, but you kept on mentioning it, yeah.

Shelea 24:12

And, like you said, it's a big part of my life, yeah.

Greg Staffa 24:15

We all know his music but and we all, I mean, you kind of have this impression of him. But it really wasn't until that episode and again, at least for my own personal speaking where we really got to see like the human side of him and it human side of him and it was funny, it was entertaining, he was playful, he was just the way he, I mean, and I get it's a tv show, um. But I think so many people these days now it's where are they promoting? And you know, as me for a podcast, it's like oh yeah, I'd like to have someone come on and the the publicist will say well, well, they're not promoting anything. And I think one of the things that are important about podcasts these days is to see those sides To you know and to see, because we don't.

Greg Staffa 25:03

We love his music but we don't get to see that personality like that episode did. That episode showed me more about Stevie wonder than his music did, because I got to see the human, even though he was playing himself and it was on a TV show. But to see him that and then to associate that with his music, I think humanized him in a way that I remember that episode you know how many years ago because of how it was and I think it was such a powerful episode.

Greg Staffa 25:36

And again, you can judge the Cosby show and everything else but that episode alone, I think, did more for a lot of people. Not that music doesn't, but I think I, you know, I wish he was, I wish he would do more podcasts, or Not just him, but other people. We need to hear stories from people like him and from others that we can see the personality side, not just the promotional side of things.

Greg Staffa 26:05

I think that went a long way for people to see him. Maybe more white audiences needed to see him in that atmosphere. Maybe it's a white, maybe more white audiences needed to see him like that to appreciate his music, or I don't know. But thank you for kind of detouring. We know that because each time you mentioned him.

Greg Staffa 26:24

I wasn't necessarily thinking of his music, I was thinking of the Cosby show and that episode. So thank you for kind of going now. And it's always wonderful to hear people that you you think are good people to be told by other people that they actually are. You have assumptions and whatnot, but to hear those kinds of things confirmed. I appreciate you going down that kind of side route. There You've performed at the White House, library of Congress, carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, the Vatican. Is there anywhere left on the bucket list to perform at?

Shelea 27:03

Don't forget the Royal Albert Hall in London. Yeah, I don't think there is. Yeah, I don't think there is. I think in terms of just you know bucket list, I think a dream is to perform at the Super Bowl, which I don't know where that will be, but doing the national anthem at the Super Bowl is definitely one of those bucket list moments.

Greg Staffa 27:36

Is there any collaboration with someone out there currently that you would love to?

Shelea 27:39

do. Ooh, there's so many people I love man, let's see who would be. Well, you know, I've definitely collaborated with Stevie on a couple of things, so I've got that out of the way. You know, I would love to do something with Lionel Richie. I've been so inspired by him for so many years because he, you know, kind of marched to the beat of his own drum, did really what felt right to him as an artist, you know, and I've always really respected that him as an artist, you know, and I've always really respected that. He's an incredible songwriter. I mean, he writes from his soul and so I would love to do something like that.

Shelea 28:21

I love Babyface, if we're kind of like more on the current side I would love to do let's see who's out right now that I would really really want to, you know, collaborate with. I would love to do something like almost really out of the box, like with with a, with a country artist or, you know, I guess that's not so out of the box now with Beyonce, you know, really being in that lane and doing so incredibly well. But I don't know, I've always loved all genres of music. I'll have to give that a little bit more thought. But yeah, those are the ones. Of course, those are legendary artists that I just grew up loving and respecting. Jasmine Sullivan is an incredible singer that, would you know, I would love to do something with. She just has such an incredible voice. Yeah, john Mayer is something a little out of the box, but would be someone incredible. I love Sting, I've always loved Sting, and I remember when Stevie Wonder covered one of his songs it was, it just was so beautiful, fragile, I believe, and I've just always loved his songwriting, his use of melody. So you know, I've been so blessed to collaborate with so many incredible people, but I just always love unexpected collaborations.

Shelea 29:51

I just did a show here in Miami with the New Deco Ensemble and did the works of PJ Morton, another prolific songwriter, and I do believe he's kind of become the new songwriter for our times, you know, for Hope and speaking about love. Songwriter for Our Times, you know, for Hope and speaking about love. And so he was commissioned to write this beautiful body of work from New Orleans with love, and I collaborated with this singer by the name of Darrell Walls, his brothers and sisters. They have this group called the Walls Group and have been very, very successful in the gospel industry, and so we, you know, we did this duet together, and so it was just very unexpected and on social media, you know, someone said you know, this is the duet I never knew I needed, you know, and so I love unexpected collaborations like that, and so I think, you know, there's so many, there's so many collaborations out there that I've yet to do that I just I can't wait to do, and I love the unexpected ones that no one saw coming.

Greg Staffa 31:05

Now you're you're old school, I guess, is a good way to put it. You've been performing with some amazing talent. These days, though, you have shows like America Got Talent and all these other shows that are creating singers overnight.

Greg Staffa 31:26

You have things like TikTok, where someone can perform and YouTube can perform? Are we seeing a decline in how? Is it becoming too easy? Is there? Is there someone that's old school like you, that says there isn't kind of a foundation there? Is it something that you feel that we all need to adapt to? How do how do you see

Evolution of Music Industry

Greg Staffa 31:48

the state of music as kind of a whole and I know that's kind of a large group to put it in but yeah, yeah, you know.

Shelea 31:56

My thing is you know you have to evolve. If you don't evolve, you die. I think we see that. You know there's so many examples of that. You have to evolve, you have to evolve, you have to to um, to realize, but you also, in the same breath, have to stay true to who you are. And you know, the kind of record that I am putting out is is not what you know, as people would say, what the kids are doing or you know, but I do know that there's a demographic that loves what I'm doing and wants what I'm doing. Um, and if I'm trying to be someone who I'm not, people are going to know that right away. Um, I do think that today it is um.

Shelea 32:49

It can be very difficult to break through because there's so much to wade through now, but in that same breath, it's also easier in some ways, because you can really have this direct communication with your fans. So I just had a single come out on Friday. I told my fans directly. Now you know there is a lot to wade through because everybody is releasing music on Friday or, you know, at any time. So you know to try to make yourself stand out is more difficult than ever, but I think the fact that you can directly tell people, yeah, I have music out here, join my email list or my mailing list and I'm going to have this direct connection with you, that's something that people didn't have in the days of old and you were at the mercy of your or whatever entity that was to let people know about your music. I do believe that back in you know, if we're saying, you know the whole proverbial, back in the day there was more artist development and so there were things that you know artists were strong at you know interviews, stage presence, really putting on an incredible show that if you just go viral on TikTok, you don't really have the training and so, sadly, many times labels will sign these artists who went viral on TikTok massively viral but then when it comes time to actually putting a record out and really developing a tour and really being that full artist, the skills aren't there and so they just get dropped. And a lot of that is happening, where people are being signed and shelved, signed and dropped because they're just taking what they can get from you and there's no real buy-in, because they're looking for the next viral sensation and many times you can have a viral moment, but you can't duplicate it. So now you're chasing that.

Shelea 35:13

What I do is real, and I'm not saying that from looking down on anyone, but it's real. It's real and it can be duplicated over and over and over again Because it comes from a real place, it comes from a developed place. It comes from a developed place, it comes from a seasoned place, and so there's not a stage you can put me on that. I'm never going to rise to the occasion, be comfortable and wow you. That's because I've done it over and over again. There's been no shortcuts to that and over again. There's been no shortcuts to that. People may say you know, I have never got to the place, or I haven't yet gotten to the place of becoming a household name, but that really has not stopped me from existing in all that. I am Every single one of my heroes, whether it be Quincy Jones, david Foster, stevie Wonder, ricky Miner, who has been an incredible friend and advocate for me, musical director for everything from the Tonight Show to the Oscars, to the Kennedy Center Honors, and you name it.

Shelea 36:30

All of these people are my friends, are collaborators, are people that know and love me and celebrate me and I've been able to be on number one television films and perform around the world. You know, I went to Germany last year. 17,000 people showed up for live music, for big band music, you know. So I have been able to do everything that I love and continue to do everything that I love and have not been hindered. If anything, it's just if you want to say adding more zeros to my fee, but I still make a lot of money and have been able to really make decisions not based on money, just to do what I'm passionate about.

Shelea 37:22

So, yeah, I do think that this industry, you do have to celebrate where you've been and also not turn your nose at what's happening now. You know, and and not be so elitist. And you know, of course, for me it's it's hard when you have been raised on just the legends, you know, because your perception of what is out now you're saying, ok, well, that's cool, but yeah, it's not this. And it's funny because I watch a lot of basketball with my husband and you know we listen to a lot of the pundits and there's that's happening even right now in basketball. It's the whole lebron versus michael jordan. You know all the quote-unquote old heads are saying you know, lebron is not the goat, all the young kids who've only known lebron and saying lebron is the goat but it's like no, it's michael jordan, there's, there's, there's so much more um, but you know, you can really make, uh, the argument on both ends if you're, you know, looking at stats, it's the same thing.

Shelea 38:30

I think it will always be that. I remember watching a documentary on Frank Sinatra and when Elvis came along, you know his daughter was the one who convinced him to do you know a show with him and bring him on his show. So there will always be that you know. Show with him and bring him on his show. So there will always be that, you know. And I think that the wise ones, the smart ones, realize that you make a connection. You know you make a connection and realize that both sides can learn from each other. And and so I just love music, I don't care what genre it is, how old you are. If you're doing something that is really from the heart and from a real place

Aretha PBS Special and Future Projects

Shelea 39:10

and from a place of excellence, I can connect with it.

Greg Staffa 39:14

Sure, and you mentioned it briefly, but Never Give Up On Love is what you mentioned dropping recently, on April 25th, and it is available on all streaming platforms, so I just wanted to mention that again, thank you, thank you. Two more questions. Let's talk about your PBS special Aretha, which is Shalaya and which is obviously you and the Pacific Symphony, coming out on PBS on Friday May 30th. Tell us a little bit about that.

Shelea 39:49

Friday, may 30th. Tell us a little bit about that. I am so excited for the PBS audiences to be able to experience this show. It was really created with a lot of love and a lot of intention. I created it with a wonderful friend of mine called Jules Buckley, incredible composer and conductor. I met him through Quincy Jones when we were touring back in 2019. We always said we wanted to do something together and in 2022, we created this show, really celebrating the genius of Aretha Franklin. I've seen her films, her television series and they've all been great. But what I really wanted to showcase in this show was the totality of her musicality and showing her as Aretha the jazz singer, aretha the gospel singer, aretha the musician, aretha the soundtrack singer who voiced the soundtracks, and so all of those songs are included in this show. It really tells a complete story. So we start the show with Precious Memories, which was on her best-selling album, amazing Grace, her gospel record. But before she had all of those incredible string of hits, she was called the no Hitterita of hits. She was called the no Hitterita and she was singing these amazing American songbook songs like Skylark, and so we include that because that's part of her story as well.

Shelea 41:38

It's funny how we look back on things later because, you know, same thing happened with Frank Sinatra with some of the songs he did at a certain era of time. Now we celebrate them, but at the time it was just kind of seen, as you know, corny, and just not very current. But you know, after he did From here to Eternity, we saw that. You know, we went back and celebrated all of those other songs he did at a very difficult time in his career. They're now celebrated. And same thing with Aretha. So we include that and we included her collaboration with Quincy Jones, their version of Somewhere, with her at the piano. That was actually one of Quincy's favorite recordings that he ever did and he always wanted that to be played at his funeral their version of Somewhere. And so we include that and that and she goes into this whole trio and she's you know she's just playing piano, just so incredibly. You know Aretha, the songwriter, dr Feelgood, and of course, aretha, the soundtrack, where she was actually having a little slump, and Curtis Mayfield really brought her back doing writing, producing the Sparkle soundtrack, and put her back on top with that. So we really, of course, yes, we do the hits, we do Respect, we do Natural Woman, we do Pink. You know all those great, great songs, timeless songs.

Shelea 43:18

But we do all of those other things in between, and so I have been touring this concert in Europe. Primarily. We debuted at the Royal Albert Hall at the summer proms programming aired on the BBC4, did incredibly well. It sold out in eight hours. I heard out in eight hours. I heard, and so I did it in Germany, I did it in Bremen, I did it in Frankfurt, I did it in the Netherlands.

Shelea 43:59

And so I said you know, here we have Aretha. She's an American artist. You know, I have yet to do this show in America, and so I have a wonderful, wonderful relationship with PBS, have done nine PBS specials. I had done, up until the point, nine PBS specials collaborating with PBS, grew up watching PBS, and so I had done another show called the New Divas live in vienna.

Shelea 44:23

And so mara daly, who I love so dearly, she said you know, I, I think, um, it was kind of hard to get all of the girls together because we were all from different countries. And um, she said, you know, I have this date on hold in november, uh, with the pacific symphony. I think you know, I have been telling her. I said, mara, I got to do a PBS special of this Aretha show, and so she said, you know, I think this is the opportunity to do it. And so we did, and um, and now it's gonna. It's gonna finally air in um May 30th.

Shelea 44:59

Um start the airing. Of course, you know how PBS they there's different regions and so it's going to be airing nationally, starting May 30th, going all the way to July. That'll be the space of the airing and I just can't wait for the audiences to see it. I have Ricky Miner conducting and he's just such a wonderful friend of mine and has been really an angel in my life. That's how I got to perform at the White House the second time when I did the tribute to Ray Charles, and there's been so many wonderful moments that he has brought me into. That's really how I met Quincy Jones in a meaningful way has all been through Ricky Miner and so full circle moment of him being the musical director and conductor for this show and I really think audiences are going to really, really love this show and I'm hoping it will lead to many other symphony dates with this show throughout the country. Nice.

Greg Staffa 46:08

So my last question I ask this of all my guests you're not the first person, or I'm not the first podcast or interview, to start off saying that you're Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter, pianist, producer and actress. So much of if you're an actor or an actress, you're summed up by the work that you've done, regardless of if it's 10 years ago, 20 years ago or whatnot. But when you wake up in the morning, you go into the bathroom, you splash a little water on your face and look in the mirror. Who is it that you see?

Shelea 46:45

I see a little girl, you know, a little girl that grew up in Bakersfield, california, that just loved music and that has been the core of everything. You know, a girl who loved God, loved music in that order. That love of music has been able to take me all over the world and do so many different incredible things. As an actress, yeah, I want to do different roles, but my first breakout role was playing a singer of

The Girl Behind the Accolades

Shelea 47:14

a, a singer who I listened to as a little girl. So, yeah, yes, I, you know, I've been so blessed to have so many accolades and so many wonderful experiences and all of that. But what I still see and I'm grateful that I still have that childlike love for what I do is really just a little girl who's able to just do what she loves and just always up for an adventure. But yeah, I still see little Shay. Shay, yeah, nice.

Greg Staffa 47:52

Well, never Give Up on Love is available now on streaming platforms, and don't forget to check out her Aretha Franklin tribute on PBS this May 30th. Shalaya, thank you for coming on and joining us.

Shelea 48:06

Thank you so much. I really really enjoyed speaking with you. Thank you for having me.