Who Influenced You? YouTube Online Series About Influences Creator & Host Lorelei McBroom Co-Creator David Bryant
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I ENCOURAGE YOU TO WATCH THE SHORT VIDEO ABOVE AND REVIEW THE INFO IN THIS BLOG SO YOU CAN FIND OUT WHO INFLUENCED ME AND BE ONE OF THE FIRST PEOPLE IN THE WORLD TO PARTICIPATE AND SUPPORT WHO INFLUENCED YOU?
MESSAGE FROM DAVID BRYANT ABOUT THE WHO INFLUENCED YOU? PROJECT AND ONLINE SERIES!
Hello and THANK YOU for taking the time to review the information in this blog! I’m currently working on a project that I am very excited about, and I hope that you will want to be one of the first people involved with the project.
It’s called “WHO INFLUENCED YOU?” (WIY?) and I was invited to be a Co-Creator of the project by my friend of over 35 years Lorelei McBroom who has a successful professional background in Music, Arts & Entertainment. She has worked with some superstar music artists including The Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd, Rod Stewart. Lou Reed and Nile Rodgers.
I also have a successful professional background in Music, Arts & Entertainment and have received Gold & Platinum Records and Awards for songs I co-wrote for celebrity music artists including Whitney Houston, Jody Watley, Eddie Money, Dionne Warwick. Jeffrey Osborne, The Jets, Vanessa Williams and many others.
WHO INFLUENCED YOU? INTRODUCTION TO OUR CONCEPT
THE INFLUENCES
“WHO INFLUENCED YOU?” explores and connects past, present and future influences in music, film, television, social media, sports, comedy, fashion, business, science, community, culture and more.
THE QUESTION
The question “WHO INFLUENCED YOU?” sparks conversations and stories related to the influences in an individual’s personal life and career. It also creates a genealogy and inspirational lineage between individuals and provides people with the opportunity to apply the question to their own lives and the lives of others
THE GOAL
The goal of “WHO INFLUENCED YOU?” is to expose younger and older generations to people, professionals and content they may not be aware of, where by connecting different generations with each other.
WHO INFLUENCED WHO?
Below are a few influential music artists.
SAM COOKE INFLUENCED
ROD STEWART
& STEVE PERRY OF JOURNEY
Sam Cooke was known as the “King of Soul” thanks to his distinctive voice. Some of his influences were gospel music, Ray Charles and Bob Dylan.
Rod Stewart and Steve Perry were both influenced by Sam Cooke. We encourage you to explore the music, videos, hashtags and social media pages of all 3 music artists.
Sir Rod Stewart spoke openly about the man who inspired him on social media. The legendary singer said that without Sam Cooke, who was known as the King of Soul thanks to his distinctive voice, “there may not have been a Rod”. The legendary singer spent “thousands” of hours trying to emulate the sound of his hero. Rod described him as his “one and only influence”.
At age 12, Steve Perry heard Sam Cooke’s song “Cupid” on his mother’s car radio, and it inspired him to become a singer. Many of Steve’s melodies and emotional vocal style were Influenced by his love and admiration of Sam Cooke.
ARETHA FRANKLIN INFLUENCED
WHITNEY HOUSTON
& ARIANA GRANDE.
ARIANA GRANDE WAS
ALSO INFLUENCED
BY WHITNEY HOUSTON
Whitney Houston and Ariana Grande were both influenced by Aretha Franklin. Ariana was also influenced by Whitney. We encourage you to explore the music, videos, hashtags and social media pages of all 3 music artists.
Aretha’s central influence, was Clara Ward of the renowned Ward Singers. Other gospel greats of the day Albertina Walker and Jackie Verdell helped shape young Franklin’s style. Aretha was also influenced by Billie Holiday, Mahalia Jackson, Dinah Washington and Ruth Brown to name a few.
Whitney grew up around Aretha Franklin and was inspired by her voice and music. Aretha encouraged Whitney in her talent and their friendship grew as Whitney established herself as an artist. Aretha had close connections to Whitney’s family and was good friends with her mother Cissy Houston who was one of Aretha’s background singers.
According to Whitney’s website she had many musical influences and drew inspiration from all across the pop, soul and gospel music landscapes, but the artists acknowledged in the Grammy Museum had a special impact on Whitney and her career. They include: Roberta Flack, Aretha Franklin, Cissy Houston, Chaka Khan, Gladys Knight, Darlene Love, Dee Dee Warwick and Dionne Warwick.
Ariana Grande was influenced by both Aretha and Whitney. Ariana had the honor of paying tribute to Aretha by singing one of Aretha’s classics “Natural Woman” at her funeral.
In 2013, Grande told Billboard: “Whitney holds such a special place in my heart. “She inspired me to start singing as a little girl. I’d watch “The Bodyguard” and tell my mom I wanted to do that one day. Her riffs are so precise and I love her tone.”
JAMES BROWN INFLUENCED
MICHAEL JACKSON
& BRUNO MARS
MICHAEL JACKSON ALSO
INFLUENCED BRUNO MARS
Michael Jackson and Bruno Mars were both influenced by James Brown. We encourage you to explore the music, videos, hashtags and social media pages of all 3 music artists.
James Brown was known as “The Godfather of Soul” and “Soul Brother #1.”
After watching jazz and R&B singer Louis Jordan’s performance footage, James Brown wanted to be a musician and entertainer. He was also inspired by some of his contemporaries, like Little Richard, Elvis Presley, and Ray Charles.
At James Brown’s funeral Michael called James Brown “my greatest inspiration.” He told the audience of 9,000 that from the age of 6 his mother would make him watch television whenever Brown came on to perform. “When I saw him move I was mesmerized,” Jackson said. “I’ve never seen a performer perform like James Brown and right then and there I knew that that was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life.”
Bruno Mars was also heavily Influenced by The Godfather of Soul. Here’s what he said: “I’d watch James Brown on an old concert from 1964 ‘The T.A.M.I. Show.” “Seeing him changed my life.” And during an appearance on 60 Minutes, Bruno cited Michael Jackson as one of his biggest musical influences.
James Brown also had a big influence on Rap & Hip Hop with many djs, music artists and record producers sampling his recordings and beats.
What a great example of the influence from one generation to another.
MAX MARTIN INFLUENCED
BRITNEY SPEARS & THE WEEKND
Max Martin is considered a master in the craft of songwriting and production. His songs and productions have influenced pop music since the late 90’s including more than 20 Billboard Hot 100 #1 songs.
We encourage you to explore the music, hashtags and social media pages of the music artists Max has worked with.
MAX MARTIN’S HITS INCLUDE:
Britney Spears’ “Baby One More Time”, the Backstreet Boys’ “I Want It That Way”, NSYNC’s “Bye Bye Bye”, Kelly Clarkson’s “Since You’ve Been Gone”, “Katy Perry’s “I Kissed A Girl”, Pink’s “Raise Your Glass”, Taylor Swift’s “Shake It Off”, Ariana Grande, Jessie J and Nikki Minaj’s “Bang Bang”, Justin Timberlake’s “Can’t Stop The Feeling”, and The Weeknd’s “Blinding Lights” which is the #1 song on Billboard’s All-Time Hot 100 Songs list.
Max has also influenced several younger songwriters and producers, such as Dr. Luke and Shellback.
A great example of Max’s influence on a music artist is The Weeknd’s rise to superstardom. It all started when he linked up with Max on Ariana Grande’s “Love Me Harder,” which led him to tell his label to get him more work with Martin. He told the head of A&R “If I’m gonna be the biggest in the world I need a handful of songs like that.” That eventually led to Martin and The Weeknd collaborating to create the global hits “Can’t Feel My Face” and “Blinding Lights.”
In 2016, Martin won the prestigius Polar Music Prize. During the ceremony, he indicated who his four main influences are: ABBA, Kiss, Prince, and Lasse Holm.
Britney Spears congratulated Max on winning the prestigious Polar Music Prize. She said “I think you’re a genius, it’s such an honor to work with you. You’ve been a part of my career from the beginning.”
DR. DRE INFLUENCED SNOOP DOGG,
EMINEM, MARY J. BLIGE,
KENDRICK LAMAR, TUPAC, 50 CENT,
SCOTT STORCH & THE WAY THE WORLD
LISTENS TO MUSIC WITH
BEATS BY DRE.
Rap & Hip-Hop were heavily influenced by Andre Young aka Dr. Dre. We encourage you to explore the music, hashtags and social media pages of Dr. Dre and all the music artists he has worked with.
Dr. Dre was inspired to get into music when he heard Grandmaster Flash song ‘The Adventures Of Grandmaster Flash On The Wheels Of Steel.’ He told Vibe; “That made me want to DJ. It made me want to know what hip-hop was. That was the song that did it. I immediately went home and called some friends and we were taking apart one of my friend’s mother’s stereo sets.. We figured out how to make a mixer from the balance button and got it cracking—started making mixtapes.”
That was the beginning of a global Hip-Hop legacy as a super producer and music artist that is second to none.
Dre had predecessors and peers, but he’s the sonic architect of West Coast rap: Integral to its inception, he shaped and then reimagined the contours of its sound. His influence extends from the ‘80s to the unlikely day that people stop playing “Nuthin But a G Thang” and “California Love.”
Much of gangsta rap until Dr. Dre was characterized by abrasive, rock-inspired beats, echoing the frequently violent lyrics they accompanied. But with The Chronic, Dr. Dre helped popularize the subgenre known as G-funk rapping over slower, bass and synth-laden grooves, and favoring live instruments over samples.
Dr. Dre also created “Beats by Dre” that influenced the way people listen to music worldwide.
And this year Dr. Dre and many of the legendary Hip-Hop artists he has produced performed live at the Super Bowl halftime show. Hip-Hop has influenced generations worldwide. So millions of fans tuned in to the Super Bowl just to see the halftime show.
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WHO INFLUENCED YOU?
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INFLUENTIAL MUSIC ARTISTS
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We are at the very beginning stages of WIY? so if I reached out to you or one of My Support Friends reached out to you and shared this blog with you this is a great time for you to get involved with the project! Click the links below to visit our social media pages.
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WHO INFLUENCED ME?
Below is a list of some of my influences.
MY PARENTS ANNE & ARDIE BRYANT INFLUENCED ME!
The people who influenced me the most were my parents, Anne & Ardie Bryant.
My mother was an amazing person. I have so much love and respect for her and admired her strength and positive attitude about life. She was a giving person and a total optimist! I was blessed to have the mother I had while she was alive and we will always be connected in spirit forever.
And then there was my dad Ardie Bryant. He taught me so much about life and is a major part of the reason I have achieved many of the successes I have in my life.
My father was an entertainer. One of the few “master jazz tap percussionists” in the world. He had a unique gift of inspiring people of all ages with his talents and his spirit. He passed away at the age of 87 and was still active as a public speaker, teacher and mentor. I hope I am as active as he was when I reach 87. He was also a very popular dance professor at Cal State LA.
Although I did not get a chance to see my father perform in his prime, I have met some of the people he worked with like Count Basie and Quincy Jones. Both had great things to say about my dad. It really does amaze me when I think about the legends my dad knew and worked with including Nat King Cole, Duke Ellington, Sarah Vaughn, Charlie Parker, Dizzie Gillespie, Louis Armstrong, the list goes on and on.
COACH JOHN WOODEN INFLUENCED ME!
When people ask me Who Influenced You? Coach John Wooden is one of the people I mention. Coach Wooden’s “Pyramid of Success” inspired me to create “My Wellness & Money Support Triangle” that is included in Session 2 of my Personal Development Training.
I received a copy of Coach Wooden’s “Pyramid of Success” at his basketball camp when I was 13 years old. In my opinion it is one of the greatest life empowerment tools ever created! Some consider Coach Wooden to be the greatest basketball coach of all time and I would have to agree with that. However, he was a “Teacher” first and foremost and an amazing Life Coach & Mentor for all of his players and everyone else he crossed paths with. He lived to be 99 years old and the example he set for others as a human being is second to none!
Coach John Wooden’s “Pyramid of Success” is a masterpiece and I encourage everyone to click the link below to check it out and explore Coach Wooden’s website and his many books he authored. His content, teachings and philosophies are extremely empowering and timeless!
Thank you Coach Wooden for influencing my life and everything you did to empower, inspire and influence the lives of others. Your legacy lives on!
http://www.coachwooden.com/pyramid-of-success
MY HIGH SCHOOL MUSIC TEACHER JERRY GRANT INFLUENCED ME
My high school music teacher Mr. Grant had a big influence on me musically. He always made the classes fun and hip and was one of the best teachers I ever had.
He was also a contemporary jazz musician and tv/film composer, who wrote music on the side for his own projects and for popular tv shows such as Starsky & Hutch and the Rockford Files.
Slowly but surely I started catching on in class and eventually ended up taking private lessons on the side from Mr. Grant. It was at this point that I decided to pursue a “music career” as a professional songwriter instead of going to college.
Growing up, I taught myself how to play the piano by ear and took a few piano lessons from my friend David Achon’s mom. I had also written a few songs as a child, one of which my father recorded for one of his projects when I was about 13.
But it was not until the summer after high school that I decided to try to make a career out of it. My plan was to give myself 2 years to see if I could make it, and if I couldn’t, then I would go to college.
MY MUSICAL INFLUENCES AND HOW I BECAME A SUCCESSFUL SONGWRITER
Being an only child, one of the things I used to do to entertain myself in my room, was listen to records and the radio.
Some of my musical influences growing up were The Jackson Five, James Taylor, Marvin Gaye, The Beatles, Earth Wind & Fire, Herbie Hancock, Leonard Bernstein & Stephen Sondheim’s West Side Story Soundtrack and of course my all-time favorite STEVIE WONDER!
My all-time favorite songwriter is Burt Bacharach, my all-time favorite song is “You’ve Got A Friend” written by Carole King and performed by James Taylor, and my all-time favorite record producers are Mutt Lange, who co-wrote and produced the classic “Everything I Do I Do It For You” by Bryan Adams and Arif Mardin who I will get to in a moment.
But it was not until I graduated from high school that I decided to pursue a career in music as a professional songwriter.
I was fortunate enough to achieve success as a songwriter over the years. I was not the most talented songwriter in the world. However, I was good at attracting the right creative and business people into my life which led to good things for me. People wanted to work with me and enjoyed being around me. Yes I had talent, but more importantly I developed the right relationships and friendships with other talented people.
Some of my favorite songs that I’ve co-written include:
- “After Hours” – Chico Debarge
- “Am I Too Much?” – Vanessa Williams
- “Back On Holiday” – Robbie Nevil
- “Cha Cha” – Marisela
- “Dancing on the Jagged Edge” – Sister Sledge
- “Day Dreamin'” – Fran Lucci
- “Diamond Real” – Michael Wycoff
- “Don’t You Want Me” – Jody Watley
- “Emotional” – Jeffrey Osborne
- “I Believe In…” – Jennifer Love Hewitt
- “If It Takes All Night” – Janet Jackson
- “I’ve Got My Heart Set On You” – Patti Austin
- “Lovers” – Finis Henderson
- “My Life” – The Pointer Sisters
- “Moment Of Truth” – Whitney Houston
- “Never Go Wrong” – A Taste Of Honey
- “One Less Lonely Heart” – Deniece Williams
- “Power Play” – Olga
- “Remember Your Heart” – Dionne Warwick
- “Right Before My Eyes” – The Jets
- “Romantic Voyage” – Vanity
- “Sayonara” – A Taste Of Honey
- “Send A Little Love” – The Spinners
- “Shake Me Down” – Sister Sledge
- “The Love In Your Eyes” – Eddie Money
- “Wishful Thinking” – Smokey Robinson
- “Work Me Down” – Laura Hunter
- “You Owe It All To Love” – Finis Henderson
- “Your Place Or Mine” – Melissa Manchester
CLICK HERE FOR A YOUTUBE PLAYLIST OF THE ABOVE SONGS
I co-wrote the song “Moment of Truth” for Whitney Houston with Jan Buckingham. It was first released as the B-Side of the single “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” and was also included in 2 of Whitney’s movie projects “Waiting To Exhale” and “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” the movie.
My biggest hit song was “Don’t You Want Me” by Jody Watley co-written with Jody and the wonderful Franne Golde. It reached #6 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was a #1 Dance Record as well. Below is an extended clip of it.
I also co-wrote the song “The Love in Your Eyes” with Adrian Gurvitz and
Steve Dubin for Eddie Money. The single reached #24 on the Billboard Hot 100
and #1 on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock Tracks chart.
One of my favorite songwriting experiences was co-writing “Back On Holiday” with Robbie Nevil and Steve Dubin. I started doing my Stevie Wonder impression and that inspired melodies Robbie and I wrote for the song. Robbie loved the band “War” so he thought about them when arranging the saxophones. Steve had the groove and Robbie and I wrote the lyrics. It was such a fun experience! Below is an extended version of the song that I love.
“Work Me Down” is a song I co-wrote with legendary hall of fame songwriter Diane Warren for the movie “Disorderlies” starring The Fat Boys, I produced the song in New York, it was performed by Laura Hunter and co-produced by The Latin Rascals. The song was also a big hit in the dance and cheerleader competition community.
Another fun experience for me was working in the studio with record producer Richard Perry recording a song I co-wrote with Adele Bertei and Sandra Bernhard called “My Life” for the Pointer Sisters. I did the drum programming and played moog bass and keyboards, Bill Botrell engineered and Paul Fox played keyboards as well. Below is a clip of the song. It’s one of my favorite songs I co-wrote. Love Adele’s lyrics!!!
“Diamond Real” by Michael Wycoff is also another favorite of mine that I co-wrote with Al McKay of Earth, Wind & Fire and Janice Marie Johnson of “A Taste of Honey.” Michael does a great job singing the song. His gospel R&B influenced vocals shine! Take a listen to the extended version below.
One of my songwriting heroes growing up was Smokey Robinson. He is one of the greatest songwriters in the history of music. I am humbled, honored, blessed and grateful that he recorded a song I co-wrote with Bobby Sandstrom and Michael Price called “Wishful Thinking” that was included in the soundtrack for the movie “One Fine Mess” starring Ted Danson and Howie Mandel. I consider this one of my greatest songwriting accomplishments. God’s Plan!
THE STATEMENT MY FATHER MADE THAT INFLUENCED MY MINDSET AND HELPED ME TO BECOME A SUCCESSFUL SONGWRITER
In my early teens my family had formed an independent music publishing company.
I knew it would be tough for me to make it in the music business, but I always remembered what my father told me when I decided to go for it.
He said “If you want to be a professional songwriter, you need to think and act like a professional songwriter. From this day on you are now competing with the best songwriters in the world and there are not many slots available. So you need to take it seriously.”
Boy was he right and I always used what he said as motivation when I was writing and creating my songs. I knew I was competing with the best in the world, so I used to visualize successful artists singing my songs during the writing process.
I would also do the “Flip-Flop” test with my songs after I completed them.
The “Flip-Flop Test” was simply this. I would listen to a few songs on an album, or a radio station, then I would flip the switch on my stereo system and play one of my songs like it was on that album or radio station.
If I felt my song was good enough to fit on the album, or be played on the radio, I knew I was at least in the ballpark. If I didn’t, I would rework the song until it felt right to me.
I always base my decisions on my feelings and instincts. Either it feels right, or it doesn’t.
No matter how talented you are, there is another side to being successful in the music business and that is getting your foot in the door with the right people and being prepared when it happens.
In my case, I feel there were 4 keys to my success as a professional songwriter:
- Believing in myself.
- My parents support and encouragement.
- The high school I went to.
- Working at the supermarket.
AL MCKAY INFLUENCED ME
When I attended Hollywood High School one of my classmates was Kate McKay, sister of legendary rhythm guitar player Al McKay of Earth, Wind & Fire.
Another one of my classmates was Mark Stevens, brother of R&B legend Chaka Khan.
Mark and I became friends and ended up hanging out a lot after we graduated high school. He was a talented bass player and singer, and like his sisters Chaka & Taka was involved in the music industry.
One day Mark got a call for an audition. Al McKay had just left Earth, Wind & Fire and was holding auditions for a new band he was putting together.
By fate, Mark needed a ride to the audition and asked me if I could give him a ride. This would turn out to be my first big break into the music industry.
When we got to the audition, Al greeted us and Mark introduced me to him.
Al said “Wait a minute, David Bryant. Your name sounds familiar to me.”
I said “Well I go to Hollywood High and I am friends with your sister Kate.”
Al said, “That’s it, my sister told me about you.”
I had no idea Kate had mentioned me to Al, but I was sure happy she did.
He said “You’re the songwriter right?”
I said “Yes that would be me and I am also a huge Earth, Wind & Fire fan and it’s hard to believe I am standing here right now talking to you.”
Then Al told me that he wanted to hear a tape of my songs and if he liked them, maybe we could write some songs together along with some new writers he had signed to his music publishing company.
You have to understand, I used to spend hours alone in my room as a kid listening to Earth, Wind & Fire records and now here I was face to face with one of my musical heroes and he was interested in possibly working with me.
So was I excited? That would be an understatement!
Well to make a long story short, Al ended up liking my stuff and asked me if I wanted to write some songs with him and another up and coming songwriter at the time Tony Haynes.
The collaboration led to my 1st song that was recorded by a major artist. The song was called “Send A Little Love”, the group that recorded it was “The Spinners” and it was produced by Mtume & Lucas, whose songwriting and production credits included “The Closer I Get To You” and “Never Knew Love Like This Before.”
Al, Tony and I ended up writing more songs together and worked on several projects together including A Taste of Honey, Finis Henderson and others.
Al McKay had a big influence on me as a songwriter. I learned a lot from Al and I am thankful that he recognized my talent and gave me my 1st break in the music industry.
Below are 4 of my favorite songs Al co-wrote and/or produced. “September”, “Sing A Song” and “Boogie Wonderland” by Earth, Wind & Fire and “Best Of My Love” by the Emotions.
In addition, below are 4 songs I co-wrote with Al. “Sayonara” and “Never Go Wrong” by A Taste of Honey, and “Lovers” and “You Owe It All To Love” by Finis Henderson.
ARIF MARDIN INFLUENCED ME
Another key contact I made through Mark Stevens was the legendary music producer and arranger Arif Mardin.
Arif worked with and produced some of the biggest and best artists in the music industry including: Chaka Khan, Aretha Franklin, Average White Band, The Bee Gees, Hall and Oates, Phil Collins, George Benson, Bette Midler and Norah Jones, which won him the 2003 Grammy Award for Producer of the Year.
Here are 5 of my favorite Arif productions!
I met and worked with a lot of talented and successful people in the music industry over the years and I have a lot of respect and admiration for Arif. He was a big influence for me.
In a world of sharks and greedy people who are out for themselves and will step on you to get where they need to go, Arif always treated me with respect, asked me for my opinions and never once asked me for any percentage of my song royalties in order for him to record one of my songs on a project he was working on.
His talent was enormous and his character was impeccable!
Arif ended up recording a song I wrote the music for called “Your Place Or Mine” with Melissa Manchester who he was producing at the time.
Melissa & Allee Willis wrote the lyrics and it ended up being the main title theme for a film called “A Little Sex” starring Tim Matheson & Kate Capshaw.
The time I spent around Arif watching him work was incredible. He used to invite Mark and I down to recording sessions and over to his hotel room when he was in town to watch him work and hang out.
2 events that I feel fortunate to have experienced in person with Arif, were watching him work in the studio with legendary studio musician, keyboard player and arranger Greg Phillinganes on Chaka Khan’s version of “We Can Work It Out”. Greg started playing with Stevie Wonder when he was just a teenager and went on to play on many hit records in the 80’s including all of Michael Jackson’s biggest albums and became Michael’s musical director on tour.
Greg, who was influenced by Stevie Wonder, is playing the Moog bass keyboard and the other keyboards on “We Can Work It Out” and did the rhythm arrangement. It is my favorite Moog bass track Greg ever did and he played Moog bass on all the Michael Jackson hits in the 80’s. Mike Sembello and Raymond Pounds who also played with Stevie played guitar and drums on the Chaka session which I had the privilege to be at the day they recorded the rhythm tracks. It was an amazing day in the studio watching them lay down the rhythm tracks. A memory I will always cherish.
I also had the opportunity to watch Arif figure out how to modulate his arrangement of Chaka’s version of “A Night In Tunsia” so he could fit a sample of Charlie Parker’s solo break into the track and have Herbie Hancock double the sample on keyboards of the famous solo break that Charlie Parker did in the song. By the way Herbie is playing the keyboard solo on the record and doubled the solo in 1 take. Truly amazing! The recording won a Grammy for best vocal arrangement. Chaka’s vocals are incredible!
Arif also gave me 4 valuable words of wisdom that I try to pass on to anyone interested in pursuing a music career.
- Believe in yourself!
- Be prepared by having your craft and talent in order.
- Stay away from the negative temptations such as drugs, alcohol, partying, negative people, etc…
- And 4 and most importantly, if you can not accept disappointment and rejection, you need to find another career, because it’s going to happen no matter what level of success you achieve!
He said if I could learn to master these 4 things, then I had a chance to be successful.
Arif passed away in 2006, but his musical productions, arrangements, achievements and spirit will live forever.
Below is a video clip related to Arif about the making of his last album and life story.
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WHO INFLUENCED YOU?
So now that you know some of the people who influenced me, I want to know WHO INFLUENCED YOU?
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