Every melody has a story, and in our latest Spit 2 Da Beat episode, we crack open the songbook of life with Detroit's own R&B sensation, Beth, who brings the studio alive with tales steeped in Motown heritage and Memphis soul. Her narrative weaves through the rich tapestry of the iconic Funk Brothers and illuminates the path from familial inspiration to her evocative sound. But it's not all harmonies and hooks; Beth Right steps into the spotlight to share the less-sung verses of a musician's life, from the pre-show jitters that rattle even the steadiest of artists to the high-flying act of juggling roles on tour.
Brushing past the velvet ropes of fame, we grasp the raw threads that hold an artist's world together. Between mentoring at Amplify and caring for loved ones, our guests unravel the ballad of resilience, dedication, and the pride of legacy. They chronicle the life-affirming rhythms that pulse beneath the clamor of the industry – the mental fortitude it demands and the personal sacrifices often overshadowed by the glow of the stage lights. And just when the curtain seems to fall, we're charmed by Beth's brush with greatness, sharing the uncanny destiny that led her to be a body double for none other than Whitney Houston, in a tale that blurs the lines between fan and icon.
As we sign off, the soul of Memphis beckons with open arms, wrapping our conversation in a warmth that transcends the airwaves. Our guests extend an invitation to the heart of their musical universe, offering a taste of the bonds that bind and the community they embody. So if your heart beats for the stories behind the songs, this episode of Spit to the Beat is poised to strike a chord, leaving listeners buoyed by inspiration and connected through the timeless resonance of music.
If your in the music industry- singer, songwriter, composer, indie, neo singer, rapper, country artist, promoter, manager, music lawyer or blues please email me to be a guest on my show at myguest@spit2dabeat.com I would love to hear your Spit about the Music Industry.
Every melody has a story, and in our latest Spit 2 Da Beat episode, we crack open the songbook of life with Detroit's own R&B sensation, Beth, who brings the studio alive with tales steeped in Motown heritage and Memphis soul. Her narrative weaves through the rich tapestry of the iconic Funk Brothers and illuminates the path from familial inspiration to her evocative sound. But it's not all harmonies and hooks; Beth Right steps into the spotlight to share the less-sung verses of a musician's life, from the pre-show jitters that rattle even the steadiest of artists to the high-flying act of juggling roles on tour.
Brushing past the velvet ropes of fame, we grasp the raw threads that hold an artist's world together. Between mentoring at Amplify and caring for loved ones, our guests unravel the ballad of resilience, dedication, and the pride of legacy. They chronicle the life-affirming rhythms that pulse beneath the clamor of the industry – the mental fortitude it demands and the personal sacrifices often overshadowed by the glow of the stage lights. And just when the curtain seems to fall, we're charmed by Beth's brush with greatness, sharing the uncanny destiny that led her to be a body double for none other than Whitney Houston, in a tale that blurs the lines between fan and icon.
As we sign off, the soul of Memphis beckons with open arms, wrapping our conversation in a warmth that transcends the airwaves. Our guests extend an invitation to the heart of their musical universe, offering a taste of the bonds that bind and the community they embody. So if your heart beats for the stories behind the songs, this episode of Spit to the Beat is poised to strike a chord, leaving listeners buoyed by inspiration and connected through the timeless resonance of music.
If your in the music industry- singer, songwriter, composer, indie, neo singer, rapper, country artist, promoter, manager, music lawyer or blues please email me to be a guest on my show at myguest@spit2dabeat.com I would love to hear your Spit about the Music Industry.
Don't forget to subscribe and don't forget to like this video, dedi I Do.
Speaker 2:And welcome to spit to the beat podcast. I'm your host, stacy aka be unstoppable prayer, and we are live in the studio. Got a virtual special guest joining me in a minute. But look, go to my Facebook page Stacy be unstoppable prayer or Stacy spit to the beat prayer. You join us live right now, in full effect. Also, you can catch this show right now on YouTube at spit, the number two D a be a T. Go there, subscribe, like and hit that notification. But I really would appreciate it.
Speaker 2:Thank you so much for joining us for another live episode of spit to the beat podcast. I want to thank my sponsors, all those who are help make this show possible, this podcast Possible. Thank you so much. I really do appreciate your support. Continue to support. Thank you so much. And to all my listeners out there who tune in each and every week for a live broadcast, thank you so much. Keep listening, keep sharing, keep telling a friend. Thank you so much. Look, I am super excited. We are live again for another great show. I have lined up for you my very special guest. I Got to know a little bit of her through a radio interview Couple days ago and she's so bubbly and friendly and Very approachable person, I believe, and just from looking at her and listening to her and she's she's a little funny too. She's got a little character about herself but she's, I believe she's a very loving person. But I'm a little introduce herself bringing our way from Detroit singer. R&b singer, bill Hello.
Speaker 3:How are you?
Speaker 2:I am wonderful. I'm wonderful how you doing.
Speaker 3:I am great Thank you for having me on your show. Thank you.
Speaker 2:Thank you for being on my show. I really do appreciate and thank Ron for making this happen as well.
Speaker 3:Yes, Ron is awesome. I appreciate him so very much yeah.
Speaker 2:Cool, cool. How's the weather up there?
Speaker 3:You know we're having a good day today. It was probably 69.
Speaker 2:Wow, that's good up there.
Speaker 3:That's good and it's gonna be like that tomorrow. But guess what after that is gonna drop into the 30s again.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I'm not expecting in snow, is it?
Speaker 3:I hope not, but we Lovingly joke about the Michigan, detroit weather and we say that our weather is bipolar, because that weather it goes up and down, up and down. So, if you know, at any day you can hit 70 degrees, you can hit 68, 69, 70s, and then it'll drop down to 30 degrees, it'll go back up to 50, then it'll go back up to 70, it'll drop to 20, like it does that in the spring. So, yeah, we have to be prepared for this roller coaster ride that we riding in the D and that's just how it goes.
Speaker 2:So today was a great day and tomorrow's gonna be a great day of 69 degrees in Detroit, yeah, yeah. Well, memphis, where I'm at, memphis, tennessee, is totally different. I mean, you really do not know how to dress for the weather, cuz like right now. Today, we like a 71, 72, we might hit 60, might hit 50 and go back up to 70. Yes, yes, yes, but guess what Stacy?
Speaker 3:my family is from Memphis. My mama was born in Memphis. Okay, oh yeah, I feel like Memphis is a second home to me, even though I'm not there a lot. I only come through Memphis when I'm performing, but my family is there, like I got family that I talked to, that is there. So that's just a place, a special place in my heart. So shout out to Memphis and so you definitely got roots in.
Speaker 3:Memphis. My roots are in Memphis and then Jackson, and Then West Memphis, arkansas right, all in that little circle, you're in the tri-state. Yeah, yes, then my people are from there. Yes, okay.
Speaker 2:Awesome. Tell my audience a little bit about yourself.
Speaker 3:Okay, well, my name is Beth. I'm an R&B singer, born and raised in Detroit. I love to sing, I love to perform, I love to see people's faces and I love to see them smile when I'm singing to them. And music is just my, my love, it's my passion, I love to do it and I'm blessed to do it. So if you have not heard of me and you're seeing me for the very first time, I hope you like what you see and you hear and you follow me, check me out and you become One of my, my people. I appreciate that, yeah, cool.
Speaker 2:What inspired you to get into music and also start a record label?
Speaker 3:What actually inspired me to do it is my late father was one of the funk brothers at Motown, so that was something that he did. Not only was he a musician, he did have his own record label as well, and he was one of the first signed like independent artists to the jazz Motown label, because Motown well, actually Motown had a jazz label.
Speaker 3:So my father was an independent artist back in the day with his own label doing jazz music, and so there was a heavy influence in my home of music and I naturally inherited the music gene. I got a brother and a sister and they did not pursue music but I was one of the three that did and that influenced me. You know, I just naturally did it. I went to school and you know, and sang in the choir and sang in the church choir and it was just something that felt really good and natural to me.
Speaker 2:You always start from the church.
Speaker 3:Yeah, but you know, but mine kind of didn't. You know it didn't start in the church, but my family was not a very heavy religious family. The music you know, because we had a piano in my home because my dad played and when I was born Motown had already left so I did not really know what my father did, but he still played music and he still performed, he still had gigs and stuff he was doing. So I always heard music and it was just something natural that I gravitated to. So I did go to church and then singing church. But that wasn't my foundation, like most artists.
Speaker 3:You hear them say they started church. I started home just with my father playing the piano and you know me thinking I could sing. So I mean, here in my sister I have an older sister and I heard her singing and those are the things that inspired me to sing. And then it was just something that you know, as I got older I was like, oh, I want to do this for real. And then I started doing some gigs, some club dates here and there. But people started paying me to sing. I said, oh yeah, this it right here.
Speaker 2:Money always makes you happy. Make you sing another song for them.
Speaker 3:I said what else y'all want to hear?
Speaker 2:Right, yeah, and let's talk a little bit about your touring. I mean, you have a tour with a lot of great artists. What's your name? I'm a few.
Speaker 3:Sure, my first major and I think what I learned the most was me starting out touring with the legendary eight time Grammy award winner, a Miss Anita Baker.
Speaker 3:That was my major artist that I toured with. I met and connected with Michael Powell, who started chapter eight, and he heard me singing. He put me on a few demo projects. He had me singing Baxbury, Yolanda Adams and stuff like that and then I told him I said I want to be on tour with an artist and so he got me working with Anita Baker, and that was like in 2007. And he took me to her and I toured with her for five years after that. That was my first time touring, my first time being on the road, and a lot of times people say that was your first like such a big artist. But that was my first. And so I worked with her for five years. And then I started touring with Kim and I still work with Kim.
Speaker 2:Oh, my God.
Speaker 3:Yeah, he's awesome, yes.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 3:Between me working with Kim, or, as I'm still working with Kim, I toured with Najee. I've also toured with the legendary mighty, mighty OJs, and now I am on the road with Genuine.
Speaker 2:Okay.
Speaker 3:And there's been a transition with all that because with Anita, with Kim, with the OJs, I was doing just background. When I toured with Najee, he was putting me up front to sing one of his songs but also to sing one of my songs. That was the beginning of me going out front. I already had music out, but he was sharing me with his audience. And then now, as I'm transitioning and I'm working with Genuine, I'm actually open to Genuine shows. I go out and do my whole show and then Genuine comes out. So that's what I'm doing now and we actually have a show Friday in Kansas City and I'll be opening the show for him and he'll come on out and close it out.
Speaker 2:That's amazing. I was getting ready to ask you that you know, with touring with all these great artists, your music experience. How was your music experience with them? But now they're pushing you up front. How does that feel, being up front and singing not on their song, but one of your songs as well, as well.
Speaker 3:I love it and it's a lot more work you know it's a lot more work. Say that again.
Speaker 2:I said explain it. Is it nervousness or what?
Speaker 3:Yeah, it is. I mean so, so, so, honestly, it's two answers to that. So let's start with with Genuine. I go out there, I do my set about 20 minutes and I'm singing all of my original music and I absolutely love it and I'm honored and I'm grateful to be able to do that. And, yes, I do start out nervous when I'm backstage, when I know it's all, you got five minutes, you got three minutes, you got that little thing right.
Speaker 3:But as soon as boom and I hear the beginning of my track. Because with Genuine also, the great thing is, I do track dates and band dates with him, so it just depends. So if I hear the beginning of the track while I hear the drummer queue up for the beginning of the band, I'm up until when I hear the music. And when the music starts I don't have time to be nervous, no more. I'm like ma'am, you better remember what you're supposed to be out there doing for you look crazy. So I have to give up. Give a mind together, right?
Speaker 2:Does that alter ego take over? Then you know every.
Speaker 3:And you have to. You got to get your mind right because you work so hard and you don't want to embarrass yourself. You know what I'm saying and know that you work hard and you deserve to be there. I deserve to be up there, so I ain't about to mess that up Now. That's the Genuine side. Now, when I'm with Kim on select shows with Kim, I open the show for him. The same way. Then I go change clothes and then do his back, so I'm doing double duty.
Speaker 2:Oh okay, I see why you say there's a lot of work.
Speaker 3:But I love it, stacey, I love it, I do I love it and I'm so happy that I took a chance on myself and I believed in myself to put my own music out. I believed in myself to start my own label and not look for somebody to discover me. I discovered myself and I did it myself and I have an amazing team that helps me and support me. I have amazing manager. I'm not out to Courtney Benjamin. I have amazing PR Ryan Lefford. I have an amazing producer and MD Marcus Devine. We all work together to make this thing go.
Speaker 3:But I love it. I love every ounce of the work, the rehearsals, the push that I have to have to do it.
Speaker 2:Cool, we're going to take a short break. I'm going to come back. I want to talk about your music and the songs the two albums and the eight singles that you already have up under your belt. So we're going to talk a little bit about that when we come right back, okay.
Speaker 3:Thank you.
Speaker 2:Cool, let's go One, two, four.
Speaker 1:You're listening to Spit, to the Beat Podcast with your host, the one, the only, stacey B, unstoppable Per.
Speaker 2:Hey, this is Stacey, aka the Unstoppable Per you're with Spit to the Beat Podcast. Would you like to be my guest? If you're a singer, songwriter, musician, producer or promoter, Email, call at 901-341-6777 or email me at myguestsatspit2thebeatcom and we're back to Spit to the Beat Podcast. I'm your host, Stacey, aka the Unstoppable Per you're, and joining me in the studio live from Detroit, my very special guest, Bill Right. All right, all right, yeah, so we left out talking about the songs. You opened up for other artists and you're able to sing your music. Let's talk a little bit about your music, what you got going on. I know you sent me two songs that I want to play on. One of them is called Let Me Be. Tell us about that.
Speaker 3:So Let Me Be is like. That's one of my favorite songs right now, and that song was brought to me by a really good friend of mine named Kenny Flav.
Speaker 2:And.
Speaker 3:Kenny Flav comes out of Queen Latifah's Flavor Unit.
Speaker 2:Great producer.
Speaker 3:Janet Jackson, busta Rhymes you know he's done amazing music with a bunch of different artists. Silk you know he's done a lot. And Kenny and I have known each other for many years and we've always wanted to work together prior to this, but we just never had the right time. It is the stars that are in the line. So when we were working on this second album, we connected. I said Kenny, I said, bring me something hot, bring me something good, you know, and I'm like no me, so just bring me something.
Speaker 3:And I remember he came by the studio one day and I was sitting there with Marcus and I was sitting there with one of my other producer friends, cordell Walton, and Kenny was playing a bunch of tracks and he's like just holler when you hear something you like and he just thank for playing. And when the track for Let Me Be came on, of course there were no lyrics written and the song wasn't finished, he just kind of had a sample. We all jumped up and said, hey, what's that? What's that you know? So he said, okay, let me work on a little more, let me do something to it. And then he worked on it, he handed it over to Marcus Divine, and then there's another producer named C Smith and he worked on that song as well.
Speaker 3:We all started working on it and we just decided that that song really fit me, my personality, it fit my vibe, and I want to thank everybody who worked on it Hope, rainey, kenny Flav, c Smith, marcus Divine, kenny Flav or I would say Kenny Flav, but everybody who worked on it and we decided that would be the lead single for the album and that video was Grammy considered for best R&B video and the song got considered for best R&B song and we love the song. It's just a fun song, it's just a little bit of a song.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I listened to it. It's nice yeah thank you. I was wondering. You know, with the title being Let Me Be, I kind of felt that you was letting yourself was coming out.
Speaker 3:Yeah, let me be, let me be that girl for you, yeah, yeah yeah, it's my time, that's what you're saying.
Speaker 2:Yeah, all right, let's play it. Nice, nice, got another one on the call.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Talk about that one.
Speaker 3:So, ooh, is just a, really I don't know. You know how, when something feels good, something looks good, something tastes good, yeah.
Speaker 2:And you go ooh, look at that yeah.
Speaker 3:That's ooh you know, it's almost like when there's a love in your life and they say, hi, you and your girl, you've like, ooh man, we good, Like that's it? Who was? Just a gesture, a sound that we make when something is good.
Speaker 2:Like some good food.
Speaker 1:Some good food, some good love, a good life.
Speaker 2:You know something good, we just had a good time. We're like, ooh, we had a good time, yeah, yeah, all of that.
Speaker 3:So you know, I was in the studio one day and that song was inspired by my husband. Actually, I was in the studio one day and he happened to call and we were working on another song. Me and Marcus were working on another song and I said hold on a second, let me. Let me see you know what my husband's calling for. And while we were talking, marcus was playing the keyboard or playing piano and I said I told my husband, I said hold on a second. I said what's over there playing? He was like nothing. I said, but I like that though, whatever it is, I like to save it.
Speaker 3:And so I got off the phone and he said take this home and write to it. And I couldn't hear anything but ooh. The song just gave me this vibe, it just felt good. So we started writing to ooh. What the thought process, what the feeling, what the vibe was that I had. And it was just about you know again something that feels good, looks good, tastes good to you Ooh, but this is about love. The love is so good you can only say ooh, here we go.
Speaker 1:Awesome yeah.
Speaker 2:Ooh, I played this so many times. I can wait for you to explain it.
Speaker 3:I was like what's? She trying to say what's she going with this? But it sounds just like what it is.
Speaker 1:It's like you make me feel weak. I can't speak.
Speaker 2:It's just ooh, you just good.
Speaker 3:Ooh, I can't even think about it.
Speaker 2:Ooh, look at that. We say, ooh, so much we don't even think about it. Right Right, it's a normal reaction. That's amazing what you got in the works.
Speaker 3:We say, we say really, really, you know what? I'm saying we don't even pay attention to it because it's just something that we say For 2024, the rest of 2024, I have multiple dates with Kim coming up, a lot of dates with Kim, actually. Okay, so I'll be traveling across the country with him. Actually, the 29, 30th and 31st will be out on the west coast doing some shows with Kim.
Speaker 2:This is March.
Speaker 3:Yes, for March. Yes, Okay. And then there are some select dates that I'll be posting on my social media as well, that I'll be opening some of those shows as well, and then I have the show coming up Friday with Genuine. I have some more shows coming up with him later on in the year, and there will be some more music and visuals released for me as well, and I'm sure, I'm sure the good Lord is working on some things for me that I don't know nothing about right now too.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 3:So you know, it's always that. One other thing that I'm really proud of you see me rep in this Motown hat, and I was just talking about my father, my affiliation, my association still with Motown Hitsville, usa, the Motown Museum.
Speaker 1:Yes.
Speaker 3:Be carrying on the legacy that my father left for me and unfortunately it's a legacy that I didn't know anything about until after my father passed away, because he really did not want me to pursue the music business. But it was something that I naturally ended up doing and I actually love with my whole heart. But the Motown Museum has a program called Amplify and it is a vocal competition where this year the winner Will walk away with $15,000 in cash and prizes and, okay, legendary Dougie fresh that will be hosting this talent competition and this is gonna actually happen Saturday 1 March 16th. I'm really proud of this event because I get to mentor the 10 finalists that are going to be competing, and one of the reasons why I get to do the mentorship and what I bring to the table is I was a contested On season 16.
Speaker 3:I know what it's like to be in a vocal competition. I know what it's like to be scrutinized. I know what it's like to stand there and somebody tear apart your vocals and your look and all this kind of stuff and half because you had a, I had a jump in, you had John Legend and Kelly Clarkson.
Speaker 2:Kelly Clarkson, yeah, did mentor you on that show.
Speaker 3:Wow it was one of the most amazing things that I could have done in my life to grow me, to stretch me and to Change the trajectory of my career. Yeah, it really helped me a lot. I didn't get as far as I would have liked to have gotten on the show, but the time that I did spend Changed a lot for me. Stacy, it really really changed a lot for me. So when you are an artist, more than half of your success, I believe, is where your mental state is and Anything that you do that takes a lot of you giving of yourself and putting your talent and giving of your authenticity.
Speaker 3:Your mind can play tricks on you, tell you you're not good enough for you, don't need to be there or they nobody gonna like you or you and all that kind of stuff, right? So your mind has to be strong. So I'm there to talk to the contestants, to mentor them through this process on the mental side of it. Yeah, because a lot of times artists, if you're not 15 and 16 and 18 years old and you are grown up pursuing this business, you got a job, you got bills, you got life and you still trying to pursue your dream of passion. You're trying to juggle all of that and a lot of the concerns and questions and things that the contestants asked me is how do I balance Having a regular life and being on the road and everything that I have to do?
Speaker 3:Yeah so we talk about the mental aspect, making sure that you're able to mentally handle being an artist, because you can't be a rockstar 24 hours a day you know.
Speaker 3:So you know, let me. Let me just give you an example. So I have a show Friday and I'm rehearsing for my show, but I was telling you my mom is from Memphis. Well, my mom has dementia, my mom is bedbound and she lives with me and my husband and I don't talk about this a lot. So today the caregiver that normally comes called in and said she couldn't come.
Speaker 2:Okay.
Speaker 3:I'm preparing to travel and I got rehearsal today right. How do I Juggle all of that right? Then the up that I have another person that comes in to Help out and sub as well and she wasn't available in the morning and she had already told me that. So for the first half of the morning, me and my husband, we got up, fixed my breakfast, cleaned her up, had, do do all things.
Speaker 3:You know all things right there is, and then the, the sub caregiver, came in and then I was still able to go to rehearsal and then be the rockstar again. But if your mind is not in the proper place, I could have just fell out on the floor and say you know, so there are times in your life where life is life and, as people say, and how do you Figure it out so that you can still do the things you need to do the best you can, but still do your job? And so a lot of times, art you see people that come out and they do you know, one hit wonders, they do one song and then life took over and they can't even record it and where they can't do anything else. So, with these contestants, I've talked to them about where their mental space needs to be, how they need to approach being an artist, some of the pitfalls, some of the really high highs that they could possibly experience, some of the lows and how to take it all in stride and enjoy the process and learn what they need to learn.
Speaker 3:So that Competition is going to be Saturday Did the music hall with Dougie fresh and somebody's gonna walk away, like I said earlier, with $15,000 a cash and prizes. They're gonna be able to record music, they're gonna be able to go to LA and Wow labels.
Speaker 3:So it's a really big deal and it's something great that the Motown legacy is keeping going with teaching. They're giving the the artist development, like they did back in the day. So these contestants get Staging, they get vocal lessons, they get a counselor yeah, they get band, live band. They get wardrobe and then they perform at a 3000 seat Venue and then they get a superstar to introduce them and host the show.
Speaker 2:That's, you just gave them a red carpet.
Speaker 3:You know, I'm really excited about this for them. I'm excited yeah yeah. This is something major that they're doing in the city of Detroit. That is incredible and hopefully one day we can open it so that people you know, maybe from Memphis, can participate in something like this.
Speaker 2:What you just said is everything that my podcast platform is all about Educating and teaching young artists who want to come up in the business, who want to know, need to know, to how to avoid the pitfalls and stuff like that.
Speaker 2:Mm-hmm, if you, as an artist coming on this show and other artists that I invited, given us giving my fans the nuggets that they need to know what to do, how to do, how to be, how to judge, a life called life is not going nowhere, no matter how many times you on this stage where you get off, life is waiting on you, where it is so valuable did people pay money for it and they're getting this opportunity to get it literally free, but also understand what you're getting and how valuable it is. I really appreciate what you just shared, because it really that was one of my questions was how do you encourage, how do you inspire artists that are trying to get into business, what do they need to do, how do they need to avoid the pitfalls and the mistakes and stuff like that, and what you just shared was so, so important. Thank you so much for this?
Speaker 3:Oh, you're welcome. What I really try to do, stacey, is give them real life scenarios, like I shared with you about my mom. I try to give people real life scenarios. First of all, because I don't have all my glitter, my rhinestones and my performance clothes on right now. Right, Right. Cause I'm at home. This is real life for me right now, and people do need to see that artists do have a home. They got a kitchen.
Speaker 2:A real person.
Speaker 3:I got a cooked dinner when I get off here, which?
Speaker 2:you know, hey, it's like, it's like our life was like. I use this example of Superman One minute we Superman, next minute we Clark Kent.
Speaker 3:It's exactly that, and I'm both sides. Yeah, you know, and so you know I perform under Beth right, but right now I'm Beth Griffith Manley. My husband is in there. He won't know what you know. He did the chicken thawing out in the sink. Y'all can't see my sink, but it's a chicken and a bowl of water sitting over there.
Speaker 2:But yeah, I got some fish in the sink right now. I'll, I'll, I'll, wit you.
Speaker 3:Right. So if you want to know, baby, how long are you going to be on that pocket, what time dinner going to be done? So that's, that's the real life. And how do you balance still being the artist?
Speaker 3:but I still got to maintain my home, and what I tell artists coming up is to be flexible and to know that your life at home is so very important, and it's as important as it is your life on the stage. But don't sacrifice one for the other. Try to balance it as much as you can, because when you get off the stage, you got to go home.
Speaker 2:Exactly.
Speaker 3:And so if and then, if you don't, and if you don't do well on the stage, nobody's going to call you back. So you got to do great on both ends. You know what I'm saying? It's, it's, it's. You got to do great on both ends, and it can be done.
Speaker 2:Definitely. Look, I'm going to take another short break, but I want to come back and I don't want to skip over this part of what is two questions. I want to ask you about you as a double for Whitney Houston. Yeah, and you're experienced with that, so hold tight, okay, we'll be right back, All right.
Speaker 1:Thank you for listening to Spit to the Beat podcast. Want to know how you can help Be a sponsor by going to our website at wwwspit2thebeatpodcastcom and click the support tab. You can also join us each and every week live at YouTube and Spit to the Beat. Don't forget to subscribe, like and follow. Thank you for your support.
Speaker 2:And welcome back to Spit, to the Beat podcast. I'm your host. They say KB, unstoppable for you, joining me in the studio virtually all the way from Detroit, michigan. My guest, very special guest in the house Singer, r&b singer, beth. All right, all right, we are back left off with the question that being a double for Whitney Houston. How was that being on the set and everything.
Speaker 3:Oh, Stacey, it was amazing. I know it was.
Speaker 1:It was amazing, it was amazing, it was amazing.
Speaker 3:So, first and foremost, whitney Houston is my ultimate favorite singer ever.
Speaker 2:OK.
Speaker 3:Her name is Whitney Elizabeth. My name is Beth. My mother's name is Elizabeth.
Speaker 2:Wow.
Speaker 3:And Whitney and I share the same birthday, which is August the 9th. How cool is it that Start with that?
Speaker 2:Let me just start with that. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3:All of that is before I even meet this amazing woman. So in my mind, Whitney Houston has always been my favorite person. I saw her on the cover of that album. She's standing here in a swimming suit, with that short hair, seeing this tall, thin, dark skinned woman.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 3:Like I want to look like that, because I was always tall and skinny and teased from the way that I looked. And I see this woman and I'm like, oh my god, like that's me. So I grew up watching her, listening to her, thinking never in my life would I ever meet her. Never would that ever happen. Then I started singing in the professional realm with Anita Baker. Yeah, because Anita Baker and Whitney Houston really did not cross paths. I didn't ever think Because do you remember I don't even remember what year this was at the Grammys, anita was winning, whitney was winning, and it was trying to make it seem like it was a rival between the two.
Speaker 3:I don't remember exactly that, but they just didn't run in the same circle. So by the time I started singing with Anita. This was around the time when Whitney was going through a little trouble.
Speaker 2:OK.
Speaker 3:I just I'm thinking I'm never going to meet this woman, but she's my favorite singer of all times and I'm just going to hold, I'm just keep torch burning because I love her so much.
Speaker 2:Well, look at God.
Speaker 3:OK, so I'm not thinking about me and Whitney Houston. It just is what it is.
Speaker 2:Right.
Speaker 3:But then they started filming this movie in Detroit called Sparkle and everybody remembers the classic in the 70s and they filmed the movie here and I filled out an application to just be an extra in the movie, just to pick up a little extra change, because I wasn't working with Anita Baker anymore and this was in between when I started working with Kim, so I really wasn't on the road for like a year or two and so I'm thinking about a year. So I'm thinking let me just go do the extra in the movie Doesn't even matter. So I fill out the application and then next thing I know they tell me they said we want you to audition for this particular part, but they wouldn't tell me what the part was. I don't even get into this story all the time, Stacey, but I'm telling you.
Speaker 2:Go ahead.
Speaker 3:So they didn't even tell me what I was auditioning for, and so I literally sat in the lobby at this place for eight hours. I kid you, not Sat in the lobby for eight hours, it was me and a couple other people, and now, when I'm looking back, these were the other stand-ins and doubles for the other stars, like Jordan Sparks and Mike Epps, and all that. We were all sitting in a room and they never told us. We just sitting in the lobby all day. I'm not Eight hours.
Speaker 3:Eight hours Just sitting there and then it was lunchtime. They said y'all can go in that room and get something to eat. And I kept going to the front desk. I said I'm here for an audition, is somebody going to see me? And they was like oh, yeah, yeah, somebody be out to see you soon. Nobody ever came. Then finally, it's like five o'clock and then they said OK, well, y'all can go. I said whoa, whoa, whoa. You had me sitting here eight hours, somebody going to see me. They said yeah, they saw. You Never said who it was.
Speaker 3:Finally, at the end of the day, whitney Houston comes walking past, but she had a hood on and we didn't know it was her. First of all, how about this? I didn't even know she was in the movie. Yeah, I didn't even know. But they ended up telling us that they were casting. At the end of the day, by that five o'clock time, they told us they were casting stand-ins and body doubles for the movie. And then we knew Whitney because we heard her talking. I said, oh my god, is that one? Because you might know her voice. I said is that Whitney?
Speaker 3:Houston they were like yeah, but she was gone down the hall so still, I left that day, knew nothing, stacey knew nothing. Then I got a call the next day and they told me you have been selected to be Whitney's body double and standing. I said who selected me? Because I didn't talk to nobody.
Speaker 2:I said it and say a word. I threw your hands up and nothing.
Speaker 3:Didn't nobody say nothing, but I'm going to tell you what happened. And now that I look back the producers of the movie, because now, after you did the movie, you know whatever. They were walking back and forth in the hallway all day and they were watching us but never saying Really. Never opened their mouth.
Speaker 3:Wow, never opened their mouth so anyway, I get cast for the part we filmed for about a month and every day I had to report on set, whatever color Whitney Houston was wearing. They dressed me in the same color and then stand in. You go, get on set and the producers adjust the lights and the props around you, as the main characters Whitney would do. And every morning this woman, this beautiful woman, would stand and watch them adjust the lights and everything for me and where they had me standing, because she had to go do exactly what I did, but I did all the work, meaning standing there with a tweak and everything, and then all she had to do was just walk on set and do her lines.
Speaker 3:So I just do. The fact she was in the room with me took my breath away. I couldn't even breathe.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 3:And I was so excited and elated and they often would tell us on set you don't talk to the principal actors and actresses. So I didn't say nothing to her for a long time. But she would come in the room and say good morning and I was like, oh Lord, Whitney in the room, she breathing the same air I'm breathing. I can't even believe it. I was freaking out this whole time. This is amazing. But one day I went to go get some tea. She came through the room and I said, well, we didn't feel most of the movie. No, they're going to fire me. They just going to have to fire me because I ain't going to let her come pass and I can't say nothing. This, this now, is my big chance. And she came.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 3:And I stopped and I introduced her myself. I told her, I said I'm your, stand in and your body double. And she said I know I've been watching you. Okay, I could have passed out right then. And God Right, no, she knew I existed. So that was you know, and we. I told her that and I told her that I wanted to just make sure that I got opportunity to introduce myself and tell her that we had the same birthday. And she grabbed me and hugged me Stacy, whitney Houston. So people ask me all the time did you get a chance for Whitney and everything. It was very short, it was very brief, but you know how that church song he touched me. That's how I'm going to say she touched me. Listen for real.
Speaker 2:I thought you all were got slayed in the spirit.
Speaker 3:But I had to get back on set so I couldn't lay out too long. I had to lay out Right. But it was just amazing, she was sweet she was funny. And she would. We filmed a lot in a house and you would come in sometimes and get everything situated, set your bags down and she would be upstairs because they would be fixing her makeup and stuff upstairs and she would be singing in that house and everybody would be like she's singing.
Speaker 3:And you could just hear her singing, and her and Jordan Sparks would sing together. It was just a dream.
Speaker 2:It was a beautiful time for me.
Speaker 3:I'll never forget it. I'll never forget that I got a chance to meet the person who was my favorite person, the person who was my person, the person who I feel like in my mind that I'm somewhat like you know. She was amazing and just a nice person, kind and funny, and I got a chance to just hear her impromptu singing and all of that good stuff. So, yeah, that's my story. I'm sticking to it.
Speaker 2:Awesome. I know it was an amazing experience to talk to her and then to get that hug.
Speaker 3:Yeah, she touched me, stacy, she touched me.
Speaker 3:Yeah, yeah, yeah, it changed my life, because I'm going to tell you this is the last thing about that. It changed my life because something that I never thought was possible to happen happened. And not only did it happen. The filming was walking distance from my house where I lived. So I said God that brought that woman to me so that I can just have a moment and a wrinkle of time with her. So can't nobody tell me what I cannot do and what I can accomplish and what can't happen, because something I thought was never going to happen got brought and set right in front of me. That's awesome.
Speaker 2:How did you feel about jump back just for a second? And, along with that attitude, meeting with and your experience, and you believe in more in yourself then than ever before your music was number one on Amazon.
Speaker 3:Yes.
Speaker 2:How was that being on number one on Amazon chart?
Speaker 3:It was surreal. I still sometimes look at it and go, wow, I can't believe that happened.
Speaker 2:That's your motivation, right?
Speaker 3:It is my motivation. I tell you, I believe anything can happen. I really do, because I don't have no big machine behind me. That was just me asking people to support and they did, and I woke up with a number one album.
Speaker 2:What Amazing yeah number one.
Speaker 3:And it was number six on iTunes and then we was charging the UK to. I was like, okay, y'all, really I'm. My mind is so open for everything amazing and wonderful that can happen.
Speaker 2:That's why I believe Beth gonna be on our own tour in 2024.
Speaker 3:You better say that for the people in the back.
Speaker 2:Beth is gonna be on our own tour in 2024. I believe that. I truly believe that.
Speaker 3:Listen, I'm here for it. I'm here for it. I told you I had to go do my little rehearsing today. Well, I don't want to say, I don't want to put it down, say my little rehearsing. I had to go rehearse today and I have rehearsal tomorrow because I'm gonna kill that stage on Friday in Kansas City. So I hope the people in Kansas City are ready.
Speaker 2:There you go. There you go. Thank you again for joining me on spit to the beat podcast. I really enjoyed this conversation.
Speaker 3:Thank you, I hope you had fun. I had fun with you.
Speaker 2:I did too, you so silly In the shout outs you like to do before we close out the show.
Speaker 3:Absolutely Well. Let me start with you, thank you. I appreciate entrepreneurs and go getters that have podcasts, because you have an outlet for artists like me, to grow our fan base and to expand our charity. So, first of all, thank you, stacy. Be unstoppable, okay, because I like that. Be unstoppable. That's how we need to be unstoppable, so first of all, thank you to you.
Speaker 3:I'm second. Thank you to Ron. I'm led for Ron. I met Ron back when I was working with Anita Baker and he has followed my career and has helped me go to the next level. So shout out to Ron left for for seeing something in me. Thank you to my manager. I have an amazing manager, courtney Benjamin. Thank you, courtney Benjamin, for managing me and taking me to the next level, and thank you to my producer, my A&R and he's my right hand, marcus Devine.
Speaker 3:I'm the artist that I am. I'm the artist that I am because I was rehearsing a day and something didn't come out my throat right and he told me I need to fix it. I appreciate his honesty, you know, in molding me into a better artist. So I have an amazing team that pushes me to be better. I have a song called Get to Know. No, no, I can't even think there's a line in one of my songs that says I'm here by no goodness of my own, and that's the truth. I'm here by no goodness. So thank you to the people that support me and lift me up. Thank you to you and a shout out to everybody in Memphis. I love y'all.
Speaker 3:Y'all my second home. I love y'all and I really hope that I can come to Memphis and perform for you guys one day, and I'm sure one of my cousins or something is going to be in the audience.
Speaker 2:Well, like I told Marcus, but I'm telling you, devine says I know you got roots in Memphis. You come to Memphis, please look me up, because I would love to be to that person. Yeah, just to be around you, hopefully. If you're singing at that time, I would love to be there as well.
Speaker 3:You might be my cousin, stacy, while you playing.
Speaker 2:We were related.
Speaker 3:Because Memphis and Jackson and West Memphis, you know that's a circle of people, so you know, you, you you, you, you, you, you, you.
Speaker 2:You know, in this small city.
Speaker 3:That's what I'm.
Speaker 2:That's what I'm saying.
Speaker 3:But thank you so much. I just I love everybody, appreciate everybody for even who's, who's even watching. So yeah, thank y'all so much.
Speaker 2:Okay, cool, hold tight as I wrap up the show. Okay.
Speaker 1:Okay, one more Woo.
Speaker 2:Thank you for watching Spit to the Beat podcast. Join us again for another live episode next week.