Music Box Highlighting celebrity artists and their journeys in the music industry.
Alvin Garrett "There's More to Me than the Songs I Write"
Published November 15, 2013
I read his biography and list of accolades, but I wanted to give him a chance to share with us in his own words. I asked him to tell me about himself and why he decided to step out from behind the scenes. He said, “I felt compelled to do it to expand my brand and to really give people a chance to get know me and I just knew for my long term goals, that knowing who I am, and my personality is a big part of what makes me special. And, a lot of times writing songs and you know producing things behind the scenes people don’t really get the chance to know you. There’s much more to me than just the songs I write. There’s a charisma and passion that I want to share with people. So putting out my album gives me that avenue - that bridge to connect directly with my fans and my audience.”
As a former talent manager, I’ve watched many people try to make the transition from behind the scenes to the forefront of the limelight and it’s not always as smooth as Alvin makes it look. I asked him if he had any fears about moving forward to this new phase in his career or if he was totally confident when he made his decision. Alvin said, “It was something that I knew would be challenging because promoting an album and promoting yourself as an artist it’s a costly endeavor and so of course the most natural thing to look at is your own resources and start measuring your possibilities by what you have in the bank, but I overcame that and stepped out on faith and said you know what if I feel God leads me in this direction I’ll go and it will all come together." Read more!
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Raheem Malik
Written by Lakesha Woods
Published May 15, 2011
Interviewing Raheem Malik brought back a good feeling about music and the entertainment industry for me. His giddiness reminded me of why I'm a Writer, and why I publish Enjoy Life Magazine. It's all for the love of entertainment, for the smile that one wears on their face while being interviewed for the first time. It's for the inspiration that one receives from reading a positive story or watching an unknown artist develop into a star and Raheem Malik is shinning bright!
Growing up in Detroit, Raheem says he often found himself without any activities. With not much to do, he began to test the waters and experiment with the sound of music. It was during his senior year in high school that he started producing before he even started singing. Yet, his sounds were good enough for his ears he didn't always want to share his music. He said he was scared and really didn't want people to hear his music in fear that they wouldn't like it. The first time he actually sang was in front of a crowd at school and he sang the national anthem. He received a standing ovation and it was then that he realized he had a special gift and his level of confidence increased.
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Calvin Richardson - That Cat in the Hat!
His life is an open book and there aren’t very many secrets to be revealed yet he reserves the right to keep certain things private which continues to keep him as America’s Most Wanted. Calvin Richardson - That Cat in the Hat! He claims to be no mystery man, just down to earth and a hard worker. He's someone who loves what he does and lives and breaths music. Calvin says, he does his own shopping, spends time with his children, doesn’t go out much, and he’s very much a single man.
For the record I must admit that many of his fans and my readers wanted me to put Calvin in the hot seat and grill him. I was urged to ask if he’s married, how old is he, does he have children, who’s his girlfriend, if he’s dating the girl in the video (in real life), why did Wikipedia say that he was married, and tons and tons of fans wanted me to tell him hello. They’ve written in and asked me to deliver personal messages; some wanted me to find out when he would be coming to their towns, graduations, weddings, and baby showers! Well, as our conversation went along I really didn’t have to ask a whole lot questions because he was ready to set the record straight about a few things and digging up dirt really isn’t my style but if truth needs to be told, then by all means I welcome people to set the record straight.
When I first met Calvin, it was in Wilmington, Delaware back in 2006. He had a show at a lounge called The Colosseum. It was a small audience, the lights were dimmed and as I was walking from the ladies room Calvin was already on stage ... just a one man show. The ambiance and his presence on the stage put me in a nostalgic mood. It felt as though, I had been there before but maybe that’s just the old school soulfulness in his voice. His voice transcends the listener to another place and time. As the smoke filled the stage and Calvin put on a show.
Recently I saw this soul filled man perform at The Mansion located in Charlotte, North Carolina. Since our last interview in 2006, Calvin has toured in the stage play, The Lord Will Make A Way. He earned the ASCAP Songwriter of the Year Award, and three Grammy nominations. The nominations were for “There Goes My Baby” co-written with Babyface, and “Facts of Life” The Soul of Bobby Womack (a tribute album). His fifth album “America’s Most Wanted” debuts August 31, 2010 and this cat in the hat just maybe able to pull out all of his skills and take this Soul music to another level.
Take a listen to our live interview (previously recorded) and allow yourself to get a closer look into the life of this soul filled man. He's so much more than we’d ever imagine, not because he’s on the A list but because he has an above average talent yet he’s normal. Which certainly makes him more than just another cat in the hat and his voice sounds so clear! His studio and live vocals are incomparable and that’s due to the fact that he’s honed his craft and he is the essence of a Soul Singer. Besides, Calvin is Calvin 100% of the time and he can really, really sing. He’s not like some singers who are only good in the studio or those who have so many differences outside their studio comfort zones. No, never that, with cool breeze he’s good in or out. Which is why he’s finally being recognized for his gift.