Interview with Felicia Johnson

 A few years ago I worked with this really cool "chick" on a movie set. We became fast friends. In talking with her more I found out that she was a writer. I wanted her to write my bio for me.  Her name is Felicia Johnson. She was at that time very busy and so was I and we never finished the bio. I found this old interview in my archive and thought I'd blog it with some pics ....

What does it feel like when you are on stage?

Well the first moments just before I go on I get a rush  and then I hear the music and it’s as if the bass and the drums melt into my bones and then into my heart beat. I close my eyes for a second or two and it’s just me and God.  Sometimes it’s just me. And then I have this overwhelming joy  and I’m just happy to be there.  It feels like understanding and acceptance for who I am no matter what I do.  It’s all surreal really funny, but sometimes it feels like I’m not really there.  It’s like there is another existence or entity who gets inside me and I just get to witness it because I am there. I know kinda weird.

What inspires me?

Well the first thing is just simple things. The very basics that we overlook sometimes because of our own complexities. I am inspired by nature, by love, by hate, injustice,racism, happiness, sadness they all inspire me one way or another. Or sometimes a melody  will just arrive in my head in which case I would say the song itself inspired me to vocalise it, to make it real.  I never know what thing will inspires me next, but when it does I enjoy it and try to let it live it’s full potiential.  Other artists inspire me too. Like Bilal, he inspires me to try anything even if it’s bad because you live the music then and it can live through you.

Why do I sing?

Well it’s a long story. I started singing for the very first time with my sisters, we sang in church.  Then as a teenager I would sing  around  the house and stuff like that.  And one day, while listening to Anita Baker, a Sade video came on tv (regular tv). That completely changed my life I was like whoa…. Look at this woman with such grace and poise and so restrained is her bitterness, and love, and sadness.I felt like that is what I want to be. That’s what’s inside me, I connect with that  I went to my mother and said Ma I want to sing. And she told me to concentrate on my studies , got to college, and then I could decide if I really wanted to be singer or if it was just a phase. Sure enough it is still a burning desire today. I was singing everywhere in the shower, in the yard, in school, at work while sweeping or serving customers. And then I saw my first live band "602" in Austin. I was blown away. I realised that the need to do this was bigger than any feeling I have ever had. Any thought of quitting just brings an overwhelming pain and despair.  When singing helps to eliviate those very emotions. I know that it could be dangerous to say these words, but singing is like that for me. There is nothing more gratifying to my soul than singing.

How has living in France helped/hurt/enhanced my career?

Well my time in france really would take pages and pages, so let me just say that I actually had major life changes and subsequent growth as an artist. It was the first time I ever had the chance to lead a band. The first time that I ever booked gigs. Talking to managers and owners. I was also freed from certain stigmas in music. I began to see music as a business that has to be built from the ground up. That I could make some kind of career with my dream.I learned persistence. I met a lot of musicians and artists young and old. I’ve been jipped on concerts. I’ve been paid well. I’ve gotten more stage experience and well that’s been all good. I’ve been living a professional musician life.  The downside is that I am not hearing everything that drops in the States. Not the commercial stuff, but that new stuff like Eric Roberson or Jazmine Sullivan.  I seem to be out of the loop. Or I feel like  that. Some people would say that’s a good thing though because I am more focused on what I do and not what others are doing. That’s really hard for me because it seems like artists are moving in that new wave of energy and we kinda all feelin’ the same thing. So. I just listened to other music there. I have listened to more African music, french music, british stuff. It’s good for me to be exposed to some other cats. Being in France opened my eyes to the rest of the world. I started seeing what’s going on in Africa, in China, in Europe, you know just everywhere. I started realizing just how global we really are today.  I’ve gone to more concerts. I have bought a few more cd’s not everything, but suff I like. I learned to open my ears so to speak. It was always so expensive to see concerts and stuff at home because the cost of living is so high.  While I was in France,  I decided that it was more important to live the music in order to be a part of it. So I took advantage of the time and just jumped right in to the scene.

What singers old and new, do you like so much that you would buy their album for everybody you know?

Well there are many artists that I like and appreciate. First on my list would have to be Anita Baker because she just touched me so much with her voice. After that well there are many Sade, Zapp Mama, Bobby McFerrin, Keziah Jones, Julie Dexter, Eric Roberson, Bilal, Les Nubians, M,Omar, Jill Scott,  Manu Chao, Sarah Vaughn , Billie Holiday and well I’ll stop there. But, of course if I bought all these albulms for everyone I knew I’d be broke .(ha ha ha ha). I’d give these though because I think these artists would be completely new to some of my friends and defintely my family.

What next on the menu for Song?

What have you been doing in the time betweenn albulms?

 I combined these two questions because for me they go together. I  have just been experiencing life and love between the albulms. I went through a lot of self discovery, which is helping to really mold me into the woman I dream to be.  I have been honing my skills on stage and in the studio and I’ve been learning french. The next thing on the menu is to establish a place for myelf in the industry and musical community.  I hope to do that with honesty and love, because I believe if you’re honest in the music the music wiill be honest with you. So now it’s upwards and onwards.