11 October 2001
Interviewed by Trelane Palantine
As founder member, I�m the �Daddy� of the band. I am also a keyboard player for Liberty along with Glen Scott and a main producer and writer for the band.
Some of the funkiest brothers on the planet with some great classic soul moods to chill you and yo� Momma out at the other end of the scale. The other guys in the band are out there crazy. I love �em. It comes across clearly in our live performances.
Who are your influences?
Early Cameo, the whole Minneapolis scene like The Time, Jesse Johnson, Prince and all spin offs, Zapp, Earth Wind & Fire, Slave, UK�s lovers rock/reggae scene, Stylistics and Al Green. More recently Mint Condition, Lo Key, Jodeci, Blackstreet, traditional and modern gospel. I could go on all day really.
As a session musician/producer who have you worked with?
Heatwave, Odyssey, Shola Ama, Eternal, The Real Thing, George McRae, Basement Jaxx, Kleeshay, Sounds of Blackness, Madasun, Bond, Gwen Dickie (Rose Royce), Innocence, Alexander O�Neal, Ali, Original Son, Byron Stingily (Ten City), Alley Cat, Junior Giscomb, Darkman, Angie Brown (Bizarre Inc), Ola, Brian McKnight.
What have been your highlights so far with Liberty?
Having so much confidence in the guys that we�ve been winners in everything we entered into. Our Cyprus adventure, which I�m sure, will be made into some Spinal Tap type movie one day. The first time a limo came to pick me up at home taking me and the guys to Capital Radio for an interview and then onto Wembley Arena to perform our first support with Wet Wet Wet. Hearing our first single on the radio in 92 (Jazz fm). Our first album in top record stores in 93. Becoming Capital Radio/Coca-Cola Young Band of the Year.
What has been your strangest Liberty experience?
Having one of my sisters tell me �break a leg� as they do in showbiz and busting up my ankle just before a very important show at Xenon�s nightclub in Piccadilly, London. We had clothes made and everything for that show. My ankle was so swollen, it was big as my calf, hence I couldn�t put my proper trousers on or do any of the moves while playing the keyboards we rehearsed so hard for. Now I tell my sisters to keep their gob shut! (smile)
Why have you stuck with Liberty since the late 1980�s?
I had a vision as a very small child that I wanted to be doing this within a unit of my own. Liberty is like my child. The guys that joined the band are an extension of my blood family. I treasure every opportunity that I get to work with them. They are my family, my friends and brothers through good times and bad times. I love them for sticking around and helping the dream become a reality, our reality.
What are your favourite Liberty songs?
Destiny, My Girl (several mixes), Slippery When Wet, A Rose By Any Other Name, Meet Me Halfway, too many to mention in fact.
Which artist or band would you like Liberty to work with?
Any of our influences or even artists who are unheard of but have a real passion for what they do and have done their homework in getting their �thang� to a certain standard. Anyone that inspires us to grow as a unit or individuals. It�s all good.
How do you feel about another band taking your name?
It gives me a heavy heart to know that no respect or acknowledgement has been shown to us as fellow entertainers after all we have been through over the years. This business is tough enough without having a group of youngsters (who were probably no more than five years old when we started) get their golden opportunity at a shot in this industry then use it to try and eradicate the goodwill and status of an already established band for many years of the same name, regardless of not obtaining massive household name status. I ask the question �how much do you have to sell, how many magazines and tabloids do you have to appear in, how many concerts and gigs do you have to do to solidify your existence in the market place? Their record company contacted The Band Register early enough in their campaign and was clearly warned of our registrations and links to ASCAP USA and PRS/MCPS Europe, hence having pre-eminence over the name.
What does the future hold for Liberty?
To continue what we started many years ago, make good music, create good memories and enjoy the ride. Of course, there is the little matter of a High Court trial to deal with and fighting to keep the name we�ve used for over a decade.
As founder of the band, how did you decide on the name Liberty?
As a kid, when I was trying to get into the music business and not having a multi-millionaire on hand to say �here you go�, I heard so many opinions about what type of music I should be playing or how I should look in order to succeed. All the advice went against what I was trying to do. Hence Liberty, freedom. What's wrong with this picture folks? A few months ago they were trying to get into Hear'Say I believe.
What are your comments on the music industry as a whole based on your own experiences?
I learnt very early on that there is a difference between the music industry and the music business. It�s a very lonely business. As a session musician, you can bond with people you are touring with for six to eight months or more. Then, suddenly, the tour ends and you can easily not run into those people that you shared your life with for another five years or more. As an artist, you are more than a commodity. If you sell and recoup a desirable amount of units, you stay in the club. If not, you�re gone. It has very little bearing on how brilliant you play, sing or dance. Even with contracts, things can go wrong. Always have a plan. To sum up the music game, when it�s good there is nothing like it but when it�s bad learn to pray hard.