Patrick Basile: a Singer's singer

all photos: Alan Mercer

Singer extraordinaire Patrick Basile, originally from upstate New York, has made Los Angeles his home for the past several years. I first heard his music on his MySpace page. I was overwhelmed at his ability to sing a standard and make it his own. His CD "Natural Man" is filled with one gorgeous cut after another. Also checkout his Christmas CD, perfect for this time of year.
I first photographed Patrick a year and a half ago. His (mostly) female fans all over the world fell in love with our shots. It's easy to see why. Patrick is a strikingly handsome Italian-American with chiseled good looks. For these new photos we went up to the top of Laurel Canyon and Mulholland.

AM: Hi Patrick. You represent the new breed of recording artists who does mostly everything yourself. What do you think about this?

PB: Well it's a lot of work. More work than you can imagine. Fortunately I am able to produce my own recordings from the orchestrations, arrangements, and over-seeing everything else about the production The control factor is wonderful but it would be nice to have a label putting the money behind it, and be able to collaborate with a company I trust.

AM: Do you think having two heads is better than one?

PB: I produced my new CD, "Natural Man", but I had the renowned vocal coach "Seth Riggs", who has worked with artists like Ray Charles, Natalie Cole, Michael Jackson, Barbra Streisand, and Madonna, help me produce my voice. I have his endorsement on the CD. It was wonderful to have another set of ears listening to my voice and telling me what I needed to re-sing for certain reasons. It was great because after creating and working with arrangements, and orchestrations of the same songs for a period of months, you get ear fatigue. He was able to watch over my voice. I was really pleased and very fortunate to have him on the project. He actually made my CD better!
Now to answer your question, "yes", having another set of ears is good. I can't forget my producer/engineer as well, "Maurice Gainen", who oversaw the "whole production". Having people work with you, who know what they are doing is the most important thing.

AM: When you started the "Natural Man" project were you intimidated?

PB: No, I am never intimidated. I "love" challenges! It's the kind of thing that evolves as a piece of art. I tried my best not to over-control everything because that is not what art is about. I let things fall into place. I try to always be in the moment.

AM: I love the fact that the CD is called "Natural Man" and yet most of the songs you recorded are associated with female singers.

PB: That's a good point, because I have always taken the precaution not to record songs by other well known "male" artists, because if you stay with songs associated with women, or other genres, you don't run the risk of comparison. I did the song "At Last", which belongs to Etta James, and it is one of the songs that is getting the most airplay from the album. People love a male singer doing that song. The same thing has happened with "Cry Me A River", which gets me a lot of attention. It really is a song for a woman, but I knew that I could give it a "male" point of view. It is funny, both male and female listeners, love my version of that song, and the music video that was produced for it.

AM: I have heard that the composer of "CRY ME A RIVER" heard your recording of it.

PB: Yes, that is true. "Arthur Hamilton", who is the composer, heard it and called me. He told me he and his wife saw the music video, and it was one of the best versions of the song that he had ever heard! He endorsed it later when the CD came out, and said some wonderful things about me. He said that I had a lot of passion and he felt I understood the meaning of the song. He also released a formal statement, saying that I bring "myself" into every song, making it truly my own. So many people have recorded that song. I felt as if "Gershwin" was calling me!
I love doing songs that are more obscure as well. I also like covering African American artists material as well, for the same reason. They have their own distinct style and I have mine.

AM: I know you have other big endorsements like Paul Williams.

PB: What a thrill it was to meet Paul Williams. Thanks to you, he heard my version of "Nice To Be Around." That song goes way back to when I was a teenager.
I used to sing a lot of his material. Paul really loves the rendition I did. He wrote me a beautiful email thanking me for doing such a beautiful job on his music. I saved the email!

AM: Didn't you record a new song recently?

PB: Yes I just did a cover of "Old Man River" that I am getting a lot of attention for. It is usually done by a baritone but I am a tenor. I always wanted to sing this song. I did a very ethereal arrangement, and I sang it in a higher key, and people loved the fact that it was so different. The song is timeless and deals with all of our struggles. There is a second new song that I recorded recently called "What are you Doing The Rest Of Your Life". I am really getting a lot of positive feedback on this vocal, as it is "unlike" anything that I have recorded. It also has a more naked orchestration, than usual.

AM: When does this CD get it's official release?

PB: My promoter (Cammy Reali) and I are releasing the CD to coincide with this new TV show I will be doing in January 2010 called "Back Home With Lisa Smith Putnam." It's a show like the old Merv Griffin, Dinah Shore style of variety shows. It's going to be filmed in Seattle in an old theater. I'm very excited about that.

AM: Tell me about your Christmas CD.

PB: I did that about three years ago. That CD got a lot of accolades when I first recorded it. You only really get four weeks out of the year to promote and sell it. Usually artists record a Christmas CD after their first CD. I did it the other way around.

AM: What do you know about your fan base?

PB: I do know that MySpace is what got me started. I have a fan base from there, and Facebook now, which I believe will broaden when I have the music available on" i-Tunes" and "Amazon". Right now I have the biggest fan base in the UK and Australia. I have over 28 radio stations playing my music. I have an offer to sing in Italy next year as well.

AM: It seems like musical artists always break outside the US first. Why do you think this is?

PB: I think they are more open to new artists and different genres. I don't understand some of today’s music. I like music that is melodic. Thank God for people like Diana Krall, Andrea Bocelli , Michael Buble, Streisand, and Tony Bennett who are stimulating the market with beautiful singing. I like many genres of music. Country is huge and there are a lot of really beautiful country songs now.

AM: Some of todays music sounds the same to me.

PB: Yes it does. More so than ever now! I don't like too much repetitiveness in a song. However, there is a theory that you have to give people a kind of sameness to your album. They don't like too much variance. I once heard that a successful hit song consists of 80% of what they have heard before, and 20% new.

AM: Getting back to your fans. Typically a good looking Italian man will have a large female fan base. Do you find this to be true?

PB: Yes I have a lot of female fans. I think it is about one third men and two thirds women. I have every kind of person of every age, and every race, from all over, who like my music. I love that! I'm getting emails from Indonesia from people telling me that they like my music and where can they get it. That will be the good thing about getting the music on i-Tunes and Amazon. I can direct them there.

AM: Do you consider yourself more of a recording artist or a performer?

PB: More of a recording artist, definitely. I do have performing talents that I haven't tapped into. I have done some acting in television, commercials, and plays as well. People say they like me on stage. They like my funny banter. I'm not like Hugh Jackman. He is more of an entertainer. I'm more of a recording artist like a young Tony Bennett.

AM: Tell me about your own song-writing?

PB: I wrote a song called, "I'll Follow You" with "Rick Karatas" which is kind of a spiritual thing. We actually wrote three original songs for the CD. The "I'LL FOLLOW YOU" music video has over 3000 hits on YouTube so far. It started out as a Christian song. It has a double meaning. It's a love song as well. A lot of people really love the song. I edited the video too. I love doing that. You can really be creative. You can also see it on Myspace and Facebook.

AM: Are you producing any artists?

PB: I am working with a cellist in the UK. We are doing a recording that is New Age with a Jazz edge. I am arranging, orchestrating, and pIaying all of the orchestral parts. I love doing this, but after a while there is only so much time in a day and all this work is extremely time consuming and exhausting. I have to keep my direction or I go crazy after a while.

AM: Where would you like to see your career, say in five years?

PB: I'd love to be headlining in Las Vegas, and doing concerts. I would love to be featured with "Chris Botti". I just love his work, and he always features singers. I would like to do what he is doing now, performing all over the world with live orchestras. Concerts is where I will be.

"I'LL FOLLOW YOU"

Patrick Basile | MySpace Music Videos
to learn more about Patrick Basile and hear more music visit his MySpace page http://www.myspace.com/patchbasile

Pamela Des Barres: Groupie Guru

Pamela Des Barres was a member of the GTOs (Girls Together Outrageously) an all girl group of rock groupies, mentored and produced by Frank Zappa. Their album 'Permanent Damage' is considered a classic and a very collectible hunk of vinyl. After several years as an actress in commercials, soaps and movie bit parts, she started writing about her madcap days as “the world’s most famous groupie,” chronicling her relationships with rockers such as Mick Jagger, Jim Morrison, Jimmy Page and Keith Moon in 'I’m With the Band.' She followed that 1987 New York Times Best Seller with the sequel, 'Take Another Little Piece of My Heart- A Groupie Grows Up,' in 1992. 'Rock Bottom – Dark Moments in Music Babylon' was published by St. Martin’s Press in 1997, and her most recent offering, 'Let’s Spend the Night Together –Backstage Secrets of Rock Muses and Supergroupies' came out in 2007, and has been published in paperback, along with her second memoir.



Since 1988, Pamela has written for several publications including, Rolling Stone, Cosmopolitan, Details, the New York Times, Los Angeles Magazine, Spin and Playgirl among many others, and she had a 5 year stint as a music columnist for E! Online. She now writes a monthly music column for Rolling Stone Italy, where she has enjoyed huge success with her books. Pamela has been featured in innumerable international documentaries, including 'Mayor of the Sunset Strip' and 'Plaster Caster' and has her very own 'E! True Hollywood Story.' She teaches creative writing workshops around the U.S. and as an ordained minister, performs rock & roll weddings.



Eric Venturo and I enjoyed our photo shoot and visit with the beautiful Miss Pamela. It's easy to see why she became a successful person. She is a 'sharp as a tack' photogenic Virgo woman. These photos were taken in her back yard in five minutes.



AM: Did you ever imagine that you would have such a specific and unique identity? Author, actress, singer, teacher, tour guide, mother. You are more than any one thing.



PD: I'm just a hippie woman trying to make a living in any creative way I can possibly think of. I never saw myself as any kind of 9 to 5-er or maintaining any kind of normalcy compared to what most people do in regards to having a job they can count on. I've had to be very creative and come up with ways to pay my mortgage and all the other stuff. I've needed something to keep my interest. That's how I've become so many things.



AM: Have you always been interested in all these things or did they just come along your path? Did you want to give Hollywood tours for instance?



PD: That was someone else's idea. They were two very wealthy British guys who tried to one up each other on their fortieth birthdays. One of them bought me for the day to be a tour guide around my Hollywood spots. They gave me five grand and took me in a Rolls Royce limo and I thought this is a good way to make a living. I only charge a hundred dollars for the tour now but that is where the idea came from. Here's another way for me to make a living and show people a really good time.



AM: So you are enjoying doing these tours?



PD: Oh yes I'm not going to do anything I don't enjoy at this stage of the game. (Laughing)



AM: You must be enjoying your writing classes.



PD: I teach my writing classes all over the country. I'm going to Austin this week and I'm going to teach in New York coming up. I just taught in Indiana.



AM: How are you booking these?



PD: Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter.



AM: You are doing it all by yourself.



PD: I do everything by myself. I am actually looking for a manager. I need someone who wants to help me raise my profile to the next level. I am actually my own product. I have been for years and years. There's more to it, I should have a perfume out by now. 'Groupie' perfume and things like that. I could use a little help actually.



AM: Do you feel like you were born strong or did you evolve to this?



PD: I evolved. I was shy as a young teenager. I never felt like my tits were big enough or my eyes were big enough. It's agony being a teenager, so I had to find ways around it. As soon as I discovered the Beatles, the Stones, and the Doors and I could actually go meet and hang with them and I saw they wanted to hang out with me I got a lot more self esteem that way. I was a young teenager and some people say that was a lame way to get self esteem but at that age it was a good way.



AM: Obviously these musicians thought you were beautiful.



PD: It's actually more than beauty because there were always a lot of beautiful girls around. To spend quality time with a musician you have to love what they do. Just like with any man. You have to sincerely love and care about what they do. I think it's equally important to being a pretty young thing. You have to embrace what their soul wants to do.



EV: You are extra smart. I thought that after I met you the first time.



PD: Really!?! I never think of myself as being all that smart. I'm intuitive and I went to Reseda High but I never went to College. I don't have those kinds of smarts. I always knew I would write because I love to express myself and I do it well with words.



AM: I love how you integrate the song lyrics into your stories. How did that come up?



PD: I just love lyrics and they stick in my head. The first single I ever bought was Elvis 'Treat Me Nice.' It was the flip side of 'Jailhouse Rock.' It is tattooed on my back.



AM: Have you always relied on your humor?



PD: I don't know. I never thought of myself as that amusing.



AM: You come off very funny in your writing.



PD: It's part of being self-deprecating. I think that's important. It helps people feel that you are vulnerable and that you can connect with them in some way. We are all humble in some way. Even people who appear to have a lot of bravado come from humility. That just shows they are insecure. I think being self-deprecating and amusing and being amused by yourself helps you touch other people in the same place.



AM: What possessed you to become an ordained minister?



PD: I also have Jesus tattooed on my back and he's all over my house. It's a wonderful thing being in that moment. It's only you and the two people getting married in that incredibly special moment. That really drew me to that. My Goddaughter was getting married and I wanted to be a part of that experience and I was ordained already, so I decided I would use it.



AM: Is it hard to get ordained?



PD: It's very easy to get ordained these days and I have been ordained for twenty years so I decided I would use it. I've performed several Weddings since then and I just love it. It feels good.



AM: Do you consider yourself religious?



PD: No I am Spiritual. There are many levels to all of us. Most of us only tap into one or two levels. I try to tap into more levels of myself, the unseen levels, and I really like marrying people. I get to use the song lyrics again in the ceremony. They are always Rock n' Roll Weddings. I'm available for anyone who wants to get married. A thousand dollars is my fee and it's well worth it!



AM: Is there anything new that you want to begin?



PD: I'm writing two different books right now. I have a TV show in development that I can't go into detail about now, but it is happening. I'm doing a documentary based on my most recent book, 'Let's Spend The Night Together' interviewing groupies. I'm going all around the country doing that. One of the books I am working on is called, "Blinded by the Light: Confessions of a Gurupie' a word I made up. That's about my spiritual life. The other is called, 'Treat Me Nice: How to Make Love to a Rock Star.'



EV: Miss Pamela I can tell you are a deep soul who is extra kind.



PD: I am extra kind. It's a good quality! (giggling)

photos: Alan Mercer lighting: Eric Venturo

To learn more about Miss Pamela check out her web site http://www.pameladesbarres.net/

Portfolio: Kyra Locke

Beautiful Kyra Locke makes a stunning photo! We shot these in Venice Beach. Richard Levi assisted.

Carlos Gallardo: The Original 'Mariachi'

photos: Alan Mercer assisted by: Richard Levi

When he was six years old, Carlos Gallardo fantasized about being involved in the world of cinema. He did not know he would do it, but his greatest desire was to enter that marvelous dream world. It came as no surprise, then, when at a young age he decided on a career as an Actor / filmmaker. From the day he made this decision on, he let his imagination run free.

Carlos began by making home videos, but by the time he turned 13, he had become a full-fledged director: 'I made my first movie with an 8mmm camera loaned to me by a friend of my father', he reminisces about his early experiences in film.

Carlos Gallardo's first taste of fame came with the feature film 'El Mariachi,' a critically-acclaimed film renowned for costing $7,000 to make. The film won the 1993 Sundance Film Festival, and won Gallardo an Independent Spirit Award for Best First Feature, an accolade he shared with Rodriguez. He is also credited as unit production manager and for special effects in 'El Mariachi.'

Following 'El Mariachi,' Gallardo went on to be co-producer of the Robert Rodriguez-directed Mexico Trilogy sequels, 'Desperado' and 'Once Upon a Time in Mexico.' Both films featured Antonio Banderas in the role of 'El Mariachi,' in place of Gallardo, though Gallardo does have a cameo role in 'Desperado,' playing El Mariachi's buddy Campa.

Gallardo co-wrote, produced and starred in the title role of 2004 independent action thriller, 'Bandido.' He is also a producer for 2004 Colombian TV series.

Carlos also participated in the Robert Rodriguez production titled 'Curandero' where he plays the lead. 'Curandero' was directed by Eduardo Rodriguez.

I remember hearing about and then seeing 'El Mariachi' when it came out. Carlos Gallardo stood out as the lead of the film. I was pleased to be able to work with him on some new photographs at this point in his career. Richard Levi was available to help me get the good shots. We all talked about what is going on with Carlos after the photo session.

AM: What was it like being a kid and being so focused on film-making?

CG: That's a great question that nobody else has ever asked me. That is something that I have always asked myself. Why do I love this business? My parents are not in show business. Now my daughter already has it in her DNA so she is interested in the business. My first question is always, 'Are you born with it?' I was raised in a small town. My parents moved to this small town in the late 1940's. I was around in the 70's and they would always take me to the movies.

AM: How often would you go to the movies?

CG: My Mom would take us three times a week because it was such a little town and there was nothing else to do.

AM: What did your parents do for a living?

CG: Mom was a housewife and mostly did community work. My Dad was a gynecologist. I remember endlessly falling asleep at many, many movies. The movie theater was only a block from my house. Then there was a big theater a mile from home. So I do ask myself if that influenced me in my decision to make movies. That has always been the question and I don't have the answer. Robert (Rodriguez) says you are born with it which I believe, and others say, it all depends on how you were raised as a child. The second thing I have thought about is that I am a Leo and what is a Leo? It is the center of attention. Madonna and Antonio Banderas are Leos.

AM: I am a Leo!

CG: We are all Leos. So let's add a little bit of this to the mix with... at one point did I specifically say I want to make movies? I remember being five, six, and seven years old and wishing I was being filmed in the backyard. Then I do remember having some sort of feeling where people were looking at me. I wasn't that into sports but I did play a little football. I would always imagine having an audience and that would make me feel better.

AM: That's very Leo!

CG: OK, the most honest answer is when I was eleven or twelve I recorded my voice and I hated it. Then I saw 'The Road Warrior" with Mel Gibson and he spoke very little. So I said, "That's the type of movie I want to make!" I want to play someone who doesn't speak too much. Movies....yes, but with that same feeling as "The Road Warrior." This is the most honest answer I can give you.

RL: Did you go to film school?

CG: I didn't go to film school. We started making movies at twelve or thirteen.

AM: This is you and Robert Rodriquez?

CG: Yes. My parents sent me to San Antonio to a Catholic Seminary school. I had to live there. Robert was also a freshman. We met on the first weekend of school. Everybody was gone except for five kids so we decided to go to the movies.

AM: Was 'El Mariachi' a surprise hit?

CG: I think Robert was more surprised than me. This was the first time I saw myself on film.

AM: Did you think you WERE the Road Warrior?

CG: Yes I did. My dream came true because TIME magazine called me 'Mad Max.' I always knew we had something great. Also not being from LA, my mind was not clustered to be afraid. I didn't have one mustard seed of fear!

RL: Didn't they consider the film something of a miracle?

CG: They called it a movie miracle right on the poster. I thought why is it a movie miracle? Is that because of me or Robert? He didn't even want the movie to be released. So if it was a miracle and someone had faith. I had all the faith. Those things are hard to say. Was it Robert having so much talent or me having so much faith that made it a movie miracle? Before we shot the film I told Robert we have to go to Mass because that is something we were taught as kids.

AM: Did 'El Mariachi' change your lives?

CG: We didn't know anything about the business. We made 'Desperado' without doing it the way we wanted to. Peter Guber and Mark Anthony had just been fired from Columbia Pictures. The new administration came in and said they wanted to change the movie. I just wanted to get a movie that was made with real money so that would be on our credits. That was very important to me.

AM: Did you know Antonio Banderas and Salma Hayek would be stars when they were cast in Desperado?

CG: We cast Salma a year before we filmed. At that moment in time you do not know those things. We didn't understand the 'star thing' we were just making movies. We weren't thinking about what comes after. We saw her on an HBO program and loved her. Antonio came in after Peter and Mark were fired. Antonio had just made 'Philadelphia' for Columbia so they wanted him in the lead.

AM: What do you say to critics who say 'El Mariachi' is the better film?

CG: I have to be neutral because I own both movies. I do say thank you very much as the actor, and as a producer I say, "They gave us money and I wanted to blow stuff up!" That was the whole point. You see the genius part was done with 'El Mariachi' not knowing we were doing it. Later it becomes normal movie-making life. We know what we are doing now. This is a business. The beginning has nothing to do with Hollywood or the business so it is innocent.

AM: Can you tell me about filming 'Bandido?'

CG: I'll tell you the story about 'Bandido.' Right after 'El Mariachi' I got my first check. I just put the check in the bank. Then I saw a ninja motorcycle and all of a sudden I have the power to buy it.

RL: Did you buy the bike?

CG: You have to be careful with money! My parents taught me good. So I got my bike and I listened to this Miguel Bose song that talked about being your lover Bandido. The idea is to change the word to a positive meaning. I kept hearing the song and I was flamboyant enough to think maybe I can make a character based on this. It was never an attempt to copy James Bond.

AM: Will there be a Bandido 2?

CG: We are planning a sequel, definitely. They are not easy to make. They are independent action films. The whole point is to create something bigger than what they give you money for. I want to start this next movie with second unit. Nobody has ever done that. Everyone starts with first unit and then finally goes ok second unit. This is a whole different idea. You have to think creative when you produce.

AM: Have you grown into producing?

CG: I think I have grown into it because the producer in me gives the job to the actor in me. That is the main reason I became a producer. I don't like being the bad guy. I like being the good guy that can share with everyone. Hollywood doesn't know that part of me. A lot of studios don't know who I really am.

AM: Are you interested in more television?

CG: No, no, no, I'm totally a film guy. There is some TV out there that is interesting. CSI is very interesting but I am a fan of Jerry Bruckhiemer. TV requires a different skill. With a movie you can get in character and do your scenes and then edit it to make it right. With TV you have to be on at certain times and it can be harder to get the feeling. It's always can you speak a little faster and do this a little faster. It's a different medium for me.

AM: Will you make a cameo in 'Machete?'

CG: I want to. I don't want to get killed in this one because I have already been killed in all the other ones.

AM: Can you talk about some projects you are working on now?

CG: I like to go out and find directors to make their first time film. This is a very important message. People say why would you do a movie with someone when you haven't seen their work. That is when you gamble. For the last couple of years I have tried to work with two directors, one is twenty-one and the other is fifty-something. Both are making their first film. I go through the process and make the movies and try to discover new directors. I'm always on the look out for the next one. I love to gamble myself into new movies with new talent. I love to work in a team.

Grammy Winner Thelma Houston

Photos: Alan Mercer Make-up: Rudy Calvo Hair: LeVerne Tate

Thelma Houston scored a number one hit in 1977 with her cover version of the song "Don't Leave Me This Way", which won the 1978 Grammy Award for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance.

Houston was born the daughter of a cotton picking mother. She and her three sisters grew up primarily in Long Beach, California. After marrying and having two children, she joined the Art Reynolds Singers gospel group and was subsequently signed as a recording artist with Dunhill Records. In 1969, she released her debut album, entitled Sunshower, produced by Jimmy Webb. In 1971, she signed with Motown Records but didn't get a hit until she released her third album Any Way You Like It in 1976. The first single released was her version of Harold Melvin & the Bluenotes' 1975 song "Don't Leave Me This Way". In February 1977 it hit number one in the U.S. on both the Billboard Hot 100 and R&B charts.

On August 14, 2007, Thelma Houston released her first studio album in seventeen years, A Woman's Touch. The album features cover versions of songs by male artists such as Luther Vandross, Marvin Gaye, and Sting that Houston had been inspired by. The first single from the album was "Brand New Day." On August 20, 2007, Houston's 1984 album Qualifying Heat was reissued as an import title in the U.S. with a bonus track.

I have always loved Thelma Houston's music. The excitement and energy she brings to anything she does is undeniable. Her voice is as strong and clear today as it was thirty years ago. She has spent a good part of her career "working well" with others. Her collaborations with other artists like Jerry Butler, Scott Henderson, Jermaine Jackson and others are well known in the industry.

I met Thelma through my friend Rudy Calvo who is not only an experienced make-up artist, but an expert in Soul Music. Rudy will be featured on this blog in the very near future. He has known Thelma for years and put us together for our first photo shoot eight years ago. These photos are from our third photo session. Rudy, Thelma and I got together to discuss her career so far!

AM: Hello Thelma, before we talk about anything else I want to tell you that I just discovered the four tracks you did with Scott Henderson! I love them.

TH: Oh yeah, he's the blues guy. That was done in 1997. I have to think about things in terms of where I was living. I was doing a project with Carole King's band. One of the guys in the band gave Scott my phone number. When I heard his music I really liked the way he played. He sent me these funny lyrics about the meter maid and a song called 'I Hate You' and it was so different than anything I had ever done. I ended up working on two projects with him. That's what I love doing, and at the same time, it's a big headache to a record company. I always thought that's what it should be. I like doing all kinds of things.

RC: You are producing art, and a lot of the art is missing from today's music. Last night I watched VH1 Divas and I wondered what happened? I did think Leona Lewis can sing but all her recordings sound like Britney Spears.

AM: That reminds me that Thelma is always on television. You get more TV time than any of your peers now. What do you think that's all about?

TH: Well I think it's a good thing! (lol) These things just kind of happen. I think it's the popularity of the song. 'Don't Leave Me This Way' was and still is a favorite. When they want to get the audience up and moving they like the song and I come along with the song!

RC: I think it's more than that. It is a great song but you are a great talent. Lots of people have done dance songs and can't hold a candle to you. You are what a real singer is all about. That's at least part of the reason you are still doing what you do, because you are so great. I see people that have great songs all the time but they can't back it up.

AM: I have to agree with that.

RC: It's also the energy you give out.

TH: Well thank you. It is a natural reaction because I am so happy to be doing it. I really genuinely love doing this. I'm happy for every opportunity to do it.

RC: You have always been consistent with your career. You have always worked. You are always a part of a project like 'Sisters of Glory' and 'Pressure Cooking.' Last night I heard your version of 'Comfortably Numb' and it knocked me out. I believe that is one of the best songs you have ever recorded. It is so strong and powerful. I like a lot of your work but I think that is a masterpiece.

TH: Thank you Rudy. It's a project I did with all these songs from Britain. It was done with the symphony orchestra. I did some tours with them as well.

AM; Do you think it makes a difference to record LIVE in the studio?

TH: I love it LIVE.

AM: Do you think it makes a better end result?

TH: For me it does because I do so much better. I love the element of performing so when I record LIVE I am more natural. When I first started recording with the Art Reynolds Singers that's the way we used to so it. We would cut the songs LIVE with the band. That is also the way Jimmy Webb asked me to record 'Sunshower.' He loved to be there and have me record LIVE. That's the only way that I knew, but when I got to Motown they would already have these tracks recorded in your key but you wouldn't be there to have an input into the creation of the song. I quickly learned who was booking the tracking dates and I would become their good friend so they would let me know when the recordings were being done and I could show up and have a say in them. I LOVE to be able to record LIVE!

RC: So when you were with Motown was it more of an assembly line?

TH: At Motown if someone was a writer or producer and they had an idea, they would run it past the creative people and decide if it was a good track and then they would decide what artist would record it. Or they might say I think this is a good cut for Thelma or Diana. If they thought it was strong enough they could get it cut right away.

RC: Who were your favorite songwriters at Motown?

TH: I liked Pam Sawyer and Gloria Jones when they wrote together.

RC: Everything they did was very dramatic.

TH: There are a lot of good writers there. I love Nick and Valerie Simpson's writing and I LOVE Michael Jackson's writing. I like all the Motown songs. My favorite all-time writer is Jimmy Webb. Of all the material that I have ever recorded, his songs were the most challenging and the lyrics were the best. It's beautiful and you can picture it.

RC: It has also become a classic album for people who are connoisseurs of music.

AM: When I heard that album for the first time I was floored by the beauty. Rudy do you think Thelma's music with Motown stands out from the rest of her work?

RC: It depends on the track. I prefer her singing a great love song instead of something kitschy. I know you had to record those songs Thelma.

TH: We all had to do them and if you refused they would say, 'We're just trying to get you a hit song.' It makes you feel like the worst person. When you are not a songwriter and you don't write for yourself you are at their mercy. We still had the opportunity to say no, but if you say no all the time then you become known as difficult and if you are difficult nobody wants to work with you.

RC: When you were under contract did you have to record what they told you or did you get a choice?

TH: It all depended on the producer. I worked a lot with Hal Davis and he had so many cuts. I was so excited to be there that I sang all of them. But Joe Porter said if there was a song that I wanted to sing we could use it. From that point of view I liked working with him, but Hal Davis is who gave me the hits. It just depended on who I was working with.
I learned to work with a whole bunch of different producers. It was good to be with Motown because I came away with a Grammy and an international hit!

AM: Were you elated to sign with Motown or was it just another project?

TH: Back in the early sixties when I was pregnant and having morning sickness I heard Smokey Robinson sing on the radio and hearing about Motown. I thought to myself that I would never, ever be a singer. It will never happen for me. So some years later to turn around and be on the label I was elated to be on the label. I didn't think I would ever be discovered in Long Beach.

RC: I consider Thelma to be one of the prominent members of the Female West Coast Singers. People like Darlene Love, Brenda Holloway, and Edna Wright, Merry Clayton, Clydie King, Gloria Jones. These are women of substance.

AM: Substance being the key word. That's what sets them apart.

TH: Those are all the girls I knew of.

RC: How do you feel about performing your 'Capitol' work after all these years coming up in England?

TH: I think it's going to be fun. I am looking forward to it. It's like new material because I haven't done it in so long. I have to learn it.

RC: You got that contract because Art Reynolds was on Capitol right?

TH: Yes and they asked me if I wanted to do my own thing.

RC: When are you going to England?

TH: I go in November.

RC: She is also performing for the first time at the world famous Jazz Cafe in London.

TH: This will be my first time to really be there in many years.

AM: Can you share any valuable lessons you may have learned about the business over the years?

TH: Yes I have a story. The first big show I ever did was headlined by Moms Mabley. I went to the rehearsal for the show and the band leader asked me for my charts. I said, 'My charts?' He said, 'Yes where is your music?' I said, 'I don't have any music.' Then I got the idea to give him some of my 45 records and I told him I can sing these songs. He sent the horn players on a break and kept the rhythm section there so we could make the charts for my songs so I could stay in the show. I remember they put me in the same dressing room as Moms Mabley. She had many bottles of Spring water and she was sitting there relaxing. The first show was over-sold. They had people waiting in line for a second show. The promoters came back to Moms room and said, 'Moms, it looks like we are going to have to do a second show. Is that cool?' She said, 'It's cool if you have my money.' They told her to not worry and that everything would be fine. We will collect the money and give it to you after the show. She said, 'I want my money before.' They said, "Come on Moms.' She took those teeth out of her mouth and started chanting, 'We gonna have a riot. We gonna have a riot.' They came back and counted her out her money. I said, 'I want mine too.' They paid me and I'm not sure if the rest of the performers got theirs. They were sitting around afterwards waiting for their money and we were packed up and ready to go. I learned that lesson from Moms Mabley. I was really glad to be in that room that day.

To learn more about Thelma Houston visit her MySpace page
http://www.myspace.com/thelmahouston

Brian Nolan Beats the Odds

photos: Alan Mercer Assisted by: Richard Levi

Brian Nolan calls himself a lover of people. He loves his family and friends--he is really a lover of life! Outgoing, zany and sometimes off the wall, many are often surprised at his intellectual side. He enjoys a quiet conversation with an incredible friend that he can learn from. One friend even told him he was put on this earth to spread friendliness, and it seems to be true.

His personal attitude is, "believe this life is truly what you make of it. Operate on a philosophy of living your art. Sing. Dance. Love. Support. Appreciate. Push Yourself. Love the one your with. Believe what you want but believe it in your heart, don't listen to what other people tell you to believe in. Shake hands with people. Say hello or smile to people you make eye contact with. Take chances. Laugh your ass off."

He was also born to be an entertainer. As a child, Brian would perform for his family members at holidays by singing "New Kids on the Block" songs via a toy microphone in his living room.
The graduate of the University of Central Florida Conservatory Theatre program worked in a video store throughout his teen years.

In 2009 he has been a regular on Season 3 of THE LAIR, a gay vampire show on HERE television, made an appearance on Disney's HANNAH MONTANA and Nickelodeon's iCARLY. He has some European spots for BOXER and TELE2, the zombie horror flick GEORGE'S INTERVENTION, and the film NEUROTICA on LOGO.

Richard Levi brought Brian and me together for a photo session and a chance to get to know each other. After the photo session we all had a chance to hang out and talk.

AM: Hello Brian, I know you are on a cable show called 'The Lair.' Is that how most people know you?

BN: Pretty much, I have been doing theater since I was fourteen and living in Florida. I also went to college for theater and then I moved to Los Angeles a year after I graduated from college.

AM: How long have you lived in Los Angeles?

BN: I have been here five years.

AM: How long did it take to get cast in something?

BN: The first two years were a little rough, but I got cast in 'The Lair' about two and a half years after moving here in 2006.

AM: Were you concerned at all about taking 'The Lair' or were you just grateful to have a job?

BN: At the time I was pretty grateful to have it. I've always been a fan of interesting dramas. I liked 'Queer As Folk' and 'Six Feet Under,' shows that push the envelope a little. I didn't really have any reservations. I've always been lucky on the show because my character doesn't really do anything crazy. I've never had to take off my clothes or anything like that. I was really excited to get the part.

AM: Has this part led to other work?

BN: It's definitely opened a lot of doors. A lot of the target audience for the show work in the entertainment business in LA. I've been called in for many parts because of "The Lair' which I didn't expect at all.

AM: Do you audition a lot?

BN: Yes, I go through phases where sometimes there are a lot of auditions. It has been a weird year for actors in general. It ebbs and flows, but yeah it's been slow right now but I know it will pick back up.

AM: What was it like working on 'Hannah Montana?'

BN: It was great and that led to other appearances on other shows like 'iCarly.' It is such a different side from doing 'The Lair' which is a gay vampire show.

AM: No one seems concerned that you are part of a 'gay vampire' show?

BN: No, I work for Disney and Nickelodeon.

RL: That's a testament to you and your personality. I'm sure if you were taking off your clothes it wouldn't be so easy to bring you on the children's programs.

BN: Both casting directors know I am on 'The Lair' and that's the thing that people say a lot. Don't people have a problem with you doing both shows? If you watch 'The Lair' you will see that it's really not bad. It's equal to anything on HBO. It's no worse than 'True Blood' in it's content. It's never been an issue.

RL: I'm glad we are the first to bring it up.

BN: Even my fellow actors were surprised because they didn't think I would get cast.

RL: Well it is hard to imagine that you are on the vampire show and then you turn around and work with Miley Cyrus. That's quite a distinction.

AM: I think it's nice too. It shows progress in our culture because there shouldn't really be a conflict.

BN: I'm sure it has been a conflict before and I just didn't know about it.

AM: What direction would you like to take your career?

BN: Ideally I would like to use all these experiences to get to the next step. I remind myself to be grateful that I've had these experiences just in case it all ended tomorrow. At least I achieved the vast majority of what I set out to accomplish in the first place. There is still so much I want to do

AM: Like what?

BN: I would love to do a sitcom. That would be an ideal dream. I love playing characters for a long period of time. I like to watch myself evolve as well as my character. I would love to have a future in television. I also like working with the same family. Trust me, everyone wants to be in the movies and I would love that but the TV world is mine.

AM: Do you audition for films?

BN: I've auditioned for a couple. I've actually done one full length movie, but I enjoy working with the same people on 'The Lair' now.

RL: Is it the same writers?

BN: Frank Ray who is the director is also the writer.

RL: Do you have anything coming up?

BN: I have the 'iCarly' coming up where I play a Rabbi.

RL: You are getting the kids to know you. Get them to know you so they can grow with you.

BN: I want to do more of that. It comes to me very easy. I can do farcical comedy very naturally.

photos: Alan Mercer Assisted by: Richard Levi

To learn more about Brian Nolan check out his MySpace page http://www.myspace.com/brianwnolan