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| Billy Valentine |
By Darlene Donloe
Billy Valentine has a remarkable career.
It’s filled with everything he loves – music, singing and performing, all of which have come to define his life. And what a life it’s been. His music has taken him around the world and back again. He has recorded albums, performed in concerts, performed in plays, been part of a duo, written hit records, performed with legends, and sung theme songs for both television and film.
A passionate artist whose luscious voice swathes a room, Valentine is one of those old-school veteran performers who has mastered his craft to the point of making it look effortless. And even though he’s worked with some of the greats and received accolades from his throng of fans, Valentine is appreciative but unfazed. With an ever-changing industry stretched out before him, Valentine says he still hasn’t hit his full stride.
He’ll have another chance tonight when he performs at The Eli and Edythe Broad Stage in Santa Monica as part of the blackbox @ the edye series which transforms The Edye into a club featuring up-and-coming jazz and blues artists. The series is curated and hosted by The Reverend Shawn Amos.
With his delicious vocals in tow, Valentine will perform with the house band which includes Stuart Elster (piano), Jimmy Roberts (saxophone), Edwin Livingston (bass) and Tony Austin (drums).
A fixture in the music industry for decades, Valentine has enjoyed numerous achievements.
A West Virginia native, Valentine began his professional career as a solo artist opening for Donny Hathaway and Roberta Flack in the 1970s. He was also the lead singer for the group Young Holt Unltd. He and his brother John went on to form the duo The Valentine Brothers, touring and producing four albums from 1975-1989. The duo co-wrote the memorable hit single Money's Too Tight (To Mention), which appeared on their album First Take.
In the early 1990s, Valentine was the singing voice for the lead vocalist character in Robert Townsend's feature film, The Five Heartbeats. Next, he joined the show It Ain't Nothin' But the Blues, performing at the Geffen Theatre in Los Angeles and the San Diego Rep in the late '90s.
From 2004-2008, fans of the television series, Boston Legal, heard Valentine sing the theme song to the legal drama.
Today he still tours internationally and plays local clubs in and around Los Angeles.
I recently spoke to Valentine about his career and his upcoming show at blackbox @ the edye at The Broad Stage tonight.
DD: Talk about what your fans will see and hear during your set tonight.
BV: I generally do songs that I grew up learning. There are artists I stand on the shoulders of, people like Ray Charles, Otis Redding, Al Green, and Marvin Gaye. I will do songs from them and original stuff.
DD: When will we be able to hear some new songs from you?
BV: I have a new CD coming out called Billy Valentine, Timing Is
Everything. There is no release date, but it’s coming out soon. I’m hopeful it will come out the beginning of the new year.
DD: How many tracks on the new CD and what is your favorite song?
BV: There are 12 tracks. Right now my favorite is a song called, Find A New Heart To Break. I can’t get it out of my head.
DD: Sing some of the lyrics.
BV: “Find a new heart to break, you won’t have mine anymore. Mine has taken all it can take, so find a new heart to break.”
DD: Sounds good. I like that. When you look back on your career, what do you think and what are you most proud of and why?
BV: The first thing is I’ve had some great moments. I loved getting a song on Ray Charles’ record. It went on his record – Ray Charles – My World. That’s the song I wrote. That was a Come to Jesus moment. Another one is when I first got to California – we landed in the show, The Wiz. I was 25. The greatest experience was landing on an aircraft carrier. The USS Stennis. I went there to do a show. We landed and took off. Stayed there for three days.
DD: That had to be exciting. You’ve been honing your craft for a while. How do you measure success?
BV: It’s a constant progression. I’m constantly learning. I feel like I've had nine lives. I was a demo singer, sticking with the game plan from an early age. This was all I ever wanted to do. I actually became good at what I do. I’m not one to blow my own horn, but I’m confident in what I do. You get that with age and experience. I feel accomplished. I worked in so many different mediums.
The Five Heartbeats movie is a favorite. I had a good time with Young Hult Unlimited, and of course, I was part of the Valentine Brothers. I dug Boston Legal. They loved me. They gave me a job. That was great. That lasted five years. I’ve had some great success.
DD: What breathes life into you? What motivates you?
BV: To keep doing the work. I just finished a record and I'm already ready to do the next. I haven’t done my best work yet. This next record I have in my mind will showcase my voice like never before. I'm hoping to do a record with a full orchestra. I want to do some standards and R&B as well. I’m with the right people to get that done, I believe. This will happen early next year. I haven’t done a lot of solo records because I did 15 years with my brother (John Valentine).
DD: Really?
BV: When I and my brother broke up, I did demos. I just couldn’t get it done at that time, but I like where I’m at right now. I have some catching up to do in terms of my solo work. All of my life has been about going to the next step.
DD: Do you have a specific plan to get there?
BV: I don't promote myself. I’m a little embarrassed about promoting myself. I don’t like to talk about myself. I don’t want to be famous. I just want to do what I do and make a living at it. I don’t want to be recognized. I want to keep everything personal. I’ve never aspired to be famous. There are jazz guys who make a living at this, but they are not superstars. Never thought of myself as that. That being said, I don’t mind other people promoting me.
DD: What happens to you on stage?
BV: I try to be as honest as possible. Before I walk out there I meditate and reach deep down so I can be as much in control as possible. I can also be as vulnerable as I want to be. Once I step out there, I have such a respect for the audience who took the time to sit down and listen to me. My gratitude is over the top for that. It’s an honor to have someone sit and listen to you.
DD: Could you live without music?
BV: I don’t think so. It would be sad. I’d be a sad person. It gets me up. Learning a new song is such a wonderful feeling. It’s something you love and touches you in a way that you know will translate to other people. I pick my songs carefully. I’m a people person when I go on that stage. I reach out. I don’t stand in one spot. I work the whole stage.
DD: When you think of today’s music, who do you think has the goods?
BV: Bruno Mars! He’s hitting it hard. I generally listen to instrumental stuff. I love Oscar Peterson and Joe Sample. I like to get away from lyrics. The Lalah Hathaway and Joe Sample song – that was the best. I would have loved to do something with The Crusaders. I still reach back to Ray Charles and songs that touch me.
DD: How do you know when a song is a Billy Valentine song?
BV: It touches you. I’m living it. I’m not playing it. I’m living it.
DD: What does performing do for you?
BV: It gives me satisfaction and joy. It feels like I’m giving something back.
DD: Describe your style of music.
BV: The last thing I want to do is be pigeonholed. I started in R&B. I want to do everything. They speak of me as a jazz and R&B artist. I love the ballads.
DD: Talk about how the music industry has changed over the years.
BV: There was a time I was doing things like demos, writers and artists were getting together and artist depended on writers to write their songs. That all changed. I do private parties. That’s done well for me. The business constantly changes. Good music stays around. Rap is the shit now. Let's face it. It dominates the charts. I’m not a chart person. I don’t concentrate on the charts. I concentrate on songs. There is still an audience out there that still likes great music.
DD: You began your career in the 70s. When you were first getting started, what did you expect from show business and what did you get?
BV: When I first started I was just hoping to make a living at it. I hoped I could do it for the rest of my life. I’m one of 13. I started at age 7. I was put in a talent show. I had hopes of being a good singer. My expectation was to be a club singer. I was like a kid in a candy store. Studio scene was happening. I came here to record. There were so many things available. Back home we had our own club, but I hit a ceiling. I needed to get better and record, so I had to leave Columbus. I wanted to become the best I could be. I’m well on my way.
Billy Valentine, blackbox @ the edye, The Edye at The Broad Stage, 1310 11th St. Santa Monica CA 90401, Friday, November 2 at 8 p.m., Tickets start at $20, (310) 434-3200, www.thebroadstage.org, parking is free.
